just_muse_me | 17.2.3. Boys will be boys
17.2.3. Boys will be boys
Co-written with touchkitndie
It seemed that Lachlan's ex-drummer had about as many forward-planning skills as his lead singer. Not only did he give Riley the wrong flight time (misread the 24 hour time on the ticket), but he picked a flight in rush hour and subsequently left Riley stuck in traffic trying to get into Newark International Airport in Jersey. Riley had been at work since six am, so by the time he got to the airport at just after four pm (needing to leave work early to make it in time), he was late and the flight from Edinburgh had landed a good half an hour ago. Riley hoped Josh had been caught in customs or baggage claim, but no such luck. As Riley bounded through the doors to Arrivals, Josh was already there leaning against the wall by the vending machine, bags at his feet waiting for Riley to get there.
Riley still had his work clothes on and had just pulled his leather jacket on over the top. He smirked when he saw his friend and pulled a couple of stray latex gloves from his pocket and held them up as he approached. "You ordered a personal prostate exam, sir?" he said loudly.
Josh King grinned as he pushed off the wall and moved his hands to his belt buckle. "Yeah, I did actually, mate. Do you want me to just drop trou here, or should we go somewhere a little more private?" He'd entertained himself with a flight attendant on the trip, their entrance into the mile high club probably heard all the way through economy class. Wasn't his fault the girl was a screamer. Fucking tight though, so Josh chalked it up as a win. Not to mention the rest of the crew, and most blokes on the flight just wanted to congratulate him.
Also managed to get him a number from some blonde bird with killer legs. He'd almost thought about taking her into one of the public restrooms here, but figured he better save it just in case all the other women in Princeton were married, or lesbians.
Riley pulled one of the gloves on with a sharp snap. "Right here, mate. I'm very, very good," he said succintly, but soon became aware that their audience included kids so he just shoved his hands in his pockets with a smirk. He hadn't seen Josh since Tara and Lachlan's wedding, which was almost a year ago now. Hell, he couldn't wrap his head around the fact he had been back in the States for nearly a year. So much had happened since. He knew he probably looked a little different considering what his body had gone through with the HIV. He was only just starting to get that healthy look back about him, which was good timing for his own wedding. "Have a good flight, mate?" he asked knowingly.
Josh left his belt alone and stooped to pick up his bags. "Yeah, pretty good. Only one way to kill time on a flight, and that's with the stewardesses. Or flight attendants. Whatever the fuck PC bullshit you have to say these days. You look like you've had better times, but I heard all about your engagement. What the fuck happened there? Last I saw you, you were still pining over Anderson."
"Yeah, get yourself stabbed in the throat, and a whole new world opens up for you," Riley said and took his car keys from his pocket. "Beth and I just didn't connect the second time around. I was too screwed up and she soon found something that fitted her much better. Tara's cousin, to be exact. I threw piss on a lass and she ended up agreeing to marry me. I'll tell you, mate. Princeton keeps you on your toes."
Josh made a face as he followed Riley through the terminal. "Yeah, sorry 'bout the HIV, mate. Fate really fucked up that one... As for throwing piss on someone, is that really a story I want to hear? Are all the Princeton chicks kinky? I'm not into piss. Not like that." He had an itch on the back of his head, and juggled his bags so he could get at it. "Beth and Tara's cousin. You and the piss girl. Got it. Lachlan was telling me about your sister's boyfriend's bar, or something. Wasn't your sister the one that refused to date? I've been dying to get a good look at her. If she was still single I would have totally had a go..."
"My fiancee's a nurse," Riley told him with an amused shake of his head. "I ran into her one day on shift with a bottle of a kid's piss I needed for a sample. That's how we met. Dude, seriously, I'm not into kinky shit like that either." He nodded as Josh relayed the relationships in process. "Pat and Aiden, who seriously looks like he could be a centrefold. Wait til you see him. Trust Pat to pluck a Fabio out of the air right when we all thought he was tagging behind."
He shot Josh a Look. "No you fucking wouldn't have. Mate, it's my sister. No way I would be letting someone like you near her," he said with a snort. "Luke owns a really hip bar in New York. He's opening this place as a companion to it. If it's anything like it's New York counterpart, it's going to be hot with the local music scene."
Josh smirked. "I don't think Fabio's quite who I want with Pat. Guy's the size of a brick shithouse with abnormally long shiny hair. I will still never understand what made women swoon over him. Bet his pecker's tiny. Probably takes steroids, too. Nice work pulling a nurse... Guess that doctor thing's working for you, then." Josh blinked at the look, and frowned. "What's wrong with someone like me? I'd treat her right, mate. Seriously. I'd even stay until morning if she wanted."
Riley laughed as they neared his car and he turned his alarm off. "Dude, you know too much about Fabio than should be legal. I get your point though. Aiden's nothing like Fabio. He's a fucking self-made millionaire with some high rise business in New York. I'm sure he would be the first to agree with me about the benefits of pulling a nurse." He unlocked the boot of his car and helped Josh get the bags in. "She'd kick your arse, mate, not want it. She's a female you. I still wouldn't want you touching her, as much as I love you."
Josh let out a low whistle. "Nice work, Patto. Looks like I know who to hit up when funds get low." Josh let out a chuckle as he stretched his arms over his head and scratched his stomach under his shirt. "Female me? Didn't realise that even existed... Not sure I've ever been one to indulge in fantasies of shagging myself. I think your mate can keep her." Josh grinned and slapped Riley in the arm. "Love you too, mate."
"I only know him through Tab. The bloke hit on her one day when he was busking in New York. He was a total ninja, too. He's also rich. I work my arse off on a weekly basis and I've got to get HIV to make my millions. Life's fucked, mate." Riley unlocked the car doors and slid into the driver's seat. He took his pager from his pocket and clipped it to the dashboard, followed by plugging his cell phone into the charger. His stethoscope and ID bagde were lying on the floor too, so grabbed them and threw them in the back seat. "Think you'd be interested in the job, though?"
"He's rich as well? So does that mean I have to go win the Lotto or something, to get a look in these days? Job sounds interesting enough, I just want to meet the bloke. But if Lachlan likes him, I'll probably like him. How'd he manage to win your approval? Besides not be like me." Josh watched Riley in amusement. Made him glad he'd never gone for a regular job. Lugging his kit around was enough. He hated the idea of having to be in constant touch with his work, but then he supposed that saving lives meant Riley always had to be available. He sniffed and stretched his legs out. "Any more sitting and my arse is going to go numb. It's not going to be a long drive, is it? Thanks for coming. Meant to say that before. I'm dying for a smoke."
Riley opened the glove compartment and pulled out his smokes and lighter, chucking them into Josh's lap. "Just under an hour, give or take, depending on the traffic." He found a decent radio station and turned it low, finally ready to actually get going. "Luke's a great guy. He met Tab right after I got the needlestick, so he was basically there through all the shit. That's how he won it. He never left her side and helped me, even though he didn't know me from a bar of soap. You wouldn't know to look at him that he's loaded, but that's pretty much like most of us. No airs and graces in our group. We've been through a bunch of shit, so we're pretty tight."
Josh picked up the lighter and packet gratefully, and pulled one of Riley's smokes out to sit it between his lips as he lit up. "God bless you for being a doctor that smokes, Riley Browne. So he's one of those dependeble types, yeah? I'm trying to think of one girl who's ever wanted to make me protect her, but I got nothing. Not like that. Sounds like Tab was lucky to find the guy." Josh inhaled on the nicotine with a moan of pleasure and smirked. "Since when am I the airs and graces type? Fuck 'em. So long as they know how to laugh, I'll be alright. Any single ladies, or am I about to enter Couplesville?"
They got caught in the traffic getting out of the airport too, so Riley took advantage of the halt to light up a cigarette of his own. He dropped them into the tray between them and turned out onto the road to head for Princeton. "I don't know how he is with anyone else, but he was cool with Tab. That's all that matters. I think he's basically a hippy type without being a hippy. He just lives for the moment, to fuck with anything. I really can't believe they're getting married, to be honest. Neither seem the sort, but they're happy." He wound his window down and blew the smoke outside. "Directly in the bunch, we're mostly hooked up, but don't worry, mate. There's more to Princeton than just us and if all goes well, you'll be running a very successful bar. You'll have chicks throwing themselves at you. Plus, the bar is near both the hospital and the university... single student, doctors, nurses. We've got some pretty hot girls at work."
Josh put his own window down and blew the smoke out of it. "Hot girls at the hospital, huh? Probably time I had a checkup."
"Knowing your luck, you'll get House," Riley said with a snigger of amusement at the thought. "What made you decide to make the move to Princeton?"
Josh stuck out his tongue a little as he placed the name. House was the one that had looked after Lachlan when he'd been shot. Abrasive fucker. "Maybe I'll just go lurk in the corridors, then. Don't know. Guess Scotland just got a bit boring without Campbell. Plus if this bar thing pans out, it'd be good."
Riley nodded in understanding. "The place is probably not how you expect. I guess some of us are still trying to pick up the pieces after repeated shit hitting repeated fans, but it's cool. I think you'll like it. If one thing we know, it's how to have a good time and a laugh." He glanced at Josh. "It can get pretty heavy sometimes... intense. Sure you're cool with that?"
Josh pointed at himself as the cigarette hung from the corner of his mouth. "I can be deep, mate. I'm like a fucking abyss of feelings. What are you trying to say about drummers?"
Riley laughed. "You can take your banging sensitivity somewhere else. I've had to put up with you musical lot my whole life. Don't think I'm totally naive. I'm just trying to warn you, mate. Shit's been going on. RJ's barely been out of hospital a few weeks, another mate just got diagnosed with cancer. It's cool. It's just not like it was in Scotland."
"Look, we're all mates. Mates are meant to be there in hard times and good. I have no idea how the fuck I'll be able to help, but I can try," Josh said as he took a long drag on his cigarette. For a drummer he seemed to have fucked up timing, but then maybe he was supposed to be here while it was hard. Maybe there was something he could do, and he just didn't know it yet.
"Think you'll still stick to the drumming when you're here?" Riley asked. "Were you even with a band recently? I know it's gotta be hard after being with Lachlan and crew all those years."
"I've been a drumming slut for twelve months. Nothing feels like playing with our crew, so I just play with whoever needs a drummer at the time. I feel dirty," he admitted with a smirk.
Riley just snorted in amusement. "Yeah, right. Did you know Lachlan and Tab just signed a record deal for a joint album. Lachlan got scouted again at a Karaoke comp back in December, but he didn't want a piece of it unless he could record with Tab, so the agent signed them both up. Lachlan's pretty much been off the music scene since he left the band, but there's been a few times he's taken the stage and nothing's changed. You guys should think about hooking up, old times."
"I think I'm just an ex he's polite to as far as music goes," Josh laughed. "He'll call me up and throw me the odd bone, but that's it. We're still mates, so no hard feelings. Joint album, huh? Nice. Always knew Campbell'd wind up getting scouted again if he ever sung in public."
Riley shook his head. "Don't underestimate his music. It's still running deep in his blood. None of us really know why he quit the band and made the decision to move to Princeton, but his ex fucked him over pretty damn good. He probably just needed to get away. And sure, he does come off like a totally hooked married bloke, but he's still the same Lachlan, like you wouldn't believe," he laughed, remembering the other night. "He has an issue with crowds though. A big issue. Since the shooting, he's been phobic of them. He keeps thinking someone is going to pull a gun on him again. You might be able to help him get back on the stage, mate."
"If I didn't know this conversation was about music, I'd be taking that last comment differently. Yeah, I can only imagine how he must feel in crowds. I'll give it a go. His ex was... well, I wouldn't piss on her if she was on fire." Josh took the last drag of his smoke before he flicked it out the window.
Riley smirked. "Hey, don't worry about it. Half of us in our group have a one-tracked mind," he assured him. Queen came on the radio, so he reached over and switched channels with a shake of his head. Even he was all Queened out for the moment. "Last you saw him was the wedding. He looked pretty rough, even then. He's looking much better. He just has his moments, you know? I guess we all do. I can guarantee it'll be fun, though. Never a dull moment, and we're usually all safe if we keep him away from the booze. Plus, a whole world of fresh meat for you to set your sights on," he added, sniggering.
"A-fucking-men. Man, I was with this bird, and it was only when I was sneaking out of her place that I realised she was the sister of some other girl I'd fucked a few years back. Edinbugh's getting small, mate. I need a change." Josh scratched the side of his face and looked over at Riley. "But he is doing better, yeah?"
"Who can blame you? I love the place, but you gotta be running into Lachlan's old lays by now. Between the two of you, you would've had about every Scottish chick in a twenty mile radius." Riley chewed on his lip for a bit and glanced back with a slight shrug. "Most days he is, some days, when he's bad, he's really bad. He can joke about it now. He'll also probably be reluctant to strip off around anyone. He wears wifebeaters under most things these days because he hates the scarring. The crowd thing. Plus, he is extremely protective of Tara and the baby. But he's cool. He's a lot better than he was. More freaky is the place it happened. It's a weird feeling walking by there. It seems so innocent."
Josh frowned as he looked back out the window. "Still hard to believe something that freaky happened. Or that you got stabbed with a needle and wound up with HIV. I know it's a bit inappropriate to say, but I'm starting to wonder what's going to happen now I've left Scotland. Fingers crossed I last long enough to get at least one good lay this side of the ocean."
"Wrong places, wrongs times... that's all," Riley said quietly. "Just think of it as being isolated to PPTH doctors. Lachlan was stalked, I got a bad patient. Patients can suck. Neither really should've happened, but it did because of a series of small wrong moves. The only reason I'm in this position is because I was a fucked up idiot back in my teens, otherwise I'd probably be fine right. Lachlan had a chick who was freakishly obsessed with him. You gotta come in and make things normal, mate," he said.
"Me and normal?" Josh started to laugh loudly. "Yeah, right. I'll give it a go, Riley. Can't promise much."
All muses referenced with permission and are from the princeton2nyc universe
Word Count | 3,094
Co-written with touchkitndie
It seemed that Lachlan's ex-drummer had about as many forward-planning skills as his lead singer. Not only did he give Riley the wrong flight time (misread the 24 hour time on the ticket), but he picked a flight in rush hour and subsequently left Riley stuck in traffic trying to get into Newark International Airport in Jersey. Riley had been at work since six am, so by the time he got to the airport at just after four pm (needing to leave work early to make it in time), he was late and the flight from Edinburgh had landed a good half an hour ago. Riley hoped Josh had been caught in customs or baggage claim, but no such luck. As Riley bounded through the doors to Arrivals, Josh was already there leaning against the wall by the vending machine, bags at his feet waiting for Riley to get there.
Riley still had his work clothes on and had just pulled his leather jacket on over the top. He smirked when he saw his friend and pulled a couple of stray latex gloves from his pocket and held them up as he approached. "You ordered a personal prostate exam, sir?" he said loudly.
Josh King grinned as he pushed off the wall and moved his hands to his belt buckle. "Yeah, I did actually, mate. Do you want me to just drop trou here, or should we go somewhere a little more private?" He'd entertained himself with a flight attendant on the trip, their entrance into the mile high club probably heard all the way through economy class. Wasn't his fault the girl was a screamer. Fucking tight though, so Josh chalked it up as a win. Not to mention the rest of the crew, and most blokes on the flight just wanted to congratulate him.
Also managed to get him a number from some blonde bird with killer legs. He'd almost thought about taking her into one of the public restrooms here, but figured he better save it just in case all the other women in Princeton were married, or lesbians.
Riley pulled one of the gloves on with a sharp snap. "Right here, mate. I'm very, very good," he said succintly, but soon became aware that their audience included kids so he just shoved his hands in his pockets with a smirk. He hadn't seen Josh since Tara and Lachlan's wedding, which was almost a year ago now. Hell, he couldn't wrap his head around the fact he had been back in the States for nearly a year. So much had happened since. He knew he probably looked a little different considering what his body had gone through with the HIV. He was only just starting to get that healthy look back about him, which was good timing for his own wedding. "Have a good flight, mate?" he asked knowingly.
Josh left his belt alone and stooped to pick up his bags. "Yeah, pretty good. Only one way to kill time on a flight, and that's with the stewardesses. Or flight attendants. Whatever the fuck PC bullshit you have to say these days. You look like you've had better times, but I heard all about your engagement. What the fuck happened there? Last I saw you, you were still pining over Anderson."
"Yeah, get yourself stabbed in the throat, and a whole new world opens up for you," Riley said and took his car keys from his pocket. "Beth and I just didn't connect the second time around. I was too screwed up and she soon found something that fitted her much better. Tara's cousin, to be exact. I threw piss on a lass and she ended up agreeing to marry me. I'll tell you, mate. Princeton keeps you on your toes."
Josh made a face as he followed Riley through the terminal. "Yeah, sorry 'bout the HIV, mate. Fate really fucked up that one... As for throwing piss on someone, is that really a story I want to hear? Are all the Princeton chicks kinky? I'm not into piss. Not like that." He had an itch on the back of his head, and juggled his bags so he could get at it. "Beth and Tara's cousin. You and the piss girl. Got it. Lachlan was telling me about your sister's boyfriend's bar, or something. Wasn't your sister the one that refused to date? I've been dying to get a good look at her. If she was still single I would have totally had a go..."
"My fiancee's a nurse," Riley told him with an amused shake of his head. "I ran into her one day on shift with a bottle of a kid's piss I needed for a sample. That's how we met. Dude, seriously, I'm not into kinky shit like that either." He nodded as Josh relayed the relationships in process. "Pat and Aiden, who seriously looks like he could be a centrefold. Wait til you see him. Trust Pat to pluck a Fabio out of the air right when we all thought he was tagging behind."
He shot Josh a Look. "No you fucking wouldn't have. Mate, it's my sister. No way I would be letting someone like you near her," he said with a snort. "Luke owns a really hip bar in New York. He's opening this place as a companion to it. If it's anything like it's New York counterpart, it's going to be hot with the local music scene."
Josh smirked. "I don't think Fabio's quite who I want with Pat. Guy's the size of a brick shithouse with abnormally long shiny hair. I will still never understand what made women swoon over him. Bet his pecker's tiny. Probably takes steroids, too. Nice work pulling a nurse... Guess that doctor thing's working for you, then." Josh blinked at the look, and frowned. "What's wrong with someone like me? I'd treat her right, mate. Seriously. I'd even stay until morning if she wanted."
Riley laughed as they neared his car and he turned his alarm off. "Dude, you know too much about Fabio than should be legal. I get your point though. Aiden's nothing like Fabio. He's a fucking self-made millionaire with some high rise business in New York. I'm sure he would be the first to agree with me about the benefits of pulling a nurse." He unlocked the boot of his car and helped Josh get the bags in. "She'd kick your arse, mate, not want it. She's a female you. I still wouldn't want you touching her, as much as I love you."
Josh let out a low whistle. "Nice work, Patto. Looks like I know who to hit up when funds get low." Josh let out a chuckle as he stretched his arms over his head and scratched his stomach under his shirt. "Female me? Didn't realise that even existed... Not sure I've ever been one to indulge in fantasies of shagging myself. I think your mate can keep her." Josh grinned and slapped Riley in the arm. "Love you too, mate."
"I only know him through Tab. The bloke hit on her one day when he was busking in New York. He was a total ninja, too. He's also rich. I work my arse off on a weekly basis and I've got to get HIV to make my millions. Life's fucked, mate." Riley unlocked the car doors and slid into the driver's seat. He took his pager from his pocket and clipped it to the dashboard, followed by plugging his cell phone into the charger. His stethoscope and ID bagde were lying on the floor too, so grabbed them and threw them in the back seat. "Think you'd be interested in the job, though?"
"He's rich as well? So does that mean I have to go win the Lotto or something, to get a look in these days? Job sounds interesting enough, I just want to meet the bloke. But if Lachlan likes him, I'll probably like him. How'd he manage to win your approval? Besides not be like me." Josh watched Riley in amusement. Made him glad he'd never gone for a regular job. Lugging his kit around was enough. He hated the idea of having to be in constant touch with his work, but then he supposed that saving lives meant Riley always had to be available. He sniffed and stretched his legs out. "Any more sitting and my arse is going to go numb. It's not going to be a long drive, is it? Thanks for coming. Meant to say that before. I'm dying for a smoke."
Riley opened the glove compartment and pulled out his smokes and lighter, chucking them into Josh's lap. "Just under an hour, give or take, depending on the traffic." He found a decent radio station and turned it low, finally ready to actually get going. "Luke's a great guy. He met Tab right after I got the needlestick, so he was basically there through all the shit. That's how he won it. He never left her side and helped me, even though he didn't know me from a bar of soap. You wouldn't know to look at him that he's loaded, but that's pretty much like most of us. No airs and graces in our group. We've been through a bunch of shit, so we're pretty tight."
Josh picked up the lighter and packet gratefully, and pulled one of Riley's smokes out to sit it between his lips as he lit up. "God bless you for being a doctor that smokes, Riley Browne. So he's one of those dependeble types, yeah? I'm trying to think of one girl who's ever wanted to make me protect her, but I got nothing. Not like that. Sounds like Tab was lucky to find the guy." Josh inhaled on the nicotine with a moan of pleasure and smirked. "Since when am I the airs and graces type? Fuck 'em. So long as they know how to laugh, I'll be alright. Any single ladies, or am I about to enter Couplesville?"
They got caught in the traffic getting out of the airport too, so Riley took advantage of the halt to light up a cigarette of his own. He dropped them into the tray between them and turned out onto the road to head for Princeton. "I don't know how he is with anyone else, but he was cool with Tab. That's all that matters. I think he's basically a hippy type without being a hippy. He just lives for the moment, to fuck with anything. I really can't believe they're getting married, to be honest. Neither seem the sort, but they're happy." He wound his window down and blew the smoke outside. "Directly in the bunch, we're mostly hooked up, but don't worry, mate. There's more to Princeton than just us and if all goes well, you'll be running a very successful bar. You'll have chicks throwing themselves at you. Plus, the bar is near both the hospital and the university... single student, doctors, nurses. We've got some pretty hot girls at work."
Josh put his own window down and blew the smoke out of it. "Hot girls at the hospital, huh? Probably time I had a checkup."
"Knowing your luck, you'll get House," Riley said with a snigger of amusement at the thought. "What made you decide to make the move to Princeton?"
Josh stuck out his tongue a little as he placed the name. House was the one that had looked after Lachlan when he'd been shot. Abrasive fucker. "Maybe I'll just go lurk in the corridors, then. Don't know. Guess Scotland just got a bit boring without Campbell. Plus if this bar thing pans out, it'd be good."
Riley nodded in understanding. "The place is probably not how you expect. I guess some of us are still trying to pick up the pieces after repeated shit hitting repeated fans, but it's cool. I think you'll like it. If one thing we know, it's how to have a good time and a laugh." He glanced at Josh. "It can get pretty heavy sometimes... intense. Sure you're cool with that?"
Josh pointed at himself as the cigarette hung from the corner of his mouth. "I can be deep, mate. I'm like a fucking abyss of feelings. What are you trying to say about drummers?"
Riley laughed. "You can take your banging sensitivity somewhere else. I've had to put up with you musical lot my whole life. Don't think I'm totally naive. I'm just trying to warn you, mate. Shit's been going on. RJ's barely been out of hospital a few weeks, another mate just got diagnosed with cancer. It's cool. It's just not like it was in Scotland."
"Look, we're all mates. Mates are meant to be there in hard times and good. I have no idea how the fuck I'll be able to help, but I can try," Josh said as he took a long drag on his cigarette. For a drummer he seemed to have fucked up timing, but then maybe he was supposed to be here while it was hard. Maybe there was something he could do, and he just didn't know it yet.
"Think you'll still stick to the drumming when you're here?" Riley asked. "Were you even with a band recently? I know it's gotta be hard after being with Lachlan and crew all those years."
"I've been a drumming slut for twelve months. Nothing feels like playing with our crew, so I just play with whoever needs a drummer at the time. I feel dirty," he admitted with a smirk.
Riley just snorted in amusement. "Yeah, right. Did you know Lachlan and Tab just signed a record deal for a joint album. Lachlan got scouted again at a Karaoke comp back in December, but he didn't want a piece of it unless he could record with Tab, so the agent signed them both up. Lachlan's pretty much been off the music scene since he left the band, but there's been a few times he's taken the stage and nothing's changed. You guys should think about hooking up, old times."
"I think I'm just an ex he's polite to as far as music goes," Josh laughed. "He'll call me up and throw me the odd bone, but that's it. We're still mates, so no hard feelings. Joint album, huh? Nice. Always knew Campbell'd wind up getting scouted again if he ever sung in public."
Riley shook his head. "Don't underestimate his music. It's still running deep in his blood. None of us really know why he quit the band and made the decision to move to Princeton, but his ex fucked him over pretty damn good. He probably just needed to get away. And sure, he does come off like a totally hooked married bloke, but he's still the same Lachlan, like you wouldn't believe," he laughed, remembering the other night. "He has an issue with crowds though. A big issue. Since the shooting, he's been phobic of them. He keeps thinking someone is going to pull a gun on him again. You might be able to help him get back on the stage, mate."
"If I didn't know this conversation was about music, I'd be taking that last comment differently. Yeah, I can only imagine how he must feel in crowds. I'll give it a go. His ex was... well, I wouldn't piss on her if she was on fire." Josh took the last drag of his smoke before he flicked it out the window.
Riley smirked. "Hey, don't worry about it. Half of us in our group have a one-tracked mind," he assured him. Queen came on the radio, so he reached over and switched channels with a shake of his head. Even he was all Queened out for the moment. "Last you saw him was the wedding. He looked pretty rough, even then. He's looking much better. He just has his moments, you know? I guess we all do. I can guarantee it'll be fun, though. Never a dull moment, and we're usually all safe if we keep him away from the booze. Plus, a whole world of fresh meat for you to set your sights on," he added, sniggering.
"A-fucking-men. Man, I was with this bird, and it was only when I was sneaking out of her place that I realised she was the sister of some other girl I'd fucked a few years back. Edinbugh's getting small, mate. I need a change." Josh scratched the side of his face and looked over at Riley. "But he is doing better, yeah?"
"Who can blame you? I love the place, but you gotta be running into Lachlan's old lays by now. Between the two of you, you would've had about every Scottish chick in a twenty mile radius." Riley chewed on his lip for a bit and glanced back with a slight shrug. "Most days he is, some days, when he's bad, he's really bad. He can joke about it now. He'll also probably be reluctant to strip off around anyone. He wears wifebeaters under most things these days because he hates the scarring. The crowd thing. Plus, he is extremely protective of Tara and the baby. But he's cool. He's a lot better than he was. More freaky is the place it happened. It's a weird feeling walking by there. It seems so innocent."
Josh frowned as he looked back out the window. "Still hard to believe something that freaky happened. Or that you got stabbed with a needle and wound up with HIV. I know it's a bit inappropriate to say, but I'm starting to wonder what's going to happen now I've left Scotland. Fingers crossed I last long enough to get at least one good lay this side of the ocean."
"Wrong places, wrongs times... that's all," Riley said quietly. "Just think of it as being isolated to PPTH doctors. Lachlan was stalked, I got a bad patient. Patients can suck. Neither really should've happened, but it did because of a series of small wrong moves. The only reason I'm in this position is because I was a fucked up idiot back in my teens, otherwise I'd probably be fine right. Lachlan had a chick who was freakishly obsessed with him. You gotta come in and make things normal, mate," he said.
"Me and normal?" Josh started to laugh loudly. "Yeah, right. I'll give it a go, Riley. Can't promise much."
All muses referenced with permission and are from the princeton2nyc universe
Word Count | 3,094