Midnight Sparkle

Chapter 10

10 years ago 

Sebastian tosses his leather jacket over the back of the chair, strolling through the dingy apartment. Outside, the desperate pleas of a dying city buzz around his ears like deafening radio static. His first apartment and it has to be in Peckham of all motherfucking places. He's been stabbed already since moving in here, for his strange appearance. This house sucks. His entire apartment is slathered thickly in black. The walls are sleek and reflect the red streetlamps outside - it bathes the apartment in a fiery hue like the depths of Hell. 

"Adrian?" he calls, frowning. It's been too silent since he arrived. 

"In here," 

He walks to the back bedroom where Adrian is lying in bed atop the covers. Headphones hang around his neck and a deep nineties grunge band can be heard distantly from the speakers. He's perusing a textbook. "Wha' d'you want?" Adrian asks. 

"Have you not moved since I left?" 

"When'd you leave?" 

"Ten hours ago," 

"Oh, then no," Adrian shrugs. Sebastian glares at him. 

"Get the fuck up you lazy prick," 

"I've been reading!" Adrian defends. "This bio textbook I got from the charity shop. An' I've been lookin' up an embalming course up in Edinburgh an'-" 

"Get the fuck over yourself!" Sebastian screams at him. "You're never going to be an undertaker, you're never going to own a funeral parlour. You're not a scientist, get fucking real!" he storms from the room, slamming the door behind him. Angrily stalking into the kitchen, he leans on the counter and smokes one of his many cigarettes of the day. 

Adrian comes in, more timidly. He hops on the counter opposite Sebastian, the wall behind him. "Gimme a cig, won't ya?" 

Sebastian tosses him the box and lighter, he slides one out, puts another behind his ear and throws the box back. They smoke in silence for a minute. "Put the kettle on, will you?" 

Sebastian stares at the kettle, then back to Adrian. "No, I don't think it'll fit me," 

Silence for a short second, then laughter. Laughter than rocks the entire apartment,. That sets car alarms off outside. Adrian clutches his sides and giggles uncontrollably until Sebastian stifles them with his hands. Clamping his hands over Adrian's mouth, the laughter still continues. People from outside and other apartments scream up at the window - do they not know what time it is?! - eventually though, Adrian settles down. His hair is dishevelled, he's drooling. He's been reduced to a hot mess. 

"- oh, you are funny Sebastian," he can't stop grinning, eyes glassy. Sebastian wonders if he's high. 

"I don't think I've ever seen you laugh before..." Sebastian comments in awe, and it's true. Adrian has a very specific kind of humour, This kind, apparently. It's the kind of thing Sebastian wouldn't even count as a joke. He'd roll his eyes. Being generous, he'd snort in amusement. 

"Hm, you're probably right," Adrian admits. "But now you known how to make it happen!" 

"Hm, indeed," he agrees, taking a final drag. "Now are you going to come into business with me or what?" 

"You want me to be a cheap fuck too?" 

Sebastian slams a wad of £200 on the counter beside him. "That's from sucking one guy off, once. Took 10 minutes. Imagine how much we could make with a real business together,"  

Adrian looks away for a second, fixated on the money. The cogs turn in his head, he calculates. He could just do this temporarily to make money for embalming school, then use it to fund a small funeral parlour. "Fine, I'll go into business with you. I better not freeze my ass on a street corner,"