Animosity In The Ranks
Chapter 14
"Matt, Matt. Johnny hasn't been attacked yet," you shouted in hopes of winning some breathing time.
"Uh oh," Johnny said before trying to scramble away.
Unfortunately for Johnny he tripped over Zacky's foot, which you had watched him stick out, almost as if on purpose. As you tackled on Johnny with Matt you saw the tables finally turned on Zacky. You had been wondering when that was going to happen, seeing as how Syn is bigger than him. Zacky was being tickled unmercifully by Syn, who was laughing maniacally as Jimmy jumped on his back, using the Johnny technique and hitting him with a magazine. You went back to your work of tickling Johnny but not before you saw Zacky laughing hysterically, tears streaming down his face, as he writhed on the floor. You smiled a bit, but then went back to the task at hand. Repaying Johnny for the reverse mutiny. Johnny started to hiccup horribly from all the laughing he was doing, which caused you to snort, hard, from laughing at him.
"Snorter!" Jimmy shouted.
"Get the snorter," Syn yelled, leaping off of Zacky.
At that you turned and looked at Matt and Johnny below you. And almost as if in slow motion you watched them grin evilly at you and turn.
"Nooo," you shouted leaping away and trying to hide behind the nearby over stuffed chair.
Unfortunately someone grabbed a hold of your feet and started to tickle them as they pulled you out thrashing and screaming from behind your hiding spot. As you came out in the open, Johnny, Jimmy, Syn and Matt tackled you flat and started the worst tickling you had ever received in your life.
"Ahhh," you screamed.
Then you felt an extra weight added on top of you. Looking up between the bodies over you saw Zacky riding the backs of the guys. You were about to shout at him when you saw that he was tickling the guys. He was on your side! The guys kept having to take an arm off you to protect their own sides from his tickling, or to swat him away. Finally Jimmy gave up on your sides to protect himself instead. You watched as he flipped Zacky off his back, making him land with his head on you, and then effortlessly pin him and tickle him.
"No," Zacky laughed.
"I owe you monkey boy," Jimmy laughed evilly, tickling him unmercifully.
Zacky continued to cry out, as did you, as you both were attacked with out let up. Finally you felt like you were going to die.
"TRUCE!?" you shouted loudly through your laughter.
The guys paused a bit in their attack and looked at each other a bit. Shrugged. Then collapsed to the ground beside you. You and the guys were basically all in a miss mashed pig pile. Zacky's head was still on your stomach while Jimmy was sprawled out beside him. Matt was splayed out beside you, while Johnny was down by your feet, his legs draped over yours. Syn was sort of T-boning your head, since your head was touching his ribs.
"Truce," Matt said, letting out a small soft laugh.
You all fell silent for a moment or so, trying to get your breath back after the war. A small broken laugh could be heard every once in a while coming from different people. Finally you saw Minx approaching the group so you stuck your hand out to him.
"Come here Minxy," you cooed, beckoning him to you.
He approached like he was going to rub up against your hand but walked past it. He then proceeded to walk across your stomach and make his way to Matt, where he rubbed his head affectionately against Matt's side and purred loudly.
"Traitor," you said in mock anger.
For a while you just sat there, listening to people's breathing slow from the over fast pace down to a regular steady rhythm. It was nice, you thought. It was like back when you were growing up, and back when the band had just started. Back when they were around more, and things were easier, and you got to spend more time together. But as much as you hated it, them being gone so much, you were at least grateful for the little bits you got when you did. Especially ones like this where they forgot who they were in the publics eye and goofed off.
"I think my ribs are permanently bruised," Jimmy groaned after a while of silence.
At that you laughed hard, causing Zacky's head to bounce up and down a little on your stomach.
"Now what," Johnny said.
"Can you imagine what your fans would think of you if they saw this?" you teased.
"Speaking of fans, what time is it?" Matt asked from beside you.
"Like three or so," you said glancing at a clock across the room.
"FUCK!" Matt shouted, leaping up from the ground, soon to be followed by the rest of the guys.
"What?" you asked, pulling yourself up into a sitting position.
"We have to be at the studio in like fifteen minutes. Fuck!" Matt said, scrambling for his stuff.
"Why? It's Sunday," you pouted, still sitting on the floor.
"Cuz lovey, it's what we do," Jimmy said, picking you up, still in your sitting position and carrying you over to the couch and placing you down.
"I told you that that's why we were home in the first place. We've got to get this album done stat Kailey," Matt said sticking his shoes back on.
"Alright Matthew," you replied, stressing his full name since he had called you by yours.
"I'm sorry hun, but we gotta run," Matt replied, bending down to give you a peck on the forehead.
"Fine," you pouted, acting like an eight year old who just had been told to eat their lima beans.
"Ciao Kales," Johnny said, giving you a hug and a peck on the head before walkin out the door.
"Later gaiter shoes," Syn said also giving you a hug and a peck on the cheek.
"Loves Kailey bailey," Jimmy said giving you a long hug and a peck on the cheek, along with ruffling your hair and tweaking your nose before walking out.
"I'm not eight anymore," you shouted at his retreating form as you rubbed your nose.
That left Zacky alone in the room with you, and you could feel either the tension or the awkwardness building as neither one of you spoke.
"Later," he said, grabbing his fedora from the side table and leaving, shutting the door behind him.
You fell onto your back on the couch and let out a big sigh.
"Now what?" you said, repeating Johnny's earlier sentiments as you stared at the ceiling.
-xXx-
The next few days went by fairly normally, busy as busy can be yet agonizingly slow. You were still booked, and over booked, up to your eyeballs at work, even taking in a few musicians that happened to be home for a while and wanted new ink. You stayed late like always, and got home to an empty house which was still taking some getting use to. You signed all the divorce papers and sent them back to Eric's lawyer, glad to finally get it over and done with. You didnt get to see the guys much after the tickle war in your living room, since they were always in the studio. Either Matt or Jimmy would call occasionally to see how you were doing, or give you an update on how the album was going. But you never really saw them since they were either always tired, or you were. It started to feel like they hadn't been there at all, that they were just back on the road. Kris called a few times and you guys talked, you liked him and all but weren't sure about a relationship with him. So you kept it simple for the most part, you really did like him, you just weren't really sure how.
Finally Thursday showed up, you finished up at work quickly to make sure you were back at your loft to get it ready for Jeph. You rolled back the rug to expose the wooden floors, since it was easier to sweep up the hair than on a carpet. You got out the comfy salon chair that you had bought from a shop that had been going out of business and stuck it in the middle of the floor. Next you rolled out your little cart that had all your hair cutting stuff in it. Were you all fancy shmancy when you did this, no not really. But the musicians whose hair you cut didn't really care and loved the work you did so would have you do it in an alley if it was where you preferred. You didn't even have a license for it, but none of them cared. At seven on the dot you heard a knock on your door. Getting up off your couch you went to go let Jeph in, he was always on time and you loved it.
" 'Ello Jeph," you greeted the bassist happily.
" 'Ello to you too love," Jeph replied, giving you a peck on the cheek as he entered.
"What's on the tube this time around?" you asked.
"Motorcross?" he said questioningly.
"Sounds like a plan," you said switching the channels till you came across motocross racing.
"Uh oh," Johnny said before trying to scramble away.
Unfortunately for Johnny he tripped over Zacky's foot, which you had watched him stick out, almost as if on purpose. As you tackled on Johnny with Matt you saw the tables finally turned on Zacky. You had been wondering when that was going to happen, seeing as how Syn is bigger than him. Zacky was being tickled unmercifully by Syn, who was laughing maniacally as Jimmy jumped on his back, using the Johnny technique and hitting him with a magazine. You went back to your work of tickling Johnny but not before you saw Zacky laughing hysterically, tears streaming down his face, as he writhed on the floor. You smiled a bit, but then went back to the task at hand. Repaying Johnny for the reverse mutiny. Johnny started to hiccup horribly from all the laughing he was doing, which caused you to snort, hard, from laughing at him.
"Snorter!" Jimmy shouted.
"Get the snorter," Syn yelled, leaping off of Zacky.
At that you turned and looked at Matt and Johnny below you. And almost as if in slow motion you watched them grin evilly at you and turn.
"Nooo," you shouted leaping away and trying to hide behind the nearby over stuffed chair.
Unfortunately someone grabbed a hold of your feet and started to tickle them as they pulled you out thrashing and screaming from behind your hiding spot. As you came out in the open, Johnny, Jimmy, Syn and Matt tackled you flat and started the worst tickling you had ever received in your life.
"Ahhh," you screamed.
Then you felt an extra weight added on top of you. Looking up between the bodies over you saw Zacky riding the backs of the guys. You were about to shout at him when you saw that he was tickling the guys. He was on your side! The guys kept having to take an arm off you to protect their own sides from his tickling, or to swat him away. Finally Jimmy gave up on your sides to protect himself instead. You watched as he flipped Zacky off his back, making him land with his head on you, and then effortlessly pin him and tickle him.
"No," Zacky laughed.
"I owe you monkey boy," Jimmy laughed evilly, tickling him unmercifully.
Zacky continued to cry out, as did you, as you both were attacked with out let up. Finally you felt like you were going to die.
"TRUCE!?" you shouted loudly through your laughter.
The guys paused a bit in their attack and looked at each other a bit. Shrugged. Then collapsed to the ground beside you. You and the guys were basically all in a miss mashed pig pile. Zacky's head was still on your stomach while Jimmy was sprawled out beside him. Matt was splayed out beside you, while Johnny was down by your feet, his legs draped over yours. Syn was sort of T-boning your head, since your head was touching his ribs.
"Truce," Matt said, letting out a small soft laugh.
You all fell silent for a moment or so, trying to get your breath back after the war. A small broken laugh could be heard every once in a while coming from different people. Finally you saw Minx approaching the group so you stuck your hand out to him.
"Come here Minxy," you cooed, beckoning him to you.
He approached like he was going to rub up against your hand but walked past it. He then proceeded to walk across your stomach and make his way to Matt, where he rubbed his head affectionately against Matt's side and purred loudly.
"Traitor," you said in mock anger.
For a while you just sat there, listening to people's breathing slow from the over fast pace down to a regular steady rhythm. It was nice, you thought. It was like back when you were growing up, and back when the band had just started. Back when they were around more, and things were easier, and you got to spend more time together. But as much as you hated it, them being gone so much, you were at least grateful for the little bits you got when you did. Especially ones like this where they forgot who they were in the publics eye and goofed off.
"I think my ribs are permanently bruised," Jimmy groaned after a while of silence.
At that you laughed hard, causing Zacky's head to bounce up and down a little on your stomach.
"Now what," Johnny said.
"Can you imagine what your fans would think of you if they saw this?" you teased.
"Speaking of fans, what time is it?" Matt asked from beside you.
"Like three or so," you said glancing at a clock across the room.
"FUCK!" Matt shouted, leaping up from the ground, soon to be followed by the rest of the guys.
"What?" you asked, pulling yourself up into a sitting position.
"We have to be at the studio in like fifteen minutes. Fuck!" Matt said, scrambling for his stuff.
"Why? It's Sunday," you pouted, still sitting on the floor.
"Cuz lovey, it's what we do," Jimmy said, picking you up, still in your sitting position and carrying you over to the couch and placing you down.
"I told you that that's why we were home in the first place. We've got to get this album done stat Kailey," Matt said sticking his shoes back on.
"Alright Matthew," you replied, stressing his full name since he had called you by yours.
"I'm sorry hun, but we gotta run," Matt replied, bending down to give you a peck on the forehead.
"Fine," you pouted, acting like an eight year old who just had been told to eat their lima beans.
"Ciao Kales," Johnny said, giving you a hug and a peck on the head before walkin out the door.
"Later gaiter shoes," Syn said also giving you a hug and a peck on the cheek.
"Loves Kailey bailey," Jimmy said giving you a long hug and a peck on the cheek, along with ruffling your hair and tweaking your nose before walking out.
"I'm not eight anymore," you shouted at his retreating form as you rubbed your nose.
That left Zacky alone in the room with you, and you could feel either the tension or the awkwardness building as neither one of you spoke.
"Later," he said, grabbing his fedora from the side table and leaving, shutting the door behind him.
You fell onto your back on the couch and let out a big sigh.
"Now what?" you said, repeating Johnny's earlier sentiments as you stared at the ceiling.
-xXx-
The next few days went by fairly normally, busy as busy can be yet agonizingly slow. You were still booked, and over booked, up to your eyeballs at work, even taking in a few musicians that happened to be home for a while and wanted new ink. You stayed late like always, and got home to an empty house which was still taking some getting use to. You signed all the divorce papers and sent them back to Eric's lawyer, glad to finally get it over and done with. You didnt get to see the guys much after the tickle war in your living room, since they were always in the studio. Either Matt or Jimmy would call occasionally to see how you were doing, or give you an update on how the album was going. But you never really saw them since they were either always tired, or you were. It started to feel like they hadn't been there at all, that they were just back on the road. Kris called a few times and you guys talked, you liked him and all but weren't sure about a relationship with him. So you kept it simple for the most part, you really did like him, you just weren't really sure how.
Finally Thursday showed up, you finished up at work quickly to make sure you were back at your loft to get it ready for Jeph. You rolled back the rug to expose the wooden floors, since it was easier to sweep up the hair than on a carpet. You got out the comfy salon chair that you had bought from a shop that had been going out of business and stuck it in the middle of the floor. Next you rolled out your little cart that had all your hair cutting stuff in it. Were you all fancy shmancy when you did this, no not really. But the musicians whose hair you cut didn't really care and loved the work you did so would have you do it in an alley if it was where you preferred. You didn't even have a license for it, but none of them cared. At seven on the dot you heard a knock on your door. Getting up off your couch you went to go let Jeph in, he was always on time and you loved it.
" 'Ello Jeph," you greeted the bassist happily.
" 'Ello to you too love," Jeph replied, giving you a peck on the cheek as he entered.
"What's on the tube this time around?" you asked.
"Motorcross?" he said questioningly.
"Sounds like a plan," you said switching the channels till you came across motocross racing.
Out of all the fanfics this is the one I've read through 3 times through all 108 chapters. This is one of the best Zacky fics I've read and I still hope it'll be continued one day ; v; a very good read for any Zacky fan.
5/3/18