Bad Day (Mötley Crüe)

Night Songs

It was after midnight when Mick woke up. He couldn't remember falling asleep. All he knew was that he felt like total shit.

He looked at Nikki and sighed. It looked like he had been crying and his arms were bandaged.

Mick sat up and flexed his stiff back. He rubbed Nikki's shoulder and neck before getting out of bed.

"M not leaving... keep sleeping" he whispered. "I won't leave you"

He snuck out into the living room and went over to the kitchen. He popped a single pain pill, took one of his guitars from their cases, and went outside. He sat down in front of the window and startled mindlessly playing.

•••

Vince was completely restless all day and into the night.

He sat in his room awake, hoping to hear some sort of sign of life from the apartment next door. It was quiet all day. Surely they would've made some sort of noise, right? Surely.

Vince checked his phone for the hundredth time, sighing when it was only just past midnight. He was about to give up and lay down when he heard a soft guitar.

Mick played guitar. Or maybe Nikki did. Either way, he got up out of bed and grabbed a blanket from the sofa, throwing it over his shoulders. He peaked out the window by his door and saw a pair of legs stretched out in front of the next door window. He assumed it was Mick, since they seemed too short to be Nikki.

He opened the front door gently, poking his head out. He saw Mick with a cigarette dangling from his lips and his head leant back against the wall of the apartment, quietly strumming away.

It wasn't anything Vince had ever heard before. It was soft, emotional, somehow heavy.

He stepped outside and closed the front door.

Mick snapped his head towards the sound, tensing, then relaxing when he realized who it was.

"M sorry if I woke you, couldn't sleep for some reason" Mick apologized.

"Well... don't stop on my watch" Vince said, a soft smile on his lips. "As long as I can watch"

"The company would be nice" Mick said.

He watched as Vince got comfortable next to him, mindful of the guitar head and careful not to bump it.

"What're you playing?" Vince asked. "I dont think I've heard it before"

"Dunno" Mick said. "Haven't named it yet"

"You wrote it?" Vince asked.

"Nikki and I used to play in bands" Mick said. "But, y'know, I'm too old and he's just... he's a good player, but he wants his own thing" he shrugged.

"You're not old" Vince said.

"Maybe not to you... but, break your back a few times, get a hip replaced, you'll feel old" Mick said, chuckling a little.

"You've broken your back? More than once?" Vince asked, turning his body
Towards Mick.

"No, but-lean forward?" He said.

Vince looked confused, but changed his posture anyways, leaning forward off the wall.

"From here... to about here..." Mick's finger trailed up right above Vince's tailbone, midway up his back. "Is all one bone" he sighed.

"What do you mean 'all one bone'?" Vince asked.

"It's a spinal disease" Mick said, still tracing his finger across Vince's spine. "Won't get any better, I'll be 70 and they said it'll be fused up to here" He trailed his finger from the middle of Vince's back, to the the middle of his neck.

"Oh..." Vince said, not knowing what else to say.

"It's fine though, had it since I was 17" Mick said, taking his hand off Vince's back. His voice trailed off as he thought. "Uhm... did something happen yesterday?" Mick asked. "You came in for coffee, and... I don't remember anything past jabbing Nikki"

Fuck. Does Vince tell him?

"Did he OD?" Mick asked. "Did... I OD?"

Yes.

"Uhm..." Vince started to say.

"Did he hurt someone?" Mick asked, setting his guitar off to the side.

"Himself, I think... Tommy wrapped him up and put him to bed" Vince said quietly.

"Did... did I hurt somebody?" Mick asked, his voice weak and quiet. He looked at the dried blood on his nails.

"No, sugar" Vince said.

"then... who's is this?" Mick asked, starting to panic a bit.

"It's Nikki's. It got all over you" Vince said.

"He's okay?" Mick asked.

"Yeah, he's okay, are you okay?" Vince said. He subtly scooted closer to Mick.

"Are you okay?" Mick turned his head towards Vince, noticing the tired look on his face. "You're tired"

"Me? Oh, honey I'm fine, you... you worried me, honestly. But... it's okay, we're all okay" he said. Vince yawned and curled up in his blanket a bit.

"You should to back inside and to bed" Mick said.

"Why would I do that when I can sit out here?" Vince said, smiling.

Mick smiled softly and shook his head, amused by Vince's stubbornness. He picked his guitar up again and started playing nothing in particular.

Vince yawned again and rested his head against the wall. His head eventually rested on Mick's shoulder as he fell asleep.

Mick continued to play soft and gentle riffs as Vince slept peacefully. He continued to play for another hour or so before he heard footsteps coming from down the walkway. He turned his head to see a group of guys walk their direction. He thought about waking Vince to see if he knew who they were, but it was clear Vince hadn't slept yet that night. He kept playing quietly, hoping the group would just walk past.

His hopes were denied when they stopped a few feet away. He kept his head down and tucked Vince's further into his neck, hoping to keep him out of harms way. He heard them snickering and say some things to each other that he couldn't quite make out.

He shakily stroked Vince's face as he groaned in his sleep.

"Sh-shh..."

Vince stirred a little and woke up, jumping when he saw the small group of guys.

"Go away" Vince said. "Rose, get your boys outta here" he said.

"Tch" the red headed boy clicked. "Hudson, keep yourself in line 'fore you're replaced"

"Hudson, get him outta here" Vince said.

"Yeah boss" the curly haired boy said. He nudged the taller blonde boy. The blonde boy threw the red head over his shoulder and they all walked away.