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Robert was on humming the song ’’The Girl I Love She Got Long Black Wavy Hair’’ and reading a music magazine while the band was waiting for the stage to be ready. Jonesy walked past him and nudged on his foot.‘’You’re doing it again, Percy.’’ He said placidly and rolled his eyes. Robert looked up from his magazine dumb-founded and it took him a second to realize what he had done. The song was embedded in his sub-consciousness and sometimes came out without him even realizing. After a couple of years the rest of the band had gotten used to it, they just had to pull his head down from the clouds.‘’Sorry, mate’’ Robert said after him and went back to his magazine. From the corner of his eye he could see Jimmy entering the backstage room and open a bottle of Jack Daniel’s. He would often drink half a bottle before a gig, just one of his rituals.‘’Black wavy hair…’’ Robert whispered to himself as Jimmy took a big gulp of the whiskey and then ran a hand through his hair. Yes, it had taken some time for Robert to admit to himself that in fact, the only reason he liked the song so much was the other man’s set of dark locks, not quite black but close enough for Robert to make the connection.‘’Percy, what’re you thinking?’’ Jimmy slopped down next to him on the sofa. Robert folded his magazine and held his hand out for Jimmy to give him a turn on the bottle.‘’Nothing,’’ Robert said and took a sip. ‘’God, this is horrendous.’’ He wasn’t really a whiskey-guy.Jimmy gave him a smirk and took the bottle back. Robert could feel himself putting on a slight shade of pink, but managed to shake it off.‘’Hey,’’ Jimmy said after a while of comfortable silence. ‘’Let’s have a good time, ey, Percy?’’Robert smiled at him and nodded. Just a few more minutes and they would go on stage and it would be total freedom from everything else. Just them four, total relaxation. ***‘’The girl I love,’’ Robert sang as he was preparing two cups of tea in the kitchen of the hotel the band was staying at. ‘’She got long black wavy hair…’’As he turned around away from the counter, Jimmy, who was leaning against the doorframe to the kitchen, startled him. ‘’You’re doing it again.’’Robert levelled himself back on his feet and checked if he had spilled any of the tea. ‘’You goose scared me!’’ He said angry, but as Jimmy chuckled at him, he smiled back.‘’I like it,’’ Jimmy said smiling. ‘’The song.’’Robert felt his heart pound and decided to rush past the man into the other room. He placed the cups on a small table and rubbed his face to get rid of the pink hue on it. Jimmy followed him silently and sat down to take one of the cups.‘’What year was it that we played that?’’ Jimmy asked after a few minutes of stirring his cup. Robert looked at him questioningly. ‘’That song you always hum or sing.’’‘’Oh,’’ Robert said and took a sip from his own cup. ‘’Maybe around -69?’’Jimmy’s face lighted up. ‘’Oh yeah, at BBC.’’ He set his cup down on the table. ‘’Have we played that anywhere else? We should play it.’’Robert couldn’t hold back a smile. ‘’Yeah, maybe we should…’’Jimmy smiled at him again and it forced Robert to look into his cup trying to avoid the ever-present blushing. This was becoming a problem and he could sense that Jimmy was taking note of it as well. It’s not like Robert hadn’t always liked the way Jimmy looked at him or how he would have his own little inside jokes with him, but recently Robert had had a hard time being with the man. Always that they were in the same room, it just felt so hot and uncomfortable. His heart would start to pound and he felt as if everything he did made him embarrassed.‘’Hey,’’ Robert was snapped out from his thoughts. ‘’Goldilocks, you here?’’ Jimmy waved a hand before his face. Robert blinked a couple times before putting his now empty cup next to Jimmy’s.‘’What were you thinking?’’ Jimmy asked and leaned back in his chair. ‘’You always vanish into your mind. That dead stare creeps me out, mate.’’ Jimmy gave a slight chuckle.Robert rubbed his eye. ‘’Uh, nothing.’’ He could see Jimmy look at him still waiting for an answer. ‘’Really, nothing.’’ Robert said again with a laugh. Just at that moment, when Jimmy was about to protest, Jonesy and Bonzo bashed into the hotel room. Perfect timing, in Robert’s mind at least. ***The eccentric way that the band performed was certainly one of their biggest reasons they were so popular. The way Bonzo would almost manically beat his drums and how Jonesy had his own little space where he played the unique basslines, to how Jimmy glistened in the spotlight and played his solos while also jumping and dancing. The centre of attention was still the singer. Robert would immerse himself into the music; share a complete connection with Jimmy’s guitar and his own vocals. The chemistry between them was unbelievable.On stage, Robert’s mind was clear. Clear of all the confusion and embarrassment. He could just sing and scream his emotions out. But even then, he had a small feeling on the back of his head when Jimmy would look at him, all sweaty and his hair dripping. How his eyes were all hazy. After the gigs he would still have the image in his mind and it made him feel weak. ‘’Blaaaaaaaack wavy hair…’’ Robert heard as he walked into the backstage after the gig. Jonesy and Bonzo had already disappeared to somewhere, maybe to see the eager fangirls outside. ‘’That I declare…’’Jimmy stopped on his tracks as he noticed the other man smirking at him. ‘’Per-‘’‘’Now you’re doing it.’’ Robert muted the man. ‘’You bastard.’’ He smiled wide.‘’Well, after hearing you chant the song like a prayer all the time,’’ Jimmy defended himself but couldn’t keep a straight face as the other man approached him. ‘’It’s like an earworm.’’‘’Oh yeah?’’ Robert got closer and chuckled. They were almost touching, both not really knowing what was happening.‘’It’s a catchy song…’’ Jimmy said more quietly as he felt a wall hit his back. Robert looked him straight in the eyes, getting almost lost in there. ‘’Percy…’’‘’I like the song because of you.’’ Robert said, again stopping Jimmy from continuing. ‘’Because I’m in love with a man with long black, or more like dark, wavy hair.’’Jimmy was completely unable to form even the slightest sound. He felt Robert’s fingers trace his jawline and then his lips. ‘’I’m in love with you.’’ Robert said again and moved even closer. The room felt unbearably hot. Slowly, Robert moved in and kissed Jimmy feeling his heart set free of the constant choke.As they broke apart, Jimmy followed Robert’s lips as if he depended on them. They settled and looked each other in the eyes.‘’That took you long enough.’’ Jimmy said and smiled mockingly, making Robert laugh and flash a smile.‘’Yeah…’’
