Our Secret Song (Bellala99 & Gatichan)

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Dave took a step back at the crazed scream, his eyes going wide and his cheeks flaming up as he stared at the girl.. Until he finally realized what was the cause of that. He let out a chuckle and shook his head while looking at Mary with a warm, soft smile. "I'm not that special, really..." He muttered out while feeling a bit more than awkward and embarrassed... He definitely did not expect for her to his fan - who knew? He gasped for air slightly at the tight hug he received and his face turned red at the comment... And from the adorable nickname. When she pulled away, he turned to Jared and grinned widely. "J-J? Aww, I'm going to call you like this from now~" He teased with a chuckle.

 

The blond smiled softly when his boyfriend wrapped his hand around his waist and pecked his cheek - he found his moment of peace, even if just a short one. With a small sigh escaping his lips, the blond sat down on the bed next to Mary and pulled the drummer next to him. At least for now, he definitely needed his body to comfort him. Nothing - and he meant absolutely nothing - could replace the feeling of safety that Jared gave him.

 

The sudden talking and the questions made Dave lean a bit closer to Jared, as if searching for comfort and maybe even to hide slightly from Mary - how could those girls talk so much?!? The last question, however, made his face drop and he looked away slightly before giving her a faint nod. Unconsciously, the singer gripped onto Jared's hand tightly, silenly asking him to explain as he looked up at him. It wasn't too long ago that he cried - he was afraid that if he started talking about that stuff righ now he'd start crying again...

[Gatichan]

Jared blushed when Dave gently teased him and Mary, seeing this, giggled. “Do you want to know why we call him that?” she asked Dave with a wink. “Mary, really, Dave doesn’t care-” “You see,” she launched on, completely ignoring her cousin’s indignant face. “When he was younger, he had trouble pronouncing the “r”, so every time he tried to say Jared, all that he ever managed was “Jay-ed”. And since his stupid father got angry that he didn’t say it right, my mom came up with “Jay-Jay”. And soon everyone – except his father,” she added with a telling face, “began to call him that. And since he became a teenager, we shortened it down to “J-J”. What about you? Do you have any nicknames?” she asked, helping herself to another delicious sandwich.

 

Jared felt Dave’s hand squeeze and immediately understood. Kissing his boyfriend’s forehead sweetly, he sent his cousin a warning look. “Mary, careful- code yellow,” he warned and she gasped, clapping a hand over her mouth and sending Dave an apologetic look. “I’m sorry- I sometimes really do talk too much,” she knew, wincing slightly. “I’m sorry- you don’t have to answer. I really didn’t mean to make you feel uncomfortable.” Jared rubbed Dave’s arm reassuringly. “Dave’s parents know that he’s bisexual, but they’re…basically like my dad: they don’t support him and as a consequence, he’s living on his own,” he explained, to which Mary shook her head in disgust. “Honestly, some people are just so backwards- as if it really changed a person because he liked males or females.”

 

Leaning back, Jared ran a hand through Dave’s blond hair gingerly. “Mary, could you keep the two of us a secret for now? At the moment, you’re the only one who knows,” he admitted. Mary pretended to zip her lips close and throw the key away. “My lips are sealed. You’re probably afraid about what your management will say, am I right?” she guessed, puffing her cheeks out. “Aren’t the two of you about to embark on a tour? Wow, that might be difficult trying to hide your true feelings from everyone else. I really admire that the two of you are going to do this,” she said, filling up Dave’s glass of coke and passing it to him. “So what was it you wanted to ask me about, J-J?” she asked. Jared in turn glanced down at his boyfriend, trying to gauge if Dave was ready yet, o if he needed more time. Either way, he’d support his boyfriend.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Dave let out a small smile as his boyfriend began explaining while he himself kept his eyes closed and gently leaned back against Jared. Oh, right... He never did say his father used to beat him, did he? With a soft sigh, the blond opened his eyes and sent Mary a soft smile. "Don't worry too much about it, it's fine." He said softly as he smiled, yet kept the dark-haired man's hand tightly in his own. He truly didn't want to let go at all... He wasn't sure he could even talk to Mary if Jared wasn't there to hold him if anything bad happened. Besides, there were still some thing his boyfriend didn't know - and Dave was sure that he both wanted and needed to know them.

 

The singer sighed out softly when Mary asked if this was about the manager - and also mentioned the tour. "You're right. And I know that it'll be hard, but I hope we can manage... Though I'm sure we won't be able to hide forever - our popularity's increasing, after all... Gosh, fangirls are already asking me for autographs and photos when I'm out on the streets!" He complained softly as he sighed and snuggled into Jared slightly, a soft blush and a smile on his face. "But, thanks a lot for the support. It means a lot, really." He said with a soft smile as he sighed out once more.

 

Hearing the next question, Dave squeezed Jared's hand for a moment before letting it go completely. It was probably best if he just showed - he slowly rolled up the sleeve to reveal the bandages slightly stained by blood as he leaned in closer to Jared, not looking straight at Mary. "I used to do this as a teen... But back then I managed to stop - now I started again." He could only say that much as he looked away, taking in a deep, slightly shaky breath. His blue eyes slowly filled up with sad, sad tears as he gripped onto Jared's hand again to stop them from falling. He didn't want to start crying from something like that - yet his body seemed to disagree.

[Gatichan]

Mary was visibly estranged when her cousin turned to look at Dave, almost as if asking for permission to talk. And then, when Dave began to roll back the sleeve of his jersey, she raised an eyebrow. Upon seeing the bandages, however, her eyes widened and she immediately raised her eyes to meet Jared’s. Oh, no. Seeing the warning in Jared’s eyes, she bit the tip of her tongue, understanding. So Jared had also only just found out about his boyfriend’s problem. Mary closed her eyes for a brief instance and then looked more closely at Dave. Seeing that the other teenager was struggling with his tears, she reached out and carefully placing her hand over his, gave it a small squeeze. “I see,” was all she said at first.

 

After a pause, she continued. “Dave, have you cut yourself in other places, too?” she asked. Jared cupped his boyfriend’s face in his hands and leaning forward, softly kissed Dave’s tears away. “It’s alright, honey. I know this must be really, really difficult for you, but you’re doing great. I’m so proud of you,” he praised, kissing Dave’s lips. Turning back to Mary, he nodded. “His thighs. There are some cuts there, but he has a horrible scar on his back that…I’m pretty sure someone else put there,” he admitted, anger flashing through his eyes again at the memory. “Mary, I told Dave that you worked at a psychiatry before and I hoped…we…hoped, that you might be able to…help us,” he admitted, his eyes seeking help.

 

Raising her eyes to meet Jared’s, a silent conversation began. After having liked so many years with each other, sharing secrets and looking out for one another, it wasn’t at all difficult for one to understand the other. Jared, this is a biggie. This isn’t simply a bit of attention seeking because I’m bored, but something big. This is serious. Jared frowned back at her, hugging Dave closer to him. Yes, I know that. Are you sure you can cope with this? It won’t be easy. Yes, I know I can. I love him. Mary’s face didn’t look too reassuring. J-J, love isn’t the only thing these people need. Looking at Dave, she sighed. “Dave, does anyone else know about this? Has anyone ever tried to help you cope with…those intense feelings of solitude, emptiness and pain?” she asked gently.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

The small, reassuring squeeze to his hand and those two simple words - they were enough for even more tears to gather in the blue eyes as Dave took in a deep breath to make sure they didn't spill. He couldn't find the words to answer Mary's question - he was glad Jared could... His boyfriend's soft touch helped him keep himself in place for now, the kiss that brushed away his tears so gently was definitely helping him as well. The young singer snuggled into the taller male, seeking for warmth and safety as he gripped onto his hand tightly. He didn't want to let go.

 

Dave took in a shaky breath when Jared mentioned the scar on his lower back. Was he ready to say just who'd put it there? Well, he probably wasn't going to get a better chance. “Jared...“ He muttered out quietly at first as he sniffled softly and glanced at him with tearful eyes. “That scar... My dad was the cause...“ He said quietly as he let out a small whimper and closed his eyes tightly. “He was drunk... And... And I was with a guy, watching a movie...“ The singer stopped for a bit to wipe off the tears that escaped and continued with a shaky voice. “He took a knife - and... And before doing anything with it... He put it in the fireplace...“ He said quietly as tears started to roll down one after another. “It hurt so much...“ Dave barely whispered out as he bit down on his trembling lower lip and tightly gripped onto his boyfriend.

 

He managed to calm down at least slightly as he wiped off the tears even though only more of them appeared. Hearing the question he only shook his head. The singer felt as if his voice was completely gone as he curled up into a ball next to his boyfriend, gripping onto him with both hands as if he could save his life. Of course no one helped him cope with cutting before - all he got was mockery and bullying because he was a weakling. The blond let out a soft breath which seemed just slightly shaky as he looked down at the floor, not wanting to say anything else... But he knew he'd have to at some point.

[Gatichan]

Jared gasped in horror, staring at his boyfriend in disbelief. Dave’s own father had done such a terrible thing to his own son?! And just because he was a drunk bastard and Dave hadn’t been able to defend himself and had been helpless against such undeserved violence? Tears began to well in Jared’s own eyes and he sniffled, laying down behind Dave and curling around his boyfriend, slipped his hands into those of Dave’s and squeezed them tightly, making his lover know that he was there, that Dave wasn’t alone, that he was being protected. “Dave, that will never, ever happen again,” Jared swore fiercely, pressing up harder against Dave. “As long as you’re with me, no one can harm you in such a terrible way. No one.”

 

Mary’s eyes became compassionate. Standing up, she fetched some tissues and then, sitting back down in front of Dave so that he could see her if he looked up, she slipped the tissues to him. She had imagined something like that. She had heard many horrible stories from her patients before, but each time was like a new stab to her heart at the injustice. “Dave, what you’ve had to live through…that sounds terrible. And I can imagine that back then, when you were alone, when you were defenseless and no one could help you or tried to help you, the only thing that you knew to do, to get away from that pain and the emptiness, was to cut yourself. Maybe it became your method to cope with.” She paused, searching Dave’s face to see if she was reading his facial expression correctly. “I’ve had a few patients who were brought up to believe that something was wrong with them, that they didn’t deserve any love because they were worthless or dirty. I can imagine that maybe by cutting yourself, you…believed you somehow deserved that punishment?” she gently, carefully probed.

 

“Dave cut himself this morning again,” Jared admitted, his voice and face filled with regret. “We’d made love last night for the first time and I think I said something that reminded him of an earlier situation and he became different. And we talked about it, but he still brought along a razor blade and new bandages with him to my place. I…I’m just scared that he might really hurt himself badly one day. I don’t know what to do,” he admitted, nuzzling Dave’s cheek with his own. “But I love him, Mary. I want to help him…if I only knew how.”

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

When Dave felt Jared pressing up against him tightly, when he felt the strong hands gripping his own - the blond could only calm down then; or at least, he could try that. The younger male took in a deep, shaky breath as he gripped onto those warm hands and let out a small, sad smile. Those words meant so much to him - more than anything else. However, all he managed to whisper out was a small 'thanks' as he closed his eyes and snuggled into the other for the warmth and safety, of which he just couldn't get enough. He was so glad to know that Jared was still here, with him...

 

The singer nearly started sobbing when Mary passed him the tissues - seemingly such a simple gesture, so how come it meant so much to him? Dave gladly took the tissues as he sniffled and started wiping off the tears one after another as he listened... The words 'worthless and dirty' made him freeze for a moment as he looked up at the woman with teary eyes and managed to nod the slightest bit. This was the closest... No, this was exactly why he cut himself, at least this time. Before, when he'd started cutting for the first time, he wasn't even sure why. Maybe it was simply to forget - pain did erase everything else... Everything unwanted.

 

He bit down on his lip as he listened to Jared, tightly gripping onto his hand. "I told you why I took them..." He muttered out quietly as he sniffled, wiping off the tears again. The singer couldn't even bring himself to tell Mary why - he felt like that was the most idiotic reason one could possibly have. He... He didn't want for the woman to think of him as pathetic. As weak.

[Gatichan]

Mary watched her cousin and Dave, sighing inwardly. Why did her J-J’s first boyfriend have to have such issues? The two of them were in for a rocky ride, but at the same time, she couldn’t help but think how sweet the two of them were, clinging to each other the way they were- Dave obviously needing the warming comfort and Jared giving it to him without realizing the effect he was having on the singer. And that small nod- Mary seemed to have partly hit the nail on the head. It was terrible that some people were forced to go through because of their inept parents.

 

Reaching out, she gently patted Dave’s hand. “It’s not important- you don’t have to tell me everything, Dave. I respect that. You seem to need J-J now and we don’t know each other that much for you to confide in me so much. But Dave, I really hope and wish for you and J-J that this time you’ll let yourself be helped. You’re so young and have your whole life ahead of you. It would be such a shame if you continued to scar yourself the way you are. And cutting is a terrible habit because the worst thing about it is that it works. That’s why it’s so effective: it takes away the pain, the awful emotions and the memories instantaneously for a while.” She looked pensive for a moment. “Have you ever met other teenagers your age who are in a…similar situation?”

 

Jared kissed Dave’s cheek lovingly. “I’m here with you Dave,” he promised, trying not to sound husky because he knew the effect it had on his boyfriend. Still, he wanted to make sure that the singer knew that he was right there, that he wasn’t alone and that he wasn’t defenseless as he had been when he’d been younger and still living with his parents. “I’m not like your dad, Dave. And I don’t think of you the way you thought I did this morning- it’s quite the opposite, in fact,” he murmured.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

As Dave listened quietly, he continued to snuggle into Jared's warm body, finding it easier to focus on the words like this. He let out a breathy sigh as he shook his head at the question - he hadn't had a lot of friends anyway, and the few he had never showed signs of doing anything like that. Maybe they just hid it well, but probably none of them used to hurt themselves as the blond singer did. His breathing was shaky as he closed his eyes - Mary also seemed to acknowledge the fact that cutting was effective. Too bad it oftenly didn't just take the bad emotions - it also took the happy ones, basically he was left like a lifeless doll.

 

The blond let out a small smile when he heard Jared's words - even just so little, they were so comforting... Just saying that he was here for Dave, it was enough. At least, for now it was. He sighed softly and gripped tightly onto the other's hand as he sniffled sofly. He wanted to believe those words, he really did... But jus hearing them wasn't enough. He didn't have proof - or at least he thought he didn't. It was truly hard to believe that a guy with which he spent the night wouldn't think badly of him. All his partners did, at some point.

 

He looked at Mary and let out a small, sad smile as he sighed. "Thanks..." He muttered out as he snuggled into his boyfriend. He felt like he was being unfair. The blond knew he was Jared's first boyfriend - and here he was, making things so hard for him... He felt really bad about it, and the more he thought about it, the more the idea of Jared finding someone else, someone better stuck into his mind.

[Gatichan]

“You know Dave,” Mary carefully pushed forward, her experience telling her that it was possible Dave could accept the words he heard at the moment, but that a little while later, great doubts would return. “Some of my patients went through what you went through, at least in some aspects. And I know that it might be difficult for you to believe what you’re hearing- not because you distrust J-J per se,” she hastily raised her hands when she saw her indignant cousin’s face. “But it’s probably because you’ve experienced a number of similar situations where people promised you that they were different, that you meant something to them, but then after a while, you realized that they didn’t mean it at all.

 

So what J-J’s asking of you must seem like a huge feat for you, right? I mean, he’s telling you to trust him, to believe him, that he loves you and won’t hurt you, but a part of you is skeptical, right?” Mary smiled gently. “Well, take it from me: I’ve known J-J my whole life. You’re the first guy he’s ever brought home, but I grew up with him and I know him pretty well. J-J doesn’t have a mean streak in him at all. If there’s someone you can trust and rely on one hundred percent, then it’s him. And I promise you that you won’t be disappointed if you allow yourself to trust him, because he’s one of those people who can and will carry you on their hands if you’ll only let him.”

 

Jared turned a little red from these words, but he so desperately wanted Dave to believe his cousin. He wanted Dave- there could be no one else he wanted more. He knew Mary wanted to suggest that Dave attend the group she was in charge of at the clinic, the teenager Borderline group, but he shook his head, signaling tat Dave probably wasn’t ready to hear that yet. Still, he turned Dave’s face around gently so that he could see his boyfriend’s face. Kissing away Dave’s tears, Jared smiled encouragingly at Dave. “Tell me what you’re thinking, Dave. Please, don’t leave me outside.”

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Dave blinked a few times as he stared at the woman with wide eyes. Did she read minds or something?... No, it was probably because she'd dealt with people like Dave before. He sighed softly and nodded slightly at Mary's words, hoping that Jared wouldn't take it personaly - even if Mary did say it wasn't because he didn't trust his boyfriend, he still felt like this could hurt him... And he definitely didn't want that. He didn't want to hurt the one person who was probably the first to try and help him, to really help him out.

 

At what the red-head said next, Dave slightly bit his lip. No mean strike at all?.. He still could remember the slap. It wasn't exactly the most un-mean thing ever. He'd actually been scared of the drummer back then - sure, he said this would never happen again, but so did others. The blond still let out a soft smile as he nodded slightly at what Mary said again, though not completely agreeing. Maybe... Just maybe, he should try and trust him. Dave wasn't too sure if he'd actually succeed, but... It was worth a try, right? If anything, he would know that it was worthless - trusting others up until now proved to be wrong.

 

He took a deep breath when his boyfriend made him face the other and kissed away his tears - such a soft, gentle gesture... He sniffled softly and pressed his face against the drummer's chest as he sighed. "What exactly do you want to hear?... That this talk really helps?" He asked as he gripped onto his boyfriend's hand. "Because I don't know. I can't even tell if it's helping me or just making it worse..." The blond said quietly as he looked down, sniffling softly before looking at Mary. "But... I... I think that I want it to help."

[Gatichan]

Mary smiled at him encouragingly. “It’s up to you how you see it, Dave. This sort of thing takes time- we’ll go through this with you slowly. It sounds so simple, but it’s quite hard to follow through: all that Jar J-J ed needs from you is your honest and brutal feedback. If he says or does something that you’re uncomfortable with, that gives you doubts or that scares you, you must try to tell him that. If I’ve understood you correctly, whenever you felt scared or afraid or hurt, you closed yourself up and tried to block the rest of the world out by dealing with yourself and a knife. But only when J-J knows how you mean something, how you interpret it- only in this way can you learn not to immediately think the worst. It’s a long process and there will be times when the two of you get frustrated, but you aren’t alone, Dave. J-J wouldn’t have asked me to meet you if you weren’t worth so much to him,” she added meaningfully.

 

Standing up, she clapped her hands. “So! I think that’s quite enough of heavy topics for a day, don’t you?” she decided brightly, turning on her heels and heading for the door. “Why don’t I go fetch us that adorable doggy that I saw sleeping inside the hall? I’d really like someone to introduce the two of us, because I think I’ve fallen in love,” she declared, stepping out the room. She guessed her cousin and Dave would need a moment to themselves…ad when she saw that Trevor was blinking sleepily, she smiled, leaning down to admire the cute doggy closer.

 

Jared pulled Dave into an upright sitting position, carefully examining his boyfriend’s face after Mary’s words. He knew her- she had a way of making things sound so easy when to him they sounded complicated and confusing. How would Dave take this? Would he try to be more honest about how he understood things, or would he put up those walls around himself again? “You asked me what I wanted t hear from you, Dave. That’s simple enough: I want you to tell me that you’ll honestly give our relationship a try and that you’ll try to let me prove to you that I’m not like those men you dated before,” Jared said quietly.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Dave let out a small smile as he nodded at Mary's words - yeah, he could try... The blond felt like he would fail soon though. He felt like he was going to be too afraid to even let Jared in... He was scared of letting the other know what was really going on in his mind. His dark thoughts, his fears and secret hopes - sometimes even the wishes of dying right there and then. The singer didn't want for Jared to think of him as weak.

 

When Mary left and Jared made him turn to him, Dave bit down on his lower lip and looked away. However, when he heard what his boyfriend said, the young blond slowly raised his eyes up to the other as his expression softened. Try... He had to be able to do that much. "Yeah... I'll... I'll try." He said a bit uncertainly as he let out a small, soft smile even though his eyes were still a bit puffy and red from the crying. The shorter male let out a slightly shaky breath as he gripped onto Jared's hands and closed his eyes for the time being.

 

After a bit, he tilted his head and pressed his lips against the drummer's for a soft kiss - he felt like he really needed it... Like he needed to cut before. "I still say that I love you." He said with a firm tone as he looked at the other and let out a soft smile, yet his shaking hands proved this wasn't as easy. "And... I really hope you'll stay with me..." The blond said while mentally promising himself to try and let Jared on some things - just little ones at first...

[Gatichan]

Jared nuzzled the tip of his nose against Dave’s. “I love you too, baby,” he promised back quietly, reaching up to take his boyfriend’s hands. He could feel that they were trembling a bit. Leading them to his lips, he kissed each of Dave’s fingertips tenderly. “And I’ll keep telling you that until you believe me and have no more doubts, okay?” He leaned back and slipping his fingers between Dave’s, cocked his head to the side. “I think it’s time we checked on Trevor, don’t you?”

 

“Did someone call my name?” Mary asked, walking back into the bedroom with a yawning Trevor. As soon as he saw Dave and Jared, the puppy’s small tale began to waggle madly, happily, insanely fast as he barked. She laughed as she carefully handed him back to Dave. “Well guys, I’ve gotta get going back- I have some patient files to read through before I see them tomorrow. J-J, it was lovely seeing you again. All the best for your tour and you’d better be back before mom’s birthday, otherwise I’ll make your life misery,” she promised with a mock-growl, but then kissed her cousin when he chuckled. “You know I will!” Turning to Dave, Mary opened her arms to gently hug him. “Dave, I really hope you and I will be seeing each other more often in future. And…if it’s not too much to ask: could I have my photo taken with you? I have some nurses who constantly piss me off and I’d love to make them jealous by showing them that I met you,” she asked, battering her eyelashes hopefully.

 

Once Mary was gone, Jared leaned back against his pillows, hugging Dave to his side and smiling lazily as he weaved a leg between Dave’s. Trevor lay on his chest, licking Dave’s nose repeatedly as both teenagers scratched his back and fussed over him. “Dave, when we go on tour…could we try to get a hotel room together? I mean, if you’d like…it’ll be the first time that we’ll be traveling to so many countries and I want to spend as much time as I can with you, know what I mean?” he asked softly, kissing the top of Dave’s head.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Dave smiled softly as he nodded at what his boyfriend said and let out a soft giggle when Jared began kissing his fingertips. "Tickles!" He complained with a failed pout before letting out a chuckle and smiling softly. The blond soon seated himself back onto Jared's lap, carefully so both of them would be comfortable. His face was slowly returning to its previous pale color instead of the pink flush he got from his crying.

 

The singer let out a soft chuckle when Mary came back with Trevor and gladly took the puppy back into his hands, smiling softly as it let out a seemingly happy noise. The blond smiled and hugged back the woman with a soft smile before blinking and letting out a laugh at the request. "No problem~" He said with a soft smile as he stood up, keeping Trevor in his hands while Mary took the photo - he hoped it would make her happy, to be honest. That was the very least he could do for having her to help, after all...

 

After laying down next to his boyfriend, Dave sighed softly and closed his eyes while chuckling at how Trevor licked his nose. He smiled softly at what the drummer said before a yawn escaped his mouth and he nodded lazily. "Sure..." He muttered out a bit sleepily as he smiled and cuddled into the taller male. "Do you mind if I take a nap?.. It's so warm and comfy..." The blond murmured out sleepily as he smiled and sighed softly. "I like it when you hold me..." He confessed with a small chuckle as he hugged Trevor closer to himself, close to falling asleep - what happened in the cinema combined with that much crying was bound to make him tired.

[Gatichan]

Jared’s fingers slipped through Dave’s shiny blond hair. “I like holding you,” he smiled peacefully, his heart leaping happily when he heard that Dave wasn’t adverse to their sharing a room. It hadn’t been a strange request- after all, on their first tour they’d been on, he and Jordan had shared a room. If he asked to room with Dave this team, no one would ask stupid questions, but Jared had wanted to make sure that his boyfriend was okay with that. They would be spending a lot of time together and…Jared didn’t want Dave to feel as if Jared was suffocating him.

 

Soon afterwards, Dave seemed to drift off to sleep. Jared continued to caress and hold his boyfriend, grinning to himself when he heard Trevor’s surprised and hurt whine that his owner had fallen asleep on him. But when the puppy fell asleep as well, Jared stifled a yawn. It was late afternoon and he and Dave would soon have to eat supper, but right then he didn’t want to sleep. The melody he and Dave had perfected the day before had returned and Jared suddenly had the impulse to work on the percussion again. Blushing as he thought back to Dave’s compliment about his voice, his pulse quickened: would he and Dave one day really stand on a stage and sing together?

 

Easing off the bed slowly, Jared kissed Dave and tucking his boyfriend and Trevor under a light blanket, he quickly scribbled his boyfriend a note to let him know where he was. Leaving the door ajar, Jared let himself into the soundproof studio. Sitting down behind his trusty drum kit, he began to bang away, a relaxed smile playing across his face as he activated the built in radio and joined in on some of the newer songs Requiem had performed. It still awed him to hear his music playing on the radio- just thinking how people all over the world enjoyed and appreciated his music left him speechless with pride. Very soon, Dave began to hum the melody that Dave had created and very soon he was lost in his own world, creating and correcting his own percussion suggestions, completely lost in the melody.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Dave let out a soft mumble when he felt the warm body leaving him. He hugged Trevor closer to himself and snuggled into the blankets, mumbling something about how the warmth left him before slowly quieting down and falling asleep completely. The puppy slept just as peacefully next to him, only letting out small, soft noises from time to time - dogs dreamt too, after all.

 

The singer woke up after a good hour of napping. The first thing he did was try and snuggle into Jared- who wasn't there. His blue eyes shot open as he sat up quickly, accidentaly pushing Trevor who complained with a soft wince. "Ah, sorry, Trev..." He mumbled out as he patted the dog's head - it took him a bit to actually notice the note placed on the table. With a soft yawn, the singer took the note and read it, blinking a few times. Where was the studio again?.. With a small sigh and a tremble running through his body, Dave stood up, clinging onto the woolen sweater as he took the pup into his hands and began his search for the studio.

 

When he finally found it, the blond just stood there quietly for a while, watching how free and calm Jared was - it actually lit up a soft smile on the singer's face. He set Trevor down on the ground as he walked towards the room and bit his lower lip as he pressed on the handle and quietly opened the door, hoping to surprise the other. He bit his tongue in between his teeth as he quietly sneaked up to Jared- and tightly wrapped his arms around his shoulders as he pressed a soft kiss against the other's cheek. "Hey~" He chuckled softly as he looked at Jared with a warm, loving smile.

[Gatichan]

“Aah- aaaah…hmm-hmm,” Jared nodded, crashing the cymbals as he continued to chew his bottom lip, his eyes concentrated. Almost- he had almost perfected the bridge and once he had it down flat, he’d play the song to Dave and ask his boyfriend to sing along with him. No matter how he looked at it, this song was his and Dave’s baby and Jared wanted nothing less than perfection: before this song got heard by anyone else, he needed to feel that he’d given it his all.

 

As concentrated in the song as he was, Jared didn’t hear the studio door opening at all and started quite alarmingly when slender arms suddenly embraced him and a soft pair of perfect lips landed on his cheek. “D-Dave!” Jared cried out, flushing crimson when he saw the love in his boyfriend’s face. Had Dave been watching him? And if he had, for how long? Swiveling around on his stool with a sheepish smile, Jared pulled the lead singer down onto his lap to wrap his arms around Dave. “You surprised me- did you sleep well?” he asked, giving his boyfriend a proper kiss. Leaning back, his eyes became dreamy- did Dave have the least idea how sexy he was with his just-out-the-bed hair? If he hadn’t already known that Dave was a little tense about having his photo taken by boyfriends, Jared would have pulled his cell phone out to snap a photo of Dave with him right then.

 

“Sorry- I just couldn’t wait to continue working on our song,” he admitted as he lightly tapped his drumsticks against Dave’s bottom. “I think it’s perfect at the moment, but I want you to hear it yourself. I think I’ve got an old guitar under the studio console. If you’re up for it, we could play the song together and then, if you like it, we could make a mix tape and play it to the guys tomorrow. Who knows? If they also like it, we could really maybe perform the song during our tour,” he said, his eyes sparkling.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Dave couldn't help but chuckle softly at how cutely his boyfriend reacted. With a soft smile, the young singer let out a giggle as he was pulled down on the other's lap - then it was his turn to blush at the kiss he received. He breathed out softly as he rested his head against Jared's and yawned softly - he was always sleepy for quite a while even after a short nap like this. Now was the mood for some sweet cuddling- at least for him. The blond let out a soft sigh as he closed his eyes and gently nuzzled his head against the taller male - he was so heavenly warm..

 

The blond let out a soft laugh as he opened his eyes and reached out to gently press a finger against the other's lips as he chuckled. “Sweetie, can you let me wake up fully first?“ He asked with a chuckle before another soft yawn escaped his lips and he looked at the drummer with a lazy smile. “Besides, I shouldn't be singing just yet... Didn't you know? It's actually really unhealthy to sing right after sleep!“ The singer said with a small pout before chuckling and shaking his head. “But I'd love to listen.“ He said softly as he smiled and pressed up a gentle kiss against his boyfriend's lips.

 

The singer shifted slightly on the other's lap as he yawned softly and closed his eyes. “Just don't take that personally... I'd hate to lose my voice, that's all!“ He said with a small smile as he looked at his boyfriend before sliding off his lap and plopping down on the ground next to him where the puppy soon came as well- and Dave had no other choice than to begin petting him again. “Show it to me~!“ He asked merrily as he looked at Jared and smiled warmly.

[Gatichan]

Jared was astounded. “Seriously? It’s bad to sing after one wakes up?” he asked, scratching the back of his head. “I had no idea. Is that something medical? Oh God, I have to stop singing in the shower every morning, then,” he decided, looking so depressed that Trevor barked. Battering his eye lashed, Jared shook his head to clear it. Turning back to face the front with his body, he glanced over his shoulder at his boyfriend. “I’m not taking it personally, baby. I really didn’t know, but singing is your specialty and if you tell me that, I’ll believe you. And yeah, wake up first…because if you fall asleep on me when I’m playing our song, I’ll cry,” he mock-sniffed, but then grinned to show that it was a joke.

 

Clearing his throat, he experimentally began to tap the left cymbal. “Since we don’t have the music played yet, you’ll have to bear with my humming the melody,” he apologized, rubbing his nose and suddenly feeling overly conscious of himself. Dave was a professional singer, damn it, but he was just a hobby-singer…one who probably caused earache in the shower during the mornings. Turning a little red and hoping Dave wouldn’t lose his admiration for him for his lacking performance, Jared eventually closed his eyes. Needing a moment more to calm down, he began to hum the melody and raising his arms, poised his drum sticks over his set. The first half a minute was terrible and he winced when Trevor barked – dreadful- even Dave’s puppy thinks it sucks – but then he really got into it again and was swept off by the music again.

 

Not realizing that he was humming even louder and actually properly singing, Jared hit the middle drum one last time before setting back into a funerary march that faded into nothingness when he closed his mouth. Remaining perfectly still for a while, Jared took in a deep breath and slowly sat up again, relaxing his back and arm muscles as he did. The back of his neck began to ache, as it always did when he remained in the same position for too long, but as he opened his eyes and met Dave’s, the nervousness returned and the pain faded away. Swallowing visibly, Jared lowered the drumsticks back into his lap. “A-and? Can we…work with that?” he hoped, looking a little doubtful all of a sudden. He’d played for Dave before, but never as…Dave’s boyfriend.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Dave blinked and let out a soft laugh while shaking his head. "I don't think you'd get any problems from singing in the shower - just don't overdo it, J-J~" The blond teased softly as he chuckled and grinned while patting Trevor's head. The young singer chuckled softly at his boyfriend's next words. "Oh, come on, you know I'd never fall asleep on something like this!" He said with a cute pout as he looked at Jared and huffed. "Do you really think I'm that bad?"

 

The shorter male grinned widely when he heard that Jared would hum the melody - now that he was definitely going to enjoy. Dave smiled as he pulled Trevor onto his lap and got ready to listen. At first he nearly burst out laughing but held it in, just so he wouldn't make his boyfriend embarrassed even more - however Trevor didn't seem to be so understanding. Quickly, the blond gripped its snout, earning a soft wince, but then - silence. He could finally focus on Jared's humming which soon turned into full-on singing along with the percussion - for Dave it was pretty amazing.

 

A wide smile lit up on Dave's face as he began clapping whila chuckling softly since Trevor began to bark along. "Of course we can! This was great!" He complimented with a wide grin as he stood up and pecked the other's lips. "I can't wait to see if we can do this, J-J~" He grinned widely as he chuckled and smiled. "Now... How about we eat something? I'm starving!" The blond said with a soft smile as he gripped Jared's hands. "How about it? We can eat, then after a bit we could go and practice?"

[Gatichan]

A warm glow had come over Jared when he’d heard Dave calling him the same way that the part of his family he so loved did. It gave him the illusion that he and Dave were already also family- okay; so maybe he was getting ahead a bit too much, but right then, especially as he glanced up from having played their piece of music and seeing the expression in his boyfriend’s eyes, Jared was convinced and optimistic that he and Dave could make their relationships last.

 

Jared’s shoulders, which he hadn’t even realized had crept towards his ears in apprehension, dropped and an easy smile came onto his face when his boyfriend began to applaud and even Trevor, although he’d impolitely barked in between, also barked along and waggled his tail. Smiling into the kiss he’d received, Jared let out an easy laugh once again, wondering all of a sudden why he’d felt so nervous about playing for Dave. What had he been expecting; for his boyfriend to castigate him with sarcasm? No, of course not. Still, Jared felt better knowing that he hadn’t ruined their song, because he really cared what Dave thought and didn’t want to disappoint his boyfriend. Letting himself be pulled onto his feet, he nodded. “Sure. What do you want to eat? Should we order something fast, or cook something together?” he asked. “I have enough stuff in my fridge so that we could make pretty much anything that you wanted-”

 

But Trevor decided right then that it was time he went to the toilet. Trying to follow after Dave and Jared, the doggy let out a high whine of distress and when Jared turned around, he was in time to see Trevor’s eyes become sad as a small puddle began to spread around the puppy…right on the expensive cream carpet inside his studio.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Dave smiled softly and sighed out a bit. "I'd rather we cooked something for ourselves~" He said softly as he smiled, beginning to walk with Jared. The blond wasn't such a bad cook - he had to live alone for quite a while, after all. The singer began humming softly under his breath as he closed his eyes for the time being- yet they shot open when he heard the whine of distress coming from his puppy.

 

With a curse already leaving his lips, Dave stared at how Trevor peed on the carpet - even though it seemed guilty of it... "Shit, Trev!" He exclaimed as he dashed towards his dog and quickly picked it up, though he had finished already - the blue eyes of his owner now showed nervousness and worry as he glanced back at his boyfriend. "God, I'm so sorry! He'd never done this before and I- I never thought this would happen! Shit, Jared, I'm so sorry!" The singer apologized quickly as another curse left his lips - Dave didn't really curse often, but when there was a situation like this...

 

"I'll get right back, I'll put Trev into his basket." Dave said quickly as he started going back already. "We'll need some white vinegar, water and baking soda- could you get those?" He hurriedly asked his boyfriend while already running towards the puppy's basket and quickly putting it down. He sighed softly and reached out to pat its head since- gosh, it had such a sad look on its face... "It's okay, Trev, it's all fine.." He mumbled out softly as he lighly stroked its fur before dashing back to his boyfriend.

[Gatichan]

Jared blinked, needing a moment for his brain to register what had happened. All he was somehow capable of seeing were Trevor’s sad, sad eyes. Almost as if the puppy was deeply ashamed of its weak bladder and was trying to die of shame, but not succeeding. And then Dave was running forward, swearing like Jared never would have believed possible, to pick Trevor up. The puppy seemed to be pouting as it bowed its head and whimpered quietly, distressed. Jared’s brain imagined a jet of more yellow liquid moving out to color the carpet, but Trevor had already finished and continued to whimper and whine quietly, its tail drooping comically.

 

And then, as Dave began to beg his apology, scolding his puppy and then promising to get rid of Trevor, Jared exploded with laughter- from one minute to the next, he went from standing to bent over as he slapped his left knee, roaring with laughter. “Oh Dave, forget the stupid carpet- oh God, that was sooo…” He shook his head, shaking with laughter as his stressed out boyfriend zoomed past him with a still whining Trevor in his outstretched arms. Hiccupping and shakily taking in a deep breath, Jared continued to shudder as he snorted. “Oh Dave, don’t worry so much- yes, yes, I’ll go fetch those things,” he chuckled, snorting with laughter again as he jogged towards his kitchen to fetch the utensils his boyfriend needed.

 

Coming back, Jared leaned over to pat Trevor on his head. The puppy’s eyes were so mournful and depressed that Jared dropped all his belongings to pick the regretful puppy up and cuddle him. “Aw, you naughty, naughty boy. You behaved so well and now you went and peed all over my carpet- you really are mischievous,” he chuckled, kissing Trevor on the head, but then putting him down as Dave appeared in the doorway. “Dave, don’t sweat it, really- my first puppy also went and peed inside my studio as well. Nothing happened- we just should have taken Trev out earlier, but we were too busy doing other things, weren’t we?” he grinned, chuckling again.

[Zombie_In_A_Box]

Dave's cheeks didn't take long to burn up in flames - at least it felt that way when his boyfriend began laughing. Just, roaring with laughter! The blond puffed out his cheeks as he stood there, clenching his hands into fists in the embarrassment as he huffed and looked away from the other when he jogged out of the room - why wasn't he worried at all?!? The singer covered up his face with hands as he groaned out in embarrassment and sighed, only pulling them away when Jared got back.

 

While quietly mumbling to himself, Dave grabbed the stuff from the drummer's hands and quickly mixed up the vinegar with water before pouring the liquid on the stain. "Stop laughing!" He huffed as he looked at Jared, his cheeks red. "What if your father saw this?!?" He asked with a pout as he plopped down on the ground and crossed his arms, looking away as Jared began talking again - making the blond's cheeks as red as the stop sign as he burried his face into his knees and groaned out once more in pure embarrassment.

 

Dave lifted his head the slightest bit to send a light glare at his boyfriend as he puffed out his cheeks. "It's not funny!" He complained as he stood up and lightly punched the other. "Stoooop~!!" He whined softly as he looked up at him, his cheeks completely red and slightly puffed out as the singer was trying to collect himself at least a little bit. He huffed and looked away as he crossed his arms, slightly irritated. There he was, getting so worked up for nothing...