Eternal Blossom

“Wake up, fuckers,” Matt’s voice boomed into their bedroom as he threw the door open.

“Why did you give them keys,” Aiyana grumbled while hiding her head under her pillow.

“Look, we’re almost done recording, and I need little Gatesypoo here more than you do, woman,” Zack chuckled as he walked into the room to stand at the foot of the bed.

“Have him, just lock the door on your way out,” she said from under the pillow, shoving Brian out of bed with a foot.

Brian groaned when her cold toes met his side, and slid quickly out of bed. The guys and himself had seen each other naked countless times having lived on a tour bus together, so it didn’t phase him in the least that they were still in his room. Pulling on a pair of boxers, he looked at the bed and saw her naked back, the blanket slung low but keeping her decent. Looking over at the guys, he gestured for them to leave his room and that he’d be right out.

Once they left, he whipped the blanket off of her with a flourish, and chuckled when she groped for the missing blanket blindly, cussing him loudly.

“Get up. You’re coming with me today,” he told her decisively.

“Brian, you kept me up all night. I’m tired,” she whined before sitting up to look at him.

“I didn’t hear you complaining last night,” he said with a wiggle of his eyebrows before walking to the closet. “Now get up and get dressed, or I’m going to pick your clothes out. Plus, we have a date tonight to celebrate the tour news.”

Aiyana was spurned into movement by his threat of picking out her clothes. She knew if he picked them it would result in an outfit that shouldn’t leave the house unless it was to stand on the corner offering her vagina on a Styrofoam plate.

They had been together just shy of a full year, and it was mid May. Months had passed in the blink of an eye. They’d made the house a home for the two of them, and had fallen into a great routine together. She knew they were set to release the album in late August, and had already confirmed Rock in Rio in September.

Once dressed in a pair of denim shorts and a cut up off the shoulder t-shirt, she threw her hair up into a messy pony tail, and yawned as she made her way down the stairs. Brian had opted for a pair of dark brown shorts and a white t-shirt, and one of his favorite beanies instead of fixing his hair.

She gratefully took the cup of coffee from Matt, and sipped at it on the way over to the studio. The boys were talking about some kind of confirmation of a tour when the coffee finally woke her up enough to pay attention. Leaning forward in her seat, she listened as they talked about a European tour, and what all they were looking forward to.

“So, from September on pretty much, ya’ll are going to be on tour,” she asked as she finished off her coffee.

Brian chuckled and turned to look at her. Matt looked at her questioningly in the rearview, and Zack turned in his passenger seat as well. She suddenly felt small under all three of their gazes.

“We are going to be on tour,” Brian said, emphasizing the we part.

“That’s what I said, Bri,” she laughed, “ya’ll are going to be on tour. Rock in Rio, the October US tour, and then a European tour.”

Brian made a circle with his arm, gesturing to everyone in the car as he replied, “We, Aiya, WE will be on tour. You’re coming with us.”

Aiyana sat back in her seat, stunned by his words. She hadn’t expected to be invited along on the tour. She knew what the life of a rock star was about because of James, but she didn’t remember any of James’ girlfriends or wives ever staying on tour with him. They’d go to visit, or ride along a stop or two, but they didn’t stick it out for the whole tour.

“Unless you don’t want to,” Matt offered from the front seat, checking out her face in the rear view.

“But if you stay home, Rayne’s going to be pissed,” Zack stated as the SUV was parked and the guys started to climb out.

Aiyana got out of the car, and laced her fingers with Brian’s as they walked up to the studio. When he detoured to have a cigarette before going in, she stayed with him. She sat in the chair beside him as he smoked. So, Rayne must be going too, she thought to herself.

“If you don’t want to come with us you don’t have to,” Brian said, trying to keep the disappointment out of his voice.

“Bri, it’s not that I don’t want to go. I do. I just also don’t want to cramp your style. I know being on the road is a lot of partying and traveling. I don’t know if me going considering my joint issues is a great idea,” she told him in response,placing her hands in her lap and looking down.

“Babe, age has tamed us quite a bit. We may go to a few bars after shows, or drink back on the bus, but the nights of endless groupies and partying are behind us. Plus, we have a lot more hotel nights when we travel abroad, so you should be able to crash in a real bed more nights than not,” he told her with a chuckle.

Aiyana looked over at him and chewed on the inside of her cheek in thought. It could be fun, and if she didn’t feel like going to the bar she could always stay in the hotel or bus. She had more than enough money to go along with them and pay her own way, so that wasn’t an issue.

“What about the projects that I end up taking,” she thought aloud.

Brian thought for a moment before responding, “just take digital work and a sketch pad or twelve.”

She nodded, the pieces fitting together since Brian seemed to have an answer for everything, she realized that this could actually work. However, her own reservations were holding her back still. Turning in her seat, she looked at Brian and gave him a slight smile.

“Not going to say you won’t hate me after spending that much time cramped up with me, but if you’re really okay with me going, I’d be happy to go to Rio and the US tour to test drive this theory. I reserve the right to duck out at any time,” she tried to bargain with him honestly.

“We spend most of our time together now whether it’s here at the studio or at home, and I only love you more, so I can’t imagine that being the case. I can handle your concession as well, and even understand it,” he said with a chuckle before taking the last drag of his cigarette.

Aiyana looked into his eyes, and kissed him softly after he exhaled the last puff of smoke. He pulled her into his lap, and deepened the kiss. Aiyana adjusted, straddling his lap on her knees in the chair. Her hands rested on his shoulders, and his rested on her hips as they made out outside the studio.

“You two need to stop sucking face,” Rayne said as she walked up to the studio and saw them outside.

The words caught Aiyana by surprise, and she pulled away to look at her cousin with a wicked grin. Wiggling her eyebrows at her cousin, she kissed Brian one more time before getting off his lap. He stood, and they both gave Rayne a hug before heading inside.

“Oh Lover Boy,” Rayne said in a high pitched voice, calling for her boyfriend down the corridor.

Zacky heard her voice and turned from his conversation with Matt, smiling so wide that his eyes crinkled at the edges in deep laugh lines. She ran to him, and he caught her, both of them laughing. Rayne had moved in with Zack a month after Aiyana moved in with Brian, and they argued over little things constantly but for the most part were extremely happy and closer than ever.

Aiyana rolled her eyes at how cute they were together as she and Brian approached the others at a much more sedate pace than Rayne had taken. Matt smiled at her, and raised an eyebrow in question as to if she was going on tour or not once they were closer. She’d gotten close with all of the guys in the last year, and she had a special bond with Zack because he was with Rayne, but she and Matt were best friends who didn’t need words to speak to one another.

She nodded with a soft smile, and Matt raised his arms in victory before walking into the room they were recording in for the day. He was excited that Aiyana was coming with them. She had helped him to find who he was without being attached to anyone, and had become one of his very best friends.

“So, Brian still has to finish up on one song, and Matt has to finish another. Johnny is done, and Zack just has to listen to a mix or two to make sure he’s happy with them, right,” Rayne asked as they filed into the room.

“Almost right,” Zacky told her over his shoulder. “I have to finish up recording and Brian has to listen to a few mixes. Why?”

“Because when all of that is done, Rayne and I are going to take ya’ll to dinner to celebrate,” Aiyana said for her cousin, wrapping her arm around the other girl’s waist.

“Sweet action. I want steak,” Matt said with a grin before disappearing into his booth.

“Oooooo. Steak. Zacky, get in the other booth. I’m hungry all of a sudden,” Brian said cheerfully before putting on a pair of headphones so that he could listen to the mixes in question.

Zack saluted him and kissed Rayne quickly before making his way into the free booth with his guitar. Aiyana looked at Rayne once the guys had gotten to work, and nodded her head towards the door. Rayne smiled in response and they stepped out of the studio to talk so that they wouldn’t distract the guys.

“So, I understand we’re both going on the US leg of the tour,” Aiyana said to her best friend, taking a seat in one of the chairs outside.

“We are. I’m super excited,” Rayne told her with a big grin, completely missing where Aiyana didn’t mention the European part of the tour. “I think after dinner we should make the guys take us to the club,” she said as she began to shake her hips in a circle.

Aiyana stroked her chin in thought as if she had a beard that she was stroking. Rayne laughed before pulling her to her feet and making her dance to the rhythm that was only playing in Rayne’s mind. After dancing tunelessly for a moment, a familiar high pitched whiney voice accosted their ears.

“Heeey girls,” Kristy said, walking up to them in a pink body con dress and silver stripper heels. “What do you say you come in with me so I can see my man?”

“How about you back off and leave Matthew alone,” Aiyana said with a laugh in her voice.
“That’s the thing about trash, Kristy. Once you take it to the curb it’s supposed to stay gone, and not keep trying to make its way back inside.”

“I have just as much right to be in there as you two do, and I need to talk to Matt,” she whined, holding her clasped hands out in front of her as if beseeching the two girls before her.

“About what exactly,” Rayne asked simply in defense of the lead singer, one eyebrow arching high.

“Well you see, Red wouldn’t do that tattoo of Matty on me, so I found someone else to do it. I got his face tattoo’ed on me,” Kristy squealed in excitement.

Aiyana stood there mouth agape like a sucker fish. She was stunned by the woman’s words as Rayne hadn’t told her about this whole crazy tattoo idea. Matt told her about when Kristy had broken in and tried to get into his bed, and he’d told her about when she’d found him at a bar before trying to get him to fuck her in the bathroom. Realizing Matt should get to witness this spectacle, she held up one finger to tell Kristy to wait, and then grabbed Rayne’s forearm and drug her into the building.

“You’re the only one in town that’s any good at portraits, and considering it’s not visible in that tiny dress, I have a feeling I know where it is,” Aiyana giggled as the door closed firmly behind them.

Walking quickly down the hall, she rounded the corner just in time to see Matt coming out of the booth.

“Hey, buddy,” Rayne said, walking over to grip his forearm like Aiyana had done her. “Have you seen Kristy lately?”

Matt looked at her in surprise at the question, and his brows drew together as he looked at her like she’d fallen out of a tree. He’d put a CT on the crazy blonde after she broke into his house, and hadn’t thought more about her.

“Hell no,” he chuckled before wrapping one arm around each girl. “Why would you lovely ladies be asking me about that utter nutter?”

“Actually, she’s outside to tell you that she’s got your face permanently etched into her body,” Aiyana replied, wrapping her arm around Matt’s waist to look up at him, trying desperately to keep a straight face.

“She what?!” Matt looked down at Aiyana and the anger coursed over his face quickly, settling harshly in his eyes.

Aiyana just nodded and looked over at Brian who had taken his head phones off in time to hear about the tattoo. Standing, he put his headphones on the board and then flagged Zack down. He wasn’t going to miss this for anything, and figured his twin lead would want to see the exchange outside as well.

Matt let go of the girls and walked down the hall, trying to tame the anger that was coursing through him. As he hit the door to go out, it clanged harshly off the outside wall, and he immediately spotted Kristy.

“What the actual fuck, Kristy? Telling the girls you got something of me tattooed? We haven’t been together in over half a year. If you did this, why do I need to see it,” he said, anger lacing his words.

“Matty, I did it for us. Didn’t you miss me at all,” she whined pathetically, attaching herself to his broad chest.

Everyone filed out, Brian and Zack lighting cigarettes and leaning against the wall so that they could be there and ready if Matt needed them. Aiyana was standing beside Rayne, watching the exchange, her lip caught between her teeth to keep her laughter from bubbling over. She knew Matt would never hit a woman, but she’d love to do the honors herself if Kristy so much as touched the singer threateningly.

"Just show me this monstrosity so you will leave,” Matt scoffed at her as he attempted to extricate her from his body.

“Matty, baby, I did this to show you that I’m serious about you and I can’t live without you, ” she whimpered.

Nevertheless, she turned her back to Matt and pulled the material up until on her hip a very poorly done rendition of his face was shown. Aiyana couldn’t help herself, and drug Rayne up beside Matt with her as she got closer and peered at it. Up close, the picture looked more like a mixture of Quasimodo and the Gerber Baby than it did Matt, and Aiyana couldn’t hold her laughter any more.

Aiyana tried to speak, but failed miserably because she kept catching a gander of the horrible tattoo on Kristy’s leg, and it kept making her laugh harder. She ended up leaning on Matt, and he ended up joining her in the laughter.

“Put it away,” Rayne said, barely containing her own laughter. “She’s going to piss herself laughing at Quasimodo’s baby picture.”

This comment drew the guys, and they too caught a good look at it as Kristy hastily wiggled her skirt back down. With hands over their mouths to hide their own grins, Brian wrapped an arm around Aiyana, and whispered in her ear ‘Quasimodo’ over and over just to see if she would really piss herself laughing.

Kristy let out a high pitched squeal of anger and turned on her heel, tears in her eyes. It didn’t take her long to turn back around, and when she did, she pegged Rayne right in the eye with a closed fist.

Aiyana’s laughter cut off mid guffaw, and turned into a low growl. Lunging for the blonde, she managed to get her hands on Kristy’s neck, fully intending on choking the life out of her.
Nobody touched her cousin and got away with it. As her fingers began to tighten, Kristy reached up and started scratching and clawing at Aiyana’s arms and face in a pitiful attempt to get the larger woman off of her.

Brian and Matt were quick, and while Zacky was holding Rayne to keep her from adding to the violence, the other two worked at separating Aiyana and Kristy. Aiyana wasn’t about to have it though, and instead tightened her grip on the other woman when she felt a set of nails streak down her face, biting through her flesh.

With his arms wrapped around Aiyana’s waist, and Matt’s arms around Kristy’s, the boys managed to pull the women apart until there was no way that they could continue.

“Let go of her throat, Aiya,” Brian said in her ear in a low commanding voice she’d never heard him use before.

Reluctantly she let go, her hand instantly going over the left hand side of her face only to pull back showing blood on her palm and fingertips.

“Matt, you better get that bitch out of here before I make her fucking bleed to death,” Aiyana hissed through clenched teeth.

Matt nodded and spun Kristy around so she wasn’t facing them as he told her to go home and stay gone or he would see her in court. Standing guard like a bull dog, he watched until Kristy was in her car and driving off with her middle finger flashing out the window at them all.

When he turned around, he saw Brian peering very closely at Aiyana’s face, and he walked over to them, groaning when he saw the trails of blood coming from the scratches that ran downher forehead, over an eye, and ended on her mid cheek.

Rayne was pacing, and Zacky was keeping a close eye on the silent woman who kept shooting worried glances over at Aiyana. He’d seen the scratches and understood why Aiyana went after the woman who had given his girlfriend a shiner that was already starting to turn colors.

“I think we better get these two home and cleaned up,” Matt sighed. “I’m sorry she’s been such a pain in the ass.”

Aiyana turned around and gave Matt a smirk before her wit showed itself. “Matt, dear, I’m fairly certain that when they call this the money maker, it’s not like when they tell you to shake a money maker. I’m fine.”

“It’s going to scar,” Rayne gruffed out. “You know you always scar for a while over scratches. Ehlers, remember?”

“Oh well, it’ll make me look tough as shit for the year that it lasts, and I can make up super cool stories as to where they came from until they fade,” she threw over her shoulder at her best friend.

Brian hooked an arm around her waist, and looked at everyone as if to say he was totally done for the day before walking Aiyana to the car. The others followed, knowing that studio work was going to have to be over for the day since they’d all come in 2 cars.

Notes

The idea for this came from Mama Llama. Told you I'd include it somewhere, sweet cheeks. Hope you enjoy. ;)