Your Claims of Love Are Falling

It was growing closer and closer to the time that CC had to leave again on tour. This time it was Japan for three days. Then, not long after that it was the AP Tour.
CC didn’t want to go. For the first time in his life he would have rather stayed home than go travel and play music for fans. And that reason was named Helena.
Things had been happening between then more so then they had been before he knew she was engaged. It was like knowing that he couldn’t have her made him want her so much more, and vice versa.
There wasn’t a day of the week that Helena wasn’t with CC and it was rare that she wasn’t spending the night at his house. She’d even taken to keeping some work clothes and casual clothes in CC’s closet, some of her toiletries were in his bathroom, and she’d moved her motorcycle to his garage. If any of CC’s friends hadn’t of known better they would have thought that he and Helena were finally together.
The both of them were living in denial. CC was thinking that because she and he were such good friends it was only normal for her to have some things at his house. She was there so often and he didn’t want her to have to get up earlier than she needed. In fact he wanted her to get as much sleep as she needed so CC started going to bed when she did at ten or eleven depending on the night, which was way early for him.
Helena told herself that she spent so much time with CC because they were just that good of friends. Even her best friend Mary would come to CC’s house and hang out at times. She knew what she told herself couldn’t possibly be true, that there had to be something else going on, but she didn’t want to think about it. She didn’t want to know that way there was nothing she would feel bad about.
None the less the dates for Japan were approaching and CC was tossing around a possibility in his mind. He’d already gotten the okay from management to do what he was thinking of, but he wasn’t sure if it would happen for the other party involved had to agree. He wanted Helena to come with him for the three dates in Japan. He didn’t want to leave her.
Tonight he planned to find out but for the time being he was sitting with Ashley in Ashley and Jake’s apartment. Soon they would be moving out of it. There was no sense in keeping an apartment that no one would be living in if they were both going to be on tour. It was cheaper to get a storage unit and toss all their things in there.
“You know you guys can just leave your shit in my house. It’ll be better than a storage unit.”
“Are you sure?”
“I have tons of space! I don’t have enough things to fill my own house.”
“But you’ve got Hells’ things there.”
“Just in my closet.”
“And in the bathroom, the garage, and just about every other room in the house.”
“So?”
“So? She’s practically living with you! Why don’t you just let her move in, fuck her like no one ever has, and then get her to be with you.” Ashley was always so blunt.
“I’d love nothing more than to have her be with me, but I’m not going to be a relationship wrecker.”
Ashley just looked at his friend. In his mind there really wasn’t much of a relationship to wreck. She was sleeping in the same bed as CC every night, had her things at his house, and they -more than a few times from what Ashley had heard- had come close to doing what Ashley had just suggested.
“Whatever happens, happens.” CC shrugged. “I can’t change her mind. She’s way to loyal to him.”
“Him as in the guy she’s going to marry?”
“Yeah, Kyle or whatever.”
"Seriously, like no joke here man... But can I have her? You’re not getting anywhere with her."
"She's not even into you Ash. If she was, you'd’ve had her and been done with her by now."
"But I didn’t know then what I know now about her. If I had her now..." Ashley’s voice hinted at a joke, he didn’t really feel anything for Helena like CC did.
"See that's the trouble in getting to know someone." CC smiled. "You fall in love with who they are.”
"Are you saying you're in love with her?"
"Not sure on that one yet."
“I think you are. That’s why you’re trying to be so honorable.”
CC just nodded. He didn’t want to say it out loud. If he said it out loud then it was real. If he kept it to himself he could still lie to himself. He didn’t want to have to look at Helena every day knowing how badly he really was in love with her and how much he wanted her and know that he couldn’t have her. When she finally did get married and he came home from Warped Tour to find all her things gone from his house he knew it was going to be hard.
“So what are you going to do about it?” Ashley asked.
“About what?”
“Not wanting to leave her? I know that’s what’s bothering you. It’s not hard to see.”
“I’m going to ask her to come to Japan with us. Management already okay-ed it.”
“You think she’ll say yes?”
“I don’t know. But I’ve put it off too long. I’ve gotta ask tonight that way she has time to request days off if she wants to go.”
“Just call her now then.”
“She’s at work.”
“Even better. She can just ask for the time off while she’s there today.”
“I don’t want to ask over the phone.”
Ashley shook his head and got up off the couch. He walked down to his room, passing Jake’s on the way, and grabbed his car keys. Ashley thought about waking Jake up but decided against it. He would only have to explain to him what was going on and he didn’t feel like that or like waiting for Jake to get ready.
“Let’s go.” Ashley said walking out the front door expecting to be followed.
“Where are we going?” CC asked jogging to catch up.
He had an idea what they were doing, but he wanted to be sure.
“Going to see Helena. You’re going to ask her today at work, or I will.”
“Why are you pushing this?”
“Someone has to. If you’re not going to get her away from the things that remind her of her impending marriage and have nothing familiar but you then I will. She isn’t going to have anything there to tell her to stop, to tell her that fucking you isn’t right.”
“Ash.” CC sighed. “I don’t think that will work.”
“Well maybe you’ll just twist tongues.”
“That’d be alright.”
“And touch her boobs.”
“That’d be even better.”
They got into Ashley’s car and headed for the bank, CC directing Ashley to which one she worked at. CC saw Helena’s car parked on the side of the building in its usual place and smiled, then he stomach dropped and he was nervous. What if she said no? Then again Ashley was here and he seemed like he wasn’t going to let her say no.
Both of them swung the doors open and headed for Helena’s desk. She saw them approaching the building before they even knew she was watching them. She stood up and walked to meet them.
“What are you guys doing here?” She asked in a hushed tone.
“Came to see you, ask a few questions.” Ashley said. “Let’s go to your desk.”
He had already started heading towards the desk Helena had gotten up from. CC looked at her and shrugged with a small smile. He was still too nervous to function.
“Are you okay? You look pale.” Helena said touching CC’s cheek.
“Fine.” He said. “Let’s follow Ash before he makes a scene.”
Ashley was perched on top of Helena’s desk just waiting for the other two to join him.
“Ashley, get off my desk.” Helena said sitting down. “We have chairs.”
“I know, just just like desks better than chairs.” He grinned.
“This is not some kind of fantasy, get off my desk.”
“Get me off on your desk.” He responded.
“Do you want to loose your Saturday morning riding partner?” She asked.
“Well CC, guess you’re right. I have no chance.” Ashley said giving in and moving to a chair.
“Told you.”
“What are you guys talking about?” Helena asked confused.
“Just part of an earlier conversation. Also part of that conversation was what CC needs to ask you.”
Helena turned her attention to CC. He was fidgeting with his hands and trying to get comfortable in the chair.
“Ugh, he’s taking too long.” Ashley began. “What we need to know is if you’ll come with us to...”
“Ashley, I got it.” CC said leaning forward to take over. “You’re coming to Japan with us for three days.”
“I... am?” She asked slowly.
Ashley was pleased that CC had told her rather than asked her.
“Yes. We leave on the ninth, play from the tenth to the twelfth, and come back on the thirteenth.”
“I’d have to ask for...” Helena looked at her calendar. “Wednesday through Friday off.”
“Do you get vacation time?” Ashley asked.
“Well yeah, but...”
“Great! It’s settled. You use three days of that vacation time and come with us to Japan. It’ll be a great vacation.” Ashley said leaning back in his chair.
“What I was going to say was that sounds like a fun idea, but I don’t have the money to afford a trip to Japan with you guys. I’d love to go, but I can’t.”
“No prob Hells.” CC said. “Management is taking you out on the trip. It’s all taken care of. All you gotta do is go to LAX with me, we get on a plane, and that’s it.”
“I’ll see if I can get the time off. You guys have to go though. I’m going to get in trouble for not working.”
“So you’ll come?” CC asked excitedly as he and Ashley stood up.
“Yes, if I can.”
She hugged both of them before they left the bank. She sank back into her chair and ran her hands through her hair. Why were her friends so pushy? Now she had to see if she could get the days off. She logged into the schedule database and looked to see if it was too late to ask for those days off. She put in her request and hoped it would go through.
At the end of her work day, one in the afternoon, she headed for her own apartment. She hadn’t been there in three days now and figured it would be good to at least put in an appearance. If she went any longer her neighbors and her landlord might think she was dead.
Of course she knew that as soon as it hit one thirty she would get a text from CC asking where she was. Ever since Kyle had left she was at CC’s house right after work if even just for a few minutes to say hi. He and she both were getting too used to spending to much time together.
She parked her car and went up the stairs on the the outside of the building to get to the third floor. She made a left and continued to her door. There was a note tapped to it from one of her neighbors asking if she had left. She smiled thinking that it was nice to have people who cared and decided to pay them a visit.
Helena knocked on the door to the right of hers and waited for it to open. Her neighbor, a thin short blond answered.
“Hi! I was wondering where you were!”
“You could have just texted me.” Helena laughed.
“Oh yeah!” This one was a natural blond. “Where have you been?”
“At a friends. He needed me to be there.”
“Oh, well that’s nice. I was just worried about you.”
“Well I’ll probably be heading back there soon. I don’t know if I’ll be home tonight again. But just text me next time.”
“Okay! Nice to see you!”
Helena went into her own apartment and put her purse down. From inside her phone buzzed and she knew it was CC before the second ring.
“Calm down Cecil. I’m at my apartment.”
“Why?”
“Because I want to take a shower and take care of a few things here.”
“I have a better shower. You know that personally.”
“And I love it, but I have things here I need to do.”
“Like what?”
“Water plants. Make my neighbors think I’m still alive.”
“Oh.”
“I’ll come over when I’m done.”
“When?”
“After I”m done with this. I don’t know how long it’ll take.”
CC didn’t say anything. He was really just antsy to know if she was coming. He didn’t want to ask her again but he wanted to know. He had thought she didn’t come over after work because she didn’t want to talk about it, or worse, she didn’t want to go.
“You can just come over here. You’ll have less room to flail about as you usually do. I’ll leave the front door unlocked.”
“Alright. I’ll see you soon.”
“Just don’t come in the bathroom if I’m in the shower. I won’t leave that door unlocked.”
“Why not? You don’t want me to join you?” CC asked in a low voice trying his best to be sexy.
“We wouldn’t get very clean then, would we?” Helena asked without missing a beat.
It was hard for CC to catch her off her game. He was thrown off not having expected her to answer in that way.
“W-well no. I guess we w-wouldn’t.” CC stuttered.
Helena laughed and then in a low voice much like CC had used before but with a greater effect on him than he had on her said, “I’ll see you soon.” And hung up the phone.
She decided she best take a shower first so she could potentially be finished by the time CC made it to her apartment, or at least very nearly finished. She collected the things she needed, like clean clothes, and headed into the bathroom. She locked the door behind herself and got into the shower.
CC found the front door to Helena’s apartment open. He knew she had left it that way for him but he still felt a little strange just walking in. The last time he was there he had seen her in a wedding dress. Since then he hadn’t been back to her apartment. She had just come to his house and been staying there more and more.
He could hear the water to the shower running so he knew she was busy. He sat down on the couch and tried not to look at the dress bag in the corner of the room. He knew what was in it.
To distract himself he turned on the TV and flipped channels until Helena came out of the bathroom. She saw him sitting on the couch but went to her room first to put her work clothes in her hamper and then walked about out to where CC was. Helena plopped herself on his lap and hugged him tightly.
“Well good afternoon!” He said hugging her right back. “This is a lovely hello.”
“If you say so.” She said sliding off his lap to lay on the couch but left her legs on his lap.
CC ran his hand up and down her leg enjoying the smoothness.
“Enjoy it. I just shaved.” She said lifting one leg to touch his jaw line with her toe.
CC tilted his head to try and see up the shorts she was wearing but she caught him and shifted so he couldn’t see anything.
“Reflex. Can’t help it.” CC shrugged running his hand back up her leg and underneath her shorts so his fingertips reached her hip. “This is nice by the way.”
“Seventeen plus two.”
“Ninteen.”
“I’m not doing enough to scramble your brains.”
“Or I’m used to your charms.”
“Doubt it.”
“Maybe...” CC said before shifting to change his position. He pushed one of Helena’s legs off the couch and crawled to be on top of her. He kept himself propped over her but let his hips rest against hers. She brought both her legs up to squeeze him on either side of his hips. “I can scramble your brain today.”
His lips were on her neck before she could say anything. In the few times CC had enough balls to do what he was doing to Helena he had quickly found her sweet spot and wasted no time getting to it. She squeezed his hips tighter and her hands went to his sides, nails digging in slightly.
CC did everything he could that he knew drove her nuts. Out of the corner of his eye he caught sight of that dress bag containing her wedding dress. For once it didn’t fill him with hopelessness. It made him try harder to get her to give in to him. When she managed a protest he ignored her and let some of his body weight down on her.
Helena couldn’t help but let CC’s hands go underneath her shirt. CC couldn’t tell if she was sweating or if she was still damp from the shower, but he liked where he was getting. He worked hard on her sweet spot and managed to get a moan out of her the likes he’d never heard from her before. Her legs tightened around him and she pushed her hips into his.
“CC stop.” She said almost weakly.
“Never.” He breathed against her ear and then started kissing down her jawline towards her chin.
He was about to connect their lips when Helena came to her senses. She got her hands underneath him and pushed up.
“Please CC.” She begged.
“Okay.” He gave in kissing her cheek gently then sitting up.
Helena straightened out her clothes after sitting up and looked at CC.
“Sorry, I shouldn’t have let you.” She said.
“It’s alright. I should know better by now.”
They sat there for a moment.
“I better not have a hickey.” Helena warned.
“Oh, you will.” CC smiled to himself. “I can give you one on the other side if you want.”
“Let’s save that for later.” She joked getting up.
“Well I can give you that one in Japan if you want. We’ll have some time then.”
“Maybe.”
“Does that mean you’re coming?”
Helena refreshed a page on her laptop and clicked a few things before answering CC. “Yeah, looks like I am.”