What Happens in Vancouver...

Chapter 2: Without Love

She wasn't young, but still a child
There still was innocence
In painted smiles
She called to me as I passed her by
Lady of the night looked in my eyes

You felt a cloth brush against the bare skin of your arms and your eyes opened slowly, to close them right away as the natural light blinded you. You heard a whispered "Shit" in the distance and stirred. "Sorry, I didn't want to wake you up."

You now opened your eyes and looked at him half bent above you, a blanket in his hands. "Jon?" You were about to say something when it got caught in your throat by a yawn. He nonetheless guessed what you were about to say: "Richie left to buy something some time ago now, so I went upstairs to wait, cause y'know, it's a bit cold down there." He pointed at the floor, meaning the basement.

You nodded and sat straight, scratching your eyes. As you remembered, you had sat in the couch to watch TV, but apparently tiredness took you.

You pointed at the blanket: "You should put it on your shoulders then." He huffed and played with the cloth between his fingers. You tapped the place next to you on the couch to invite him to sit. "And don't worry about Richie, he certainly bumped into the neighbour's daughter, or something." You had said that without meaning anything, but he answered quite seriously: "Well, I don't think so."

You cocked an eyebrow.

"They had a thing last summer and..." He made a face and raised his shoulders. You gasped: "No shit! He had always had a little crush on her..." You stopped and shrugged: "Well, if there isn't a girl he hadn't had a crush on yet in this town."

Both of you laughed and a bit awkward silence fell.

"Hey."

You turned – maybe a bit quickly – to him as he broke the silence: "Do you... Do you want to listen to one of our tracks?" You nodded and both of you got up to go to the basement.

A shiver ran down your spine as you went down the stairs: indeed, it was rather cold here despite the good weather outside. You saw him search for something in the mess next to the couch and finally took several tape recorders out. "We recorded two tracks for now - well, only demos. I'm not sure of one of them, but Richie likes it a lot." You nodded as you sat cross-legged in the couch in front of him. He eyed the recorders and took one as he threw the others on the couch further. You shrugged as you saw Basement demos written on tape on one of them.

"So, here is the one I think will be massive." You smiled at his insurance and nodded again, curious to hear it. He pushed buttons and looked at you, biting his lips under excitement.

Shot through the heart, and you're to blame

Darling, you give love a bad name

A heavy guitar sound started. The quality of the sound through the recorder was poor, but you couldn't help but meet Jon's gaze as the music carried on.

"Hey! Spoilers!"

Both of you turned to the stairs and Jon stopped the music. Richie went down the stairs, pizza boxes in his hands. Jon started to stutter as Richie has been serious in his remark when you grabbed his forearm. "Guys, it... Woaw." Your opinion was aimed at both of them, but you were looking at Jon right now.

Richie didn't notice the heavy eye contact you were sharing and dropped the boxes on the "table".

"Thanks y/n. So, let's eat, cause we're going out tonight! You have people to meet."

-

You were at the bar down the street for a solid two hours now and empty glasses were scattered everywhere on the table. You had bumped into a lot of people you hadn't seen for so long that it took you twenty minutes to reach for a free table without anyone to stop you. In the end, the only people you didn't know were Jon - in a way - and David, the keyboardist of your brother's band. You were currently tucked between both of them on a bench, Richie in front of you on a chair.

He squinted, his eyes alternating between the three of you.

"Listen... If I punch myself in the face, and it hurts... Am I weak or strong?"

David scoffed: "Weak."

Jon bent to look at him past you: "No! I would say strong."

"Stupid. That's what you are."

You cocked an eyebrow and threw Richie a look. He opened wide eyes, offended.

"It's been three years that we haven't seen each other and you talk to me like that?"

You laughed and extended your arm to ruffle his hair: "But you know I love you, Rich-Rich."

He slapped your hand and frowned, but couldn't hide a little smile: "Rho shut up, would you."

"You know Rich, I'm pretty astonished you're still there sitting with us... And not hunting a prey."

"Well y/n, the thing is; I'm a snack, but no one is hungry..." He squinted: "...for now."

The four of you laughed, pushed a bit by your beverages.

At your side, Jon cleared his throat at a moment to get your attention: "It was not too hard to leave from here? I mean, your friends..." He glanced at you. "...boyfriend..."

Richie let go of his straw and huffed. "Hey, if you had a boyfriend, you would have told me, uh?" There was a taint of fear in his voice that made you puff: "Yeah, of course Rich."

Your brother nodded and looked at Jon: "So I would have beaten his ass off, cause no one..." He stopped and squinted again, taking the best threatening look he could: "No one touches my little sister." He planted his gaze in Jon's – who gulped – , yours, David's and emptied his glass in one trait.

You laughed; your brother had always said that joking, but the alcohol made his speech sound so dramatic and serious it looked comical.

"That's lame you'll get separated for some days right after you came back." You turned to David and frowned, not understanding. He seized your confusion and added: "After tomorrow we leave for Vancouver to record the rest of our album." Your heart sank in your chest as you heard that. You had just come home, and you'll be separated again.

"Come with us!"

You turned to Jon and blinked.

"I don't know what the hotel will look like, but you could share your brother's room, or..." He let his sentence die and turned to David, to find support. The one nodded, not seeing any disadvantage. "It's okay if you come with us in studio, one person more, it won't change anything."

You turned to your brother so see his reaction, but he looked like he didn't hear anything of your conversation and was eyeing something further on the dance floor; certainly a blond something. You turned back to Jon, him looking at you expectantly. "I would be so glad guys, but don't want to bother you-"

"You won't!"

He had answered that a bit quickly, making David look at him, who added: "I'm sure Doc will agree. Oh, it's our manager." You shrugged and raised your glass: "Well... To Vancouver then!"