Almost Easy

"Matt you fucking asshole! I'm gonna fucking kill you!" Zack screamed, face turning a violent shade of red from the effects of severe rage as he struggled against Jimmy's unrelenting restraint. Back leaning into a firm chest, legs up and kicking out in an attempt to injure the vocalist or break free from the drummers grip, a question briefly entered his mind... How the Hell is a lanky guy like Jimmy supporting my fat ass? He quickly pushed it to the back of his mind and continued with his thrashing about. His actions were to no avail and he soon gave up as Matt let out a deep chuckle, he was sure the blue-eyed wonder wouldn't be releasing him anytime soon though.

"He deserved it! You keep running your mouth and you'll get the same!" The larger man boomed while prodding a strong finger into the chest of the powerless guitarist, narrowing his eyes to show he meant business. "Fight me if you think you got a chance..."

Jimmy ducked his head and lisped out his utterance at a volume only Zack could hear, staring up at the rage-fueled singer with wide crystal eyes, "He'll kill you... You can't fight him. Let him leave and we'll help Brian. That's all we can do right now." The shorter male growled but relented, taking note of his friends serious tone that scarcely presented itself. Relaxing back into Jimmy's firm, boney grasp, he continued to stare at his challenger with returned anger. None of them would dare spare a glance at the body of their friend on the floor as a result of undeniable fear, they couldn't bare to see the extensive damage Matt must have caused but they also didn't want anyone else hurt. If Zack or Jimmy looked, they knew they wouldn't be able to hold back. If Matt looked, he knew he'd break and as far as he was concerned, that was never going to happen, he's too manly for that; his reasoning behind his physical displays of manliness.

"I didn't think so..." Were Matt's final words as he sharply patted Zack's pale chubby cheek and walked out.

It stung but Zack refused to let anyone know that, he just pressed his lips together and fought back any insults his mind was desperate to let out. On the outside he looked blank but on the inside he was screaming, at Matt for what he did, for shutting everyone out and letting himself get to this destructive stage. At Jimmy for holding him back, for being stronger than he looked and for always knowing what to say. At whatever idiot put sliding doors in their tour bus with locks. At himself for so many reasons.

Zack stared at the ceiling trying to contain his anger and tears of frustration before his gentle imprisonment was suppressed, the slow movement brought him out of his mind and back to the situation. The two men shared a look at the door, where Johnny had recently appeared and their 5th brother had - again - walked away, and then towards the battered man on the floor.

Jimmy slowly approached the figure, kneeling down, he hovered his hands over the others chest hesitantly. Almost as if he expected Brian to be conscious and scream out a spew of cusses if he touched anywhere painful, which looked like pretty much everywhere right now. He retracted his arms wincing and pointedly stared at Zack, who had also knelt down next to his injured friend. For once, Jimmy didn't know what to say.

"We clean him up and put him in his bunk I guess." Zack answered the un-worded but plenty thought about question, his voice coming out cracked and quiet as he broke the deep silence. He cleared his throat and moved to find a wash cloth to do just what he suggested. Johnny gawped at the two older men with what Jimmy noted could be described as the perfect goldfish impression. He closed his mouth eventually, but his lip was still quivering, eyes soft, expression full of sadness and defeat.

"B-but he... he needs medical assis-"

"No! They ask too many questions Johnny! Don't be such a stupid little gnome!" Surprised by the harsh tone of his own voice, Jimmy stood and embraced the smaller man, "Kid i'm sorry, I didn't intend on being mean, ya know that, right?" Subtle movement against his chest suggested the bassist nodded so he continued, "Hospitals ask too many question, and considering he was there only yesterday too..." He stole a glance behind his shoulder to see the bright glint of a lip ring in the early morning sun, snakebitten lips pressed together, the bottom one being slightly gnawed at by a row of teeth and raven hair draped over watery emerald eyes as Zack cautiously wiped at Brian's face. He had managed to remove Brian's tee-shirt to assess if there was anymore damage, it looked like there was a large angry bruise forming over his solder and collar-bone. Turning back with a heavy sigh and resting his head to the side of the shorter mans, Jimmy whispered, "I love you Johnny, don't forget that." He sighed contentedly before realising what he confessed, his breath hitched in his throat as quickly added, "W-we all love you. Even the Incredible Sulk does, Kay?" With a small sniff, Johnny pulled away gazing up into Jimmy's icy blues before casting a wide-eyed and wary look towards the guitarists and then back to Jimmy's watchful gaze.

"Y'know, we should, uhm, probably should get him to his bunk..." The rhythm broke the silence followed by a deep sigh. "Jim, i think you could probably pick him up, ya know, to, uhm... Yeah."

Jimmy's lanky figure loomed over the sill unconscious body, observing the now visible damage, "Does it strike you as weird that the damage seems, minimal... Compared to what we all know Matt can do."

The others avoided the blue eyed gaze, knowing he was right they pondered the question silently but it just posed more unanswerable questions. Jimmy crouched by the guitarists side again and scooped him into his arms with convenient ease. Carefully side stepping through the doorway, Jimmy laid the guitarist in his bunk and tugged the covers over his now-bare, bruised chest.

"We need to talk to him don't we... I'm gonna go find him." Before anyone could disagree or put their two cents worth in, the tall man had already waltzed out the door in search for the singer. Zack sighed and let the drummer go. He ran a hand through his hair and down his face, he was already exhausted, he picked up his guitar and began playing in the hope of relaxing a bit.

---

The first people the sticks-man encountered was none other than the Berry's, they were, as usual, messing around. Arms draped over each other's shoulders, lips set into grins and laughter erupting into the morning air.

"Hey dudes, you seen the Incredible Sulk?" The brothers broke apart and grinned towards the taller man, sharing a thoroughly entertained look with his brother, Jason spoke,

"And who exactly might 'the Incredible Sulk' be....? As Jason laughed, Matt cued in on who Jimmy was asking for, clasping a hand on Jason's bicep he smiled,

"He means Shadz, man! Is that his new nickname? Ha ha ha! That's great! I like it!" They both started laughing again and Jimmy couldn't help but let a reluctant smile grace his lips as he softly chuckled. This is how it should be. He thought.

"Boys, as much as I would love to hang around and laugh with you, i really need to find him..."

"Well, it just so happens that we do know of his whereabouts..." Jason smiled. His brother finishing for him with an almost identical smile,

"He went round the side of the venue a few minutes ago, couldn't have gone far."

"Awesome, thank you. Now stop slacking and get back to work boys, you don't get paid to stand around laughing." The drummer teased with a toothy grin. The Berry's laughed and fake saluted their friend, returning to their initial conversation and bursting with more laughter as Jimmy walked in the suggested direction.

---

As he neared the corner of the building, Jimmy could hear things being kicked about, the harsh thump of fist meeting brick followed by more obscenities in the gruff throaty tone of the singer. He sighed and readied himself for the forthcoming confrontation, he hadn't thought about what he'd do if he actually found Matt. As the noise around the corner stopped, Jimmy readied to reveal himself and question the other but hastily stopped when he heard Matt yell at himself,

"Fucking sort yourself out! You can't have what you don't deserve! Though he's well out of your league. Fuck! Why does everything have to be so difficult? First sign of a problem, you immediately jump to using your fists, asshole. Literally put your fist thorough it and fuck everything up more! You've screwed everything up Matt... Your friends hate you, they don't want to know you, your girlfriend hates you, she don't want a screw up like you either, even you hate you! God damn it!" As the singer started bashing his fists into the wall again, accentuating every hit with a yell, Jimmy felt it best to leave intact. Matt's words echoing in his mind, You can't have what you don't deserve. He's well out of your league. What did Matt think he didn't deserve? And who's out of his league? What kind of 'league' anyway? Why does he think Val hates him and doesn't want him?

Jimmy thought back to when Matt started acting this way and it seemed it spawned from a conversation with Val before the tour started, Matt was late meeting up with everyone so Zack phoned him. Zack had said Matt seemed rushed and he could hear Val yelling in the background. A good hour and a half late, Matt arrived and seemed annoyed, no.. upset? He was avoiding questions and was very distant, only answering with grunts or gestures. On tour, the slightest thing pissed him off, he spent most of his time in his bunk or on his own and the only time he acted as the man they knew was when on stage. Jimmy decided calling Val would help him get the slightest clue as to what was going through their best friends thick skull.

Detective Sullivan is on the case. Jimmy smiled devilishly at his own thought.