Fanfic - Extremely Lazy Napping (Improv-a-Ganza)
Title: Extremely Lazy Napping
Author: Mel (accordingtomel)
Characters/Pairings: Jeff/Chip
Rating: PG
Word Count: 2,176
Disclaimer: All fake. Every word. No offense is meant to anyone in this fic or anyone reading it. I’m just having fun.
Prompt: #144 - Jeff/Chip cuddles after a show on the bus.
Author’s note: Once again, written for the Whose-a-Thon challenge over at wl_fanfiction. I can’t thank my beta, adelagia, enough for her feedback and suggestions with this. You make my fics about a billion times better, so thank you, hon!
Extremely Lazy Napping
Most of the time, Chip really enjoys meeting fans after their shows. But every once in a while, when the crowd is relatively thin and Chip is feeling particularly worn out, he’ll slip away to the tour bus a little early, just to have some alone time before they have to take off.
The odd time, he might be joined by Ryan or Jeff or Greg, though Jeff typically likes to hang out and meet with fans for as long as possible.
Today, however, is a double dose of the atypical, with both Chip and Jeff bowing out before Ryan and Greg. They are both completely exhausted, and Chip is just coming off of a week-long cold that knocked him off his feet. So, instead of socializing, they’re hanging out on the bus. It’s actually quite nice, Chip has to admit. Even though they both live in LA, their respective schedules keep them fairly busy, so they don’t get to spend nearly as much time together as they’d like.
Jeff is sitting next to Chip on the couch, channel surfing on the TV while Chip tries to read a book. Unsurprisingly, Jeff is pressed up against his side for no apparent reason. Sometimes Chip wonders if Jeff ever actually learned what ‘personal space’ is, or if he just chooses to ignore all social norms surrounding it. Either way, he doesn’t particularly mind, and this has become just another normal thing where the two of them are concerned.
After a few minutes, he feels Jeff’s head fall to his shoulder before jerking back up again. Chip holds back a smile.
“Are you tired?” Chip teases.
“No,” Jeff protests, but it is weak at best.
“Right,” Chip says, and returns his attention back to his book.
Another minute passes before Jeff’s head drops back down to his shoulder, and this time it takes a few seconds before he jerks back awake.
“I think,” Jeff drawls sleepily, “that I might actually be falling asleep.”
Chip chuckles lightly. “What was your first hint?”
“You’re so funny.”
“I try.” Chip smiles over at Jeff. “What’s up with you, though? Not that I mind the company, but you never fall asleep this early. Are you getting sick or something?”
“I think so,” Jeff says, reaching up to rub his forehead. “You probably gave me your stupid cold. I feel like I’m recovering from a hangover, but I didn’t even drink last night.”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to make you sick.”
Jeff smirks, lips twisting lazily. “Yeah, right. I bet you did it on purpose.”
The comment is followed by a lengthy yawn, and then Jeff rests his head against Chip’s shoulder once more. “I’ll go lie down on the other couch,” he says, though makes no attempt to actually move away from his spot beside Chip.
“That’s fine. You can stay,” Chip says.
“But I’ll just be… getting… in your way…” Jeff mumbles.
He reaches out to place a hand on Jeff’s arm. “It’s fine. Seriously, Jeff. I don’t mind.”
The response, when it eventually comes, is barely audible. “Okay. Thanks.”
It’s only a matter of minutes before Jeff is sound asleep, snoring lightly against Chip’s shoulder. Carefully, Chip takes the remote control out of Jeff’s hand and flicks off the TV. He’s constantly surrounded by noise everywhere he goes, so he likes taking advantage of the rare moments of silence he can find.
He manages to finish reading the rest of the chapter, but it doesn’t take long for Chip’s own exhaustion to creep up on him, and ten minutes after Jeff's fallen asleep, Chip realizes that he’s losing this battle. Unexpectedly, just as Chip finally gives in and closes his eyes, Jeff starts. It doesn’t wake him, much to Chip’s surprise, but it does cause his head to slip forward, nearly sliding right off Chip’s shoulder.
This is one of those situations where he should probably wake Jeff up and send him to the other couch to actually sleep. But the reality is that Chip doesn’t want Jeff to go anywhere. He likes the feeling of having Jeff’s body pressed up against his own, and even the fact that Chip is consciously aware of this should put a halt to any thoughts along those lines, but it doesn’t. It is an internal battle he’s been fighting for quite some time now, but he’s never been able to sort through what it all means, exactly.
Shifting very carefully on the couch, Chip turns his body more towards Jeff, gently positioning his head on Chip’s chest. He manages to slip his left arm around Jeff’s back, holding him gently as Jeff settles against his chest. Once Chip is comfortable - and has arranged Jeff in what appears to be a comfortable position as well - he closes his eyes once more. A few minutes later, Jeff grunts and shifts slightly, and Chip freezes. Instead of waking, however, one of Jeff’s arms slips around Chip’s waist and he presses further into Chip’s chest before drifting off once more.
It should be awkward - they’re basically wrapped up in each other’s arms - but strangely enough, it isn’t. Chip has always been a touchy-feely sort of person, but he can honestly say he’s never had a friendship like the one he has with Jeff. They have next to no boundaries, both physically and in terms of what they discuss with one another, and Chip is constantly thankful for Jeff’s presence in his life, even if they don’t get to see each other as often as they’d like sometimes. Oddly, he likens their friendship to a marriage of sorts. They know each so intimately that most of the time an entire conversation can be communicated through a glance across the room, or a simple touch. There is a comfort and familiarity there that only exists in extremely close relationships. The only other person Chip’s ever had it with is his wife. The fact that Jeff is essentially sleeping in his arms should seem inappropriate, but for some reason it feels almost... normal. Comfortable. Right.
Just as Chip is beginning to feel the weight of sleep finally descend on him, the distinct sound of two sets of feet trekking back onto the bus fill his ears. Reluctantly cranking open his eyes, Chip gives Ryan and Greg a tired smile. “Hey,” he greets, and waves his one free arm.
It only takes a second for them to take in the current situation - specifically, Jeff and Chip’s positions relative to one another - and he can practically see their minds turning.
“Aww, aren’t you two just precious over there,” Ryan says, grinning slyly.
“Beyond precious. You’re kind of like his teddy bear, aren’t you, Chip?” Greg asks.
This isn’t an entirely new situation Chip finds himself in. More than once, he and Jeff have fallen asleep on or beside each other, but this… Well, it’s bordering on cuddling, and possibly skating along the line of inappropriate conduct as well, but Chip pushes that thought aside for the moment.
“Ha ha, laugh it up, Chuckles,” Chip says with a smirk, but he can’t quite prevent heat from rising on his cheeks. “This isn’t what it looks like.”
“So, you’re not cuddling on the couch with Jeff then?” Ryan asks, pointing over at Jeff.
“Um, well, I wouldn’t exactly use the word ‘cuddling.’”
“Oh, sorry. Is ‘snuggling’ a better way of describing it?” Greg asks. They both have matching shit-eating grins, as if they’re immensely pleased by this whole development.
“I would call it ‘extremely lazy napping using the most conveniently available resources,’” Chip says, after a moment’s pause.
“Whatever you say, Charles,” Greg quips, and Ryan laughs softly along with him as they both take a seat at the little kitchen table on the other side of the bus.
Glancing down at the top of Jeff’s head, with his cheek pressed against Chip’s chest, Chip finds himself suddenly filled with the alarming desire to press a kiss to Jeff’s hair. Something hot coils in Chip’s stomach at the revelation, and he shakes his head as though to visibly clear the notion from his mind. With that out of the way, he decides to return his focus to his original plan, before Ryan and Greg interrupted him - sleeping.
Chip is nearly out when the soft voices of Ryan and Greg drift in his direction, though he has to strain to hear them.
“So, what do you think?” Ryan asks.
“About what?”
There is silence, and then, “The two of them.”
“What do you mean?” Greg says.
“Well, it’s just... Has Jeff ever fallen asleep on you before?”
“No, I don’t think so,” Greg says. “What about you?”
“Not that I can remember.”
“I’m still not sure I see your point, though.”
“I’m just saying... Do you think there’s something going on there?”
“Between the two of them?” Greg asks, voice rising ever so slightly.
Chip freezes, before remembering that he’s supposed to be sleeping, not eavesdropping on this conversation, and forces himself to keep breathing slowly and evenly, despite his now quickening heart rate. Surely Ryan doesn’t believe there’s something romantic going on between him and Jeff. Does he?
Of course, it wouldn’t be the first time someone implied that there was more between Jeff and Chip than strictly friendship. They make no attempt to hide their affection for one another, and it is obvious in virtually every interaction they have. Hell, even Patty once joked that they acted like an old married couple.
Truth be told, Chip has thought about it before - in hypothetical terms - once, about a year ago. They’d both been drinking quite heavily that evening. As they stumbled back to their rooms, Jeff had tripped on the carpet, falling into Chip. It had been the opposite of romantic, but for a few brief moments, with Jeff’s face a mere couple of inches from his own, Chip permitted himself to wonder what it might feel like to kiss Jeff, to touch him. The image hadn’t brought about a physical reaction, but it certainly hadn’t been unpleasant either. It wasn’t until weeks later that he even remembered having the thoughts at all, and had immediately dismissed it as alcohol-induced insanity. Maybe in another life... if things were different... But they weren’t, so he’d put an end to that line of thinking before it lead anywhere inappropriate.
“Yeah. I mean, I know Chip’s married, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that he can’t fall for someone else...” Ryan says, trailing off.
Once again, something twists in Chip’s stomach. It feels similar to what he’d felt a year ago.
“And Jeff,” Ryan continues. “Well, we both know where Jeff stands.”
This is something that actually doesn’t come as a surprise. It’s common knowledge - at least amongst those who know him well - that Jeff has been with, and is interested in, both men and women. Jeff’s all but admitted to being attracted to Chip in the past, and while it might be the type of thing that can have a detrimental effect on a friendship, in their case, it hasn’t. Jeff respects Chip’s marriage, and while he may treat Chip differently than he treats everyone else they work with, for the most part, he doesn’t cross any boundaries.
“We do,” Greg agrees. “And I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t wondered if Chip felt the same way. But then maybe they just have an uncharacteristically close relationship, kind of like you and Colin.”
Ryan grunts, and silence falls over the bus again like a shadow. Jeff jerks slightly in Chip’s arms, and instinctively, he starts to rub circles into Jeff’s lower back with his thumb until he stills once more. In the meantime, Chip’s mind is reeling from Ryan and Greg’s suggestion that Jeff’s feelings may not be entirely one-sided. There are so many implications there that he doesn’t even know where to start.
“Do you think they’d tell us if they were together?” Ryan asks, at length.
“I don’t know,” Greg says eventually. “I suppose, either way, it doesn’t matter, though, does it? It’s not really any of our business whether Jeff and Chip are just friends, or more than that. As long as they’re happy. They’ll tell us when they want, if they want, if there’s anything to tell.”
“Yeah. Well, when you put it that way…” Ryan says, and they both laugh softly.
Another silence falls in the room then, Chip waiting for more, but nothing comes. He certainly hadn’t expected his day to end up quite like this - curled up with Jeff on a couch in their tour bus while Ryan and Greg discuss the nature of their relationship. Selfishly, Chip wants to savor this moment, short-lived though he knows it will be. Jeff makes a soft noise, pressing further into Chip’s chest, and Chip instinctively tightens his arms, still wrapped around Jeff.
It’s becoming harder and harder to deny that there’s something more lurking beneath the surface, but for now, sleep is more important. Everything else can be sorted out later.
The End
Author: Mel (accordingtomel)
Characters/Pairings: Jeff/Chip
Rating: PG
Word Count: 2,176
Disclaimer: All fake. Every word. No offense is meant to anyone in this fic or anyone reading it. I’m just having fun.
Prompt: #144 - Jeff/Chip cuddles after a show on the bus.
Author’s note: Once again, written for the Whose-a-Thon challenge over at wl_fanfiction. I can’t thank my beta, adelagia, enough for her feedback and suggestions with this. You make my fics about a billion times better, so thank you, hon!
Extremely Lazy Napping
Most of the time, Chip really enjoys meeting fans after their shows. But every once in a while, when the crowd is relatively thin and Chip is feeling particularly worn out, he’ll slip away to the tour bus a little early, just to have some alone time before they have to take off.
The odd time, he might be joined by Ryan or Jeff or Greg, though Jeff typically likes to hang out and meet with fans for as long as possible.
Today, however, is a double dose of the atypical, with both Chip and Jeff bowing out before Ryan and Greg. They are both completely exhausted, and Chip is just coming off of a week-long cold that knocked him off his feet. So, instead of socializing, they’re hanging out on the bus. It’s actually quite nice, Chip has to admit. Even though they both live in LA, their respective schedules keep them fairly busy, so they don’t get to spend nearly as much time together as they’d like.
Jeff is sitting next to Chip on the couch, channel surfing on the TV while Chip tries to read a book. Unsurprisingly, Jeff is pressed up against his side for no apparent reason. Sometimes Chip wonders if Jeff ever actually learned what ‘personal space’ is, or if he just chooses to ignore all social norms surrounding it. Either way, he doesn’t particularly mind, and this has become just another normal thing where the two of them are concerned.
After a few minutes, he feels Jeff’s head fall to his shoulder before jerking back up again. Chip holds back a smile.
“Are you tired?” Chip teases.
“No,” Jeff protests, but it is weak at best.
“Right,” Chip says, and returns his attention back to his book.
Another minute passes before Jeff’s head drops back down to his shoulder, and this time it takes a few seconds before he jerks back awake.
“I think,” Jeff drawls sleepily, “that I might actually be falling asleep.”
Chip chuckles lightly. “What was your first hint?”
“You’re so funny.”
“I try.” Chip smiles over at Jeff. “What’s up with you, though? Not that I mind the company, but you never fall asleep this early. Are you getting sick or something?”
“I think so,” Jeff says, reaching up to rub his forehead. “You probably gave me your stupid cold. I feel like I’m recovering from a hangover, but I didn’t even drink last night.”
“Sorry. I didn’t mean to make you sick.”
Jeff smirks, lips twisting lazily. “Yeah, right. I bet you did it on purpose.”
The comment is followed by a lengthy yawn, and then Jeff rests his head against Chip’s shoulder once more. “I’ll go lie down on the other couch,” he says, though makes no attempt to actually move away from his spot beside Chip.
“That’s fine. You can stay,” Chip says.
“But I’ll just be… getting… in your way…” Jeff mumbles.
He reaches out to place a hand on Jeff’s arm. “It’s fine. Seriously, Jeff. I don’t mind.”
The response, when it eventually comes, is barely audible. “Okay. Thanks.”
It’s only a matter of minutes before Jeff is sound asleep, snoring lightly against Chip’s shoulder. Carefully, Chip takes the remote control out of Jeff’s hand and flicks off the TV. He’s constantly surrounded by noise everywhere he goes, so he likes taking advantage of the rare moments of silence he can find.
He manages to finish reading the rest of the chapter, but it doesn’t take long for Chip’s own exhaustion to creep up on him, and ten minutes after Jeff's fallen asleep, Chip realizes that he’s losing this battle. Unexpectedly, just as Chip finally gives in and closes his eyes, Jeff starts. It doesn’t wake him, much to Chip’s surprise, but it does cause his head to slip forward, nearly sliding right off Chip’s shoulder.
This is one of those situations where he should probably wake Jeff up and send him to the other couch to actually sleep. But the reality is that Chip doesn’t want Jeff to go anywhere. He likes the feeling of having Jeff’s body pressed up against his own, and even the fact that Chip is consciously aware of this should put a halt to any thoughts along those lines, but it doesn’t. It is an internal battle he’s been fighting for quite some time now, but he’s never been able to sort through what it all means, exactly.
Shifting very carefully on the couch, Chip turns his body more towards Jeff, gently positioning his head on Chip’s chest. He manages to slip his left arm around Jeff’s back, holding him gently as Jeff settles against his chest. Once Chip is comfortable - and has arranged Jeff in what appears to be a comfortable position as well - he closes his eyes once more. A few minutes later, Jeff grunts and shifts slightly, and Chip freezes. Instead of waking, however, one of Jeff’s arms slips around Chip’s waist and he presses further into Chip’s chest before drifting off once more.
It should be awkward - they’re basically wrapped up in each other’s arms - but strangely enough, it isn’t. Chip has always been a touchy-feely sort of person, but he can honestly say he’s never had a friendship like the one he has with Jeff. They have next to no boundaries, both physically and in terms of what they discuss with one another, and Chip is constantly thankful for Jeff’s presence in his life, even if they don’t get to see each other as often as they’d like sometimes. Oddly, he likens their friendship to a marriage of sorts. They know each so intimately that most of the time an entire conversation can be communicated through a glance across the room, or a simple touch. There is a comfort and familiarity there that only exists in extremely close relationships. The only other person Chip’s ever had it with is his wife. The fact that Jeff is essentially sleeping in his arms should seem inappropriate, but for some reason it feels almost... normal. Comfortable. Right.
Just as Chip is beginning to feel the weight of sleep finally descend on him, the distinct sound of two sets of feet trekking back onto the bus fill his ears. Reluctantly cranking open his eyes, Chip gives Ryan and Greg a tired smile. “Hey,” he greets, and waves his one free arm.
It only takes a second for them to take in the current situation - specifically, Jeff and Chip’s positions relative to one another - and he can practically see their minds turning.
“Aww, aren’t you two just precious over there,” Ryan says, grinning slyly.
“Beyond precious. You’re kind of like his teddy bear, aren’t you, Chip?” Greg asks.
This isn’t an entirely new situation Chip finds himself in. More than once, he and Jeff have fallen asleep on or beside each other, but this… Well, it’s bordering on cuddling, and possibly skating along the line of inappropriate conduct as well, but Chip pushes that thought aside for the moment.
“Ha ha, laugh it up, Chuckles,” Chip says with a smirk, but he can’t quite prevent heat from rising on his cheeks. “This isn’t what it looks like.”
“So, you’re not cuddling on the couch with Jeff then?” Ryan asks, pointing over at Jeff.
“Um, well, I wouldn’t exactly use the word ‘cuddling.’”
“Oh, sorry. Is ‘snuggling’ a better way of describing it?” Greg asks. They both have matching shit-eating grins, as if they’re immensely pleased by this whole development.
“I would call it ‘extremely lazy napping using the most conveniently available resources,’” Chip says, after a moment’s pause.
“Whatever you say, Charles,” Greg quips, and Ryan laughs softly along with him as they both take a seat at the little kitchen table on the other side of the bus.
Glancing down at the top of Jeff’s head, with his cheek pressed against Chip’s chest, Chip finds himself suddenly filled with the alarming desire to press a kiss to Jeff’s hair. Something hot coils in Chip’s stomach at the revelation, and he shakes his head as though to visibly clear the notion from his mind. With that out of the way, he decides to return his focus to his original plan, before Ryan and Greg interrupted him - sleeping.
Chip is nearly out when the soft voices of Ryan and Greg drift in his direction, though he has to strain to hear them.
“So, what do you think?” Ryan asks.
“About what?”
There is silence, and then, “The two of them.”
“What do you mean?” Greg says.
“Well, it’s just... Has Jeff ever fallen asleep on you before?”
“No, I don’t think so,” Greg says. “What about you?”
“Not that I can remember.”
“I’m still not sure I see your point, though.”
“I’m just saying... Do you think there’s something going on there?”
“Between the two of them?” Greg asks, voice rising ever so slightly.
Chip freezes, before remembering that he’s supposed to be sleeping, not eavesdropping on this conversation, and forces himself to keep breathing slowly and evenly, despite his now quickening heart rate. Surely Ryan doesn’t believe there’s something romantic going on between him and Jeff. Does he?
Of course, it wouldn’t be the first time someone implied that there was more between Jeff and Chip than strictly friendship. They make no attempt to hide their affection for one another, and it is obvious in virtually every interaction they have. Hell, even Patty once joked that they acted like an old married couple.
Truth be told, Chip has thought about it before - in hypothetical terms - once, about a year ago. They’d both been drinking quite heavily that evening. As they stumbled back to their rooms, Jeff had tripped on the carpet, falling into Chip. It had been the opposite of romantic, but for a few brief moments, with Jeff’s face a mere couple of inches from his own, Chip permitted himself to wonder what it might feel like to kiss Jeff, to touch him. The image hadn’t brought about a physical reaction, but it certainly hadn’t been unpleasant either. It wasn’t until weeks later that he even remembered having the thoughts at all, and had immediately dismissed it as alcohol-induced insanity. Maybe in another life... if things were different... But they weren’t, so he’d put an end to that line of thinking before it lead anywhere inappropriate.
“Yeah. I mean, I know Chip’s married, but it doesn’t necessarily mean that he can’t fall for someone else...” Ryan says, trailing off.
Once again, something twists in Chip’s stomach. It feels similar to what he’d felt a year ago.
“And Jeff,” Ryan continues. “Well, we both know where Jeff stands.”
This is something that actually doesn’t come as a surprise. It’s common knowledge - at least amongst those who know him well - that Jeff has been with, and is interested in, both men and women. Jeff’s all but admitted to being attracted to Chip in the past, and while it might be the type of thing that can have a detrimental effect on a friendship, in their case, it hasn’t. Jeff respects Chip’s marriage, and while he may treat Chip differently than he treats everyone else they work with, for the most part, he doesn’t cross any boundaries.
“We do,” Greg agrees. “And I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t wondered if Chip felt the same way. But then maybe they just have an uncharacteristically close relationship, kind of like you and Colin.”
Ryan grunts, and silence falls over the bus again like a shadow. Jeff jerks slightly in Chip’s arms, and instinctively, he starts to rub circles into Jeff’s lower back with his thumb until he stills once more. In the meantime, Chip’s mind is reeling from Ryan and Greg’s suggestion that Jeff’s feelings may not be entirely one-sided. There are so many implications there that he doesn’t even know where to start.
“Do you think they’d tell us if they were together?” Ryan asks, at length.
“I don’t know,” Greg says eventually. “I suppose, either way, it doesn’t matter, though, does it? It’s not really any of our business whether Jeff and Chip are just friends, or more than that. As long as they’re happy. They’ll tell us when they want, if they want, if there’s anything to tell.”
“Yeah. Well, when you put it that way…” Ryan says, and they both laugh softly.
Another silence falls in the room then, Chip waiting for more, but nothing comes. He certainly hadn’t expected his day to end up quite like this - curled up with Jeff on a couch in their tour bus while Ryan and Greg discuss the nature of their relationship. Selfishly, Chip wants to savor this moment, short-lived though he knows it will be. Jeff makes a soft noise, pressing further into Chip’s chest, and Chip instinctively tightens his arms, still wrapped around Jeff.
It’s becoming harder and harder to deny that there’s something more lurking beneath the surface, but for now, sleep is more important. Everything else can be sorted out later.
The End