InsaneJournal

FIC: Never the Easy Way pt 3/?--Penguins Verse Jared/Matt
prequel: Chance Meeting
other stories in verse: full list here

warnings:graphic sex, angst, language, drug & alcohol use, mild violence, more sex, more language, more angst, touching on numerous trigger-worthy issues woven through that go from abortion, sexual harassment, past references to/implications of rape & consensual turned non-con (nothing on screen) reference to domestic abuse, and the list goes on. Honestly I'm at a loss for attempting to warn for this one, the above has bearing on how these guys are/behave/how they're screwed up but not the focus of anything exactly. The accumulative effects of living hard and most around them doing the same is more accurate for a warning. Here be smut, angst and a fairly rough rollercoaster ride.

full header/disclaimer & part 1 || part 2



February, 2009

“You got your ass awake?” Matt asked quietly when the phone was answered.

“Yeah, yeah, m'wake,” was yawned out in response.

“Sure sounds like it,” Matt chuckled softly. “We're stopping in about twenty. What blew up?” he frowned at the background explosion.

“Fucked if I know. Someone's got a movie on.”

“Well, Shan's probably in his bunk with his phone, because that's where Bob is, so it's your other two.”

“Why is it quiet?”

“I shut myself in the bathroom. Gerard's driving everyone batshit worried about Lyn's zombie getting to her in time for Valentine's.”

“Brian just called, the kids called him their van lost its engine about fifty miles ago. We gotta send someone back for them and their equipment and figure out what the fuck.” Gerard pounded on the bathroom door.

“I heard-you, Bob and Frank ride with us? You can bunk with me, Bob can with Shan and we'll put Frank on the damned couch, he'll fit,” Jared offered.

Matt opened the door and repeated that, at least as far as Bob, Frank and himself hopping onto Mars' bus, to Gerard, who gaped at him like he'd grown a second head. “Why are you hiding in the bathroom to talk to Jared?”

“Because he needed a wake up call and figured I'd remember to do it. He'd've asked you but..you're not good with clocks when you get to thinking or drawing or writing, Gee.”

“Fuck you,” Gerard snorted, but didn't argue that point. “So why are you hiding in the bathroom?”

“Because the last time I made a phone call in the lounge Mikey asked if I was calling a phone sex line at the top of his lungs when I was on the phone to my aunt.” Granted that had been way back on Warped when Mikey was hanging with Wentz and had stumbled back to the bus wasted on Trohman's weed and god knew what else.

“You're never going to let him live that one down are you?” Gerard shook his head.

“Oh hell no. He's going to hear about it as long as I'm hearing about it from my aunt and mom and grandma about it,” Matt snorted. “Me, Frank and Bob on Mars, and Ray goes and holes up in the studio. That's four bunks and their bassist is barely bigger than Frank, toss him on the couch in the front lounge.”

Brian and Mikey's bunks left were out of the consideration. Brian went apeshit if someone messed with his shit and really the kids were freaking kids and Matt wasn't much impressed with them other than their ability to play. It was about a given they'd mess with shit. That's what kids did. Besides, Brian would likely show up soon enough, he'd spent more time than usual on this tour, and if they had another vehicle disaster he'd want to try to get there to referee personally with doubling up. Especially since the brats were signed to Riot Squad too.

Mikey had left all his stuff strung out, just grabbing a few days of clothes his phone and heading home, the med change over the break at Christmas was definitely not working and the longer he was on them the more fucked up he was getting. Mikey'd be upset if his shit was messed with. Leaving his bunk in disarray and his shit all over in it, and all over the bus though they naturally migrated things back to his bunk, with just them on the bus was one thing but Mikey would be bugged beyond tolerance by the kids. They'd do enough bugging Mikey with sticking stuff from their bunks they didn't want fucked with in Mikey's bunk as it was.

“Jared, get your driver to pull over. These guys'll quick pack and jump on with you.” Gerard said loudly as he leaned in toward Matt's phone.

“On it,” Jared yawned on the other end.

*

The face off was actually relatively quick. And didn't involve answering shit about why he was on the phone with Cortez to start with. Hell, he didn't think any of them had noticed Matt's calls, which was just fine. It wasn't like they were anything more than ”hey, you up? Good gonna stop in a bit, eat something.” Or “we're not stopping go scavenge and fucking eat something.”

Shannon was too busy grinning like a fucking moron at the text screen of his phone to notice Jared getting odd calls, though. Tomo had descended into his post New Years funk and was getting into full swing of it now. Tim pretty much did his best to avoid Jared anyway and had been distracting Tomo.

The initial the little shits van had broken down and they were going to stop and do rearranging and doubling up had Tomo cussing. The “Bob, Frank and Matt are hopping on with us, and the brats are going on My Chem's bus” calmed him down. He'd already been in a bad enough mood about spending Valentine's over on the My Chem bus to give Bob and Shan a day's privacy. It wasn't so much the what as the date. Tomo got really damned moody about the time chocolate hearts started showing up on the store shelves and every radio station in the country changed their ridiculous Christmas jewelry commercials to Valentine's jewelry commercials pushing diamond engagement rings.

“JESUS FUCK SHUT UP AND LISTEN! FRANK'S TAKING THE COUCH. BOB'LL SLEEP WITH SHAN AND CORTEZ CAN SHARE WITH ME!” Jared shouted at Tim who started in that he wasn't sleeping on the couch or on the floor. He didn't mind putting up or helping out My Chem, it was the little fuckers he objected to and the possibility of his tequila going down the bus' toilet.

“I'm getting fucking drunk,” Tim grumbled. “Our bus, our rules. We have booze. I'm having mine.”

Jared stared.

Tomo reached and squeezed Tim's shoulder.

“Tim?” Shannon frowned.

Tim bit his lip. “Think-think Cortez would be willing to learn our set just in case? Friend of mine from high school was in a wreck. All Mom knew when she called earlier was he was in critical condition. If-she's supposed to be calling again but-if..”

“Yeah. Yeah I'll ask Matt. He would. He will. We'll figure something out if you gotta go,” Jared said with absolute confidence. The past three weeks without fail he'd gotten a call asking if he was awake when the busses stopped. Jared pretty much chalked that up to keeping things running smoothly on the tour by way of trying to avoid him getting bitchy or something. He really wasn't sure what the fuck to make of Matt's calls, that he'd offered in the first place and kept it up to make sure. But this. This he had no doubt of.

Jared ignored the raised eyebrow from his brother and was the first off their bus to help move Matt, Bob and Frank over to the Mars bus.

“Jared kicks and steals blankets,” Tomo informed Matt with a shit eating grin Jared decided he was going to make Tomo pay for later.

“As long as his feet aren't as cold as Frank's I'll live,” Matt shrugged.

“Fucker!” Frank laughed and aimed a half hearted kick at Matt.

Other than the fact Tomo was half fucked up and teased Frank about fitting on the couch it really wasn't that big of a deal. Bob stepped in and Shannon quietly told Frank Tomo's reason for bitchiness and that Tim's friend had been hurt.

“If it's that bad or-If Tim has to take off? Will you fill in for a couple days?” Jared asked Matt.



“Not a problem. Let me stow my shit in the back and we can start working on some now if ya want.”

Frank grinned widely. “That's our Matty. Brian would probably live with us if we didn't have Matt and Bob. Matt is a fucking miracle worker.”

Jared almost believed that. My Chem were fucking nuts and the cornerstone of Schechter's growing business, as well as pretty much the center of his fucking universe the way it seemed at times.

Frank settled down with his laptop and phone, and was quickly enough engrossed in Skeleton Crew and Leathermouth stuff. Jared didn't know what and didn't care. Whatever it was, it kept him from having to attempt conversation with Frank. Bob and Shannon disappeared back to Shannon's bunk, which was just as well in Jared's opinion because he really didn't want his brother deciding to....get payback matchmaking or something.

Matt gamely settled on the couch with Tim and Tomo and started working on the songs. Tim was worthless and distracted and paying more attention to his tequila. Jared had to wonder if they might need Matt tonight anyway with Tim to fucked up to play.

An hour later Jared wondered if Matt was maybe fucking up on purpose a bit to keep Tim occupied and snarling and playing to show Matt the part. Not enough to keep Tim from getting fairly buzzed, but enough that Tim wasn't completely wasted by the time they hit the venue. Tomo was almost as buzzed as Tim. It seemed he'd decided his part of keeping Tim sober enough until after the show was helping Tim drink his tequila.


*

The show, well, it could have been worse. It could have been a lot worse. The little shits were being arrogant little bastards. Evidently there'd been phone calls to Brian. The little pissants complaining because their asses had to abide by My Chem's rules and their bags had been searched by Ray and James and all their assorted booze and shit flushed down the bus' toilet. Brian really wasn't the one to complain to about your booze, weed and pills getting flushed. Matt wasn't sure what all else but Gerard was all practically spitting nails by the time Matt, Frank and Bob joined Gerard, James and Ray. Tim and Tomo really weren't up to snuff for Mars set but nothing too drastic. Booze left on the bus and coffee through sound check and the pissants set they were headed towards sober by the time Mars hit the stage.

All the same Matt's head and back and hands were aching by the time he crawled into Jared's bunk to crash once they were loaded up and ready to go again. After working on Mars set all afternoon, he was honestly surprised he hadn't completely sucked when he'd gone on to play for Mikey the way his hands were aching, not used to playing hours at a shot anymore.

Matt snorted softly as Jared settled into the bunk stiff and uncertainly behind him what seemed like ages after everyone else had crashed. “Jesus, Jay, now what?” he whispered and reached for Jared's hand and twined their fingers before moving to settle it over his stomach. “Get comfy and get some sleep.”

*

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