It was early in the evening in a small French bar. The two couples were sitting across from each other on a wooden table littered with food and drinks. The place was close enough to James and Kenneth's apartment, so they could walk back home. The hotel that Leo and Al were staying in was a short drive away, so they had decided to meet up with the two for some drinks.

It was dark already, although it was only six-thirty in the evening. The cold weather did that, making the night chase the day away from the sky a little faster.

"How has your tour been?" James asked Al, making his voice high enough so that the man could catch his words. The bar was packed, and the tables around them were rowdy. The noise bothered Al a lot. It made him confused and distressed when he couldn't tell who was talking. That probably explained why Leo had a reassuring grip on his shoulder and hugging him to himself from time to time.

"Fine so far," Alejandro said in reply, offering James a small smile. He brought the glass of wine in his hand to his lips, drinking the bitter liquid. He was tipsy, and only the feeling of Leo's hand on his shoulder kept him awake.

There was a feeling that was in the air despite the small talk. It was sitting somewhere in an uncanny valley. Almost two years ago the four weren't friends like they were now. Kenneth had been a pain to endure to James — to everyone really. James hadn't been the nicest to Alejandro, and in many ways, Kenneth had been the bane of Al's existence until Leo gave the man confidence in himself and music again. The present arrangement was a testament to how fast things could change—how ills could be forgotten and amended for.

They were good friends now, and that's what mattered—the present.

"You'll be checking out of the hotel by the weekend, right?" Kenneth asked Al and Leo. The two nodded. They didn't live in the state and they were just at a stop in Al's tour. Leo was tagging along with Al and his orchestra since he didn't have anything doing at the moment.

The orchestra Leonardo had agreed to help set up was still ironing out its edges, but Leo didn't mind. He enjoyed coordinating people and organizing events and shows until they could afford to hire proper managers.

"James plays jazz now," Kenneth said like it was some sort of revelation that should surprise the two men.

"James has always played jazz," Leo said, raising a brow in confusion as Kenneth's eyes went wide.

The man ran a hand through his hair. "Jazz!" he said in a drunken tone, putting his weight on James as he leaned to the side. He seemed annoyed at not getting the reaction he wanted.

James sighed, shaking his head and Kenneth continued to mumble nonsense under his breath. The man was a terrible drunk.

James looked over at Leo chuckling when he caught the grin on his face.

"How are the girls?" he asked, waiting for Leo to respond.

"Great! Marie was on T.V. last night. Oh, Claire's dating someone."

"Really?"

"Yes, you should check her photos."

The discussion continued into the night, but at ten they decided to leave the bar. All men were tipsy, but Kenneth was the worst of the lot. He clenched to James like he was a human plushie while mumbling nonsense under his breath. There were lots of people at the entrance of the bar taking a smoke as they chatted in the walkway bathed in the orange light of the streetlamps.

"Call us," James said as Al and Leo got into their taxi. The two waved at the redhead and his drunken companion as the cab drove off. They only turned to each other when the bar was out of sight.

James and Kenneth exchanged words as they walked through the orange-painted streets in the cold French night, while Leo and Al spoke softly to each other through their alcohol-induced headaches as the cab took them back to their hotel.

As the two couples went their separate ways there was sync in their expressions and emotions. There was a feeling of satisfaction with their current situations that engulfed them.

A lot of time and random spur of events brought them to this point in their lives—their relationships. A break was needed considering how eventful the last year and a half was. This state. Their current happiness was their interlude—a pause.

Their symphony.