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Teardrop In The Fire	By : MysticNight Category: Singers/Bands/Musicians > Incubus Views: 3776 -:- Recommendations : 0 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: This is a work of fiction. I do not know the members of Incubus. I do not make any money from the writing of this story.

Chapter List
- 14
- 15
- 16
*
“Its okay, it’s okay” he repeated to an unconscious Claire, trying convince himself more so than her.

Picking her up, Brandon carried her over to the bed placing Claire on her back in the center of it.

Bringing the side of his face in close proximities to hers, Brandon felt her breathing softly against his skin.

“Okay, that’s good, that’s a good sign. Still alive” he coaxed himself, still unsure of what to do next.

****

“Mike, I don’t want to play anymore card games with you” Marissa groaned.

“Come on, just one mor-” his phone commenced it's ringing in his back pocket.

“Get it!” she pleaded hoping to get him away from her. “Where’s Brandon, anyway? He should be back by now.” she stood up.

“No!”

She paused at his reaction, leaving an eerie silence between them that immediately stirred Mike to explain.

“He’s just signing some autographs backstage, you know how it is. He’ll be up soon. Now stay put while I take this call.”

“I choose the game this time.” she mumbled sitting back down on the chair.

Running into one of the bedroom's Mike answered his phone.

“Where the fuck are you? It’s been over an hour now. You two better have done more than kissing and making up…”

“She blacked out” Brandon quickly informed him.

“…I have officially, found a new level of admiration for you.”

“Mike, I’m not kidding around. She was crying and then she just, collapsed. Is Chris anywhere near by?”

“Not even in the room.”

“Good, I don’t want to give him a heart attack. Mike, what should I do? It‘s the first time anyone’s ever fell unconscious on me before. ”

“Liar.” Mike proclaimed “Remember that one time…”

“You know what I damn well mean, now help me. I’m worried about her.”

“She didn’t hit her head, did she?”

“No.”

“And she’s breathing right?”

“Yes.”

“Well as long as she’s still doing that, she’s bound to wake up at some time or another”

As soon as the words left Mike’s lips , Brandon heard a slight shuffling behind him.

“I think she’s doing something.”

“That's always a good sign" Mike commented.

“I’ll call you back.” he snapped the phone shut, rushing to her side.

“Claire.” he soothingly stroked her hair, hoping to rouse her from whatever insentient she was in.
She mumbled shortly, with his fingers still entangled in her long curly hair.

“Claire, come on babe, wake up” He now believed she would be alright. Figuring, she was purely overwhelmed by the entire night, that she simply fainted.

Slowly she looked up at him through thin slits, still not fully awake.

“Brandon? What‘s going on? ” she mumbled trying to organize her thoughts.

He watched as she sat up, and got out of the bed as if she had simply awoke from a dream.

Taking not more than two steps, Claire stumbled.

“Wait” he rolled to the other side of the bed, holding her steady. “You just fainted, take it easy”

“You sure I didn’t hit my head? Because I’m having the biggest headache ever.” she touched her forehead.

“Come lay down” Brandon insisted.

“No, I’m going to change first. You should get back to Marissa.” She remembered their kiss earlier, wondering what the hell had gotten into the both of them.

He sighed inwardly, wondering why all the things he wanted had to happen at the wrong time. “We still have to deal with..”

“Brandon, please. Can we talk about it tomorrow. I’m really tired.”

“Well I refuse to leave you alone tonight.”

“But Maris-”

“Claire, you are who I’m focused on right now.”

It warmed her heart to hear him tell her that so she nodded in acceptance.

“Alright, but if that bitch goes loco on you tomorrow you cant say I didn’t warn you”

He chuckled “Okay” now taking out his phone to call Mike.

Looking around the room Claire observed her surroundings before kicking off her shoes and unbuttoning her jeans.

She soon stopped when it came time to remove her shirt that concealed in his opinion, her drool-worthy figure.

She glanced over at him, secretly in hopes of some sort of assurance.

“Those marks don’t make you any less breath-taking than you’ve always been.”

She smiled softly at his words, nodding at his vote of confidence. She wasn’t quite sure what was happening between her and Brandon, but she surely did not want to fight it.

Slowly she pulled off the top, revealing her black bra.

"So, you planned the entire color of your wardrobe today?” he tried to lighten the situation.

“I wouldn’t put it past me” Claire shrugged as she walked over the dresser pulling out a thin cami.

After putting it on, she made her way over to the bed in her bikini styled panties taking her place beside him.

“Give me a minute” he stood up to call Mike.

Brandon returned moments later to find Claire laying on her stomach with both arms folded under her head.

Quietly he slid out of his shoes, followed by his shirt baring the patterned rim of his boxers.

With her head still rested atop of her arms, Claire watched him.

“Claire, you really must stop undressing me with your eyes” he exclaimed in mock gravity.

“Oh please” she turned her head the other way.

Positioning himself against the headboard he eased an arm around her shoulders to bring her closer to cuddle. Instinctively as Claire had done many times before, she turned on her side drawing her legs up toward the rest of her body nuzzling into him.

He reached over, grabbing the remote that controlled all the lighting in the room.

Turning them off, Brandon took a deep breath before he kissed the top of her head leaning his forehead against hers.

“I feel so much better” she warmly told him.

“Good.” He paused before saying “For a future reference; can you just talk to me next time… You can always come to me.”

“I know.” she simply replied, although the situation was anything but simple.

They remained there in silence. Brandon listening intently to the sound of her breathing, matching his inhaling and exhaling with her own.

He waited until he recognized that she was asleep before slowly removing her arm from his chest and getting up.

Walking into the bathroom and turning on the light, Brandon leaned against the sink and could clearly see her sleeping soundly in the bed.

He took a deep breath exhaling whole heartedly as he ran a hand lethargically over his face. At that moment Brandon didn’t realize he was crying but somehow it was happening. It was hard for him to imagine all of the things that could have caused the marks on her body tonight and the times before when she had found a simple excuse to shrug it off.

And to Brandon, that was tormenting.

When he returned to the bedroom she was still fast asleep in the middle of the bed. So slowly Brandon restored himself to her side laying on his back and taking her hand placing it back across his chest.

*

Early the next morning, a small knocking sounded at Claire's door.

Her dishevelled brown hair laid in a heaping mass over her head that was presently resting on Brandon’s chest;
his arm still remaining wrapped securely around her body.

Savouring the feeling of her weight upon him, he ignored the door noticing daylight break through the curtains.

“Go away” She garbled, but it continued.

“Who the fuck would be knocking at...” he grabbed his watch off the nightstand “-7 in the morning. Did you ask for a wake up call?” he tossed it back.

She chuckled at his question.

“Your right, it would take ten bull-horns to get you out of bed.”

“Go get it” she whined.

“Fine” he slid from beneath her, causing head fall onto the mattress deliberately on the way to the door.

“Jerk.”

“Cow”

She gasped loudly in jest.

As soon as he was out of sight, Claire sat up resting her head against the headboard with feeling that there was no better place she would rather be.

The knocking became more urgent as Brandon advanced toward the door.

“I’m coming.” he said aloud, but lowly to him self that “This better be important”

Before he could fully open the door Mike busted in. “Dude I tried. she is on a fucking rampage down there"

“What? What happened?”

“She’s started a search party for you. Calling the friggen cops, and I didn’t want to rat you out, or the other guys so we all had to go along with it.”

His mouthed formed an exalting O, surprised but not besieged by her actions.

“She notified the police?”

By now Claire walked over, wondering what was taking Brandon so long.

Mike immediately stopped at her presence. Her simple yet revealing camisole, her sensuous hips swelling softly over the sides of her panties had his eyes locked.

“You might want to pick your jaw up off the floor” Brandon sighed elusively, exuding a small laugh from Claire.

“Hey Mike” she reached over to hug him.

“Cupcake” he nodded,then continued to gawk at her as they all remained in silence.

“Mike!” Brandon bestirred him from whatever reverie he was currently in.

“Yes. Reality. I'm back in it...dammmit. Anyway, to answer your question. She tried, but we stopped her.”

“Stopped her from doing what? I presume we’re talking about Marissa?” Claire asked.

“Correct”

“What happened?” she asked the both of them.

“She’s a mess right now Brandon. Going on about eulogies and what a great boyfriend you were and how she should have known better than to let you out of her sight…”

“See, Brandon. I told you, you should have gone back last night”

He shook his head. “Give me a minute” walking over to the bedroom.

When he was gone Mike asked a question that was tracing his mind “You guys didn’t…” he was sceptical but satisfied.

She ran a hand through her hair ignoring him “God my hair must look like yours right now” she sighed glimpsing at his frizzy do.

“Claire…” he looked at her curiously.

“Yes Mike. We had sex. Mind blowing, chest thumping, hip slapping sex. He had me speaking a different language by the time he was done.” she told him seriously.

It was Brandon, asking “And which language would that be?” That caused her to whirl around faintly embarrassed.

He was back to last night’s attire, standing before her with a sort of raw smile on his face.

“Arabic?” she shrugged thoughtfully.

“Impressive.” he nodded turning hot at her gaze.

Surprised and still Dubious, mike tried to draw a conclusion.

“I know this is all whimsical jest, but for the record…you two didn’t sleep together, correct?”

Falteringly, she laughed “Mike you’re an idiot” now poking her finger through a small frayed hole on the side, tickling him.

“Okay, Brandon we have to go” he squirmed at her touch.

“Yeah, give me a minute” he stared at Mike as a signal to leave.

“Sure”

A moment or two passed and Brandon and Claire looked over to Mike who was still standing there, oblivious.

“Oh, I get it.” he nodded his head full of frizzy curls “I had to spend an entire night trying to tame your beast of a girlfriend, and yet you can’t trust me enough to bode a farewell to Claire in front of me? Fuck you Boyd, fuck you.” he walked out leaving Brandon and Claire chuckling at his offbeat humour.

“So…” Brandon started.

“I’ll see you at rehearsal or something later?”

“Y-”

His response was interrupted by her mobile ringing in the other room, and seemingly all the color drained from her face.

By the look alone Brandon didn’t have to ask who it was. Briskly he marched back into the bedroom.

“Brandon don’t!” she ran behind him, pushing to get it before he could. But at the same time, he latched onto the back of her top drawing her back to get himself ahead. It was almost like a game of cat and mouse, but Brandon ultimately won by lifting her off her feet and gently tossing her onto the mattress.

Having no one to stand in his way, he walked over to the dresser that held the still ringing, golden Motorazr on it.

“Brandon, don’t answer it!” she yelled now standing to her feet.

Looking at the digital screen he watched Michael’s name flash across it, and his eye brows furrowed in anger.

He cast a reproachful look her way, holding it in his palm.

Claire merely shook her head no.

With his adrenaline was racing, Brandon thrusted his right shoulder forward whipping the mobile across the room in one mighty blow; the only thing stopping its path was the wall that now seemly had a dent in it.

Although he threw it nowhere in proximities to Claire, her astonishment at his actions was fused with an uneasiness.

“If I’m not answering it, neither are you” he asserted.

“Well I can’t answer any fucking calls now can I?!” She yelled gesturing toward the phone laying lifelessly on the ground.

He walked over to her regaining his composure. By now she looked away from him, still upset at his behaviour.

He placed a hand on her jaw turning her face toward his, and reluctantly she made eye contact with him.

Leaning in slowly their lips met briefly, as if afraid of what they were doing.

“I’m sorry. I don’t ever want to scare you.”

“You don’t scare me Brandon,” she told him, almost affrontingly. “You just piss me off sometimes.”

“I want you to meet me for lunch this afternoon. We need to figure out what is going to happen from here concerning him.”

“…And us”

Brandon allowed the words simmer into his subconscious.

With rubbing his hands over her bare arms he simply replied

“I’ll call you.”

After that he pressed his lips against her forehead and less than a minute later, he was gone.

*

“The next time you say a minute, I’ll give you the entire day.”

“Sorry” Brandon apologized closing the door behind him.

“So, what happened last night?”

“Too much. I now know why she’s been acting the way she has. But I still don’t know the actual reason-- if that makes any sense” They waited for the elevator.

“I guess. But I’ll eventually find out, so it’ll make more sense then.”

“You know I would tell you, but I literally had to yell at her for her to speak to me.”

“You? yell at Claire?”

“Exactly.”

Finally touching their floor. Mike put a hand on Brandon as he approached the door

“Brace yourself.”

He raised an eye brow at his advice carelessly letting himself in.

“Brandon!” She cried with nervous relief.

His eyes widened slightly “Marissa”

She ran into his arms holding him tightly. “I was so worried about you!”

“Sorry” he truthfully told her, realizing how worried she must have really been.

“Where the fuck were you!” she moved back slapping him on the arm.

“It’s a long story. But, Mike came and got me and now all I want to do is sit down and clear my thoughts then make some music.” he digressed.

“Brandon, I was worried sick all night and all you can tell me is that it’s a long story?”

“Mar, I promise I’ll explain it later. I don’t want to get into it right now”

“You never want to get into anything with me lately!” she raised her voice.

Brandon didn’t blame her for being upset. He realized that although he had an uncanny infatuation with Claire, he was still someone else's boyfriend.

“I’m here now, Marissa. I should have called to let you know that I was alright but there was a situation that I needed to tend to.”

She looked at the sincerity in his eyes, reluctantly nodding in agreement.

“If you ever do something like that again, I will murder you” She reached over hugging him.

“I wont.” he promised with a straight face but on the inside he was already wishing that he was with Claire. He’d been wishing it ever since he had left her alone in her hotel room to run to back to his own and pretend that it never happened.

“Lets go lay down before you have to leave again.”

“Alright” he obliged following her into their room.

**

“Forgot your watch?” Claire asked loudly, progressing toward the knocking door.

Opening it, he brother stood before her.

“I thought it was Brandon.” she slipped the jewellery on her wrist.

“It‘s sad that I had to hear from José of all people that Brandon spent the night.”

She laughed. “Are you going to just stand there?”

“Depends on whether or not your going to move” he pushed her lightly.

“I’m telling mom” he followed behind him after shutting the door.

“That line is long past it’s expiry date”

“Yet it still seems to work.”

“So tell me what’s going on?” he positioned himself on the couch.

Taking a seat next to him, she linked her arm through his resting her head on his shoulder.

“It’s all so complicated”

“You two are back to being the best of friends, how is that complicated?”

“We…kind of kissed.”

A small silence fell upon the room.

“Chris, say something” she nudged him with her head.

“Claire, please tell me that when Brandon slept her last night all you two did was, sleep.”

“Chris” she rolled her eyes “Brandon has a girlfriend. And I have a boyfriend.”

“That same fact didn’t stop you two from locking lips last night.”

Ignoring his comment, she kept silent.

“So, how’d it happen? Where are you two at now?”

“He came up here after the concert and…well we talked things out it was all just a misunderstanding. As for us now? I’m not quite sure. And I‘m not sure whether I would want it going anywhere as well. But, we’re suppose to meet up for lunch to talk, so hopefully by then we’ll have a better grasp of things.”

“Why wouldn’t you want it to go anywhere, despite the fact that your taken.”

She inhaled deeply before saying “Brandon’s always been my home away from home, you know? If it wasn’t you, it was always Brandon. And now that we’ve somewhat gotten back on track, I’m not sure I would ever want to risk losing him again.”

“I hear you.”

She nodded, ready to change the subject “So what’s the plan for today? I only have 2 days left with you, you know”

“I know,” he dishevelled her hair with his free hand. “Then we wont see each other for another 5 months” he aimlessly pointed out.

“Don’t put it like that.” she laughed.

“You sure you can’t just stay longer?”

“You selfish jerk!” she sat up after slapping him on the thigh. “This is your job. I have new cases waiting for me back home at my job”

“Fine, whatever, leave me alone.” shook his head passively.

“Aw Chrissie” she giggled reaching over to kiss him on the cheek. “Don’t be mad at me, I’m just being an independent woman like you've always wanted.”

“Right” he rolled his eyes.

“Yes, right. Now I’m going to catch a bath before mister Boyd summons me”

“I’ll see you later then” he stood up.

“Bye” she hugged him before leaving him to find his way out.

**

Brandon, had already finished his shower dressing for an interview he forgot they had to do among other things needed to be accomplished for the day.

“Mar, I’m going to visit the guys. Call Ben’s room if you need me” he notified her, watching as she turned on the water for a shower of her own.

“I will” she emphasized.

Not too long afterward, Brandon knocked on his band mate’s door immediately being let in to see the rest of them except for Chris.

“If it isn’t the man” Ben chuckled.

“Why the hell does everyone presume that Claire and I slept together? And by the way, thank you all for covering for me.”

“No problem, just don’t let it happen again” Ben nodded.

“And to answer your question” Jose started “it’s because…there is just so much sexual tension between the two of you” he stated in a sensual tone, soon to be broken by laughter.

Brandon sighed inwardly, now sitting uncomfortably on the couch wishing that he had never answered the door in the first place.

“I’m not feeling up for this interview” he said to no one in particular.

“We would tell you to take the day to yourself, but your presence is somewhat required.” Mike commented.

Brandon shrugged indifferently.

“After the first few, we have an our in between, correct?”

“Yes, and?”

“I’m meeting Claire for lunch.”

“Brandon, I’m not going through that shit again…” Mike told him,

“No, I’m going to be honest with Marissa.”

“In terms of?” he asked just as Chris walked in.

“Me having lunch with my friend, it's that simple”

Chris chuckled “You are so full of shit.”

“Good morning to you too” Brandon waved in sarcasm.

“The car will be out front in 10 minutes” he told them, taking a piece of watermelon off the breakfast tray.

“I’ll meet you guys downstairs.” Brandon left to retrieve Marissa.

*

Claire took a moment to examine her stomach in the mirror while keeping an eye on her snowy white bath water that was rapidly filling up.

The bruising had lightened up and she recalled not having to hold her breath or wince when she hugged Chris goodbye.

“Good” she sighed, then glanced at her t-shirt from last night on the other side of bathroom floor.

Claire couldn’t get last night out of her head no matter how hard she tried. She could still feel his hands on her body ever so slowly pulling her shirt up, and the heat of his lips kissing her own…

She caught sight of the airy bubbles rising higher and higher under the force of water and with the tub about to overflow, Claire left her thoughts behind to shut off the tap just in time.

Carefully she stepped into the bathtub overflowing with bubbles and sat down to allow them to engulf her body. She closed her eyes and submerged herself as deep as she could go with keep her head above water.

**

Brandon considered press junkets a necessary evil of the business. Most of his morning had been spent talking to more interviewers than he cared to count; answering all of the same questions about the album, the meaning behind his lyrics and so forth.

He had given his phone to their tour manager just in case Claire called, seeing that it was now an hour past lunch and he was still tied up in this interview and another to follow.

As yet another interview was ending, Brandon was relieved to see Adam answer his phone, leaving the room soon after.

“Hey,” Brandon watched him end the call.

“Hey, that was Claire. I told her you’d give her a call after this interview.”

“Thanks” Brandon accepted his phone.

“How was the interview?”

“Nothing out of the ordinary.” he smirked. “I’m going to have a cab take me back to the hotel. Marissa can ride back with the guys.”

“You should be telling them that, not me” he laughed at the prospect.

“Good idea. Hey, thanks again.” Brandon left walking over to his girlfriend.

“You were fabulous, the way you answered all those questions were simply amazing.” she grinned.

Brandon chuckled to himself, wondering if there was anything that he could do that wouldn’t be seen as amazing in her eyes.

“Mar, I have a lunch meeting with a friend. So can I meet you at the studio in about an hour?”

“Do what you need to do” she smiled.

“Thanks, I appreciate this.” he kissed her quickly on the cheek, before telling her to
“Just wait for the guys and head back with them” Marissa merely stood with her lips pursed, surprised he chose her cheek rather than her lips.

**

Claire sat up from the bed after calling Brandon’s phone over a half an hour ago. Her hair had almost completely dried itself from the time she was in the bath until now.

Growing exhausted, she stood in front of the mirror trying something different with it.

After she was satisfied, she decided to give him another call to ask if they needed to reschedule the lunch all together.

Pressing his digits into her mobile and drumming a nearby pencil on the desk, Claire waited for an answer.

At the 7th ring she heard him call out her name. Only she was too caught up in her own thoughts for it to register right away that his voice was not coming from the telephone, but he was actually there sliding the card through her door.

“Hey” She stood from the bed. “I was just…” she held the phone for him to see, ending the call.

“I know.” he smiled.

“I wasn’t too sure you if were going to make it back in time, so can you give me a few minutes to change into something a bit better?”

“Yeah, no problem. How about I go grab a table downstairs and you meet me?”

“Sounds great.”

*

Not too long afterward Claire spotted Brandon at a table with his sunglasses on.

“Hey” she tapped his shoulder, walking past him to sit.

Her brown hair was twisted into a funky up-do and her ears adorned in gold bangle earrings.
A simple ruby-red vintage screen t-shirt completed her casual look.

Claire crossed her legs beneath the table and placed her Christian Dior handbag neatly upon the table.

“Hi” she said, feeling a nervous flutter intensify.

“Hey” he smiled at her formal greeting, now taking off his glasses.

“How was today?” She noticed that although they were on the deck of the restaurant,a set of beautiful plants had secured them from the public eye.

“It was okay. I apologize for not calling you sooner, I got wrapped up in back-to-back interviews”

“I'm use to the routine” she winked.

Nodding, he told her “I don’t know if this will upset you or not, but I ordered for the two of us already. I saw the Almond crusted chicken stack and remembered how much you liked it…”

“Mmm” she perked up, happily “Thanks”

“No problem”

“What are you having?”

“Lobster salad”

“Brandon,” she reached under the table putting a hand on his thigh.

He rose an eyebrow at where she was going with this.

“I think if you were to put both your calves together it would be the equivalent of one of my thighs. You need to eat up. Get some ass, some hips maybe.”

He thought momentarily before responding to her plea “Somehow…I don’t feel that you would be as fond of me, if I had the hips and thighs of a woman”

She gave him a look “And who said I was fond of you to begin with?”

Brandon shrugged with a small smile tracing his lips.

He couldn’t have been more gracious when they‘re meal arrived. Finishing without hurrying through it, being attentive to her, making sure she had enough. Did she want dessert?

After they were all though, and the waiter removed their plates, Claire sipped on her drink watching Brandon’s look off into the streets.

“What are you thinking about?” She evenly asked, becoming tired of watching his gaze, and pondering his next move.

“You.” he simply answered.

Not expecting that as his response, Claire fell short of words to respond.

Still looking away from her, he almost shyly spoke again “Claire, I don’t want him near you, okay? The mere thought of what could possibly happen when I’m not around does something to me.”

“Brandon, don’t be like this right now.”

Now turning his focus on her he told her “I don’t know any other way to be given the situation which you still havent explained to me. How did this all start, Claire? What is he holding against you.” Brandon knew that must have been the case for Claire to merely sit back and allow him to mistreatment her.

Claire shrugged her shoulders and shook her head elusively unsure if she was ready to let all of her demons escape the dark safety of the closet that she had made sure was dead bolted.

“Not this again.” he sighed. “Claire, tell me.”

“If I tell you, and he finds out…”

“-Lean on me...trust that I will take care of you. Can you do that for me?" he interrupted her, taking her hand in his own.

Claire had long dreamed of hearing those words, always being 'the strong one' was a heavy burden to bear, but one that she had grown accustomed to.

Nodding her head she meekly told him “You.”

“Me?” He didn’t understand.

“All of you.” She sighed. “Well mainly, you and Chris.”

“What are talking about?” Brandon moved his head closer to hear the words that were softly falling from her lips.

“5 months after we began dating we got into a pretty big argument where I ended up threatening to leave him, until he basically revealed to me that he had been monitoring most of the conversations i've held between the two of you..recording them.” When Brandon’s expression continued to give off the impression that he was still puzzled, she put forth what the problem in Michael’s eavesdropping was. “Brandon, we spoke of a lot of things. Problems you were going through with your family, the guys…”

“I know. I know how I can get.” Brandon nodded that he understood.

“And Chris,” she shook her head looking at the table cloth “There’s so much he's told me regarding his past, things he went through before he was with us, how he felt…Brandon I cant risk Michael exposing my brother like that. I wont.”

Claire rutted her face as though she were about to cry, leading Brandon to hold her hand tighter.

“I’m not going to let him do this to you.”

“Don’t you see? There isn’t anything you can do!” she snapped.

“Yes I can, and I will. Anything if better than you living in fucking fear of what he’ll do to you next and trying to cover it up afterward!” he hissed “And because of what? Me? Chris?”

Just then it sunk in that she was doing all of this for him, and at that moment Claire could have sworn that she saw tears form at Brandon's eyes. But he quickly rubbed them with his fingers as though something were caught in his eyes before telling her

“We are going to tell Chris, and then figure out-”

“No.” Claire threw him a sharp look.

“We have to.”

“Are you crazy Brandon? Chris will kill him.”

“Not if I don’t first..” Brandon lightly said under his breath before saying aloud "Wanting to hurt someone in return for harming a family memeber is instinctual. You're the only sister he's known.."

“You can’t." Claire cut him off "I told you this because I trust you” Tears then caught in her throat “It will all become one big scandal for Incubus if Michael lets all of your dirty laundry air! Are you willing to put Mike, Ben and your own career at risk because of this?”

“I don’t give a fuck! About our careers right now, your safety is my primary concern, and somehow I think Chris would second that.” he exclaimed.

Claire kept her eyes on the table, unable to find something suitable for Brandon’s ears to hear.

She seemed to have something to say but no comfortable way of saying it, but tried to anyway. “Brandon.” she stared at him with pleading eyes. “I am asking you to not tell anyone. I am asking you to trust my better judgement on this situation. I know Michael more than any of you do which means I know how he operates. Give me some time when I get back home, and I will get the recordings from him.”

“End the relationship.” Brandon abruptly told her.

“What?”

“Break up with him, or I will tell Chris everything.”

“Excuse me? You’re giving me ultimatums now?”

“It’s the only thing I know how to do right now, C” He looked at her desperately. “You must understand where I’m coming from. I feel like I'm disrespecting Chris by holding something so important from him. I am on stage with that man almost every night, we make music together, we’re friends.”

“And you are my best friend.”

Brandon leaned back against the chair unsure of what to do or say.

The situation was insane to him. He had always had so much respect for her, but
Why would she ever even tell him that secret when nothing could have come out of it?

Attempting to cut through the cloud of tension that had abruptly moved in he positioned himself properly on the chair asking her “Will you end it?”

She thought to herself before truthfully telling him “I will.”

Brandon stared at her a few moments longer attempting to find a hint of untruth in her pledge, but ultimately he found none.

“Okay” he sighed “But Claire, Within the first few days of you returning you better stick to your word. Do not make me have to do it for you, because I will.”

“I wont.” she shook her head. “But what about you?” She threw him for a loop with her question.

“Meaning?” Brandon inquired for the sake of it.

“Meaning…" she paused "Brandon you know what I damn well mean. You kissed me last night as well as this morning, and I want to talk about it.” she told him softly.

She stared at him, waiting for his responce.

“You are so vital to me, it’s unreal at times” he finally shared. “I don’t regret kissing you last night, or spending the night with you or even kissing you again this morning.”

“Brandon, you have a girlfriend.”

“That I do. Which makes this entire situation so fucking messy”

“There isn’t a situation” she told him “I think it’s best that we don’t make something out of nothing. I was vulnerable and you were just being, you.”

“It was more than that.”

“I know that, Brandon. But verbalizing the complete distortion of the facts helps to make this easier for me. You cant just leave Marissa for something that is so uncertain with me.”

“I know.” he surprisingly answered.

Brandon had vowed to himself to make things up to Claire, Even to stop seeing Marissa, but he couldn’t get himself to break it off. She was the other side of what he needed right now. She made him feel good, not to say that Claire did not. But Marissa’s feelings were always apparent; in all probability Marissa would scream from the heavens just how much she loved him if given the opportunity.

Somewhat hurt by Brandon's response, Claire advised

“Then why don’t you go back to Marissa and we’ll call it a day?”

Brandon felt a deep pain in his chest as if someone had actually gone off and punched him at Claire’s suggestion. Taking her spiteful words to heart Brandon cut his eyes at her, directing his focus back to the busy road.

With a thick and awkward silence, Claire put her hands atop of his.

“Brandon…”

“Guess what? I don’t want to talk about this anymore.” he cut her off, moving his hands to run it through his hair.

She hated that and he knew it. Ever since they were younger if Brandon did not want to talk about something he would call it quits on the conversation.

His band mate’s could vouch for that. You could continue to waste your breath, talking and talking, but he would not hear a word that you said.
Your words, in his mind, would have been relegated.

But Claire, was not about to have that.

“Don’t you dare pull that shit on me Brandon Boyd.” she demanded. “You make me to open up to you, telling you about my bastard of a boyfriend and the thrashing he constantly puts on my ass yet you feel that you can just shut down on me just like that?”

He didn’t respond, so she opted to stand up with carelessly saying

“Fuck this.”

His usual unobtrusive demeanour vanished into a serious expression, standing up in front of her.

“Don’t you understand that I care about you so fucking much that I’m afraid to ruin us?” his voice was low a stern.

“I do understand, Brandon.” she breathed.

“That’s just it, I don’t think you quite get it. I havent been able to take my mind off of you for the past months we’ve been ignoring one another. I do care about Marissa gravely, and i think that she is a wonderful person. But with you it’s different. Being away from you, it’s something like.. walking on the moon without a helmet.” He stopped only to hear her chuckling lightly.

“That was brutal!” her small chuckling grew into unbearable laughter.

“I’m having an off day, okay?” he rolled his eyes, finding it the least bit funny.

“Of all similitudes Boyd... Being away from me is like walking on the moon without a helmet? God, I love you” her laughter died down, followed by her pausing at her affirmation.

Now it was her turn to be embarrassed. She knew she was blushing beet red, her cheeks felt hot as coals, and her pulse was going haywire.

“Um-” she tried to backtrack, but he placed a finger at her lips to hush her.

“I love you too” he earnestly expressed.

There went that connection that had him feeling out of kilter again. He was always saying things he never thought he could, when around Claire and It was puzzling because Brandon was unable to grasp the logic of it.

She wanted to say something but couldn't find her tongue; so Brandon found it for her.

She felt one of his hands move to caress the sides of her face. She breathed in deeply as his lips met with hers in yet another passionate kiss.

When they parted, Claire rested her head against his chest.

“Brandon this isn’t good. We can’t keep away from each other.” she whined in mock despondency.

“Some things in life, are just intended to happen” He was beginning to realize.

Claire was fun, impulsive, funny and easy for him to talk to. A definite mix of brains and beauty that left the world wanting more. She was small, especially in comparison to him, but had the type of personality that could fill a room even in her silence. Though she was a delightful woman, she also had a mouth on her, and that versatility had always attracted him to her.

How could he ever not be in love with her? She was all around and within him.

“Can we just do something though?” she asked before looking up at him.

“What?” he whispered.

“Be cool about things, until we can figure out what needs to be done and how to do it?”

“I can do that.” he wrapped his arms tighter around her.

The only thing wrong with this picture was that Brandon and Claire had yet to recognize that one more individual had been present almost the entire time, scrutinizing their every move.

TBC:)
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Teardrop In The Fire