The Only Thing I Ask

Valerie packed away his clothes carefully. She actually felt sad because tomorrow Matthew will be leaving her for half a year. She couldn’t do anything about it. She can’t follow them because their tour manager didn’t want to cause any distraction for them, and plus she will be bored as hell.

Matthew on the other hand, looked like he didn’t give a damn. He liked being on the road. To him, their fans are everything. They stuck by them through thick and thin, and he enjoyed being on stage more than anything. So he was actually excited.

He didn’t realize Valerie’s face changed when he announced that they will be touring Europe for 6 months. Sometimes Valerie wondered, does he really love her, like she loves him?

She had been trying to be the perfect girlfriend for Matthew. She cooked eventhough she wasn’t as good as her sister, she cleaned his house, she fucked him occasionally. What more could he ask for?

But Matthew was just too busy to realize that.

“I think you should just marry your job.”
She once said this to him. He just shrugged, kissed her forehead and replied;
“Maybe. At least my job don’t nag.”

Sometimes she swore that Matthew didn’t actually love her and he had lost interest in her. He still flirted with his fans, even on stage. She worried that he might go back to his old self, a womanizer.

Done packing, she closed the suitcase and sat beside it on the edge of the bed. Matthew was still in the shower, singing songs from their City of Evil tracks. Probably practicing his vocal in there.

She wondered mindlessly about Michelle. How is she doing? Did Brian and her made up yet? How did it go Jimmy? Those are all some unanswered question in her head. She was reaching for her phone to call Jimmy when Matthew finally came out of the shower with only a towel wrapped up his waist below.

Valerie stared at him, drinking his sexy and manly-as-hell look.

“What are you looking at?” he asked.
“Your ass.”
Matthew smiled, showing off his adorable dimples and took off the towel. Valerie gasped, everytime he did that.
“Can you dress me up?” he opened his arms widely while facing her, with full frontal naked body.
“You’re going to bed, why would you wanna dress up?”

Matthew raised his eyerows at her. “So…are you suggesting that I go to bed, naked?”

She flushed. They had been in a relationship for almost a year, but she still embarassed at the thought of them both being naked.

“I can do that.” Then Matthew walked over to her, with his manhood dangling, making her laugh.
“I see you’ve packed my suitcase.” He stopped when he saw the big suitcase beside her.
“Yeah. I’ve put in some of your favorite tshirts in there. A lot of fresh underwears. Please remember to go the laundry once in a while okay?”
Matthew sighed, hands on his hips. “What would I do without you, Val?”

Valerie smiled at him sweetly. Matthew picked the heavy suitcase up easily and settled it on the floor. Valerie rose up to meet him. She kissed him and he immediately returned it.

“I love you, Matt.” She parted from the kiss to say this, hoping he would feel the same way. Matthew opened his mouth to reply but then suddenly his phone rang.

“Hello? Yeah, Zacky? …uh-huh. Uh-huh. Oh yeah, totally. I’ll come right over.” He hung up, and turned to Valerie. He dressed himself as he explained the phone call.
“Baby, I gotta drop by the studio for a bit. Zacky forgot some tab sheets for tomorrow. After that maybe we’ll hang for a drink or two. Talk about tomorrow’s stuff. Don’t wait up okay?”
“But Matt, you’ll be leaving me for 6 months starting tomorrow. Can’t you just hang with me today?”

Matthew stopped whatever he was doing. He looked intently at Valerie, and gradually smiled. His amazing smile that always made her melt.

“Don’t worry, I won’t be that long. Maybe after I come back, we could- you know, continue where we left off just now.”
He approached her, kissed her softly on the lips and went out of the room. Valerie sighed again, lying her back on the bed, giving up.

*****************************************************************************************************
They were now lying on their backs, on the cold kitchen floor, staring at the ceiling. Both naked, thinking of what to say next. Brian had spilled everything to her, about his drug use days, how did he ended up with Maya, why was he so clingy to her until the part where Jimmy admitted that he was sick. Part of it Michelle already knew from Valerie and Matt’s story.

“Jimmy is sick…? He never told me that he’s-” Michelle broke the silence apart suddenly, and sat up straight. She loved Jimmy and her heart broke imagining his happy and crazy behaviour towards her.

Brian got up too, his knees bent upon his chest. “He’s a strong motherfucker. He didn’t tell anybody anything.”

Michelle glanced at him sideways.
“Is that why you hated me being your fan so much?”
Brian smiled weakly at her.
“When Maya came to me the first time, I was fucking thrilled to have a fan, finally. We were just recently became famous and yet she was chasing me. Not Matt, not Johnny, me.”

Michelle rolled her eyes at him. “Well good for you then.”
“Hey, hey.” Brian pulled her closer and his hands slowly snaked in behind her waist. He buried his face into her hair and inhaled. He paused in a long silence for a moment.

“I started taking drugs after I met her. I left the band behind for a while because I was so into her. I went on stage feeling high, I didn’t realize we sounded really bad because of me. They were all fucking pissed off at me. But I didn’t give a shit.”
He chuckled a little, and then his smile faded.
“I failed to notice that Jimmy was suffering. He’s my best friend in the whole world. I am so afraid of losing him. Like I’m afraid of losing you.” He started again.
“But Brian, what are you going to do now? I’m already your biggest fan.”
He pulled away from the embrace and studied her intently.
“It’s too late now. You’re in here.” He took her hand and put it onto his chest. Michelle melted right there. She took his face and kissed him passionately. But then suddenly he muttered under his breath;

“I don’t wanna leave you for another 6 months.”
She pulled away from her kisses. “What?”
Brian licked his lips and gazed at her. “We’re going on tour starting tomorrow. At least 6 months on the road.”
“WHAT?”
He startled for a bit when Michelle raised her voice.
“But-but we just got back together, and now you’re leaving me…again?”
“I know, babe. But it’s what I do. I travel around, you have to get used to it.”
Michelle sighed. But when she was about to say something, the doorbell rang.

“I’ll get it, you get dressed.” He ordered while standing up. Michelle stunned for a bit watching his majestic body moved so effortlessly and forgot the fact that she was naked on the kitchen floor.

“Michelle, it’s Matt and Zacky. I don’t want them to see you naked.” He whispered after he peeked through the hole on the door. Michelle got up quickly and ran upstairs. Brian on the other hand picked up his shorts on the floor and put them on before opening the door.

“S’up guys?” he grabbed Matt’s hand and hug him in ‘a bro hug’ then proceeded to do the same to Zacky.
“Hey, you’re okay? Just wanna make sure that tomorrow you won’t bail.” Matthew started while holding a small mysterious box in his hand.
“You know I won’t. I already packed.”
“Good, good.”

Then they just stood there in the doorway, awkwardly. Matthew and Zacky looked at each other. Usually Brian will let them in without thinking, but this time he blocked the doorway.

“Uh, you got a girl in here dude?”
Brian’s eyes widened. But then he remembered. They already knew about Michelle. He can’t help but smile and shrugged as he finally let them in.
“Seriously? You already forgetting Michelle?” Matthew nagged as he walked in.
“Yeah dude. How could you? She’s going to be Matt’s sis-”
“Zacky.” Matthew cut him off. Brian frowned. What the hell are they talking about right now?
“Anyway, you should at least let it go for like, a couple of months before you find someone new.”
“Guys-”
“I think I heard you clear enough when you said that you loved her. What happen dude? Who’s the bitch this time?”

“You already told them too, I see.” Michelle walked downstairs, fully dressed, towards them and Brian held out his left arm, offering an embrace. She immediately took it. Leaving Matthew and Zacky stunned watching them.
“Hi Matt, Zacky.”
Their lips broke into a grin together. “Hi Michelle…” They waved in sync and made Michelle laughed.
“Wow, that was fast. And perfect timing too.” Matthew casually said this while putting something into his jacket pocket.
“Yeah thanks to Jimmy’s psychic power.” Brian joked, and they all laughed. Zacky stepped closer to Michelle and pulled her into a hug.
“I promised myself that I would hug anybody that can make Brian love again. Thank you for breaking the iceberg. We would be like titanic without you.”
Michelle frowned, and chuckled eventually. “That’s a very interesting comparison Zacky.”
Zacky shrugged as he pulled away.
“So are you guys just here to check up on me or what?”
Matthew raised his eyebrows and glanced at Zacky.
“Er, Mich, can you get us a couple of beers please?” he asked politely.
“Sure.” She smiled and nodded. She understood that they wanted to have ‘the guys talk’. About what, she didn’t know. But she hoped it wasn’t about her and Brian getting back together.