fight this fatal attraction (cricky)

3

The next few days were filled with Chris and Ricky messaging each other almost every day, especially after exchanging numbers. Ricky would text Chris pictures of his cat and Chris would message him whenever he was watching Dexter so they could talk about it together.

Chris always felt a sense of happiness and excitement whenever Ricky texted him, grinning at his phone screen like an idiot while he replied. Chris reasons that it's just because they have so much in common, that's all. 

/

It's the night of their first show back on tour, and when Chris catches Ricky's eye in the crowd through his sweat drenched hair, Ricky gives him a small smile. Chris smiles back and Ricky ducks his head so his bangs cover his face. 

Chris notices the way Ryan catches the interaction, and Chris pretends he doesn't notice the smirk he gives Chris. 

/

"C'mon, Chris, we need to leave, especially if I wanna make it to the club before it closes," TJ complains and Chris rolls his eyes. Chris doesn't drink and while he doesn't care if other people do, TJ's constant partying is getting on his nerves.

In fact, if Chris being honest, other members of the band are getting on his nerves too. First there's TJ, and secondly there's there bass player, who can barely remember to turn up to practice and ends up rocking up to the show five minutes before they're supposed to go on. 

"Yeah, Chris," Angelo agrees. "Why are we waiting around? I thought we going for something to eat."

Chris had texted Ricky to meet them outside the venue after the show, inviting him to come out to eat with them. Chris hadn't realized that it might seem unusual for Ricky to want to go out for cheap burgers at a diner at almost midnight, as that was the norm for Chris now, but Ricky seemed happy to come. Plus, Chris was too nervous to invite Ricky out with just him. Because then it might seem like it's a date, which it wouldn't be.

"Just ... because, okay? I'm waiting for someone." Chris said slightly awkwardly.

"Ohh," Ryan smiled slowly. "It's that kid."

"You mean the one that has a crush on Chris?" Balz asks and Ryan laughs, Balz and the rest of the band joining in. Chris feels his face heat up and internally thanks his Mac Studio Fix for being full coverage.

"He doesn't have a crush on me," Chris sighs, annoyed at how immature they're being. "He just likes the band, what's wrong with that? And even if he did, the feeling wouldn't be mutual."

Ryan indicates behind Chris by nodding his head, and Chris' lips twitch and his mood inadvertently improves when he sees Ricky walking towards them, swathed in layers of black as usual. 

"Hey, Ricky," Chris greets, and Ricky looks up at him, smiling.

"Hey. Sick show tonight," he says. Ricky goes to take a smoke out of his crumpled pack of Marlboro's, but then hesitates. "Oh shit, you're straight edge right? I keep forgetting, I won't smoke in front of you."

"It's okay, don't worry about, man," Chris reassures him, chuckling, so Ricky places the cigarette between his lips, lighting it, and Chris doesn't know why he finds everything Ricky does transfixing, as he watches the way he delicately blows the smoke that he's exhaled from his lungs into the night air.

Chris shakes himself from his daze, and Ricky must have noticed Chris zoned out, because he gives him a small smirk.

"Uh, anyway," Chris stutters, and Balz and Ryan giggle behind him. "I should probably introduce you to the rest of the guys - Ryan, Balz, TJ, Angelo, this is Ricky. And I have no idea where our dickhead bassist is right now."

The band all say their greetings and Ricky awkwardly nods, waving. Chris hadn't noticed how shy Ricky really was until now, and Chris feels something like pride in his chest at the fact that Ricky is outgoing and confident around him.

"Okay, great, we've all met - can we go now?" TJ sighs, and Chris feels Ricky stiffen beside him. He has a sudden urge to wrap a protective arm around him and huddle the smaller boy closer to him, but he squashes it down, ignores the signals in his brain that urge him closer to Ricky.

"Yeah, sure," Chris concedes, and they start walking, heading towards the diner down the street. Chris looks down at Ricky who's staying beside him, the two lingering behind everyone else.

"You okay?" Chris asks, and he doesn't know why he's so concerned over this kid he barely knows, but he is.

Ricky looks up at him, eyes big and icy blue under his black eye shadow.

"Yeah," he smiles, leaning over slightly while he walk so Ricky's shoulder brushes against Chris' arm. "I'm okay."