Tender (A britpop era fiction)

Best Days - Graham POV

Since the most talented guitar player of his generation celebrated his birthday two days ago and I'm in the mood for a bit (by which I mean A LOT) friendship softness, Damon and Graham memories, songwriting romantic and another perspective on Damons and Claires relationship, here you go.

Also this is by far the longest chapter I've ever written. 5700 words, Jesus Christ. Should I stop myself? Probably. Will I? Nah. This fic's gonna be 200 chapter and a million words long in the end and I won't regret a single one of them.

Lots of love and as always, stay safe and sound,

Sally, x.

It's a beautiful, cold day as Graham drives down the highway, only a few minutes away from Colchester by now. He'd talked with Damon yesterday on the phone, telling him he'd planned to spent a few days at home, visiting his parents. And from Claire he knew Damon and the kids were with his own parents, so he called to ask if they wanted to meet up. It must've been years ago since they were back home at the same time.

"Come on around" Damon had invited him. "You know my mum's always overjoyed. And the kids would love it. Claire's not gonna be here until Saturday and it'll soothe their yearning for their mother for a while."

"That bad, mmh?" Graham asked. Damon on the other end breathed heavily.

"They'll be happy to see you, Gra. And me too." That was all the answer Graham needed.

Yes, that bad.

He drives off the main road and nervously taps with his left hand on the wheel, absent minded. A melody that has followed him from Kent until here has created a loop of sound in his head. He decides to stop by at Hazels and Keiths first before driving off to his own parents. Something inside him tells him it's better that way, a certain feeling he sometimes has when it concerns his best friend.

Graham looks at all the familiar buildings he passes by as he drives through the town. As always when he's back a vague nostalgia takes hold of him. Nothing around Colchester is particulary pretty or remarkable but still the sight of the places of his youth tugs his heart strings in a remarkable way he never really could explain.

There is newspaper stall him and Damon used to buy the NME and Melody Maker. The playground were they used to smoke weed and were Graham had his first kiss with a girl - and his first kiss with Damon, practising for said first kiss with a girl- is right next to the pub where they got drunk together for the first time. Graham remembers bending over and laughing hysterically as Damon vomited on the sidewalk. The next day on his way to a friend he saw an old lady stepping into the puddle of vomit and he was still drunk enough to find it just as hilarious. He passes the old school building. Countless memories rain down on him. How different his life could've been if he'd never attended that school.

Graham tells himself to snap out of it. Not the time for indulding himself in memories. He passes the last few buildings in the outskirts of the town before heading for the small road to the village where Damon used to live. And despite telling himself not to, he can't help but think back to his childhood. He remembers April of 1981 during a heavy, countrywide snow storm Damon almost would've frozen to death on his way to Graham.

They'd had talked for the first time a few months before. Graham was sitting in music class, playing around with his saxophone in music class, waiting for the lesson to begin. And then this blond boy named Damon had approached him. Graham had seen him before playing a a few school plays. He was impressed with his fearlessness on stage from the very first second. And appalled by his obvious cockiness. Graham automatically rolls his eyes as he remembers how the first thing Damon did was to insult his shoes. And then Damon asked him if he fancied to play the sax on one of his songs. Graham was staggered. He'd never met anyone who wrote songs. He can't even remember he agreed. He only remembers Damon showing up on his doorstep later that day.