Tinkering with Syn [Frank Iero/Synyster Gates]

The Crow and The Pirate

This was Avenged Sevenfold's first tour signed with the major label. Their first tour finally not crammed into a van rotting with body odor. Their first tour on a honest-to-god pimped out tour bus. This was a whole different experience. A new kind of adventure to enjoy. There was less stress and more freedom to savor while traveling. This was touring heaven. It had only been a couple weeks but Brian sure as hell never wanted to go back to 'poor ass band' travel. There was more money for food, more time for booze, more ridiculous fun, more laughter, and thank the lord, their own space to sleep. Brian was having the time of his life, even if there was a little taint on this new adventure.

It had been a few weeks since that disastrous 'I like you' conversation, and Brian had hoped things would be back to some kind of normalcy between Frank and himself by now. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case. Things weren't insanely awkward —they carried on and could talk to one another—but something was noticeably off between the two. Brian didn't flirt with Frank anymore, and it was clear that Frank avoided being alone with him. But for the most part in front of their friends they both put up a pretty good act.

It sucked that there was still tension and stupid emotions refusing to let go, but Brian was prepared to play pretend until his feelings we're truly back to where he wanted them. So what if he was having a rough start? So what if he had those opportunities to get laid by three different hot chicks and two dudes, but totally blew it? So what if when things started to get all hot and heavy with those people Brian's mind would drift to Frank and then he just couldn't go through with any of those hookups? It had been still too soon. That had to be the reason. Brian was going to get his groove back; he just needed a little more time. He needed to try harder. And tonight was looking like a good night to truly jump back into PlayerBrian mode.

The girl at the club was fine as fuck. Dazzling eyes, modest curves, and this enticing bright pink hair in a spiky little pixie cut. She was in all black, a leather corset and fishnets, and make up of a seductive vampire. Her whole getup went well with Brian being dressed up like Eric Draven's The Crow, black leather clad and with that iconic black and white makeup. The Halloween party going on tonight at the club had a perfect kind of energy Brian needed after just performing a show. He was properly fucking smashed, but Brian was pretty sure he could tell this young woman wasn't a complete drunken mess, and he was one hundred percent certain that she was ready and willing to take their time together to somewhere a little more private. Jackpot. It wouldn't have been a complete Halloween night to Brian if he didn't get laid.

Halloween also became a little extra special this year because it happened to be Frank's birthday. The reason the band was living it up in the club that night was because they hunted down the best Halloween party in town to celebrate their little roadie turning nineteen —but if anyone at The Black Cherry club asked it was twenty-one; and also, god bless fake IDs. Brian may have felt a little bad at first for not giving Frank tons of attention when they got to the club, but guilt slipped away when Brian later caught a glimpse of Frank out on the dance floor. The dirty little pirate grinding it with a sexy Alice in Wonderland with his tongue probably halfway down her throat.

Brian hated to admit it, but for a fleeting second he was struck with jealously. He willed away the feeling though. As much as he missed the taste, he didn't have any kind of claim on Frank. Frank wasn't his. There was nothing to be bothered about. And after all it was the kid's birthday; if anyone deserved to get sloshed and share spit with a hot stranger, it was Frank. So that was all well and good, Brian didn't care. Totally. Frank could have his fun, and it was the kind of fun Brian was going to do too with his own catch of the night anyway.

And so the time had come. Tara the vampire was ready and accepted the offer to get to go inside a real band's tour bus. She was excited and horny, and Brian's feelings pretty much matched. It was just a quick dash off to the bathroom after Brian promised the pink-haired cutie he'd be right back. When Brian had finished and walked out the door though, the sight he saw near him made the man forget all about that promise.