So Much For Keeping This Just Friends.

The next few days flew by and Michelle didn't talk to Jack, as suggested by Travis. First of all, she never liked confrontation and besides she was still trying to sort through the thoughts and confusion going through her mind. As the days ticked by, the flirting, touching and kissing continued. Michelle had finally gotten a hold of Fae and was currently skyping with her in the back lounge.
"I'm just saying, if he's doing all of those things maybe he has feelings for you..." her roommate suggested.
"And I'm just saying, it's not going to happen. I'm pretty sure he wants to keep his balls and my brother won't let that happen if someone finds out about this."
"Michelle, do you like him?" Fae asked, cutting off her rant. The girl stayed quiet for a moment too long and her friend caught on right away. "Well then do something about it! Make a move!"
"I...I can't...What about Matt?"
"Mich! Don't base your life on what your brother wants. You're an adult, you can do what you want!"
"I don't even know if he likes me back..."
"Well then I think you should take Travis' advice. Talk to him. Take a risk for once in your life!" she exclaimed as Matt walked into the back lounge.
"Who are you talking to?" he asked, coming to take a seat next to her and looked at the screen. "Hey Fae, what kind of risk are you trying to make my sister take?" he asked. The girl on screen went wide eyed as she stuttered and glanced at her best friend for help.
"I was just talking to her about wanting to get a tattoo," Michelle lied, although it had been something that she had been thinking about for a while.
"What do you want to get done?" her brother asked, looking over at her.
"I was thinking I wanted a Minnie Mouse tattoo...." His eyes lit up and he grinned.
"Let's do it! now! I'll get a matching Mickey one!" he exclaimed, clearly excited. His sister was suddenly filled with anxiety but she knew that if she didn't do it now it wouldn't happen.
"Okay, let's go," she replied.
"Well have fun, text me a picture once it's finished!" Fae exclaimed from the computer screen, having been forgotten by the Flyziks that were too caught up in their plan.
After saying goodbye the two got up and headed towards the front of the bus.
"Where you two headed?" Alex asked. He and the rest of the band were sitting in the front lounge.
"We're off to get matching sibling tattoos," Michelle replied excitedly.
"This I've got to see!" Alex exclaimed as they got up and followed the brother and sister outside. After wandering around town for a while they finally found a shop that was free. Since there were two artists both siblings got to get there tattoos at the same time. Matt chose to put his on his upper arm while Michelle wanted hers on her shoulder blade. Unfortunately, they had to be in two different rooms. Zack and Rian stayed with their manager a first while Jack and Alex went to keep Michelle company. She was lying down on her stomach, clutching her phone in her hand, waiting for the artist to come back.
"Min, why don't you squeeze my hand so you don't break your phone," Jack suggested.
The girl objected at fist, saying that no, she was fine.
"No need to be brave Minnie, it hurts like a bitch, I won't lie," Alex told her. After pondering the decision for a moment, she let her phone lay on the chair and held her hand out to the skunk haired boy. He took hold of it, running his thumb across her knuckles softly, trying to calm her down. It worked momentarily, until the tattoo artist came back. Her body tensed up, making the guitarist chuckled and squeezed her hand.
"Will it hurt much?" she asked the tattooist as the wiped a cloth with rubbing alcohol across her skin.
"Yeah, but it's not so bad hun. You've got piercings, well the needle went completely through your body then, now it's just going to be scratching at your skin." He took a seat as he prepared his stuff. "You'll see, since it's a constant pain, you'll get somewhat used to it. So are you ready?" he asked finally. Michelle took a deep breath and squeezed onto Jack's hand. With another slight chuckle he squeezed back as the man commenced his work.

A little while later Jack handed her back her phone and she looked at the picture he had taken of her tattoo.
"Isn't it awesome?" she asked, grinning at him before looking back down at the screen and sending the picture to Fae.
"Not as cool as mine, but it's pretty cute...It suits you, a cute girl." She peaked up to see that he'd moved closer to her. He reached out, tilting up her chin and briefly pressing his lips to hers.
"Jack, what are we doing?" she whispered, pulling away slightly.
"We're kissing Min," he answered, doing just that once again. "It's what we always do."
"But why?" she whispered, pulling back again.
"Well, why not?" He pressed his lips to hers once more, this time however just completely pushed him away.
"Well if you want it to continue, you better find an answer for me," she told him. His eyebrows pulled together, looking at her. Why was she reacting like this? She hadn't objected to this before, fuck she was the one who had initiated it in the first place. Not this time, but that first time, at the club and in the bus afterwards.... He cleared his throat and took a step back, standing up straight. He did it just in time as well because Matt arrived grinning.
"Well let's see it then," he said as Alex, Zack and Rian trailed in after him. His sister grinned at him, turning around so she could show him her back. Once he'd gotten a good look he showed her his arm. After they had taken a picture, the tattooists bandaged up their work and after paying they headed back to the bus.
“Alright, enough fun and games, sound check in fifteen minutes guys,” Matt called. “Min, meet me inside the venue then as well.”
She nodded but headed to her bunk to grab a t-shirt to change into, not wanting her bandaged back to be out in the open all night.
“I do it because I want to,” a voice whispered from behind her. She turned to see Jack standing behind her with his hands stuffed in the pockets of his skinny jeans. “Because I enjoy it.” She stared at the boy for a moment. The rest of the bus was quiet, everyone else must have left. “Do you?” he asked. “Enjoy it?”
She bit her lip as she thought about it. She looked back up at him, shrugging slightly as a smile spread to her lips which made him grin.
“But it can stop, if you want it to,” he added, becoming serious again for a moment.
“And what if I don’t?” she asked, finally speaking.
“Then it doesn’t have to. We can just keep doing what we want to do. Screw everyone else. They don’t even have to know Minnie. I promise, your brother won’t find out, it’ll be our little secret,” he promised.
“We couldn’t really date…” Michelle pointed out.
“Alright, that’s fine. We can stay friends,” Jack offered, making her laugh lightly.
“So friends?” Michelle said, making sure this was what he meant. “With benefits?”
“Why label it Min?” he asked, chuckling as he approached her. “No need for labels. You’re you and I’m Me. This is us doing what we want. What makes us happy okay?”
She nodded and accepted a kiss from him before she pulled away.
“Let’s go into the venue, before my brother comes back to look for us. We don’t want whatever this is to end before it even starts.”
He left the bus first and for good measure she waited a couple of minutes before leaving as well.
“Have you spoken to him yet?” Travis asked, making her turn around. He had been leaning against his bus when he saw her leave hers.
“Yeah, I just did actually…”
“And?”
“Well, we’ve decided to stay friends…” she said. “Although, we have no immediate plans to stop our other activities either...”
“So you’re friends with benefits?” Travis asked as they reached the venue. He pulled the door open and held it for her.
“No we’re not labelling it,” she repeating Jack’s words from earlier. Travis scoffed and rolled his eyes.
“Yeah, that definitely makes you friends with benefits,” he replied.
“Okay, you can shut up now. And keep this to yourself,” she warned him. He made and ‘x’ over his heart and smiled at her.
“I won’t tell a soul,” he vowed. “Now go do your job.”