fic.
This is, once again, the fault of call_me_loca.
I told myself I wouldn't write fic. I told myself. So then I wrote fic.
Personal belongings had a pesky way of getting themselves lost, especially when they were on tour. Didn't matter if they were all in one bus altogether, or had their own personal busses, stuff just got lost. Which was why Brian made sure to comb through everyone's busses for AJ Monkey. It'd been Baylee's favourite toy for years, and even now at eight years old, he refused to go to sleep if he didn't see AJ Monkey.
Now that he was one of nine instead of five, it was a little easier to slip out of arenas and onto the bus, especially if they were parked in the right spot. By sheer luck, Brian managed to to avoid most of the fans when they descended upon Nick and Joey (save for one or two girls that were so excited to see him that they could only emit high-pitched squeaks), and got onto the first bus he saw.
He almost hit his head against the disco ball that hung near the front of the bus, and then laughed when he saw the stripper pole right in the middle of the living area. He sure hoped Danny and Donnie didn't mind him rummaging through their stuff.
Brian unearthed pictures of Danny's kids, a watch, several pairs of shelltoes, more than a few Celtics caps, and a stack of DVDs that looked suspiciously like someone's porn collection before he moved towards the bunks. He was about to open the door that led to the bunk area, when he heard a moan and froze in his steps.
"Don't move, it'll just make the pain worse," he heard someone say.
"Fuck the pain, if you don't move outta the way you're gonna knee my nuts." Brian blinked several times before his brain registered that it was AJ talking.
"I'm not a hobbit like your other bandmates, okay."
"Shut up, Donnie."
Brian sucked in a breath, unsure of whether or not he had almost walked onto something that he would've rather not have seen. He opened the door as quietly as he could, and eased it open an inch or two.
In the half light he could just make out two bodies huddled close to each other in one of the bunks. For a minute he wondered how it was possible to squeeze two men into one bunk, but then one of them shifted, moving aside the blanket and revealing a tattooed arm.
Donnie pushed himself onto his elbow and reached over, pulling the blanket back up over AJ. "You really should've taken the Advil," he said, his voice low and comforting.
"I told you, that's how I fell off the wagon the last time," AJ said, sounding strained. "First it was the painkillers, then it was drugs and then back to the alcohol. I don't wanna fuck it up again."
"Pretty sure one Advil isn't going to change that."
AJ moved, lifting his head a little so he could look Donnie in the eye. "How the hell would you know?" He dropped his head, burrowing back into the space between him and Donnie, turning his head into the juncture of Donnie's neck.
Donnie pulled AJ a little closer, his arm settling around his torso. "Any better?"
"I feel fucking stupid." AJ said, sounding a little muffled against Donnie's tshirt. "We're two grown men squished up in a tiny bunk on a tour bus. I'm getting too old for this shit."
"Watch that fucking mouth of yours," Donnie teased. "You think I'm too old for this shit?"
"I never said that."
"Just settle down and let that migraine play itself out."
"That's if my back doesn't give out first."
Donnie's lips curved into a smile. "I'll give you a back rub if it does."
AJ huffed a laugh before falling silent again. For a while the only sounds Brian could hear was the sound of their breathing.
"Was it this bad the last time you were in rehab?"
"Yeah," AJ said. "'cept I tried not to let the other guys know. I know they worry about me a lot."
"We all do."
"Bullshit."
"What, you think we weren't worried when you went back in?" Donnie shifted. "I'll snuggle with you every night if it means helping to get you better."
"You're just saying that." AJ winced, then, and moaned again.
"This isn't fucking working," Donnie said. "We could try something else, if you want, it's helped the other guys before but I'm not sure if - "
"Does it work?" AJ said, cutting him off mid-sentence.
"Yeah."
"Do it. I don't fucking care."
"You sure?"
"How many times do I have to say it?"
Donnie took a deep breath. "Alright then. Just relax," he said, his voice decrescendoing until Brian could barely make out what he was saying.
Brian couldn't see too well, but he thought he saw movement under the blanket, and then he heard AJ's sharp intake of breath. His breathing grew heavier. Donnie shifted closer again, and then AJ was making soft strangled sounds in the back of his throat, his eyes screwed shut. Donnie shushed him and moved so he could get a better angle, and now there was no way Brian was going to think that whatever was going on under the blanket was purely innocent.
Brian gulped, suddenly aware of how much saliva was in his mouth, and pushed the door closed as much as he dared to. He got off the bus, feeling a little dizzy as he made his way back to the one he shared with Howie. He wondered if Danny had been relegated to share with Nick that night.
When all of them got to the hotel, Brian saw AJ emerge from the bus right after Donnie, cap pulled low as he tried to dodge the fans waiting outside. Donnie pulled him close for a second, saying something in his ear before he patted him on his back, sending AJ into the hotel while he signed stuff and talked with fans.
Brian got into the same elevator as AJ, looking at him from the corner of his eye.
"AJ."
AJ lifted his head up, and Brian saw that his lips were red and swollen, eyes bright and neck flushed just enough to tell him what had happened after he left the bus.
"You doin' okay there?" Brian asked.
AJ gave him a small, secret smile. "Yeah," he said, "I'm doin' alright."
comments at Dreamwidth. Comment at either place.
I told myself I wouldn't write fic. I told myself. So then I wrote fic.
Personal belongings had a pesky way of getting themselves lost, especially when they were on tour. Didn't matter if they were all in one bus altogether, or had their own personal busses, stuff just got lost. Which was why Brian made sure to comb through everyone's busses for AJ Monkey. It'd been Baylee's favourite toy for years, and even now at eight years old, he refused to go to sleep if he didn't see AJ Monkey.
Now that he was one of nine instead of five, it was a little easier to slip out of arenas and onto the bus, especially if they were parked in the right spot. By sheer luck, Brian managed to to avoid most of the fans when they descended upon Nick and Joey (save for one or two girls that were so excited to see him that they could only emit high-pitched squeaks), and got onto the first bus he saw.
He almost hit his head against the disco ball that hung near the front of the bus, and then laughed when he saw the stripper pole right in the middle of the living area. He sure hoped Danny and Donnie didn't mind him rummaging through their stuff.
Brian unearthed pictures of Danny's kids, a watch, several pairs of shelltoes, more than a few Celtics caps, and a stack of DVDs that looked suspiciously like someone's porn collection before he moved towards the bunks. He was about to open the door that led to the bunk area, when he heard a moan and froze in his steps.
"Don't move, it'll just make the pain worse," he heard someone say.
"Fuck the pain, if you don't move outta the way you're gonna knee my nuts." Brian blinked several times before his brain registered that it was AJ talking.
"I'm not a hobbit like your other bandmates, okay."
"Shut up, Donnie."
Brian sucked in a breath, unsure of whether or not he had almost walked onto something that he would've rather not have seen. He opened the door as quietly as he could, and eased it open an inch or two.
In the half light he could just make out two bodies huddled close to each other in one of the bunks. For a minute he wondered how it was possible to squeeze two men into one bunk, but then one of them shifted, moving aside the blanket and revealing a tattooed arm.
Donnie pushed himself onto his elbow and reached over, pulling the blanket back up over AJ. "You really should've taken the Advil," he said, his voice low and comforting.
"I told you, that's how I fell off the wagon the last time," AJ said, sounding strained. "First it was the painkillers, then it was drugs and then back to the alcohol. I don't wanna fuck it up again."
"Pretty sure one Advil isn't going to change that."
AJ moved, lifting his head a little so he could look Donnie in the eye. "How the hell would you know?" He dropped his head, burrowing back into the space between him and Donnie, turning his head into the juncture of Donnie's neck.
Donnie pulled AJ a little closer, his arm settling around his torso. "Any better?"
"I feel fucking stupid." AJ said, sounding a little muffled against Donnie's tshirt. "We're two grown men squished up in a tiny bunk on a tour bus. I'm getting too old for this shit."
"Watch that fucking mouth of yours," Donnie teased. "You think I'm too old for this shit?"
"I never said that."
"Just settle down and let that migraine play itself out."
"That's if my back doesn't give out first."
Donnie's lips curved into a smile. "I'll give you a back rub if it does."
AJ huffed a laugh before falling silent again. For a while the only sounds Brian could hear was the sound of their breathing.
"Was it this bad the last time you were in rehab?"
"Yeah," AJ said. "'cept I tried not to let the other guys know. I know they worry about me a lot."
"We all do."
"Bullshit."
"What, you think we weren't worried when you went back in?" Donnie shifted. "I'll snuggle with you every night if it means helping to get you better."
"You're just saying that." AJ winced, then, and moaned again.
"This isn't fucking working," Donnie said. "We could try something else, if you want, it's helped the other guys before but I'm not sure if - "
"Does it work?" AJ said, cutting him off mid-sentence.
"Yeah."
"Do it. I don't fucking care."
"You sure?"
"How many times do I have to say it?"
Donnie took a deep breath. "Alright then. Just relax," he said, his voice decrescendoing until Brian could barely make out what he was saying.
Brian couldn't see too well, but he thought he saw movement under the blanket, and then he heard AJ's sharp intake of breath. His breathing grew heavier. Donnie shifted closer again, and then AJ was making soft strangled sounds in the back of his throat, his eyes screwed shut. Donnie shushed him and moved so he could get a better angle, and now there was no way Brian was going to think that whatever was going on under the blanket was purely innocent.
Brian gulped, suddenly aware of how much saliva was in his mouth, and pushed the door closed as much as he dared to. He got off the bus, feeling a little dizzy as he made his way back to the one he shared with Howie. He wondered if Danny had been relegated to share with Nick that night.
When all of them got to the hotel, Brian saw AJ emerge from the bus right after Donnie, cap pulled low as he tried to dodge the fans waiting outside. Donnie pulled him close for a second, saying something in his ear before he patted him on his back, sending AJ into the hotel while he signed stuff and talked with fans.
Brian got into the same elevator as AJ, looking at him from the corner of his eye.
"AJ."
AJ lifted his head up, and Brian saw that his lips were red and swollen, eyes bright and neck flushed just enough to tell him what had happened after he left the bus.
"You doin' okay there?" Brian asked.
AJ gave him a small, secret smile. "Yeah," he said, "I'm doin' alright."
comments at Dreamwidth. Comment at either place.