I Think I Just Might

"Billie, you are so gay," Mike said as he watched Billie putting on his eyeliner. They were getting ready in the bathroom to go down stairs for lunch with Tre and the others.

"At least I can admit it, Mister 'Heterosexual'," Billie said, using his fingers for quotation marks. "And just because I wear make-up, it does not mean I'm gay. The fact I like to fuck men makes me gay. You're just stereotyping."

“I never said I was straight. And besides, you’re the only man I’ve ever had feelings for, so I don’t think that makes me gay.”

“Bi, maybe?”

Mike shook his head. “Nah, that only sounds like a label. I’m just...myself.”

“Billay! Michael!” Tre called from his bed, which was just outside of the bathroom. “Are you ready yet?”

Mike went to open the bathroom door. They had shut it because Tre wouldn’t stop asking them if they were ready every two minutes. “Tre, will you shut up!” he said without vehemence when he saw the drummer sitting cross-legged on his bed.

“All right, all right,” Tre said, putting up his hands. “You’re just taking for ever is all.”

He got to his feet, and Mike stood aside to let him into the bathroom, where Billie was putting the final touches on his hair. “Hello, Frankfurt.”

“Billiam,” Tre said promptly, sticking out his hand. “Pleasure to see you.”

Billie took it with his own, gel-covered, hand and grinned evilly.

“Ugh! Yuck,” Tre said as Billie let go. He grabbed the handtowel off of its hook and proceeded to wipe the product viciously off his hand. Once he had, he clapped his palms together. “Finished? Let’s go then, I’m starving.” He marched out of the bathroom, followed by Mike, then Billie.

As soon as Tre reached the door, Billie said something that sounded like blarhghgh! Mike and Tre turned to see what was wrong with him, his nose had started to bleed. He’d had a few recently, though no one could really say why they had started to occur.

“I’ll get you some tissues,” Mike said as he dashed to the bathroom where he’d noticed there was a box.

“Another one? God, Billie. You need to get in control of your nose,” Tre said as he watched Billie try not to get blood on the carpet. “Tilt your head back.”

Mike came back with what looked like half the contents of the tissue box in his hands. “Here y’are princess,” he said, giving Billie the tissues.

Billie put the tissues to his nose, then froze. He widened his eyes at Mike, who had just realised what he said. They both looked at Tre.

“...What?” Tre asked, uncomfortable with the way both his friends were staring at him.

Billie turned to Mike. “I think we should tell him,” he said thickly through a layer of tissues.

Mike half-heartedly glared at him. “Well, we’re going to have to after you’ve said that.”

“Tell me what?” Tre grinned broadly as he looked from one bandmate to the other.

Billie looked at Mike, his brow wrinkled. “Do you want to tell him, or should I?”

“Jesus Christ, I don’t even want him to know, why should I be the one to tell him?”

“That is a fair point, William,” Tre noted.

“That’s not my name!” Billie said. “Anyway, er, Tre...”

When Billie didn’t continue, Tre said “...Yes?”

“Um, well...” He scratched his head awkwardly with the hand not holding tissues to his face. He looked to Mike for help.

Oh, I'll just tell him," Mike said impatiently. He grasped Billie's free hand. "We're sort of, er, together."

Tre burst out laughing.

After a few minutes, he finally stopped, wiping tears from his eyes.

"Is it really that hilarious?"" Billie enquired politely.

"If you were in my position, Billie boy, you'd be laughing too. I already know."

Billie and Mike's jaws fell open simultaneously. "You already knew?" Mike asked.

"That's what I said."

How could he know? Mike asked himself silently as he stared in disbelief at his bandmate. But we've been so careful to hide it!

When neither Billie nor Mike said anything, Tre said "I've known the whole time."

"The whole time?" Billie challenged.

Tre rolled his eyes. "Yes William, the whole time. First time you had sex was after the fifth show of the Warning tour. Then you got all," he paused and waved his hands at them, "like this."

"So...so you don't mind then?"

"Of course I don't mind."

Billie laughed suddenly. "We thought we'd been so careful."

Tre chuckled. "Trust me, even if I was a complete idiot I would know."

Mike couldn't help but ask, "How did you know?"

Tre cleared his throat. "Michael, I'm glad you asked." When Mike asked him why, he replied "I've been working on a list."

"Haha, really?" Billie asked.

"Don't you believe anything I say, Billie Joe? Anyway, on to the list. Number one. You've both been single ever since Billie got divorced. Not even one a one-night stand. Number two, the way you look at each other." He turned to Mike. "He looks at you the same way he used to look at Adrienne." Tre cleared his throat. "Number...three. Whenever I'm gone for too long and you're left alone together, when I come back the room smells like sex. Every time." He laughed. "And you're always touching each other. Not in a sexual way or anything. See, you're doing it now."

Billie and Mike started. It was true, their shoulders were touching.

"And you follow each other everywhere." Tre paused, list apparently completed. "It's just the little things."

"Hmm," Billie hummed. "Well, thanks for not killing us for keeping it a, er, secret. Ish."

"Do we really follow each other everywhere?" Mike asked. He hadn't really noticed, but then again, he didn't really notice much except Billie anymore.

Tre nodded. "And you're really loud when you have sex. Just because there's a wall between us, it doesn't mean I can't hear, you know."

The other two blanched together. "Sorry, Tre," Billie apologised.

Tre shrugged. "It's what headphones are for."

Billie let down the hand that had been holding the tissues to his face, his nose having stopped bleeding.

"But anyway, thanks for telling me." He pulled Billie and Mike into a fierce hug.

"Sorry again," Billie said, once Tre had let them go.

Tre waved him off. “Don’t worry about it. You can buy me lunch, loverboys.” His stomach growled loudly. “Speaking of which,” he said and turned to leave.

Once he had opened the door and started down the hall way, Mike turned to Billie and took a hold of his hand.

For just a second, he thought he caught a glimpse of the look Tre had described – the way Billie used to look when he looked at Adrienne.

He squeezed Billie’s hand and bent to kiss his cheek. “Let’s go.”

“Oy! Love birds! I think I just might die of hunger soon if you two don’t hurry the hell up!” Tre yelled down the hall.

Billie grinned at Mike with happiness. “See, I told you it would be alright.” He turned to Tre. “Coming!”