Montag returned to the studio and saw Alex sitting on the floor next to his keyboard, everyone else was busy tuning their instruments. He took a deep breath and resumed his vocal exercises. He couldn't look at Alex's face, he was worried the evidence of their kiss was all over his lips and neck. He was an irresponsible idiot.
"Ready, guys?" Derek asked loudly
"Yeah" Debra answered
"Ready, what about you, Montag?" Julian inquired
"Yeah, I'm ready"
They all settled with their instruments on hand and Alex and Andrea sat on the back watching them excitedly. Montag was convinced Andrea was going to notice the 180° of her brother's mood. He was terrified of the woman and he didn't want to face being called a pervert or being slapped by her. He stole a glance to where they were seated and saw Alex resting his head on his sister's shoulder. He looked at peace and she looked happy to see him like that. Montag relaxed and focused on playing and singing.
2 hours later they were packing up their stuff. In spite of the time passed without rehearsals they weren't as rusted as Montag thought they were going to be which meant they probably practiced by themselves. Debra was the first one to finish because she used the studio's drums. She stretched and approached him.
"I was wondering if you were free tonight" Her voice was low and intimate and she leaned to talk directly into his ear
He knew what she wanted; they've been using each other to fuck whenever one of them was pent up. The rest of the band didn't know because Julian despised bandmates becoming intimately involved, he thought it was unprofessional and potentially harmful for their future and they hadn't told Derek because Debra was certain he had feelings for her. They've established their relationship as merely transactional and Montag was satisfied with that. He thought about fucking her and his body didn't react. Everything he felt earlier when kissing Alex just wasn't there for her.
"I'm actually not in the mood today" he took a step back to put some distance between them
"I thought you were cranky because you were horny"
"Nah, I was born cranky"
"Ok, then, I'm gonna go clubbing, maybe I'll find a nice stud for tonight" she laughed and took off.
He shook his head while rolling his eyes and resumed packing his stuff. He noticed Derek's eyes lingering on the door where Debra left. She was right, he had a crush on her. Poor dude, she was even less available emotionally than Montag himself.
"Anyone up for a drink?" Julian asked cheerfully.
"No, I'm beat, bye guys." Derek started towards the exit.
"Bye, bro, what about you, Montag? Andrea and I really want to go" Julian was looking exaggeratedly towards Alex as if giving him some sort of sign
"No, dude-."
His phone dinged and he glanced at it. A message from Julian. Confused, he unlocked his screen and read the text.
(Julian): Please, help me, Andrea doesn't want to leave Alex but I want to hang out with her alone. Say you'll keep Alex company, please.
Frustrated, Montag put his phone in his pocket again and considered the situation for a minute. He wanted Alex so badly he'll probably get a boner just from sitting next to him. Being alone with him was dangerous. He didn't really care about Julian's situation, but Alex was being served to him in a silver platter. He felt like the big bad wolf waiting to attack him.
"I'm not an expert but I think Alex is not a fan of that plan, maybe he and I could go to Books and Cats?" Montag said the first thing that came to his mind
Alex perked up and moved until he was standing close to him. His eagerness was too obvious and Montag freaked thinking about Andrea slapping him. He needed to train Alex in putting on a convincing poker face.
"What's Books and Cats?" Andrea's question was filled with suspicion
"A new bookstore in Manhattan that's open until 2. They have cats that you can pet while browsing the shelves" Alex answered for him and Montag thanked the gods that he was going along with the flow "I've always wanted to go but you know how I am with new places"
"Then it's perfect" Julian interrupted, maybe too keenly. "You can go with Montag and if you get too overwhelmed, he'll help you, right, Montag?"
"Right"
"Okay, but keep your phone on you and text me if you need anything" Andrea took Alex's hand while giving him the instructions for the night
"Yes, mom"
Andrea laughed, patted him on the head and took Julian's hand before leaving the room together. Alex smiled and turned around with a mischievous look. His face displayed his emotions like a show, he was going to give Montag a heart attack with his obviousness. Either that or his sister was going to find out and skin him.
"We're not actually going there, right?" He asked with a happy puppy face
"Of course, we are, Andrea might ask you about it"
"Not fair" He pouted "I wanted to be alone with you"
Montag's dick woke up with those words. He needed to keep a cool head on his shoulders. He couldn't go around taking virginities like some barbarian.
"We are alone now" he said with what he expected was a calm voice
"We can't fuck here"
Montag choked on his saliva and coughed several times. Alex was laughing loudly after seeing his expression.
"You're joking, right?"
Alex rubbed his right eye and nodded biting his lip "Yes, dummy"
"Look at that, you know how to joke"
Alex punched him softly on the arm "I told you, I'm not a robot"
"I know" Montag took his hand and brushed it against his lips "A robot couldn't have made the sounds you made in the bathroom"
Alex's face lit up red and his eyes got huge with embarrassment. Montag laughed and squeezed the hand he was still holding.
"You're messing with me!" Alex exclaimed and pushed him gently
Montag intertwined their fingers and with his free hand picked up his bags. Alex hugged his arm and they walked out the studio together. In the back of his mind, he couldn't stop thinking about how horrible he was taking advantage of an innocent soul, but he drowned those thoughts with Alex's voice and laughter.
They rode the subway together; Alex was telling him about his med school primary application and how he was waiting for the verification process to end any time soon, so he could complete his secondary application. He was sure about his entrance and Montag liked that about him, how sometimes he was so confident in his abilities in spite of his anxious thoughts.
He'd never felt this comfortable with anyone and he wanted to freeze that moment in time. He was convinced that sooner or later he was going to do something that would break Alex's heart. The most likely possibility being his inability to reciprocate romantic feelings getting in the way. He'd never been in love and he wasn't sure he was capable of loving, he was his father's son, after all.
Matteo Becker was a piece of shit and thanks to his mother, Montag knew everything about him. A married middle aged German conductor and music professor who enjoyed seducing his students to then abandon them without a second look. His mother, Theresa, had been one of those students. The only difference between her and the others was that she got pregnant.
"Montag? Are you okay?" Alex's soft voice was worried. He'd probably been lost in his thoughts for several minutes
"Sorry, I'm sleep deprived, I had a bartending shift last night"
"You should've told me, wanna go home?"
"No, don't worry" he squeezed his hand and kissed his forehead "we're almost there"
Alex smiled, pleased and closed his eyes while leaning against his side. Montag felt every inch of his skin burning and a warm feeling settled on his chest as he smelled his scent. He smelled like honey and oats, like a sunny day in the countryside.
They arrived at the bookstore and walked inside. Alex's eyes sparkled when he saw the sign. He grabbed his hand and dragged him inside. A man with blue hair and a yellow beanie greeted them and explained the rules.
"And last but not least, if the cat is asleep, you can't disturb it. We prioritize their rest above everything else"
Alex nodded fast, thanked him and ran towards a cat tree to play with a fat and friendly white cat. Montag followed behind him, eyeing the cats cautiously. He wasn't familiar with cats but he knew their scratches could be painful. He looked at Alex who looked like a kid in a candy store.
"I thought we were here for the books" he said jokingly
"I never said that" Alex wasn't looking at him, too busy scratching the cat's head "I freaking love cats"
"Really?"
"Yeah, when I was a teen, I even thought about opening a shelter, but med school is more important. Once I'm a doctor, I can donate to the ones that already exist"
"Why not a vet, then?"
"My dad is a neurosurgeon and he's the best man I know. I can't be a neurosurgeon but I can be a pathologist and make him proud by helping people. I couldn't do that being a vet"
"Well, I don't have a dad so I can't really relate, but I hope you're satisfied with your decision"
"I am, thank you for your concern"
Montag didn't believe him, but he wasn't going to meddle with his life. His relationship with Alex had an expiration date and it would be wrong of him to create doubts in his mind and unsettle him. He left him playing with the cats while he browsed the bookshelves. He found a copy of Nipponia Nippon and returned to sit close to Alex, so he could read feeling his presence.