The Sky Under the Sea

[Mike's POV]

“Where are you, Little Bro?” I asked, speaking into the phone.
“I’m on Oli’s bus.” Vic’s broken voice responded.
His tone brought a round of worry to my head, thinking about Jaime’s desperate text.
“Please, find Vic!” it had read.
While I was hanging out with Gabe and Jack of Sleeping with Sirens, something had happened between Vic and Kellin.
“Do you think you can come back?” I asked, demanding instead of asking. “Jaime is really worried.”
“Uh, yeah…” Vic sighed. “I’ll be there in a minute.”
I nodded, even though he couldn’t see me and hung up the phone.
At least I found Vic.
Instead of heading back to my bus, I cut through the parking lot and reached Bring Me’s bus.
If Vic didn’t return, Jaime would probably incapacitate me.
There was a dusting of snow on the ground, the ice crystals crunching beneath my steps.
I loved the winter.
Knocking on the door, Oli opened it with a sheepish smile and gestured for me to climb on.
“Hey Mike…” Vic called out, sounding guilty.
He was curled up on the couch, his Vans kicked off, and a cup of tea in his hands.
“You weren’t planning on coming back, were you?” I asked, shaking my head in amusement.
There was a reason I came to get him.
“No.”
“Come on Vicky.” I pleaded, pouting a little. “Don’t let Jaime kill me, just because you didn’t want to come.”
“Don’t call me that…” my older brother blushed.
“Why?” I smirked, knowing exactly why he didn’t like the nickname.
“It makes it sound like I’m a girl or something.” Vic complained.
“With that hair?” I laughed. “You are.”
“At least I don’t spend as much time as Jaime does!” he retorted, thinking of the bassist’s spiked up hair.
“You guys are adorable, but Josh is coming over so could you please… I don’t know; get the hell off my bus?” Oli asked, laughing.
“Ugh, fine.”
Mumbling under his breath, I waited as Vic pulled on his shoes and thanked Oli for his help before walking off.
Falling into step with him, I placed my hand on his shoulder.
“What happened?” I asked.
“I don’t know, you’re the one who’s dragging me back to our bus because Jaime said.”
“Why were you on Oli’s bus?” I pressed.
“Can’t I spend time with my best friend?” Vic wondered, staring at the ground and biting his lip.
He always did that whenever he wasn’t telling me everything.
“Of course you can.” I sighed, rubbing my forehead in frustration. “Bu t, you know exactly what I meant.”
“Yeah…”
Keeping silent, I waited for Vic to continue.
“Kellin broke up with me.” Vic mumbled, reaching up to the promise ring he had clipped onto a necklace.
“What?” I asked, not really processing it.
“Kellin broke up with me!” Vic continued, his voice getting louder. “He said it was too much for him and he never loved me! I was worthless to him, Mikey! I was fucking worthless!”
I couldn’t find the right words.
“I’m going to kill him…” I forced out, clenching my hands.
“Please, don’t!” Vic pleaded, putting a hand to my chest. “Oli thinks he’s just overwhelmed or something!”
“I don’t care.” I mumbled, staring at Vic.
His brown eyes were wide with hurt and his lower lip kept quivering as he tried to hold back tears.
This was my older brother, falling apart in front of me.
He was so much smaller than me, that I always felt the need to protect him from anything and anyone.
I don’t give a shit if Kellin was confused.
He doesn’t do that to Vic.
“Come here.” I whispered, wrapping my arms around Vic. He was so small, so vulnerable. “It’s okay.”
“I just want t-to know why I wasn’t good enough for hi-him.” Vic choked out, tears streaming.
“Vicky…I don’t want to hear you say that. You are good enough, and I love you too fucking much to let you say that. Fuck Kellin, okay?”
“I l-love him…”
Closing my eyes, I hugged my brother tighter and kept quiet.
I’m so fucking bad at this.
I’m the one who constantly makes fun of him and teases him for his height. I’m the one who makes him blush in front of Kellin.
I’m the one who looks up to him and asks Vic for advice and comfort.
It shouldn’t be the other way around.
“Let’s go back to the bus.” I finally suggested. “Maybe you could talk to Jaime or Tony…”
Yeah.
There’s a good idea!
He could talk to Tony, he was much better at this than me.
Vic nodded, pulling himself off me and following me back to our tour bus with a slow and defeated look.
Ugh, I’m seriously going to murder Kellin.
“Mike!” Jaime called out happily, seeing Vic and I. “Gracias a Dios, you found him!”
“Yeah…he was on Oli’s bus.” I shrugged nonchalantly.
Vic seemed confused, but shrugged it off. “Jaime, where’s Tony?”
“He’s in the back…” Jaime answered hesitantly, taking in Vic’s tear-ridden eyes and messed up hair.
“Thanks.”
He walked off, wiping a forgotten tear off his cheek.
“What happened Michael?” Jaime asked me, following me towards the kitchenette.
Vic needed some cheering up, and what better way than with some tacos and my special hot sauce?
“Kellin broke up with him.” I whispered, taking the tortillas out of the fridge and searching for other things.
“What?” Jaime screeched, intent on heading to the back.
“Hime!” I yelled softly, catching his attention. “Let him talk with Tony, you know he’s really good at comforting.
“Yes, but Kellin is in ther-”
Jaime was interrupted by the backdoor being thrown open and Vic stormed out, angry tears falling.
“Vicky! I called out, putting the plates down. “What happened?”
“Kellin is a fucking whore!” Vic shrieked, rummaging through the drawers in the kitchen.
Before I could reply, he pulled out a key ring.
“What are you doing with my keys?” Jaime asked cautiously.
“We’re about to leave for the next venue, and I’m driving.” Vic replied, grabbing a jacket.
“No, you’re not.” I decided, trying to take them back.
“Leave me alone Mike!” Vic yelled, pulling away. “I need time to think, and I want to be fucking alone!”
“Just stay here.” I pleaded. “We’ll leave you alone.”
“Tony wants to keep talking to Kellin, and Josh is riding with Oli. I don’t want to bother anyone else.”
“Fine.” I gave in, taking a step back.
“Thanks. Uh, Jaime…can I borrow your car?” Vic asked sheepishly, remembering it wasn’t his decision after all.
Usually, one of the roadies drove the car.
“Sure.”
Vic nodded gratefully, before bounding off the bus and climbing into Jaime’s car.
As he had informed us, the bus driver started up the motor and we began the drive to the next venue.
I tried not to worry too much; it was only two hours away.
Sighing to myself, I turned off the skillet and put away the things for Vic’s tacos. I’ll just make them later.
Jaime was standing back, watching me carefully.
Taking in a silent breath, I faced the backdoor before I let out with a loud, “QUINN!”
Footsteps came running as Kellin’s tear-stained and terrified face peaked through the doorway.
Tony was following close behind him, placing a hand on his shoulder.
“Yes?” Kellin asked timidly.
He was used to seeing me as his boyfriend’s brother, always making snarky or sassy comments about them.
He wasn’t used to the protective brother-mode.
“What the fuck just happened?” I demanded, pinching the bridge of my nose.
Just, please. Explain.”
Jaime nodded in agreement.
“I just couldn’t take is Mikey! I’m just so fucking afraid, okay? I’m afraid because I’m hopelessly in love with him and I’m afraid that one day he’s going to turn around and leave me! I figured if I ended things know, they couldn’t get too bad…”
His lower lip was trembling, just like Vic’s was earlier.
His bangs fell messily across his face, parting at his blue-green eyes which were swimming in a pool of regret.
It made my anger soften.
Sort of.
“Kellin…” I sighed, brushing my hair back. “I get it, I totally get it. You don’t trust him, but you have to understand that my brother has had problems with this too. He loves you, and he trusts you. Give him a chance, a real chance okay?”
“I know.”
Tony nodded, letting me know that they had already had this conversation and worked something out.
“You better fucking fix this, Quinn.”
Again, Kellin nodded before taking a seat near the window. He was staring at the blurring road in silence.
“I don’t mean to sound like an asshole…” Jaime coughed, staring at the kitchenette. “But, I know for a fact you were going to make Vic tacos, but he’s not here right now, and…”
“And you want them?” I supplied, smirking.
“Yes!”
“Alright.” I laughed, heading back to the kitchen. “Who else wants tacos?” I asked, taking the tortillas out again.
“I do!” Tony announced, glancing at Kellin.
“Sure.” Kellin whispered, forcing a tight-lipped smile.
“Kellin, I’m not mad at you!” I annunciated, walking up to him. “I’m just an overprotective brother looking out for Vic.”
“I know.”
I wrapped my arms around him, hugging him.
He relaxed slightly before staring out the window again. “I’m just worried about what’s going to happen with Vic.”
“If I know my brother, he’s going to be okay. He just needs some time to think, and when you explain, everything will be back to normal.”
“Okay.”
“What does normal entitle?” Tony asked, looking up from his phone.
“It entitles catching sight of Kellin’s scrawny white-boy ass and making fun of him for it.” I decided.
“Hey!” Kellin blushed furiously. “You never make comments about Tony!”
It’s true.
Tony always sleeps naked, but you know what?
It’s been so long, it doesn’t even faze me.
“It’s not fun, because he doesn’t get embarrassed anymore.” I complained, glaring at Tony.
“I’m not changing my ways for anybody!” Tony laughed.
“I know.”
Getting up, I went back to the kitchen and pulled out the container of salsa we had.
“Guys…there’s barely enough in here.” I noticed.
I was just planning on making some for Vic, not the whole bus.
“Make some, pendejo!” Jaime muttered.
“No!”
“Come on Mikey!” Tony pleaded, giving me a pout.
Shaking my head in response, I pulled out a cutting board and set to work on dicing the stupid tomatoes.
“I hate you guys.” I groaned, making the pico de gallo.
“You love us.” Kellin grinned, still half-distracted.
“Whatever.”
“Hey, it’s snowing!” Kellin announced, pressing his face against the glass.
“Kells, it’s December and we’re in Oregon. It was already snowing earlier.” Jaime reminded him.
“Yeah, but it’s snowing again!”
Laughing at his childish joy, I finished making their tacos.
“Dinner’s ready!” I announced, turning off the skillet.
“Thanks Mikey!”
“You should seriously make dinner every night!” Tony smiled. “It’s better than pizza every day.”
“Hey, that was your choice.” I retorted.
“I just wanted to know if I could do it!” Tony defended himself.
“What the hell are you guys talking about?” Kellin asked in confusion.
“On our last tour, Tony wanted to see if he could go the entire time eating only pizza – every damn day.”
“I’m surprised he isn’t fat, fucking Christ.” I mumbled, taking in Tone’s slender body.
“You’re one to talk.” Tony smirked, poking my ribcage.
“Hey, it’s geneti-” I tried to say, but I was cut off when I was slammed against the table.
“What the hell?” I shouted, as the bus swerved violently.
Kellin was still sitting on the couch, staring out the window with a dazzled expression.
“Someone just crashed.” Kellin breathed.
We all ran towards the windows, taking in the scene before us.
One of the cars had hit a patch of ice, spinning into a minivan that was coming down the opposite lane.
We had swerved into the side of the road, in an attempt not to rear-end both cars.
“Dude…” I trailed off, watching smoke trail from one of the cars. “I hope this won’t delay our show.”
We wouldn’t have enough time for sound check.
I was turning back to the kitchenette when Jaime grabbed my arm.
His nails were digging into my wrist.
“Jaime, what the hell ar-” I grumbled.
“My fucking car!” Jaime yelled, still looking out the window, staring intently at the silver vehicle Vic had taken.