Melt Your Headaches, Call It Home

"Oh. My. God. I'm bored. Aren't you? I mean it's been three whole hours! I am so tired of waiting. Is seems like we're always waiting. They always keep us waiting. Ugh. They are such attention… Well, don't you agree? I think so. They have no decency or, or anything. I bet it's just a game to them, and that they don't care about any of our feelings. They probably ENJOY it!" She took a breath, "Are you even listening to me?"

"Not really," I answered dryly, flipping the page of my magazine.

"Humpf," she snorted and crossed her arms. "You'd think they'd at least call or something. They have some nerve…"

"I'm sure they have a reason," I said monotonously. Internally, I agreed with her because despite my stoic appearance, I was buzzing with anticipation.

I've read this same stupid magazine three times now. It had only taken an hour of sitting and waiting from Ryan and Brendon to appear from their gate for me to break down and buy one of those trashy magazines, which I have not been featured in since last summer. Listening to Alice's anxious babble and watch stranger's baggage go round and round on the carousel would be enough to drive anyone up a wall. The worst was when a couple or a family had an excited reunion right in front of us, because we both knew that that would be us pretty soon.

Sadly, seeing Ryan and Brendon would still have to wait a bit. The computerized flight boards showed that there would be a two hour delay for their plane. When those two hours passed and finally their plane arrived, the boys didn't. Even the other passengers took awhile to get there.

We had stood eagerly awaiting seeing their faces as passengers from their flight had come to claim their own bags but they never showed, although their luggage did. Alice and I heaved them off the rack and were now sitting on the benches in a slightly sour mood. I knew this pretense would drop the second we saw them.

It did. The second Alice gave a small squeal and quickly departed from her seat I knew they were here. I raised my head and saw that Alice had launched herself onto Brendon and that they were both grinning and talking excitedly. Ryan and I weren't like that though.

His face was split with his smile and he was looking straight at me. I stood up and grinned. We both walked slowly towards each other and as I reached him I threw my arms around him and felt him do the same. I buried my face in his neck, just taking in his familiar scent.

"I missed you," he said in a soft voice for only me to hear.

"I missed you too," I replied hugging him tighter. I think hugs can be better than kissing.

He leaned back so that he could see my face and then pulled me into a kiss that made my stomach flutter. Scratch that last thought. I hadn't kissed him in a couple of months and damn, I forgot what I had been missing.

There was a giggle, "Jeez, they look like their eating each other's face."

"Shut up Bren," Alice commanded like it was a completely normal thing to do, and it was.

"But it's like acid burning my eyes…"

"Well, look away than."

"I can't, it's like bugs to a light bulb."

"You are such a drama queen."

I smiled into Ryan's lips and finally pulled away. There would be more time for that later.
Brendon wiped imaginary sweat from his forehead, "That was close, another second or two there and I might've had to come join you."

We all ignored him.

We each took a bag that contained everything that the boys had used in the past four months and strolled out to Alice's new custom powder pink Mercedes. It was actually nauseating, and I cringed driving it around when I borrowed it.

Brendon's jaw dropped, "This is nicer than my car!"

"Well, I have some loving parents…" Alice smiled stroking the shiny hood, "They said that if I could live on my own from a year without asking them for any money they would get me a car."

"Mind you," I told them, "This was after they had completely furnished the apartment and made sure she had a well-paying job."

She stuck her tongue out at me, "You're just jealous."

I shrugged and smirked, "I wouldn't want a Pepto-Bismol car."

"Just get in the back with your lover."

I rolled my eyes and grudgingly got in the Barbiemobile. I sighed, at least I had my Ken sitting next to me. I cringed and groaned inwardly, wow that was a cheesy thought. I thought it over for a second, fuck it, I don't care, it's true.

-------------------

Put put golf has to be the best sport – or whatever you want to call it – ever invented.

I had no idea how hilarious it would be when I suggested it to see a 22 year old guy yell at a purple golf ball because it was being a bastard for not going in the hole.

Ryan and I stood with our clubs in hand; tears of laughter in our eyes, watching Alice patiently try to show Brendon how to put gently. He tended to swing the thing like you would a real golf club causing everyone to scurry behind him so that we couldn't get hit my the wayward ball. We still had to be wary, though, sometimes when he got too enthusiastic the club would slip out of his fingers. He even managed to hit the ball backward once. You definitely had to keep on your toes.

"17!" Brendon shouted excitedly waving his hands in the air, causing the nearby family to frown in our direction.

"I think you're improving," I said, trying to keep a straight face. I couldn't bear to wipe off the childlike joy written across his features.

"That's four less than the last hole," Ryan said as his jaw muscles twitching as he also tried to control himself.

"CharLOTTE!" Brendon called, "Charlottie, it's your turn!"

As I stepped up the put, "Last hole!" Alice announced looking exhausted and relieved, she added in an undertone, "We shouldn't have let him eat all that candy."

"I told you," Ryan said obnoxiously.

"Oh my god, someone's feeling bitchy today, Ry-HOE," Alice shot back.

Ryan pretended to get shot in the heart, "Ouch, Alice that hurt."

"Drama whore," she muttered and went to go take her turn.

"Are you behaving?" I asked as I slipped an arm around Ryan's skinny frame.

He looked at me, his soft brown eyes stretched wide feigning innocence, "Me? Misbehave? Never."

A flash of inspiration hit me. I trailed my hand across his chest and planted a small kiss on his neck that made him shiver, I murmured suggestively, "I guess what I had planned for tonight won't work than."

He gulped, slightly shocked, he asked quietly, "And what would that be?"

"Oh, I don't know," I said, planting another small kiss on his clavicle, "I'm sure you can use your imagination."

"WHOOA!" Brendon's freakishly loud voice came causing us both to turn and look at him, "That was way too R-rated for the environment we are in. You could scar the children for life!"

I thought this was slightly ironic because not five minutes ago he had taken the time to use every single swear word ever invented to show his ball "who was boss" and make it go into the hole. It was all in vain though, because the ball didn't listen.

Fifteen minutes later we were headed inside, Brendon had gotten his lowest score yet (ten) and we had left behind an annoyed line of people waiting to use the last hole.

"Let's get a movie!" Brendon exclaimed hopping up and down.

"Let's get some sedatives!" I exclaimed in the same tone of voice.

His eyes narrowed at me and his hands went to his hips, "Are you making fun of me?"

"I think she's serious," Ryan put in.

"I didn't ask you, Ross," Brendon said before he stalked out the door.

Ryan looked puzzled, "Doesn't he know that we need to go out the other –"

The door swung back open and Brendon stalked off to the other set of doors. Alice smiled and followed him as Ryan and I laughed.

The usual ten minutes process of picking a movie took much longer due to certain people's (Alice's) pickiness but we finally made it up to our apartment.

I yawned as I flopped on the couch, "I am tired."

Alice paused as she put in the movie, "It's only eight o'clock…"

I snuggled closer to Ryan as he put his arm around me, "I've been working a lot lately though, so I could take a break."

"You still like it?" Ryan asked, he was referring to my promotion to music guru. They had somehow found out that I was going out with Ryan so they assumed I was really into music. Apparently skill doesn't matter anymore, connections = promotion. I'm not exactly complaining though, I make a hell of a lot more than I did before. I almost have enough to go back to school and then I won't have to fend off Ryan's attempts to loan me the money.

"Yeah," I said truthfully, "Except when I have to go review a concert of someone really bad… like there was this one concert. The décor was pretty strange; I mean flowers on the microphone?"

Ryan rolled his eyes, "You must be tired, you're getting sarcastic."

"Noooo. Really?"

"Alright shut up you two, it's starting."

I closed my eyes and smiled, I was with some of my best friends and I was in the arms of the guy I loved. Could things get any better right now? Moments like these were worth the heartache on the road, in fact, I think that separation helped us build a stronger relationship. I could tell what mood Ryan was just by his tone of voice and we could talk for hours on something as simple as a book. I was almost scared with how well Ryan knew me; he could smash my heart into tiny pieces without trying very hard and that’s why it took a little while to tell him everything. I didn't hesitate to tell him things anymore, I just trusted. He wasn't Connor. Whenever I forgot to I looked down at the words on my forearm.

The music of the opening credits was familiar but my mind was fuzzy with tiredness and so instead of trying to stay awake, I gave into the urge and fell asleep cuddled up to Ryan with my head on his chest. The last conscious thing I remember is listening to his steady heartbeat.

-------------------

"Charlotte," a soft voice sang into my ear, "Charlotte, wakeup."

"Uh-uh." I was too comfortable.

"C'mon," the voice sang again.

"No."

"Are you sure?"

"Mmmmhmmm." I could easily drift back to sleep.

"Well then," his voice took a sultry tone and he kissed my neck, "I guess I'll just have to go to bed all by myself."

"You. Are. A. Tease."

I opened my eyes; he was leaning over me with a very satisfied smirk on his face.

I looked around the room, "Where did Alice and Brendon go?"

"Ben's place," he answered, "We flipped a coin. I won."

He started to walk away but I grabbed his shirt, "Where do you think you're going?" I glowered.

"I was going back to –"

"Shut up, Ross."

I pulled him in for a kiss, but before our lips connected he said, "You know I love you?"

"Yeah, I love you too, now shut up."

"Make me."

A few minutes later we were stumbling into my bedroom and this time I didn't stop him. I didn't want to.