I'll See You Soon [COMPLETED]

Mia Accepts An Award

The car rolled to a gentle stop. The lack of motion left Mia with nothing external to focus on and so the rampage of nerves already terrorizing her abdomen made a race for her extremities. Before her hands could start shaking, she reached out to the one tightly balled in her companion's lap. Every neuron in her brain was screaming at her, reminding her once again that this was not a hand she was used to holding. It lacked familiarity and the occupational calluses that come from making a living as a professional drummer.

Mia turned from the flurry of activity happening only a few feet from her door to face her date for the night. It took Casey an extra-long second to finally meet Mia's eyes, working hard to tear her sights from what lay waiting for them. Mia tried on what she hoped would resemble a reassuring smile, even just a little bit. She was working hard enough to settle her own nerves and now she had to help Casey with hers.

Tightening her grip on Casey's hand, Mia finally opened the door to step out onto the red carpet waiting for them. It helped that the continuous flashes of light weren't aimed in their direction. No one was paying attention to them as they started their trek towards the theater and the award show beyond.

*

Mia and Casey had parted ways with the band and their entire entourage at the Los Angeles airport the night before. It had been a reluctant and hurried goodbye as many voices were yelling to remind both Tommy and Jay that they would miss their connecting flight if they did not move. Now.

The only thing waiting for Mia and Casey was a very large bodyguard with a car parked out by the curb. He would take them to a place with real beds and a shower. The band had another tour bus waiting for them as soon as they touched down in South America.

Mia could see Nate's face growing redder with each passing moment, as his head swiveled back and forth between glaring at the embracing couples and glancing over his shoulder in the direction they should have been heading in. There was a flight in some neighboring terminal with an airplane waiting for them specifically so it could finally take off. Mia knew every second she held on tighter to Jay was another second a planeload of people were delayed but she gave that fact only half of its required attention.

She felt Jay relax his arms wrapped around her shoulders and she knew to follow suit. There were no words exchanged between them when they locked eyes. This scene was familiar to her. She had performed it a million times before, in a million different airports all over the world, always with Jay as her leading man, but that didn't make it any easier when it was happening once again.

"I'll see you soon."

Mia nodded for her response and Jay planted a light kiss on her forehead before finally allowing air to pass between the two of them. After living on the road as a group for the past ten weeks, the separation of fewer than forty-eight hours felt somehow unbearable. When Mia turned to find her travel buddy, it made her feel better to see that she wasn't the only one miserable.

Tommy was saying something to Casey, his voice low, barely above a whisper and she was nodding, concentrating hard on his words as if her life depended on it. When he pulled her close for one last embrace, Nate's voice rose another level and was now in the screaming range.

"Tommy! We need to go! NOW!"

Casey didn't look away when Tommy let her go and didn't even seem to notice the solo tear that had escaped her eyes and fell slowly down her face as her gaze followed Tommy as he ran for the retreating group. Jay fell in line right behind him and Nate didn't move until both of them were headed in the right direction.

Following the crew, as they rounded a corner and hurried out of sight, both Tommy and Jay paused for the briefest of seconds to glance back over their shoulders. Mia dropped her arm over Casey's shoulders as she waved goodbye for both of them. Mia didn't have the energy to even think about how Casey was feeling. She had never missed a show, ever, and this would be her first time not on tour with the band. This was foreign territory for her. Knowing this role well, Mia took the lead and led them towards where she knew the exit would be.