Chapter 25
I swore I spent the first two weeks after the wrap party asleep.
I couldn't tell you a single thing I did besides eat, sleep, and fuck Tom.
I didn't even go riding.
Tom had some local horse-loving teen feeding and caring for Blossom and Buttercup while we were on tour, and he asked her to stay on for a while.
From the glimpse I'd heard of their conversations, she couldn't be more excited.
I didn't know if that was from Tom's celebrity factor or her love for the horses, probably both.
I knew he paid generously too.
The comfort and safety of Tom's place was still indescribable, even more potent after so long on the road, constantly working, nearly every move being perceived.
Now I felt tucked away from the entire world.
Hidden on our own little island far away from everything.
Laura was a God and apparently had expected my need for some time to decompress.
She had prepped a bunch of content to go up pre-scheduled, giving me the space to disappear completely from the public eye.
"You and I belong together."
Tom's voice cut through the haze of my half-sleep and days of weed, his voice unusually strong and edgy.
He was down on one knee with a ring.
Holy shit.
He was on one knee with a ring!
I was completely naked under the blanket on the couch, as we usually were, the lights low and weed smoke covering the air.
I couldn't tell you a single thing we had done that day.
And it was exactly right.
So much emotion swelled through the room I was crying before I could even reply.
I started nodding furiously as I crashed off the couch and into his arms.
He was it, always had been.
He was all I could ever want.
I would never get enough of him.
We were made for each other.
The sun and moon dancing together in perfect harmony.
I could barely get my wits about me enough to consider the ring.
Every other part of me just wanted to jump his bones and not stop fucking for the foreseeable future.
Breaking the kiss long enough to wipe the tears streaming down both of our faces, his large hands pulled the much smaller ring from the box and slid it onto my ring finger.
It was perfect: yellow gold with a large green aventurine stone in the center, diamonds cascading down the band on either side of it.
The green was the exact color of Tom's eyes.
I had no idea how he had matched it so perfectly, but it had me crying more.
It felt as though a piece of his soul was being put in my care.
In many ways, it was true.
---
The two days since Tom had proposed had been filled with nothing but sex and phone calls to spread the good news.
Lacy cried on FaceTime. Katie screamed in excitement. My mother gushed and gushed and already put a dress fitting on my calendar.
Tom texted a photo of us kissing with my ring held up, very Instagram influencer circa 2016 (minus the chipped red nail polish I had on and our obvious sex hair and total lack of posing or prepping), to the group chat with the guys.
"Dibs on best man,"
Luke texted back immediately, hearting the image.
"Take a Chance on Me"
was added by Hunter, calling me out directly with the ABBA reference.
I giggled at the flirtatious pouting, also self-aware enough to feel unsure. The guys were a noticeable absence in the past few weeks. If I hadn't been in sleepy zombie mode, I may have reflected more on it, but I still couldn't help but feel like I was far too lucky to just get Tom. Why push my luck?
"Congratulations"
with a bright red heart emoji came in from Mickey before I could get lost in thought.
"We should have everyone over to celebrate,"
Tom's wide grin reminded me how much he loved those guys. I definitely was not the only one missing them.
"One hundred percent. When?"
"Tomorrow? We could keep it small and relaxed for now?"
Tom's warm tone and clear thoughtfulness with my recent hermit tendencies reminded me again how this man could be real.
---
The champagne was flowing an hour in, giggles from the corner with Lacy and Katie, Mickey and Hunter all coupley in a way that had the biggest grin smacked on my face.
The domestic bliss of having everyone I loved in one place felt almost too good to be true.
A few hours after presents and all of us drunkenly singing "Chapel of Love,"
Laura and Lacy both excused themselves to go home, the adorable lightweights, also probably picking up on the overly flirtatious vibe between me and the guys.
The second the door closed behind the girls, Mickey tangled his hands in my hair and pulled me in for a ravenous kiss.
The weeks apart from the taste of him had me absolutely melting in his arms.
Luke was quickly crowding me from behind, his massive lanky fingers immediately going to my hips and tits over the slinky red dress.
My eyes found Tom's through the haze of the guys crowding me.
He smiled and winked in his knowing way, Hunter pulling him in for their own searing kiss.
Apparently, The Band's extracurricular activities were no longer limited to touring.
Seeing Tom sink into it gave me permission to do the same.
And I was ravenous for them.
An extra layer of unfettered ambition from the two glasses of bubbly had me sinking into the kiss with Mickey.
His lips moved with a hunger, as if trying to consume all he could.
The kiss turned suddenly emotional, tears almost pricking at my eyes feeling the stubborn reminder that in another world, it could have been Mick I was getting engaged to.
All the years of pining for it, then years cursing his very existence.
It was a head and heart trip to be kissing him desperately at my engagement party to another man.
Yet it was also perfectly right, as it always was.
Luke pulled me back to the moment and their ferocious need for me with a firm press on my nipple, his instrument hardened hands always making his finger ministrations more pronounced, impossible to ignore.
Hunter and Tom moved over to me.
"At least give the engaged man the honor of stripping her naked,"
Tom's joking tone washed over me like the calm grounding I needed.
All the guys laughed in response, carrying from Luke's shouty laugh to Mickey's low chuckle. Regardless, they stepped back enough to let Tom get in front of me.
He started by kissing me senseless, the taste of Hunter barely present on his perfect tongue.
"Do you want to move this to the bedroom?"
he asked in my ear, barely a whisper, as if the three other guys weren't even there.
It wasn't like we had talked about this. This was our first time seeing the guys since the end of tour, and per what everyone had said at the start, the group sex was a tour-exclusive activity. But here we stood at my engagement party, all ready to fuck. If I were any other person, I may have felt very weird about it all, ashamed and slutty. But God bless, it all couldn't have felt more right.
Tom was my guy, plain and simple. And my guy and I liked to fuck our friends.
I knew it was more than that, of course. A deep love in my chest for Mickey, Hunter, and Luke, individually. But what mattered most in that moment was getting naked and getting reacquainted with three extra dicks.
"Yes,"
I said maybe too loud in response to Tom's question, pulling free of all of them to walk ahead.
My eyes stayed with Tom for a moment as I did, the look of total hunger and amazement gracing his features making me even more confident.
All their eyes on me, I began the walk to the hallway, turning their way to strip my perfect slinky dress above my head, leaving me in my heels and a tiny thong I had been hoping Tom would yank off me later.
The sight of my tits elicited a range of groans and sighs from all of them as they stalked me back to the bedroom, letting me be just a few feet in front of them, almost herding me where they wanted me while enjoying the show.
Aside from our Airbnb stop on tour, we really never got to have fun in a safe and large space, appropriate for five people, not just twin sized bunk beds.
The anticipation had my nerves tingling all over, my heart thudding in the best way.
I hadn't realized how much the four guys together energized me.
It felt like all the parts of a whole were reunited, the sync between us all crackling in the air.
Despite the alcohol and weed in my system and two weeks of fog, I felt more awake and energized than I had since the last show.
Still, a melancholy I couldn't quite place also briefly graced my awareness.
A longing, a need that I could only try to satiate in the moment.
A love I wasn't ready for but had been sun-soaked and growing all summer.
So why analyze it when it was right in front of me to enjoy?
The look of hunger in all four sets of eyes combined with the massive lengths I saw pressing against each of their engagement party outfits.
The look of Hunter's massive cock against his tight leather pants was a hilarious sight to see, obscene and ridiculous.
I knew it was real leather too, both because he was a pretentious ass with way too much money and because it lacked that ugly sheen that pleather had.
The leather must be heating and searing against his body.
The thought had me closing the distance between me and the four guys huddled together before we even reached the bedroom.
In my confident three-drinks-in energy, I walked right up to Hunter, almost the same height as him in my heels, and reached out to palm his cock through his pants.
The leather was even hotter than I had imagined, the warm material making me moan, the searing heat of his pounding length almost burning my hand.
Hunter's breath hitched immediately on contact, a hiss escaping through his teeth as his eyes took in my chest and free-floating hair.
All eyes were on my every move, as if some invisible force tied their every breath to me.
I held them all in the palm of my hand.
I felt my ring press against the closure at his waistband as I raised my hand to snake up and back down his chest, barely covered by his mostly unbuttoned silky chiffon dress shirt.
God, Hunter's style was to die for.
He was such a natural.
English prick.
My annoyance made me smile at him, my brow arching mischievously as his lips tipped up in an unusual full smile.
But his eyes screamed warning.
Suddenly he was no longer hands-off.
His arms snapped around my bare body, pulling me flush against every inch of his hot skin.
The leather of his pants burned hot and hungry into my skin.
Hunter grabbed one leg and wrapped it around his waist, bringing his leather-covered length against my barely covered pussy, dripping into my thong. His lips connected with mine, knocking me breathless and taking back control in a way only Hunter could.
The rest of the world ceased to exist with Hunter's lips on mine.
An uncontrollable fire raged between us.
Like that little fire that lives on beneath the waterfall.
Circumstances no matter, we burned brighter and hotter with each moment.
With my control totally lost now, I was yanked away from Hunter by Luke's massive frame grabbing me from behind and carrying me into the bedroom finally, giggling and accidentally squealing like a little piglet.
We were home.
---
My eyes cracked open to the flooding light of the sun.
Tom's gaze nearly immediately met mine before I could even take in myself or the situation.
His eyes smiled tentatively, putting me at ease so easily.
Everything was slightly sore from the previous night's debauchery in that delicious way I loved. My pussy tingled and felt dripping wet still. Mickey shifted behind me, rolling over to wrap his arm around me, palming my breast sleepily, seemingly unaware I was awake. Tom eyed his hand and smiled wide, a giggle clearly wanting to break out in his husky laugh.
The craziness of all five of us in this king bed last night was not lost on me. Limbs tangled everywhere, no clear beginning or end to where one person stopped and another began. It felt like the most natural thing in the world.
"Morning, beautiful,"
Tom whispered, his voice still rough with sleep.
"Morning,"
I whispered back, not wanting to wake the others yet.
"How are you feeling?"
His eyes searched mine with that familiar protective concern.
"Perfect,"
I said, and meant it.
"Better than perfect."
Luke stirred on my other side, his arm tightening around my waist as he nuzzled into my neck.
"Stop talking,"
he mumbled against my skin.
"Sleep more."
Hunter's voice came from somewhere near the foot of the bed, crisp and awake despite the early hour.
"Some of us have been awake for an hour already. Bunch of lazy Americans."
"Shut up, Hunter,"
came Mickey's muffled response from behind me.
I couldn't help but laugh, the sound causing a chain reaction of groans and complaints from my four gorgeous bedmates. This was chaos. This was insane. This was everything I didn't know I wanted.
"Coffee,"
Tom announced, starting to extract himself from the tangle of limbs.
"Everyone needs coffee."
"I'll help,"
I said, trying to sit up, but Mickey's arm tightened around me.
"Stay,"
he murmured, finally opening his green eyes to meet mine. "Please."
The simple word carried so much weight. All the years of missing each other, all the almosts and what-ifs. I settled back down, letting Mickey hold me while Tom padded naked to the kitchen.
"This is crazy,"
I said to no one in particular.
"Good crazy or bad crazy?"
Luke asked, propping himself up on his elbow to look at me.
"The best kind of crazy."
Later that morning, after coffee and the world's most chaotic breakfast where everyone kept stealing food off each other's plates and Hunter insisted on making his fancy eggs Benedict for everyone, Tom pulled me aside.
"We need to talk,"
he said, and my heart immediately started racing.
"Okay,"
I said carefully, following him out to the pool area where we could have some privacy.
He sat down on the edge, patting the space next to him. The California sun was already warm on my skin, a perfect contrast to the cool morning air.
"Last night was..."
he started, then trailed off, running his hands through his hair.
"Amazing?"
I supplied hopefully.
"Yeah, it was. But Aria, we need to figure out what this means. What we're doing."
A deep sigh racked his frame, though his eyes seemed hopeful.
I took a deep breath.
"What do you want it to mean?"
"If it was just me and you to the end of time, I'd feel blessed beyond my wildest dreams. And also, it's not just us, is it? So why keep ourselves from happiness? I see you. I know you, better than almost anyone, and I know you want them. And not just sexually. I know you love them. Whether it's just as friends or full romantic love, I don't know. But I do know that I love you, I love your love for them, and I love them too. So I think we should do this, for real. I think they should all move in."
The only thing that tipped me off that Tom was even slightly off his normal calm was a light hitch in his voice when he said he loved me and the shaky breath he took at the end. As if he was scared.
I hadn't seen him scared like this before.
"Are you sure?"
I asked softly.
"Really sure? Because once we do this, there's no going back. This becomes our life. Our reality."
Our eyes went back to the guys in the kitchen, Luke tossing a cherry tomato at Hunter.
"I've never been more sure of anything,"
he said, taking my hands in his.
"Have you seen how happy you are with them? How happy they are with you? With us? I'm not threatened by it, Aria. I'm grateful for it. They make you whole in ways I can't alone, and you make them whole in ways they can't do for each other. We all fit together."
Tears started streaming down my face before I could stop them.
"I love you so much."
"I love you too. All of you. All of this."
He gestured back toward the house where we could hear the guys laughing about something.
"This is our family."
I kissed him then, pouring all my love and gratitude and overwhelming emotion into it. When we broke apart, I rested my forehead against his.
"So what do we do now?"
"Now we go back in there and ask them to stay a while."
---
The guys never really left after the engagement party. Luke went to his apartment with Hunter to grab some items after a few days. Mickey and Hunter took up residence in the bedroom next to Tom's, all of us rotating between the two beds every night, ending up all five of us in the California king at least once a week. After a month or so had passed, the conversation finally broke out.
"I think you all should officially move in,"
Tom said around Chinese delivery and our normal laughing in the living room with dinner.
"Thank God, I haven't seen the inside of my apartment in a month,"
Luke piped up first, a natural grin on his face. He gave my cheek a quick peck and continued munching on his dinner as if it was the most natural thing in the world, his levity making the room feel bouncy.
"I've been thinking the same thing,"
Mickey piped up with emotion thick in his voice, gaze intense on me.
"I already changed my address at the bank,"
Hunter said in his usual almost cold tone, his eyes flitting between Tom and me.
Tears sparked in my eyes and a smile overtook my face. The food was quickly forgotten as I scampered toward the bedroom, peeling off my clothes as I went. Hunter was hot on my trail, scooping me against his chest, his arms wrapped firmly around my waist. Luke captured my screaming giggle with his lips, kissing me senseless.
"I want her pussy,"
Mickey claimed from the doorway, shucking off his jeans, still smelling of horses from earlier.
Hunter was already completely overtaking my senses before any of the other guys could get more of their hands on me.
Lord, was I blessed.
---
The next morning I woke up in a haze. In the literal sense from the weed. Sun shone in on the billows of smoke that Hunter was creating at the end of the bed, our bed, a light smile on his face. I had never seen him that peaceful looking. He had an expression on his face that reminded me of the vulnerability of a little boy, an in-love type of contentment. A protective feeling rose in my chest.
He eventually caught my gaze, a wide smile cracking his normally flat English features, eyes crinkling at the edges with a bright smile I felt honored to be on the receiving end of.
Mickey started running his hands up and down my body from behind me, his hands holding my breasts tenderly, pulling my hips flush with his.
"Good morning, love,"
Hunter said softly, his usual sharp edges completely smoothed away by sleep and satisfaction.
"Morning,"
I replied, stretching like a cat in the sun.
Tom and Luke were nowhere to be seen, but I could hear them talking quietly in the kitchen, the smell of coffee and bacon drifting through the house.
"This feels like home,"
Mickey murmured against my neck, his breath warm on my skin.
"It is home,"
I said, and I meant it. Not just the house, not just the bed, but this. All of us together. The strange, beautiful, complicated family we'd created.
Hunter stubbed out his joint and crawled up the bed toward us, that rare soft smile still playing on his lips.
"You know, love, I never thought I'd be the type for domestic bliss."
"And yet here you are,"
I teased, "smoking weed in bed like a proper househusband."
"Cheeky,"
he said, but he was still smiling as he leaned down to kiss me.
Mickey's hands tightened on my waist possessively, but there was no jealousy in it anymore.
Just love.
Just rightness.
Breakfast felt like a perfect kind of forever.
Hunter and Luke cooked, the other three of us sprawled out on the generously sized couches.
Absolutely anything felt possible.
We were still in the general post-tour haze.
Tom said it usually took at least three or four months to want to do anything productive again.
But he had already started playing his guitar in quiet moments, so something was waking up in us.
Besides, new love was in the air, something new altogether.
There was a type of freedom feeling, a bubble around the house with just the five of us inside.
Not only did we have this big secret from the rest of the world, but I felt so consumed by them the rest of the world could be on fire and it would barely penetrate.
I didn't know if that was a good thing, but it felt so right I couldn't care if I should be more externally engaged.
Celebrity is a cage.
Forgive me for forming my own bubble within it.
Everything felt heavy with love and light with affection, the warm spread in my chest blossoming at the sight of each of them.
Luke making everyone laugh with his ridiculous stories.
Tom's gentle way of making sure everyone had enough to eat.
Mickey's soft humming as he cooked.
Hunter's rare, genuine smiles.
This was my life now.
This beautiful, complicated, perfect mess of a life.
And I wouldn't change a single thing about it.
***********************************************************
Thank you so much for reading The Band!