Love's Journey

Sunlight filtered into Roger and Mimi's disheveled room, as it beamed high above the city buildings. Roger shifted tiredly in bed as he flopped over onto his shirtless stomach, pulling Mimi's sleeping form tight up next to him. It had been a month since Mimi had finally agreed to move in with him and Roger couldn't be happier. It was almost a year since Mimi's fateful night and they were both doing extremely well.

However, their happiness didn't come easily. They both had their ups and down's with their medication and Mimi's withdrawal been anything but easy. I had taken her the better part of four months but she had finally kicked the habit. Roger could remember the nights when Mimi would lay in his bed writhing, crying, and begging for once last hit. Roger could not even begin to tell you how many bruises and nail marks she gave him, but in the end, it was worth it to Roger, because Mimi was clean and they were happy.

Flashback

"Roger please!" Mimi begged as she writhed and moaned on his bed. Mimi had been going through withdrawal for three months now, and it was moments like these that hurt Roger the most, "Please just one hit, and then I'll stop!" Mimi screamed as she shivered and shook in agony as the withdrawal symptoms continued to rack her body.

"No!" Roger said firmly as he held her aching body tight up against his chest. In retaliation, Mimi began to violently kick and writhe, as she dug her nails deep into Roger's flesh, as the pain escalated as it coursed through her body.

Roger silently bore the pain as silent tears fell down his face as he cooed softly into Mimi's ear. "Shhh, baby, shhh. It will all be okay soon, I promise." Roger silently cooed as Mimi's cries became softer and she slowly fell asleep in his arms.

Once he was sure that Mimi was fast asleep, he placed her gently down on his bed, before moving through the door and into the kitchen, shutting the door on his way out so that he would not disturb Mimi.

"Hey Mark," Roger said as he walked over to the table where Mark was sitting, drinking coffee and reading the latest issue of The Voice.

"Hey Rog," Mark smiled as he looked up from his paper. The minute he saw the look on Roger's face though, the smile quickly turned into a furrowed brow as he expected the worse from his friend, "What wrong man? Is it Mimi?"

Sighing, Roger poured himself of cup of coffee and sat down, "Yea, she's not really making any progress and I'm just so afraid that I'll turn my back for one second and she'll be using again." Roger took a gracious sip of his coffee before continuing, "I never imagined it would be this hard." Roger said with a bittersweet laugh as he looked at his smiling friend, "How did you do it man?"

"Patience," Mark laughed as he finished off his coffee, "And a whole lot of codeine." They both shared a knowing laugh as they sat in silence for a moment.

Sighing in frustration, Roger ran his hand through his hair before giving his friend a pleading look, "Man I just don't want her to end up like April," Roger said as he searched his friends compassionate eyes for some sort of answer, "I don't think I could do it again. It would be so much harder this time around. You know what I mean? I cared about April, and it was tough to loose her…but Mimi, God I love her and it would be the end of me if I lost her the same way." Roger said as he stared out the loft window.

Mark sighed as he gave his friend a sympathetic look. Mark could not believe how much Roger had changed in the last year or so. He went from being a brooding musician, to a moderately happy person, who was truly in-love. He just hoped Mimi would not succumb to the temptation or the disease and leave Roger broken hearted once aging. He did not think Roger would make it this time.

"Don't worry Roger, Mimi is not like that at all; she's not April and she's not that weak. She'll pull through." Mark said as he touched his friends arm to try to comfort him.

"Yea, I hope so," Roger replied as he smiled weakly at Mark.

"Hey, why don't you go out and clear your head, and I'll watch Mimi for you."

"I don't know man….I mean I really shouldn't," Roger said with an unsure look in his eye.

"Dude, I'm a pro at this, remember? Just go, it'll be good for you, I promise." Mark said as he hugged Roger before watching him put on his jacket before walking to the door.

"Thanks man,"

Mark just smiled as he watched his best friend walk out the door.

A half an hour later an exhausted looking Mimi walked into the kitchen. "Hey Mark," Mimi said as she smiled weakly at him, before taking Roger's coffee mug and pouring herself some coffee. She stopped what she was doing for a moment as she leaned up against the counter while pressing her hand to her forehead, as she squeezed her eyes shut in pain.

Mark looked at her sympathetically before walking over to the cabinet and taking out two aspirin and handing them to his friend. "Don't worry Meems, it will get better, I promise," Mark said softly as he rubbed the dancer's back.

"Thanks Mark," Mimi said as she smiled at her friend before giving him a hug and moving to sit down at the table.

"Don't be like her," Mark blurted out suddenly as he said down across from Mimi.

"Excuse me?" Mimi said in confusion.

"Please just don't be like April, Roger can't take that again."

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about," Mimi said as she looked down at her nails. She knew exactly what he was talking about; she just did not want to admit it.

"April, as much as I loved her as a friend, was weak. As much as she cared about Roger, she couldn't handle everything life through at her. She couldn't handle the withdrawal and she couldn't handle the HIV. She took the easy way out and single handily took Roger down." Mark sighed as he looked into his friend's eyes to see if she followed. Once he was sure he continued, "Mimi you have to get clean."

"Mark it's not that easy," Mimi said as tears started to fall.

"I know, believe me I know. I went through it with Roger and I am willing to go through it again with you if you want my help. But get clean, if not for yourself, then for Roger. Meems he loves you so much, more than he's ever loved anyone before."

"What about April?" Mimi asked quietly as she finally met Mark's eyes.

"Yea, he cared about her, and it broke his heart to loose her the way he did. But Meems, it would literally kill him to loose you. Your it for him."

"I…" Mimi began but was interrupted by the loft door opening and a somewhat refreshed looking Roger walked in.

"Hey Mimi," He smiled as he walked over to where she was sitting and dropped a kiss on her forehead. "How you feeling?" Roger said with concern in his eyes as he stroked her hair lovingly.

Smiling at Mark, Mimi looked up at Roger and smiled before kissing him lightly on the lips, "I'm getting there."

"Good," Roger said as he smiled and kissed her gently on her forehead. "I'm going to take a nap, wanna come?" Roger said as he nodded towards the bedroom door.

"Yea baby, I'll be right there," Mimi nodded. She waited until she heard the bedroom door close before walking over to Mark.

"Thank you," Mimi said as she gave her friend a hug, "You're a great friend; love ya Markie," Mimi said as she ruffled his hair.

"Love ya too Meems," Mark smiled as he watched her walk into the bedroom sensing that things would be different this time around.

Meems walked into the bedroom thinking of everything Mark had said. He was right; she needed to do this not only for herself, but also for Roger. She loved him so much, and she could not bear to put him through that much pain a second time. Even though it would be hard, Mimi promised herself that she would do this for Roger, so that they might have a greater chance at a better future together.

Smiling at Roger's shirtless back, she closed the door and walked up behind him and wrapped her arms around his waist as she kissed his shoulder blade lovingly.

Roger smiled as he stopped folding his shirt and threw it to the side before turning in her arms and wrapping his own around her waist. Mimi smiled lovingly up at him as she moved a piece of hair out of his face before kissing him full on the lips. "I love you," Mimi said with all the sincerity and love she could muster.

"I love you too baby," Roger said as he pulled them both down onto the bed and wrapped his arms tightly around her before drifting off to sleep with a new sense that things were going to be okay.

End of Flashback

Finding that sleep had somehow escaped him, Roger let out a groan before disentangling himself from Mimi and getting out of bed. Roger quietly tiptoed around the room trying to find something to wear other than the flimsy pair of boxers that currently hung loose on his frame. Roger laughed lightly to himself as he shook his head and read the fraise that adorned the front part of his boxers. "Nice package," Roger chuckled lightly to himself and then added with a cocky smirk, "Damn straight I have a nice package."

Finally finding what he was looking for, Roger took his jeans that were currently slung over the dresser mirror, Roger hastily put them on before turning back towards the bed, as he heard Mimi stir.

"Hey you're up," Roger said happily as he moved towards where Mimi was currently sprawled out on the bed, with a content smile on her face, before dropping a kiss on her nose and joining her at the edge of the bed.

"Yea, been up for awhile….What's the rush babe, got a hot date?" Mimi purred jokingly as she propped herself up on her side as she gently stroked the part of Roger's back accessible to her.

"Oh yea, really hot date, let me tell ya," Roger said with a role of his eyes, playing into Mimi's little game.

"Really?" Mimi replied as he eyes shot up in response as she continued her ministrations.

"Oh yea," Roger said with a sigh…He loved it when she stroked his back; actually he loved it when she stroked any part of him. "Her name is Marlo, and she worked down at the unemployment agency. She's quite a looker too, around forty, wears way to much make-up and thinks she's the hottest thing this side of 14th street."

"Oh yea?" Mimi questioned with a smirk, playing into his little quip about her, while she moved from her position on the best so that she could have better access to Roger's shoulders, giving him a nice shoulder rub.

Roger sighed in contentment, suddenly finding it hard to concentrate as Mimi's hands diligently worked out the kinks in his shoulders, "Yea…..I figured that if….I get her to sleep with me I could some how get a job faster, you know, a little more bang for a well earned buck?" Roger gulped out as Mimi moved her hands down lower, Roger knew he wasn't making any sense, but at that moment he really didn't care.

"And how do you plan on going about this?" Mimi purred into Roger's ear as she continued to move her hands lower and lower, further enticing the rocker.

"Well, by um, seducing her of course," Roger struggled to form words, as his brain prepared to shut off. "Besides, I'm a good bed right Meem's? So it's not like this is all bad, I mean she will be getting something out of the deal." Roger said as his eyes closed and he leaned back into Mimi's hands.

"Defiantly," She purred as she gently bit down on Roger's earlobe, enticing a guttural moan from her lover, and sending him over the edge.

"Oh yea, right there baby, that's it," Roger moaned as Mimi worked her hands all over his back, skillfully removing all of the kinks and aches.

"And do you know how happy I'll be if you get that job baby?" Mimi purred into Roger's ear as her arms snaked lower and lower down his body.

"Nuh-huh," Roger mumbled, not exactly trusting his voice now.

"I'll be so happy that I'll give you all you've ever wanted," Mimi purred seductively into his ear as she toyed with the waistband of his jeans.

Roger sighed as his eyes shut and rolled slightly to the back of his head, "The bubble wrap?" Roger questioned without trying to hide the great amount of hope he held in his voice.

"Mmmmmmmmhmmm, the bubble wrap. All you have to do is go out and get that job and I'll be here waiting….in nothing…but….bubble wrap," Mimi finished as she took her long fingers and stroked them languidly over the in-seam on his jeans.

"Oh yea," Roger moaned as he smiled contently at the thought. But his smile quickly turned into a frown as Mimi abruptly stopped her ministrations.

"Until then," Mimi said as she detached herself from Roger and jumped off the bed making her way to the bathroom, "I'm going to take a shower."

"But Mimi!" Roger said as he tried to reason with his neurotic girlfriend. "I….uh….and the thing….the bubble wrap!" Roger shouted as he waved his wildly waved his hands in the air as he tried to collect himself and remember how to correctly form a sentence.

"No buts mister!" Mimi said with one hand on her hip and the other one pointing accusingly at Roger, "You need a job! I can't be using my body to bring in all the money! It's time you started to exploit yourself as well."

"Besides," Mimi said as she strutted up to Roger, kissing him full on the lips, "you show them what you got," Mimi said with a shrug, "And I'll show you what I got." She finished before scooting off to the bathroom before Roger could protest.

Roger sat there in disbelief; she left me hanging….literally. Who does that? My girlfriend that is who. Damn her and her womanly ways! Who is she to make me get a job? I'm Roger Fucking Davis, I'll get a job when I want to get a job. With the sound of the water running bringing him out of his trance, "Oh but I do like bubble wrap. Maybe a job isn't so bad. Mimi would be happy, which means I would be happy…and lucky for that matter to. As images of Mimi's naked body in the shower ran through his mind, Roger new what he had to do. Throwing on a shirt and grabbing his jacket, Roger quickly ran out the door, "Bubble wrap here I come!"