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Fates Warning	By : TheFairyWithBoots Category: Singers/Bands/Musicians > Iron Maiden Views: 206 -:- Recommendations : 1 -:- Currently Reading : 0
Disclaimer: l obviously do not own any of the characters in this story. No disrespect is intended towards any of the real people mentioned, it is simply a fictional story based off their public personas.

Chapter List
- 7
- 8
- 9
1993
The band barely had any time to rest before they started their next tour. The tension was higher than ever between Bruce and Steve, and they hardly ever spoke a word to each other. Bruce acted openly disgusted any time Steve and Nicko would show open affection towards each other.
Not even Janick could seem to keep on Bruce's good side. Just the slightest thing would make him angry, and they would end up in an argument.
The band was working on a new live album, and Steve was doing all of the production - Martin had retired. This only seemed to annoy Bruce further because he was not allowing anyone else into his studio as he was doing the mixing. This was - to Bruce - Steve tightening his grip around the band so that he had complete and total control.
The Real Live Tour started, and the entire band was on edge when Steve, Bruce, and Nicko were in the same room together. The three of them were like a ticking time bomb, just waiting to explode if a wrong word was spoken. The tension could even be felt on stage.
It was late into the night when the band's plane had landed in Madrid, Spain. Bruce had got held up at the airport because the security machine had gone haywire, which caused a luggage search, much to his annoyance. The rest of the band took a cab to the hotel while Janick stayed behind with him.
When the security finally confirmed that there was nothing threatening in Bruce's luggage, he and Janick left the airport.
"You didn't have to stay behind," Bruce said while staring at the ground as they walked. "You could have gone back to the hotel with the others."
Janick didn't say anything, knowing full well that Bruce would have been mad if he had gone back to the hotel without him.
The two of them ended up paying for a rental car so that they could drive back to the hotel. It was already late into the night, and Janick couldn't wait to get back to the hotel and just sleep. He knew he wouldn't be able to sleep for long, because they had a show the next day.
Bruce didn't say a word to him on the drive to the hotel, and Janick felt like he would explode on him if he tried to start a conversation. He was already in an irritable mood for getting held up at the airport.
When they reached the hotel, the valet took their luggage out of the boot of the rental car, and the two of them made their way into the lobby to check into their room. Rod and Steve were waiting for them.
Apparently, Janick was walking too close behind Bruce because Bruce let out an annoyed sigh. "Can you stop breathing down my fuckin' neck!?" he said through clenched teeth.
Janick blinked, feeling as if he had been slapped. "Sorry...?"
"It's 'bout time you two showed up, eh?" Steve said while handing them each their room keys.
"'About time!?'" Bruce snapped, and Janick sighed, knowing by his tone that he was about to make this into a bigger situation than it needed to be. "You weren't the one who had their luggage searched, 'Arry!"
Steve was clearly too exhausted to argue with Bruce, which was a first. "Right, well I'm gonna 'ead up to me room now. You two blokes get some rest, a'right?"
"G'night..." Janick muttered, and Steve left the lobby, Rod following close behind him.
"The fuckin' audacity!" Bruce ranted as they walked down the hall to their room. "As if we were taking too long for his liking!"
"He didn't mean anything by it, Bruce..." Janick said while unlocking the door.
"And why the fuck are you kissin' his arse, huh!?"
"I'm not, I just-"
"Just what!?" Bruce was in his face now, and Janick backed away from him.
Bruce glared at him, and when he realized that Janick wasn't going to argue back to him, he lifted his shirt over his head. "I'm gonna get a shower. I'm fuckin' exhausted..."
Janick sat down on the edge of the bed, rubbing his head. He felt dreadful, as if he was trapped in this room with Bruce angry at him for something that wasn't even his fault.
He glanced over at his suitcase; they had already been brought up to their room. He pulled a pair of pajamas out and got dressed for bed, laying down on the bed, wanting to fall asleep to escape whatever Bruce was going to get mad at him for next.
He heard the water turn off, and Bruce was moving around in the bathroom for a few minutes before the bathroom door burst open, and Bruce stood there wearing nothing but his sweatpants. He was glaring down at Jan, looking enraged about something while holding his hairbrush.
"Did you use my hairbrush!?" he demanded.
Janick looked up at him. "N-no...?'
"Then why is there blond hair in it!?" he yelled, coming to the side of the bed while holding it directly in front of Janick's face as if he needed to see it better.
Janick turned his head away. "I-I don't know! I might have used it by accident...!"
"Accident!?"
"Or maybe without thinking..."
"Without thinking!?" Bruce spat. "You went through my shave kit, pulled out my hairbrush, ran it through that mop that you call hair without thinking!?"
"I don't know!" Janick said, covering his face with his hands. He just wanted Bruce to stop yelling at him so that he could sleep. "Look, just clean the hair out with a comb, it's not like I have lice-" He reached for the brush, and Bruce jerked it back.
Janick realised that Bruce wasn't mad about the hairbrush; he just wanted a reason to yell at him.
Bruce went back into the bathroom. "Stay out of my shit, yeah!?" He pulled the hair out of it and dropped it into the dustbin. "Your hair is thicker than mine, and each time you use it, it will only cause the bristles to break off."
Janick rolled his eyes. "It's not that kind of hairbrush..."
Bruce barged out of the bathroom.
"What?"
"I said it's not that kind of hairbrush." Janick repeated. "But I'll stop using it from now on."
"Are you calling me a liar!?"
"No, I'm saying you're overreacting."
"I'm not overreacting!" Bruce shouted. "I know what kind of hairbrush I use! Unlike you, who just picks up anything to brush yours with, and you still look like some haggard scarecrow-"
Janick finally snapped, his last bit of patience gone. "Why are you acting like such wanker!?" he shouted while getting up from the bed.
Bruce got up in his face again. "I'm a wanker!?"
"Yes, you are!" Janick shouted back in his face. "You've done nothing but treat everyone like shit this entire tour!"
Bruce gave him a dangerous glare, and for a brief moment, Janick thought that he was going to take a swing at him. He turned away instead, going through his luggage and pulling a t-shirt on.
Janick sighed, knowing that he would only be ghosted tonight if he didn't say anything. He reached for Bruce's arm. "Look, I'm sorry-"
Bruce jerked his arm away. "Just stop. I'm not in the mood tonight." He sighed, and said more to himself than anyone else. "I can't wait for this bloody tour to be over..."
Janick sat back down on the bed. "It's just started, though..."
"You think I don't realise that, wise-ass!?" he yelled while going to his side of the bed. "Once this is over, I'm never recording anything with Steve ever again, the bloody bastard..."
Janick felt as if his entire world started crumbling around him. "What...are you talking about...?"
Bruce gave him an inscrutable expression. "I've been thinking of leaving the band for a while now, Jan."
Janick felt like he had been punched in the stomach. "What? Why?" He took a shaking breath. "Did I do something wrong?"
Bruce rolled his eyes. "Fuckin' hell, Jan, contrary to what you may believe, not everything is about you! And no, I don't want to leave because of you! I want to leave because Steve is a massive control freak. I mean, he has been ever since the beginning of the first tour, but now he's mixing all of our live records? I can't fuckin' breathe around him..."
"Then maybe you can take a break for a year? Try something fresh..."
"Oh, I'm going to take something much longer than a break," he said. "And I will be trying something fresh - I want to record another solo album."
Janick blinked. "You're...asking me to leave Maiden with you?"
Bruce looked genuinely disgusted. "I didn't fuckin' say that, did I!? Though you'll be lucky if Steve keeps you, given that I'm the reason you have this job in the first place! Something you seem to often forget about!"
Janick once again felt like he had been slapped.
"And no, I don't want to record this album with you! It's what I was talking about with Adrian back in August."
Janick felt his eyes widen. "You're...leaving to work with Adrian?" Janick could hardly believe his ears; he felt betrayed somehow. Adrian was supposed to be his friend.
"Yes," Bruce said.
Janick shook the shock he was feeling away. "Bruce... I know you're upset and tired, but..." He felt tears enter his voice, and at that point, he didn't care how pathetic he sounded. "Please don't leave me..."
"I told you this isn't about you!" Bruce said, clearly angry again. "Why are you trying to hold me back!?"
"I'm not trying to do anything like that!" Janick said.
"Then stop trying to tell me what to do! I'm sick of this band, and I'm sick of Steve having control over everything, over my life!"
"You're not mad at Steve for controlling the band!" Janick said, too emotional to stop what he was saying. "You're just jealous that he's with Nicko! You still have feelings for him!"
Janick knew that he had gone too far before he had even finished the sentence. The wounded look in Bruce's eyes made him wish that he could take back the words, but they hung in the air like a blow that he never meant to make.
Bruce's eyes suddenly turned dark with rage. "Get the fuck out."
Janick blinked. "What...?"
"I said get the fuck out! I'm pissed and I want the room to myself tonight."
Janick looked at the alarm clock on the night stand. "Bruce... it's two in the fucking morning."
"I don't care," he said, "You can ask one of the others to share their room with you. I'm not staying with you!" He put a strong emphasis on "others," as if knowing that Janick would go to Dave, though he didn't say it.
Janick felt tears burn his eyes as he gathered his things. He pulled some jeans on over his sweatpants, and put his jacket on, leaving the room without another word.
After closing the door behind him, he lingered in the hallway, leaning against the wall while burying his face in his hands. He felt hot tears spill onto hands and down his cheeks. He had felt isolated and shut out emotionally by Bruce for months now, and now he was shut out literally from his own room. And now Bruce was going to leave Maiden, leave him. And there was nothing he could do about it.
~~
Dave was unable to fall asleep that night, despite the band having a show the next day. He was the only one of the five who got his own room - Steve and Nicko were no longer secret about their relationship.
Dave hated the idea of lying in bed and worrying about Janick, and wondering what Bruce was saying to him behind closed doors. So he sat in front of the TV while plucking away on his guitar, trying to come up with some new riffs and solos. His guitar was his one antidote for loneliness. It was the one thing he knew would never leave him.
There was a light knock on his door, and he jumped slightly. He looked at the clock on the microwave, and the time read that it was half past two in the morning. Who could be knocking on his door at this hour?
He set his guitar back in his case, and went to the door, glancing out the peephole. A fluffy blond head was magnified before him. His head was bowed so that he couldn't see his face, but Dave immediately knew that it was Jan. He closed his eyes and sighed, knowing that there must have been another fight between him and Bruce. He cracked the door open.
"Hey, Jan," he said. "You okay?"
Janick nodded, wiping his eyes. He had been crying. "Y-yeah... can I stay here tonight? Bruce said he wants the room to himself tonight, and I don't have anywhere else to sleep." He held up a six pack of beer. "I brought beer..."
"Of course." Dave said while opening the door and allowing Janick to enter.
Janick set the beers down on the table, and his guitar case down beside it, and let out a shaky breath.
"Did...did Bruce kick you out this time?" Dave asked carefully, as if Janick was a fragile being.
Janick burst into tears and nodded. Dave felt his heart ache for him, and he wrapped his arms around him, trying to bring him comfort. Janick clung to him as if he were a raft in a storm, and Dave was suddenly reminded of what he had witnessed in the airport in Maui the year before last. He felt a bitter resentment towards Bruce all of a sudden.
"It's okay..." he whispered, stroking Janick's hair softly, trying to bring him some comfort. But that only seemed to make him cry harder.
Dave took Janick's hand in his and led him to the couch. "C'mon, let's sit down and have a beer, and you can tell me what happened."
Janick was shaking as he opened his beer. His eyes were red from crying.
After a few sips of the beer, he finally stopped shaking, and was calm enough to speak. "Bruce...we had a fight..."
"About?"
"He's said that he's been thinking about leaving the band for a while now."
"He what!?" Dave sat there as if he had been hit upside the head with this news.
"He said he's sick of Steve controlling every aspect of the band... and..." He said the next sentence as if it killed him on the inside. "He's going to work with Adrian once he leaves."
Dave felt as if he had been punched in the gut.
"I mean, it explains why he's been distant with us all. It's just... I told him that he had treated every one of us like shit the entire tour, and the real reason he was mad at Steve was because he was jealous that he was with Nicko, and he told me to get the fuck out."
Dave frowned.
Janick took a long swig of beer. "It's all my fault..."
Dave reached for Janick's hand. "No, it's not... it isn't your fault Bruce is being a wanker, Jan... You were right, he has been treating everyone like shit. His problems are with Steve, not you."
Janick let a few tears fall down his face, and Dave reached out and wiped them away. "I wish I could convince him to stay..."
Dave frowned. He had to admit that the news was upsetting to him. Bruce was the voice of Maiden, and he couldn't imagine what would happen to the band without him. And he was going to work with Adrian. Dave felt almost betrayed. But nevertheless, he hated seeing Jan blame himself for something that wasn't even his fault.
Janick yawned, obviously exhausted.
"Don't worry about it, okay?" Dave said. "Just get some rest..."
Janick looked at him, wondering how he was supposed to not worry about his boyfriend leaving the band when they had been together all of these years. Three long, emotionally exhausting years.
He let Dave lead him to the bed and wrap him in one of the spare blankets. He was too exhausted to insist on sleeping on the couch. Dave laid down next to him, turning the lamp off, and Jan snuggled into him instinctively. Dave wrapped his arms around him, and Janick felt an ache in his heart like he hadn't felt in such a long time. He felt Dave softly press his lips to his forehead, and Janick couldn't help himself - he burst into tears again.
"G-G'night, Davey..."
"G'night, Jan... hey." He wiped Janick's tears away. "It's okay, you don't have to cry. Bruce's behaviour isn't your fault..."
Except it wasn't that, Janick thought as Dave's warmth enveloped him and beckoned him into a much needed sleep. He cried because the warmth was almost too much for him; Bruce had not held him like this in such a long time...
- 7
- 8
- 9
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