How it Happened is Irrelevant (Mabbell)

29

A/n: update 1/4 curse you ISweepy

Max was standing with his mouth hanging open. "What're you doing out here?" He asked as I sat up, rubbing my eyes. 

"I live here too, y'know," I answered. "I'm allowed to sleep wherever I want."

"So by 'wherever you want', you mean out here, not on TJ, right?" 

I poked TJ's cheek and he groaned. "Of course that's what I meant you dirty-minded motherfucker!"

TJ shot up and smirked at me. "You called?"

"What part of 'it's irresponsible to be romantically involved with your bandmates' was unclear to you?" Max demanded. 

"It's not worth fighting about now." I waved my hand dismissively. "What's done has been done." 

He sighed in defeat. "Fine, but just don't be too lovey-dovey. I don't know if I can stand to watch that all the damn time."

"We promise," TJ yawned. "You still have to buy coffee," He reminded me. 

"Right," I remembered allowed. "Why did you drink it? It had my name on it. God forbid I ate your chips." I gestured to one of the cabinets. 

"If you all keep waking up so early, what's the point of going to sleep?" Robert complained, emerging from the bunk area.

"It's seven in the morning. Not that early," I justified. It wasn't to me anyways. Not if you're used to waking up at midnight and not falling back asleep for countless years. 

"It's early to me. I never minded it when you were the only one up, but now it's you and Max and TJ and sometimes even Thrasher."

"Sometimes I feel like the only reason that you get up is because you don't wanna be left out," TJ pointed out. 

"Nah, that's Max. Robert gets out because he's hypersensitive to any noises," I argued. 

"WHAT'S EVERYONE GETTIN' UP AT THE FIRST HOUR OF THE MORNING FOR?!" Thrasher called though the bus, joining us in the front lounge. 

"WHAT ARE YOU SHOUTING FOR?!" Max asked back. "I THOUGHT YOU SAID YOU DON'T SHOUT FIRST THING IN THE MORNING!" 

"I don't, but since you're all up, what difference does it make whether I whisper or shout?"

"He makes a good case," Robert agreed. 

I rolled my eyes and looked to TJ, who, as I predicted, looked as though he couldn't possibly be happier. I can't blame him though; I just hope he doesn't overdo it. "Did you sleep?" He asked me in a hushed tone while the others spoke loudly in the background.

"A little bit," I nodded. "Not eight hours, but a solid hour and a half."

"It's something." He pretended to stretch and put his arm around me, and I leaned into him while rolling my eyes. He kissed the top of my head while we watched Max and Thrasher fight about when the appropriate time to shout was. "It's interesting to me that they're shouting about when not to shout at a time they've agreed is not okay to shout," He said.

"Can you say shout one more time?" I chuckled. 

"Apparently you can only shout it, listening to these morons."

"What do you mean 'morons?!" Max shouted at TJ.

"Why do you keep shouting about not shouting?"

He looked stupid for a moment. "Alright, alright. I guess we'll stop shouting."

"Thank GOD!" Robert said loudly. "I mean, thank God," He corrected, quietly this time. 

"Don't you get your brace off today?" Kevin asked him. 

"Oh, yeah. Gotta get down to an Urgent Care to have that done." He looked at his wrist, despite only being able to see its brace. "Then I'll be able to play again."

"It'll be good to have you back," I told him. Ryan was a great drummer, but it just didn't feel the same not seeing what looked like Slash on the risers. I sat up and TJ let me go, not before sighing softly as he did to make his disappointment apparent. 

Max twiddled his thumbs and looked a little nervous. I wondered if it was last night's conversation that was pulling on his mind. That was the third time he'd spoken to me about almost relapsing again in a few weeks. It was beginning to get a bit concerning. As far as I knew, I was the only one he'd told about it. I know why he's telling me and no one else, but that doesn't change much of anything. 

Except for maybe now he acknowledges that he has a problem.