Rose-Tinted Glasses [N.S.]

i.

Y/N climbed the stairs to the bus, immediately hit by the smell of booze and cigarettes, giving a big smile to the boys who had settled into their respective seats. Doc sat up front with the driver, leaving the woman to handle the boys on her own- not that she ever needed any help with them, anyway- for some odd reason, they all adored her. After noting that everything (and everyone) was accounted for, she signaled that they were ready to hit the road.

As soon as the wheels started rolling, Y/N made sure all the boys were either asleep or occupied before tucking herself into the sofa and beginning to read her book, squinting under the dim glow of her mini reading light; the one that Tommy had gotten her for her birthday last year. She made a mental note to pick up more batteries at the next stop.

"Whatcha reading?" A voice asked from behind her, startling her, but she turned to see Nikki with a wide grin on his face. Scaring her had to be one of his favorite tour pastimes, considering how easy it was and how much satisfaction it brought him. He made his way around the sofa and sat next to her. She always thought about how different they looked whenever they weren't performing; their hair wasn't teased quite as high, they weren't smeared in makeup, and they weren't dressed head to toe in leather and spandex. He settled in closer to her in an attempt to see over her shoulder, but it was obvious that none of them were really focusing on the book anymore.

Nikki Sixx had a way with girls. They absolutely swooned over him. He had girls in every city throwing themselves at him at parties, bars, and shows- and he loved it. The center of attention was always his favorite thing to be. But somehow, despite all the women he'd fucked and dates he'd been on, one woman managed to make him nervous. And unfortunately for him, he was stuck with her twenty-four hours a day, seven days a week, three hundred and sixty-five days a year. Y/N.

"That's why it's my favorite," she finished, and Nikki kicked himself as he realized that he hadn't been listening the entire time. In an attempt to save himself, he nodded, but she caught the absent look in his eye. "You didn't hear a word I said, huh? I don't blame you, you're probably exhausted."

She wasn't wrong. The band had been performing shows every night, partying until the sunrise, and pushing their limits until they passed out- only to wake up a few hours later to do it all over again. There were some nights when Y/N and Doc would have to chase them down and literally wrestle them into their beds, topping it off with a pair of handcuffs. Nikki hated to admit it, but he was exhausted. Tonight had been an exception: they had to be in a different state the next day, meaning they had to leave immediately after the show in order to make it on time. No booze, coke, or hookers for them tonight.

"No, no," he insisted, trying to sound convincing yet failing miserably, "I was listening. It sounds like a good book." He loved to read, Y/N had found out, although most people wouldn't guess that about him. It was obvious that he preferred dark, horror novels over any other genre, but he still loved to read nonetheless. He noticed that she had returned to reading, and before he knew it, he heard himself speaking. "Read it to me?"

Y/N grinned before reaching down by her feet in order to pull a blanket out of her duffel bag, draping it over her lap and offering some to Nikki. He kicked his shoes off and accepted the blanket graciously as he stretched it over his long legs and got comfortable on the sofa. Soon, her quiet voice filled the air as she read to him, and he couldn't believe how fucking comfortable this was. Without realizing, his head had fallen to her shoulder; he debated moving it, apologizing, and sitting further away... But before he could even open his mouth, he felt her head come to rest on top of his. She continued reading without skipping a beat.

"Nikki? Are you still awake?" she asked after she finished the chapter, but was only met with some soft snoring as a response. Taking that as a no, she decided to continue reading on her own, trying to remain as still as possible as to not wake him. His hair tickled her neck, and she took a moment to appreciate how soft it was- it wasn't often that you'd catch him without half a can of hairspray in it. The boys in their loungewear had to be her favorite sight.

Looking to her left, she saw Mick, sprawled out on the other sofa, his legs crossed as he flipped through a magazine. Mick was often the only one to keep her sane when they were on tour, his calm demeanor very refreshing compared to the other boys' wild ones. "Nice to see that you tamed your dog," he deadpanned, causing the woman to laugh.

"He's a good boy," she teased back, glancing over at Nikki, who slept soundly tucked against her side. "He just needed a little TLC- most bad dogs are a result of the owner, not the breed."

Mick chuckled under his breath, shaking his head as he turned back to his magazine. He found it fascinating how different Nikki was around Y/N. Don't be mistaken though- he was definitely still a prick- but he was somehow much more tolerable whenever she was with him. Except when he was showing off. He loved to show her just how far he could push his limits, and sometimes that led to trouble, but she always found a way to make everything alright. A few moments later, he went to make another comment- but saw that she'd fallen asleep as well, curled right into Nikki.