Summary:

Guilty sense, fake attempts of suicide, chats, nervous reactions and.. much more!

You know, I like the characters in my stories to have some whims .. an example?

Well, 'this ' Matt will love ships as much as he hates old people.. don't ask me why.. I don't even know why, it's just that he turned out like that.. and I decided to keep him like that ;-P. Plus, he will be kind of .. very insane ( in a good sense, of course ) , sometimes ..
What About Dom? Well, he will be very, very childish, sometimes, and just * a little bit * narcissistic .. ;)
And Chris? Well, he will get pretty paranoid once in a while.. and .. no, I'd better not reveal too much ! ;)

a little note: when I firstly write this one I didn't know that 'brunette' and 'blonde' was meant for girls/women , so you could find it pretty often referred to Matt and Dom, sowwy :/
well, this and tons of other mistakes I guess :(

I'll try to correct when I see them

Chapter V: I Think We' Re In Trouble

Matt and Dom try to spend the rest of the night with Chris, as if nothing happened.

About their friend, he really seems to have removed the previous episode, and that's maybe thanks to the most efficient of the Freudian defence mechanism.

Instead, the other two don't want to forget anything at all, but at the same time they don't even want to talk about it, not that night at least.

Above their heads there 's the same dense and gloomy cloud that is better known as guilty sense.

There's no need to say towards whom.

And that feeling keeps them company all the night through, but the morning after they manage to get rid of that frustrating sensation in the only way they know: a sort of expiation for what they did.

Each of them put it into operation his way.

Matthew spends the whole morning in his room, calling Gaia at the phone and telling her tons of sweet and romantic things for almost one hour and half, as the girl answers to every sentences of his with a hasty 'Yeah. Me, too.. ' . The phone call goes on until he recalls that that night there's a show to play and maybe he'd better save some voice for that, too.

Also Dominic is pretty busy that morning, but instead of staying in Hotel, he has decided to go shopping, looking for a gift to send to Jessica, sure that gestures are more effective than words.

Anyway the mission is anything but simple, since he has to be careful not to 'communicate ' too much.

He totally rejects flowers as potential gift, since he knows that Jessica has read tons of books to learn the language of the flowers , so if he chose a bouquet composed in a certain way he could even made the unforgivable mistake to send her the message ' You know, lately I don't think about you anymore, because I'm thinking way too much about my best friend! '.

And he also judges jewels pretty dangerous, any kind of jewel, because it would sound too much as an engagement, and that's something that he wants to keep himself as far as possible from.

After all, Dom doesn't even know anymore what he exactly wants.

Or rather he does, but he's scared to admit it even to himself.

After several researches, he manages to find the proper gift, something that says ' I'm not hiding anything to you, I'm just doing that just and only because I want to. Everything is more than fine and, most of all, my best friend is the last of my thoughts! '.

In a word, a gift that's a liar as much as Matt's phone call.

After assuring himself that his gifts will be sent to his girlfriend, Dominic comes back to the Hotel, straight to his room.

Anyway, he goes out a few minutes after, walking around the corridor , heading towards Matthew's room.

He puts his hand as a fist, but before his knuckles can make any sort of contact with the white enamelled cherry-wood door, the boy changes his mind and comes back to his room, from which he pops out a few seconds after... walking back to Matt's door, with the same purpose that meets the same result.

And he goes on like that at least two or three times more, until a familiar voice behind his back stops him.

"Are you going to keep doing that for long? You'll end up leaving a drill!" Matthew exclaims.

Dom turns abruptly and sees him on the floor, near the stairs.

What he likes less is that he's leaning from the banisters, and according to Dom he's leaning from it way too much.

In fact, he rushes towards him, all anxious and apprehensive.

"Nooo, Matt, get the hell away from there! It's the eighth floor, don't act insane! Maybe making the video of 'Bliss ' confused you pretty much, but let me clear a couple of things: you won't remain floating in the air, you'll just crash down the floor bloody violently. And you won't even have the time to sing half verse!" he explains alarmed, trying to pull him away.

His only answer, Matthew bursts out laughing madly, and whenever he does that there's no living being who can resist to that contagious laughter. In fact, Dom bursts out laughing with him, too.

"Why... why are we laughing?" he manages to stop a bunch of seconds after.

"Because... were you really thinking that I was about to throw myself from the banisters? And then * I * am the catastrophic member of the band!" Matt replies, trying to recover.

"So... why were you there?" Dom questions him.

"I had fun watching the people who pass once in a while, especially the ones on the down floor, because they seems so minuscule from here. Plus, looking down, getting that vertigo sense... I don't know. It helps me think, I can almost say it inspires me!" the brunette confesses.

"Does vertigo inspire you?! Ok, maybe I became catastrophic, but you are and you'll always be the wildest one!" the blond teases him.

"Maybe. Anyway, if I think that you really believed that I... I was about to... " Matt comments and he's almost about to burst out laughing again.

"So, tell me, what did you do this morning?" Dom hurries to change subject, otherwise he knows that Matt would probably never stop making fun of him.

And, almost as if it was a spell, Matthew becomes immediately serious.

"I made one of the longest phone calls of my whole life!" he sighs.

"To Gaia, right?" the other realizes.

"Yeah. And I lost count of all the sweet, fluffy things I said to her. There's only a problem: I didn't think them for real. " he sighs once again.

"And you? What did you do?" he asks him, immediately after.

"I looked for a gift for..."

"Jessica!" Matt anticipates him, but his isn't a question, it's just the answer.

"Yeah. And at the end I found the proper stuff. "

"What?" the other gets curios.

"A blond puppet that looks like me a little bit, vaguely. Anyway, this puppet looks impatiently at his watch as he stands on a pedestal with the written 'Can't wait to see you again ' . And then I also bought to her a bag, a belt and a pair of earrings. "

"Cool! Anyway, jewels? Someone is looking for a serious engagement... " Matthew sing songs.

"Who said 'jewels ' ? I just talked about earrings. And earrings are just accessories! " the blond clarifies.

"No, they're jewels." the brunet insists.

"Accessories!"

"Jewels."

"Accessories, accessories, BLOODY DAMN FUCKING ACCESSORIES!!!" Dominic persists, getting angry.

"Ok, you're right, they're just accessories. " Matt gives in, also because he's kinda scared by his reaction.

"Anyway, about what you did... does it make you feel any better?" he asks him.

"Not at all, I think that it's the falsest thing I've ever done." the blond sighs.

"Same feeling here. " Matt admits, with the same mood .

"Coming to what we were saying before, saving the fact that I found your 'Indecision Dance ' very amusing... " Matt chuckles.

"Hey!" Dominic acts insulted.

"Were you looking for me to talk to me?" the other goes on.

"Yes, you know, it's about the..." Dominic answers, but he has not time to finish his sentence.

"Finally, here you go! I looked for you for half New York!" Chris exclaims, coming out from the elevator.

"Actually, I've stayed in my room all the morning long, it's Dom the wandering guy!" Matt clarifies.

"I had my reasons!" Dom shrugs.

"I don't even want to hear about it. Now we go have lunch and then straight to sound check, I bet that you have already forgotten about that!" Chris comments and it's already enough that he's not pulling them by their ears.

"Uff, since there's not Tom suffocating us, for once .. can you explain to me why you are playing his role?" Matt snorts.

"Because he asked me to do that and he knows he has chosen the right person!" Chris explains proudly.

"I still wonder why Tom is not here with us this time.. " Dominic mumbles.

"The official reason is that since this is just an Opening Act, it's something less exciting, so he decided to let us free for once, since he's sure that we'll deal with everything on our own pretty well.." Chris explains.

"What is the unofficial reason?" Matt gets as curios as Dom does.

"Well, it seems that our Tom has half a love affair with a girl who does his same job, so they both 'abandoned ' their bands to enjoy a relaxing holiday, all alone.. " the other reveals.

"Our good old Kirk rules! So, which band does she work for?" Dominic wonders.

"This is a majestic taboo. Not only he didn't want to tell me, but he also said that it's better if we never find out. " the other explains and that makes them all puzzled.

"Anyway, let's quit with the gossip. We have an intense afternoon to face, and don't even try to disappear again!" Chris adds, walking towards the elevator.

"Yes, Daddy!" the other two make fun of their friend, following him.

"Very funny!" Chris rolls his eyes, pushing the button.

Without making Chris see him, Dom gestures to Matt that they'll talk later about what they both know they can't ignore.

----------------------------------------

A bunch of hours later, they are wrapped inside the walls of a studio, playing the whole playing list plus some extra that they could decide to add at the last minute.

'Hyper Music ' is one of these extra songs and once they're done with the performance, to recover from all that yelling, for Matt, and from all the frantic, restless playing, for all of them, they establish that they earned a break.

Chris doesn't waste any time and takes advantage of that to leave the room and go call Kelly on the phone.

Matthew and Dominic could do the same with their girlfriends, but this is the last of their thoughts.

After all, Matthew has talked with Gaia so much that he could even go on without calling her for a whole week, but the main reason why is that they both have another priority.

"Do you want to know how I spent the flight?" Dominic exclaims, getting up from the drum set.

"I'm listening!" the other answers, placing his guitar on the floor.

"I saw two kids who were fighting playfully and I thought about you and me. " the blond begins his tale.

"It's normal, when we were kids we always fought. And sometimes we still do! " the other smiles.

"I saw two guys, more about our same age, and I thought about you and me. " the blond goes on.

"Well, that's normal, too. Maybe it's because they looked like you and me a little bit, somehow. " the brunet justifies him.

"And then I saw two pleasant old men. And I thought about you and me, when we will be... "

"That's unacceptable!" Matthew cuts him off, indignant.

"I know, it's exaggerated. " the other admits.

"No, it's not for that. It's just that old men can't be pleasant, never! All old people are rude, misbehaving and unbearable grouches, it's scientifically proved!" he clarifies.

Dominic stares at him as if he came from another planet.

"So, tell me, how is it scientifically proved?" he asks him sceptically.

"Don't ask me how, it's just proved. Period!" the other insists.

"Bells, do you know that one day you will get inevitably old , too?" Dominic makes him notice.

"Of course I do. But I know I'll be the exception that confirms the rule!" he declares proudly.

"What about me? Will you end up hating me then?" the other gets alarmed.

"Never. You will be the exception with me!" the brunet smiles.

"Or maybe neither of us will get old, if I manage to build that machine to bring time back. " the blond thinks out loud.

This time it's Matthew staring at him as if he came from another planet.

"Uh?"

"Never mind, it's such a long story! " the other rolls his eyes.

"Anyway, coming back to your flight, I guess that even that it's normal... at the very end... " Matthew states, although he doesn't sound very convinced.

"Maybe, but then I saw even two clouds in the sky and I thought about you and me! Do you think it's normal even that?!" the blond astounds him.

"Dammit, no! Hell no, that's not normal at all! But, if that comforts you, it's not that I spent such a different flight, after all. " the brunette admits.

"Dammit, Matt, what do you think about the whole situation?" the other gets agitated.

"I think we are in trouble. " his interlocutor answers, getting as agitated as Dominic.

"But maybe it's not too late to get over with that... " he adds, immediately after.

"You're absolutely right!"

"It's happened nothing too.. compromising. "

"Absolutely nothing!"

"Plus, everything is more than justified. The first kiss was due to the forfeit, the second one to bring good luck at the tour. " the other goes on.

"Absolutely yes!"

"So, I guess that you and I can keep being best friends, as always. "

"I absolutely agree!"

"But no more too close contact, and mostly no, bloody no more kisses for any bloody reason at all!"

"Absolutely none!"

"Why the bloody hell do you keep saying 'absolutely'?" Matt snaps.

"I have absolutely no idea, I absolutely swear to you that I'm not doing that on purpose, I just can't stop! Maybe it must be a sort of nervous reaction. " Dominic justifies.

"Well, you'd better quit it right now, if you don't want me to punch your pretty face, because it's very irritating!" the brunet threats him.

"I'm sorry, I already told you that it's not my fault, it's just that... uh! It seems that it worked!" the other informs him, relieved.

"Threats always work!" Matt states, but then he realizes that Dom is staring at him kinda confused and visibly blushed.

"What?" the brunet wonders.

"Do... do you really think that I have a pretty face?" the blond wavers, staring at the floor before finding the courage to face his look again.

That does nothing but making Matt find him tender.

"Everything about you is pretty. " the brunet smiles sweetly, getting closer, almost tempted to raise one hand in order to caress his cheek, but then both of them realize what they're doing.

Already knowing where that path would bring them to, they decide to change direction immediately, but they're so bewildered that Dom sits at the piano and Matt sits at the drums.

After recalling what instrument they actually can play, they switch positions, as they both hope to see Chris come back as soon as possible, because they have no idea about what else can happen if they keep staying alone.

TBC

Notes:

As you have probably noticed, this chapter never quit being surreal , not even for a second, and the rest of the story will keep being this way, if not worse!

Usually I show you some pics, but this time I would need an audio file , just to explain what Matt's laughter is (just a word: Hullaballoo DVD) , but I'm sure you already know that, eh,eh!

I hope you'll still like it and have fun read it, but feel free to tell me whatever you think, as always ! ;)