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#jatpimagines
skieswords · 1 year
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Ruin Me {Luke Patterson x OC}
Summary: Finley is Los Feliz High’s golden girl. Straight As, captain of the cheer squad and the dance team, dating the captain of the lacrosse team, and the pride and joy of her parents. But her childhood best friend and her have had an agreement since they were 16. No feelings, no strings, nobody knows. Especially not her boyfriend.
Warning: Smut. 
Word count: 12.2k
Based on Lustra’s Scotty Doesn’t Know.
“Fuck, that was good.” 
Finley rolled her eyes and pulled the sheets up to her chest, turning to face Luke as dropped down beside her, running a hand through his sweaty hair. He sat up on his elbow and smirked down at her, taking in her flushed face and messed up hair. 
“You good?” 
He held a fist out to her, and she rolled her eyes but smirked, and fist bumped him. 
“Shut up.” 
Luke pretended to bow to a non-existent audience, chuckling as he dropped back onto his pillow. Finley looked at the clock on the wall and sighed, sitting up with the sheet wrapped around her, and gathering her clothes from around the floor, where they’d been scattered earlier. 
“You know, you really shouldn’t worry about covering up in front of me. I mean, the things you just let me do to you- why do you even bother?” 
Pulling her shorts on, and frowning at her messed up hair, Finley rolled her eyes once again at her old best friend, and smoothed down her shirt. 
“It’s the principle of it. We have sex, we finish, I leave. That’s how it is.” 
Luke shrugged, and rested his hands behind his head, sitting up against his headboard.
She wasn’t wrong. This was how it had been since the start of their Junior year. Finley had been dating the lacrosse team captain for 4 months, but he’d made it very clear he wanted to wait a while before doing the deed. Being the respectful and loving girlfriend she was- she’d turned to her best friend. Luke Patterson, notorious for breaking hearts at Los Feliz high, was more than happy to help her out, coming up with an arrangement that meant he got an easy fuck, and she got her needs satisfied. There were no feelings whatsoever between the two of them, and they didn’t speak outside of making plans and seeing them through. Cheating on Scott wasn’t easy- but she told herself it was just temporary, and it was better than letting their relationship suffer because she felt neglected. God knows she’d helped Scott enough times, simply by walking around his bedroom in a sports bra, or making out with him for an hour. He was a nice boy, destined for college, who came from a nice family and a nice church. A church that she’d attended with him quite a few times. He was too nice, sometimes. 
Luke was the polar opposite of Scott. 17, in a rockband, on the brink of dropping out of school, and swearing off God since age 12. They’d been best friends all through middle school, but that all changed when they reached high school, and Finley had started to rise through the social ranks, quickly earning queen bee status. Now, as captain of both the dance team and the cheer team, she was expected to behave herself. Walking to class hand in hand with her golden boy boyfriend, pass all of her classes, attend cheer practice, coach the dance team, go home and study. Cheer at Scott’s game on Fridays after school, get a milkshake with him at the diner afterwards. Spend Saturdays at cheer practice for a few hours, then heading straight to her best friend Sasha’s house for a study session, before having dinner with her entire family. Sunday’s were her favourite though. She’d wake up early, dress simply, and drive to the other side of town. She’d tell her parents she was going to see Scott, tell Scott she was going to church, and tell Sasha she was going to the gym. In her defense, she was working out. Just not quite the way her best friend thought. 
Monday saw the Los Feliz 1995 Junior prom queen walking through the halls, high ponytail secured with a bright blue scrunchie, cheer skirt perfectly pressed, and trainers so white they looked new. The walls were papered with posters about the upcoming dance, the theme having been decided by her and a few of the girls from dance. A romantic weekend in Paris, they’d decided, with roses decorating the tables, and a colour theme of red and white. Hopefully it wouldn’t clash too much with the Valentine’s dance, the theme for which was still to be confirmed, despite it’s arrival in less than a month. There were a lot of dances at Los Feliz, thanks to the musical and dancing talent in their school. Luke’s band was playing the next homecoming dance, after Finley put a good word in for them, feeling like she owed Luke something. She didn’t know how it didn’t eat away at him, sleeping with someone elses girlfriend. But then she caught sight of him leaning over Jessie Wilson, a Junior who’d recently joined the dance team, and was reminded once again, that Luke was the definition of a player. Finley wrinkled her nose as Luke pushed a strand of hair off of Jessie’s face, the younger girl nearly melting into a puddle at Luke’s feet. Luke noticed her watching, and sent her a wink, making her scowl, as she tried to subdue the blush creeping up her cheeks. 
“Hey babe, you alright?” 
Finley smiled up at her suddenly appeared boyfriend, and pressed a kiss to his cheek, pushing all thoughts of Luke in the janitor’s closet out of her mind. 
“I’m fine, just thinking about the routine for Friday’s game. Are we still on for milkshakes?” She smiled sweetly, intertwining their fingers. Scott shrugged and ran his free hand through his sandy curls, his eyes fixed on something in the distance. 
“Yeah, sure.” 
He started walking towards the english room, tugging her gently alongside him. 
“I was gonna ask you- do you fancy coming to my church with me on Sunday? My pastor wants to see you again, and speak to you about running that cheer camp I mentioned?” 
Finley’s eyes widened, and she cleared her throat. 
“I wish I could, but I told my pastor I’d stay behind after the service and help with the kids... I’m so sorry.” 
Finley smiled apologetically, but was surprised when Scott flashed her an adoring grin, reaching out a hand to brush a strand of hair off her face as they reached her class. 
“Don’t worry about it- that’s incredible. You’re incredible. I don’t know how you find the time for all of these things. How’d I get so lucky?” 
He leant down and pressed a kiss to her temple, before waving goodbye as he headed to the science labs. Finley laughed half-heartedly as she waved back, turning and walking into english with a quiet groan. 
Maths was next period, but as Finley sat down in her desk, someone appeared on her shoulders, his musky aftershave identifying him before he could speak. 
“Don’t touch me, Lucas.” 
Finley shrugged her shoulders, forcing him to sit back in his seat, the desk behind hers. 
“Funny, that’s not what you were saying yesterday.” 
He was muttering, but Finley caught it, spinning round to glare at him as he chuckled. 
“Not funny. Someone might hear you!” 
She glanced around her fearfully, shooting a convincing smile at the group of cheerleaders towards the back, before dropping it and continuing her glare. 
“Relax, you don’t have to be golden girl all the time you know. No-one cares if you drop the act for once in your life.” 
Finley groaned, and turned back around, making sure her ponytail flicked him in the face as she did so. 
“Don’t worry, I haven’t forgotten what it feels like.” 
His voice was soft in her ear, and she closed her eyes as his fingers ran through a handful, begging the memories of many previous Sundays to stop playing through her mind. 
“Hey Finley, what’s up?” 
Sasha’s arrival saw Finley lean forward, forcing Luke to remove his hands from her hair, watching her with a smirk as she spoke to her best friend. 
“Hey Sash, I’m good. How was your weekend? Sorry I missed your call on Sunday, I was at church.” 
Sasha winked at her, and giggled. 
“You’re still telling him you go to church on a Sunday? Poor boy, if only he knew.” 
Finley laughed nervously and drummed her pen on the desk, twirling her ponytail around a finger. Luke’s ears perked up at this; had Finley told Sasha what was going on between them? Finley laughed alongside her friend, the nervous tone in it only picked up by the carefully listening rockstar wannabe, who knew her inside out. Literally. 
“Of course. Honestly, don’t know how he believes me. He thinks this body comes from just cheer and dance? No, it’s the 4 hour weight session with Charlie every Sunday. I’ll tell him one day, but for now, I’ve got to keep in shape.” 
Finley ran her hands down her sides at this, and arched her back slightly, knowing Luke’s eyes would be on her. They were, and he smirked at her action, kicking the leg of her chair gently so she knew. 
“Of course, got to keep him interested. And, of course, there’s the matter of homecoming.” 
Sasha winked at Finley, who blushed and looked at her desk, silently praying Luke had stopped listening for some reason. 
“Yeah, duh.” 
Saved by the appearance of their math teacher, Finley sighed with relief and pulled out her textbook. Luke diverted his attention out the window, his mind drifting to what could possibly be happening at next Friday’s homecoming that he’d missed.
*
The week passed in a flash, with Finley avoiding Luke at all costs. They reached Friday morning not having spoken since Monday, when Luke finally cornered her in the hallway after lunch, while everyone else was in class. 
“Luke. Hey.” 
She blinked up at him, towering over her lithe frame as she leaned against her locker. 
“Fin. You still on for Sunday?” Finley looked around her fearfully, pushing him lightly in the chest once she was satisfied the corridor was empty. 
“Shut up. Yeah, same as always.” 
Luke narrowed his eyes at her, leaning in close so she could feel his breath on her face. He was hardly an inch away, his cocky smirk almost pressed up against her lips. 
“Luke-” He reached his thumb up and pulled her bottom lip down lightly, his eyes growing dark and hungry, before laughing and walking away, shoving his hands deep in his pockets. Finley groaned and brushed down her clothes, willing away the fierce blush that had appeared on her cheeks. That boy was going to be the death of her. 
*
“Game night, wooo! Favourite night of the week. I get to rock the field, and then spend time with my perfect girl.” 
Finley smiled weakly at her over excited boyfriend, his lacrosse uniform on, leaning against the wall as he watched her paint careful blue swirls on her face. 
“Yeah, should be great. You’ll be awesome.” 
She pressed a chaste kiss to his cheek, checking her uniform in the mirror one more time. White and blue uniform, blue bow tied around her ponytail, blue face paint swirling on her cheekbones. The epitome of bobcat spirit in a couple stood in front of her, and she found herself wondering for the 1000th time that week, why she wasn’t perfectly content. Scott was so sweet, and he cared about her. She’d met his family, and they all adored her, she’d met his pastor, who’d also loved her. They were perfect for each other. But why wasn’t it enough for her? Banishing those thoughts from her mind, she plastered a smile on, and cracked her knuckles. Time to win a game, and show the school why she deserved to be queen bee.
The bleachers were filled with a sea of blue and silver, signs held high above the Los Feliz students’ heads, Bobcat posters lining the walls of the field. Finley was dancing around in front of the bleachers, cheering for the bobcat team as they scored yet again, doing a handspring before jumping on Sasha’s back and running around yelling happily. She loved cheering, always had done since she had joined the squad in her Freshman year. The other girls were chanting, clapping and jumping on the sidelines, watching with wide grins as their captain and vice ran round the bleachers, now on opposite sides. Sasha gave Finley a look, who returned it with a nod, before launching into a complex tumbling routine simultaneously. Pairing a triple back handspring with a full twist and a back somersault, she landed it with a proud smile, panting slightly. Sasha, now directly opposite her, bowed to the screaming students, and ran over, wrapping an arm round her best friends’ waist. 
“I knew we could do that. That had to look sick.” 
Finley nodded, walking into the group of Bobcat cheerleaders and organizing them into place for stunts. With the base group formed up, Finley watched carefully as Sasha was tossed up in the air, alongside Leila. With Finley as their captain, and the smallest on the team, it made sense for her to be top flyer. Taking a deep breath, she broke into a run, before throwing a back handspring and feeling herself getting caught by girls at the front, who boosted her to Sasha and Leila, who pulled her up onto their hands. Three tier pyramid, her foot firmly lodged in Sasha and Leila’s hands, her arms high above her head. She beamed as she looked around the bleachers, knowing she’d impressed everyone. It had been a long time since someone had managed to get the bobcat cheer team in as good a place as Finley had it. She was talented, and being the kind of person she was, it wasn’t difficult to get people to listen to her. But her pride was short lived. Someone slipped beneath her, and she cursed quietly under her breath, tensing her entire body. Sasha stumbled, letting go of Finley, who’s entire weight was now on Leila, who was far too small to handle her on her own. Finley groaned and threw herself backwards, tucking into a ball and hoping for the best. She’d landed back somersaults from that height before, but without a steady base, she had no idea where this would go. She did land it, but a sickening crunch as she did so made her fall to the floor in agony, clutching her ankle and yelping. The first person to her side was Sasha, who was blurting out apologies through tears, pulling her into an awkward hug, while Finley rolled her eyes and tried to calm her through gritted teeth. 
“It’s okay Sash. Can you go get ice or something?” 
Sasha nodded and ran off, and Finley peered at her ankle. It seemed fine, maybe a little twisted, but not broken. Movement out of the corner of her eye made her look up, and she caught sight of Luke, leaning against the side of the bleachers, his eyes trained on her. He looked... worried? Finley didn’t have time to contemplate this, as she felt someone wrap their arms around her, and carry her over to the side, resting her against the bench. 
“Hey babe, are you alright? That was a nasty fall.” 
Scott stroked her face gently, his face red and his hair plastered to his forehead with sweat. 
“I’m alright Scotty. Go win this game for me, okay?” Scott nodded and pressed a kiss to her cheek, before running off. 
“Scotty? Really? God you two are sickening.” 
Finley rolled her eyes at Luke’s tone, rubbing her leg. 
“What do you want, Patterson? I’m a bit busy, if you hadn’t noticed.” 
Luke nodded and knelt down, holding up an ice pack. 
“Shut up and let me help you.” 
Finley snapped her lips shut and winced as Luke pressed the ice to her ankle, holding it in place with surprisingly gentle fingers. 
“That was stupid. You knew you might fall.” 
He sounded bored, but there was a hint of concern in his voice that Finley hadn’t expected to hear. 
“I was fine. I’ve done it a million times before- Sasha just slipped.”
Luke snorted, and adjusted the way he was kneeling. 
“Yeah well Sasha just slipping, nearly had you landing on your head. Get some better cheerleaders, won’t you? Half of them aren’t even hot- swear that’s literally the whole point of you guys.” 
Finley resisted the urge to smack him, and took a deep breath. 
“They’re good. And don’t be so degrading. Girls shouldn’t be valued based on how they look.” 
Luke met her eyes with a judgy look, laughing softly. 
“Relax, sweetheart. I wasn’t insulting you. You’re as sexy as ever.” 
He trailed a hand up her leg lightly, causing her to tilt her head back with her eyes closed as he reached the hem of her skirt. 
“Luke.” He took his hand back and smirked. 
“Finley.” 
Looking around them, and checking the scoreboard, Finley grabbed his shoulder. 
“Where’s your car?”
Luke raised his eyebrows, but helped her stand up. 
“Seriously? Okay, whatever. This way.” 
He wrapped an arm around her waist and helped her towards the school, waving at the coach and a few of the cheerleaders. 
“We’re going to get more ice for her foot, we’ll be back in a bit.” 
They hardly noticed, waving them off without a second thought. As soon as they were in the school, Luke had Finley up against the lockers, his hand going straight between her legs and stroking her through her shorts. Finley gasped as his lips found hers, desperate and forceful, searching for more. She wrapped her arms around his neck and moaned into his mouth, tilting her head back as he moved his mouth down her neck, biting and sucking gently at the fair skin. Finley groaned and pushed him off her, starting to limp down the corridor. Luke followed her, wrapping a hand around her throat from behind, and slamming her up against the lockers. 
“Don’t fucking move. I’m not done.” 
His hand returned to her core, the gentle movements of his fingers torturous, even through the material of her shorts. He chuckled when she moaned, and held her throat tighter, watching the skin around his rings turn white as the cool metal bit into her skin. 
“This is fun.” 
His voice was low and husky in her ear, the sensation of his breath on her skin causing the hair on the back of her neck to stand up, and sending a shiver down her spine. 
“Car. Now. Please.” 
Luke smirked and let her go, resting one hand on her waist as they walked along the corridor, their pace quick and determined. When they reached the battered red truck, Luke unlocked it and pulled the seat forward, helping Finley climb in, and clambering in after her. Her hands were on him as soon as he sat down, straddling his lap and pushing his jacket off his shoulders as she connected their lips again. Luke smirked into the kiss, sliding his tongue along her lower lip, and deepening the kiss when she moaned. 
“You’re so needy. I love it.” 
Finley rolled her eyes, and sat up. 
“Stop talking. Seriously. It makes you like, way less attractive.” 
Luke rubbed his hands up and down her sides, his eyes growing dark as he admired her. 
“So you think I’m attractive? Good to know.” 
Finley groaned and rolled her hips into his, desperate for some kind of relief, but also wanting to distract him. 
“We’ve been doing this too long for your dumb jokes, Lucas. Hurry up.” 
Luke snickered and put his hand on the back of her neck, dragging her down to his lips again. 
“Yeah yeah, whatever.” 
They continued making out in the back of Luke’s truck, only breaking apart for Luke to pull his shirt off, before starting again, the heat of the kiss gradually increasing. Their teeth were clashing, tongues sliding against one another, nipping at each others lips. It was impossible to tell where Luke ended and Finley begun. Luke’s hands moved to the hem of Finley’s cheer top, sliding it up and over her head, releasing her ponytail at the same time. 
“That bow’s so fucking stupid.” 
Finley rolled her eyes and pressed their bare chests together, moaning at the warm contact. Luke’s hands moved to her hips, throwing his head back against the seats as she ground down on him. 
“Fuck, Fin. Get that off.” 
He tugged on the waistband of her skirt, and she smirked, moving off him to slip it down her legs, leaving her in just her underwear. She straddled him once more and moved her hands to his belt, while he kissed her chest, leaving marks along her collarbones, making sure they’d be concealed by her clothes. Finley was struggling with his fly, when she tilted her head back, distracted by the feeling of Luke’s mouth on her nipple, his tongue flicking over it while his other hand kneaded her breast. He looked up and met her eyes, his pupils dilated and eyes hungry. The smirk that he adorned when he noticed how turned on she was made everything worse, and Finley returned her attention to his fly, pulling it down and groaning with relief. 
“God, I hate jeans.” 
Luke grinned and shuffled down, letting his jeans rest around his ankles before pulling her into his chest, slipping his hand between her legs as he kissed her. 
“Shit you’re wet.” 
He moved his hand from her, and stroked himself, pulling her towards him. Finley hesitated, rubbing his bottom lip with her thumb. 
“Do you have-” 
Luke groaned impatiently and reached for his jacket, sitting on the seat beside him. Finley snatched the wrapper from him, tearing it with her teeth, and rolling her eyes at the look on his face. One of his hands was trailing up and down her bare spine, the other gripping her hip so tightly she was sure it would bruise. It would, she knew that. He was bad for leaving bruises on her- but she loved it. 
He jumped as she wrapped a hand around his cock, sliding the condom over it, before returning her hands to his hair, pulling their lips back together. Luke lifted her up slightly, groaning as she sunk down onto him slowly, letting out her own delicious moans at the feeling of him inside her. She rested her head on his shoulder for a moment, before rolling her hips into him, and letting out a high pitched gasp. Luke’s own groan was desperate, and he silently pleaded with her, his hands gripping at her ass. She gave a slight nod, and he moaned with relief, bucking his hips into her once, and grinning as she threw her head back with the pleasure, her mouth open and hair framing her face. 
She was breathtaking, and Luke brought his lips to her neck, biting at the spots he knew would drive her crazy, while he picked up a steady pace, pushing her ass down onto him as she rocked her hips in time with his thrusts. Finley pulled at his hair, her eyes closed in bliss, cheeks pink and lips red, bruised from his constant attacks on them. Luke’s thrusts were getting faster, and less careful, and Finley could already feel the familiar knot in her stomach forming, heat pooling in her lower abdomen. 
“Fin-” 
Finley leaned forward, resting their foreheads together. 
“Yeah, I’m with you.” 
One of Luke’s hands made it’s way up to her hair, yanking her head back as he sucked on the sensitive skin below her collarbone. He let her go, grinning at the weak look she gave him. In that moment, he knew she’d do anything for him. But he was getting dangerously close to the edge, and Luke wasn’t one to leave a lady hanging, so he brought his hand down in between them, his thumb circling her clit gently. She moaned desperately and fell forward, her breathy moans echoing through Luke’s head as she sucked on his earlobe. 
“Fuck-” 
Luke groaned and bit down on her shoulder as he came, feeling Finley’s walls clench around him as she followed right after him. Chests heaving and skin flushed, they stayed like that for a few minutes, Luke’s hand drawing circles on Finley’s bare skin. She closed her eyes, basking in the afterglow of their quickie, breathing in Luke’s distinctive scent. Her mind drifted to all of the Sunday afternoons she’d spent wrapped in his strong arms, and she heard a question nagging in the back of her mind. Why did she always feel so safe with him?
“We should probably get back.” 
He nodded at her soft voice in his ear, and groaned quietly as she lifted herself off of his lap, watching as she collapsed onto the seat beside him and reached for her clothes. Luke pulled off the condom and dropped it into a bag of trash, before dragging his jeans back up his legs, and fastening his belt. They were good at dressing themselves quickly- They’d started sneaking around when they were 16, and now nearly 2 years and lots of quickies later- it was like second nature to them both. However, Luke thought to himself, it had been a while since Finley had dragged him away from a public setting like that. In fact, it had been a while since they’d met up anywhere other than his house on Sundays. 
They’d stuck to a very strict schedule throughout their senior year, with Finley being terrified of getting caught and only wanting to see him at weekends. He couldn’t help but wonder why she’d dragged him off. It wasn’t like her at all- she hadn’t done it since summer after junior year, when they’d spent the majority of afternoons either in his truck, or in the back of empty movie theaters. She couldn’t get enough of him that summer. But then when they’d gone back to school, it had been back to once a week, no eye contact in the corridors, treating him like he was scum. 
Luke pulled his shirt over his head and watched as she climbed over him, jumping out of the truck, and checking her ponytail one last time in the wing mirror before running across the car park. She stopped a few meters later, and turned back, waving awkwardly. Luke rolled his eyes and waved back, before switching to the front seat. Looked like her ankle was just fine now. 
Finley went for milkshakes with Scott after the game, some of her cheer friends and his lacrosse buddies tagging along for the ride. She’d gone to the bathroom before going back to the field, doing a quick once over herself to check there were no visible reminders of her encounter with Luke. On Sundays he tended to be a bit more careful, making sure only to mark her in places that her uniform would cover, but clearly the backseat of his truck, in the dark, meant the same rules did not apply. Just above the collar of her cheer top, a trail of deep purple marks were clearly scattered across her collarbones, and so she had to run to her locker and pull on one of Scott’s hoodies, before legging it out onto the field for the final 5 minutes. 
Scott scored three goals in the time she watched for, and when he came running up to her afterwards, he’d scooped her up and spun her round, kissing her for the entire field to watch. Finley had been semi-grateful for that. While it made her stomach churn and her mind race with guilty thoughts, it also explained her flushed appearance and slightly messed up hair. But as they were getting milkshakes, Finley found her mind drifting further and further away from the homecoming dress choices that her friends were discussing, and not even Scott’s hand on her hip could keep her focused on what she needed to be thinking about. Which was definitely not the dark-haired guitarist who constantly reminded her she’d never get enough of him.
In fact, said guitarist was sitting in his studio with his bandmates, poring over a chord progression he’d had written for weeks. 
“I just can’t work out what lyrics will go, you know? I don’t have anywhere to pull them from right now.” 
Luke shrugged at his bandmates, who sighed hopelessly. They’d all hoped to have something new for the dance, something that would show the senior class of ‘95 that Sunset Curve were the band to watch. But Luke had nothing. He was content. He had great friends, the band was doing well, and besides the occasional fall out with his parents, nothing was too difficult at home either. Not to mention he was regularly fucking the hottest girl at school. 
“Dude, you need to work out something. Otherwise we’re gonna have to turn to Reggie. And we really can’t do that.” 
Luke groaned and threw his pencil across the room. He never thought he’d be asking for something to go wrong in his life. 
“I’ll have it by Friday, don’t worry. I’ll work something out.” 
Alex sighed with relief and clapped him on the shoulder, before heading over to his drums and taking his seat, flipping his hair off his face. 
“Until then, let’s practice what we do got. Ready?” 
Luke nodded and grabbed his guitar, pushing all thoughts of new songs to the back of his mind. He’d find inspiration at some point, he was sure. 
*
After yet another long winded argument with her parents about college, Finley climbed behind the wheel of her car and groaned. They were adamant she’d be going to Stanford or USC- and while she had the grades, that’s not where Finley wanted to be. She loved LA, and she loved California, there was no doubt about it. Waking up to the sun every morning, and always being within driving distance of the beach was a definite plus- but her heart was set on Boston. 
They’d visited the city last summer, to spend time with family, and Finley had fallen in love. She adored everything about it. It was busy and beautiful, the buildings historic, the people friendly. Not to mention it’s top rated universities. You’d think that having two parents with PHDs would mean being pushed towards Harvard- but not in her case. They were adamant she was to stay on the west coast, within a couple hours drive of them. They were unmoving on the topic, unwilling to listen to Finley’s reasoning, or even her aunts’ arguments, who had both phoned and fought her corner over the past few weeks. 
She pulled up on Luke’s street, parking a few houses down just in case someone they knew should walk past and recognise her car, before walking up to the bungalow, taking a moment to check Mitch’s car was gone. Satisfied, she unlocked the back gate and made her way round to the garden, where unsurprisingly, Luke was sitting, strumming away on his guitar with a worried expression. 
“Hey Patterson. What you up to?” 
Luke looked up at her voice, and the worried expression fell away as he set down his guitar. 
“Nothing much. Trying to work out some new stuff for the dance. How you doing?” 
Finley shrugged, dropping into the seat next to him and chucking her keys on the table in between them. 
“As good as I can be.” 
Luke frowned and examined her face. There were tired circles under her eyes, and she looked drained. 
“Fin, you good?” 
She glanced up at him and noticed his eyes trained on her. 
“Yeah, of course. Just the parents being dicks as always.” 
He leant forward in his chair and rested his elbows on his knees. 
“Want to talk about it?” 
She shrugged again, frowning and fiddling with the fraying hems of her shorts. Luke would understand, she told herself. Emily and Mitch have been discouraging him from the band from day one, he knows how it felt to have your dreams sat on by your parents. The thoughts in her head encouraged her to open up, and try as she might, she couldn’t disagree with them. 
“College stuff. I want to go to Boston, they want me to stay in Cali. It’s just... I dunno. They don’t get it.” 
Luke nodded and leaned back, looking into the leaves of the large oak tree that sat in his back garden, casting shade over most of the little house. Finley felt herself relax, and started to spill her guts, sick of being alone with her thinking. 
“I love Boston. I love the city, the people, the schools. It’s Harvard, god dammit, how can I turn that down? And my little cousins, I never get to see them, but I want to watch them grow up so badly. It’s just all so unfair. They want me to do what they want me to do, not what I want me to do.” 
She groaned in frustration and let her hair out of its ponytail, toying with the scrunchie in her hands. 
“Parents are like that. I think a lot of the time they try and live vicariously through their kids, you know?” Finley raised her eyebrows at Luke, a light smirk appearing. 
“Woah, that’s a big word Patterson. Careful, people might think you’re smart.” 
He rolled his eyes at her, and chuckled slightly, running a hand through his hair. Finley noticed the way the muscles in his arms moved when he did so, and bit her lip slightly. 
“You know what I mean. Your parents always regretted leaving the move to LA so late. They wanted to grow up here and go to school here, but they didn’t get the chance to, so they’re trying to get you to do it. It makes sense. It sucks, but it makes sense.” 
Finley nodded slightly, continuing to pick at her shorts. She sometimes forgot that Luke had been her best friend before all this. They’d become best friends when she moved to Los Angeles, on her first day at Los Feliz middle school. Both of them had been put into the performing arts programme immediately, her for dancing, and him for singing. He’d picked up a guitar on their first day, and had fallen in love with it instantly. She still remembered the look of awe on his face as he strummed the strings awkwardly. Finley smiled at the memory and stretched her arms above her head, shaking all negative thoughts from her mind. 
“So, what’s worst with you then?” Luke groaned and glared at his guitar. 
“The boys want a new song for Friday. Something that really makes Sunset Curve stick in everyone’s minds. But I got nothing to write about. No inspiration. Nothing. Nada. Zilch.” 
He flopped against the back of his seat as he finished speaking, holding a hand over his eyes dramatically. Finley smirked and stood up, beginning to stroll towards the house, slipping her shoes off as she reached the back door. Luke watched her go through his fingers, raising his eyebrows at her as she stopped and looked back at him. 
“Well do you want me to give you something to write about or not? Get over here.”
Luke grinned and jumped up, chasing after her as she ran into the corridor and up the stairs, only making it to the landing before he caught her round the waist and she started shrieking. He picked her up and spun her round, pushing her up against the wall gently. Both were panting through their smiles, a pretty blush dusted over Finley’s cheeks. She grinned down at Luke, reaching a hand up to run it through his hair, and cupping his cheek gently. He leaned into her touch, his eyes fluttering closed as he felt his heart rate slow slightly. They lived for their Sundays together, when they could forget about everything and everyone, and just be exactly who they wanted to be. It was going to be weird when she left for college, he thought.
I’m going to lose him forever, she remembered. 
Her thumb stilled against his cheek, and Luke opened his eyes, finding her bright blue irises darkened with lust, and heavy with want. He didn’t get a chance to notice the traces of fear in them before she crashed their lips together. Her hands slipped around his neck to pull at his hair, and he let his hands wander underneath her, pulling her off the wall and stumbling towards his bedroom. He kicked the door open, pulling away from her for a moment as he avoided his dresser, dropping her on the bed. 
“Get your clothes off. Now.” 
Finley grinned and obliged, tossing her shorts and t-shirt in a heap next to his bed. Luke unbuckled his belt, and pulled his shirt over his head, dropping it on top of her clothes, before climbing over the top of her, and rejoining their lips. Hands automatically moving to his hair, Finley tugged softly as she parted her lips and let him explore her mouth with his tongue. He rolled his hips into her gently, smirking against her mouth as she whined and bucked towards him, desperate for more contact. 
“Easy tiger, we’ve got all day, remember?” 
Finley bit his bottom lip in response, dragging him back down to her and hooking her legs around his waist, pushing his jeans down with her feet. She raked her nails along his back, feeling a shiver run down her spine as he groaned in her ear, and gasped when he pressed his hips into her, feeling his cock pressed against her stomach through his boxers. 
“Stop teasing.” 
He snorted and rocked his hips into her again, watching her face carefully as her eyes rolled back in her head. 
“But it’s so fun.” 
His voice came out as a whisper, laced with teasing and a hint of feigned innocence. Finley let out an exasperated sigh, and lifted her head to meet his lips, kissing him with a new fire. Luke gave in, and drifted a hand down in between them, stroking her through the material of her underwear. He circled her clit through the soft cotton with his thumb, smirking at the pained gasp she let out at the sudden contact. 
“Luke.” 
He rolled his eyes, but decided to be nice, pushing the material to one side and slipping a finger inside, shortly joined by a second one. The moans that tumbled from her lips as he moved his fingers inside her were delicious, and went straight to his cock. He curled them against her expertly, drawing out desperate sighs and moans as he hit all of the spots he’d memorised so long ago. 
Finley writhed on the bed beneath him, her bottom lip caught between her teeth. Luke breathed heavily through his nose, searching desperately for some restraint as he watched her arch into him continuously, the most incredible noises leaving her lips. 
“Luke, I need you. Please.” He groaned loudly and nodded, gripping her hip with strong fingers. He smirked at the deep red marks left behind, knowing it would take a few days for the evidence of him to leave her body. 
Luke smacked her thigh gently, pulling his boxers down his thighs. She looked up at him expectantly, desperation radiating off her face. 
“Turn round.” Finley’s eyes lit up as she realised what he meant, and she shuffled around on his bed until she was on her knees, the warmth of his skin heating the back of her thighs. It disappeared for a moment, and she frowned, but was soon panting ecstatically as his tongue drew pictures over her slit. She felt his thumb rubbing at her clit and moaned, burying her face in his pillows. Almost as soon as her skin hit the soft cotton, her head was yanked up by her hair, sparks flying down her spine and straight to her clit.
“Uh uh. Let me hear you. Let me hear how good I make you feel.” Finley whimpered and arched her back as far as she could- which being a dancer, was fairly impressive. Luke watched with appreciative eyes, his hands massaging her ass. He smacked it gently, smirking at the moan she let out as their skin connected. 
“You ready?” Finley groaned and shook her hips slightly, Luke chuckling as her ass jiggled impatiently. 
“Take that as a yes.” Luke put a hand on his cock, stroking it a few times as he stared at Finley spread out in front of him. He knew he was the only one to have seen her like this; panting and moaning for him desperately, her pussy dripping with excitement. Her usually perfect blonde hair was splayed across his bed, messy and tousled from his relentless grabbing. He guided the head of his cock to her entrance, grimacing as she let out a high-pitched moan at the feeling of him entering her. She couldn’t sing, he knew that- but by god, the noises that came out of her were beautiful. 
Bottoming out, Luke took a deep breath as he focused on Finley’s back. Toned and perfect, he couldn’t help but run a hand down her spine lightly, smiling at her appreciative moan. It took only a moment before she was pushing back against him, begging him to move. He obliged, slamming into her harshly as their moans filled the room around them. 
“Fuck baby. You feel good today.” Finley moaned in response, meeting him thrust for thrust. Her arms were stretched out in front of her, gripping his bedsheets tightly. She looked completely wanton, her mouth open and gasping, fists clenching at the sheets with every move Luke made. 
“Harder, Luke, please.” Luke grinned and put both of his hands on her hips, steadying her as he thrust into her at a bruising pace, his own chest tightening as he watched his cock disappear inside her over and over again.
“Shit Luke, just like that. Fucking hell, I’m so close. Shit, shit, shit.” “Who knew you had such a dirty mouth on you?” Finley looked back at him with dangerous eyes, trying hard to keep her cool as Luke continued his pace. 
“You have no idea how dirty my mouth is.” He smirked and grabbed a handful of her hair, yanking it harshly. She whimpered, but the way her mouth fell open told her he loved it.
“I do. But why don’t you give me a reminder?” Luke let go of her hair and let her fall back into the pillows, slamming into her a few more times before pulling out and flipping her over. She crawled up the bed as quickly as she could, lying on her front and taking Luke’s cock in her mouth. Her tongue circled his tip expertly and he grabbed her hair, pushing her head as much as he dared. She took it like a champ, deep throating him through moans as her hips ground against the bed. Luke started panting himself, feeling his balls tighten as the ridiculously sexy girl continued to suck him off, her moans getting more intense as he got closer to coming. 
“Just like that Fin. God you’re so good. Keep going. Love that pretty little mouth of yours.”
Finley moaned around his cock, and Luke groaned, resisting the urge to ram his cock right down her throat and come right there and then. Alas, his efforts were useless, and he fisted her hair desperately as he felt himself explode.
“I’m cumming. Jesus fuck, Fin. Don’t stop.”
He groaned loudly as his load flooded her mouth, her instant swallowing not going amiss. She continued to suck him gently for a few moments, before letting him slip out of her mouth, grinning up at him. He panted and dropped onto his heels, staring at her in wonder. 
“Okay, yeah, reminder needed.” Finley tucked a stray piece of hair behind her ear, smiling shyly as she looked up at him. Luke’s hand cupped her face, his thumb swiping over her lips gently. His eyes were dark and wild, cheeks a shade of red that only Finley could cause. 
With only a few hours until Luke’s parents would be home, Finley shuffled back up the bed, spreading her legs with a devilish smile. Her hands dipped in between them, soft moans leaving her lips as she played with herself, on full display for Luke’s eyes. He groaned and fell on top of her, connecting their lips in a hurried kiss, his hands wandering over every inch of skin he could reach. 
He wasn’t about to let their Sunday go to waste.
--
“Have you picked it up from the tailors yet?”
Finley nodded at Sasha, grinning like an idiot. They’d been discussing the upcoming homecoming dance for the past 3 periods, ignoring everything that their teachers said. It was expected, the heads of the dance committee weren’t exactly going to be focused on school the week of their prized project.
“Have you tried it on?” Finley nodded again, pulling her phone out of her pocket and showing Sasha a photo. Sasha clapped her hands over her mouth and squealed, grimacing an apologetic smile at their teacher when he glared at her. “Scott is going to die. I just know it. That’ll be the dress, he’s going to cave. 100%.”
Finley smiled and shrugged, her eyes flicking over to where Luke was sat in the corner. As always, his eyes were trained on whatever was going on outside, his pen drumming absentmindedly on his desk. Finley wondered for the hundredth time that day whether or not he would mind her ending their Sunday arrangements. The purity ring on her ring finger had been Scott’s latest attempt at taming her, and it had been the first one that had sunk in. Scott really did love her, and saw a future with her. Despite his insistence that they couldn’t have sex until they were married, he’d given her this whole speech about commitment, and how he wanted them to be committed to each other emotionally before they were physical. In all honesty, Finley had been cringing internally the entire time, but the hopeful look on his face had been enough for her to fake this huge adorable reaction, almost crying as he slipped the ring on her finger.
The crying hadn’t been hard- she’d realised in the same moment that she really needed to grow up- which entailed not sleeping with her childhood best friend every chance she got. Scott was worth the wait, she was sure. 
She waved goodbye to Sasha as they parted to go to their next classes, squealing quietly when Luke appeared against her locker, signature cocky smirk in place. She scowled at him and shooed him over slightly, swapping her books out for whatever was at the front. He watched with an amused expression, noting the multiple subjects that she definitely didn’t have that day going into her backpack. 
“Something up princess?” She scowled even harder, slamming her locker shut and stalking away from him. He fell into step with her though, whistling through his teeth in the most aggravating manner. 
“New addition?” Finley stopped in her tracks as she registered what Luke was talking about. The ring on her finger glinted against the lights, the fair sized diamond being hard to miss. She sniffed and nodded nonchalantly, flipping her ponytail over her shoulder.
“My boyfriend likes to spoil me.” Luke sighed and squeezed Finley’s arm, letting his finger trail down the bare skin of her bicep for a brief moment. The shiver that ran through her hadn’t gone amiss, and he smirked, taking her hand in his to examine the new jewellery.
“You engaged now? Going to be Mrs Lacrosse buff?” Finley rolled her eyes at him and snatched her hand away, ignoring the cold tone in his voice.
“It’s a purity ring.” Luke coughed loudly, spluttering as he tried to control his laughter. Doubled over in the hallway, Finley looked around desperately, horrified by the few people in the corridor who might overhear their conversation. She shoved him harshly into an empty classroom, slamming the door shut behind them.
Luke continued to laugh, running a hand through his hair as his eyes sparked dangerously. 
“So what, he really believes his princess is all his?” Finley shrugged, dropping her hand to her side, out of sight. Luke stepped closer, taking in a deep breath of her perfume and groaning lightly.
“He really doesn’t know anything about you.” Finley frowned and stood up taller, trying to appear confident.
“He knows me better than anyone. He knows everything about me.” Luke nodded, eyes wide in mock sincerity.
“So he knows exactly what to do to you? Knows how to get under your skin?” He stepped closer, forcing her to take a few steps backwards until her back connected with the wall.
“He knows that if I kiss you here-” He let his lips brush over her neck, grinning as she whimpered. “That your knees will start to give?”
Finley locked her knees and did her best to hold her face in place. Luke put an arm against the wall, looking down at her with eyes she’d learned to fear. His torture eyes. Eyes that she’d seen looking up at her from between her legs as he’d forced her to the edge, over and over again, until she was begging for him to touch her, anywhere, everywhere. “He knows that if I touch you here-” His hand slipped behind her, squeezing a good handful of her ass in her shorts, a quiet moan betraying her. “That you’ll instantly look for something else?” He looked down pointedly, smirking at her hips, which had automatically moved forward, searching for him.  “He knows what I do to his perfect little princess, his girl, pure and sweet, every single weekend? He knows how you beg to ride me, how you scream for my cock, how you’re ruined for anyone else?” Finley was practically drooling now, looking up at him with desperate eyes. His words were going straight to her core, a painful heat spreading throughout her abdomen.
“He knows how you look on your knees, mouth open, tongue out, begging for everything I’ve got like the beautiful little whore you are?”
His voice was menacing, quiet. Mean. Finley groaned and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down to her for a furious kiss. His arms stayed in place, one against the wall above her head, and the other using her ass to pull her closer, grinding their hips together. His tongue slipped into her mouth, rough and fast and furious, his kiss practically searing her skin. He broke away all of a sudden, looking at her with significantly kinder eyes.
“He has no idea, that when you walk into that gym on Friday night, it’ll be me you want on your arm. That it’ll be me taking off your dress after the dance, and it’ll be me worshipping your body for hours after he’s safely in bed asleep. He hasn’t got a clue.”
Finley looked up at him silently, thoughts swirling. 
“Luke.” He smirked, eyes trailing over her body. She lifted his chin so that his eyes were on her again, but held him still as he leaned in to kiss her again.
“Luke, no. I can’t. Not anymore.” His face contorted, confusion running rife through his eyes for barely a moment. He knew this would happen eventually- but he thought it would be mid-sex, a goodbye they could finish properly.
“What?” She sighed and stepped out of his hold, wrapping her arms around herself like a safety blanket. 
“We can’t do this anymore. It’s not fair on Scotty.” He scoffed and stood up straight, adjusting his jeans slightly. 
“Sure. Whatever. Have a good night with Scotty. Maybe if your lucky, he’ll graze your ass by accident.” He pulled a face as he strolled out of the door, leaving Finley to watch him with a sad face, her bottom lip falling prey to her teeth. It hadn’t gone better than expected- but it also hadn’t gone worse? It was just weird. But weird was okay. They were in entirely different social circles. No-one would ever notice weirdness between them. 
---
“Are you sure about this?” Alex’s eyes scoured over the lyrics one more time, shooting Luke a concerned look.
Luke nodded, ruffling his hair one more time in the mirror. 
They were in the bathroom by the gym, waiting for more people to arrive before they went on. Luke had been up all night, scribbling furiously in his songbook. Sleep evaded him, memories of Finley fluttering through his mind. Her laugh, the way she pulled his hair when he had his tongue in just the right place, the smell of her perfume, the way her eyes looked when she had his cock halfway down her throat. Her smile, the way her hair felt between his fingers, the rage that simmered in his chest when he saw her simpering at the dumb brute she called a boyfriend. 
Reggie frowned as he read over the lyrics one more time. 
“Who’s Fiona?” Luke shrugged and pushed off the sink, turning away from the mirror.
“Dunno.”
Alex rolled his eyes and nodded, tucking the paper in his back pocket. Bobby was chuckling away to himself in the corner, more excited to pick up one of the heartbroken lonely girls after the dance than for the actual performance. 
“We should go set up. We’re on in less than an hour.”
Luke nodded, thrusting his hands deep in his pockets as they left the bathroom.  The hallways were littered with brightly coloured balloons, blue and silver streamers hanging from the ceiling tiles.
The boys shared a look as they pushed on the double doors to the gym, Luke’s chest clenching as he took in the scenery. Finley had outdone herself this time, he realised. Fairy lights were strung from wall to wall, giving the room a homey glow that he was sure looked romantic to some people. There were tea lights in jars scattered around the edge of the room and on the various tall tables, occupied by countless girls in brightly coloured dresses and their dates. 
Luke’s eyes scanned the crowd without his permission, looking for the flash of red he knew held the body he couldn’t stop thinking about. He scoffed as he realised she wasn’t here yet. Typically, she wanted to make an entrance. 
“Good, boys you’re here! If you guys are ready to set up that would be great, we want to get going as soon as possible.” Sasha smiled at them brightly, eyes sliding to Bobby as she simpered. Luke nodded curtly and headed for the stage, rolling his eyes as he heard Alex complimenting her dress. Personally, he found it heinous. Pale pink and puffy, she looked like something you’d find in a grandmother’s house. 
Enthralled in making the stage look perfect for their set, Luke paid no attention to the clamours and cheering that suddenly broke out in the gym, only turning when Alex kicked his shin. The drummer nodded towards the doors of the gym, and Luke felt his stomach cave in as red filled his mind. 
Literally.
His mind flooded with images of that dress lying on his bedroom floor, or even better, bunched around her hips as he thrust into her. Finley stood in the doorway blushing, her arms wrapped around Scott’s big one. Luke stared and stared and stared, his eyes trailing over the red satin, appreciating every inch of her from afar. Her skin was glowing, hair falling in soft curls around her face, eyes dark with makeup. She looked like something straight out of the dreams he’d been ignoring since he was 15. 
Their eyes met across the dance floor, Finley flashing him a small smile and breaking free from Scott to wave. He rolled his eyes and waved back, though he couldn’t help the slow up and down he gave her. He knew she’d see it, and he wanted her thinking of him the whole night. 
He stood watching as she twirled in Scott’s arms, strumming his guitar a little too harshly as he imagined how her dress would feel under his calloused fingertips, how the heat of her skin would feel against his as they danced, how her perfume would get him drunk on her. He couldn’t deny the jealousy that flooded him as she kissed Scott softly during a slow song, turning his back to jam with Alex for a few bars. 
Alex eyed his best friend carefully, sensing that something wasn’t right. He’d called Luke out on a crush he was harbouring before, but he’d never thought it was this intense. The entire dance, Luke had a face like thunder, and he played like he was never going to play again. It didn’t escape any of the boys how their frontman was constantly drawn to the same side of the stage, his eyes only leaving his guitar for moments at a time. 
“Alright folks, we thought we’d take this opportunity so graciously given to us by your homecoming queen-” The room broke out in cheers and applause as Finley flushed pink and dipped her head, suddenly the picture of innocence and modesty. Luke felt his words like venom, and grimaced as he gripped the mic harder than necessary.
“-To show you some new stuff we’ve been working on.”
More cheers broke out, but Luke relaxed knowing they were for the band, rather than Finley, who was frowning slightly at the front of the crowd. Luke chuckled to himself, knowing she was in for a shock. 
“You alright babe?” Finley looked up at Scott with sweet eyes, squeezing his arm gently. She’d been staring at Luke all night, catching herself admiring his arms a few too many times. He was always beautiful when he played, sweat soaking his curls and running down his forehead, fingers moving so expertly on the strings. She spent an entire song biting her lip at the sound of his hoarse voice, clamping her thighs together at her body’s automatic response to his growly singing. 
As soon as Luke had announced a new song, she’d tensed considerably. He’d complained about having nothing to write about, and she could only think of one thing since then that he would write about. 
The opening chords started, and Finley smiled at the rocky feel. At least it wasn’t some slow ballad. 
Luke smirked down at his guitar as he played, meeting Alex’s eyes with a knowing look. Alex’s jaw went slack for a moment as he realised who was standing right in front of Luke, groaning internally as he thought about the trouble his best friend was about to get himself into.
Scotty doesn't know that Fiona and me Do it in my van every Sunday, She tells him she's in church but she doesn't go Still she's on her knees and Scotty doesn't know
Finley’s mouth dropped open as she stared up at the stage, equally infuriated and turned on at Luke’s blatant admittance. He was prancing around the stage, looking somewhat cheerful for the first time that night. 
He knelt at the edge of the stage as he started the chorus, grinning at the girls reaching up and screaming at him. 
Scott watched in blind ignorance, tapping his foot along with the drums. 
“It’s pretty good babe, don’t you think?” Finley forced a smile, wiping her clammy hands on her dress. 
“Yeah, bit rocky for my taste but it’s so good!”
Scott wrapped an arm around her waist and brought her in to his side, kissing her hair. 
I can't believe he's so trusting While I'm right behind you thrusting Fiona's got him on the phone And she's trying not to moan It's a three-way call and he knows nothing, nothing
Finley clapped a hand over her mouth and tried not to let her nervous laugh escape, eyes never leaving Luke as he danced around the stage, bouncing around with the exhausting amount of energy he always seemed to have.
Luke caught Finley’s eye for the chorus once again, smirking at her expression. He could tell by the glint in her eye that she was pissed, but the knowledge he was getting to her went straight to his cock, and he nodded at her, before turning away and playing to Alex for a bit. He turned back to the crowd for the bridge, meeting Finley’s eyes as he sang. 
The parkin' lot, why not? It's so cool when you're on top His front lawn in the snow Life is so hard 'cause Scotty doesn't know                                               Scotty doesn't know
His eyes left hers momentarily as he smirked, turning to Scott instead. It was painfully obvious, and he winked at the lacrosse player before heading back to the mic, letting his eyes move between the two of them with an evil smile. 
I did her on his birthday
Scott went still beside Finley, his hold on her waist loosening as he took a step sideways, face crumpled into a combination of confusion and laughter. 
Finley looked up at him with a slightly fearful expression, but played it off, stroking his arm gently. 
“I’m going to the ladies room, babe. I’ll be back.”
Scott nodded slowly, eyes trailing back to Luke’s as Finley disappeared from his side.
Luke watched Finley leave, letting the final chords of the song ring out for a few moments as the school went nuts. He met Alex’s eyes, which were filled with judgement, but also a hint of amusement. 
“We’re gonna take a quick break folks! Enjoy the dance!”
Luke slung his guitar off of one shoulder, barely checking it was stable before running off stage and out the back door. He raced to the girls bathroom, rolling his eyes at the screams of indignation that ensued as he strolled in. 
“You coming out to scream at me or what?”
Finley stormed out of a stall, eyes like thunder, and stopped right in front of him. He smirked, but quickly wished he hadn’t as her hand connected with his cheek, the slight sting spreading across his face. 
“How dare you.”
Luke shrugged, eyes dropping to Finley’s lips as she trembled with rage. 
“Let’s not act like I’m the one in the wrong here. I warned you you’d be coming home with me tonight.” Luke’s voice held a dangerous tone that Finley knew all too well, and she had to stop herself from clamping her thighs together, not in any hurry to give him any more reason to rile her up. 
“I ended us. I told you I’m with Scotty.” Luke chuckled and took a step forward, smirking as Finley took a step back. He stalked her slowly, smile widening as her back hit the wall. 
“Tell me honestly, that you’re not turned on right now.” Finley scoffed and looked away, her hands splayed against the cool tile of the wall. She couldn’t begin to think about how she was feeling. 
Luke reached a hand up and grabbed her jaw, forcing her to turn back to him. His eyes were dark and round, and she felt herself thawing under his gaze. His tongue darted out and wet his lips, smirking as he caught her eyes following his movements. 
“Answer me, sweetheart.”
Finley scowled and rolled her eyes, her breath catching as Luke’s eyes hardened. 
“Attitude.” His voice was low and sharp, a commanding tone that almost had a whimper escaping Finley’s mouth. She bit the inside of her lip, eyes darting to the door. If she made a run for it, she might be able to convince Scotty she was just chatting to her friends.
“Luke, I’m with Scotty.”
Her voice was shaky, and held no conviction whatsoever. Luke smirked and trailed a hand down her side, squeezing her hip tightly as she whined quietly. 
“Of course. So if I reach under your dress right now, you’re telling me I won’t find you soaked for me?”
Finley shuddered, nodding. 
Luke nodded back, his hand slipping further down her body until it reached the slit in her dress, exposing her thigh. He trailed his fingertips along the smooth skin, chuckling when she flinched at his touch. 
“Tell me to stop and I will.”
His voice was kinder, but it held weakness. He didn’t want to stop. He didn’t want her to stop him. 
His hand trailed up her thigh, chest heaving as he listened to her breathing quicken. Her arm snapped up, grabbing his wrist, just as he reached the apex of her thighs. Luke sighed in defeat, ready to pull away, but groaned in surprise as she dragged his hand to her slit, letting out a moan as his fingers found her, drenched and ready for him. 
“No underwear? Planning on giving Scotty a show tonight were we?”
Luke’s voice was hoarse as he thrust two fingers into her, knees buckling as she clenched around him. Finley’s arm wrapped around his neck, pulling him down to her and kissing him feverishly. 
“No. Only you. Always only you.”
Luke sighed into her mouth, letting one hand snake behind her and pull her close while the other tortured her clit. 
“Always so ready for me.”
She whimpered into his mouth as he sped up his fingers, thrusting into her while his thumb pressed harshly on her clit, drawing out pornographic moans from her as her hips bucked against him, searching for more. 
“Tell me what you want.”
Finley whined in his arms as he pulled away, his fingers dripping with her slick. He raised them to his mouth, eyes never leaving hers as he sucked them clean. She groaned as he brought his hand to her mouth, dragging down her bottom lip, swollen from her biting. 
“Tell me what you want from me, pretty girl.” His eyes searched hers desperately, pleading with her desperately to give him the answer he wanted. 
“Ruin me.”
Luke groaned and dropped his hands to her waist, dragging her against him and claiming her lips. He kissed her with everything he had, his tongue forcing its way inside her mouth as he backed her against the sinks, hand dropping to his belt as her hips hit the porcelain. She moved to turn around, but he grabbed her wrist, shaking his head at her. 
“Nuh uh. Want to see your face when you cum on my cock.” Finley’s knees buckled, letting him kiss her again as he freed his cock, lifting her with one arm so that she was sat on the sink. He stroked himself a few times, leaning his forehead against hers as he pushed into her. His head fell onto her shoulder as he bottomed out, a low groan vibrating across her skin. Finley whimpered and bucked her hips, begging him to move. Luke stayed still, drunk on the smell of her perfume and the feeling of her skin on his. 
“You going to fuck me? Or am I sitting here for nothing?” Luke’s head snapped up, grinning at her breathless tone and flushed face. He grabbed her hips, pulling her to the edge and thrusting deeper inside her.
“Sorry princess, didn’t mean to leave you hanging.”
He grabbed her jaw with one hand, keeping her steady with the other, and started fucking into her at a furious pace, their kiss a mess of teeth and lips and tongue, each of their moans indistinguishable from the other’s. Finley’s hands found their way under his t-shirt, clawing at his back desperately as he hit every spot she needed. He broke their kiss, lips falling to her chest and freeing her tits. His tongue circled her nipple, biting down softly and groaning at the high-pitched moan that echoed around him in response. The lewd sounds of her dripping cunt taking him over and over again filled the bathroom, and he dropped his hand to her clit as he felt himself hurtling towards his finish. 
“You ready sweetheart?” Finley moaned in response, tugging on his hair and trying to get impossibly closer. Luke pressed down hard on her clit, kissing her again as he felt her clench around him, her orgasm rushing through her body like lightning. She whimpered as he kept thrusting, hands clawing at his neck. Luke groaned into her mouth, biting down on her lip as he felt himself spill inside her. 
They stayed there for a few moments, Luke shuddering against her as she panted desperately. 
“Sh, sh, I got you. Right here baby. Always so good for me.”
Luke’s lips found her temple, pressing a kiss into her skin as she trembled in his arms. 
Finley’s arms tightened around his neck as he pulled out, and he didn’t let her hold break as he did up his belt, arms coming back to hold her as soon as he was done. She was still shaking, and he could feel her heartbeat through their clothes. 
“I got you. You’re fine baby. That’s my girl.”
Finley dropped her head against his chest, fighting to control her breathing. She was panicking, but Scott hadn’t even crossed her mind. The sweet words leaving his mouth, the reassurance; they confirmed what she was already terrified of.
“Your girl.”
Luke nodded against her, his head resting on her shoulder.
“Only want to be your girl.” Luke smiled and kissed her neck softly. 
“Always have been, sweetheart. That was never going to change.”
Finley buried her head in his shirt, the aftershocks of her orgasm finally drifting away. She sat back slightly, looking at him with a fear stricken face. He stroked her cheek gently, smiling at her with such sincerity she could’ve cried. 
“Cmon, let’s get you cleaned up.”
Finley giggled quietly and nodded, letting him help her off the sinks. He grabbed toilet paper from one of the stalls, and dropped to his knees to wipe gently at her inner thighs, pressing kisses into them as she played with his hair. 
The softness was unusual for them, but it felt as natural as breathing. 
He kissed her one last time, grabbing her hand as they left the bathroom. He knew they’d deal with it at some point, but he hadn’t expected to bump into Scott round the corner. He dropped Finley’s hand, shooting her a look as he stepped in front of her.
“Patterson, want to tell me what you were doing singing a song like that about my girl?”
Scott was red in the face, surrounded by his lacrosse buddies. Luke laughed and shrugged, twirling one of his rings around his finger. 
“Your girl? You sure about that?” Scott scoffed and stepped towards him, muscles bulging through his button-up shirt. 
“Don’t play with me. The whole school knows she’s mine.”
Luke grinned, dark and dangerous as he raised his eyebrows at the lacrosse captain. 
“Oh yeah? Who’s cum is dripping out of her pretty little cunt right now then? That yours?”
Scott’s face went beet red, and Finley stifled a laugh from behind Luke, her breath catching as she caught Scott’s gaze. His eyes trailed over her, taking in her dishevelled appearance, and the marks that littered her throat. 
“Oh shit, I forgot. You don’t even know what her cunt looks like, do you? Well I mean, I could tell you, but shit, it tastes so much better than it looks. Seriously dude, you’ve been missing out. Don’t know what man in his right mind wouldn-” He was cut off by Scott’s fist slamming into his jaw, throwing him backwards a few feet. Finley caught him, looking up at him with panicked eyes. Luke shook his head, giving her a weak smile with watery eyes. 
Scott took one step towards them, but Luke turned back to him before he could get close to Finley, moving in front of her again. 
“Nah, I don’t think so.”
Scott barked a laugh and sniffed, looking at Finley over Luke’s shoulder.
“Should’ve guessed. Always had you pegged for a whore.”
Luke rubbed his jaw one last time, and stepped forward.
“Big mistake buddy.”
Finley barely got a breath in before Luke swung, blood spurting from Scott’s nose seconds later. Luke shook out his fist, wincing at the pain in his knuckles, but grinned at Scott kneeling down, clutching his nose desperately. 
“Do yourself a favour and keep my girl’s name out your mouth. God knows she’s kept yours out of hers. At least, when my cock’s inside her that is. Have a nice night.” Finley smothered a laugh with her hand, looking up at Luke in awe as he slung an arm around her shoulders, kissing her hair softly as he guided her around the lacrosse team, all fussing around Scott. 
“Cmon baby. We got an afterparty to get to.” He winked at her as they pushed out the doors into the parking lot, strolling towards Luke’s truck. Alex would have his head for leaving before they could pack up the kit, but Luke’s mind was very much focused on other things. For example, getting his head between his girl’s thighs as soon as humanly possible. 
-------
It only took me two years to finish this! (I’m so sorry if you thought I died)
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beaniebeensbaby201 · 1 year
Text
ALIVE! LUKE PATTERSON X ALIVE! READER
SUMMARY: Y/N Molina(cousin) has been distancing herself from Luke, as she was assigned to be his dance partner for class. Y/N imagines the two of them together, which didn't go unnoticed by the group. Only for Luke to over hear and to finally confess his love for her.
Warnings: making out, slight cursing, slight angst. Reader and Luke simping for one another.
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It's been a week since Y/N had seen Luke. After she realized She was in love with her best friend. y/n was with Julie in the studio, then Luke started to enter. Y/N was quick to grab her songbook, and her guitar, making sure not to make eye contact with the boy.
Luke stares at the girl who was rushing past him. His eyes staring at hers, she wanted to look up but she covered her face with her journal. He looked like a puppy got hit by a car, his once happy smile that she loved was now a frown.
He points his thumb where the girl left.
"You saw that right?" Julie herself was shocked, the past week she's ignored Luke.
"She's ignoring me. Ever since the dance she's ignored me." Luke kicked the ground, Julie bit her bottom lip.
She knew the reason, but she promised her cousin that she wouldn't spill the beans.
"What?" Luke looked up and saw the Latina was silent.
"Nothing?" The girl bats her lashes, and tries to look clueless.
"You know what's up Julie. Tell me." He gives her the puppy dog eyes. Julie cringed trying to fight her demons.
"Fine! Y/n has feelings for you. Ever since you guys danced. She was embarrassed, so she's trying to get over you." Luke scoffed, he loved her since they first met in 8th grade.
Y/N was there for him for everything, he only ever trusted and loved her.
She was the type of girl that listens to whatever you have to say. She would always have the best advice. She loved music just as much as he did, so he taught her how to play guitar when she asked.
Luke left before Julie could say anything else because he knew she was in her room.
Y/N was writing in her journal, tapping her pen as she hummed to create lyrics.
The door to her room was slightly ajar, so Luke pushed it opened more as he shimmied through the door.
The wood creaked under his feet causing Y/N to turn around to find the boy.
He looks at the girl in front of him.
"Hi?" Luke waved at the girl.
She awkwardly waves back.
"What do you want Luke?" Usually she'd run up to him and hug him, as she'd show him a new song that she wrote. This time it was different.
"Julie told me everything." The girl froze in her chair.
She averts her gaze. Staring at the poster that was on her ceiling, as she found it more interesting.
"Everything, everything?" Luke started to walk closer.
"Everything." With a shaky breath Y/N got up from her seat and faced the boy.
"I mean, she can't really have told you everything. I mean there is a fine line between everything, and then there's a line when you hear teeny tiny things." Her voice gets high pitched at the end as she holds her fingers in a half pinch.
He took her hand that was still in the air, making her shut up.
His hazel eyes bore into hers, the type of stare to make you weak in the knees.
"I like you, like a lot. And I always thought there was something there. I just didn't think you felt the same until recently. When you dodge my touch, when you don't want to write together anymore. When you leave the room as I enter." He ticks off the list of reasons.
"Luke-" He rolled his eyes as she was about to protest.
He grabs her face and places his lips against hers. Quickly retaliating, she placed her hands on his neck and kissed him back. Tongues dancing together, only to stop when they heard whispers behind them.
They noticed their friends have been caught watching the scene.
"Guys." Luke said, as the group scrambles.
"You guys owe me forty each!" Alex exclaimed.
The couple laughed as they went back to kissing.
"You want to help me finish a song?" Luke whispers against her lips, his fingers holding her hips.
She bites his lip between her teeth in a teasing way.
"Sure." She said, giving him another peck on his lips they head towards the studio.
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Text
Battle of The Bands
Pairing: Luke Patterson x Fem!Reader
Written: January 21st, 2021
Posted: January 21st, 2021
Warning: None
Word Count: 908
Luke Patterson Masterlist
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"I think you and Julie should get together,” Flynn spoke as she sat across from you at the lunch table.
You shrugged in response as continued eating. 
“You both are in bands!” She spoke clapping her hands together filled with excitement. “There’s so many things you guys have in common-”
Ring.
“Saved by the bell.” You muttered under your breath. Grasping your backpack, you tossed it over your shoulder.
Rushing out of the lunchroom, you made a b-line for your locker.
“As I was saying,” Flynn spoke leaning on the lockers besides yours. “You both are competing in battle of the bands..” 
Letting out a sigh, you squeezed your eyes shut.
“Okay, okay.” You gave out a sigh of defeat. “I’ll meet with her if that means you’ll lighten up.”
“Yay!” Flynn exclaimed throwing her arms around your shoulders, pulling you in for a bone-crushing hug.
---
"I’m so glad you could make it,” Julie spoke giving you a hesitant hug.
Hugging her back, you nodded. 
Leading you to the couch, you gazed at the guys currently sitting. 
“W-Who are they?” You questioned raising a confused eyebrow.
“You can see us?” The blonde-haired guy questioned, sitting up straighter.
“What...What do you mean?” You furrowed your eyebrows together in confusion as you stood before them. Lifting your gaze, you looked at Julie for an explanation. Her expression mirrored yours.
“It’s...It’s a long story...” 
As Julie and the boys filled you in, you were quick to understand their circumstances.
---
After that day, you and Julie had become quick friends. It was rare either of you was seen without the other. Every day after school you went to Julie’s house and practiced for the battle with the guys. However, the Battle of the Bands was still months away. 
Sighing, you sat on the stairs by the loft gazing at the sky. 
“Not that I don’t like spending time with you.” Luke’s voice rang through your ears. Dropping your gaze to his, he was quick to sit beside you.
“But shouldn’t you be practicing with your band?” 
Nodding your head, you felt overwhelmed by guilt. “Yeah, I should be.” 
“Maybe you should join our band,” Luke spoke his voice barely above a whisper.
Furrowing your eyebrows together in confusion, you whipped your head in his direction. His icy blue eyes captivating you. Replacing your feeling of guilt, you were filled with the desire to touch.
Lifting your hand, you cautiously began moving it towards Luke. Glancing upwards, you saw his gaze captured by your hand.
Sighing, you tried you. Placing your hand on his, you were fully expecting it to fall through his as it had done previously. Gasping in unison you gazed at each other.
Butterflies erupted in your stomach. Luke leaned forward as he rested his forehead against yours. Your breath mingling. Lifting your hands, you laced them in his earthy hair. In a matter of seconds, you were straddling his lap. Luke’s hands resting on your hips, as he tilted his chin up attaching his lips to yours. 
As his lips captured yours, a content sigh was exchanged between you. Pulling away, you gazed at each other. His eyes holding something you couldn’t quite place a finger on.
The innocent kiss quickly became one of passion. Tracing the seam of his bottom lip with your tongue, a groan fell from Luke’s lips. Tugging you towards his chest, a moan fell from both of your lips. With your chest pressed firmly against his, you slipped your tongue past his lips, licking against his. 
Gently, you tugged the ends of his hair causing another groan to tumble from him. The vibrations rumbling from his chest could be felt against your chest. His tongue moving against yours while it was in his mouth.
Pulling away, you both panted in unison. It didn’t take long before his lips were latched onto the skin below your ear, enticing a moan to tumble from your lips.
Allowing your head to fall back, you allowed him better access to your throat. Licking the length of your neck, he sucked and bit a trail making sure to leave bruises in his wake.
“Y/N?” “What are you doing?”
Gasping, you stumbled off of his lap turning to face the members of your band.
“What are you doing here?” 
“With the enemy?” 
“I...They...They aren’t the enemy.” You spoke crossing your arms over your chest as you gazed at them.
“What’s going on?” Julie questioned as the rest of the guys stood behind you.
“The members of my band are here.” You spoke.
“Oh.”
“That’s it.” They spoke. “You’re out of the band.” Leaving Julie’s house, you let out a saddened sigh.
“I-I...I’m sorry.” You sniffled as you turned to face Julie and the boys. Tears beginning to form in your eyes as they threatened to fall from your eyes.
“Don’t be,” Reggie spoke, wrapping his arms around your shoulders hugging you. Prompting the rest of them to hug you.
“I have an idea,” Alex spoke beaming. “Why don’t you join our band?” 
“That’s a great idea!” Julie exclaimed clasping her hands together. “I mean, you’re basically a member of the band anyway! O-Only if you want to...”
Frowning, you pondered the thought.
“What do you say?” Luke questioned, his eyes filled with hope.
Rolling your eyes, a smirk made its way to your lips. “I’d love to join the band.”
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jatpimagines · 2 years
Text
HI BABY // LUKE PATTERSON
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Warnings: None
Request: None
MASTERLIST
━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━◦○◦━
Today was Luke's birthday, and unfortunately it was also a day that the baby I was carrying, decided to kick the shit out of me since 3am this morning. I didn't say anything to Luke, as I wanted him to feel special today and not have to worry about his pregnant girlfriend fighting with his unborn kid.
At 12am, we had planned to go out with the boys and their partners for a birthday lunch at one of Luke's favorite restaurants. It was a fancier restaurant, so we had to make sure that we all looked a bit more formal then usual. I decided on a baby blue flowing dress, knowing that it was probably the only dress that would fit over my baby bump. Luke wore black suit pants, and a baby blue shirt, just so he can match with me. We headed out the door, and made our way to the restaurant.
All throughout the drive baby Patterson was killing me from the inside, she definitely would become a soccer player if she kept up all the kicking, but I stayed silent, and made small conversation with Luke, knowing that the restaurant was close to our house, and we didn't have much time to talk.
When we arrived, we found everyone was already there, and they all greeted us with cheers and hugs. The girls all came over to me after saying hello, and hugging Luke, wanting to check on me and see how the baby was, while all the boys hugged me, and said hello to baby Patterson before walking over to Luke. As soon as the girls put their hands on my stomach, their faces filled with pity, knowing that I was very clearly in pain from all the relentless kicking going on inside of me.
We all sat down after getting our greetings in, most of the attention being on Luke, but I saw how the girls kept looking over at me, making sure that I was okay.
"So what did you get for your birthday so far, Luke?" Julie asked, knowing that I had gotten Him a guitar wrapped in a lime green colour - something that he's always wanted but he could never find.
"Well, the most amazing woman, ended up getting me a lime green Gibson Les Paul guitar, and some of my favorite snacks." He smiled proudly.
"A Gibson Les Paul? Aren't those really expensive?" Alex asks me.
"Yeah, but Luke has always spoiled me, so I don't see any harm in returning the favor." I smirk at him as he touches his nose.
We all end up ordering our food, and making some more light hearted conversation, and the day is going pretty well, until I end up yelling at the fact that I think Luke's kid just fractured my rib.
"You okay, baby?" He asks me, I try to answer, but the fact is that I'm in too much pain to do anything.
"Is she seriously kicking that hard?" Flynn rushes out of her seat and kneels down beside my chair, putting her hand on my stomach, making sure that her suspicions are correct. "Luke, I think you might need to take her to the hospital, that baby is kicking like mad, and I don't know if she'll stop anytime soon."
As soon as Flynn suggests this, I snap out of my pain filled haze.
"No, don't be silly, I'm fine, she just kicked a bit to hard on that one."
"How long has she been kicking like this?" Luke puts his hand on my stomach, and his eyes widen as he feels the baby kicking his hand.
"Since 3am." I say quietly.
"3am? Why didn't you tell me? I could've helped you."
"I just didn't want to ruin your birthday, I'm sure she'll be okay soon, she just excited." I sigh.
"Y/n, I don't think Luke would mind if you told him that, especially if you're in pain." Alex furrows his eyebrows at me.
"I would never mind." Luke says.
"Then I guess I should be honest, she's been kicking me relentlessly and I'm pretty sure that she fractured one of my ribs with that last kick."
"Do you need to go to the hospital?" Luke asks, worry filling his face.
"If it's not too much to ask." His worried face turns into happiness as I finally accept the help that he's been offering for months.
"Right, sorry to cut this short, but I promise we'll do this again one day. Gotta get my lady to the hospital, here's some cash for our lunches, if one of you can just get it in a take out box, I'll fetch it later and we'll have it then."
"Go dude, I'll pay for your meals," Nick says, waving us off, telling us to not worry about what would happen with our food.
Unfortunately, the rest of Luke's birthday, was spent in the hospital, fortunately, he ended up getting a newborn as the result of the hospital visit.
"Hi baby, I'm your dad." I watched Luke talk to the baby in our room, as he slowly picked her up from the crib they had brought her back in. "You've made today quite exciting for me, it's my birthday today, although you probably knew that, you were so excited for me that we had to let you into the world so we can all have a big party for your dad. I promise next year we'll part like there's no tomorrow."
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courageous-she · 3 years
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Extracurricular- Charlie Gillespie
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Teacher!Reader x MusicTeacher!Charlie
Word Count: 2707
Author’s Note: Hi everyone! Just wanted to say thank you for all the love on “Needing You”! I wrote this up, a little self-indulgently, but hope that some of you will find some enjoyment from it!
It had always been your dream to be an elementary school teacher. For as long as you could remember, you would play school with your American Girl Dolls or stuffed animals as your students. When the time came for college, you’d picked a program that would allow you to get your Master’s quickly. After student teaching and some substituting, you finally had your own fourth grade classroom.
You hadn’t been at your school long, seeing as it was only October, but you’d been there long enough to meet some of the other teachers. You got along well with your team teachers, and even made a few teacher friends you could hang out outside of school with.
It was a Wednesday and for some reason your students had more energy than normal, and it was taking a toll on you. Luckily, they had Music in a few minutes, so you decided to end the lesson early and have them start getting ready for the special. They were quiet in the hallway, giving you a quick break before dropping them off at the music room.
“Hey, fourth grade!” the music teacher, Mr. G said with enthusiasm as your class approached. You students began to file into the classroom, high-fiving or fist bumping Mr. G as they passed. “Hey Ms. Y/L/N.” Mr. G said more softly to you.
“Hi Mr. G. They’re a little more energetic than normal today.” You said, providing a well needed update on the class. Mr. G smiled, chuckling lightly at the statement.
“Nothing I can’t handle I’m sure.” There was a short pause before he continued, “Got any plans this weekend?” he asked you. This weekend was Halloween and you wanted nothing more than to spend it on your couch with a bottle of wine.
“I was just going to drink some wine and watch a movie.” You replied honestly, “Why? Have something in mind?” It wasn’t unusual for Mr. G, or you could probably call him Charlie, to ask you about your plans. A little harmless flirting was normal between the two of you seeing as you were the only two 20 something teachers in the school.
“I had about the same idea in mind. Would you maybe want to drink wine and watch a movie together?” He asked, a smirk playing on his face. As you were about to respond, one of your students came over and grabbed Charlie by the hand, tugging him into the classroom. You smiled and let him know that you would text him before letting him go to teach the class.
You: 7:00 my place?
You sent the text to Charlie, having had his number from staff meetings. The two of you liked to text during the meetings instead of actually paying attention. You didn’t expect a response right away anyway considering he was teaching your students. You took the 40 minutes your kids were at music to sit in the quiet and grade some classwork.
When you went to pick your class up, Charlie was waiting by the door, your class lined up behind him.
“7:00 sounds perfect. I’ll bring the refreshments” he said quiet enough so the class didn’t hear.
“I’ll text you my address” you said, smiling, “Alright friends, what do you say to Mr. G?” you asked, addressing your class.
“Thank you, Mr. G!” rang out in unison by your students.
“Bye guys! See you later!” Charlie waved, again high-fiving some kids on their way out. You turned around as your class walked to the end of the hall and Charlie shot you a quick wink before heading back into his classroom. Friday night couldn’t come soon enough.
*****
When Friday night finally did come, Charlie texted you around dismissal to make sure your plans were still on.
You: Definitely! But I hope you know I will be in my baggiest of sweatpants
Charlie: Glad we’re on the same page, I don’t wear real clothes outside of school, its sacrilegious
You chuckled at the text, making sure to send Charlie your address and apartment number. Your students filed out one-by-one until it was only you left in the classroom. You made sure to shut down everything and turn off the lights before making the quick trip to your car.
Once home, you threw your work clothes into your hamper and got into your designated sweatpants. Knowing that you were having company later encouraged you to give your apartment a good clean, something you hadn’t been motivated to do recently. You lived alone, but you preferred it that way. Sometimes after a long day of school it was just easier to come home and not have to talk to anyone about your day.
Soon enough, the buzzer in your apartment was ringing signaling that Charlie was downstairs waiting to be let up. You pressed the button to unlock the main door and waited by your front door for his knock. When it came, you opened the door to see Charlie carrying a large pizza, a bottle of wine, and bag of Halloween candy.
“You came prepared Gillespie” you said, taking some of the items from his hands. He kicked his shoes off by the door before following you into the small living room. You set the items down on the coffee table before getting comfortable on the couch, Charlie following suit next to you.
“I told you I’d bring the refreshments, didn’t I?” He asked, pulling a corner of your blanket over his legs. You laughed, grabbing the remote and turning the tv on. Once the Netflix screen showed, you passed the remote to Charlie who gave you a confused look.
“I can’t decide on movies for the life of me, so this one’s on you” you said, opening the pizza box and grabbing a slice. You ate and watched as Charlie flipped through the movies, settling on a horror film. “Should have guessed you’d try to kill me tonight” you laughed.
“Hey, when you put me in charge of the movie, you can’t complain about what I pick” Charlie laughed, opening the bottle of wine.
“Oh! Let me get us some glasses,” you said, starting to remove the blanket from your lap. Charlie’s hand stopped you from getting any further.
“I’m fine with drinking out of the bottle if you are…” he suggested. You shrugged, not really caring about sharing the bottle with him. The two of you settled into the couch, eating pizza and sharing the bottle of wine. You definitely jumped at some parts in the movie and Charlie laughed at you each time.
About halfway through the movie, the both of you had finished eating and were now resting comfortably on the couch. However, the movie only began to get scarier as a really gory part showed on the screen. You jolted with surprise and shoved your face into Charlie’s neck, hand gripping the shirt material on his chest. 
“You can’t really be scared of this!” Charlie laughed.
“Of course, I’m scared!” you replied, voice muffled by his skin. Charlie only chuckled and wrapped his arms around your shoulder, pulling you closer to him.
“Don’t go in there!” you shouted a few moments later to the girl in the movie.
“Of course, she’s going to go in there!” Charlie retorted, “it’d be no fun if she didn’t”
“Who said any of this was fun” you replied, getting ready to hide your face against Charlie again, “I can’t watch.” Again, Charlie pulled you closer, protecting you from the demons on the screen.
As the movie ended, you let out a sigh of relief. You quickly stood and made your way over to your fridge, pulling out another bottle of wine. 
“After that movie, I need more of this, and a new movie to forget that one”
“I’m down for another movie. But you’re choosing it this time” Charlie said, grabbing the bottle from you and taking a sip. As you scrolled through the choices, you landed on one that had made you cry the first time you watched it.
“Okay, Gillespie.” You said, selecting the movie and hitting play, “Time to see you cry”
“Oh, I don’t cry” Charlie said, a smirk on his face. You made a “let’s see about that” face and the two of you settled in to watch the movie.
As the sad part began to get more intense, you stole a glance over at Charlie. You could see tears slowly cascading down his cheeks. 
“I thought you said you didn’t cry” you joked, pushing on his shoulder with your own. Taken aback by the fact that you’d noticed him, Charlie quickly began to wipe the tears from his face.
“I’m not crying, my eyes are sweating.” He replied.
“Sure, tough guy. Don’t worry about it, crying is manly” you said, leaning into his side. He chuckled at you before pulling you closer to finish the movie.
*****
Two movies and two bottles of wine later, you stood to throw out the empty pizza box and candy wrappers.
“Shit, I didn’t realize how late it was. I should get going” Charlie said, looking at the time on his phone.
“You’ve been drinking, Charlie, probably not the best idea to drive right now” you said, holding up the two empty wine bottles. Charlie gave you a knowing look.
“Let me see if my roommate is still awake, maybe he can come grab me” But before you could even let Charlie unlock his phone to text his roommate, you blurted out a proposition.
“Or you could just spend the night here” You stared at Charlie, shocked the sentence even left your mouth. It was probably the alcohol that helped. Charlie looked at you, making sure he heard correctly.
“I mean, if you’re cool with me crashing on your couch…” he spoke slowly.
“Oh no, you can’t sleep on that. It may be good for sitting but if you sleep on it, you’ll wake up with a broken back. My bed is big enough, we can share…. If you’re okay with that” you quickly added. Charlie mumbled a quiet ‘yeah’ before helping you clean up the rest of the mess. As you made your way into your room, you turned on your bathroom light. “I have an extra toothbrush you can use,” you said, handing Charlie the blue toothbrush.
The two of you stood side by side in the bathroom, looking at each other in the mirror while brushing your teeth. As Charlie finished, he made his way back into your room while you took a moment to wash your face. When you walked back into your room, Charlie was sitting on the edge of your bed scrolling through his phone.
“You didn’t have to wait for me to get in bed” you laughed. Charlie sheepishly looked up at you, locking his phone and putting in on the end table.
“Wasn’t sure what side of the bed you normally slept on” he replied. You went over to your side of the bed and got under the covers. Charlie followed suit on the opposite side of the bed. You clicked off your side lamp and turned to face Charlie.
“Sorry in advance if I kick you in my sleep” you said.
“If you kick me, we’re going to have a problem” Charlie laughed. It wasn’t long before the two of you dozed off comfortably facing each other.
*****
You woke up the next morning to your head resting on Charlie’s chest and his arms wrapped tightly around you. You laughed at the sleeping boy, noticing that he was no longer wearing a shirt. You tried to get out of bed without waking him, failing as his arm only wrapped tighter around you and a low groan came from the boy.
“Where’re you going?” he asked, voice low and eyes still closed.
“I was going to go make us some breakfast” you said. Charlie turned so his body was now facing yours, eyes still closed, and arms remaining around you.
“Five more minutes” he grumbled. “If you leave, I’ll be cold” he whined. You could only laugh.
“If I don’t get up, then you won’t have anything to eat in five minutes”
“I’ll buy us breakfast if you promise not to move” he said, voice low and soft. You replied with a quiet ‘okay’ and began to get comfortable.
“One thing though” you said, Charlie hummed in response, “When did you take your shirt off?”
“’mm like 2? Not sure, does it matter?” he asked. You mumbled a small ‘no’ not wanting to admit that you liked the feel of his warm skin against yours. You snuggled into him, hands reaching around and lightly dragging up and down his back. When you thought he’d fallen asleep, you let your hands stop, but when Charlie’s hand reached around to grab yours, mimicking your earlier motion, you continued.
You hadn’t realized that you’d fallen asleep, but you woke up in the same position, only this time Charlie’s fingers were lightly grazing up and down your back.
“Mornin’” he hummed, “Didn’t think you’d fall back asleep, did ya?” he teased. You lifted your eyes to meet his, taking in his bed head as well.
“Well, if you’d have let me get up the first time, I could have had breakfast ready for you” you mumbled, rubbing the sleep out of your eyes.
“Breakfast is ten minutes away” Charlie said, brushing your hair away from your face. You looked up at him, a little shocked he’d woken up and ordered breakfast. Your eyes met his and you watched as his fell to your lips. Your breath hitched and before you knew it, Charlie’s soft lips were on yours. 
It was gentle and quick, too quick if you were honest. But having kissed him once already now, you worked up the courage to kiss him again, this time taking the lead. You moved so that you were straddling him, his hands quickly finding a home on your hips, rubbing small circles on the skin under your shirt.
A moment later, you found yourself lying on your back, Charlie hovering over you. He only pulled away when his phone buzzed from next to you. He quickly checked his phone, looked at you, and placed a quick kiss on your cheek before getting up and pulling his sweatshirt on. Just as quickly as Charlie had gotten on top of you, he was off and out the door. 
Sliding out of bed, you threw on your sweatshirt and padded out to the kitchen. The front door opened and Charlie came in carrying two bags of food.
“What the hell did you order, Char?” you asked, grabbing a bag and beginning to open it. All kinds of breakfast foods laid out in front of you. Two arms landed their way on either side of you, locking you between him and the counter.
“Char?” he asked, voice low in your ear. Your face was warm as you turned around in the small space you had, noticing the smirk on the boy’s face. You weren’t sure how to respond, the nickname just kind of slipped out. But before you could respond, Charlie’s hand gently held your chin and his lips met yours once again. “Don’t worry” he said against your lips, “I like it”
He quickly lifted you onto the counter, slipping in between your legs and placing another kiss against your lips. The two of you stayed like that for a bit, tasting each of the foods that Charlie had ordered.
*****
As the two of you cleaned up the kitchen a little while later you asked, “So, am I going to have to compete for your attention at school?” Charlie gave you a confused look, not sure what you meant by that statement. “Considering how all the fourth and fifth grade girls have the biggest crushes on you?” you asked, a smile playing at your lips.
Charlie chuckled, coming over to rest his hands on your hips, forehead resting against your own. “You’re the only one who gets this kind of attention” he quietly said before placing a kiss on your lips. You smiled, wrapping your arms around his neck and pulling him in for more.
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carnationcreation · 4 years
Note
Hi can you do a Reggie x reader where she’s Luke’s younger sister and her and Reggie were dating in the 90s and then in the present when Luke goes sees his parents the reader is there and Reggie isn’t expecting that and the reader is telling her parents that she’s been trying to expose Bobby about his hit songs are her brothers and Reggie and Luke are both happy about that and also the reader knows julies mom and she asks to come hear her play and see Luke and Reggie. I hope this isn’t to weird
TITLE: Number One Fan (JATP Reggie x reader)
Masterlist
Request an imagine here!
Request: Yes!
Pairing:  Reggie x reader, Luke x sister! reader
Prompt/summary:   The reader is Luke’s younger sister. Her and Reggie were dating in the 90s and she finally gets closure after 20 years
Word Count: 2,136
Warnings:  some angst I guess
Authors note: I already had a similar idea to this so I’m gonna take some ideas from what I already had written. I had to simplify this a little bit, but I hope you enjoy!
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The beating of my heart drowned out the sound of the doorbell as I stood outside of my parents house. Though this event happens every year it still doesn’t quell the amount of anxiety and pain I feel, even after 20 years. In 1995 I didn’t only lose my brother Luke, I lost my boyfriend Reggie. Oh even the thought of their names makes my eyes water and my throat close up.
The door finally swung open after what felt like a century. Seeing dad standing there brought up feelings I had tried to run away from, feelings I tried to fix and shut out but never truly could. He pulled me into a tight hug and wiped some of my tears away. This is how it went every single year on his birthday, no one truly spoke but everyone knew there was nothing to say.
I still remember the night Luke ran away. My parents tried their best to pry where he was staying out of me but I never let them, I just couldn’t betray my brother like that. Besides they treated him terribly after they found out about the band. I guess I still blame them for him never coming home. 
After the candle was blown out and the cake was cut I took mine into Luke’s room to eat. I knew he’d be proud since our parents used to be super strict about no food in the bedroom and I wasn’t about to pass up the opportunity. His room was still the same, even after 20 years. Posters of his favorite bands hung on the walls, his guitar sat on its stand in the corner. I only knew one song that he taught me, but it’s become the only thing that feels close to him. The strings hadn’t been replaced in years and I could see the exact spot where his fingers had worn away the metal leaving it smooth and thin. It still sounded beautiful after all this time.
I felt something in the room shift. Goosebumps formed on my arms as I felt something soft wrap around me. It was barely there. If I wasn’t paying attention I would’ve missed it entirely with how the air seemed to wrap around me. Tears fell down my face as I put the guitar up and grabbed the empty plate, trying to make sense of what happened.
_______________________________________________
It wasn’t even a few days later when there was another ring from the doorbell. Dad answered it and let the girl inside.
“Julie lives in the house the band used to rehearse in,” Dad said as I walked into the living room, “She was just telling me she found a song that Luke wrote.”
“It’s a song about a girl named Emily?” Julie questioned.
Mom gasped, “I’m Emily…”
“Then I think your son may have written this song for you,” Julie said.
I took the paper out of her hands slowly, looking over my brother's handwriting and scribbles that covered the paper. I turned to my mom and nodded while handing it to her.
“I need some air,” I said. I walked out the front door and leaned against the hood of my car trying to catch my breath.
It wasn’t too long after that Julie finally walked outside. She saw me and put her hands in her back pockets before walking over slowly.
“Your Luke’s sister?” she asked.
“Yes,” I said, I wiped the tears off of my face, “and Reggie’s girlfriend back in the day.”
“Oh,” she said, I could tell she was shocked and I giggled at her wide eyes.
I took a deep breath, “Did you find his songwriting notebook? I’ve tried searching for it for years, it wasn’t in his stuff when he…”
“He must’ve left it in the garage before he left that night, and it’s there now. It’s one that I found. Do you want it back?”
“No,” I said, “I don’t think I have the strength to look through them all, and honestly I don’t want to know how many sappy love songs he wrote about the girls he chased when he was younger.” 
Julie laughed and I joined her, it felt good to finally be able to talk to someone about my brother.
“Julie?” I asked, “Did you find any of Reggie’s stuff?”
Julie took a pause before responding, “Yes I found some of his jackets in the garage.”
“Would you mind to bring some of them?” I asked.
She nodded before pausing again, “Did you ever move on? After that night?”
I sighed and looked down at the ground, “I lost both my brother, my best friend, and my boyfriend in the same night. It’s hard to move on after that. Losing not one but three of the people you love can change you.”
Julie nodded before pulling another piece of paper out of her back pocket, “I asked your parents if I could perform some of their songs, I think you should come.”
“Thank you Julie, I’d love to. You know I was their number one fan right? I always got to sit in at practice and got their shirts before they were for sale. I guess I didn’t want to listen to their music at all after everything that happened.”
“They wouldn’t want you to lock music out of your life, just know they died while going after their dreams. Not many people get to do that.”
I nodded before pulling her into a hug. She waved as she walked off leaving just me and the paper she gave me. I opened it up and a smaller white piece of paper fell on the ground. The first paper, bright pink and vibrant, read Julie and the Phantoms Live!
The white piece of paper was obviously from my brother's songwriting book, scribbled at the top of the page in Reggie’s handwriting was (Y/n)’s song.
_______________________________________________
The Opheum. The same place my brothers passed away over 20 years ago now. I found Julie’s dad near the front row and took my place next to them at the wall separating the fans from the stage. Julie appeared on stage finally and delivered a short speech dedicating the song to her mom and her friends. I was confused as the notes to Stand Tall started playing, I wrote this with Luke a month before he died. Where did she get this? My answer came as slowly each member of Sunset Drive appeared on stage in front of me. Tears formed in my eyes as I saw the people I loved the most show up after 20 years of thinking they were gone. After a big finale and a standing ovation Julie finally walked backstage and she had asked me to meet her back there after the show.
“Julie I- what was that? Are they really here?” I said as I rushed up to her.
“Hold on,” she said as she pulled me into the dressing room, she closed the door and turned back to me, “I’m going to tell you but I don’t want you to freak out or think I’m crazy.”
“Julie I just saw the three people I thought were dead for 20 years play an opening act on stage, if anyones crazy it’s obviously me.”
Julie took a big breath and went into the entire story of how she formed a band with my three ghost best friends and managed to convince everyone that it was a hologram. And then how a creepy demon dude branded them and is trying to force them to join his club and they have to avoid it by finding their unfinished business to be able to cross over. By the end of it I was leaning back in the chair I sat down in and rubbing my face.
“So they’re here?” I asked.
“Yes, well, kinda.”
“And people can only see them when they’re playing?” I said as I pushed my hair back.
“Yes,” she said, “and I know I know it doesn’t seem real but I can prove it to you.”
“How?”
“Follow me to my house.”
_______________________________________________
I drove behind them on the way home and waited for Julie to give me the signal to come inside.
“You know Luke wrote Stand Tall as a duet for me?”
Julie turned to me with wide eyes, “Oh- uh, no I didn’t. I’m so sorry.”
“Don’t be Julie, I’m so glad he finally got to perform it with someone,” I said with tears brimming my eyes
“Don’t you still want to be with him?” Julie asked.
I raised my eyes, “With Reggie?” 
She nodded.
“I’ve aged 20 years Julie, and spent most of that time believing he was gone. I moved on. Maybe if I could see him again I would, but I don’t really know if people would find it weird a 36 year old is dating someone who hasn’t aged.”
Julie laughed before I could continue, “I’m just happy he finally got to live his dream, and I’ll always be your biggest fan.”
 She led me out in the garage that my brothers had practiced in when they were in high school. I looked around and saw how much had changed over the years, a grand piano sat in the back that I had never seen before. The lights were still off but I could see the outline of the couch and furniture and instruments scattered around. 
“I never got to say goodbye before they crossed over,” Julie sighed and I rubbed her shoulder, “Or tell them thank you.”
I heard a whisper come from inside the studio and Julie whipped around to turn on the lights. I couldn’t see who she was talking to but I knew it was them.
“I thought you crossed over?”
My face furrowed in confusion, “What’s going on?”
“They pretended to cross over but the Orpheum wasn’t their unfinished business,” Julie said as her voice shook.
“So they came here to die again?!” I yelled.
Julie smiled and said, “Reggie said you’re still the same firecracker he asked out in freshman year.”
“Reggie?”
She pointed to the ground beside the recliner, the air seemed cloudy, surrounding a vague outline of a person. I sat down on the ground near the blob and cried wishing I could see them.
Julie pleaded with them to go join Caleb but I knew it was no use. Their stubbornness transcended the mortal world. I saw Julie lean up and hug a figure, then I saw Luke. I gasped as he started to glow a golden light.
“Why can I feel you?” Julie said. 
“I don’t know but, I feel stronger.”
“Luke?” I gasped out.
He turned and gave me his signature smile, “See? I told you you’d never get rid of me for too long.” 
I rushed forward and tackled him in a hug.
“Reggie, Alex come here!” Julie yelled.
I felt three more sets of arms around me. More glowing light filled the room and I looked up to see my three best friends standing in front of me once more.
“Whoa,” Reggie said, I looked up and looked deep into his eyes, “I don’t feel as weak anymore.”
The boys winced as the marks on their wrists began to float into the air and disappeared. 
“What does this mean?” Julie said.
“I think the band’s back,” Luke smiled.
“And with our number one fan,” Reggie said and threw his arm around me. I buried my face in his neck and finally smelled the scent I’d forgotten long ago. 
“You guys think we can try the hug thing one more time?” Alex said, causing us to laugh. We all pulled into another group hug.
After we pulled back again Reggie said, “I like this.” Before pulling us into another hug. 
“We played the Orpheum!” Julie shouted and we all jumped around, never letting go until Julie’s dad called her inside.
I stayed outside with the boys for just a little bit longer. My arms never left Reggie’s neck unless it was to hug the other too, trying to catch up on 20 years worth of affection that was missed.
“You look hot,” Reggie said causing me to chuckle.
“Dude!” Luke yelled, “I don’t care how old she is, that's still my little sister.”
“Sorry bro, but she’d be a hot mom,” Reggie smirked.
I smiled and pulled Reggie in for another hug.
He pulled back and looked into my eyes, “So what does this mean for us?” 
“I don’t know honestly,” I sighed, “But I guess we’ll figure it out.”
“I’m never letting you go,” Reggie said as he buried his face in my hair.
“I’m counting on it besides you still have to play that song for you number one fan."
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skieswords · 3 years
Text
Until Him {Owen Joyner x Reader}
Request: Owen taking the reader’s virginity and being surprised when she likes it.
Summary: Y/N and Owen have been dating for almost a year, but as her 20th birthday approached, she decides she wants to take their relationship to the next level.
Warnings: smuuuuuuuut
“Come on, y/n, just tell me! I have no idea.”
Y/N shrugged and smiled at her boyfriend’s distressed expression. 
“I don’t want anything from you! You’ve given me everything just by being yourself.” 
Owen gagged and rolled his eyes. 
“Shut up. You’re getting something whether you like it or not- surely you’d rather get something you actually want, than something you don’t? Just tell me.” 
Y/N sighed and continued running her hands through Owen’s hair, smiling at him as he looked up at her. His arms were folded over her stomach, his chin resting on them so he could look up at her.. Y/N giggled and tugged at his hair gently, watching his eyes close and a light blush flood his cheeks. 
“Stop that.” 
His voice was strained, and she almost felt bad. They’d been dating for about 10 months now, and they still hadn’t had sex. He hadn’t pressured her in any way whatsoever, but she knew he was desperate. They’d done some stuff- over the clothes mainly, and that had been fun, for sure. She’d found out how much he loved getting his hair pulled, and now loved taking advantage of it in the worst situations. But y/n was reluctant to go the full way before now. She’d been in too many relationships where it just hadn’t felt right, because it seemed to be all the guys cared about, and that was why she was still a virgin at nearly 20 years old. Until Owen. Owen came to her like a breath of fresh air, bumping into her on the high street of their tiny Oklahoma hometown. They’d hit it off immediately, and had gone for lunch right there and then. A week later, they made it official, and now, you rarely found one without the other. The topic of her virginity had come up once or twice, and he’d always treated it with the utmost respect, insisting that they waited until she was absolutely ready. He made a point of avoiding all conversations regarding sex when they were with friends, making sure she didn’t feel awkward or left out. He was incredible, and Y/N knew deep down inside, that he was the one for her. And so that’s what she’d decided she wanted for her birthday. She wanted to sleep with Owen, in an effort to try and convey to him just how much she loved him. That, and all of the over clothes touching had become incredibly teasing, and she couldn’t wait to go further. She just had to find the right time to tell him. 
Almost a week later, and the night before her birthday, Y/N still hadn’t worked out how to bring up the topic with Owen. She didn’t want to spring it on him- she wanted it to be, in the least cliché way possible, special. 
“So where is he taking you for dinner again?” 
Y/N sighed down the phone at her best friend’s question. 
“I don’t know, probably that little italian place that we really like. That’s not the point though, I asked for your help!” 
Y/F/N groaned on the other side of the phone. 
“Fine. Wait til you get to the restaraunt and tease him about your birthday present, and then turn round and say you got him something. Have you got that nice Victoria Secret set we bought ready?” 
Y/N bit her lip and nodded, forgetting for a moment that her best friend couldn’t see her. She walked over to her wardrobe and picked up the delicate lace of the matching set her best friend had made her buy for way too much money, and set it back down again. 
“Okay. I guess I’ll try that?” 
An ear-piercing squeal made Y/N drop the phone, sheepish laughter coming through from the speaker as she bent down to get it. 
“Remember to tell me all the details. I want to hear everything.” 
Y/N laughed and ended the call, looking at herself in the mirror. She was wrapped in a towel, her hair still wet and dripping down her back. She had work to do before her date the next night, and that involved working up some confidence.
“You look gorgeous, Y/N.” 
Owen leant in and pressed a soft kiss to her lips, before taking her hand and leading her out to his car. He opened the passenger door, and she gasped as she was met by a bouquet of roses, tied with a red ribbon. 
“They’re beautiful, O.” 
Owen shrugged and kissed her cheek, before moving around to the driver’s side. 
“Only the best for my girl.” Y/N blushed and smoothed down her dress. It was baby pink, off the shoulder, and stopped mid-thigh. She looked the picture of innocence- which was the opposite of what she hoped to be by the end of the night. 
All throughout dinner, Y/N found herself being reminded yet again, why she loved Owen. He made her laugh like nobody else, constantly had a new story to tell, and never went 5 minutes without making some form of physical contact with her. Over the course of the night, he’d moved from having his hand on her knee in the car, to having a hand on the small of her back as they walked to their table, and now he was holding her hand on top of the table cloth, his thumb gently stroking the back of her hand. 
“So, any more thoughts on what you want for your birthday?” 
Y/N raised her eyebrows, and let her eyes flick down to the table briefly, before taking a deep breath and meeting his gaze. 
“There was actually, something.” 
Owen groaned in relief and laughed gently, running his free hand through his hair. He looked incredible tonight, wearing smart black jeans paired with a blue button up that complimented his eyes perfectly. 
“Come on then, let me hear it.” 
Y/N swallowed and looked to their hands, letting a soft smile drift across her face. 
“You.” 
He was silent for a moment, and when she looked back up at him, she found him looking at her in a state of near shock. 
“W-what?”
She started drawing small circles on his hand, telling herself to keep calm. 
“I want you.” 
Owen raised his eyebrows at her. 
“Tonight?” 
She nodded, a soft flush creeping up her neck and spreading across her face.
“A-are you sure? I don’t want you to think that I expect it or-” 
She gave him a look, the same look she’d been giving him every time they’d talked about sex in the last 10 months they’d been together. 
“Owen, I love you. We’ve been together for almost a year, and I think- I know, you’re the one for me. I want to do this, and share it with you. Please?”
 Y/N looked up to him with sincere eyes, and he almost melted on the spot. 
“You don’t have to ask me twice. Cheque?” 
He signalled to a waiter, and laughed when she rolled her eyes, kicking him gently under the table.
“Good thing I tidied my room then, huh?” 
Owen nudged her gently as they walked along the street, both having chosen to walk to his apartment rather than drive back to hers, considering they’d shared two bottles of wine over the course of the evening. Y/N smiled and leant her head on his shoulder, quietly taking in the shadowy town they were walking through. 
“You say you tidied it- I guarantee you still have a pile of clothes in the corner that’s around the same height as me.” 
Owen shrugged and made a face at her, before letting her go to grab his keys and unlock the door to his flat. Y/N bit her lip and felt her stomach flip a little, as she realised what this meant. She was nervous- but only a little. She trusted Owen to take care of her, and make it special. Sure enough, as soon as they walked through the door, she was met by a sweet vanilla scent, and could see rose petals scattered along the hallway. 
“Owen...” 
He looked at his feet, hiding the blush spreading across his cheeks. 
“I wasn’t presuming anything, I just wanted to do something nice-” 
She cut him off by pressing her lips to his, placing a hand on his cheek as she kissed him softly. 
“It’s perfect. I love you.” 
He smiled down at her, wrapping his arms around her waist. 
“I love you too. You want a drink?” 
She nodded, and grabbed his hand as he walked through to the kitchen, grabbing the vodka from the freezer and setting it down on the counter. 
“O, I want to remember this.” 
He nodded with a laugh and put it back, handing her a cider, and cracking open a beer for himself. She kicked off her heels and jumped onto the counter, sipping quietly as she watched him from across the kitchen. Looking at her with wide eyes, he tried to suss out what she was thinking. Her legs were swinging back and forth, her curls falling over one shoulder and leaving the other deliciously bare. He set his beer down on the counter and moved over to her, standing between her legs. 
“Hey.” 
She met his eyes and smiled, reaching a hand up to stroke his face. 
“Hey.” 
His eyes flicked down to her lips, and she swallowed as his eyes darkened slightly. Leaning in slowly, he pressed his lips to hers, his hands coming to rest on her hips. She melted into him, her drink forgotten beside her as his lips moved against hers, his hands pulling her in closer to him. She moaned softly against him, parting her lips and deepening the kiss as her arms slipped around his neck, toying with the hair at the nape of his neck. 
“O-owen.” 
He nodded, and pulled her against him, slipping his hands under her legs as he picked her up, his lips never leaving hers. He carried her out of the kitchen, stopping in the hallway to press her up against the wall. A gasp slipped out at the sudden change, but she loved it, letting out breathy moans as his kisses strayed from her mouth, drawing patterns on her skin and working their way down to her shoulder. Just as he reached her sweet spot, nipping and sucking at it gently, Y/N pushed him off her and ran into the bedroom, turning to face him with a smirk as she reached behind her to unzip her dress. 
Owen groaned desperately and ran a hand through his hair, strolling towards her. Y/N turned around and looked at him over her shoulder, indicating for him to unzip her dress. He reached her and pressed a kiss to her shoulder blade, unzipping the soft satin material and pushing it off her shoulders. She let it fall down her body, before turning round and looking at him with playful eyes. 
“Holy fuck.” 
Owen’s breath hitched as he took her in, his eyes registering the black lace that adorned her body. 
“Like what you see?” 
Y/N twirled playfully, giving him an eyeful of the set she’d picked out the week before. Owen didn’t answer, his hands reaching out and grabbing her hips. She looked up at him through her lashes, reaching her hands up to unbutton his shirt, biting her lip as she did so. It wasn’t really supposed to be seductive- it was a nervous tic she had, but clearly Owen forgot about this, as he reached up and pulled on her bottom lip with his thumb, his eyes near black with lust. Y/N pushed his shirt off his shoulders, licking her lips and smiling at his sculpted chest. 
“You’re incredible.” 
Owen pushed a curl off her face, and smiled softly, his eyes drifting over her again. 
“You can’t speak. You’re- unreal.” 
She looked at the ground, wrapping an arm around her stomach as his eyes bore right into her, making her feel more exposed than ever. Owen grabbed her arm, pulling it away gently. 
“Don’t hide from me. Don’t ever, hide from me. You’re beautiful.” 
Y/N looked up at him again, stroking his face with a thumb. 
“Owen, please.” 
He knew exactly what she was asking, and wrapped his arms around her thighs, lifting her up once more and bringing her lips to his. He walked forwards until his legs hit the side of his bed, dropping her onto her back gently. Lowering his mouth to her neck, he pressed soft kisses onto her skin, living for the noises of pleasure leaving her lips. Tongue drawing patterns along her collarbones, he worked his way down to the curve of her chest, sucking the fair skin into his mouth. 
Y/N arched off of the bed, letting out a moan and tugging his hair softly. Owen smirked against her, and continued his path down her body, stopping at the lacy waistband of her underwear. 
“I love these.” 
Y/N smirked and ran a hand through his hair, trying to ignore the sensations running through her core as she felt his hot breath on her through the material of her underwear. 
“Take them off.” 
He looked up at her in surprise, her forwardness rather uncharacteristic. 
“Whatever you say.” 
He smirked slightly, and dragged them down her legs, leaving them on the carpet before crawling between her thighs, and resting on his knees. With a quick kiss, and a reassuring smile, he lowered his mouth to her legs, leaving soft kisses on the inside of her thighs. He worked his way up, until he reached her core, sucking gently on her clit. She arched off the bed and tugged on his hair as he drew patterns on her centre with his tongue, Owen smiling against her at the noises she made. He squeezed her thigh gently, and stroked the outside of her slit with a finger, before pushing into her. Her legs tensed slightly, and she moaned, arching her back into his touch. 
Owen watched her through hooded eyes as she reacted to his ministrations, listening carefully as her breathing became more and more laboured. He started sucking her clit again, feeling her legs clench around his head. He massaged her thigh gently, feeling her near the edge. 
“Come on baby, let me hear you.” 
Y/N came with a loud moan, her legs trembling and hand pulling desperately at Owen’s hair. He eased her through her orgasm, only moving when her moans had dropped to quiet whimpers. She smiled up at him, still panting, as he appeared above her, holding himself up with his arms. Reaching a hand up, she stroked his bottom lip with her thumb, reddening when she noticed the wetness on his lips and chin. Owen leant down and bit her bottom lip, letting her taste herself on his tongue. 
Y/N moaned into his mouth, and automatically wrapped her legs around his hips, pulling him closer to her as she searched desperately for some friction. She could feel Owen through his jeans, the outline of his cock pressing against her stomach through the soft denim. Owen continued to kiss her, his tongue slipping against hers messily, their teeth clashing occasionally, as each of them got more and more turned on, and less and less bothered by anything that wasn’t each other. 
“O, t-take your jea-jeans off.” 
Y/N managed through kisses, panting when he broke away. She sat up and reached for his belt, fumbling with the buckle desperately. Her hands were shaking, and Owen pushed them away gently, holding both of her hands with one of his, while he unbuckled his belt with the other. Checking once again that she was alright, he unbuttoned his jeans, and unzipped the fly, before pulling them down and kicking them out of sight. Y/N swallowed visibly, his boxers showing off the sheer size of him much more clearly. The furthest they’d previously gotten was heavy make-out sessions, her grinding into him, both topless- but clearly what she’d felt during that, hadn’t done him justice. 
“You okay?” 
He brought her out of her thoughts with a soft touch to her face, drawing her eyes away from the tight black boxers he wore. 
“Yeah, of course.” 
He smiled at her, easing her back onto the pillows, and kneeling between her legs. 
“Do you want to use a condom, or?” 
Y/N fidgeted a little, reaching behind her to unclasp her bra. 
“I’m not sure. I’m on the pill so it doesn’t really matter but maybe we should...?” 
She looked at him questioningly, and he shrugged. 
“Whatever you want.” 
He reached over her into his bedside table and pulled out a little foil square, dropping it on the pillow beside her. Nodding decisively, she watched as Owen pulled off his boxers, and ripped open the condom. Her stomach was fluttering, and she found herself recounting all of her friends bad experiences, where their boyfriends had finished too quickly, gone too fast, rushed them, or where it had hurt like a bitch- but then she remembered that this was Owen. 
Her Owen, the man she loved, and the person she wanted to spend forever with. She trusted him. 
She felt herself relax considerably, and smiled at him as he settled between her legs. 
“You sure? We don’t have to.”
Y/N rolled her eyes and pulled him in for a kiss. 
“I love you.” 
He smiled and kissed her back, resting his forehead against hers. 
“I love you too. I-I’m sorry if this hurts. Tell me if you need me to stop, okay?” 
She nodded, and tensed slightly, as she felt him pressing at her entrance. He placed soft kisses across her temple as he pushed inside her, moving as slowly as he could. One final push, and Y/N winced as he broke her, instantly bringing his mouth to her ear and whispering soft apologies, kissing the skin of her neck to distract from the pain. She shook her head and screwed her eyes shut, knowing it would pass soon. Owen bottomed out, and collapsed onto her shoulder, breathing heavily. They stayed like that for a moment, until Y/N turned to look at him, and kissed his temple. 
“I-it’s fine now. You can move.” 
He groaned lightly in her ear, and nipped her earlobe gently. 
“Good, but give me a second. It’s been well over a year, Y/N. You feel like fucking heaven right now.” 
She giggled softly, making both of them groan at the sudden movement. Eventually, Owen sat up, and took a deep breath, his eyes raking over her face and chest. He pulled out slowly, and pushed back in once, watching her face carefully for any signs of pain. Y/N closed her eyes and let her lips fall apart as the most intense pleasure she’d ever felt shot through her. 
“Oh my god.” 
She moaned breathily, bringing her hands up around Owen’s neck, as he pushed into her again, filling her up and stretching her deliciously. He stopped at her words, eyes filled with worry. 
“I-I’m sorry, are you okay?” 
She opened her eyes and looked at him, pupils dilated and heavy with lust. 
“Don’t stop.” 
He raised his eyebrows in surprise, but moved tentatively, watching her face in wonderment. She moaned loudly as he thrust into her with a little more force, and he stopped again, afraid he’d hurt her. Not even opening her eyes, she squeezed his shoulder. 
“Owen, if you stop again, I might actually stab you. You feel fucking incredible. Please, don’t stop.” 
Owen groaned at her words, and pushed into her, letting himself relax. He built up a steady pace, thrusting into her gently, and biting at her neck. Y/N moaned hedonistically in his ear, spurring him on. He moved faster, and started thrusting harder, relishing in the noises of utter pleasure that escaped her. She wrapped her legs around his waist, arching into him, letting him hit all of the spots she needed him to hit. He angled his hips carefully, and sat up a little, watching her face as he pushed into her again. She groaned, her eyes rolling back in her head as she bucked her hips into him, and he smirked. 
“There we go.” 
She looked at him in total awe, and he pulled out again, before watching her face contort with pleasure when he thrust in. 
“Faster, O. Please.” 
He smirked, and pressed a kiss to her temple, upping the tempo, and listening to her delicious moans as he brought her closer and closer to the edge. He could feel the familiar sensation growing within him too, and he dropped his head to her shoulder, sucking hard on the skin there, and began to fuck her, hips slamming against her. She gasped and writhed beneath him, desperate for release, and he reached a hand between them, circling her clit with his thumb. 
“Hold it, baby.” 
She whimpered in his ear, begging for him to finish her. Owen moaned quietly and bit down on her skin as he reached the edge, pressing his thumb down against her clit as he did so. 
“Cum for me, gorgeous.” 
Y/N let out a cry, and Owen groaned as her walls tightened around him, pulling him over the edge with her. They rode out their orgasms together, Y/N’s hand coming to rest in his hair as he continued to moan softly in her ear. He collapsed onto her, and the room was filled with the sound of heavy breathing, occasional whimpers leaving Y/N as aftershocks from her orgasm coursed through her body. Owen sat up and pulled out of her carefully, discarding the condom in the trash, and pulling her into his chest. She curled into him instinctively, letting him pull the blankets over them, before resting her head on his chest, and lying between his legs. 
“Are you okay?” 
He asked her quietly, kissing her hair softly. She looked up at him, and smiled, pressing a kiss to his jawline. 
“That was perfect.”
He rolled his eyes, but looked pleased. 
“I didn’t hurt you, did I?” 
She shrugged, and moved around so that she was leaning on his chest, looking up at his flushed cheeks. He continued running his hands through her hair, looking at her with adoring eyes. 
“Meh, hardly. It was worth it anyway.” 
She grinned, and he bit his lip, shooting her a cheesy wink. 
“Give me 2 minutes and I’ll give you round two.” 
She raised her eyebrows at him, and he grinned, flipping her over and leaning down to kiss her. 
“I’ve got over a year of stamina built up, baby, I wanna use it.” 
She collapsed into giggles, bringing a hand up to his neck, and kissing him through her laugh. She was utterly in love with him, and nothing could ever change that.
324 notes · View notes
skieswords · 3 years
Text
Hold Me Up- Part 2 {Charlie Gillespie x OC}
Part 1
Warnings: smut implied, swearing.
The next morning, Lexi found herself running late, having slept better than she had in weeks. They were supposed to get picked up in 15 minutes, and she had a lot to do. The uneaten pancakes from the night before still sat on the counter, and she frowned, but knew they’d have to wait. Sweats on, and a hoodie pulled over her head, she ran down the stairs, only to narrowly avoid bumping into Jeremy, who was holding a tray of Starbucks cups. 
“Morning Jer- what you got there?” She tilted her head at him with a hopeful smile, and he rolled his eyes. 
“That one. Soy latte, triple shot. You’re welcome.” 
Lexi groaned and seized the cup, leaning forward to kiss him on the cheek. 
“You’re an angel, Jer.” 
The sound of the apartment building door slamming shut preceded Owen’s appearance beside Jeremy, reaching for the smallest of the 3 remaining cups. Charlie stood beside Lexi, seeming a lot brighter than previous mornings. 
“What, so Jeremy gets a good morning kiss and I don’t?” 
He raised his eyebrows and acted offended, placing a hand on his chest in mock hurt. Lexi grinned, and raised her coffee. 
“Jer brought me coffee.” 
Charlie frowned, and watched as she got into the backseat of the car, greeting the driver happily. The boys piled in after her, Jeremy taking the front, and Owen pushing Charlie into the middle. 
“Dude you’re 5′8. I get the main seat.” 
Charlie’s face fell as he buckled his seatbelt. 
“But she’s 5′6! Surely she should be in the middle.” Lexi grinned and stretched her legs out. 
“Ladies first, right?” 
Charlie grinned dangerously, and reached for his coffee, which Jeremy was holding out to him through the centre console. 
“You know as well as I do that you’re hardly a lady.” 
Lexi shrugged and looked out of the window, replying offhandedly. 
“I dunno, ladies swallow, don’t they?” 
Owen choked on the coffee he’d just taken a sip of, and Jeremy cackled from the front seat. Charlie turned beetroot red and stared at his coffee cup intensely. 
“Well I wouldn’t know that, would I?”
Lexi shrugged again, and caught Jeremy’s eye in the rearview. They smirked at each other, Jeremy raising his eyebrows questioningly, before settling in for the short drive to set.
“Lexi!” 
As they clambered out of the car, Lexi turned to catch the teenager running towards her at full pelt, her cloud of dark curls flying around her face. Madison grinned at her, and moved to hug all of the boys. She’d been off set recording for a few days, letting them get some of their more serious scenes filmed. It had become apparent after 17 retakes of the same scene, that Madison and Lexi couldn’t be trusted to film emotional scenes while on set together. 
They were trying to film the flashback scene where Alex comes out to his family, and Becca was supposed to have a major confrontation with their parents, ending in tears, and a lot of shouting. But with Madison and Charlie standing off to the side, it had been impossible for Owen and Lexi to keep a straight face for longer than 40 seconds. 
After an emotional scene of Julie talking to her mom in the studio got messed up, due to Lexi tripping somewhere behind the monitors, Kenny banned them from being on the same set whenever either of them had to be serious. 
“Hey Mads, good to have you back. How were your recordings?” 
Madison shrugged and looped her arm through Lexi’s, grimacing as the scent of coffee reached her nose. 
“Alright. My throat is DYING though. Deceased, six feet under, decomposing as we speak. I’m so glad it’s just the dance scenes I’m doing for the next few days.” 
Lexi laughed and started walking towards the trailers, desperate to have someone work wonders on her face. She vaguely resembled someone from the walking dead set in the morning, Kenny had kindly informed her. 
“It’s your turn next. You ready?” 
Lexi looked around her, before sighing and taking a sip of her coffee. 
“I don’t know. I’m not ready to film it- but I guess I’m ready to record it?” 
Madison grinned and stopped them outside hair and makeup, her hand landing on Lexi’s wrist.
“You’ll be ace. I can’t wait to hear you sing properly. I’ve only heard you with the boys.” 
Lexi shrugged, and grinned. 
“I guess you have more experience than me anyway, doesn’t make sense that I sing with you straight away.” 
Madison rolled her eyes and clapped dramatically. 
“Sis, I’ve heard you in the studio, you got pipes. Not just anybody can handle musical theatre school!” 
Lexi laughed and pressed a hand over Madi’s mouth. 
“Sh, someone will hear you. It’ll be fine, I’m sure. Emotions though, gross.” 
Madi wrinkled her nose in agreement, and pushed the door to hair and makeup open. 
“Go, you look like death. I have to see Soyon- something about another pleather dress.” 
She pulled a face of despair before dancing to one of the other trailers, kicking her feet out randomly and swinging her hips. Lexi laughed as she watched the younger girl’s antics. Madison’s energy was unmatched- even at 19, Lexi struggled with being properly awake in the morning. She was especially nervous for filming this week, knowing that at least one of the days would be spent in the studio, recording some surprise songs that the boys didn’t know about. Kenny had added it in last minute, telling her she’d have a song or two for her character alone. After season 1′s soundtrack did so well, they knew they wanted to add even more music for the second installment of Julie and the Phantoms. A new character, and a new love story, seemed the perfect opportunity to do so. 
“Right, we want to film the reunion scene today- everyone good on lines for that?” 
Lexi groaned quietly and flicked through the script sitting in her lap. This meant accessing some pent up emotions she’d been trying to avoid. And a trip to costumes. Jeans were not something she felt like squeezing her tired self into today, but duty called. Charlie appeared at her side as she started making her way to Soyon, his hands deep in his sweatpants pockets. 
“Hey you.” 
She elbowed him gently, smiling up at him. 
“Hey yourself. Heading to Soyon?” 
Lexi nodded and looked at their feet. They were walking in time with each other, his strides matching hers. She smiled to herself, and pulled her hoodie tighter around her. It was still early, and the morning Vancouver air was harsh, even if it was July. Charlie noticed, and tossed his arm casually over her shoulders, bringing Lexi in to his side. Lexi checked nobody was looking, and snuggled into him, breathing him in. He smelt of sleep, coffee, and faintly of his aftershave, still clinging to his jacket from days before. They reached costumes, and Lexi pulled away from him, only to find herself being dragged away from the door, and brought round the side of the trailer. Before she could question what was happening, her back was against the side of the trailer, and Charlie’s mouth was on hers. She kissed him back immediately, her hands circling his neck and playing with his shortened hair. Lexi drew his bottom lip between her teeth and nipped it lightly, smirking when he moaned against her lips softly, and pressed further into her, the heat from his chest warming her from the inside out. They separated, panting slightly as they rested their foreheads together. 
“I’ve been thinking about doing that since I left last night.” 
Charlie confessed, reaching a hand up to stroke a curl out of Lexi’s face. She grinned, and chewed her lip a little, too afraid to confess the same thing. “Let’s go, we don’t have long.” Charlie sighed, but let her take his hand, and followed her through to the front of the trailers, watching as she checked nobody could see them. Obviously satisfied, she turned and pressed her lips to his again, before letting go of his hand and wandering up the steps, walking into the warmth of costumes. Charlie watched her go, shaking his head slightly. He had no idea where this was going to go- but he liked it. 
“Jeans, keep them cuffed, the Zeppelin shirt and then this flannel- perfect. Okay I want your hair messed up a little, and it’ll be absolute minimal makeup- you have to look 16.” 
Lexi laughed and headed for the door. 
“You should see the 16 year olds where I’m from- can’t tell them apart from the 20s.”
 Soyon laughed and pulled Charlie over to the costume rack, leaving Lexi to get painted by Daniella. One of the junior makeup artists on set, Daniella and Lexi had hit it off immediately, with coffee dates every weekend, and a lot of time spent together on set. Lexi was almost as bad as Charlie for messing up her makeup, and between the two of them, they had 3 of the artists chasing them around set constantly, ready to make corrections when necessary. 
“Morning girlie. Ready for today?” 
Lexi groaned and tilted her head back, making eye contact with her friend. 
“Waterproof mascara, please.” 
Daniella smiled sympathetically. 
“Sorry love, you have to have mascara runs according to my notes.” 
Another groan filtered through Lexi’s lips, and she sighed, but let Daniella work her magic. The baby face she’d so long been teased for came in handy for this scene. She had to be introduced as the fresh-faced baby sister of Alex, lost love of Luke, and Julie’s competition. They’d filmed a few scenes already, but had skipped straight to the musical numbers that they all featured in, and the only speaking scenes she’d done so far were the ones with her and Owen in the past, and a few that took place after their reunion. They hadn’t really tried the romantic scenes yet, with Charlie. She’d blocked them, but Kenny had used one of the lighting guys instead, claiming Charlie was busy with a guitar lesson or something. 
“What you complaining about now gorgeous?” 
Charlie took a seat next to Lexi, his perfect arms on display in yet another one of the cut off band shirt’s that had been making Lexi’s life particularly hard on set. 
“Mmm. I have to cry today.” 
Charlie frowned as another makeup artist came over to him, ruffling his hair and filling it with hairspray, before changing their mind, and grabbing a beanie. Lexi smirked as she watched his face in the mirror. He hated the hairspray with a passion, especially when it was unnecessary. 
“Oh. It’s that scene.” 
Daniella locked eyes with Lexi in the mirror, and they rolled their eyes at each other. 
“You’re all done, Gillespie. Get out of here.” 
Charlie jumped up and winked at Lexi, before running out the door, desperate to get to the warmth of set. 
“Gorgeous?” 
Lexi scoffed at Daniella, and reached up to ruffle the soft waves she’d just finished putting into her hair. 
“What, he always calls me that?” 
A disbelieving smile on Daniella’s face was Lexi’s cue to leave, and she grabbed Charlie’s hoodie off the sofa, wrapping it around her shoulders before waving to her friend, and following Charlie to the Molina house. 
Lexi was hanging around the set, watching as Madison and the guys prepared for the shot. Charlie was off the side, tossing his apple up and down in one hand, speaking to the tech manager. Owen and Jeremy were on the couch, heads resting together while they spoke to Madison, who was leaning against the railing in the loft. “Okay, places everyone. Madison is Becca’s book up there?” 
Madi nodded and waved to Lexi, who smiled back. Charlie noticed her, and his hoodie draped over her shoulders. He raised his eyebrows at her, and she pulled it over her face, careful not to mess up her hair. When she looked back towards him, he was smiling widely, the apple stilled in the palm of his hand. 
“Lexi, hon, over here please.” 
With a wink to Charlie, Lexi wandered over to Kenny, leaning into the arm he slung across her shoulders. 
“Julie’s going to read one of your lyrics, and then you’ll yell from over here, and then we’ll stop, put you in, and start, okay?” 
Lexi nodded, familiar with the plan from the notes on Madi’s script. 
“Action.”
“Hey guys, what’s this? Is this one of yours?” 
Julie leaned over the side of the loft, and showed a royal blue notebook, with sticky notes and loose leaf paper hanging out the side. Alex jumped to his feet, his eyes wide. 
“Where’d you find that?” 
Julie looked behind her and shrugged. 
“It was just in all this stuff. What is it?” 
Alex looked sad, and he smiled softly. 
“It’s a songbook.” 
Julie nodded and started flicking through it. 
“Oh, another one of Luke’s? Cool. Oh wow, these are deep. I’d like to see him try and tell me this isn’t about a girl- too young, too dumb, to know things like love?” 
Alex stepped towards Julie, arm outstretched. 
“Please Julie. That’s not Luke’s. It’s-”
Kenny nudged Lexi, who stepped towards the mic, and started screaming. It was high pitched, and she had to hold her hands over her ears, as she heard it echo through the set.
Julie and Alex looked up, while Reggie started looking around his feet desperately, trying to work out where the horrific noise was coming from.
“Cut! Boys stay where you are. Lexi in you go.” 
Kenny gave her a push, and Lexi slipped Charlie’s hoodie off her shoulders, leaving it on a chair, and running into the set, pulling her flannel off one shoulder to appear dishevelled. The camera swung round so that it was on Lexi’s face, and she felt the butterflies in her stomach start up. This would be the first scene aired to the public that had her in it. 
“Action!”
Becca landed on the rug in a heap, looking around her fearfully. 
“What the h-” 
She was cut off by a soft voice from behind her. 
“Becca?” 
She spun on the spot, eyes wide. Alex looked her up and down, confusion and fear written all over his face. Becca’s voice was weak and shaky, resemblant of that of a scared child.
“Alex?” 
He nodded slowly, and she jumped towards him, pulling him into a tight hug. 
Sobs wracked through her body, and Owen almost called for the scene to stop, as he felt hot tears streaming down his neck. But he went with it, and held her tightly, letting his eyes water slightly too. 
Becca stepped away from him, and looked him over, eyes wide in astonishment. Tears were streaming down her face, but the smile stretched across her cheeks told the camera they were happy tears. 
“Reg? Oh god I missed you.” 
She pulled the dark haired boy into a friendly hug, ruffling his hair playfully as she stepped away from him, shaking her head at the two of them. 
“I can’t believe you guys are here, what’s going on? Why are we here? Where is here? And where’s-” 
Becca’s smile faltered as she registered Luke’s absence. Footsteps from behind her told her to get ready to turn, and she listened carefully. 
“Hey guys, check this out, we can eat!” 
Luke held up the apple proudly as he strolled into the shot, but his face fell, alongside the apple, as he noticed Becca standing between his bandmates. 
“B-bex?” 
His face was so innocent, and his voice so broken, that Lexi didn’t have to act. Her face softened, and she choked slightly. 
“L-luke?” A moment of silence passed between them all, before Luke stepped towards her, and Becca went running, flying into his arms. He caught her, staggering slightly, and spun her around, his face buried in her neck. 
Lexi found herself smiling against his shirt, the feeling of Charlie’s arms around her very welcome. 
Luke set her back down, and placed a hand either side of her face, taking her in in a state of absolute wonderment. 
“Cut! That was great guys, we might have to run it a few more times for lighting and tech, but I think it was ace! Great emotions Lexi.” 
Lexi nodded and stepped away from Charlie, wiping her face with a frustrated groan. 
“Not on the costume Lex!” 
Daniella came running forward with panicked eyes. 
“Sorry Dani.” 
She shrugged and smiled sheepishly, showing the sleeve of her flannel, now streaked with black. Daniella groaned and held her arm out, taking the flannel away to be cleaned. Lexi turned back to Charlie, who was grinning down at her with his bottom lip between his teeth, shaking his head. 
“You’re impossible.” 
Lexi acted offended, and smacked him lightly. 
“I’m impossible? Have you seen you with your hair? Oh no, not the hairspray, please, not the curls!” 
She fanned her face dramatically in a teasing impression of Charlie, as he crossed his arms and watched her. 
“Wasn’t that my hoodie you were wearing earlier? Want me to take it back and let you freeze?” 
Lexi’s face fell, and she turned on her heel, legging it towards the chair she’d left the oversized jersey on. She’d just managed to pull it over her head when Charlie caught up, wrapping his arms around her waist and picking her up. Lexi squealed and giggled, kicking out desperately in an attempt to get him to put her down. He eventually complied, setting her down carefully, and turning her to face him. The hood was pulled up over her hair, and she was pouting at him like a child, the hoodie hanging off her slender frame. Her and Owen genuinely could be brother and sister- both were light haired, long-legged and slim, with bright blue eyes. 
“Don’t give me that face. Here.” 
Charlie reached down and rolled up the sleeves of his hoodie, freeing her hands from the thick material. Lexi watched him with a smile, catching his eye as he reached up to pull the hood off her hair. He left his hands where they were, resting on the side of her face. It took everything in both of them not to kiss each other- but at the last minute Lexi coughed and stepped away, flushing a deep red. Charlie’s eyes widened and he stepped back, shoving his hands in his pockets, before smiling at her awkwardly and walking away.
“Try and tell me that was you guys being just friends, I beg you.” 
Madison appeared on Lexi’s left side, grinning at her. Lexi groaned and pulled Charlie’s hood back over her head, starting to head for catering. 
“Shut up. We’re just friends, nothing more.” 
Madison sighed and tossed her hair over her shoulder. 
“If you say so, but I better be your maid of honour.” 
Owen appeared beside them a millisecond later, dropping an arm over Lexi’s shoulders casually. 
“Nah, that’s taken by her big brother.” 
Madison leaned across Lexi and laughed. 
“Then who’s Charlie’s best man, Jer?” 
Owen frowned and moved to open the door. 
“You’re right. We’ll come up with something.” Jeremy was on the other side of the door, donut in hand. 
“For what?” 
Madison grinned and ran for the box of brownies, taking it over to give Lexi some. 
“We’re planning Lex and Charlie’s wedding. Can’t work out who’s going to be best man.” 
Jeremy laughed and settled into a chair, watching as Lexi rolled her eyes and started making herself a coffee. 
“We’re just friends! How many times do I have to tell you guys?” 
Jeremy shrugged, and leaned forward so his elbows were resting on his knees. 
“Let’s just see what happens when you guys start with the kissing scenes. Bet you won’t be able to resist him then.” 
Owen scoffed and took a seat across from Jeremy. 
“God, I’m going to need to move in with you Jer, no way I want to be near them when they finally start going at it.” 
Lexi flushed red and looked towards Madison, who had her eyebrows raised and her eyes closed. 
“Imma pretend I didn’t hear that. I’m just glad Kenny came up with a way to stop me having to kiss Charlie- no thank you.” 
Lexi grinned to herself, and took a sip of her coffee, before turning as the door opened, and watching Charlie come in. 
“Hey Mads, you couldn’t handle it.” 
He stuck his tongue out at her, and glanced at Lexi, who snorted and nearly choked on her coffee. 
“Guys! can we please remember SHE’S 17.” 
Charlie scoffed and took a swig of the coffee cup already sat on the table, sitting in one of the armchairs in the corner. 
“Don’t act like you were innocent when you were 17. I’ve seen how you dance.” 
Lexi smirked and rolled her eyes, turning back to Madison. 
“Yes, but Madi here has Ricardo. And a kickass mum. Plus Kenny. And three older brothers. And me.” 
Madison stood up and came to sit in the armchair next to Lexi. It was a squeeze, but both girls were grateful for the extra warmth. 
“She has a point. I’m not allowed to date til I’m 40.” 
Lexi nodded, leaning her head on the younger girl’s shoulder. 
“That’s right. And even then, I’m prepared to hide the body.” 
Owen nodded alongside her solemnly. Charlie laughed, and made direct eye contact with Lexi. 
“Why is she red?” 
He nudged Owen, who laughed. Sure enough, Lexi was still a deep shade of red from his earlier comment about having to move out if her and Charlie ever got together.
“I was saying how if you two-” 
Madi interrupted, pointing an accusatory finger at Owen. 
“When, not if.” 
Owen nodded and laughed. 
“When, you two get together, I’m going to have to move out.” 
Charlie raised his eyebrows and took a sip of his coffee, trying to hide his smirk. 
“Well, you did just hear her scream. If you’re not prepared to hear that all night then I suppose you’re right.” 
The way Charlie spoke was so casual that even Lexi took a minute to process what he’d just said. 
“Oh my god. I’m leaving. Can we go back to when I was 14, and you guys wouldn’t even swear in front of me?” 
Madison jumped up and ran to the door, looking between Charlie and Lexi before shuddering dramatically. 
“GROSS.” 
Lexi stared at her coffee, lip between her teeth. Half of her wanted to slap Charlie for what he said. The other half of her- well. They made eye contact a moment later, Charlie’s cocky grin in place. 
“Like you’d ever get the chance to make me scream like that.” 
She stood up and ran her fingers through her hair, sticking her tongue out at him like a child. Charlie shook his head and watched her, his eyes crinkling as he grinned. 
A few hours later, they were still on set, and Lexi was on her fifth cup of coffee that day. She was alone in her trailer, curled up in an armchair and scrolling through her phone. 
“There you are. I’ve been looking all over for you.” 
She looked up, only to find Charlie’s eyes on hers, crouched down beside her seat. 
“Hey. I’m just in here. It’s warm.” 
Charlie nodded and reached out to interlock their fingers. 
“I wanted to talk to you.” 
Lexi nodded, smiling slightly. She had a tiny idea where this might be going. 
“I want to take you out. Properly. It’s clear there’s something here, and I want us to do this right.” 
Lexi grinned and nodded, biting her lip slightly. 
“Yeah. That sounds good.” 
Charlie sighed in relief, and tried to squeeze into the chair beside her. It was never going to work, so she stood up, letting him sit down, before sitting in his lap, swinging her legs over the arm of the chair. 
“Oh, I like this.” 
Charlie smirked at her, and leaned forward, connecting their lips softly. Lexi melted into the kiss, turning her head slightly for better access. He sighed happily, and slipped his tongue between her lips, forcing Lexi to tilt her head back. Sucking on her lip gently, he felt the hair on the back of his neck stand up as she moaned in response, making his thoughts run rampant. Lexi could feel her hip cramping, so shuffled around, straddling his lap. 
“Hi.” 
He looked up at her, her face framed with her hair, still in soft waves. 
“Hi.” 
Not wanting to waste time, she lowered her lips to his again, feeling his hands drift to her hips. 
“Jeans are not ideal for this, Lex.” 
Lexi giggled and pulled him back to her lips by his shirt, heating things up as quickly as she could. She guided one of his hands to her ass, and shuffled closer to him, rolling her hips into him slightly. 
“This isn’t fair.” 
His voice was husky in her ear, as he started trailing kisses down her neck, biting at her pulse point and trailing his tongue across her collarbones. Lexi moaned quietly and grabbed his jaw, pulling his mouth back to hers. 
“Shut up, I’ve had to watch you wander around like this all day.” 
She stroked his bare arms for emphasis, and groaned as he started to kiss her with a new fire, his tongue slipping against hers, their teeth bumping every now and again. It was messy, but it was hot. A familiar heat started in her lower abdomen, and Lexi silently cursed Soyon for putting her in jeans, preventing her from getting any form of relief in the form of grinding against Charlie’s lap. 
“We- shit. We need to stop.” 
Charlie whispered into her mouth, his hand running up and down her spine, lips still searching for more. 
“Mhm.” 
Lexi didn’t even try to answer, reaching around to play with his curls and tugging them softly. 
“Ser- fuck. Lex.” 
Lexi pulled away with a reluctant groan, and pouted at him. 
“Whyyy, we don’t have to be back on set yet. We’re only like halfway through our break.” 
Charlie was red-faced, and his pupils were dilated to the point his eyes appeared more black than hazel. 
“I know. But if we don’t stop now, we won’t stop.” 
Lexi tilted her head to one side in question. Charlie reached up and stroked her cheek with his thumb. 
“If we don’t stop now, I’m going to have you bent over that counter in the next 5 minutes, and everyone on set is gonna hear just how loud you can scream.”
His voice was calm and smooth, a harsh contrast to the reaction happening in Lexi’s stomach. She bit her lip and closed her eyes, resisting the urge to moan. 
“Yeah. You’re right. We should stop. Definitely don’t want... that.” 
She glanced towards the counter almost longingly, before mentally slapping herself, and climbing off him. His jeans looked uncomfortably tight, and Lexi almost felt bad. Almost. Looking at him the way he currently sat wasnt doing her any favours though, his lips swollen, hair messy and shirt all rumpled, plus a clear bulge in his jeans, that was practically begging her to call a half day, and go home. 
“Uh- I’m going to need to go get my hair sorted.” 
She pointed to the previously loose waves, that were now much fluffier, and looked a little like Becca had been dragged through a hedge. Charlie nodded, reaching down with a wince to adjust himself. 
“Yeah, good shout. I’ve got to change shirt, I’ll come with.” 
Lexi frowned slightly and raised her eyebrows at him. 
“We’re re-shooting a scene, different shirt. Need a different wallet too. Come on.” 
He straightened his shirt slightly, and ran a hand through his hair, before reaching it out towards her. Lexi smiled and pressed a chaste kiss to his lips, before walking out into the cold, heading towards Soyon’s trailer, pulling him behind her. 
“Hey Lexi, you good to record tonight? Kenny needs you to get that song done ASAP.” 
Lexi nodded as she walked over to Carl, sighing as she stretched her arms above her head. 
“Did he mention whether or not I can tell the guys? They’ll want to know where I am.” 
Carl shook his head with a regretful smile. 
“Sorry hon, he wants it to be a surprise. Madison’s going to come with you though- you guys have a duet I think?” 
Lexi frowned, and waved to Carl as she headed back to her trailer. She hadn’t been told anything about a duet. Maybe it was a mix up? Kenny had given her a few hours off while the boys filmed a couple of scenes with Sacha, so she was back in her sweats, another cup of coffee glued to her hand. 
“Lex, there you are. What you up to?” 
Lexi shrugged and set her coffee down, nodding towards Madi and indicating she should come into her trailer. 
“Just chilling. Carl’s saying I’m recording tonight, and you’re coming?” 
Madi nodded and took a seat on the couch, sinking into the pile of the fluffy cushions Lexi had become known for carrying around on set. 
“We’re telling everyone we have a duet, so you can get that song recorded in peace. Otherwise the boys would tear the lot apart trying to find you.” 
Lexi nodded in agreement, and reached into the cupboard, producing two pot noodles. 
“You want?” 
Madi nodded eagerly and pulled a cushion into her lap, watching as Lexi made her way around the tiny kitchenette in her trailer. 
“How you feeling bout this season?” 
Lexi asked Madison over her shoulder. The girls hadn’t had a proper catch up in weeks, with the set being built and everyone being too busy with rehearsals to get an actual sit down. 
“I think it’s going to be good. You’re definitely coming for Julie though- I worry your going to get a lot of online hate for breaking Juke up and stuff.” 
Lexi sighed and passed Madi her noodles. 
“Yeah, I’m already getting some stuff. Hopefully the more mature fans will realise it was more of a strategic move than for the plot. The whole Julie and Luke, Madi and Charlie thing was going a bit far.” 
Madison nodded in agreement, blowing on a forkful of pasta. 
“Definitely. Honestly I’m so grateful to Kenny and the guys for brainstorming your character. One because it means I get to avoid having my first kiss with someone I’m not dating AND because I got a killer big sister in the process.” 
Lexi grinned and grabbed Madi’s hand. 
“By far the best part of the job Mads, you know that.” 
The girls ate their noodles in comfortable silence, thankful for a quiet moment to themselves. Of course though, they weren’t left alone for long. 
“Hey ladies, mind if we join?” 
Jeremy and Owen came bursting through the door, Owen settling into the armchair, and Jeremy leaning against the counter. 
“What we talking about?” Lexi couldn’t tear her eyes away from the armchair Owen was sitting in, trying her hardest not to grin as she remembered her and Charlie’s few minutes earlier on. 
“Earth to Lexi?” 
Jeremy was waving his hands in front of her face, breaking her out of her daydream. 
“Sorry, Jer. Just thinking. What’s happening?” 
Her friends laughed, and Madison stood up to put their finished noodles away, laughing as she found a stash of kinder bars in the cabinet. 
“You’re out of control girl, you know they have these in Target, right?” 
Lexi shrugged and held out her hand, catching the few that Madi sent her way. 
“I’m not risking it. Y’all banned kinder eggs, I’m not letting these go too.” 
Having a scottish friend was entertaining at times, and the actors shared a funny look. 
“Whatever you say. What we doing tonight? Owen suggested a night out if you’re up for it? We have a late start tomorrow and Thursday.” 
Lexi groaned and shook her head. 
“I wish, but I have to be in the studio tonight. Mads and I got a duet we have to record.” 
Jeremy frowned. 
“I didn’t see that in the script, it new?” 
Madison nodded eagerly, being as convincing as she could be. 
“Kenny added it last minute- it’ll probably get cut last minute too, you know how he is.” 
Owen and Jeremy nodded, looking around them for a minute. 
“Where’s Charlie?” 
Jeremy stretched out, and pulled his phone out of his pocket, scrolling absentmindedly. 
“He had a scene to film with Jennifer- he wanted to be alone for it, you know how he gets.” 
Lexi sighed. Charlie hated people seeing him cry- unless it was on screen. So a scene with Jennifer most likely meant a scene with tears. 
“I should go check if he’s okay.” 
Owen shrugged and made to stand up. 
“It’s chill, you guys can stay here. Mads, I can drive us to the studio in a bit?” 
Madison nodded, relaxing back onto the sofa gratefully, ready to take a power nap while Lexi looked for their cast mate.
Lexi found him outside the Patterson house set, his head between his knees. She knelt down beside him, resting a hand on his back and speaking softly. 
“Char? You good?” 
He groaned slightly, looking up at her. His eyes were red, tears streaming down his cheeks. 
“I don’t know how you do this. When I cry, I can’t stop.”
Lexi chuckled and wiped his eyes gently with the cuffs of his hoodie, which she was still wearing.
“A lot of practice. Come on, let’s get you off set, we’re done for the day.” 
He nodded slowly, reaching for her hand. Lexi looked around her carefully, but let him take it, slipping it into his jacket pocket. 
“What do you think about? When you have to cry?” 
His question was out of the blue, and very personal. All the actors knew that. When they cried on screen, they were usually accessing very deep and personal memories,  that made them emotional immediately. 
“Sorry, I overstepped.” 
Lexi shook her head and ran her thumb over the back of Charlie’s hand. 
“Nah, you’re good. Well, it changes I guess. So for the scene earlier, I thought about when I was little, and the times I saw my dad after months of him being away. I always used to cry about it. Those videos of military fathers coming home used to kill me, let me tell you.” 
Charlie laughed lightly, squeezing her hand in his. 
“Woah. That’s deep. Thank you for telling me.” 
Lexi shrugged and looked up at him. 
“It’s okay. Don’t go spreading that though- don’t need everyone knowing I’m a sap.” Charlie shook his head, and pulled them towards costume. 
“Let me get changed- I’ll meet you at yours later tonight?” 
Lexi nodded, and checked around them, before pressing a kiss to his lips, blushing, and turning away quickly, running towards her trailer. 
122 notes · View notes
skieswords · 3 years
Text
When I Say I Do {Charlie Gillespie x OC}
Charlie and his longterm girlfriend go to the Shada’s wedding, but the whole time, he’s trying to convince her that they should take the next step. Why is she so hesitant?
Warnings: Heavy flirting, alcohol, slight angst.
“Liv, baby, we gotta go or we’re gonna be late.” 
Olivia looked in the mirror one last time, frowning slightly as she ran her fingers through her curls. She was standing in the hotel bathroom, and had been for the past 15 minutes, scrutinizing every inch of the sky blue dress she’d picked out earlier that month. It was knee length, satin, and complimented her dark hair and crystal eyes perfectly. She looked gorgeous. But she didn’t feel it. Weddings and Olivia had never been a good match, but Carolynn had practically begged her to come, knowing she was the only person capable of taming Charlie when he got excited. 
That was the other thing setting her on edge. Charlie. 
Their four year anniversary was fast approaching, and Olivia was losing her mind with fear that he might propose. He’d dropped a million hints, but she was playing dumb, hoping he’d drop the topic. She supposed after moving over to Vancouver with him for filming, she’d given the impression that she was all for major commitment- and she was. But marriage? 
Another knock on the door broke her out of her thoughts, and she sighed. 
“I’m coming, Char. Give me a second.” 
With a final shake of her hair, and smoothing of her dress, Livi unlocked the door and stepped out, smiling up at her curly-haired boyfriend shyly. He took her in, his eyes wide as they drifted back to her face. 
“You look beautiful. Might outdo Carolynn.” 
He winked at her, and spun her around, admiring her dress and the way it made her figure look, before pulling her in to kiss her temple tenderly, and dragging his jacket on. He interlocked their fingers, and squeezed her hand excitedly. 
“Let’s go watch some people get married.” 
His grin was enormous, and Olivia silently decided to try her best to make this day as enjoyable as possible for him. 
“Yeah, and then take advantage of the open bar.” 
Charlie rolled his eyes and held the door open for her, wrapping a protective arm around her waist as they made their way along the corridor. It took all of Livi’s self control not to chew at her lips, knowing that if she fucked up her lipstick before photos, Tori might actually stab her. Charlie was humming under his breath, dancing slightly as he walked, clear signs that he was in an incredibly happy mood. It was no surprise. He was the sweetest guy in the world, and wanted nothing more than for his friends to be happy. 
They reached the ceremony, and a genuine smile lit up Livi’s face. The place was beautiful, and the energy was incredible. Everyone was smiling, or laughing, and Carolynn and Jeremy’s families were greeting everyone, their infectious grins and unfaltering kindness surprising Olivia. She wasn’t used to family members being so welcoming and sweet. Charlie’s hand never left the small of her back, and he guided her through the crowd carefully, smiling at the people he knew, and scanning faces for their friends. Eventually they found Owen and Tori, and took their seats, Livi rolling her eyes at Tori’s careful examination of her makeup. 
“It’s fine, T, I got it.” 
Tori hummed, and took her friends hand, squeezing it gently. Livi hadn’t been totally honest with Charlie, and had spilled her guts to Tori over the phone a week before, after one too many glasses of wine. She hated weddings, and had a pretty dismissive view of marriage. Tori had sympathized with her, before telling her to brighten up, and reminding her that she had to do it, and she had to smile through it, for Carolynn, and for the guys. Tori had hung up on her soon after that, leaving Livi to climb into bed beside Charlie’s already sleeping form, and cuddle up to his warm chest, with a heavy feeling in her heart.
 Squeezing her hand back, Livi smiled at Tori, and rested her head on Charlie’s shoulder, waving at Owen with her free hand, before taking a deep breath and facing the front. 
“Waterproof mascara?” Tori whispered, a slight joke in her tone. Livi snorted and reached into her dress, pulling a pack of tissues out of her bra. 
“Don’t you know it.” 
Charlie looked between them and slipped an arm over Liv’s shoulders, rubbing the bare skin of her arm with his thumb. 
“Ladies, if you cry, there are two very manly men willing to make you feel better, just you remember.” 
Liv raised her eyebrows at Owen and rolled her eyes at Charlie, who she’d already put her money on in the girls’ bet on who would cry first. The current prediction was Jeremy, Charlie, Owen, but Livi knew Charlie, and had a feeling the music wouldn’t even need to start before he turned on the waterworks. 
“Liv, isn’t this pretty? Like all the flowers and stuff?” 
Her eyes fluttered shut, and she mentally prepared herself. He wasn’t wrong- it was truly beautiful, and somewhere in the back of her head, 12 year old Olivia was going crazy about the flower arrangements, the colour scheme, the signs- just everything. 
“Yeah, Char. It’s gorgeous.” 
His smile was so hopeful, and there was a sparkle in his eye that terrified her. Before she could overthink it, the music started to play, and she turned to face the front. The minute Jeremy was in front of them, Charlie’s grip on her shoulder got a little tighter, and Tori squeezed her hand. The bridesmaids came next, their tulle pink gowns fitting in perfectly with the floral arch that the soon-to-be Shadas would get married under. It really was the perfectly planned wedding, Livi couldn’t deny. There was a pause, and Livi watched with soft eyes as Jeremy started to tear up, before taking a quick glance at Charlie, who was indeed already crying. Tori pulled her to her feet, and Livi pulled Charlie up alongside her, cuddling into his side as the music played. 
Carolynn was a picture, in a stunning lace gown with a cathedral train that any girl in their right mind would be jealous of. Livi could already feel her eyes welling up as she watched Jeremy, sinking into her seat just in time to hide her face before anyone could notice. Charlie noticed, of course, and brought her in closer to his side, kissing her hair gently. He thought she was just emotional- he didn’t fully understand why she hated weddings so much. 
The vows began, and Olivia was a mess. Tears were streaming down her cheeks, but she wasn’t alone in that. Even Owen was gone at this point, as they listened to the most heartfelt vows Livi had ever heard, and watched as Carolynn’s smile grew wider than she had ever seen it. Right as the minister turned to the two of them, ready for them to kiss, Livi heard Charlie’s voice in her ear. 
“That could be us one day, huh?” 
Livi nearly choked, and she grabbed Tori’s hand, offering Charlie a weak smile, before resting her head on his shoulder again. She was almost glad she didn’t have a watch, as she waited desperately for the happy couple to walk down the aisle together, just so she could escape the romantic atmosphere. She stood up and cheered alongside Charlie as they kissed, leaning into him with mixed emotions. He rested his hand on her hip and his chin on her head, as he yelled and cheered for his friends, finally releasing Olivia so he could clap wildly, and whistle at the retreating couple. Olivia turned to Tori with her tear-streaked face, and rolled her eyes at herself. 
“God, I’m a mess.” 
Tori grinned and squeezed her hand again, throwing their arms up in the air as Carolynn dragged Jeremy down the aisle, their faces the absolute picture of happiness. Hands appeared on Olivia’s waist, and she squealed as Charlie picked her up from behind, resting his head on her shoulder as he spun her round. 
“I can’t wait to marry you one day.” 
His voice was soft, and his eyes so earnest, that Olivia almost caved. She reached up and stroked his face, pulling him in for a soft kiss while Owen and Tori gagged behind their backs. 
“Come on, you two. We’ve got some time to kill while they get their photos taken, what do you wanna do?” 
Olivia broke away first, her answer in agreement with all of their thoughts. 
“Let’s drink to the happy couple. Please. Now. Where’s the champagne?” 
Tori nodded and started through the crowd, while Livi held back, sneaking under Charlie’s arm. 
“Liv, you can’t drink. You’re only 20.” 
She stuck her tongue out at him, and looked to Owen for help. 
“Try and stop me, I dare you.” 
Owen nodded at Charlie, and squeezed his best friend’s arm. 
“I will be taking tequila shots with her, and you will be joining us. And you can thank me later.” 
Livi hid her face in Charlie’s chest at the comment, while Charlie fist bumped Owen and rubbed her back. Tequila was the well-known drink that put Liv in a very specific mood, one that Charlie loved to take advantage of. 
“Yeah, I’ll be bunking with Tori tonight, me thinks.” 
Livi rolled her eyes and stepped away from Charlie, letting his arms circle her waist instead, as she leaned against them and looked up at her man. He was gorgeous, and there was no doubt that she loved him unconditionally. They’d been together since she was 17, while she was in her senior year of high school. They’d met in LA by coincidence, at a coffee shop, where they’d had an instant attraction. Now, nearly 4 and a half years later, 3 and 10 months of which they’d been dating, they were inseperable. They shared a flat in Vancouver for 6 months while Charlie filmed, and Olivia completed the first half of her Junior year at UCLA remotely, much to Owen’s distaste. The cast had had to listen to very graphic depictions of what they got up to around the apartment, while Jeremy held his hands over Madison’s ears, and Charlie tried to hide behind the drum kit, with his beanie pulled right over his face. 
“He can say what he likes, I’m 21 in like a month.” 
Charlie snorted and pulled her in front of him, draping his arms around her neck from behind. 
“She still acts like she’s 16 though. And she holds drink like she’s 16 too.” 
Livi mocked offence, and held a hand over her chest. 
“I’ll have you know I held drink very well when I was 16. I could stomach like 11 shots before I got taken to hospital.” 
Charlie rolled his eyes and kissed the side of her head, before slotting her under his arm, and walking her over to where Tori had grabbed them all drinks. 
“Thanks T. You’re the best.” 
Livi took a glass from her, throwing it back quickly, before drawing her friend into a hug. 
“May I also just say, you look absolutely gorgeous?” 
Livi spun her friend around, admiring the black frock that twirled with her. Tori laughed and kissed Livi’s cheek, stroking the soft material of her dress with approving fingers. 
“As do you. Though I sense this has ulterior purposes?” 
Tori made eyes behind Livi, clearly indicating Charlie. 
“Nah, of course not.” 
A wink shared between the girls said all Tori needed to know. Yes, Livi hated weddings. But she wasn’t going to pass up the chance to wear a dress that left as little to the imagination as hers did. When Charlie got a little drunker, and a little bolder, she was sure he’d find the second outfit she had decided to wear that day, and was planning on using it as a method of early escape from the wedding party. 
“She looks beautiful, doesn’t she. Absolutely stunning. Can’t believe she’s mine.” 
Charlie gushed over his girlfriend as he spun her around, catching her as she laughed. 
“You’re such a flirt.” 
He met her eyes, smiling like an idiot, and looking at her with pure adoration. 
“You wanna see me flirt?” He teased her, pulling her flush against him by her hips. 
“I can flirt, Liv baby, you know I can.” 
He whispered in her ear, his teeth grazing the tip before he pulled away, pressing a chaste kiss to her lips. Livi blinked up at him, caught unaware by his behaviour. It seemed she wasn’t the only one with plans for the night. Charlie wrapped his arms around her again, and reached for his champagne, passing it to her without question. He might not understand why she hated weddings- but he knew a drink would take the edge off, and he didn’t want his girl to be uncomfortable. Owen met his eyes over the table, and flicked them down to Olivia, before meeting his again. Charlie shook his head unnoticeably, and struck up a conversation with Tori about choreography for the dance that night, eager to get a sneak peak of the playlist. 
The meal was incredible, and after Charlie and Owen stood up to give a speech, many of the guests came up to Livi, commenting on the way his hand never left her shoulder as he spoke. All of these comments were met with awkward smiles, and nervous blushes, as some of Carolynn’s aunts made comments about ‘wondering who’s next in line’, with a suggestive wink at Charlie. 
Carolynn and Jeremy finally came over to them, having made their way around both families, taking seats at their table and sharing a few drinks with them. 
“The ceremony was absolutely gorgeous, Care, you outdid yourself.” 
Olivia pulled her friend into a hug, only pulling away when she claimed she wanted to see the dress properly. 
“Shush Livi, so much of it was because of you, if you hadn’t given me that book I would’ve been stumped.” 
Olivia smiled and bit her lip, silently hoping Charlie hadn’t heard her. But of course, he did, and pulled her onto his lap, resting his head against her shoulder. 
“Book?” He murmured softly, making sure nobody around them could hear. 
“We had a lot of time while you guys were filming. I spoke to her a bit, that’s all, flicked through some magazines and whatever.” 
Carolynn overheard this, and came to sit beside them, taking Olivia’s seat. 
“Oh my god that’s an understatement. The colour scheme? Mostly Livi’s idea. The bridesmaids dresses, the signs, the favours- mostly Livi. Honestly, that girl’s journal saved my ASS. If she wasn’t going into politics, I’d be pushing her to be a wedding planner.” 
Carolynn gave them a bright smile, looking between her friends happily. They were so in love, it made her feel even happier on her wedding day. Charlie looked up at Livi with quiet question in his eyes, not sure what to say. 
“That’s my Liv. Nothing she can’t do.” 
Livi kissed his forehead and stood up, waving to Carolynn quickly before disappearing to the bathroom. Tori noticed, and with a careful look at Carolynn, followed her.
She was leaning against the sink, her head in her hands, shoulders shaking slightly. At first, Tori thought she was crying, but when she looked up, it was clear she’d just been shaking her head. 
“Come on, Livi, what’s up?” 
Olivia groaned and turned to the mirror, touching up her lipstick slightly. 
“It’s all this wedding stuff, and that bloody journal! I mentioned it to Care once, and then gave it to her, specifically saying not to tell anyone it was mine. And she’s just gone and told Charlie of all people. How am I supposed to explain this one away? Oh yeah babe, you know how I hate weddings? I secretly planned my entire wedding until I was 15, and gave my dream wedding to one of your best friends.” 
Tori looked taken aback, and stopped fluffing her hair in the mirror, turning to face Olivia. 
“Your dream wedding?” 
Livi sighed, and rested her chin against her chest. 
“Yes, T. My dream wedding. Looks pretty much like this.” 
Tori was confused, fully under the impression that Livi had never wanted to get married. But she went with it, recognising her friend was distressed, so wrapped her arms around her, and brought her in for a hug. 
“Charlie won’t care. You should tell him the truth you know. He’d really appreciate that, rather than all of the bitchy side comments about hating weddings. He’s going to end up thinking you just don’t want to marry him.” 
Livi groaned again, but gave her hair one final scrunch, before following Tori out the door, looping their arms together as they made their way over to the table. 
“Charlie’s the only person I can ever see myself marrying, T. It’s just the whole principle.” 
Tori nodded, and shrugged with a sympathetic smile. 
“I know that girlie. But he doesn’t.” 
She nodded towards Charlie, who was slapping Jeremy on the back with Owen, a grin splitting his face from ear to ear. Olivia sighed as she watched her boyfriend laugh with his friends, knowing she would probably end up ruining his night. Weddings just had that effect on her. But before she could turn and disappear, someone shouted something, and Charlie looked up and around in excitement, catching her eye and running over. 
“Jer’s about to go down on Care! Come on.” 
He grabbed her hand and started dragging her towards the crowd, slowing down when they reached the back, and slipping a hand round her waist to keep her close. They found Tori and Owen, and a few of Jer’s groomsmen in a spot near the front, all buzzing with excitement. Carolynn was sat in a chair, her face ruby red, while Jer circled the chair, earning whoops and cheers from the crowd. 
Charlie was practically jumping up and down in excitement, his cheeks a light pink and his eyes slightly glassier than they had been earlier. Seemed he’d started on the shots without her then. She forgave him quickly as she remembered what Jeremy was about to do, realising for the first time that Jeremy was about to put his head in between his wife’s legs, in front of her entire family. 
The boy needed a shot of courage, and who better to do it with than his closest friends? 
Jeremy started to dance, and Olivia found herself laughing, half hidden behind her hands as the boys went mental. Tori was screaming beside her, grabbing at Owen occasionally as Jeremy made a show out of it, dropping to his knees dramatically, before taking his time with lifting her skirt, and disappearing beneath it. Olivia was impressed with Carolynn’s guts, knowing her twin brother was somewhere in the audience. A husky voice in her ear made her blush, and she bit her lip, forgetting her surroundings. 
“I’d love to do that to you.” 
Charlie’s voice sounded slightly desperate, and with a quick glance at the clock, Olivia knew she was going to have to get some water down him. 
“You’ll take any excuse to have your mouth on me, won’t you?” 
Charlie grinned, and kissed her neck softly, wrapping an arm around her front and pulling her tight against him. 
“I love you, Liv.” 
Olivia sighed and held his hand where it rested across her middle, tilting her head up to kiss her boyfriend quickly, before pushing him in the direction of Jeremy, and watching him with a soft smile as the boys all went crazy. She knew what would be coming up next, and didn’t want to be around for it, so she headed for the door, looking around her quickly before ducking out and making her way towards the fountain, where she sat down, and looked up at the stars.
“What you doing beautiful?” 
Charlie’s voice cut through the still Florida air like honey, and Olivia repressed a groan as he sat beside her. 
“Just too hot. Needed some air.” 
Charlie nodded and took her hand in his, stroking it gently with his thumb. 
“They’re about to throw the bouquet and stuff, you wanna try our luck?” 
Olivia pulled her hand away a little too quickly, and shook her head. Charlie watched as she got to her feet and started pacing, evidence she was in a very stressed out state. 
“Liv, what’s going on. You’ve been acting weird all day.” 
Olivia laughed quietly and met his eyes, stopping in her tracks. 
“I’m not acting weird, Charlie. It’s a wedding. They are weird.” 
Charlie shook his head and stood up. 
“No, you’re acting weird. Is it me? You keep pulling faces and running away, and the whole thing with the journal, and this morning, you took so long to get ready- what’s going on?” 
His voice was strained, and she could tell he was trying not to get upset. It broke her heart, and she looked up at him, with tears in her eyes. 
“Oh my god, are you breaking up with me? Is that what this is?” 
Olivia’s eyes widened, and she jumped towards him, taking his hands in hers. 
“Oh my god Char, no of course not, I love you. I love you more than anything, of course it’s not that.” 
His shoulders relaxed a little, but he still looked upset, and he was holding onto her hands so tightly that his knuckles had gone white. 
“Then what is it, Liv? What’s going on in that head of yours?” 
He reached one of their clasped hands up and stroked her temple gently, his eyes encouraging, and his voice pleading. Olivia took a deep breath and thought about what Tori said. She loved Charlie, and she didn’t want to keep things from him. 
“I don’t like weddings.” 
Charlie raised his eyebrows at her, and nodded his head slightly. 
“I know that, you’ve been saying it all week.” 
Olivia shook her head at him and looked at her feet. 
“No Charlie, I don’t like weddings. The party is fine, the ceremony is gorgeous, it’s the most romantic thing in the world. But the whole idea of marriage, terrifies me.” 
Charlie frowned, and dropped her hands, taking a small step back. 
“So you don’t want to marry me?” 
His voice cracked a little, and Olivia met his eyes in alarm. She stepped towards him, and placed a hand on either side of his face. 
“Charlie. I want nothing more in the world to marry you. To be your wife, to love you forever. Of course I want to marry you. But you don’t understand. I’ve seen what marriage does, I’ve seen what husbands do and what wives do, I’ve seen the aftermath and the ugliness of it. I’ve seen divorce. I can’t live through that, not with you.” 
Charlie remained silent, watching her carefully. Olivia sighed and dropped her hands, moving her right to fiddle with her ring finger on her left hand. 
“Your parents were always married, Charlie. You never had to see them fight, never had to sit through a divorce. You didn’t have to do the split households, the divided families. Listening to your parents talk about the person they once loved with such hatred, it fucks you up. I always wanted to get married, ever since I was a little girl. I had my wedding planned until I was 15. And then I met you. And everything changed.” 
Livi realised what she’d said, and how it sounded, and grimaced slightly. 
“Not like that. I met you, and I started to believe in love again. Real love, eternal love. I’m so afraid that marriage breaks that for us. We’ve had almost 4 years of perfection, I’m not ready for it to end.” 
Her tears started to spill over at this, and Charlie reached out for her, pulling her into his arms. 
“Liv, you gotta tell me this stuff. I’ve been going out of my mind the past few weeks, thinking you were going to break up with me. We talked about this, remember? Communication?” 
Olivia nodded weakly, still crying quietly into his chest. 
“We haven’t had 4 years of perfection. We’ve fought a lot, we’ve walked out on each other. We’ve thrown stuff, we’ve said stuff we regret. It’s part of being in a relationship, baby. But every single time, we got back up, and we found our way back to each other, because that’s what love is. I know your parents gave you a shitty example, but god, you deserve to know real love, and you deserve to know what it feels like to walk down that aisle while I cry like a baby. You deserve to wear the most gorgeous dress in the world, and you deserve to know what it feels like when I kiss you in front of our entire family as my wife for the first time. You deserve to know what it feels like to be loved unconditionally, not only as my girlfriend, but as my wife, the person who shares my last name. You’re it for me, Liv. I want to marry you.” 
Olivia let out a sob, and pulled away from his chest, pulling him down to meet her lips. Charlie kissed her back with relief, feeling her warm tears soak into his skin. He held her until her shoulders stopped shaking, and took a step back, resting his hands on her shoulders. 
“I’m ridiculously in love with you, Olivia Wilder. And I’ll be damned if I let any other man be your husband.” 
Livi grinned through her teary eyes and stepped back into his arms, looking up at the stars. A shooting star flew overhead, and she gasped, pointing it out to Charlie. He laughed, and kissed her hand, before twirling her around on the spot, and wrapping an arm around her waist. 
“Now, can we go back inside? I want to catch this fucking bouquet so I can marry you already.” 
Olivia giggled and started to walk back towards the wedding with him, leaning her head on his shoulder. 
“Yes, but you have to ask me first. Properly, not some half assed random question out of the blue. Speak to Carolynn, it was in my journal.” 
Charlie groaned, but rested his head on hers with a smile, and guided her back into the party, his hand never once leaving her waist.
“1, 2, 3!” 
Carolynn launched the bouquet over her head, and Olivia watched with a smile as Charlie lunged for it, almost faceplanting as he collided with Carolynn’s brother. Her hands flew to her mouth when she thought he’d gotten it, but she relaxed when someone else stood up, and ran towards their girlfriend, who’s eyes were wide with terror. 
“Right ladies, you’re next!″ Jeremy appeared in between Tori and Olivia, Carolynn’s garter swinging from his finger. 
“Livi, go up the front won’t you? You’re driving my boy insane with the wait.” 
Tori grabbed Olivia’s hand, expecting her to freak out, and looked at her like she was crazy when a relaxed laugh came out instead. 
“Oh you know it Jer. Got to prove to the world that boy is mine.” 
She winked at Tori’s surprised face, and pulled her friend into the middle, watching Jer get ready to throw it over his shoulder, as she was jostled around by various excited bridesmaids. 
“1, 2, 3!” 
Once again, it came flying through the air, straight towards Olivia. She nearly caught it, but it slipped through her fingers, and one of the other girls got it. Not too bothered, she skipped over to Charlie, threading her fingers through his hair and ruffling it playfully. 
“I missed.” Charlie shrugged and linked his hands behind her back, leaning over her for a kiss. 
“That’s okay. I’ve got forever with you to make you my wife. I must say though, Olivia Gillespie has a nice ring to it.” 
Livi looked at him with raised eyebrows, and pressed a kiss to his lips. 
“Olivia sounds weird in your voice. I’ve always been Liv to you.” 
Charlie laughed slightly, and peered over his shoulder to where the dance floor had been cleared. 
“Liv Gillespie’s even better. Dance with me?” 
He let go of her and held a hand out, twirling her around when she took it. 
“Always.” 
She smiled up at him, and walked towards the dance floor, hanging back on the side as Jeremy and Carolynn shared their first dance as Mr and Mrs Shada. 
“They look so happy.” 
Charlie pressed a kiss to the side of her forehead, and drew her in closer to his side. 
“We’ll be even happier on our day. Because I have had to work for it.” 
Olivia rolled her eyes and punched him playfully, but snuggled into him all the same. Other couples started to take to the floor, and Charlie lead her out carefully, before wrapping his arms around her waist, and looking down with a grin as she wrapped hers around his neck. 
“As long as you don’t start doing the bloody perfect harmony choreo, I’ll dance with you. So watch yourself.” 
Olivia grinned at his comment, thinking back to Vancouver, when she’d forced him to do the entire perfect harmony routine with her in the apartment, claiming it was the most romantic thing she’d ever seen. Kenny had been more than happy to have her on set a few times, and had even said to Madison out of Olivia’s earshot that they were the perfect couple to watch if she needed an example of chemistry. Owen had in fact overheard this, and planned to use it when he was asked to give the best man speech he knew he’d be giving at Charlie and Olivia’s wedding. 
Charlie spun Olivia round before bringing her back into his chest, closer than before. They’d done four dances in a row now, and were feeling more loved up than ever, reluctant to be apart for even a second. Yet another song came on, and Livi rested her head on Charlie’s chest. 
“I can’t wait to marry you, you know.” 
He hardly heard it, but just about caught it, and rested his head on top of hers. 
“I can’t wait to make you Mrs Gillespie. Although, that is my mum. And I don’t know how I feel about that.” 
Livi laughed and pulled away from her boyfriend, looking at him with adoring eyes. 
“God, I am so in love with you.” 
He grinned, and stroked her cheek, pressing a kiss to her lips as he held her face carefully in one hand. 
“And I am so in love with you.” 
Livi leaned into his touch, and closed her eyes, basking in the moment of bliss, before speaking bluntly, her eyes still shut. 
“You’re a simp.” 
Charlie looked at her in surprise, his feet halting in their movements. Livi opened her eyes and stuck her tongue out at him, before stretching her arms out, and looking around them. 
“I fancy some tequila. Coming?” 
Charlie watched as she walked away, stuck between getting his girlfriend slightly drunk, and very horny, or pouting and ignoring her for calling him a simp. Considering he wasn’t entirely sure what that was? He went for the shots, and followed her to the open bar, where she already had a row of tequila shots waiting, somehow having managed to avoid being ID’d. 
“On three?” 
Charlie nodded and took a deep breath, preparing himself for the onslaught of alcohol, which would see him through a night of very intense dancing with Jer, attempts to recreate choreography with the boys of Sunset Curve, and of course, spending some much wanted alone time with his girlfriend, who would show him, even in her giggly drunk state, just how much she loved him, in many ways. 
Ways that had Owen and Tori grumbling about being kept up all night over breakfast the next morning, while Olivia sported a large hoodie of Charlie’s, pulled right up around her neck, and Charlie winced every time his back came into contact with anything. But they were clearly more in love than ever, so all of the complaints had been lighthearted. There was a lighter feeling in the air that morning, and everyone sitting near them could sense that it wouldn’t be long until the morning after breakfast would be for a couple very friendly to the current newlyweds.
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skieswords · 3 years
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Pull Through Part 1
Warnings for this book: Mentions of depression, alcohol and drugs, abuse and self-harming behaviours. Please do not read if any of these things will affect you, I have plenty of other stories on my page that are free from potential triggers❤️
Summary: Alex’s little sister Becca, is Sunset Curve’s number 1 fan. After her 16th birthday, her relationship with the lead guitarist becomes questionable, and she’s left trying to decide between following her heart, and respecting her brother’s wishes. Starts in November 1994.
Friday afternoons were always dull. Everyone's eyes were glued to the clock on the wall, heads slumped in hands, with the back row asleep save for one person. The only person paying any attention to the lesson was Gina in the front row, her comically large glasses falling down her nose as she scribbled notes from the board furiously. Becca tapped her foot absentmindedly, drumming her fingers on the desk as she stared out of the window. Her thoughts were on the essay she'd been issued last period, that she had no idea where to even start with. Was it on Shakespeare? Or the flaws in capitalism? Oh wait- that was what Mr Malcolm had told her would get her suspended again. She was jerked out of her thoughts by the scraping of chairs on the floor, and rustling papers as the class packed up and made their way out of the door. She sighed and pushed back in her seat, slinging her bag over her shoulder and trying her hardest to slink out of the room. 'Don't see me, don't see me, don't see me.' She crossed her fingers and prayed silently, ducking behind a group of girls, but her attempt to leave unnoticed failed miserably. "Rebecca, hold on a moment please." Becca cringed at her full name and turned to face her math teacher, false grin planted, eyes wide and innocent. "I wanted to talk to you about your math homework- or more accurately, the absence of it?" With an internal groan and a brief eye roll, Becca tried to formulate an excuse in her head, but failed. "Can I give it to you on monday morning?" Mrs Jacob, the math teacher, sighed, but nodded, a grim expression on her face as she turned back to her desk, waving Becca away. Breathing out in relief, she legged it out of the classroom. The corridor was basically empty now, with only a handful of stragglers hanging around, either for detention, or waiting for extra credit opportunities.
"Hey stranger, you coming?" Reggie appeared in front of her, guitar case slung over his shoulder, and hands in his jean pockets. Becca grinned at him, and searched her pocket for her locker key. "Two secs, got to grab my stuff." Reggie followed her to her locker and laughed as she opened it, revealing at least half a foot of paper sitting in a heap at the bottom. Becca shrugged and reached in, pulling out her skateboard. "Homework?" She scowled at him, shoving some paper into her backpack carelessly, and zipping it shut. "Alex told me to ask." Becca groaned and reached in to the warzone once more, pulling out her math textbook, before slamming her locker shut and stalking down the hall, Reggie following closely behind. "Who's driving today?" She turned to face him as they walked down the front steps of the school, face falling at his expression. "No, I'll get the bus." Reggie grabbed her arm as she tried to walk away, dragging her back to his side and shrugging. " He's not that bad. He needs practice, his test is next week." Becca groaned loudly, but continued down the sidewalk to where her brother's beaten up 1993 mustang sat, one headlight cracked, and scratches covering the doors. Alex had been given the car for his 16th birthday, and Becca suspected she would get something similar for hers. Although god knows she'd take better care of it than Alex did- his could easily pass as being 10 years old, not 2. "Hey trouble." His voice came from the driver's seat, and Becca bent down to lean on the window frame, her face blank. "Crash and I'll kill you." Luke grinned up at her, that ridiculous smirk that hadn't changed since elementary school, and she reached through to pull his beanie off his head. His smirk turned into a scowl, and Becca laughed at him, walking around to the rear of the car. The trunk was already sitting open, the boys guitars and school bags dumped among the empty water bottles and crisp packets. Becca dropped her own belongings in and slammed the trunk shut, taking her seat in the back beside Reggie. Alex turned to face her, pushing his fringe off his face. "How was math?" Becca shrugged and pulled one knee up to her chest, looking out of the window. "Bex. Math?" She rolled her eyes at him and groaned, throwing her head back against the seat. "It was fine. I've got homework." Alex nodded and reached into the footwell, tossing a can of juice at her. "I'll help you with it tomorrow?" Becca smiled and cracked open her can, taking a gulp and kicking the back of Luke's seat. He turned and glared at her, grabbing her shoe and tugging her forward, causing juice to splash up onto her face. They launched into a game of tug of war with Becca's leg, until Reggie leaned forward, and interrupted, pulling Luke's hand off Becca. "Is Bobby coming over tonight?" Luke shrugged and and turned back to the wheel, the car shuddering to life a moment later. Becca put on her seat belt and crossed her arms. "Hold on boys. This could get messy." She caught Luke's eye in the mirror and winked at him as he gave her the finger, before resting her head back on the seat, and tapping her fingers to the rhythm in her head, on the windowpane. He noticed, and smirked to himself, reaching over to turn up the volume on the radio.
When they pulled up to Luke's house, Becca noticed his knuckles turn white, as he gripped the steering wheel tightly. Opening the door and pulling his seat forward to let Becca out, he walked toward the rear end of the car and opened the trunk, frowning slightly. "Hey Alex? Could you uh, take my guitar to Reggie's tonight?" Alex sighed and nodded, taking Luke's place in the driver seat. Becca walked past Luke, who slammed the trunk shut a little too hard, making her jump. "Sorry Bex. See you tonight?" Becca smiled, waving over her shoulder at him. He smirked and bit his bottom lip, nodding his head before turning on his heel, and heading into the house. Alex started driving back to their house, tapping his fingers to the beat of the song on the radio. Becca started humming along, and he cranked it up a bit, whistling the tune through his teeth as they drove through their neighbourhood. Alex and Becca's dad was a lawyer, and their mom was a doctor, so they lived in a very nice area. They constantly made jokes about how their incredibly academic parents, a lawyer and a doctor, produced two delinquents. The gay drummer of a rock band, and a skater daughter, who flunked all but two of her classes. It was clear they were still hoping for clones of themselves, through their ridiculous insistance that they be called Rebecca and Alexander, names that both siblings despised greatly. This, and the constant pressure about college. They'd given up on Alex, because he'd already been contacted by a number of schools, wanting him for their music program, and he'd made it very clear that was what he was going to do. However, Graham, their dad, was currently on Becca's back because she was failing math, reminding her daily that she'd never make it to medical school with her current grades. "Ready?" Alex turned the engine off and got out of the car, walking around to the trunk. Becca followed him, picking up her school bag, and reaching out for her skateboard. She'd just grabbed the edge when the front door opened, and Graham appeared. Alex smacked her hand, making her drop it, and pushed the trunk shut quickly, stepping away from the car. He placed a hand on Becca's shoulder and gave her a push, sending her inside. "Rebecca, good day?" Becca nodded, and ran past her dad, head down. Alex watched her go and resisted the urge to punch the eldest member of the Mercer family, before locking the car and following her in. He heard her bedroom door slam shut upstairs, and sighed internally. "Hey sweetheart, how was school?" Alex walked into the kitchen and dropped his keys on the work top, running a hand through his hair. "It was good, mom. It still okay if I take Bex over to Reggie's tonight?" Julia smiled softly and walked over to Alex, reaching up to stroke the hair off his face. He towered over her tiny frame, 6 foot of blonde hair, sarcastic comments, and brightly coloured t-shirts. "Rebecca should study. You can go, but she's behind in school." Alex rolled his eyes subtly and nodded. "She won't study if I leave her. If I take her with me she can sit with Reggie's mom?" Julia considered this, and glanced around with a worried expression. "I have a shift tonight, and your father's gone out for a bit. Leave now, and as long as your both back by 10, you can take her. Make sure she works." Alex smirked, and grabbed his keys, before kissing her swiftly on the cheek and running up the stairs.
Becca's room was a soft grey, with one orange wall that had a large desk leaning against it, littered with sheets of paper. A black acoustic guitar, with a light coating of dust, sat in the corner, a red electric on a stand beside it. Another empty stand sat nearby. A Sunset Curve flyer hung above her bed frame, pride of place. Her built in closet hung open, clothes spilling out over the floor, and more hanging on the chair of her desk. Paper was scattered across her bed, Becca sitting up in the middle of it all, chewing her pencil. Her light brown hair sat in a bun at the nape of her neck, tendrils falling around her face. A knock on the door made her look up, and a pair of bright blue eyes met her own, as Alex stepped through the doorframe. "Leaving for Reggie's in 5, you ready?" Becca grinned,  jumping up and grabbing one of Alex's old hoodies from her closet. Slipping her feet into her converse, she looked up at her big brother, an innocent smile on her face. "Can you drop me off at the skate park?" Alex snorted and pointed to her school bag. "Not a chance. Grab that, I told mom you'd study." Becca rolled her eyes, but swung her backpack over her shoulder, throwing some of the paper from her bed into it. "Oh shit." Alex turned back to her with his eyebrows raised. Becca was pulling her glasses off her face, tucking the large black frames into her pocket. "Sorry. Now we can go." They headed out the door and down the stairs, Becca jumping on Alex's back when they reached the bottom. "Why don't you wear your glasses out? No-one minds them." Becca shrugged and rested her head on Alex's shoulder, only jumping down when they reached the car. "I dunno. They make me look dorky. Bobby's going tonight isn't he?" Alex nodded and turned the keys, the car giving a few shudders until it jumped to life with a roar. Becca groaned and threw her head against the head rest. "But he always flirts with me! It's so gross." With a surprised laugh and slight smirk, Alex started the well-known route to Reggie's. "He's been warned, but he tries to sleep with anything that moves." Becca raised her eyebrows silently, but snorted, and Alex realised what he said, his face flushing red with embarrassment and fear. "Uhhhh I mean, flirt. Yup. Totally didn't just make a sex joke to my baby sister." Becca laughed and punched his arm gently, kicking her feet up on the dash. "I'm not a baby- I'm sixteen in 4 days. And I'm only like a year younger than you." Alex rolled his eyes. "Maybe you need more help with math than we thought."   Becca looked at him questioningly, as he turned left, away from Reggie's. "Got to check Luke's not still at home. His folks won't have taken him." Nodding, Becca started chewing her lip and looked out the window. Luke was the youngest of the band, only turning 17 a few months ago, and was the only one who couldn't drive yet. The sun was setting, the November chill drifting through the cracks in the car. When they reached Luke's house, the front porch light was on, and they could see into the living room. The Pattersons were all there, Luke's arms outstretched. They couldn't quite see his face, but by the looks of things, they were arguing again. Alex honked once, and Luke glanced out the window. He seemed to shout one last thing, before running out of the room appearing at the front door moments later, that ridiculous grey jacket thrown over his arm. As he stalked towards the car, Becca noticed his tearstreaked face, and felt something wrench in her chest. She clambered into the back seat without argument, pulling her bag with her. "Hey man, you alright?" Luke sniffed and rolled his eyes, nodding at Becca in the rearview. "Hey Bex." She didn't say anything, smiling weakly and watching his reflection in the wing mirror. He rubbed his eyes fiercely with his fists, and started to bite the little nails he did have, his eyes wraught with pain and anger. Becca wanted to say something, but didn't know what would make him feel better. "Hey guys, can we get ice cream?" She leaned through the gap and rested her elbows on the seats. Luke turned to look at her, his green eyes rimmed with red. They made brief eye contact, and she gave him a soft smile, tilting her head slightly towards him. "We have to get to Reggie's though..." Becca looked at Alex with puppy dog eyes, and Luke leant forward to join her, sticking out his bottom lip. "You two will be the death of me. Fine, but we're getting for everyone." Becca and Luke's fists connected, and Becca felt a shiver go down her spine as a deep chuckle erupted from Luke's throat. She sat back, and watched out of the window as Alex drove further and further away from Reggie's.
"We brought ice-cream!" Alex came barging through the door of Reggie's garage, where Bobby was in the corner tuning his guitar, and Reggie was sitting on the couch, feet on the coffee table. "Hey man, running late?" Luke came through after Alex, dumping his guitar case on top of the piano and starting to unpack it. Reggie sat up and leant towards the ice cream bag, picking a tub out. "I thought Bex was coming?" Alex turned round and looked about him in confusion, rolling his eyes with a smile when she came through the doors dramatically. "She is and she did. Reg is your mom in? Or should I chill in the loft?" Becca came strolling towards the boys, empty handed, school bag abandoned in the car. "Mom's in, you can choose." Bobby put down his guitar, ran his hands through his hair, and shoved his hands in his pockets. "Hey gorgeous." Alex stepped in front of him, pushing him back gently. "Hey. She's still underage, still my sister, and still totally off limits." Becca laughed and walked over to the piano, leaving Bobby to groan at Alex's insistance that Becca would never date. "Hey, can I take this?" Luke looked down to her, and the pile of paper in her hand. "Uh sure, what's it for?" Becca shrugged and disappeared up the ladder, leaving Luke watching her with a raised eyebrow. But he didn't have long to ponder what she was doing, as Reggie started tuning his bass, and Bobby sat back on the couch, still pouting after Alex's telling off. Becca took her seat in the loft, settling into a beanbag with her stash of paper. The loft was small, but she hung out here most nights of the week, so she'd made it comfy. One wall had a few shelves on it, with her favourite books and a few blankets stacked on them. A large stack of Sunset Curve CD cases were piled up in the corner, t-shirt designs crammed in a box next to them. And in another corner, tucked behind her beanbag, was her guitar. Becca unclipped the case and slipped the strap over her head, strumming quietly. The boys made enough noise that they wouldn't be able to hear her in the loft, but she was careful anyways. It was a secret, that she played. Alex knew the black Martin was a gift from someone, so just presumed his little sister was too polite to give it back, or sell it. The electric was Luke's, left there years ago, and never retrieved. She adored the beaten up Fender Reggie's mom had given her when she was 12, and didn't have any plans to exchange it. It was covered in stickers, and she'd re-strung it so many times the tuning pegs were worn. There was an entire corner dedicated to vans stickers, collected from the 4 billion pairs Luke seemed to own. Becca and her guitar had been through everything together. She'd fought with her dad just after Alex's birthday last year, and after ignoring her for a week, she'd found a gorgeous black Martin resting on her bed. It remained untouched, as she felt like it would be an insult to Reggie if she accepted it. Besides, her old one was perfectly broken in, and felt familiar and heavy in her hand. She noticed the floor of the loft was vibrating beneath her, Luke's chords biting through the air forcefully. He was clearly upset. Becca sighed, slipped her glasses on, and picked up the sheets of paper in front of her, scribbling furiously.
And you use your pain 'Cause it makes you you Though I wish I could hold you through it
She picked through a couple of chords gently, frowning when she couldn't quite work it out. It must've been hours, because the boys had stopped playing. Tucking her guitar back into it's hiding place, Becca reached for a notebook sitting on the shelf, and pulled it into her lap, rewriting the words next to some verses she'd come up with in the past.  "Hey Bex, Alex wants to go, you ready?" Becca jumped at the sound of Luke's voice, scrambling to hide the sheets of paper sitting in her lap. She must have lost track of time, or reality, because the garage was silent, and Luke's watch said it was 9.30. "Uh, yeh, two seconds." She stuffed it into her hoodie pocket, and tucked her hair behind her ears. "Nice glasses." Becca's eyes widened, and she pulled the offending articles off her face, stuffing them in her pocket alongside her music . Luke came all the way up the ladder, and crouched opposite her, looking over the various sheets of paper. An orange notebook lay open on the floor, and he picked it up, scanning the page. "Damn, Bex, you write?" Becca jumped up and grabbed the book, dropping it onto the beanbag and sitting back down. "No. I just get bored listening to your guys stuff, it's poems and stuff for school." Luke appeared to be holding back a laugh, and was looking at her in utter disbelief. He knew she was lying through her teeth, but decided not to say anything, choosing to sit cross legged and continue flicking through the assortment of pages laying on the floor. Becca watched anxiously, and started putting stuff away, making sure her notebook was tucked away safely on the shelf where he couldn't see. "Some of these poems are really good. You should try putting them to music." Becca snorted and snatched the sheets out of his hand. "Fat chance, I don't sing, and I don't play." Luke appeared skeptical, but he stayed silent, frowning slightly as he started to pile up the loose paper. "Anyway, as I was saying, your brother wants to go. And I'm staying with you guys tonight." Becca nodded, and climbed to her feet, brushing down her jeans. Luke started climbing down the ladder, smirking up at her. She rolled her eyes, and followed him down, hugging Reggie before walking out to the car behind all the guys. Bobby took the front, leaving Luke and Becca in the backseat together. It wasn't late, but she felt her eyelids drooping as the car purred along the darkened streets, and with the boys all totally silent, it didn't take long for her to drop off to sleep. Luke glanced down at her head on his shoulder and smiled softly. His jacket was sitting in his lap, and he gently swung it over her, before turning his head to face out the window, watching the houses in Bobby's neighbourhood flit by. When they reached his house, he turned to say goodnight to Luke and Becca, frowning when he found them both asleep, Luke's head now resting on top of Becca's. Alex turned round, and rolled his eyes, giving Bobby a light shove to get him out of the car. "Sorry dude, I gotta have her home by 10." Bobby sighed, but fist bumped Alex and got out. "Thanks for the lift bro, catch you later." Alex waved at him and drove off, heading over three neighbourhoods to his place. The driveway was dark, and he let out a disappointed sigh as he realised his dad was still out. Oh well, at least they could go in undisturbed. Luke apparently was awake, sitting up gently so as to not disturb Becca. "Wake her if you want, she'll fall straight back asleep when she gets upstairs. "Nah I feel bad. Want me to carry her up?" Alex raised his eyebrows but shrugged, pulling his chair forward to let them out. Luke slipped one arm under Becca's knees, and pulled her head into his chest gently, letting it fall onto him as he climbed out of the car. His jacket still draped over her, he carried her through the door, slipping his shoes off at the bottom of the stairs. "Where's her room again?" Alex locked the front door and came up the stairs behind them, his fluorescent pink socks padding quietly on the cream carpet. "Opposite mine, up the stairs." Luke nodded and turned left on the landing, knocking her door open with his knee. "Liar." He scoffed when he saw the silhouettes of the guitars in the corner, and set her down on the bed gently, pulling a blanket over her. Curiousity got the better of him, and with a glance at her sleeping form, he couldn't help but move to the desk in the corner, picking up a couple of the loose sheets sitting there. Pages and pages of writing stared back at him, clearly the work of an extremely talented writer. He peered over his shoulder at her, smiling when he caught sight of the moon lighting up her face. "Hey man, you coming?" Alex appeared at the door, jeans swapped for a pair of sweats and a sunset curve t-shirt. Luke nodded, and grabbed his jacket off the end of Becca's bed before pulling her bedroom door closed gently, and walking past Alex to his room. Alex came into his little sister's bedroom, and pulled off her shoes gently, closing her curtains so she wouldn't be woken up too early. If dad was out, chances are he wouldn't be back til tomorrow evening. She deserved some extra rest. Becca listened as the door clicked shut, and smiled to herself. The weak scent of Luke's cheap ass cologne, and something that was unarguably boy, remained on her shirt, and she breathed it in, closing her eyes, and drifting back off to sleep.
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skieswords · 3 years
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Sorry For The Wait {Charlie Gillespie x OC}
Summary: Alex is a lowkey youtuber, known for funny vlogs of her just existing. She’s avoided the relationship question for the longest time, but has decided it’s time to come clean to her followers. 
Warning: Fluff, swearing, mention of alcohol, and sexual innuendo cause I’m incapable of writing anything without it.
Alex was wandering round the kitchen, in his old shirt and a pair of pyjama shorts that really didn’t cover much. She hummed an undistinguishable melody under her breath as she went about making her morning coffee, dancing to the song in her head. Charlie grinned from his position in the doorframe, leaning up against the wall with his arms crossed as he watched his girlfriend be her usual dorky self. She spun round suddenly, feeling eyes on her. “Oh, morning Char, when did you get back?” Charlie laughed under his breath and uncrossed his arms, stepping towards her and pulling her into his chest. “It’s not exactly morning, is it.” He nodded towards the clock on the oven that read 13.47, sighing when she shrugged and pressed a kiss to his cheek before stepping away to pick up her coffee cup. “It’s my morning.” Charlie rolled his eyes but nodded, helping himself to a banana from the fruit bowl, and leaning against the counter. Alex jumped onto the counter opposite, and swung her legs, sipping happily. Sitting there looking absolutely content, in his clothes and drinking her coffee, Charlie felt his heart swell. “I wanna go public.” He blurted it out, rather unexpectedly, for both parties. His eyes widened as he realised what he’d said, and looked down to his boots, still caked with mud from that morning’s not so sunny hike. “Didn’t we agree you’d stop wearing boots in the house? You hate vaccuming.” She jumped off the counter and made her way towards him, wrapping her arms around him and setting her coffee down on the countertop, resting her chin on his chest. He looked down at her with a soft smile, her blue eyes bearing into his hazel ones. “If you’re up for it, I’m down.” She smiled up at him, her voice soft and slightly excited. He pressed a kiss to her forehead and let his hand wrap around her waist, fingers drawing light patterns on her spine. “Yes please. I want everyone to know you’re mine.” Alex grinned and kissed along his jaw, until pressing a lingering kiss to his lips. “Okay. When?” She broke away from him and unwrapped some toaster waffles, pushing down the button on the toaster before making her way back into his arms. “Today. Fuck it, let’s do it now.” She raised her eyebrows at him, and fiddled with his chain nervously. “Have you checked with Kenny? Didn’t he say-” Charlie sighed and ran a hand through his hair. “Uh, Kenny gave me the all clear like 2 months ago. I just wasn’t sure if you were okay with it.” Alex rolled her eyes, and patted his head jokingly, stretching like a cat and moaning happily when her back cracked loudly. “Of course I am. Dude do you know how many videos I’ve got planned for when people know about us?” Charlie laughed and stood up properly, kicking his shoes off and frowning slightly at the mud that scattered the floor as he did. “Great, let’s get them all filmed. Go get changed though, I’m not taking you on live in them.” He indicated her shorts, reaching a hand round to grab her ass. “Hey, they’re not that bad.” Charlie raised his eyebrows at her, and pointed to the doorway. “Fine. But I’m not wearing a bra and you can’t make me.” He rolled his eyes and smirked, pulling his phone out and walking through to the living room, stopping outside their bedroom door and watching as she pulled her shorts down. He bit his lip and caught her eye, shooting her a wink, before settling onto the sofa, setting his phone up on the tripod. 
“Hellooo, people. Okay, so I’ll just let some people file in. Sheesh, how many of you are there? That’s like 4000 already and it’s been like 10 seconds. Okay just a few more... Great. Hi everyone, uh, this is just a quick one to answer a question a lot of people have been asking me since the show came out. Before I do, I just want to say you guys know how much I love you, and how grateful I am for all the support, but I really need you guys to respect me with this. It’s something I’ve wanted to do for a long time, and I’ve only held off because I was waiting for someone to agree.” 
From behind the camera, Alex emerged from their bedroom, her hair freed from it’s bun and falling around her shoulders as she fidgeted. She was nervous, having only been in front of an online audience of a couple thousand before, and she’d never been exposed to Charlie’s followers. They read the comments on his posts together sometimes, and she often stalked fan pages when she was bored and he was out hiking. The girls were crazy about him. Understandably of course, the man was gorgeous, and talented, and funny, and a million other things that had indeed made her fall in love with him in the first place. Kenny had asked that cast members (besides Jeremy, who already had a very public fiancée) to keep any relationships on the downlow, in order to keep the guys sex appeal up to fans. Alex had agreed, knowing it would help the show sell, and had deleted the few posts of Charlie on her instagram profile. None of them really made it look like they were in a relationship, and they were mostly group shots anyway, taken on day trips to Newfoundland, or on the beach with other friends. So her own followers, besides her close friends and family, had no idea she was even in a relationship. Still, it wasn’t fair to tease his fans, so she’d removed the posts all the same. Thinking of her instagram, she pulled her own phone out and took a picture of herself in the living room mirror with her tongue out, captioning it ‘head over to @charles_gillespie for an exciting announcement!’ before leaving her phone on the sidetable and grabbing her coffee from the kitchen.
“Okay, so we’ve waited like 3 years or something to do this. Guys, this is Alex. My girlfriend.” Alex walked into the frame and took a seat next to Charlie, avoiding eye contact with the camera. She wasn’t camera shy- she was a youtuber, it was second nature to her. But a bunch of batshit crazy fangirls? Terrifying. Charlie slipped an arm around her shoulders and made a show of bringing their heads together, plastering a silly grin on his face. His smile was infectious, and Alex mirrored it, sipping her coffee carefully before setting it down next to wear Charlie’s foot sat on the coffee table. “Knock that over and I’m kicking you out.” He laughed and kissed her hair, leaning forward to read the comments. 
“OMG, it’s @alexmvlogsz!”
“I knew it, there are old photos of the two of them everywhere.”
“It won’t be serious, they’ve probs only just got together.”
“She’s defo with him for the fame.”
“He’s too hot for her.”
“I’m so here for this!” 
Alex noticed Charlie’s frown and leant forward, reading them over his shoulder. “Ha, you guys are funny. Yes, hi it’s me, Alex. Yes, there are a lot of photos of us going around. Yuh okay you’re wrong, been together for like 4 years now I think? Also, we started dating while I had more followers than Charlie. So, uh go follow me because I’m cooler than him. Oh you are so right, he’s way too hot for me. And we are also here for this!” Charlie looked at her with an adoring smile, kissing her head again and pulling her into his side. “She’s hotter than me, actually. Anyways, this is Alex, love of my life. Just thought I’d share that with you guys.” Alex waved and laughed as a storm of comments came through, a combination of support and hate. “Okay, I’m gonna end it there. Bye y’all.” Charlie clicked the end button and collapsed back onto the sofa, frowning slightly. “People are so mean. Why can’t they just accept that I love you?” Alex shrugged and kissed him, moving to straddle his lap. “They will in time. But half of them are in love with you, they don’t want to accept it. It’s fine though, I’m used to it, don’t worry.” Charlie grumbled under his breath, leaning forward to rest his head against her chest. “Hey, while their all still on their phones, do me a favour and put a question box on your story for a Q&A video?” Charlie nodded and grabbed his phone from behind her, keeping one hand on her back so she didn’t fall. Alex yelped as he stood up, automatically wrapping her legs round his waist, and her arms round his neck. “What the fuck Charlie?” He laughed and wandered over to the same mirror Alex had taken her selfie in a few minutes earlier, holding up his phone and taking a photo of them. “For the story. I can post photos of you now, thank god.” Alex held on, resting her head on his shoulder as he typed behind her back, before tossing his phone onto the sofa and grinning at her. She raised her head and looked at him with her eyebrows raised. “Are you going to put me down now?” Charlie shook his head and walked towards the bathroom, arms wrapped around her. “I need a shower, and you’re joining me. “ Alex laughed but let him carry her, kissing along his jawline with a happy smile. 
*****
Hair soaking wet and faces flushed, they collapsed into bed side by side, Alex resting her head on Charlie’s chest. “I have an idea.” Charlie looked down at her, and ran his fingers through the damp strands of hair. “We should call Owen over. We’ll do a Q and A, but he has to read out the questions, and if we try to answer wrong or something, he can reveal the truth. Plus he can throw in his opinions, and it’ll be funny.” Charlie laughed softly, and nodded, reaching over to his nightstand to grab his phone. He clicked on Owen’s contact, and facetimed him, pulling the duvet up to cover Alex just in time. “I didn’t mean ask him right now. But okay.” Owen picked up, and grinned into the camera as he saw Charlie. “Hey, I’m just heading out to do some stuff but I can speak to you in the car. What’s up?” Charlie didn’t speak, simply angling the camera so that Owen could see them both, Alex’s red cheeks standing out against the white of the duvet cover pulled up to her shoulders. His face fell when he took in her appearance, groaning and pulling his hat over his face. “Look, Charlie, I love you, and I tolerate you Alex, but I saw enough of this in Vancouver. Seriously man, she has no clothes on.” Charlie nodded, and smirked. “Yuh, and she’s staying like that for the rest of the day. Anway, she wants to talk to you.” He handed the phone to Alex and sat up, reaching over to grab Alex’s phone from the charger. Owen rolled his eyes and sat Alex on his car stand, turning the keys in the ignition, and starting to drive. Alex made sure the sheet was tucked tightly under her arms, before moving out of Charlie’s grip, and leaning against the headboard. “Okay, so I was thinking.” Owen grunted in response and raised his eyebrows, avoiding looking at her. “Never a good thing. Just saying, if you flash me it’s not my fault, and manchild over there can’t get mad.” Charlie stuck his middle finger up at Owen, not looking up from Alex’s phone, which he was spamming with selfies. “Yeah, whatever. Anyway. I was thinking, Charlie just told all his followers we’re together- just incase you didn’t notice- and I want to do a Q & A on my channel. I think it’ll be even funnier if you ‘host’ it, and you can throw in random stories and opinions and whatever? You know us better than anyone,” Owen laughed bitterly and leaned forward, looking out his window. “Yeah, unfortunately. God, I was so happy when you went home. Okay, so when do you want to film this?” Alex looked over at Charlie and smiled seeing him scrolling through her instagram feed. “I don’t mind, when you next free?” Owen shrugged, and the familiar ticking of an indicator came through the phone. “As long as you two are fully clothed, I’ll come over on Wednesday? I have to come to LA to meet some people anyway, we can grab dinner after?” Alex nodded and watched as Charlie set her phone down, and slid down the bed, resting his head on her stomach. She ran her free hand through his hair, smiling as his eyes closed at the sensation. “Yeah that works. I’ll see if Sav wants to come too. Okay, I’ll see you then.” Owen nodded and waved at her, smiling as she flipped the camera to show Charlie. “He’s such a baby. Okay, you two go do whatever you two do. I’ll catch you later.” Charlie flipped him off once more, not lifting his head from where it rested, and Alex hung up. “You want a nap?” Charlie groaned slightly, indicating yes. “Cool, me too. Let me get the blinds.” Charlie sat up with an incredulous expression. “You woke up like an hour and a half ago woman, how are you tired already?” Alex looked at him with raised eyebrows and pulled a shirt out of their wardrobe. His shirt, to be clear. He watched as she dragged it over her head and flipped the blinds so that the room was darker, and held his arms out to her as she climbed back into their king sized bed, cuddling into his warm chest as they passed out for a couple of hours.
*******
“Hey guys! Most of you will already know, because we announced it a few days ago, but for those of you who don’t, today I’m introducing you to my boyfriend properly! The incredibly hot Charlie Gillespie.” Charlie waved awkwardly to the camera from his spot on the sofa, looking to Alex who was on the other side, almost 2 feet of space between them. “We figured we’d do a Q and A, so you guys sent in some questions, and well, we’re gonna answer them. Also, we have another special guest with us.” Owen appeared, and sat in between them, grinning at the camera. “Wouldn’t be a show without me. Okay so basically these two are disgustingly in love, and have been for a disgusting amount of time. Alex is using me for clout, and now you’re going to find out all of the gory details about their relationship.” Alex smacked him gently and handed him Charlie’s phone, the question response boxes all ready to read. “Okay, first question.
How long have you guys known eachother, and how did you meet? Owen looked between them, and pointed to Charlie. “I want to hear him get this wrong.” Charlie rolled his eyes and leaned forward, looking at Alex, who nodded. “Okay. We met nearly 4 years ago, when Alex moved over here for college. I was in LA that weekend, and I bumped into her in the street. We got to talking, and I ended up taking her out that night. That was pretty much it if I’m honest, nothing that exciting.” Alex scoffed and flipped her hair behind her shoulders. “Not quite. I took him out, and he fangirled the whole time. His sister had watched a few of my youtube videos, and he- and I quote- thought I was really pretty.” Charlie stuck his tongue out at her, and Owen groaned, resting his head in his hands. “We’re only one question in and I’m already sick of the both of you. Okay, next question.”
Do you guys live together, and if so where? Alex raised her eyebrows and laughed. “Most of the time we live together, yes. This is my apartment in LA, and I’d say we’re here at least 8 months of the year. But at christmas we go to New Brunswick to see Char’s family, and we go visit my family in thesummer. And sometimes I’m in New Zealand, and he’ll go on holiday with his boyfriend here.” Owen grinned and held Charlie’s hand, resting his head on his friends shoulder. Charlie leaned into him, making them appear like a very loved up couple. “Yeah, so we live together most of the time, apart from when we’re visiting friends or family, or if he’s working.” Charlie nodded and looked to Owen, who continued scrolling through boxes. “Oh my god some of these are dodgy. Jesus, look at this one!” He showed it to Alex, who burst out laughing. “Okay, I’m answering that but we’re not reading out the actual question.” She climbed to her feet and turned side on to the camera, smoothing out her t-shirt against her chest, giving a decent view of her side profile. “Whoever asked what kind of man Charlie is, I’ll let you figure that one out for yourself. He doesn’t get a choice in the matter- I only have one of the above.” Charlie read the question over Owen’s shoulder, before frowning and reaching out for Alex, pulling her onto his knee. “Shut up, you’re perfect and I love every bit of you.” He started peppering her face with kisses, laughing alongside her. Owen jumped to the other side of the sofa, grimacing. “Disgusting. Okay, next question. Ooh, this one’s juicy.”
Alex, do you and Madison get along, and have you ever been jealous of her relationship with Charlie? Owen made a show of trying not to laugh, and Alex rolled her eyes. “Mads is like a little sister to me. We get on really well, and her and Charlie’s relationship is best friends, nothing more. I mean, to be fair I’d totally adopt her if I could. Having her living with me would me pretty cool.” Charlie frowned and shook his head. “No. I’m not living with the both of you. You’d never stop singing.” Alex nodded happily. “And the only thing I’m jealous of her for is she doesn’t have to live with him. Or share a kitchen with him.” Charlie flicked her in the side of the head, kissing the afflicted area shortly after, while Owen nodded in agreement. “That brings us nicely on to the next one.”
Who’s got the worst eating habits? Owen rubbed the back of his neck and looked straight at the camera. “I can’t believe I’m about to say this. Alex is worse than Charlie, folks. And you’ve seen how he eats.” Charlie pushed Alex off him and jumped up, pointing his fingers at her as he danced around in front of the camera. Alex’s jaw dropped, and she leant forward, pointing at Charlie accusingly. “He eats eggs with peanut butter. Do you know how gross that is?” Charlie grabbed her hand and kissed her knuckles, sinking back into his seat. “You eat ham, and peanut butter. You can’t talk.” Alex groaned and flipped him off behind Owen’s head. “Fine, what’s the next one?” Owen grinned and scrolled a bit, laughing out loud before putting the phone facedown.
Who’s most likely to get jealous? He smirked at the camera, and shared a look with Alex, who was grinning. They turned back to the camera and spoke simultaneously. “Charlie.” At his name, he groaned and grabbed a pillow, smothering his face with it. “Very much Charlie. Do you want to hear something funny? Of course you do. Owen, I’ll let you take this one.” Alex sat back, smiling smugly, while Charlie looked at her with pure betrayal written all over his face. “While we were in Vancouver last year, filming for the show, Alex here, came to stay with us for 2 months. This was the first time I’d met her, besides a few facetime calls. We got on really well, and hung out a lot on and off set, while I wasn’t filming. Our lovely Charlie, decided he was going to absolutely freak out about this, and started a fight in the middle of the freaking lot, in front of the entire cast and crew, because he thought I was after Alex.” Charlie groaned from behind the pillow, and Alex laughed. “He thought Owen was flirting with me, and yelled at him for a straight 7 minutes, while we just kinda stood there and looked at each other. I felt so bad, I took Charlie home that night and sat with him for like 3 hours, and then I took them both out for dinner the next night. It was weird.” Owen snorted and rubbed his forehead. “You did not just sit with him. I shared an apartment with you, I was in the next room.” Alex punched his arm, and leaned over to ruffle Charlie’s hair. “He’s just protective, you should see him when we go out together, he literally refuses to leave my side.” Owen nodded and smiled at Charlie’s flushed face. “He’s stupid protective of her. One of the crew members actually did flirt with her. We’re lucky the guy’s still alive.” Charlie rolled his eyes at them both and held his hands up. “I had to compete with an entire college full of guys to keep her. And I have 3 brothers. I’m used to fighting for what’s mine.” Alex smiled and stood up, pushing Owen into her spot and sitting beside him, taking Charlie’s hand. “Yeah, what he said. Next question Owen?” Owen shook his head and scrolled once more, raising his eyebrows occasionally. “Okay, this should be easy.”
Who’s the most annoying to live with? Charlie and Alex both immediately pointed to her, and Owen nodded his head. “Even just while we were in Vancouver, this girl drove me up the wall. I don’t know how Charlie does it.” Charlie smirked and rubbed his jaw. “He gets well compensated for his troubles.” Charlie shrugged and nodded, laughing at Owen’s expression. “She’s incapable of showering without leaving the entire bathroom flooded, she never does the laundry unless I phone her four times and ask her to do it, she has never touched the vaccum in her life, and the bed only gets made when she’s not living here. Not to mention she’s the messiest person in the world, and our room is literally carpeted with her- actually wait no, MY clothes, because she never wears her own stuff. Exhibit A.” Alex stood up and spun around, showing off her outfit of Charlie’s t-shirt and a pair of jeans. “He loves me for it though.” She dropped back onto the sofa, smiling as she felt Charlie’s arm slip around her waist and pull her in to his side. “Let’s do some nice ones.”
Are you guys morning people? All three of them laughed, and Alex buried her face in Charlie’s chest. “Owen, is like a late morning early afternoon person. I’m always up before 9, I like doing stuff in the mornings. I sleep in on Saturdays sometimes, or I’ll stay in bed and watch a movie with Alex. But Alex doesn’t get up unless she absolutely has to. Today she got up at like 1230 I think? And that’s early for her, and it was only after a lot of persuasion.” Alex bit her lip, remembering the persuasion Charlie had used that morning, and feeling a familiar heat take over her face. Owen pulled a face, also knowing what he meant, and gagged. “Disgusting. But yeah, I’ll second that. When she lived with us, we’d go home for lunch sometimes, or we’d have a halfday, and she’d still be sleeping. Like Charlie would go in and get her at like 4pm. And she’d wake up and go get coffee. At 4pm.” Charlie nodded, and Alex sighed, sitting up and brushing her hair out of her face. “In my defense, I’m normally up pretty late. I work best at night, and I can never fall asleep before like 3 or 4am.” She shrugged, and leant on Charlie, who was blushing ever so slightly. “We know, Alex, we know. Let me give you a piece of advice, folks. See if your best mate’s girlfriend comes to stay, after 2 months of being apart? Stay away from the apartment for at least 3 days. Maybe a week. Move out if you can. They kept me up, Every. Freaking. Night. I don’t know how Charlie was able to function at 5.30 in the morning, considering he could’ve gotten like maximum an hour of sleep. He was on vocal rest for a reason.” Owen raised his eyebrows at the camera, and Alex hid her face, while Charlie puffed out his cheeks and looked around, avoiding the camera. “Moving swiftly on, what’s the next question Owen?” The blonde grinned and scrolled once more, chuckling under his breath.
What’s your guys favourite thing to do together? Owen looked at them dubiously as Alex clapped her hands, and Charlie grinned. “Besides that.” Charlie rolled his eyes and reached over to clip Owen over the ear, and Alex ducked as they play fought over the top of her. Finally breaking apart, Charlie straightened his shirt and resumed his hold on Alex. “It’s between travelling and playing. With Alex’s family in the UK, and mine in Canada, we fly around quite a lot. Besides, we both love seeing new places, and we have friends all over the place.” Alex nodded and smiled excitedly. “I can’t wait, we’re going to see Mads for her 17th birthday next week- she doesnt’t know, but I won’t post this until we’re there, so it’ll be fine. And we went to visit my dad in New Zealand last month- that was fun. We went to Hawaii, of course, with Jer and that. That was incredible.” Charlie nodded, watching with an adoring expression as his girlfriend’s face lit up, while she spoke about the places she loved so much. “Hawaii was awesome, but I gotta say, going to the UK is like wow. It’s so different over there.” Alex looked at her feet shyly, nodding slightly. “For sure, and my friends are uh, very different from our friends here.” Charlie raised his eyebrows in agreement, feeling Alex’s grip on his hand get a little tighter. “But yeah, besides travelling it’s got to be playing together. We sing together all the time, I’m pretty sure our neighbours hate us.” Alex brightened up and laughed, nodding eagerly. “Honestly, most of the time that’s what we’re doing at like 1am. I’ll get a song stuck in my head and force Charlie to play it for me. He’s so much better at guitar than I am.” Charlie shook his head and held a hand out in excitement. “Nah, see when I tell you this girl can sing, oh my GAWD. There’s a reason I fell in love with her. And she plays piano, and guitar, although I am still teaching her that. And violin!! How cool is that? She’s teaching me. So yeah, our neighbours hate us.” Owen smiled as he watched his best friends talk about each other, the love between them so obvious and real. “Okay, we’ll do like two or three more.”
Who takes longer to get ready in the morning? Instantly pointing at each other, Owen laughed, and pointed to Charlie. “100% this man. She just throws her hair up and puts on whatever he wore the day before. This man has a full haircare routine, every fricking morning. Like seriously, it’s just hair!” Alex nodded in agreement, running her hands through Charlie’s hair. “It is very nice hair though. Nah for sure, Charlie takes longer to get ready first thing, but when we’re going out, it’s me. Like out out, I mean. I’m so indecisive. In Vancouver Savannah literally nearly stabbed me cause I was taking so long.” Charlie grinned and nodded, Owen mirroring his actions. “Never ask her to go out unless you have at least 4 hours to kill. 3 hours for her to be indecisive, and then another for her to be late.” Alex grinned and tilted her head to the side. “Girls, am I right? HA. I’m funny. Okay, moving on.”
Who’s most fun on a night out? Charlie and Owen pointed to Alex simultaneously, who just shrugged and nodded. “I was raised in Scotland, so when I drink, I drink hard. Nobody could keep up with me when we went out in Vancouver. Seriously, Charlie tried and we nearly had to take him to the ER.” Charlie scoffed at this, but the blush spreading up his neck said all that needed to be said. Owen laughed at the memory, and set the phone down. “No really, it was so funny. This tiny 5′5 girl knocking back vodka like it’s water, and Charlie’s trying not to throw up in the corner after like 2. This girl’s liver is deceased.” Alex grinned and kicked her feet up on the table proudly. “Proud drinker since I was 13. Shit, this is going on the internet. Okay, forget I said that. Owen?” Owen reached out and grabbed the phone, scrolling through again.
Do you have any tattoos? Owen rolled up his sleeve and showed off the ghost drummer on his forearm, and Charlie stood up next to him, placing their ghostly characters next to each other. They pulled their shirt sleeves down, and looked to Alex, who groaned and stood up. “I have a few, but they’re pretty small.” She came up close to the camera, followed by Charlie, who helped her pull the collar of her shirt down, and swept her hair away from the nape of her neck, revealing the small outline of a triangle at the top of her spine. “I’ve got that, and then-” She pulled her top up, and showed a single word written on her ribcage, in gaelic. ‘teine’. “It says fire, in scottish gaelic. And this one.” She held her hand up to the camera, showing a daffodil on the inside of her middle finger on her right hand. “And then I have another one on my leg, but obviously can’t show that.” She settled back onto the sofa, smacking Charlie when he laughed. “It’s hardly on her leg. It’s like-” She held a hand over his mouth and smiled at Owen, asking silently for the next question. “Oh wow, okay I like this one.”
Alex, how do you get along with the JATP cast, and who’s your favourite? Owen looked at Alex expectantly, who just rolled her eyes and crossed her legs. “I love them, so much. While Char was away I was constantly on the phone, and they’d just pass me around depending on who was filming. A lot of it was because Charlie was afraid I’d get lonely, but also because he was so busy that he could only grab a couple of minutes to speak to me every now and again. While I was in Vancouver, me and Owen definitely spent a lot of time together, and he showed me round the city while Charlie and Mads were doing perfect harmony shoots and stuff, which was an experience and a half. Note to self, Owen is incredibly competitive at arcade games.” Alex slipped her hand into Charlie’s as she spoke about her time with Owen, knowing he’d probably start overthinking it. “But Mads and I got super close. Like everytime the boys were filming we’d go to craft services and eat our weight in brownies. We made them a lot too, in the apartment. We literally facetime everyday. And Savannah too, oh my god I love that girl so much. She’s like my best friend. I wouldn’t have made it over there without her, she literally picked me up from the airport when someone forgot I was coming.” Charlie held his hands up in defense, and Alex rolled her eyes. “He didn’t forget I was coming, he just ‘lost track of time’. But honestly, I can’t pick a favourite, they’re like family to me.” She smiled at Owen, and leaned back against Charlie, meaning every word. “Aw. How cute. I’m the favourite. Next question. Oh wow, this is a biggie.”
Charlie, are you going to propose? Alex’s eyes widened, and she coughed, turning to look at Charlie. “Good question. It’s nearly four years. Where’s the ring, Charlieboy?” Charlie chuckled and ran a hand through his hair, leaning back against the sofa. “Got a while yet, got to train her up a bit better first.” Alex punched him in the arm, and he winced, rubbing it and glaring at her. “I’m joking, obviously. She’s only just 21, so we’re gonna wait a bit- but yes, I will. One day. If she doesn’t kill me with her cooking first.” Owen raised his eyebrows and brought a leg up underneath him, scrolling through the questions. Alex looked at Charlie with a pout, crossing her arms and moving away from him. “Oh my god, you’re such a child. Yes, I’m going to propose, just not now and not anytime soon! Yikes.” Alex grinned and kissed his cheek, waiting for the next question. “Right, we’ll make this the last one?” Alex and Charlie nodded, Alex tucking her legs up to her chest as she leaned back against Charlie, her head resting on his arm, which was thrown across the back of the couch.
What’s your favourite thing about each other? Alex smirked and looked Charlie up and down, winking at the camera. Charlie did something similar, his arm moving down the sofa and grabbing at her hip, making his intentions more than clear. Owen gagged, and spun round, holding his forehead in his hands and shaking his head. “Joking. I love Charlie’s passion. He gets so invested in the things he loves, and watching him speak about stuff he’s genuinely interested in and excited for is the cutest thing in the world. He gets these like sparkles in his eye, and he jumps up and down and god it’s adorable. I also like his abs. They are, in a word exquisite. Not to mention his arms.” Charlie rolled his eyes, but pressed a loving kiss to her temple. “I love how talented Alex is. There’s not really anything she can’t do. Literally, she’s musical, athletic, and she’s like stupid smart. She has a degree. From college. Like woah. And I also love when she gets super excited about something, or when she gets like really emotional- not sad, just when she’s feeling something really intensely, she starts like bouncing up and down in her seat, and clapping her hands or shaking them really fasr. It’s literally like the most adorable thing ever. And her ass. It’s pretty cool too.” Owen coughed and held a hand up. “Right well, there’s one thing she can’t do. She can’t dance. Like at all. It’s quite funny.” Charlie nodded, as did Alex. “Dancing, definitely not my forte. Also, when he says athletic, he means I played field hockey in high school and college. The most exercise I get now is when he’s hor-” Owen stood up quickly, and Charlie covered her mouth with his hand. “Okay, that’s all for this video! Hope you guys are suitably grossed out. Thanks for watching, goodbye!!!”
Owen turned off the camera, and Alex grinned before turning to Charlie, connecting her lips with his in a soft kiss. Finally being allowed to talk about her relationship was a major relief, after having to hide it for so long. “Gross, can you wait til I’m gone at least?” Alex rolled her eyes and flipped him off, climbing off the sofa. “No, cause we’re going out for dinner. Can you call Sav, baby? Let her know we’ll be like an hour?” Charlie nodded, watching her with a dazed smile as she wandered into their bedroom, already tying her long hair up out of the way for a hard session of outfit searching. “You’re in so deep with that one, man.” Owen looked at Charlie knowingly, who just shrugged and continued to smile. “What can I say. She’s the one.” Owen shook his head and rolled his eyes, but he was smiling, happy that another one of his best friends had found real love. Charlie scrolled through the contacts on Alex’s phone, clicking on Savannah’s name and raising the phone to his ear. He jumped when she picked up, holding the phone at arm’s length. “Oh my god, Sav it’s me, not Alex. She said to tell you we’re going out in a couple of hours, and to be ready to go for 7. That cool?” Savannah spoke rapidly on the other side of the line, agreeing and squealing with excitement when she heard Owen would be there. “I’ve missed you guys! Okay, see you soon!” Charlie hung up and set his girlfriend’s phone down, reaching for the remote, and turning on the TV. “Wanna watch the NHL?” Owen nodded, kicking his feet up on the coffee table, and looking at the clock on the wall. It was only half three.
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skieswords · 3 years
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No Longer Than Strictly Necessary {Charlie Gillespie x OC}
Summary: Riley’s sick, but as usual, is refusing to admit it, and is working herself half to death. Charlie’s away in Vancouver- until he comes home, and finds his girl being her usual stubborn self.
Warnings: None, fluff and slight mention of smut (hardly).
Last thing on a Thursday afternoon was not the ideal time for difficult customers to make an appearance. It was 10 minutes before closing, and Riley had already been through the stacks, organised the few haphazard shelves at the front door, and put away 3 boxes of new arrivals that she technically didn’t need to tackle until the next morning. But as ever, she was going the extra mile, trying to make her life easier for the next day. The small second hand book shop she’d worked in since she was 15 was like a second home to her, and she loved it almost as much as her apartment, three blocks from the shop. 
Still in college, Riley had been over the moon when her boss had told her he was leaving Canada, and he needed her to take over the store. They never got on well, but the chance to manage the musty little shop was a dream come true for her. At the moment, in mid December, she was trying to keep the shop up and running, study for her senior year midterms, and take care of herself. The last one was often the one she let slide, much to her friends and family’s dismay.
“I was wondering if you had this book in stock?” 
Riley smiled and squinted at the fuzzy photograph the old woman was showing her over the counter. It was in German, the cover was faded, and she couldn’t make out who the author was. 
“I’m really sorry, what’s the name of it? I’ll check and see if we have it on the system.” 
The old lady huffed, and slipped her decade old phone into her handbag. 
“I don’t know, do I. It’s in another language.” 
Riley resisted the urge to roll her eyes, and took a deep breath. 
“Of course. Do you know who the author is?” 
Once again, the little old lady shook her head, pursing her lips. 
“If I knew that, I wouldn’t have showed you a picture.” 
Riley smiled sweetly, and turned around, heading through to the back. 
“Ellie, how much do you love me?” Her best friend, and co-manager of the store, looked up at her from the floor, the thick frames of her round glasses making her green eyes even larger than usual. 
“If it’s that goddamn woman asking about the German book again, I don’t love you. Hell, I don’t even know your last name.” 
Riley groaned and leaned up against the wall, rubbing her forehead. She’d been in the store since 5.30 that morning, hoping to get home slightly earlier so she could study. 
“You good girl? You look a bit weird.” 
Riley flipped Ellie off, and sniffed, preparing to face the old lady again. At last minute, Ellie took pity, taking in her friend’s flushed complexion, and glassy eyes. 
“Go home. You have work to do, I’ll handle her.” 
Riley smiled gratefully, and pulled her jacket over her shoulders. She’d been feeling more tired than usual, and with midterms on the horizon, an absent boyfriend, and a messed up sleep schedule, it wasn’t really a surprise she felt as sick as she did. But she knew she had things to do, so she smiled at Ellie as she left, pulling a face behind the old woman’s head, before trudging through the light snowfall from earlier that afternoon, to her little apartment above the bakery, three blocks over. Ellie watched her leave, shaking her head slightly with a knowing smile, hoping that her best friend would feel much better by the next morning.
After little old ladies looking for ancient German books, Riley was adamant that Political Science was next on the list of things to be avoided like the plague. At first, her classes had been great, her professors were so helpful, and her classmates were the best- but now? Not so much. 
One week before midterms, Riley pulled her glasses off and rubbed her eyes, sick of trying to make international political ideologies make sense. It was nearly 11pm, she still hadn’t eaten, and she hadn’t heard from Charlie in over 8 hours. Riley felt her eyes well up at the thought of the boyfriend she hadn’t seen in 4 months. She understood his filming was important, and she was stupid proud of him for landing his first lead role- but they’d been together pretty much every day since middle school, and being apart from him for this long was incredibly difficult. 
They’d made it through the last few months with countless facetime calls, all nighters to try and speak to each other around his filming times and her classes, and random surprise gifts every now and again, on both parts. His most recent gift had been a Julie and the Phantoms sweatshirt, miles too big for her, that smelt strongly of his aftershave. She cried when she opened it, and slept with it every night. Meg had come over to comfort her a few times, when the night’s had been a little too lonely, or when she’d broken into one too many bottles of wine. Her birthday was probably going to be the worst part of it all though- it was in 3 days, and Charlie wasn’t due home for another week. They’d fought about it over the phone, with Charlie begging her to come out to Vancouver, and Riley getting upset that he expected her to drop everything to go and see him, when he knew fine well just how busy she was. It had ended with a 3 day silence between the two, until he caved and apologised- but things were still tense between them. Riley groaned and dropped her head onto her desk, sighing as the cold surface made contact with her forehead. Her head was fuzzy, and she couldn’t remember the last time she’d had 8 hours consecutive sleep. 
Another hour later, and there was still no news from Charlie. Riley didn’t even get mad. She was just lonely, and found herself missing him more than ever. She was scared he wouldn’t come home until after Christmas because of their fight, and wondered if he’d opt to stay in Vancouver and spend it with his cast-mates. 
She couldn’t be more wrong. 
He was currently sitting in the backseat of an Uber, a stuffed duffel beside him, his hands itching to turn on his phone. But he knew he couldn’t, because she might check his location, and see that he was right around the corner. 
The Uber pulled up, and Charlie grinned at the driver, shouting his thanks, before swinging his bag over his shoulder and making his way into the apartment building. It was Owen’s idea, to come home early. He’d overheard their entire argument regarding Riley’s birthday, and had given Charlie a clipped ear for the way he spoke to her. 
“She’s your girl man. Take better care of her. She wants you to herself, not sitting around with all of your new friends.” 
Charlie had frowned at him, scratching his hair. 
“Dude, there’s no reason we can’t do that here. I’ll just get rid of you for the night or something.” 
Another clipped ear followed, and Owen had forced him to book flights then and there. It was lucky he had, because in the week that followed, he could tell from Ellie’s constant updates that Riley was steadily getting more and more reckless with herself. Without Charlie constantly reminding her to sleep, go out, and eat, she was spiralling into her work mode, something Ellie and Charlie had been working together to keep her out of since she was 16. Her  Junior year of high school had seen her very nearly end up in hospital, after she’d worked herself half to death trying to ace the SATs, and balancing taking care of her mom, and still working 9 hour shifts 4 times a week. The girl had a tendency to stress herself out without even realising, which often led to it getting severely out of hand. 
Riley looked up from her desk and sighed, pushing her glasses back on her face and pulling Charlie’s hoodie tighter around her. One more essay, and then I’ll sleep, she told herself, beginning to type furiously. She was interrupted by the sound of a key in the lock, and someone swearing quietly as they tripped over her boots at the front door. 
She should have been concerned, and she would have been, had she not instantly recognised the familiar voice. Charlie came stumbling round the corner, and into the living room, his smile resembling that of a child on Christmas as he noticed Riley sitting at the dining table. 
“Hey. Miss me?” 
Riley jumped up and ran at him, forcing him to drop his duffel in order to catch her. Her legs automatically wrapped round his waist, and she buried her face in his neck, biting back tears as she breathed him in. Charlie’s hands stroked up and down her back, holding her tightly, relishing the feeling of having her back in his arms. He lowered her to the ground carefully, brushing her hair out of her face so he could look at her properly. She looked exhausted, even in the soft light of her desk lamp. 
“Oh Riles. You’ve done it again, haven’t you.” 
He sighed and stroked her cheek, pulling her glasses off carefully. 
“Hey, I’m not done working, give them back!” 
Riley jumped up to grab the glasses from Charlie, who was holding them way above his head, but stopped when he threw them onto the sofa, and dropped his hands to her hips. 
“Yes you are, and no, because then I can’t do this.” 
He leant down and pressed his lips against hers, bringing her into a soft and languid kiss. Riley moaned in surprise, but let her arms drift around his neck, pulling him close. They stayed in each other’s arms for a few moments longer, until Charlie broke away, and rested their foreheads together. He stepped back after hardly a second, and held her face in his hands, looking at her with concern. 
“You’re burning up, you okay?” 
Riley nodded, putting on a convincing show of being totally healthy. 
“When did you last eat?” Riley shrugged and leaned into his chest, finding comfort in his solid presence. She finally felt at peace, with his arms wrapped around her, protecting her from the world. 
Charlie sighed, and held her silently, stroking her back as he debated what to do. She was clearly not well, but he knew if he pushed too hard, she’d get mad. 
“Want to take a bath?” 
Riley looked up at him with wide eyes, rimmed with red and darkened by the deep shadows underneath them. 
“I dunno. Kind of just want to go to bed.” 
Charlie nodded, and steered her towards her bedroom. They hadn’t technically moved in together- but they may as well have. Most of his stuff was here, and she always called it their apartment. And he hoped she was okay with that being true, as he followed her through the hallway, his hand still in hers. Riley collapsed into bed as soon as she got into their room, burying her face in a pillow before reaching her arms up for him, begging for him to join her. 
“C’mere, I want cuddles.” 
He laughed, and pulled his shirt over his head, rolling his eyes at the look she gave him. 
“Not a chance. You’re going to sleep.” 
Riley huffed, but pulled back the covers and rolled into his chest as he came in beside her, instantly pushing her feet against the bare skin of his legs. 
“Riles! Jesus, you’re cold.” 
She giggled, and kissed his shoulder, before settling in as he turned off the light. Charlie couldn’t help but shake his head at her. It had been all of 10 minutes since he’d gotten in, and she was already asleep. It made him wonder just how badly she’d been taking care of herself while he was away. Within seconds, she was snoring lightly, and Charlie watched her with a gentle smile. He really loved this girl. 
The next morning, Charlie woke to a cold bed, and empty arms. Looking around him in concern, he was relieved to find the bathroom light on- but the sounds coming from inside made him grimace. 
He pulled a pair of sweats on, and wandered through to the bathroom, knocking on the door quietly before he let himself in. Riley was slumped over the toilet, alternating between heaving and coughing violently, tears running down her cheeks. 
“Oh baby.” 
Charlie knelt down beside her, and pulled her hair out of the way, stroking her face carefully. Riley groaned and sobbed lightly, a sound that crushed Charlie’s heart. 
“You okay?” 
She shook her head, and he winced as she heaved again, nothing but pure stomach acid coming up. He rubbed her back soothingly, before pulling her back to lean against his chest, sitting on the floor with his legs either side of her. Almost an hour later and they were still sitting there, with Riley curled up half asleep in Charlie’s arms. 
“You done?” 
Riley nodded weakly, and hid her face in her hands, while Charlie stood up and wet a washcloth. He filled the mug on the side of the sink with water, and came to sit beside her, pressing the washcloth to her forehead, and holding the mug up for her to drink. 
“This is why I wanted you to come see me. It’s not good for you to be cooped up like this. Guarantee you’ve done nothing but work this week.” 
Riley’s eyes widened, and she tried to stand, swaying dangerously before sinking back into Charlie’s grip. 
“I forgot about work- I told Ellie I’d open.” 
Charlie laughed and began plaiting her hair loosely, rubbing her arm as she tilted her head back and groaned. 
“You’re not going in. I texted Ellie, she knows I’m here. I’m sure she doesn’t expect you to leave our bed for the rest of the week.” 
Riley rolled her eyes at his joke, clutching her head as the dizziness hit. 
“At this rate, you’re not getting anything. I think I’m dying.” 
Charlie laughed again, and kissed her forehead. 
“I get to spend time with my beautiful, overdramatic girlfriend. That’s everything to me.” 
Riley hummed and waved a hand weakly at his response, collapsing onto his bare chest. 
“Cmon, let’s get you in the shower. Want me to wash your hair?” 
Riley gave him an adoring look, and he chuckled in response, a deep throaty sound that resonated round the small bathroom. He rested her against the wall, and turned the shower on, before picking her up and steadying her with his hands. 
“Can you stand?” 
Riley nodded weakly, and tried to pull her top off, wobbling dangerously before Charlie caught her. 
“That’s a no. I’d run a bath but I want to get you to bed. Sit down.” 
He kicked the toilet lid down and lowered her onto it, before undressing her while she sat with her arms up, pouting like a child. He stroked her bottom lip with his thumb and smirked at her, dropping his joggers and pulling her up, helping her into the shower cubicle.
One of the best things about their small apartment, was the bathroom. The shower was basically a wet room, with more than enough room for the two of them to shower together. It was a major selling point for Riley when she’d moved out of dorms last year, knowing Charlie would be with her most of the time. 
Charlie pulled Riley under the hot spray, letting her lean back against his chest as the water streamed over them, and drawing circles on her skin with his fingers. She tilted her head back and let the water run down her face, sighing in relief as her neck relaxed, and the tension of the week dissipated. Living without Charlie had been harder than she’d originally thought, with simple things like grocery runs being almost impossible to remember, and the laundry sitting in the corner for days before she’d finally get around to doing it. 
Normally he’d be over every day, staying most nights, and making sure she ate, slept, and took care of herself. She was constantly up in the clouds, thinking about her next assignment or the next display she could put up in the store. Often, this meant her own wellbeing was chucked out the window. 
The sweet smell of pears filled the air around them, and Riley let out a soft groan as Charlie ran his fingers through her hair, lathering up her shampoo against her scalp. 
“Have I told you I love you?” 
Charlie laughed softly and kissed her shoulder, pushing her forward gently to rinse the bubbles out of her hair. He repeated the process, taking his time and massaging her head with his calloused fingertips, revelling in the pleasure filled noises escaping her lips. After gently combing conditioner through the ends of her hair, he spun her round and let her fall against his chest, reaching out for her apple scented bodywash and letting it foam between his fingers. She sighed and cuddled into him, planting featherlight kisses across his chest and shoulders. 
“I love you Charlieboy.” 
Her voice was muffled, but he picked it up through the echoes of water hitting the tiles, and kissed her hair. 
“I love you too. Come on, head back.” 
He held her under the shower carefully, letting the water wash over her face, and smiled as her eyes closed, lips parted slightly. If she wasn’t sick, and if he wasn’t so worried about her, she would be over his shoulder and on her way back to their room by this point. 
But there were more important things to be done, so Charlie turned off the shower and helped her out, wrapping her up in the biggest towel he could find, before sitting her on her bed, and chucking her a pair of his joggers and a hoodie. 
“Put those on, I’m getting you food.” 
Riley opened her mouth to argue, but the look on his face shut her up quickly, and she watched him with an adorable pout as he pulled shorts on, and disappeared along the corridor. She tied her hair up, and slipped his clothes on, snuggling into the warmth of their bed. She wished he’d hurry up and move in with her. 
Four consecutive months apart had reinforced how badly she needed him, and she didn’t want to have to be apart from him for any longer than she absolutely had to. The sounds coming from the kitchen suggested that he’d figured out she had eaten pretty much nothing but pizza and noodles for the past few weeks, her mood having plummeted after their argument. 
“Riley, you can’t be trusted on your own. I’m never leaving you again.” 
Charlie came through the bedroom door with a plate of toaster waffles smothered with chocolate, her favourite comfort food, and a steaming mug of what she assumed was tea. 
“That’s fine by me.” 
She grinned up at her boyfriend, before taking a sip of the mug he handed her. It was hot lemon, and she gagged as she set it down, sending him a disapproving glare. 
“Don’t look at me like that. I’m mad at you- you’ve been neglecting my girlfriend.” 
Charlie stroked a damp strand of hair off her face and pressed a kiss to her temple, smirking as she pouted. 
“Now, what movie we watching? Eat, by the way, or I’ll leave you to sleep alone.” 
Riley stuck her tongue out at him, but reached over and took a waffle, wrinkling her nose slightly. The chocolate was melted, dripping onto her fingers as she took a tentative bite and groaned. It was good. Charlie watched with a knowing smirk, rolling his eyes and lifting up an arm for her to settle under, which she did, still chewing happily while her feet rubbed against his calf. He kissed her hair, mumbling to her. 
“You’re lucky you’re just out of the shower. If your feet were cold I’d throw you out of bed.” 
Riley grinned, a drip of chocolate on her lip, which he wiped away and sucked off his own finger, winking at her as he did, before grabbing the TV remote and turning on Netflix. 
“What we watching baby?” Riley shrugged and turned so that her head was resting on his chest. 
“Put on Charmed. I started watching it again a few weeks ago, but I was afraid for the TVs health, so I stopped watching it.” Charlie rolled his eyes, somehow reading his girlfriend’s mind. 
“Seriously? Don’t know whether to kiss you for watching my show, or kick you for being a child.” 
Riley scoffed and grabbed the remote, clicking Charmed and smirking when she saw she’d finished episode 4. 
“It’s Sarah’s show, I watch it for her. Getting to see my gorgeous boyfriend shirtless for all of 40 seconds is a plus, but I get that anyway.” 
Charlie flicked the side of her head gently, but settled in anyways, watching the familiar scenes unfold. Riley had been on the set of Charmed with him for a while, and had struck up a friendship with Sarah. That was before she realised they were filming a sex scene together. After she found out about that, Sarah had become a very close friend, and Charlie had been kicked out of the house multiple times in order for girls night to take place. It didn’t make sense to him, but after the few episodes he was in aired, he’d not been complaining at Riley’s reaction. Sarah had facetimed them the day after with a knowing smirk, laughing outright at their clearly topless bodies in bed together, faces still red and sweating. Turns out knowing that millions of people were looking at her boyfriend kissing another woman made her slightly jealous, and had led to hours of him proving she was the only girl for him.
They finished the entire first season, and by the time Charlie clicked off of Netflix, the sun had set, and Riley’s fever had already gone down. 
“This is what happens when you actually take time to relax, Riles. I wish you’d take better care of yourself.”  
Riley sat up and shrugged, looking at him with a loving smile. 
“Where’s the fun in that when I’ve got you to do it for me?” Charlie rolled his eyes and started drawing shapes on her bare skin under his hoodie. 
“Yeah, I actually wanted to speak to you about that.” 
Riley frowned, and looked at him, nervous. 
“Are we okay?” Her voice was small and terrified, and Charlie shifted to his knees, grabbing her hands. 
“Oh my god, of course we are. I was just gonna ask you...” He took a deep breath, and squeezed her hand. 
“Would you wanna move in with me? We’ve been together so long now and while I was in Vancouver, living with Owen was great. I mean, obviously he wasn’t you, but I loved having a roommate and i was thinking how awesome it would be if we lived together.” 
He looked up at her, frightened to see her reaction. But he was met with her flinging her arms around his neck, happy squeals deafening him as she rested her head on his shoulder. 
“Yes, yes, yes. Of course. I was going to ask you- I missed you so much and I don’t want to spend any time that’s not strictly necessary away from you.” 
Charlie grinned and pulled away from her, planting a kiss on her lips. 
“Good. Thank you. I love you.” 
Riley giggled and leant in to kiss him again, letting her hands play with his short hair. It was a new feeling; she was so used to his long curls- but she didn’t hate it. 
“I love you too. So when you moving in?” Charlie shrugged and pulled her back down beside him, slipping his hand into hers, and kissing her knuckles. 
“Most of my stuff from Vancouver is getting sent straight here, so I guess now?” Riley kicked him playfully, laughing at his relieved face. 
“Yeah, that woulda been hella awkward if you’d said no.” Riley snuggled into his side and rested her face on his bare chest. 
“I’d never say no to you. I love you too much.” He chuckled and kissed her temple. 
“Take better care of my girlfriend for me?” Riley rolled her eyes. 
“Watch yourself. Now, are you going to let me welcome you home properly? Or not?” Charlie looked up at her with raised eyebrows as she pulled his hoodie over her head and straddled his thighs. He checked his watch and contemplated for a moment, before wrapping an arm around her bare back and pressing her up against him.
“Yup, we made it almost 24 hours. That’s long enough, come here.” 
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skieswords · 3 years
Text
Pull Through Part 5
Please make sure you read the warnings in part 1❤️
"Fuck. Wake up boys, we're late." Becca's eyes fluttered open at the sound of Alex's voice, and the first thing she noticed was the warm chest her cheek was resting on, and the hand pressed against the small of her back. Luke groaned, and opened his eyes, looking down to see a mess of curls lying on top of him, and feeling Becca's t-shirt in his hand. She was on top of him, her blue eyes looking up at him in surprise. "Uh, morning." Luke grinned as Becca buried her face in his chest again, groaning into his t-shirt. They looked to their left and found Reggie staring at them, his hair sticking up in all directions. "Did you 
two...?" He pointed between them, eyes wide. Becca's jaw dropped in horror, and she jumped off Luke, accidentally kneeing him in the stomach. He groaned and buried his face in a cushion, hiding the furious blush spreading up his neck, while Becca smiled apologetically and ran a hand through her hair. "No, we didn't. Gross." Alex came in, car keys in hand, yawning and stretching his arms above his head. "Morning Bex. Luke, a word?" He shot a glare at Luke, who was now sat up on the sofa, rubbing his temples gently. He held his hands up towards Alex, and shuffled through to the bathroom, pulling his shoes on as he hopped. "Bex. Car. Now." Alex was pissed, and Becca sighed as she laced her converse, looking over her outfit. "I need to get changed. I have clothes in the l-" She was interrupted by Reggie dropping a bag on the floor from the loft, a collection of Becca's clothes from over the years. "Loft. Thanks Reg." She knelt down and started raking through the clothes, blinking desperately to keep herself awake. A few moments later, she'd yanked an old band t-shirt over her head, and tossed her curls into a messy ponytail, and was now trying to pull her shorts down in the mirror, groaning when they didn't budge. "I'm going to get dress-coded. Alex can I just skip?" Alex laughed from behind her and tugged her ponytail gently, crossing his arms as he leant against the wall. "Mom and dad are already going to kill me for having you out all night, the least I can do is force you to go to school." She stuck her tongue out at him, and gave up, hoping the tights would be enough the satisfy Ms Carlisle. The bathroom door opened, and Luke emerged looking slightly more awake than he had when they first woke up. He made eye contact with Becca and cleared his throat, glancing at Alex as she blushed and ran into the bathroom. "Seriously dude? The literal minute she turns 16 and you're after her." Luke shook his head and snorted. "Not a chance. You know how we see her. Little sister, all the way." He looked into Alex eyes, hoping his best friend bought it. They'd known since they were 12, Becca was totally off limits to the boys. Something about not wanting his little sister mixed up with rockstars- although he had a feeling that wasn't the actual reason. Becca listened to their exchange through the bathroom door, sadness clouding her eyes. She'd hoped that after last night, with Luke telling her all that stuff about being on stage, that they might have grown closer. She'd fancied the boy since she was 13- and over the last year, having shared a lot of laughs during rehearsals, she'd developed a full blown crush. But he clearly didn't feel the same.
"Bex! Where were you last night? I tried calling but your mom picked up, said you were studying..." Becca nodded slowly, realising that must have been the lie Alex spun to her parents. "Yeah, I had a ton of math work to catch up on." This was feasible. The entire class knew about Becca's turbulent relationship with the math department. Ray nodded and leaned up against the locker next to hers, taking in her appearance. "You're gonna get in so much trouble for that- Ms C is in an evil mood." Becca groaned and slammed her head against her locker door, shoving a textbook into her bag as she turned to face Ray. "I'll just avoid her. It'll be fine." He grinned and reached into his bag, holding out a messily wrapped box. "Happy birthday." She couldn't help but smile back at him, rolling her eyes and reaching out to take the box. "Thank you. You shouldn't have though, I told you I don't like my birthday." He shrugged and watched with eager eyes as she tore off the paper, opening her locker to throw it in as it fell. "No you didn't. Ray!" She threw her arms around his neck, the box pressed between them. "I noticed your wheels were looking kinda wonky the other day, so. Here you go. Can you come tonight? I'll put them on for you." Becca smiled at him and tucked a curl behind her ear. "Yeah, yeah I think so. Thank you, Ray." He'd gotten her a set of new wheels for her skateboard, which she desperately needed. A blowout with her dad a few weeks back had resulted in him tossing her board out the 3rd floor window, and had sent the front wheel off to the left, and she hadn't been able to fix it. Ray was a genius with boards, and had the most gorgeous hand painted designs. She slipped the wheels carefully into her bag and linked arms with him, letting him walk her to english. Luke watched the entire display from across the hall, his hand resting on the small box in his locker. It was stupid, just a little gift- but he thought she'd like it. It could wait, he decided, and he pushed his locker door shut a little too harshly, causing a loud clatter to echo through the hall. He swung his guitar case over his shoulder and headed for the music rooms, passing off on the AP english class he had with Becca. He couldn't watch her with that guy any longer.
The end of the day took it's time, but as soon as the bell went, Becca was out of her class and in her locker, desperate to get home. "Hey Mercer, you looked good last night." Becca looked up, surprised to find Will Thomas, star quarterback, smirking down at her. "Oh, hey Will. Thanks, I didn't know you were there?" He shrugged and ran a hand through his hair. It was similar to the move Luke frequently pulled, but Becca didn't find the action as endearing when Will did it. "Uh, I should get going." She turned to walk away, but he grabbed her wrist, holding her back. "I'm having a party this weekend. You should come." Becca looked at him in shock, her eyes wide, flicking down to the tight grip he held on her. "Oh, really? I'll see what I'm doing." He nodded at her, letting his eyes rake over her body unapologetically as she walked away, her right hand rubbing the wrist he'd held. Luke watched the interaction, once again from across the hall. Having lockers opposite each other wasn't the ideal situation he had originally imagined it to be. Slamming his locker door shut again, he followed her out the doors, face thunderous and hands thrust deep in his pockets. Becca was already at the car, complaining about something to Alex. "Why can't you just drop me off on the way home? I'll get food later." Alex rolled his eyes and gave her a push into the car, opening the trunk for Luke's guitar. "It's your birthday, mom and dad want to see you." Becca huffed and crossed her arms around her knees. She brightened slightly as Luke approached the car, but sank into her seat when she noticed his expression. Apparently everyone was having a bad day today. "What's up with your face?" Luke shrugged and leaned against the side of the car, avoiding having to sit next to Becca, instead waiting for Reggie to come out. "Teachers on my ass about work, that's all." Becca frowned; Luke never did work, and never cared when he was chased up for it. "What we doing this weekend? We don't have anything booked, do we?" Alex shook his head, dumping his jacket in the back and sighing as the californian sun once again defied all odds, and appeared just as they were hitting December. "Nothing booked, think we were just going to hang out at the studio." Luke nodded, risking a glance towards Becca, who appeared to be examining her ripped tights in great detail. Luke frowned as he noticed the large tear in the material- they'd been fine that morning. Reggie arrived at the car, grumbling about his government teacher, who'd told him he'd have to drop if he didn't buck up. "At least you actually go to class. Luke skipped english this morning." At the mention of his name, Luke's head snapped up, his eyes slightly brighter. She'd noticed his absence. "Where'd you go?" Luke shrugged and pushed the seat back as Reggie clambered in, dropping into the front seat. "Didn't feel like class." Becca rolled her eyes and leaned over Alex's seat, activating her most pleading puppy dog eyes, and resting her chin on his shoulder. "How come he gets to skip class? He's behind already, and I'm acing english." Alex chuckled and shoved her back into her seat. "Luke's older than you, and exactly. You're acing it because you go." Becca scowled and leaned on Reggie, reading the various scribbles running up his arms. Looked like he had a lot of homework. "How do you guys fancy a party this weekend? Heard Thomas is having one." Becca looked up as Luke began to speak, her eyebrows raised in surprise. Reggie frowned. "I thought you hated him? Said something about him being a-" Luke glared at Reggie in the mirror, sticking his lower lip out in such a childish way that Becca couldn't help her grin. "It's something to do. Bex got invited." Becca leaned over and punched him in the arm, scowling and glancing at Alex nervously. "Yeah as if she's going. You know what he's like." Becca groaned from the back seat and kicked Alex's chair, making him jump. "I can do what I want." All three of the boys laughed at the same time, and Alex started to drive off. Becca slumped in her seat and stared out the window. Sometimes having 3 older brothers wasn't ideal.
"Happy birthday darling!" Becca blinked in the sudden brightness as she walked into the kitchen, and found her mom standing beside the kitchen table, beside a birthday cake and a bunch of balloons. "Thanks mom." Julia smiled and pulled Becca into a hug, kissing her head and squeezing her tightly. "I have a shift later on tonight, but I thought we could have dinner together? And then Alex will take you over to Reggie's to study, but I want you to come home tonight, please." Becca nodded absentmindedly, sticking a finger into the icing on her cake. It was vanilla. "Is dad coming home?" Julia shook her head with a smile, and Becca noticed that her shoulders seemed more relaxed, and her hair hung around her face, a rare sight for the usually up tight Julia Mercer. "I got you something. It's on your bed." Becca grinned and hugged her mom one more time, before running out and up the stairs, nearly knocking Alex over in the process. "Woah, what's got you in such a rush?" Becca shrugged and kept running, barging through her door and squealing delightedly. Alex came racing in behind her, afraid that she'd gotten hurt. Becca was unwrapping a small parcel on her bed, not caring about the muddy soles of her converse. "No way." She held up a shoebox, laughing lightly to herself. "Vans? I'm trying to work out if this is some type of sick joke, or if she just asked around to see what kind of shoes skaters wear. Do you think this means she'll let me go?" Alex shrugged and smiled at the expression his little sister wore. She knew she'd have to wear them, so she wouldn't hurt their mom's feelings. But she also knew wearing them to the studio would mean getting ridiculed by Luke. "Fuck it. Are you eating with us?" Alex sighed and gave her a gentle smack round the back of the head, kneeling down to tie her laces. "Depends." Becca fell silent, and he felt her eyes on him. "He's not coming." Alex looked up and met her eyes, watching the grin slowly spread across her face. "Then of course I am. I'm not missing out on birthday cake." She cheered and jumped off the bed, waiting for him to stand up before throwing herself at his back and wrapping her legs around his waist. He hooked his arms through her knees and started to carry her down the stairs, stopping on the landing. "Not a word about last night. I want to speak to you about it in the car anyway, so keep your mouth zipped." Becca nodded and rested her chin on his shoulder. This was shaping up to be her favourite birthday yet. Cake, her mom, and her brother, with the promise of a trip to the skate park and a visit to the boys as well. Not to mention she got to wake up on top of Luke Patterson. Not that that's important or meant anything to her in the slightest, she reminded herself.
Skateboard in hand and new vans on, Becca headed out to Alex's car, happier than she'd felt in weeks. Even though he'd said no to the skatepark, Alex had said she could take her board and practice tricks in Reggie's backyard, as long as she was careful and didn't damage any plantpots. "So. About last night." Becca fidgeted in her seat, not sure where this was going. Was it about the performance? Or the drugs? Or Luke? It could be any number of things, none of them particularly high on her list of preffered car conversation topics. "When were you gonna tell me you could play like that?" Becca let out a sigh of relief. Definitely the least dangerous topic. "Uh, I didn't really know I could play like that myself, to be fair." Alex raised his eyebrows at her, and pulled out of the driveway. "I taught myself a little, and I spoke to some of the music teachers at school- they helped. But I dunno, I just really enjoyed it. Luke worked out I could play by himself, he found some stuff I'd written and forced me to tell him." Alex pursed his lips, and his eyes hardened. "Mmm. That's another thing. Luke." Becca groaned internally- she'd hoped to avoid this one. "What do you mean?" Alex shot her a look of pure disbelief, and she threw her head back against the seat. "Nothing, Alex. I promise. We came in late from the garden last night, and he was gonna sleep on the floor. I felt mean so told him to share the couch." Alex looked at her intently as they reached a red light, before shrugging and continuing the drive in silence. Becca watched out the window as the houses flew by, sighing wistfully as they passed the turnoff for the skatepark.
Luke watched as Reggie nearly fell over the railing in the loft for the fourth time, rolling his eyes and collapsing onto the couch. Alex had said they'd be there around 7, and had warned they better be ready or he'd be pissed. Luke jumped up as he heard a car pull into the driveway, sharing a look with Reggie, who was still sitting on the banister. The familiar roll of Becca's skateboard could be heard on the crazy paving , alongside the jingling of Alex's car keys, and then a scuffle and a screech, as Becca tripped. Eventually, the Mercer siblings appeared at the door, Becca's skateboard tucked under her arm, and Alex trying his hardest to suppress a grin. "Oh my god. Guys!" Becca's hands flew to her mouth as she took in the garage. The boys had spent the last few hours stringing fairy lights across the ceiling, and a painted banner hung across the rafters reading 'Happy Birthday Bex!' in Reggie's handwriting, thankfully. Reggie pulled her into a hug and ruffled her hair. "It's the least we could do." Alex pushed her into the studio, and towards the coffee table, where a messily iced cake sat, chocolate frosting layered thickly over the entire cake. Becca smiled to herself, a warm feeling spreading across her chest as it hit her that the boys remembered her favourite. "Did you make this?" She glanced at Luke suspiciously, who held his hands up and rolled his eyes at her. "Reggie's mom made it- but I iced it." She grinned and pulled him into a hug, letting her head rest on his chest as she breathed in his musky scent of cheap aftershave, and something distinctly boyish. "It's awesome. Thank you." Luke wrapped his arms around her and held her tightly, resisting the urge to stroke her hair. They stayed like that for a moment longer than was strictly necessary, until a look from Alex caught Luke's attention, and he jumped away, clearing his throat. "Where's Bobby?" Reggie shrugged and flopped onto the couch, watching Luke with a slight grin. The dark haired guitarist was walking around the back of the studio, scuffing the toes of his vans against the floor, as he watched Becca out the corner of his eye. The tension between them could literally be cut with a knife, but they still chose to ignore it. Even Alex had commented on it before, much to his own disgust. The idea of his baby sister dating anybody genuinely terrified him- and he knew what a flirt Luke could be. But as the drummer and bassist of Sunset Curve watched the two from opposite corners of the room, the only thought going through their minds was 'how long now.' The pair had been dancing around each other for years now. Luke had even taken Becca to her freshman, and her sophomore homecoming, with it now being an ongoing joke between them. Becca couldn't dance in the slightest. In fact, at both dances, they'd had to take a break so that Luke could ice his foot. He'd asked her by coincidence in freshman year because she'd been crying in the hallway after school, after a group of sophomores had teased her for going alone. By sophomore year, him and Alex were good friends, and they decided to do it as a joke. Junior homecoming was coming up, and he wasn't sure whether to ask her or not. He wanted to, but now that they were both aware there was something more there... it might be weird. Not to mention Alex would insist on being there with them. "We're not exactly speaking to him right now." Becca nodded at Alex's words, and let a hand drift up to stroke the edge of the banner strung up in the rafters.
"I got you something." Becca looked up, pleasantly surprised to see Luke's eyes boring into her own, a hint of worry floating in them. She smiled at him and tilted her head to the side slightly, swaying from left to right gently. "You shouldn't have. Thank you, though." Luke nodded and reached into his jacket pocket, handing over a small box wrapped in brown paper. "Meant to say earlier, nice kicks." He bumped the the worn toe of his vans against the fresh white of hers, smiling as she took the box from him with a brief eye roll. Becca felt her cheeks warming up as she stroked her thumb over her name, scrawled on top of the package in barely legible handwriting. She met his eyes again, and after an encouraging nod from Luke, tore the paper, and opened the box. She stared at the gift in silence, silently grateful that he couldn't see her expression. A guitar string lay coiled inside, resting on tissue paper. It had been cut, just about the right size to fit around her wrist. There was a charm hanging off it, three silver icons that made Becca's breath catch in her throat. A minature electric guitar, a pair of drumsticks, and a bass guitar. Her boys. A slight cough from Luke made her glance up at him, to find his cheeks on fire, and his lip in between his teeth. "It's not much- I saw the charms and thought of you, and I restrung my six string last week so I thought it would be cool, I get it if you don't wanna wear it of course, it's stupid-" He was cut off by Becca's arms being thrown around his neck, catching her in surprise and holding her tightly, feeling a smile spread across his face. "I love it, Luke. Thank you." They stepped apart, and Becca handed him the bracelet, holding out her wrist. "Can you?" He nodded and fiddled with the clasp, clipping it around her wrist. It fit perfectly. He didn't let go of her wrist, his thumb stroking over her hand as he admired the bracelet. It was pretty neat, if he said so himself. Alex watched their interaction from his spot on the couch, groaning internally. He knew it would only be so long until the two of them got over themselves, and the thought terrified him. He didn't want Becca getting hurt, and he knew Luke had a bit of a reputation. It was clear they liked each other- to everyone apart from them, apparently. Luke's attempt to lie to him that morning had been quite pathetic, even for him.
Bobby showed up not long after Becca and Alex had arrived, but he avoided giving her a hug, after multiple glares from Luke, who hadn't left her side all evening. The boys were rather cold towards him- they weren't happy he'd bailed on them for the gig. "Did you get on alright without me though? It didn't make a huge difference to the set, did it?" None of the boys got the chance to answer- Becca snorted loudly, and clapped her hands. "Ha, no of course not. They had me instead." Bobby raised his eyebrows, and looked her up and down appreciatively. "Woah, so you play too? Nothing like a girl who's good with her hands." He winked at her, and she gagged, while Alex punched his arm, and Luke clenched his fists. "In your dreams, Robert." Reggie grinned at Becca and fist-bumped her, handing her another cup of juice. Luke sighed and settled back onto his couch, trying to ignore the voice in the back of his head, telling him to floor Bobby. That wouldn't be the best way to end Becca's birthday. They sat there for a while longer, enjoying each other's company, until Alex looked at the clock and swore quietly. "It's getting late Bex, we should head soon." Becca glanced at the clock and frowned. It was only just after 8pm. She met Alex's eyes, but the slight frown on his face explained everything. "Right. Let's go."
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skieswords · 3 years
Text
Hold Me Up- Charlie Gillespie x OC
Part 1
They’ve all become pretty good friends on set of JATP S2. Lexi is from halfway across the world, and none of the rest of the cast know much about her upbringing- until Charlie finds her in her room one night, and finds himself comforting the girl he had grown so fond of in a way he hadn’t anticipated.
Warnings: Angst, alcohol, make-out scene. Smut implied?
“And cut! Good work everyone, that’s us for the day.” 
Lexi sighed and stretched her arms above her head, moaning lightly as her spine cracked in just the right spot. They’d been filming the same scene for 4 hours now, and she’d been nipping in and out every 5 minutes to get her makeup touched up. She was playing Becca, Alex’s little sister, and the new love interest for Luke. A tragic accident a year after Alex’s death lead to her becoming a ghost, and roaming the world alone until she finds her brother and the boys, an old romance with the lead guitarist instantly rekindling. It helped that her and Charlie had some level of chemistry between them already, as he’d been the first to become her friend on set. Her first night in Vancouver, he’d showed up at her door, which just happened to be the apartment opposite his and Owen’s, with a case of beers and a friendly smile. 4 months on from that, Charlie and Owen spent pretty much every night lounging around on her sofa, throwing grapes at each other while she caught up on shows from back home. Owen really acted like her older brother, tutting disapprovingly everytime she drank with them- but she’d made the argument that legal drinking age from back home was 18, so it was fine. At only 19, moving across the world might have appeared like a big move, but for Lexi it was a long time coming. She’d moved from Scotland in 2019 for college, and had auditioned for the show on a whim, chasing a childhood dream one last time before she gave up. But now, here she stood, with the two most lusted over mid 20 year olds in the world, and a 17 year old best friend. Madison had instantly taken a liking to her, and they made a point of going out for ice cream at least once a week with Savannah and Jadah, Carolyn often joining them too. The cast were the family Lexi longed for, and so she never quite found herself feeling homesick.
“Hey stranger, ready to go? Charlie’s just getting his makeup taken off- he never does it properly at home.” 
Lexi laughed and opened the passenger door to Charlie’s car, climbing in before Owen could complain. 
“You don’t have to remind me, it’s my cream sofa he got foundation on last week.” 
Owen laughed and leaned through the centre console to flick the radio on. 
“What we doing for food tonight?” 
Lexi shrugged and checked her phone, scrolling through the hundreds of notifications. She’d thought that being new to the cast would mean less hype, and definitely didn’t expect to shoot up to 600,000 followers during filming. Her instagram was pinging frantically right now, her DMs filling up with excited fantoms begging for more input on season 2. She’d posted a boomerang of her on Owen’s shoulders earlier that day, the band set up lain out behind them, and Charlie jumping in front of the camera last minute. 
“These kids are mental, you know that? I’ve had three DMs in the last 20 minutes with death threats.” 
Owen frowned and plucked her phone from her hand, scrolling through them. Sure enough, multiple fan accounts had messaged her, threatening to find her address and hurt her if she came between Julie and Luke on the show. 
“Don’t take them seriously. Most of the fan base are just lovesick teenagers, they don’t get it.” 
Lexi shrugged and took her phone back, setting her feet up on the dash as she connected to the bluetooth. The driver door opened, and Charlie appeared red faced, skin rubbed raw with makeup wipes. 
“Hey party people. We good?” 
Lexi smiled at him and pressed play on her phone, nodding her head to the heavy beat of Arctic Monkeys filling the car. Charlie groaned and slammed his head against the steering wheel, jumping when the horn went, forcing Lexi into fits of giggles. 
“Let’s go Charlieboy, I’m hungry.” 
He shook his head at her and put the car in gear, bobbing his head absentmindedly as he checked his mirrors. The roads of Vancouver were almost empty, with not many people heading home for the night at 1130pm. Owen sang along under his breath from the backseat, his shoes propped up on the centre console. Lexi rolled down her window, letting the warm july wind whip through her hair, and the music fill the air surrounding the car. Charlie looked at her out the corner of his eye, smiling as he watched the dark hair fly around her face, and biting back a laugh when it got stuck in her lipgloss. Owen watched him watching her, and smirked to himself. Most of the cast had bets on when the two would get together. Jeremy had lost a week ago, and at this rate, Jadah’s guess of November was most likely. Charlie’s birthday was in a few weeks, and that’s when he’d voted for. The attraction between them was so clearly mutual, and it sure helped that they were best friends on and off set. 
“Want to pick up pizza on our way back? Or I can cook again?” 
Lexi’s face went blank, and she looked at Charlie. 
“Oh god no. You are not touching my kitchen.” 
Charlie smirked and elbowed her gently, indicating right as they turned into their apartment complex. 
“You don’t use it for anything other than noodles, it would be nice for it to get used for once.” 
Owen snorted. He wasn’t wrong, Lexi was notorious for showing up on set with pot noodles and coffee in hand, at all times of the day. 
“Hey, don’t hate. My grades won, my cooking skills suffered. I’d say it’s fair game.” 
Charlie shrugged and stopped the car, watching as Lexi jumped out and ran to the garage door. 
“I want a shower. I’ll see you guys in like 20 minutes?” 
Charlie nodded and opened the door for Owen, rolling his eyes at his friend’s smirk. 
“Don’t you dare.” 
Owen raised his hands in defense, but continued to speak. 
“You have got to ask her out. She fancies you so much.” 
Charlie groaned and adjusted his cap, stroking the nape of his neck forlornly. The haircut required for season 2 didn’t go down well, and he missed his long curls. 
“I don’t know, I don’t want to make stuff awkward on set.” 
Owen scoffed and stepped into the elevator, throwing his hands into the pockets of his shorts. 
“It’s already awkward enough, with you giving her those puppy dog eyes across the room every 5 minutes, and her staring at your ass when you’re filming. The two of you are ridiculous.” 
They walked into their shared living room, and Charlie dropped onto the sofa staring at the ceiling with a frown. 
“I don’t know man. We’ll see. Maybe after filming’s done.” 
Owen groaned and headed through to the bathroom, the sound of the shower echoing through the little flat a few moments later. 
Lexi stepped out of the shower and onto the bathmat, checking her reflection in the mirror. She’d grown so close with the guys that she hardly noticed what she looked like now, and was more than happy to see them with soaking wet hair and no makeup on. She wandered through to her bedroom wrapped in her towel, pointedly ignoring the pile of clothes at the bottom of her bed. Four 18 hour days on set in a row had been tiring, and laundry was not something even close to the top of her to-do list. Her phone sat on top of a pair of joggers and a sports bra, laid out on the end of her bed, ready to throw on so she could chill with the boys. It was nearly 12, and she was grateful they didn’t have to be up until 8 the next morning. 4am starts and Lexi did not mix well. Her phone started ringing, and Lexi felt her heart sink as her dad’s contact appeared on her screen. Quickly throwing her clothes on, she settled onto her bed, and took a deep breath. 
“Hey dad, how you been?”
****1 hour later****
“Should we go get her?” 
Owen looked up from his position on the sofa and shrugged. 
“I dunno, I’m tired. I think I might just head to bed. She probably fell asleep.” 
Charlie shrugged and looked back at his phone. It was a fair enough suggestion- Lexi had fallen asleep 4 times that day during filming, her head dropping onto his shoulder at the most inopportune times, and once on the sofa in Julie’s garage, and the entire band had found her curled up under Luke’s denim jacket. It was quite sweet, really, and they all made a joke out of it, but he knew how tired she actually was. With her family being on the other side of the globe, time differences meant she was getting next to no sleep, sitting on the phone until an hour before they left so she could catch her sister before work, and phoning her mom on their lunch break or in between takes. That was pretty much the extent Charlie knew about her, so he’d just assumed they were really close. He checked his phone again, and noticed she was active on snapchat. He frowned, and got to his feet, grabbing a hoodie from the back of the door and walking across the hall. Her front door was open, as expected. She was so used to the boys coming in and out that she didn’t bother locking it if they were both in, and the keys sat next to the door ready to be used first thing the next morning. The first thing he noticed when he came in was the bathroom light on, and the door swung open. Charlie instantly thought she might have fallen, and ran into the room, only to find the shower empty, the walls still wet, and the bathmat with faint outlines of footprints sitting at the door. 
“Lex?” 
A groan from her bedroom calmed Charlie’s heart rate, and he walked towards the door, pushing it open gently with his foot. 
“Hey Lex, you decent? Can I come in?” 
A muffled ‘mmph’ noise came from within, so he pushed the door open more, ready to cover his eyes if he had to. But what he found instead almost broke his heart. Lexi was sitting up against her headboard, her knees drawn into her chest, and tears streaming down her cheeks. Her phone lay shattered under her window, a small mark on the wall from where she’d clearly thrown it. 
“Oh Lex. You alright?” 
She tried to smile, but failed, and her lips started to tremble. Charlie jumped onto her bed and pulled her into a hug, frowning as he felt fresh tears begin to soak through his top. He held her for a good 15 minutes, just letting her cry. Eventually, the sobs slowed, and she sat up, rubbing her eyes with her wrists. 
“I’m sorry, that’s gross. God I’m embarrassing.” 
Charlie chuckled and ran a hand through his hair. 
“Nah, don’t be silly. What’s up with you?” 
She let out a sad sigh and collapsed onto her pillows, the bright white a harsh contrast with the painful red of her eyes. 
“Family drama. Nothing new.” 
He frowned and poked her side gently. 
“Wanna talk about it? I can make us something.” 
She gave him a look, but ended up shrugging, pulling a blanket from her floor and wrapping it around her shoulders like a cape, before standing up and walking to the kitchen. 
“Woah, you must be sad. Okay, let’s see what you got.” 
He steered her to the island, and sat her down at the breakfast bar, before running around her cupboards, frowning when he found nothing besides chocolate spread, syrup, waffles, the ingredients for pancakes, and a few boxes of strawberries. 
“What do you eat?” 
Lexi smirked half-heartedly at him, brushing her hair out of her face. 
“We’ve been working long days- I just order in other nights. I was going to go to the shop tomorrow.” 
Charlie narrowed his eyes at her, but continued to lay out the ingredients for pancakes. Lexi silently thanked her younger self for not buying blueberries, or peanut butter. 
“Spill. While I cook, cmon.” Lexi groaned and set her forehead down on the table. 
“My dad was going to come visit. He promised he would, he missed my birthday, but said he’d try and come out for a few days in the summer. I wanted him to meet you guys, wanted him to realise my dream was worth following. He doesn’t really get the whole acting thing. Told me it was a waste of time in school- it’s why I nearly dropped it.” 
Charlie nodded, frowning as he cracked an egg into the pancake batter. 
“I’ve got a pretty rocky relationship with my dad. He left when I was 3 and lived abroad from then on. I always wanted to make him proud. I guess this wasn’t what he had in mind.” 
He turned to look at her, trying desperately to conceal how sad her words made him. His chest clenched when he saw her chewing her lip, and her eyebrows furrowed so tightly there were little white marks on the gentle frown lines that appeared between her eyes. He reached across and stroked them gently with his thumb. 
“Hey, Kenny said no wrinkles, remember?” Lexi smiled softly and massaged her temples with her fingers. 
“My bad, I’ll apologise to him in the morning.” 
Charlie smirked and looked at her expectantly, starting to whisk the pancake mix on the table. Lexi tried her hardest not to comment on the batter flying everywhere, and smiled at his antics. 
“I don’t really know. When I got this, he was pissed at me for even auditioning. He told me I was wasting his money- you know cause I came over here for university and everything.” 
Charlie nodded and licked some batter off his finger, grimacing at the bitter taste. 
“So he got mad at you for deferring your degree for a year?” Lexi made a weird noise and shrugged, turning to look out the window. 
“Ish. He wanted me to graduate and be super successful or whatever. Neither of my parents ever really believed in this dream. But mum was just happy I was happy.” 
Charlie started pouring the batter into the pan, and Lexi looked up at the familiar sizzle, her stomach grumbling as the smell of fresh pancakes filled her kitchen. 
“He just phoned me and told me he wasn’t coming. He got a new girlfriend, and he’s going away with her instead. I should’ve known, it’s my own fault for getting my hopes up.” 
She sounded dejected, and heartbroken. Charlie looked up at her with concern, and something ached within him as he saw the lost look in her eyes. 
“Hey. Don’t you dare blame yourself. It’s okay to want your family to be proud of you.” 
Lexi shrugged and dropped her head onto the island top. 
“I want wine.” Charlie snorted and dropped his spatula, looking at the clock. 
“Wine, is a no go. But beer I can do.” Lexi shrugged and looked at him hopefully. 
“Fine. The fridge, don’t wake Owen or he’ll want to join.” 
Lexi grinned and ran away, looking a bit brighter than she had when Charlie had come in. In truth, Charlie wouldn’t mind if Owen came through, but he was quite enjoying his time alone with Lexi. She’d never opened up to him like this before, and it was nice. He felt like she finally trusted him. It was difficult though, to process all this new information. He hadn’t known about her dad. He had wondered, because she always seemed to be on the phone to her mom and her sister, but he’d never outright asked. It seemed rude. His thoughts were interrupted as she came running into the kitchen, two cases of beer and a half bottle of tequila in hand. 
“Oh no, put that back. Not happening.” Lexi grinned evilly and grabbed shot glasses out of her cabinet. 
“I legally can’t let you do that.” 
She looked him straight in the eye and unscrewed the cap, swigging it straight from the bottle. He sighed and shook his head, but a smirk lay on his lips as he watched her wince and gag at the strength of the alcohol. 
“Pass me one then.” She handed the bottle of tequila to him, laughing when he shook his head, but smiling widely when he obliged, swinging the bottle back and taking a large mouthful. 
“May as well.” 
Lexi clapped and cheered from across the island, standing up to join him next to the cooker. 
“Thatta boy Charlie.” She grinned up at him, all thoughts of her dad gone from her mind. He looked down at her with a soft smirk, and his chest clenched as he registered that it was him who’d put that smile on her face. They smiled at each other for a moment or two, and Charlie could’ve sworn she inched closer. He cleared his throat and turned abruptly, trying to conceal the blush spreading up his neck. 
“We should eat. We have to be on set at like 10 tomorrow.” 
Lexi blinked at him, and cracked her knuckles. 
“Oh, yeah okay. And we have to be there at 8.” 
Charlie snorted and handed her a plate of pancakes. 
“That could’ve ended badly.” 
Lexi laughed and took the pancakes, setting them down at the breakfast bar. 
“What would you do without me?”
He rolled his eyes at her, watching as she reached up on her tiptoes to get the syrup from the top cupboard. 
Charlie watched her, smirking to himself as she struggled to reach it, her fingertips brushing the edge of the shelf before she swayed to the left, and squealed on her way to the floor. Charlie jumped forward and caught her before she could fall, his hands coming to settle on her hips as he steadied her. 
“Thanks. That’ll be the tequila.” 
Charlie grinned down at her, taking in the faint pink of her cheeks, and the fading red rim around her eyes from her tears earlier. 
“What would you do without me?” 
He rolled his eyes, and noticed his hands still rested on her hips, so reached up to grab the syrup, holding it out towards her. 
“Uh, here.” 
Lexi raised her eyebrows and took the syrup, putting it on the counter behind her. 
“It’s for you. I don’t like syrup.”
He nodded, chuckling awkwardly as he ran a hand through his hair. 
“Right. Forgot, sorry.” 
An awkward silence fell between them, and Lexi noticed how close they were standing. Her eyes were focused on the pancakes sitting on the counter, and she turned away to get them, grabbing a fork from the sink. Just as she moved to sit down, she noticed that Charlie still stood at the counter, his hands fidgeting awkwardly, his eyes trained on her. Lexi looked at him expectantly, and noticed the slight flush in his cheeks. 
Her breathing quickened, and a sudden wave of confidence rushed over her, finding her striding towards him, and taking his face in hers. She pressed their lips together, heat flooding her entire body. It took a moment, but she felt herself relax as he started to kiss her back, his lips moving hungrily against hers. She moaned softly as his tongue flicked across her lower lip, begging for entrance. She gave it, just as his hands came to rest on her hips, thumbs digging into her side and pulling her flush against him. 
He walked them backwards, stopping as her back hit the island, and lifting her up to sit on it. She yelped a little as he did, giggling like a little girl as he moved to stand in between her legs. He placed a hand on the back of her neck and pulled her in to another kiss, this one much slower, and more thought out. They parted, and Charlie rested his forehead against hers, panting heavily. 
“You have no idea how long I’ve waited to do that.” 
Lexi bit her lip and looked at his hands, one resting beside her leg on the counter top, and the other playing with her fingers in between them. 
“Probably about as long as I’ve waited for you to do it.” 
He grinned at her and kissed her softly, lips parting with a groan as things heated up quickly, Lexi’s hands reaching up and running through his hair. 
“As much as I want to do this, I want to take you on a date first. And we have work in like 5 hours, and I don’t wanna overstep-” 
Lexi silenced him with a peck on the lips, and crossed her arms behind his neck, forcing him to look into her eyes. 
“It’s okay, Charlie. We can take it slow. I’m just glad I wasn’t imagining it.” 
Charlie smirked, blushing a little as he stepped back and adjusted his joggers slightly. 
“I should go back. Owen will probably wake up soon, he always gets up for water during the night.” 
Lexi nodded and jumped off the sofa as he moved to start clearing up the pancakes. 
“Hey, it’s fine, you don’t have to do that. I’ll do it tomorrow.” 
Charlie looked at her with uncertainty, but the smile on her face told him it was really okay. He left them, and looked at the cold plates of pancakes on the kitchen island. 
“They got wasted.” 
Lexi shrugged, crossing her arms and rubbing them to get rid of the night chill. 
“Come on, I’ll let you get to bed.” 
Charlie ran a hand through his hair and headed for the door, Lexi tailing after him. He hesitated before crossing the hall, looking back to find her chewing her lip nervously. It took everything in him not to slam the door and take her back through to her bedroom, with those innocent blue eyes, and her lip between her teeth in the most tantalizing way possible. He couldn’t help himself, and he reached out, running his thumb across her bottom lip lightly.
 Lexi closed her eyes and tilted her head back as he did so. This was too much, and Charlie leaned down, taking her lips with his, and walking her back against the wall. There was no sweetness in this, pure animalistic passion breaking through as he devoured her lips, his hands gripping her hips so tightly she was sure they would bruise. He held her against the wall with his body, his grip tightening as she moaned into his mouth, her tongue sweeping along his lips, driving him insane. 
“Do you have any idea what you’re doing to me?” 
Charlie broke their kiss and ground his hips into hers slightly, letting her feel him through his joggers. Lexi’s knees nearly gave out, and she whimpered quietly in his ear. 
“Fuck. Okay I’m going, or I won’t be able to leave you.” 
Charlie didn’t budge from his position, his hot breath still dancing on her face as they panted desperately. He took a moment to find his self control, taking a deep breath as he stepped away from her and closed his eyes, so that the sight of her leaning against the wall, panting and red faced, swollen lips and messy hair, wouldn’t draw him back in. 
“Night Lex. I’ll see you in the morning.” 
Lexi smirked and reached up to stroke his cheek, before squeezing his hand and watching him walk across the hall. She couldn’t help but smile to herself as she closed her apartment door. She adored that man, and had been waiting months for him to make a move on her. Back in his own room, Charlie groaned quietly and checked the time, sighing as he did so. It was pretty much 2am, but he desperately needed a cold shower. 
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skieswords · 3 years
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Pull Through Part 3
Please read part 1 first to make sure you check all of the trigger warnings❤️
"I'm freaking out. What are we gonna do?" Luke ran his hands through his hair and dropped into a cracked leather seat backstage. They were sitting in the dressing room at Club Hollywood, a lowkey bar in Downtown LA. By some form of miracle, Sunset Curve had managed to book their first proper gig, with real people watching, who actually wanted to watch. Granted, they were only opening for a slightly more well-known band, but it was a start. However, Bobby had called the club, and told them he wouldn't be able to make it. The boys were losing it, and had no idea what to do. "We can go on without him. It'll be fine, we're totally in sync." Luke stared at Alex and bit his lip. "Dude, you're kidding. It'll mess up the whole set, we need a second guitar." Reggie pouted and pointed to his guitar. "Hey, I'm still here." Luke rested his head in his hands and groaned. "Reg. You play bass." He rolled his eyes with a slight smirk, and started racking his brain. A flash of orange made him think, and he sat up, reaching for Alex's arm. "Come on. Drive me back to yours." Alex looked at him in disbelief. "What's that gonna do? We have another 2 hours before we have to get Becca, we need to practice." Luke pulled Alex to his feet, and looked him straight in the eye. "Trust me." Alex groaned, and looked to Reggie, who shrugged. "Reg, stay here. We'll be back soon." Reggie's face fell, and the boys heard him shouting after them, as Luke legged it down the corridor, closely tailed by Alex.
"Bex?" Becca looked up to her door, and was surprised to see a flustered looking Luke, his face red and hopeful. "Oh, hey Luke. What you doing here?" Luke stepped into her room, and closed the door behind him. Becca looked up at him expectantly, as he wrung his hands at the bottom of her bed. "Bobby dropped out for tonight." Becca's eyes widened, and she jumped off her bed. "What? But tonight's your first real gig!" Luke nodded, and strolled over to the corner of her room. "Anyway, we can't find anyone to fill in for him." Becca frowned as Luke's fingers trailed over the guitar in the corner. "Luke..." He turned to her with pleading eyes, and it took a bit of effort not to concede instantly. "Please, Bex. This means everything to me." He came towards her and grabbed her hands, squeezing them tightly. Becca looked up into his eyes, deep pools of green, with flecks of gold floating in them. She'd do anything for those eyes. "Luke, I can't. I don't play." He dropped her hands and rolled his eyes. "Bullshit. You have to play, I've seen your music! And I've heard you playing in the loft before. Please. I'm begging you." Becca looked over to the guitar in the corner and sighed. "I- Luke I've never played electric." His face lit up, and he grabbed it off the stand. "I'll teach you. We have two hours until we're on, and it's easier than acoustic. You'll pick it up in no time, I promise." His eyes were so hopeful, and he looked so young and innocent, that she couldn't say no. It meant so much to him. Becca looked to the homework on her bed, and sighed. "If I can figure it out, then yes. Maybe." His smile was so wide she thought it must hurt, and he caught her off guard by scooping her up and spinning her around in his arms. "Yes! Thank you, thank you, thank you. Come on, let's go." He grabbed her hand and tried to pull her towards the door, but she stopped, and looked down at herself. "Luke?" He turned back and smiled at her, still tugging gently on her hand. "I can't go in this." She indicated to her sweats and the old hoodie, and he frowned. "True. You can't. Uh, you own anything black?" Becca snorted and headed for her wardrobe. "What kinda stuff do rockstars wear?" She bit back a laugh as Luke did a dramatic spin, holding out the lapels of his jacket. "Right, but I'm not gonna wear that, am I." She waved a hand at his sleeveless shirt, and low-cut jeans. Alex came in then, and groaned when he found Luke sitting on Becca's bed. "Dude, what have I said? You're not allowed in her room alone." Becca sent Alex a disapproving glance, and turned back to her wardrobe. "What should I wear tonight?" Alex moved to stand beside Becca, and reached into the mess of clothes. "You'll be backstage, so black works?" Becca frowned and looked to Luke questioningly, who was gesturing wildly behind Alex's back, drawing a line across his throat and shaking his head. "Uh, okay. Jeans? Or like a skirt? Or shorts... uh." Alex pulled a pair of black denim shorts out, and threw them at her. "There. They'll be fine. Luke?" He held open the door to Becca's bedroom, and raised his eyebrows. Luke sniffed and smirked, biting his lip and glancing at Alex as he walked out the door. Becca laughed as she heard Alex smack him in the hall, and pulled out the rest of her clothes. "That's my baby sister dude! No perving!" Luke laughed in response, and Becca imagined his goofy little grin, his hands shoved in his pockets, or fiddling with the chains on his jeans.
Luke snuck back into Becca's room a few minutes later, knocking to make sure she was decent. "I'm gonna dump this in the car- woah." Becca turned round to look at him with a nervous smile. "Do I look okay?" Luke gulped and blinked a few times. "Uh, yeh. You look great." Becca looked down at her outfit and bit her lip. Black cutoffs, and fishnet tights, paired with her black chuck taylors, and a Sunset Curve t-shirt  knotted at the front. After looking her up and down slowly, nodding in approval, Luke frowned a little and looked down at his own jeans. He put the guitar on the bed, before detaching one of the chains hanging from his belt loop and reaching towards her. "Here, this'll top it off." Becca's eyes grew as she watched Luke kneel down, and felt his hand on her waist, clipping the chains onto her shorts. "Great. Uh, meet you downstairs in 5?" Becca blinked and nodded, taking a step away from him and rubbing her neck awkwardly. Luke snapped his fingers at her and pulled the door shut behind him, leaving Becca to continue staring at herself in the mirror, tugging her shorts down every now and again. After throwing a black and grey checked flannel over her shoulders, she jumped down the stairs, and bumped into Alex coming out of the bathroom. "You look ace, proper little groupie we've got." He grabbed her hand and spun her around, before dragging her out to the car, where Luke was already  sitting, music blaring from the windows. "Cmon, we've got things to do!" Alex rolled his eyes at Luke's overexcited-puppy behaviour, and pulled back his seat to let Becca climb in. "Let's get this show on the road!" Luke turned and winked at Becca, leaving her to laugh at his antics, and watch out the window, one knee pulled up to her chest, chewing her lip anxiously.
Becca was pacing back and forth, wringing her hands desperately. They had an hour until they were expected on stage, and Luke still hadn't gotten a chance to come help her with the guitar part. In all honesty, she'd lied to Luke about never having played electric before, hoping to deter him from asking her. Obviously this hadn't worked, but she was pretty sure he wouldn't complain about it once they were on stage. "Hey, there you are. Ready to do this?" Becca turned to face Luke, her face almost grey. "I don't know why I said I could do this. I can't play on a stage! With all those people watching..." Luke stepped towards her and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, forcing her to look up at him. At 5'3, even Luke was tall to her, and her worried eyes met his, seeking comfort in the familiar emerald orbs. He pushed her gently towards the guitars in the corner, and swung the strap over his shoulder. He plugged in the amp, and strummed the strings quickly, tuning them with expert fingers. Satisfied, he shortened the strap a little, and held it out for her to step under. "It's a little heavier than what you're used to, but you won't notice it in a moment." Becca adjusted the strap again herself and frowned as her neck strained with the weight, before swinging her hair out from under the strap. Luke turned back to her, his own guitar hanging round his neck, and smiled at her reassuringly. "Okay, it's mainly A and D in the first verse. A first, then D, then A..." Luke continued to show her the chords for the set, smiling proudly every time she got it right, and resting his hand over her fingers every time she got it wrong, adjusting her fingers ever so lightly. It was sweet, watching his surprised expressions when she managed the more difficult combinations, and she felt a strange feeling in her stomach, as the time ticked by. "Okay so there's this one part, where Bobby and I usually play back and forth, kinda like call and response? But I can just play that whole section if you want?" Becca smirked and rolled her eyes. She knew the section well, and after years of listening to the boys play, she was pretty sure she had it engraved in her brain. "I'll give it a go. I think I know what bit you're on about." Luke pulled his guitar over his head and stepped behind her, putting his hands over hers. Becca's eyes widened and she gulped, mentally slapping her forehead and forcing her brain to cooperate. "So put your left hand on the 7th fret... yeah right there, A shape... perfect. 4th, 2nd, 6th, 3rd..." Becca lost focus as her head turned slightly to her left, and she found Luke's face, furrowed with concentration. She felt a smile tug at the corners of her lips, watching him bite his lip as his calloused fingers curved softly over her own. He noticed she wasn't playing, and turned to face her, his eyes meeting bright blue. A playful grin appeared on his face, and Becca felt a blush creeping up her chest. "Yo, Luke, we're on soon, you read- Bex?" Luke coughed and took a step back from Becca, grinning at Alex, who's eyes were wide and mildly disapproving. Becca rolled her eyes at Luke's expression, and swung the guitar over her head, resting it next to Luke's. "I've got this, Alex. Promise." Alex's face was wrought with worry and surprise, but after registering Luke and Becca's hopeful faces, he groaned, and walked away. "I'm gonna kill you Lucas." Luke grinned at Alex's retreating form, and the middle finger held high above his blonde hair, before turning to Becca. She stood with her arms across her chest, bottom lip in between her teeth as she chewed frantically. "Hey, Bex. You're okay." Luke reached a hand out and grabbed her hand, forcing her to let go of her lip so she could smile up at him. "You got this."
The wings were stuffy, men dressed all in black running across the stage now and again. Alex's drums sat pride of place on a platform towards the back, and the boys' and Becca's mics were arranged around at the front. She'd spoken to Luke, and convinced him she couldn't sing. It took a lot of convincing, but they stopped when Reggie had realised Becca was playing for them, pulling his surrogate little sister into his arms and hugging her tightly. "I always said we'd make a rockstar of you." Becca smiled as she thought about it, laughing to herself. Her, a rockstar? I don't think so. She'd leave that to Alex. A hand between her shoulder blades told her it was time to go, and Becca looked up at Alex. He looked nervous, but excited at the same time, if that was even possible. She imagined he felt similar to her, with butterflies going mental in her stomach, and weird shivers creeping up her spine every 2 minutes. They stepped into the blinding lights of the stage together, Alex's hand only leaving her back when they reached her mic. Luke nodded towards their guitar stands, and Becca followed him over. "Breathe. You'll be great." His hand brushed hers, and she smiled, taking the guitar he offered her. "Let's do this." With one final smirk, Luke turned to the crowd, hardly visible through the smoke off the lights, and started waving, smiling like a madman. Becca rolled her eyes, and swung the guitar strap over her head. With one final breath, she turned to face the crowd also, finding herself grinning in anticipation. She looked around the boys, and found her heart clenching desperately, as she registered the looks of unadulterated bliss on their faces. Alex was rubbing his drumsticks together, his eyes sparkling in the lights, as he tossed his hair off his forehead. Reggie was waving into the crowd excitedly, jumping up and down on his toes lightly. Luke was knelt down towards the front, grabbing the hands of some high school girls they knew. Becca frowned at this, and turned her attention back to her guitar. "Hey everyone! We've got a special guest tonight, our drummer's little sister, Bex!" The audience clapped and cheered, and Becca felt her chest tighten. "We're Sunset Curve-" Reggie jumped in. "Tell your friends!" The lights in the audience came down, and as Reggie struck the first chord, Becca felt like the world was moving in slow motion. Her own fingers started sliding up and down the fretboard, and she felt a jolt of energy flow through her as she picked the first string. Alex came in, and her heart rate picked up. This was it. And then suddenly, a rush of adrenaline sped through her, setting her skin on fire, as Luke began to sing. He was jumping up and down, his left leg kicking out to the side every other chord. Becca stopped thinking, and tossed her hair behind her as the chorus started, trying everything in her power not to join in. Alex was going mental behind her, his hands flying around the drum kit so fast she could hardly make out the pale beige of his sticks. Reggie was having the time of his life, head thrown back in excitement. Luke was the one to watch though. He was like a man possessed, his eyes on fire as his hands flew around his guitar expertly, occasionally jumping off to grab the mic, and letting Becca take over the main melody line. Her cheeks were aching, and it was too much work not to sing. As the second chorus kicked in, she let go, and stepped up to her mic properly.
Don't look down 'Cause we're still rising Up right now
Luke turned in surprise as a fourth voice joined in, but his face lit up when he realised the voice carrying throughout the club was hers, and he grinned at her. She rolled her eyes, and continued, reaching a hand up when she got the chance to run her fingers through her curls, grabbing her mic and pulling it closer to her.  
And even if we hit the ground We'll still fly Keep dreaming like we'll live forever But live it like it's now or never
The bridge was coming up, and Luke cast a glance over his shoulder, trying to make a decision in the next few seconds. Becca was radiant, her eyes glowing with a fire he'd only ever felt, never seen. He gulped as her hand ran through her curls, coming back to rest on the mic in front of her. She was incredible, and his eyes drifted to where her hands now rested on the fretboard of his old Fender, chipped black nail polish against the red of her fingertips, bruising from the pressure. Something clicked, and he silently apologised to Alex, before catching Becca's eye, and nodding at her, asking her to join him. She rolled her eyes, but couldn't help herself, and moved towards him.
We ain't searching for tomorrow (tomorrow) 'Cause we got all we need today (today)
Becca met Luke at his mic, just as she joined Reggie on the top harmony, her voice ringing in Luke's ears. If he hadn't been so caught up in the moment, he would have been speechless. They were nearly touching, and Becca could feel Luke's hot breath on her face as they shared the mic. Their eyes never left each others, and Becca could feel Alex's glare burning the backs of their heads. Luke's hair fell forward onto his forehead, the tips damp with sweat. In that moment, with the fire in his eyes, his arms bulging, and voice raspy as ever, Becca had never found him more attractive.
Living on a feeling that's been running through our veins We're the revolution that's been singing in the rain
Becca turned to look at Reggie, who was looking at Luke with an amused expression. As they got ready to launch into the last chorus, Becca decided it really was now or never, and jumped onto the platform Alex was on, shooting him a smile as he sang and clapped his hands, head shaking ever so slightly towards her. She winked and started up the final chords, eyes closed in pure ecstasy, high on the energy of the music. She could feel eyes on her, and had a feeling Luke's were included in that. Indeed, when she opened her eyes, green met blue, and she almost felt the need to cover up. Luke's eyes burned through her, and she couldn't take her eyes off him, or the look on his face. He was in absolute awe of her, and the light that radiated from her when she played. He knew what it was, because she looked how he felt. Overcome with the music, she'd let herself go completely, her heart beating with the drums, her blood flowing with the melody, her only source of oxygen the words of the song. His only question was why she'd never joined them before. She was breathtaking on stage, and after a confirmatory glance at the audience, he knew it wasn't just because of his childhood crush. Of the many stares from the audience, a lot of them were on her, everyone wondering who this electrified beauty was. As the final chord rang out, from Luke's guitar, there was a millisecond of silence, in which Becca jumped off Alex's mini stage, and made her way back to her mic, hands resting on top of her guitar gently. The applause was deafening, and Becca dropped her eyes to her shoes, shuffling her feet side to side. That was until someone grabbed her hand, and she looked up, to find Luke beaming down at her. He dragged her off stage, and she found herself laughing hysterically, unable to contain herself. Luke lifted the guitar off her shoulders and leant it against the wall, before turning back to her and pulling her into a hug. "You were so awesome! I fucking knew you could do it, I knew it! You rocked that, they loved you!" Becca squealed and wrapped her arms around his neck, burying her face in his shoulder, not caring about the layer of sweat making his skin glitter in the soft light. "Dude, get off her." Luke dropped Becca to the floor gently and turned around sheepishly, face falling when he spotted Alex. His smile quickly returned, when he noticed the look of pride on Alex's face, and he watched as Becca sprinted towards him, jumping into his arms as he spun her round. "Who would've thought, my baby sister, a rockstar? You were incredible, I had no idea you could do that?" Becca giggled as Alex set her back down, still jumping up and down on her tiptoes with excitement. Reggie came running through a moment later, sweat running down his forehead. "Sorry, went off the wrong side. Bex? What the heck?" He held out his arms, and she gave him a tight hug, laughing at the look of pure astonishment on his face. She stood between Alex and Reggie, Alex's arm resting over her shoulders comfortably. They jostled her between them as they made their way back to the dressing room, Luke walking behind them with his hands shoved in his pockets, a triumphant grin resting on his face. "I wish I'd placed bets, I would've made so much cash!" Becca rolled her eyes and slid her jacket off her shoulders, dropping onto the couch. "I don't think I've ever sweat this much. You could've warned me, I'd have brought a spare shirt." Alex grabbed his bag from down beside the couch, and reached into it, tossing her a sunset curve shirt. "Thanks. How many of these things do you have?" Becca stood up and grabbed the hem of her shirt, dragging it over her stomach. Alex yelled and jumped in front of her, pulling it back down. "Uh, not here." Becca looked to Reggie, who was kneeling on the floor, sorting out piles of t-shirts, and to Luke, who was conveniently facing the door. "It's fine, Alex." He groaned and turned round, trying to block her from view with his body. A soft chuckle came from the direction Luke faced, and Becca smirked, pulling the fresh top on gratefully. "Cool, so what do we do now? Is that us done for the night?" Luke spun round, walking towards his own bag, and knelt down. "Pretty much, yeh. I'll just drop you home and then go to Reggie's to help the boys get everything sorted." Luke snorted from his spot on the floor, and dragged his shirt over his head, using it to wipe his face before throwing it at Reggie. Becca's eyes raked over his body, taking in his chest, those abs... Alex noticed, and kicked Luke, who hadn't let Becca's gaze go unnoticed, and smirked. "My eyes are up here, Bex." Becca rolled her eyes and took a step towards the window, leaning on the ledge and sighing as the chilled air hit her back. "I was just trying to figure out where you find the time to go to the gym, you know, between band rehearsals and all the school work you do." Luke smirked again, tugging his fresh top over his head. This one had sleeves, she noticed regretfully. "Gym isn't the only way to work out Bex." He winked at her, and dodged away from Alex's fist, falling onto the sofa laughing. "No sex jokes in front of my baby sister!" Alex fell on top of him and started pummeling Luke's chest playfully, leaving Becca to process what Luke had just said. Reggie appeared at her side, leaning his elbow on her shoulder. "Ignore him. He's in the studio so much, I've walked in on him almost a million times hanging from the rafters." Becca looked up at him in feigned confusion, but the rush of relief in her stomach was undeniable. "Don't worry, I won't say anything." He walked away with a knowing smirk, picking up an armful of t-shirts from the floor. "Guys, come on." Alex rolled off of Luke, and swung his bag over his shoulder, following Reggie out the door. Luke did the same, but he winked at Becca as he left, reaching his hand out towards her. "Now for the afterparty."
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skieswords · 3 years
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Pull Through Part 6
Please read the warnings in Part 1❤️
Trigger warning, mentions of physical abuse, self-harm, vomiting. 
They pulled into the driveway, Becca's hands fidgeting nervously in her lap. Alex placed a hand over them, nodding at her, before stepping out of the car, and coming round to let her out. He took her hand again, and walked into the house by her side, kicking his shoes off as she did the same. Becca took a deep breath and dropped Alex's hand, stepping into the kitchen, and blinking under the sudden light. "Rebecca, happy birthday. Did you have a good day?" 
Becca nodded at her dad with a weak smile, and made her way to the fridge, taking out a bottle of water. "Yeah it was pretty good. I got an A in my english exam, by the way." Graham nodded from his seat at the table, his tie resting beside him and the top few buttons of his shirt undone. A few empty beer bottles sat on the table in front of him, another one in his hand. "Fine. What about math? And science?" There was a slight sneer in his voice, and Becca looked at her feet, shuffling awkwardly. "I've got those exams next week. I'll pass them though, promise." Graham snorted quietly, and polished off the beer in his hand, slamming it down on the table with a little too much force. "Yes, you will." Becca nodded and turned to leave, but he spoke before she could. "Grab us another beer, hon." She looked back at him, taking in his dishevelled hair and glassy eyes. "Dad, don't you think you've had enough?" Alex took a deep breath from where he was standing outside the door. Obviously she was feeling brave. "Who are you to tell me when I've had enough? God, you sound like your whore mother." Alex flinched, and took another step towards the doorframe, trying to build up the courage should he need to intervene. Becca's voice, strangely confident, filled the kitchen again. "Don't talk about mom like that. She deserves more respect." Graham's chair scraped against the kitchen tiles, and he stood up, frothing at the mouth. "Don't talk to me about respect in my own house. You're all the same, you, your mother, that boy. Disrespectful, ungrateful bastards, the lot of you. Don't know why I stick around. And you, throwing all of my hard work back in my face, failing your classes? I'm embarrassed to call you my kid." Alex's heart sunk at his dad's words, the words scarily reminiscent of the speech he'd recieved when he came out. Becca clenched her fists and grit her teeth. So much for best birthday yet. "God, I'm so sick of you treating us like this! I try my ass off, dad, but it's never good enough! You've stopped acknowledging Alex's existence all together. He's still your son! Just because he'd rather kiss guys, doesn't make him any less Alex than he was before. He deserves better than you." Graham was seething, stalking towards Becca with his empty beer bottle in hand. "Shut up, little girl. No-one cares what you have to say." Becca scoffed and drew back her shoulders, standing up tall. "You know what? Yeh, they do. And one day, you're gonna realise that. And then you'll be sor-" She was cut off by a sickening crack, and Alex jumped into the kitchen just in time to find Graham standing over Becca's kneeling form, her forehead cradled in her hands. Blood was seeping through her fingers, and Alex noticed the shattered beer bottle with a look of horror. "Get out." Graham was in shock, looking at the blood dripping onto his kitchen floor. He looked up at Alex, almost afraid. "Get out. You heard me." He fumbled for his keys, and ran past the Mercer kids, not sparing Becca a second glance as she whimpered quietly. Alex listened for the sound of tires against the gravel, and felt his shoulders relax as the familiar crunch sounded through the house. He fell to his knees and placed his hands on Becca's shoulders. "Bex? Bex look at me. Let me see. Bex?" Becca groaned and looked up slightly, wincing as her hand brushed against her forehead. She pulled her fingers away, and Alex hissed as he saw the nasty gash across her forehead. He struggled not to panic, forcing down the overwhelming sense of terror in his chest. Taking a deep breath, he reached out for her hands, helping her to her feet.  "Fuck. Okay, come on, up you get. We gotta get you to the hospital." Becca leaned on Alex heavily as he helped her out the door, folding over in her seat when they reached the car. Alex watched her out the corner of his eye, clenching and unclenching his fists around the steering wheel. Becca's whimpers were only just audible, her shoulders trembling slightly. He was grateful for that at least- the only thought circling his head was the fear she might pass out.
They pulled up to the hospital, and Alex wasted no time, helping Becca out of the car and through the front doors, his hand round her waist. "Hey, is our mom working?" The receptionist looked up at him in surprise, taking in Becca's appearance. "Another skating accident honey? We told you to start wearing a helmet after the last one, didn't we?" Alex bit his tongue, remembering their last visit to the hospital 6 months ago, when Becca had needed stitches after being thrown down the stairs like a rag doll by their dad. The feeling in his stomach that night, seeing her body lying at the bottom of the stairwell, sprawled out, while blood trickled down her forehead, was one he'd never forget. She'd been knocked unconscious, and for a moment, Alex had feared the worst. But luckily having a mom for a doctor came in handy sometimes, and she'd gotten them straight to the hospital, with strict instructions to call it a skating accident. Alex was tempted to tell the truth, but wasn't given the chance, as Becca smiled weakly and nodded. "Yeah, sorry Naomi. I thought I'd be fine but, guess not!" The dark haired woman shook her head fondly, and brushed down her purple scrubs, before picking up the phone and dialling a number. "Hi, is Julia there? Can you tell her her kids are down here? Her daughter needs some stitches by the looks of things." Becca leant into Alex, his arm now wrapped protectively around her shoulder. Naomi set the phone down and looked at the two of them with kind eyes. "Go to room 211- your mom will meet you there. And, by the way, happy birthday sweetheart!" Becca forced a smile to the kind nurse, before turning away with Alex, and stumbling down the corridor, biting back her tears. As soon as the door was shut, she folded over and started moaning, clutching her forehead desperately. Alex stepped forward and rubbed her back, pulling her hair back and tying it with a scrunchie she had round her wrist. He grabbed her hand and squeezed it tight, guiding her to the bed and sitting her down. "I don't know where you find the guts to stand up to him, Bex. He always manages to hurt you." Becca sniffled, and leaned into her brother, releasing her forehead and feeling the warm blood trickle slowly down her temple, already sticky. "I'm sick of him treating us like this, Alex. Why are we never enough?" He bit his lip, and felt tears well up in his eyes. "I don't know, Bex. I really don't know." They sat in silence for a few more minutes, Becca's occasional whimpers the only sound in the room.
"Oh my god, Rebecca, what happened?" Julia came rushing in, and placed a hand on either side of her daughter's face, lifting it gently. The entire right side of Becca's face was covered with a light coating of blood, and her eye was screwed shut, blood coating her lashes. She sighed, and stroked her forehead, glancing at Alex. "He did this, didn't he." Her voice was hardly more than a whisper, and she continued stroking Becca's hair as she spoke, making a noise like an injured puppy when Alex nodded. "I'm so sorry baby. I should've been there." Becca shook her head, wincing as she did so. "Keep still. Let's get that sorted." Alex watched with a heavy heart as Julia fetched a suture kit, flinching everytime Becca whimpered at the new sutures. As she washed off the blood with an alcohol wipe, he felt angry tears rise to the surface, the bruise and swelling around his little sister's eye already painfully obvious. Julia pressed a kiss to her youngest child's forehead, before looking to Alex, who had his arms crossed over his chest, his body language radiating anger. "Alexander, hon, can you take her home? She should be fine. I don't want people asking questions." Alex scoffed and shook his head at her. "Really? What if she's got a concussion?" Julia sighed and peeled her gloves off, trying not to look at the red stain of her daughter's blood all over them. "Alex, please. Just do as your told." Becca looked pleadingly at her brother, wincing as she ran a finger over the bumpy stitches in her forehead. It was a nasty cut. About 4 inches wide, and pretty deep, she was going to have a beauty of a scar. "Fine. Come on, Bex." Alex reached a hand out to her, and sent one final disapproving look at his mom, before guiding Becca along the corridor with their hands intertwined. "I promise, Bex, if it's the last thing I do, I'm gonna get you out of there." Becca laughed mirthlessly, waving as they passed Naomi. "Bye honey, I don't wanna see you in here for at least another 6 months, you hear me?" Becca smiled forcefully, before disappearing into the carpark, tucked under her older brother's arm. They got home, and Alex went straight to the kitchen, running a cold towel under the tap. "Here, hold that over it." Becca took a seat at the kitchen table, pointedly avoiding looking at the collection of beer bottles on the table. She watched as Alex soaked another cloth, before kneeling down and collecting the shattered glass from the floor. Binning it, he returned to the floor, grimacing as he started wiping the red splatters off of the tiles. He scrubbed furiously, until he let out a pained groan, and slumped onto the floor, leaning his back against the fridge. Becca ran to him, holding him as he cried, letting her own tears fall. "How many times am I going to have to clean your blood of the floor, Bex?" Becca felt a tear drip off the end of her nose, and ran a hand through Alex's hair. Just over 6 months ago, they'd been in almost this exact situation, only there had been a lot less blood and glass to clean up. "Can I sleep with you tonight?" Alex nodded at his little sister's request, finding her hand and squeezing it tight.
The next morning met the Mercer kids with a silent house, a clear sign that neither their mom or dad was home. Alex rolled over and looked at his little sister, fast asleep with the covers pulled up under her chin, her hair spread across his pillow. She looked so peaceful, the ugly black of her stitches covered by her hair, and it was almost possible to imagine her as any other 16 year old girl, about to wakeup and go to school as she should, to then come home, and go out for her first driving lesson. But of course, the reality was not quite like that. She woke up not long after him, and after accepting a much needed hug for 5 minutes, legged it to the bathroom, closely tailed by Alex, who held back her hair as she vomited for 20 minutes straight. Totally wiped out, she groaned, before feeling Alex pull her against his chest, holding her tightly and rocking her back and forth in his arms. "How you feeling?" Becca groaned in response, resting her head against her brother's shoulder. They were leaning against the bathroom wall, Becca sitting in between Alex's legs with her head on his shoulder, carefully avoiding her stitches. They sat in silence, staring at the wall with blank expressions. There was nothing to be said.
Alex stirred eventually, pushing Becca off him gently, and helping her to her feet. "You need to eat. Cmon, I'll make something." Becca nodded, and walked over to the sink to get her toothbrush. "I'll be down in a bit." Once Alex left, she turned the faucet off, and looked at herself in the mirror. She ran a finger over the jagged black stitches, and touched the skin around them, wincing. A nasty bruise was already forming around them, and she knew she was going to have a killer migraine for the next few days. Becca touched the scar above her eyebrow, only an inch or so below the new stitches, and smiled sadly. Another one to add to the collection. She dropped her hands to her sides, rolling up her hoodie sleeve. She ran her right hand over the small collection of white and purple marks on her left wrist, frowning. Skating accident didn't quite cover these ones. She pulled her sleeve back down, rubbing her arm. Once again meeting her own eyes in the mirror, she drew her shoulders back, and sniffed. She was going to be okay. She had to be.
The smell of burnt toast carried up the stairs, and Becca laughed as she walked into the kitchen, finding Alex standing over a stack of charred bread, a hopeless frown on his face. "Leave it. I'll just have cereal." Alex groaned and jumped onto the counter, swinging his legs as she got the milk from the fridge. He reached in to the top cupboard, and held his hand out toward's Becca, who glared at him, and shook her head. "No, Alex." He raised his eyebrows at her and jumped down, setting the orange bottle down next to the orange juice he'd left out for her. "Take them, I don't care what you've got to say. Just do as your told." His voice told her not to argue, and she groaned, but unscrewed the cap and swallowed back two pills, gagging, before sticking her tongue out at Alex. "You done torturing me for the day?" Alex rolled his eyes and ruffled her hair, pointing to the milk. "Eat. I'm going downstairs." He shoved his hands in his pockets and left the kitchen, stopping outside the door for a moment to make sure she was actually eating. Satisfied after hearing her grab a bowl, he continued on his way down the hall, opening the door to the basement and disappearing down the stairs. The basement had been Alex's sanctuary for years, his safe space, his only escape from his parents. When he came out, he'd basically moved in, only coming out at night to go to his room. They'd soundproofed it when he picked up the drums, turning it into a sort of studio, so that he could go mental without disturbing the entire neighbourhood. His anxiety had been okay recently- it had been months since he'd had an attack. As Becca and their dad started fighting more and more, he'd felt his chest getting tighter and tighter, ready to snap. Becca was the only thing keeping him going. He knew he couldn't break while she was still at home, he had to have his head screwed on straight so he could keep her safe. One more year, that's all she needed, and then she could get to college, and she'd be safe. Their dad was terrifying. But he was also the only person in the world that Alex would stand up to- because he'd do anything not to see his little sister get hurt.
Becca cracked open the door to the basement, and sighed as she heard Alex going at it, fill after fill after fill. She knew he was hurting, and she knew it hurt him to see her hurting. But there wasn't much either of them could do about it. They'd just have to stick it out for a little longer. She pushed the door shut with a click, and ran upstairs, settling down at her desk. She had multiple pieces of homework due by the end of the week, and an impromptu day off meant she'd have lots more to catch up on the next day. But the minute she opened her history textbook, and started to scan the page, her mind started reeling, and she had to clutch her head with her eyes closed in an effort for the dizziness to go away. "Well that's a no to that then." She sighed and closed her textbook, collapsing onto her bed instead. The house was silent, Alex's frantic drumming silenced by the soundproof walls in the basement. Becca fiddled with her fingers, looking around her walls. The usual urge to suddenly change and redecorate the entire room was more dull than it normally was, almost like it was blurry, not quite defined. Her mind was reeling, struggling to work out reality and her thoughts. She groaned and buried her face in her pillow. She almost preffered the constant talking in her head to this. This feeling of uncertainty, not being able to tell the real from the fake. She was going insane.
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