blind eyes

04: Chris

"Somebody just called me a goat at the Meet & Creep," Chris informed anyone who would listen as he stomped his way up onto the bus. Okay, so he was generally rather loud, but that was part of being a metal musician, right? It seemed natural to make a racket everywhere he went. The guys made jokes about it and Sunday certainly had a way of making faces when he got exceptionally gregarious, but he wasn't that bad, was he? And, for that matter, what the fuck was a goat — beside a farm animal, that is.

Curled up on one of the sofas, Sunday exploded into laughter as he stepped up into the front lounge. "Babe, you know what that means, right?"

"Some teenager thinks I'm a farm animal?" he cocked an eyebrow at her and grinned. Tossing his lanky body down beside her, he wrapped a long, tattooed arm around her right shoulder and tugged her into his warmth. While their relationship was technically still in its infancy, Sunday felt like home to him and having her on the tour set his mind at ease. Not that he didn't love every single second of touring, he did, but it could be stressful and there were definitely days that dragged his shoulders down; and he worried that he was letting everyone down — the band, the crew, the fans, even the promoters and venues. Sunday's calming presence kept his mind from continually second-guessing, from falling into that downward spiral that happens when you're left alone with nothing but yourself for company. She was a godsend and, though this was only day six of a lengthy run, he felt like having Day along for the trip was exactly what he needed; he was in a much better mental space.

She snorted. "It means Greatest of All Time. So, in other words, she thinks you're pretty damn fabulous."

He raised his sunglasses onto the top of his head and, without that protective barrier between them, he fell head over heels into her beautiful honey-brown eyes. He couldn't help but to press a delicate kiss to the tip of her nose. "Couldn't she have just said that? That would have been so much easier! Plus, I'm fucking old and I don't know my goats from my yeets from my emus."

Sunday continued to laugh, the sound like bells trilling in his ears. "Emus, huh? Are you trying to say uwu? I'm not sure you should really use that as a word outside of the internet," she mused aloud. Then, her ferociously infectious smile returning, she giggled. "How old was this girl anyway?"

Ignoring the question, Vinny stomped up the steps, across the space and headed straight for his bunk. "She told me I was a savage bae, yo."

Rick tossed himself down on the sofa across from the couple and propped his feet on Sunday's knees as he groaned. "She was easily no more than thirteen and her mother was with her at the Meet & Greet. Actually, mom was kind of attractive. However, I'm going to presume that the kid's knowledge of anything, including farm animals, is not yet fully formed." He yawned and then tossed in a, "Cute kid, though."

Chris shrugged and, without really thinking out his bad joke, quipped: "That mom? Yeah, I had her first. The kid is actually my daughter from my first marriage."

Sunday's expression fell but she quickly tried to hide this from her lover. "Funny that. I thought marriage wasn't for you?" she spat and it came out kind of harsh. Did she intend it to sound so vicious? Chris wasn't sure but as it eked out, it was laced with bitterness. He cringed inwardly. He probably deserved it, because his humor hadn't even been funny.