So, remember when I said updates would be every day or so? That was before I knew how time consuming school was going to be this semester. Plus working on job stuff for post-graduation life. So, I'll either update sporadically, twice a week at the most. Or go on hiatus and write the whole thing then post a chapter a day. Or something. I'll figure it out. Anyway, in the last couple days, I fixed all my spelling, grammar mistakes-I really made a lot. And I did a quick outline and this is not going to be more than fifteen chapters, so we got nine more to go!
Also, I'm stupid and forgot to do a disclaimer, so here it is! I don't own the characters, premise, bands-real and fictional.
Chapter 6 What I Like About You
When he walked into the house, the first thing Tripp noticed, or rather heard was the loud, rambunctious voices of his band mates. Upon entering the kitchen, the next thing he noticed was that they were armed with bowling balls. They paused and looked at him, all smiles and cheer. Tripp supposed they would be in good moods by the time he was back from school since today was the day the band was going to send the their former guitarist on his way. But Bleed was standing with them, grinning toothily and in obviously much higher spirits than the night before when Tripp saw him.
"Guys? What's going on?" Tripp questioned, raising an eyebrow.
"Good news, little man!" Burger grinned and smacked Bleed on the back, making the other man keel over slightly. "Bleed made it up to us and he's going to stay with us for a little while!"
Tripp's initial reaction was excitement as the guys cheered. /Wait. What's mom going to say when there's another person in the house?/ Tripp frowned a bit. What did a 'little while' mean anyway? The man was living in his car and could very well end up living in his(mother's)house indefinitely. The shattering of a window jolted Tripp from his thoughts and he stared at the broken glass, then at a second bowling ball being picked up. It seemed that Bleed was just as destructive as the rest of them.
"There's more stuff to break in the living room!"
The guys stampeded out of the kitchen and it took Tripp a second to gain his senses back and run after them. "Guys!"
"What?" Why wasn't he surprised that Bleed responded just like the guys? It was probably some sort of Weasel osmosis thing. He'd probably catch it himself if he wasn't careful.
"No more bowling balls." At the collective groan Tripp briefly wondered what stage of mental development did they collectively get stuck in.
"Lads, tell Tripp the good news!" Bleed grinned, looking pleased with himself.
"Oh, yeah!" Burger and the others immediately brightened, looking exuberant. "Little man, Bleed booked us a gig at that new club, SuperNova!"
"That's awesome!" Tripp's excitement was coming back in full force now. He thought it would have something to do with the shattered vase in the hall he spied. A night at the hottest new club in town was much better news. Heck, a chance to play with his hero was a dream!
While the Chinese takeout smelled delicious, Tripp barely took more than a few bites. Last night had been unnatural and strained and Derek wasn't even there for most of it. But now, he was actually sitting with all four original members of his favorite band and he was a part of them.
It was the same excitement he had when Derek, Ash and Burger first came to stay. He had been in absolute awe, listening to them talk about this and that. Of course after while he became accustomed to them and part of their merry band so the amazement wasn't at full force. But Bleed being here now made the excitement come back.
"It's different from what I read in the biographies and stuff." Tripp commented after they finished retelling him about their first gig. "Actually it kinda changes each time you guys tell me."
They all glanced at each other and shrugged. "That's why I don't read."
"Don't believe all those books, little man."
"Or us." Ash added through a mouthful of rice.
Tripp blinked at the drummer for a moment before turning to Bleed. "So, do you want to practice after dinner?" He asked conversationally, as though the question was posed to everyone.
"Uhg, kid, it's Monday. We're not practicing anything." Derek groaned, slumping a bit in his seat.
Bleed stopped stabbing things with his chopsticks and looked up. "Why not? We should brush up if we're going to play together in a few days." Tripp grinned and nodded eagerly. Last time, Bleed was still under sanction by the band so it wasn't as ideal as Tripp always had pictured. "Yeah, c'mon!"
"Fine." Derek sighed.
Tripp was a bit surprised at how easily Derek gave in. Usually when the singer didn't want to do something he'd complain and stubbornly refuse. He didn't dwell on it, however. Instead he tossed his still full container of food into the fridge and waited impatiently for the guys to finish so they could start playing.
There were always things missing in his life before and after Iron Weasel. Friends for one, as lame as it sounded. There was a difference between some guys you hung out with from time to time and his band mates. Bleed remembered even after they made enough money to get separate places it never really felt like they were without each other. They were always constantly bothering one another, even if one or two of them were on the other side of the globe. When Bleed quit Iron Weasel, that connection was gone and he found himself missing it after awhile. He missed Ash's weirdness and stupidity, Burger's loud, craziness. And he especially missed Derek.
The first couple years, he told himself it was a relief to get away from the Brit. They all had their flaws, and maybe it was due to their relationship, but Bleed grew more resentful towards Derek's. But he eventually began wanting Derek's company back-arrogant attitude and all. He used to joke to himself that he only missed the physical part of the relationship (and he did really miss that part a whole lot), but he came to actually want Derek as someone to talk to, work with and even just sit around with.
Bleed contemplated this as he watched Derek brush his teeth.
"What are you staring at?" Derek asked through a mouth of foam. He spat in the sink and looked at Bleed through the mirror.
"Nothing. We're brushing our teeth together, you know." Bleed smiled and spat as well.
"Uh-huh. Brushing's important." Derek nudged past Bleed and headed back to the bedroom.
"I'm just thinking, it's been awhile since we did anything together. Remember we were attached at the hip when we got our own place?" Bleed prodded.
"I remember Ash and Burger got angry for two weeks because we didn't invite them to live with us." Derek snickered as he tossed his robe off and sat on his bunk. Seeing Bleed pout a bit, he rolled his eyes. "Yes, I remember. We were a rather cute couple weren't we?"
"You're the cute one!" Bleed teased, tapping the tip of Derek's long nose. Derek scrunched his face and stuck out his tongue a bit.
"You're in a silly mood."
"You bring it out in me, love."
"…Haven't heard that in awhile."
Bleed sobered a bit, hearing the quiet tone and sat on the bed next to Derek. The Brit's eyes were unreadable but his usually full lips were pulled in a tight line. Bleed reached over and pushed Derek's dark hair from his face to look at him better. "…You're not still upset about stuff, are you?"
"No. No, upset isn't the right word." Derek sighed, pushing Bleed's hand away gently. "I'm suffering from mood whiplash, I think." Bleed frowned a little and watched as Derek got off the bed and began shoving things against the wall and under the bed.
"Whatcha doing?" Bleed asked, crouching next to Derek.
"Clearing some space for you." Derek brushed his hair from his face, pausing his efforts. He sat back and smiled when Bleed began helping. "Hope the floor isn't too bad."
"At least it's more private than the couch." Bleed chuckled and tossed a handful of old magazines onto a shelf. He laid down on a stretch of floor and shifted around. "It's good."
Derek joined him on the floor, laying on his stomach. "We'll figure something out later."
"You can just let me share your bed." Bleed smirked when Derek groaned and pushed his face into the carpet. He ran a hand down Derek's back, stopping right above the curve of his backside. "I'll behave."
"It's either the floor or you can go sleep in the garage." Derek grumbled, sitting up and elbowing Bleed in the gut.
Bleed 'oof-ed' and rubbed his stomach, grimacing. "No way. I'm not sleeping there-"
"Floor, then?"
"Fine…"
Derek immediately scooted away from Bleed and stood, hearing the doorknob turning. Tripp walked in holding a guitar case and a rolled up sleeping bag over his shoulder. "Hey, guys. I finished replacing the stings, Bleed."
"Thanks, Tripp. I owe you." Bleed grinned and took his guitar out of the case. He offered it to Tripp. "Want to test it?"
"Sure! Let me go get an amp-" Tripp dropped the sleeping bag to the floor and nearly zipped from the room, smiling from ear to ear.
"You made him change your guitar strings?"
"They needed replacing." Bleed replied as he inspected his instrument. At Derek's look, he widened his eyes innocently. "He offered!"
Tripp walking back in cut any response Derek had. The guitar was plugged into the portable amp. He played a few chords before breaking into a short riff.
"Sounds good." Bleed said when Tripp looked up at him with a slightly expectant expression. /But I'm way better./ "Better than me."
Derek made a slight choking-laughing cough sound but Tripp didn't seem to hear. "No way-you're like the greatest guitar player!"
Bleed couldn't help but preen a little. "I'm only the fifty-four according to Rolling Stone." He scowled suddenly. "Not that I care or anything."
"Right. Anyway, g'night, kid." Derek interrupted before Bleed started ranting.
Tripp seemed disappointed but he handed Bleed his guitar and slowly backed out of the door. "…'Kay, night guys."
"That was nice of you." Derek was smirking at him, as soon as they heard Tripp's bedroom door shut. "What are you after?"
"What? He's letting me stay here." Bleed shrugged casually, not giving anything away. Truthfully, he didn't mind the kid as much as he thought he would. It was nice to have fans even if this particular one was in his way. "…I really should be at least in the top thirty."
Derek groaned and flopped onto his bed. "When I heard about that, I knew you'd be sore."
"I'm not!" Bleed grumbled, propping his chin on Derek's bed. "Just incredibly confused that those idiots wouldn't-" He was cut off by a soft set of lips pressing against the side of his mouth.
"Better?"
"Kinda…"
"Good. Now shut it." Derek's tone was ruefully affectionate as he got up and began spreading the sleeping bag out on the floor. "You don't want to get stepped on, so you'll sleep on the opposite side of the room, okay?"
"Huh?" Bleed was somewhat distracted by Derek bending over and didn't hear. He grinned sheepishly when Derek turned around and narrowed his eyes. "Uh, yeah. Sounds good."
"Good." Derek briefly let his warm hand rest on Bleed's arm before going back to his bunk. "Night."
"Yeah, g'night." Bleed didn't mind the old sleeping bag and laying on the floor(which really needed a good vacuuming). It felt good to have someone to say good night to and to expect to see in the morning. Especially if that someone was Derek. That thought put a smile on his face as he gradually drifted off.
The silence told Derek the kid was already out of the house. The only sound was the quiet running of the shower and an experimental push at the bunk above him told him it was Burger as the mattress was easily moved. Derek rolled onto his stomach and looked over the edge of his bed to see Bleed sprawled out on the floor next to him. He smiled a bit and reached down lazily to run a hand over the man's muscled arm.
"Mmf…morning…" Bleed mumbled thickly without opening his eyes.
"Morning." Derek continued to idly touch Bleed's arm. "Did you roll all the way to this side of the room?"
"Must be your magnetic personality." Bleed yawned widely and blinked blearily. "Seriously though, I was by the air vent and it got too cold. I figured it was better to get stepped on then get hypothermia."
"I thought I heard yelling…" Derek frowned and moved his head to look at Bleed better. "Burger stepped on you?"
"More like jumped. But I survived and that's all that matters." Bleed caught Derek's hand and squeezed it a bit. "The kid's at school. How about letting me up there with you?"
"I'm getting up to shower. Maybe some other time." Derek replied with a shrug. He grunted when a strong pull took him out of his bed and he joined Bleed on the floor. "That was uncalled for!"
"Can I join you in the shower?" Bleed smirked and held on to Derek tightly.
"No. Now let me up."
"In a minute. This might be the only chance I get to do anything today." Bleed sighed and rubbed Derek's back slowly. "Lest we ruin the minds of small children in the neighborhood."
"Ash is still in here. Does he count as a small child?" Derek warned and he felt the hands that were creeping down to his bottom freeze before sliding back up to a more decent position. He laughed lightly, hearing Bleed groan and rested his head on the man's chest.
Laying there with Bleed didn't feel as awkward as Derek thought it was going to be. It felt nice and familiar. Have the strong, toned arms around him and the nostalgic scent of tobacco and musky cologne relaxed him. It was a long time since Derek woke up with anyone (if you didn't count Ash and Burger). He wasn't the type to stick around after a quick fling and living in a van didn't really give the option of letting someone stay in your bed (or kick them out for that matter).
Derek felt that he should get up and go shower as planned but he let himself stay, contented with listening to Bleed's soft breathing. "This is nice."
"Yeah?"
"Yeah. I miss this."
"Heh. Me too-" Bleed smirked and kissed Derek for just a second.
"Ew! Not in the room! We share the space remember?" Burger groaned, walking in at that moment. He was carrying a rubber ducky and wearing a towel around his waist and his hair was dripping wet.
"I don't miss this bit." Derek said, rolling his eyes and getting up. It was like the good, ol' days when they all shared a tiny apartment and constantly walking in on each other during their respective private times. "You could knock."
"You guys could…not make out. And stuff." Burger grimaced and shook out his damp hair like a dog, sending droplets everywhere.
Derek cringed as the cold water sprinkled on his skin and tried to move but Bleed was using him as a shield. "Let go!"
"You're taking a shower anyway."
"Is it raining?" Ash's sleepy voice asked from above. He slid over the edge of his bed so he was hanging partially out. "Oh, it's just Burger."
Burger gave one more shake for good measure, catching Ash in the face with his long hair. Ash flailed and fell from the top bunk and crushing Derek and Bleed. Somehow, Derek had feeling that would happen and only had himself to blame for not moving. None the less, Ash received a sharp swat to his head. "Get off!"
"This is nice. I feel like we've gotten more closer as a band these last few days." Ash said sincerely, his speech muffled from being pressed into Bleed's neck. He wrapped his gangly arms around Derek and Bleed, squeezing hard. "C'mon Burger. Join us"
Burger shrugged and adjusted his towel. "What the heck. Let's group hug!"
Bleed wheezed as he struggled to breath from all the weight on top of him and struggled a bit. Ash petted Bleed's face. "I'm happy too, bro. We should do this more often."
"…Burger's pretty much naked isn't he?" Derek asked in a flat voice.
"Yes. Yes, he is."
"I have a towel on-oh. Had. They don't make them big enough-"
"No more group hugging!" Derek hurriedly squirmed his way out of the Weasel pile, ignoring Bleed's groan as Burger and Ash's weight dropped on him again. He dusted himself off and grabbed Ash's comforter from the top bunk and covered them from view. "Much better."
A nice fluffy chapter to balance out the drama stuff that will ensue starting next chapter. For the record, that Rolling Stone list is pretty terrible but that rant is for another time. I do feel bad about bumping Kaukonen for a fictional guitarist, so apologies to any Jefferson Airplane fans.
