Starlight Is Fading.

Alastar Haggard and Indigo are room mates, friends, and fellow musicians. What they share is deep, but when Marley, their drummer, isn't calling Ala back, things get a little deeper than he wanted.

The ringing on the phone made the raven-haired werewolf sigh, and he frowned as Marley ignored his phone calls... /again./ She always did this when he was trying to actually talk to her. Sure, they were only friends, but f**k, she drove him nuts when this happened. Rubbing his temples, Alastar looked outside the rainy window, and he hoped that the half-witch wasn't in trouble. He smiled slightly toward the fish tank in his room, then shook his head side to side. The bruises and cuts on his arms were from the last break-in they'd one to set a few slaves free, and Marley had ended up bloody; she was supposed to be coming over after she got out of the hospital, and Ala was more worried by the minute. He often worried like this over many people, but Marley was someone he was incredibly close to, even if they didn't exactly hit it off so well. At least she understood he was a man of few words and a lot of music. He smiled as he brushed off his record player gently.

Ala glanced over as Indigo groggily looked up at him from under those blankets, and a smile pulled from Ala's lips. "Morning to you too."

"Mmmm... f**k off." Indigo growled a bit under his breath and covered himself back up, not wanting to see the light of the fish tank glare out. Looking at the lovely fish always made Alastar smile, and he wanted nothing more than to be happy. Petting Indie's now bare back, he stroked his fingers down that spine he knew better than his own hand. Ala wasn't often the submissive, though he didn't look like a dominant person unless you knew his rebel side. Looking over the scars and tattoos that laced Indie's back, he frowned. He knew that Indie had once been a slave, and was often beaten for disobedience, so these scars weren't unexpected, but it always hurt poor Ala's heart to know that Indie was used almost the same way he was in his earlier years. Of course, Indie hadn't been beaten to the point of death eight times, but still.

Ala could still smell and taste the dirt, the lack of water, and minerals that coated his deep weather-resitiant fur like a plague. Ala had to take a deep breath to shake away his memories, and looked at Indie's tramp stamp tattoo on his lower back. It said "Unbroken." But the way that Ala looked over at Indie's sleeping face, one could mistake it for the emotion called love. He wasn't so much into emotions, that Ala, but he wouldn't push away the younger man. Indie often had nightmares, and Ala was the only person Indie felt he could trust about their contents.

Indie's eyes snapped open as he saw the older man watching him, and he pulled the blanket down before he sat up. His eyes were dark and curious; "What's the matter?" he asked, then yawned widely, revealing his fangs in the mere stretch. Groggily, he scooted back and covered his nude lower half with the large soft blanket, sleep in his orbs. Ala pulled his hand back and set it in his lap, a sigh on his lips. 

"I'm just... I dunno, In. I tried to see if Marley was okay, but she won't pick up again."

"Oh, like usual?" Indie chuckled out, pulling his knees to his chest and wrapping his arms around them. The lack of amusement in those orbs was always a signal that Indie wasn't awake yet. 

"Yeah, I guess you could say that," Ala said as he looked away to the fish tank that was his only source of light in his bedroom. The old record player in his room played music from Ala's silver iPod, and he could hear something in German being sung. "I just wish that she'd answer my calls." 

"... Why's it matter so much? She's got a life, too, you know." Indie rubbed his eyes, then moved to grab his cell phone on the nightstand. His back was sore, but at least Ala had a soft bed. "I'll call her for you, okay? Smile a bit, man."

Ala frowned and bit his lip, then nodded as he got up to change the song, not really sure he wanted t hear his father's choice of music at the moment. Then again, he had so much music on his iPod, it had to be on there /somewhere/. He didn't like the sound when he was upset, and Indie shot his roomie a glance. Why the older male seemed to worry over that girl was above Indigo, but he wouldn't complain. Ala was a strange person, and even stranger in the bedroom. "Hey..." Indie started before hitting the call button, "thanks for last night." He spoke softly, bashfulness in Indie's gaze. Ala smiled slightly and nodded.

"I'm here anytime you need me. Just don't knock my guitar off the wall next time you rush in here again. That thing cost more than you." Ala couldn't help a chuckle now, sitting next to the younger male, that raen hair all messy. Ala's own wasn't, so it was clear that Ala hadn't slept yet. He just didn't have the normal clock in him like his friend and somewhat-boyfriend. 

"Yeah... about that. Totally forgot you put it by the door recently. It still hurts where it hit me on the head."

"Exactly. B. C. Rich doesn't make guitars to look pretty. My mockingbird is my baby, man." That was the key; Ala loved music, and that was all it took to get the silent raven to open up. 

"I love it and all, but I prefer mine. What's your new riff ideas?" 

"... Just call Marley." Ala's gaze dropped, and the smile faded. Something was on his mind if he ever pushed off music talk. Ala stood and moved to go to the bedroom door, stepping out as he tried to hold back the tears of worry that ate at him so deeply. This was one reason he hate being a rebel; when it came time to help people, Ala hated seeing people in pain. Those masters were almost always cruel and sickening. Once in the kitchen, he splashed water on his face, trying to wash away the hot tears that hit him like a bullet. Gripping the stainless steel of the sink, he took a deep breath before singing softly to himself to calm back down. /"Don't cry, you're safe tonight, cuz I'll be by your side in the moonlight. Don't cry, you're safe tonight, with all these shootin' stars in your eyesight. Well... sleep tight, I'll tuck you in to dream all night."/ His voice cracked as he gripped the sink harder, feeling it starting to warp slightly under his grip, /"Tomorrow morning's light will.... shine so bright. Because it's not the end of a tender romance, it's just the end of a lonely girl. It's just no smile, sweetheart don't cry... It's your song, your Dreadful Lullaby./" At this point, Ala merely dropped his head, letting the hot tears fall freely. 

Indie hung up with Marley, and had paused in the kitchen doorway, hearing Ala's voice. He could hear the cracks, the emotion running through, and Indigo swallowed hard. What did he say to someone like Ala, who most of the time didn't reveal his emotions? Seeing Ala crying was just... Indie didn't want to imagine he was seeing this. Pulling his jeans up more, he fixed his belt before walking over the kitchen counter, leaning against it near Alastar. Indie could tell he was upset, but he didn't know what to say.

Silence passed, and the only noise he heard was Ala trying to restrain his quiet sobs. Indie knew that Ala was a person with a certain love of things, and the fact that he was watching this rebel break down... he didn't know what to think. Taking a chance, he slid his hand over to Ala's, settling his hand over the older man's, wanting to at least give the werewolf some comfort. "She's okay," Indie said softly, "she just doesn't like talking to you on the phone when she's driving." 

Ala took a deep breath, his eyes staring downward at the water in the sink. He shook his head back and forth for a moment, then nodded at Indie. He finally let go of the sink, his fingers red from the pressure he'd exerted. Peregrine and Ala were the watchers when the rebel activities happened, and the fact that Ala was strong as f**k was one reason why Virgil always had the werewolf on the front lines. Plus, Ala wasn't a bad fighter. Indie was better at hacking and lock picking, but he wouldn't disagree with Virgil's choices. Looking down at the marble design on the counter, they both let silence envelop them for a long while, Ala's sobs finally stopping. This kind of moment was rare, and Indie figured it was better not to ask what was wrong. Ala had his reasons, and the idea of losing someone close to him probably scared the wolf to death. It didn't worry Indie as much, albeit he would also be affected in the long term. Indie's nightmares centered around his mistress, and he stroked his thumb over Ala's hand gently, hoping to ease the older raven somehow. The older man glanced over finally, and Indie smiled fondly.

"You're a good man, River."

"No; if I was, I'd be holding you right now." 

The two averted their gazes for a moment, then Ala stepped away. "I'm gonna go work at the violin."

"Alright... I love you." Indigo watched the older man, frowning. Ala stopped, looking over his shoulder for a brief moment.

"I know." With that Haggard half-smile, half-smirk, he retreated to the portion of their flat that they used for recording.

Author's Note

The song used above in this is the lyrics for "The Dreadful Lullaby" by Snow White's Poison Bite. They own it, not me. The characters, however, are mine. Their respective play-bys for the roleplay they are in is Jeremy Ferguson as Alastar Haggard, and Jake Pitts for the down-to-earth Indigo.