I Breathe You In With Smoke

After two weeks I had finally started to get into the swing of things. This was hardly over but needless to say it did get better. Tina and I were now inseparable. It was the same with Mike, he was like a big brother to me, and stopped trying to hit on me.

I had been handing in all of my assignments on time and the people at AP were pretty happy with me. I actually got to shoot Pierce the Veil a few times since I got here. I had become close with the whole band, even chatted with Vic a few times. He was still extremely stand offish though. I didn't really mind it anymore, I dealt with my first case of rejection.

I walked into the bunk area and pulled the camera off of my bed. I was supposed to be meeting Mike in ten minutes since Tina was working with Andy today on an interview. I like the people I worked with, we were all just very different from each other. It wasn't that we didn't have a lot in common so we didn't spend much time together. I pulled on my Toms and headed off the bus.

The bright sun glared into my eyes. We were in the fucks middle of no where in central America. I didn't even recall the state, it wasn't my job to. I headed over to Pierce the Veils bus and let myself in. There was a code lock on it but Mike had given me that awhile ago. I headed up into the living room and didn't see him anywhere. I walked back to the shut bunk door and knocked.

"Mike get up!" I shouted next to the door. I heard a few ruffles and shakes from inside the room and decided to go plant myself on their big black sofa. Moments later the person I wasn't searching for pulled open the door.

"Uh hey Lailer, Mike will be back in like twenty minutes. He had to go help Tony with something." Vic said shyly, grabbing a the pot of coffee and pouring himself a glass.
"Oh okay." I said suddenly nervous, I'd never been alone with Vic before, he seemed a lot more at ease though.
"Want some?" He said with a faint smile, hold the pot in his hand.
"Uh, sure." I replied standing to go make it for myself.
"No don't get up, I got it." He laughed pouring me some.

Vic walked over to the couch where I sat and handed me the warm mug. He surprisingly sat down next to me. I tensed up automatically. I felt his hip move slightly against mine. I had no idea why we were sitting so close. I took a sip of my drink and leaned back on the couch. He turned and looked directly at me.

"I feel like I make you uncomfortable." He said quietly.
"You kind of do." I said back to him, his face turned to a frown and he put his coffee down on the table in front of us. He then took my cup and did the same. I furrowed my face, I wasn't done drinking that.
"Listen, I know we haven't really made any effort to become friends-" He started.
"You haven't, I have." I said interrupting.
He huffed heavily and continued. "The moment I saw you I was attracted to you."
When he paused I looked up. If he was attracted to me when we met the he's really shitty at showing attraction. "But Mike told me how old you were earlier that day and well I'm practically a decade older than you."

I had never thought of it that way partly because I didn't realize how old he really was. I knew how old Mike was and I knew Vic was older but I never really put the pieces together. For some reason him being so much older made him a million times more attractive to me. I watched him just look at me and wait for a response. What did he want me to say? I'm sorry I was born quick enough for you?

He started anyway. "What I'm saying is, is that it's hard for me to be friends with you to the extent of feeling I have for you."
I stopped him there. "We don't even know each other Vic, you can't possibly have feelings for me."
"But I can Lailer! I can't be near you! You know the shit I'll get if I make a move on you? If you respond in a positive way?"
I snorted, "Someone's cocky."
"Stop Lailer I'm serious." He groaned staring me dead in the eyes.

This was the first time I had seen any sort of emotion out of Vic. He was frustrated and mad. I couldn't say anything to him. I did like him. He seemed nice an it wasn't a secret I though he was sexy. Mike had probably told him things I'd mentioned. To Mike I was an open book, he knew everything that was going on inside my brain. It was annoying but I couldn't do anything about it.

Vic was still looking at me when he said, "We can be friends but nothing more. Promise me that."
I sighed, not all too broken up about it. "I promise you that."

At just the right moment Mike walked onto the bus. I sat up straight and stood, putting my drink in the small sink.

"He mamacita." He laughed kissing my cheek and grabbing himself a pop tart. "I had to do something for Tony, hope you didn't mind too much." He said giving a glance over a Vic still sitting quietly on the couch.
"No it was nice, we talked about some necessary things." I replied softly. "Shall we go now?"
Mike saw a bit of desperation in my eyes and nodded his head.

After a few minutes of walking around in silence Mike stopped me and looked down. He shook his head for a second and then started walking again. He stopped once more when I started to follow and then continued walking as I stopped.

"Are you okay?" I asked finally after this had repeated for awhile.
"What did Vic say to you?" He blurted out.
I blinked. "Nothing we just chatted when we were waiting for you."
"I feel like he's up to something." He frowned at me, standing outside of the restaurant we had arrived at. This was usually how we spent our days off.
"We just cleared things up Mike, don't worry about Vic and I."