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"Till!" a raspy, smoke-ruined voice called from their kitchen, "get your lazy ass up! If I get called into school on your first day, I'm going to lose it!"
Sleepily, he sat up, before grumbling under his breath, "like it would kill you to show any interest."
"What was that, you ungrateful brat?"
Rolling his eyes, Till slid off the futon and tucked it away. His makeshift ‘room’ was just a corner of the living area, divided only by a few hastily stapled sheets. This had been their setup for as long as he could remember. His father, a drunken drop-out, had left them to fend for themselves, leaving his mother to barely afford a run-down, one-bedroom apartment in the city’s poorest district.
He had to walk miles to school, making him the first up and the last home. The rest of the apartment was cramped, with mismatched, chipped furniture, while his belongings consisted of a water-damaged desk found in the trash and a rickety chest. The futon, his only bed, was well-worn, patched, and left his back sore. His clothes were frayed or ripped, but he didn't mind as he adapted it as a part of his punk-rock style.
What did bother him however, was when his mother would bring her work home with her.
On those nights, no matter the time or weather, he was kicked out of the house for hours. When he was a small child, he'd sit at the bottom of the stairs, bored. The men who visited would ruffle his hair as they passed, often commenting on how much he resembled his mother. Till always scrunched his nose in their direction, annoyed by their attempts at hospitality after they'd shoved him out of his own home.
Years later, Till didn't wait around for the men to leave.
Till snuck into the local music studio, spending most of his time there after school. The place was usually full of university students practicing, and although he couldn’t afford his own guitar, he spent hours watching and learning. Eventually, the older students, noticing his persistence, took pity on him. After the fifth time sneaking in, they started bringing an extra guitar just for him.
Unfortunately, Till knew more university kids than he did in his own year.
At school, Till avoided everyone, retreating to the roof during lunch or burying himself in composing whenever he had free time. Those at the music studio called him antisocial with a short temper. Till figured it came from growing up with a prostitute mother. Pushing people away only felt natural. He had never had anything stable in his life to ground him, and so he became a bit of a pissant to society.
That included toward his mother, whose support never exceeded the bare minimum.
Throwing open the sheet that separated their spaces, Till sulked into the kitchen. His mother tossed an near empty box of cereal at him. He caught it with one hand, shaking it and raising an eyebrow.
"Stop complaining," she grumbled, her frail body moving with practiced speed.
Once a beauty, she was now worn down. Her sullen teal eyes were faded, and her silver hair thin. He solemnly watched as she busied herself with putting on thick gold earrings.
"That’s all we’ve got until Mike comes through tomorrow."
Turning away, he rolled his eyes. Till despised Mike, her shadiest recurrent job yet. There was something sleazy and trashy about 'working' for groceries to him. He let it go to stroll to the fridge for milk, but her raspy voice cut him off before he could.
"No milk either," she reminded as she buckled on heels and resituated her dress.
"Nevermind then," Till grunted, putting the box back on the counter, "I'll just grab something at school."
"With what money?" she pressed, frowning.
Somehow, she always had money for drugs and cigarettes, but never any for food. It was pathetic. Just because she intended to stay emaciated to please her clients, didn't mean Till resigned himself to the same fate.
Unfortunately, it had always been that way.
"I'll figure it out," he resigned, before quaking an eyebrow at her, "isn't it a bit too early to head out?"
He was used to her sleeping her life away, or being consistently tripped out throughout the day. It was uncouth to see her motivated so early. She rolled her eyes this time at him, as if reading his mind.
"There's a big event going on underground. Some bigwigs have stakes in some high class poker matches all this week, and they need 'available' women to bartend."
"Have fun with that," Till grunted, dismissively.
Her tired teal eyes narrowed on him.
"I'll be gone most of the week, so your ass better not get in trouble at school! I swear, Till. I'll kick your ass to the streets for good if you mess this up for me."
Waving her off, he slipped his worn gray bomber jacket over his loose band tee and ripped jeans, "no intention of that at all."
"You cocky little-"
Till slammed the door dramatically on her, unsurprised to see paint chip off of it as he did. This was his life, however vain it was.
He arrived at school just in time, managing to slip in the mass of people seamlessly. There were already clubs setting up in the courtyard, despite the entrance ceremony not starting until later. Ignoring this, he fell into the normal motions until they were dismissed to walk around the stands. It was something that most highschool students looked forward to, just like the cultural festivals. Till however, had little interest in any of them unless they were music related.
Stealing the words from his breath, just as Till prepared to zone out, a lively voice cut through the hum of chatter, drawing his attention.
"Join the one and only Alien Stage! Where our intergalactic voices are truly out of this world!"
The girl who chanted it had long pink hair, bright golden eyes, and oversized glasses beamed in front of a large banner, her energy unmistakable.
Behind her, a second girl, just as striking, stood with a playful smirk. Her violet eyes sparkled as she adjusted her bobbed black hair, shaking her head.
"Is that really the name, Mizi?"
Till watched in the distance, as the one called Mizi twirled the sign dramatically. It had a poorly painted green alien holding a microphone stamped on it.
"I thought it would be a good pitch!" she insisted excitedly, before turning away to chat up passing students adamantly, attempting to talk them into joining.
The other girl laughed widely, before wrapping one hand around Mizi's waist and planting a short kiss on her cheek, "if you say so, but I still think aliens are a weird concept to adapt in."
The pink haired girl's cheeks flushed, "S-Sua! We're in public, you can't-"
"What are you talking about?" the girl teased, moving away sneakily as if it never happened, "I can't what?"
Till smiled at that.
He slowly approached, reading the banner before the girl had a chance to catch sight of him.
'Join Alien Stage! A Musical Performance Club! Vocal competitions, rifts, duets, and more!'
Luckily, the one named Sua noticed him first.
She approached him slowly, as if scared she would chase him off, "do you like to sing?"
"Not particularly," Till admitted.
Despite being naturally talented, he much preferred to play guitar. However, if he could do both, he would be more than satisfied.
"Oh, that's unfortunate," she resigned, before handing him a flier anyways, "but just in case you change your mind."
He read it over:
Join Our Musical Performance Club!
Sing, Compete, Perform
Take Center Stage!
If you’re into singing, this club is the place for you!
Whether you’re looking to shine solo or team up with others, we’ve got something for everyone.
Vocal Competitions: Show off your skills in fun, friendly competitions!
Duets & Collaborations: Pair up with others for powerful performances.
Instruments Provided: Want to take your performance to the next level? We’ve got instruments for singers who can play to help make your act even more epic!
Live Performances: Get on stage and show the school what you’ve got.
Whether you love singing solo or with others, this is where you belong!
Come join us and see what you can do!
"On second thought," Till thought out loud, eyes boring into one line on the paper with interest, "I will join."
Sua stammered, clearly taken aback, "r-really?"
"Depends," he smirked mischievously, "do you have guitars?"
Her eyes brightened with excitement, "I can get you both! Do you prefer acoustic or electric?"
"Electric," Till quickly asserted, noticing the other girl had locked eyes with him curiously, "if you can get me access to that, then I'll do whatever crazy shit you want."
"Deal!" Mizi jumped in, slinging her arm over Sua's back, "she's rich, so that won't be a problem at all!"
"Mizi!" the other girl hissed, "just because I'm sponsoring this doesn't mean my checkbook is endless!"
"S-sorry," Mizi pouted, sticking one lip out dramatically, "but he's only the third one to show any interest!"
"I'll be honest," Till admitted, "I only agreed for the guitar."
"You CAN sing though, right?"
"Of course," he snorted.
"Then it is a deal," Sua confirmed, her smile widening, "pleasure to have you on the team… um?"
"Oh," he chuckled, realizing he hadn't introduced himself, "Till."
"Well, Till," She replied evenly, gesturing at the other girl, "this is my girlfriend, Mizi, and I'm Sua."
He nodded, "so when do you meet?"
"After school everyday, in the music room on the fourth floor."
Mizi handed him a sign in sheet, and he scribbled his first name and class number on it like those before him had. He took a moment to pause at the names curiously.
Listed was:
Mizi - class 2 - 1
Sua - class 2 - 3
Hyuna - class 3 - 4
Luka - class 3 - 4
Till - class 3 - 2
Mizi asked, "is your cousin going to join too?"
Sua sighed.
"It depends. My uncle’s quite hard on him. He hasn’t even touched a piano in ages because of all the responsibilities."
"That’s so sad!" Mizi pouted, "he’s still just a high schooler. Alien Stage would be great for him… Also, his popularity would fill our stands!"
"I’ll try to convince Ivan again," Sua said with a shrug, "but no promises. You know how stubborn he is."
Till froze mid-step, blood rushing to his head.
That name.
Ivan.
Even he, a recluse, knew of Ivan.
The so-called 'Black Prince of Sorrow.'
Impossibly handsome, wickedly talented, and rich enough to have his own orbit of admirers. Till had caught glimpses of him surrounded by flocks of girls like vultures on any outing. Pretentious and detached, everything about Ivan screamed that his life was perfect.
Yet, from what Sua said, even rich kids' lives could suck.
Really put life in perspective for him.
What mattered however, was finally having access to his own guitar. The rest of it was just noise in the background.
As clubs wouldn’t officially begin until the following week, Till settled into the monotony of school once again. His mother was seldom home, even when she claimed she would be, but he didn’t mind. Most of his evenings were spent at the music studio, strumming on a borrowed guitar while a group of college students rehearsed in the recording room. He observed them intently, tweaking his latest song as inspiration struck.
One evening, a platinum blonde worker who had been around since Till's childhood approached with a crooked grin. Dewey, with his numerous piercings, was a permanent staple at the music studio. His laid-back, slightly rebellious aura made him a familiar presence in Till's life.
"Here again, sport?"
"Where else would I be?"
"I dunno," he retorted, smile growing, "getting laid? You're too young and cute to be here wasting away behind a guitar. Go socialize, kid.. before you waste your youth!"
Till sneered up at him, expression taunting, "is that what you did… waste away?"
"Shut it," he groaned, rubbing his temple, "I'm only trying to give advice as your senior!"
Till glared suddenly down at the guitar, playing with one of the strings absentmindedly with two fingers.
"If you knew my life, you wouldn't worry about such idiocracy either."
"Why's that? It's only human nature."
When Till didn't respond, Dewey sighed, "look, kid. All I'm saying is to make some damn friends. You don't have to sleep with any of them if you don't want to, but socializing at your age is normal!"
He reached down to snag the guitar away, holding it over Till's head teasingly.
"So, stop brooding your life away in here!"
Till snarled, diving and failing for the guitar. Dewey laughed harder before eventually handing it back remorsefully once the silver haired boy looked like he was ready to pull punches.
Defensively, Till bit out, "lay off me, I joined an afterschool club!"
"That's great!" Dewey shouted, turning toward a few passing regulars, "did you hear that? Baby Till joined a club!"
There were a few cheers, and Till's face heated up in embarrassment.
"What's wrong with you?" he bristled, "it's not a big deal!"
"Going out of your way to be around people will always be a big deal."
Till huffed, before turning away bitterly.
"Anyways," Dewey chuckled, "what kind of club is it?"
"A music one," he muttered under his breath, resuming the same chord he was practicing, "mostly singing I think."
"Ooo," he cooed, "you do have a nice voice."
"Whatever."
"I'm totally serious," he insisted, before asking, "what made you want to join though? Spur of the moment, or someone cute signed up?"
Till responded flatly, "they supply instruments."
"Wow," Dewey grunted, not the least bit surprised but disappointed all the same, "is that all it took for you to sell your soul? You're too easy, man."
"I don't HAVE a guitar," Till insisted, gesturing at the borrowed one on his lap, "having one guaranteed at school means I'll actually get some writing done."
"You are hopeless," Dewey laughed.
Monday, after class the following week, Till strolled nonchalantly into the music room as the school day ended.
The room was circular with chairs arranged around a grand piano. Sua, deep in conversation with a few students near it, smiled softly at him when their eyes met. He nodded at her and then noticed Mizi talking with a tall girl. With long, flowing brown hair and striking gray eyes, the girl stood out against her sun-kissed skin. Dressed in distressed jeans and a crop top, she had a bold contrast to Mizi’s flowy dress.
Till guessed this was Hyuna, someone he'd seen around the halls but hadn’t really paid attention to.
Watching her from a distance with a longing gaze was another figure who Till thought he recognized.
His blond hair and smoldering smile were enough to make him stand out, but Till couldn’t recall exactly why. As he stared, a few pieces clicked into place. This must be Luka, another wealthy student with a reputation for being manipulative, a trait that made him less popular than someone like Ivan in the school.
Overwhelmed by the growing crowd of personalities, Till decided to make himself small. He’d let them tear each other apart. As long as he had a guitar, he was content to watch the chaos unfold. He sat at the back of the room, eyeing several guitar cases laying to the right with a hungry expression.
Eventually, Mizi called for attention, and Till watched quietly as the show unfolded.
"Thank you all for coming out! If you don't know already, my name is Mizi!"
Sua stepped forward, "and I am Sua."
"We are the club presidents," Mizi nearly sung out, swaying on her feet excitedly, "and we're so happy to kick start this club for the first time!"
"I transferred here over the summer to be closer to Mizi and my cousin," Sua suddenly explained, "we've always had a love for music, but we never had a true outlet to express it. We spent all summer working on this, and are happy to share it with all of you."
Mizi jumped in excitement, her cheeks flushing as she spoke, "Sua sponsored all the expenses, and made sure to rent out and buy several instruments and equipment that we can use! We have big plans for this club, and hope it gets large enough to pass on once we graduate!"
"At the very least, I hope we have fun," Sua expressed suddenly, a soft smile creeping on her face before she winked in Till's direction, "no matter the reason we're truly here."
Scoffing, he turned his gaze away, focusing on the adjacent wall
Mizi continued, "to kick today off, we need to see where everyone's skill levels are!"
Nodding, Sua assured, "this will help us set up duets and eventually, our official Alien Stage live tournament!"
Curious murmurs spread, then quieted as someone strolled into the room. Luka smirked as Ivan himself strutted in, his eyes switching from each member curiously before settling back on Sua.
"My cousin, Ivan, is here to help by playing the piano."
"He's not a member," Mizi explained, "although we've begged him SEVERAL times. He has the voice of an angel!"
Till, out of his peripheral vision, watched the impossibly handsome young man sit at the piano. Ivan was wearing a black turtleneck sweater, and dark jeans. It was simple, but accomplished so much. Till figured with a face like that, you could pull off almost anything.
The stoic Ivan glanced up through vacant dark eyes, awaiting Sua's direction. She called up each new member one by one, and they all performed an impronto song on the spot. Finally, when it came to Till's turn, she called him up eagerly. He looked at the piano and frowned. Of course Till could sing a cover like everyone else had, but he much preferred to work at his own pace.
Staring at Sua in defiance, he questioned broadly, "guitar?"
She fidgeted, before laughing softly, "of course."
They rushed to set one up for him, and with a dramatic huff that had several new members turn in his direction, he strolled down to the microphone with his hands shoved in his coat. He threw his head back in challenge before taking the guitar, tuning it record fast. Till ignored the nearly dozen eyes on him, and instead cleared his mind and began.
With practiced precision, Till gripped the guitar, the sound of the electric strings slashing through the air as he strummed with force. His fingers moved with ease, each chord vibrating powerfully in his hands. Leaning into the mic, he began singing one of his original pieces, his voice rough but steady, syncing with the aggression of the riff.
His lyrics matched the intensity, his body swaying with the rhythm as the song picked up speed. When it hit the peak, Till launched into a blistering solo, his fingers flying across the neck, every note sharp and full of tension. At the climax, he let out a final, drawn-out note, holding it until his lungs were empty. With a flick of his wrist, he cut the sound, leaving a moment of eerie silence.
Slowly, he lowered the guitar. The energy in the room was electric, but Till remained stone-faced, walking back to his spot without a word after unhooking the guitar from the amp.
Mizi nearly squealed, "S-Sua!?"
"I know," Sua panned in awe.
Unbeknownst to everyone, Ivan sat quietly at the piano, his dark eyes locked onto Till, as though searching into his very soul. A slow, hungry smile tugged at the corner of his mouth, revealing a subtle snaggletooth. His gaze never wavered, intense and focused, as if the performance had drawn him in completely and left him to drown in desire.
Ivan needed to collect this rebellious young man, in any way he could.
It was the first time he ever considered himself interested in someone, but he wasn't sure yet if it was for the right reasons. So he would keep his distance instead, and observe until he was sure his intentions were pure. Starting with initiating a friendship, as it seemed like the best practice.
Till however, was unaware of the potent gaze on him. He carried the guitar back to his seat, not willingly relinquishing it. Plopping down with a huff, he started practicing on it quietly, tuning out all around him. Mizi passed him a soft smile before turning back once more to the group.
"Everyone here has so much potential! What do you think, Ivan?"
Ivan startled, abruptly realizing he had still been watching Till. He quickly refocused, pulling his attention away as the other boy remained oblivious, not bothering to glance up.
Regaining his composure, he replied evenly, "I think the proper term would be to say they all have different levels of skill, and styles."
"I agree," Sua nodded critically, reviewing her notes, "I think for our first duets-"
"It's a bit early for that, isn't it," Mizi interrupted, her eyes widening in disbelief.
"Not really," Sua countered, her tone decisive, "it takes time and plenty of sessions to rehearse. If instruments get involved, the time frame gets even messier."
There was a brief pause before Luka's soft, magnetic voice broke the tension, "if I might make a suggestion?"
Mizi responded immediately, "of course!"
"Why not use the first week to settle in and get to know one another? Collaboration will come more naturally if we understand our partners… and our competition… on a personal level."
"He's not wrong," Mizi agreed, frowning at Sua's notes, "take Till, for example. There's no way he could sing a duet with...""
Her voice trailed off as her gaze shifted to the towering boy behind her, "someone like Ivan. They're styles are just too different!"
At last, Till stirred.
He looked up sharply, meeting Ivan's eyes with a glare that carried a silent challenge. Something in that piercing stare tugged uncomfortably at Ivan’s chest, making his pulse quicken. Ivan cleared his throat, forcing himself to remain calm.
"I wouldn’t be so quick to claim that," Ivan countered with a measured tone, his gaze steady, "all it takes is the right song... and the right setting."
Sua smirked, stepping closer to nudge her cousin’s shoulder playfully.
"If you truly believe that, then join Alien Stage and prove her wrong!"
Till, watching the exchange silently, felt his annoyance rise at being used as a bargaining tool. Before he could speak, Luka leaned forward, his voice smooth but sharp.
"It would be impossible for someone like him to match Ivan," Luka said, his eyes narrowing as he regarded Till with distaste, "he lacks the grace, the refinement... really any of the right conditions."
Till recoiled as if struck, his anger flaring instantly. He laid the guitar down gently, his fingers trembling with fury as he stood up, his voice low but lethal.
"What the FUCK is that supposed to mean?"
Luka only smiled, an amused smirk curling at the corner of his lips, "I mean, that some people are simply limited and shaped by their circumstances."
His gaze flickered toward Till, almost pitying.
Till’s eyes narrowed, his fists clenching at his sides, "do you want to die!?"
Mizi, desperate, rushed in between them, hands raised in a futile attempt to stop the escalation.
Voice strained, she begged, "please, stop!"
"It seems that the gutter rat only knows how to bite after all."
That was the breaking point. Till lunged forward, hands raised to strike, but before he could reach Luka, Ivan was there. His grip was firm, holding Till back with surprising strength.
Ivan’s voice was low, commanding, as he whispered harshly in Till’s ear, "enough."
"Not until I knock a few of those pretty teeth out of his skull!"
The grip tightened on his wrist, and Till was manhandled out of the music room, before being thrown harshly into the hall.
Ivan's cold voice demanded, "and prove him right?"
Till paced the hall like a prowling cat, before snarling out, "of course your stuck up ass would defend that prick!"
Ivan cocked his head curiously, before dryly answering, "quite the opposite. Luka is only insufferable on good days. However, his family has good relations with mine-"
"Hah!" Till sneered, his face twisted in rage, "so you're just a bitch to society, then!"
Ivan moved toward him to argue otherwise, to explain, but Till had already started to storm off, flipping Ivan off as he went.
"Fuck this shit," Till declared, an air of finality, "I'm outta here!"
Even by the time he reached his apartment, he was still pent up. Unfortunately, his mother was actually home and mostly sane of mind. The moment she saw him stomp up the stairs outside, she put out her partial cigarette. He attempted to storm past her, almost reaching the handle before she called out.
"Not so fast, brat."
Till froze, shaking from the emotions spilling over.
She turned toward him slowly, before sighing, "what crawled up your ass and died?"
When he refused to answer, she quickly moved to grab his arm and turn him. Her eyes widened as his teal ones leaked tears. His face was scrunched up in grief, fists clenched shaking.
"Holy shit, Till," she gasped, before pulling him into a rough hug, "what happened?"
He leaned his forehead against her, body softly sobbing.
"I've never seen you like this before, usually it's only a black eye or some bruises."
Between sobs, he gritted out, "I.. joined an after school club for music.. they had guitars."
"Isn't that great then?"
"No," he choked out, fist lightly hitting her on the side as he forced the words out, "because I fucked it up already! T-they threw me out!"
"Well what did you do?"
"One of those rich assholes pissed me off, and I tried to fight him," he mumbled out against her shoulder, "I.. can't go back. Not without looking like a fool!"
"I think that's a bit dramatic," she huffed, easing up on holding him to squish his cheeks together with two fingers, "damn, Till. I haven't seen you like this in years, it takes me back to when you were little."
"I'm serious," he groaned, trying to pull away from her grip, regaining some of his composure to explain, "I flipped the club president's cousin off before storming away!"
"Then go back tomorrow and apologize."
"No fucking way!"
"Watch your fucking tone," she snapped, lightly smacking his head for good measure. When he grumbled under his breath, she sighed, "I'll try to save up for one, okay? I promise."
"Don't worry about it," he huffed, before glaring away, "we need other things more."
"We will always need other things."
"Just let me get a job," he grunted, "I can help pay for things, and you won't have to-"
He faltered at the thought of her job's nature, and she smiled at him softly, "you're a good kid, Till. You know that?"
"Whatever," he mumbled, puffing out from his swollen cheeks.
She then insisted, "but I won't allow you to ruin your life like I did. Finish school first, then you can work. Until then… stop pouting. It doesn't look good on you."
He had started to pull on the door to go inside, when a familiar but hesitant voice called out, "excuse me, is this Till's residence?"
Till froze, blinding fear and embarrassment rolling in his gut.
"Yes," his mother answered shortly, eye's narrowing on the approaching intruders, "why?"
"I'm sorry for eavesdropping," Sua awkwardly apologized, "we didn't mean to overhear, we just wanted to deliver Till's guitar. He took off so fast, we didn't get the chance to give it to him."
Slowly, Till turned to face Sua and Ivan, horrified.
Sua offered him a soft smile, before hitting Ivan hard in the shoulder. The stoic idiot jolted, before moving forward to hand over the case to Till. He took it dumbfoundedly, as Sua explained to his mother.
"My name is Sua, and this is my cousin, Ivan. We are Till's classmates, and I am the sponsor and one of the presidents of a new music club, called Alien Stage."
After an awkward pause, Sua insisted, "Till has an incredible gift, but I'm sure you know that already."
His mother smirked, before relighting her partial cigarette and taking a long puff. She let the smoke out slowly, before sparing a glance back at Till, "is that so?"
Sua startled at the response, but quickly masked it to insist, "he easily outperformed every new member today, with talent to spare! There's not that many people our age that can sing so well, much less compose and play their own work so flawlessly."
Till's face flushed, not from crying, but second hand embarrassment.
"So you want to extort my son?"
"W-what," she stammered, eyes widening.
"Well, after the shit show he caused in your little club today," his mother huffed, not entertained, "that has to be the only reason you would go through all this trouble to bring him that. Surely you know it's why he joined."
Sua looked at Ivan desperately, but he was looking at Till instead curiously.
"N-no," she attempted to explain, "I-I mean, I know that's why he joined but- Till wasn't in the wrong! I mean.. We're not upset with him, it was Luka who-"
"Luka, huh?" his mother gritted out suddenly, "I know that brat."
Till's eyes locked on her in surprise, but she was glaring at Ivan instead, blowing smoke directly in his face, "in fact, I know you too now that I think of it."
Ivan fidgeted, averting his gaze.
Sua stuttered, "Y-you know, Ivan?"
"Not directly," she explained, before giving Till the look.
That meant that she had attended some of Ivan's families 'celebratory' parties before as an escort or entertainer. It seemed, by Ivan's reaction, he might have recognized her as well. It made sense, as Ivan came from a vastly well endowed and prestigious family in Japan. They owned one of the largest brands of formal wear and fashion, and often threw grand parties to show their status. Till assumed Luka's situation was the same, as his parents were famous models.
"I think we started off on the wrong foot, as one can say," Ivan's voice suddenly shot in, airing confidence he lacked moments prior, "Sua's not here to extort your son in the least. She heard about how he stormed off upset, and was simply concerned for him and wanted to check."
"Hm," she leveled, before glaring away, "well he can speak for himself then."
She finished off the last of her smoke, before turning away from the other kids. Ruffling her hand through Till's locks playfully, she glanced back at the pair before entering the house.
"Sua and Ivan, right?" his mother questioned boredly, "I'm Lita, this brats pathetic excuse of a mother as I'm sure you no doubt overheard. I'm all he's got in this world though, so treat him kindly."
Till's face flooded red, as he stammered out, "M-mom, don't-!"
"Mom?" she cut him off, laughing hoarsely, "haven't heard that in years."
Before he could retort, she disappeared inside with a dismissive wave, leaving him with the snooty rich kids no doubt judging him for everything he was worth… which wasn't much.
"Till?" Sua hesitantly called out, looking at him nervously, "I'm sorry for what happened today. Mizi is freaking out, and Hyuna punched him so hard afterwards that I think he'll have a black eye. That might.. not seem like a big deal, but as he has a shoot in two days…"
"I don't really care," he grunted out, before handing back the guitar case to Sua, "I don't belong there."
"Why do you think that?"
"Look around," Till snarled, gesturing at the slums around them, "I'm from a different world than you. He knows that better than anyone, DON'T you?"
His glare pierced into Ivan, whose jaw twitched.
Sua looked between them, before insisting, "Till, it doesn't matter where you come from. You HAVE talent, don't let Luka's jealousy blind you of that."
Till's laugh escaped as a soft huff, "what would I ever have for him to be jealous of. Don't patronize me!"
"To start," she snapped, "my attention! As I'm sure the rest of the Alien Stage members, including Hyuna, who he is hopelessly infatuated with!"
He crossed his arms uncomfortably as she continued, slowly closing the distance between them.
"Till, you blew us away with that performance. You told us that you COULD sing, not that you were GIFTED at it. I knew that you wanted a guitar, but I thought you meant to LEARN, not start shredding rifts!"
When he didn't move away, she shoved the guitar case back in his hands and pushed, "you belong with Alien Stage, Till. Don't give up so easily on us, because it would be a shame for your talent to go unnoticed any longer. Gutter rat or not."
He let out a constrained sigh, before looking down at the case in his hands, "and you trust me with this?"
"Of course," she insisted, "it's just a rental though, so it's nothing special."
"You don't even realize what you're saying," he breathed out, feeling unreal he had an actual guitar in his hands.
"Remember what you said, Till," she smirked, pleased by his reaction, "you said you would do whatever crazy shit we wanted as long as we supplied a guitar. So are you in or out?"
He thought about it, before gritting out, "is that bastard still in?"
"Unfortunately," she frowned, "because of his relationship with my Uncle, we can't exactly just kick him out. Which is what Ivan tried to tell you before you took off."
When Till scrunched his nose in disgust at the thought, she clarified, "the rest of us ARE nice though, and we WANT you there."
It was the first time that any one had ever gone out of their way for him. Which made it hard to deny her.
"Fine… I'm in," he grunted out, "but don't expect much from me."
"Just you coming back is enough," Sua assured, "Mizi will be so relieved!"
Till looked up suddenly, feeling dark eyes boring into him. Feeling guilty, he grunted out under his breath to Ivan, "sorry for how I acted.. I guess."
"It's behind us," he quietly replied, a small smile etching on his face.
"Whatever," Till deflected, before looking at his door, "see you tomorrow then."
Sua smiled, "can't wait!"
The pair walked back down the stairs afterwards, Sua feeling immensely relieved. Once they made it to the street, Ivan opened the door to the awaiting limo for her, before following after. She waited until the door closed to really start questioning everything that happened openly.
"So what is with his mother? She was so intimidating!"
Ivan frowned, looking back up toward the apartment just as the car started to drive away, "I've seen her at a party or two of fathers… She's an escort."
"Oh," Sua responded in more or less a pout, before what he said sunk in, "o-oh!"
He nodded slowly, still perturbed at the thought, "Luka's actions makes more sense now, as well as why Till reacted that way. I can't really blame him, all things considered. He was dealt a shitty hand at life."
"She seems like she at least cares about him, though."
Ivan stared at his hands for a bit, before admitting, "not in the way a mother should."
"What do you mean?"
He shook his head, before gazing empty handed out the window once more. Memories of seeing a small gray haired boy outside a party alone surged backwards. When he first saw Till in the music room for the first time, it hadn't clicked. However, as soon as his eyes fell on Lita, he remembered something tragic from his childhood.
Years ago, when he was only about eight, he was attending the annual new year ball sponsored by a huge company his father was trying to strike a deal with. He was being led by officials down the building, preparing to enter a limo back to their home when a commotion caught his eye. A frail young boy with messy gray hair and baggy clothes sat just outside the entrance door in the snow.
Workers were attempting to remove him, but he insisted and cried that his mother was inside and he was waiting, despite clearly being frozen stiff. Then suddenly, a woman in a revealing dress came storming outside, having received the warning from the building administration to remove her son. The boy ran toward his mother, excitedly calling her name.
However, when he reached her, she took the worse end of her heel and hit him so hard in the face with it that he went spiraling back into a snow drift. Ivan vividly remembers the snow being red when the boy finally raised, and heard the woman screaming bloody murder at him for ruining her plans that night by following her. The boy started wailing, and she furiously grabbed him by the arm and held him up high before dragging him off pitifully into the night.
Ivan attempted to get his chaperones to interfere, but they were laughing at the exchange. It seemed that she was well known, and her bastard son even more so. Ivan, horrified, overheard them brag about how when men would visit her, the boy would wait outside alone for hours loyally for them to finish. It was such a hard thing to bear witness too, that he had pushed it from his mind entirely until tonight when he was brutally reminded of her existence.
"Ivan?"
He turned to face Sua, who looked near tears, "I just… feel bad for Till."
"Don't pity the less fortunate," he argued, looking back out the window solemnly, "all you can do is what she asked… show him kindness."
They rode in silence the rest of the way home.
Meanwhile, Till was staring at the instrument in his arms in awe. His mother gave him a critical look when he came back inside, but he simply shrugged before disappearing behind his curtain for the rest of the night. Soft sounds of strumming escaped the room, but nothing too irritating where she needed to pick a fight.
Afterschool the next day, Till carried the guitar closely to his chest as he maneuvered through the hundreds of bustling students. Standing outside the music room, his heart clenched at the thought of showing his face once more after being physically removed. It almost made him leave the instrument outside the door and walk off, but he was never one to back down from a fight.
Bracing himself, and deciding he didn't give a damn what any of them thought so long as he could play, he kicked open the door dramatically and strutted inside. Till pretended to ignore those who looked up, and chose a chair in the farthest corner, away from everyone. Sua didn't draw attention to it, but Mizi looked beyond overjoyed to see him.
They practiced singing vocals as a choir the rest of the week. Till suffered through partner work, and thankfully kept his mouth shut. One thing that Till noticed, that was mildly annoying, was Ivan was nowhere to be found. He knew that Sua said that Ivan wasn't a member, but in the same breath, he went out of his way to bring Till back and couldn't even bother to show his face.
It was the following Monday as Till was walking up to the roof for lunch that he encountered him again.
Headphones in, music blaring from his outdated cracked phone, and composition music shoved in his bag, he threw open the staircase doors to head up, only to crash headfirst into a chest. Till fell backwards, but an arm snaked around his waist and caught him instinctively. He recovered, pulling back to cuss whoever he hit, but was perplexed to see Ivan smirking down at him.
"Who-" Till stammered, before his eyes widened, "oh."
Ivan tilted his head curiously, eye's fanning innocence, "what are you doing?"
In response, he rolled his eyes in Ivan's direction, before sidestepping around him.
He watched Till start to climb the stairs, until the wild boy paused on the third step suddenly.
Till's voice was accusational and harsh as he demanded, "Why have you been avoiding the club?"
Ivan blinked surprised, before asserting, "I'm not a member?"
"Why not," Till pushed further, finally turning to look at him.
The teal eyes bore into his own, and Ivan felt a swimming feeling in his gut as they judged his every move and sound.
"My father thinks clubs are a waste of time, and that there are more important things I could be doing for the family business instead."
"Do you really get off being a bitch to society?" Till huffed out annoyed, "Fuck his wishes! Do what you want, it's your life in the end anyways."
"Thats easy to say," Ivan shook his head, "but-"
"It's also easy to do too!" Till snapped, leveling a cocky grin on him, "you start by showing up, and when your old man gets pissed, you flip him the bird and then keep doing it to spite him."
Ivan frowned, not liking the idea of rebelling. That was something Till could do flawlessly, and was one of the many reasons he was so enthralled by the boy, but not something he had the courage to do himself. Till seemed to see the conflict in his face, because he threw his arms up in frustration.
"Whatever," he mumbled out, "do as you please. It's just bullshit you came to talk me into not quitting, but won't join yourself. Waste of talent, my ass!"
Without another word, or waiting for a reply, Till took the stairs two at a time and disappeared. Ivan watched after him, gaping at where he had stood. Frustratingly, Till had a point. Sua made a whole argument about how Till being unnoticed any longer was a waste of his gift, but here Ivan was allowing his father to suppress his own talent.
A small smile pulled at the corner of his lip, exposing his snaggletooth.
He was easily growing smitten with the boy.
Later that afternoon, when Till walked into the music room, he was surprised to see Ivan sitting behind the piano again. Laughing chaotically, several heads turned his direction but Till ignored it to point at the handsome 'prince of sorrow' teasingly.
"So you do have a backbone!"
Sua gave Till a bewildered glance, but Ivan's knowing smile back was all the clarification Till needed. Crashing in his normal chair, Till's eyes never left Ivan's back as Sua and Mizi fussed over several spreadsheets in their hands. He was watching the girls fuss with interest, before he caught Till looking his way. To Till's total surprise, and leaving his face slightly flushed, Ivan winked at him before Sua shoved a few music sheets in his face, effectively distracting him.
"Here, Ivan," she demanded, before turning to Mizi, "is it settled now?"
"Yes," the other girl nodded, "sorry, guys! We had to change a few things first after something came up… but we now have our first duet pairs!"
There were curious noises, but it dyed down as Sua straightened the rest of the papers and announced the list. Several unknown students were called, and not-surprisingly, Sua and Mizi were going to sing a duet together. What was more surprising was that they paired Luka and Hyuna together. Luka looked creepily overjoyed, but Hyuna simply glared in his direction.
Till determined then that the worst option was over, so he would take any faceless extra to sing back up.
That was, until Mizi excitedly gushed, "and perhaps the most challenging pairing, we have Till and Ivan!"
Till misheard.
He had to have.
But then Ivan was turning to face him, equally as surprised, and he started to have doubts.
Mizi then continued, "you can either choose your own songs, or we can for you!"
His jaw gaped, and as he watched everyone disperse to start discussing with their partners, Till's eyes locked on Sua's, face twisted in confusion. She waved him over, and he abandoned the guitar behind to pull her off to the side, seething.
"What are you playing at?"
She smiled sweetly, as if not having a clue, "what do you mean?"
"You paired me with Ivan!"
"Is that a problem?" she frowned, cocking her head slightly, "because I thought it was brilliant timing!"
"What is that supposed to mean," he growled out, annoyed.
Mizi jumped from nowhere, preening, "you didn't have a partner! At least, you did but she wasn't nearly on the same skill set as you. She either would have dragged you down, or you would have COMPLETELY overshadowed her."
"Believe it or not," Sua assured, "Ivan's vocals are out of this world. You won't be disappointed."
"Disappointed?" a calm voice prompted, and Till's body froze in place awkwardly as Ivan confronted them, "I would hope not. Although, I am confused as to why you are recreating the issue from last week."
"Luka kept his mouth shut," Sua defended, cocking one hand on her hip.
Mizi rushed to defend the situation, "and Till needs a decent partner!"
Ivan considered Till, taking note of how rigid his body was, "I haven't even officially agreed to joining Sua. The only reason I came in today was to observe."
"Too late, too sad," his cousin sneered, looking between them curiously, "besides, I feel you need a friend, Ivan. You're always business-business, and it's not good for you!"
Crossing his arms, Till snarled back, "don't sign me up for crazy shit like that!"
"Tsk, tsk," she shook her head, "you said you would do ANYTHING for that guitar. Don't forget, Till. You're basically now our bitch."
"So much for not extorting him," Ivan shook his head, before resigning, "if Till agrees, I'll do it and hang around. If not, I'm leaving. I have enough to do for my father to waste energy with your shenanigans."
That alone was enough to make Till agree, not that Ivan would ever know.
"Fine," he gritted out finally, before glaring at Sua in challenge, "but I am NOT your bitch!"
She started laughing, before apologizing, "I was only pulling your leg, Till. We wouldn't have forced you too if you didn't want to!"
"Yea, whatever," he snorted, glaring away bitterly, not believing a word.
"Sooo," Mizi tried to break the ice, "what song are you thinking about?"
"Either 'Crawling' by Linkin Park," Till gritted out in thought, "or something original."
Sua giggled, "Linkin Park? What is this, the early 2000's?"
"It's the only song that comes to mind off hand that would match both our styles."
"Original always works too," Ivan agreed, "if it isn't too much trouble to compose."
"Depends," he snorted back.
There was a long awkward pause, before Mizi piped in, "well I for one think they could totally pull off Linkin Park! The heated bits would be great for Till's range, and the melodic one's Ivan would nail. They would make it so much more dynamic than it was originally!"
"You think so?" Ivan asked, unsure, "it is.. a bit darker of a piece than I usually sing."
"That's exactly why it works though!" she beamed, clarifying, "you both have that edge! Till's got the fire, and Ivan, you've got the depth! Put them together, and it will turn into something special!"
Till raised an eyebrow, a cocking grin returning, "you just want to see me go full throttle."
"Maybe," Mizi admitted, smiling widely, "but only because I know you can do it! That raw emotion you have will bring that song to life."
"If you say so," he resigned, looking at Ivan finally for confirmation.
"Then I will be the calm in the storm," Ivan nodded slowly, lost in thought, "and together we can make it our own."
Till smirked, before grabbing Ivan's sleeve and pulling him aggressively back toward his seat, "then get moving, Trust Fund! We have work to do!"
"W-what?"
Sua busted out laughing, "is that your retort to being called a gutter rat!?"
Till's devious look was enough of an answer.
The rest of the session was spent with Till yelling constantly.
First at Ivan, correcting him at every turn, or finally when he was furiously playing guitar, getting frustrated each time he messed up. By the end of the day, instead of being annoyed or worn out by him, Ivan felt rejuvenated. Till was such a combustible character that he was unpredictable, entertaining, and completely and totally captivating.
He was falling hard… fast.
When the others started to file out, Ivan was almost disappointed he had to leave already. The fear that his father would find out and pull him out of the club loomed in his heart, and he was terrified that this would be the first and last time he would see the other boy.
As if reading his mind, Till grumbled under his breath, "you're going to flake, aren't you?"
"Why would you think that?" he turned curiously, face whitening.
Till considered him, his angled eyes searching deep into the dark pools of Ivan's.
"I give a thousand percent to everything I do," he answered, voice firm, "music isn't just a fun pastime for me. It's something I work at until it's perfect."
Ivan frowned, unsure where this was going.
"I can tell you're not all in yet," he explained further, leaning in slightly to clarify, "if that's the case, save me the grief later and do it now."
Ivan's stomach tightened at the sharpness of Till's words.
Gaze unwavering, Till finished, "I don't need anyone dragging me down."
His words hung in the air, thick with challenge. Ivan swallowed slowly, feeling the knot tighten in his chest. He wasn't used to being called out like this, at least, not by someone who could so easily tear through his resolve with a few sharp words.
"Do you really think I'm not all in?"
The intensity of the stare made him feel both exposed and alive at the same time.
Till didn't flinch. He only shrugged, his tone blunt as he answered, "I see it. You've got the talent, but that doesn't mean shit if you're not willing to put the work in. It's all about sacrifice."
Ivan's gaze dropped for a moment to process his words. It was a steady reminder of how vastly different their worlds were at the end of the day. Till had to fight for everything he had, while Ivan had been raised needing nothing. There was still something about Till's fire that made him want to try harder despite that.
Muttering under his breath, Ivan forced out, "I don't want to let you down, but I'm unsure how to give everything the way you do."
Till's eyes suddenly softened, his tone direct but honest as he insisted, "just show up. That's all I'm asking."
"Of course, Till," Ivan agreed easily, "that's the least I could do."
After that, Ivan came to every session after school. The time they spent with each other grew, but Till had still yet to truly open up. The only thing he would discuss with Ivan was music, and even then it wasn't anything deep besides discussion over the notes or occasionally the tone of the song. Till mostly practiced on the guitar on original works, as that was his only opportunity to use the amp.
Ivan didn't mind, as the song they chose was well known, and he could practice at home as well. Unlike if they had chosen an original work. So instead, he would lean against the wall furthest from his other classmates, listening passively to Till practice. That quiet company was perhaps Ivan's favorite part of the day, and he looked forward to it more than he thought he would.
Maybe, Till was right.
Some things were worth fighting for.
That's why, months later when the cultural festival finally came around, he could barely keep a reserved face.
Till seemed to notice, and punched his arm playfully as he led them toward the backstage, "watch it, Ivan. Your 'sorrowful prince' facade is about to slip."
Ivan smiled, before reaching forward to wrap an arm around Till's neck and pull him back. In a swift, teasing motion, he ruffled the gray hair aggressively. Till hollered from beneath him, attempting to wiggle out of the hold, cursing under his breath.
"Dammit, Ivan!"
Ivan chuckled, leaning forward to whisper in his ear softly, "what's so wrong with being excited? I've been looking forward to this night with you."
"D-don't lose your head," Till bristled, face heating up slightly, "it's just a stupid song!"
"One we worked hard on," Ivan argued quietly, voice level, "and your first performance."
"T-that doesn't mean anything!"
"It means everything to me," he admitted, smiling so toothly at Till that the other boy's face turned crimson. Ivan enjoyed the moment before adding, "besides, that look on your face makes it all worth it."
"What look!?"
"That one," Ivan flirted with a smile, pinching Till's cheek, "but it's cute how you try to hide it."
"S-shut up," Till demanded, while glaring away in embarrassment, "or you're going on by yourself!"
Ivan hummed, a teasing grin creeping up, "oh, don't lie to yourself now."
"Ugh, you're insufferable!"
"I know," Ivan lamented softly, voice dripping with sarcasm, "but you wouldn’t have it any other way."
"I detest that," Till argued, pulling out of his grip to poke Ivan hard in the chest, "you were more charming BEFORE you started talking. Now all I think about is punching your mouth."
"With what?" Ivan countered instantly, unfazed.
Till, trying to hide the small blush, turned his face slightly.
"I hate you," Till muttered, shoving him away forcefully, "stop twisting my words!"
Ivan chuckled, clearly enjoying the banter as he added, "you're the one who called me charming."
"I take it back," Till bristled, "you're just a nuisance!"
Ivan started to reply, when Mizi's voice called out, "Till… Ivan! It's time to get ready!"
The crowd was thick with students, and the cheers heard for his classmates shook the floor. First time nerves bit at Till slightly, despite pretending otherwise as he sat clutching his guitar as Ivan left to change. Of course, Ivan knew immediately he had lied. Unbeknownst to Till, Ivan had a sick sense for reading him. It was useful at times, but mostly annoying. For once though, Ivan chose the former.
"Till," Ivan whispered, walking just behind him suddenly.
Till breathed out shakily through his teeth, nerves spiking again.
"You're brilliant and gifted," Ivan assured, placing a hand casually over his shoulder to give him a rough side hug, "more so than anyone here, so stop worrying."
"How can you even say that?" he shook his head, "I never belonged here."
"With Alien Stage?"
"No," he croaked out, "next to you."
Ivan's face flashed with concern before he twirled Till around dramatically, tone harsh, "what did you just say?"
Till bit the inside of his cheek, looking at the guitar that laid limp in his arms bitterly, as he admitted, "you're the most popular, wealthiest, and perhaps stupidly handsomest guy in our school. I'm just a gutter rat, the bastard son of a whore-"
Without warning, Ivan pulled Till into a full blown hug, despite the guitar awkwardly separating them. They both ignored it though, and eventually Till returned the hug, despite his face heating up worse because of it. Ivan nearly buried his face in Till's hair, breathing in deeply to calm himself from saying something moronic.
Like a love confession.
Instead, he whispered against Till, "you're my best friend, you idiot..."
Till chuckled harshly, "I'm the idiot?"
"Yes," Ivan ageed, a smile returning slowly as he backed up slowly, "now stop fretting over trivial things, and let's go show them what we've got."
Before Till could respond, Sua came out of nowhere, linking their arms and pulling them dramatically toward the stage, "hurry up, boys!"
She shoved them out into a thick fog, and Ivan confidently led the way to the microphones across the stage. Till nodded in his direction as he hooked up the guitar, and the sound ricocheted like a broken echo. Silence fell behind the curtain, and Till shook with both excitement and apprehension. Ivan gave him an encouraging toothy smile, before turning away.
That was when Till finally took notice of Ivan's outfit.
As always, Till was rocking his usual style. His bomber jacket over a white graphic tank, paired with baggy pants. He'd even swiped some of his mom's eyeliner, tying the whole look together for the stage.
But Ivan?
Ivan took him completely by surprise.
Catching a glimpse of his face up close, Till noticed that Ivan was also wearing makeup. His dark smokey eye was sharply defined, and his hair was swept back with a slight sheen, only a few stray strands rebelliously falling across his face, giving him a perfectly disheveled elegance.
The rich bastard also usually wore clothes so pristine and expensive that Till couldn’t even dream of affording them. Tonight, though, while still decked out entirely in black, Ivan had dressed the part in a way that made Till wonder if he’d gone shopping specifically for this.
He was wearing a fitted black long-sleeve shirt, layered beneath a cropped blazer with silver zippers scattered willfully across it. Tailored black pants and polished combat boots gave the look a sharp edge, accentuated by a thick belt adorned with dangling chains.
His hands were gloved in fingerless leather, each buckle and metallic accent catching the light just enough to draw attention. Around his neck hung a silver chain, completing the ensemble. Till foolishly caught himself thinking how annoyingly handsome the cocky bastard looked in it.
His face suddenly heated up at the realization, and he cleared his throat to glare forward instead.
"You ready?" Ivan called backwards, giving him a curious side look.
Knowing his face was still flushed, he bit out, "yea, but never wear that again."
Something dark transcended in Ivan's eyes momentarily, before he smirked, "I'll wear it everyday if it draws that much attention from you."
"It's not mine that I'm worried about," Till blurted out without thinking, before his eyes widened, "w-wait! I didn't-"
The self-appreciated smile on Ivan's face meant there was no coming back from that.
Bitterly, Till turned away and cursed, "I hate you!"
"I know."
Ivan laughed, knowing there was no heat in Till's words to begin with.
Mizi's voice calling out, "and singing a song from Linkin Park, and Alien Stages main performance of the night… Ivan and Till!"
They watched the curtain slowly open, and Mizi gave the signal that their microphones were live. Within moments they were surrounded by a sea of faces, and the music started, Till jumping in with the guitar. Ivan waited patiently for his part, his eyes never leaving Till the entire performance.
He was so utterly mesmerizing, that it was almost hard to focus on his own lines. However, the thrill of competing with someone of Till's caliber made the fire burn within him as well. As they finished the song, several of the girls in the lower years threw roses at them, screaming. Till's face grew perplexed at that, and Ivan found it hard not to laugh at his reaction.
As soon as the curtain closed, Ivan scooped one up and headed over confidently to the sweaty mess of Till. He turned to face Ivan excitedly, and in that moment, Ivan seized the moment to lace the stem inside his guitar strings. Till's face fell in confusion, but Ivan explained.
"Take it home and press it, then you'll always have a memory of tonight."
Till considered him for a moment before snorting, "idiot… you think I'd forget this?"
"I hope not, but-"
"But nothing," he argued, sneering slightly, "now let's go!"
Ivan watched him rush off the stage, barely disconnecting in time from the amp. Smiling after him, Ivan loyally followed. The excitement of the day ended, and everyone headed home after a fruitful first day of the cultural festival. Mizi and Sua had broken up the performers between Saturday and Sunday, with Ivan and Till being scheduled to be the last of the first concert.
As such, it was optional to attend the second day, and Ivan had a sneaking suspicion that Till wouldn't show. Especially since Hyuna and Luka were scheduled to start. So instead, he chased down the retreating surly young man as he walked home. Till had taken off the bomber jacket, draping it over his guitar case as he carried it down the street, more than likely still overheating.
Ivan wasted no time shredding his own blazer, and draped it over Till's shoulders. He jumped at the sudden touch, but Ivan leaned forward with a teasing glint in his eyes. Till looked between the coat and Ivan with wide eyes, before gesturing at his own jacket not being used. Ivan shook his head, before pushing it further on his shoulders pointedly.
"This is for you."
"Why?"
"Because I think you'll look better in it than me."
"Thats a hard fucking no," Till cuffed out, looking instantly irritated, "I'm not blind!"
"Opinions are like assholes, as they say."
"Ivan, you're so stupid it physically hurts my brain. Take your coat back, I don't need your pity."
"No," he flatly responded, seemingly bored with the argument already, "you didn't want the rose, so I thought I'd give you something more memorable as a souvenir. Besides… it's not really my style."
Once again forgetting the implications, Till admitted, "it should be."
Luckily Ivan pretended not to notice.
They walked silently next to each other down the street for awhile, before Till bristled, "doesn't your rich ass have a limo to fuck off too?"
"I wanted to walk you home."
Till's eyes widened.
"What am I… a woman you're trying to pursue?"
"Well," Ivan laughed, a slight twinkle in his eye, "you're definitely not a woman."
"I-" The words caught in Till's throat as he processed Ivan's remark.
His mind fumbled for a response that wouldn’t make him sound like an idiot. Finally, he scoffed, his cheeks reddening as he shoved Ivan's shoulder harshly.
"Shut up," Till snapped, "who even says stuff like that?"
Ivan chuckled, barely budging from the shove, his grin growing wider.
"What? I’m just stating facts."
"Facts my ass," Till grumbled, quickening his pace to hide the faint pink dusting his cheeks, "you’re insufferable."
A lighthearted laugh escaped Ivan, and he pulled the guitar case from Till's grasp to carry it before, wrapping his other arm around the volatile boy's shoulder. He grumbled under his breath, but the very faint smile etched on the corner of his lip told Ivan he enjoyed the attention. It was just something he wouldn't voice.
Then, completely taking Ivan by surprise, Till mumbled out, "you're something else, you know."
"I am?"
"Yes," he huffed, slightly leaning into the touch against Ivan, causing a slight pink tint to reach on Ivan's cheeks. Then, to make matters worse, Till explained, "all the talent and looks in the world, and it was wasted until I came along!"
"Careful, Till," Ivan teased, tooth poking into his bottom lip, "that's the second time you've complimented me tonight. You might just implode if you keep pushing your luck with explosives."
"Explosives?"
Something devious crossed in the darkened eyes momentarily, before Ivan deflected.
"It might be too early yet to dive into the meaning of that."
"Hmph," Till huffed, before grabbing Ivan's arm and pulling him in a totally different direction than home suddenly, "come on…"
"W-where?"
"Just shut up and follow!"
It was nearly an half hour later before they came to a large building labeled as a music studio. Till hooked his arm in Ivan's before pulling him forcefully toward it, his expression chaste. The moment they walked inside, he was overwhelmed by the amount of bustling visitors, even for a Saturday night. Till snuck them in a side door, past a door keep that was too distracted by a group of university girls to notice.
He looked back nervously, not wanting to get in trouble for breaking the rules, but Till had already started to pull him in a recording studio without hesitation. They were then greeted by an older student with several piercings and a soft smile. Given how he had been directing students before noticing Till, he must have worked there as well. For a single moment, Ivan's heart relaxed in realization they weren't trespassing entirely.
"Till, the troubled stowaway teen!" Dewey shouted loudly, laughing, before asking curiously, "it's been a while. How did your concert-"
His voice faltered as his eyes fell on Ivan, who was looking round curiously.
"Holy s-shit… he is hot," Dewey stammered, before stupidly adding, "you were right, Till!"
Two things happened then.
In a single breath, Till let out a startled and disbelieving cry of both outrage and pure shame.
However, in the other, Ivan's heart felt like it was about to explode. It was pumping so fast.
"T-till?" he questioned, looking between them wide eyed, mouth gaped, "w-what did he just say?"
Till glared away suddenly, face turning crimson once more, "ignore this moron! All I said was you were one of those rich good-looking snobs. I didn't-"
Memories of his visits over the past few months flooded Till’s mind, and his voice faltered, barely able to keep up the lie
Dewey, catching his error and not wanting to throw Till to the wolves, took the lie further, "y-yeah! I made it sound totally weird, I'm sorry!"
"It still is weird," Till grumbled, punching Dewey on the arm, before insisting heatedly, "you idiot!"
"Deserved," he breathed out softly, guilt lining his face, "but I never expected for you to show up with him HERE!"
He looked between them worried, until Till shrugged, "I wanted to show him around-"
"Till!" a young lady cried, before her boyfriend rushed forward.
"Man, it's been weeks since we've seen your sour face!"
Suddenly, Ivan watched as several of the seemingly regulars grabbed Till, dragging him off against his will and despite his many protests. Ivan watched the exchange amused, before redirecting his attention to Dewey once more.
"Soooo," Dewey monologues, before smiling, "it's not like Till to bring anyone here. In fact, he never has before. That troubled brat never even had friends until he met your cousin."
Ivan drank in that information quietly.
"That means you are special," Dewey argued while pointing at a chair in the distance.
Ivan followed, still carrying the guitar. They sat down together, and Dewey, without even being asked, rehashed Till's entire tragic childhood. How they took pity on him, and also when Dewey taught Till how to play guitar with his friends all those years ago. Then he laughed warmly, admitting something that he hadn't even told Till yet.
"I actually took this job for him. When I heard they were hiring, I was afraid that someone stricter would keep him from sneaking in. This place has been Till's only outlet for too long… his safe place. He might not remember everything since he was so young, but we do."
"That's… great of you," Ivan admitted, feeling grateful someone cared for Till that much.
"It was nothing," Dewey laughed harder, "besides, I love music too! This was my way to stick close to it, even despite graduating."
Then his face darkened, "although, I have to probably quit soon. I haven't told the kid, because I was scared of how he would react. That's why I tried to push him to make friends this year. I'm so grateful he met all of you."
"I am too," Ivan conceded, seeing Till start to walk back, even more irritated than before, "he's been a bright light in my life."
"I can see it, you know," Dewey teased, smiling softly, "you're hopelessly smitten with him! Rightfully so, Till's a catch, despite being burly. But you? You're an idol! It's crazy you'd go for someone as unsettled as him..."
"I love that about him," he defended, face scrunching up in thought, "his fire… his rebellious attitude. It makes me feel alive…. HE makes me feel alive."
Till reached them, but only after their conversation had turned. Giving them both a critical look, he kicked Dewey hard in the leg, "asshole. You should have stopped them!"
"They just missed you," he poorly argued, barely avoiding another kick. Then, as if not valuing his life at all, he smirked, "you should have just told them you were on a date. Then they-"
"SHUT UP," Till snarled, before diving to punch the snot out of Dewey, "you IDIOT!"
Ivan's face flushed slightly, and he cleared his throat.
Till looked almost sick at the sight, before he aimed another well calculated punch at Dewey.
"Again, ignore him! He's a total moron!"
Seemingly innocently, Ivan questioned, "is he?"
Till’s reaction to the teasing made Ivan’s heart flutter. He couldn’t help but wonder if Dewey knew something about Till's feelings as well. That thought alone drove him crazy in a way he couldn’t quite explain, a mixture of hope and anxiety churning in his chest. The idea of Till feeling anything more than friendship was enough to send his mind into overdrive
They hung out around the music studio for another hour, and Ivan kept a mostly stoic face despite his heart hammering every time Till would brush up against him or open up. Dewey had been right, Ivan had to be special to Till. Someone so guarded and reserved around others, who pretended that everyone wasn't worth the effort, willingly inviting and showing off a part of him that Ivan was sure was dear?
It proved it, didn't it?
Till however, was just enjoying having someone to share his life with. It was so nice having Ivan as a friend, something he never would have expected those months ago when he first laid eyes on the 'black prince of sorrow' months back. They came from totally different worlds. They were nothing alike despite their appreciation of music. Yet, here they were, damn near inseparable.
They left the studio later, laughing about some crazy young university girl who was drooling over Dewey like a lost pup, when Ivan's face suddenly fell. Till didn't notice that, but did take note of when Ivan stopped following him. He froze in his tracks, glancing back curiously to glance at the dark haired boy.
"What's wrong?"
Ivan shook his head, "nothing, it's just getting late."
"Yup," he confirmed, looking up into the pitch black sky, the stars twinkling beautifully, "will your old man be mad?"
He looked away guiltily, and Till immediately became concerned.
"What are you hiding?"
"I just," he cooly replied, voice level, "...sometimes want to be a rebel like you."
"Hah," Till huskily laughed, before smirking, "what is there for me to rebel against?"
"Then… be defiant?"
He shook his head, before throwing an arm over Ivan's shoulder, still grateful Ivan was loyally carrying the guitar case.
"Then be defiant, Ivan," he pushed, "who's going to stop you?"
A soft humming escaped Ivan as he thought it over, before Till pushed, "so, he IS going to be mad then."
"He's not home," Ivan admitted finally, his equally dark eyes glancing up into the sky, "that's why there was no limo, and why I came with you."
"I don't…. understand."
"He would never have permitted me to go to the cultural festival, or stay out this late. However, he was fortunately at a business meeting in Osaka and won't be back until tomorrow morning."
"So…" Till thought out loud, before his face twisted in rage, "you would have stood me up if he didn't have a meeting!? You fucking-"
"No," he assured, his voice dropping an octave, "I would never have left you alone on that stage, Till. Even if it meant being thrown out or disinherited."
"Then you can be defiant," Till argued, but the anger slowly dissipated into relief, "because that would have been the same thing!"
Ivan smiled softly at him, the same look he gave to most of everyone, before insisting, "but I didn't have to take that leap. I've built up enough trust by being dependable that I'm not watched. So, all I did was simply walk to school without a chaperone with Sua this afternoon."
"And those clothes?" Ivan pressed, before pulling on the fine sleeve curiously, "he lets you wear this?"
"No," Ivan shook his head, "but Sua isn't monitored and has more free will. She picked it up one day, and insisted that it would compliment the song and your style."
"That was observant of her.."
Inside, Till felt like cussing Sua for making his knees weak on purpose.
"Yes," Ivan boredly claimed, before looking away with a slightly irritated expression, "as long as I get home tonight, father should never know and I face no repercussions. So, is it truly being defiant, or only taking calculated moves within my grasp?"
"I can't answer that," Till huffed out, "as my mother doesn't give a damn where I am or do, as long as I make better choices than her."
"Did she go tonight?"
"No. Saturdays are-"
He couldn't bring himself to finish, but Ivan seemed to understand as he didn't press further.
After an awkward pause, Ivan frowned again, glaring at the street where they would need to part ways to both go home. Till seemed to watch him internally struggle for a bit, before deciding on something stupid. Ivan wanted to rebel… he wanted to be more defiant. Well, Till was sure that just meant that Ivan wanted more control over his own life. So Till extended something stupid.
"You can come home with me if you want."
Normally, Ivan's emotions were masked and unreadable. Around others, he was completely reserved and kept his feelings closely guarded. Till wasn't an idiot, he reveled in how Ivan would spare those few genuine smiles and laughs for him. How Ivan would reserve the smirks, teases, and banter for Till alone. He basked in the attention normally.
Therefore, he absolutely LOVED how Ivan jumped nearly a foot startled, and how his cheeks slightly reddened in shock at the bold statement. The tint wasn't enough that anyone else would have noticed… but Till had. He had become well versed in reading Ivan's strange body mannerisms and meanings. As he often didn't voice his feelings or frustrations, Till had to learn.
They were two completely different people after all. Till was fiery and opinionated. Ivan however, was stoic and reserved. Till, who sings with his heart on his sleeve, fluctuates his voice dramatically to the point of strain. Ivan, who sings soft and sophisticated ballads, keeps the 'princely' air that he was nicknamed after.
That's why, whenever Ivan slipped in composure, Till would relish the moment.
He smirked as Ivan stammered out, "w-what?"
"You heard me," he then puffed out, pulling on Ivan's ear forcefully, "she won't be home tonight anyways."
"B-but…"
"We don't have much though," Till explained, "hell, I don't even have a proper bed."
He paused, allowing Ivan's brain to catch up.
Finally, Ivan's eyes relaxed, and his tooth shown bright in the moonlight as he smiled weakly, "are you okay with that?"
"I wouldn't have said it if I wasn't," the other boy grunted, before turning on his heel toward his house.
"T-till!?"
"Hmh!" he called over his shoulder, "are you coming or not?"
Ivan paused mid-motion, having doubts once more, "what about my father?"
"You can always leave early so your old man doesn't find out, but honestly… fuck him."
That troublesome grin Till shot back did Ivan in, and he found himself racing after Till. It's not like he had much choice anyways, as Till had left the guitar and bomber jacket behind. However, the volatile guitar-crazed 'gutter rat' was wearing Ivan's leather jacket. That alone set his heart on fire with both pride, and affection.
They paused just outside Till's door as he unlocked it, before he frowned at Ivan, "hey, before you go in-"
Ivan cut him off immediately, "I know, and I accept you for all you are, Till. Don't think less of me by thinking worse of yourself."
"Why do you always have to be so insufferable," Till snapped, face flushing from embarrassment, "talking like that makes me want to hit you!"
"Then do it," Ivan explained, "but it won't change what I said."
"Asshole," Till growled, before opening the door and muttering, "but don't say I didn't warn you!"
Ivan lied.
At least he didn't mean to.
The apartment's shabby state sent fire through his veins, and it was too much to fully conceal. Till, ever watchful, had grown better at reading him, his eyes searching fervently for any opinion, slip, or leaked emotion. That’s why Ivan buried it all deep, not breaking until much later, after they went to bed and Till’s soft breathing brought fragile comfort in the dark.
How could he not be angry?
The boy he looked up to, the light behind his dark world, his inspiration… was sleeping in the middle of a living area with only sheets for privacy while his mothers room lay unoccupied most nights?
He knew Till was poor, and he knew his mother partook in unsavory work to make ends meet. Ivan even figured out that Till never ate lunch at school, or brought any. He had even lost more weight recently, and Ivan knew they were also struggling because of his mother's selfish habits. However… this was simply too far!
Being alone every night, or being kicked out into the streets...
There were so many choice words he wanted to have with Till's mother, but couldn't. That would take a backbone. That would take a rebellious nature that he never possessed, and that Till had in droves. It humbled Ivan to think that one of the things he admires the most from Till, was something the poor boy never should have had in the first place.
Till was a product of the way he was raised… the conditions.
Just as Luka had stated. Instead of it being a negative thing however, it made Till more realistic. He knew what it meant to struggle, and still find light at the end of the day. Till didn't idolize anyone, or search for any rainbows. He simply existed, and continued to thrive despite the subpar opportunities provided.
"Till," Ivan finally muttered out into the dark.
"Y-yh," Till mumbled sleepily, before turning over on the futon with a groan.
Ivan felt Till lean against him accidentally under the quilt, "I-vn."
He smiled lightly, letting his drowsiness overcome him, "I think I'm in love with you."
Till's breathing was steady once more, and Ivan felt a strange relief in having said it, even if it went unheard and unreciprocated.
Ivan tried not to dwell on it, or overthink having Till pressed up against him, as he fell asleep that night.
They were only friends after all… right?
Till was pissed the next morning when he awoke to find Ivan gone already. Strangely, he had hoped that Ivan would finally flip the bird to his father and stand up for himself. I guess, maintaining the trust was also a strategy, as it kept Ivan free to maneuver in the shadows instead of being restricted at every turn. In that manner, Till couldn't blame him.
It was one of the reasons they were so different in the first place, and something Till did admire about Ivan. Although he would never stand up for himself, he pushed every boundary he could so it would benefit him. This included manipulating and falsely representing himself. Which started with his relationship and expectations with his father, and then manifested into the foolish 'black prince of sorrow' title.
Something that was meant to compliment Ivan, but to Till, was more of a curse against Ivan's character. Outsiders looking in saw a reserved pretty boy who did and obeyed every expectation. A model son with excellent grades, and a bright future. Everyone wanted to be Ivan, everyone wanted to be his friend. Yet, no one saw him past that facade. No one got to see the true Ivan.
No one but Till.
Only Till witnessed the flickering emotions that betrayed Ivan’s carefully constructed facade. That faint flash of anger when his father’s expectations became overbearing. Or that slight blush when he became embarrassed. Then there was the indescribable look Ivan wore when teasing Till, a mix of amusement and something deeper that Till could never quite figure out.
To the world, Ivan was untouchable.
To Till?
He was all too human.
It frustrated him how Ivan allowed himself to be misunderstood and how easily he conformed to everyone’s expectations without fighting back. Because of this, Till felt desperate to protect the parts of Ivan that no one else got to see. He resented how lonely it must feel for Ivan to carry all that weight and refuse to let anyone else bear the load.
So the next time Till saw Ivan outside the music room, he locked him into a choke hold and growled in his ear, "it's rude to leave without saying goodbye, asshole!"
Ivan whined… yes WHINED… and Till nearly let go in shock.
"T-tillll," he grumbled out in short breaths as Till yanked him back further, "I'm s-srroy.."
"Shut it!" Till bristled, refusing to relent to such antics, "you're the one who dipped out on me!"
"I had to," he argued back, that cool voice suddenly returning as Ivan explained, "it was Sua's duet and if I would have acted out, father wouldn't have allowed me to attend with him!"
"I thought you said he wouldn't let you go.."
"He wouldn't normally because father believes it's a waste of precious study time," Ivan spoke fast, pulling on the arm on his neck weakly, "but since Sua was performing, I was allowed to go. That's why we performed on Saturday!"
"Oh," Till dryly responded, finally releasing the hold he had on Ivan, "you should have led with that then! Shit, I shouldn't have pressured you to stay with me..."
"I was fine," Ivan assured, rubbing his neck once before offering a weak smile, "I got home hours before him still."
"How did Sua react to you coming home?"
"She wasn't there either. I think she stayed with Mizi that night."
"I guess we had similar ideas."
Ivan's face flushed slightly, and he averted his eyes.
Till, curious, poked his cheek, "what's with that face. Did I say something stupid?"
"It's just… they're dating, Till."
"And?"
He started to reply, but then shook his head and shoved Till toward the door instead.
"Nevermind."
"Eh!?"
"Forget it," Ivan insisted.
"Forget you!" Till bristled back, despite the insult being low quality.
A light chuckle escaped Ivan, before they both went in and found their seats. When Mizi took center stage, the voices calmed to a still.
"Great job guys! Everyone loved it, and we got high scores from the school board!"
Sua nodded, before waving a paper high in the air, "and unbeknownst to you, the crowd got to vote on their favorite duet and singers!"
The crowd murmured as Sua started from the bottom of the list and worked up.
"Finally, the top three duet pairings!"
Till looked hopeful.
"In third place was Mizi and myself!"
There was loud cheering, and Till caught Luka giving him a cocky condescending sneer. It was between them and the Hyuna/Luka pairing for top.
"Pulling first place…"
Sua left a dramatic pause, but Mizi couldn't help it and screamed, "Till and Ivan!"
Till's jaw dropped, and Sua added softly, "overwhelmingly so. It seemed pulling an edgy 2000's song worked in your favor."
Ivan reached over to slap Till hard on the back, his smile for once, genuine in the face of others.
Luka however, seethed, glaring away, "preposterous! We are by far the superior combination vocally."
"Oh, shut it Luka!" Hyuna rolled her eyes, "anyone with ears could tell they outperformed us. Next time, play an instrument and then you might compare to Till."
"TILL!?" Luka bristled, "I, if compared to anyone, am-"
A devious smirk crossed her face as she snapped over him.
"Are you trying to imply that I don't compare to Ivan's talent?"
The room was stark silent, with Luka looking stricken with grief, before Mizi nervously interjected.
"Actually, Hyuna. Your style is very close to Till. That's why… we paired you together for the next duet."
They expected her to be upset with that after the last conversation, but instead she surprised them all by screaming.
"Let’s fucking go!" Hyuna beamed, flashing Till a toothy grin that was equal parts confidence and challenge, "that sounds amazing!"
The room eased as Mizi sighed in relief, though Luka still looked like he’d swallowed a lemon.
He muttered under his breath, incredulous, "Hyuna, you’re seriously fine with that?"
"Fine with it?" she scoffed, leaning back in her chair, "I’m stoked! Till’s the only one here who can keep up with me."
Till, who had been quietly observing the chaos, raised a brow at her declaration.
"Keep up with you? More like carry you."
Hyuna’s grin widened as she jabbed a finger in his direction.
"You wish, buddy. You’ll see… This duet’s going to blow everyone else out of the water!"
Mizi clapped her hands together, her golden eyes glowing with excitement.
"Perfect! That’s the energy we need for this performance!"
Meanwhile, Luka muttered something incoherent under his breath, crossing his arms. Ivan, seated calmly in the corner, smirked faintly but said nothing, his silence speaking volumes.
Then, Sua turned toward Luka with a hesitant expression, "besides those two, we are stuck on the order for the rest..."
"Naturally," Luka snapped, "my next best option is Ivan!"
They exchanged looks, before Ivan stoically interjected, "I should just sit this one out, Sua."
Sua shook her head.
Till, annoyed with Ivan trying to avoid his father, snarled, "What the FUCK ever, Ivan."
Then he pointed at Sua with a heated stare, "you KNOW which order it should go, so just spit it out! He can't hide forever, and sooner than later, he'll have to face it!"
"Till-"
His head whipped around to confront Till, but the damage had already been done.
"I know," Sua quietly admitted, before casting Mizi an unsure look.
She nodded back, before smiling comfortingly, "it's time, Ivan!"
Ivans eyes widened as Sua announced, "naturally, Mizi's voice should be paired with Luka for the best harmonies. Therefore… it will be a family based duet."
"Sua," Ivan stood up rigidly, "he won't-"
She pierced her lips before boldly claiming, "you ARE a member of Alien Stage, Ivan. I don't care what uncle says, you're GOING on that stage, and you WILL sing your heart out beside me! It's not fair you have to hide in the shadows! I'm sick of this 'dark prince' bullshit! Let him see you for YOU, Ivan!"
Luka queried an eyebrow, concern etched on his face, "you're going to get him disinherited, Sua. It's not worth it! We'll compete the day before like last time, then-"
"I appreciate the thought," Sua snapped out, looking stubbornly at Ivan, "but Ivan needs to face this."
"AFTER he graduates," Luka snarled, standing up, "you're going to make his life a living hell for the rest of the year!"
Ivan nodded at Luka, glad he at least understood.
Hyuna glanced between them, her uncertainty clear, before siding with Luka.
"Usually, he's a cocky asshole… but he's right, Sua. I don’t know Ivan’s situation, but it was VERY obvious something was wrong during your performance yesterday."
Luka bit his bottom lip, glancing around the room before finally blurting out, "he’s not allowed to be here! I’ve been covering for him, saying Ivan is tutoring me after school."
The room fell silent, the weight of his words sinking in, before Luka continued, his voice rising with frustration.
"I’m not supposed to be here either! The only reason I’m allowed to perform is because they think I’m practicing alone at home. All they care about is keeping up my image in the public eye."
The tension in the room was palpable as the truth spilled out, leaving everyone to grapple with the precariousness of their situation.
"If you out Ivan, you also throw me to the wolves too!"
"It's settled then," Ivan declared, "I'll sit this one out."
"No," Till grumbled quietly, pushing on Ivan's shoulder forcefully, "it's not fair.."
"It doesn't have to be," Ivan frowned.
"It does!" Till snarled, teal eyes watering as he glared up into Ivan's dark enchanting ones, "Sua is right! You are a member of Alien Stage, just like the rest of us!"
Voice cracking, Ivan reached to wipe the tears before they could fall, croaking, "..till.."
"No," Till snapped, pulling away to rise from his chair dramatically, fists clenched, "if you won't go on stage, neither will I!"
Before anyone could stop him, he stormed out of the room.
For good measure, Till turned off his phone, and skipped the next few days at the club. They showed up at his door after the first day, but Till refused to answer it. He was curled up in a ball in front of the chipped wooden door, devastated, as Ivan's broken voice pleaded. His mother ran her hand through his hair in comfort as his body racked with dry sobs.
She frowned at the door, casting unsure looks between it and her son. It was only after Ivan and the girls left that she sauntered off to her room without a word to give Till space. With the girls being a grade younger and Ivan down the hall, he was able to naturally avoid them during school as well. Or so, at least Till thought.
"Till," a boy from his class called out softly one morning, standing beside his desk.
When he didn't turn due to the headphones in his ears, the boy stood in front of him and waved his hands dramatically.
Till, who was hovering over lyrics about Ivan, was completely inraptured.
Unknown to Till, the boy turned backwards and apologized to someone leaning on the doorway quietly waiting, arms crossed and face stricken.
"Sorry man," the boy apologizes, "he's always like this! Should I try to pull out the headphones or push him?"
"No," the voice answered quietly, "I'll try again later. Class is about to start."
Ivan waited on the rooftop again, hopeful Till would show.
When he didn't, Ivan instead excused himself from class early, claiming his stomach was upset. His teacher, aware that Ivan was a good student who never skipped class without a reason, let him go without a second thought. She didn't even question when he didn't return, citing it internally to be a bad stomach bug.
The truth was, Ivan wasn't sick at all. At least, not from any illness. Instead, he was losing his mind over Till avoiding him. So, knowing Till ducked out of his class first and ran before Ivan had a chance, he waited in the janitor's closet nearest the stairs patiently. The bell rang, and the sound of student chatter filled his ears.
Just on cue, a flash of gray sped past, and Ivan moved quickly.
Throwing the door open, he snatched Till and pulled him inside before anyone noticed. One hand over Till's mouth, that was already trying to cry out startled, and the other around his waist. Ivan slammed the door closed, and shoved Till against the only open wall harshly. Till crashed against the stone, eyes widening as Ivan's dark furious eyes drove into him.
Still covering Till's mouth, Ivan growled out, "you fucking idiot!"
Just as quick as the shock entered them, it leaked out and was replaced by pure defiance. Till bit into Ivan's fingers, eye's narrowing in outrage. Ivan didn't relent, and instead used his knee to press Till against the wall to free his other hand to knock the earphones out. Then Ivan did something stupid, and entirely impulsive.
He let his hand fall from Tills mouth to pull him into a crushing hug, abandoning all the fury in his heart entirely.
"Hah!?"
Ivan ignored the volume Till snarled, not even caring if they were caught. He hugged Till tighter, burying his face in hair before sighing.
Till shook with rage, but his voice faltered.
So Ivan didn't relent. Instead, one hand slipped up Till's back under the shirt, and the other intertwined itself in the long gray strands of hair. Ivan's hot breath tickled his neck, causing goosebumps to shoot up his arm. In wake of Ivan's blatant display of affection, Till was left completely undone and useless against him.
"Till..." Ivan mumbled out against him, "..Till, you idiot.."
Then he was crying. Something Ivan rarely did, and left Till speechless as he felt wet drops run down his neck. Till instantly re-evaluated his actions from the last few days, and guilt made itself home in his heart for not opening that door when they visited. He honestly didn't think a few days away would cause such a violent reaction from Ivan.
"T-l," he begged again, his voice broken, "w-wy?"
"I-"
He faltered, the excuse falling dead on his lips.
"Plse," he sobbed harder, "dn't rn aymoe!"
Slowly, Till returned the hug, wrapping both arms around Ivan's back, noting how wide and muscular his frame was. His face felt heat at the thought, but he couldn't help noticing more. How Ivan was slightly bent over to be at his level, and how the muscles on his arms were contracted to grip Till tight. Pair that with his impossibly handsome face, and Till was totally fucked.
"Ivan," he tried to persuade, "calm down-"
"Nno!"
Irritation flashed on his face, and his tone sharpened, "don't start-"
He was cut off by Ivan pulling back in defiance, face usually cool and collected, now swollen and filled with rage, "you're an a-asshole, Till! You l-left over s-something I can't control!"
"How can you not control if you go on stage or not!?"
Till watched his lip quiver, before Ivan sobbed out, "but I d-don't want to l-lose you!"
"Then perform! It's not fair to expect me too if you-"
"I will lose y-you i-if I go on!"
He froze, letting Ivan's words sink in, before probing, "what do you mean by that?"
Ivan, who was still holding him with a death grip, insisted, "he'll m-make me quit, and keep me in house a-arrest.. I'll never s-see you a-anymoree!"
Till faltered, and Ivan seized that time to growl out through choked sobs, "d-don't you see, stupd!? I c-can't! It's not fair, b-but what else can I do!? I won't lose you! Till.. you're m-my everything!"
Feeling his face heat up, he glanced up in shock to meet Ivan's devastated glare. It seems he wasn't aware of what he said, and Till was too weak to bring it up. He was sure it was just another harmless tease, and not a confession. Right? There's no way that Ivan would do something so bold in such an emotional state.
If so, Till wouldn't accept it anyways. He had standards, okay?
"Ivan, you're the stupid one," Till husked out, still searching Ivan's face for any tell that what he said had merit, "you turn eighteen in two weeks."
"S-so!?"
"So," the other rolled his eyes, before using his sleeve to wipe at Ivan's eyes furiously, "stop crying because you look pathetic!"
"T-tilllllll!"
"I know," he half hummed, now using his fingers to push the tears away, "but even an idiot knows your old man can't do shit besides disinherit you after you're a legal adult."
"B-but where will I go?"
"With me, idiot."
Ivan blinked, a few more tears escaping as he did, "w-what?"
Till furiously wiped them away again, glaring at Ivan's face as if daring it to cry more.
"You heard me!"
He blubbered out, "b-but-"
"But nothing," Till huffed, before pulling Ivan back into a hug.
The initiation caused Ivan to choke in surprise, but he quickly returned it. Slowly his breathing evened, and Till was sure the tears had also stopped. When they finally pulled away, Ivan looked thoroughly exhausted. He passed the dark haired boy a faint smile of encouragement before reaching out and squeezing his hand. Once more, Ivan's eyes widened in shock, teeth parting in surprise revealing that snaggletooth that haunted Till's hidden fantasies.
"T-till?"
"Yea?"
"W-what are you doing?"
Till pulled back enough to grab Ivan's wrist instead, before opening the door and yanking him out into the hall, "going back to Alien Stage."
Ivan followed loyally, not bothering to argue further. The members cheered and clapped as Till walked in. Even Luka gave him a quick smile before resuming his conversation with Hyuna. Mizi looked between them perplexed, and Ivan gave her a soft nod. She visibly relaxed, before calling back attention.
"With Till back, we need to-"
"No," Ivan cut off, his eyes still puffy but his voice once more level, "we will do it in the order Sua suggested."
"W-what?"
Luka's eyes narrowed, "have you lost it!?"
"I'll take the repercussions. As for your family, Luka, they won't know we don't study as you also practice at home."
"I don't care about me, what-"
"How thoughtful," Hyuna cut in, pinching Luka's cheek teasingly.
His face flushed, and she winked at Ivan, having properly distracted him.
"Nothing is more important to me than Tills friendship," Ivan explained despite it, "if he wants this, I'll take any punishment."
"Like that's healthy," Luka rolled his eyes, before deflecting his attention back, "but it's your funeral."
"Thank you for standing by me, Luka."
"Whatever you say.."
Till glanced at the blond with an annoyed expression. Despite defending and covering for Ivan, he still hated him. However, the important thing was that their lives returned to normal after that. It was on Ivan's birthday weeks later that anything eventful happened. Till was walking to the music room with a small present tucked inside his hoodie pocket.
Having no money to his name, he had to get creative to come up with something. It was odd to Till, because his mother and he had never celebrated their birthdays besides maybe a special snack from the local convenience store. Therefore, he struggled for a while to come up with an idea until in art class he became struck with inspiration when noticing the pile of leftover black leather scraps from a previous project.
So, he took a handful of the remnants and crafted a simple bracelet. He braided the strips tightly and carefully engraved Ivan’s initials into the leather with an old engraving tool. The lines were uneven, and the leather didn’t make it easy, but Till thought the imperfections gave it character. It wasn’t polished or fancy like the things Ivan normally wore, but it felt personal in a way no store-bought gift could match.
This bracelet was poorly wrapped in a bit of construction paper, also from art class, in his pocket. Ivan was one of the first ones in the room, but he decided to wait. Having not seen him yet, he was tempted to give it to him then, but feared Ivan's reaction. So instead, he waited until the club finished and they were walking in the direction of the front where Ivan's limo awaited.
Of course, Till couldn't follow him out front as Ivan was 'supposed' to be studying with Luka. Therefore, he waited until they approached the stairs, before grabbing Ivan's wrist. He let the other students pass by, some wiggling their eyebrows jokingly before disappearing. Ivan frowned, looking nervously at the staircase, knowing he was on a time rush.
Till, not being able to voice his words and feeling a lump rise, did something in a similar fashion to Ivan weeks ago. Throwing open the nearest classroom door, he pushed a startled Ivan inside and followed after, checking his shoulder to make sure Mizi hadn't left the club room yet. It was a laboratory, and it seemed the club there had already dispersed for the day.
"Till?"
He looked up into the curious black spheres, and swallowed back his nervousness. Rooting in his pocket, he fished out the poorly wrapped box and shoved it forcefully in Ivan's hand. He blinked at it, before a small smile etched at the corner of his mouth. Tentatively, Ivan unwrapped the paper while still looking at Till's embarrassed blush.
Mumbling under his breath, Till huffed, "happy birthday…"
"I almost thought you forgot," Ivan chuckled, "but I didn't expect a gift."
"It's not much," he clarified, "it's just something I made-"
By the time he got the words out, Ivan had thoroughly unwrapped the leather bracelet and looked it over. His eyes widened, and he wasted no time snapping it on. Till felt his heart stop, seeing his best friend, and unfortunately unrequited crush, wear something of his creation. Especially when Ivan looked so thrilled with it.
"This is awesome! Thank you," he beamed, before smirking, "did you really make it?"
"In art class," his face flushed, and he glared at the floor nervously, "sorry it's kind of shabby."
"Shabby?" Ivan assured, "Till, this is brilliant!"
Without warning, Ivan rushed forward to drag him into a hug. Till allowed it, glad his face was hiding as it deepened in color from the contact.
"W-well," he tried to explain, "I've never celebrated birthdays before… but I wanted to do something… special… for your eighteenth."
"Thank you, Till," Ivan whispered in his ear, "I'll cherish it."
"S-stop being sappy! It's not that big of a deal."
"That's an opinion, and you know what they say about those."
"Idiot," Till huffed, but a slight smile pulled at his lips as he hugged Ivan back, "but I'm glad you like it."
"Speaking of birthdays," Ivan laughed suddenly, "did you know yours is right after our second concert?"
Till blinked confused, "who cares?"
"Well for one, I do!" he argued, before thinking out loud, "I'll have to figure out something equally as meaningful."
"Oh," he pushed away from Ivan to glare at him, "well don't. It's not that big of a deal."
"Besides," he smirked, a self-satisfied edge in his voice, "seeing you is enough anyways, you know that right?"
The way Ivan’s face flushed just enough made Till’s grin widen, a small spark of satisfaction flickering in his chest. But then, something in Ivan’s expression darkened. It was like a storm rolling in, and Till could almost feel the pressure in the air.
Before he could process it, Ivan moved. In one swift motion, he grabbed Till by the collar and shoved him hard against the wall for the second time, the impact knocking the breath out of him.
Ivan’s hand slammed against the wall above Till’s head, pinning him in place. Till’s heart thudded harder, his pulse quickening as he stared up into Ivan’s unreadable dark eyes. Ivan’s smirk grew as he watched Till’s blush deepen.
Ivan’s voice was low, almost teasing.
"Is that true?"
Till met his gaze, a challenge in his tone.
"What of it?"
Ivan’s eyes flashed with something more intense, a growl slipping from his throat.
“Shit,” he muttered, shaking his head, looking away briefly like he was wrestling with something, "Till, you can’t-"
He cut himself off suddenly. Then, the growl morphed into a strangled whine, and for a moment, Ivan’s face softened in a way that made Till’s chest tighten further.
“I’m far too selfish…"
Till couldn't stand it anymore, his own impulses screaming at him for action.
Without thinking, Till grabbed Ivan by the head and pulled him down.
Their lips crashed together, and Ivan’s tooth grazed Till’s lip, sending a shock of heat through him and snapping him back to reality
The kiss ended almost as soon as it began.
Till pulled away, shock flooding his chest.
'What was I thinking?'
Guilt surged through him as Ivan stiffened in his arms, too stunned to respond. Till immediately pulled back, his breath coming in short, panicked gasps.
The room was silent.
Till’s eyes darted around, desperately searching for something to focus on. Meanwhile, Ivan only stood there, still staring at him in confusion.
“Shit, I-” Till started, but he couldn’t even finish the sentence.
His hands were trembling, his mind scrambling for an explanation.
This wasn’t supposed to happen. He hadn’t meant to.
He had crossed the forbidden line, and now things were going to be ruined.
“I’m sorry,” Till blurted, his voice barely a whisper, his gaze finally meeting Ivan’s for a brief second. His chest tightened as he pushed, “I shouldn’t have-”
Ivan lunged back down, his lips claiming Till's with such urgency that it stole the air from his lungs. His hand tangled in Till's hair, pulling him closer, as Ivan kissed him senseless.
When Ivan finally pulled away breathlessly, he leaned in, his voice low and dark.
"Do you still regret it?"
An audible cry escaped Till, and it allowed Ivan the chance to lean forward and plant a soft delicate kiss on his bottom lip teasingly.
"...or do you want more?"
"I-Iv-an?"
He sounded broken, which amused Ivan to no end. Smiling to himself, he trailed his fingers across Till's jawline affectionately, eyes dark with desire.
"You messed up, Till."
"I-I was just caught up in the moment," he croaked out, brain completely fried.
"Is that so.."
Fear shot up in Till as he watched Ivan's eyes flash in pain for a moment, before it was concealed once more.
Ivan pulled back completely, releasing all hold on him.
Cooly, he cleared his throat, "of course that's the case.. I'm sorry for teasing you then."
Everything was swirling so fast, he didn't have a chance to make sense of it, or his own feelings.
"W-wait," Till stammered out, before touching a finger to his slightly swollen lips, "why did you kiss me?"
As if deciding on something internally, that steely resolve returned as Ivan exhaled sharply.
"Why does it matter?" he replied coldly, his tone dry and unsteady, "you said yourself that it was just an impulse, right?"
Ivan stepped back further, brushing a hand through his hair as he avoided Till's gaze.
Till watched him incredulously as Ivan slowly sauntered toward the classroom door.
"Anyway," he added, pulling on the handle, "thanks for the present, Till."
"Where are you going!?"
"My ride is waiting," Ivan explained solemnly, "I can't keep father waiting."
"Idiot," Till riled up as the other boy left the room, running after him, "don't run from me!"
"I'm not?"
"You are! You-" he started to accuse Ivan, but then realized he was the one who initiated it. Biting back the anxiety in his gut, Till pulled on his arm dramatically, screaming, "you don't get to act on impulses and then run away without explaining them! FUCK that, stay and talk!"
"I have to go home!"
"Why!? You know-"
"It's hard to be around you right now!"
The words hurt.
Enough so that Till skidded to a stop and his face turned white as a sheet. Ivan immediately reflected regret for it too.
"Shit! No-" he recounted, reaching for Till who easily side stepped out of range, "that came out wrong, Till! I meant-"
"That it was an impulse again?" Till bristled, tears welling in his eyes, "or is that all I am to you?"
Then, a wrong but very realistic explanation came to Till, and he sneered in a depressing way, "I get it now… what this all is."
"You're getting the wrong idea," Ivan snarled, face showing a mixture of outrage and grief.
"No," Till shook his head slowly, looking completely dead to the world, "that's all we are to people like you. A fun toy to enjoy and play with."
His nose scrunched up in defiance and hatred, "if my body is all you want, then fuck it Ivan… Take it! What else could I ever contribute anyways… I'm just a bastard of a prostitute, right!?"
Ivan's face paled, and he lounged for Till, but he had spun on his heels to take off.
"TILL!"
He tore after him, not allowing Till to disappear from his sight this time.
"Damn it, Till!" Ivan bellowed, running after the retreating gray hair, "stop!"
Till rounded a corner, and Ivan lost him.
"FUCK!!!"
Desperately, Ivan brought out his phone and called the limo driver, "go on home, I'll walk. Tell father that the tutoring is taking longer than normal-"
"Are you okay, Master Ivan? You sound out of breath."
"I'm fine!"
He hung up forcefully, brain working fast as he dove in and out of each room searching for Till.
Till, hung over the side of the roof, watching Ivan's limo leave shortly after. Tears streamed down his face at the sight, and he aggressively kicked his bag across the rooftop. None of it made sense, and it felt like their friendship was completely ruined. Even if Ivan wasn't using him, how could he ever face him again? The thought broke him.
Why did he let his desires and insecurities out?
He had done so well at hiding them up until that point too.
Till slunk down against the wall, burying his face into his knees to silently weep. It was nearly thirty minutes later before Ivan finally located him, feeling stupid it took that long to realize the idiot ran to the roof. Slowly approaching, he watched Till's curled body with a heavy heart. What did he say to make it this bad, and how was he supposed to fix Till's confidence now?
Ivan slunk down dramatically next to him, but avoided touching him in case he was still sensitive or misinterpreted his intentions. He watched Till tense, but he made no move to run.
"Till," he croaked out, "why do you always run?"
He didn't expect an answer, and wasn't surprised to be ignored.
They sat in silence for a long time, before Ivan finally gathered the courage, "I think there was a horrid misunderstanding."
He leaned over, resting his own chin on one knee, before explaining, "I only said it was an impulse because you implied it was first, and I was bitter over it."
Till hiccuped, and it was too cute for Ivan not to smile lightly, despite the situation.
"Till," he repeated, swallowing nervously, "this may completely ruin our friendship. Entirely and utterly… but… as it stands, it's already on shaky ground…"
When Till didn't respond or make a move to leave, Ivan accepted that he was at least listening, and tried to concrete his nerves for such a large confession.
"I-" he started, feeling his chest constrict, before he laughed nervously, "this is so hard to admit. I wanted to do this differently, but now I feel I have no choice."
Slowly, very slowly, Till rose up to meet his eyes.
"But first, please stop crying," Ivan pleaded, reaching to wipe the tears away with one hand softly, "it destroys me to see you like this."
He watched Till swallow, and a soft smile pulled him from the trance.
"Till," he started, making sure those beautiful teal eyes were looking into his own, "I'm so totally fucked over you that its stupid."
Confusion set in Till's face, and before he had the chance to misinterpret it, Ivan clarified, "and by that, I mean I'm totally and unarguably in love with you!"
Ivan watched his face pale, and Till's lips part in shock. He wanted to lean forward and capture them again, but knew this was a bittersweet moment. Any second Till would push him away and reject him, leaving his heart to break in a million pieces. However, he was sure Till wouldn't turn on their friendship at least now that he knew Ivan had pure intentions all along.
"Please say something…. anything!"
"A-are you teasing me?"
"I wish I was," Ivan chuckled nervously, "then maybe this wouldn't have ended this way."
"Who said it was ending?"
"I just-"
"You just assumed?" Till snorted, regaining his composure fast, "just like you, Ivan. To take what you want with no thoughts to those around you that you hurt."
"I'm sorry, Till," Ivan nearly pleaded again, suppressing tears, "I said awful things, but I only did because I thought you were rejecting me and I couldn't bear it!"
"Why would I reject you!?"
"I-" he started, before blinking surprised, "w-what?"
"Did I not kiss you first?"
"T-Till?"
Suddenly, the rebellious boy pushed off the ground, trapping Ivan this time. He watched wide eyed as Till slammed his lips once more against his lips forcefully. Ivan wanted to shove him off, to state that he wasn't interested in Till's body more so his heart, but he was afraid if he did there would be no coming back from the rejection.
So instead, he allowed it.
Till slotted their mouths better, before half forcing himself on Ivan's lap. He came up for air moments later, teal eyes searching the black for any noticeable weakness.
"I already told you, Ivan. You can have my body, I don't care if it's you."
"Idiot!" Ivan snarled, this time dumping Till on his ass, "did you not hear me!?"
"I did," he sighed, "but I don't believe it."
"Don't get me wrong," he explained suddenly, grabbing Till's ear and yanking it in punishment, "of course I want you… but that's BECAUSE of my feelings!"
Till rolled his eyes, "yea, I'm your bestfriend. You have to care about me to an extent."
"No," Ivan clarified, grabbing his shoulders and shaking them aggressively, "I love you, Till! LOVE! Not just like… not just appreciate. I love you to the point it drives me insane!"
Till was quiet for a long while, before giving Ivan an unsure look.
"T-thats impossible…"
"Why," Ivan seethed, hating how Till was drawing out so many blinding emotions from him, "because you're a prostitute's bastard and don't feel like you're allowed to be loved?"
Till flinched, so he pressed further.
"That anyone in this world would only want your body and never simply YOU?"
Tears resumed, but Ivan wasn't done.
"Or do you simply not know what love is!?"
There it was… the breaking point.
Till's body shook violently, and instead of giving space, Ivan buried him in a hug.
He whispered softly against his ear, "I understand, but this is ME we are talking about. Would I ever do anything to intentionally hurt you?"
"N-nooo," he croaked out against Ivan's neck.
"I love you, stupid."
"Y-yo-u c-cn't!"
"Why... because I'm your best friend?"
"Ys, n bcaus yor bettr thn me!"
"Shut up," he growled out, pulling Till harder into the embrace, "I don't care you're poor. I don't care what your mother is. I don't care that you're a rebellious little shit that barely passes his classes and skips more events than attends."
Till huffed something akin to a laugh against him, and Ivan smiled.
"All I want is you, and I love you for who you are. So, stop comparing us!"
Once his breathing evened again, Ivan released him slowly, leaning down to look into the stricken teal eyes. He slowly ran a hand through the gray hair, intertwining his fingers before soothingly playing with them. Eventually, Till gaze up with a similar defiant look that Ivan was so sure was his signature face.
That meant he was okay..
"How am I supposed to accept this?"
"You don't have to," Ivan said cooly, once more trying to adapt a level head, "but there was no way I was going to let you destroy yourself thinking I wanted anything other than this."
He put his hand over Till's heart, fingers slightly clutching the skin under the shirt.
Till glanced down, before biting his lip.
"I…"
"You don't have to respond," Ivan interrupted, "you don't even have to speak to me ever again if it makes you too uncomfortable. It will break me… but for you I'll suffer through anything."
When Till didn't respond, Ivan clarified.
"So long as I don't cause YOU any pain."
"You do though," Till admitted, before sitting up better, "all the time, Ivan."
Ivan listened, pretending his heart wasn't lurching.
"Every single time we get in a fight, I'm so overwhelmed by anger and emotions I can't explain, that I'm a blubbering mess!"
Till watched Ivan shift uncomfortably, which made him go on a longer tirade.
"You're the same way too. I can see it even now, you're trying to suppress it! Ivan, you pretend everyone around you doesn't exist because you don't care about literally anyone in this world besides Sua and I. Do you honestly think I'm that stupid not to notice that? That's why you get angry, that's why you screamed and tore after me, and that's why you cried!"
Ivan took the punishment, hating how vulnerable he had been today.
"If you think I'm any different, you're fucking with your own head!"
That… was news.
"All I have in this stupid pathetic world is a shitty mother and YOU! You are the only positive thing in my life that doesn't mostly suck! Ivan, I-"
He bit his tongue, still not sure if he should admit it.
"I won't say it's the same as you, but I do love you, idiot! You're my best friend and the only grounding thing I have in this world."
Ivan's heart constricted, hating the rejection, but still relieved to hear the words.
"I need you, Ivan," Till nearly whined, before explaining, "I'm not going to push you away for any feelings… even if you are a complete dumbass for liking someone like me!"
The silence between them grew, and Till suppressed tears again waiting for Ivan's reaction.
Finally, after much thought, he mumbled out, "I don't like you, Till. I love you so much that I feel like my heart is about to actually explode in pain right now."
Till gave him a concerned look, starting to move toward him, but Ivan threw a hand up to stop him.
"Please," he nearly begged, "I can't handle anymore. The kisses… they were wrenching enough."
"W-were they that bad?"
"No," Ivan chuckled, a single tear streaming down his cheek, "they just meant nothing… and now I have to live with that."
"I-van?"
"I think it's time I leave," Ivan suddenly deflected, rising up and heading toward the door, "but I'm glad we're still friends, Till. That alone means the world to me."
Before Till could respond, he was gone.
Leaving Till to realize that he was the cause of Ivan hurting right now.
He kissed Ivan first, without a single thought to the repercussions of his actions or Ivan's feelings.
He was the selfish one taking what he wanted.
Till couldn't stand that idea, and tore after Ivan this time.
Ivan was nearly down the stairs before Till was on him. Shoving him so forcefully that Ivan crashed down the stairs with him. They managed to regain their footing, but not before Till pinned him against the nearest wall with a new found vigor and rage burning in his chest. Ivan's eyes were so devastatingly depressed that no other emotion even flickered on them, and Till knew just how fucked up he was.
Pushing his body against Ivan's to trap it, and using one hand to grab Ivan's chin forcefully, he tilted Ivan's head to meet his gaze. The cold empty look in Ivan's face was enough to make Till flinch, however, he suppressed it to push.
"It's your birthday, isn't it?"
"Yes."
"Then why the hell do you think I'd ever let you go home like this?"
Nothing shifted in his face. No excitement or curiosity, or even teasing.
It broke Till, so he used both hands to squish Ivan's cheeks together playfully.
"Do you really love me?"
"Yes," Ivan nearly croaked out.
"Actually, like love… not as a friend."
"Of course-"
"Then stay and face my feelings like a man."
"You said-"
"I said that I won't say I'm the same as you, not that I'm not."
A flicker… a small thread of hope shone in Ivan's eyes.
He may think he's the prince of sorrow, but Till had figured him out long ago.
It was enough that Till stifled a laugh, and pulled Ivan in a hug. Slowly, Ivan moved against him, before once more burying himself in Till's neck.
"What do I do?" he muffled out against Till.
"Love me as a friend first," Till declared, before leaning back just enough to fix Ivan's disheveled hair, "and the rest should develop naturally, right?"
"The kiss-"
"Was a mistake, Ivan," Till clarified, "but that doesn't mean it meant nothing!"
There was a long pause, before Ivan sighed, "that was my first one."
"Mine too," Till admitted, before chuckling at his reaction, "what? You think I'm like my mother and throw myself at anyone that would have me?"
"N-no," Ivan's eyes widening, "I just.. can't believe you admitted it."
"For what it's worth, you're the only one I would have let take it," Till admitted, knowing now how that would absolutely destroy Ivan's mind.
Whether it was to give him hope or make him feel special, Till was relishing in it.
"Are you sure we have to start back as friends?"
Till punched his arm, a pink tint rising in his cheeks, "y-yes!"
Ivan, ever bold, moved to caress Till's jawline before peppering kisses down it, "but I think you're lying again, Till."
An inaudible croak left him as he was left in Ivan's wake.
Slowly, as if asking for permission that he knew Till wouldn't deny in the first place, Ivan turned them. Delicately, he pushed Till against the wall instead, slotting one leg between Till's.
The kisses that ran down his neck forced heat to flood in areas that he couldn't control. He knew by now his face had to be crimson, and the cocky bastard in front of him, all soft hands and whispered promises, was doing everything to send him to that edge.
"I-Ivan," he tried to reason, "this isn't-"
"You ARE lying," Ivan reinforced, pausing to read his expressions once more, "I know you so well now that it's obvious. You're not just lying to me… but yourself too."
"S-so what! What if I don't want this-"
"Then tell me to stop," he demanded, a cold gaze turning into a festering hunger.
Another choke escaped Till, causing a violent reaction out of Ivan. Yet, despite every impulse screaming at him to claim Till's mouth, he withheld and instead continued to explore Till's flushed body.
"Tell me, Till," he urged, hand slipping up into Till's shirt to feel his skin while kissing down his neck again, "when WERE you planning to tell me?"
"N-never," he grumbled out, admitting despite himself, "because I don't want to ruin this!"
"So you were going to make me suffer indefinitely?"
"You will get over me eventually..."
"No," Ivan denied, before explaining softly, "I don't think there's a single universe where I won't love you endlessly. No matter how unrequited or painful it is, you'll always be my muse."
"That is the sappiest shit I've ever heard," Till choked out, but his expression had softened.
Ivan leaned up to kiss Till's cheek, hand sliding around to his back to hold him steady, Till's skin hot on his hands.
"So, what will you do with me now?"
"I want to kiss you," Till grunted, teal eyes locking on Ivan's snaggletooth, "but-"
"Then do it," Ivan insisted, looking deep into his conflicted eyes, "because I'll accept everything that you give or let me take."
Till deflected his eyes, fear consuming him again, "but what if after I do, you get bored and leave… like my father?"
"Shut it," Ivan corrected immediately, before pulling their foreheads to rest on another, "that will NEVER happen… you're stuck with me."
"Even as friends?"
"Of course," Ivan smiled warmly, rubbing his cheek affectionately, "why do you think I'm always chasing after you when you run?"
Till's body relaxed, and he looked once more into Ivan's eyes. Dark, looming ones full to the brim with blinding affection that threatened to consume Till entirely. It was easy to get lost in them, and even more so to indulge them. Ivan closed the distance between them further, his hot breath tickling Till's nose as Ivan ran a hand down to his hip and held it tightly.
It was such a soft and slow gesture that it gave Till plenty of time to think about it.
Which meant, it wasn't an impulse when he leaned forward and nervously pressed their lips together again.
Ivan, instead of the feverish hunger he had displayed earlier, softly kissed back to allow Till to lead. When he finally broke off to breathe, Ivan gave him such an affectionate smile that Till dipped up again to consume it. Then, as if a dam broke, something ignited in the pair.
Till’s hand slid up to cradle the back of Ivan’s head, his fingers tangling in the dark, meticulously styled hair. Ivan’s grip on Till’s hip tightened, pulling him flush against his body. A low gasp escaped Till’s lips as his free hand clutched at Ivan’s shoulder for support.
Ivan seized the moment, his movements deliberate yet teasing, as he deepened the kiss with a slow, sneaky slide of his tongue. Till arched into the movement, his own needs demanding more that Ivan willingly gave. It was only when he felt something pressed against him, that Till jumped away in shock.
Ivan, flushed and looking away embarrassed, rubbed the back of his neck, "s-sorry."
"Don't be," he barely voiced back.
Something dark and calling pulled at him, threatening him to ask for more, but Till squashed it.
There were still things left unsaid.
"Ivan, I-"
He paused, thinking over his words carefully, "I don't know if I feel the same… but I definitely like you."
His eyes softened, and he looked almost like he was going to cry.
Till watched the reaction carefully, relieved Ivan wasn't disappointed.
"I do like you.. so can that be enough?"
"Of course, Till."
Ivan laughed then, a warm airy sound that sent heat flooding back up Till's face.
"And uh… happy birthday."
Ivan glanced down at the leather bracelet around his wrist affectionately, before lunging to pull Till into a blinding kiss.
When they broke apart, Till's eyes wide, Ivan beamed, "this is more than I could ever hope for… so thank you."
They never did tell anyone what took place that day. Sua grilled Ivan about the bracelet and why it took so long to come home, but Ivan nonchalantly dropped that they just hung out a bit since it was his birthday. Besides Ivan being a bit more touchy than before, they kept it pretty secret in public entirely.
In fact, not much seemed to change to the relief of Till since that had been his biggest concern.
When the second performance came around, Till was nervous for Ivan.
Sua hadn't told their uncle who her partner was, nor did he pry. As she was already a social disappointment by being openly gay, and not being his own kid, he tolerated her as she was and never exerted expectations or responsibilities. Therefore, Sua was able to come and go as she pleased, and create this club.
Ivan however… was an entirely different matter.
The heir to the company, and the future face… he had always been driven and drowned by such trivial matters that there was no room for error or rebellion.
Till stood on the back stage, looking out through a single curtain pane at the crowd behind. He spotted Ivan almost immediately, sitting rigid next to an impossibly handsome looking dark haired man with an expressionless face.
'Hah," Till laughed in his head, 'that's where he gets it.'
"Till?"
He turned back, to see Sua nervously pacing, "should we cancel this whole thing? I'll say I got sick, or-"
Shaking his head, he insisted, "we have to let Ivan decide on that."
"But he'll feel obligated to perform so I'll have a partner!"
"No, he won't," Till assured, patting her shoulder in comfort, "because I practiced your song as well and Ivan knows about it. If he doesn't want to risk it yet, I'm going to take his place."
"A-are you sure?"
"I'm not as skilled as he is for the part, but I think it'll be okay."
"You're a saint, Till… how did we get so lucky to find you?"
"Pretty sure I found you," he laughed, before glancing once more out the curtain, "Hyuna and I are set to take the stage any minute. After that, he's supposed to excuse himself to the bathroom during the next one and meet back here."
"If he doesn't," Sua sighed in relief, "you have a song between them to prepare."
"Yup," he smirked, proud of himself for thinking it, "speaking of which-"
"TILL!?"
Sighing, he backtracked to the exit where Hyuna was struggling with pulling off her jacket, "help your partner, will you? This thing is stupid resilient!"
"Where's Luka," he snorted. No matter where she went, the blonde lurked desperate for attention, "I figure he would love the opportunity."
"Shut up and help!"
Then, Mizi's voice called from a distance, "Luka is here helping with lighting! Are you okay over there? They've almost finished so you need to hurry up!"
Till managed to free her from the binds, before shoving her back toward the stage, "you heard her, crazy. Get ready!"
"I'm born ready," she bristled with confidence, "now did YOU get the song recorded?"
"Do you think I would show up without it? That would be pathetic."
"Are you two really doing an original?"
"YES!" Hyuna laughed loudly, "ain't he just a gem? Seriously, you got mad talent. We're totally going to win!"
"It's not about winning," Till frowned, "it's about-"
"Yea, yea," she snorted, before pulling him to the edge of the stage just as the curtains drew on the pair performing, "get your guitar!"
When Till left to go where his case was stored, he was shocked to see it missing, "uh.. did someone move it?"
"What do you mean?"
"Hyuna, my guitar is missing!"
"Did they take it-" she started, but her dramatic cut off caused Till to whirl around.
Sua and Mizi stood side by side grinning widely, holding up a black leather guitar case together.
He slowly approached them confused, before they popped the clasps and revealed an expensive looking custom guitar. In the dim light, Till could see it was a distressed charcoal black that faded into streaks of silver near the edge, alluding to lightning cutting through a storm. The fretboard was a dark ebony, with small star inlays that seem to glow faintly under the stage lights.
The most intriguing detail to Till however, was the cursive Till with a small heart weaved into the lightning, as if it was supposed to blend in with the stormy design. His jaw slacked at the sight, especially when on the body was a post it note. Plucking it off, he read it before he felt tears threaten to appear in his eyes. Hyuna stood over him, whistling at its sleek design.
Happy early birthday
~I
"There was an amp too," Mizi explained in no more than a whisper, "we had everything but this delivered to your house earlier. Your mother was so confused!"
"H-has he lost his FUCKING mind!? I can't accept this-"
"Well," Sua smirked suddenly, "I revoked your rental.. So you don't have much choice, Till!"
"I-" he started to protest, but instead gaped, "w-what!"
"We set everything up," Mizi beamed, dancing on the balls of her feet despite having hold of the case, "but Ivan did everything else!"
"Ivan slipped Uncle a while back and slid off to a high end instrument store to put in a custom order. He designed this, Till… just for you."
Tears really were surfacing now, and Till did his best to suppress it.
"Come on, man," Hyuna urged, hearing the chanting from outside for the next show, "we're already supposed to be out there! Grab the damned thing and kiss his ass later."
"K-kiss?" Sua questioned, and Mizi's eyes widened.
"Figure of speech!" Hyuna shouted over her shoulder, saving what little sanity Till had left.
He grabbed the guitar, surprised by how light weight it was compared to the last. Had Ivan also taken in consideration how frail his body was? Holy SHIT, he owed Ivan so much for this.
Hyuna was already center stage in the thick fog permeating just for their performance when Till slipped in the cord to the guitar. He traced the leather strap, etched with the words 'Untill Ivanescence.' He choked up at the sight, knowing Evanescence meant to fade away or disappear.
It was a promise, one that Till didn't need to explain.
With both their names, and the meaning of Evanescence lingering in his mind, the bold statement was clear.
Their love wouldn't eventually fade away.
Instead, Ivan would love Till until HE faded away, or rather… died.
He gripped it tight in his hands, emotions swirling, as he moved to take center next to Hyuna. She opted for a physical microphone, but like normal, Till preferred the kind that was attached from his ear, so he could keep his hands free to play. She gave him the nod, before giving a thumbs up to Luka off stage.
The smoke started to spread as the stage opened, and the crowd went wild, already knowing who it was before they caught sight of him.
"Now performing an ORIGINAL song," Mizi's voice called out energetically, "you love his edgy self and he absolutely loathes you…. give it up for the writer and composer, TILL!"
There was a dramatic uproar of cheers, before Mizi continued.
"With his duet partner, the inspiration behind the lyrics, our ball of crazy dom energy that you all want… HYUNNNAA!"
"Mizi!" Sua scolded, accidentally loud enough that the microphone caught it.
The crowd started to laugh, but Till was determined to start. Or else, his nerves would snap. He laid into the new guitar, striking up the dramatic low start to his newest creation, just for Hyuna, called 'All-In!' She led the vocals, pulling all attention to her as he riffed from the side until it was his time to cut in.
Ivan watched from the stands, completely and utterly enraptured. The guitar looked even better in Till's hands than he'd imagined. Wearing the same coat Ivan had given him after their last duet battle, Till sported dark skinny jeans and simple mesh fingerless gloves. The crowning piece, though, was the silver choker around his neck.
He quickly found himself fantasizing over it.
But his thoughts were cut off as Till's gravelly, intense voice echoed throughout the stage, blending seamlessly with Hyuna's.
"That boy has issues," his father grunted next to him, causing Ivan to startle, "I must talk to Sua. Surely she isn't keeping company with a delinquent."
Rage fueled inside Ivan, and suddenly, he could care less if his father disinherited him anymore.
He looked back up as the pair simultaneously sang, 'caught within rules without rules.'
Then his breath caught as Till made contact with him in the crowd, smirking as he sang, 'a bird is set free!'
Ivan's heart stops momentarily.
He knew Till had written this song for Hyuna because of her free spirit, but it seemed Till had more in mind with the lyrics.
Did he purposely sneak in a hidden message for Ivan for encouragement, knowing he would perform prior, or was it just a simple coincidence?
Whatever the outcome, their voices combined shook the stage and all the contestants, demanding total attention and immersion. Hyuna crashed against the other as the song ended, before she attempted to drag Till into a dramatic hug. Till pointedly and hatefully tried to shove her away, cussing her senseless in outrage. Her cheers of approval over it were drowned out as the curtains were drawn close, both in body and sound.
Ivan cleared his throat, before addressing his father.
"I have to use the bathroom," he explained, before standing up stiffly, "I'll be back shortly."
"Don't dawdle," his father's dry voice came out, "Sua could perform any moment, and as it's the only reason we are here at this pointless show, there is no reason to miss it."
"I wouldn't miss it for the world," he assured.
Till was waiting for him backstage, pleasantly flushed as he was bent over the guitar, now returned safely to the case. Ivan hugged him from behind, before whispering in his ear softly.
"You looked great out there… It really does compliment you."
"I hope it does," Till grunted, arching back to glare at Ivan, "it was apparently customly built to match my style. I wonder what asshat has that much money to waste, huh?"
"My father," Ivan sneered, looking all too pleased with himself, "not that he's aware of course."
"Thats fucked. First you rebel against his wishes, then you spend his money on a lowborn like me?"
"He called you," Ivan recounted, his sneer slipping to a more irked stance, "a delinquent I believe?"
"Oh-hoho!" Till laughed viciously, pulling away from Ivan forcefully, "you BELIEVE!?"
"No," Ivan smirked, "no, he did."
"Well hell with him," he snorted out, before closing the case finally with a thud.
His defiant eyes looked up into Ivan's, before he shoved him toward the dressing rooms, "now go get ready!"
Ivan almost wanted to sneak a kiss, but knew better.
He stood on stage, Till just out of view giving him an encouraging smile, next to a shaking Sua.
"Calm down," he assured, "you look great, and this will be nothing."
"Easy for you to say," she bit back, before her eyes widened, "wait.. No.. nevermind."
He admired her for a moment.
They were both wearing matching white sneakers, and similar jeans. Ivan stood out with his leather bracelet and a white button-up shirt. Sua, on the other hand, wore a pale-pink sleeveless blouse. They wore a more laid-back choice compared to their usual styles. It was casual, and fit the style of the song perfectly.
"It is easy for me to say, because I'm not worried about it," Ivan explained further.
"You should be," she startled, eyes flashing in concern, "he's going to be so furious!"
"I don't care," he shook his head, "as long as I still have Till and you, there's nothing he can do to me. Now, let's blow these amateurs out of the water, yes?"
"Of course," she smiled lightly, before nodding at Mizi for the cue.
"Alright!" Mizi shouted energetically into the microphone, "we have a SPECIAL performance today guys!"
She let the tension build up, before diving in.
"If you noticed on the handouts, my beautiful… talented… and spicy girlfriend was missing from the roster. That's because we have a special line up planned!"
There were murmurs in the crowd, but they died again when Mizi nearly screamed excitedly.
"She's going to be performing 'Count on Me, by Bruno Mars,' but she isn't doing it alone. Oh, no! If you remember the cultural festival, we had one other performer that was drowning in talent that failed to show up on our brochures too… How curious, right?"
Excitement spread like wildfire as some students and others figured out who the missing link was before she had a chance to announce it.
"Singing a special duet with his cousin Sua, and perhaps the most highly sought after young man in our school, the 'Dark Prince of Sorrow' himself, IVANNNNNN!"
Till watched the moment Ivan's father figured it out, and smirked at the reaction of his face turning white as a sheet. The curtains shifted open, and Till tore his attention to look at Ivan instead. Despite his safety net being burned in front of his eyes, Ivan was up there smiling, laughing, and singing so happily one would ever believe his father was there.
The music started, and Ivan began to sing. They split up the verses and bridges, shared the chorus, and finished strong together. Sua danced around the stage, making it evidently clear to the audience that the song was intended toward Ivan and not anyone else. The pair were more naturally like siblings than not, and the crowd ate it up.
As soon as it ended and the curtain drawled, Till felt his heart leave his chest. Ivan's father had pushed past the hordes of people to walk straight up to Ivan backstage and slap him so hard that he almost fell over. Sua screamed, and several students rushed forward to pull them away. Till stood dumbfounded, but Ivan had recovered enough to stand tall and menacingly at his father, not backing down.
"You are a disgrace!"
"For singing a song with my cousin?"
His voice was indifferent and soft, causing Ivan's father to adapt a more furious tone.
"How dare you go behind my back! You-"
He raised his hand to strike Ivan again, but Ivan had grabbed the wrist and twisted it harshly.
"Enough!"
"You dare defy me again!?" his father cruelly snarled, ripping his arm away, "then expect to be on the streets! This is no image for the future of-"
"If you can't accept me for who I am," Ivan cut him off once more, his own dark eyes brimming with frustration, "then you're not a father of mine anyways!"
There was a dramatic pause, before his father's eyes narrowed, "then who the HELL are you, because this isn't the son I raised!"
"I'm just me," Ivan argued, but the heat had left his words, "which includes all my faults and interests!"
His father stared at him incredulously as Ivan added, "and the thing you could never stand for."
"And what, praytell, is that?"
Ivan suddenly made eye contact with Till, smiling softly before moving to stand beside him, answering, "that he is the most important thing in my life, and the feelings I have for him are genuine!"
"Y-you're gay too!?"
"Proudly so," Ivan huffed, before throwing an arm around a very much bewildered Till's shoulder and pulling him closer, "to a delinquent, and I wouldn't trade his surly ass in all the world!"
There was a long pause before his fathers eyes narrowed, and his voice drawled heatedly, "you're no son of mine..."
He was gone as soon as he appeared, and everyone rushed Ivan to tackle him in hugs. Till stepped away from the chaos, but apparently there was one who didn't jump into the fray.
"Did you know, or did he just out himself in front of everyone like an idiot to make a statement?"
It was Luka, but he wasn't sneering in the condescending way like normal, so Till engaged.
"I've known."
"So are you an item and we're only now finding out?"
"If you could say that..."
"Well played," Luka smirked, "I don't believe anyone was suspicious but Sua."
A slight smile pulled at the edge of his mouth, "well now I'm inheriting a roommate."
"Not quite," Sua gasped, finally escaping the most hug pit, "we-"
"Yes!" Mizi screamed, escaping as well before tackling Till in a hug, "finally he admitted it! How do you feel, Till? Do you want to punch the daylights out of him, or-"
She cut off as she noticed Till's unbothered face.
"You knew!?"
"Seems so," Luka laughed lightly, "they are full of surprises."
"I called that!" Sua beamed, before she remembered what she was saying, "oh, about Ivan being kicked out-"
Then Till felt himself be tackled and lifted off the air. Ivan had him, spinning so dramatically fast that his brain couldn't catch up. Then he felt lips on his, consuming every part of his face greedily, and Till melted into the motion, unaware of nearly a dozen faces boring into him in surprise. Ivan eventually came up for air, laughing so brightly that his face was lit up so beautifully that Till had to suppress kissing him again.
"What in the hell was that!?" Hyuna declared, not apparently understanding Ivan's declaration, "I thought you just said that to get your father off your back, not-"
Her eyes widened, "oh… wait. This actually makes sense."
Luka rolled his eyes at her, before throwing an arm around her waist and whispering, "we can be next…"
"Fuck off," she snapped, shoving him.
He started laughing like it was a joke, but his eyes searched her for any weakness.
Typical Luka.
Ivan however, was still holding Till as if he was going to up and disappear. That was, until Till shoved off him hard, face flushed.
"I-idiot! Don't kiss me in public, it's embarrassing!"
"Well soon you won't have to worry about it," Sua beamed, "because I told my parents about what was going on here, and they were worried about me staying with Uncle."
Mizi grabbed Till by the arm, preening, "since Sua is still underage, they got her a two bedroom apartment in their name! How fancy is that!?"
"One room for Ivan," Sua added, "and another for me so we can study without interruption."
"Won't that cause backlash between your parents and Ivan's father?" Luka pressed, gaze curious.
"No," Sua shook her head, "because they told me it was for 'Mizi and I,' but we would share a room and they know that."
Ivan's eyes widened, obviously the first time he's heard such a tale.
"We already have it," Sua explained, "Mizi's parents even moved her stuff in there from their house. They've been very helpful too, even setting up a bed for Ivan."
Mizi beamed, "our parents get along great."
"So… I'm not homeless?"
"I didn't tell you before I needed to," his cousin explained, "because I didn't want it to affect your decision to cut ties with Uncle."
Ivan glanced at Till, completely bewildered, "does that mean I'm free?"
"Yes," he laughed back, keeping up better than Ivan had apparently, "and better off than crashing in my trashy pad too."
Everyone huddled around Ivan once more, pulling him into a hug.
Then, a random member of Alien Stage shouted over them, "hey.. we still have performances! Get moving, Luka!"
"Be quiet, background singer!" he snarled.
Hyuna slapped him on the head, "don't be rude!"
"I thought it was funny," Till huffed out, smiling slightly.
Luka met his eyes before smirking in approval.
"Please," Ivan whispered, shaking Till dramatically, "NEVER get along with Luka, it's not worth the trouble."
"Hey!" Luka bit out.
Mizi had already latched around his arm and dragged him off toward the stage, humming, "come along, Luka! We still have a show to put on…"
It was weeks later before any measure of normal returned to their life. Till had turned another year older. Ivan had moved into the apartment after Sua retrieved his clothes and other effects discreetly from Uncle, before leaving herself without even so much as a warning. Then finally, they were approaching graduation fast. After the last round of duets, they were cracking down on their end of year Alien Stage Solo's competition.
Till was bent over lyrics everyday, a pencil in his mouth as he struggled to create multiple compositions. Ivan was peering over his shoulder, watching adamantly with his snaggletooth poking out. Mizi and Sua were arguing over who would get to sing a song from their favorite artist if Till didn't finish, and Luka was still tagging after Hyuna like a lost pup. Hyuna teased about singing 'All-In' again, but Till knew she wouldn't throw the competition like that.
"Tillll," Ivan whined, before dropping his head on the thin shoulder, "when are you going to show me yours?"
"Whenever I'm on stage, idiot."
"Why is it a secret?"
Till paused, attempting to think of a thousand excuses.
Luckily, Luka surprisingly came to his rescue, "leave him alone, will you?"
"No," Ivan bristled flatly, "and you do NOT get to become Till's friend after nearly chasing him out of the club."
"I realized that he's better than his conditions," Luka shrugged nonchalantly, "besides, it's not like he's going anywhere with you drooling over him. I might as well at least be cordial."
"Why am I friends with you?"
"Why am I friends with ANY of you?"
"Luka, dear," Hyuna rolled her eyes before smirking, "stop antagonizing them."
The addition of 'dear' was enough to regain his attention, and she winked at Till before turning away to talk to a random member Till didn't know the name of.
A week later at his home, he finished the last song. He huffed out a breath of relief, and his mother peered over his shoulder curiously.
"What's going on brat? You've never been this serious before."
"I had to create songs for every single one of my friends! I'm tired…"
"Why?" she cocked her head curiously, picking up lyrics meant for Sua, "that seems a bit much to expect you to do that."
"They didn't force me," he assured, "but after Hyuna and I sang 'All-In' and I won the duet battle again, they all started begging."
"That seems like they forced you," she laughed, eyes slightly bright with entertainment, "but whatever you say."
She looked over them quizzically, before smiling proudly, "which one is yours?"
"This one," he nervously answered.
Picking up the music and handing it to her, he fidgeted as she read through it.
A low whistle escaped her, before she ruffled his hair and tossed it back, "he will love it."
"You think?"
"I know," she smirked, "this is my profession after all, Till. I could tell that first day he showed up by the way he simply gazed after you."
"W-what!?"
"You've got good genes, Till," she winked, before adding, "and that fiery personality of yours? Someone was bound to notice eventually. I'm just glad it was someone with a pure heart… so keep him."
"I uh.." Till thought out loud, before admitting guiltily, "they offered me to move into their shared apartment, but I didn't want to leave you alone."
"I'm never here," she frowned, before pressing, "why did you tell them no?"
"I just.."
She pinched his red cheek affectionately, "you're a good kid, Till. I'm glad to have you as a son, even if I don't deserve you."
His face flared, and he glared away.
After a moment, she added softly, "work or not, I'll be there that day. So make sure to give me a real performance. You kids can do that, right?"
"Who do you think you're talking to?"
She laughed hoarsely then, before a cough escaped.
"Damn cigarettes…"
He watched her leave, before looking over his lyrics with a heavy heart once more.
How could he ever perform this in front of a crowd?
Eventually, he decided that if it was for Ivan, he would do anything.
The time came weeks later in the final weekend post exams.
They set up the stage with heavy hearts, feeling graduation looming closer. Each song Till had handed out for his small group of friends was in confidence, and they rushed to start practicing discreetly prior. Today, they were full of confidence and brimming to show off. Sua was the first to take stage, singing a personal work and starter song that Till titled, 'Sweet Dreams.'
When she stepped off, she was quickly replaced by Mizi, who stole the crowd's heart by giving a beautiful performance singing a love ballad called, 'My Clematis.' The applause was near deafening. There was a short intermission of other members, before a familiar blond strutted out on stage. Luka amped them up worse, pulling at their sanity with his song, 'Ruler Of My Heart.'
Nearly thirty minutes later, Till watched Ivan confidently take center stage, the crowd going insane over his pure white suit. He looked handsome and stoic, just as his title alluded. His heart clenched as he watched, as he struggled the most with Ivan's and his own lyrics. He created two songs for Ivan actually.
One that reflected his pain and grief over losing his father called, 'Black Sorrow' and another called 'Cure' where he overcomes some of his trauma to seek strength in those he loves.
It should be obvious which one he chose to perform.
At the end, Till was even suppressing tears with how much raw emotion Ivan managed to show in his voice. So much so, he barely realized when Hyuna took the stage to perform 'Drunk & Party.' A few more members sang, but Till was still staring transfixed at Ivan in the distance in his suit, talking adamantly to Sua and Mizi.
Then suddenly, Hyuna was pushing him toward the stage, shoving his guitar in his hand.
"Your turn," she laughed, poking his cheek before shoving him to the edge of the stage.
There wasn't smoke this time, but instead an array of colorful lights shining in all directions. He swallowed slowly, the last performer on stage of the night. Also apparently, one of the most awaited, as the crowd was stomping their feet in anticipation. Mizi needn't introduce them this time, after the last two performances they were well known.
She would have no problem next year getting fresh voices for the club.
"Hyuna, what if-"
"Just sing it," she cut him off, giving him a confident smile, "the rest will follow."
The music started, and Till plugged the cord in. The sound bounced off the walls before he hit across the guitar forcefully, the first chord drawing everyone's attention despite him not being on stage. Then, he was shouting, 'come on!' and running out on stage to greet the thousands of greedy and awaiting classmates and fans.
Dressed in the edgiest punk clothes he had, his eyes blackened out with his mothers makeup, Till found her in the crowd and sang, "nothing is my everything…"
He turned away to keep going, images of Ivan flooding his mind as he desperately sang, "error: no better options!"
The song took off, and everyone watched in shock as he shredded happily, feeling emotional as his voice eventually stressed, "don't even think this time's enough. Cause baby, still it's not enough!"
Then suddenly, he found Ivan in the crowd just below the stage watching slack jawed. Till fought the tears rising, and sang directly at him, "Ain't nobody but you're the one-"
His voice relaxed, "I'm feeling… it's LOVE!"
Ivan's mouth closed, and his eyes swam in affection almost causing Till to stumble. He kept going, finishing with a weakened, "overdose!"
Sweaty and nerve wracked, Till tipped his head back exasperated as the crowd cheered. He watched Ivan flawlessly climb the front of the stage, but didn't move as he rushed toward him. Ivan, in front of the entire school, gripped the back of Till's head and pulled him upwards to smash their lips together dramatically.
Till was glad the strap around his shoulder saved the guitar, because he dropped it to clutch Ivan's jaw, completely ruined in the moment.
The crowd behind them lost it, but his attention was only on Ivan in front of him.
Softly, he whispered, "you said it."
Till smirked in that way that meant he won, "and?"
"You-"
He started to dive back in for another kiss, but Till sidestepped away, laughing chaotically before bellowing roughly into his mic at the crowd.
"We aren't finished!"
The pounding of their hands and feet amplified, and Till's voice cracked as he shouted, "Alien Stage has one more song to perform… another original created just for the graduates!"
Every student in their year started shouting, and Till kicked off the song, noting how every member strolled out onto the stage to join in behind him.
He almost laughed when Hyuna hit Ivan on the back, as if to say 'better luck next time, bud.'
Till's voice found him first, and he teased, "oh, in a blink gone!"
After, Luka jumped in, standing alongside him before they all took turns with the verses and bridges. As a collective group, they sang the chorus as one haunting melody, turning the crowd on its head. He found his mother in the crowd after, and she looked thoroughly moved. She ruffled his hair affectionately, before shaking Ivan's hand.
"Take care of my boy."
Till's eyes widened, "w-what?"
Ivan seemed to understand though, and wrapped his arm around Till's waist possessively, "I will."
She nodded at him before disappearing in the crowd.
"I think that means you're homeless now," Ivan chuckled, before burying his nose in Till's hair.
"I-Ivan?"
"Yay!" Mizi beamed, overhearing apparently before jumping on their backs excitedly, "new roommate!"
"E-eh!?"
"It is official after all," Sua laughed, punching Till on the shoulder, "after Ivan kissed you on stage, everyone will know! You might as well own it."
Till watched the direction where his mother disappeared, "but WE haven't even made it official yet!"
"He's right," Ivan then laughed, smacking his forehead like he was an absolute idiot. Then, before Till could react, Ivan pulled him into a heated kiss. When they broke apart, he whispered against Till's lips, "so let's make it. Starting today… you are mine, Till."
He felt something clench in his throat, but preserved through to counter back by pulling Ivan down by his dark locks, annoyed.
"Then I can say the same!"
"So you'll be my boyfriend?"
"Idiot," Till snarled, face heating up instantly, "why are you even asking!?"
"To make it official?"
"No," Till snapped, pulling his hair backwards suddenly, exposing Ivan's throat, "you already are my bitch, got it!"
"What kind of shitty confession is this," Luka laughed, appearing beside them.
Mizi giggled, "Till is awful at expressing himself."
Hyuna looked between them before laughing huskily, "but he's totally fucked over Ivan. That much was obvious from that song."
"So let's just say they're dating," Sua answered for them, laughing at their idiocracy, "whether Till wants it or not."
"He does," Luka smirked, poking Till's reddened cheek teasingly.
While still not releasing Ivan from the death hold, he bristled, "fuck off!"
Ivan allowed the abuse to his hair, smiling so warmly it was blinding.
"I love you," he hummed out, eyes searching Tills contorted face.
The teal eyes widened in shock, before he glared away in a pout.
"I.. do too… I guess."
As soon as his grip loosened, Ivan dove to scoop him up into a crushing hug while the rest started making seductive whistling sounds.
Till flipped them off with both hands from underneath Ivan's crushing weight.
The rest of the night, and the start of their future, went smoothly.
Alien Stage was truly the best thing that ever transpired in Till's life.
At least… in this universe.