California

“Be careful!” Mikey’s worried voice filtered up to my ears. I smiled down at him, laughing at how he had his arms out ready to catch me any second if I fell. I grabbed the next bar and hoisted myself up onto the scaffolding. I sat down and set up my mini tripod and tried to get everyone in the shot. “Mikey, go get in the picture.”

“I don’t want you to fall!” He exclaimed, still craning his neck to keep an eye on me.

I rolled my eyes and shouted to Jaime. “Hime, can you get the ginger in the picture?” Jaime laughed but managed to shove Mikey behind him and Vic for the picture. As soon as I was done, I grinned as Mikey ran back to where I was.

“Alright, get down now,” he encouraged. I folded my tripod back up and held it close to me as I began climbing down slowly. Before too long I was down on the ground again and Mikey finally looked calm. “What’d you have to do that for?”

“I’m an artist, Michael. I must make sacrifices in order to create said art,” I grinned at him. He rolled his eyes and intertwined our hands as we walked past the line of fans waiting to meet Pierce the Veil and Sleeping with Sirens. We walked through the narrow hallways and found ourselves in their dressing room. He plopped onto the mustard couch and pulled me onto his lap. I grabbed his hand and started playing with it.

“I’m going to miss you so much,” he murmured.

I sighed. “I know. I know we’ll get to see each other in a couple of weeks…but what about after that?”

“You could fly out and see me, or I could come see you.”

I frowned at our hands as I thought about having to fly halfway across the world to see the man I adore. He kissed my cheek, making me look at him. “Look, I know it’s not ideal. But when life gives you lemons, make lemonade.”

I rolled my eyes at him and grinned. “You’re so cheesy.”

“You like cheese, though,” he pointed out. I laughed and shook my head. He’s such a dork. The door clicked open and Sam entered along with James and Joe. They informed us that it was nearly time for their set to begin. I sighed and Mikey raised his eyebrows at me. “What is it?”

“I’m just thinking that tonight is our last night together for weeks. Both of us have a bus load of people surrounding us. It’s not exactly ideal,” I whispered as I ran my fingers across his tattoos. He frowned and nodded. He seemed to be deep in thought for a few moments before his face lit up.

“Do you want to get a hotel room tonight? There’s one about a block away.” I smiled and nodded.

“Mate, let’s get warmed up,” Dave said as he entered the room. I let Mikey get up so he could get prepared for their last set of this tour. He started to concoct a drink that had honey in it to help with his voice. He drank it slowly and then cleared his throat. He started singing random notes, hitting each one perfectly as if they’d been written to suit his voice. Dave grabbed his drumsticks and began tapping a beat on the wall with them. Sam soon joined in with Mikey, their voices flowing together in perfect harmony. I watched in awe as they all did their own thing to make sure the set would go well. James came back from the back part of the room and I saw he had a beer in his hand.

“Scoot a loo, some of us got to warm up,” he said and started to sip his drink dramatically. Dave looked back at him and laughed while Mikey stretched his neck.

“It’s nearly time. I should get out there so I can get ready,” I said and stood up. I walked over and pecked Mikey on the lips. “Good luck, guys. See you out there.” I went across the hall to Pierce the Veil’s dressing room and only saw Tony in there taking a nap. I quietly opened my bag and grabbed two of my best cameras, slinging them around my neck.

I closed the door as quietly as I could and then walked directly around Kellin when I came face to face with him. I could hear his annoyed sigh as I walked away with a triumphant smirk on my face. I showed my pass to the security guard who let me by. I was greeted by the sound of hundreds of people. I walked in front of the barricade until I was about center stage, since I knew that’d be where Mikey would be. I turned on my favorite camera and pointed it towards the stage, making sure all the settings were correct.

A few moments later Joe walked out onto the stage followed by everyone else. The crowd started cheering and Dave waved at them before climbing behind his drum kit. Mikey had on his sexy, gray, leather-looking jacket. He looked amazing. He caught my eye and gave me a wink before he took a gulp of water and set it on the amplifier besides Dave’s drum kit. James and Sam played a few chords to make sure everything was as it should be. When it was, Dave slapped his sticks together and the opening riffs to Wake Up filled my ears.

I snapped a few pictures as Mikey introduced them to the crowd and started singing. His voice was incredible, as usual. I smiled and continued snapping from different angles. About halfway through the song, he discarded his jacket and I felt heat rushing to my face. The tank top he was wearing showed off his muscles in an inconspicuous way, but enough for me to notice. His tattooed skin shimmered under the lights and I couldn’t help but stare. As the song came to a close, he propped his leg up on an amplifier and leaned down, pouring his emotion into the song as he prolonged the ending note. When he was done he caught my gaze and grinned before standing up and shouting into the microphone.

The next song they played was Beggars, which was quickly becoming one of my favorites. I loved the emotion it evoked in Mikey. The way he’d close his eyes and cover his heart with his hand while he sang really made me smile. I got a few good pictures of him doing that and knew they were going to come out really well. I got lost in the music, mouthing the words as my talented boyfriend jumped around the stage and sung with nothing less than one hundred percent.

Lighthouse was the last song they played. Mikey got everyone in the crowd to put their phones up and sway their arms to the music. It was really beautiful. I started tearing up as I watched my friends give everything they had into the last song. The ambiance was indescribable. As the last note filled the space, Mikey shouted his thank you into the microphone. He was beaming profusely until he caught my eyes. He must have seen my tear stained cheeks because he furrowed his brow in confusion and then nodded his head in the direction of the backstage area.
I walked back there glumly, staring at my feet the entire way. I stopped when his shoes appeared. I looked up and saw his face etched with concern. “What’s the matter?”

I let out a sob at his simple question, falling into his arms as he rubbed my back. “Y-you’re leaving tomorrow,” I cried into his chest. He sighed and began to sing softly in my ear, holding me closer than before.

After a few minutes I calmed down considerably. I pulled away from Mikey and let out a hoarse laugh, embarrassed about my overwhelming emotions. He wiped away a tear with his thumb and pressed a gentle kiss to my cheek to stop another one. “Do you want to go now?” I nodded wistfully and he grabbed my hand. He led me to his bus where James and Joe were cooling off.
“Hey, we’re going to grab a hotel room for the night,” Mikey said as he grabbed some of his stuff and some of the clothes I’d left here.

“Are you alright?” Joe asked, frowning at me. Another wave of emotion overtook me as I hurled myself forward, grabbing both him and James into a hug. Both of them were surprised, but returned the gesture nonetheless.

“I’m going to miss you guys,” I whispered.

“We’ll miss you too, Sky,” James spoke softly and patted my hair. Mikey emerged from the bunk area with a packed suitcase and smiled sadly at us. I released my hold on them and grabbed Mikey’s hand once more. He led me off the bus and we walked in thick silence until we reached the hotel. He held the door open for me and we entered the brightly lit, clean lobby.

“Hello, there. We’d like a hotel room for the night, please,” he spoke to the large blonde man behind the desk. I wandered a few feet away and looked at the basket of warm, freshly made cookies that lie there. There were pictures of flowers and nature decorating the dull white walls.

“Babe?” I turned and saw Mikey already had our room key and was waiting for me by the elevator. I followed him into the small box and rested my head on his shoulder as we rode to floor three. The doors opened to reveal a long hallway with elegant carpeting. He led me to room 42 and used the key to open the door. He flipped on the switch and held the door open for me. I walked in and kicked my shoes off, looking around. The wallpaper was white and gold striped and the carpet was a lovely tan color.

“I’m going to take a shower,” Mikey spoke after he set our suitcase down near an oak table. “Do you need one?” I nodded absentmindedly and followed him into the blue tiled bathroom. He turned the knobs on in the glass shower and began stripping himself. I let my eyes drink him in as I slipped off my own clothes and discarded them on the floor. His eyes devoured every inch of my body and mine his. I’ve never felt more beautiful under anyone’s stare. He pressed our lips together and held the shower door open for me. I grabbed his hand to steady myself and stepped into the steaming stream of water. He followed suit and closed the glass behind us.
No words were spoken as he massaged shampoo into my long hair. I grabbed some soap and began lathering each of us in it. He kissed my forehead and hugged my close as the water flowed over our naked bodies and warmed us up. He helped me wash my hair out slowly and gently and I helped him with his. I placed my hands on either side of his face and sighed, fighting back tears once again. “I love you.”

“I love you too,” he whispered and pressed our foreheads together. I don’t know how long we stayed like that, looking dreamily into each other’s eyes. The water started to get cold and that made us reluctantly leave the shower. I stepped out first and handed him a towel as I wrapped one around myself. I used my comb to smooth out my hair and we exited the bathroom, our clothes to be collected later.

“Are you hungry, love?” he asked as he picked up a menu for room service. I shrugged and sat on the purple comforter, staring at his beauty. The white towel was draped loosely around his waist, hanging just low enough for me to see his hip bones. My eyes scanned over his beautifully inked arms and down his chest, watching as his happy trail disappeared beneath the cloth.

“Mikey?” I asked softly. He mumbled something in response but continued looking at the menu. I repeated myself slightly louder this time, gaining his attention.

His eyes roamed from bare legs up to where the towel was clutching my breasts tightly. He met my eyes and slowly set down the menu. He took a few strides until he was standing directly in front of me, his eyes looking straight into my soul. I licked my lips in anticipation and grabbed his hands in mine. He bent down and kissed me, his lips tasting of honey. I wove my hands through his wet hair, pulling him closer. He placed his hands on my sides and lowered me onto the bed and hovered over me.

I kept one hand tangled in his hair as the other one caressed his silky soft back. His right hand settled on my bare thigh, slowly making its way up. He slid it around to squeeze my butt and I bucked my hips into his, feeling his erection through the thin layers of towel. I found where his towel was tucked into itself and stuck a finger between his skin and the fabric, dropping it in one swift motion. He detached our lips and started placing gentle, loving kisses on my collarbone and jaw. He pressed his hips up against my thigh and discarded my towel.

I laced my hands around his neck, bringing him as close as possible, his body heat mixing with mine, our hearts beating in sync. He placed a kiss on my breast, pulling one of my nipples into his mouth. He sucked on it expertly as his thumb traced the other. My breath hitched in my throat as he worked, wondering how I was so lucky. I moaned his name quietly and he placed kisses back up to my jaw. He found my sweet spot behind my ear and began sucking on it.

“Mikey, make love to me,” I groaned, not wanting to put this off any longer. My body wanted him. My body needed him. He pulled back and looked into my eyes. He smiled and kissed the tip of my nose before eyeing the suitcase across the room. He started to lift his body away from mine and I pulled him closer.

“No, I don’t want…I want to feel you. I don’t want anything between us,” I whispered, searching his eyes. He seemed to contemplate for a split second before attacking my lips in a heated kiss. I felt him line up with my entrance and I wrapped my legs around his waist, pushing him into me. He let out a loud moan and paused, reveling in the feeling. I gasped at how different it felt when there was nothing separating you from the person you love.

He took a deep breath before slowly pulling out and pushing back into me. I rested our foreheads together and maintained eye contact with him as he moved. His hands cupped my butt and propped me up so he had a better angle. I thrust my hips in time with his, loving the feeling of him being inside me. Our breathing was heavy and uneven, our hearts beating quickly. He thrust into me in just the right spot and I screamed out his name, arching my back and urging him to keep going.

He looked into my eyes with nothing but love there. “Cum for me, baby,” he spoke in a husky voice. That sent me over the edge and I moaned loudly, my walls clenching around him. He groaned as he continued thrusting, biting down on my shoulder. We rode out our orgasms for several blissful moments before he slid out of me and pressed a kiss to my lips.

He collapsed beside me on the bed, draping his arm lazily across my middle. I kissed his nose and then pulled the comforter up around us. I maneuvered around so he was spooning me, his left arm wrapped around me and our hands intertwined. My mind began to wander about what was to come in less than twelve hours and my stomach churned at the thought. I tried to suppress my tears but they spilled over and onto my cheeks. I took a deep breath to steady my breathing, trying to hide the fact I was crying. He leaned up and placed butterfly kissed on my cheeks as the tears flowed. He squeezed me tighter to him and whispered, “I love you with all my heart, Sky. Being in another country is not going to change that.” I smiled and turned my head to kiss him, snuggling into his chest.

Notes