Destined To Explode

I want to groan out in protest as I feel my phone vibrate in the pocket of my pyjama shorts, alerting me to the fact that I needed to get up and set up for the day and I had twenty minutes to get up and dressed so that Matt wasn’t yelling down the bus at me.

I shake my head with a smile as I try to work out a way to get out of the small space without having to disturb the sleeping form of Alex, who had pinned me to the wall of the bunk instead of letting me lie in my usual position on the curtain side.

“’Chu doing?” Alex’s sleepy mumble catches me as I practically straddle his waist, one leg outstretched so that I could place it on the floor and have leverage to duck out of our makeshift bed.

“I need to go and set up, Baby. Get some more sleep or something.” I go to move again but his hands grip my waist, tugging me not so gently so that we’re chest to chest.

“We have the next three days off. Go back to sleep.”

“No, on the eighth we have -”

“Today is the eighth, Babe. Listen, no one else is moving.”

I listen for a moment, no sound of people moving in the bunk area, which there usually was and in fact the bus was still moving, who knows how I had failed to notice that.

“Oh fuck, three days off sounds so good.” I slide back so that I’m back on my own side of the bunk, pushing my face back into the pillow with a sigh of contentment.

“So did the silence – shut the fuck up.” Zack’s voice comes from across the small space, followed by what I can only think are balled up socks hitting the bunk curtains.

Alex lets out a snort of laughter as he turns back onto his side, slinging an arm back around my waist before he presses a kiss to my temple and slips back into sleep himself.

* * * *

“Guys! Hotel in ten minutes! Grab your shit and be in the lobby by twelve.” There’s a slap of hands to the space between our bunk and the one above, Matt’s voice raising protests from the other people who are still sleeping this late into the day. “Don’t fucking complain! This place is a lot nicer than your bunks, so get up!”

Alex kicks his legs out from the covers as I try to stretch my arms a little, the limited space making it difficult but I do manage to create that lovely pop from my shoulder somehow, earning a shake of the head from Alex. “You’re ridiculous. The only person I know who likes it when it sounds like their bones are breaking.”

“Says the guy who loves walking around barefoot.” I shoot back, grinning at him as I slip down from the middle bunk, skipping through to the back lounge to grab some clothes to change into, nudging Ian out of my path, smirking as he tumbles straight onto the leather couch, having only been half-dressed in his jeans.

“Morning to you too, Poppy.”

“Yep.”

I don’t even hesitate to change into a dress and some leggings in front of Ian, just like I don’t with any of the other guys. I couldn’t be bothered with asking them to leave the room, or to let me have use of the bathroom exclusively so changing in front of them just came as a hazard of the job. Admittedly, it was a little weird with Jack, what with us being related and all but it wasn’t very often that he was up at the same time as me anyway.

I throw Alex a few outfits to put in the bag that we’ll be using for the days which we shall be staying in the hotel, the bus being parked in a compound a little while away and dragging my case was a pointless task for only a few nights, joining almost everyone else in the front lounge while he packs up his own.

Rian ends up giving me a piggy back through to the hotel lobby when we all descend out of our travelling home, Jack and Vinny bounding along beside us like we’re a huge source of entertainment for them, Alex complaining about being left with the bag when I’m not even walking.

“We’re not exactly going on a trek, Lex.” Matt chuckles as we stand in the centre of the reasonably sized lobby, Matt leaving to go and get the room keys as Rian dumps me unceremoniously back onto my feet.

“Thank you for giving me my girl back, Ri.” Alex gathers my up in his arms as I laugh, trying half-heartedly to push him away but giving up and letting myself relax into the soft material of his jacket.

“My girl’s here now anyway.” Rian’s smile only gets larger as Cass prances on over, attaching herself to her boyfriend immediately.

“Room changes!” Matt’s voice booms over everyone else’s chatter. “It’s up to you all of course but Jack if you share with Zack then the couples can share with each other and then there’s no complaints. If anyone else wants to switch around, just let me know who’s with who and whatever.”

He starts handing out key cards, two per room, Alex grabbing both of ours before he’s tugging me along with him towards the stairs as I try to arrange some well-earned shopping time with Cass as her own boyfriend is trying to push her towards the elevators.

“Why do we have to take the stairs?” I pout, looking up at the many floor that we will have to travel in order to get to room four-oh-three. “I’m tired.”

“It’s quicker.” He grins. “And that means that we’ll be in our room sooner and that means -”

“I see where this is going.” I smirk along with him. “After three?”

* * * *

I’m laughing into our kiss as Alex walks me backwards, playfully slapping at his hands as he tries to untie the knot holding my robe closed, despite the fact that only minutes before he had me naked in the bathroom, our noise hopefully drowned out by the shower that Alex had insisted would stay PG when he had begged to join me. Yeah, sure it had.

The door to our room opens to the right, Alex tearing his lips away from mine as he glares at the intrusion, also known as Matt Flyzik, who’s smiling at us sheepishly as he takes in our attire and position.

“So, that’s why you haven’t been answering your cells? A little nookie in the shower already, Christ.”

“Is there a reason why you’ve just barged in, or…?” Alex raises his eyebrows as he lets go of my waist, wandering back into the bathroom to grab a towel for his hair, that moment having flown out of the window.

“I wouldn’t have had to if you would have waited a little while before fucking.” Matt laughs as I groan, shaking my head in embarrassment. “You’re like teenagers! Anyway, I was going to tell you that we’re all meeting down at the hotel bar at four and then we’re going to ‘hit the town’ as Evan put it, if you want to join the rest of us.”

“You up for it, love?” Alex inquires before he answers, switching his gaze to me.

“I’m always up for some decent drinking time, I’ll be there.”

“Alright man, we’ll see you down there at four. Now, stop being a cock block and leave.”

“Use protection!” Is the call the tour manager leaves us with, Alex shaking his head at his friend before he’s back to pressing himself against me, a hot trail of kisses already being left down my neck.

Notes