MELODY

MELODY 09

┏ 𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚘𝚎𝚜𝚗'𝚝 𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚕𝚒𝚔𝚎 𝚑𝚎 𝚋𝚎𝚕𝚘𝚗𝚐𝚜 𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎 ┐

There was a reason, or a few, why Brian disliked bars. One of them was the smell. He pressed a hand over his nose when he entered Al's Drinks, alcohol stench strong in the air. A hand grasped his shoulder, shaking him with a silly grin on his tan face, brown eyes lighting up in mirth. A little annoyed, he shrugged Raj off, scanning the crowd gathering around tables and bars until he found Adam and Sasha at a round table closest to a wall.

"There," Raj said, walking away from him to get to them.

Bryan followed him, feeling a little out of place as he navigated the tables and people standing.

By the time he had reached to the table, he felt like he had worn out his remaining energy at trying not to accidentally touch anyone. He could never understand what was people's interest in being inside of someone's personal bubble. Adam was talking with Sasha, laughing as he tossed a drink into his mouth. Bryan hesitated, knowing full well that if Adam was already halfway drinking, then he would be having a drunk friend on his lap soon.

But when his pink-haired best friend met his gaze, a grin on his face, his escape routes closed off. Sighing, he took a seat next to him. An arm slung over his shoulders before he was dragged close to Adam's chest. He frowned as he sat straighter, tossing a glare at the man.

"Took you long enough," Adam said as he pointed at the drinks untouched on the table before them. "Pick your poison."

"I don't want to drink," Bryan said as he allowed the weight of his arm to ground him.

At least he didn't mind him like this. It made him feel less awkward and more in familiar territory.

Adam tugged him closer before he bent forward to grab a drink. Shoving it into Bryan's hands, he said, "Stop worrying for once. Every time I see you, that's all you're doing."

Frowning, he stared at the drink before he glanced at Sasha, giving him a smile that didn't match the way her eyes scrutinised him. Furrowing his eyebrows at the look, he decided to drink after all. While this place wasn't his scene, he couldn't help but to feel like it was all worth it when he heard Adam yell out Tay's name.

The lead singer of MELODY appeared before them, grinning with his hands in his hoodie pockets. With expressive green eyes, no doubt from the contacts so clearly in his eyes, and brightly coloured hair, he was a vision before him. When a few of the people in the bar turned their heads to look at them, Bryan could only shift in his seat, a bit uncomfortable with the staring.

Then, the very person he had been meaning to see stood next to Tay. Looking at them with the most impassive look on his face was Jackson Star.

Adam took his arm away from Brian before he stood up, moving to give Tay a brief hug. He then clasped on Jackson's shoulder before he jutted a thumb at the seats. "Come on, let's get this party started!"

Tay laughed, playfully kicking the taller man as he bounded to sit at the space between Sasha and Adam. He looked at her before he smiled, tossing a wink at her. Sasha rolled her hazel eyes, earning a wider smile from the lead singer of MELODY. Bryan hummed in amusement, unsure of what he was witnessing but not willing to invest energy into figuring it out. When there was a dip of the seat next to him, he snapped his head to the person sitting next to him.

Fuck, it was Jackson.

His heart beat loudly in his chest as the guitarist's arm brushed against his.

Raj's laughter startled him causing him to snap his attention at the darker skinned man, talking loudly with the drummer of the band.

"Jackson," Adam said, moving to toss an arm across Bryan's shoulder again. "Grab something to drink, man."

"No thanks," Jackson said, his tone dry. "Didn't even want to be here."

"Then, why are you here?" Raj asked, grabbing a handful of peanuts from a bowl on the table, tossing some into his mouth.

Jackson didn't answer. He didn't look like he wanted to. And when the silence stretched too long, Adam quickly changed the subject with a laugh. Raj simply rolled his eyes, muttering something underneath his breath. Brian couldn't help but to shift closer to his best friend when Jackson shifted to pull out his smartphone from his jean pockets. As the conversation drowned them, Bryan's focus kept coming back to the length of warmth pressed against him.

He didn't want to be a creep but he couldn't help but want that warmth fully on him. It was nice, for once. Unlike Adam's touch, Jackson's made him want to lean in further. He scolded himself internally, face heating up from such thoughts.

Adam poked his cheek with a finger, catching his attention. When he looked up, their noses brushed, forcing Bryan to lean backwards. When he did that, he ended up invading into Jackson's space. A startled sound escaped his mouth when Jackson sighed close to his ear.

"Why don't you just lie on top of me then," Jackson snapped.

Bryan was pulled closer to Adam. "Oh come on, man," Adam said. "He didn't mean it."

"Sorry," he apologised to the guitarist, embarrassment curling within him at what had just happened.

"Whatever," Jackson mumbled as he glanced around them. As if he was looking for someone. A few seconds later, he stood up, shoving his phone into his jean pockets. "I'm leaving."

Bryan looked up at him, noting that those dark eyes were now on him. His heart skipped a beat and his lips parted open to speak, only to stop when Adam whined close to his ears, another arm wrapping around him, hugging him. He sighed, annoyed when Adam leaned his weight on him.

"Stay, man," Adam said. "It's just getting fun."

"Nah," Jackson said, breaking his gaze from Bryan. "I have things to do now."

With a wave, he left, leaving behind Brian feeling like he had taken... a piece of him with him. He pushed Adam away, glaring at him. When he looked back at where Jackson was, his heart throbbed in disappointment when he could no longer see him.

There was a nagging thought at the back of his mind at what had happened. He rubbed his arm, his face heating up hotter as he recalled how he had been pressed against him. When he looked away, he couldn't help the realisation that all this while, the guitarist wasn't paying attention to his surroundings despite him being physically here.

And for a brief moment, Jackson Star had looked like he didn't belong here.

And then he was gone.

┏ 𝚎𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝙼𝙴𝙻𝙾𝙳𝚈 𝟶𝟿 ┐