Destined To Explode

“I’m just going to go back to the hotel.” I sigh as Alex leans his head closer to mine so that he can hear me over the noise of the bar that we’re in, pushing my drink back onto the table in front of me as I nudge Alex to slide out of the booth for what must be the fourth time tonight.

“Do you want me to come with?” Alex’s hand is soft on my back as he leads me slowly through the throng of tables and milling people, holding the door open for me as we slip into the cold night.

“I’ll be fine, you just go and enjoy yourself.” I smile at him as I loop an arm around my own body, letting my hand squeeze my right side for a moment to ease the pain just a little.

“Pop -”

“I promise; I’ve probably just pulled something, you know, with all the heavy lifting. I’m just uncomfortable.”

He looks unsure as I pull my cell phone out to call a cab, reeling off my location and where I want to go to the dull voice on the other end of the line, squeezing Alex’s hand as he links his fingers through mine, eyes watching the small amount of traffic as it flows by through one of the main streets in Columbus, Ohio. It must have rained while we were inside of the building, the still wet tarmac reflecting the lights of the city as we both look on.

Alex waits with me for my transport to arrive, filling the almost silence with general chatter about things that had happened on the tour, the smile never leaving his face as he recalls favourite shows that he’s played in the cities past, asking my opinion on tour life, his face only lighting up more as I express how much I like it, except of course this new injury.

“I think your ride’s here.” He cuts himself off, gesturing with our joined hands to the car indicating to pull over, walking me over slowly, leaning in the open passenger window to speak quietly to the guy before I see him hand over some money. “I’ll see you when I get back. It won’t be too late.”

There’s a quick press of lips against lips as I quietly reassure Alex that I’ll call him once I’m safe in the room and we say our goodbyes, him waiting until we’ve pulled away from the sidewalk to re-enter our choice of drinking place.

We’re only a ten minute journey away from the hotel that we’re all staying in and with Alex having already paid my way with extra, I’m sure that he would have taken a longer route had it not been for that fact.

I scuttle though the lobby once I’m in from the cold, feeling a sense of insecurity now that I’m not surrounded by the rowdy group of guys that I’m used to being with me, sensing people’s eyes on me like I somehow don’t belong in the somewhat high class hotel, my purposely torn leggings and dress combo standing out against everybody else wandering around in their clean cut clothes, most arriving back from their own, more sensible night out.

It’s a quick shed out of the tight clothes once I reach the room, no hesitation as I pull one of Alex’s larger t-shirts on before I let myself clamber into the bed and I try to let sleep consume me and block out the annoying pain in my stomach.

* * * *

“You feeling okay, Bambi?” Zack shuffles into the room after Jack had opened it for me, both of them re-joining the little group of us playing Monopoly on the room floor. “Saw you leave early last night.”

I smile at the years old nickname, it having occurred after Zack’s granddad had let us visit one winter, the pond in the land he owned having frozen over completely, and being the smart teenagers we were, we’d gone to slip and slide on the shallow water, I having no balance, ended up resembling the lovable Disney character and the name stuck for a while, until something else occurred and it got switched.

“Think I’ve pulled something in my stomach.” I shrug, patting the small space next to me so he can at least watch the unexciting game now he was too late to join. “Feeling fine now I’ve got some Advil in me.”

“Good, missed my drinking partner though.”

I lean my head on his shoulder as he swings his arm across mine, trusting Jack to move my counter as I lazily roll the dice, leaning my weight on the sturdy man more, wishing a little that everyone had decided to do something else other than invading my room and bringing out the slightly too long board game, Travis getting way too excited every time someone landed on his hotels, Mike from Hey Monday repeatedly hitting him around the head as he laughed.

“Okay slackers, when you’re done, you can go flock somewhere else, kiddo here looks shattered again.”

Alex’s voice alerts me to a new presence, having not heard the door and I smile at him gratefully as he waves quickly, throwing himself down onto the end of the double bed we’d both vacated earlier in the day, his hand stretching out to tuck some hair back into my loose bun, fingers pressing lightly into my neck before he removes it again.

The game finishes quickly from there, people going bankrupt in a fast succession, including myself, reassuring Jack we’ll play again and he can win as he pouts towards the pile of money both Travis and Cassadee have now, the red head eventually winning, his laughter being the thing that actually persuades everyone to leave, him waiting until last, asking me for a high-five before he kisses me on the cheek and wishes me to get better soon so we can go elevator high-jacking, or something along those lines.

“How was the interview?” I slide off the floor and back onto the comfortable bed, crawling up until I’m level with my boyfriend, smiling as his hands smooths over my tummy a few times.

“Same as usual. Rian is so much funnier when he actually gets asked questions.” He smiles. “Matt was so pissed when they asked about our dating lives.”

I smirk as he sends me that cheeky grin. “Did you answer?”

“We just said that we’re both in relationships and we’re perfectly content.”

“Good boy.” I chuckle, shaking my head as he pokes his tongue out. “Thanks for clearing them out.”

“You honestly, without offending you, look so tired.” His hand strokes down my cheek. “How does a nap sound?”

I nod, shrugging off the hoodie I’d pulled on earlier and letting it drop onto the floor, shuffling towards him as his arms offer to encase me, a kiss laid on my temple as I let my head rest on his chest, his own gently propped on my own as we both relax again.

* * * *

“You’ve got a fever, baby.” Alex’s voice is quiet as he sits opposite me, my back leant up against the headboard, head thrown back as I let a few more Advil tablets into my system, this time without the aid of water, the container still open in Alex’s hands as he continues to look over me with worried eyes. “This is no pulled muscle.”

I shrug. “Maybe it’s a stomach bug.” I sigh, sitting forward so I can pull my knees up to my chest, the position easing the pain slightly. “I have been off my food.”

I relish in the cool hand that brushes my bangs away from my face as he leans in to look at me better. “No one else has gotten ill, and we’ve all been eating the same meals.”

I shuffle down further into the bed, pulling Alex’s hand with me so it keeps the irritating heat at bay, him having to lean awkwardly over me to comply. “Maybe something didn’t agree with me, I don’t know. It’ll pass, don’t worry.”

“But I do worry.” He laughs, finding a more comfortable position to sit in as he lets both his hands run over my hot face. “Do you just want to lie in bed all day?”

I shake my head rapidly. “I’m going shopping with Cass, so I’m just going to let the Advil kick in and then I’m going to get ready.”

“What am I meant to do all day?” He pouts, slamming his arms back into his lap with a huff as I continue to smile at him.

“We’re planning to be back by four, so, I don’t know, go and do some man stuff with Rian or something, he’ll be bored too.”

I’m dressed and ready half an hour later, waving goodbyes to Alex as I rush to meet Cass in the lobby on time, only to find her in the elevator going down at the same time.

We shop in the local mall for a few hours, restocking our wardrobes a little now we’ve got new stores to explore, having to stop by a Starbucks before we head back, Rian having apparently requested that we grab him some coffee before we return, our time spent discussing old memories and her relationship with Rian, I having missed the start of it for being a couple of states away at the time.

“Oh yeah, Ri wanted to know if you could alter some shirts for him? You know, cut off the sleeves, make him look manly.”

I laugh as she smirks at me. “Yeah sure, I’ve already lowered all of the neck lines on Alex’s.”

We’re both still laughing as we enter their shared hotel room, my bags having been dropped off at my room first so that I could pick up my make-shift sewing stuff, figuring that I may as well do that now while I have the time and then Alex and I can go and do something after, now that I was feeling much better.

I told him that it was nothing to worry about.

Notes