𝐒𝐢𝗺𝗼𝐧 𝐀𝐧𝐝 𝐆𝐚𝐫𝐟𝐮𝐧𝐤𝐞𝐥 𝐎𝐧𝐞𝐬𝐡𝗼𝐭𝐬.

𝙂𝙤𝙤𝙙𝙗𝙮𝙚 𝙢𝙮 𝙇𝙤𝙫𝙚

A/N: Thanks for the request @beavisandbuttheadirl

Art sat on the couch after the concert, smoking a cigarette. Why wasn't he happy? He's been a little buzzing bee all day, cracking jokes and singing. Paul came back after waving goodbye to the fans.

"Hey. What's wrong? You look like your puppy just died or something." He sat down next to him, kicking his feet like a child. He can't recall the last time he's been this happy.

"We've done terrible."

The shorter looked like he had five heads. "How could you say that? I think this was our best!"

Art gave him a sad look. "I don't know, really. It just didn't feel good."

"That's because you have your head so far up your ass that you can't recognize talent." He came off more bitter than he thought he would, so he added, "Don't think about it too much. We did perfect."

It was quiet. It wasn't the good quiet like they used to have. Those quiet times of writing music or napping together. They wished it would come back.

"Boys!"

Art's mother came running to them and hugged both of them. Paul felt a weight being lifted off his chest as his parents came following behind.

"Good job, kid." His eyes lit up. That's all he ever wanted. "Just like your pop."

He looked over at Art. His mother was crying. He had no idea what they were saying, but something came into his brain. He came over and wrapped his arm around the taller's waist. It surprised the other. He hasn't touched him like that in years.

"Me and Artie need a minute, if you don't mind. Music talk." What a liar. It was so obvious. He's never so confident when he speaks.

They shuffled out, leaving the pair alone.

"Now that we're alone, I need to confess something."

Art's stomach was doing flips. Even in the peak of their relationship, that was never a good sentence. It would usually end in a fight that angered them so much that they wouldn't talk for days on end. If he's saying that now, anything could happen.

"What?" He didn't want to sound so scared.

Paul stuttered for a bit, trying to find the courage to say it. Finally, he blurted out, "I want to have sex with you! Like right now!"

They were both red in the face. The taller had no idea how to react. They had a flig, per say, in the fall of 1965. It never led to anything serious, at least to him. The most they did were forehead kisses. It was more of an experiment for Paul.

"Like-" he jumped a little when the shorter spoke again. "-I just really want to! You look really hot right now! Your ass looks huge in those jeans, and you were singing so good and-" He choked up. "-I don't know what's wrong with me!"

"I-"

Thank God, their girlfriends came in. Kim came and was praising him. Paul kept staring at him. He had two choices. Go home and celebrate with her, or be with him. He left him once. That movie broke their relationship.

He wanted to stay. Maybe, if he lied to himself enough, he'll want to do it too. They'll have fun again. They'll be happy like before.

When he looked into those brown eyes, his skin crawled.

"Me and Kimmy are going home to celebrate, Paul." He saw his face drop. "I'll call you when I'm home."

"Oh. Goodbye then." He turned away, shifting the energy in the room so greatly that even the girls noticed.

He didn't stay to drown in it, though. "Goodbye."

------

Early in the morning, while it was still dark, the call started.

"I'm not fucking surprised."

"Paul, I don't want to have sex with you! I don't like you like that!"

"But you like boys and girls!"

"I have standards, Paul!"

There was silence. Now he was the cruel one.

"Look, man, I don't like you. We just started talking again, and you're already thinking all weird!"

"But I love you!"

Art was shocked. Paul said that before, but only as friends. The tone and breakage of his voice were different.

"Art? Answer me, please!"

"...Paul, no. We have girlfriends."

"But-"

"No."

He hung up. Thank God Kim was still sleeping. He laid down and sighed. His stomach felt tight. Did he make the wrong decision? He didn't think so before the call. But Paul never sounded so desperate before. God, why did things need to be so complicated?

-------

Paul stared at the phone. This came out of nowhere.

Why did he act like this? Is this why he doesn't have many friends?

He wished he could just be normal.

He looked at a cover of their album Bookends. As they were taking that picture, their hearts knew. It was over between them.

Maybe it was better for them not to be together.