Disclaimer: Don't own anything-the characters, premise all belong to Disney. Quick warning, things get a bit heated up this chapter. So, don't say I didn't warn you.

Chapter 7: Get Off Of My Cloud

The week trickled by slowly for everyone it seemed. Of course they were all excited for the upcoming gig coming Saturday night, but Bleed had other reasons for his anticipation. It was time to push the kid out and plant himself back to his role as lead guitarist of Iron Weasel. Right now he wasn't considered an actual member again. He tried to bring it up once about his role in the band but Derek shot him down rather fast.

"The kid's our lead guitarist now." Derek had said, bluntly. "Rhythm guitarist, maybe. We'll see how things go."

Bleed agreed amiably enough, pretending it wasn't a big issue. But Derek's words stung him and it felt official. Even after gaining the bands' forgiveness, he had been replaced. And by a kid, no less.

It was actually too bad, Bleed thought later after he was able to calm down. Tripp was an okay kid. He was just in the way. Bleed was considering this as he lounged in front of the TV with Derek and Tripp was getting them snacks. It was kind of cool to have someone eager to do stuff for you. Bleed smirked and took the popcorn bowl that was offered to him. "Thanks, Tripp."

"No problem." Tripp grinned and dropped down on the armchair nearby.

"Hey, why are you being so helpful all of a sudden?" Derek demanded, through a mouthful of popcorn. "I can't even get you to get me a glass of water."

"Man, this popcorn's making me thristy." Bleed smacked his mouth loudly.

"I'll get drinks." Tripp hopped back up and headed into the kitchen.

Derek expression was slightly offended and he huffed lightly. "Just wait. He'll get over your presence and then you'll have to get your own bloody popcorn."

"Are you jealous I got a fan and you don't?" Bleed smirked, teasingly. He chuckled at Derek's eye roll and dug into his back pocket to retrieve his pack of smokes. When he stuck a cigarette between his lips and flicked open his Zippo, Derek's hand darted out and plucked the smoke from his mouth.

"What the hell, Derek?" Bleed snapped, trying to snatch the thin cylinder back from Derek.

"No smoking."

"You smoke."

"I quit years ago. I have to save me voice, you know."

Bleed shrugged and got to his feet. "I'll go outside then."

"You shouldn't smoke anyway. The kid might pick up on it." Derek frowned, crossing his arms.

"So? I started when I was fourteen." Bleed scowled at the way Derek pouted and reluctantly pitched the pack into a nearby wastebasket. He could go a few days without a cigarette. Then he could smoke all he wanted when the kid was out of the picture.

"Thanks." Derek smiled and walked after Tripp to the kitchen.

Bleed waited until Derek was gone before reaching into the garbage and retrieving his smokes. It wasn't the only thing that his former band mates stopped doing, as he found out at dinner.

"Do we got any beer to go with this pizza?" Bleed asked through a large mouthful.

"Uh…no…" Tripp sounded a bit uncertain. "I think my mom has some wine somewhere…"

Bleed sighed and shrugged. "That'll do-" An elbow to his side cut him off and he looked to see Derek glaring at him. "I mean, no big deal."

"You know you shouldn't being drinking, right?" Derek had said later after dinner.

Bleed laughed but it died, seeing the un-amused expression on Derek's face. "Er…it's bad-"

"Bad for the kid." They finished at the same time. Derek smiled and petted Bleed's shoulder. "I'm so glad you understand."

There were other little things. Having to watch what he was saying, helping with chores(rather, attempting to do chores-none of them were good at cleaning) and other minor grievances. But what really annoyed Bleed, more than the other things combined, was the hiding. It was one thing having to be discreet about their relationship for the sake of the public but it was quite another having to hide in the privacy of your own home (well, Tripp's home, but Bleed didn't dwell on the semantics).

Bleed admitted that he was rather handsy, always grabbing at Derek at random or giving a playful smack frequently. So he didn't blame Derek for telling him off about keeping his hands to himself in front of Tripp after trying to pinch the singer's thigh. He begrudgingly agreed that it wasn't appropriate and that he would stop his attempts to cop a feel.

But even small, innocent attempts at contact were flat out rejected. Derek even refused to sit next to him if Tripp was around.

It was almost like torture being unable to touch Derek, he was even banned from looking at him a certain way. By Thursday, it was being to take it's toll on Bleed and he stormed into the bedroom where Derek was.

"How old were we when we started fucking?"

The question actually startled Derek, who dropped his magazine and stared at the irritated looking blond. "Excuse me?"

"I said-"

"I know what you said! I meant, what sort of question is that?" Derek looked a bit flustered and frowned at Bleed. "And watch the language now. The kid-"

"This is what I'm getting at! Everything we do or can't do has to do with him!" Bleed exclaimed, throwing his hands up. "He's what? Sixteen? We were only a year older than he was when we first did it!"

"Eighteen, actually. We were seventeen when you started stalking me." Derek corrected, his tone annoyed as he went back to his magazine.

"That's not the point. The point is we should all be mature adults about this." Bleed pouted and crossed his arms across his chest. " And I wasn't stalking you…"

"When you mean mature adults, you mean tear each others clothes off right now and make like rabbits?" Derek asked in a casual tone.

"Yes! I mean, sort of!" Bleed knew his voice was reaching obnoxiously loud levels and was grateful the others weren't home. "It's not like I don't enjoy your company as is, but you know I'm a very physical bloke! There's only so much a person can take! I have…things that need-"

"Bleed."

"What!"

Derek didn't reply, instead he pulled Bleed's face towards his and kissed him. It took Bleed a second to recover but his mouth easily molded to Derek's and he pressed closer and gripped the back of Derek's head. Bleed's unshaven face scratched Derek's skin but he didn't care and even found himself liking it. The kiss wasn't like the one Derek sprung on Bleed the other day and the slightly desperate one that followed. This one was slower, longer and only had a third of the desperation of the previous ones. Derek could taste Bleed now and feel the heat of his mouth and face. They finally pulled apart, both breathing a bit heavier and staring away at the floor.

"That was nice." Bleed managed to say, recovering first.

"We have an hour until the guys are back with the kid." Derek lifted himself to straddle Bleed's lap and kissed him again, harder and more demanding. He moved his lips from Bleed's mouth and across his jaw. "Think that's enough time?"

"I think so." Bleed smirked, feeling triumphant, and wrapped an arm around Derek's waist. He looked into the hazel eyes which were dark and dilated before nuzzling his face against Derek's, enjoying the feel of smooth skin. "…I think I should've shaved or something."

"Nah, I like it." Derek purred, running a finger along Bleed's jaw.

"You use to hate it."

"Well, now I like it. Changing tastes and all that."

"….Do I want to know which bloke changed your tastes?"

"Shut up. I just have tougher skin now so it doesn't give me that nasty rug burn." Derek shot back, pulling back a bit in annoyance.

Bleed suddenly maneuvered Derek onto his back and got on top of him, straddling his waist. He pinned Derek down and moved his mouth down the long neck. "You sure about that?"

Derek had a witty retort but it died in his throat when Bleed bit his collarbone. He felt his brain go offline as the hot mouth was all over his chest and all he could manage was a moan. It must have been longer than he thought if he was getting worked up this easily, Derek thought dazedly. His shirt was unbuttoned and he fisted Bleed's hair gently and undid the ever-present bandana while his stomach was kissed.

They only had less an hour, Derek thought, as Bleed's hands fumbled at his belt and his pants were being opened. But Bleed seemed to be moving downwards a bit too fast. Bleed was moving his mouth across Derek's hips when the hand in his hair tugged him back. "What is it?"

"Nothing." Derek craned his head up a bit to look at Bleed. His face was flushed and his eyes were watering a bit. "Just slow down a bit. It's been a while."

"…Shouldn't I go faster then?" Bleed winced when Derek yanked his hair. "Alright, alright! I was only kidding, you know."

"Right. Of course you were." Derek rolled his eyes as he settled back down and began stroking Bleed's hair affectionately. A hot mouth latched onto the sensitive skin below his navel and began sucking and nibbling, making him tense and arch his body. Derek let out a long, breathy sigh that he had been holding in and pushed down on Bleeds' head, trying to make him move lower. He snaked his hands down to tug his pants further down but was swatted away. Bleed lightly kissed his abdomen until Derek's frustration peaked and pushed his face away. "You're evil-"

"What now?" Bleed's tone was amused and he looked at Derek innocently. He grabbed Derek's wrists and held them still. "I thought we were taking it slow?"

"I changed my mind. If you don't hurry up-"

"I remember you being much more pleasant in bed."

"Who says I'm not pleasant? I'm being pleasant. Besides we're on the floor!"

"Don't you think you're being snippy?"

"I wouldn't be snippy if my pants weren't still on!"

"Well, I won't tell you to keep your pants on then…"

Derek smacked Bleed's arm at the terrible pun and propped himself up to kiss him, hard. When Bleed appeared to be unable to form words, Derek smirked and nibbled on his bottom lip. "There should be lotion or something in the bathroom…"

"Right." Bleed scrambled to his feet and out the door in a rush.

"Oh, get some protection while you're up-" Derek called as he struggled with the skin-tight leather. He was trying to kick the restricting pants off, grumbling to himself about a change in wardrobe, when Bleed popped his head back in the room. "That was fast! Now, come here-"

"You want rubbers?" Bleed asked, frowning. At Derek's nod, he sighed. "Where d'you keep them?"

"…I don't. Don't you have any?" Derek stopped wrestling with his pants and sat up.

"Do I look like a convenience store?" Bleed couldn't help the impatient bite in his voice but the tightness in his groin was getting increasingly uncomfortable. He lowered himself onto the floor and tried to push Derek on his back again. "Well, it's not like we're strangers-"

"I don't think so. No love today, love." Derek gently pushed Bleed off and sat up, looking genuinely apologetic.

"Oh, come on! We never bothered with those silly things before!" Bleed protested, feeling incredibly put off. He grabbed Derek's hand and gave his best begging face. "Please?"

"That was cute when we were in our twenties, Bleed. Now it's just weird." Derek rolled his eyes and continued. "Anyway, don't be mad-I'm not trying to mess with you." His face took on an uncomfortable look and he suddenly became very interested in looking at his nails. "I just don't know how many people you've been with and we should play it safe-"

"So, you don't trust me?" Bleed knew he didn't have a right, but he couldn't help feeling a bit offended.

Derek appeared to be thinking for a few minutes before shaking his head. "No, not really. Not yet, anyway."

"…Well, at least you were nice enough to think about it before answering." Bleed sighed and sat back, leaning on his arms. He brightened suddenly and scooted closer to Derek. "You can pitch and I can catch then, both parties win-"

"Tempting, but no." Derek glanced at the clock on the dresser and frowned. "The kid is coming back from school in fifteen. I don't want to rush, okay?" Bleed nodded, disappointed but felt it would be wise not to push the subject any longer. "Anyway, we shouldn't even be messing about in the kid's house. It's kind of weird."

Bleed groaned, his groin still aching a bit despite his poor mood. It wasn't helping that Derek hadn't bothered putting his pants back on so his long legs were on display. He watched, chewing on the inside of his cheek, as Derek sat on his bunk. "So, when am I allow to bloody well touch you? Should we make a schedule or something?"

"Things are different, Bleed. I don't want the kid finding out his two favorite rock stars are buggering! I think his head would implode from it…"

/Good./ Bleed thought sullenly. Derek looked at him and petted the spot next to him. Still a bit moody, Bleed sat next to Derek. The Brit shifted and laid down, pulling Bleed down with him. "Derek?"

"That's better." Derek pulled Bleed's arm over him and snuggled back against him so they were pressed together back to front. "We may not have time for a quickie but we can just lay down for awhile."

"Okay. At least it's something." Bleed conceded, putting his face against Derek's soft, wavy hair and held him around the waist. They were in a content silence as the minutes ticked by. Bleed would occasionally rub small circles into Derek's stomach while Derek picked at the rough skin of his knuckles idly.

"You still disappointed?" Derek asked, suddenly.

Bleed sighed and adjusted his arms around Derek's waist. "Kinda. But that's okay…this is good too. I haven't done this-just laying about and you know…stuff."

"Just say it. Cuddling." Derek's tone was teasing and he shifted around to face Bleed.

"Alright, yes-that. Anyway, I'm enjoying it." Bleed studied Derek's face, feeling his mood lift as he gazed at the familiar features. Their faces were close, barely a few inches apart. Derek still somehow looked the same after seven years. He had a an extra line here and there and his eyes crinkled a little more at the edges when he smiled. But he still maintained his attractive features. All those hours in front of a mirror paid off, Bleed thought with a smirk, remembering how annoyed he'd get when Derek would spend every morning and night taking care of his face.

"What's so funny?" Derek asked, as Bleed laughed lightly.

"Nothing. Just thinking about your lovely face." Bleed replied, flippantly. He traced Derek's lips with his finger and kissed them teasingly.

"Oh. That's good then. I was too." Derek smirked and kissed Bleed back, sliding his tongue past his lips. Bleed smirked against Derek's eager mouth and ran his hands up Derek's shirt, feeling the smooth skin. The muffled sound of the front door slamming made them break away and look around. "Get off me!"

Bleed protested as he was shoved out of the bed and watched Derek scramble to pull his pants back on. "We're grown men, you know. We shouldn't be tiptoeing about."

"I know. Don't worry we'll figure something out, alright love?" Derek gave him an encouraging smile and fluffed his hair out. "Am I good?"

"Yes." Bleed conveniently decided not to mention the hickey peeking from the edge of Derek's shirt collar. He waited until Derek left to let out an incredibly, irritated sigh. He listened to the voices of his friends and that kid wafting from the other side of the house and rolled his eyes. Each time Tripp's voice entered his ears it put him in a worse mood.

/I can't smoke, because it's bad for Tripp. I can't drink, 'cause it's bad for Tripp. I can't fool around, 'cause it's bad for Tripp./ Bleed thought crankily, clenching his jaw. This was really ridiculous in his opinion to have to change his habits and behavior for a kid. /I'm not his parent, damnit!/

Bleed got to his feet and paced for a minute. He was still somewhat horny and figured a short sabbatical to the bathroom was in order. As he was about to step out into the hall, he nearly tripped over Tripp. "Hey, Bleed, we're going to go the garage and practice!"

"Oh, uh-okay?" Bleed smiled in a strained fashion, and felt his eye twitch. The last thing he wanted to do was practice but he followed Tripp to the garage where the guys were waiting.

Bleed played a little more aggressively than usual, trying to let his aggravation drain out. He turned a bit to see Tripp next to Derek, singing together into the same mic and clenched his jaw. That was his spot, his band and most of all, his singer.

After the song ended, Bleed forced himself to be cheerful and to not let his sour mood show through. It was difficult as Derek was talking and laughing with Tripp in a rather animated fashion. This wasn't Three Men and A Baby (in this case four men). They weren't some kind of wacky sitcom where a bunch of rock stars had a kid, Bleed thought angrily. When Derek and Tripp looked at him, questioningly, he snapped out of his brooding. "Huh?"

"Are you hungry? We're going out." Tripp repeated.

"Yeah, sure." Bleed sighed, smiling again. He watched as the others filed out before trailing after them. It was only one more night, Bleed told himself as he climbed into the van and settled down. He grinned in a strained manner as Tripp sat himself between him and Derek and began talking to him. After tomorrow night, the kid would be out of his life and he would have the band and Derek all to himself. The very idea relaxed Bleed and there was a genuine, almost serene, smile now on his face.

We're heading into conflict soon, people!

The moral of today's chapter, according to Derek is: Don't smoke-it's bad. Abstain from drinking in front of minors. Mind your language. And no glove, no love. Hur-hur. I may or may not up the rating to 'M' due to adult content in future installments. So, should I raise the rating and post the chapter unedited? Or keep it 'T' and just post the clean version? Tell me your thoughts!