Euronymous

Chalter Twenty Six

T/W - violence, mature themes, alcohol use

I sat on the black couch, legs crossed comfortably, sipping at my beer as I watched Euronymous head banging to Slayer. I'd painted his iconic corpse paint for him at his request - to pay homage to the new chapter of Mayhem beginning.
He glanced at me occasionally through the curtains of his hair. I was anxious but tried to hide it, acting as though I was completely at ease. I almost felt as though I had to create my own persona. I had seriously considered it, until Varg had walked in, arrogant and cocky as ever. He saw me and I watched as disbelief flickered in his eyes before he composed himself.
"What's the whore doing here?" He'd nodded at me and the others fell quiet, shifting uncomfortably, waiting for Euronymous's response.
Euronymous turned away from the record player, eyes hardened as he stepped toward Varg.
"She's with me." He stated firmly, his eyes not breaking contact with Varg.
"I thought this group was selective about its members. Since when are we bringing groupies down here?" He tried to sound assertive, to undermine Euronymous but it came out pathetically childish. I chuckled and his eyes diverted to me. I bit the inside of my cheek.
"Something funny, slut?" Varg called over to me.
"I just hadn't realised how much I got under your skin." I smirked, narrowing my eyes at him. "It's like a little boy crying over a girl in his treehouse."
Faust snickered before Varg's glare shut him up. I saw Euronymous and Hellhammer fight back amused smiles.
"Enough." Euronymous put an end to our quarrel before it could get interesting. None of the others seemed to mind that I was there, but it was typical that Varg would.
"We're here tonight to welcome Varg into the legacy that is Mayhem." He spoke deeply, turning to look at each member before he raised his beer.
Varg took a bottle of soda as everyone else raised their own for him before drinking and cheering.

It was a while later that Faust and Occultus had joined me on the couch. I wasn't much part of their conversation but they included me where they could. It was sweet.
Periodically, Euronymous would glance at me. I noted that this was his way of checking in on me.
As the evening went on, I needed another drink. I checked the small bar fridge in the corner, but it was empty, so I headed for the stairs. Surely this lot hadn't drunk the place dry already? Hopefully there was more in the fridge upstairs.
Euronymous was busy headbanging and shredding air guitar. I smiled and rolled my eyes. Such a dork, I thought.
It was dark upstairs and I couldn't find the light switch. I felt around until I found the fridge, opening it to find another case of beers. Somewhat relieved, I opened it and took a few out, ready to carry them back downstairs.
As I turned, I saw a dark figure in the doorway. It was too tall to be Øystein, but I couldn't see who it was.
"Hey, can you help me carry some more beer downstairs?" I asked.
They didn't move. The silence was creepy.
"Alright, then..." I closed the fridge and began walking over to them, but they didn't budge from the doorway.
My stomach suddenly felt uneasy as I realised it was Varg.
"Not so tough without Euronymous around, are you?" I heard him snicker.
"What makes you think I wouldn't shove one of these bottles up your ass?" I asked incredulously.
"You should learn to keep that whore mouth shut before it gets you into trouble." He threatened and I stood taller, getting angry at the nerve of this poser.
"Are you that mad that I didn't let you fuck me that night, Kristian?" I narrowed my eyes, looking up at him in the dark. I shook my head in disbelief. "The toxic masculinity is astounding..." I muttered, attempting to push past him.
Suddenly, his large hand grabbed my face roughly. Startled, I'd dropped all of the beers and they smashed on the ground at our feet.
My hand gripped his arm as I looked at him with panic. His hateful glare burned into my eyes, even in the dark. The grip he had on my face was painfully tight and I felt my heart racing with adrenaline.
"Be grateful I don't fuck that smart-ass attitude out of you." He spat, specks of his saliva landed on my face and I winced as if they were acid, genuinely scared of him for the first time. He held my face for another moment before letting go harshly. I touched my face gently, tears streaming before I could get away from him.
I ran to the bathroom, locking the door behind me as I shook uncontrollably. I knew Varg was an asshole, but he'd taken this too far. After a few minutes, I managed to calm myself and examine my face. Red marks stained where his hand had been. They matched my red eyes. I cleaned myself up, taking deep breaths to compose myself. Would I tell Øystein? No. If he knew, it would ruin his plans for Mayhem, affect his label, or possibly put him in danger. I thought I knew Varg well enough - thought he was harmless, all talk. I'd underestimated what he was truly capable of. I listened at the door for any sounds - not wanting to run into him alone again. There was only the muted sound of the music from downstairs, so I headed straight for it, making sure I remained composed. I approached the couch, realising I'd come back empty handed. I sat beside Faust and Occultus but didn't interrupt their conversation. Euronymous watched me take a seat and stalked over, standing behind the couch where I sat. He leaned on the back of it, close to my ear.
"You alright, Peach?" He questioned thoughtfully, slight concern in his voice. I nodded and looked up at him, losing myself in his eyes for a moment. I wanted to kiss him. I wanted to feel his arms around me and have him comfort me after what had happened, but I couldn't bring myself to tell him. It would cause too much trouble for him.
"Which one of you fucks spilled beer upstairs?" Hellhammer's voice called out over the music but no one said anything. I'd completely forgotten about the mess upstairs. My eyes flickered to Varg in the corner. He was already watching me talk to Øystein. His demeanour was calm, as he sipped on his drink, looking smug at my silence. I looked away, disgust making me feel sick to my stomach as I remembered his threats. Euronymous groaned. "Fucking clean it up." He called to Hellhammer, who rolled his eyes in annoyance.
As the night wrapped, Euronymous's eyes became more glazed over. I'd stayed sober after what happened upstairs, but I tried not to think about it. Instead, I tried to focus on how cute Øystein was. His corpse paint had begun to sweat off around his forehead and fade around his mouth. He looked kind of dirty, but I found it attractive.
Occultus had passed out on the couch, snoring loudly amongst the loud music still playing. I was getting overstimulated by the sound and craved quiet. I stood up, hoping to slip upstairs and wait to Øystein in bed. It was already 2am and I was exhausted from the earlier events.
He was talking to Hellhammer and Varg as I walked past. He caught my eye and I smiled at him quickly before heading upstairs without a word. He'd find me when we was ready. It was dark, but I managed to climb up to his bed on the top of the loft and rested my head on his pillows. The whole bed was drenched in his intoxicating scent and for a while, I felt comforted. I couldn't wait to feel his arms around me as I fell asleep.
Sleep didn't wait for him though as I passed out quicker than I had thought I would, submerged in dark quiet.