“That's true.” Reno smiled. “I’ve always been in love with music; it’s hard for a person to come before that.”
Jaewon’s expression grew tired. “You could split your attention like a sane person. The rest of us date like real-life adults instead of just fucking their friends and making up fantasies about men they’ve met once.”
“Oh yeah, how’s Max doing?” Reno smirked as he watched Jaewon bristle and bite his lip ring. “She know about your double life yet?”
“No.” Jaewon scowled and tied off the next braid. “And it will stay that way. Maxine doesn’t need to deal with the fans and my crazy fucking life.”
“But, she likes you, likes you,” Reno teased. “Come on, you can’t seriously expect a smart girl like that to think you’re in college overseas or whatever you said. Your schedule doesn’t lineup with the school year. What medical student has piercings and tattoos like you?”
“Plenty, it’s not the nineties anymore,” Jaewon snapped back. “You’re going to blow it for me, aren’t you?”
“Hm…" Reno let his smile fall and gave Jaewon a serious look. “No. You’ll do that yourself if you keep lying to her.”
Jaewon let his head tilt back against the bus wall with a sigh. “I know. Don’t get me wrong, I wouldn’t trade my life for anything, but I don’t want to subject anyone to having to deal with all this, too.”
Reno sat with that, thinking about Luka. He thought about the posts online, calling him awful things, and how he’d already been filmed once without his consent. He knew the more Luka was spotted in the same areas as Reno, the more it would escalate.
“I’m probably going to tell her when we get back.” Jaewon had a distant look in his dark-brown eyes. “Maybe on our break before the next tour leg. I can tell her, then leave for a few weeks.”
“Coward.” Reno nudged him, shoulder to shoulder. “Don’t drop a bomb then run.”
Jaewon didn’t respond, still looking lost in thought, and Reno decided not to tease him anymore.
The bus pulled off the highway and downtown Columbus loomed over and around them. The concert venue wasn’t far off the highway, so Reno busied himself touching up the makeup on his neck and changing into his outfit for the show. He’d finish his hair and makeup in the venue’s greenroom before warming up and taking photos for the night.
Jonathan parked the bus out back and was first out the doors, groaning while stretching. Once everyone else was off, he tossed the keys to Kandi and said he was going to crash at the motel. He waved goodbye before walking off.
The air smelled wet, like it had recently rained, and Reno was grateful he’d remembered to throw his coat on before leaving the bus. He was cold most of the time, and even in late April, the Ohio air was uncomfortable for him. He had to rub his hands together to warm up his fingers, as he couldn’t afford to have stiff joints.
They went inside before the few people already waiting in line could bother them too much, Cane holding the backstage door open for them and their bags and instruments. The roadies pulled up in their van right before Reno stepped inside and Cane closed the door. The venue wasn’t anything unusual, but Reno liked American venues. They always had more space backstage than their European counterparts.
“Hey!” The members of Hearts n Hell were already in the greenroom, sprawled out with some sheets of paper scattered between them, scribbled tabs filling the pages. Christoph practically leapt up off the couch to pull Reno into a hug before Reno had the chance to put his bag and guitar down.
“How was the drive?”
Reno detached himself from Christoph and patted his shoulder. “Uneventful. Surprised you beat us.” Reno brushed by him and dropped his bag onto the counter in front of the mirror, then set his guitar to the side. Arnaud joined him, pulling a stool over to sit on before opening his own bag and getting his cosmetics out. Reno wished their stylists got to join them on the overseas tours.
Maja, the drummer for Hearts n Hell, already had her hands in Jaewon’s hair, admiring his braids. The band’s bassist, Angel, stayed sprawled out on the ground where Reno had found them while they penciled in a few more tab lines on the page before plucking the notes out on the bass.
“Where’s Ina?” Jaewon asked Maja.
“She’s out back smoking by the bus,” she said. “Will you braid my hair too?”
Jaewon relented and had her sit on the ground so he could sit behind her on one of the few stools in the greenroom. She immediately dove into her theories from the latest episode of whatever drama show Jaewon had roped her and Arnaud into.
Reno tuned them all out and focused on getting his contacts in and carefully applying his makeup for the night. He went with all black, opting for a darker look to match his more modest outfit for the evening. The black makeup fading under his jaw and down his neck would help hide any hickeys that might show at least. Arnaud gave him an approving look then asked Reno to do the same to him.
Reno loved it when they matched. He carefully painted stage makeup along Arnaud’s jawline and blended it down his neck. It looked even nicer on him with his black throat tattoos peeking out from where the makeup ended. When he finished, he pressed his lips to Arnaud’s jawline and got shoved away for it.
“You’re not helping the rumor mill.” Arnaud brandished a makeup brush at him.
“It keeps the fans happy.” Reno pouted as Arnaud flicked setting powder at him.
“There are no fans down here,” Arnaud argued.
“Yes, there are!” Christoph said from across the room, flashing them both a charming smile.
Reno giggled, “See, keeping the fans happy. Just look how he smiles.” He brushed the setting powder from his outfit, ignored Arnaud’s heavy look, and finished his face with a setting spray.
