Work Text:
Photo by Dolo Iglesias on Unsplash
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Ed Teach can only sing about one thing.
Izzy punched the table angrily at the sight of that statement on his laptop screen. He should have known better; after all, this was not the first time he saw a review of the singer that he worked with for years. Usually, after a performance or an album release, he would browse through the internet to read reviews about Ed’s works. When the review was positive, he would save them and even show them to Ed later on. When it was negative, he would keep a mental note of the person who did it.
This particular music journalist –Lucius Spriggs from The Unicorn publication– seemed to have something against Ed.
When Ed first released his album, both the public and the critics welcomed the newcomer with enthusiasm. Excellent pitch, a soulful performance, bringing back the tradition of Marvin Gaye and all those great soul singers. Even better that he wrote his own songs.
But this Spriggs twat was just too eager to attack Ed, and his criticism got sharper with each new release.
There is no doubt that Teach was one of the best singers of this generation. His technique is impeccable; his live performances are hypnotising. But all of this is overshadowed by his one-dimensional approach to songwriting …
Izzy should have just flagged the review and moved on to other things. But instead, he kept on reading.
As with many singers of his genre, love and sex are big themes for Teach –rumoured to be between the same gender. While this could potentially secure him a queer icon status, his fixation on the topic of unrequited love …
He stopped reading to call Spriggs a fuckin’ idiot who knew nothing about music –and to make a cup of tea. When he returned to his desk, he read some more. (Why is this so addictive?)
Some points made him stop and stare.
This topic keeps on coming back in every album. Pining for a loved one that you meet every day, that somehow fails to realise your feelings for them. Loving someone in a quiet way; sending them love through signals. So close yet so far away. It makes you wonder what Teach has done in the past few years to make such lacklustre progress in his love life.
This year, when you invite your lovelorn friend to a karaoke session, you can guarantee they will have Teach’s singles in their rotation.
This was hard to admit, but that was true. Ed seemed to only have one muse. All the songs that he had written sounded like they were dedicated to a particular person. A person who was always near him, who loved him wholeheartedly, without ever making any declaration of his affection. A person whom he also loved, but had to keep hidden, because …
“Morning.”
Izzy almost dropped off his chair when he heard Ed’s voice. Turning around, he saw him walking out of the master bedroom in the presidential suite that they were staying in, still in the band T-shirt and boxer pants that he wore to sleep. His long hair was a mess, and he looked exhausted, but when he saw Izzy, his smile was as bright as the sun itself.
“Hey. Morning. Do you want your smoothie?”
“Nah, later. What are you doing?”
“Oh … Reading some reviews. That Spriggs twat is at it again.”
Izzy had wanted to prevent Ed from reading the review, but before he could do anything, the man was already standing behind him, placing his hands on Izzy’s shoulders. Ed bowed to see the screen clearly; his long hair brushed Izzy’s skin, sending chills down his spine. He allowed himself to inhale the scents of Ed’s shampoo while the man read the reviews. Once he was done, he fixed his posture and walked away.
Izzy turned on his chair to watch Ed move towards the large windows. He watched his slender figure stand against the bright lights, his fingers tracing the curtain …
“Call him.”
“Eh?”
“Yes. That Spriggs twat. I don’t mind doing interviews with him.”
“What!?”
Izzy rose from his seat. This could not be right; did he even hear that correctly? There was no way that this person should even be allowed near Ed. So he moved closer towards Ed, trying to knock some sense into him. “Ed. No. Listen. This person … he wants to shred your works to pieces.”
“True. But it also seems like he’s the only one who gets it.”
“What?”
There were no words said between them as Ed turned away from the window, facing Izzy for the first time. The cheerfulness on his face had disappeared, replaced by seriousness as he stepped closer to Izzy. In a deliberate move, he lifted a hand and touched Izzy’s face with it.
As he carefully traced the Northern Star tattoo under his eyes, Ed quietly hummed something. Izzy immediately recognised it as the chorus from one of his hit singles.
And I allow myself to get lost
The stars in your eyes
Taking me home
Back into your heart
When he leaned in to give Izzy a kiss, the man finally understood why Ed named an album after a tattoo that he owned.