Chapter Text
``What do you do with a loving feeling
If the loving feeling makes you all alone?``
Ritz quietly shuffles his papers around, trying to find the one containing his questions for his interview tomorrow. He needs to memorize them. Swiftly, he glances at his computer screen, at the photo of the pop stars he’s going to see tomorrow.
Despite working at The Bop on Top, and mostly dealing with (rather snobby) famous pop singers, Ritz isn’t the actual owner, or anything of the sort.
He’s just the face of an interview agency, is all. In reality, he’d consider himself rather detached from the world of pop and its horrors.
And yet. Looking at the photo of the pop duo, Velvet and Veneer, something catches his eye, albeit he’s not sure what it is exactly.
Maybe the bright, piercing blue of their eyes? Or their pearly white skin, so unusual for normally brightly colored rageons? Maybe it’s those perfect, beautiful teeth they show in every smile.
They make you want to check yourself, to make sure your imperfections don’t show. Pure perfection on a platter, for Ritz to talk to the next day.
His eyes scan their scandalous (even for Mount Rageous) outfits, their perfect skin (subconsciously, he touches his own acne), scan their world (which he's suddenly so interested in).
On the daily, he writes about it, he gets so close to it, he breathes in the world of those flashy celebrities, and yet he remains at the bottom of the fame chain.
On one hand, it’s cruel to compare yourself to people you know you’ll never be like.
On the other, Ritz’s job is the closest he can get to the glimmering world of fame, so he’ll take it.
He finds himself lingering over the pictures of Veneer, more so than the ones of Velvet. He’s beyond stunning.
Sure, he and Velvet are identical twins, but they have some differences. Like that very small gap between Veneer’s teeth, matching the (much larger) one between Ritz’s, or the way his eyes are slightly more rounded, a quality he attempts to conceal with eyeshadow and eyeliner.
His makeup matches his hair and eyes, and it makes him stand out less than Velvet. But, then again. He’s beautiful, even in her shadow.
Ritz groans. He can’t possibly be falling for a celebrity. His roommate glances at him weirdly.
``—``
Ritz thinks, the first time he sees Veneer, he might actually get swooned off his feet. He’s truly, truly, truly gorgeous.
And he has this laugh. Fuck, the way he laughs. Bright, and clear, leaving Ritz with butterflies in his stomach.
He might just be falling for a celebrity.
And, of course, like most other celebrities, he’s very obviously the same. Smiling at Ritz and nodding along to what the former manages to stutter out, only to then turn to Velvet and whisper gossip to her, possibly about Ritz. His eyes glimmer at the sight of all the shiny things Ritz has in his studio, and he acts rather rudely towards his and Velvet’s assistant.
But there’s this… This sparkle. When he smiles, genuinely. When his eyes widen at the sight of Ritz’s diamond earrings. When he bites his bottom lip to stifle his giggles and laughs. He snorts, when he does end up laughing.
He’s also so different, Ritz thinks, because he’s so beautiful, in an inexplicable way.
“So! The way this interview is scheduled, we’ll start with some quick basic questions, for the public to know who you are. We’ll have an advert break, and then–”
“I think I know how interviews go.” Velvet interrupts him, rather rudely. Ritz is used to it, by now. It comes with the job.
“Velvet, let him tell us, don’t interrupt! Sorry, she’s cranky today, for some reason , go on.” Oh, Veneer, the saving grace you are , Ritz thinks. He doesn’t put his thoughts into words.
“After our advert, I have to shout out the sponsors, and then we’ll have some more in depth interviews with each of you. Don’t forget you have to plug your tour, at some point.”
Ritz swiftly writes down some notes for himself, waiting for any questions. He receives none.
“Alrighty, let’s clip your guys’ mics on, and then we can do a quick test. We’re live in ten, anyway, so this shouldn't take too long.”
Velvet stays as far away from him as she can when she clips her microphone on.
Veneer leans in, and Ritz can feel his warm breath on his face. He hurries the process to the best of his ability, not wanting to be too close to Veneer. He’s worried of what he’d end up doing.
Velvet’s eyes burn the back of his head as he swiftly admires Veneer’s lips, and Ritz forces himself to get a fucking grip .
He guides the twins to the expensive, soft chairs in the studio, and watches them get comfortable. And so it starts. A swift, one hour long interview, that flies by way faster than it should’ve. At the halfway mark, Ritz is told they have another advertisement break, and Velvet politely asks to be allowed to smoke a cigarette outside.
And then there were two.
``What do you do with a loving feeling
If they only love you when you’re all alone?``
Veneer taps his neatly painted, light blue nails (similar to his eyeshadow, Ritz realizes) on the table, as they wait for Velvet to finish smoking.
He is so much brighter when they’re alone, cracking jokes and lightheartedly teasing Ritz, feet propped up on the armrest. He looks stunning, even with his limbs all sprawled out like that.
Ritz wants his number, wants him over at his shitty apartment, wants to figure out Veneer’s favorite dessert. Wants to memorize his coffee order and surprise him on rainy days or late summer nights. Wants to play Veneer soft songs on his old, beat up bass.
He’s head over fucking heels.
He wants to impress Veneer, somehow, even if he’s pretty sure he could never faze the pop stars who walk in and out of the interview studio. And yet…
“We have a coffee bar, downstairs.” He blurts out. “My friend works there, she wouldn’t mind bringing us some free coffee's. If you want, I could text her.” He feels hot, and shy, as he speaks.
Veneer smirks, giggling amusedly. “Are you taking me out for a drink, Ritzy? Sure, I could go for a coffee. Ask her if they have salty caramel lattes. Ooh, with oat milk, too!”
Ritz flushes a bright, bright, bright red, and he takes his phone out to text Orchid Veneer’s coffee order, as well as his own - one small black coffee. He’ll need it, if he wants to make it through the day.
Five uncomfortable, silent minutes pass, and Orchid swiftly makes her way inside the studio, and hands them their respective drinks. Ritz silently thanks every deity he can think of for having such a good friend, who is helping him without even knowing.
She leaves just as soon as she comes in, and he and Veneer quietly sip their drinks, awaiting Velvet’s return. Veneer smiles, genuinely this time.
“Thank you. For the drink, I mean. If you want, we could- Y’know, go grab drinks for real, one time. If you want to, I mean. I don’t wanna force you to go out with me, like, I’m not gonna leave a bad review if you say no– Ya’ know?”
Ritz feels slightly warmer, at the thought that Veneer also feels anxious around him, even if he doesn’t necessarily want to show it. They’re both in the same predicament, it seems. Both their hearts, beating wildly for each other.
Ritz nods, attempting to remain nonchalant and calm, but, really, he wants to jump around the recording studio and open the windows and scream to everyone he has the prettiest guy in the world wanting to go out and grab drinks with him.
Heaven, heaven, heaven.
Velvet soon comes back.
“Veneer! I had the silliest encounter on my way back, there was this, uh– Barista girl, I ran into her on the stairs. Ugh, so awkward, she was all flushed and sweaty. Can we finish this interview already, please?”
Veneer goes back to his old self when his sister’s in the room, especially with the cameras back on. There’s no traces left of the anxious, lovely, pretty boy he’d turned into when alone with Ritz. That’s all gone, forgotten, left in the past for him to fantasize about.
Just as he’s leaving, once it’s all over, taking away all the joy of Ritz’s day with him, he gives him a smile, and hands him a sticky note.
A number, scribbled on it, followed by a little heart. Ritz flushes, watching the twins exit the studio. He’s pretty sure it doesn’t leave his face until he gets home that night and brushes his teeth.
``—``
Veneer turns out to be even more pleasant over text. He and Ritz chit chat for hours on end, without any moment of boredom or forced small talk.
``Holding hands under a table
Meeting up in your bedroom
Making love to other people
Telling each other it’s all good``
Despite Veneer having been the one to ask for a date, it turns out he’s much more shy than Ritz would ever have assumed.
He’s worried about people seeing them together, worried about judgement. He wants to go out, of course he does, it’s just… Nowhere is safe for someone that famous. They’d be surrounded in mere seconds, by crazed fans snapping photos and screaming their heads off.
For an entire torturous week, Ritz can’t find a single way for them to actually go out somewhere.
Finally, he considers it’s about damn time he cashes in his favor. The one Orchid owes him.
Orchid’s always been bright and bubbly, and it only made sense for her to get into an art university. Sadly for her, as most other artists, money isn’t on her side, and so she ended up crashing at Ritz’s place, until she’d get a job that would give her a steady stream of income.
Until then, she sleeps on his couch, makes him lunch to take to the studio, and helps him clean on Saturdays.
When the old barista working for Ritz’s company quits, the latter quickly recommends Orchid to all the bosses and higher-ups. And so she has a job, albeit not high paying enough to help her afford an apartment.
Needless to say, she owes Ritz quite a few favors, which is why the rageon isn’t too embarrassed about going up to her and asking her to help him turn his house into a makeshift cafe, for the one he proclaims to be the love of his life.
She, of course, sweet as ever, agrees. And that’s how Ritz ends up inviting Veneer over to his own house, winning him over with the promise of caramel latte’s and sweet chocolate chip cookies.
At first, when Veneer knocks on the door, politely, and carefully removes his shiny boots at the door, Ritz swears he dies and comes back to life. He’s beyond stunning.
Mullet left free and wild, strands of hair slightly covering his forehead. His usual bright green lipstick is missing, but the cyan eyeshadow, matching the dyed strands in Ritz’s hair, is still there, as well as a thin layer of eyeliner and mascara.
He wears a cropped sweater, most likely hand knit, over a regular golden crop. And the shortest fucking shorts Ritz has ever seen. Seriously, he didn’t even know they made shorts that small. Ritz swiftly glances down at his own outfit - his usual purple beanie, a band t-shirt, and god damned jorts.
All of Veneer’s bracelets and necklaces twinkle as he carefully sets his boots down. “Hello!”
Ritz is speechless. Orchid is speechless, too, head sticking out from the kitchen. Ritz thinks he hears her mutter a quick “God damn” under her breath, although Veneer doesn’t seem to have heard.
If he wasn’t smitten and head over heels before, he definitely is now. “Hi… Hi, yeah, hello! Uhm, you’re– You look very pretty. Yeah. Uhm.” Ritz can feel his flush worsening by the minute.
Veneer glances upwards, and spots Orchid. Instantly, he recognizes her, and he waves timidly.
“I didn’t know you were friends with the barista from your studio!”
“Yeah, she, uh– She’s crashing on my couch, until she’s done with art uni. Anyways! You said you didn’t want to go out in public, ‘cause of all the fans, so I thought I could bring the, uhm. Cafe, to you. Yeah.”
Veneer blinks in slight surprise, head tilting as if he hadn’t expected Ritz to do such a kind gesture, all for him.
Ritz almost faints from how infatuated he is.
They both make their way into Ritz’s small, poorly lit yet homely kitchen, and Orchid makes them each drinks and snacks (it turns out Veneer prefers strawberry flavored milkshakes over coffee).
The pair sits comfortably at the dining table, and they just talk and talk and talk for hours.
Eventually, sitting at the kitchen table gets boring, and Ritz suggests they retreat to the balcony. The former lights a cigarette, and Veneer shuffles his feet, before pulling his knees up to his chest. Ritz keeps his gaze intentionally on his eyes, and not the short, short, short shorts.
``Kisses like pink cotton candy
Talking to everyone but me``
As they sit outside, in the oddly warm Rageous weather, Ritz watches Veneer’s phone light up with multiple notifications. Of course it does, he’s considered practically Mount Rageous royalty. He probably has a line of guys dying to text him and take him out for drinks, like Ritz is doing now. Veneer seems to feel the need to apologize for the disturbance of their date.
“Sorry, it’s Vels– She’s stressed about our upcoming song, and, uh– Y’know, the production of it all. It needs to be perfect, she’s worried it’ll strain our vocal chords a little.” He smiles warmly. “It feels so nice, to be able to talk freely like this with someone. Thank you, Ritzy. For the night, and all.”
Veneer seems to relax a little, after texting Velvet something which Ritz can only assume is rather strong worded, and then he practically blooms and blossoms and opens like the most beautiful of flowers, as the sunset paints the sky in the prettiest of colors - all purple and pink and orange.
Ritz finds out Veneer’s favorite color - that cyan he always uses for his eyeshadow, and also lilac, apparently.
Ritz finds out Veneer loves strawberry flavored foods, sugary snacks, and coconut scented toiletries, such as body wash or shampoo.
Ritz also finds out Veneer’s lips taste vaguely of pure sweetness, when they inevitably retreat to his bedroom, and that despite his smell of coconut body wash, he also smells of vanilla, without even trying. It’s intoxicating, exhilarating, overwhelming, and the best, all at once.
Ritz finds out how much hair brushing it takes to lull Veneer to sleep. Finds out how cutely he snores. Finds out so much about his–
``I’m stayin’ on late just in case
You call up and ask to leave with me``
Well. Not lover, surely not. It’s been not even a month, and no matter what Ritz wants, he can’t necessarily have it. Ritz is not stupid.
During their whole night together, he dreads the arrival of morning. He’s seen this before, he knows relationships with celebrities do not last. He’s aware of it, for fuck’s sake.
Veneer most likely will move on in less than a week, and find another to sweep off his feet.
Ritz dreads the sunrise, wishes he could freeze time in this exact very moment, wishes he could keep the sleeping outline of Veneer’s body in his bed forever.
Fancy clothes sprawled out on the floor, instead now only wearing a pair of Ritz’s pajama shorts and his golden top. His makeup slightly smudged.
Ritz struggles not to cry - it’s simply so domestic.
By the time the morning rolls around, Ritz will have fallen deeply asleep, and Veneer will have woken up. Ritz awakens to the sight of beautiful, wide, blue eyes staring into his own. Neither one needs to say a thing. It’s serene, and they both know what the other one is dying to spill. Three forbidden words, that would melt away the illusion of the no strings attached, casual one night stand they’re attempting to keep up.
Veneer has breakfast at the kitchen table. Takes his time getting dressed again, and removing his smudged makeup. By the time he’s calling a cab, Ritz’s heart is shattering into millions of little shards.
Stay, stay, please stay, don’t go, not yet. You’re so lovely, spend one more night. He says nothing of which he is thinking, instead watching Veneer leave, with sad, sad eyes.
“You are so down bad, dude. So down bad.” Orchid scolds, as she’s brushing her teeth, later that morning, when she sees Ritz is still sulking.
Ritz just depressingly stirs his cereal around his bowl, only current closure being the Rage Dome Show later that week. His agency got him the role of the host. He’s the one introducing all the stars, ergo he gets to talk to Veneer (and Velvet, too, he supposes) once again. Gets to see his lovely, lovely, lovely one night stand once more.
Ritz feels silly for thinking it would last. These things never do.
``—``
The Rage Dome Show rolls around so slow, as if the universe is purposefully taunting Ritz. Purposefully keeping him away from the guy he loves, having no intention of letting them unite once more.
Finally, he hosts that last, final interview, the short one, right before the final night of the twins’ tour. Veneer lingers behind, and once Velvet’s out the room, he gives Ritz a look , and kisses him so sweetly, so nicely, that all is forgiven. He looks so soft and pretty, so, so, so pretty, and Ritz wants nothing else but him.
Parting feels even crueler than watching Veneer leave his apartment.
That same night, as he watches Veneer step out that shiny luxury car, and give everyone autographs, Ritz has no idea his whole world will soon cave in on itself.
``What do you do with a loving feeling
If the loving feeling makes you all alone?
What do you do with a loving feeling
If they only love you when you’re all alone?``
The trolls show up. They say such horrible, terrible things about his love, and Ritz refuses to believe it, brokenly glancing at Veneer. Veneer, who, instead of denying, looks at him. And Ritz knows, in this very moment.
His love is a horrible, awful, lying rageon.
Because if they’d both be willing to go as far as that for mere fame, how much more lies has Veneer uttered?
Was his whole deal just an act? Getting up close and personal with a well-known interviewer, just to boost the twins’ popularity further?
Ritz excuses himself, and quite promptly shuts himself inside of a bathroom, where he sobs and cries his heart out. He goes home, shortly after, no longer able to bear it.
He hears through Orchid, later that night, what’s happened. They really were frauds, and she seems overly upset over it, too, although Ritz can’t quite tell why.
Frauds. They were nothing more but cheap liars.
Ritz feels silly. He should’ve seen this coming.
``—``
The next morning, his agency is in shambles, and everyone is running around, trying to fix Ritz’s mistakes. It’d been his idea to invite Velvet and Veneer on The Bop on Top for a second time, and now he had to bear the consequences. Orchid had to bear consequences, too - had she been complicit in this, too, just like Ritz? He was the one who’d brought her there.
Ritz has to put out a public statement on the mistreatment of trolls, and needs to schedule an interview with BroZone, in order to set the record straight for the network and the show.
He has so much on his plate. Veneer and Velvet weren’t the only ones affected by their own choices and actions.
He’s at home, working tiredly on a script for an apology he’ll need to read out loud during the BroZone interview, when his phone rings.
``What do you do with a loving feeling
If the loving feeling makes you all alone?
What do you do with a loving feeling
If they only love you when you’re all alone?``
“This call is from a person currently in a prison in Mount Rageous. All calls are logged and recorded and may be listened to by a member of prison staff. If you do not wish to accept this call, please hang up now.”
Ritz drops his cigarette on the balcony floor, too shocked to say anything. He’s so shocked, in fact, he doesn’t have the time to hang up. Veneer’s sweet, sweet voice rings out through the shitty prison telephone.
“Ritzy–?!”
“…Hello?”
“Oh, shit, thank whoever I finally remembered your number, I was starting to lose hope. Listen, I have to– I need to tell you something. You have to listen, I didn’t– You’re coming to get me, are you not…?”
His whisper is what gets Ritz to finally break, tears threatening to stream down his face.
“No, Veneer. I don’t– Even if I had money, it’s over. I’m not coming to get you.”
“What…?”
“I said I’m not–”
Veneer inhales sharply, cutting Ritz off. “Do you not like me anymore?”
Ritz groans, brows furrowing in anger. At himself, for what he’s about to do and say, and at Veneer, for asking stupid questions.
“No. You can’t fucking do this, Veneer. I’m not– You can’t use everyone around you for your own benefit. I’m not bailing you out, I don’t care. I had to suffer, Orchid had to suffer, ‘cause of what you did. My job’s on the line, did you think of that? How could you do that ?! How could you lie to me like that?!”
Veneer inhales sharply once more.
“You don’t get it, it wasn’t– We didn’t think it would get this bad, I didn’t think it would get this bad– Please, Ritzy. I wanna come home with you.” His voice cracks, at the end of his sentence.
“Veneer…”
“You know I love–”
“Don’t say that. Don’t you say that. You can’t say that now, after everything, and get me to feel bad and– And bail you out.” Ritz’s voice cracks, and he forces himself to shut his mouth. “…I’m gonna hang up now. I’m sorry.”
“I love you, Ritzy.” Ritz struggles not to sob.
“…I loved you, too, Veneer.”
``You only love me when we’re all alone``
He hangs the phone up. Lights another cigarette, and watches the sunset. It’s so pretty. Veneer had been prettier, when he’d been over.