Charttoppers - 26. Finale

It was homecoming time for Samson Flynn. After months of travelling around the globe, changing time zones and cities, the singer and his entourage were finally back in the United States. With all of the legs of his nearly sold out ‘Night Calls Tour’ successfully finished, the singer was ready to once again settle down at his New York home.

“Finally,” Anna sighed as the plane touched down in Chicago, where Samson had a TV appearance scheduled. After hours in the air, they were finally back on solid ground.

“What, first class not good enough for you to forget about your fear of flying?” Samson teased his friend.

“Honey, I got over the fear after the second glass of champagne, but I still can’t wait to get out and stretch my legs,” the girl replied.

“Me too,” Hank nodded, checking his small travel bag to make sure he didn’t forget anything. “First class or not, I need some fresh air and a big lunch at a nice restaurant.”

“Make that two,” Anna was quick to agree, before turning to her best friend. “You don’t seem terribly excited?”

Avoiding her gaze, Samson grabbed his stuff and started moving toward the exit along with Hank and other first-class passengers. Anna followed close behind.

“No, it’s just that I’m tired, we’ve been on the road for months,” the singer said. “I don’t know how Hank always talks me into these long tours. Next time, I swear I’m only doing like ten dates. Or maybe a Vegas residency.”

“Oh, now it’s my fault,” Hank snickered, turning around briefly.

“Well, I gotta blame someone, and you were the closest,” Samson winked at him.

The truth that he wouldn’t admit was that returning home was quite a bittersweet prospect for the singer. On one hand, he was indeed feeling fatigued from travelling and performing for so long, as the touring schedule was often grueling. He couldn’t wait to come back home to his apartment, his cat and his family.

On the other hand, being back in America only served to remind him of his ongoing feud with Melanie Roy. Few of the biggest radio stations still refused to play his music. Doing an interview with them was out of the question – as much as Hank tried to schedule one, they would not have him. It was a problem he certainly didn't have in the rest of the world, where he was more popular than ever.

Of course, his chart-obsessed fans had long ago noticed that his airplay in the USA had declined and kept pestering radio hosts on social media to play his songs. The singer knew their efforts were futile and felt bad that they were wasting their time.

“Are you texting your new BFF?” Anna teased, walking along Samson through the airport. The singer had his face buried in his phone, only occasionally glancing up to see where he was going.

“What?” he frowned, turning to Anna.

“Is that Tyler?” she asked again, pointing at his phone.

“Ugh, honey, we’re not BFFs,” Samson rolled his eyes even though Anna couldn’t see them through his dark sunglasses. “We just text once in a while. Turns out he’s pretty cool.”

Ever since their heart-to-heart talk and impromptu joint performance at Samson’s London show, the two singers stayed in touch, texting each other and even talking on the phone on occasion. Samson found the Brit genuine and friendly, and appreciated his inquisitive nature and somewhat naive view of things. Unlike many in the industry, there was nothing fake about Tyler, which the other singer found refreshing.

“And don’t worry, he’s not going to replace you. No one can do that,” he smiled at Anna, reassuring her. “I was actually texting my cat sitter. Cheops seems to be doing fine.”

“Aww, were you hoping she was going to say that he’s missing you terribly?”

“Well, would that be too much to ask? I miss him,” Samson said, opening a photo of his precious Siamese on his phone. “What about you? Are you missing your beau?”

“Austin? He’s not… We’re not even dating,” she tried to sound casual, but Samson didn’t fail to notice the faint smile on her lips whenever she would talk about the famous actor.

“But you did go out twice, and you’re still keeping in touch, right? Are you going to see him again?”

“Maybe. He’s back in New York now, so… Yeah, probably,” Anna finally admitted. “He’s… different from other guys. So charismatic and just fun to be around.”

“And super hot,” the singer winked. “I’m so happy for you, gurl! You deserve it,” he added, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her closer.

It was already half past noon when the crew checked into the hotel, hungry and tired. With Anna gone to make an urgent phone call – which Samson suspected to have something to do with her potential actor boyfriend – the singer and his manager went to the hotel restaurant, finding a private table where they were less likely to be disturbed.

Even though the food was delicious, Samson was clearly not in the best of spirits, as much as he tried to pretend otherwise. It wasn’t long before Hank spoke up, getting his attention.

“Hey, how you feelin’? I’ve never seen you so disinterested in marzipan cake before.”

“Oh, right,” the singer looked up from his plate, where he was randomly poking at a slice of his favorite dessert with a fork. “I was just thinking.”

“Let me guess – about Melanie Roy?”

“Ugh, can you blame me?” the singer let out a frustrated sigh, giving the cake an angry stab. “I’m just fed up with it, Hank. How long can she keep this up, huh?”

“It’s frustrating, I know, but I’m working something out. I don’t want to say too much yet, but you’ll see what I have in mind very soon.”

“Honey, since when are you so mysterious?” Samson looked at his friend and manager in amusement, cocking an eyebrow. Hank was usually an open book.

“I just want to surprise you, ok?” the other man shrugged, a coy smile on his lips. “You’ll see.”

Samson was thrilled when he went up to his luxurious top floor penthouse after lunch. The place was lavishly decorated with comfortable sofas, heavy golden drapes and large paintings that covered the walls. One of the corners of the main room featured a beautiful grand piano, placed next to the glass wall that provided a magnificent panoramic view of the city. The bedroom was just as stunning, with a massive king-sized bed, palms in every corner, a walk-in closet and a door leading out onto the large balcony.

Feeling tired and sated after the meal, the singer decided to take a nap. He could take that bubble bath he’d been yearning for later.

It was about an hour later that he woke up, stretching in bed before getting up to get some fresh air on the balcony. It was then that he realized there was pleasant piano music coming from the other room. Someone was playing the grand piano! Curious, he rushed over, half-expecting to see Anna fiddling with the keys, even though he knew very well she couldn’t play an instrument to save her life.

As he stepped into the main room, the familiar mop of blond hair peaked above the piano, causing him to stop and stare in disbelief. Hank stood nearby, sipping a drink and enjoying the music.

“Tyler?!” Samson stepped forward, trying to make sense of the situation. The Brit stopped playing and looked over at the other singer, a guilty smile on his face. “What… what are you doing here?”

“Hey! Surprised?”

“Uh, yeah!” Samson laughed as the blond guy got up, going in for a hug. “A nice surprise, though! I’m so glad to see you, darling. I had no idea you were in Chicago!”

“Yeah, I came a few days ago. I’m glad to see you too! Hank got in touch with me and asked me to come here.”

“Guilty,” the manager replied.

“That’s awesome! How have you been?” Samson asked. “By the way, I didn’t know you could play the piano.”

“Yeah, a bit. I mainly play the guitar, but I’ve been learning some piano on the side. It’s very relaxing, you should try it.”

“Maybe I will. So what are you doing here, anyway?”

“Well, actually, I’m here with my new manager, Alison. We’ve been looking at some property. You know, since I’ve been spending a lot of time on this side of the pond, it just makes sense that I have a place to stay. I’ve also checked out some flats in New York, but I’m still not sure which city to go for.”

“Well, you know New York is my one true love, so I’m biased. By the way, I’m so glad you have a new manager,” Samson said. “As long as that Florence bitch is gone for good!”

Tyler nodded, beaming with joy. “Yeah, she’s gone. And oh man, Alison is amazing. She’s also been managing PKS and the Runway Girls. Seriously, she and Florence are like night and day.”

“I’m so glad to hear that!”

Joined by Hank, the rivals-turned-friends moved things to the living room, planting themselves on a massive couch as soft as a cloud, catching up on everything they did since that joint performance at the O2 Arena in London.

“I’ve been meaning to ask, have you seen Stacy again? I know you talked about her back when we were in London,” Samson decided to ask, hoping it wasn’t a touchy subject.

“No,” Tyler replied, his voice getting a little quiet. “We did have a long talk over the phone after everything with Florence was finished and… Well, she’s in Manchester now, busy with college, and with my crazy schedule, I don’t know if we can make it work. I’m still not used to all of this, and I can’t ask her to wait for me.”

“I get it,” the other guy nodded with compassion. “Show business can be a bitch, especially for someone so young. But hey, we don’t have to talk about that. Let’s save the sob stories for when we’re drunk, ok?” he added, trying to lighten the mood. “So, you say Hank invited you here? Come on, then, what’s the tea?”

“Glad you asked,” the manager replied. There was a knowing smile on his face that Samson was dying to figure out. “You see, I had an idea that could be very good for your career. For both of your careers, actually,” he added, looking at both singers.

“Um, ok?” Tyler said, sounding unsure. It was clear to Samson that the Brit had no clue what this was about either.

“Ok, so… This is very out of the box, but just listen to me, please. Tyler, I hope you don’t mind that Samson told me about your stage fright problem. I mean, it’s nothing to be embarrassed about, a lot of people go through the same thing - even seasoned actors and singers.”

The Brit merely nodded, allowing Hank to continue.

“And Samson has already told you about his problems with Melanie Roy. Well, what if we could kill two birds with one stone? What if you guys teamed up and recorded an album together?”

“Uh…” at a loss for words, Samson looked at his manager, then to Tyler, who seemed equally taken aback. “What? You mean like…”

“Like a duo. Your music’s not that different, I’m sure you could find a sound that would suit you both. And it wouldn’t hurt either of you to get out of your comfort zone and experiment a bit,” Hank explained. “Think about it. I’ve seen how you two performed together in London. Tyler, you gotta admit, it’s much easier being on stage with someone else than alone, right? This way, you’d always be performing together. You could get lots of tips from Samson and get used to performing on big stages. And Samson, you have to admit, Tyler is the biggest pop star right now. He’s still fresh and everyone loves him.”

Samson glanced over, noticing how the blond guy ducked his head, his cheeks burning red.

“There is no way Melanie can afford not to play his songs on the radio. The demand is just too high. If you made music together, she would have no choice but to play them because of Tyler, as much as she wants to cancel you,” the manager finished his proposal.

“I mean…” Tyler was the first to speak. “I never thought of it like that.”

“Uh, yeah. How long were you working on this idea?” Samson asked, looking impressed.

“Well, it first occurred to me after your show in London. You seemed to work the stage well together,” Hank said. “Of course, it’s just a suggestion, and you don’t have to decide anything now. Just something to think about.”

“No, I was actually going to say it does make sense,” Samson replied. “I mean, at least in theory.”

“You really think this could work?” Tyler asked.

“To be honest, I have no idea,” the other singer laughed. “I think no one would actually expect it from either of us, so maybe it’s crazy enough that it might actually work. But I’m sure it would be tons of fun!”

“Right?! That’s what I was thinking too,” the Brit perked up. “We could rent a studio in London and record some stuff there. Or I could come to New York.”

“What do you guys say we go out tonight and talk about this some more?” Hank suggested. “First round is on me. And of course, Tyler, you should bring Alison so we can meet her. As your manager, I’m sure she’ll have some opinions on this.”

“Sure, I can do that.”

“Awesome, I’m really looking forward to this! Hank, I don’t know if I ever told you this, but you’re a genius,” Samson said, reaching out to put his arms around both men.

Nothing in life was guaranteed, that much he knew, but he also knew that he wouldn’t have made it this far in life if he had been afraid to take risks. Hank’s suggestion was definitely a big gamble at this stage of his and Tyler’s career, but it certainly made a lot of sense, and the benefits they could both reap from it were huge. The more Samson thought about the idea, the more he began to warm up to it.

As he sat at a table that night, along with Anna, Hank, Tyler and his manager Alison, the singer found himself smiling, giddy with excitement. The Brit seemed even more excited about the prospect than he had been that afternoon, and even his manager responded positively to the idea.

“We’ll definitely stay in touch to arrange everything, but if you guys are down for this, then I’ll be there to support you every step of the way,” Alison said with a warm smile on her face. “I think you’re right that no one will be expecting this. I certainly know I wasn’t.”

“Well, me neither until today,” Tyler laughed. “But I think we’re going to knock it out of the park!”

“You two will be amazing together, there’s no doubt about that,” Hank chimed in. “You’re already destroying it on your own, but together you’ll be unstoppable.”

“Don’t let it go to their heads, they’ll get all conceited,” Alison replied jokingly.

“Oh, it’s already too late for this one,” Hank smiled, gesturing at Samson, which earned him a slap on the arm from the singer.

“Well then,” Anna announced, raising her glass, with everyone following suit. “Let’s toast to the future kings of pop - to Tyler & Samson!”

“You mean Samson & Tyler,” the black-haired singer stuck his tongue out, correcting her.

“Ok, we can figure out the name later,” Tyler clinked their glasses, laughing together with the rest of the group as they all cheered to a successful partnership of the two new friends.

~~

Gentle waves lapped on the shore as the sun relentlessly shone from the clear sky, bathing everything in daylight. The private beach was empty save for a single occupant, lying on his towel in the shade of a giant green parasol. It was peaceful, with only the sound of winds, birds and water – just what he needed. Paradise.

As he lay motionless, breathing in the fresh air, Ash opened his eyes for a moment, glancing over at the empty towel to his left. He then closed his eyes again, surrendering to the bliss that was Maui. The singer couldn’t believe he had never been to the Hawaiian island before, not even for business. The place was stunning, and the private villa he had rented for Marcus and himself had everything they needed. It was the perfect getaway from everything – media frenzy, demands of the job, Cliff Sanders… Here, they were in their own little world, where no one could bother them – at least for a few weeks. It was the least that they deserved after everything they had been through.

The warm air and gentle background noises almost lulled him to sleep, but all it took was one ring of his phone to bring him back to his senses. Opening his eyes, Ash frowned and reached over for his beach bag, fishing out his cell phone.

Seeing the friendly face of his former bandmate, however, made him crack a smile.

“Hey, Jin! How are you?”

“Ash, my man! I’m good,” the guy replied loudly. Ash could hear voices in the background, recognizing them as the other 2Good members. “I’m here with the boys. We’re sorry we didn’t get the chance to call sooner, but we just wanted to check how you were doing. I mean, we saw the news and everything.”

“It’s all good. It was… uh, it was all a bit unplanned, but it happened and I’m glad it did. I didn’t want to hide who I was anymore, including from you guys. I should’ve told you sooner, but…”

“Hey, I understand. We are all with you all the way,” Jin replied, turning on the speakerphone so the other guys could talk as well.

Ash found himself genuinely smiling, enjoying the chaotic chat with his five former bandmates. Even Hyun sounded less frosty than usual – it was likely the presence of other guys that caused him to behave, but Ash still appreciated it nonetheless.

“Hey, I hope you’re thinking about what we talked about last time?” Nik asked at some point.

“Yeah, I thought about it a lot,” Ash admitted, knowing they were going to ask him about their proposition. “And I would love to come over and see you guys, so we can talk about it in person.”

“Really?!” came the shocked voice of Nik, followed by murmurs and questions from all the other guys. “You’re not playing?”

“No, I’m serious. I gotta admit, I missed you guys, and I’d love to do something together with you again. I’m not saying it’s gonna be permanent, ok? Maybe just one album for starters, and then we’ll see. Is that ok?”

“Fuck yes!”

“I knew it!”

Pulling the phone away from his ear, Ash laughed as he listened to the five guys cheer, their excitement infectious and evident even over the phone. He had a lot to offer, and his solo career was far from over, but rejoining his bandmates at that point just felt right. Being a part of a bigger unit, traveling and performing together – it was the best time of his life. Thinking back, he had so many amazing memories with 2Good, and now he had another shot at it. And if all of them wanted it, there was nothing stopping them. They had ruled the kpop scene at one point, so who’s to say they couldn’t do it again? With more experience, skill and understanding for each other, they could be stronger than ever.

It wasn’t even a minute after his talk with the guys that Ash’s phone started ringing again, causing him to groan in frustration. He had brought it in case of emergencies, but was already regretting that decision.

“Ugh, now what?” he muttered, reaching for the device. This time, it was his manager’s face on the screen.

“Ash, are you coming or what?” the voice of Paul Raines was puzzled and urgent. “Didn’t we say four o’clock?”

“Yeah, I’m afraid I won’t be able to make it,” the singer replied, suppressing a laugh.

“What? Why didn’t you say anything sooner? Should we reschedule for tomorrow?”

“How about in two weeks?” Ash said, stretching and yawning. As he did so, he noticed Marcus returning from the villa, carrying a cooler, hopefully filled with cold beer. The dancer bounced over gracefully, planting himself onto the towel and leaning over to kiss Ash on the lips.

“Who is it?” he mouthed, pointing at the phone in Ash’s hand.

“Paul,” the singer mouthed back, trying to pay attention to the conversation.

“Two weeks? Wait, where are you?” Paul asked. Even though he found the situation funny, Ash couldn’t help but feel a little guilty. Paul was a good manager, but this was something he desperately needed to do. If he had told Paul about his plans, there was no way the man would have let him fly away to Hawaii so easily.

“At the beach,” he replied matter-of-factly. Marcus leaned over again, handing him a cold beer. “Thanks, babe,” Ash whispered, letting his fingers linger on Marcus’ as their hands touched.

“What beach?!”

“Sorry, Paul, I’m losing you. The reception here is awful. I’ll talk to you in two weeks, ok? Bye!”

After hanging up, Ash made sure to put his phone on silent before shoving it back in his beach bag. No more distractions.

“What did he want?” Marcus asked, lying in a tight crimson speedo that showed off his hefty bulge. With dark sunglasses on his eyes and muscled hands tucked behind his head, he looked amazing. Ash turned over to look at him, soaking up the sight of his hot boyfriend.

“We were supposed to have a meeting about the new record label today,” he replied, his hungry eyes travelling slowly from the dancer’s head all the way down to his toes, observing every sweaty muscle on his body.

“Oh, what are you going to do about that? You’ve got some good offers,” the dancer asked, removing his sunglasses and turning to lay on the side so that he was facing Ash.

“Yeah, we still haven’t decided. If everything goes well with 2Good, maybe I’ll switch to their new label. But Platinum Street also offered me an amazing deal.”

“Tyler’s label, right?”

“Yeah, that’s what we were supposed to have a meeting about,” the singer said. “They’re offering a lot of money, and what’s even better, a lot of creative freedom.”

“Ooh, Sanders is going to be pissed,” Marcus shook his head, evidently delighted by the news.

“Well, nothing he can do about it,” the Korean shrugged. “I just know I’ll be glad never to have to see that asshole again.”

“I know! Good riddance to that trash.”

“But enough about work,” Ash said, suddenly adopting a sexy, seductive tone. Placing his beer on the ground, he rolled over to his boyfriend until they were lying side to side on the same towel, their nearly naked bodies touching. “I think we should spend our time doing something more… productive.”

“Mmm, I like the way you think,” Marcus whispered, wrapping his arms around Ash, sliding one of them to his ass and giving it a light squeeze. He used the other hand to explore Ash’s arms and back, touching every inch of his warm skin he could reach.

“Kiss me,” Ash demanded. Without waiting for a response, he leaned in and pressed his lips against his boyfriend’s, his tongue eagerly probing. Marcus promptly parted his wet, full lips, moaning as Ash’s tongue entered his mouth, pressing against his own.

The gentle caresses and friction between their grinding bodies made the singer hard in an instant. He could feel Marcus’ erection against his own, the dancer’s tiny speedo unable to conceal it. With his skillful hands, Ash made short work of their clothes, leaving them both completely naked.

After two rounds of passionate lovemaking on the beach, the two young men lay together in post-orgasmic bliss, their sweaty bodies hotter than the sun. His chest still heaving, the singer rolled off his boyfriend, but still lovingly gazed into his content face.

“That was the best one yet,” Marcus whispered, spent but satisfied.

“Yeah? Maybe it’s the change of scenery,” Ash suggested. Suddenly feeling sleepy and exhausted, he closed his eyes, placing a hand on his boyfriend’s chest, feeling his heartbeat.

“I know it’s still too early, but… Do you regret it? You know, coming out?” Marcus suddenly asked.

Ash lifted his head to look at him, cupping his face with his gentle hands and reassuring him with a sweet peck on the lips. After everything they went through, he couldn’t blame the guy for sometimes feeling insecure.

He smiled contentedly, shaking his head with absolute certainty and confidence. “Not at all.”

For him, everything was finally starting to fall into place. The media frenzy was still going on, but he knew that Marcus and he would just have to ride out the storm until it subsides. Now that he had finally come out, there was no going back, but that was fine. He felt more exposed now that everyone knew his secret, but at least he had plenty of supportive people in his corner - his family, manager, Marcus, even his bandmates. The road may have been long, difficult and messy, but the destination was all that he had dreamed of, and the future more promising than ever.

After 26 chapters, we're finally at the end of Charttoppers! I hope you had fun reading this story as much as I had fun writing it. Thank you so much for all the reactions and comments, I enjoyed reading and replying to them!
I hope to see you again in a future story!