We Only Come out at Night

The boy's smile sent shock waves through the confident singer. Chris sat on the leather couch on their tour bus as it drove along to their next stop. Ricky laughed again, and he couldn't help but smile back.

Chris has never been one for boys, and if he was, he never saw himself going for a guy like Ricky. Ricky is everything Chris is not, shy, reserved, and not to mention much shorter. Yet, here he is, staring at his band mate.

Ricky doesn't really "date" much, if any at all. He just kind of kept to himself all day, going to his bunk to write his horror stories while the rest of the band partied or drank. Chris had read all Ricky's stories that he'd put up.

There was no doubt that the boy could write. They were so dark though, and powerful, to come from such a seemingly happy and calm little boy. Of course Ricky doesn't share much with anyone, not even his own band. If there was a dark cloud looming over him, only he knew.

Josh made another joke, causing the whole bus to erupt in laughter.

"O' Wiener Boy!!!" Angelo called from the passenger seat.

Ricky blushed a deep shade of red. He regretted ever agreeing to do that. He should have known better then to agree, and now his whole band rags on him for it.

"SHUT UP ANGELO!" Ricky called back, obviously upset by the name.

"Hey, Hey, Angelo, leave 'em alone" Chris said, flashing a warm smile to Ricky.

"Hey, chill out man, I didn't mean it man, you know that I'm just joking, did you want anything to eat?" he said with a chuckle.

"Where are we going?"
"Sonic!" Balz cheered.

"Um... just some fries I guess" he answered shyly. Even though Ricky normally doesn't say much, but Chris could tell that something was wrong.

---

The boys all tackled Balz as he brought in their food from the well known and loved Sonic. Ricky stayed back though, waiting for everyone to clear away before he got up and got his. He sat down on the couch again, and pressed one of the salty fries to his pierced lips. Dirty thoughts filled the older man's head. No, he wasn't loud to think things like that.

Ricky frowned before sighing and handing the rest of his fries to Angelo who hungrily ate them up. The smaller boy's blueish green eyes looked like they were going to cry at any minute. He looked around before standing up.

"Um, I'm just going to go write in my bunk" he said in a soft voice. Angelo waved him while stuffing more fries in his mouth.

"Chris you want something to drink?" Ryan asked, grabbing a bottle of Jack Daniel's from the cabinet. He nodded and Ryan poured him a glass before handing it to him.

Chris sipped on the drink, the familiar burning sensation in his throat made him relax. Yet, he couldn't keep his mind off Ricky. He was known for going back to his bunk and writing for hours. Only one thing told Chris that he was lying. His note book that he wrote in was sitting by the couch.

He never wrote in anything else but that. Chris had bought it for him a few months ago, and the boy had already almost filled the whole thing. The singer looked around before grabbing the beat up notebook and opening it to the last page.

The boy trembled as the darkness came over him. Where could he run to? Where could he hide? He knew the answer; no where. He was stuck, his back against the cool metal wall of the slaughter house.

The demon grew closer to him, his foot steps echoing in the young man's head. He closed his eyes and thought of all he'd done wrong these past few months. All the people he'd hurt, all the things he'd left unspoken.

The people who would never know his true feelings. The figure was no within inches of the boy's face. His long bony fingers brought the boy's chin up to face him. His eyes were beady and red, as they stared back at him.

"Take me, for I am nothing" the trembling boy spoke. The creature just laughed at his request. A sly grin crept across his face.

"No, your Hell is here" he spoke in his raspy voice before turning to ash before the boy.

Chris closed the notebook. There was an ache in his gut, one that wasn't the result of whiskey or the so called "food" he'd ate. He knew this boy in this story, that was Ricky.

The taller man bit on his triple pierced lip. Should he go back there and confront Ricky? If he did the the young boy might close him out completely. He couldn't just let that demon torture him anymore though.

The rest of the guys were all laughing and joking, paying no mind to him. He tucked the notebook under his arm before heading back to the bunks. He could hear small sobs emitting from Ricky's bunk.

He slowly approached it, his hear racing. He's not good with emotions, what would he say to comfort him? How do you comfort another man? He pulled back the curtain and sat down. Ricky was sitting in the far corner, his knees pressed to his frail chest.

His head snapped up, and he quickly wiped his eyes with his long black sleeves.
"W-What do you want?"

"I thought you might need this" Chris said, handing the notebook to the small boy. Ricky bit at his lip, knowing he'd been caught in his lie. He took it in his skilled fingers.

"Thanks..."
"No problem" Chris spoke in a gentle voice.

"You can go now, I know you want to go party with the guys" he said eying the drink in Chris' hand. Chris sighed, knowing that Ricky wasn't in the mood for talking.

"No, that's okay..." he said, looking down at the drink. He would offer some to Ricky, but Ricky never drank. He claimed it "destroys lives" and how he doesn't want any part in that.

"Ricky... is there something wrong?" he mumbled.

"No... I'm fine" Ricky said, putting up his front again.

"But, I can tell you're lying to me"
"I'm not lying"
"Really? Because you said you were going to write, yet you left your notebook up front, and I uh...I read one of your stories' Chris said, hanging his head.

"You read my story?" Ricky said a bit annoyed.

"Yes, I did, I'm sorry" the singer apologized. Ricky sighed, and looked down at his hands.

"And..."
"You're that boy aren't you? The one being chased by the demon?"
"We all have our demons Chris" the singer's name rolled off Ricky's tongue in a way that made his heart race.

"That's true..." Chris whispered.

Ricky's face dropped, his beautiful eyes looking sadder the normal. He covered his mouth with his small hands as a whimper escaped his lips. It wasn't loud, but enough that Chris heard it. Instinctively Chris put an arm around him.

"NO! Leave me alone!" Ricky shouted, pushing his arm back.

"Ricky..." Chris said, ignoring the boy's fight.

"What Chris what?!" he questioned, tears visible in his eyes.

"There is something wrong, don't lie to me" he said, setting his drink down on the table outside the bunks.

Ricky didn't answer right away, he looked down, crystal tears rolling down his pale cheeks and onto his lap. They broke Chris' heart. What could be so wrong?

"I'm sorry..." he said, wiping the tears away. Chris grabbed his bandanna with MIW printed on it from his back pocket, drying the younger boy's tears.

"No, it's okay" he said in a soothing voice. Ricky looked up at him, his eye liner running down his face in black rivers.

"I'm alone Chris.." he said.

"Alone?" the singer echoed.

"Yes... I don't have anyone, I'm all alone... and it hurts" he cried, wrapping his arms around himself.

"You have us" Chris said, unsure what to do.

"No.. that's not what I mean, I have no one to tell me that they love me... to hold me when things get hard... to be there for me when I need someone to talk to..." The words struck a key in the singer. Mostly, because he too felt the same way.

"We all feel that way sometimes, even I do..." he said, trailing off.

"It hurts to bad..." he cried harder.

"I know it does... hey, I'm here for you... if you want to talk, you know I won't judge you" Ricky looked up at him. He was never one for quickly unexpected actions but Chris jumped as the younger boy grabbed his shirt, crying against his chest.

"Chris!" the younger man sobbed.

"It's okay, I'm here" he said, smoothing Ricky's silky hair back. He hummed softly to the sobbing boy in his lap. He had to fix him.

"Ricky..." he whispered his name, causing the younger boy's heart to flutter. Chris picked up his chin, and looked in the eyes. They took his breath away, so pure, so beautiful. Like two works of art, created by the gods themselves.

His eyes caught onto Ricky's lips, they were parted slightly. Before he knew what he was doing his lips were on his. He could feel the cool metal of his piercings. Ricky tensed up at first, before relaxing.

Chris deepened the kiss, wrapping his arms around Ricky's small waist, pulling him against his chest. Ricky's thin arms were around Chris' neck as they kissed. He could feel all the loneliness and hurt in his kiss.

"I-I'm sorry..." Ricky said, pushing him back, his cheeks a flushed red.

"I know you're not 'that way" he spoke in a soft voice.

"Hey... I kissed you, remember" Chris said, once again lifting Ricky's chin up. The younger boy blushed again.

"Do you... like me?" he asked boldly. Chris' eyes went wide, such a direct question from him surprised the singer. He wouldn't lie to him though, it was now or never.

"Yes, I do, quite a bit" Ricky smiled at his words.

"You never finished my story..." he said, pulling a crumbled piece of paper from his back pocket. Chris took it in his tattooed fingers and studied the words.

A white light shown through the slaughter house door, almost blinding the boy. Tattered black wings spanned out, shading him from the light. He looked up, his heart still pounding. The wings belonged to a man.

His warm smile didn't match his dark look. It was sincere though, despite his menacing look. He extended a hand to the shaking boy. With a bit of hesitation he took it, the man helping him to his feet.

"Come with me, I'll show you a world beyond your wildest dreams" he spoke in a deep voice. He nodded, following the dark angel. He wasn't sure where he was going, or who this stranger was, but he knew if he followed, his eyes would once again see the light. They would see the light, after all their years in darkness.

Chris smiled, handing the paper back to Ricky.
"Do you know who that angel is?" Chris had a feeling, but he shook his head.

"It's you..." Ricky said, a small smile on his lips.

Chris held out his hand, the smile still on his face. Ricky looked at it.
"Come with me, I'll show you a world beyond your wildest dreams" he quoted.

Ricky let out a small laugh before taking Chris' hand. Their lips met again as Chris held him in his strong tattooed arms.

Ricky's eyes would once again see the light, after all their years in darkness.