Post by HburgEagle44 on Jun 8, 2014 17:19:01 GMT -5
A nice long one-shot for y'alll. Thanks to my sister, dancer4life, for the idea on our long car ride home yesterday. Enjoy!
“Come on,” Emmet needled Keith, shooting a teasing look at Colm, who winked back.
“No,” Keith adamantly said. “That's just stupid.”
Ryan sniggered from the corner but didn't say anything.
Colm jumped in to help his friend. “It would be so fun. And you would stop complaining about how warm it is up here.”
Keith rolled his eyes. “It's Australia. It's supposed to be warm.”
Colm raised his eyebrows. “Given how much you've complained recently, I'm surprised you know that.”
Ryan sighed loudly and looked at Neil, who was strumming his guitar quietly. “People think that being on a tour bus all day is fun.”
Neil just smiled and shook his head.
Emmet prodded Keith. “Do it. Or forever hold your peace.”
“I can hold my peace,” Keith frowned.
“Forever?” Ryan and Colm chorused before glancing at each other. They burst out laughing, Neil and Emmet joining in, and laughed harder the more Keith looked disgruntled.
“Okay, okay!” Keith yelled. “Just... let me...” He frowned at the high, small window. “How am I supposed to get up there?”
“Pull one of the chairs over. Put it on top of the desk,” Ryan suggested.
“I can't believe you're condoning this,” Keith complained, pulling a chair over and setting it on top of the desk.
Ryan smirked and fished a book out of his bag. “I'm not. I'm just sick of you talking all the time about how hot it is in here. Besides, you could fall and hit your head. Then maybe, you would have to cut your hair.”
Keith turned and stared at Ryan. “You don't like my hair?”
Ryan's eyes turned innocent as he shrugged. “I like you no matter what. You know that.”
“Good answer,” Neil muttered to Ryan as Keith turned to continue with his architectural work.
“How is this going to work?” Colm asked Emmet.
Emmet shrugged. “We should probably hold the chair for him so it doesn't tip on corners or anything.”
Colm sighed. “This is going to be work for us, isn't it?”
Emmet smiled slowly. “It's worth it. Now, Keith...”
Keith was beginning to look worried but glanced at Emmet. “Yeah?”
“Climb on up and lay down.” Emmet waited for Keith to follow his instructions.
Nervously, Keith climbed up and lay down on the chair back, his legs sticking up and over.
“Now open the window,” Colm said.
Reaching around the chair, he popped the small window open.
By this time, Ryan and Neil had stopped what they were doing and were watching with interest. “Careful,” Neil muttered at one point.
“Now just relax and let the wind take you over,” Colm said soothingly.
Keith tried. “I can't,” he said after about twenty seconds. “I have to hold my head up, unless I want to tip upside down.”
“Let's sing him to sleep,” Emmet suggested to the others.
Ryan nodded and immediately went into “My Land” for Keith.
Keith listened for a while, humming his harmony, but his voice was slightly shaky.
The bus went around a corner and Keith tensed completely. Emmet and Colm kept the contraption still, though, and after a few minutes Keith was able to loosen up a little.
“Feel better?” Colm asked after a while. “Nothing like a fresh breeze to make you feel alive, huh?”
Keith shrugged from his high position. “At least my feet are cooling down.”
“Is the blood draining from them?” Ryan asked.
“No,” Keith said.
“Great!” Neil exclaimed before strumming his guitar again. “We wouldn't want you to lose your legs because of some fool thing you were encouraged to do by your friends.”
Keith turned his head and stared hard at Neil. “If I did lose my legs for some unknown reason, I would blame you.”
Neil looked offended. “We encouraged you to do it. But you were the one who climbed up there.”
Keith gave him another harsh stare before slowly starting to sit up. “Okay, this is freaking me out and I can't relax. I'm coming down.”
“Promise you won't complain about the heat first!” Colm yelled, putting his hand on Keith's shoulder, forcing him to stay lying down.
Keith thought for a minute. “I promise.”
Colm let go. “Okay. Need help down?”
“Yeah.” Keith took Emmet's offered hand and began to sit up when they turned another corner. Waving his hands around wildly, he tipped over sideways and tried to catch the window, but missed. Everything came crashing down, including his ego.
“You okay?” Ryan asked, immediately jumping up and rushing over to Keith. “Keith?”
“I'm good,” he groaned before sitting up and rubbing his head ruefully. He looked around the room and surveyed the mess. “Where'd my flip-flop go?”
Everyone glanced around but the shoe was nowhere to be seen, until Emmet looked up. He pointed. “Look, it's dangling from the window.”
Keith jumped up and reached as high as he could, trying to get the shoe.
“You're going to have to get back on the desk,” Neil said, still strumming peacefully.
Sighing, Keith stood on the desk.
“Careful!” Colm shouted suddenly from right behind him, causing Keith to yell and whirl around. His hand hit the shoe on the way out and the shoe fell out the window.
“What was that for?!” Keith exclaimed.
“It was... a joke.” Colm looked worried. “Your shoe is gone.”
Keith turned back around and stuck his head out the window. He looked behind them and his shoulders began to shake.
Emmet climbed up behind Keith and touched his shoulder. “You okay?”
Keith pulled his head back through the window and the lads all saw he was trying not to laugh. “You should have seen it,” he wheezed. “My shoe went flying and hit the windshield of this car that is behind us. The poor girl turned on her windshield wipers and tried to knock the shoe off, but couldn't, and it got stuck in the wipers, and, oh! She had to stop and get out to get the shoe off.” He frowned suddenly and the lads were all taken aback at the abrupt switch. “That was my favorite flip flop.”
Emmet rolled his eyes and climbed down off the desk. “Come on.”
“I got the first three numbers of her license,” Keith added helpfully, climbing down.
“You may have to give up your shoe,” Ryan warned him, picking his book up again.
Keith shook his head stubbornly. “No. I want my shoe back.”
Colm sighed. “Then look up the license plate and do something about it.”
Keith looked thoughtful. “Do you think that would work?”
“No,” Neil said adamantly. “Just give it up.”
Pursing his lips, Keith sighed. “I may cry.”
“Let's get a video of Keith crying,” Ryan suggested to Neil, who nodded eagerly.
Keith rolled his eyes. “I'll get my shoe back. You can count on that.”
The other four watched him go with partial amusement, partial nervousness.
“You think he'll actually be able to get his shoe back?” Emmet asked the others, who didn't answer. They just watched Keith go.
Ryan spoke up after a few minutes. “I got a great picture of Keith hanging up there. What should we do with it?” They all looked at each other with evil grins.
“What's going on?” Colm asked, walking up to Keith. “Why the look on your face?”
Keith glanced up from his phone and raised an eyebrow. “Why would anything be going on?”
Colm frowned. “No, really.”
“I'm getting my shoe back,” Keith muttered, shoving his phone in his pocket.
Colm looked astonished. “It's been three days. You'll probably never see your shoe again. You should just mourn it and let it go.”
“You have no heart,” Keith chided Colm, who looked surprised. “That's your problem. I get stuff done, with my heart and... all that. Yeah. I'm going to get my shoe back.” He stomped off angrily, leaving a very shocked Colm behind.
“What's going on?” Emmet asked from behind Colm, making him jump.
Colm shrugged. “He's getting his shoe back.”
“Hey,” Ryan greeted Keith as he came in the tour bus door the next day. “What's that?”
Keith glanced at the plastic bag he was holding and smiled. “You'll never guess.”
“No. I won't,” Ryan agreed.
Neil came in. “What's that?”
Keith grinned and them both. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he began.
“Where do you see ladies?” Ryan demanded.
“Gentlemen,” Keith said through slightly gritted teeth, “I present to you... My shoe!” He reached into the bag and pulled out his flip flop triumphantly.
Neil's mouth fell open. “You actually got it back? But how?”
Colm and Emmet came in and stopped short at the sight of Keith's shoe. “How did that happen?” Colm demanded.
Keith winked at them all slowly. “Let's just say I have a lot of heart.”
Colm groaned.
“So what did you do to get it back?” Ryan asked curiously.
Keith smiled nicely at them all. “Fellas, you'd never believe me if I told you. So let me just tell you this: I have a date tomorrow night.” He nodded at them all before walking away confidently.
Emmet turned to the other lads and they all looked at each other in silence before he spoke up. “Who wants to tell him we have a show tomorrow night?”
Keith popped his head back in the room. “She knows my carriage will turn into a pumpkin at some point, lads.” He grinned before disappearing again.
Ryan shrugged. “I say just let him be. At least he won't be complaining about that stupid shoe being gone anymore. And we still have the pictures for when he starts complaining about the heat again.”
They all nodded and decided to leave it at that.
“Come on,” Emmet needled Keith, shooting a teasing look at Colm, who winked back.
“No,” Keith adamantly said. “That's just stupid.”
Ryan sniggered from the corner but didn't say anything.
Colm jumped in to help his friend. “It would be so fun. And you would stop complaining about how warm it is up here.”
Keith rolled his eyes. “It's Australia. It's supposed to be warm.”
Colm raised his eyebrows. “Given how much you've complained recently, I'm surprised you know that.”
Ryan sighed loudly and looked at Neil, who was strumming his guitar quietly. “People think that being on a tour bus all day is fun.”
Neil just smiled and shook his head.
Emmet prodded Keith. “Do it. Or forever hold your peace.”
“I can hold my peace,” Keith frowned.
“Forever?” Ryan and Colm chorused before glancing at each other. They burst out laughing, Neil and Emmet joining in, and laughed harder the more Keith looked disgruntled.
“Okay, okay!” Keith yelled. “Just... let me...” He frowned at the high, small window. “How am I supposed to get up there?”
“Pull one of the chairs over. Put it on top of the desk,” Ryan suggested.
“I can't believe you're condoning this,” Keith complained, pulling a chair over and setting it on top of the desk.
Ryan smirked and fished a book out of his bag. “I'm not. I'm just sick of you talking all the time about how hot it is in here. Besides, you could fall and hit your head. Then maybe, you would have to cut your hair.”
Keith turned and stared at Ryan. “You don't like my hair?”
Ryan's eyes turned innocent as he shrugged. “I like you no matter what. You know that.”
“Good answer,” Neil muttered to Ryan as Keith turned to continue with his architectural work.
“How is this going to work?” Colm asked Emmet.
Emmet shrugged. “We should probably hold the chair for him so it doesn't tip on corners or anything.”
Colm sighed. “This is going to be work for us, isn't it?”
Emmet smiled slowly. “It's worth it. Now, Keith...”
Keith was beginning to look worried but glanced at Emmet. “Yeah?”
“Climb on up and lay down.” Emmet waited for Keith to follow his instructions.
Nervously, Keith climbed up and lay down on the chair back, his legs sticking up and over.
“Now open the window,” Colm said.
Reaching around the chair, he popped the small window open.
By this time, Ryan and Neil had stopped what they were doing and were watching with interest. “Careful,” Neil muttered at one point.
“Now just relax and let the wind take you over,” Colm said soothingly.
Keith tried. “I can't,” he said after about twenty seconds. “I have to hold my head up, unless I want to tip upside down.”
“Let's sing him to sleep,” Emmet suggested to the others.
Ryan nodded and immediately went into “My Land” for Keith.
Keith listened for a while, humming his harmony, but his voice was slightly shaky.
The bus went around a corner and Keith tensed completely. Emmet and Colm kept the contraption still, though, and after a few minutes Keith was able to loosen up a little.
“Feel better?” Colm asked after a while. “Nothing like a fresh breeze to make you feel alive, huh?”
Keith shrugged from his high position. “At least my feet are cooling down.”
“Is the blood draining from them?” Ryan asked.
“No,” Keith said.
“Great!” Neil exclaimed before strumming his guitar again. “We wouldn't want you to lose your legs because of some fool thing you were encouraged to do by your friends.”
Keith turned his head and stared hard at Neil. “If I did lose my legs for some unknown reason, I would blame you.”
Neil looked offended. “We encouraged you to do it. But you were the one who climbed up there.”
Keith gave him another harsh stare before slowly starting to sit up. “Okay, this is freaking me out and I can't relax. I'm coming down.”
“Promise you won't complain about the heat first!” Colm yelled, putting his hand on Keith's shoulder, forcing him to stay lying down.
Keith thought for a minute. “I promise.”
Colm let go. “Okay. Need help down?”
“Yeah.” Keith took Emmet's offered hand and began to sit up when they turned another corner. Waving his hands around wildly, he tipped over sideways and tried to catch the window, but missed. Everything came crashing down, including his ego.
“You okay?” Ryan asked, immediately jumping up and rushing over to Keith. “Keith?”
“I'm good,” he groaned before sitting up and rubbing his head ruefully. He looked around the room and surveyed the mess. “Where'd my flip-flop go?”
Everyone glanced around but the shoe was nowhere to be seen, until Emmet looked up. He pointed. “Look, it's dangling from the window.”
Keith jumped up and reached as high as he could, trying to get the shoe.
“You're going to have to get back on the desk,” Neil said, still strumming peacefully.
Sighing, Keith stood on the desk.
“Careful!” Colm shouted suddenly from right behind him, causing Keith to yell and whirl around. His hand hit the shoe on the way out and the shoe fell out the window.
“What was that for?!” Keith exclaimed.
“It was... a joke.” Colm looked worried. “Your shoe is gone.”
Keith turned back around and stuck his head out the window. He looked behind them and his shoulders began to shake.
Emmet climbed up behind Keith and touched his shoulder. “You okay?”
Keith pulled his head back through the window and the lads all saw he was trying not to laugh. “You should have seen it,” he wheezed. “My shoe went flying and hit the windshield of this car that is behind us. The poor girl turned on her windshield wipers and tried to knock the shoe off, but couldn't, and it got stuck in the wipers, and, oh! She had to stop and get out to get the shoe off.” He frowned suddenly and the lads were all taken aback at the abrupt switch. “That was my favorite flip flop.”
Emmet rolled his eyes and climbed down off the desk. “Come on.”
“I got the first three numbers of her license,” Keith added helpfully, climbing down.
“You may have to give up your shoe,” Ryan warned him, picking his book up again.
Keith shook his head stubbornly. “No. I want my shoe back.”
Colm sighed. “Then look up the license plate and do something about it.”
Keith looked thoughtful. “Do you think that would work?”
“No,” Neil said adamantly. “Just give it up.”
Pursing his lips, Keith sighed. “I may cry.”
“Let's get a video of Keith crying,” Ryan suggested to Neil, who nodded eagerly.
Keith rolled his eyes. “I'll get my shoe back. You can count on that.”
The other four watched him go with partial amusement, partial nervousness.
“You think he'll actually be able to get his shoe back?” Emmet asked the others, who didn't answer. They just watched Keith go.
Ryan spoke up after a few minutes. “I got a great picture of Keith hanging up there. What should we do with it?” They all looked at each other with evil grins.
“What's going on?” Colm asked, walking up to Keith. “Why the look on your face?”
Keith glanced up from his phone and raised an eyebrow. “Why would anything be going on?”
Colm frowned. “No, really.”
“I'm getting my shoe back,” Keith muttered, shoving his phone in his pocket.
Colm looked astonished. “It's been three days. You'll probably never see your shoe again. You should just mourn it and let it go.”
“You have no heart,” Keith chided Colm, who looked surprised. “That's your problem. I get stuff done, with my heart and... all that. Yeah. I'm going to get my shoe back.” He stomped off angrily, leaving a very shocked Colm behind.
“What's going on?” Emmet asked from behind Colm, making him jump.
Colm shrugged. “He's getting his shoe back.”
“Hey,” Ryan greeted Keith as he came in the tour bus door the next day. “What's that?”
Keith glanced at the plastic bag he was holding and smiled. “You'll never guess.”
“No. I won't,” Ryan agreed.
Neil came in. “What's that?”
Keith grinned and them both. “Ladies and gentlemen,” he began.
“Where do you see ladies?” Ryan demanded.
“Gentlemen,” Keith said through slightly gritted teeth, “I present to you... My shoe!” He reached into the bag and pulled out his flip flop triumphantly.
Neil's mouth fell open. “You actually got it back? But how?”
Colm and Emmet came in and stopped short at the sight of Keith's shoe. “How did that happen?” Colm demanded.
Keith winked at them all slowly. “Let's just say I have a lot of heart.”
Colm groaned.
“So what did you do to get it back?” Ryan asked curiously.
Keith smiled nicely at them all. “Fellas, you'd never believe me if I told you. So let me just tell you this: I have a date tomorrow night.” He nodded at them all before walking away confidently.
Emmet turned to the other lads and they all looked at each other in silence before he spoke up. “Who wants to tell him we have a show tomorrow night?”
Keith popped his head back in the room. “She knows my carriage will turn into a pumpkin at some point, lads.” He grinned before disappearing again.
Ryan shrugged. “I say just let him be. At least he won't be complaining about that stupid shoe being gone anymore. And we still have the pictures for when he starts complaining about the heat again.”
They all nodded and decided to leave it at that.