Work Text:
Coachella Weekend One, backstage at the Outdoor Theater.
It is night time in the California desert, a brisk wind occasionally blowing.
The two men wearing tailored suits are super nervous.
The culmination of nearly four years of work being presented at one of the biggest music festivals in the world.
Every album cycle, a rebirth.
Countless cigarette butts scattered on the floor.
As a crew member helps wiring him up, Xavier notices his hands can’t stop shaking.
He just needs something, someone to hold onto.
At some point, he hears feet shuffling behind him and feels a familiar pair of hands on his shoulders.
“My hands can’t stop shaking.”
Gaspard squeezes his shoulders and makes Xavier turn around to face him.
He slides his hands down his arms and gently holds both of Xavier’s elegant hands.
“It’s going to be fine. We rehearsed like crazy.”
“But what if something goes wrong?”
Gaspard looks down and brushes his thumbs across Xavier’s knuckles.
“It’s the first show. If something goes wrong, the show must go on.”
Xavier looks at his hands being caressed by his partner.
He gradually feels a sense of calm flood back into his body.
Gaspard brings Xavier into his arms and gives him a tight hug.
Xavier takes a deep breath, his heart pounding against his chest.
“We got this. We got this.”
The two men stay in an embrace for quite some time, the world around them feeling like it’s fading away.
Eventually, their little bubble is interrupted as a crew member approaches the pair.
“It’s time, guys.”
A quick pat on each other’s backs, and the pair separate from their embrace.
The sound of the crowd gets louder as they walk towards the stage.
Hearts pound faster, blood rushes to their ears like river water after a storm.
Another deep breath.
Hyperdrama, their baby, will be out into the world soon.
Xavier gives Gaspard a hopeful look with a slight smile.
Gaspard looks back at his best friend, a smile tugging at the corners of his lips.