rosekiller microfic band au pt3
I haven’t rlly read it thru again and I’m feeling pretty tired today so if there’s a quality dip that’s why but also we have some nice Barty POV which I find easier to write sooo balances out ig
also we have some Marlene in this one (u can thank @good-oldfashioned-lover-girl because I wasn’t gonna put her in but she loves Marls [not that I don’t] to and yk she’s the boss so 🫡🫡🫡 Marlene is in the fic and I’m actually glad bc I love her part in this)
oh also Reg is autistic in this [in my mind] so when I mention him wearing headphones it’s bc he wears headphones on public transport/often in public/during gigs to help block noise <3
oh also all the skittles have matching nail polish and little tattoos on their wrists (idk if I actually mention it here but just so u have it in ur mind)
Tags for ppl that (I think?) wanted to be tagged <3 : @depressedtheatrekiddo @blu3stars @picklerab23 @lady-stardust-incarnate @always-reading @no-names-work @y0url0verb0y @2bluetwo85 @idk-what-to-put-here-123 @weirdtinkerbellversion @lulublack90 @nikholascrow (please please do tell me if you don’t want to be tagged bc idm and obviously won’t be upset but I just don’t want to tag ppl that don’t actually want to be tagged so I’m just sort of guessing by who commented last time so um yeah)
(Cw: lil bit of homophobia in here sorry)
By the time the train arrived at their station both Barty and Evan had dozed off. Arms wrapping around each other, bodies curled into one another like a jigsaw puzzle. Evan didn’t wake up as gently as he fell asleep though because he was woken by Regulus kicking his seat aggressively. Once he finally opened his eyes he turned to face him. He was wearing his headphones, big and black originally but covered in splodges of spray paint from when Barty had offered to ‘customise‘ them for Regulus. He’d pushed them back though, now that the majority of people has filtered out of the little compartment.
“Hurry up and get your stuff.”
Regulus ordered before following Pandora and Dorcas who had already left.
Evan turned and tapped Barty gently to wake him up. Then when that didn’t work he shook him till he opened his eyes with a start.
It took Barty a moment to realise where he was but even once he did he just grumbled.
“Ev don’t make me get up, please.”
He pouted, eyes wide and dilated in some kind of cheap attempt at cuteness.
“Come on you know you have to get up baby- Barty!”
Evan gaped, realising his mistake just too late. A slip of the tongue and he’d gone and fucked everything up.
“D’you just call me baby?”
A grin spread on Barty’s face and he poked Evan gently and laughed.
“You’ve been single too long Rosier.”
“Why would I be mad, baby?”
Barty winked, clicking his tongue as he got up and shuffled past Evan with a wicked smirk.
Evan had called him baby. Baby. And fuck his reaction had been visceral. But like…in a good way? It made him want to bite down on something hard but that thing was the muscles on Evan’s arms. Or bruise something but that thing was Evan’s neck…with a hickey or two.
Something about the way it had slipped out so naturally, so warmly. It just made Barty’s heart flutter. Made him want to grab Evan and shake the sense out of him enough to like Barty. Something along the lines of ‘kiss me, ruin me, dear God I’m begging you.’ Ah well, nothing you can’t really do about these kinds of situations except get on with it. Lying was something Barty had gotten very good at from a young age and not stopped since. Some might call it acting but those were the types of people who were just trying to convince themselves they were good and moral. Barty didn’t really care enough about that kind of stuff to bother. White lies this and how it contrasts with malicious lies that, like someone trying to section off a gradient in two. You can’t, it’s all the same monochrome blur in the end.
Barty was lost in this little daydream when he heard Pandora roar.
Now Pandora didn’t often roar, maybe laugh maniacally every now and then yes, but yell? Scream? That was never her type of thing. Save for some rare occasions that Barty could probably count on one hand. Pandora yelling meant it was time to stop daydreaming about Evan’s curls or Evan’s hands with their chipped green nail polish or Evan’s fucking tight t shirts. Yeah time to stop thinking about that and listen up. So he did.
“I do not intend to offend anyone by it.”
Riddle raised his hands up defensively with a cheap sleazy smile that immediately made Barty dislike him.
“I’m just saying that this venue prides itself on a distinct lack of…untoward behaviour. It’s not a massive deal, I think your lead and backup singers can use separate microphones for two nights of a six month tour.
Barty stepped forward immediately hands curling into fists, Riddle was pretty short, he could definitely take him if that’s what it came to.
“Barty stop, that isn’t the right way to solve things. Come on let’s just- let’s come back later ok? See if we can talk to someone else, not this piece of shit.”
Dorcas spat out the last three words as she pulled Barty back to the group.
He was going to argue till he felt Evan put a hand on his shoulder, instead he just left Evan guide him away after the rest of the group.
“We’ll figure it out ok?”
“Fucking- Ev we can’t play there. They’re fucking homophobic.”
“Barty the O2 has been your dream since-“
“Barty shut the fuck up. I said we’ll talk about it and we will, we will figure it out but stop acting like a goddamn CHILD.”
Barty looked over at Evan who had his teeth bared, slightly wild look in his eyes. He was seething too, clearly. Just more mature than Barty.
“Hey it’s alright. It’s just important the band shows a united front against this you know? We can’t split up or in fight because then, well then we all lose.”
“Yeah. Yeah you’re right Rosie. But we will do something.”
“I promise you they’re not getting away with this.”
Evan nodded. He tossed a hand over Barty’s shoulder, pulling him in just a little bit closer as they walked. Barty wasn’t complaining.
“You don’t get it Marls, we can’t just not play the O2. We’d lose way too much money off it, probably too much to be able to continue with the rest of the tour. Plus venues will think we’re unreliable and might cancel or pull out. Riddle is such a fucking dick, he only told us when we went there for a tech practice literally today.”
“Fuck yeah that’s shitty.”
Marlene was sat next to Barty on the floor of his hotel room, helping him repaint his nails. The entire band had them matching, a bright toxic green, his had started to fade though.
“What if you just…ignore them? Do it anyway?”
“Yeah, yeah. It’s not like they can drag us off stage mid performance.”
“Not without exposing their homophobia.”
“Still…I wanna make a statement. Something big you know? Show them they can’t straight wash us.”
Marlene looked up at Barty, eyes twinkling mischievously.
“I might have an idea then.”
Evan was sat in an alcove in the hotel corridor watching Regulus patiently braid and unbraid Pandora’s hair on the sofa opposite him. It calmed them both down whenever they were stressed. And Barty and Marlene, locked up together in Barty’s hotel room. Both raging homosexuals dead set on never following rules talking amongst themselves just before the biggest gig of the band’s history? Yeah that was a reason to be stressed. That’s when he heard the tell tale clump of Barty’s docs down the corridor. And he was walking with purpose.
As soon as he came into view Evan noticed the way his eyebrows were knotted together yet his eyes were glimmering with excitement. Evan had no clue what Barty was going to say next but it wasn’t that.
“Marlene thinks I should kiss you.”
Barty announced and Evan dropped his jaw, staring at him agape.
pt4 probs gonna come soon bc I swear this fic has a life of its own
