FIC: Behold! Us Wayward Monsters - Encore! Encore!
Title: Behold! Us Wayward Monsters - Encore! Encore!
Masterlist: I ( One, Two) | II ( One, Two) | III ( One, Two) | IV ( One, Two)
ENCORE! ENCORE!
Zach hated pigeons. He was with John, on this one-terroristic marauders.
“Go away,” he yelled, not wanting to throw any of the rocks near him. Joey would probably make a point that Zach was on their natural territory, after all. Couldn’t Zach just share space for a little while?
But Zach preferred to be grumpy. In the distance, he could see the yellow and blue-striped big top as it was slowly dismantled, the roof collapsing in a sudden rush. The circus tent had been in the skyline for 20 days, and now it was gone forever.
It was the most depressing thing Zach had ever seen. Their tour had finally ended in San Francisco, and Zach felt the overwhelming urge to go throw himself in the bay.
“Hey, stranger.”
Zach heard the footsteps on the pavement, then their sudden halt as Chris sat down next to him and crowded his space. He looked annoyingly cheerful, and Zach gave him a withering glare.
But Chris patted his back. “Don’t worry Zach, we can get you another circus.”
Zach clenched his jaw and moodily muttered, “There’ll never be another circus,” but he leaned into Chris’ touch, anyhow.
All the lights were dimming and being taken down, which was made more obvious by the setting sun. Not only was there was no big top, there was no spirit left-the soul of the show had been snuffed out.
Eclipse, his baby-it was over. The tour would be on hiatus, and even worse, in a year it’ll be taken up by another traveling production.
“San Francisco will miss the sights of you,” Chris said gently, his hand rubbing consoling circles on Zach’s shoulder.
“Because the world revolves around me?” Zach murmured, knowing that he was pressing his luck.
But Chris rolled his eyes, giving him an indulgent smile. “Yes, because it revolves around you.”
Zach finally quirked a lip at the confession. Chris had been egging Zach on since that unfortunate night in Amsterdam, when Zach had made the mistake of quietly confessing his feelings about curtain call. He hadn’t been able to live it down since.
“Glad you finally admitted it,” Zach said, bumping their shoulders. “Now if you can get the pigeons to go away, I’ll feel better.”
“Why? They’re way over there.” Chris pointed them out. “A good 30 feet away. That’s out of attack range.”
“Until they band together,” Zach said lowly. “Just you wait and see.”
Chris didn’t even look mildly impressed, instead angling his body to face Zach fully.
“We have somewhere to be in an hour, you know.”
Zach made a face-oh, he knew, all right.
“I’m thinking we’ll speed to the hotel, take a quick shower, get you dressed, and we’ll somehow arrive at the rehearsal dinner fashionably late.”
“I live my life fashionably late,” Zach said dramatically, then scoffed at the look on Chris’ face. “What?”
“You’re a hipster. That’s like anti-fashionably late.”
Zach looked away at the bay. “Whatever, I do what I want.”
“Your mother is going to kill me.”
Zach rolled his eyes. “No, you’re Ma’s new favorite person-she’d kill me first.”
It was true. As much as “Meet the Parents” had gone awkwardly, it was worth it to see Ma latch onto Chris, leaving Natalia in the dust.
Zach should probably not be gleeful about that.
“You don’t fool me,” Chris said and poked Zach’s shoulder. “My mom was chatting with Natalia, hogging all of her attention. I’m sure once Nat and your mother actually sit down together, I’ll be a far distant memory.”
Zach grimaced, supposing that was true. He had only chatted with Chris’ dad awkwardly at that dinner last week, as Gwynne had wanted to stay on the other side of the dining room. How long had they been divorced?
“Come on,” Chris said as he stood up. “The sooner you get there, the sooner you can get drunk.”
“Thank god,” Zach said. He knew it was the only way to deal with Joey’s shotgun wedding, try as Zach might to grin and bear it. As much as he wasn’t outright hostile to Natalia anymore, it was only because he was Joey’s best man-Zach could be polite, when need be.
Chris offered Zach a hand, and Zach felt the swaying momentum as he got to his feet, almost colliding with Chris. Except Chris took advantage of the situation, tugging Zach’s neck to bring his head down, stealing a kiss.
But it was never just one kiss. Zach liked them too much-liked them so much that he took them wherever he got them, oblivious to the world.
That was one juice box. But Zach had certainly gotten one in return, convincing Chris to hang out in Nevada for a while, learning the ways of Burning Man.
But they had to get through the wedding, first.
“You coming, or what?” Chris had started to walk ahead, away from the ghost of the big top. “Seriously, your mother will kill me.”
However, Chris knew better. He knew that he could walk ahead and maybe get some distance, but Zach would always follow. He was lured helplessly, but not hopelessly. Zach appreciated that Chris knew the difference.
After one final look at the empty skyline, Zach turned and left that life behind. He had new memories to make, starting tonight.
Masterlist
Masterlist: I ( One, Two) | II ( One, Two) | III ( One, Two) | IV ( One, Two)
ENCORE! ENCORE!
Zach hated pigeons. He was with John, on this one-terroristic marauders.
“Go away,” he yelled, not wanting to throw any of the rocks near him. Joey would probably make a point that Zach was on their natural territory, after all. Couldn’t Zach just share space for a little while?
But Zach preferred to be grumpy. In the distance, he could see the yellow and blue-striped big top as it was slowly dismantled, the roof collapsing in a sudden rush. The circus tent had been in the skyline for 20 days, and now it was gone forever.
It was the most depressing thing Zach had ever seen. Their tour had finally ended in San Francisco, and Zach felt the overwhelming urge to go throw himself in the bay.
“Hey, stranger.”
Zach heard the footsteps on the pavement, then their sudden halt as Chris sat down next to him and crowded his space. He looked annoyingly cheerful, and Zach gave him a withering glare.
But Chris patted his back. “Don’t worry Zach, we can get you another circus.”
Zach clenched his jaw and moodily muttered, “There’ll never be another circus,” but he leaned into Chris’ touch, anyhow.
All the lights were dimming and being taken down, which was made more obvious by the setting sun. Not only was there was no big top, there was no spirit left-the soul of the show had been snuffed out.
Eclipse, his baby-it was over. The tour would be on hiatus, and even worse, in a year it’ll be taken up by another traveling production.
“San Francisco will miss the sights of you,” Chris said gently, his hand rubbing consoling circles on Zach’s shoulder.
“Because the world revolves around me?” Zach murmured, knowing that he was pressing his luck.
But Chris rolled his eyes, giving him an indulgent smile. “Yes, because it revolves around you.”
Zach finally quirked a lip at the confession. Chris had been egging Zach on since that unfortunate night in Amsterdam, when Zach had made the mistake of quietly confessing his feelings about curtain call. He hadn’t been able to live it down since.
“Glad you finally admitted it,” Zach said, bumping their shoulders. “Now if you can get the pigeons to go away, I’ll feel better.”
“Why? They’re way over there.” Chris pointed them out. “A good 30 feet away. That’s out of attack range.”
“Until they band together,” Zach said lowly. “Just you wait and see.”
Chris didn’t even look mildly impressed, instead angling his body to face Zach fully.
“We have somewhere to be in an hour, you know.”
Zach made a face-oh, he knew, all right.
“I’m thinking we’ll speed to the hotel, take a quick shower, get you dressed, and we’ll somehow arrive at the rehearsal dinner fashionably late.”
“I live my life fashionably late,” Zach said dramatically, then scoffed at the look on Chris’ face. “What?”
“You’re a hipster. That’s like anti-fashionably late.”
Zach looked away at the bay. “Whatever, I do what I want.”
“Your mother is going to kill me.”
Zach rolled his eyes. “No, you’re Ma’s new favorite person-she’d kill me first.”
It was true. As much as “Meet the Parents” had gone awkwardly, it was worth it to see Ma latch onto Chris, leaving Natalia in the dust.
Zach should probably not be gleeful about that.
“You don’t fool me,” Chris said and poked Zach’s shoulder. “My mom was chatting with Natalia, hogging all of her attention. I’m sure once Nat and your mother actually sit down together, I’ll be a far distant memory.”
Zach grimaced, supposing that was true. He had only chatted with Chris’ dad awkwardly at that dinner last week, as Gwynne had wanted to stay on the other side of the dining room. How long had they been divorced?
“Come on,” Chris said as he stood up. “The sooner you get there, the sooner you can get drunk.”
“Thank god,” Zach said. He knew it was the only way to deal with Joey’s shotgun wedding, try as Zach might to grin and bear it. As much as he wasn’t outright hostile to Natalia anymore, it was only because he was Joey’s best man-Zach could be polite, when need be.
Chris offered Zach a hand, and Zach felt the swaying momentum as he got to his feet, almost colliding with Chris. Except Chris took advantage of the situation, tugging Zach’s neck to bring his head down, stealing a kiss.
But it was never just one kiss. Zach liked them too much-liked them so much that he took them wherever he got them, oblivious to the world.
That was one juice box. But Zach had certainly gotten one in return, convincing Chris to hang out in Nevada for a while, learning the ways of Burning Man.
But they had to get through the wedding, first.
“You coming, or what?” Chris had started to walk ahead, away from the ghost of the big top. “Seriously, your mother will kill me.”
However, Chris knew better. He knew that he could walk ahead and maybe get some distance, but Zach would always follow. He was lured helplessly, but not hopelessly. Zach appreciated that Chris knew the difference.
After one final look at the empty skyline, Zach turned and left that life behind. He had new memories to make, starting tonight.
Masterlist