RPS - David Cook x Neal Tiemann - Set Gamma
Fandom: Real Person Slash
Pairing: David Cook/Neal Tiemann
Theme set: Gamma
Title: Hello, I'm in Delaware
Rating: PG-13 to hard R?
Warning[s]: Swearing, vague descriptions of sex, angst, bad jokes, sap.
Notes: Apparently the best way to get into a new fandom is to throw yourself in headfirst? Some of these were inspired by real life, but they're still all fiction. The only ones that connect are #2 and #26. Title taken from the song by City and Colour.
#01 - Ring
They’re in such a hurry to touch that Neal forgets to take off his rings; the metal slides cool and hard against Dave’s cock, and Dave throws his head back gasping, “Fuck, Neal, don’t stop.”
#02 - Hero
“Wasn’t aware my honour needed defending, but thanks, man,” Dave says with a grin, watching as Neal gingerly pokes his busted lip, “how can I repay my brave rescuer?”
#03 - Memory
He’s burned into his memory all the thoughts and fears of failure, all the times he swore he was watching his dream slip through his fingers, and all the times his family and Andy and Neal kicked his ass back in gear - it’s the best inspiration one could have on the crazy ride that is Idol.
#04 - Box
With his piercings and tattoos Neal Tiemann doesn’t exactly fit into the family friendly box that Idol could make of David and his career, and David wouldn’t have him any other way.
#05 - Run
Neal is used to fighting for the people he loves, but chasing after them is a completely new experience - one that’s too dramatic for his liking - so as he races after David all he can think about is what to say to make things right, and hope that his legs don’t give out before he catches him.
#06 - Hurricane
“What’s worse,” David asks him before their performance, a tiny smirk on his face, “magic rainbows or mountains and hurricanes?”
#07 - Wings
David does this thing where he pays extra special attention to Neal’s “Rock, Flag, and Eagle” tattoo during sex; whenever he realises this is happening Neal has to roll on top and start grinding their hips together, because the last thing he wants while they fuck is a sappy, sentimental Dave.
#08 - Cold
He hears the forecast like the rest of them and dresses accordingly, but fuck is it freezing, and he knows his hand will be aching when they’re done, probably even more than usual; in the dark between songs David finds him, cupping their hands together and breathing warm against his skin, and Neal thinks he’ll be able to survive this weather if for nothing else than the promise of heat in David’s eyes.
#09 - Red
Dave giggles into his arm and says, “Dude, I really don’t think it’s my colour,” to which Neal replies, “Shut up, I’m tryin’ to concentrate,” and adjusts his grip on the bottle of ‘Ravenous Red’ nail polish; his head is bent in concentration, breath ghosting over Dave’s fingers as he drags the brush over his nails, and maybe it’s the beer talking but he’s never wanted Neal more.
#10 - Drink
Their first kiss is fuelled by booze: Dave can taste the whiskey on Neal’s tongue, and he thinks to himself that he’ll be pissed if this fucks up their relationship - and shit, he can’t be that drunk if he’s still able to worry - but then Neal reaches down Dave’s pants and palms his cock, and he stops thinking altogether.
#11 - Midnight
You ring in the New Year onstage and between the show adrenaline and the bottle of champagne you’ve cracked open there’s no room for melancholy: Neal must see something in you, though, because he whispers in your ear before you resume, “We’ll celebrate properly back at the hotel, just you wait.”
#12 - Temptation
Neal’s seen the photos, okay, so he knows exactly the kinds of faces they tend to pull onstage - and it’s not like they even do it on purpose, they all lose themselves up there - but sometimes he’ll look across at Dave midway through a song - skin sweat-soaked, head thrown back, eyes closed and mouth open - and Neal knows it’s just a matter of time ‘til he loses the fight completely.
#13 - View
Because Dave is Dave, he has to see every tourist destination and try every local delicacy no matter how ridiculous, and because it’s Dave, Neal lets him get away with it; when he’s perched on the railing at another ‘natural wonder’ site, leaning over the edge so far that his shirt rides up, and says, “Pretty cool, huh,” to no one in particular, Neal just smirks and says, “Yeah, the view’s not bad from back here, either.”
#14 - Music
David brings Neal in as early as possible because if he’s going to be on the road for most of this insane process he wants someone that’s gonna represent him right; Neal nods like he’s glad to accept the mission and says “If they think you’re doing more of that magic rainbow shit they got another coming.”
#15 - Silk
Post-show energy makes everything a little bit brighter, a little bit better, so when Dave pulls Neal onto the bed by his tie and the overzealous action leaves them sprawled over each other, Neal can’t help but grin at Dave’s smothered giggles.
#16 - Cover
They haven’t been alone under the same roof for what feels like an age, and the first thing that Dave does to celebrate that fact is drag him beneath the bed sheets and reacquaint his teeth and tongue and fingertips with Neal’s tattoos.
#17 - Promise
So maybe he treats the American Idol thing as a punch line at first, another button to push when he feels like being a dick, but then Dave actually makes it through the preliminary rounds and the implications hit like a kick to the face; the night they throw him his good luck slash going away party, Neal drags him aside and tells him You better show them what you can fucking do, Dave, I swear to god, blow ‘em out of the fucking water, and Dave doesn’t look away when he replies, I will, just watch me.
#18 - Dream
“I’ve got ‘til I’m twenty-six,” he tells Neal, sombre and just a little bit devastated, “and then I gotta give this rock star thing up,” and Neal nods and says, “Time to start showing everyone how good you really are then, huh?”
#19 - Candle
Neither of them are big on the clichéd, Hollywood view of love, but when Dave makes a light-hearted dig about the lack of romantic gestures in their relationship, Neal can’t resist; during the banter before Avalanche he busies himself setting up and lighting candles while Andy makes a show of throwing rose petals around the stage, and the way Dave cracks up when he catches on to what they’re doing is the best result imaginable.
#20 - Talent
Even after weeks of knowing Neal, David can’t help but be impressed by his skills; “Fuck, man, that’s amazing,” he says when Neal finishes a solo, and with a smirk Neal leans forward and says against David’s ear, “That’s not all these fingers are good at.”
#21 - Silence
The whole ‘vocal rest’ thing is enforced by Neal, who finds increasing amusement in the fact that Dave feels obligated not to speak for fear of screwing them all over; when Neal slides into his bunk later that night and proceeds to suck him off Dave does everything he can to keep quiet, and Neal’s never been so turned on in his life.
#22 - Journey
“This is the craziest fucking thing in the world,” Dave says, buzzing with a nervous energy they all feel - because while this may not be the first show they’ve played together, it’ll be the first one they’ve done on their brand new tour - so when he throws his arm around Neal’s shoulder and squeezes, Neal doesn’t shrug him off: this is one of the most insane things he’s ever been a part of, too, and he wouldn’t want to be sharing it with anyone else.
#23 - Fire
Neal kisses him first, and it’s another thing David can add to his list of Things to Be Pleasantly Surprised About: other items soon include how the smoke he can taste on Neal’s tongue isn’t all that bad, and how they’ve barely even started but David already feels like he’s burning up in his own skin.
#24 - Strength
Dave’s always been good at tearing himself open on stage - his emotional intensity while performing was one of the first things you admired about him - but sometimes you forget the kind of cost it carries; that is, until Dave crawls into your bunk and tries to burrow into you, and all you can do is curl your fingers in his shirt and wait for him to build himself up again.
#25 - Mask
It’s like reciprocity, you realise with a sudden burst of clarity, because while you know all the shit Dave can hide behind his smile and his wit, he can see the cracks in your armour just as easily, and that right there is a fucking terrifying thought.
#26 - Ice
When they get back to their place Dave pushes Neal down onto the couch and disappears into the kitchen, returning with an icepack that he presses gently to Neal’s bruised mouth: when Neal winces from the cold Dave ducks his head forward and places a few light, nipping kisses against his lips, murmuring C’mon now, behave, or the brave hero won’t get the rest of his reward.
#27 - Fall
Neal thinks it’s indicative of just how badly he’s fallen for David Cook that he gets on stage of his own free will and plays Always Be My Baby for a bunch of horny fans.
#28 - Forgotten
He doesn’t like to admit it, even to himself, but part of him had worried that when Dave won Idol - and he would win, because they’d never let him live it down if he didn’t - he’d go onto greater things without them, but when Dave called him post-victory and asked, “So, d’you think you’d maybe like to help me out with this thing?” that doubt died an instantaneous, spectacular death.
#29 - Dance
All the cool kids and happy couples are dancing and you’re bored shitless, so when Tiemann sneaks up on you, cigarette behind his ear and lighter in hand, you follow him gladly; the night air is cold but his body’s warm when he crowds you against a wall, and you think you should have started coming to these school dances sooner.
#30 - Body
Neal feels a fierce swell of pride when he realises no one else will get to witness the sight he’s privy to: David Cook, laid out and begging for it beneath him, reduced to little more than a writhing mess under Neal’s mouth and fingers as he traces out mine on David’s skin.
#31 - Sacred
Neal’s already on his knees when David taunts, “C’mon, guitar god, show me what you’ve got,” and between his smirk and that nickname there’s a challenge being issued: Neal leaves him dangling over the edge of orgasm so long David doesn’t even care that he’s pleading for release by the end.
#32 - Farewells
It’s not the end of things by any means, but they both understand the sentiment, so as they leave the stage of their last ever Declaration Tour show, Neal throws his arm around Dave’s shoulders and pulls him close; no matter what happens next, they’ll always have this moment.
#33 - World
There are chart-topping albums and world tours and David keeps his feet planted firmly on the ground no matter what; he still drags Neal along to the live acoustic performances where he’s never really been needed and still names the band as the reason for their success, and Neal can’t help but be glad that some things don’t change.
#34 - Formal
Neal Tiemann always manages to look like a badass, no matter how much the stylists try to scale down his image for the audiences at home, but Dave’s favourite thing about seeing him dressed up all prim and proper is when he gets to tear those clothes off him afterward.
#35 - Fever
Nobody’s really surprised when Dave falls sick on tour - the man has apparently never been introduced to the idea of a responsible work ethic so it’s a wonder his immune system is functioning at all - but then it actually starts to look serious, and Neal’s had enough; when they reach their hotel stop that night Neal shepherds Dave into bed then takes up in the comfiest armchair in the room, shooting him a warning glance and saying, “Keep your ass in that bed ‘til you remember how to take care of yourself, Heartthrob,” and muttering to himself, “if I end up sick after this I’m making sure they leave your guitars behind.”
#36 - Laugh
He won’t ever admit it, but a great part of the reason why he does the stupid things he does, onstage or otherwise, is because he can’t get enough of Neal’s laugh.
#37 - Lies
David says “I’m fine,” and “It’ll be okay,” and all Neal can do is reply “I know,” and hope that in time it’ll be the truth.
#38 - Forever
Playing alongside a bunch of talented, awesome friends, the audience screaming for more, Cook grinning at him across the stage, bright and clear - it’s moments like these he wishes would never end.
#39 - Overwhelmed
They’ve all had fun at David’s expense for his tendency to get emotional at the drop of a hat, but when they play Manila and that enormous crowd sings along to A Daily AntheM, Neal has to agree that it’s pretty fucking special.
#40 - Whisper
The first time he utters those three little words he says them so softly that Dave doesn’t even hear him, too afraid they’ll shatter on some unseen obstacle between them to give them the volume they deserve.
#41 - Wait
You’d hung back, waiting in the periphery ‘til everyone else had their chance at hugging and congratulating, but then Andy not-so-subtly shoved you forward and Cook’s eyes were on you; “Of course you’d manage to rock out Mariah Carey,” you manage, and reach out to ruffle his hair, and you explain away his delighted grin on his brother’s presence and a good performance, nothing more.
#42 - Talk
David doesn’t know if they’re ever going to discuss this thing between them - or if they even should - but Neal’s not showing any signs of pulling away, and David’s far too invested in what they’ve got to question it.
#43 - Search
David wakes to Neal’s worried face, the guitarist wringing his hands like he doesn’t know what to do with them, Sixx isn’t in the yard, I don’t know where - and David mutters Shit, grabs his phone and pulls on the nearest clothes he can find, and follows Neal out to look for the mammoth dog.
#44 - Hope
He’d been cautiously optimistic of his chances, even if he might have been little more than a long shot, but when the news broke and his name was nowhere near the Grammy nominee list David was just glad Neal was with him - Neal, who only snarled, “Fuck ‘em,” and broke out the beer anyway.
#45 - Eclipse
“We might have to think of new ways to make the show interesting,” David says, breathless and giddy against Neal’s neck, “’cause I don’t think there’s a lot that’ll beat you kissing me on stage.”
#46 - Gravity
The full weight of the situation hits when a random journo asks him if there’s anybody special in his life and the only name that comes to mind is Neal’s.
#47 - Highway
On the nights when he can’t sleep Neal finds himself occupying the open living space of the bus, spread out on the couch and staring at nothing as they roll towards their destination: Dave joins him sometimes, still caught in that grey area between sleep and waking, and he buries his head in the warmth of Neal’s shoulder so they greet dawn’s first light together.
#48 - Unknown
There have been hook-ups with band mates in the past, some of them ill-advised, but none have ever been like this, none have entered relationship territory before, and the only consolation Neal can find is that David has no experience here either.
#49 - Lock
They’re really not as subtle as they’d like to believe, Andy thinks as David and Neal excuse themselves from the room, but he figures they’ll tell him when they’re ready, and hey, at least whenever they do it they’re considerate enough to lock the door behind them.
#50 - Breathe
Sometimes Neal will wake to find David’s snuck back into the house and has fallen asleep curled into him, his body a steady comfort as he breathes against Neal’s skin, and it may not be drinking or playing a show, but Neal would never pass this up.
Pairing: David Cook/Neal Tiemann
Theme set: Gamma
Title: Hello, I'm in Delaware
Rating: PG-13 to hard R?
Warning[s]: Swearing, vague descriptions of sex, angst, bad jokes, sap.
Notes: Apparently the best way to get into a new fandom is to throw yourself in headfirst? Some of these were inspired by real life, but they're still all fiction. The only ones that connect are #2 and #26. Title taken from the song by City and Colour.
#01 - Ring
They’re in such a hurry to touch that Neal forgets to take off his rings; the metal slides cool and hard against Dave’s cock, and Dave throws his head back gasping, “Fuck, Neal, don’t stop.”
#02 - Hero
“Wasn’t aware my honour needed defending, but thanks, man,” Dave says with a grin, watching as Neal gingerly pokes his busted lip, “how can I repay my brave rescuer?”
#03 - Memory
He’s burned into his memory all the thoughts and fears of failure, all the times he swore he was watching his dream slip through his fingers, and all the times his family and Andy and Neal kicked his ass back in gear - it’s the best inspiration one could have on the crazy ride that is Idol.
#04 - Box
With his piercings and tattoos Neal Tiemann doesn’t exactly fit into the family friendly box that Idol could make of David and his career, and David wouldn’t have him any other way.
#05 - Run
Neal is used to fighting for the people he loves, but chasing after them is a completely new experience - one that’s too dramatic for his liking - so as he races after David all he can think about is what to say to make things right, and hope that his legs don’t give out before he catches him.
#06 - Hurricane
“What’s worse,” David asks him before their performance, a tiny smirk on his face, “magic rainbows or mountains and hurricanes?”
#07 - Wings
David does this thing where he pays extra special attention to Neal’s “Rock, Flag, and Eagle” tattoo during sex; whenever he realises this is happening Neal has to roll on top and start grinding their hips together, because the last thing he wants while they fuck is a sappy, sentimental Dave.
#08 - Cold
He hears the forecast like the rest of them and dresses accordingly, but fuck is it freezing, and he knows his hand will be aching when they’re done, probably even more than usual; in the dark between songs David finds him, cupping their hands together and breathing warm against his skin, and Neal thinks he’ll be able to survive this weather if for nothing else than the promise of heat in David’s eyes.
#09 - Red
Dave giggles into his arm and says, “Dude, I really don’t think it’s my colour,” to which Neal replies, “Shut up, I’m tryin’ to concentrate,” and adjusts his grip on the bottle of ‘Ravenous Red’ nail polish; his head is bent in concentration, breath ghosting over Dave’s fingers as he drags the brush over his nails, and maybe it’s the beer talking but he’s never wanted Neal more.
#10 - Drink
Their first kiss is fuelled by booze: Dave can taste the whiskey on Neal’s tongue, and he thinks to himself that he’ll be pissed if this fucks up their relationship - and shit, he can’t be that drunk if he’s still able to worry - but then Neal reaches down Dave’s pants and palms his cock, and he stops thinking altogether.
#11 - Midnight
You ring in the New Year onstage and between the show adrenaline and the bottle of champagne you’ve cracked open there’s no room for melancholy: Neal must see something in you, though, because he whispers in your ear before you resume, “We’ll celebrate properly back at the hotel, just you wait.”
#12 - Temptation
Neal’s seen the photos, okay, so he knows exactly the kinds of faces they tend to pull onstage - and it’s not like they even do it on purpose, they all lose themselves up there - but sometimes he’ll look across at Dave midway through a song - skin sweat-soaked, head thrown back, eyes closed and mouth open - and Neal knows it’s just a matter of time ‘til he loses the fight completely.
#13 - View
Because Dave is Dave, he has to see every tourist destination and try every local delicacy no matter how ridiculous, and because it’s Dave, Neal lets him get away with it; when he’s perched on the railing at another ‘natural wonder’ site, leaning over the edge so far that his shirt rides up, and says, “Pretty cool, huh,” to no one in particular, Neal just smirks and says, “Yeah, the view’s not bad from back here, either.”
#14 - Music
David brings Neal in as early as possible because if he’s going to be on the road for most of this insane process he wants someone that’s gonna represent him right; Neal nods like he’s glad to accept the mission and says “If they think you’re doing more of that magic rainbow shit they got another coming.”
#15 - Silk
Post-show energy makes everything a little bit brighter, a little bit better, so when Dave pulls Neal onto the bed by his tie and the overzealous action leaves them sprawled over each other, Neal can’t help but grin at Dave’s smothered giggles.
#16 - Cover
They haven’t been alone under the same roof for what feels like an age, and the first thing that Dave does to celebrate that fact is drag him beneath the bed sheets and reacquaint his teeth and tongue and fingertips with Neal’s tattoos.
#17 - Promise
So maybe he treats the American Idol thing as a punch line at first, another button to push when he feels like being a dick, but then Dave actually makes it through the preliminary rounds and the implications hit like a kick to the face; the night they throw him his good luck slash going away party, Neal drags him aside and tells him You better show them what you can fucking do, Dave, I swear to god, blow ‘em out of the fucking water, and Dave doesn’t look away when he replies, I will, just watch me.
#18 - Dream
“I’ve got ‘til I’m twenty-six,” he tells Neal, sombre and just a little bit devastated, “and then I gotta give this rock star thing up,” and Neal nods and says, “Time to start showing everyone how good you really are then, huh?”
#19 - Candle
Neither of them are big on the clichéd, Hollywood view of love, but when Dave makes a light-hearted dig about the lack of romantic gestures in their relationship, Neal can’t resist; during the banter before Avalanche he busies himself setting up and lighting candles while Andy makes a show of throwing rose petals around the stage, and the way Dave cracks up when he catches on to what they’re doing is the best result imaginable.
#20 - Talent
Even after weeks of knowing Neal, David can’t help but be impressed by his skills; “Fuck, man, that’s amazing,” he says when Neal finishes a solo, and with a smirk Neal leans forward and says against David’s ear, “That’s not all these fingers are good at.”
#21 - Silence
The whole ‘vocal rest’ thing is enforced by Neal, who finds increasing amusement in the fact that Dave feels obligated not to speak for fear of screwing them all over; when Neal slides into his bunk later that night and proceeds to suck him off Dave does everything he can to keep quiet, and Neal’s never been so turned on in his life.
#22 - Journey
“This is the craziest fucking thing in the world,” Dave says, buzzing with a nervous energy they all feel - because while this may not be the first show they’ve played together, it’ll be the first one they’ve done on their brand new tour - so when he throws his arm around Neal’s shoulder and squeezes, Neal doesn’t shrug him off: this is one of the most insane things he’s ever been a part of, too, and he wouldn’t want to be sharing it with anyone else.
#23 - Fire
Neal kisses him first, and it’s another thing David can add to his list of Things to Be Pleasantly Surprised About: other items soon include how the smoke he can taste on Neal’s tongue isn’t all that bad, and how they’ve barely even started but David already feels like he’s burning up in his own skin.
#24 - Strength
Dave’s always been good at tearing himself open on stage - his emotional intensity while performing was one of the first things you admired about him - but sometimes you forget the kind of cost it carries; that is, until Dave crawls into your bunk and tries to burrow into you, and all you can do is curl your fingers in his shirt and wait for him to build himself up again.
#25 - Mask
It’s like reciprocity, you realise with a sudden burst of clarity, because while you know all the shit Dave can hide behind his smile and his wit, he can see the cracks in your armour just as easily, and that right there is a fucking terrifying thought.
#26 - Ice
When they get back to their place Dave pushes Neal down onto the couch and disappears into the kitchen, returning with an icepack that he presses gently to Neal’s bruised mouth: when Neal winces from the cold Dave ducks his head forward and places a few light, nipping kisses against his lips, murmuring C’mon now, behave, or the brave hero won’t get the rest of his reward.
#27 - Fall
Neal thinks it’s indicative of just how badly he’s fallen for David Cook that he gets on stage of his own free will and plays Always Be My Baby for a bunch of horny fans.
#28 - Forgotten
He doesn’t like to admit it, even to himself, but part of him had worried that when Dave won Idol - and he would win, because they’d never let him live it down if he didn’t - he’d go onto greater things without them, but when Dave called him post-victory and asked, “So, d’you think you’d maybe like to help me out with this thing?” that doubt died an instantaneous, spectacular death.
#29 - Dance
All the cool kids and happy couples are dancing and you’re bored shitless, so when Tiemann sneaks up on you, cigarette behind his ear and lighter in hand, you follow him gladly; the night air is cold but his body’s warm when he crowds you against a wall, and you think you should have started coming to these school dances sooner.
#30 - Body
Neal feels a fierce swell of pride when he realises no one else will get to witness the sight he’s privy to: David Cook, laid out and begging for it beneath him, reduced to little more than a writhing mess under Neal’s mouth and fingers as he traces out mine on David’s skin.
#31 - Sacred
Neal’s already on his knees when David taunts, “C’mon, guitar god, show me what you’ve got,” and between his smirk and that nickname there’s a challenge being issued: Neal leaves him dangling over the edge of orgasm so long David doesn’t even care that he’s pleading for release by the end.
#32 - Farewells
It’s not the end of things by any means, but they both understand the sentiment, so as they leave the stage of their last ever Declaration Tour show, Neal throws his arm around Dave’s shoulders and pulls him close; no matter what happens next, they’ll always have this moment.
#33 - World
There are chart-topping albums and world tours and David keeps his feet planted firmly on the ground no matter what; he still drags Neal along to the live acoustic performances where he’s never really been needed and still names the band as the reason for their success, and Neal can’t help but be glad that some things don’t change.
#34 - Formal
Neal Tiemann always manages to look like a badass, no matter how much the stylists try to scale down his image for the audiences at home, but Dave’s favourite thing about seeing him dressed up all prim and proper is when he gets to tear those clothes off him afterward.
#35 - Fever
Nobody’s really surprised when Dave falls sick on tour - the man has apparently never been introduced to the idea of a responsible work ethic so it’s a wonder his immune system is functioning at all - but then it actually starts to look serious, and Neal’s had enough; when they reach their hotel stop that night Neal shepherds Dave into bed then takes up in the comfiest armchair in the room, shooting him a warning glance and saying, “Keep your ass in that bed ‘til you remember how to take care of yourself, Heartthrob,” and muttering to himself, “if I end up sick after this I’m making sure they leave your guitars behind.”
#36 - Laugh
He won’t ever admit it, but a great part of the reason why he does the stupid things he does, onstage or otherwise, is because he can’t get enough of Neal’s laugh.
#37 - Lies
David says “I’m fine,” and “It’ll be okay,” and all Neal can do is reply “I know,” and hope that in time it’ll be the truth.
#38 - Forever
Playing alongside a bunch of talented, awesome friends, the audience screaming for more, Cook grinning at him across the stage, bright and clear - it’s moments like these he wishes would never end.
#39 - Overwhelmed
They’ve all had fun at David’s expense for his tendency to get emotional at the drop of a hat, but when they play Manila and that enormous crowd sings along to A Daily AntheM, Neal has to agree that it’s pretty fucking special.
#40 - Whisper
The first time he utters those three little words he says them so softly that Dave doesn’t even hear him, too afraid they’ll shatter on some unseen obstacle between them to give them the volume they deserve.
#41 - Wait
You’d hung back, waiting in the periphery ‘til everyone else had their chance at hugging and congratulating, but then Andy not-so-subtly shoved you forward and Cook’s eyes were on you; “Of course you’d manage to rock out Mariah Carey,” you manage, and reach out to ruffle his hair, and you explain away his delighted grin on his brother’s presence and a good performance, nothing more.
#42 - Talk
David doesn’t know if they’re ever going to discuss this thing between them - or if they even should - but Neal’s not showing any signs of pulling away, and David’s far too invested in what they’ve got to question it.
#43 - Search
David wakes to Neal’s worried face, the guitarist wringing his hands like he doesn’t know what to do with them, Sixx isn’t in the yard, I don’t know where - and David mutters Shit, grabs his phone and pulls on the nearest clothes he can find, and follows Neal out to look for the mammoth dog.
#44 - Hope
He’d been cautiously optimistic of his chances, even if he might have been little more than a long shot, but when the news broke and his name was nowhere near the Grammy nominee list David was just glad Neal was with him - Neal, who only snarled, “Fuck ‘em,” and broke out the beer anyway.
#45 - Eclipse
“We might have to think of new ways to make the show interesting,” David says, breathless and giddy against Neal’s neck, “’cause I don’t think there’s a lot that’ll beat you kissing me on stage.”
#46 - Gravity
The full weight of the situation hits when a random journo asks him if there’s anybody special in his life and the only name that comes to mind is Neal’s.
#47 - Highway
On the nights when he can’t sleep Neal finds himself occupying the open living space of the bus, spread out on the couch and staring at nothing as they roll towards their destination: Dave joins him sometimes, still caught in that grey area between sleep and waking, and he buries his head in the warmth of Neal’s shoulder so they greet dawn’s first light together.
#48 - Unknown
There have been hook-ups with band mates in the past, some of them ill-advised, but none have ever been like this, none have entered relationship territory before, and the only consolation Neal can find is that David has no experience here either.
#49 - Lock
They’re really not as subtle as they’d like to believe, Andy thinks as David and Neal excuse themselves from the room, but he figures they’ll tell him when they’re ready, and hey, at least whenever they do it they’re considerate enough to lock the door behind them.
#50 - Breathe
Sometimes Neal will wake to find David’s snuck back into the house and has fallen asleep curled into him, his body a steady comfort as he breathes against Neal’s skin, and it may not be drinking or playing a show, but Neal would never pass this up.