[ this is more bullshit but like... if we wanted to incorporate the whole 'cabin album' thing into the storyline then there's this but it's not necessarily cabin?? // song is by vance joy

warnings: language, alcohol

concept: getting away from the rest of the world for a month to work on the new album was a good thing, right?

stay safe,
lew. ]

—————

"My grandparents have a little house next to the river out in the middle of fuckin' nowhere. I've been out there a couple times, and it's really peaceful and quiet," Lewis told Logan over the phone. "I might go out there and stay for a month or so to work on new stuff."

Logan was quiet, enough so that Lewis pulled the phone away from his ear to check and make sure he hadn't hung up. Then, softly, he heard "Have fun."

"Want me to give you the address? Y'know, just in case you get bored and need a break? Like, I was thinking if I had a really good idea, or got a bunch of inspiration, I was gonna call you guys anyway and ask if you'd come out."

"If you want to, Lew."

"I'll text you. Talk to you later, sunshine."

————

The house was exactly like Lewis remembered it.

The actual house part was tiny, two small bedrooms, a bathroom, and one room for the kitchen, dining area, and living room. But it had two extra rooms, and two garage bays, and a building in the front yard that'd probably work for full band things.

He'd worked something out with a friend of his grandparents. The friend would bring groceries and necessities by every few days,  because Lewis was planning to isolate himself as much as possible.

The first thing he did once he got all of his things put away was grab a bottle of alcohol and go out on the screened in porch overlooking the river. The only sounds that could be heard were distant barking and the waves crashing against the bank.

It was serene, but it still felt like something was missing.

It took him downing half the bottle before he called Logan. As soon as the younger man picked up the phone, Lewis blurted out, "Fly out here and stay with me. Please? I miss you."

"Lew, are you drunk...?"

"No! Possibly. More than likely. But I really do want you to stay with me. 'Cuz you're my best friend and the only person who's gonna be stopping by is a seventy year old man bringing me food."

"If I do go, you're going to owe me, big time. I have some vague plans I'd be breaking."

"I'll do whatever you want. I promise."

"I'll be there in a few days."

————

As soon as Logan stepped into the house, Lewis was practically squeezing him to death in a tight hug. Logan dropped his bags to awkwardly return the embrace.

"I guess you missed me, huh?" Logan chuckled, making no move to pull away from the embrace.

Lewis nodded, then ducked out and picked up one of his friend's bags. "C'mon, sunshine, I'll show you your room."

The room wasn't anything special. It had a twin bed shoved against one wall, and an entertainment center against the other. Lewis left Logan alone to unpack and settle in.

About half an hour later, Logan went looking for Lewis. All the obvious places (the garden in the front yard, the other bedroom, and the laundry/junk room, to name a few) revealed nothing. It wasn't until he was back in the main living area that he noticed the door to the back porch was cracked open.

Even then, at first Lewis wasn't easily found. The porch was empty, aside from a few chairs and empty liquor bottles. But the screen door was open, so Logan followed the path down the river bank and eventually spotted his bandmate sitting down on the dock with a guitar and his notebook.

Like always, Lewis didn't noticed until Logan had sat down beside him and gently pulled the guitar out of his hands. "How's the writing going?"

"It's okay," he shrugged, picking up his pen. There were green scribbles all over the page, but unlike normal, Logan couldn't quite decipher the mess that was the guitarist's handwriting.

The only words he could really make out were 'love' and 'mad', so the entire sheet hardly made sense. He sighed, absentmindedly strumming a simple chord as he thought.

Eventually, Lewis asked, "Will you sing something? Please?"

"Only if you sing along, plant boy."

And that's what they did. Stayed on the dock, the gentle swaying of the surface in the wake serving as a calming force. They were down there until dark, when the dusk-to-dawn light on the porch flickered on.

There was something almost cathartic about it. Out here, they didn't have the pressure they would've back home, everyone constantly urging and awaiting the next album. Of course, the pressure was still there, but it was easily ignored here in favor of being normal guys- still kids, really.

The next morning, they called the rest of the band and made arrangements for them to fly out.

——————

[ this was?? so easy to write?? i'm gonna do another part probably.

and here's my shitty version of what could've been scribbled in lewis' notebook bc i can't write lyrics there's a reason i'm just a shitty bassist lmao

"love was never meant to be easy
it's maddening and it ruins us
wears us down like river rocks
get turned to sand and silt
until all that's left for us to do
is succumb to seduction and guilt"

]