Destined To Explode

Content.

That’s how I feel. At home, even though we’re speeding down a highway in a glorified sardine tin towards the city of sin after spending a week in the Golden State and we would be travelling from there to the majority of the States we had yet to visit with barely a day’s break.

It reminds me of being back in the van, with everyone squished in together, except this is by choice; everyone gathered in the back lounge, Flyzik and Colussy spilling through into the bunk section but still joined in with the activities which were currently going on.

I’m rivalling Jack, Grieco and Alex on the Wii, all of us shouting at the screen after we had pre-gamed with a few shots of Vodka each and now we were trying to use the ridiculous wheels to drive our karts around on the television screen. Matt is yelling about my driving skills and Alex has decided that no, the game is much more fun if you try to reverse your way round and see how frustrated the rest of us get when we crash into him trying to win. Apparently drink brought out the competitive side in all of us.

Alex slings an arm around my shoulders as the results flick up on the screen, handing his controller down to Evan as he cheers at his dead last placing, Jack flailing his arms about as he beats all of us in second place, and Grieco flinches away, having already been purposely hit on the head by my cousin because he didn’t let him win.

I switch places with Flyzik and Ian takes Alex’s place but he makes Colussy move anyway so that we can take up the aisle; Alex sitting up against the doorframe while I settle between his legs but not leaning on him, instead stopping forward so that I can watch the screen, not that that stops Alex from running his fingers over the exposed skin as my t-shirt stretches.

“Alex, stop feeling up my cousin while I’m in the room,” Jack doesn’t even move his eyes from the television to direct his distaste at Alex but Alex’s only reaction is to slide us both back, myself struggling to get away but failing as we tumble backwards and Alex hits the button that slides the door across with his foot, plunging us into near darkness.

“Happy now?” I laugh, Alex half-squished under my body as we just lie in the darkness, neither of us moving from our positions.

“Exceptionally.” The tone of his voice was so sincere despite the alcohol in his system but before I get a chance to question him, he’s speaking again. “I’m happier than I’ve been in a long time, and I like to think that’s all down to you.”

“Oh, the flattery.” I snort. “What’s got you feeling all sappy, Lex?”

“Oh, you know; Vodka.” He laughs, shifting us slowly until I’m flat on my back and he’s leaning over me on his elbow. “You going to nap with me while the boys set up?”

I shake my head gently, letting a hand stroke along his scratchy cheek, smiling as he leans into it, pressing a soft kiss to my palm. “We’ve got less time than usual to sort things so I should be as much help as I can. I promise that I won’t over-do it.”

Alex sighs. “Just don’t… don’t do any heavy lifting, or like, climbing.”

“I promise.”

~*~*~*~

Set up is hectic; three hours less time than normal, myself having to take it slow and Evan feeling ill. It was all disorganised and with the help untrained, by the time it was the boys set, everyone was frazzled and waiting for something to go wrong. Luckily nothing major happens, sure Jack trips over a loose wire that someone didn’t tape down properly but he’s fine in the end and it makes for a good few jokes during the show.

I’ve apparently gained my own ‘fans’ since the last show I worked on, as when I’m helping pack up, the boys chatting and signing themselves, at least a dozen people ask for a photo or for me to sign their new Glamour Kills purchase.

With the next two days off again – the last break before they hit Europe – the boys cut the drinking short for the night and decide that they’ll hit the casinos early tomorrow instead, so with a little of our luggage in hand, we traipse from the venue and to the nearest hotel.

There’s no obnoxious shouting or inappropriate comments thrown around, everyone shattered from the early start and late finish to the date, even Travis has his head down as we all shuffle along into the lobby. Matt going to collect the pre-booked keys for our rooms as we hover by the elevators, the hotel unsurprisingly busy; Las Vegas never did sleep and the rowdy, mostly drunk people spilling out from the casino’s on the ground floor were proving that.

We definitely stood out, most of us dressed in sweatpants and hoodies, hunched over or lent against each other, some having iPods already plugged in while everyone else was in cocktail dresses and rumpled suits, celebrating wins as they travel on up to their own rooms or to try their luck somewhere else. Alex is leant on me, his chin resting on the top of my head with arms looped around my chest as we wait, he’s silent as I talk quietly to Ian, Jack butting in with his own sleepy mumbles from his position sat on the floor, leaning up against my legs slightly.

Matt returns, handing out key cards, reeling off room numbers and bed amounts as people start to group into the elevators. Alex and I squishing into the second lot, only having to go as far as the fifth floor before we can exit, our room was at the opposite end of the hall, but I was willing to walk a lot further for a comfortable bed.

I throw my bag down into a corner as we enter, not bothering with a light, the illuminations of the city lighting the room enough for me to find the bed, which I throw myself onto once I’ve stripped off my shoes and jacket. “Goodnight.”

Alex chuckles from across the room, fatigue lacing his voice. “You should probably change into some pyjamas, Pops. Otherwise you’ll regret it in the morning, trust me.”

“Too tired.” I mumble into the pillow and it’s immediately followed by a giggle as I feel tugging at the bottom of my sweatpants, swatting my hand in the air to try and get Alex to quit it. “Give in, you freak.”

“Not until you change or I strip you, whichever comes first.”

“I’ll change.” I grumble, sliding back off the bed, shoving him with a force that sends him tumbling onto the floor as I step over him with a stifled laugh, searching through his bag for a spare shirt to sleep in.

“You deny me stripping you down, call me a freak, throw me to the floor and still think that you can borrow a shirt?” He huffs, watching me from where he had landed, not having moved an inch.

“Yep.” I pop the last syllable, quickly pulling off the shirt I had been wearing all day, pants following it into the corner where I had decided our dirty laundry could sit until we left again. “Get off the floor, dork, before you fall asleep there.”

“I was just admiring the view.” He mumbles, eyes now closed as his posture relaxes even though he’s in an awkward looking position sprawled out on the floor.

“Shame you’re not facing the window.” I snort, clambering back onto the high bed. “I’ll kick your skinny ass out of the room if you don’t get up here.”

“Yes, ma’am.” He laughs, simply shrugging his shirt off and stepping out of his basketball shorts before he shuffles across and under the covers. “Night, love.”

“Sweet dreams.”

There’s a few minutes of silence, in which Alex’s breathing deepens against the back of my neck and the grip that his hand has on mine loosens a little and I can feel my own eyes growing heavy, but the peaceful room is disturbed when a bang on the door adjoining ours to someone else’s is followed by Jack shouting; “Poppy! Zack is trying to rape me!”

There’s a mumbled reply from the mentioned boy which includes the words ‘bench press’ and then Jack is running screeching into the room, having thrown the door wide open.

“I swear, he just started groping me!”

I blink at him as Alex just shakes his head and buries it further into my hair. “Why’d you have to be related to the idiot?”

I smirk at Alex’s whisper but keep my eyes trained on Jack who is now sat next to the bed, staring at the two open doors where Zack is leaning, laughing. “I was only trying to prove that I could bench press him.”

“I couldn’t give a single fuck, do what you like, you have my permission as long as you close the door after you and shut up.”

Jack pouts at me but I just point towards the other room and let my eyes close again, shooting a quiet ‘thank you’ as I hear him leave with a huff, both doors shutting quietly as they both leave again.

Yeah, definitely content.

Notes