FicWad

It was hard to admit at first. He’d been trying to hide it for awhile now but it kept creeping back into his mind. Joe would ask him to come over to his apartment and he would go, but would always distract Joe before the conversation reached that awkward subject. Now, however, sitting alone in his apartment, he realized it was plain to see, it was time to face facts. Steven Tyler had writer’s block. They only needed one more song to finish their new album, Toys In The Attic, and he just couldn’t find the words. Of course, this wasn’t the only uncomfortable situation between Steven and Joe. There was also the question of how they felt about each other. Luckily Steven had been able to handle that so far, this he could not take. He’d sit in front of his piano for hours and nothing would come to him. On this particular unproductive day however, Aerosmith had a show that night. Steven was grateful to have something to take his mind off this horrible spell of writer’s block.
Steven was in his own private world once the show started. It was his favorite place to be, onstage next to his partner in crime Joe Perry. Steven pranced over during one of Joe’s guitar solos and draped his arms around his neck. Joe didn’t seem to even acknowledge his presence while Steven hid a smile in Joe’s hair. He loved being close to Joe, and onstage was the place he felt most comfortable acting on it. Steven walked offstage that night with a huge smile on his face. He hadn’t been in his dressing room five minutes when there was a knock on the door.
“Come in!” Steven yelled. Joe walked in and closed the door.
“Joe!” Steven exclaimed, still on a high from the show.
“Hey Steven, can I talk to you for a minute?”
“Sure.”
Joe sat down and nervously spoke
“Listen I was wondering if you wouldn’t mind doing that thing you did tonight anymore.”
“What thing?” Steven asked confused.
“It’s just that, you keep hanging all over me and, I dunno I’m just not really that type of guy.”
“Oh” Steven said turning away, obviously hurt.
“Hey, it’s not really that big of a deal is it?” Joe asked.
Steven looked up at him with the saddest eyes Joe had ever seen. He then understood.
“Oh man, hey Steven look, you’re my best friend and all that but I mean…you got a ton of girls throwing themselves at you.” Joe suggested desperately trying to get that defeated look off Steven’s face.
“Look at you, you’re a ladies man…and, so am I.” He added looking away, he wasn’t exactly sure he felt that way but Steven was so fragile, he couldn’t let him think there was something there when there wasn’t really. At least not yet. Steven didn’t know what to say, he was crushed, but he didn’t want Joe to see,
“Joe I gotta go.” He got up and left.
“Steven!” Joe called after him, suddenly rethinking what he’d said, but Steven was already gone. Steven spent the ride back to his apartment blinking back tears. He shoudn’t have been so surprised, but Joe had hurt him more than anything.
Joe couldn’t leave things the way they were. He went over to Steven’s apartment and on the way he contemplated his feelings. There were some feelings there for Steven he guessed, but it wasn’t love, and he didn’t know if it could be or not. He hadn’t meant to hurt Steven like that, he just didn’t want to get his hopes up.
When Steven got to his apartment he realized he’d been empty and now there was something in him that needed to come out. As Joe reached Steven’s apartment he heard the sound of a piano playing. He stood outside the door and listened as Steven began singing in a shaky voice.
“You see me crying
Don't let it get you down
You see me crying
I'm back to the lost and found

Honey, what you done to your head
Honey, what's the words that I said
Honey, what you done to your head
Honey, what's the words that I said

You see me crying
Say you're a ladies man
You see me crying
So hard to understand

Honey, what you done to your head
Honey, what's the words that I said
Honey, what you done to your head
Honey, what's the words that I said”
Joe quietly opened the door but Steven stopped when he saw him. Joe sat down on the piano bench next to him. He looked at Steven’s tear streaked face and couldn’t think of anything else to do but hug him. Steven hugged him back.
“It’ll be alright.” Joe muffled into Steven’s shoulder, then he turned his head and kissed him on the cheek,
“We’ll work something out.”
Steven smiled as Joe let him go.
“Now finish your song, we need it.” Joe said with a smile. Steven took a deep breath and picked up his piano part.
“You see me crying
Please say you'll stick around
And I got to be your lover, honey
Let me take you to town
And I'll show you everything around
And I'll never ever let you down
'Cause my love is like a merry-go-round”
Joe picked up an acoustic laying near the piano and began playing a solo, then Steven closed the song.
“Honey, what you done to your head
Honey, what's the words that I said
Honey, what you done to your head
Honey, what's the words that I said”