Chapter Text
There was barely enough light from the setting sun and the street lamps to guide the teen pair back to The Lotus. By the time they dismounted outside, night had well and truly fallen, and the nightlife was waking up, blinking open neon eye logos over them. Dulled music thumped like a heartbeat through the walls, booming deep in Kinessa’s chest. The bouncer outside the front door didn’t seem to be as affected by it though, only raising an eyebrow at the sight of Kinessa and Cassie rocking up at the joint. “Scram. Don’t kids like you have a curfew?”
Kinessa rolled her eyes and pulled out her ID. “Just because we look young doesn’t mean we are, man.” She griped, even though they actually were.
The fake licenses from her and Cassie were enough to fool him, even as he scraped a thumbnail over Kinessa’s photo, testing if it’ll peel. Just because they were forgeries doesn’t mean they were shoddy forgeries.
“Hm.” The bouncer said, then finally handed their photo ID’s back. “Alright, ‘Kinessa’ and ‘Cassie’,” he rapped the door three times. “Stay out of trouble.”
Kinessa mocked saluted as she brushed past him, Cassie following closely behind. They seemed to have arrived just in time to see Tyra and Buck setting up equipment with the help of some stagehands, probably some of Jenos’ hires. Buck waved when he spotted them.
“Hey guys! How’d it go with Viv?”
“The fact that she’s not behind us should tell you everything about that.” Kinessa said with a frown.
“Oh.”
Oh god, it was like taking a bone away from a puppy then locking him outside for good measure. “Vik was a bust too.”
“Wait,” Tyra said, in surprise. “You guys managed to find-?”
“We found him alright, but we couldn’t get him to come. We’re sorry.”
Tyra leapt down from the stage and laid a hand on both Kinessa’s and Cassie’s shoulders. “Look. You tried. You fought hard, journeyed far, braved miles for your quest. Even if it wasn’t successful, it’s best I can ask of anyone. Odin would’ve been proud. Thank you for trying.” She patted reassuringly and jerked her head back. “Besides, I had a feeling it was only gonna be me and Buck tonight so I found us a drummer. We don’t need a keyboardist for now.”
The person behind her, the one frowning at the cymbals like they were particularly hard math problems, looked familiar to Kinessa. She thought she had seen that same mohawk standing out from the sea of school kids at her high school. “Drake?”
“One of my students I teach at my store. Kinda wet around the ears, but he was best I could find in a short notice.”
So the show wasn’t a bust after all. Relief flooded through Kinessa. She came dangerously close to sniffling in joy while Cassie was already there. Luckily, Tyra pulled them into a hug, and said,
“Don’t worry about the others. Just kick back and enjoy tonight, okay?”
Kinessa nodded against the crook of Tyra’s neck. When Tyra pulled back, there was a grin on her striped face. “I also took the liberty to call your father for tonight. Go find him, yeah?”
Kinessa nodded again, and after grabbing Cassie’s hand, went to find Strix. It was a good thing she did because the throng of the crowd was thick, and becoming thicker still with every minute passed.
“Wow, there’s a lot of people here.” Cassie gushed out once they moved into a small pocket of quietness. “Are they all former fans?”
Some looked old enough, sure, around Tyra and Buck and Strix’s age, but there were a lot of younger faces too. “Maybe?” Kinessa replied, then she was distracted by the sight of her pa sitting at one of the tables, a glass of water (or vodka, hey, she ain’t gonna judge) in front of him.
When she was close enough, Strix flashed the slightest of smiles, half-hidden in the dark. “So this is what you’ve both been up to.” He said, without a trace of chastisement, thank god.
“Happy anniversary, pa.” She said.
“Thank you Nessie.”
Embarrassing nickname aside, at least her dad didn’t look like he was 10 seconds away from grounding Kinessa for riding around town and annoying his friends, or finding a way into The Lotus while being underage.
“Though,” he continued. “We’ll talk later about how you managed to get in here with a fake ID. I know you have one kid. You too Cassie.”
Never mind. She grimaced.
“Not now though. I am grateful for tonight. Was honestly only going to have some drinks to celebrate. Reminisce maybe.”
A crash from the stage distracted Strix. Kinessa turned just in time to see Drake hurriedly trying to pull back one of the drums that had fallen over. Buck scrambled to help him, then gave a reassuring thumbs up to the crowd.
“...just how new is the drummer again?” Kinessa said.
“Judging by the fact that they put the drum back upside-down, probably started lessons this week.” Pa said.
Kinessa sunk down in her chair in despair at the same time of Cassie’s facepalm. “Oh no.”
She had no time for another sarcastic comment before the lights dimmed. A hush fell over the audience as all attention was brought to the spotlight illuminating Tyra and Buck, holding their bass and guitar expectantly. Her red paint was stark against her pale face, while Buck opted for an open shirt and torn jeans. Drake remained out of the stage lights, but his hand sign of the horns was still noticeable against the darkened backdrop.
Tyra snapped her fingers near the mic, then rested her hand onto it as she spoke into it. “How are all doing tonight?”
A small cheer rose up. Tyra grinned and stepped back, readying her guitar. The mic stand gave way, landing on the stage with a screech. The room cringed as one as Kinessa clasped her ears. Tyra’s smile took a more strained stretch as Buck winced. A stage hand quickly fixed the stand as more shadows moved in the backstage around Drake and the drums - probably more stage people messing with the microphone leads and trying to stop the feedback noise.
“Sorry about that.” Tyra said when the mic was fixed in its place. “I consider myself a metal fan, but not of those kind of screeches.” That earned her a few laughs. “Anyways, we’re three fifths of The Sentinels, the other two took holiday leave, and they’re also not answering our calls.”
More laughs, but Kinessa still felt the sting of regret. She squashed it down as best she could and tried to focus on Tyra. “But thank you all for coming tonight. We hope you enjoy the show. Hit it!”
Drake hit his drumsticks together, one two three four, then Buck introduced a flourish of guitar rhythms. Tyra joined in with a steady bass that sent notes directly to Kinessa’s core. It was a song that Kinessa heard on the shop’s speakers, but it’s only here and now, listening it come to life with the energy from the band and the crowd, and watching Strix mouth the words along, that it was one of their songs. Maybe even one of the early ones. The floor reverberated from the jumping of the audience, Cassie joining them with a whoop.
Kinessa gave a low whistle. “Wrong about Drake being new. He’s drumming like an old timer.”
Strix gave an agreeing hum, but there was a frown on his face too. “Yes. A little too well. Tyra said he has trouble making his fills interesting.” He said as he watched Drake finish a fill with relish. “Didn’t he also have a mohawk?”
Now that Strix mentioned it, when did he change his hairstyle. Kinessa squinted harder.
“Yeah, still got that.” Someone said next to them.
Kinessa whipped around in surprise, watching as Drake knocked back a soda. Confused noises left Kinessa’s mouth in stops and starts, her hands flying as they pointed to him, to the stage, back to him, and so on and so such until she could finally form words again.
“Drake?!? I thought you were performing tonight!”
“Me too, until an old dude, tapped me on the shoulder and said he’d take it from here. I said piss off, then he offered me five bucks.” Drake said, taking another sip. “To be honest, I let him because I was only taught the songs just today. Tyra promised free sessions if I came along so,” He shrugged. “She didn’t say anything about playing. As far as I’m concerned, I earned those.”
During a drum solo, Tyra tore the mic from the stand and pranced to the drum set, setting the limelight on-
“Viktor!?” Kinessa and Cassie exclaimed.
“Vitya...” Strix breathed out, sitting up.
Vik was still in his work shirt and dorky as hell dinosaur tie, but untied, as if he had quickly pulled it out of its knot as he jumped into his car to get to the gig in time. His librarian outfit stuck out like a sore thumb next to Tyra’s warpaint and Buck’s leather jacket, but his smile was the matching band uniform. His smile only grew wider when his eyes swept over Kinessa’s group.
Tyra’s look of astonishment morphed into joy, and she fell back into the beat of the song by stepping up on the more sturdier drums on the floor and jumping off in time with her bass note change. Kinessa leapt up and threw an arm around Cassie. “He’s here! He really came!” She said.
Cassie turned to her, her eyes shining in the dark. “I know! I know!” Viktor listened and came and was rocking. So Kinessa raised her hand in a horn sign and swayed in time with Cassie as the band went into their next song.
—-
The clock was nearing 12 when the Sentinels finally finished their last set. Kinessa screamed herself hoarse while Cassie’s flyaway strands from her braid stuck to her forehead by sweat. As Tyra shouted out her thanks and goodnights, Strix made a beeline for the stage. Kinessa elbowed Cassie and pointed where Strix was hurrying, then Cassie nodded. They followed him through the curtains to the backstage, the dark swaths of velvet blanketing their steps. Eventually, light emerged from a slit, and Kinessa slowed, peering through it, with Cassie just over her shoulder.
Strix had his back to them, talking in a low voice, so low that Kinessa couldn’t pick up any words, but Viktor’s face was achingly soft and open, all his attention on Strix. They were close to each other, enough to occasionally brush hands during their conversation, and then their hands did touch, with Strix’s other hand rising to cup Viktor’s cheek, and Strix was leaning down, Viktor was tilting his head up-
They came close for a few moments, then parted, but Kinessa didn’t need feel Cassie’s frantic nudging or see Viktor’s blinding smile to know what happened. Kinessa couldn’t stop the wide grin on her face if she tried.
Tyra and Buck then appeared, breathless and smiling, with Tyra throwing an arm around Strix while Buck caught Vik in a bear hug. Viktor laughed and turned it into a noogie. Kinessa chose that moment to emerge from the sea of curtains, hugging her pa. “Happy anniversary guys.”
Cassie was staring starry-eyed at Viktor. “You were incredible on stage.”
Viktor scratched the back of his head, all embarrassed. “Considering that I haven’t touched the drums in...years, I think I did pretty ok.”
“You rocked, more like!” Kinessa said with a light punch to Viktor’s arm. “Those bass comps? Classic.”
Viktor looked over at Strix meaningfully. “Well, after playing with someone else’s bass for a while, it becomes second nature.”
Kinessa made a strained face. Look, for all that openness she preached earlier, it was still a little weird to see her dad make eyes at someone, especially when that person’s a librarian.
“I’m just surprised that so many people showed up.” Viktor continued.
Tyra gave a toothy smile. “Mostly word of mouth – I told some of my regulars about the show, they told their friends, and they told their friends, until it was a full house. You know how people flock to a free show.”
“I just thought that no-one would show up in the first place.” Viktor said, somewhat sheepishly. “Especially you guys.”
“Thank you for believing in us anyway Viktor.” Cassie said.
“Yes,” Strix added. “Thank you.”
Viktor blushed some more.
Tyra thumped both Viktor and Buck’s shoulders. “So let’s celebrate! Drinks on me. And no,” Tyra pointed to Cassie and Kinessa. “I’m not buying either of you alcohol.”
Damn. Not that she was gonna drink in front of her dad, but whatever. She can still settle for soda, and for this; with Tyra and Buck rough-housing each other, with Strix and Viktor exchanging soft looks, and Cassie starring in awe at them all as they went back to the tables.
Later, at the very end of her summer break, she would say that while it was fun, the rest of it didn’t quite live up to the thrill of tonight. Instead, it would be filled with more time in the library to know Viktor better (yeah, nerdy as hell, she knows), with camping but with her friends including the newly acquainted Drake, with movie nights and pool days and shopping with Cassie, and sleepovers at Cassie’s place, just to give her pa and Viktor some privacy during their own date nights. Yeah, gay rights and everything.
For now, in this moment, she’s going to listen to tales of the band back during their golden days while sipping her non-alcoholic drink, hold Cassie’s hand under the table, and think how to make the next year’s anniversary even better.