Love Song.

Travis panted as he bounded off stage after Hunter, waving one final, frantic time. He pushed his sweat slicked auburn hair from his face and overtook Hunter and Drew in the race for the tour bus shower. He saw Danny ahead of him, and so had a sudden spurt of speed, dashing past him and up the tour bus steps. He skirted the roadies and jumped crew members’ legs, finally slamming the bathroom door shut and locking it just as Danny slammed his fist upon it.

“Damn you Clark!” Danny shouted through the door, bringing his fist down on it again. Travis laughed in triumph. Danny pouted and slumped down the door in defeat. He heard Travis laugh again and the shower turn on through the door.

Travis was relieved to get the sweat and all the other crap out of his hair and off his skin, so much so that he ended up causing quite a queue for the bathroom.

William, Travis’ on-off boyfriend, appeared in the bus a few moments later, with Michael Guy Chislett in tow. The two of them arrived near the bathroom and saw the commotion. Drew was leaning against the wall, nose wrinkled in disgust as he smelt his hair. Danny was still sulking on the floor; Hunter was asleep on Danny’s shoulder, mouth open and drooling.

William raised an eyebrow at the three of them and Drew sighed.

“Lemme guess. Travie?” William said. Drew nodded and suddenly stopped, catching sight of Chizzy brandishing a tube of Vegemite and squirting most of it into Hunter’s open mouth. William bit his lip as Chizzy backed away, flashing Drew a thumbs up sign.

“Chislett!” Drew shouted, causing Hunter to wake in shock, and so close his mouth. He spluttered in disgust, the strong taste of Vegemite attacking his taste buds in foul waves. He got up and ran, searching for a sink, wriggling in disgust. Little did he realize that the only sink in the bus was in the bathroom.

Travis chose that point to emerge from the bathroom; towel hung loosely ‘round his waist. He heard Hunter’s squealed ‘Ew!’s and frowned, looking at Drew and Chizzy, who had stupid smirks plastered on their faces. Well, right before Drew dived for the bathroom, and Danny suffered defeat yet again.

* * * * * *

By the time Travis had gotten dressed and straightened his hair to perfection, Drew was out of the shower and Chizzy was fawning over his younger boyfriend. The lighting and sound guys had gone to mess with the stage fixtures, so Will and Travis had stolen their section of sofa. Travis was snuggled against William’s chest; Will’s arms were around his waist. Travis couldn’t put a finger on whether it felt right or wrong; he guessed it was too early in the ‘Treckett’ relationship (Mark III) to tell. To William, it had always felt right; it was just that Travis seemed to be way too slippery for him to keep a hold of.

Around an hour or so later, when Drew and Chizzy had long vanished - Will seemed to think it was for a date of some description - Travis decided he should turn in for the night. He kissed William on the lips one last time and disappeared into the bunks.

William sighed and left, returning to his bus. He saw Drew and Chizzy asleep; Drew’s head resting on Chizzy’s chest, Chizzy nuzzling into his hair. William sighed again. Why couldn’t him and Travis be like that?

Back in the We The Kings bus, Travis was now comfortably in his bunk, but he wasn’t sleeping.

He stared at the blank notebook page in front of him. He was attempting to write new songs, but he was distracted.

Just before William had left, he told Travis “I love you.”

Travis didn’t reply.

Travis knew he only meant to show his affections, but he didn’t know how to express that he felt them back. And now, he realized, he had to find some other way to show him he cared.

And that wasn’t going to be fun.

His first thought had been song; but what type? He ruled out almost every type, and was left with a list of ‘Ballad’ or ‘Love’

He frowned and scribbled out ‘ballad’. Anything slow and meaningful always required Hunter’s influence, and Christ only knew where he was.

So that left love.

Travis groaned and buried his face in the pillow. He shook his head; he hated writing love songs, but he knew Will needed something.

He knew it was make or break with the relationship - for good - because William had told him so. Seven times, no less.

It wasn’t that Travis didn’t want to write for Will - Hell, he’d love to - it’s just he didn’t think words could sum up how he felt.

* * * * * * *

When he awoke next morning, he saw William leering over him. He squealed and rolled out, falling to the floor with a thud.

“You gonna answer me yet?” William asked softly. Travis shook his head. William sighed jaggedly and frowned at the younger.

“Look, I’ve tried and tried to wait for you to say it back, it’s just I’m scared half to death that you never will.” William looked hurt, and seemed distracted “So until you’re ready to, we’re just friends.” He turned and walked away; leaving Travis a crumpled mess on the floor.

And he realizes now, but right then, Travis was almost glad that he never wrote William anything important the previous night.

* * * * * * *

Later that day, when Travis had become sick of seeing Chislett and Drew draped all over each other and generally being cute in the bus, he’d left, for a walk.

Or had at least tried to, before Hunter attacked him in the doorway. Hunter frowned at him, and Travis assumed this was his attempt at concern.

“Go talk to him. He misses you.” He patted Travis and skirted around him. Travis shook his head; he was only hearing what the William-loving part of his mind wanted to hear. The rest of him held no desire to even be in the same room as the older man. He’d learned the hard way about selective hearing.

Hunter didn’t realize then, but by trying to get Travis and Will to talk, he would only hurt them more.

Travis exited the bus and took a long breath of the fresh Salt Lake City air. He liked Utah. He saw William across the parking lot, and even though their gazes met for all of a tenth of second, Will instantly recoiled and buried his face in Adam’s shoulder.

Travis almost felt his heart sink to his feet.

He gathered his thoughts again, trying to remember that it was down to William that it was this frosty between them. If Will had just given him time, Travis would surely have come up with something that would’ve meant more to him than a thousand I love you’s. But he knew he’d never get that chance. He was only trying to get Will to hear what he truly meant; three feeble words just weren’t enough for Travis.

He tried to convince himself that what was happening was right; that a clean break was just what he needed. He sighed and shook his head again, his auburn hair flailing as he spun on his heel and returned to the bus.

He headed straight for the bunk, or at least planned to, until an intoxicated Danny accosted him with beer. Travis had thought that just one wouldn’t hurt.

‘Just one’ turned into two, which in turn became four, which ended up as nine by the end of the night. Drew had to help Chizzy back to the TAI bus, being the only one who was even remotely sober. Travis followed them. Drew was using a torch, because now it was far past midnight; probably closer to two in the morning.

Until Drew dropped the torch. And it turned off. He cussed in anger, dropping Chizzy’s hand and searching for it.

“Can’t see!” Travis slurred, stumbling in the direction of the lights of the bus.

“No silly, it’s this way!” Chizzy giggled, grabbing his wrist and pulling him the other way.

The bus door flew open, and William appeared, in his pyjamas, bearing a torch.

“Come on you.” He sighed, holding the torch in his mouth and pulling the two drunken fools aboard.

Travis giggled, and fell against William as Chizzy collapsed on the couch, almost instantly asleep.

“That’ll be a killer hangover tomorrow.” Mike stated from the other couch.

Travis’ arms seemed to find Will’s waist, and hugged him tight. The elder smiled and held him close.

“I loves you.” Travis mumbled into Will’s shoulder.

“I know.” He replied. He had found Travis earlier that morning asleep, holding a notebook with the words ‘Will’s song’ as a heading. Beneath it were the words ‘Cause I believe there’s a way, you can love me because I say.’

And Will knew then that a drunk man’s speech was a sober man’s thoughts