HeartBLOOD

Chapter sixty-six

Keep you eyes closed!, Magnus said, gently stroking Alecs lashline with the fell tip of his eyeliner. The ink was cold against his sweaty eyelids, and he couldnt help but push his brows together at the unusual sensation of Magnus blowing at his face, making the eyeliner dry quicker.

Okay, now look up., Magnus commanded and drew a thick black line onto his boyfriends lower lashline, accentuating his eyes.

Alec sucked in his breath, trying not to blink- he hated the feeling of the kajal eyeliner against his eyeball, especially because it always made his eyes water, which he needed to suppress- otherwise, Magnus would have to redo the entire thing.

Come on, dont be a baby about it., Magnus chuckled, starting to powder Alecs face as he was done with his eyes.

I still cant believe you put yourself through this voluntarily., Alec grinned, relieved about the fact that his makeup as almost done- luckily, his hair had been relatively easy to style today, which meant no more efforts in the beauty-area were necessary.

Im amazing, I know., Magnus replied cockily, a smile on his lips.

Hell yeah., Alec smirked, getting out of the makeup chair to warm up- the performance was not even an hour away and he still hadnt stretched.

Have you removed your tapes yet?, Magnus asked which upon Alec shook his head- it had gotten quite late last night, so he hadnt even told Magnus about his decision yet.

Do you want to do the honors?, he grinned, rolling up his sweatpants.

Why does this feel cinematic?, Magnus chuckled, kneeling down onto the floor next to Alec.

Because, if all goes well, this might be the last time.

What?, Magnus asked in confusion, clearly not understanding what Alec was hinting.

I called Doctor Zachariah last night., Alec chuckled, nervously picking at his cuticles, June 4ths the day.

No way!, Magnus exclaimed, pulling Alec into a hug, Im so freaking proud of you.

Im a grown dude, I should be able to make a doctors appointment for something thats long overdue., Alec grinned, making sure they didnt fall over.

Fucking finally., Magnus sniffed, pulling away from Alec.

Hey, are you crying?, Alec asked in worry, examining his boyfriends glossy eyes.

No, its allergies., Magnus chuckled, pressing his lips against Alecs.

Dont ruin your makeup., Alec laughed, giving him a tissue.

Id even ruin my makeup for you, Alec., Magnus laughed, gladly accepting the tissue- he really had no business being this emotional, but he felt like he understood better than Alec what a huge step that was.

But yes, lets rip that shit off., he exclaimed, yanking what seemed like half a roll of kinesiology tape off of his boyfriends leg.

Thats going to get framed., he laughed, DIY room decor.

***

Nervous?, Maia asked, holding Alecs cold and clammy hand in the left wing of the stage.

Yeah., he exhaled, glancing though the thick black curtains onto the gigantic stage- NYABM had rented out the Lincoln Center for performing Arts in New York, one of the biggest theaters in the city with hundreds of seats which were filling up by the minute.

Well nail it, the triple throw at the end of our duet will be such an iconic moment., Maia smiled- she seemed really excited about the performance, taking every bit of nervousness in. It was a unique feeling, after all- this was the last time they were going to go on stage together, perform as a team and wreck their nerves backstage. And even though it hurt, he couldnt wait to feel alive again, the type of alive one needed a stage for.

Lets make it a quadruple., Alec said, looking Maia right in the eyes- she knew just as well as him that they could do it.

Are you sure?, Maia asked, knowing Alec had always been the hesitant one.

One hundred percent. I dont want to leave and know I havent given it my all., Alec swallowed- after all, maybe, this was his last ever performance as a professional dancer. And he didnt want to hold back in a moment like this, all he wanted was to leave his footprint on that stage, making his existence as a dancer count before possibly turning into another failed tale.

Okay, then. Lets do it., Maia smiled, squeezing his hand, relieving some of the pressure that had built up in him.

Lets make this thing epic., Alec grinned as the lights went out and the music started playing.

Slowly, they walked onto the stage in the dark, their feet pressed against the hard cold dance floor, getting into position before starting to dance, slowly and steadily as the music built up. The lights were dimmed, getting brighter by the second before the headlights switched on one by one, highlighting Magnus, Camille, Jonathan, Aline, all turning rhythmically, swaying their bodies from left to right before getting into position for the next part of the choreography. For the first time ever, Alec truly paid attention to what was happening around him- people flying through the air, music exploding in his ears, the audience cheering, his arms against his ribcage before he fell on his knees, Maias body on his, Alines hair brushing his feet, sweat running down his back, sticking him to the dancefloor, a pounding heart and a beating soul, eyes wide open, staring into the arena, a fire in his brain, throwing himself from one part of the stage to the other, a driving force pushing him even higher, faster, stronger. Until the lights went out and the applause set in, one final exhale as he looked into the darkness- this was it. Three years of NYABM, just for this. A lifetime of rehearsals, all for this.

Stumbling backstage, fog clogged his head as the world seemed to be spinning, the after-show-blues leaving nothing but a ringing in his ears, his vision blurry, all he felt were bodies in his arms and he didnt even know who he was hugging- and neither did he care. All those people had been friends at best and lessons at worst, they were his family and although it hadnt always been peaceful, he had found peace in the mess.

Alec., a voice whispered from behind him, his heart breaking as he found himself in Raphaels arms, We fucking did it, brother.