The lights dimmed over the stage in Montreal, the last stop for Kuro on the Canadian tour. Shrouded in darkness, the band hurried backstage while Jay lifted Dee into his arms.
"That might just have been the best night yet." Jay whispered. The crowd was still cheering.
"...Better than Ohio?" He laughed.
The release party of their first single would go down in history, certainly. But Jay was adamant. "Ohio was missing one very important thing."
"Oh really? What's that?"
The answer to Dee's question was waiting for them backstage.
"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you!!" Ansgar, Rex and Johan burst into song while Mikkel held up a platter of cupcakes topped with sprinkles and candied music notes.
"You remembered!" Dee exclaimed as Jay carefully put him down. His legs were shaking after being up on them during the encore, but he made it to the nearby couch with little trouble.
"Of course we did." Rex grinned, and the others nodded.
"Jay said this was a really special one." Johan added. "Cause you're turning 25 and all."
Mikkel leaned in, holding the cupcake platter closer to the singer so he could blow out the candles.
"Go on." Ansgar encouraged.
Dee drew a deep breath. His arms and legs might not have much strength behind them, but his lungs definitely still did. The candles dropped like the stage lights, and the band cheered just like the audience had.
"Happy birthday, my Little Blackbird." Jay leaned in, kissing him on the cheek. "You did it."
"I did..." his breath hitched. He'd been so caught up in the show, the tour, their album, everything, that the significance of the day only now caught up to him. "I really... I really did..."
His body trembled. His eyes started to water, tears tracing thin lines through his warpaint. Jay reached out for his hand and squeezed it gently.
"I'm... I'm not dead." he smiled. "...or bedridden."
"Far from it." Jay beamed. The others quickly joined in, voicing their encouragement. .
"Tom even said we sold out tonight." Mikkel added
"Did we really?" Ansgar grinned.
They continued on like that for a few minutes, but Dee missed everything they said. His mind was back in an awkward sixteen year old's body, sitting at a doctor's office while the world crashed down around him. Unless they took aggressive measures, he would be bedridden by the time he was 25, if not dead.
Ever since that day, and especially since he left for LA, 25 had always been the final curtain call. It was the reason he pushed himself so hard and so fast. But it was also the ticking time bomb, the hangman's noose dangling above his head.
But not anymore.
25 had come, and it was a reprieve, not a death sentence. The bomb had been defused, the rope cut. And behind that curtain was every birthday wish he'd ever made in his life. To the world, he'd become The Prophet. He was singing in the band of his dreams, touring with Ziggy Stardust. He was on the verge of releasing a debut album. He was engaged to the love of his life and couldn't be happier about the number of years he still had ahead of him.
"Dee... Earth to Dee."
"Huh?" He finally snapped back to the present.
"Do you want a cupcake?" Ansgar repeated. Everyone was holding one, save for Mikkel, who was still holding the tray in front of him expectantly.
5 - Having Something to Prove (Ziggyverse AU)
"That might just have been the best night yet." Jay whispered. The crowd was still cheering.
"...Better than Ohio?" He laughed.
The release party of their first single would go down in history, certainly. But Jay was adamant. "Ohio was missing one very important thing."
"Oh really? What's that?"
The answer to Dee's question was waiting for them backstage.
"Happy birthday to you! Happy birthday to you!!" Ansgar, Rex and Johan burst into song while Mikkel held up a platter of cupcakes topped with sprinkles and candied music notes.
"You remembered!" Dee exclaimed as Jay carefully put him down. His legs were shaking after being up on them during the encore, but he made it to the nearby couch with little trouble.
"Of course we did." Rex grinned, and the others nodded.
"Jay said this was a really special one." Johan added. "Cause you're turning 25 and all."
Mikkel leaned in, holding the cupcake platter closer to the singer so he could blow out the candles.
"Go on." Ansgar encouraged.
Dee drew a deep breath. His arms and legs might not have much strength behind them, but his lungs definitely still did. The candles dropped like the stage lights, and the band cheered just like the audience had.
"Happy birthday, my Little Blackbird." Jay leaned in, kissing him on the cheek. "You did it."
"I did..." his breath hitched. He'd been so caught up in the show, the tour, their album, everything, that the significance of the day only now caught up to him. "I really... I really did..."
His body trembled. His eyes started to water, tears tracing thin lines through his warpaint. Jay reached out for his hand and squeezed it gently.
"I'm... I'm not dead." he smiled. "...or bedridden."
"Far from it." Jay beamed. The others quickly joined in, voicing their encouragement. .
"Tom even said we sold out tonight." Mikkel added
"Did we really?" Ansgar grinned.
They continued on like that for a few minutes, but Dee missed everything they said. His mind was back in an awkward sixteen year old's body, sitting at a doctor's office while the world crashed down around him. Unless they took aggressive measures, he would be bedridden by the time he was 25, if not dead.
Ever since that day, and especially since he left for LA, 25 had always been the final curtain call. It was the reason he pushed himself so hard and so fast. But it was also the ticking time bomb, the hangman's noose dangling above his head.
But not anymore.
25 had come, and it was a reprieve, not a death sentence. The bomb had been defused, the rope cut. And behind that curtain was every birthday wish he'd ever made in his life. To the world, he'd become The Prophet. He was singing in the band of his dreams, touring with Ziggy Stardust. He was on the verge of releasing a debut album. He was engaged to the love of his life and couldn't be happier about the number of years he still had ahead of him.
"Dee... Earth to Dee."
"Huh?" He finally snapped back to the present.
"Do you want a cupcake?" Ansgar repeated. Everyone was holding one, save for Mikkel, who was still holding the tray in front of him expectantly.
Dee smiled up at all of them.
"Yes. Yes, I do."