Warmth

WARMTH, PART II

***three years earlier***

After hours of hearing Billie's newborn son's strident wails scrape through the stagnant, chilled air of Billie's tour bus, Mike finally decided that he had had enough.

Half of Mike didn't want to put Billie at fault for the baby's crying, especially considering the fact that he had only learned of the child's very existence mere hours before and was not only a completely unprepared new father but an extremely inept one as well;but the other half, however, was not as sympathetic, and wanted nothing more than at least a solid four hours of sleep on the rock hard couch he was stuck on.

He figured that if Billie knew of no possible way to mollify the baby, he was going to have to step in and help him.

Sighing, Mike heaved himself off the firm couch and, being especially careful not to wake Trè, who was passed out on the couch across from the one that Mike had claimed half naked and snoring like a freight train, shuffled over to Billie's small room in the back of the bus.

He slowly slid the door open to find Billie pacing around the small room with the crying child in his arms, looking at him with eyes that held nothing but desperation as he mumbled frantically to him and rocked him slowly.

Being careful not to startle the sleep-deprived Billie, Mike sluggishly shuffled over to him and put a hand on his shoulder, causing the poor frazzled father to jump slightly in alarm.

"MIKE!" Billie basically screamed, whipping around and craning his neck up towards his tall friend. "MIKE-MIKE, I..."

He paused suddenly, his face falling and the frenetic desperation in his eyes quickly melting away and transforming into a sort of melancholy fear.

Before Mike could even register what was happening, Billie was collapsed on his bed and in tears, screaming child still on his chest.

"Mike, Mike I can't fucking do this!" he sobbed, his eyes screaming for help. "I just...I just CAN'T, I CA-"

"Hey, Bill, come on, get a hold of yourself, " Mike interrupted, staying calm for his friend's sake. "Come on, buddy, get a grip."

Billie was silent, his desperate, screaming eyes now fixated on Mike's.

"There we go, see? No need to freak out," Mike chided as he sat down next to Billie. "You're just a little overwhelmed is all, and no one came blame you. But you'll get over it soon."

"Not soon enough..." Billie whined, tears of frustration and anxiety welling up in his eyes again.

"Hey, look, go to sleep, alright?" Mike instructed, getting up off the bed. "I'll take him off your hands for a little bit, so you can rest. You gotta sleep, Bill. You're delirious."

Billie bit his lip in uncertainty and shot mike a worried look.

"You...you sure?" His voice was still a tad shaky.

"Yes!" Mike reassured him, nodding his head. "Take a break for a while, it won't kill you. I'll take care of the little guy."

Billie paused for a moment to contemplate the offer and then nodded in agreement.

"Okay...okay. Thanks, Mike."

His lips curled into a weak, tired smile.

"No problem, buddy," Mike responded nonchalantly, reaching across the length of the bed and taking the fussy baby up into his arms. "Now come on, it's late, get some rest."

Billie nodded and curled up under the covers, shifting around until he found a comfortable position and rolling over onto his side.

After deciding that Billie looked comfortable enough in bed, Mike started for the door, nightmarish little child on his chest. He stopped to look at Billie one last time with intentions of asking him if he wanted the lights on or off, but after observing the tired man's position and already tightly-shut eyes, he judged better of it and just flicked the lights off, then heading back to the couch.