£una- just so you know, there is a Placebo song called 'My Sweet Prince' and it was something of
an inspiration for this story. hope you like it.
Darren was in his element, surrounded by a crowd of people, all hanging on his every word. Daniel, on the other hand, was all by himself; leaning against the wall and sipping his beer, watching Darren work his magic.
Not for the first time, Daniel felt a twinge of envy.
He’s so lucky. People love him, he can charm the pants off anyone and he’s so handsome-
“Quite a catch, isn’t he?” said a sly voice at Daniel’s ear, startling him. He whirled around and found himself confronted with a vision of deja-vu; the voice belonged to someone who looked like Darren’s twin. As Daniel’s startlement faded he noticed some differences, though; the person was shorter than Darren, with a slightly different face. But he had the same long black hair Darren used to sport. Daniel felt confused.
“Um, excuse me?” he asked, a little stiffly. The person laughed.
“My twin over there,” he replied, eerily echoing Daniel’s thoughts “he’s someone I’d like to know better.” the odd one grinned at Daniel “Perhaps you care to join me and we’ll find out together?” Daniel felt his face getting warm. Bad enough women wanted Darren but men as well? Daniel strangled a little stab of jealousy.
“I already know him.” he mumbled. Darren’s twin tilted his head to the side.
“Oh? Lucky you. How do you know him?” The man’s face suggested things Daniel didn’t want to think about.
“He and I are in a band together. Called Savage Garden.” Daniel replied shortly.
“Is that so? I think I’ve heard of you. I’m in a band too,” the man said , smiling “my name’s Brian and I’m in a somewhat famous band called Placebo. I never miss these parties; all the free booze. What’s your name?”
“Daniel.” the guitarist replied.
“And who’s that over there?” Brian asked, pointing to Darren.
“That’s Darren. I could take you to meet him, if you like.” Daniel replied reluctantly.
Brian was quiet for a moment, obviously thinking his offer over. Then he shook his head
“Nah. I’m fine talking to you. Darling Darren over there seems to have all the company he needs. Wanna go grab another beer?”
Daniel paused, quickly assimilating what Brian had just said.
“Sure, Darren looks like he’s going to be a while.”
The meeting with Brian was quickly forgotten as Savage Garden resumed touring, as that party and others quickly blurred into dim memories. But occasionally Daniel would find himself thinking of what an odd person Brian was. The fact that he looked almost exactly like Darren made Daniel faintly uncomfortable for some reason.
“Are you ready to go?” Darren’s voice shook Daniel out of his thinking. They had been getting ready to go to some awards party and while Daniel had been daydreaming, Darren was now all groomed and looking wonderful.
As usual Daniel thought a little sourly. Then he realized Darren was still waiting for his answer.
“Uh, yeah, I’m ready, let’s go.” the tall blond one replied, getting up and gesturing for his partner to go out the door.
They arrived at the celebration in a black limo, which joined a line of other limos, all waiting to disgorge their occupants at the red carpet. Darren and Daniel got out into a wave of camera flashes, momentarily blinding them. These were the sort of parties Daniel hated, full of boastful celebrities, polite smiles and mind games. At least there would be something to drink.
As usual, Darren quickly found someone to talk to; a pretty young thing who worked at such-and-such music company. Her attention was obviously only for Darren and Daniel found it easy to slip away to the bar. Darren noticed him leaving and gave him a faint reproving look that clearly said ‘Now don’t get too wasted.’ Daniel nodded a little in reassurance, then ordered himself a drink.
“Well, well, well, what a surprise! If it isn’t my dear friend Daniel?” said a familiar voice behind him. Daniel turned around and found himself confronted with an odd spectacle. It was Brian. In a dress. And wearing make-up. It wasn’t quite full drag but it was enough to make Brian look.....quite feminine. Daniel felt a flush creep up his face as he was besieged momentarily by conflicting emotions.
“Uh hi Brian. That’s some interesting get-up you got there.” he finally managed.
“Thanks,” Brian grinned at Daniel. He leaned forward and pretended to whisper conspiratorially “think if I showed someone my tits, I’d get a quarter?”
Daniel was startled into a laugh.
“You are the living end, I swear!” he replied after a moment. Then the blond one noticed that Darren was looking at him with a look of curiosity on his face, obviously wondering who Daniel was talking to. Then Brian noticed that Daniel was looking at something behind him and turned around, following his gaze. Darren’s eyes widened as he took in Brian’s appearance. Brian grinned, winked at Darren then cheekily blew him a kiss. Darren’s face froze with shock, he looked like someone had smacked him in the head with a board, his jaw almost dropping. Daniel started laughing, the look on Darren’s face was priceless. Brian joined in for a moment, then the two took pity on Darren and wandered off to let him gather together his dignity.
Sometime later Daniel and Brian stood out on the building balcony, enjoying a smoke and looking down at the glittering city below them.
“Oh it’s so tempting to spit and see who I hit but I probably wouldn’t be able to see in this gloom.” Brian mock-pouted. Daniel threw back his head and laughed.
“You are such a child, you and Darren would make a good team.” he said, still chuckling, as he gave Brian a light punch on the arm. Brian winced and rubbed his arm
“Thanks.”
Daniel grinned at him and took another drag from his cigarette. An easy silence fell between them for a little.
“Come to my show tomorrow. You’ll like it.” Brian said casually after a moment.
Tomorrow...tomorrow...anything tomorrow? Daniel thought for a second.
“Sure. Got nothing better to do. Sounds like fun.”
Brian laughed at his laconic reply.
Daniel tried to make his way through the gloomy room to somewhere near the stage. Surrounding him was a legion of oddling youths and adults, some goth, some not, all were weird in some way.
This looks like the sort of place Darren would like. These people look like either vampires or faeries. Daniel thought with amusement. Eventually he found a spot by a wall and settled against it, just as Brian and the rest of his band walked on-stage. Brian looked around the audience, found Daniel and smiled at him as he picked up a guitar.
Placebo played an odd sort of music, not dissimilar to his own. Daniel found that Brian had an eerie voice; it had the range of Darren’s, but where Darren’s was like a smooth, pure cry, Brian’s was like a mourning keen.
Daniel felt like shivering as the dark music wrapped around him like a spell. He watched as Brian played up to the audience, to them he was Seduction Incarnate. Daniel became caught up in the pulse of the music, feeling it make his blood simmer. The singer’s luminescent blue eyes passed over the crowd and, for a moment, they locked with Daniel’s. And in that moment, Daniel felt that seductive gaze focused on him and he felt like he was going to die. Daniel’s vision blurred and he closed his eyes. It was a long while before he dared open them again.