FIC: Complicated This Feeling, Part 2
Thanks to everyone who reviewed part 1 - i was so nervous about posting it, but yay! only now i'm nervous cos i don't wanna let anyone down LOL
For anyone who missed it, part one can be found here
Joel sighed in relief as the sound check came to an end, grabbing a bottle of water and sitting down on the edge of the stage, drumming his heels against it in a random rhythm. He held the bottle to his face in an effort to cool down, running one hand through his hair. He was hot, he was tired and he wanted to go home. He sighed and twisted the lid off the bottle, taking a long swig of it. Home. The word conjured up images of Tony in his mind and he grinned despite himself. He took another drink from the water, scowling as Benji stole the bottle from his hand.
Benji sat down next to Joel, watching him as he emptied the bottle and dropped the bottle. “What’s wrong?”
Joel shook his head, pushing his sleeves up to his elbows and running his hands through his hair again. “Nothing. Tired.”
Benji nodded, still watching Joel carefully, frowning slightly as Joel moved his arm. He shot one hand out and grabbed Joel’s arm, looking closer at the angry red marks on his wrist, identical marks marring the other one as well. “Joel?”
Joel tensed and snatched his arm away from Benji, pulling his sleeves down over his wrists, wrapping his arms around his stomach.
“What’s wrong,” Benji asked again. Joel shook his head in reply and Benji sighed. “Your wrists…”
“It’s nothing,” Joel insisted, pulling himself to his feet and walking over to talk to Billy and Paul, holding himself stiffly.
Benji frowned as Joel walked away from him; those marks hadn’t looked like nothing, they’d looked like… like fucking rope burns or something. Definitely not nothing. He ran his hands over his face and shook his head, slowly standing up and following Joel. He flashed an apologetic grin at Billy as he grabbed Joel’s elbow, steering him across the stage.
“What?”
“If… If something was wrong, you would tell me, wouldn’t you?” Benji asked, searching Joel’s eyes.
Joel nodded, stomach sinking; how much longer could he keep lying to Benji? “Of course I would. And I’ve told you there’s nothing wrong.”
“Are you sure?” Benji couldn’t damp down the worried tone in his voice, or the sinking feeling in the pit of stomach that Joel was lying to him. “No-one’s hurt… or done… anything… your wrists…” he trailed off, unsure of what he was asking.
Joel unconsciously rubbed one of his wrists. “No.” he reassured his twin with a faint smile. “I’m fine, I promise.”
“It doesn’t look like fine, you’re hurt...”
“I told you Benji, it’s nothing, ok?” Joel pushed past Benji and stormed off the stage, into the backstage area, the sound of doors slamming echoing in the distance.
For anyone who missed it, part one can be found here
Joel sighed in relief as the sound check came to an end, grabbing a bottle of water and sitting down on the edge of the stage, drumming his heels against it in a random rhythm. He held the bottle to his face in an effort to cool down, running one hand through his hair. He was hot, he was tired and he wanted to go home. He sighed and twisted the lid off the bottle, taking a long swig of it. Home. The word conjured up images of Tony in his mind and he grinned despite himself. He took another drink from the water, scowling as Benji stole the bottle from his hand.
Benji sat down next to Joel, watching him as he emptied the bottle and dropped the bottle. “What’s wrong?”
Joel shook his head, pushing his sleeves up to his elbows and running his hands through his hair again. “Nothing. Tired.”
Benji nodded, still watching Joel carefully, frowning slightly as Joel moved his arm. He shot one hand out and grabbed Joel’s arm, looking closer at the angry red marks on his wrist, identical marks marring the other one as well. “Joel?”
Joel tensed and snatched his arm away from Benji, pulling his sleeves down over his wrists, wrapping his arms around his stomach.
“What’s wrong,” Benji asked again. Joel shook his head in reply and Benji sighed. “Your wrists…”
“It’s nothing,” Joel insisted, pulling himself to his feet and walking over to talk to Billy and Paul, holding himself stiffly.
Benji frowned as Joel walked away from him; those marks hadn’t looked like nothing, they’d looked like… like fucking rope burns or something. Definitely not nothing. He ran his hands over his face and shook his head, slowly standing up and following Joel. He flashed an apologetic grin at Billy as he grabbed Joel’s elbow, steering him across the stage.
“What?”
“If… If something was wrong, you would tell me, wouldn’t you?” Benji asked, searching Joel’s eyes.
Joel nodded, stomach sinking; how much longer could he keep lying to Benji? “Of course I would. And I’ve told you there’s nothing wrong.”
“Are you sure?” Benji couldn’t damp down the worried tone in his voice, or the sinking feeling in the pit of stomach that Joel was lying to him. “No-one’s hurt… or done… anything… your wrists…” he trailed off, unsure of what he was asking.
Joel unconsciously rubbed one of his wrists. “No.” he reassured his twin with a faint smile. “I’m fine, I promise.”
“It doesn’t look like fine, you’re hurt...”
“I told you Benji, it’s nothing, ok?” Joel pushed past Benji and stormed off the stage, into the backstage area, the sound of doors slamming echoing in the distance.