Touch

Nikki doesn't know how it started. All he knows now is that he can't stop.

You see, Nikki has a problem.

Although, if anyone was to ever ask him about it, he would never openly call it a problem. He calls it a “thing.”

And Nikki has a “thing” for touching Vince.

It doesn't matter where, but as long as he can lay a hand on the singer for at least a second, well, that's good enough for him.

In photographs, he always likes to be the one to put his arm around Vince. He especially likes it when Vince wraps his arms around Nikki back.

In interviews, he likes to sit next to Vince, to be able to pat him on the back or punch his arm lightly whenever he says or does something hilarious.

On stage, he loves to be next to Vince, so he can wrap his arm around him whenever they take a bow.

On the tour bus, he likes to sit next to Vince, so if he “accidentally” falls asleep on his shoulder or something of the sort, it's not that big of a deal.

Yes, Nikki likes to touch Vince.

But he didn't know it would slowly take him over. And trust me, it has.



On the couch in the tour bus, from left to right, sat Tommy, Nikki, and Vince, with Mick sitting on the chair opposite the three. They were all laughing at one of Mick's jokes when Nikki picked his arm up and scratched it, then laid it across the couch behind Vince.

“Dude,” Vince said, nodding his head at Nikki's arm, his eyes hidden behind his sunglasses. “You mind?”

“What?” Nikki said, drawing his arm away. “Oh. Sorry.”

“Don't you know,” Tommy chimed in, leaning around Nikki to talk to Vince, “that when a guy puts his arm around you, it means he loves you?”

Mick cracked a smile as Tommy made kissy faces at Vince. The blush creeping up Nikki's face was unmistakable.

“What? No!” Nikki rushed.

“Aww, look, he's blushing!” Tommy said, nudging Nikki as he laughed louder.

Nikki looked over at Vince, who was staring at him curiously. Nikki was flinching into Tommy.

Vince finally shrugged and stood up, grabbing two red and green remote-controlled cars. “Who wants to race these?” he asked, smiling as he put them side-by-side on the floor. Mick grabbed one of the controllers, keeping his seat on the chair.

Nikki pulled his feet up onto the couch to avoid being hit by the damned things. “I wanna race the winner,” he said, smiling.

Vince, however convenient or not, smashed his car into the side of the dinette, and lost. “Stupid things,” he muttered, tossing his controller at Nikki. Tommy followed him to the fridge, the two peering inside for some beers or something.

Mick looked over at Nikki and gave him a half-grin as Nikki reset the cars' positions to start.

The toys were racing across the floor when Tommy took that opportunity to step out into the middle of the hall, chugging a can of God-knows-what, making Nikki's red car smash into his foot.

Tommy hopped back, howling in pain, his drink sloshing all over his already dirty white tank top. He wiped his mouth with the back of his hand, holding onto one of the dining booths for support with the other. He stared at Nikki. “Nice dude!” he practically shouted.

“Sorry,” Nikki muttered, trying to give a smile but failing.

Tommy ripped his shirt off and tossed it onto the floor by his bunk, downing the rest of his drink. Mick was already to the back of the bus by then, shutting himself into the tiny as hell bathroom. Vince was perched against the fridge, carefully sipping his drink.

Nikki got up and started heading towards Tommy when the bus took a sharp turn onto a ramp, sending Nikki crashing into Vince, who was then shoved against the fridge. Nikki pushed himself away, but held tightly on to Vince's shoulder, trying to right himself. The can Vince had been drinking from was crushed in his hand, his teeth clenched. He shooed Nikki's hand away and climbed into his bunk, pissed as fuck.

Tommy was sitting on his bed, underneath Vince's, glaring up at Nikki. He pulled a magazine out from under his pillow when the toilet flushed and Mick shut the door to the bathroom, watching as Nikki climbed up onto his own bed and pulled the curtain shut.

He sat cross-legged in the bed, putting his head into his hands and shaking it back and forth.

“Shit,” he muttered.



It was completely dark outside when the bus pulled into a rest stop. Mick was sitting next to Vince at the dinette, trying to teach him the rules to some crappy card game. Nikki climbed down from his bed, still embarrassed from earlier. Tommy came out of his bunk and paused to look at Nikki, looking as if he had something to say. Instead, he shrugged one shoulder and headed off into the bathroom.

Nikki, keeping his head low, went over to the fridge and pulled out the Chinese food from two nights ago. “Do you guys want this? I could heat it up.”

Mick stayed quiet, setting up the cards on the table. Vince looked up, the smoke from the cigarette in his hand streaming out the open window. He waved his free hand dismissively. “No, man, you can take it.”

Nikki pretended to be looking out of the window above the sink when the microwave beeped. Without thinking, he yanked the door open and pulled out the plate, scorching his fingers. He hissed in pain as he slammed the plate on the table and stepped on someone's foot behind him.

Tommy jumped and fell into the door frame leading to the beds, hitting his arm. He shoved Nikki to the floor as soon as the bastard turned around and realized he'd stepped on the same foot the toy car had crashed into earlier.

“Shit, Sixx!” he snapped. “What's with you today?”

“Sorry,” Nikki said.

“Yeah, well, your clumsy ass is gonna get me put into the hospital one day, you know?” Tommy reached over and grabbed Nikki's food, limping over to the couch and sitting down, tearing into the greasy chicken. At least, it might've been chicken.

Nikki pulled himself from the floor. Mick's hand was paused in the air, halfway to setting another card down. He searched Nikki from head to toe. Vince had a small grin on his face as he took another drag from his cigarette.

Irritated, Nikki went over to the door and yanked his shoes on, turning to look at Tommy.

“Jackass,” Nikki said, before storming off the bus. Grease dripped from Tommy's fingers as he stared after Nikki, incredulous.