When We're Together (Damon Albarn)

Chapter Thirty-Five

Friday 12th June 2009

I tried my best to ignore it but the anxious feeling in my stomach only seemed to be growing bigger. I'd taken the kids to school, tidied every room in the house and finally hit the bottom of the laundry basket but it wasn't enough, nothing kept my mind off the thought of tomorrow for too long.

After pacing around the kitchen for, what felt like, the hundredth time I decided that I just had to go and see Damon. If anyone could put my mind at ease, it was him. Before I could over think it I was out the house and I was in the lift up to his studio before I knew it.

I couldn't really remember what he had told me he had on today, but as I approached the door I hoped more than anything that he was on his own. The last thing I wanted now was for other people to be there, I certainly wasn't in the mood for chatting.

Thankfully, he was on his own, a smile appearing over his lips when his eyes landed on me. I tried my best to smile back at him, feeling relief wash over me as I settled myself across his lap in his outstretched arms.

"What's happened?" He asked gently, I shrugged my shoulders as I tried to process what had actually happened.

"Nothing" I got out, looking up at him with a frown on my face "I just feel really, I don't know, I just feel a bit off"

He hummed in agreement, his grip on me tightening as he held me closer to his chest. Whilst the feeling of anxiety was still bubbling up in my stomach, being in his arms made it feel just that bit more bearable.

"Are you worried about tomorrow?" He asked, though it wasn't really a question, we both knew I was borderline terrified about our first performance tomorrow.

"It's gonna be fine, you know?" He told me after a few moments of silence "You've done hundreds of performances you know what you're doing and I'm not gonna let anything bad happen to you, if you mess up I'll cover for you, you really don't need to worry my darling"

I nodded my head at his words, I knew he was right and the logical side of my brain knew that nothing could really go that badly wrong tomorrow evening and yet, the nauseous feeling in my stomach was as present as ever.

"Have you got a smoke?" I asked, laughing lightly at his instant shocked expression. I wasn't too sure where the request had come from but I knew I needed something to help calm me down.

"That bad?" He asked, I nodded my head. We both knew I didn't often smoke cigarettes let alone a joint, but I hadn't felt this worried in a long time and I just felt a yearning for the calm I knew it would bring me.

I got off of his lap, walking over to the sofa in the corner, wrapping myself up in a blanket as I sat down. Damon busied himself in rolling the joint for me, I couldn't help the heat that started to rise in my cheeks as I watched him. Watching his furrowed eyebrows as his fingers busied themselves and his tongue darted out to wet the paper always did something to me.

"You always look so hot when you're rolling a joint" I mused, watching as his face cracked into a grin, his eyebrows raised as he looked across at me.

"Are you trying to hit on me?" He questioned, his eyes showing a devilish glint as his grin morphed into his confident smirk.

"Is it working?" I laughed, he wriggled his eyebrows suggestively before laughing loudly.

"Well I married you, didn't I?" He retorted, his smile taking over his face as he placed the joint on his palm, before stretching his hand out to me "M'lady"

I looked at his hand before directing my gaze up to his, widening my eyes as I pouted up at him.

"Are you not gonna light it for me?" I whined, immediately laughing as he rolled his eyes before reaching in his pocket, pulling out his lighter and then passing me the, now alight, joint.