Little Doves & Bonafide Heroes ~ Archie Cruz

Blood Host

"So... did you ask him already?"

"No, I have not asked him yet."

"Why not?"

"Because."

"Lucy, why?"

"Because," I mumbled with a sigh, "Taime already talked to me about it. He said th-"

"I thought you just said you didn't ask him about it?"

"I didn't; he brought it up himself. He said that he feels bad, but he can't keep helping you guys. He likes you guys being around and all, but he's already got a lot going on lately," I said quietly, watching my father talk to his friends.

We were having a fairly big party for our small-ish house; there were probably thirty people, my boyfriend and I included. Taime was finally being social again- after the last tour, he was quiet, and he almost seemed angry. Over what, he would never tell, but I could sense it.

"We would just need his help to-"

"I'm sorry, babe, but he said no. I can't change his mind."

"You can't even talk to him?"

"No; he used that tone of 'I've made up my mind,' and I don't fuck with him when he's like that."

"Okay, but was that when he was acting all weird when he got back from that one tour? Because-"

"Bret!" I grumbled, crossing my arms over my chest, carefully holding my drink to avoid spilling it.

"What?"

"Are you even listening? It doesn't matter the circumstance. He can't help you anymore. He believes in you; he truly feels that you guys can do this on your own. Prove him right."

"Well, I would like to do that, but in order to prove anything, I needed him to put in a good word with a couple of promoters."

"Can't you do that yourself? I mean, make a good impression on them and they-"

"No, Lucy. I can't touch those guys; they're higher up than Kevin Lyman or the rest of the guys working Warped- or anything else we've done for that matter. We need someone to pull a string or two, and Taime would be the best one to do it; he's been around long enough to be a fair judge of us doing something this big."

"Babe, you want a headlining tour, go after it, but I can't keep asking my dad for favors like this. I've already asked for more help than I care to admit, but I do it because I love you, and I want to see you succeed. Now you guys have had some experience; you've made some pretty decent waves. You have to start pulling your own strings, otherwise, you're the puppet," I said, reaching out to brush an eyelash off of his cheek, only for him to lean away.

Well that... hurt?

"What's going on with you lately?" I asked.

"Nothing," he muttered, "I'm just... nothing."

"You need to get it together," I growled lowly, growing tired of his sudden mood swings.

"I have it together," he hissed through gritted teeth, looking over his sunglasses at me. "Let's just get out of here."

"But, Bret-"

"Come on," he said impatiently, walking towards the door.

"No, we just got here ten minutes ago," I pointed out.