Confessions

With Matt deep in thought, AJ kept to himself, giving the guy all the time he needed to recollect his words and decide if he wanted to answer his question or not. He could see the struggle in the young guy, though.

There was a lot more to say about what had happened and all things about Corey, but something was stopping him. He couldn't entirely blame him. For the way they were around each other and for how they made the world around them disappear whenever they were together, it was an easy guess that they had been a unit for quite some time.

Probably they had only had each other for a while, at least they never mentioned anyone else. It would be hard to include someone else in that kind of dynamic, especially a stranger. AJ cringed at the word, but that's exactly what he was for the two guys.

Regardless of how much he felt drawn to the guys and how they made it impossible for him to turn away from, nor how much he wanted to be there for them and help them go through whatever they were going through; the truth was he was nothing but a stranger to them.

"I guess you already saw it, right?" Matt broke the silence with carefully pronounced words before having the first drink of the second bottle. "There was a car accident two years ago. Corey barely survived," he explained, not waiting for a reply. His features hardened.

AJ gaped. Two years was a long time. "That's why he wears the face mask," he concluded.

"For a while, after the accident, Corey turned into a hermit of sorts. He didn't let anyone in. I guess the mask is some sort of extension of that?"

There was no more beer on AJ's bottle to pass down the information, yet he made no attempt to go for another one. He left the bottle over the table and focused on Matt, who had leaned forward to support his elbows over his knees, entwining the fingers of his hands.

"Back then, he locked himself even from those who loved him the most." Matt took a deep breath before continuing. "He rejected everyone's company, as if he was scared of having them around. Corey never talked about the accident apart from whatever he told the police. After a while, he finally let me into his hospital room. I've stayed by his side ever since, but the damage was done. He was never the same after that."

The sadness filled the air all around them. AJ opened and closed his mouth, trying for the right words. He wanted to comfort him and come up with some sort of wise advice that would make everything better, yet he came out short and no words seemed good enough.

"Corey had been doing so good lately," Matt continued in a lower voice. "But that damned night—" Trying to keep his cool was proving to be more than a challenge for Matt. "Everything went down the drain. He was so fucking scared. All he did was shake in my arms." The guy stared down at his hands, no doubt reliving the scene. "He didn't even cry, he was only shaking with his eyes fixed on nothing." His scowl deepened. "It was like going back to that damned hospital room where he didn't let anyone close, and all he did was bite his nails and lips until he bled."

AJ reached out to the guy's neck and started massaging him, trying to show his support without hovering unnecessarily.

"I thought I was losing him again. He was locking himself down," the guy finally confessed in a sigh that had him notoriously breathing better, as if a big load had been taken off of him. "And, what is worse, he's not telling me anything else; he never does."

There it was. He had laid out what he felt, and the world hadn't spontaneously combusted or anything. AJ smiled sympathetically, making him smile back. It definitely felt good to have someone to talk about things.

"It must have been hard to see him like that after all you have gone through together, I would have never imagined—" He stopped mid-sentence, not sure of how he wanted to go on.

"He's my whole life. I really don't think I could live without him; so, thank you." Those words had ever sounded more sincere before.

Their story, for as hard as it sounded, had that edge of romance you would only see in the best of Bryan Adams or something. But what surprised AJ the most was finding himself longing for some of that complicity with someone. He has never been a relationship kind of guy, but Corey and Matt were just that kind of couple; the one that made you jealous and made you realize what you didn't have.

"So," Matt got up from the couch with an overreacted sigh that stole a smile from the musician, "I just wanted to thank you for everything and to apologize for not showing up at your show. I really wanted to go," he pouted and AJ was pleased, knowing that childish fiber he had first seen was still there.

The guy had had it rough recently, yet he wasn't losing his vibrant, chilled self. That alone merited credit. He patted the guy on the back as they walked down the stairs and towards the door.

"Also, I wanted to know if I can go back to the lessons…?" The uncertainty in his voice was funny, as if he actually believed the musician would turn him down after everything that had happened.

"Are you kidding me?" Matt's eyes widened. "You're so behind, I'm gonna have you plugged in to the guitar. Just tell me when and I'll be here."

That was the final step to leave everything behind and go back to where they had left off, easy smiles, bright eyes and the teasing they've got accustomed to. There was no more worry in either's eyes. Even Matt's heart was back to feeling that little tingle of joy whenever the musician smiled at him, leaving him wagging his tail and waiting for the next pat on the head.

Some final jokes and last minutes teasing before Matt had to leave, leaving AJ feeling pretty good about himself. He had gotten a little closer to his student and made sure he knew where to go in case of need. And this time, he didn't forget to get his number.

He truly wanted to follow up on Corey's progression and just be there for Matt. The guy was quickly becoming an important part of his life. He could only wish Corey would eventually want some part in it, too.

With the weight of the last two weeks gone, the following days went by fast. He resumed practice with renewed energies he made sure to share with his bandmates. Everything was back to how it should be. He even dropped an invitation to the new show and Matt had replied with so many cute emojis he somehow could picture looking exactly like the crooked smile guy.

Everything seemed to indicate this time they would show up. Corey had been doing better lately and Matt was feeling optimistic about going back to the good stand he had managed before that night.

He couldn't hide his excitement, not even under the attentive scrutiny of Maria's eyes that kept studying him from afar. She wasn't saying anything, but AJ knew it wouldn't be long until she did. But it didn't really matter. He felt full and nothing would change that.

The day of the show was upon him sooner than he expected. He was ready. They had practiced to their heart's content and his new friends were coming and he could finally let them in the most important part of his life.

The crowd shouted. The energy flew steadily from them to the band, and soon they were all busting with adrenaline.

The lights went on. His guitar in hand, Owen on his right and Mark on his left. Tony threw his signature shout from behind him before the show and clashed his drum sticks to set up the beat.

AJ scanned the crowd, knowing they would be there somewhere. There were even more people than last time, so it was hard to get a good look at the place. But they were there, around somewhere.

"Let's rock!" Shouted Tony one last time, "3, 2—3, 2, 1 Go!"