We're Trouble Bound

December - Part Two

Oliver and Jaime had used the last of their drink tickets and were now watching as Danny and Matt played a drunken game of bloody knuckles at the bar. It wasn’t working very well; both were too intoxicated to flick the quarter very hard or very straight. But occasionally, one of them would get lucky and hit the other’s knuckles. This resulted in some mild screaming, flailing and amusement. Jaime was watching them and Oli was trying not to watch her, trying not to stare awkwardly.

Jaime laughed loudly when Matt finally drew blood from Danny’s knuckles. Danny was hopping around and shaking his hand out. Oliver couldn’t help but watch as she laughed. She looked so perfect this way, happy and having fun. It was this look that made him finally crack. Oliver took her hand and pulled her away from the bar.

“Where are we going?” Jaime asked, stumbling as he dragged her through the people to the door. Oliver didn’t say anything, he just looked straight ahead. “Oliver?” They stepped outside. It was biting cold and windy. “Oliver!” This time she tugged back on his hand, stopping him.

He turned to her. She looked somewhat concerned about his sudden actions. “Sorry,” he mumbled.

“You okay?” She questioned, squeezing his hand.

“Yeh know I’m not.” He frowned.

Jaime guiltily looked at her feet. “I know.”

This motivated Oliver again and he started walking again. He was headed straight for the bus. He knew for a fact that one was occupying the back of the bus presently. Jaime kept quiet; she knew something was up but wasn’t certain hat. She figured she would find out when they got wherever they were going.

When they arrived at the bus and he opened the door, Jaime incredulously said “The bus? You were in such a hurry to get to the bus?”

With his hand still clutched around hers, he led them up the stairs. “Close tha’,” he motioned to the door and she followed his instructions.

“Oliver, are—“

“Jaime, I’m gonna take yeh to the back and we’re gonna settle this…” He turned around, walking backwards.

“Settle what?” She bit her lip.

“This so called game yer playin’.”

Jaime’s eyebrows furrowed. “You mean the game we’re both playing,” she corrected him.

“Ef we’re both playin’ it then yeh been betta at it than me.” Oliver had his signature pout playing at his lips.

“And now you’ve decided to step up your moves?”

“I’m playin’ to win now.”

“Is that so?”

“Aye,” he nodded. They were at the back then and Oliver backed himself into a sitting position so that Jaime was hovering above him.

“And what is it that you’re going to do to win this game?” Jaime took his hand and placed it on her waist before trailing her hand up his arm.

“’M plannin’ on strippin’ yeh down and makin’ yeh scream wiff pleasure.”

“Oh yeah?” Jaime began twirling her fingers through his hair. “And once you do that, when you win… What do you get? What do you win?”

Oliver opened his mouth to say something but found he couldn’t think of a single word. He just stared up at her. Her greenish eyes were soft. He’d never noticed that before. Despite all her sharp personalities features and harsh movements, she had deep gentle eyes.

“Oliver…” She placed her other hand on his shoulder and both of her legs on either side of his, so that she was seated on his lap. He let both hands rest on her hips. “You really want this?”

“Uh huh.”

“Well then, there’s something you should know.”

He nodded absently.

“It’s all a matter of thinking ahead.” She continued to weave her fingers around his hair. “You wonder how I can be so insane when it comes to parties but never hook up… For me, that’s an easy question. If I drink, I know what happens the next day. I get a headache or a queasy stomach. But if I sleep with you and don’t know your motives… what’s tomorrow going to be like? Especially now, when tomorrow is the last day. It’s the uncertainty of it.”

Oliver was still struck dumb. “Jaime…” was all he could say.

“And don’t think this is one of those fucking ‘what does it mean’ talks. I don’t care what the reason is. I just want to know that you have one; that you know it. I kind of get the impression you have no idea what it is.” She pressed her cheek to his and wrapped both arms around his neck.

“Yer sumfin else…” He muttered, pulling back. He looked at her, stunned by the things she said. According to her, he had to know why he wanted to sleep with her. He could very easily tell her the reason was that she was in the top five fittest females he’d ever met and the other four had been easily bedded; well, he would leave the last part out. He could say this to her but it was suddenly clear to him that this was not the reason he wanted her so bad.

She put her hands on his cheeks, leaning down to press her mouth to his. He responded immediately, pulling her tightly against him. This was not the sort of kissing he’d expected when he brought her to the bus. This was slower, deeper than what he was accustomed to. Jaime’s hands were hot wax against his skin, melting into him, sticking to him. She was stuck to every part of him; she had been for months. And the fact that there could be a kiss like this, proved it.

When she pulled away a few moments later, out of breath and with swollen lips, she was smiling at him. Her hands were drawing circles over his back. She pecked his lips once more. “Tell me a reason and I will turn some music on and give you the best lap dance of your life right now.”

“An ef I don’ give a reason?”

“Then we wait.”

“Til?”

“Until there’s a reason.”

--

Oliver watched as Jaime helped her bandmates load up their trailer. Everyone was outside the venue after their last gig of tour. It was cold out but no one said anything. They were all hugging each other and talking about the past months. For the past six months, these people had been family and now they were saying goodbye. Oliver hoped they would tour together again, maybe the next summer. He couldn’t even think about not seeing Jaime.
He hadn’t slept with her, though the opportunity had been there. All he needed to do was tell her that he thought of her as more than a quick fuck or tell her that she was just that. But he couldn’t. He could say neither. And it wasn’t because it didn’t know. It was just that saying she was more would be against every one of his norms and saying that was nothing to him would be a lie. Not that he was generally opposed to lying. But lying to Jaime felt wrong.

He was taking a picture with a teenage girl when Jaime came back over to him. He did the typical fan face and Jaime rolled her eyes. “You could at least look happy for the girl,” Jaime scoffed. “I’m sure she doesn’t want a picture of you being miserable.”

“But I’m tired.” His bottom lip stuck out.

“Psh, suck it up, Sykes. You get to go home and go to sleep before I do. I have a thirty-six hour drive back to PA. And put that lip away before I bite it.” She pinched his arm quickly before heading back to reloading.

“Yer extra feisty today!” He called after her.

He went back to being bombarded by fans. It wasn’t something he minded generally but he was truthfully very tired. He was ready for time at home, for the holidays and time with his family. He just wasn’t ready to leave behind Jaime. Even if she’d turned him into a sentimental twat, she was one of the best mates he’d ever had. She was clever and witty; she kept up with him, even beating him more often than not. And she was obsessed with having a good time; what could be better than that?

The people were thinning; nearly all the fans were gone. Only the bands and crew remained prevalent. When the last girl took a picture with him, Jaime seemed to materialize at his side. Without saying anything, she circled her arms around his middle. He allowed her to tuck her body under his arm. He rested his chin on her head. He wanted to know how she went from bickering with him about his pouting to serenely snuggling against him. But he didn’t ask. It didn’t matter.

“I think I’m gonna come visit you,” she said softly.

“Wha’?” He didn’t pull away to look at her; he liked the way they were too much.

“After Christmas, maybe for New Years?” She offered. “If you aren’t busy.”

“No… not too busy.” He was surprised but not unhappy with this plan. She wanted to see him again soon. She didn’t want this to be goodbye.

“We’ll talk about it though…” She sighed and leaned her head against his chest. They stood there amid all the other people who were excitedly saying goodbye. And though everyone knew that Oliver and Jaime were close, no one had expected such a tender moment from them. They were the least sappy people between these bands. In theory, neither should have been this way. But as if this were some parallel world, they were.

Oliver didn’t know what he’d expected from this moment. Maybe he hadn’t wanted anything special, just a quick hug and a wave. But maybe he’d wanted her to leap into his arms, kissing his face anywhere she could, crying and saying that she would miss him. Maybe.
But how they were, semi-tangled up, was the weirdest thing that could have happened. IT made him feel all wrong. He was twisted into endless knots. This was Jaime, his Jaime. This was the problem of it all. His Jaime. He wanted her to be his Jaime, stay his Jaime.

“I gotta go now,” Jaime looked up at him, hazel eyes tying more knots.

“Okay…” He began loosening his grip on her body.

“We’ll talk about me visiting, yeah?” She too started stepping away, letting him grab one of her hands as her arms fell away from him.

“Aye.” He’d run out of real words months ago it seemed.

“I’ll see you soon.”

He quickly pulled his hand to his lips and kissed her palm before letting go and muttering “Soon.”