Chapter Text
SMG4 loved his friends more than anything. He would do pretty much anything and everything for them. He loved hanging out with them, whether they were playing video games or simply just talking and enjoying each other’s company.
However, there was one thing that SMG4 did not like: big, loud events. A party with people he didn’t know sounded awful, formal ceremonies were even worse, and concerts were the absolute worst. It didn’t matter if it was a classical concert with an orchestra, or if it was a rave with giant speakers and crazy special effects; Four hated it.
So you could imagine how conflicted he felt after his friend Meggy asked him to go to a rock concert on Friday.
“Wait, what?” Four asked, wondering if he had heard her right.
“Would you like to go to a concert with me and Tari on Friday?” Meggy repeated.
Four’s eyes darted between Meggy and Tari. As a group, they would go out to eat every Wednesday at their favorite diner. Sometimes, Mario would tag along. Today was one of those times.
“Ooh, that sounds fun! SMG4, we should go!” Mario said, shaking Four by the arm.
“I don’t know, I’m not a big fan of concerts.” Four replied.
“This is a more local band, I don’t think there will be as many people in the crowd.” Tari added.
“Yeah! And you can finally meet Saiko!” Meggy exclaimed with a bright smile. Four recalled her and Tari talking about Saiko sometimes— she was their girlfriend. They had a polycule going on.
Four sighed, conflicted. “I’m not sure guys. I haven’t been to a concert in a long time, and I’ve sworn to myself to never go back to one after what happened last time.”
“What happened last time?” Mario asked. Four glared at him.
“You were there!” Meggy answered, kicking Mario from under the table.
“A refresher would be nice!” Mario yelled, kicking Meggy back.
“It was just too loud and overwhelming. I had a panic attack and it caused a whole scene.” Four said, interrupting the two before they legitimately started a physical altercation.
“How about you just go, and if it gets too much we can leave?” Tari suggested.
“Okay, fine.” Four agreed hesitantly.
“Awesome!” Tari cheered, pumping her fists up into the air.
“Can Mario go too?” Mario asked with a hopefully grin.
“Will you behave?” Meggy retorted, cocking a brow.
“Of course. I’ve never done anything wrong.” Mario answered. Meggy, Tari, and Four looked at each other with knowing glances.
“Right. Yeah, you can go.” Tari said reluctantly. Mario cheered, leaning back in his chair and kicking the table. His chair fell backwards and he hit the floor with a thud.
People around them stared with judging looks. Four covered his face, ashamed and embarrassed. Mario got up and fixed his chair, pretending like that didn’t happen.
“I think that’s a sign that you shouldn’t go.” Meggy said honestly.
“No! I’m going, it’s too late!” Mario replied stubbornly. Meggy groaned with frustration.
“Is everything alright over here?” An annoyed voice asked. The group turned their heads, and it was a worker for the diner. She was a cat lady, with white fur and teal hair, along with yellow glasses. She looked exhausted.
“Oh! Hi Karen!” Mario waved with a big smile.
“Why am I not surprised that you’re the one who’s causing all this ruckus?” The worker, Karen, said.
“Mario, you know her?” Four asked.
“Yeah! I babysit her kids sometimes.” Mario explained.
“None of you have any food or drinks. Are you guys going to order anything?” Karen asked, switching the subject.
“Can I get a water and a cheeseburger?” Meggy replied. Karen took out a notepad and pen and started writing things down.
“I’ll have a water with the Caesar salad, please.” Tari said politely.
“Spaghetti.” Mario said.
“No drink?” Karen asked, cocking a brow.
“Can you drink spaghetti?” Mario retorted. Karen rolled her eyes and turned to SMG4.
“I’ll have a Coke and a chicken sandwich.” Four said.
Karen finished writing everything down and put her pen away. “Your food will be with you shortly.” She walked away, ignoring Mario waving at her.
“So, this band, what’s it called?” Four asked curiously.
“It’s called Pentaphobia, which is the fear of the number five.” Meggy answered. A different waitress came over and handed them each their drinks (besides Mario).
“Why did they call themselves that?” Mario wondered, having the same question as Four.
“I actually don’t know. It sounds pretty cool though.” Tari responded, taking a drink of her water.
“And they’re a rock band?” Four questioned.
Meggy nodded. “Yeah. Some songs are more hardcore than others, but they’re all good.”
“It’s not the kind of music that I like, but I go to their concerts anyway to support Saiko.” Tari added.
“So is it an all girl’s group?” Mario asked, grabbing Meggy’s water when she wasn’t looking and taking a sip. He slid the cup back across to her side.
“No. The lead singer and the drummer are guys, and the other three are girls.” Meggy answered.
Four took a large gulp of his Coke. He was still nervous to go, but talking about it with his friends definitely helped.
“What time is the concert?” Four asked.
“It starts at nine, and usually they end after a few hours, so it should be over by midnight.” Tari said. Four was used to staying up late, so he didn’t mind.
“Don’t worry about what to wear. Just show up in something you’ll be comfortable in for a few hours.” Meggy added.
Karen came back with their food. She passed out each of their dishes and placed a few extra napkins on the table.
“Is there anything else I can get for you?” She asked with a monotone voice.
“I think we’re good, thank you!” Four replied after nobody said anything.
Their conversation died as everyone started eating. Mario ate his spaghetti extremely fast, earning him concerned looks from his friends. The food was as delicious as always, and Four was once again reminded on why this was their designated restaurant to go to every Wednesday.
“Alright, so me and Tari will pick you and Mario up. We’ll get Mario first since he’s closer. Be ready to leave your castle by eight.” Meggy said after everyone was done eating.
“That sounds fine.” Four responded. He reached into a pocket of his overalls and took out his debit card.
Karen walked over to their table and took their plates. She returned with the bill, took Four’s card to charge him, and came back with it and the receipt.
“Thanks for eating at Dinner. Have a good evening.” Karen said, sounding completely sarcastic. She walked away into one of the rooms in the back.
“Mario, you said she had kids?” Tari asked once she knew that Karen wouldn’t be able to hear her.
“Yeah! They’re cute little fluffballs.” Mario answered.
“She seems kind of mean.” Meggy commented honestly. Mario shot her a glare.
“If you had to work multiple minimum wage jobs and take care of three kids while also dealing with rude customers, I feel like you wouldn’t be the nicest person either.” Mario said, crossing his arms.
“Holy shit, three kids? That sounds like a nightmare!” Four exclaimed. He could barely take care of himself, so taking care of three hyper children that relied on him to live seemed like his worst nightmare.
“Anyways, about the concert. Four, do you want to be near the front or the back? Usually the front has better sound quality, but the back is a lot more calm.” Tari looked at Four.
Four paused, thinking. “How about the middle?” He suggested.
“That’s where the most people are.” Meggy replied. Four groaned.
“I guess the front. If you guys want to be able to see Saiko and hopefully have her see you, then the front would be better, right?” Four remarked.
Tari and Meggy shared a concerned look. “What about you, Four? Will you be okay?” Tari asked with worry.
“I’ll be okay. As long as you guys are with me and promise that if it’s too much that I can leave, then it’ll be okay.” Four answered, grateful for his friends being so caring.
“We promise!” Meggy and Tari said at the same time.
“And Mario can easily clear a path in the crowd!” Mario added. Four laughed, feeling a lot more good about this.
“Thank you, guys.”
———————
Four no longer felt good about this.
It was ten minutes until eight, when Meggy said they would be picking him up. Four was pacing back and forth in his room, a nervous wreck. His mind was running through all of the possible scenarios that could happen that night.
He was wearing his normal outfit, which provided him a little bit of comfort since it was familiar. However, he was worried that he would stick out like a sore thumb in the crowd. It was a rock concert, so who else would be wearing overalls and a hat and gloves? Besides Mario. But Four didn’t even know if that’s what Mario was wearing.
Regardless, he was panicking. He almost had a heart attack when he got a notification on his phone from Meggy, saying that they were here.
Four took a deep breath, shoved his phone into his pocket, and walked outside. Meggy had her window rolled down and waved at Four once she spotted him. He climbed into the backseat next to Mario, who was thankfully wearing the same outfit he always did. This calmed Four’s nerves a little bit.
“Are you ready, Four?” Meggy asked, turning around to face Four. She was wearing a long sleeve black shirt with some sort of pattern on it, along with skull earrings.
“Ready as I’ll ever be.” Four answered honestly. As Meggy began to drive, Tari must have noticed how worried he was.
“Four, it’ll be okay, I promise. We’ll be with you the entire time.” She said, turning to face him. She was wearing her usual outfit, except had a skull hair-clip on her bangs.
“Mario will keep you safe!” Mario added, giving Four a thumbs up that honestly made him more nervous than before.
Four stayed silent. He was unsure how to respond. It was probably stupid to be so scared of going to a concert, something people go to enjoy and have fun at. He felt childish.
The rest of the car ride was in silence, aside from the radio playing music quietly. Four was fidgeting with the buttons on his overalls, something he tended to do when he was nervous. He stared out the window, watching as the woods near his castle turned into cityscape as they drew closer and closer to the venue. It was odd to see the city lit up like this, considering the fact that he rarely went out at night. It was a Friday night as well, so it was a lot more lively than usual.
Eventually, they arrived at the building where the venue was. It wasn’t in a sketchy part of the city, which made Four feel a lot better. Meggy searched the parking lot for a spot, and eventually found one that wasn’t too far from the entrance.
They got out of the car, and Four’s legs were wobbly. He knew it was too late to turn back now, but he heavily considered running all the way back to the castle. Regardless, he forced himself to walk with his friends inside the building.
There was a line inside to get bags searched and tickets verified. There weren’t too many people in front of them, so Four took that as a good sign. Though the fact that there was a line at all made him worry.
While waiting, Four took in his surroundings. There were purple LED lights lined on the ceiling, providing a dim and slightly eerie feeling to the room. The people in front of their group were actually dressed like they were going to a rock concert, so Four silently cursed himself for not having any sort of black clothes he could wear.
Meggy, Tari, Mario, and Four each walked through a metal detector, and as expected were clear. Then, Meggy went up to the worker who was taking tickets. She took out her squid-shaped phone and pulled up the tickets she bought for everyone online.
The worker scanned the tickets. “You’re good to go. Down that hallway to the right there are some double doors at the very end. Go through them and you’ll be near your seats.”
“Thanks so much!” Tari said. The group walked down the hallway that the worker was talking about, and it felt like each step Four made his feet got heavier.
The paintings on the wall seemed to have eyes that followed him. He felt like he was being watched by dozens of people. It was like there were thousands of people whispering at him— about him. Four wanted to run. He wanted to escape.
He then felt a hand on his shoulder. It was Mario.
“SMG4, are you okay bro?” He asked with genuine concern on his face. Tari and Meggy were a bit further ahead, but were also looking at him.
“I’m— I’m fine. I swear.” Four answered. He wasn’t fine, but he had made it this far. It would only be a few hours. He could handle it.
They continued walking until they reached the double doors. Meggy opened them, and Four was hit with a wave of uncertainty.
He followed Meggy and Tari while Mario was behind him. It was a lot more crowded than Four expected. More than he thought. The room was illuminated by bright white lights coming from above the stage, which was directly where they were headed.
Also, apparently that worker lied, because there were no seats. There were so many people, so many conversations at once, and Four felt nauseous. It was like everything was a blur.
Then, he heard the loud strum of a guitar, and he was brought back to reality.
Four looked up at the stage in front of him, and the band must have set up while he was zoned out, because there were now five people on stage.
There was a girl on the very left side with green hair, with a black leather jacket going over a pink and red dress. Her hair was put up in a specific way that made it look like she had devil horns. She was messing with what looked like a keyboard, but there were a lot of complicated buttons on it that looked like a headache to understand.
To the right of her was a girl that had reddish-orange hair with yellow tips, looking like fire. She had a red guitar strapped around her, and she appeared to be tuning the keys. She was wearing a red crop top, a red and black plaid skirt, and fishnet tights that led into her combat boots.
Then, Meggy and Tari started jumping up and down and pointing at the other girl with a guitar. Four looked over and assumed that they were pointing at Saiko. The girl had pink hair in pigtails, with yellow and purple highlights on each side of her hair. She was the one that played the guitar, because Four saw the pick in her hand resting above the strings. Saiko had a plaid jacket tied around her waist, where a red skirt was. She had tall black boots that went up to her knees. She was sporting a crop top that looked raggedy on purpose, with a skull on it that had a bow. Four noticed that her guitar had the same logo.
Behind Saiko was the drummer, twirling his sticks mindlessly as he observed the crowd. He had a black headband tied around his head, and in the back there were tall black devil horns. He had a fang poking out of his mouth. The shirt he was wearing had holes in it that looked like he got attacked by a bear, and he had a red jacket with fur on it that covered it. His belt looked like bullets, and he had black baggy cargo pants go with it.
Then, Four’s eyes landed on the man in the middle of the stage. And that may have been Four’s biggest mistake of the night. He was beautiful.
He had long black hair that went to about his shoulders. He had a beard that looked a little unkempt, and deep red eyes. His shirt was black, with a purple skull in the middle. Around that was a black leather vest with spikes on it, along the shoulders and lapel. He had black skinny jeans with holes in them, along with a wallet chain attached. His shoes looked like worn out converse, but they also had spikes on them. On both of his hands were purple gloves that matched his shirt, with what looked like the Roman numeral for the number three.
And then their eyes met. Blue irises met red ones, across however many meters away Four was from the stage, which wasn’t many. Four’s eyes widened, and they widened even more once the man smirked at him. It was like he knew Four was nervous, like he knew that Four didn’t like concerts. It was like he wanted to prove Four wrong; to show him how great they can be.
The man took the microphone off the stand in front of him and cleared his throat. His band members turned to look at him as the crowd cheered. Four glanced at Meggy and Tari, who were waving ecstatically at Saiko. She did a small wave back.
“Thank you all so much for showing up tonight. We’ve been working really hard as a band to make this tour happen and be the best one we’ve had yet. Since this is the first show and is starting the tour, I feel like tonight will be extra special.” The man began to speak. His voice was loud compared to all of the other conversations happening around Four.
“Now, is it anyone’s first concert of ours tonight?” He asked, looking around the crowd. There were a few hands raised and a few cheers from around the room, and he chuckled. Then his gaze landed on Four and he smiled. Again.
“I’m glad that you’re losing your Pentaphobia concert virginity tonight! All of the concerts you’ve gone to before, or even if this is your first concert ever— none of them will ever compare to this. So get hyped!” He exclaimed. As people around Four started cheering, he felt like a statue. It didn’t feel like he was talking to a crowd, no— it felt like he was talking specifically to Four.
“You heard him, Four, get hyped!” Mario said, snapping Four back to the present.
Four shifted his wait from one foot to the other. He was anticipating every next moment. It was so odd.
“Anyways, I’m Three, and welcome to Pentaphobia!” The man yelled, before the sound of guitars started along with people shouting in excitement.
Then, there was screaming, from onstage. It was Three— the lead singer. And just barely, Four could make out some words. The drums kicked in, and now everyone on stage was playing. Four was in awe.
He understood now why Tari didn’t like this kind of music. He think it had a name— screamo? It didn’t seemed like something that Tari would like. But Four found himself enjoying it. And Three was watching him like he was under a microscope, observing every movement and change in facial expression he had.
Four felt himself smile, and his worries from before began to fade away. Maybe it was because there weren’t people constantly bumping into him, maybe it was because his friends seemed to be enjoying themselves as well. Maybe it was because something about the way that Three looked at him provided him comfort.
The chorus of the song was sung normally, and it gave Four goosebumps. The way that Three could switch how he sung was so impressive, along with all of the different sounds coming from the instruments. Four loved it.
Eventually, the song came to an end, and the crowd erupted with applause and cheers. Four found himself clapping and cheering as well, a smile on his face that he didn’t have before.
They played a few more songs, each one making Four feel more and more comfortable. And the entire time, Three’s eyes never left him. Time flew by, and hours felt like minutes. Then, there was one last song.
This one had a lot less screaming the others, and Four enjoyed it a lot. Three was singing, and his voice sounded a little raspy— probably because he had been singing/screaming for hours straight. Four cursed himself for finding it hot.
Then, the lights from above the stage shifted to purple and blue. They had been changing throughout the concert, but Four’s heart skipped a beat since blue was his color and purple was Three’s.
At that moment, Four realized how much of a loser he was being. He was attracted to the lead singer, who he would never talk to ever in his life. He found him hot and fantasized that he was singing this songs only for Four.
Four felt himself begin to panic. This was wrong, he shouldn’t feel this way towards a stupid singer. The walls began to feel closer, and it felt like everyone in the room was inching near him. Four was about to fully freak out, but then he heard Three sing one specific line.
“Darling, you’ll be okay.”
Four’s mouth was agape. Three was staring directly at him, and it looked like he was trying to comfort him the best way he could. He had a smile on his face that made Four feel butterflies in his stomach.
The song continued, but Four was stuck like that. He was blushing, still as a statue, watching Three in awe as he performed beautifully. It was hypnotizing, the way he moved around the stage while maintaining eye contact with Four.
Then, the song ended. The next few moments were a blur: people cheering, the band waving, Four remaining still. The only thing Four could remember was Three winking at him— at him specifically— before walking away backstage.
Four’s knees felt weak. He felt weak. He had the urge to find a way to sneak backstage and talk to Three, to ask him why he was looking at him, how he knew he was nervous, everything. However, he felt himself being dragged by Meggy, and he walked away.
———————
Every other Saturday night, Four would go to the bar with his friends X and FM. The day after the concert was one of those Saturdays. And Four couldn’t be more grateful, because heaven knows how badly he wanted to think about literally anything else.
It hadn’t even been twenty four hours since he saw Three, yet he felt like he was going crazy. All his thoughts were about him, or the concert, or when he sung that lyric.
“Darling, you’ll be okay.”
It repeated in Four’s mind like a loop. When he tried to go to sleep once he made it back home after the concert, all he could think about was how Three looked at him while he sung. It made him have feelings that he hadn’t felt in a long time.
Now, he was sitting at the bar as FM and X chatted away, both tipsy on beer. They must have noticed how Four was acting different, and X was the one who spoke up about it.
“Four, are you alright man? You’re a lot more quiet than usual.” X asked with worry in his voice.
“Yeah, and you’re drinking more than usual!” FM added.
Four sighed, laying his head down on the countertop. “I’m just thinking.” He replied honestly.
“Shocker.” FM said, earning him a slap from X.
“About what? You said you went to a concert last night, is it about that?” X continued to investigate.
“Something like that. It’s more about someone at the concert.” Four answered. He sat up again, and took a sip of his beer. It was bitter and it burned, and it provided Four a little bit of comfort.
“Do we need to jump someone?” FM asked seriously. Four laughed dryly and shook his head.
“No, no. He didn’t do anything wrong.” He replied, propping his head up with his hand.
“So what happened?” X asked with confusion.
“The lead singer— Three— he was just staring at me the whole time. And you guys know how I am with concerts; I get overwhelmed really easily. It was like he knew I was nervous, and he started talking to the crowd but it felt like he was talking to me. Something about the way he looked at me made me feel better.” Four explained, recalling the events of the previous night.
“So you have a crush on the lead singer of a rock band?” FM asked.
“No? Yes? I don’t know! There’s a part of me that knows it’s stupid to feel this way over someone I’ll probably never see again. But there’s a bigger part of me that wants to learn more about him and become close with him and run into his arms after he performs and—”
“Breathe, Four. Jesus.” X interrupted, putting a comforting hand on his shoulder. Four did what he said and took a deep breath.
“It’s so stupid. If you told me a week ago that I would be crushing on the lead singer for a band that I went to a concert for, I would tell you that you’re nuts. Yet, here I am.” Four sighed.
“It could be worse. You could be crushing on a fictional character.” FM shrugged, trying to offer support.
“You suck at comforting people.” X said flatly.
Four took another large drink of his beer, and then the cup was empty. He was down two beers and heavily considered getting a third one.
“Desti, can I get a refill?” Four called to the bartender. She was familiar with their group, and would occasionally join in conversations. Desti walked over and took his empty cup.
“SMG4, isn’t this your third drink?” Desti asked with concern as she slid the now full glass over to Four.
“One of those nights.” Four answered. She nodded and walked away wordlessly.
“Do you think that maybe he saw you and is crushing on you too?” X wondered as Four took a drink.
“I don’t know. He winked at me before he went off stage.” Four replied. FM almost choked on his drink and X looked at him with wide eyes.
“He what.” FM sputtered.
“Winked at me.”
“Are you sure it was at you?” X asked incredulously.
“I’m pretty sure. It seemed like it was.” Four answered. His face grew hot as he remembered the way that Three looked at him throughout the night, and especially when he winked at him.
“Did you wink back?” FM interrogated.
“No, I didn’t. He walked backstage before I could do anything. And I won’t get the chance to ever wink back or do anything again.” Four responded with a sigh. He took a sip of his beer as silence spread among the three.
“What if you go to his next concert?” X suggested after a moment. Four paused.
“That’s not a bad idea, but wouldn’t it seem a little creepy?” Four asked.
“No, they could just assume you’re like a mega fan.” FM answered shortly.
“It feels like Three can read my mind though. He’ll know.” Four said.
“Well, you went with Meggy, Tari, and Mario last time didn’t you? Maybe this time you can go alone.” X proposed.
“If I had a death wish, maybe.” Four remarked. It felt like he was going nowhere with this.
“Meggy and Tari are dating Saiko you said. Maybe convince them to go with and then find a way to meet the band for real.” FM said.
“That’s the first good idea that’s ever come out of your mouth.” X commented. FM elbowed him in the ribs, making him wince.
“Maybe I should just move on with my life, how about that?” Four suggested. He liked FM’s idea a lot, but he still felt like it would be futile.
“Do you think you can move on?” FM asked genuinely.
Four thought for a moment. Those eyes, that smile, his voice, the way he looked like he was born for the stage, how he winked at Four and it seemed like he was performing solely for him. Four desperately wanted to meet him, to talk to him and get to know him, and even if they never dated he would still want to be his friend at the very least. Did he always dress like that, or did he wear casual clothing too? What kind of cologne did he use? What music did he listen to?
“Judging by the fact you’ve just been staring off into space and said nothing, I’m going to take that as a no.” FM said after Four mentally blue-screened.
“Maybe you don’t have to move on.” X said. Four looked at him with confusion.
“What’s the point? He was probably just doing all of that to make me enjoy the concert more.” Four replied with defeat.
“But he didn’t look at anyone else?” FM asked.
“Well, no.” Four answered, trying to ignore the hopeful stir in his chest.
“You’ll never know why he did it if you never talk to him. So maybe you should find a way to talk to him and get some answers. Some closure would be nice, wouldn’t it?” X advised.
“Yeah, it would.” Four agreed hesitantly.
“So find out their next concert, go to it, and get some damn answers!” FM cheered, slamming his glass on the counter. Desti looked over at them with a confused expression, causing Four’s face to heat up from embarrassment.
“I agree with FM. You only live once, right?” X encouraged.
“You did not just YOLO me.” Four cringed.
“He’s not wrong! You could die next week and you’d never know what those signs meant.” FM added a bit too enthusiastically.
“I don’t— why would you say that?” Four asked, taking a large sip of his beer. The alcohol made his mind feel staticky, allowing him to relax a lot more than before.
“I’m being supportive, duh.” FM answered obviously, rolling his eyes.
“You should work on that.” X said.
Four checked the time on his phone, and it was past midnight. He should really call an Uber to take him home, because not only was his car at the castle, he was drunk. However, he also had the urge to walk home. The bar wasn’t too far, a couple miles max.
“I think I’m gonna dip. I’ll see you guys soon.” Four said, getting up from his barstool.
“On the tab again?” Desti asked before Four turned around.
“Yeah, that’s fine.” He replied.
“Bye Four!” X and FM said simultaneously. Four gave them a small wave, and then turned around to leave.
When Four stepped outside, he was greeted with the cold air of autumn at night. There was a gentle breeze that made the nearby trees sway, their leaves falling and gliding in the wind. The only light was coming from the sign of the bar, the moon being just past its first quarter.
He knew the way to the castle from the bar. Four had been going there long enough to memorize each turn in the road and each building he passed. It wasn’t like he was an alcoholic, no, he just found that the bar was the best place for him and his two close friends to meet. Four barely drank outside of the bar.
Four continued to walk on the side of the road, grateful for no cars passing by. One time when he was walking back, someone called the cops on him because they thought he was on drugs. No, he was just a little more drunk than usual. Just like tonight.
Could you blame him, though? His thoughts were plagued by the lead singer of a band he dreaded seeing at first. Now all he wanted to do was go to their concerts, if it meant seeing Three. Wednesday was only a few days away, he could manage not bothering Meggy or Tari until then about the band.
Pentaphobia. What an odd name, Four thought. Why not threeaphobia? Where did the five come from?
Four kicked a rock in front of him, and continued to kick it as it rolled along the ground. Coming up was the abandoned arcade and the old buildings surrounding it, along with the broken traffic lights. Nobody went to that area anyway, it didn’t matter.
The only reason Four found that bar was because Meggy took him there once. She has a history with Desti, the bartender. He found it to be an enjoyable experience; the prices were fair, the drinks were good, and Desti was kind enough to let him go there and stay there until the morning of the next day.
It was also away from anyone else, so the chances of running into people were low. Every now and then there would be a large group who just stumbled upon the place by chance, but overall it was empty besides him, X, and FM. Four wondered how they managed to stay in business for so long, especially with him never paying his tab.
Four was about halfway to the castle, and his legs were growing weak. He was not the most athletic person on the planet, so walking could be a workout. However, he had to get home that way he could actually get some sleep.
The previous night was hard enough. Three was the only thing on his mind, and no matter how many times he tossed and turned, he couldn’t get him out of his head. The only way he actually fell asleep was because he ate a lot more melatonin gummies than recommended. By the time he woke up, the sun had begun to set.
The way that this stranger made Four feel like he was a fangirl. A fanboy, in his case. Maybe he was delusional, and Three never winked at him at all. But Four didn’t want to think about that, no, he wanted to imagine hearing Three speak normally. People usually have a performing voice and a normal voice, and Four was desperately curious to find out what the difference was between each option for Three.
In the distance, Four saw the sign pointing to the Showgrounds. He was hit with a wave of relief— it was getting really cold. He wondered if Three preferred the cold or the warmth.
God, he couldn’t escape him even if he tried. And he tried, or at least Four told himself that. He was practically dragging his feet on the ground now, and after he turned into the road to the Showgrounds, he smiled with relief as he saw the lights coming from the castle.
What was Three’s place like?
Did he live in a house, an apartment, some secret third option?
Did he have roommates?
Did he have a significant other?
Four stopped dead in his tracks. He hadn’t even thought of that. He assumed he didn’t, considering the way he acted towards Four, but maybe they were just a really chill partner.
He continued walking, a lot more sluggishly than before. Four knew it was unrealistic to expect them two to date, and them being friends would still be an accomplishment within itself. Regardless, he enjoyed entertaining the thought of them spending time together.
Maybe he would sing to Four, just for him. Maybe he would invite him to listen to his band practice. Maybe they’d go out to eat after, and he’d learn what Three liked food-wise.
Four subconsciously started walking faster and faster as the fake scenarios ran through his mind. Going shopping, choosing where to perform next, thinking of a new song, everything that they could do together. Four was probably a bit pathetic to be imagining this much over someone that he only knew for a few hours— and even then, he didn’t know him.
He wanted to know him.
Four reached the doors to his castle, and he unlocked them and stepped inside. It was so much warmer than outside, it felt like a hug from a blanket coming straight from the dryer. He was exhausted.
Four walked to his room, and threw his hat across the room. He would deal with it later. He turned off the lights, and flopped onto his bed.
The drowsiness caught up with him instantly. He allowed himself to relax, and kicked off his shoes. Four curled under the blanket, and fell asleep almost instantly with one thing— one person— on his mind.
Three, that random singer from that random band that he attended a random concert for on a random Friday. It was all by chance for him to be there at that exact moment. Yet the stars aligned, and now Four was desperately hoping for the stars to align again and again.