Bandom One-shots book 3

Jump....And Wobble (David Lee Roth x Eddie Van Halen)

It was the morning after—one of those mornings when the sun was barely up, and everything felt just a little too bright for the man who'd gone out and had too much fun the night before. But it wasn't just any night. It was one of those nights where David Lee Roth and I had way too much fun, and now David was paying the price.

I was already in the studio when Dave showed up. I had been tuning my guitar for the past half hour, waiting for him to drag himself in. No doubt he was trying to shake off whatever had gone down the night before, but I knew the man well enough to see right through him. He was a mess—but a mess I loved.

"Morning, babe," I called out, barely looking up from the guitar as I adjusted the amp.

"Don't call me babe just yet, Eddie," Dave slurred, stumbling through the door like a man who couldn't quite remember how he got there. "I'm not ready for your sweetness yet," he added, still trying to hold it together but clearly fighting the consequences of the night's fun. "I need, like... five more minutes before I'm operational"

I bit my lip to keep from laughing. The man was wobbling. Seriously wobbling. He had the most swagger in the world, but right now, it was like watching a giraffe trying to ice skate. He grabbed the nearest chair and slumped into it, running a hand through his messy hair.

"You okay there, David?" I teased, leaning back against my amp and crossing my arms, giving him a smirk.

"Oh, I'm fine, Ed," he shot back, but he was struggling to keep his balance, one leg dangling over the edge of the chair. "Just... getting my center," he said dramatically, waving his hands around as if he was meditating.

I wasn't buying it. Not for a second. I knew why he was wobbling. I could feel the heat from last night still radiating off him, and I had to admit, I was kind of enjoying the show. But I wasn't going to give him the satisfaction of knowing how much I enjoyed watching him struggle.

"Alright, alright," he muttered, wiping his face and giving me a pointed look. "Let's get down to business. We've got Jump to lay down. And I'm feeling it, man. Totally feeling it."

"Yeah, I'm sure you are," I said, trying to keep a straight face. "But are you sure you're up for it? You look a little... off."

I had a feeling that if I waited long enough, he'd be showing just how much of the previous night's... fun was still taking its toll.

"I'm good," he said, raising his hand like a man swearing an oath. "You just hit me with some rhythm, Ed. I'll catch up. Trust me."

I gave him a skeptical look. "Okay, okay. Let's start with the basics. The riff's already there. But the lyrics—yeah, we've got a bit of work to do."

I started strumming the intro to Jump, but Dave wasn't moving quite the way he usually did. He was clearly still trying to get his head together. He was swaying—a lot—and I could see him trying to balance himself, but failing miserably.

"Alright, here we go," I said, trying to keep things casual. "Let's hit that first verse."

He grabbed the mic, looking at the lyrics sheet, and then paused. For a long second, I wasn't sure if he was going to remember what the hell he was supposed to sing.

Then, with a flourish, he belted out the opening line—well, kind of.

"I get up... and nothing gets me down..."

He hit the next part of the verse and wobbled just a bit more. "I get up... and I don't know what's goin' down..." He paused, a look of confusion on his face.

I couldn't hold it in anymore. I let out a low chuckle as I watched him try to steady himself, his legs looking like they might give out at any moment. "Come on, Dave. You're almost there," I teased, crossing my arms as I watched him.

"I'm fine, Ed," he grumbled, trying to steady himself. "Just a little... slightly off-kilter today. Nothing to worry about."

"You're off-kilter, alright," I said with a grin. "Try singing without falling over."

Dave tried to straighten up, giving me his signature wink. "You love me just like this, baby," he purred, trying to sound seductive, but the effect was ruined by the fact that he was barely holding onto the mic stand.

"You know, babe, maybe I should give you a hand," I said, stepping toward him to help him stand up straight.

"You do, Ed. You always do. That's why I keep you around." He leaned in, using me to steady himself, his breath warm against my ear. "You're my rock—the one thing I can always count on," he whispered.

"Yeah, yeah, save the sweet talk for later, Roth," I teased, grinning at him. "Let's get through this first take before you fall asleep on me."

Dave rolled his eyes and straightened up. "Okay, okay. I'm ready to go." But before I could even start playing again, he hit me with a goofy smile. "You know what, baby cakes? You're the best. No one does it like you, Ed. I mean, no one. I'm the rock star, sure, but you—you're the one who keeps it together."

I laughed, my heart skipping a beat at how effortlessly he could turn on the charm. He was so damn good at it.

"Alright, alright," I said, picking up my guitar again and getting into the groove. "Let's go, sweetheart. But no more messing around, okay?"

"Oh, I'm serious now," Dave replied with a wink. But before I could even take the first note, he added, "Just one more thing, Ed. You're the best thing that's ever happened to me."

I couldn't help but smile at the way he looked at me. Sure, he was a mess right now, but the way he said those things... it always got to me. There was no one in the world like David Lee Roth.

I started playing again, the riff flowing smoothly, and Dave finally managed to get the next part of the verse out. "I get up and nothing gets me down..."

This time, he made it through without any improvisation—or at least without too much. And then, the cherry on top:

"I've got it, Ed! See? Easy peasy!"

I shook my head, laughing under my breath. "Sure you do, babe. Sure you do."

From behind the drum kit, I saw Alex watching the whole scene unfold, completely clueless about what was actually going on. The look on his face was a mixture of confusion and concern, like he wasn't sure whether he should be laughing or helping Dave off the floor. But I could see the corner of his mouth twitching, like he was trying not to laugh himself.

"Everything alright over there?" Alex called out from the kit, raising an eyebrow.

"Oh yeah, totally fine, Alex," Dave said, his voice still a little wobbly, but more confident now. "Just a little... morning wobble."

I shot Alex a look and shrugged. "Morning wobble is an understatement, man."

"He'll be fine," Dave said, leaning into the mic as he finally got his balance back. "Nothing a little more Roth magic can't fix."

~Jump....And Wobble~