Joel pouted as he looked out the window of the tour bus, his breath fogging the glass enough so he had to swipe at the condensation with his fingertips every so often to keep a clear view. �I hate cold weather,� he grumbled, speaking to no one in particular, not even sure that anyone was within earshot.

�I like cold weather,� CJ said, calling to Joel from her bunk as she played her Gameboy. She had run out of books to read, as they had been on tour for five months now without a significant break, so she hadn�t gotten into a bookstore in a while. She was the first drummer Good Charlotte had had that actually invested time into reading. She and Paul seemed to be kindred spirits in that respect.

�Really?� He looked back over his shoulder at her, the wan light of the overcast day leaving the interior of the bus quite dark, so he couldn�t make out her face. �How come?�

He heard her shift on her bed, then her feet thump lightly against the floor as she came towards him, moving slowly into the light and sitting at the table across from him. She pulled her knees towards her body and set her chin on them. �I dunno,� she murmured, looking out the window at the Midwestern landscape whizzing by. �I just like the way everything looks in the winter and the fall.�

�What? Dead?� Joel asked, chuckling.

She turned her eyes to him and shrugged. �Maybe.� It was late morning, and everyone was sleeping, as they had just left last night�s city an hour ago. Joel had insomnia, however, and CJ had skipped out on last night�s festivities and gotten to sleep at a semi-reasonable hour. Now she was well-rested and wide awake. �No, I know why I like the cold. You get to do all sorts of fun things to keep warm when it�s chilly outside.� She pulled the edges of her sweatshirt tighter around herself as she flicked her eyes outside again and imagined herself standing in the swirling wind on the side of the highway. Beneath the zip hoodie she wore only a spaghetti strapped tank top and boxer shorts with a blue and white floral print. No matter how cold it got outside, CJ liked to sleep in as little as possible.

�Oh yeah?� Joel liked the mischievous glint in her eye. �What kinda things have you done to stay warm?�

�Oh, mostly running, playing soccer, that sort of thing,� she said flatly, taking pleasure in purposely squashing whatever ideas Joel might have had brewing in his mind.

His smile faded. �Oh.� They both of them fell into silence and looked out the windows again. He sighed, shifting in his pajamas, wondering why he even bothered wearing them when he knew he wasn�t going to sleep. �I feel like I�m getting fat,� he said, looking down at his little beer belly. While on tour it was tough to keep a regular exercise program. Billy never had an issue with remaining skinny as a rail. Veganism had a few of its advantages, but CJ could never bring herself to embrace the practice. She just liked chicken too damn much. CJ looked over at him and smiled, leaning across the aisle to lay and hand on his stomach and dig her fingertips into the soft flesh enough to tickle, making Joel recoil and giggle. �Quit it.� He pushed her hand away.

�I like your belly,� she said softly, still smiling at him. �It makes you soft like a teddy bear.� She pulled at her sweatshirt again, trying to keep herself warm, pulling the bottom over her bare feet.

Joel narrowed his eyes at her and stepped across the aisle, sitting on the seat next to her and putting his arm along the back of the bench. CJ leaned her head against his shoulder and looked up into his puppy-ish face. She liked the hint of stubble that darkened the lily white skin beneath his chin. �Teddy bear, hunh?� He looked down at her out of the corner of his eye. �Teddy bears couldn�t be like �G-G-G Unit!�� He threw up a west coast sign for some absolutely inane reason and grinned like an idiot, that smile that showed his pearly teeth and crinkled the skin at the edges of his eyes. God, ever since he�d met 50 Cent he would quit saying that. CJ grabbed his hand, the one that sported the W, and put it down on the table.

�Okay, don�t ever do that again.�

�G-G-G-� He began again, but CJ clapped her hand over his mouth.

�Know what�s good exercise?� She asked.

�Mmm?� He mumbled beneath her hand.

�Kissing.�

�Mmm?�

�Yep, kissing.� She pulled her hand away from his mouth. �You ever kiss just for the recreational value?�

Joel stared at her, his eyes instinctively drawn to her lips, watching her tongue distractedly bounce over her lip ring. �Can�t say as I have,� he murmured.

�Maybe that�s why you�ve got that little tummy.�

�Shut up,� he laughed, looking away from her.

�You know Paul�s a great kisser,� she said, looking down at her toes as they crept out from beneath her sweatshirt again. �Soft lips.�

Just then there was a sound like a gunshot, and Joel dropped onto the floor, shielding his head as he had become a little bit jumpy ever since getting shot at after their show in Chicago. CJ remained in her seat, grasping the table with one hand and the seat with the other as the bus swerved towards the middle of the dual highway, then Harold Loops, their driver, pulled the bus onto the soft shoulder with visible effort. They were lucky there were no other vehicles on the road or they would have caused a head-on collision. Joel lifted his head when they jerked to a stop, looking up at CJ as she set her bare feet on the ground on either side of his hips and crept towards the front of the bus. �Loopie, what�s up?� She asked Harold.

He cursed out loud, then looked up into his rearview and noticed she was there. �Oh, sorry, CJ. I didn�t mean to swear.�

�It�s fine, dude. What happened?�

He glanced up into the rearview again to see Joel peeling himself off of the floor, and the curious heads of Paul and Billy popping out of their bunks. �Crap. We just have a blowout. We must have run over something I didn�t see.� He pressed the button to open the door and jumped down the steps, walking along the left side of the bus and kneeling down at the back set of wheels. Despite the fact that there were two sets of double wheels in the back, both tires in the very back were blown and in ribbons. There must have been some defect in one of them and the other couldn�t handle the increased pressure it had to take alone, because there was nothing in the road to indicate why they blew. �Shit.� Harold pulled out his cell phone and called up the bus company as he continued to inspect the damage.

CJ walked up to him. �What happened?�

He saw her feet first, then followed her legs up to her body, then up to her face as he stood cradling the phone to his ear. �Oh, CJ, you shouldn�t be out here with no shoes on.�

�It�s fine.� She looked at t he shredded tires. �How long until this can get fixed?�

�I don�t know. I�m on the phone with the bus company right-� He put his finger up to her to wait a moment while he spoke to the representative who just took him off of hold. �Hello? Yes. My name�s Harold Loops, I�m driving the Good Charlotte tour bus�� Joel came around the side of the bus and called to CJ, so she left Harold�s side and explained the situation. The cold from the ground was creeping up her legs, having already turned her feet to blocks of ice, and the both of them hurried back into the bus to get warm. Joel grasped her hand and recoiled at how cold it was.

�Jesus Christ!� He breathed, and pushed her towards the back room. �You need to get warm pronto, so just sit on the vent back here and you�ll feel better.� Paul was sitting on the cushions when the two of them entered, reading yesterday�s newspaper. CJ grabbed a blanket from the corner and plopped down next to him, pulling the cover over the both of them, pulling it up to their waists.

�Body heat�s better,� CJ said, pressing her cold feet to Paul�s bare legs.

He gasped and grabbed her feet, pulling them away from his legs but not from under the covers, putting one hand on top of her right foot and one on the bottom, attempting to warm it with a bit of friction from his palms. �What the hell happened to you?� He asked rhetorically.

�C�mon, Joel. Join in,� CJ said, motioning him over. Joel grinned his grin again and bounded over, jumping onto the cushions and sliding under the covers next to her. The bus rocked as Harold came aboard again. He glanced back their direction as he turned off the ignition.

�Hey, what�s up with that, Loopie?� Paul called, switching his attention to CJ�s other foot.

�We�re leaking gas as well, so I had to cut the ignition. A repair guy is on the way already, but it�s going to get cold in here without the heat. I need to get a few more people on the phone, so I�ll be outside. I�m really sorry about this.�

�It�s cool, dude. Not your fault,� Paul said, shaking his head.

�I need to make a few more calls�� Harold trailed off as he saw Paul return his attention to CJ, forgetting he was even there. He stepped off the bus and shut the doors to preserve the heat that was inside.

The warmth in the bus seemed to dissipate quickly, and Billy got cold enough to crawl out of his bunk to see what was going on. He walked into the back through the open curtain and saw Paul, Joel and CJ snuggled up tight to one another, CJ�s lips against Joel�s neck. �What the hell�� He began and they all looked up at him.

�Oh, hey dude!� Paul said. �CJ says making out�s good exercise. Burns calories and everything.� Billy narrowed his eyes at them skeptically. �Join in, were just keeping warm in the adverse conditions,� Paul clarified.

Billy shook his head. �Why is it so effin� cold in here?� He asked, reaching up and tugging on the ends of his long hair before he tucked it behind his ears and crawled under the bottom edge of the blanket, squirming up Joel�s body, his head popping up between him and CJ and wiggling a little to make room for himself. �I�m sorry, am I interrupting?�

CJ blinked at him for a moment. �Not at all.� She turned over and locked lips with Paul, and he was left to watch as Paul returned her kiss, their movements slow and expert, like they knew each other�s moves before they made them, but gentle and playful at the same time. Nothing like watching a porno flick.

Paul�s eyes opened a little bit and noticed the audience. He smiled into the kiss, making CJ aware that he was preoccupied and she opened her eyes to meet his a moment before he pulled slightly away and addressed Joel and Billy. �Hey, now, I�m not here for your viewing pleasure,� he said softly and smirked at them. CJ looked back over her shoulder at them, and turned off of her side and onto her back so she could see them better.

�Haven�t you guys ever just made out for the hell of it?� CJ asked, looking between Paul, and Billy, already knowing Joel�s answer. The two guys looked at one another, then simultaneously shook their heads. �Never? All this time together and you�ve never just kinda wondered�?�

�What, have you made out with all your girlfriends?� Billy asked, feeling a hand snake across his slim hips, not at all sure whose it was. To his surprise, however, it was the not knowing that made the hair on the back of his neck stand up. He found himself looking at his band mates� lips. CJ�s looked soft, her lip ring catching the light as she responded to his question.

�I think� yeah, I�ve made out with pretty much every friend I�ve ever had at one point or another.�

�No shit,� Paul murmured.

She shrugged. �I guess it�s just I�m always curious. I wonder how their lips might feel, you know?� She was looking at Billy�s lips now, as he was the only one in the room she had never kissed before. His lips were full and pouty, a lot like Benji�s, and Billy�s single lip ring with the black captive bead looked highly classy, and she was sure his mouth wouldn�t look complete without it. �It�s nothing particularly sexual about it, so eventually I�m just like, �Dude. You wanna make out?��

�You�re generally drunk when that happens, right?� Joel asked.

CJ laughed, reaching across Billy to punch him in the stomach. �Sometimes,� she conceded. It was then that Billy realized it wasn�t CJ�s hand sliding down his stomach and riding along the elastic band of his boxers. Not sure what to do with the stirring in his loins, he leaned forward and kissed CJ. At first she seemed taken aback, not returning the affection, but then finding Billy�s kissing style sexy and smooth, kinda like the way he moved, and enjoying the sensation.

Joel�s eyes flicked across the scene to meet up with Paul�s face. He stared for a moment at the bassist�s mouth, perpetually stretched into a slight smirk, as he watched CJ and Billy. Joel didn�t know why he�d never figured it before, but Paul�s mouth was the feature he liked the most on the guy. And not just the stuff he said, because the guy said some friggin� ridiculously funny stuff, but they softened his otherwise seemingly impending figure. Paul looked up and noticed Joel noticing him, and his smile faded to a confused look, his dark eyebrows knitting together beneath the bleach blonde mass on his head. �What?� Paul asked.

�Nothin�,� Joel replied.

CJ�s hand brushed against someone else�s as her fingers traveled down the skin of Billy�s stomach towards his crotch. She giggled into Billy�s mouth, but didn�t stop kissing him as she battled for space with the offending hand, fingers pressing against fingers, then knuckle on knuckle, finally breaking CJ down into laughter so she had to pull away from Billy and grab Joel�s hand. �You bum,� she laughed, pushing his arm away from Billy�s body.

�That was nice,� Billy said softly. �That was really nice. I dig the tongue ring. You guys dig the tongue ring?� He asked Paul and Joel.

�Yeah, dude,� Joel replied.

�Totally,� Paul agreed.

�My turn?� Joel asked, perking up, grinning at CJ.

She smiled back slyly. �Sure, go nuts,� she said, and turned over to make out with Paul. That left Joel and Billy sheepishly looking one another over, knowing that the other was checking them out, sizing them up, but still trying to hide the glances at each other�s lips, the contours of each other�s faces, the strong jaw lines, the fresh stubble, the pale skin with rushes of color to the cheeks, the sleep-tousled hair�

CJ distractedly kicked Billy in the butt, pushing him towards Joel so their noses brushed one another. �Sorry,� Billy breathed, his warm exhalation tickling Joel�s mouth, his lips twitching a little with the sensation. He used his tongue to satisfy the urge to brush the itch away, and Billy�s eyes dropped to his mouth. Billy�s tongue momentarily mirrored Joel�s actions, just before he felt the magnetic attraction to Joel�s lips and leaned down, those last few seconds feeling like he was being dragged down a rushing river with no control over his descent, until his lips brushed Joel�s and he was met with an extraordinarily soft, reticent kiss, reminiscent of the first kiss he had ever stolen when he was thirteen. Granted, this was the first guy he�d ever kissed, and he was glad it was Joel. Couldn�t think of anyone he�d rather it be�

Joel�s lips were soft, as soft as they looked, and the feel of his body under Billy�s hands was harder than any he�d experienced, more angular and strong. The feel of Joel�s hands on him was much the same, the hands bigger, stronger, the fingertips more blunt and thick, making the gentility of the touch seem more of a conscious effort than an intrinsic element. CJ�s back came against Billy�s, and he could feel the back of Paul�s hands brush his back, and feel CJ arch herself against Paul. Joel�s hands were in Billy�s hair now, dragging down to the tips and tugging on them slightly before letting go to glide down the back of his neck, down his spine to the edge of his shirt only to ascend again but beneath the fabric this time.

CJ rolled on top of Paul, the two of them enjoying the recreation they usually hid inside one of their bunks. Paul locked his arms around her waist, pinning her to him so tightly she couldn�t move. She opened her eyes, looking down into his, their breath heavy and fierce, both of them noticing the other couple out of the corner of their eye at the same time. CJ rested her cheek against Paul�s as they both watched the two band mates go at it for a few moments. �Well I�ll be goddamned,� Paul mumbled.

�See? There you go,� CJ whispered to Paul. �Everybody gets curious.�

�And this is good exercise, right? Burning some calories?� Paul asked, laughing softly, CJ feeling the mirthful exhalations through his body.

Joel and Billy became aware of the audience and looked over. �Oh, is it time to switch?� Billy asked, unintentionally pouting his slightly swollen lips.

CJ looked down at Paul, he shrugged, and she nodded and said, �Okay.�

Careful to keep the blanket covering their bodies, as though everything they were doing was cool as long as it was kept concealed beneath the red, beige, black and gold fabric, Joel slithered over Billy, and CJ rolled beneath him, landing Joel beside his next target: Paul.

Paul regarded him with his always complex, deep stare, head propped on his hand as he reclined on his side. The sly smirk still decorated his lips as he waited, staring into Joel�s face, determined not to make the first move, but interested to see what Joel was going to do. It seemed as though he might be content just to watch him for the next couple minutes and it made Joel uncomfortable. He wished CJ would kick him so he could lean in and break Paul�s seemingly emotionless stare, and bite at his bottom lip the way Billy had done. Never knew getting bit by a guy could be fun. In the past that had not been an enjoyable experience.

Eventually realizing that Joel wasn�t going to be man about the situation, Paul reached out and gruffly grabbed the back of Joel�s head, pulling it towards him and pressing his lips to the singer�s. Joel shifted his body so it rested against Paul�s, and he was suddenly aware of how much bigger the bassist was than him. He felt dwarfed and dominated, vulnerable, and he could only imagine that someone as small as CJ would have to feel the same way when in Paul�s possession. The bassist seemed disinterested in any contact beyond their mouths, not taking the opportunity to peruse the skin of Joel�s back or shoulders, just kissing Joel with force that matched what he was given. It wasn�t until Joel lightly touched Paul�s hip that the rest of the bassist�s body responded at all. As though his touch had given Paul the permission he needed, the bassist�s thick hands explored Joel�s body as Joel explored his. Paul�s rough, calloused fingertips took care not to damage fragile skin. The bassist�s cherubic features were telling when it came to his affection, he was gentle almost to the point of it being childlike, as though he were a kid holding up some everyday treasure he�d never really noticed before now, marveling in its beauty specifically because it had always been there but had never been appreciated.

Joel thought CJ was lucky to have someone as introspectively reverent as Paul. Verbally, Paul would deny, deny, deny everything his touch and his gaze gave away, his sarcasm always attempting to build a wall that really had no reinforcement. �Your chin�s scratchy,� Paul said, pulling away from him abruptly, and Joel recognized the film of boredom shielding his eyes. Paul didn�t mean to be rude, but when he lost interest in something, he was just done. No apologies or words of parting, he just quit and walked away. Now he lay on his back, staring up at the ceiling. �You�ll never get a chick with that nasty stubble, dude,� he added.

Joel lay on his back next to him and rubbed his hand over his chin, hearing and feeling the hairs brush harshly against his fingers. �I thought it made me look badass.�

Paul laughed out loud, reaching over and patting Joel�s stomach hard enough to make his insides clench. �Yeah, you�re not Tupac, you�re One-pac, Joel. Half-pac.� He laughed again. �Badass,� he muttered under his breath and shook his head, looking over at him.

CJ rolled off of Billy, into a comfortable spot between him and Joel. �Well, does everyone feel thoroughly exercised?� She inquired.

�I think Joel lost some weight,� Paul said, poking Joel�s gut again.

�Quit doing that,� Joel protested. �Why does everyone keep doing that?�

�That was fun. We should do that again sometime,� Billy sighed, his hand rubbing down the inside of CJ�s thigh.

The curtain to Benji�s bunk slid open and he tumbled out head first, landing hard on the floor and cursing aloud before he gathered himself and stumbled into the bathroom, pissing a torrent with the door open. When he was done he stepped into the back room while rubbing sleep from his eyes. �Why�re we stopped?� He yawned.

�Bus broke,� CJ said simply.

�Why�s it so goddamn freezing in here?�

Joel looked down the row of grinning faces, then lifted his edge of the blanket and motioned towards his brother. �Hey Benj, you wanna get warm?�

How fun was that? Exercise does the body good, people, and it can be fun too.