On With The Show

22

Tommy leaned into Nikki. He'd had a long, long day at work - a middle-aged lady threw a hissy fit when a hair - from her head - fell into the tea she'd brought somewhere else. Who goes into a coffee shop with a giant cup of tea? It took all of Tommy's self-control to not lash out at her, right then and there.

"Fuckin' bitch," He mumbled, holding onto Nikki's  shirt. It was already slightly damp - pressure and yelling always made him tear up. He hated it - it took him hours to calm himself down after it. Putting his legs over Nikki's lap, he curled up, hiding his face and listening to his heartbeat. "She laughed when I started breathing heavy. Laughed. I couldn't take it, Sixxy..." 

"It's okay, Tom. We'll figure this out, okay? I've got you," He said softly, running his fingers through his hair in an attempt to comfort him. He didn't know the full extent of what happened with Honey - but hearing Tommy's reaction, and how much he was shaking as he begged Nikki to go pick him up seconds after he used a payphone... Nikki knew he as leaving something out. 

Clearly, it wasn't something small - Tommy hated keeping things from people. Just two days back, he'd left his shower midway to remind Nikki that he'd eaten the sugar and needed him to buy more. He let the younger one rest his head on his shoulder, slowly rubbing his back and relaxing his muscles, wanting nothing more than to keep his Tommy safe.

"Each time she said something to me it made her smile to  see me squirm. She yelled. Called me stupid, said I wasn't good for anything and should just go back to my parents, they're obligated to put up with me," He choked out, Nikki's shoulder already damp for the tears. "I wish someone - anyone, save you - took me seriously. I don't want to go through life with everyone making me second-guess  every god damn thing I do!"

Oh. It was about Honey - he sighed under his breath. He wrapped his arms around Tommy tightly. "It's over, Tom," He said softly. "Nobody's gonna hurt you again. Shitheads like her won't do anything to you, I swear."

A small whine left Tommy's mouth - he hid his face and clutched onto Nikki. "I don't know what to do. Everything she said - it felt so familiar. At some point you start wondering..."

Tommy just sobbed softly - hiding his face in Nikki's already damp shirt. It had been an exhausting day - by the looks of it, he hadn't even begun to let out what he was feeling at that point. Nikki knew it would be another long night for the two of them - not that he cared. In his head, Tommy feeling better was far more important than any amount of sleep. He kissed his forehead gently, rocking him in his arms. 

*

Vince stared at the bottle of bleach he'd bought for his hair. He felt a slight sense of achievement - he needed it, he bought it. He remembered the awful trips to the makeup store when he lived at home - the way his mother would insist on doing something or the other to make him more 'feminine'. Secretly, he'd been glad she didn't suspect anything - at the same time, every single trip to a similar store brought back too many memories, and the painful reminder that most people wouldn't give two shits what he really was - to them, he'd always be a girl. He ran his fingers through his hair, a nervous habit of his, and started the walk home. 

"Hey, you're the cute electrician!"

Vince turned around, forcing a smile. "Hey," He said, teeth still gritted. "Uh - inverter giving you trouble again?" 

He recognized the blonde - her sharp yet smooth voice wasn't an easy one to forget. What he couldn't remember, however, was her name. She just laughed and walked over to him, "Nope. But Joan naming her new haircut 'Nina' is. At some point, I think she's just trying to get on my nerves. She finds it oh-so-funny when the calm Lita Ford gets annoyed and her British accent slips out," She laughed, playfully shoving his shoulder.

Right. Lita was the one he'd liked - the one who hadn't called him there at 5.30 in the morning. "Things any better with you two?"

She just laughed, ruffling his hair. Vince bit his inner cheek, muffling a groan  as he looked at her, mildly annoyed. 

"You could've just said no."

"Alright, curious boy," She smirked, "How about you tell me what's got you in a permanently piss-poor mood and I'll tell you about me and Joan? Oh, your place, not mine."

He had to admit, he was intrigued. Of course, he knew there were things he'd have to filter, but there was still enough to say. "You know what? Sure. Tomorrow evening work for you? I'll meet you here."

Lita just smiled, tapping his shoulder. "See you then."