Frank groaned. He couldn't believe that two week tours still had the ability to knock him out like this. He stretched and thought that maybe it was because they tried to tour half of the western United States in those two weeks. He didn't think he was to the point where he was affected like that by regular tours because of his age. Twenty-five years wasn't that old… was it? "Sir? Sir! Please take your seat! We haven't landed yet! Sir!" Frank forced his eyes open and woke up instantly when he realized that the stewardess with the British accent was talking to Mikey, who didn't seem to be responding. Instead, he was pulling his carry-on from the overhead compartment. A quick glance out the window told Frank that they were already going pretty slowly on the tarmac so Mikey wasn't in any real danger. But still.

     "I know you don't like flying, Mikes. But don't you think this is a bit of an overreaction?" At Mikey's continued lack of response, Frank peered closer at his friend. Mikey's eyes were shut and his face was slack. "Mikey? Are you even conscious?" Still nothing. Frank turned to the stewardess. "Uhh, ma'am?"

     "Yes, sir?"

     "Is it really important that we make him sit down again? Because I think he's sleep-walking." Frank almost wished that Ray and Gerard were on the plane too. They'd stayed behind in California to bounce some song ideas off of each other and sent the two youngest back to Jersey to see their significant others. Bob was making a short trip to Chicago to see his family. Frank was certain that if Mikey had sleep-walked before, Gerard would know what to do about it. But alas, he was on his own. The stewardess frowned at the breech in protocol, but just then the seatbelt light went off and the pilot called back to say that people could disembark. She shrugged but looked concerned when she met Frank's eyes again.

     "Does he have someone to look after him?" She asked, gently pushing Mikey a few steps back every time he attempted to walk past her. Frank unbuckled his seatbelt and grabbed his own carry-on as he nodded.

     "I'll watch him until we get into the terminal. After that Gabe will."

     "And he's meeting you two in the terminal? Does this man have someone to take care of him once he's home? Seems to me he's suffering from some pretty severe exhaustion." Frank nodded tiredly as other passengers began to pass the stewardess.

     "Yeah, Mikey and Gabe live together." At the stewardess' curious look, he added, "They've been dating for the last five years." He was almost trying to get a rise out of her at that point. His grumpiness demanded to be let loose upon the unsuspecting public and this woman was keeping him from his nice, warm, Jamia occupied apartment and bed. Bitching out an airline employee seemed to be the perfect way to vent his frustration after she revealed her narrow-minded, bigoted beliefs. Instead of the look of disgust that he'd come to expect from strangers (and that Mikey had been dealing with more or less successfully for almost a decade), Frank caught a glimpse of a genuinely warm smile. This woman was glad to hear about the happiness of a stranger.

     With another shock, Frank realized that they were the last ones in the cabin. "If you don't mind," the stewardess began, "I'd like to escort you both on your long journey to the terminal. Make sure you arrive safely." Frank grinned at her.

     "If you'd said it to me and anyone else, I'd take that as the joke it was meant to be. But not with this kid." He jerked a thumb at Mikey. "This one can get lost anywhere when he's fully conscious. I may well need the help. But I suspect he knows his way to Gabe well enough even in his sleep." Frank was right. As he and the stewardess trailed their way through the short passage and into the terminal, they saw Mikey gliding in a way he never did when he was conscious. He swerved around an old man hugging a toddler on the floor, three friends having a geek-fest over some new Disney channel celebrity, two grown men fighting over the honor of the bored looking woman beside them, and what looked like five Native Americans in full ceremonial dress. They seemed as confused as Frank felt when they glanced around the terminal and he surmised that they had no more of a clue what they were doing in New Jersey than anyone else around them did. He entertained himself briefly with the thought that they'd been sent from some long ago time to give the modern world a recipe for the best corn ever grown, only to find no crop growers in the prosperous lands that they once farmed. He shook himself. Man, he was out of it.

     He came back to reality just in time to see Mikey reach a fully awake Gabe. Mikey let his carry-on slip off his shoulder immediately and wound his arms around Gabe's neck. Gabe bent down without missing a beat and lifted Mikey's legs up to twine around his waist. The taller man closed his eyes for a moment and leant his head against Mikey's, letting a look of absolute peace and soft happiness wash over his face. When his brown eyes opened again, he immediately began to look for Frank. The stewardess (Frank later learned that her name was Ellie) excused herself to go back and finish her duties for the night and Frank went off to meet Gabe.

     "Good to see you, man." Frank returned Gabe's easy grin with one of his own. Gabe was likeable, Frank was happy to see him.

     "You too, but I have to ask. How the hell did he find you? He hasn't opened his eyes or spoken to anyone since before I woke up!" Gabe shrugged as well as he could while serving as a jungle gym for his twenty-six-year-old boyfriend.

     "I don't know. He does this every now and then. Usually when you guys get off of really packed tours. I have this theory that his eyes and brain shut down so the rest of his senses take over and guide him. He's never really seemed to need his conscious mind to find me anywhere." Gabe furrowed his brow in contemplation. "Hell, maybe he just has Gabe-senses." Frank laughed.

     Any other time he would've complained about having to grab both his bags and Mikey's. He didn't then because Gabe was his ride and because the 'luggage' Gabe was in charge of was considerably heavier than the two rolly suitcases Frank tugged along behind him. When they finally made it to Gabe's old Acura, Mikey was gently settled into the passenger seat while Frank quickly loaded the trunk and jumped in the back. He was eager to be home. He missed his dogs. …And Jamia! He missed her too!

     Frank became aware of another strange thing about his friend that night. Mikey, having not been buckled in, crawled across the solid front seat and curled the top half of his body into Gabe's lap. He molded himself carefully into the available space and then settled down. Gabe waited for Mikey to still completely before buckling the middle seatbelt firmly across Mikey's waist. Fascinated, Frank spoke.

     "What did he just do?" Gabe smiled first at Mikey, and then at Frank in the rearview mirror.

     "He nested."

     "He what?"

     "He nested. Like a bird. He always does that when he's tired and I leave him for a bit. It's weird but it's one of those things you get used to."

     Frank wasn't sure that he'd ever have gotten used to that kind of thing in a relationship. 'But,' he supposed as he watched the two in the front seat on the way home, 'that's probably why they work so well together.' Because Gabe just got it.