Tender (A britpop era fiction)

Slide Away - Damon POV

Hello dear people out there and welcome back to Sallys personal challenge called - will I finish this fic before the end of the year? I highly doubt it, can't imagine why.

Today it's Damons turn again, I hope you enjoy it. I tried for a whole lot in this chapter, that's why it's so long. Establishing a few conflicts that'll explode in the near future, slowly but surely starting to wrap this story up. 

A word to the timeline, this chapter takes place the same day when in the morning Claire says goodbye to Liam and Dylan and Matt get caught kissing by Noel. But this chapter is taking place more in the evening and what happened in the few hours between will be the concern of the next chapters to follow. I just thought I'd make that clear from the start so no one gets confused.

As always, stay safe and sound,

Sally, x.

Btw, I sat ages on this one and right now I just want it out there for you to read and enjoy. So I can't be arsed about editing it again. I'll take care of it tomorrow. If you find any mistakes, spelling etc. don't be afraid to call me out.

The lights of Hongkong blink in an endless flow of white and yellow and red under him, a city extending into the distance like the strangest of seas. The inexplicable and detached fascination of this place has held Damon in it's grip since they arrived. He's not sure of the others can feel it too, the blur of time and space when they drive through endless, narrow tunnels, stand on escalators that take them higher and higher and never high enough. What an odd place. What an alienate room to move, live and breathe in. It's almost easy to forget there's another world out there, an old and regal world like the cities in Europe, London with it's past reaching far back to Roman times. With his own past, his life. Years ago, when he was younger, a place like Hongkong would've been the most perfect, destructive escape from all the mayhem in his life. Pure energy, only moving forward. No looking back, ever. Taking Claires hand and running away from everything that weighted them down.

Damon turns from the window and takes a few disoriented steps into the room. He can't shake the odd feeling off as he stares at the ceiling, a undefined melody lingering through his head. His mind jumps between the last days being on tour in South East Asia, hanging around with Graham, Alex and Dave and the crew constantly, surrounded by noise and confusion and enjoying every minute of it. They hadn't planned to stay in Hongkong for so long, but when a few gigs in Japan and one in Jakarta were cancelled, they remained in the hotel and tried to figure out what to do. It was too short a time to fly home but too long to just sit around doing nothing and too short-term to find any other locations to play. 

So they strolled through the streets yesterday, visited monasteries and temples and Damon dragged them on an Observation deck, enjoying the view on the city and the harbour and grabbed some dumplings from a food struck stall. In the evening when they all sat in the restaurant, he took one of Grahams cigarettes out of the pack and twisted it between his fingers as he leaned back and watched them. Gra and Dave were bickering, Alex throwing in a comment every now and then. For a moment Damon closed his eyes and as he opened them up again, it was like no time had ever passed. As if they were sitting in a vacuum only they could ever acknowledge and where not one second ever passed between the boys they once were and the man gathered around the table right now. 

When he went out to light his fag, Alex followed him. It was only as he made his last drag that Alex opened his mouth. 

"I think we should go into the studio. Try a few things out. Practice."