Boundaries

Rating: R
Category: AU
Pairing(s): Toki/Skwisgaar, Nathan/Charles, Murderface/Knubbler.
Warnings: Unintentional voyeurism.
Summary: Charles is finally part of the pack… and it’s a damned strange place to be.
Notes:: This takes place after ‘Two of Us’. The ‘Deth Bed’ was first introduced in my fic ‘Sheet Music’.

It was late, and Charles was spending his very first night in the imposing expanse of the Deth Bed. More importantly, he was spending his first night on tour as part of the Inner Circle. Normally he spent the night in his own room, but now that he was with Nathan, he was permitted to indulge in the insanely large extravagance that would easily hold twenty people, sunk into quilted down and covered by comforters of black silk.

He felt very strange being here. His boys had always been exclusionary and territorial, and he could not shake the sensation of entering a wolf’s lair when he climbed up the iron staircase that led to the great loft where the bed rested in all its black death metal magnificence.

The guys were already there, in various stages of wakefulness. Toki was on his side, sunk deep into the mattress, covers pulled up, blue eyes blinking slowly as sleep crept up on him. Skwisgaar was spooned comfortably against Toki’s back, an arm slung over him. Pickles was sitting up, book in hand, trying to read as Murderface hung over his shoulder, annoying him. Nathan was simply a gigantic lump face down under the covers.

Charles was rather surprised to find he felt intimidated being here. It was their place, their private sanctuary, and he had never been welcome there until now. He still half-expected to be told to leave, but no one cast him so much as a look. Until he took off his bathrobe and hung it up.

“Dood. You’re wearing that to bed?”

Charles blinked at Pickles. “What’s wrong with it? This is what I always wear.”

“Grey pyjamas,” said Pickles.

“Yes.”

Pickles shook his head. “Man we have to do something to make you look more metal.”

“I don’t need to look metal. I can snap a man’s arm in half and then use the broken end to make him stab himself in the kidneys.”

“He hash a point,” said Murderface.

“Fine,” said Pickles. “But could you at least get some black pyjamas?”

“No, because my skin is too white and I look like a panda bear.”

“Well then just sleep in the nood, that’s what Toki and Skwisgaar do.”

Charles eyes widened in surprise. “I’m sorry, in the…?”

“Nood, dood.”

“That’s what I thought you said. So are you naked, too?”

“No but Nate is.”

“I’m naked,” said Murderface.

“Oh great,” said Pickles. “Now I’m gonna have nightmares about you and your warty doodle.”

“Well maybe my doodle ish gonna have nightmaresh about you!”

“Dood, your doodle can’t dream, a’right?”

“Well why not? It hash a head doeshn’t it?” Murderface pointed at a word in Pickles’ book. “What’sh that word, I can’t read it.”

“What? ‘Dog’?”

“No the other one.”

“Oh. That’s ‘antidisestablishmentarianism’.”

“Thought sho.”

Charles climbed into bed beside Nathan, putting an arm around him, resting his head on his broad back. Nathan made a quiet rumble, but that was the only reaction Charles got. He smiled, running his hand over Nathan’s back, listening to the contented rumblings that could almost pass for a purr.

After a few minutes Knubbler showed up in all his skinny glory, wearing nothing but a pair of pale pink silk boxers, an undershirt and a pair of white socks. He climbed onto the bed and crawled over to Murderface, getting under the covers and cuddling against him. Oh Lord that much ugly should really be illegal. The ugliest couple in rock ‘n’ roll nuzzled and coo’d obnoxiously at each other, finally settling down to snuggle under the covers. Pickles read for another ten minutes, then set the book aside, turned off the light and settled under the covers. The world was dark and cozy, and the only sound was the quiet hum of the engines.

For about fifteen minutes. Then there was the explosive ‘thwack’ of someone being hit with a pillow.

“HEY! Don’t hit people over the head with a pillow! What wash that for?!”

“For putting your cold stubbly naked ass against my back!” said Pickles, clearly annoyed.

“What? It’sh cold!”

“We agreed last tour that the warming of asses against my back was prohibited. Especially your ass. It goes off.”

“It’s just expreshing its appreciation.”

“Well stick it against Knubbler.”

“Man I can’t do that, that’s no way to treat your boyfriend.”

“Move your ass.”

“Fine. How about I just kill myself while I’m at it?”

There was a tugging and tussling of blankets, then a lot of very irate Swedish.

“Sorry! Sorry! My bad!” said Murderface. “Jeeshy, don’t get so touchy.”

Skwisgaar muttered a few choice words, then settled down again. Once again the world was quiet and dark and cozy….

Until Pickles leapt up with a shriek Charles was certain he had heard on an early Snakes ‘n’ Barrels album. The light came on.

“What is it?” asked Charles.

“Something ran across my face, it was all furry and…” Pickles sorted through the covers and picked up a tiny ball of puff. “Dood! It’s a hamster! Where did this come from?”

“Is mine,” said Toki sleepily. “I stoles him from Alice Cooper. He was goings to feeds him to his snake!”

“Well put him someplace where he can’t stomp all over my head.”

‘Note to self’, thought Charles. ‘Reimburse Mr. Cooper for one hamster.’

“Why would he feed his snake a hamster?” said Knubbler.

“Isn’t that what snakes eat?” said Pickles.

“Well yes but a snake the size of his would want something a little bigger.”

“Maybe it’s an evil hamster,” Murderface.

“How can a hamster be evil?” said Pickles.

“The shame way my dick can dream now shut up, we’re keeping the robot awake.”

“Did I say anything?” said Charles.

“You were thinking it.”

The hamster was put away, the light was shut off, and all the world was dark and…

Something large emerged from the covers and delicately picked his way on all fours toward the edge of the bed, taking care to trip over Nathan and land splayed on top of Charles.

“Sorries,” said Skwisgaar.

The leggy blonde slithered over Charles and off the bed. Nathan remained dead asleep. Pickles sighed, sitting up and turning on the small reading lamp so Skwisgaar could find his way back. Charles really wished he hadn’t. He could have happily lived the rest of his life without seeing Murderface and Knubbler swapping spit.

Skwisgaar came back. Frankly if Charles looked the way Skwisgaar did he wouldn’t care if anyone saw him naked, either. Skwisgaar climbed like a half-awake housecat over Charles and Nathan and made his way over to Toki, flopping down beside him. The light went out, everything went quiet, and Charles lay, waiting for something else to happen. Everything remained silent. Charles nestled against Nathan and closed his eyes.

For a full forty minutes, all was blissfully peaceful. Then Charles thought he heard the sheets rustling, and soft words. He raised his head, and listened, catching faint bits of conversation, and the quiet shift of bodies moving. There was a breathy gasp, and more soft murmuring.

Slowly it dawned on Charles what he was listening to. He was rooted in place with astonishment. He knew the boys had boundary issues but were Toki and Skwisgaar actually making love smack in the middle of their friends and band mates?

Apparently… yes. Yes they were.

The faint little reading light popped on, and for a moment Charles thought Pickles was going to chew the pair out, but no, he just wanted to make sure the alarm was set. He adjusted the timer while Skwisgaar lay under Toki, his head flung back and eyes glazed in bliss. The alarm set to his satisfaction, Pickles gave Toki’s hair a few light pets before turning off the light and lying down once more.

Soooo…. Murderface could not put his butt on Pickles, but it was perfectly okay for Toki and Skwisgaar to merge DNA. Well at least they had one boundary. And at least Toki and Skwisgaar were quiet about it.

“Hey ‘member the first time we had sex?” said Murderface, likely speaking to Knubbler. “Hey you should have told me you were a virgin, I would have taken more time.”

Knubbler shifted under the covers. “If I thought you had more time I would have taken my shorts off.”

“Well I wash a little wasted.”

Charles raised his head. “And after Toki and Skwisgaar are done are you going to analyze the puddles they leave?”

“They don’t leave puddles,” said Pickles drowsily.

“Just… just answer this one question for me. Is there anything you guys do not do in front of each other?”

There was silence. Toki raised his head from Skwisgaar’s shoulder, and looks were exchanged. Finally Murderface spoke.

“Poop.”

“And nose-picking is out,” said Pickles. “And masturbation, we don’t do that.”

“Dere was dats time in Madrid,” said Skwisgaar.

“Yeah okay, not counting that,” said Pickles. “But that was a special occasion.”

There was a thoughtful pause.

“I think that’s it,” said Pickles.

“And… you guys are all okay with that.”

“Well yeah. Why wouldn’t we be?”

“No reason, I guess. If it’s fine with you guys, then… I suppose that’s all that matters.”

He settled against Nathan once more, closing his eyes, running his hand over his back. Toki and Skwisgaar finished making love and nestled together in the soft bed. There was a little shifting around, then finally peace. Charles felt his eyes begin to slide closed…

Pickles sat up abruptly and began beating Murderface violently with a pillow.

“What did I say about putting your ass on my back?!”

“And I shaid it was jusht expressing its appreciation!”

“Don’t you ever…”

Nathan sat up abruptly, filled his impressive lungs, and bellowed like Lucifer himself after being roused from the tub by a Jehovah’s Witness; “SHUT! UP! NOOOOOOOWWWWWW!!!!”

The inside of the bus fell deathly silent. Nathan flopped back down and lay like a dead thing. Charles pressed close to him, placing his head on Nathan’s broad back again, closing his eyes. Peace at last filled the tour bus.

Fifteen minutes later, Nathan began to snore…