Marlon Brando by Plague 2 of 2

Mick was jerked awake from sleep when they pulled into a truck stop for refuelling and food. Sid spent 10 minutes puking outside their van, and Mick decided to stay inside until he'd finished at least. Joey was still sleeping and he hadn't tried to wake him, so it wasn't like he could go anywhere anyway. His legs had fallen asleep about an hour ago and he could no longer feel them, but he didn't care.

He rested his head against the window and stared at the others at they came out laden with food and soft drink. It was a good thing he wasn't hungry and he had plenty of water or he might have been a bit miffed at not being able to go in. But then again, he found it hard to be annoyed at Joey for anything. The loud slamming of the door as Shawn hopped back in woke the drummer up. He blinked his eyes somewhat curiously at first, and then remembered where he was.

"Hey," he said groggily, staring up at Mick. "What time is it?"

"About half past two. We have another 3 hours to go," Mick said. "We're in the middle of nowhere. It's worse than Iowa."

Joey laughed, and Mick felt himself smile. If Joey was happy, so was he. The van started up and Shawn followed the others out of the truck stop. The road out was badly maintained and covered in potholes, and as the van lurched from side to side Mick had to grab Joey to stop him from falling off. Out of instinct Joey grabbed onto Mick's wrist, not wishing to end up on the floor. They bumped up onto the asphalt and Joey smiled when the van finally levelled out.

"You'd think they'd do something about those," he said dryly. Mick laughed, though he didn't loosen his grip. He quite liked being able to hold onto him tight. He'd tried to cover it up by pulling Joey further up onto his lap, as if he was still afraid he was going to slip. Joey complied happily. He didn't want to let go of Mick's wrist either, but he knew he'd look a bit silly still holding onto it, and let him go reluctantly. Mick seemed a little... disappointed? That he'd let go but Joey passed it off as surprise. Perhaps he'd forgotten Joey was holding onto him.

The next half an hour drifted by in silence. Joey didn't fall asleep again, but that didn't surprise him. After his long sleep last night and sleeping most the day, he needed to spend a little time awake. It was so nice, laying on Mick's lap, that he didn't want to get up. He enjoyed being so close, knowing he might never get another chance.

After a while though, he started to get an ache in his back. Plus, he was quite thirsty and that bottle of water he'd packed was starting to sound quite inviting. Much against his will, he struggled upright. Mick realised what he wanted to do and helped him, sad that Joey was leaving but happy to get the opportunity to move his legs for the first time in several hours.

"You ok?" he asked as Joey wriggled into a sitting position next to him.

"Yeah," Joey said, holding the small of his back. "My back kinda aches, that's all."

Mick smiled. "I'm not surprised. Here."

Trying to compensate somewhat from having lost Joey from his lap he pulled him closer, hands massaging his back. Joey sighed with relief, enjoying the touch.

"That help?" he asked quietly, watching Joey. The drummer's eyes were closed, his head tilted back. He looked beautiful, but Mick had to keep his mouth shut.

"Yes," Joey hissed. He moaned softly as Mick's hands touched just the right spot, and the sudden resulting weakness sent him sprawling forwards, back into Mick's lap. They laughed, and as they did Mick hoped Joey didn't mind him wrapping his hands around his waist. It was just to make sure he didn't fall off, Mick told himself. Perfectly innocent. To cover, he went back to massaging Joey's back. The drummer didn't seem inclined to move and Mick was perfectly happy for him to stay. It was nice, being so close to Joey like this. He smiled at him, pleased to see him smile back.

Somewhat more relaxed and comfortable now, Joey took the bold step of moving even closer to Mick, laying against him and resting his head in the crook of his neck. It seemed so right, and he was willing to risk Mick's anger just to see what it felt like.

Mick was quite happy. He pressed Joey even closer, running his hands up and down his back. They lay like that for a while, enjoying the closeness, though neither would admit anything. Mick idly kissed Joey's forehead, gratified to see the small smile that appeared on his face. Looking back up again, he spotted Shawn looking at them in the rear-view mirror. Realising Mick had spotted him, Shawn smiled and winked. Mick couldn't do anything but smile back.

The scenery rushed past outside, but neither of them was watching. They were preoccupied with far more important things. Despite being so wide awake not so long ago, Joey felt the sleepy again. He was so warm and comfortable, it was just a natural reaction. His back ache had eased thanks to Mick's massage, which helped him relax. His eyes were just beginning to close when he felt the van suddenly slow down rapidly.

"We stopping again so soon?" he mumbled, looking up.

Mick voiced the same question to Shawn.

"One of the vans has pulled off. I don't know why," Shawn said. They braked suddenly and Mick had to hold onto Joey quite tight to stop him flying off the seat.

"Sorry," Shawn said from up the front. He stopped the van and then turned back to talk to the two at the back. "Stay here. I'll go see what's up."

But of course, they were curious and Joey climbed off Mick's lap. They stumbled out of the van, Mick somewhat awkwardly, owing to his sleeping legs. The others were all piling out too, eager to stretch their legs. They'd stopped because Jim needed a toilet stop, but of course he wasn't the only one, and half the others decided they needed to go too. Completely uninterested, Joey headed back into the van. He was annoyed that the nice cuddle he and Mick where sharing just a few moments ago had been interrupted by a bathroom break. Still thirsty, he pulled his bottle of water from his bag and drank. He drained half the bottle before taking a breather.

"Thirsty, huh?" Mick asked, raising his eyebrows as he climbed back into the van.

Joey smiled as he snapped the lip back on his bottle and put it in his bag. "Not anymore."

Mick smiled back at him and waited as Joey pulled himself up on the seat to let him pass. Mick settled into his usual spot by the window and Joey, after pulling a packet crisps from his bag, scooted over to sit next to him. He offered them to Mick, who took a handful.

The hours wore on and the wheels ate away at the miles. The sun began to fade and then sink over the horizon, and slowly the heat was sapped from the van. Joey started to shiver, wishing he'd remembered his jacket. He wrapped his arms around himself but it didn't help.

Mick noticed. "Shawn, can you turn the heaters on?" he called out. He wasn't cold himself, but he could see Joey was.

"Heaters don't work! Sorry!" Shawn called back.

Mick cursed. "We always get the cheap ones."

Joey had to laugh. "It's ok." But he didn't stop shivering. Mick wanted to do something for him. He looked around for a blanket and saw one that had been covering a roadcase in the seat in front. He tugged it free and wrapped it around Joey, who was grateful for the warmth.

"Thank you," he said quietly

"Anytime."

Joey shifted closer to Mick and rested against the seat, laying his head on Mick's shoulder. Now that he was getting warmer, the sleepiness began to return. He saw Mick yawn and smiled. He figured he wasn't going to be the only one falling asleep.

*

Sure enough, when they finally pulled into the town they were staying the night in, both Mick and Joey were fast asleep. Shawn has to call several times before Mick roused.

"What?" He asked sleepily, annoyed at being woken.

"Were in McDonald's drivethru. What do you and the midget want?"

"He's not a midget," Mick said automatically.

"Whatever. Just wake him up and ask, will you?"
Joey had collapsed into Mick at some point and was half sprawled across his chest. Mick had a chuckle before shaking him awake. Joey appeared quite surprised at how he'd ended up but managed to giggle about it too.

"Orders!" Shawn called out. "We're nearly at the window."

"Order? Window?" Joey said sleepily, rather confused.

"We're at McDonalds," Mick said with a smile. "Do you want anything?"

"Yeah. Food would be nice."

"Well you have about 5 seconds to decide," Shawn pointed out.

Mick and Joey chose quickly and let Shawn relay the orders. Joey pulled the blanket back up around himself.

"What time is it, do you know?" he asked Mick. He never wore a watch, but he knew Mick did.

"Nearly half past seven. We're just getting food and then going to the motel, I think." He sat up a little straighter. "Oi Shawn, we aren't driving any further tonight, are we?"

"No," came the reply. "Motel is only about 10 minutes from here."

Joey breathed a sigh of relief. He desperately wanted a shower and hoped like hell this motel wasn't as disgusting as the one the night before.

They ate their dinner on the drive to the motel. Joey studied it as they pulled up – it looked moderately nicer than the last one, and he thought about not having to sleep in his clothes. Shawn parked and left them in the van while he organised rooms and keys. One by one the other vans pulled up and as the others climbed out they did the same. It felt good to be able to stretch their legs.

Joey tiled his head up to look at the night sky. "Look at the star," he whispered. Mick was standing next to him and raised his head. He didn't normally bother to study the stars, but Joey did have a point. The display was magnificent.

"Wow," he breathed. "We don't get this in Des Moines." Here, they were clearly far enough away from the industry centre to avoid the smog.

Shawn's approach interrupted their study. "We have a problem," the percussionist said grimly.

"What?" Jim asked, his eyes narrowed.

"Well, thanks to Mr Fantastic here" –he clapped an arm around Chris, who looked remarkably like a deer in headlights –"we've only booked 2 3 person rooms instead of 3. The rest of the place is booked out. We can either take the rooms or drive into the city. There are no more motels around here."

Chris turned red once he realised his mistake. Shawn had only asked him to do one thing and he'd screwed it up.

"How far away is the city?" Paul asked.

"About 25, 30 minutes according to the kid behind the desk."

"You're kidding!" Jim voiced their collective surprise while a few others groaned.

"No way," Corey added. "We've driven far enough to day."
They all agreed. They'd rather take the two rooms than drive another for another half an hour. Shawn headed back in to confirm while Joey wandered over to a nearby bench. Mick followed. They sat and watched the others linger in the carpark.

"I've slept so much today but still all I want is a bed," Joey admitted.

Mick chuckled "Me too. A clean bed, I hope."

"Me too! That place last night was filthy," Joey said, shaking his head at the memory.

"Yeah. Anything would be better than that place."

Shawn wandered back over just then with the keys. Mick and Joey stood up to gather with the others around him.

"So, there's one double bed, one single bed and one couch in each room. That means we'll have to have 3 people in one of the doubles."

Joey sighed, He knew because of his size, he'd be one of them. He looked around. No one was volunteering. Shawn decided they might as well just be told. "Joey, Sid and Corey in one double. Mick the single, Craig on the couch. Here's your key." He threw it to Mick, who managed to catch it before it flew into the flower bush.

"Well, I suppose that's it," Mick said to Joey. "Let's find our stuff."

10 minutes later, Mick was pulling open the door to their room. The others stood behind him, trying to see in, but of course to no avail. Mick was just too big. He picked up his bag and suitcase and wandered in. The others followed.

"Well, it's not too bad," Mick said with some sort of relief. It was certainly cleaner, and he could put up with the close quarters for that. They dumped their bags on the floor and beds. Joey opened his suitcase and rummaged through for clean clothes.

"I bags the shower!" he shouted, and disappeared before anyone could protest.

"Well, there goes the hot water for the rest of the night," Corey said dryly. The others laughed. Joey's long showers were notorious.

When he finally stepped out, nearly half an hour later, Mick couldn't help but stare. He knew it was probably pretty obvious, but he couldn't stop himself. Joey noticed, and shyly smiled back. He'd taken the time to dry and straighten his hair, and put on a little make up. It wasn't for any particular reason, just partly because the past two days of driving had made him feel a little shabby, and he wanted to feel special again. The look on Mick's face was worth all the time and effort.

Joey was barely even aware of the other people in the room. The admiration he felt from Mick made his feel as though he was walking on air. He hoped he wasn't blushing as he bent down to shove his dirty clothes back into his suitcase.

"Are you guys coming out?" Corey asked suddenly. Joey looked up to see the three other men who were sharing their room standing by the door.

"Where are you going?" Joey asked.

"There's a bar across the street. It's probably full of rednecks and cowboys but we thought we'd take a look."

Joey glanced over to Mick in a silent question. The guitarist just shrugged, as if to say, "Your call". Hoping that he would decide to come out as well, Joey nodded. "Sure."

To his relief, Mick indicated his intent to go and stood up too. He'd gotten changed, which effectively meant changing from one football shirt to another. Joey could smell his aftershave and it made his legs weak, which was probably the point. They walked together behind the others, silently, but close enough for Joey to feel intensely special. It was cool out, and Joey realised he'd forgotten his jacket when they were halfway across the carpark. So had Mick , though the guitarist showed no signs of being chilled. It was only a short distance and Joey figured he'd soon be warm enough at the bar.

Corey was just about spot on in his prediction of the regulars at the bar. The band all felt quite out of place as they walked in, and the patrons stared. Joey walked just a little closer to Mick as the atmosphere darkened slightly. Mick glanced over at him in concern, but as he was too busy looking around in horror he didn't notice. When the band showed no signs of intimidation (apart from Joey) and didn't just turn around and walk back out again, the locals started to return to their beers and pool games.

The nine men found a few empty tables at the back of the bar and took seats. Shawn offered to get the first round and Sid and Chris went with him to help carry the drinks. Joey sat next to Mick, feeling even smaller now that he was sitting down. For the first time that evening he regretted putting on makeup. He didn't think that the locals would understand. He wished he'd though to wash it off.

"You ok?" Mick asked Joey, concerned at the terrified look on his face.

"Uh, yeah," Joey replied, his voice shaky. He felt Mick rub his thigh in sympathy under the table, and thought he knew the other man was just trying to be supportive he couldn't help the tingle that spread up his spine. The others returned with the drinks and Joey felt a little better now that he had something to do with his hands. He sipped at his beer, unable to stop looking around in curiosity. The regulars stared right back, abject fascination on their faces, and it made him feel slightly uncomfortable.

He passed from one face to another, too nervous to stare for too long. He'd just thought he'd seen all manner of hicks in Iowa, but this was something else. Soon though, he was drawn into the conversation that had started at their table. They were just talking about music, but it was enough for Joey to forget about where they were. It wasn't until after a particularly animated conversation about percussion that he realised he needed to use the bathroom. He slid his glass onto the table and stood up. Mick looked at him and he tilted his head towards the restrooms. Mick nodded in understanding.

Joey had only made it 3 paces from the table when the wolf whistles and catcalling started. The band fell silent in shock and Joey stood awkwardly like a deer in headlights. He couldn't figure out if they were teasing or genuine, but one thing for sure: it wasn't making his feel good. He looked at the table of men who were the biggest culprits and it only made them call louder. It shocked him into action and he stumbled towards the bathrooms. And when he pushed the through the door to the men's toilets, the catcalling and wolf whistling stopped as abruptly as a light being thrown.

With a growing sense of dread, Mick realised they had honestly thought Joey was a girl. And he felt even more worried when he realised the bar was completely devoid of females. It was silent now, half the patrons sitting there with their mouths open. Mick wished they'd never come. Around the table the others all looked as though their expressions had been carved in stone.

Inside the bathroom, Joey finished quickly and washed his hands. He looked at himself in the mirror, annoyed at the red flush on his cheeks. He thought about taking his makeup off, but figured it would only make things worse. He didn't want to walk back into the bar. He'd had the same sinking feeling as the others when he realised they thought he was a chick. Normally, he would have appreciated that, but right now it was the last thing he wanted. He was wondering if he could get away with staying in the bathroom for the rest of the night when the door opened. He was struck with fear at first, terrified it was a regular. But he sighed with relief when Mick stepped in.

"You ok?" he asked quietly, noting how shaky Joey was. He came closer to give him a hug. Joey just sighed, and held onto him tight.

"Yeah," he said, his voice trembling. "They thought I was a girl, didn't they?"

Mick just nodded. "And a pretty one," he said with a smile. Despite his nervousness, Joey managed to smile back as well.

"You ok to go back out there?" Mick asked. "Or we can stay in here for a little bit longer until you're ready." Joey realised then that Mick had only come in for him. It made him feel better than he could ever put into words.

"Um, yeah. Get it over with. You'll be with me, right?" His voice rose, but he didn't care.

"Yeah. I'll be right next to you."

Joey nodded his head. "Thank you."

Mick went first. He pushed through the door, and Joey followed after a quick internal battle. He kept his head down until he reached the table, where the others shot him sympathetic glances but thankfully didn't say anything. Craig started up a conversation about football, which Joey realised was just to get the attention off him because he knew how much Craig hated football. He was immensely grateful, and even more so for the mug of beer Shawn handed to him. He desperately needed it.

He was too shy to look around at the locals again. He could feel their stares on his back tough, and thought they were probably all whispering and talking about him. About that strange kid with the makeup and the pretty face. He'd heard it all before. He was beginning to wish he'd stayed at the motel, and wondered how long the guys wanted to stay.

He sighed with relief when Shawn indicated they ought to leave after they'd finished their drinks. He made an excuse about needing to get a good night sleep before the last day of driving, but Joey knew he just wanted to get them out of there because of him. Half of him felt bad for making them leave, especially because he knew they would have otherwise stayed till last call. The other half was just pleased at the chance to leave without having to walk out on his own, which would have just told the locals they'd gotten to him. At least the others didn't seem too miffed about having to go. He was relieved to see some of them down their glasses quicker than they normally would have, which told him they were ok with leaving and just wanted to get him out of there. He really did have great friends.

Corey finished his glass just half a second after Paul. It was the cue for them to stand up, and Jim tossed a few notes onto the table. The entire bar was staring at them now, and Joey stuck close to Mick. As they started to walk out, they passed the table that has been the nosiest.

One of them spoke, and Joey knew he was saying it just loud enough for him to hear. "Pretty little thing ain't he? Wonder how much he charges."

Joey wanted the ground to open up and swallow him. He wasn't a slut, he never slept around, and it was mortifyingly embarrassing to be accused of it, especially in front of a room full of people. He saw Mick come up beside him to face the table.

"He's not a whore. I imagine the only one who gets paid for sex around here would be you," he said, his voice simmering with barely contained anger. The insult brightened Joey up, especially when he saw the face of the accuser burn with shame. It was what happened next though, that literally took his breath away.

Mick turned to face him, and the look on his face shocked him. It was as if Joey was the only thing that mattered in the world and he suddenly realised just how much Mick cared for him. Then, Mick was taking him into his arms and they were kissing, not just a brief peck on the lips but a deep, passionate kiss that made him turn to jello. It was hardly brief either, as if time had stopped. He found the inclination to wrap his arms around Mick, and for a brief second he thought they probably looked stupid, him being so tiny and Mick being so tall, but it didn't matter, none of it did.

And then he was panting for breath, looking up at Mick who was smiling down at him, and it was contagious and he had to smile too. All that bullshit, and those comments, he didn't care about now. The others were all smiling too, happy for them. Mick took his hand and they walked out, and Joey didn't even need to look around to see the looks on the faces of the regulars. He knew they'd won.

*

Mick didn't let go of his hand as they crossed over to the motel. The others had started to chat amongst themselves, just quietly at first. No one said anything about the kiss, but Joey could tell from their grins they didn't have a problem. He and Mick walked in silence, but the truth was Joey didn't know what to say. A little part of him was worried that Mick had only done it to show up those men in the bar, but there was so much passion in the kiss Joey wondered how he could possibly have faked it.

They waited as Corey unlocked the door to their room, and Mick held it open for Joey as they made their way back in. The others had already collapsed into their beds, exhausted. Mick and Joey sat on the single bed, their backs against the wall.

"What's the time?" Craig asked, sounding tired.

"Ummm… 11.36," Mick said. He had an arm around Joey's shoulder, who was resting against him and looking as though he was ready to fall asleep at any moment.

"Ugh! That's it, I'm going to bed," Corey announced. He dragged himself off his bed to brush his teeth in the bathroom. Craig and then Sid both followed suit.

Joey didn't want to move. He was sitting so close to Mick and didn't know how he'd be able to leave him. But then he couldn't leave it any longer, and shared a sad glance with Mick as he climbed off the bed to go wash his face and brush his teeth. Just as he was rinsing his mouth, Mick came into the bathroom and leant against the doorframe, just watching. Joey saw him in the mirror and smiled. Mick returned it when he saw him watching. Joey turned to wipe his face with a towel, and Mick came to stand beside him.

"You doing ok?" he asked quietly, so the others wouldn't hear.

Joey nodded, taking a little longer to dry his hand than he normally would. "Yeah. Thank you," he added, finishing with the towel and hanging it on the rail to dry.
"It's ok," Mick said. "They were jerks, Joey. I hope you didn't take then seriously."
Joey shook his head, but Mick noticed his hesitation. He stepped forward to give him a hug. Joey collapsed into him, needing the comfort but to able to say. They stayed wrapped up in each other for a few minutes, taking solace in each other. When Mick loosening his grip and they broke their hold, Joey wasn't sure what to expect. He wanted to kiss Mick, but wasn't sure if he should, Mick sensed his indecision and leant forward anyway. Their kiss was almost tentative, less sure than the kiss in the bar. But it was sweet and soft and Joey enjoyed it just as much. Mick smiled at him and Joey grinned back, so happy that Mick felt the same way as he did.

"Bedtime? You look exhausted," Mick said quietly, stroking his cheek.

"Yeah," Joey said, with no small relief at the though of sleep. "I am tired."

Mick kissed him softly on both cheeks, and whispered, "Good night" into his ear. Joey said the same, so full of good feelings he felt nearly ready to burst, He left Mick in the bathroom, sneaking quietly back into the room. The lights were off, apart from one bedside lap next to Mick's bed. By its dim light, Joey stripped off his clothes until he was only in his boxers. He found a clean shirt and pulled it on before zipping up his suitcase.

Sid and Corey were already in the bed, and had left some room for him on the side. There wasn't a lot of room but it'd do. Even better, it was the side that faced Mick's bed. He slid under the covers carefully, trying not to disturb the others. The bed was warm, for which he was grateful. Corey had left him a pillow and he checked it was clean before laying his head on it. He was tired, and it felt nice to be able to stretch out with a sweet thought of sleep waiting for him. The last thing he remembered before falling asleep was Mick laying a kiss on his cheek and whispering, "Sleep well" into his ear.

*

For some reason, he was on the roof of the van, clinging tightly. He couldn't remember how he'd gotten up there or why. Shawn was speeding, the van lurching wildly from side to side as he avoided the potholes on the road. They were driving on the wrong side too, and they barely missed the oncoming cars and trucks by mere millimetres. Corey and Sid were inside the van, singing loudly, and it was the worst sound he'd ever heard. He heard Mick call out to him suddenly. He was only just holding on, and as he turned to see where Mick was he los his rip and realised he was falling….

THUNK! He landed heavily on the ground, shocking himself awake. He was on the floor of the motel, freezing and sore. In the amidst of sleep he'd forgotten there wasn't as much room as he normally has and he rolled over into oblivion.

"Joey?" Mick's voice came quietly out if the dark, "Is that you?"

The bedside light flared. Joey turned his head to see Mick sitting up in his bed, staring at him. The he saw him grin and chuckle. "What are you doing down there?" he asked light-heartedly. He tossed the covers away and got out of bed to kneel beside Joey.

"Come on." He offered his hand to Joey who took it gratefully. Mick pulled him to his feet.

"Look, no wonder you fell off. Corey's practically shoved you off."

Joey looked at the bed. Corey was laying where he was, and he realised now it was probably Corey who'd pushed him out. He couldn't hel0p but laugh, albeit quietly.

"Bastard," he muttered.

"Do you want to stick his hand in a cup of water? Mick said, in all seriousness.

Joey's face lit up at the thought. "Yeah! Oh, maybe if Sid wasn't in there too."

"Good point" Mick said. "Maybe in the morning then. Come. Stay with me tonight."

Joey kept his sudden happiness tucked safely inside. He just nodded, and followed Mick over to his bed. His stomach was tight with anticipation, wanting so badly to just lie next to him. The guitarist climbed under the covers first, and turned so he was facing Joey, leaving as much room as he could. Joey slid in beside him. Mick reached behind him to switch off the light and the room was plunged into darkness once more.

Joey felt Mick's hand on his chest, encouraging him to lie down. Joey did, and then he felt Mick shuffle closer to him and lay his head on the pillow. Mick draped his hand over his waist casually, and Joey let his hand rest on Mick's.

"Are you comfortable?" Mick asked quietly.

"Yeah. Very," Joey whispered. "Thanks."

His eyes hadn't yet adjusted to the dark, so when he felt Mick's lips on his it was almost a shock. He relaxed quickly though, giving into the kiss. They lay there for a while, just kissing, hands roaming over each other's bodies. And when they finally fell asleep, tired after the day's long journey, Joey was wrapped in Mick's arms, buried against his chest.

*

Corey's alarm woke everyone up at 8 o'clock the next morning. Amidst the dull grogginess of morning, Corey and Sid didn't even notice that Joey has abandons their bed until they saw him tucked up in Mick's arms. The two were awake, just laying there savouring the moment for as long as they could.

Joey smiled when he saw Corey's surprised face. "You pushed me out of bed, Corey, so I found somewhere else to sleep." Mick laughed at the even more surprised look on Sid's face.

"Oh. Sorry Jo," Corey said, his voice betraying his shock at finding the two together, but really, he thought to himself, after their performance in the bar last night it should have come as no surprise. He decided to stop staring, and tore his eyes away. He thought a shower was in order, Craig busied himself getting dressed and Sid went outside for a smoke, and Mick decided to take advantage of the short period of privacy.

He reached over to kiss Joey gently, his hand stroking the soft skin of his cheek. The kiss was slow and tender, and they both lost themselves in the moment. Even when Corey came into the room and said the vans were leaving in 15 minutes it was nearly impossible for them to separate from each other. Joey reluctantly slid out of bed, catching a sudden, relieved look on Corey's face. It took him a few moments to realise that Corey was thankful that he was dressed. He shot him a grin but didn't say anything. Corey has the grace to look humbled.

Joey threw on his clothes from the night before and shoved all of his belongings back into his suitcase. Mick had dressed as well and together they walked out to the vans. The group was still waiting on Jim and Chris, so Mick and Joey has a few minutes to sit down together after stowing their luggage.

"You know, amongst all this… us," Mick elaborated, I'd forgotten that today we are gonna be arriving in Malibu."

Joey started. it had slipped his mind too, despite the fact it was the reason for the trip. "Shit…." He breathed. "I forgot too. What do you think it's going to be like?"

"I honestly have no idea. But I guess that's not a bad thing, is it? Not knowing what's coming, and not worrying."

"Until it hits you," Joey mused.

"Until it hits you!" Mick agreed. "I do know one thing though."

"Yeah? And what's that?"

"Your gonna blow Ross away," Mick said quietly, with a smile.

Joey blushed. He was lost for words, which didn't happen often. Mick chuckled when he saw the red flush rise in his cheeks. He leant forward to kiss the suddenly shy drummer on his forehead. Before Joey could say anything in response, Jim and Chris finally appeared with their bags in tow.

"It looks like we're ready to go," Mick said, a little disappointed they couldn't spend a bit more time together away from the others. Joey just smiled at him and rose from the bench, waiting dor Mick to join him. They walked slowly over to the van, hand in hand.

*

5 minutes later, the van was turning onto the highway, destined for California. Joey had never been there before so it was an exiting experience, and Mick, who had, laughed at his eagerness.

"It's going to be several hours before we even see signs for Los Angeles, you know that, right?" he said to Joey, grinning.

"Yeah, I know! It's just…. oh, I dunno really. This is the biggest thing that's ever happened to me, you know? This… the recording deal… and you…." He added quietly, sitting still again and blushing. Mick smiled, understanding how he was feeling. He pulled Joey up onto his lap and the drummer buried his head into his neck, shy again. Mick was stroking his back and kissing his forehead, and it was incredibly comforting.

There was no sound in the van other than the steady pounding of road beneath wheels. Mick watched the road signs flash past in a blur of colour, but his eyes didn't focus on the white writing. LA would appear when it was time. He was happy to sit back with Joey snuggled up to him, and think about closing his eyes and resting. The hours stretched ahead of them and they had all the time in the world just to enjoy the peace and solitude. For, of course, when they finally reached Malibu, it would be a different situation. There would be months of unrelenting, punishing practice and recording, and then just as suddenly they would be thrust back into their old life, to go back to the gas stations and porn shops and wait, and wait….

And even then, would it all have been worth it? Would they be able to even sell their album? Would anybody connect and understand what they were all about? Or would their album be consigned to linger on the shelf, glanced at occasionally and then tossed back into the pile? It was fate he didn't want to think about, but in the end, no one knew. That was the beauty of it.

Joey relaxed in his arms. He'd finally fallen asleep. Mick's body was fighting him, crying out for sleep. And here, where the beating of wheel on road was the only sound and the landscape changed from county to county, he let his eyes close, and his mind drift away.

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The Road of life twists and turns and no two directions are ever the same. Yet our lessons come from the journey, not the destination. – Don Williams Jr.