A 'Sweet' Treat
My Christmas gift to @sunxkissed-sophie (one of my beta-readers)
I know you enjoyed Dolce, I thought you (and probably a few other readers too) might like a peek at what our two favourite singers have been up to since the EpilogueâŠMerry Christmas!
Spoilers for Dolce Dissonance below the break:
Note: linked here is the mash-up referenced, for your listening pleasure.
The backstage crew milled about Nico where he stood in the wings, a dozen or so bodies navigating about the space aided by the soft glow of blue lights and muscle memory. No matter how many times Nico had done this, he still felt distinctly out of place; a feeling wrought by everyone busy around him while Nico was just stood there waiting. But it was especially strange when Nico was not the main artist, and instead was a surprise guest on his boyfriend's tour. He had been exposed to far more of the behind-the-scenes elements that go into a tour; things he wasn't thinking about when he was on stage playing multiple shows a week.
The wait was drawing closer to an end, Nico could hear the next track start playing over the speakers and the crowdâa stadium's worth of peopleâpredictably went wild. Anticipation rose with the sound, the usual excited buzz that came with performing rising to the surface.
Will's voice filtered through the speakers. The volume got lost a little in the labyrinth that is backstage, but Nico could recognise Will's singing from distances far greaterâalways, it was all he wanted to hear. His favourite sound.
"And if history's clear, someone always ends up in ruins
And what seemed like fate becomes "What the hell was I doin'?"
Since the release of their Retrospect albums a year and a half ago, both Nico and Will had released new music and while a lot of it focused on recent eventsâas Will would say, 'being head-over-heels, totally in love'âthey still occasionally returned to their roots and wrote about the secrets and the fights that nearly tore them apart. 'Us.' was one such songâand an extremely popular one, too, if Will's live vocals being half-swallowed by the noise of the audience was any indicator.
"Do you miss us, us?
I felt it, you held it, do you miss us, us?"
Nico put his in-ear monitors back in and offered an awkward thumbs-up to the stagehand who had arrived to cue him.
And as Will continued to strum and singâfar clearer now that Nico was listening to the audio feedâNico ascended the stairs and entered the stage.
"Wonder if you regret the secret of us, us
Us (Us), us (Us), us (Us)"
Nico hadn't performed live since his debut tour, excluding a few appearances on talk-shows, but the moment he was on stage it was like he had never left. There was something magical about being up there, with the lights and the smoke and the band, a static electricity as if even the air itself was hanging off his every word.
"Please welcome to the stage, the lovely, ANGEL!" Will announced and when he turned, bright smile splitting his face, Nico had to steel himself lest he trip over his own feet like a lovesick fool. Nico had spent his fair share of Will's shows, admiring the pure light exuding from his boyfriend when he performed. But up close? Will was pure daylight.
Nico lifted the microphone to his mouth, eyes locked with Will as he started to sing.
"Looking at it now
It all seems so simple,"
To say the crowd reacted well would be an understatement. 'Out of the Woods,' was one of Nico's best charting songs but with it being on his latest album, he hadn't had the opportunity to perform it live. When Will had proposed singing a mash-up with it included, Nico had agreed easily.
He certainly didn't regret that decision, not with the pure joy exuding from the crowd.
"Looking at it nowLast December (Last December)We were built to fall apart
Then fall back together (Back together)Oh, your necklace hanging from my neckâŠ"
Nico smiled, the hand that was free of his microphone grasping onto the guitar-pick pendant clasped around his neck. Will's signature set in gold and the little sun charm Hazel had affixed to the leather cord, both glittering under the stage lights.
Walking closer to Willâdrawn in like a winter traveller, aching to be warmed by his lightâNico led Will into the chorus.
"âŠAre we out of the woods yet?, are we out of the woods yet?, are we out of the woods yet?, are we out of the woods?"
And when the bridge arrived, the whole stadium screamed it alongside Nico.
Nico turned to Will, eyes wide at the sheer energy in the air, only to find him looking back with that familiar, sappy expressionâgaze soft, lips parted like Will had looked at him now and realised what love is, all over again.
Smile soft, and eyes only for the love of his life, Nico sang:
"When the sun came up you were looking at me"
