Charlie
She stands at the side of the stage, hidden in the shadow of the wings watching him perform. As always when he is on stage he is angry, spitting the words into the microphone, storming back and forth. The crowd is roaring, singing his words with him. The arena is large, with the roof closed the noise is contained and bounces off the surfaces, coming together to form an energy so that it feels more like being inside a boiling cauldron than a sports stadium.
He looks up and sees her, standing in the dark, and her breath catches in her chest. He keeps singing, but doesn't take his eyes off her, his ice blue eyes locking onto hers. She had forgotten his intensity. The unleashed power in his every move. Her mind stops, her world shrinks to just the two of them. The song ends, he drops his microphone and strides into the wings to where she is standing. Her heart begins to race, swelling with the sight of him coming toward her. He is so beautiful. His soft lips juxtaposed against his strong jaw line. She has longed to be held by him again, to feel his heat, his hard body against hers. Just before he reaches her he stops suddenly. His arms drop to his sides.
Their eyes still locked, her face begins to flush. There is less than a foot between them. She looks away, embarrassed by the strength of her feelings. She wonders what she is doing here. He is everything, has everything and has had or can have anyone he desires. She is just a girl. The relationship, which had been to her the most powerful of her life, was obviously just another fling to him.
'You're here?' he says. He reaches out and lifts her chin so their eyes meet again.
'Shad-ow, Shad-ow, Shad-ow!' The crowd is chanting, their energy growing. She longs to fall into his arms, to kiss him, instead she says,
'They're calling your name.'
There is no point in saying anything else, it is her voice versus their 35,000, all chanting in unison.
•••••
Ted
Ted stands mid stage in the arena.
'Did you miss me?' he yells at the crowd.
They roar in response. He needed this. A one off show to his local and most loyal fans. The microphone feels at home in this hand. The guitarist slashes down a cord, and the drummer joins in. The crowd recognises the opening cord immediately, a radio favourite, their screams rising to the next level. He feeds off their energy. His adrenaline is pumping.
Movement catches his eye at the side of the stage, he turns his head and the earth shifts under him as he realizes it is her.
Frozen to the spot for a moment he takes her in. The shadows of the wings have caught her, but even from this distance the heady mix of childlike innocence inside the hottest woman he ever laid eyes is evident. She is poised and elegant, in a way that is stamped in her aristocracic DNA. He never knew whether he wanted to scoop her up and protect her, or devour her. But in the tight green mini dress she is wearing tonight it is definitely the latter.
He absently lets the microphone slip to the ground and strides over, almost breaking into a full bolt. He is so incredibly drawn to her. He goes to pull her close, but stops realising he is dripping with sweat. She is sweet perfection, he, a filthy mess. He pulls up short, his arms drop to his sides.
Charlie drops her eyes. His stomach churns. He is conscious of the awkwardness of the moment. He has hurt her again. She is so strong, yet as fragile as a dried flower, turning to dust at a light touch, and he was a raging tornado. He does not know how to move around her. Gently he lifts her face so their eyes lock. He wants to tell her he loves her, that he can not live another moment without her. The look in her eyes stops him short, they are burning with desire. The dam inside of him breaks. He takes her hand and leads her through a fire door.
He stands looking down at her, beautiful even in the harsh fluorescent light of the stairwell. Her chest rises and falls with nervous breath, her small nipples sitting hard and high on her round breasts. He has never been so hard, so filled with need. He dips his head and brushes his lips against hers. She brings her hand up to his neck and her lips open. His tongue finds her mouth and he kisses her deeply. She kisses him back pushing her body against his. The touch of her soft curves makes him moan.
