It was hot.

Unbelievably hot.

Satan’s pit full of hell fire and burning souls kind covered in every type of Tabasco sauce kind of hot. And because of this, everyone was miserable and grumpy because it was their day off and there was only so much relief you could get from half arsed air conditioning. Sighing heavily Danny moved around the Pierce The Veil bus trying to stave off his extra energy.

“For the love of Gallifrey why is it so bloody hot?”

Vic looked over at him from above his laptop in amusement. “You’re from Australia; I thought you were used to heat.”

“I am but I didn’t live in the fucking Northern Territory, I live on the Gold Coast. Which while it gets fucking hot it never got above 50˚C, only ever stayed in the 40’s during the summer. Isn’t there anywhere we can go? A public pool, a beach, a water park anything?”

“Hang on I’ll look it up,” Vic said turning back to his laptop screen and searched for water parks in the area before grinning. “There is one and it’s twenty minutes from here. What d’you reckon, band family outing?”

“Hell yes!” Danny cried, “I’ll tell the others,” he cheered as he walked off the bus and walked over to his own, stepping in and finding the mega phone they had stashed in one of the cabinets for some ungodly reason and walked back outside as he fiddled with the settings before turning on the siren and holding it above his head.

The sound of shrieks were heard over the noise and he tilted his head back to see Taylah, Horizon, Shay, Alex and Andy jerk up from their lounged position on the top of the bus where they were sun bathing.

“The fuck man!” Alex shouted down at him as the members from the other bands came over to see what the racket was. “What the hell do you want?”

“Yeah what’s with the noise?” Vegan asked from his left as Bring Me and Of Mice squeezed into the gap between buses. Danny smiled and turned the siren off before regarding everyone in front of him.

“Get your shit ready, guys, we’re going to a water park!” Danny said happily. “We leave in ten. FAMILY OUTING BITCHES!”

As soon as he announced that everyone turned and ran to their buses to get everything together. Danny turned back to his band members who were still on top of the bus, packing up the towels they’d laid out. “Best idea you’ve ever had, Danny,” Andy called as he turned to him with a smile. “Can’t wait to get wet.”

Danny blushed slightly at the way Andy had phrased his sentence and swallowed before walking onto the bus to get ready himself.

---

Mike watched Taylah as she walked through the parking lot, unable to tear his eyes away from her body which was placed on display; long tattooed legs free for his eyes to look at thanks to her burgundy high wasted shorts that only went to her mid-thigh while she wore a thin white button up shirt with no sleeves over her black bikini. He watched as she rummaged through her bag, pulling a small black and gold box out before she pressed something and with a flourish of her wrist the top opened with a chirp.

“Captain’s log: star date 21/11/13. It’s been a week since we last saw sight of the Klingons. With their disappearance all traces of water have gone also. This planet’s heat is becoming overbearing and the men are starting to turn against one anothe. No word yet from Scotty on the transporter so for now, we’re alone. Our helmsmen Chekov has found a typological schematic which shows large traces of water, a lake perhaps. We are on route to explore the findings. Kirk out.”

Mike laughed as she flipped the thing closed while turning to Horizon who was standing beside her smiling at her. “Anything, Spock?” she asked as they neared the gates.

“We seem to be approaching water for there is more traces of life surrounding us, Jim. I cannot say for sure just what we should expect of this planet’s indigenous species,” Horizon replied in a monotone voice before she grinned. “I love it when we RP.”

Mike watched as Taylah laughed and nodded before turning back to look at him. “Come on, slow poke, I wanna go on the big slides,” she said as she held her hand out for him to take which made him smile.

“The big slides huh? You sure you’re up for them? I hear they’re pretty scary,” he replied as he sped up and twined her fingers through hers.

“’I’m sure I’ll manage, Whiskey. If not, I have you with me,” she said as they joined the line to buy tickets. “My big, bad Mexican rocker will protect me,” she said as she leaned against his arm causing him to drop her hand and wrap him arm around her shoulders instead and pull her into his side.

Mike turned his head and smiled into her hair before lowering his head to speak into her ear, “That’s right, I’ll protect you from the scary rides.” He pressed a kiss to her cheek causing it to flood with a blush while she smiled.

“I still say you’re cheesier,” she said as she tilted her head back against his arm to look at him.

“Nah, it’s all you, Latté. No one can surpass your cheesiness.”

Taylah rolled her eyes as they moved forward in the line before they finally reached the ticket both. “Two please,” Mike said while holding up two fingers on his left hand, his right pulling his wallet from his red shorts.

“Hang on, let me get my wallet,” Taylah said as she pulled her backpack off.

“No way,” Mike said as he opened his wallet just as she pulled out hers.

“Yes way, I won’t let you pay for me,” she argued as she opened her wallet.

“I am the dude, it’s my job to pay for the good looking girl, now shut up and let me pay the man, Latté.” Mike pulled out two fifties and nodded his thanks when he received his change and the tickets, taking her hand and leading Taylah into the wonderful world of water.

“Will you at least let me buy lunch?” Taylah asked as they walked, feeling bad that Mike had paid.

He sighed and turned to look at her through his glasses, regarding her for a moment before nodding. “If it makes you feel better, then yes.”

“Thanks.” Mike watched as she looked around at the different slides to go on with a smile before tugging his hand and pointing at the largest one. “Can we go on that one first?”

“Sure thing, babe but we gotta dump our shit first.” Spotting Oli and Hannah laying on chair by a pool, he dragged Taylah over and put their stuff with everyone else’s, both kicking off their Vans and tucking them under one of the chairs.

“Why aren’t you guys swimming?” Taylah asked as she pulled her shirt off revealing her tattooed torso which immediately drew Mike’s eyes as he was folding up his muscle tee that he’d just pulled off and surprisingly, Hannah’s eyes were drawn to the ginger’s body as well.

“Wanted to make sure everyone had their stuff in one place,” Oli said as he rubbed sunscreen on Hannah’s back while she surveyed the under breast tattoo Taylah had.

“Who did your tattoo?” she asked as she looked at it. “It’s really well done, they have serious skill.”

Taylah smiled and rubbed her tattoo before she went to pull her shorts off. “My older brother Cole is a tattoo artist back home in Australia. This was my first tattoo I ever got and he did it for me. Dad was pissed but it’s hard to take a man with full sleeves seriously.” Bending down, Taylah picked up her shorts and folded them, tucking them into her bag before pulling out her sunscreen.

“Was it hand poked?”

“Yeah it was, longest six hours of my life.” Hannah looked at her in surprise, clearly impressed. Upon seeing her expression Taylah chuckled while uncapping the bottle. “Cole has been tattooing since he was sixteen. We’re good friends with Lily’s family and he was interested in their traditional tattoos and how they were done. Her cousin who practiced in the hand poked traditional tattoos of the Māori taught Cole how to do it. He’s been doing it for so long that it takes him no time at all these days.”

“That’s cool. I have to meet him one day, we can swap stories,” Hannah said, turning when Oli had finished her back to do his also.

Mike watched as Taylah smiled at the couple before turning to him and holding up the sunscreen bottle. “Can you do my back please?” he nodded and when she turned he was greeted with the sight of a white owl at the base of Taylah’s neck, wings out stretched and wrapping around her neck with a roll of parchment with the Deathly Hallows drawn in the middle clutched in its talons.

Smiling at the Harry Potter tattoo he began to rub the cream into her back and on her shoulders for her, marvelling at her other tattoos which he never got to see. He swallowed slightly at some of them which were clearly there to cover some of her scars from when she had cancer. She was a patchwork canvas of black and white tattoos with splashes of colour here and there and in his eyes she couldn’t be more beautiful. She was real in the way she carried herself and didn’t care what others thought of her. She didn’t care that her body wasn’t completely perfect, she embraces it and to Mike that was so much more beautiful.

“All done,” he said into her ear and she turned to him with a smile, taking the bottle and motioning him to turn around which he did and moments later he felt her hands running up and down his back and shoulders before finishing and turning him to apply some to his face while he did the same to her before they did each-other’s arms, the act reminding him of the first day he met her when she and Alex applied each-other’s sunscreen.

“Ready to go?” Mike asked as he watched her apply finish applying sunscreen to her legs and stomach.

“Yeah I am,” she said excitedly, reaching over and placing the bottle back into her bag before straightening and flashing him a wide grin. “Let’s G.O,” she said as she grabbed his hand and pulled him away from the two Brits, shouting out “Bye” over her shoulder as they headed towards the largest water slide.

The day carried out along the same lines, Taylah and Mike dragging each other to the large slides and going down together before they found the others in the wave pool and started a splash war before they left once more to get food.

It was currently a break in between the slides and pools while they ate the burgers they’d just bought, Taylah sitting across from Hannah as they spoke, giving Mike some time to have a smoke and sit with Vic who intuitively knew that he needed to speak to him.

“When are you going to make a move?” Vic asked softly as he drank from his can of coke.

“I was thinking of doing it later today or tonight but I don’t know,” Mike replied just as softly, raising his hand to his mouth to take a drag from his cigarette. Both brothers were watching the girl in question as she nodded to something Hannah said, holding out her arm and pointing to a spot.

Vic frowned slightly at what his brother said, not understanding why he wouldn’t just make a move already. “What’s the problem, Mikey? You clearly like her and she surprisingly seems to like you, just do it already.”

“But what if she doesn’t like me that way? I could ruin the whole thing. I mean, she’s perfect and I really think we could have something together but what if we fell out and she never wanted to see me again?”

“Mikey, she isn’t the type who would just do something like that. Even if she didn’t like you that way, she wouldn’t be cruel about it. I mean, have you met her? She speaks politely to the cashiers who are rude to her with a happy smile and treats everyone like they’re number one. If she didn’t like you she’d tell you but wouldn’t turn you away, she’d still be your friend. But you don’t have to worry about that, I don’t think she’d turn you down any time soon.”

Mike turned to look at his brother who was a serious expression on his face. “You think she likes me back?”

Vic turned to him with an exasperated look. “Are you fucking blind? Of course she likes you. She’s always blushing and shit, dropping hints and you just never seem to pick up on them.” Mike smiled slightly as he turned back to Taylah whose eyes roved absently around before landing on them and flashed the brothers a smile before zoning back into what Hannah was saying.

“I’ll make a move tonight,” Mike said softly, more to himself than to Vic as he finished his smoke, standing to put it in the bin instead of the ground because of all the kids around.

“About time, Mike, it’s been over a month since you two started this weird dance you guys have going on. All you two do is flirt shamelessly and spend every waking moment together. Danny and I were thinking of locking you in a closet if you went on like this. For God’s sake, kiss the girl.”

“I will,” Mike said with a determined nod. “Tonight, I will make my move and finally kiss Taylah.”

“Thank God,” Vic groaned as he slumped in his seat. He couldn’t handle watching the two a minute longer. It was just nauseating how cute they were.

Notes

Fucking finished. Finally.

The tattoo Taylah has is by Hannah in real life but let's play pretend in this fic shall we?

It took me all day to write this. Well, all day starting at 3 and it's 11:53PM now. It was a tough one to punch out and I kept getting distracted by my killer headache but I pushed through it because I was determined to update and actually get somewhere with Mike and Taylah. I would like to say that there was a whole heap of music playing when I wrote this. I just kept changing my mind on what my beat should be to get me in the zone.

It started with Pink's Try and then it was just a whole heap of Paramore and Like Moths To Flames before going to Chameleon Circuit because of one song called Kiss The Girl which is where the chapter title came from, then and currently, I'm listening to Crossfaith.

I'm happy with this chapter and the next one will have what happens that night and it should be up in the next couple of days (fingers crossed). Thing is, I've always known how I wanted them to get together and how I wanted them to be but it's writing the stuff leading up to them getting together that's hard to put down which is the main reason it took so long to get this chapter out.

Hope you liked it anyway and that you didn't skip this rant (it's cool if you did, I skip them too sometimes) and as a final note, if you're a major Doctor Who fan like I am, then you'll totally love Chameleon Circuit because their music is based off of Doctor Who, so check them out yeah?