The Dark Angels: With Wings (23 page)

He shrugged.

"Let me make sure I understand," Robin said softly. Dare looked over as Robin stated the raw boiled down truth. "You love Angel."

He sputtered a bit before choking out, "I didn't say that."

Josh grinned. "Yeah, you did. Just not in so many words." Both guys were staring at him with small smiles on their faces.

He sighed but stopped arguing.

Josh continued. "But you don't think he has feelings for you?"

"As I said before he referred to me as a "warm body" and "scratching an itch"." He said the words but failed to divorce himself from the pain the memory bought him. Darius touched the circle of hammered gold on his thumb.

Robin leaned over Josh to reach for Darius's hand. "That's beautiful.

Did Angel give you that?" Robin held his hand to examine the artisanship that went into making the piece.

Josh gently pushed blue-green hair out of Robin's face and Robin closed his eyes as he leaned into Josh's hand for a moment before he seemed to catch himself. His big pretty eyes batted open as if they had never been shut.

"Yeah," Darius finally said as Robin looked at the ring some more.

"He knew I liked it."

Robin looked at it thoughtfully. "So it was just sex?" Robin let go of his hand and slowly moved closer to Josh. "Did you go on dates?"

"Well, not...really dates." He frowned. "He did create lavish dinners for us in the villas."

"What was the mood?" Robin questioned. He and Josh both looked at Robin. "You know what I mean? Was it romantic or just good food?"

He bit his lip and shrugged as he admitted, "There were flowers and candles. He seemed to go out of his way to make the dinners perfect. You know like ordering food I love." He blushed a bit when he added, "He even had a special chocolate dessert prepared for us to share."

Josh's eyes widened. Robin smiled as he asked, "Did he kiss you with his eyes open or closed?"

"Closed. What does it matter?" He huffed in confused amusement.

Robin was still smiling and Josh was now grinning as he answered for him, "'Cause Angel doesn't kiss warm bodies."

He looked surprised. "Huh?"

Josh rolled his eyes. "Have you ever seen Angel kiss anyone?"

He thought for a minute about all the times he'd walked in on sexual events, and hell, even the last time he was with Angel while getting a blowjob from the little tartlet, Angel never once kissed him. "N-no."

Robin blurted out, "He didn't even kiss us when..." Josh bumped into him making his mouth snap shut.

Josh brought them all back to the point. "Angel doesn't kiss anyone."

Josh chuckled, "Except for you."

Dare's mouth opened and closed.

"And guys don't buy each other jewelry...especially not rings if feelings aren't involved," Robin said with confidence. Josh's head swung back to look at him then turned back to refocus on Darius.

He tried not to let the tiny kernel of hope in his heart grow. "So what are you saying?" Dare wanted it spelled out for him.

The door buzzer rang. Josh got up to deal with it and Robin went to the kitchen to check on dinner. He just sat there thinking about all the information. He set his drink down just as Dusty walked in.

Not being able to stop himself, he looked past Dusty to see if Angel followed. When the door closed, he tried not to be disappointed. He waved to Dusty as he got up to fix himself another drink.

Josh, ever the good host, got Dusty the bottle of water he requested.

Robin came out of the kitchen. He pulled Dusty into a big hug and asked, "Can you stay for dinner?"

Dusty sniffed the air and sighed. "Nah, can't. Smells great though."

Looking over at Darius, he added, "I'm having dinner with Angel."

Dare could feel all eyes lock on him. What? What was he supposed to say to that?

"My boy's messed up." Dusty anger bled into his voice. "Bad." His eyes seemed to narrow in on him. "I don't think he's been eating much since he returned from Bali."

Darius gulped down the drink.
How many had that been? Three or
four?
More than he was used to for sure. He closed his eyes for a moment trying to make himself remember it wasn't his place to worry about Angel.

"I think that's going around," Robin spoke softly as if to calm Dusty's anger.

Dusty seemed to pull himself up short before throwing out more thinly veiled accusations. "Oh yeah?" Looking at Robin, then Josh and then focusing on Darius.

Darius ignored them all as he threw back the drink not wanting to deal with more of Dusty's misplaced temper.
Yup, on the road to alcoholism.

Josh chuckled. "Most definitely. Appears Bali can really mess up a guy's digestion."

He opened his eyes to find everyone smiling in his general direction.

Dusty was nodding as he grinned at him. First anger now smiles, maybe Dusty needed medication? Ask Megan to give him 'special water'? Darius caught himself before he laughed. He must really be feeling the booze.

Robin pulled Dusty into the kitchen. "Let me get you some meatballs to go." Josh followed.

There was loud whispering in the kitchen but he couldn't make it out so he just sat there. A couple of minutes later, the guys and Dusty laden with a plastic container filled with meatballs came back into the living room.

"Oh, forks." Robin ran back into the kitchen and returned with two plastic forks, napkins, two bottles of water and a shopping bag to put it all in.

Dusty didn't argue as he took the supplies from Robin. "Thanks man."

Looking over at him, Dusty grinned. "Take care man. I'll make sure our boy eats."

Josh laughed, patting Dusty on the back. "See you man. We'll do the same."

Robin added, "Drive safely, Dusty!"

"Always."

The door closed and Robin turned around with a great big smile.

"Come on. Dinner time." Josh led the charge in setting the table by telling Dare where all the plates, cups and silverware were located. Robin got the pasta drained and rinsed. Josh set out the serving bowls for the meatballs and pasta. He reached up and got a wicker basket for the garlic bread. Josh put the salad on the table. Robin put the finishing touches on the food and pulled serving utensils out of the drawer. Dare and Josh carried everything out to the table while Robin took Dare's drink order for a soda. He brought that to the table with two big glasses of cold milk.

"Want milk instead, Dare?"

Robin must have caught him staring at the glasses of milk. Not wanting to insult them, he agreed. "Yeah. Thanks." Cold milk sounded good.

They passed around the food and filled their plates. Rather, Josh and Darius filled their plates, while Robin only had a little bit of pasta and a meatball in his plate.

Josh frowned and shook his head. "Please, Robby."

"I am not that hungry, Josh." Robin's lower lip actually pouted out.

"Please Rob-Rob, for me," Josh was pulling out the big guns to get Robin to eat. Darius agreed the guy really was a little too heroin chic.

"Rob-Rob?" The question slipped out before Dare thought about it.

Robin blushed and touched Josh's hand. "Yeah, when we were little Josh could get me to do just about anything by calling me Rob-Rob." He smiled at Josh sweetly.

Frowning, Josh said, "Too bad it doesn't work for everything." Robin's eyes went wide but said nothing. "Come on, Rob-Rob. Eat."

Robin closed his eyes in defeat and Josh added another meatball and more pasta.

He couldn't believe how adorably sweet these two were together.

Robin glared at his 'brother' but when Josh reached out to give his hand a squeeze. Robin's glare turned into a small smile and he started to eat.

"So what's the plan Robby?" Josh asked.

Robin's innocence seemed to vanish as an evil mastermind invaded him. "Dare stops lying to himself. We help him write a song. He sweeps Angel off his feet. Hot rocker boy ends up with hot rocker boy and a very happy ending for all."

He looked from one to the other as if they had lost their minds. "Huh?

You have been reading way too much of The Dark Angels Fan Fiction, you know that right?" Dare let himself smile for a moment allowing that kernel of hope to grow. "What did Dusty say?"

Robin smiled sweetly and Josh grinned like a cat over a goldfish bowl.

"Come on, spill it." Darius was trying to stay sane but the seven and sevens were catching up. He ran his fingers through his blond mop that flipped over the right side of his head. His silver earrings jingled lightly as he waited impatiently for them to come clean.

Robin's eyes sparkled. "Let's just say you are not the only one..." He stopped looking for the right phrase.

"Fucked up," Josh supplied the words.

Smiling at Josh, then at him, Robin exclaimed, "Exactly!"

He was shaking his head trying to make his alcohol soaked brain think clearly. "But..."

"But, nothing. Angel is just as screwed up as you are and for the same reason." Robin spoke slowly as if he knew he was having trouble processing.

"You are going to write a song and sing it to him at the show. You are going to do the 'Grand Gesture' and prove your feelings for him."

"But..."

"You love him," Robin said.

He inhaled and exhaled slowly. He shrugged. "Yeah." Of course he did.

"You want him." Josh stated it as a fact.

"Yes." More than anything in the world.

Robin cut to the conclusion. "Then nothing else matters, right?"

Darius looked from one to the other. But he still didn't know how to do any of it. "Thank you. But now what?"

May be it was the alcohol but Robin's eyes seemed to sparkle at him.

"We plot."

"Plot?" He asked trying to wrap his head around the entire evening.

Josh's laugh barked out.

"Okay. Since you drank you can't drive tonight anyway, you can stay and we can start on the song right away. We don't have another practice until the day of the show. So we have plenty of time."

Josh smiled at Robin then turned to arch an eyebrow at Darius.

"Okay." Smiling for the first time in forever, he added, "I may have a couple songs that might work if you guys are willing to help..."

∗ ∗ ∗

Darius didn't see Angel until the day of the show. At the sound-check and rehearsal, he made a couple of half-hearted attempts to speak with him but lacked the follow through necessary for an actual conversation. He couldn't figure out an opening.

The show was awkward and stilted. The fans were simply confused.

On stage, Angel was stiff around Darius. Dusty tried to catch Angel's eye a number of times but Dare saw Angel purposefully not looking up at the drummer. He had even gone so far as to change their set list taking off any song where they interacted. The fans were going to throw a hissy fit if the show ended in this bizarre manner. This was not The Dark Angels they had paid good money to see. This was a train wreck.

The show was painfully drawing to a close. Angel belted out
Anthem
of Heartbreak
with even more feeling than usual. Before he sang the first notes, Dare could see tears were leaking down Angel's face. Angel's voice jagged with hurt. It might have been his imagination but Angel didn't have to dig to find his pain. It was right there on the surface for all to see.

At the end of the song, Angel crumpled to the floor with his peacock colored wings behind him. As planned the lights stayed on longer than usual and Angel being the professional he was, froze in the spotlight waiting for them to go off so he could exit. But that didn't happen, another spotlight came on.

In a shaky voice, Darius began to sing out the words of the song that he had written and Robin helped him polish. Josh was playing one of the stringed instruments from Bali. The song was called
With Wings
. The first few lines were about a lost love and a desperate need to recapture it.

The pain of over

Is ripping me apart

We are done before we've had our start

The rain of tears were falling

Before you even knew my heart

His voice grew stronger as he felt the words that he had written for Angel course through him.

I was los

You found me there

You gave me something

I hoped you really cared

But you left like there was nothing to it

You left before you really knew it

The crowd inhaled quietly. He bent to enfold Angel in his arms as words of love, his love, his need and desire were belted out. His voice now strong was filled with conviction.

I can't see your smile

And not want to be the reaso

I can't see your lip

And not want to kiss them

It should be no surprise