***In the recording studio***
“What the hell was that?” Shads asked looking up from his spot on one of the leather couches, lyric notes in his hand.

“I don’t know, sounded like glass smashing,” Johnny answered.

“Where’s Zacky?” Jimmy asked placing his previously being twirled drum sticks down on his lap.

“Last I knew he was taking a break and watching some tivo’d episodes in the lounge area. Why?” Johnny asked still fingering his base slowly.

“Because I’m pretty sure,” Jimmy began to say but was interrupted by a loud slam from a door behind them all.

Zacky stormed into the control room of the studio, grabbed his leather jacket off the back of Johnny’s current chair and continued to storm towards the exit.

“Dude where you off to?” Johnny asked Zacky’s rampaging form.

“Out. I’ll be back in a few,” Zacky said, though not snapping at Johnny.

Zacky stormed out of the control room, not slamming that door as much as he had previously done to the other one. But still causing some of the golden records on the wall to rattle in their frames on their nails.

“What I was going to finish saying before typhoon Baker was that I was pretty sure the glass smashing sound came from where Zacky was watching television. And I’m guessing I’m right,” Jimmy said as he stood up, placing his sticks into his back pocket.

Johnny and Shads got up to follow him out to lounge area. Syn was in the sound proofed guitar room on the phone with Alex. As they walked through the main recording area and passed the window to his booth he shot them a glance asking what they were doing. Johnny simply waved him off, miming it wasn’t important. So Syn proceeded to go back to phone conversation with his girlfriend Alex, which really wasn’t a conversation but of a whole bunch of I love you’s, he was a push over sometimes.

In the lounge area the television screen was still on, but statically and the tivo on pause. There on the left had wall was a wet spot and shards of glass sliding down the wall and littering the floor.

Jimmy picked up the remote and turned the television on and started to rewind the tivo to see what Zacky had been watching.

“Huh, looks like Zacky and Kales have a lot in common,” Johnny joked as he kicked the broken shards with the toe of his shoe.

“Yeah, hate. Look,” Jimmy said as he paused the rewinding tivo’d episode.

“It’s SURS, I wanted it recorded because the Used were going to be on and talking about the tour and the album,” Shads said as he turned to look at Jimmy, Johnny walking closer to the screen.

“That’s not the only people who were on. Watch,” Jimmy said as he pushed play.

Kales form came onto the screen and sat between Jeph and Bert, looking like she really wanted to be anywhere other than there at that point in time.

“You’re dating Kales Mae? The infamous tattoo artist and younger sister of M. Shadows?” Steven’s voice trailed out of the speakers and past the guys.

“That would be correct my dear Watson,” Jeph’s voice followed.

Johnny slid down onto the leather couch that was placed in front of the television and just stared on. Shads placed his hands on the back of the couch, to the side of Johnny’s head and leaned forward as he watched as the interview unfolded. Jimmy just stood there as he watched his best friend smile and laugh on public television as she was announced to the whole world as Jeph’s girlfriend. He couldn’t put his thumb on it but it had to have been this episode that had made Zacky so pissed, and he was hoping it wasn’t because of why he thought.

“...and Jeph is the luckiest guy on the planet...” Steven’s voice trailed on before Jimmy pushed paused, pausing the rest of the episode.

“Hey I was watching that,” Johnny protested, completely forgetting that Zacky had thrown a fit and stormed out and hence they were all in their watching television.

“Plug it short stuff,” Shads said as he stood up straighter.

“So I don’t get it. Was it because Kales was on television? I don’t see what would have pissed him off. He didn’t get a call because he cell was in his coat pocket out with us. So it had to be that,” Shads said as he ran a hand through his shorter cut hair.

“I think I do,” Jimmy said as he dropped himself onto the couch in a sitting position.

“Fuck,” he said as he jumped up and stuck his hand into his back pocket.

He had snapped his two favorite drum sticks in half, the ones he always used for recording on a new album.

“Well whatever crawled up Zacky’s ass needs to be rectified. And pronto, we’re almost done and can’t have him storming off to god knows where and screwing this for us. Why don’t we just ease up on our time spent with Kales and spend,” Syn said from the door frame behind the guys.

He had come in part way through the little part of the episode and had watched silently with the rest of the guys.

“Ease up our time spent with Kales? We never get to see her. And I’m sure as hell not going to lessen it when I have the chance to spend as much of it as possible with her. When we’re touring we can’t help it, but we’re home. I’m not going to give that up,” Jimmy said, getting defensive for some unknown reason.

“Chill dude,” Syn started in again.

“No you chill. I’ll give up my time with Kales when you give up your time with Alex. Sound like a fair plan? That’s what I thought,” Jimmy said as he shoved past Syn rudely and stormed into the main room.

“What’s his issue?” Syn asked as he watched Jimmy storm into the bigger room and sit at his drum kit, bending to pick up new sticks.

“He’s always been defensive of Kales, ever since we were little. I sometimes think the birth of siblings got screwed up somehow, and that Jimmy was really suppose to be Kailey’s older brother. And not me. I mean don’t get me wrong, I love her to the ends of this earth and back again, but Jimmy always felt the need to protect her from the world. And I think he knows more than he’s letting on, but we won’t get it out of him. So let’s not even try. Let him take whatever aggression he’s got out on the kit, possibly record it and let by gones be by gones,” Shads said as he walked into the sound room.

“You’d think he thought Zacky was in love with Kales or something,” Johnny joked light heartedly as he pushed record figuring they would at least get the most out of Jimmy’s thrashing he was giving his drum set.

“That’ll happen the day hell freezes over and you sprout tits,” Syn said jokingly as he slumped onto a chair picked up his guitar.

“The day Zacky has feelings for anyone other than a fuck buddy will be the day hell freezes and I sprout tits,” Johnny said jokingly.

“Don’t even joke,” Shads said gruffly from his spot at the sound board.
-xXx- ***Back with Kales***
“Kales, Kales Mae. Jeph. Over here,” an annoying voice said from behind a giant camera.

Jeph smiled politely through his teeth and waved to the man with the telephoto lensed camera and continued walking down the street.

“Remind me to kill you the next time you try to be all Knight in shining armor-esque, okay?” you said as you hopped down an alley way trying to take a short cut with Jeph.

It had been two weeks since Jeph’s little coming out on the television. And you were on your way back from lunch out with Jeph, on your way back to work. And the paparazzi had been going bezerk. You were use to paparazzi to some extent, because of who you were, and even more so when you went out with the guys somewhere in the open. But now, now it had increased. It’s not like you were Nicole Kidman or anything, but hell you had even been spotted in the new People magazine. Zarin had thought it a hoot and had brought the issue into work the other day, slapping the magazine down, open to that particular page, in your lap while you had a minute of down time. It was a picture of you and Jeph eating outside at some small restaurant, you and him had been holding hands on top of the table. It was an all right shot. And it was funny because now that Jeph had told the world, via SURS, he had been more up to going out and the whole public displays of affection. Just now, now it was getting you into People magazine.

“I’m sorry babe,” Jeph said poutily as you reached the back door to your work, the door you always used to go in for the most part.

Just now it was a double bonus. No one came down that alley for the most part.

“It’s okay I don’t mind it. If I had minded it I would have broken up with you instead of keeping your gangly, tattooed, badly needs to shave, happy ass around,” you said teasingly as you turned to face your pouting boyfriend.

“But I’m pretty sure you like the scruffiness,” Jeph growled a bit as he pressed you up against the wall right besides the back door.

“Hmm, that’s highly possible Mr. Howard,” you said huskily as you nudged his nose with your own.

“I like it when you call me,” Jeph said against your lips but was cut off.

“Oh for the love of Pete Wentz in a towel! Don’t you have like somewhere else you can have sex?” Zarin shrieked loudly as he came bursting out the door, cigarette raised to his lips for lighting.

“We were not having sex Zarin,” you said as you grinned over at your boss, still pressed against the brick wall by Jeph.

“Riiight,” Zarin replied as he lit his cancer stick and inhaled.

“Alright, gotta jet babe. Love you,” you said as leaned forward and pecked Jeph quickly on the lips and made to move away from him.

“Uh, love you too hun. But um, could you not, uhh, leave right, uh, now?” Jeph asked in what he thought was a hushed voice.

“What? Why... ohhh,” you said as you looked down and tried not to giggle.

Yes giggle, it was just the way he acted that made it worse.

“Oh for the love of, go use the bathroom. Just make sure you clean up. I don’t need to be applying eyeliner and seeing little bits of wasted future Jeph Howard’s on my sink,” Zarin said as he waved his hand in the direction of the back entrance.

“Love you Zarin,” you said as you blew a kiss towards your boss and pulled Jeph after you by his shirt color.

“Ditto. Seriously,” Jeph said as he was dragged after you.

“Careful, or I might take you up on that sentiment,” Zarin called after Jeph’s form, a smirk on his face as he inhaled sharply again.

“God I haven’t done it in a bathroom in forever,” you said as you locked the door behind you and Jeph, both of you now in the bathroom.

“What. About that time. At home?” Jeph asked in pieces as he placed urgent kisses down your neck and peeled off your military jacket.

“I meant a public, or even semi public, bathroom,” you said as you wrestled with his belt buckle.

“Yeah gotta say, it’s been forever for me as well,” Jeph said all out of breath as he turned to your belts next and placed his lips upon yours.

The kisses picked up in speed and intensity and clothes were either abandoned or partially abandoned. You squeaked a bit as Jeph picked you up and placed you down on the sink counter top.

“Cold,” you said in a high voice.

Jeph smirked at you and once again covered you lips with his own, as he pulled you towards his standing form a bit.

Notes

Sex in the bathroom at work you say?
Hmmm. . .