The Only Thing I Ask

“Yo, we have Avenged Sevenfold in the house!!”
The crowd screamed.
“Can I please have the Synyster motherfucking Gates to be up here, and show off?!”

The frontman of the band on stage insisted through his microphone. Brian eventually went up there, wearing his ‘well-what-can-i-say’ pose. All of Avenged Sevenfold bandmembers were shouting for him as if they were his fans.

Brian took the guitar from the band earlier and played. Everybody was thrilled. It was exclusive, and rare. Him showing off his solo skills was never a problem to the other members of Avenged Sevenfold. He’s loving the attention, he’s freaking good at it.

He played a little bit of improvisation and then he invited Zacky to the stage. Both of them showed off.
But in the corner of his eyes, Brian saw Michelle was sitting alone at the bar. He couldn’t take his eyes off her even for one second. Until he saw a guy apporaching her, he put down the guitar, let Zacky have his way on stage, and his feet practically ran towards the bar. It was difficult to wiggle through a crowd of swarming fans, he kept apologizing for not being able to entertain them.

Michelle didn’t answer to the guy’s drink offer. Probably she was too drunk to even hear his voice in such loud ambience. The guy looked up when Brian finally arrived at the bar, standing between both of them.
“S-Synyster Gates?”
“Yeah, sorry. She’s mine.”
The guy backed off respectfully, and he took a seat next to her.
“Hello there.”
She turned and smiled. The most beautiful smile he’d ever seen. The smile that made him weak from the first time.

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

“What in the name..? How the hell did I get that bruise?”

Michelle rubbed her forehead in front of a mirror. There was a small bruise mark on it. Then she rummaged through the cabinet, dying for aspirin. Her head pounded so hard that even a dog’s bark could sound like a jackhammer. She didn’t remember shit from last night. The last thing she remembered was…Brian, and his pretty little fan. She remembered being jealous.

The doorbell suddenly rang. It buzzed loudly in her head that she actually jumped, her toe hitting the cabinet’s bottom part and her head crashes into its door.

“Fuck!”
Pain throbbing in two places, she answered the door.
“Yeah?”
Brian stood still. His eyes bulging, staring at her who dressed in only Valerie’s Avenged Sevenfold t-shirt and panties.
“I thought you didn’t like us.”
Michelle slowly realized that person in front of her was Brian. She ran upstairs for a pair of pants after shutting the door in his face.

“What do you want?” she opened the door again, fully dressed.
“You must be dying for these.” Brian held up a cup of Starbucks and an aspirin.
“Thank you.” She took them and walked off to the kitchen, leaving the door open for him to come in.
“How’s your hangover?”
Michelle felt too weak to fight with him today. She couldn’t even bear to guess how the hell did he know she was having a hangover.
“Awful.”
“You’re such a lightweight.”
“Shut up.”
Brian smiled cockily. He watched her every move, from the point she popped up an aspirin to slid it down her throat.
“What are you doing here, Brian?”
“I came to check up on you.”
“No thanks. Valerie can do that.”
“She’s not here, is she?”
Michelle wondered. She didn’t hear any footsteps in Valerie’s room, or saw her face this morning.
“Where’s she? At Matthew’s?”
Brian nodded. He rested his head on his knuckles and lean on the island counter, and stared at her. His childish face, made Michelle’s heart pounded even faster than her headache.
“What are you looking at?”
“You.”
“I have a boyfriend, remember?”
“No you don’t.”

Michelle froze. Her eyes opened wide, her eyebrows raised. A cup of coffee hung in front of her mouth.

“Why did you say that you have a boyfriend, when you clearly fucking don’t?”
She gulped at his question. How in the world did he know that?
“I’ve gotta go. Being a rock star and all…you know. Busy guy.” He flashed that famous smirk and put on his aviator. He looked really hot in it, Michelle thought.
“Oh piss off.”
Brian chuckled, and made his way out. Leaving Michelle confused and headache combined.

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

“Dude, are you just gonna keep fighting with her?” Matthew suddenly asked, when all five of them were in a car, on their way to a show. Matthew was driving, and Brian sat beside him. Johnny and Jimmy were sleeping at the back of the car, while Zacky was playing with his phone. Tailing behind, a white van full of their equipments.

Brian shrugged. He just drummed his fingers on his thigh, ignoring Matthew. Deep inside, he didn’t want to give Matthew the satisfaction, and didn’t want to tell him the story about last night.

Last night;
“Hey, Rev. I’m gonna bring Michelle home. Don’t tell Matt okay?”
“Whoa whoa, hold your horses! You gonna fuck her?”
Brian raised his eyebrow. He’d thought of it, but taking advantage over a drunk girl wasn’t really his style.
“No. Just gonna bring her home.”
“Good. I won’t let you go if you do!”
Jimmy was practically shouting over when Brian already made his move.

The journey to Michelle’s home was eventful. Michelle actually sang their song Seize The Day and said that it was her favorite song of Avenged Sevenfold.

“Do you know Brian? He’s a jerk, that one. I was this close, THIS CLOSE to confess,” she drew her index and thumb finger closer to show how much.
“Confess what?”
“That I like him, a lot. I wish he would properly asked me out…instead of being a jerk about it.”

Brian can’t stop grinning. Every part of him was fluttered, knowing that he still have his moves around women, and Michelle was by far the most difficult.

“But..didn’t you say that you have a boyfriend?”
“How do you know?”

Brian pursed his lips, cursed himself for blowing his cover. But apparently Michelle was too drunk to even realized that he is the Brian that she talked about all night.

“Well, that’s just a bullshit I had to tell him. I don’t have a fucking boyfriend!
Brian stopped the car abruptly causing Michelle hit her head on the window.
“Ow!”
He panicked for a moment. Quickly unfastened his seatbelt, he drew closer to her and held her head only to find a red mark on her forehead.

“Oh, baby I’m sorry!” he accidentally called her that, and continued to rub over the mark apologetically. He rubbed, and rubbed, like rubbing a genie lamp until he paused to find she was staring into his eyes.

He got lost into those emerald eyes so easily. His right hand cupped her face, left hand still on the red mark. Slowly his slender fingers caressed her soft cheek, drawing small invisible circle on it. He tucked away her soft curls behind her ear, and drew even closer. It was merely an inch between them now, but their lips still haven’t touched.

“I didn’t mean what I said.” He whispered, and the warmness of his breath blew onto her lips.
“I don’t want to play with your heart.” He paused. Inhaling her scent. Then continued,
“I want it to become mine.”

Michelle closed her eyes. Didn’t reply anything. Until Brian finally drew apart and found her sleeping soundly on his palm. Sighing heavily, he kissed the red mark on her forehead, let her go and started driving again.

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

“Syn? Did you even listen to what I said?”
Brian came back to earth when Matthew’s voice interrupted his thoughts about last night.
“Huh? What?”

Matthew sighed. He slowly parked the car when they finally arrived at the venue, 30 minutes early. Crowds were already swarming at the front, so they had to unload their equipments quickly.

“Dude, you’re not using Hellwin for this one?” Zacky called Brian from the back of the van as he was ready to unload the amplifier. There were roadies to help them unload heavy shit but as for guitars, they prefer to do it themselves.

“Nah. Saving it for the road.”
“You mean the Asia tour?”
“Yeah most probably. Hand me my Schecter, will you?”
Zacky reached for Brian’s guitar which was still in its case and handed it over.

“Guys!! Help!!”
Johnny shouted from beside the van’s sliding door, where the drums were stored. Zacky, Brian and Matthew ran to him. They saw Jimmy was squatting on the ground.
“Rev! Hey, are you okay?” Matthew rushed over to him.
Jimmy held out his palm, signaling that he’s okay.
“My chest. Oh it burns! It fucking burns.”
“Where’s your meds dude?” Matthew panicked. Brian, being someone closest to Jimmy, hurried over to his backpack and searched for something. He took out a bottle of Vallium and Jimmy took it.
After a gulp of his prescription, Jimmy was strong again.
“Thank God for Vallium!” he shouted, hand in the air.

They all laughed, but nervously. They were too afraid to even be sad of his health condition. Once in a while things like this happened and Brian always came to rescue.

That’s Jimmy. He was born with a heart condition. He had a large heart, that would make anyone fall in love with it. It didn’t stop him from moving on and became the most awesome drummer ever.
On that particular show, he rocked.