MELODY

MELODY 22

┏ 𝚒𝚝'𝚜 𝚊 𝚐𝚘𝚘𝚍 𝚕𝚘𝚘𝚔 𝚘𝚗 𝚢𝚘𝚞┐

Bryan grabbed a guitar case, realising that the instrument was tad heavier than he assumed. He was about to grab a cable when a pale hand took it before he could. He looked at Jackson, his heart once more skipping a beat as he quietly grabbed another cable, ready to leave. By the time they left the Instruments Room, they were both quiet and hadn't spoken a single word with each other. Bryan had tried to find the right words to say but everything just sounded wrong in his head. It was as if that moment at the campus backyard had stopped their budding conversation into nothingness.

"Who knew guitars were heavy," Bryan said, unable to hold back from blurting the words out.

Face heating up at his sudden words, he kept his gaze straight ahead as they walked to the elevators. Jackson hummed from next to him before he said, "They're not that heavy. You never held a guitar before?"

Bryan glanced at him, noting that the taller man was looking at the stuff he was holding rather than at him. "No," he said. "I only ever went near a piano. Not... any other instruments."

Jackson looked at him then. "You play the piano?"

He shrugged, standing in front of the elevator doors after pressing on the down arrow button. "I used to. I played until I was eighteen and then I stopped."

"Why?" Jackson said. "It sounds like you played for quite a long time."

Bryan remained silent for a few seconds before he smiled a little. "I never liked playing the piano. Ma made me, saying it would give me something to do after school. And then I started resenting it the more I played it. When I finally gathered the courage to tell her I don't want to play the piano anymore, I had turned eighteen."

When the elevator doors opened, they walked inside. Thankfully, the small space was empty of people. Bryan's heart skipped a beat when Jackson moved to lean against the wall closest to the floor number panel, looking at him properly in the face.

"Can't relate," Jackson said, his voice quiet. "I always loved music. It was... is my escape from reality."

Bryan couldn't help but to smile bigger at that. "I can tell," he said without thinking twice.

He clamped his lips shut when Jackson's gaze sharpened. Fumbling for the right words to let him know that he hadn't meant it weirdly, he broke eye contact with the taller man and stared at the ground when none appeared in his mind.

"You can tell, huh?" Jackson murmured. "Am I that readable?"

Bryan could feel his face getting hotter by the second. The walls of the elevator seemed to be getting smaller, and he wanted to get out of it now. As if the universe had heard his desperate plea, the elevator door slid open revealing the ground floor. He didn't hesitate to walk out of it, Jackson following him the very next second.

"Hey," Jackson said, easily matching his strides. "You didn't answer my question."

Bryan didn't want to answer. Because he didn't know what the right answer was. The longer he remained quiet, though, the more he would look weird. At the end, he took in a deep breath and chanced an answer, nodding at Jackson.

The taller man once more grew silent and at each ticking second he didn't get a reply, Bryan became more nervous. His stomach flip flopped as he glanced at the lead guitarist, noting that the man had a blank face on, no emotions colouring his features.

"I just think," Bryan said, already berating himself for speaking when he didn't have to when Jackson snapped his gaze at him. "I just think you look like you're in your own world whenever you play music. It's a good look on you."

For a moment, he assumed that he had crossed the line when Jackson looked away, not replying again. But just as he was about to bury an actual hole on the ground to hide inside, the taller man said, "Thanks," he said, the corner of his lips twitching upwards. "This is the second time you said I looked good."

Bryan's face now felt like they were the actual stove. He gave Jackson a helpless shrug, relieved when they were close to the hall where the stage was. His fingers were starting to grow numb from the weight, after all. When he managed to heave the instruments on stage, he was breathing a little harshly. Patting his chest, making a note to exercise more, his attention was caught at a group laughing, heading towards them.

With colourful hair and matching styles of clothes, there were five people. Bryan walked to the edge of the stage to look down at them, smiling before he crouched in front one of the man who took a step forward from the group. With blue-dyed hair and bright brown eyes, the man grinned with a smile.

"Hey, we're Starstriker," he said. "We're here for the soundcheck?"

"Ah," Bryan said before he patted his hoodie pockets, finding his phone to check on Sasha. "Sasha's the one in charge of you guys but I think she's stuck in a traffic jam. You can start setting up, I think."

The man's eyes sparkled as he nodded. "I'm Kim, the lead singer of this band."

Bryan took the hand outstretched to him. "Bryan."

"Are we done here?" Jackson's voice cut them off as Bryan pulled his touch away, turning his gaze to look at the taller man who had moved to stand next to him.

"Jackson," Kim said, his voice lost some of its brightness from before. When Bryan looked at him, the smile had faltered, replaced with a straight look. "What are you doing here?"

Jackson shrugged. "Carrying your shit. Your shit that should've been your responsibility. Not Bryan's."

"I was going to take it," Kim said, his voice dangerously low. "No one asked you to touch our shit."

Bryan stood up, awkward that he had been stuck in what seemed like the beginning of a fight.

"Uh," Bryan said, catching Kim's eyes on him. Giving him a wary smile, he said, "You can start the setting up now. I'll be here until Sasha comes."

Jackson moved to touch his arm, startling Bryan at that. He turned his attention at the taller man, raising his eyebrows as he searched the dark eyes. When it was clear he was not going to get an answer, he pulled away from the his touch.

"Sounds good," Kim said as he climbed up the stage and clasped a hand on his shoulder. With another bright smile, he added, "Keep me company, will you?"

He was about to speak when Jackson touched Bryan's arm again and pulled him away from Kim. "I'll stay too then," he said, causing the shorter man to freeze.

When Kim simply smirked and moved to the microphones, Bryan looked at Jackson. The taller man simply took his hand away and got down the stage.

"Come down the stage," Jackson said when Bryan made no move to follow him. "You don't have to stand there to check on them."

A little confused with his heart hammering against his chest miles per second, he got down the stage. 

┏𝚎𝚗𝚍 𝚘𝚏 𝙼𝙴𝙻𝙾𝙳𝚈 𝟸𝟸 ┐