Through the Fire (a Les Twins fanfic)

Chapter 17: Loving the Crew

Larry's and Laurent's hotel rooms had become the unofficial after-practice hang out spot.  Since the rooms were connected they had the most space for everyone to lounge.

Both twins loved the distraction. It reminded them of being with their huge extended family at home in Sarcelles.

Several dancers and stage hands reclined on the floor munching on pizza and guzzling soda they'd had to smuggle into the hotel since Beyoncé put them on a strict diet of water, fruit, and healthy snacks.  The rest of them were running around chasing each other with water guns like overgrown kids.

Larry sat out the water gun fight which was unusual for him.  Normally, he'd have been the ringleader.  He draped himself across a chair in Laurent's room and stared listlessly out of the window.

Laurent cut his eyes at his brother.  After two weeks he was sick of his moping.  He walked over and smacked him on the back of the head. "Why don't you just fly her here?"

"Who?" Larry swatted back at him and shot Laurent an annoyed look.

"You know who."

"It's not like that with us."

"Yes, it is."  Laurent switched to French to avoid prying ears.  "Tu l'aimes." (You love her.)

"Je ne sais pas." (I do not.)

"Vous faites. Vous ne pouvez pas me mentir." (You do. You can't lie to me.)

Larry rolled his eyes.  "Comment pourrais-je être en amour, Lau? Je viens de la rencontrer." (How could I be in love, Lau? I just met her.)

"Je sais. Je ne peux pas croire que vous tombez en amour avec les filles si vite. Vous n'êtes pas mon vrai jumeau." (I know. I can't believe you fall in love with girls so fast. You're not my real twin.)

The impromptu gathering broke up around 8pm as everyone drifted off to see what else they could get into for the night, but Cinnamon lingered behind long after the rest of the crew left.

Larry sized her up disapprovingly.  He had noticed how she was forever hanging around his brother, but he kept his thoughts to himself.  Unlike Laurent, he tried to stay out of his twin's personal business unless it was absolutely necessary.  He dipped out quietly through the adjoining door to his own room and locked it behind him.

"Is that Gabby?  Wow, she's gorgeous."   Cinnamon scrolled uninvited through some photos on Laurent's laptop open on the bed.

Laurent stiffened at the sound of his girlfriend's name coming out of her mouth.  He and Cinnamon were cool, but not exactly that cool.  It was weird.  He reached over and clicked the picture closed.

"What? You talk about her so much I feel like I know her."  She pulled out her phone.  "Look. Here's my boyfriend Damien."

Laurent really didn't care whether she had a boyfriend or not.  He pretended to be interested for about half a second then flopped across the bed and instantly winced.  That epic back bend he did in practice was coming back to haunt him.

"Ouch!"

"I told you, you should've put some ice on that."

"I know, I know."

"Awww, poor baby.  Let me fix it."

Cinnamon kneaded his neck and shoulders then gradually moved down his back and started pushing up his shirt.

"Hey!  What you doing?"  He lifted up on his elbows.

"Chill out.  You've got a big ass knot right here above your gluteus muscle."

Cinnamon coaxed him out of his shirt, pushed him back down onto the bed, and launched into a story about how she had studied physical therapy on the side while she was dancing.  She sounded like she knew what she was talking about.

Laurent relaxed and closed his eyes as her fingers dug into his aching spine.  When he opened them Cinnamon had leaned over further and he could see straight down her top.  He closed his eyes again.

In the back of his mind he knew she sort of liked him and maybe he was using her a little bit, but he couldn't help it.  He was accustomed to being spoiled and he needed the attention.

The way he saw it, as long as it didn't go too far it was okay.  And he would make sure things never went too far.

Cinnamon snaked her nimble fingers across Laurent's shoulders then slowly caressed them down his bare back.

"How's that?"

Half-asleep already, he grunted his approval.  She re-positioned herself so her chest was closer to his face and continued rubbing her way down to where his broad back narrowed to a perfect waist.  Laurent was fine.  There was no doubt about it.  But he was a lot more than that.

He and Larry were rising stars.  They were the only lead male dancers in the show and it was no secret that they were Beyoncé's pets—she absolutely adored them.  Cinnamon was only an alternate, which technically meant she wouldn't get her shot on the world stage unless one of the other girls got hurt or dropped out.  But, she figured, maybe having a twin in her corner would give her a leg up on the competition.

She knew how guys were on the tour circuit.  Even for the most devoted, after too many sad, dry, lonely nights it was out of sight out of mind when it came to their girlfriends.  The one who he was with every day trumped the one waiting at home, especially when they had so much more in common.  She and Laurent were both dancers.  They loved the same music.  They had the same crazy, warped sense of humor.  And, most of all, she didn't mind catering to his every need.

Laurent turned over in his sleep, a satisfied expression on his slumbering face.  His boxers peeked out of the top of his low-hanging jeans and Cinnamon carefully inched up the waistband and looked inside.  Nice.  So it's true what they say.

She smirked to herself.  After a few months on tour he wouldn't even remember...um...what was her name again?  Abbie?  Gigi?  Yeah...whatever.  The way she saw it Laurent didn't need a girlfriend on the road, he needed a homey-lover-friend and that's exactly what she intended to be.