Breaking Hearts and Breaking Bones Has Never Been So Romantic

"Angie, I can't believe this." Gabe mumbled from beside me as we made our way down the busy sidewalk, heading toward the bar where we were going to meet with a few other guys from the bands we were touring with.

"I'm sorry, babe." I frowned. "I shouldn't have made you climb up that tree if you didn't want to. I just didn't want my kitty to be stuck up there."

"'Your' kitty?" My boyfriend questioned. "Is Alex going to let you keep it?"

Sheepishly, I shrugged my shoulders. "I'm not even going to ask him." I admitted. "I don't want to take it to an animal shelter, I don't have the heart to."

Beside me, Gabe sighed heavily and then wrapped his arm around my shoulders, holding me close to him while he shoved his hand with the cast into the front pocket of his hoodie.

"I'm sorry." I repeated quietly.

Gabe responded with a few incoherent words under his breath before we turned around the corner and saw the bar up ahead of us. We walked in silence the rest of the way, and once inside the bar, we quickly found Alex, Ryland, and the guys we were supposed to meet. Gabe and I said our hellos, and my brother swept me off toward the bar to order some drinks.

"So, what did the doctor say about Gabe's hand?" Alex asked while we waited.

"Basically he broke a couple of metacarpals in his hand so he put a small cast on it to help it heal." I replied.

"Gabe's not happy with that cast, is he?"

I shook my head slowly as I frowned to myself once again. "I think he's mad at me." I admitted.

"Well, you suckered him into climbing up a tree for a cat." Alex pointed out. "And I'll have you know that I'm not happy about you keeping that cat, either." He added.

"How did you know I was going to keep it?" I questioned.

My brother raised an eyebrow in response, and gave me one of his 'are you serious' brotherly looks. "I know for damn sure that you're not going to take that cat to an animal shelter, no matter how much I bitch and moan about it."

"I'll buy you some Zyrtec." I offered.

"Fine." Alex mumbled, watching the bartender as he handed our drinks over to us on a tray. As my brother took the tray from him, I pulled my credit card out of my pocket and handed it to the bartender.

"Do you want to keep an open tab?" He questioned me.

Glancing back at our table, I saw Gabe already downing a beer someone had set in front of him. He broke his hand because of me today, I owed him a few drinks. Turning back to the bartender, I nodded my head.

"Yes, an open tab please."

The bartended nodded his head as well and took my credit card to the cashier, setting it down to remind him of my open tab. Silently, I followed my brother, making our way back to the table. Sitting down next to Gabe, I grabbed my Mojito and Gabe's Patron shot, setting them down in front of us.

Gabe didn't hesitate to take his shot, and when he was done, he set his empty shot glass back down on the tray, and then licked his lips. He ran a hand tiredly across his face before he wrapped an arm around my waist, pulling me closer to him.

"Are you letting me get drunk tonight?" He asked.

"I figured I owed you that much." I replied. "As long as you don't get mean with me."

Gabe shook his head. "I can't guarantee how I'm going to act around you when I'm drunk." He mumbled. "But, if I do or say anything bitchy, I'm going to apologize in advance."

"Don't get too shitfaced." I said simply.

"I love you," he whispered.

"I love you too, Gabriel." I whispered back.

Gabe gave me a half smile before he leaned over, pressing his lips to mine. Kissing me lovingly, he pulled away after a few seconds and then reached over, grabbing a JD shot. Quietly, I sipped on my own drink and watched as my boyfriend and his friends consumed an excessive amount of alcohol.

I hope I was able to handle Gabe when he's drunk.

* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *

"Angela," Ryland sighed, "I think that maybe you should bunk with your brother tonight, and just give Gabe his space." He paused, gazing up at my boyfriend who was being helped along the sidewalk by Alex. "Tonight is not a good night."

I nodded my head in agreement. "I'll help get him ready for bed and stuff, and then I'll hop in with my brother."

Without another word, I made my way up to Alex and Gabe, and placed a hand gently on Gabe's arm. Gaining his attention, Gabe stopped his drunken jibberish and turned his gaze in my direction. Seeing that it was me, he gave me a lopsided smile, that was cute in its own weird way, and then wrapped an arm around my shoulders.

"Hey sweetheart," he greeted me with a slur, "you look so beautiful tonight, did I tell you that?"

"Once or twice," I replied with a soft smile. "How are you feeling babe? You feel like you're going to be sick?"

"Eh," Gabe held out his arm with the cast, and then wobbled his hand slightly, indicating that he was feeling just 'so - so'. "I'll tell you one way I'll feel better though." He grinned.

"Oh?" I questioned as Alex went forward to punch in the code to the bus door.

Gabe nodded his head and leaned over, whispering in to my ear. "You and I, in the backroom, very naked, and engaged in some dirty acts."

"Gabriel," I laughed, "good Lord, you're drunk; you'll probably pass out before you even get my clothes off."

Ahead of me, I saw my brother glance at us with a weird look on his face, but he chose not to say anything as he held the door open for us. I let Gabe go up the steps ahead of me, only to watch as his tripped on the first one and fell down. I made a move to help him up, but he insisted on crawling up the rest of the way. I stood back with Alex and Ryland, watching as Gabe crawled up the stairs, and then disappeared into the bus.

Sighing softly, Alex gestured toward the stairs. "After you." He mumbled.

When I got onto the bus, I saw that Gabe had managed to climb to his feet and was now heading into the hallway toward the bathroom. Taking a deep breath, I followed him and caught his arm just as he stumbled over the carpet, and then helped him into the bathroom.

"You want a quickie in the bathroom?" He asked, giving me a cocky smile.

I rolled my eyes and then shook my head. "Do your business Gabe, and then you're going to bed."

Gabe's smile disappeared and was replaced with a sour look, but he didn't say anything else as he stepped into the bathroom and closed the door behind him. A couple of minutes later he emerged, wearing just his t-shirt and his boxers; his pants were slung over his shoulder, and I saw his jacket lying on the bathroom floor.

"I couldn't button them up." He mumbled.

"Come on, babe." I said softly, taking his hand in mine.

"I don't want to go to bed yet." He sighed. "Can I go and visit with everyone for a little while?"

"Gabriel." I growled. "You need to go to bed."

"But I need to eat." He insisted stubbornly. "I need food in my stomach, or else I'm gonna have a hell of a hangover."

"Fine." I mumbled, "let's go."

Holding tightly to his hand, I led Gabe into the front lounge, and sat him down on the couch between Alex and Ryland. Alex and Ryland both looked at Gabe's naked legs with raised eyebrows, and then turned to me; I just shrugged my shoulders and went to warm up some of the vegetable lasagna my mom had made for Gabe.

"Babe, after I eat, we'll go and have a quickie somewhere, yeah?"

"Gabriel, you're drunk." I reminded him as I put a slice of lasagna in the microwave and heated it up. "The only place you're going after you eat is to bed."

"Come on, Angie, can I at least get a blow job or something?"

"Gabe," I mumbled, "no."

"Angela, you never put out." He said meanly.

"Alright, Gabe, that's enough." Alex growled suddenly. "Don't fucking talk to my sister like that."

Blushing slightly, I crossed the small lounge and handed Gabe's food to him, all the while trying to avoid my brother's eyes. When I turned around to grab Gabe a fork, I jumped in surprise when he grabbed my butt, squeezing it tightly.

"Gabriel!" I gasped. "Don't do that."

"You liked it." He smirked. "Just like you like it when I use my tongue to - "

I placed my hand over his mouth, preventing him from finishing his sentence.

"Gabriel, shut the hell up and eat your fucking food." I growled, my patience running thin.

In response, Gabe narrowed his eyes at me and pushed my hand away. "You owe me; because of you I broke my hand. I should at least get a blow job out of it."

"You're not getting shit out of it, especially when you're acting like this." I mumbled, straightening myself up and stepping away from him.

Angrily, Gabe stood up as well, his lasagna falling to the floor. "You're a bitch." He said, pointing a finger at me in accusation, "I should have - "

Whatever he was going to say, he never got a chance to finish because at that moment Alex stood up, punching Gabe just below his eye. Gabe stumbled slightly before he caught himself, and then turned around, taking a swing at my brother but missed.

Not knowing what to do, I stood there, staring at them in shock as my brother punched Gabe once more, giving him a bloody nose, and then one more time with an uppercut. Gabe fell backward onto the floor, and rolled around on the ground, clutching his nose with his good hand.

"Fuck!" He yelled before muttering a few more choice words.

"That's what you get for disrespecting my sister." Alex growled meanly. "Don't you ever grab her, or talk to her like that again, or else I'm going to rip your fucking face off."

I made a move to kneel down and help Gabe, but my brother caught my arm.

"Go lay down in my bunk, Angela." He mumbled. "I'll take care of Gabe."

"But - "

"Now, Angela." He growled.

Biting my lip slightly, I stared down at my drunken boyfriend, nursing his bloody nose, and then felt a single tear fall down my cheek.

"Angela, go." My brother insisted, though his tone was softer than before. "I'll take care of him."

Sadly, I turned my gaze from Gabe and did as my brother told me. In the bunk area, I changed into my pajama's, trying to ignore the vulgar words my boyfriend was uttering at the front of the bus.

Maybe touring isn't all it's cracked up to be.