Time After Time || Chris Cornell

13. PART 2: The Hotel Incident

Detroit Michigan, MGM Grand Hotel Room 1136, May 18 2017

(Andi is 29, Chris is 52)

ANDI: If there was a way to describe just exactly the feeling I have it would be as if I'm up on the highest mountain where the air is really thin. I'm still able to breathe but it's a completely different atmosphere.

It's strange. I mean one minute I'm in the studio with Chris recording a track with him - a song I wrote, that he ended up finishing that he wanted to put on his solo record he was working on. His gorgeous blue eyes watching me as I play my black Gibson Les Paul - the one he stole for me all those years ago. I remember there was a knock on the upstairs door and he got up from the mixing board, gave me the sweetest kiss on my lips and headed upstairs to answer it, and now I'm here, with no warning at all.

I'm finally able to regain my composure as Chris holds me in his arms. Sometimes when I would feel the pull to time slip, this is exactly what he would do to help calm me if there wasn't anything else. The ringing in my ears has stopped finally and the lightheadedness is beginning to fade. Just having his arms wrapped around me is all the comfort I need when everything is spinning out of control. like it is right now.

"Andi... please don't slip," He whispers again.

"It's ok... I'm not going to..."I exhale as the final wave of nausea leaves me.

"I have been having just one of the worst goddamn weeks of my life, let alone the last fucking few years haven't been the best either. I never thought I was ever gonna see you again after the last time you slipped... and I'm not saying this to make you feel like... fuck... I don't know...I just... I had given up. I just didn't want it anymore. I wanted out and I had no idea how to get out... I mean..." Chris says trying to hold it together as he still holds me tight in his arms, but I can tell that he's about to fall apart. He always gets that shaky tone to his voice when he's about to fall apart, and let me tell you he doesn't do that very often. The only other time he sounded like this was when Andy died.

"You stopped me... you stopped me from making the biggest mistake that I could have ever made in my life... and the truth is... as much as I tried to move on from you, knowing that you couldn't control that you slipped, seeing you last night on that floor in the other room made me realize just how much I've missed you, and how I never fucking stopped loving you,"

He pulls away just a little and touches his forehead to mine. His blue eyes flick open to look into mine and I can see all the years that I have apparently missed with him.

"Chris I - I'm so... I'm so sorry I - " I start but he hushes me.

"I don't want you to be sorry. I'm not saying this to make you feel that way at all. I'm saying this because I have missed you for 18 years and now that you're here, I just want to tell you that I still fucking love you," Chris says, his voice still shaky as he closes his eyes. I bite my bottom lip and then without even thinking about it, I press my lips to his.

His lips feel amazing, his kiss still the same, full of lust and emotion that he always has with me. His hand move to the nape of my neck, his fingers gripping my curls as he deepens his kiss, becoming full of hunger as his tongue plays with mine. Before I know it In one movement, he moves me towards the bed and just as I feel the edge of the bed against the back of my knees, I break from his lips and drop down giggling and he laughs that sweet laugh he always does. He then leans down and presses his lips back to mine as I reach up, lacing my fingers through his curls that I've missed since he decided to shave his head back in '93.

"Mr. Cornell...? Mr. Corne- Oh, I'm sorry I uh..."

Chris, startled, breaks from my lips as his bodyguard - The same voice from last night, I think he said his name was Martin?  - opens the hotel room door to see us, once again catching us in a moment. Chris glances behind him as Martin clearly looks a little embarrassed.

"Your vehicle is ready to take you to the airport," Martin says sheepishly.

"Alright, thank you, Martin," Chris says and gives him a little half smile as I try to hide behind Chris.

"Do you need any accommodations for the lady... at all?" Martin asks. It felt so strange to hear that Chris has people doing things for him now, like making sure cars are ready to take him places and a Bodyguard always checking on him. I really have slipped far into the future.

Chris glances back at me for a moment and gives me that coy smile he always does, looking exactly the way he did, 20 years ago in his time.

"You um... you want to come with me? I'm pretty sure Kim, Matt and Ben would love to see you again," Chris says sweetly brushing a curl out of my eyes.

"Ok," I say quietly and he touches his forehead to mine for a moment.

"Yea Martin, can you book another ticket to Columbus...? Same flight, preferably same seats...?" Chris glances back at him.

"Will do," Martin says with a small smile and disappears out of the bathroom. Chris turns back to me and cups my face in his palm once more, the sweetest smile spreading across his lips.

"So, I guess I'm gonna need some more clothes then?" I say quietly.

"Nah, I figured you could just steal them like you always did," Chris jokes.

"Right, 'cause you know I just love having to do that when I time slip," I roll my eyes and Chris chuckles and places a kiss on my forehead.

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