Kier Kemp One Shot

Bite My Tongue (Mention of self harm)

Imagine that you’re on tour with FVK and Kier finds you as you cry and persuades you not to self harm.

Kier’s P.O.V:

It was late, around 1AM-we’d just done a show in Southampton and we were driving to the next venue. Up in the front lounge Drew had dragged Shane into a game of Mario Kart. I would join in, but Drew’s competitiveness got annoying after a while. At the moment I was in the kitchen area; me and Laurence had just been talking about how we thought the new album would go down, before he went to bed. From here, I could see the light of Luke’s video games from the back of the bus.

Dragging my feet upstairs to my bunk, I could hear Harley playing ‘Bite my Tongue’ (by You Me at Six ft. Oli Sykes) .That was strange, I know she only plays that when she’s upset, and not usually this loud. Of course, the others couldn’t hear it since they were all wrapped up in their own stuff downstairs. Pulling Harley’s curtain back, I was surprised that she wasn’t there. Turning beside me, I realised that she must be in the back room.

You see, in our bus, we have two levels. Downstairs, we have our lounge area with our TV, games, kitchen area, toilet etc. But upstairs was just bunks, and towards the back there was a door which led to just me and Harley’s bunks. Then, behind that, was another door which led to our spare/back room. It held only a small bed and a tiny desk. It was only usually used if someone wanted to be alone to write music, or if they just wanted peace and quiet.

That’s what worried me about when Harley was in there. Since Shane had once found her self-harming in the bathroom, she tends to do it in the back room since she knows no-one really uses it. (Me and Laurence usually write in our bunks.) The only reason I know is because before, when I walked in on her crying, she quickly moved the blade into her back pocket. At the time I chose not to bring it up.

Walking in there now, though, I almost didn’t spot her. Hunched over in the corner, behind the desk, I saw her burying her head into her knees. Entering tentatively, despite not being heard anyway over Oli’s screams, I sat down next to her. Slipping my arm around her waist, she jumped slightly, but didn’t look up-instead nestling herself closer to me.

Harley’s P.O.V:

I flinched at first, but recognising Kier’s scent, I eased into his arms. I know it’s weird that I know him by his smell, but I’ve known him so long that I can recognise his smell almost anywhere. Pulling me tenderly into his lap, I moved a little so his trademark skull belt (which I adored) didn’t dig into my side. “Harley, love, what’s wrong? You know I hate finding you like this.”

Letting more tears slip as I heard the pain in his voice, I moved so I could put my arms around his waist and bury my head into the crook of his neck, being unwilling to answer. “Look, I know you won’t talk, but just tell me, have you done anything? And please don’t lie, we both know you’re a terrible liar.” He was probably smiling-trying to cheer me up. I shook my head ‘no’ and giggled at his remark. Although that soon turned into a growl when I realised I’d let out a sob-angering me at how much of a wuss I was.

Kier’s P.O.V:

Well, I was glad that she hasn’t self-harmed at least. Although it pained me to know she won’t talk to me because she knows her voice will crack. I don’t think I’ve ever met anyone in my life who hates crying as much as she does. Soothing her in my arms I had so much sympathy for her; she hides her feelings so well that she’s taught herself how to not cry-and when she does you won’t know because it’s in silence. Moving her arms so they were ‘round my neck I carried her into her bunk.

Turning around to find my make-up stuff, she questioned “What are you doing?” I quickly found what I was looking for and handed them to her. Looking quizzically at the make-up wipes I shot her a reassuring smile. “Here, you’d kill me if I let you go to bed looking like that,” it was true, she hated anyone knowing that she’d been crying and right now it was obvious. Her usually dark eyeliner was smudged and looked more like CC’s war paint where it had run. Plus, her purple eye shadow had rubbed down her cheeks and round her eyes, where she’d wiped her face against her knees. “You can use them when you get changed to take the make-up off.”

“Thanks Kier.”

“No problem sweetheart.”

After she’d gone into the spare room to change, I shut the door to our bunks and stripped down myself. What?-I’m a guy, I sleep in my boxers! It’s not that weird! Once I’d taken off my makeup Harley came back in, closing the door to the spare room behind her. “Thanks, it means a lot.” Subconsciously tilting my head to the side, I gave her a ‘What are you talking about?’ look. Handing my stuff back to me, I nodded a ‘thanks’.  “For being there, Kier. Even though I can’t believe all the amazing things you say you see in me, it’s nice to know someone thinks well of me.”

Shutting my bunk curtain, I gestured for her to move over once she’d got back in her bunk. Holding her close to me, I tilted her head up to look at me “You know you don’t need to keep saying ‘thanks’, right? I know you don’t believe me, and it will take time, but I (and all of FVK) are gonna help you through this. Why? Because you’re fucking amazing and I love you for it. You’re confident, funny, gorgeous, and I’m going to be honest here- I try to be like you and I know the rest of the band does too! I love your attitude where you just don’t care and I wish I was even half as strong as you! Look, get some rest, it’s late-I’ll be here when you wake up.”

For the first time tonight she smiled, kissing my cheek and snuggling into me as I pulled her bunk curtain closed. I was happy to know that she fell asleep with a smile on her face-instead of scars on her thighs.