Heart of Ashes

Until The Sun Rises Again

I could hardly believe it! The guy had been so rude to Rae! Poor sweet Rae who had stood in line, knowing the guy would never sign anything Rae had, yet still waiting patiently for a chance to just tell him and the other band members how good the music had sounded tonight. I never would have expected such an acidic response to a fan without the fan being some kind of violent lunatic or a drunkard or something. But Rae? Rae had simply smiled, thanked them for coming to play here, and walked off towards the edges of the crowd.

If I hadn't realized how much it would mean to Rae, I would have screamed at the aqua-haired bass player and thrown something at the guy. Instead, I stood there quietly fuming until I was next in line and plastered a smile on my face that I definitely didn't feel, my fingers clenched around the edges of the CD I had barely been able to afford. But it would be worth it to see Rae smile.

The next moment the smile that had just started turning into something real was wiped away as I watched the girl in front of me try to latch herself onto the other male band member who stood giving out autographs to fans. It didn't get any better when Jinx noticed his lead singer trying to escape the girl's grasp, his face turning red as he began shouting angrily at the girl's imitation of a 'human python' with the poor red-headed male acting the part of the mouse.

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"What were you thinking?" Rae gave me a small shake before their hands began twisting and turning me as they checked me for bruises or scrapes beyond just the one on my cheek from where the girl had hit me when I'd tried to pull her off the guy.

I couldn't just stand there watching when she'd started trying to rip his shirt off him! Maybe I could have if it had been that Jinx guy, but the other one hadn't done anything wrong and I didn't believe in labeling someone as "guilty by association" simply because they were in the same band. No, trying to help had been the right thing to do, even if I did come away with a bruise. It wasn't like I would have to worry about showing up to work looking like I had gotten into a fight or anything.

I didn't even have any interviews coming up where it might be hard to explain such an injury. No, this current "job" for Rae's old boss would pay enough that I could take a bit more time looking for a job and see what came up instead of scrambling for whatever I could find that would hire me. I could even see if either Rae or their friend would model for a few pictures in the finished products so I could take the images with me to future interviews! I'm sure it would improve my chances of getting a job!

"I wasn't really thinking, beyond the fact that the guy was in trouble. Seeing him like that kinda reminded me of when we met, I guess," I shuffled in place as I mumbled the words, wincing when their fingers brushed against the already purpling bruise on my cheek as I sucked in a breath through my teeth. Why did it have to hurt so much already?!

"Silly girl, that is why they have security at these things. Weren't they doing their jobs? Fans shouldn't have to protect those guys from other fans," Rae growled softly as they pulled their fingers away from the bruise, eyes saddened as they lowered their arm.

"But it was worth it, I promise!" I winced as my sudden grin brought more pain to my cheek, but it didn't stop me from smiling at Rae as I reached into my bag and pulled out the CD. "Look! Look! They felt so bad that I got hurt trying to help, the other two practically forced Jinx to sign this! And he even wrote your name! Of course, I told him it was my name, but who cares! It says 'To Rae' on it and that's you, not me! I bet he'd be so pissed if he knew!"

I flinched in pain with each laugh as I handed the CD to a flabbergasted Rae, their eyes wide as they looked down on the cover of the signed CD case. In bright blue sharpie was something Rae had never thought they would see, no matter how many concerts they went to.

'To Rae,
Thanks for everything!
Jinx'

Nothing special really, but to Rae, it meant more than the words alone could ever hold. And I could easily tell because of the tears that started slowly trailing down their cheeks as their lips pulled up into a trembling smile.

"Thank you, (y/n). Thank you so much," they whispered as they pulled me gently into a hug.

~~~~~~~~

Rae promised themself they would never forget tonight. They'd known it would be a good night, listening to their favorite band with the one they liked (even if she didn't know it) beside them, but this... this was something they'd never expected to happen. Not only had she actually gotten into the music more than they had expected, but she had also gone out of her way to get Rae something they had been wanting for years. More years than most people realized the band had even existed if Rae were to be honest.

No matter how much Rae might wish it was otherwise at times, they never had been very good at telling lies. Especially to those they cared about. To even hide things from those people was a nearly painful act, but one that they would bear the torment of if it meant they would be kept safer by doing so.

And for (y/n) they would bear all the pain of the world if it would bring another smile like the one they had seen on her lips tonight. Although, preferably without the bruise that had darkened her cheek. No, an unmarred smile is what Rae wished to have engraved into their mind, seared into their eyelids to see every time they so much as blinked.

Gazing up at the moon after having seen her safely home, Rae couldn't stop the smile from reforming on their lips yet again. They might not be able to say it yet, but maybe soon. Yes, soon they would have the courage to say those words to her and if the universe held any favor for them still, she might perhaps smile and say them back.

Please let her at least smile...

If she would just smile, that would be enough. Enough to last through the Darkness until the sun would rise again.