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.

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!!!”

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.” 

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