FIC: Lullaby
Title: Lullaby
Author: The Terrible Twins (badfalcon and elvenpirate
Author Web Page: http://www.aemslash.co.uk Obsess, Much?
Fandom: RPS- Good Charlotte
Categories: Benji Madden/Joel Madden, Angst, H/C, semi-au, sappiness
Rating: PG
Thanks to: You, for reading this. Chel, as ever, for the beta
Disclaimer: Benji & Joel Madden are real people, and most of the events in this story are just that - fictional, figments of my sick and twisted imagination. Hell, call it a fantasy if it makes you feel better. Whatever. No rumours should be started in regards to any events in these works of fiction. This story is written purely for entertainment purposes and no money is being made out of it.
Summary: Benji shows Joel how warm milk and a lullaby makes everything seem better.
Yawning widely, Benji swung his legs out of his bunk, rubbing his eyes with his knuckles. He glanced across at Joel's empty, untouched bunk and sighed, instantly knowing what had woken him up. Running his fingers through his hair, he climbed out of his bunk and pulled on a white wife-beater before padding down the bus to where Joel sat, curled up on a couch staring out of the window at the rainy night sky.
“Go back to sleep, Benj,” Joel said, not even bothering to turn and look at him.
Benji didn’t reply, instead moving to sit opposite Joel. He pulled his feet onto the seat in front of him, tucking his knees under his chin and wrapping his arms around his legs. “Couldn’t sleep.”
Still staring out of the window, Joel simply shrugged one shoulder in response.
“You OK?” Benji pressed.
Again, Joel just shrugged one shoulder.
Benji shook his head and rolled his eyes as he stood up, sitting down next to Joel. He leaned back against the couch, stretching his arms out along the back of it. He followed Joel's eyeline, staring out of the window. “So, what’s so interesting out there, then?” He asked, fixing his gaze on his twin.
“I said go back to sleep, Benji. I’m fine.”
“I wasn’t asleep,” Benji lied.
“Yeah? Well, maybe you should try,” Joel advised, his tone flat as he turned slightly to look at Benji. “You look knackered.”
Benji raised an eyebrow. “Have you looked in a mirror lately?”
“I don’t need to look in a fucking mirror with you following me around all the time!” Joel spat. He sighed and shook his head, hiding his face in his hands. “Fuck!” He squirmed around on the couch to face Benji, his back against the window, his feet curled underneath him. “I’m sorry, Benji. I didn’t mean it.” He pursed his lips and exhaled heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose between thumb and forefinger. “I’m just tired.”
Benji nodded. “I know,” he smiled to let Joel know his apology was accepted. “You wanna talk about it?”
“What’s to talk about?” Joel shrugged again, dropping his gaze to his lap. “I just… can’t sleep. I….” He swallowed deeply, chewing on his lower lip. “I can’t switch off, Benj. Every time I lay down my mind just keeps on going and it won’t shut up. I keep thinking about everything we need to do, everywhere we’re going, all the interviews and the promo and the shows and the kids and… And then about everything that’s happened and I keep wondering if there was anything I could have done differently or if I could have been a better person whether things would be different and…”
“You’re better off without her,” Benji told him sternly, frowning.
“It’s not about Jeannie,” he insisted. “OK, not completely,” he amended at the disbelieving look on Benji’s face. “It is about her but not just about her. It’s about… everything.” A self-deprecating smile ghosted across his lips. “Like… If I’d behaved better when I was younger, would Dad have stayed and…” He trailed off, shaking his head, looking up at Benji, his brown eyes wide and full of emotion.
Knowing that despite it was what Joel wanted, there was nothing he could do to make it all better, Benji simply held his arms out to Joel. Joel smiled in response and wriggled along the couch to lean against Benji, gratefully accepting the embrace.
“You know what you need,” Benji grinned, pressing a quick kiss to Joel's hair. He waited for Joel to look up before answering. “Warm milk.”
Joel snorted. “Warm milk?” He echoed incredulously.
“Oh come on!” Benji insisted, laughing. “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten?”
“Um…”
Benji shook his head. “I don’t believe it! You must remember, Joel. When we were little and we couldn’t sleep, Mom would tuck us into bed, make us a mug of warm milk…”
“And sing us a lullaby,” Joel finished, nodding his head. “Yeah, I remember. It was always like on Christmas Eve or the night before our birthday. She always made the milk just the right temperature so we wouldn’t burn ourselves.”
“Yeah,” Benji giggled, wrapping his arms tighter around Joel. “But still you always did. Every single time.”
“Yeah, I remember.” Joel sighed, his expression turning serious again. “Why can’t things be that simple still?” He rested his head on Benji’s shoulder and closed his eyes. “Way to ruin the moment,” he muttered to himself, apologising to Benji in the next breath before falling silent again. Neither of them spoke for a few minutes, just sat there enjoying each others’ company. “I missed this,” Joel offered quietly. “I’ve missed you Benji.”
“I missed you too Joel,” Benji reassured him, biting back a yawn. “I hate the feeling that we don’t get any time together anymore.”
“Me too. I’m sorry. “
Benji blinked. “What for? It’s not your fault.”
“Yes it is,” Joel admitted. “We stopped rooming together at hotels because I wanted to spend all my time with Jeannie. And now it’s like I’ve lost both of you.”
“You haven’t lost me,” Benji disagreed. “I’m right here and I always will be… you’re not gonna get rid of me that easily.”
“Good,” Joel smiled, curling into Benji’s embrace, a content sigh escaping his lips.
“We could always go back to rooming,” Benji suggested quietly. “If you want.”
Joel grinned widely, lifting his head off Benji’s shoulder and looking at him. “You mean that? You… you really want that? You’re not just saying that…”
Benji giggled. “Of course I mean it. Yes, that’s what I want. No, I’m not just saying that. Like I said, I miss it and I hate it and… I’ll get it sorted when we get to…” Benji paused, furrowing his brow. “When we get to wherever the fuck it is we’re going.”
“Thank you.” Joel yawned, rubbing the back of his head with one hand. “Sing me a lullaby, Benj?”
“What?”
Joel blushed and looked up at Benji shyly. “Well, we haven’t got any hot milk.” He laid his head back down again on Benji’s shoulder, his eyes sliding closed.
Benji laughed and nodded, resting his head on top of Joel's, softly singing to him until he felt his twin fall asleep in his arms.
~El Fin~
Author: The Terrible Twins (badfalcon and elvenpirate
Author Web Page: http://www.aemslash.co.uk Obsess, Much?
Fandom: RPS- Good Charlotte
Categories: Benji Madden/Joel Madden, Angst, H/C, semi-au, sappiness
Rating: PG
Thanks to: You, for reading this. Chel, as ever, for the beta
Disclaimer: Benji & Joel Madden are real people, and most of the events in this story are just that - fictional, figments of my sick and twisted imagination. Hell, call it a fantasy if it makes you feel better. Whatever. No rumours should be started in regards to any events in these works of fiction. This story is written purely for entertainment purposes and no money is being made out of it.
Summary: Benji shows Joel how warm milk and a lullaby makes everything seem better.
Yawning widely, Benji swung his legs out of his bunk, rubbing his eyes with his knuckles. He glanced across at Joel's empty, untouched bunk and sighed, instantly knowing what had woken him up. Running his fingers through his hair, he climbed out of his bunk and pulled on a white wife-beater before padding down the bus to where Joel sat, curled up on a couch staring out of the window at the rainy night sky.
“Go back to sleep, Benj,” Joel said, not even bothering to turn and look at him.
Benji didn’t reply, instead moving to sit opposite Joel. He pulled his feet onto the seat in front of him, tucking his knees under his chin and wrapping his arms around his legs. “Couldn’t sleep.”
Still staring out of the window, Joel simply shrugged one shoulder in response.
“You OK?” Benji pressed.
Again, Joel just shrugged one shoulder.
Benji shook his head and rolled his eyes as he stood up, sitting down next to Joel. He leaned back against the couch, stretching his arms out along the back of it. He followed Joel's eyeline, staring out of the window. “So, what’s so interesting out there, then?” He asked, fixing his gaze on his twin.
“I said go back to sleep, Benji. I’m fine.”
“I wasn’t asleep,” Benji lied.
“Yeah? Well, maybe you should try,” Joel advised, his tone flat as he turned slightly to look at Benji. “You look knackered.”
Benji raised an eyebrow. “Have you looked in a mirror lately?”
“I don’t need to look in a fucking mirror with you following me around all the time!” Joel spat. He sighed and shook his head, hiding his face in his hands. “Fuck!” He squirmed around on the couch to face Benji, his back against the window, his feet curled underneath him. “I’m sorry, Benji. I didn’t mean it.” He pursed his lips and exhaled heavily, pinching the bridge of his nose between thumb and forefinger. “I’m just tired.”
Benji nodded. “I know,” he smiled to let Joel know his apology was accepted. “You wanna talk about it?”
“What’s to talk about?” Joel shrugged again, dropping his gaze to his lap. “I just… can’t sleep. I….” He swallowed deeply, chewing on his lower lip. “I can’t switch off, Benj. Every time I lay down my mind just keeps on going and it won’t shut up. I keep thinking about everything we need to do, everywhere we’re going, all the interviews and the promo and the shows and the kids and… And then about everything that’s happened and I keep wondering if there was anything I could have done differently or if I could have been a better person whether things would be different and…”
“You’re better off without her,” Benji told him sternly, frowning.
“It’s not about Jeannie,” he insisted. “OK, not completely,” he amended at the disbelieving look on Benji’s face. “It is about her but not just about her. It’s about… everything.” A self-deprecating smile ghosted across his lips. “Like… If I’d behaved better when I was younger, would Dad have stayed and…” He trailed off, shaking his head, looking up at Benji, his brown eyes wide and full of emotion.
Knowing that despite it was what Joel wanted, there was nothing he could do to make it all better, Benji simply held his arms out to Joel. Joel smiled in response and wriggled along the couch to lean against Benji, gratefully accepting the embrace.
“You know what you need,” Benji grinned, pressing a quick kiss to Joel's hair. He waited for Joel to look up before answering. “Warm milk.”
Joel snorted. “Warm milk?” He echoed incredulously.
“Oh come on!” Benji insisted, laughing. “Don’t tell me you’ve forgotten?”
“Um…”
Benji shook his head. “I don’t believe it! You must remember, Joel. When we were little and we couldn’t sleep, Mom would tuck us into bed, make us a mug of warm milk…”
“And sing us a lullaby,” Joel finished, nodding his head. “Yeah, I remember. It was always like on Christmas Eve or the night before our birthday. She always made the milk just the right temperature so we wouldn’t burn ourselves.”
“Yeah,” Benji giggled, wrapping his arms tighter around Joel. “But still you always did. Every single time.”
“Yeah, I remember.” Joel sighed, his expression turning serious again. “Why can’t things be that simple still?” He rested his head on Benji’s shoulder and closed his eyes. “Way to ruin the moment,” he muttered to himself, apologising to Benji in the next breath before falling silent again. Neither of them spoke for a few minutes, just sat there enjoying each others’ company. “I missed this,” Joel offered quietly. “I’ve missed you Benji.”
“I missed you too Joel,” Benji reassured him, biting back a yawn. “I hate the feeling that we don’t get any time together anymore.”
“Me too. I’m sorry. “
Benji blinked. “What for? It’s not your fault.”
“Yes it is,” Joel admitted. “We stopped rooming together at hotels because I wanted to spend all my time with Jeannie. And now it’s like I’ve lost both of you.”
“You haven’t lost me,” Benji disagreed. “I’m right here and I always will be… you’re not gonna get rid of me that easily.”
“Good,” Joel smiled, curling into Benji’s embrace, a content sigh escaping his lips.
“We could always go back to rooming,” Benji suggested quietly. “If you want.”
Joel grinned widely, lifting his head off Benji’s shoulder and looking at him. “You mean that? You… you really want that? You’re not just saying that…”
Benji giggled. “Of course I mean it. Yes, that’s what I want. No, I’m not just saying that. Like I said, I miss it and I hate it and… I’ll get it sorted when we get to…” Benji paused, furrowing his brow. “When we get to wherever the fuck it is we’re going.”
“Thank you.” Joel yawned, rubbing the back of his head with one hand. “Sing me a lullaby, Benj?”
“What?”
Joel blushed and looked up at Benji shyly. “Well, we haven’t got any hot milk.” He laid his head back down again on Benji’s shoulder, his eyes sliding closed.
Benji laughed and nodded, resting his head on top of Joel's, softly singing to him until he felt his twin fall asleep in his arms.
~El Fin~