multifandom oneshots/preferences

lxii. time--jim root part 2

2004

"Oh, shit," Jim mutters as he looks over at the woman in his bed. 

"Yeah, I know," she replies. "Get me a painkiller, my head hurts."

"Yeah, gimme a second. I'm hungover too, y'know."

Eventually, Jim and his hookup emerge from his hotel room. The guitarist trails around the hotel lobby in an attempt to find his bandmates before giving up and eating some breakfast. 

"Jim!" Joey calls from across the lobby. "C'mon, we gotta go!"

"Hm? Oh, fuck, right," the guitarist scrambles to grab his bag and follow Joey to the bus waiting in front of the hotel. 

With the band now all gathered in the bus, the journey to Chicago can begin. 

Even 6 and a half years after breaking up with you, your love for Chicago lingers in his mind. He remembers how you went there for a vacation with your parents and fell totally in love with it. He remembers your stress about applying to colleges in Chicago, and your successive overjoy when you were accepted into Northwestern. You were so excited to study art history and work at a museum...which one was it though? 

Jim smiles to himself before shaking his head and lighting a cigarette. 

A frequent daydream he had during Slipknot's first tour was finishing a show and coming backstage to see you waiting with all the other VIP ticket holders. He'd drop his guitar and rip off his mask as you ran up to him and kissed him. 

It's so interesting how one detail can trigger so many memories, isn't it?

...

Slipknot makes it to Chicago in about 5 hours, giving the band time to drop their stuff off at a hotel and have some free time. 

Jim, having heard about a cool exhibit at the Field Museum, decides to go check it out. Besides, looking at some dinosaur skeletons couldn't hurt. 

He gets his ticket, goes through the entrances, and stalks into the huge lobby. He has to pause for a second to look around at all the massive things around him. There's a huge sauropod skeleton, taxidermized elephants, plaster pterosaurs hanging from the ceiling, and what Jim assumes is a T. Rex skeleton. Jim walks around for a few minutes until he hears, from a few yards away, "oh my fucking god."

The voice is familiar, too familiar. He looks over to see you. 

6 years later, it's you. You don't look different at all, maybe a bit older, but you're the exact same. 

"Holy shit," Jim mutters, not knowing what to do as you take a few steps closer to him. 

"What are you doing here?" you ask, adjusting the box and the files in your hands to rest in one arm. 

"What are you doing here?" Jim asks. 

"I work here," you reply matter-of-factly. "You're not the only one who pursued their dreams."

Oh, right. This is the museum you were desperate to work at. Jim is unable to move or really get out a full sentence. 

"So you've got some down time before the show tonight?" you inquire, motioning for him to walk with you as you enter an exhibit. 

"Uh, yeah," Jim nods, a bit confused as to why he's walking with you. "I just wanted to check this place out. I...kinda forgot that you wanted to work here."

"No wonder you were so surprised to see me," you chuckle. "I hope you like this place."

"It's nice, you really were right," Jim looks around. "Where are we going?"