Only Hurts The One I Love

4.

"I think that you should know that I'm sorry"

Black Honey - Corrine

4.

Everyone was cheering when they got off stage, pumped with adrenalin and alcohol. Miles was talking to Matt at the far corner of the room. From where Alex was standing, he couldn't hear a word. However, the big circles Miles' arms were making in the air told him enough. Matt threw his head back and gave a proper laugh. That's his genuine smiley face that Alex knew. Miles said something, and then they both turned to look at Alex at the same time.

It was a weird picture to see. Somehow, Miles won Matt over, and Matt simply stopped seeing Miles like some sort of band-aid. Not that Alex needed one, but he knew that all his friends worried. Maybe that's why it was so easy to be around Miles in the first place, because Miles didn't know about the pathetic termination of his last relationship. He never treated Alex overcautiously, careful to not mentioning this and that-

Alex cracked up for no particular reason. The smell of sweat, beer and dust in this small backstage were weaved into his memory, together with the way Miles smiled at him.

"You guys are going to be big!" Miles swayed forwards, throwing his arms around Alex' shoulder and lowered his head to drink from the glass Alex was holding. "What a show, Al. You're fucking great!"

It fed Alex's ego in the right way, knowing Miles needed not to say nice things about the band to get into Alex' pants, but he did anyway. It's obvious that part of Miles' open admiration for him was not sexual. Even with his body pressed tightly into Alex's side, Alex could tell he meant it.

"Later," Alex spoke into his ear. "You're gonna teach me how to play the last song."

"I know! That one's a banger." Miles lowered as voice so that the rest was only for Alex to hear. "Feels good to teach you something back."

Miles laughed and run before Alex could ask him to fuck off. When he was left alone, he found Matt standing behind him with a thoughtful pout. Alex gulped down his drink, then sighing. "Don't tell me I'm about to get an earful."

"What for?" Matt looked down to the floor, shaking his head. It was an apology spoken and accepted in their own way when Alex knocked their shoulders together.

Nevertheless, when they stopped in Leeds, Alex still shared a room with Miles.

"I like that verse you played yesterday." Said Alex one afternoon. They were on their way to Manchester for the third show of this tour. Miles got into the same van with the monkeys, sharing the backseats with Alex. He was casually listening to the conversation in the front when Alex mentioned it, and it took Miles a few seconds to react.

He was happy at first, and then some shyness seeping through his cocky smile. "Do you now?"

"Yeah. And I just came out with this idea in the same shape." Alex wrote in the air with his index finger. After five minutes of whispering to each other, he blurted out they should probably write this down for real.

By the end of the day before the Little Flames came on stage to play, they had a decent demo of a song which sounded a bit like Scott Walker. That was a newfound love for Alex when Miles played his songs to him a few days ago.

Alex stayed for the whole set on the side of the stage.

"You lit up with a mic in front of you, Miles." Alex voiced his new finding amusingly.

Miles scratched his draw, a bit flustered. "I can't sing in tune properly, unfortunately. But I can't help it, la, I've got a hard on for being a frontman." Quickly looking around to see if someone paid them any attention, Miles quietly added, "I get the hots for a good frontman, too."