Secrets

Part One: MTM -- Link

Notes:

This is a sequel-prequel to Confession, which is meant to be read first. Even though the timeline of Secrets is prior to the start of Confession, this story is meant to be read second, with the idea that you have the knowledge of what happens later already in your head. So if you haven't read Confession, please start there.

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[May 28, 2007]

The last thing Mike did before laying down was unlock the door that connected to Chester's room.

He knew the vocalist would be wandering in, fresh from his shower, any minute now. It had become one of their favorite parts of being on tour, hanging out post-show until the wee hours as the adrenaline wore off, talking about anything and everything, eating take out and channel surfing, occasionally getting some song writing done as well. Mike's hair was still damp from the shower and he was arranging a towel behind his head so as not to get his pillow wet when Chester pushed the door open, rolling his eyes at the routine he'd seen repeatedly.

"You're so fucking particular," he teased, sitting down on his side of the bed in his matching black and gray plaid flannel pajama pants and long sleeved shirt. "There's like, four pillows on this bed. You can sleep on a different one if that one gets wet," he pointed out.

Mike shrugged as he made himself more comfortable on the now protected pillow. "Knowing you, you'll take those extra pillows with you back to your room. I've never understood why you need to many pillows to sleep," he teased back. "I think you must need something to cuddle."

"You know me too well," Chester agreed as he peeled back the bedspread covering the sheets. "What I don't understand is why it always has to be so fucking cold in your room." He slid under the sheets and bedspread and grinned at Mike. "You're part polar bear, aren't you?"

"I don't think polar bears actually like the cold, Ches." He was perfectly comfortable in the room with the air blasting as high as it could go. "Nobody forced you in here." The smile across his features took the sting from his words, and Chester knew the emcee was just giving him a hard time.

"Whatever, Shinoda," he said, burrowing into the mattress and stuffing a pillow behind his back. "Anything good on?"

Mike glanced over at the television that he had on mute. "I hadn't looked, really." As he reached for the remote his glasses slipped down his nose a bit, and he pushed them up as he settled back onto the towel covered pillow. "You already call Tal?"

He'd already talked with Anna before he'd showered, which was by design. It was part of their nightly routine while he was on tour. Just thinking about her sweet, sexy voice on the line was enough to get his blood warming again. She's so awesome, always dropping everything or waking up no matter what time zone I'm in so we can catch up. I know her days must get really lonely while I'm out on tour. I really miss her.

"Yeah, she's having a rough time. Tyler's teething and not sleeping well. She sounds exhausted." Frowning, Chester paused and looked at Mike. "Is it terrible for me to say I'm glad we're out on tour and missing that?"

A small corner of Mike's mind was envious. He and Anna had been talking about starting a family, but so much had been going on the past several years with Fort Minor and the new Linkin Park album that it just didn't seem like the timing was right. Added to that, Chester's horrible divorce from Sam and all of the support Mike had given Chester during those months... and the time and opportunity passed as Linkin Park went back out on tour. He had watched Chester welcome his fourth child into the world mere months after he married Talinda, and Mike longed for a baby in his arms, his own son. Carefully, he said, "No, I don't think it's terrible to want to be able to sleep... but don't you miss him?"