‹ Prequel: Changes
Making the Album
Birthday.
"So, when he comes in, we all jump out and yell 'surprise'!" Tre reminded them anxiously.
Jay rolled his eyes.
"Tre, you say that once more," He waved a packet of birthday candles at the drummer. "Then these will be taking a little trip up your-"
"Alright, alright. We get the idea." Robert said loudly.
The door slammed and everyone jumped.
"It's only me!" Mike dropped a sloppily wrapped present on the floor. "And I didn't see either of them in the lobby."
"Tony said she'd have him back at five." Tom said, peering at his watch.
"But you know Tony. She has her own sense of time." Blondie chuckled.
Tom looked indignant.
"It's not funny! All the times I've gotten stood up-"
"Talking about me?" Tony shut the door behind her with a smile. "Billie's in the lobby, so you guys should probably hide."
It was pandemonium. Tom and Tre got into a fight over who would hide in the closet. While they were arguing, Mike and Jay slipped into the closet and shut the door. Which started Robert yelling at Tre and Tom to stop fighting while he tried to hide the cake under the couch. Then Blondie lost his head completely and tried to hide behind the curtains, which had nowhere near enough material to hide his bulk.
"Men." Tony rolled her eyes and set about organizing them.
She stuffed both Robert and the cake in the pantry. Then she forced Tre and Tom behind the couch. Which left Blondie seemingly hiding spot-less. Cursing, she pushed Blondie behind the couch to Tre's loud protests.
"Alright. When he comes in here, jump out and yell 'surprise'!" Tony ordered. Muffled grunts issued from the pantry and the couch. The closet was suspiciously silent.
Tony sighed and rapped on the door.
"If the two of you don't jump out and yell 'surprise', I'll duck tape the door shut."
And then she heard the door open.
"Tony?" Billie called, kicking off his shoes.
"I'm in here." She called back. He thought he heard something like amusement in her voice.
"Come here, Tony! I wanna kiss you!"
"You come in here. I've got something for you."
Billie grinned.
"Is this my birthday present?" He asked flirtatiously.
"Come on in and see."
He shrugged off his jacket and padded into the living room.
"SURPRISE!"
***
There was cake and balloons and beer. Billie laughed until he thought he would throw up. Mike and Jay kissed just as the candles blew out and got themselves spectacularly caught. Tre snapped a Polaroid, just for the posterity. Robert and Tre did shots and then Barry turned up with tour news. Apparently, Aerosmith and Def Leppard had issued an invitation for both bands to tour with them.
Needless to say, it was an invitation that required almost no thought. The answer was a resounding yes.
Barry, ignoring the offers to stay, vanished back to the office. Billie felt vaguely guilty about it, considering that he was the reason Barry wouldn't want to stay. But he forgot all about his guilt when it came time for the presents.
***
"Oh..." Gasped Billie, lifting Robert's present out of the box. "It's gorgeous..."
"I don't know what brand you wanted. So I stuck with what I know, and snagged you this Les Paul."
The guitar was turquoise and beautiful, with strings just waiting to be played. Robert had even included stickers.
"Thanks...it's too nice, really." Robert shrugged.
"I've got money now. I wanna make everyone around me happy."
It was a sweet gesture, and it meant that Billie and Robert were finally friends. Tony sighed happily as they embraced.
Tre had given Billie the customary porn. Tony chuckled, slipping a hand around her boyfriend's waist.
"Sorry, Tre. I don't think he'll have much use for that."
And then Blondie and Tom handed Billie car keys. Apparently, they'd bought a Porsche, but couldn't find anywhere to park it.
Billie ripped the paper off Mike's present, but before he could lift the lid, the bassist's hand came smashing down.
"Erm...you might wanna open that in private." He told the singer, blushing furiously.
Tony burst out laughing.
"I take it that's one of those gifts for Billie that's really for me!" She laughed, rolling around on the couch.
"Then maybe us idiots should leave so you guys can try it out." Robert said with a smile, and herded the others out.
***
"Alone at last." Billie murmured.
"I wanna see the sex outfit." Tony said abruptly, and yanked the box out of Billie's hands.
"HEY!"
Tony flung the cover aside and her jaw dropped. She sat down on Billie's lap.
"It's nothing but lace...black lace..." Tony whispered. Billie grinned.
"Is that a whip I see?"
"Handcuffs too...."
Tony sighed.
"I'm not wearing the handcuffs. Happy fucking Birthday, Billie. I have a feeling that you're REALLY going to enjoy it."
"Remind me to thank Mike." Billie chuckled, as Tony went to change.
***
Handcuffed, on his back, to a hotel bed. It was how every man should spend his thirty-second birthday.
Tony lay curled next to him, panting slightly, her cheeks flushed. Billie jangled the handcuffs, grinning.
"Now...that was nice."
"Happy birthday." Tony sang softly.
"I...Tony..."
"You don't have to." She whispered, and began kissing his neck.
For a few moments, Billie forgot to breath. Her hands were everywhere, she tasted like heaven...
"Tony..." He moaned.
"Shh. Don't make me use the whip." She was joking, so Billie continued.
"I...I love you, Tony."
She was so surprised, she stopped kissing him.
"What?"
"I said, I love you, Tony."
Her eyes filled with tears and she wrapped herself around him.
"I knew...but sometimes, you just need to hear it."
And then she pulled the handcuffs off him and snapped them around her own wrists. Billie raised an eyebrow.
"I thought you said you wouldn't wear them?"
"I trust you." She said simply, and let him fasten them to the bed.
And then he started kissing her, and silence became a thing of the past.
Jay rolled his eyes.
"Tre, you say that once more," He waved a packet of birthday candles at the drummer. "Then these will be taking a little trip up your-"
"Alright, alright. We get the idea." Robert said loudly.
The door slammed and everyone jumped.
"It's only me!" Mike dropped a sloppily wrapped present on the floor. "And I didn't see either of them in the lobby."
"Tony said she'd have him back at five." Tom said, peering at his watch.
"But you know Tony. She has her own sense of time." Blondie chuckled.
Tom looked indignant.
"It's not funny! All the times I've gotten stood up-"
"Talking about me?" Tony shut the door behind her with a smile. "Billie's in the lobby, so you guys should probably hide."
It was pandemonium. Tom and Tre got into a fight over who would hide in the closet. While they were arguing, Mike and Jay slipped into the closet and shut the door. Which started Robert yelling at Tre and Tom to stop fighting while he tried to hide the cake under the couch. Then Blondie lost his head completely and tried to hide behind the curtains, which had nowhere near enough material to hide his bulk.
"Men." Tony rolled her eyes and set about organizing them.
She stuffed both Robert and the cake in the pantry. Then she forced Tre and Tom behind the couch. Which left Blondie seemingly hiding spot-less. Cursing, she pushed Blondie behind the couch to Tre's loud protests.
"Alright. When he comes in here, jump out and yell 'surprise'!" Tony ordered. Muffled grunts issued from the pantry and the couch. The closet was suspiciously silent.
Tony sighed and rapped on the door.
"If the two of you don't jump out and yell 'surprise', I'll duck tape the door shut."
And then she heard the door open.
"Tony?" Billie called, kicking off his shoes.
"I'm in here." She called back. He thought he heard something like amusement in her voice.
"Come here, Tony! I wanna kiss you!"
"You come in here. I've got something for you."
Billie grinned.
"Is this my birthday present?" He asked flirtatiously.
"Come on in and see."
He shrugged off his jacket and padded into the living room.
"SURPRISE!"
***
There was cake and balloons and beer. Billie laughed until he thought he would throw up. Mike and Jay kissed just as the candles blew out and got themselves spectacularly caught. Tre snapped a Polaroid, just for the posterity. Robert and Tre did shots and then Barry turned up with tour news. Apparently, Aerosmith and Def Leppard had issued an invitation for both bands to tour with them.
Needless to say, it was an invitation that required almost no thought. The answer was a resounding yes.
Barry, ignoring the offers to stay, vanished back to the office. Billie felt vaguely guilty about it, considering that he was the reason Barry wouldn't want to stay. But he forgot all about his guilt when it came time for the presents.
***
"Oh..." Gasped Billie, lifting Robert's present out of the box. "It's gorgeous..."
"I don't know what brand you wanted. So I stuck with what I know, and snagged you this Les Paul."
The guitar was turquoise and beautiful, with strings just waiting to be played. Robert had even included stickers.
"Thanks...it's too nice, really." Robert shrugged.
"I've got money now. I wanna make everyone around me happy."
It was a sweet gesture, and it meant that Billie and Robert were finally friends. Tony sighed happily as they embraced.
Tre had given Billie the customary porn. Tony chuckled, slipping a hand around her boyfriend's waist.
"Sorry, Tre. I don't think he'll have much use for that."
And then Blondie and Tom handed Billie car keys. Apparently, they'd bought a Porsche, but couldn't find anywhere to park it.
Billie ripped the paper off Mike's present, but before he could lift the lid, the bassist's hand came smashing down.
"Erm...you might wanna open that in private." He told the singer, blushing furiously.
Tony burst out laughing.
"I take it that's one of those gifts for Billie that's really for me!" She laughed, rolling around on the couch.
"Then maybe us idiots should leave so you guys can try it out." Robert said with a smile, and herded the others out.
***
"Alone at last." Billie murmured.
"I wanna see the sex outfit." Tony said abruptly, and yanked the box out of Billie's hands.
"HEY!"
Tony flung the cover aside and her jaw dropped. She sat down on Billie's lap.
"It's nothing but lace...black lace..." Tony whispered. Billie grinned.
"Is that a whip I see?"
"Handcuffs too...."
Tony sighed.
"I'm not wearing the handcuffs. Happy fucking Birthday, Billie. I have a feeling that you're REALLY going to enjoy it."
"Remind me to thank Mike." Billie chuckled, as Tony went to change.
***
Handcuffed, on his back, to a hotel bed. It was how every man should spend his thirty-second birthday.
Tony lay curled next to him, panting slightly, her cheeks flushed. Billie jangled the handcuffs, grinning.
"Now...that was nice."
"Happy birthday." Tony sang softly.
"I...Tony..."
"You don't have to." She whispered, and began kissing his neck.
For a few moments, Billie forgot to breath. Her hands were everywhere, she tasted like heaven...
"Tony..." He moaned.
"Shh. Don't make me use the whip." She was joking, so Billie continued.
"I...I love you, Tony."
She was so surprised, she stopped kissing him.
"What?"
"I said, I love you, Tony."
Her eyes filled with tears and she wrapped herself around him.
"I knew...but sometimes, you just need to hear it."
And then she pulled the handcuffs off him and snapped them around her own wrists. Billie raised an eyebrow.
"I thought you said you wouldn't wear them?"
"I trust you." She said simply, and let him fasten them to the bed.
And then he started kissing her, and silence became a thing of the past.