Adult-FanFiction.org : Celebrity

Teardrop In The Fire	By : MysticNight Category: Singers/Bands/Musicians > Incubus Views: 3776 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. I do not know the members of Incubus. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 13
- 14
- 15
*

“I thought you were going to wait until I came back up!” his voice was agitated while he pressed a hand against his forehead.

“Don’t yell at me! It‘s been 2 hours since you left me in that room. And why the hell were you just with her? Are you trying to play me for some sort of a fool Brandon?!” she raised her voice, gaining a few glances from passing onlookers.

“Marissa, just stop it. Okay? STOP IT. You’re driving me crazy right now.” By now he was talking to her in the same spot Claire was moments ago.

“I’m driving you crazy? Are you crazy?! How can you possibly spin this on me?!”

“Will you stop yelling?” he hissed lowly.

“No! It seems like i'm the only one who doesn’t know what’s going on here!”

“Forget it” he gave up “I’m not going to talk to you. Not like this” he sauntered away from her.

“Brandon.”

When he ignored her, she yelled his name louder.

Clenching his jaw, Brandon briskly walked into the elevator watching her trying to catch up with him. Quickly, he extended his finger to press a button that would hasten the closing process. Luckily, he got it to do so just as she was inches before the door.

“Hey!”

When Marissa turned around she saw Mike not too far away.

“What is it” she asked, hoping he had picked up on the disdain seeping from her voice.

“Can I have a word with you” She could tell by his expression that she was not the only one upset.

“I don’t have time for this” she waved him off.

“Well your going to have to make some” he challenged her. “Come on” he said, leading in the direction he wanted her to follow.

When they ended up in a vacant hallway , he didnt waste any time “You cant do stuff like that.”

“Excuse me?”

“As much as we like to think that we’re just as normal as anybody else, a lot of the shit we do can end up in the press, and what you’re giving Brandon right now is bad press.” He looked upward to the leggy blonde, standing 3 or so inches than him.

“Are you kidding me?” she breathed.

“No Marissa, I’m not. Behind closed doors you can scream and do whatever the hell you want to Brandon, but you need to be more considerate of this group. Not the mention, I don’t think it’ll do you’re career any better.”

“I don’t need you telling me how to run my career, okay Mike? I know the only reason your saying all this is because you don’t like me.”

“Call it what you want. I’m just saying what had to be said, and hopefully you'll take it into account and act on it.” He left.

*

Claire slid the thin card through the slot, emitting a green light that allowed her to fully turn the knob and enter her room.

She immediately pulled her hair free from the hair-tie holding it, raking her hands messily through it.

“What am I going to do?” she asked herself pacing the room. “Chris is a dumbass, so I really have nothing to worry about” she coaxed herself with an uneasy laugh, only to then remind herself

“But…Brandon isn’t.”

Her mind instantly went back to Brandon’s face. Replaying it all in her head she knew something in his expression wasn’t right. He was thinking, or drawing personal conclusions; either one wasn’t good because his thoughts usually led to conclusions and his conclusions were usually right.

From the first moment Claire met Brandon she picked up that he was the observer in most Scenarios. When they began talking, it was then that she realizing how many things were actually going on behind his quiet exterior and frankly she sometimes wondered how his brain hadn’t detonated yet.

She thought back to him following her moments ago. Thinking that he probably didn’t buy her 'rash' story if he cut through the malice to actually exchange words with her.

“Ah, fuck it!” she yelled realizing she would find out sooner or later.

*

It was now an hour and a half before the show, and Brandon was nowhere to be found.

Marissa went back to their suite in hopes to apologize, only to find him gone. Mike called, only to receive his voicemail.

He knew Brandon went back to the room at some point or another after Marissa called Ben to inform him that Brandon left his towel still dampened, on the bed.

A part of Mike worried that Brandon possibly wouldnt return in time for the show, but the other half knew his friend would never do anything to compromise the group.

Then again, Mike remembered that people often do crazy things when under pressure.

The rest of the band soon walked into his room, asking the same question Mike continuously asked himself.

“Where’s Brandon?” José pressed his head against a nearby wall.

“I don’t know!” Mike stood up, tired of just about everything.

“Well if you don’t know..then what the hell is going to happen in about an hour or so when we have to get on stage? Maybe it’s just me when I think that our songs will sound a bit off without any vocals.”

“He’ll be there” Mike growled.

After trying his phone a few more times, they all chose to head down to the venue to help set things up.

*

Entering through the front, Ben nudged Mike. “Look” he pointed upfront to where Brandon sat in the middle of the darkened stage with only one stage light dimly lit.

Instead of letting him have it about how they were all worried and so on, Mike merely walked on the stage telling him “They’re going to start letting people in soon, so you might want to get up” with that, he walked backstage.
Within minutes, people started pouring in, but by then Brandon had already taken Mike’s advice.

Inside his dressing room, there was a small knock at the door.

Reluctantly, he got up and answered it.

“Mar” he sighed.

“I’m sorry.” she cut him off “I don’t want to upset you before your show. But I wanted to wish you good luck and let you know that I love you.”

“I-” he was ready to say something- not the three words she was hoping for, but otherwise “Thank you” he instead said, accepted her hug.

*

Her tousled curls draped past her shoulders. Sliding her hands into the back pockets of her jeans she made sure her matching black Foo fighters shirt was completely covering her midsection. Claire made her way into the venue, famously known as 'The joint' past security and into the back. It was already jam packed, she observed.

In the distance she could clearly make out Mike, strumming a few cords on his guitar.

“Mike” she said walking up to him.

“Hey, C” he greeted hugging her warmly, and again she tried not to cringe in pain. "Riddle me this, How the hell do you come to an Incubus concert wearing a Foo fighters t-shirt? that is like the ultimate disrespect...but then again you never cease to amaze me" he shook his head with a short smirk.

“Good to know” she commented laughing lightly.

"So what's up?"

“Do you know if my brother still upset at me?” her smile wore down to a slight frown.

“I don’t think so, we were all kind of riled up from Brandon’s 30 second disappearing act so I think he might have forgotten about it, or at least dropped it for now.”

She nodded.

“He was just worried. You’re the only sibling he’s ever known so it’s kind of understandable.”

“I know, but I’m a big girl Mike.”

“You think so, and we know so, but somehow you’re still the same muffin head who use to get worked up if she got anything less than an A throughout high school” he paused momentarily “I think it’s safe to finally say aloud that you were a fucking weird kid. I was lucky if I even got a c-” he chuckled

“Shut up” she punched his arm.

“What I’m getting at is, you kind of need to forgive us If we act like asshole’s when it comes to you.”

She laughed “If I could deal with it all these years, I think I can somehow manage.”

Glimpsing to her side she saw Chris.

“I’ll be back in a few” she said leaving.

“Chris” she tapped him on the shoulder.

“Hey” he sounded relieved “You came”

"Ofcourse I came"

“Look, C…”

“No need,” she read him “Mike already went through it with me” she smirked. “I got it, and I just want you to have a good time out there not worry about me and my skin ailments.” she laughed.

“I’ll try” he nodded.

“Good. Now I think you should pull your hair back tonight” She stood behind him slapping his arm for him to sit with grabbing the extra elastic she kept in her pocket out, and now adjusting his dreds into a low, half-bun. “Pretty” she smiled.

“Whatever” he stood up when the stage manager made himself present.

“Guys you have minutes until show time.” he announced.

Claire could clearly hear the fans cheering outside.

“Hey, where do you want to sit.”

“Where’s she sitting?” Claire evenly asked

“Balcony in the VIP area”

“Is it okay if I sit off to the side?”

“It's not like you havent dont it before, but I’ll ask just in case”

“Thanks”

She watched as Chris approached a 30 something year old, talking to him for a few seconds before returning.

“Don’t I always come through for you?” he bragged.

She laughed “Awesome.”

Just then, Brandon exited his room, with Marissa holding his hand, behind him.

She walked by Claire as did Brandon, making sure to give her an icey once over, as Brandon walked ahead.

Claire merely rolled her eyes, now listening to him tell her to follow ‘that guy’ to her seat.

“Good luck, baby” she kissed him.

He nodded giving her a small smile.

When Marissa was out of sight, he walked back to where Claire was standing now with the rest of the men.

“Ready?” Brandon asked.

“Time to go” the same man appeared, ardently.

“No choice now” José joked.

“Alright, I’m going to go find my seat.” Claire announced.
“Good luck all of you.” she gave a thumbs up, then disappeared behind the curtains.

She glanced at the crowd chanting over the 8,000 square foot concert hall.

“Wow” she sometimes forgot how many people actually came to see them.

Finding a large speaker just out of view from the stage but still facing it, Claire hopped onto it making that her seat for the evening.

Brandon couldn’t recall being this nervous for a performance before. He was barely able to stumble onto the stage and take his position in front of the microphone; and because of that he was thankful that all of the lights had been off as he made his entrance.

He noticed her propped up on a speaker probably 10 feet from him, ready for the show as well as the many onlookers in front of him.

The intro to quicksand commenced and immediately the cheering grew louder.

She nodded her head to the music after coming to the decision that although her and Brandon weren’t on speaking terms did not mean she still couldn’t adore his vocals and the music behind it.

They continued to play tracks from Light Grenades alongside tracks from previous albums and Claire found herself actually singing along, and enjoying herself considering the circumstances she was under.

Now finishing Drive, his sweat covered body glistening in the low red lights, as thousands of fans screamed out in the darkened venue. It was more than apparent that this man was made for the stage.

Claire wasn’t too sure what he was going to do next as she watched his fingers roll the heavy microphone into his hand before bringing it up into the air. Maybe he was going to talk to the crowd, but that wasn’t something out of the ordinary.

His lips parted and he inhaled waiting for them to settle down as he pushed some of his dampened hair back before beginning to speak.

“We’re going to try something different tonight.” He announced and they continued to scream. “Something happened today, and somehow I believe it’s made me a little more…introspective-if you will” he told them, a small hint of sardonic laughter tracing his voice. “I didn’t write this song, but two of the most inspirational people I know did, and it’s fucking awesome.”

It was when he glanced in her direction, her stomach plummeted in speculation of whether she was one of the two people he was referring to; The song he was about to sing, not even entering her mind as a cross reference.

The crowd began to cheer again in anticipation.

He looked back at Mike, who on cue began playing the chords of the single that would serve as the closing performance for tonight's show.

Brandon’s stomach now began to churn as the cheers became louder and louder causing him to feel slightly nauseous.

The familiar guitar riff caused her senses to perk up. She wasn’t quite able to put her finger on it, but it had been familiar.

We All Have A Weakness
But Some Of Ours Are Easier To Identify.
Look Me In The Eye
And Ask For Forgiveness;
We'll Make A Pact To Never Speak That Word Again
Yes You Are My Friend.

Claire immediately put a shaking hand over her mouth in disbelief. She couldn’t deny the rush she felt, the unbelievable sense of comfort at hearing his voice singing a song she helped write.
She thought back to the night that she and Mike had penned the lyrics to this particular song on the bus, never expecting it to sound this remarkable.

We All Have Something That Digs At Us,
At Least We Dig Each Other
So When Weakenss Turns My Ego Up
I Know You'll Count On The Me From Yesterday
If I Turn Into Another
Dig Me Up From Under What Is Covering
The Better Part Of Me
Sing This Song
Remind Me That We'll Always Have Each Other
When Everything Else Is Gone.

Completely amazed by the moment she took it all in. The atmosphere, the excitement, even the very smell of the Las Vegas night air was all amazing to her.

Her bright orbs were moist when she turned her focus back to Brandon, and unexpectedly she was met by his clandestine stare. Through the words, he maintained his eye contact with her for a while longer. There was something very intense, very intoxicating going on between them.

Taking in a deep breath Brandon prepared for the power-driven near ending of the track. He had to push himself to the brink of his emotions but had no reservations about it.
As much as they argued and used contemptuous words toward one another he finally saw that he had feelings for the girl.

As soon as the outro was heard, he rested both hands on top of the heavy microphone stand in front of him with his eyes cast toward the maroon rug beneath his feet.

When he finally looked up, and into her direction she was gone.

He thanked the crowd who were presently howling and whistling at their performance, and was the first one to leave the stage.

“You were perfect!” Marissa jogged behind him, her black mascara running down her cheeks.

Brandon turned around with her almost pouncing on him before getting to thank her. “I cant believe you said that in front of all those people.” she clung to him tightly.

He wondered why she was still hugging him, expecting her to be somewhat upset, but soon all his suspicions were answered. “To tell everyone that I inspire you, was the sweetest thing you could have done. I’m assuming the other person was Mike, right? And you are so cute, telling that crowd that the two of us wrote that song when you know I cant write for shit, but it's the thought that counts and i love you” she moved her head from his shoulders with a laugh and kissed him momentarily.

“…Yeah” Brandon wasn’t sure whether to correct her to let her continue to delude herself.

Finally another party intervened, saving him from the bind he was in.

“Good show” the man nodded.

“Thanks,” they gave each other a quick dap before Brandon turned back to Marissa “Look, Mar there’s something I need to handle so I’ll meet you back at the room, okay?” he kissed her on the lips to prevent her from the questions he knew would follow, then swiftly strided away.

On his way out the back of the stage, he heard Mike call to him.

“Bran, where you going so fast?”

Turning around, Brandon advanced toward him “Do me a favour, I just left Marissa back there and if I don’t come back to my room in around half an hour or so, I’ll call you. But whatever you do, keep her in that room and do not let her out.”

“Brand-” Mike sighed.

“I’m going to Claire.” he informed him, and that was all it took for Mike to oblige.

*

She had never felt so broken in her entire life as she stood there before the cheval mirror in her suite. Her face was raw from the crying she did the instant she stepped pass the front door. Unable to look at herself anymore, she put her face under the cool tap of running water.

Sensing something behind her, not to mention hearing it. She jerked her head upward, hitting the faucet on the way.

She cursed in frustration, with a hand on her head now confusedly surveying Brandon who was leaning against the bathroom door in a plain white shirt, jeans, and tousled hair.

“For Christ sake Brandon, I nearly fucking killed myself” she growled, forgetting completely that they were on the outs.

She saw a small smile tug at the corner of his lips, wanting to laugh at her but remain serious at the same time.

Claire faced the mirror tilting her head to see if she was bleeding. She was certain that she hadn’t hit her head nearly enough for blood shed to occur, but used it as an excuse not to look at him.

The air was thick in the room now. They were both afraid to speak fearing that one of them would say something wrong and ultimately be at fault for further damage of what was left of them.

She could hear him exhale quietly before finally gaining the courage to ask “That’s not a rash, is it?” his voice gently interrupted the silence.

Claire’s eyes averted from the mirror, to the basin. He watched her play with the knobs on the faucet trying to avoid his question.

“Clair-”

“What does it matter, Brandon?” she earnestly asked, still not giving him so much as a glance.

“What does it matter? Claire, it matters. I want to know what the hell is going on with you” he walked closer to her.

“I’m fine, okay. I always make it back to being…fine.”

“Turn around.”

She ignored his instruction, triggering him to repeat it again.

“Claire, turn around and look at me”

He held her arm that was supported against the marble sink and slowly rotated her to face him.

“We’re talking to each other like we’re at a boring dinner party…it’s never been like that” he remembered, thinking back to the simplest conversations they would have that could last for hours on end.

Her eyes were glued to the floor in attempt to avoid his eyes, responding “Well actually you’re doing most of the talking…”

He felt awkward standing not more than 2 inches from her after being disconnected for so long.

“All I’m asking is for you talk to me so I can understand…I’ll leave you alone if you still want me to after.”

She shook her head “It’s for your own good, Brandon. Can’t you just listen when I say that?” she raised her head looking at the ceiling stressfully.

“What’s for my own good? Not talking to you? Because honestly everything’s been a fucking mess without you and the things I’ve grown so accustomed to you doing. It‘s like, even though you’re not in the band… you are still apart of it. ”

“Brandon, please don’t get all emotional on me right now. I‘ve had my fill for the day” she sighed softly.

“We’re going to get as fucking emotional as I want to right now, you owe me that much!” He shouted out irately.

“Get out of my face” she pressed her hand against his chest in endeavour to move from before him, but his hand clamped down around her arm, keeping her in place.

“Claire, you’re not going anywhere until we settle this” he stared gravely into her eyes although at the moment, all he wanted to do was walk away and never see her again.

“Wow, I get the full name this time, No Cupcake, or CeeBee or …”

“-The biggest bitch I have ever met. How does that one fit?” He cut her off abruptly causing her to jerk back in shock.

“I hate you, you know that?” was her comeback, and for a moment he noticed her brave front falter.

“No, you don’t. You hate the fact that you can’t find the moral fibre in you to admit that you were wrong, that this is killing you as much as it’s killing me, that…”

“Brandon…” she tried to stop him unsure of where he was going with this.

“...Baby?”

She felt her stomach drop immediately. Something in his tone wasn’t the same. That simple word used by many on a regular every day basis somehow took on a whole new meaning in that moment.

“Baby, please just talk to me” his voice was a whisper as he stared into her eyes unmoving before he drew his hand up to her face where his fingers skimmed gently over her skin.

She closed her eyes at his touch, and soon could feel his forehead resting against hers.

His hand slowly moved from her cheek to stroke her bottom lip.

Claire watched his gaze drop to her lips as her own descended toward his.

She had forgotten how much taller he was than her until that moment.

Allowing her eyelashes to brush over the top of her cheekbones she let the feel of his lips sweep through her.

His lips were warm and soft against hers sending a chilling heat up and down her spine with every move, making her heart beat faster. The kiss was slow and rhythmic and she could feel him groan against her parted lips, exploring her mouth leisurely with his tongue arms. By now her arms draped over his shoulders gently. Every touch was familiar yet new. It was stimulating, hot, and erotic and if Brandon could drop everything in his life at that moment to be with her, he would instantly do it.
Her body was flat against his own with his strong hands at the small of her back, deepening the kiss. His hands ran down her back until they were down at her waist. She was too elated to figure whether to concentrate on his touches or on the soft feel of his lips alternating over her own as his hands wandered at the hem of her shirt, raising it up.

“Brandon…” she tried to move his hands, but they were now under her breasts along with her shirt. When Claire’s lips separated from his she fell short of breath.

Misreading his silence and suddenly feeling self-conscious, she backed away, and left the spacious bathroom.

It was mere seconds later that she felt his hands on her waist from behind. He rested his chin on her shoulder and whispered

“Let me see”

Feeling the pools of hot tears forming beneath her eye lids, Claire could not to move.

Brandon reallocated himself in front of her, and cautiously put his hands on both her sides watching as she kept both eyes shut tightly.

Slowly he pushed the thin fabric all the way up, stopping just below her abounding bosoms.

Brandon swallowed down the lump in his throat and took a moment to breathe.

“Claire this can’t…” as much as he wanted to believe her fable about her stomach, he knew the difference between a rash and a contusion, and this was definitely not a rash.

“Tell me who did this, Claire” he knew he must have sounded like a broken record but Brandon refused to let up until he received his answer.

He listened to her choke down a whimper before forcing her eyes to open. Claire struggled to look into his hazel orbs. It wasn’t from a lack of trying. It was from her eyes being filled with too many tears, making it hard for her to focus.

Brandon had never seen her so distraught. Instinctively, he brought her close and kissed her forehead Shushing her.
He could already feel the warm liquid from her eyes seeping through his shirt.

“Michael” she breathed into his chest.

Brandon paused unsure of what he just heard.
“Claire, Michael did this to you?“ he titled her head to stare up at him painfully through her tear blurred eyes. Her chin quivered as she stood locked in his grip.

She tried to gain some form of composure, hating the thought of crying in front of him.

“Yes.” she simply answered.

“What the fuck...” The complicated look on his face remained, compensating for the mayhem occuring inside his head.

He had always suspected Michael was not all that he was cracked up to be, but to the point of lashing out on her? No, he couldn't accept it.

“How long has he been doing this?”

She looked uncomfortable with his question, her eyes falling toward the carpeted floor once more.

“Jesus Christ, Claire! How long?!”

“A while…“

“How long is a while!”

“I don’t know Brandon! I don’t fucking know, some months, maybe a year…” Claire openly confessed

Brandon couldn’t believe what he was hearing. He couldnt fathom how a man could do something like this to woman.

He knew that his face must have been priceless at that moment and he did his best to try to hide it.

He wondered how something like this could have happened. All of their lives Claire had been the candid and feisty one letting nothing stand in her way. She was one of the most driven individuals that he had ever met. Now, here she stood, only a mere shell of what she had once been.

“It’s only been lately that he’s left marks on my skin. He’s usually really careful with bruising me, since you know how I bruise easy and all…“ She rambled in a controlled voice, that became less and less controlled as she went on.

Brandon’s thoughts were all disarrayed. It was all too much for him to take in, and instantly like a ton of bricks his mind travelled back to the night where she was expected to meet them for dinner and ran into a bunch of ’druggies’ who jumped her for money that she wouldn’t give.

He remembered her face and the discoloration of her cheeks.

His stomach sunk at the thought that this was going on the entire time right infront of him, and he didn’t do anything to help.

He could feel his own tears begin to pool in his eyes but took in a deep breathe to tame them.

Presently she had done a good job at stopping her sobbing, but as soon as Brandon whispered how sorry he was, she was suddenly crying all over again “Don’t be ridiculous, this isn’t you’re fault” she sniffled miserably.

It killed him to see her this way, trying to blink away her tears by looking up toward the ceiling. But with no prevail they continued to wash down her face “I’m acting like a fucking idiot” she tried to laugh.

Her drew her closely to him, “No you’re not.”
His nostrils were now flaring as his blood pressure began to rise higher than it already was.

Claire’s face was buried against his chest, breathing in his scent that was a mix of expensive cologne mixed in with his own chemicals. For the first time in a long time she felt safe and at ease in Brandon’s arms.

It was when she inhaled once more that the entire room shifted violently beneath her, leaving the last thing she saw before the floor rushing up to meet her was Brandon clutching her tightly and pitch darkness.

TBC! :)
- 13
- 14
- 15
You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.You need to be logged in to leave a review for this story.
Report Story

Teardrop In The Fire