Page 47 of Lance
EPILOGUE
Lance
The tour was over, and it had been for a few months. Even in sunny Los Angeles, it was starting to grow cold, and it was raining more than usual as the winter approached. There was a new album in the works, and probably another tour in the New Year, but for the moment, things were as close to peaceful as they got.
The song which Justin had written for the two of them was the number one song on the pop charts in the United States, and it was doing well worldwide, too. Their biggest hit since the song which Justin and Darien had written for Noah and the publicity from their impromptu wedding had only increased the song’s popularity.
There had been some gossip, of course. Some conspiracy theorists stating that none of it was real, that he and Jamie hooking up was nothing more than a hoax to keep their names in the tabloids. Jamie had shown him, and they had both laughed and laughed until they were weak and collapsed onto each other.
There had been no such rumors when Lance had been dating Ken, that was the really hilarious thing. And it really didn’t matter, because the vast majority of people didn’t believe the crazy theory. Even if they had, though, Lance didn’t think it would matter that much to him.
He was married to the man he loved, and that was more than good enough for him. The whole world could think it was nothing but a sham, and he wouldn’t care. For the first time, he understood how Darien could find it in himself to leave the Lost Boys, because if Jamie wanted to, Lance would be out in a second with him.
Luckily, though, his husband was just as much of a slut for the spotlight as Lance himself was. Just one of many things that they shared.
Lance ran backstage, his arm looped casually, possessively, around Jamie’s waist, both of them grinning and high on the performance that they’d just given. It was just a local concert, fairly small, but the energy from the crowd had been electric, and Lance felt a current of that energy running between himself and Jamie, growing into something bigger than either of them could manage alone.
They would be going out for their second encore soon, and this was the one that Lance always really looked forward to. They had already played their song, of course. It was the number one hit right now, and some people had paid for a ticket just to hear it.
But the song that they’d written, that Justin had busted his ass to get out by the end of the tour,Another Chance, was a typical pop song. That was the version they’d played earlier. Justin had been fooling around with another version, though, and he walked up with a guitar in each hand, giving one to Jamie and the other to Lance.
“You ready for this?” Justin asked, and Jamie and Lance met each other’s eyes and grinned, in perfect sync with each other on this one. They had other songs they could do as an encore, but this was a chance for them to prove what they really had.
A pop band like the Lost Boys was always going to have people who stated that they had no talent, other than dancing and being autotuned. But they’d discovered, through their time spent together, that they were all skilled in some way.
“Ready,” Jamie said, and Lance nodded. With the guitar strap draped over his neck, Lance walked out, hand in hand with his husband, followed by Ken and Aaron. Ken took his place at the drum set which had been hastily assembled, and Aaron stepped behind an electric keyboard.
A hush had fallen over the crowd at this point as if they sensed that this was something completely new. Something which no member of the public had ever seen before. Jamie and Lance stepped up to the mics which had been set up for them, clutching their guitars, and then all four members of the band froze.
There was one instrument missing, of course. For a few moments, Lance and Jamie and Aaron and Ken just stood there, basking in the obvious confusion of the crowd, who had no idea what to expect. No idea what they were in form.
And then Darien stepped out onto the stage, holding an electric base, and the crowd went wild. The cheers reached up to the very sky itself, Lance was sure, and he grinned over at Jamie as Darien, a wide grin on his face, took his place.
“Hey, guys,” Jamie finally spoke, and the crowd calmed down, at least a little, so that they could hear his words. “Do you know how lucky you are? For one night, Darien’s going to join us.”
It was a one night gig, that much was true. They had been talking about how they would need a bassist to make this work, and they’d considered just hiring someone for the gig, but then Ken had remembered Darien saying that he could play the bass, and it had all gone from there.
Lance watched as Jamie went over to hug Darien, who grinned and hugged him back, which the crowd utterly adored. Any rumors which might still be hanging around about Jamie and Darien disliking each other because Jamie had taken his place, they were laid to rest right then and there.
When Jamie was back, Lance grinned at him and briefly reached out to touch the back of his husband’s hand, just for a second. Then he turned back to the crowd, and it was his turn to speak into the mic.
“This song was written back when we were just figuring things out between us,” Lance said, with a warm look at Jamie, who grinned and shot a cocky wink right back at him. “We’re doing it a little differently this time. Enjoy.”
As he and Jamie started to sing, as the guitars swelled around them and the drums kept them in perfect rhythm and the keyboard wailed, the crowd was utterly silent. Usually, there was a lot of singing and dancing along, but this was a different thing.
It was a much more instrumental version than they usually did, and the crowd, Lance thought, didn’t quite know what to do with that. But then the song ended, the last note fading up toward the sky, and for a moment, silence reigned.
Then every last person in the venue, it seemed, started to talk, and clap, and cheer, all at the same time. A wave of sound swirled toward the stage, and Lance had a smile on his face which wouldn’t quit.
When he looked around at his friends, at his husband, he saw the same smile. Even Aaron seemed pleased with himself. And when Lance turned his gaze offstage, he saw Lester there, looking like he’d started sucking on a sour lemon. Noah was there, too, and Justin, and they all looked considerably more pleased.
Oh well. You couldn’t win them all, and if everyone but Lester was happy, that worked out just fine for Lance. He quite frankly didn’t care much about if Lester was upset with them, not after everything that the other man had pulled.
Everyone else loved it. It had been a gamble, and one that Lester had heavily suggested that they not do, but it had paid off. Lance gazed at his friends, at his adored husband, and smiled at all of them.
Their band had really stepped up to the next level that night, and he couldn’t have been prouder, of them but also of himself. The Lost Boys had really stepped into the limelight now, and looking at Jamie, at the bright, hectic color on his pale cheeks, on the way his eyes glistened and seemed almost to glow, his husband was right there with him.
And would be all the way. He and Jamie, and their friends. The Lost Boys were no flash in the pan, and there would be no mere fifteen minutes of fame. Somehow, Lance knew, gazing around at the people who meant the most to him, that they were going to be around to stay.
