When I Come Around Part 12
Author: timrod
Rating: NC17 overall
Pairing: Billie Joe/other
Disclaimer: I don't own Green Day.
Surprised? Yeah, me too. Valentines / birthday continued.
Part 1 - http://comingclean.livejournal.com/2953785.html#cutid1
Part 2 - http://comingclean.livejournal.com/2954009.html
Part 3 - http://comingclean.livejournal.com/2954629.html
Part 4 - http://comingclean.livejournal.com/2955105.html
Part 5 - http://comingclean.livejournal.com/2956943.html
Part 6 - http://comingclean.livejournal.com/2957718.html
Part 7 - http://comingclean.livejournal.com/2958836.html
Part 8 - http://comingclean.livejournal.com/2960069.html
Part 9a http://comingclean.livejournal.com/2963373.html
Part 9b http://comingclean.livejournal.com/2965012.html
Part 10a http://comingclean.livejournal.com/2966647.html
Part 10 b http://comingclean.livejournal.com/2967602.html
Part 11 - http://comingclean.livejournal.com/2974521.html
PART 12
Much too late to scrounge lunch from Ollie, Billie stopped at his favourite bakery for pastries and coffee to keep them both going until dinner, because breakfast hadn’t happened, and their morning exertions had burned a fair few calories. He knew in his heart that he was really just stalling for time, running through a dozen different ways of telling his mother that she wouldn’t be getting any grandchildren from her youngest child, planning a once-in-a-lifetime speech that as recently as three days ago, he never thought he would have to make. It made him remember all the other shit he had thrown at her over the years - dropping out of school, moving out to live in a warehouse, smoking weed - shit she had come to terms with pretty quickly. He hoped against hope that this time would be the same.
Stomach rumbles for the moment silenced, Jay chatted happily for the rest of the journey to the place that Billie still referred to as ‘home’, waiting until the thirty-year-old car stopped outside the modest little house to bring up the subject at the forefront of their minds. He wrapped his hand around Billie’s over the gear shift and gave him a bright smile, instinctively picking up on his nerves.
“It’ll be fine, Billie. You said before that she just wants you to be happy.”
“Yeah, I know, but ...”
“Look, I only met her the once but I think I know how she’ll be. You should worry more about what my dad’s gonna say when we tell him about us. From what Lori told us about him, I don’t think he’s gonna be very pleased.”
Billie lifted the fist to his lips and kissed it gently. “Yeah, I’ve been thinking about that. too. Fuck .... what have I got you into?”
“It doesn’t matter what he thinks, what anyone thinks. Nobody’s gonna make me change my mind. I love you, and I love my new life. Come on, let’s get this bit over with.”
Ollie’s sitting room was warm and comfortable, and the two men sank into old but well-looked after sofa cushions, cradling the coffees that she had insisted that they needed. There was half a man’s width between them, the onus wholly on Billie to choose the right moment to broach the subject that would inevitably end with that gap being closed.
“Well, this is a nice surprise. You both look very smart. You don’t normally dress up to come visit, Billie.”
The singer smiled at his mother’s subtle code for ‘You usually look so scruffy”. “We’re going into the city later, Mom - getting dinner. It’s for Jay’s birthday.”
“Really? Happy birthday, dear. Does that mean you remembered something?”
Jay shook his head. “No, The cops found out where I come from - my sister came looking for me. I know my name, that I’m 40 - yesterday, actually - and that I can drum, that’s about all.” He drained his coffee, placing the cup on the rug at his feet next to Billie’s, and related the events of the previous day, at least the bits that were appropriate to share. Billie was thankful for that, and grateful for the lack of attention on him as he struggled with the urge to hug the returning hint of sadness out of his lover. Slightly zoned out, he actually flinched when he heard his name fall from his boyfriend’s lips. “Billie’s gonna take me to see Dad on the weekend, maybe that’ll help me remember, but I think I already decided I’m not going back to live with him. The place he lives, it sounds kinda quiet. I like it down here, with Billie and his friends. I even got myself a job.”
”Billie did say he could probably find you something to do at the studio ...”
“Yeah, he did, but he, well, him and Jake, they both think I could drum on the tour.”
Ollie abandoned her chair to sit on the arm of the sofa next to her son’s new friend. “That’s great. Does that mean you’ve finally got rid of that awful John, Sweetheart?”
Billie snorted. “He sort of got rid of himself. He hasn’t gotten back in touch about the tour, and I don’t want a repeat of last time. He’s had his last chance. Jay’s gonna be more reliable. He’s a better drummer, too.”
“You should have sacked him years ago, Billie, you’re too loyal. I’m glad he’s gone - dead wood, both him and that Barbie ...”
“Carrie - her name is Carrie.”
“Yes, I know what she’s called, but Barbie suits her. She was so artificial - she wasn’t right for you. You deserve someone better, Billie Joe.”
Black hair flopped forward to frame Billie’s suddenly-serious face as he started picking at the skin around his fingernails. “Yeah, well, I got someone, Mom. Someone real and honest. Not just someone this time, but THE one.”
“Really? Already? No time wasted with you, son!” Ollie laughed gently, trying in vain to lift the change in mood that she didn’t understand, and it struck Jay just how much she sounded like Billie - or more to the point, how much he sounded like her. He was totally ready for the moment when Billie was going to need his shoulder to lean on, perfectly aware of the never-still hands, the moistened corners of green eyes and the frequent licking of parched lips, his own spirits starting to flag as he realised that they had to go through this anguish all over again in three days’ time. Ollie, too, seemed to feel the tension, because when she next spoke, it was in a whisper. “Is it somebody I know?”
The ensuing silence felt huge, but it was, in reality, just a few seconds later when Jay answered.
“Yeah. It’s me.”
*******
Around a corner, fully out of sight of his waving mother, Billie pulled the car over to the kerb under a street light and finally allowed himself to collapse into howls of laughter, hunched over the steering wheel.
“I think she took that very well.”
“Jay, you put your fucking tongue down her throat.”
“She didn’t tell me to stop.”
“She couldn’t. She had your fucking tongue DOWN HER THROAT!”
“But that’s how I kiss you.”
Billie splutter-coughed, and wiped his eyes on his sleeve. “Jesus, I thought she was going to slap you for a moment. Look, I’m sorry, you weren’t to know. It’s fine - it was just a bit of a shock for her.”
“More than her son being gay kind of a shock?”
“I think it might have been. Fuck, i love you, and yeah, she took it pretty well. She likes you. Not enough to play tonsil-hockey, but she likes you.”
“Still?”
“Yeah. We talked while you were in the bathroom, she understands how your memory - or lack of it - is gonna fuck with you sometimes. She’s cool.”
“She’s amazing. Hope my dad’s as cool on Saturday.”
“Yeah, me too, and I promise I won’t try to make out with him.” Billie ducked a feeble attempt at a slap around the head, instead drawing Jay’s arm around his neck, kissing him softly, then stroking a finger across his hopeful and open lips. “Mmmmm. Keep this just for me, okay?” Jay nodded, and was rewarded with another kiss and the most beautiful smile from his lover. “Do you want some more good news? We don’t have to go through this all over again with Bernie on Monday.”
“But, I thought ... the bed ..”
“I think you’ll find she knows. She just walked past. She waved and smiled.”
“Whoops.” Jay giggled, blushing noticeably in the streetlight’s pale glow. “So that really just leaves my dad - and Lori, of course. We forgot Lori. Fuck, I hope our luck holds out. Everyone we told so far has been happy for us.”
“I’ve been thinking about that some more, Love. What say we ask Lori if we can meet her earlier, perhaps take her to lunch before we go visit your dad? We can tell her about us, and see if she can second-guess his reaction? We’d be a bit better prepared.”
“Yeah, sounds like a plan.” Jay’s smile faded a little. “Billie ...?”
“Mmmm?”
“You said something about a steak.”
“Yeah. You hungry?” Billie restarted the car, once again his hand covered by Jay’s on the gear shift.
“Starving, but ...”
“Do you want something else, anywhere you wanna go in particular? It’s your treat, Love.”
”I’d really like to go home.”
“We gotta eat, but if that’s what you want.”
“I want pancakes and bed. Maybe the pancakes later. Or the pancakes in bed.” Jay leaned back in his seat, guiding Billie to his crotch. Even in the poor light, the bulge in the fabric was pretty obvious. “It sorta started when I used the bathroom. I wanna eat but I don’t wanna waste this, either.”
Billie moaned through a brief kiss, then pulled the car out onto the empty street, driving a little faster than was legal.
“I eat too much red meat anyway.”
*****
Billie could not remember ever spending so much of his time in bed. From getting home on Wednesday evening until early Saturday morning, the longest they left their room was the time it took to make a snack or brew a pot of coffee. Days merged, sleep punctuating long sessions of lovemaking, those brief meals and gloriously protracted cuddles, whilst the world got on with its own business and ignored them. Apart from two quick phone calls - to Jake to make their excuses for the rest of the week and to Lori to arrange lunch - their contact with humanity was limited to the happenings within their own four walls. Billie shared secrets and stories, Jay simply said how he felt, but every word they uttered only served to bring them closer.
Their erratic sleep pattern meant that Billie woke with the dawn on Saturday. It was a little brighter, dry, but no warmer than the rest of the week had been, and contrary to a habit of half a lifetime, he was out of bed and in the kitchen before nine on a weekend. He was flipping the last but one pancake when Jay appeared, lured by the smell of coffee and cooking.
“Hey. You didn’t wake me.”
“Good morning. No, you were well and truly out of it. Thought I’d surprise you with breakfast in bed. You being down here sort of spoils that.” Billie turned off the stove and added the last pancake to the stack on the tray, laden with juice, syrup, a stick of butter and a bowl of glistening blueberries. “We ran out of bacon, eggs now, too. Bernie’s got a shopping list a mile long for Monday. I’ve never eaten at home so much as I have this week. Here or in the den?”
“The den sounds good. I’ll bring the coffee.”
Billie put the tray on the low table in the centre of the room, drawing two huge beanbags, used as overspill seating when this little room played host to a crowd, from their hiding place behind the largest sofa. Jay was like a kid again, rolling and bouncing on the soft squashy fabric until he realised that Billie had already demolished almost half of the pancakes. Still not getting the concept of either / or, he smothered his in butter, syrup, and fruit, and soon caught up with his lover.
“Good? I don’t think you’ve had blueberries before, have you?”
Jay chewed frantically, trying and failing to empty his mouth before he answered. “No. Good. Tasty.”
The singer piled his plate and empty cup on the tray, giggling. “One thing about you, you’re easy to feed. Carrie wouldn’t touch half the stuff in my refrigerator. This breakfast would last her a week.”
“Her loss.” Jay looked at Billie, then at the last pancake, waiting for the go-ahead before he folded it, wiped it around his plate and crammed it into his mouth. “How long have we got before we meet Lori?”
“She’s about ten minutes away, so I guess three, three and a half hours. We’ve only gotta shower and dress.”
“A shower takes over an hour.” Jay spoke so matter-of-factly, but it was the truth. More than once, they had both needed to shower AFTER they had taken a shower. He rolled over, sliding off the beanbag onto the rug then promptly climbed back on again. “This is great. We should sit on these more often.”
“We could take them up to the bedroom if you like.”
“Yeah, but - Billie .....?”
“Mmm?” The singer had second thoughts about not wanting any more coffee and refilled his cup halfway, downing the lot in one leisurely gulp.
“You haven’t said good morning yet.”
“I did, when I was cook .... oh.” Billie looked up from his coffee to see Jay sprawled on his back, untying the belt of his bathrobe and exposing his nakedness. “You mean good morning ..”