"I completely understand," Brian said into the phone as he paced the length of his hotel room. It was too early for this, as evidenced by the patches of pink sky bleeding through the spaces between the Holiday Inn and the Denny's across the street. "In your place I'd be just as upset," he continued. "But unfortunately Bert McCracken has left the state."

The door creaked open and Bert stumbled in, smiling and bleary-eyed, reeking of whiskey even from across the room.

"Yes, I'm sorry," Brian said. "Bert's no longer in the area. But I'll pass along your concern and ask him to contact you as soon as the tour returns to the Midwest." He paused to listen. "Yes. Thank you, sir."

Brian hung up his phone and looked up at Bert, who was smiling and humming to himself as he fingered Brian's toiletries on the dresser.

Brian sat down on the edge of the bed and placed his phone down on the nightstand. "Do you realize the girl you made out with last night was fourteen?"

"Really?" Bert said without looking up from Brian's Speedstick. "She looked at least fifteen."

Brian leaned back onto his unmade bed and put his forearm over his eyes. "My life is so hard."

The bed dipped as Bert lay down beside him. "Me too," Bert said. "My life is so hard."

Brian looked sideways at him. He knew all about Bert's rough childhood, drug problems, and homelessness, but he was still a twenty-one year-old rock star who never bought his own drinks and had threesomes regularly.

But when Bert turned his head to face him and smiled, all Brian's exasperation was quickly replaced by a fierce instinct to protect him. Brian hadn't been in the business that long, but he knew what could happen to a lead singer who was too trusting, too drunk, and too successful too fast. People saw Bert and wild and dangerous, and at times, he was. But more often he was in the bus' lounge, curled into an impossibly tiny ball and burrowed against Quinn, smiling at Brian with the most honest look that Brian had ever seen.

"Okay." Bert pressed his palm against Brian's chest. "Okay, your life is hard. But mine is hard too." He yawned. "Cause I can't find my room."

Brian patted the back of Bert's hand. It would be a rare night if Bert had made it to bed before dawn. "You can sleep here."

Bert inched forward and planted a sloppy kiss on Brian's mouth. Bert was forever kissing his friends, his band, the crew, fans, and the occasional frightened Reprise executive, so it wasn't the first time Brian had been kissed by Bert.

But it was the first time Brian cupped Bert's face in his hand and kissed back.

He was expecting Bert to flinch and pull away, like someone had finally called his bluff, but instead Bert snaked his hand around Brian's waist and kissed him again and again. It seemed so natural and perfect, and Brian was just so hungry for it. He kissed Bert harder, bumping their noses and teeth together, and pulled Bert closer, his crotch against Bert's thigh, his dick so fucking hard.

Bert sucked Brian's lower lip into his mouth, then released it, exhaled hot and damp, and whispered, "You can fuck me if you want."

Brian opened his eyes. Bert's face was blurry, but he could still see his wet lips, flushed cheeks, and blue eyes that were striking even when they were bloodshot.

Brian backed up, a little too quickly, and he had to reach back to make sure he wasn't going to fall off the bed. He clearly felt the separation from Bert's mouth, hands, chest, thigh, as if his body was mourning all the places they'd been connected.

Brian stood up. "You should –" He cleared his throat. "You should get some sleep."

Bert hummed his approval as he pulled a pillow under his head, seemingly unbothered by Brian's absence from the bed.

Brian walked to the other side of the room and found one of the plastic-wrapped hotel cups. He filled it with tap water from the bathroom and brought it to the bed, where he sat down and shook Bert's shoulder gently. "Drink this before you pass out."

Bert pushed himself up onto his elbows, drained the glass in one gulp, and handed it back to Brian with a lazy smile. He collapsed back on the pillow and pulled the blankets over his chest.

"Thanks for taking care of me," Bert said.

Brian put his hand on Bert's shoulder. "That's my job," he whispered, but Bert was already asleep.