#graiden

“Am I boring you? It’s just those-”

“Damn freshmen who think they own the band.” Grace cuts him off, followed by a laugh at the twitch of his eye at her comment. “I love you and all sweetie, but please shut up about marching band and have a nice date with me.”

Aiden huffs in response, sticking his straw into his drink sipping it through that now still oblivious to the whipped cream smeared across his nose. He flicks her tongue over his lip, leaning back in his chair with an obnoxious huff. “I can’t stop thinking about it.”

“Have you tried-”

“Don’t you dare suggest I react violently or homicidally. This is not the time or place for your millennial jokes.” Aiden replies sternly, crossing his arms over his chest pouting to himself. Grace can’t help herself, but to laugh the outburst even funnier with the fact he still has whip cream on his nose.

“Jesus, I can’t take you seriously anymore.” She shakes her head, her eyes filling with tears from laughing too hard. “You’ve had whip cream on your nose basically since we got here.” She smacks her hand against the table gaining a few glances from the people around her. She shakes her head turning back to Aiden with a smile, who remains unimpressed.

“And you didn’t tell me or do a cliche romance novel plot to whip it off?!” Aiden reigns a huff, moving to swipe a napkin off the table knocking all to the floor with a clatter drawing the attention of patrons nearby who snicker when they see his face. “Grace!”

“This isn’t a best seller book, I’m not wiping it off your nose for you.” Grace chuckles, as Aiden submerges from the floor holding a fistful of half dusty napkins. Bringing them to his nose using them to wipe the cream from his face. “I shoulda took a picture first, Michael would’ve loved this.”

“Ugh.” Aiden huffs, an annoyance glossing over his eyes at the mere mention of the heartthrob’s name. He places his used napkin on the table turning his attention back to Grace’s face illuminated with laughter still. “You’re as bad as those damn freshman.”

“Take that back!” Grace shouts with a laugh, “How could you say that to me?” She swats at his hand with her own playfully smacking against it before he has an opportunity to pull his hand away, nursing his hand to his chest. “Oh my god. Myra is right, you’re a whole ass drama queen.” She rolls her eyes at him.

“I wasn’t going to mention it, but seeing as though you find this amusing” Aiden started, wiping his hands over the table looking at his mainly empty glace. “You have had a piece of lettuce stuck in your teeth since lunch.” Grace covers her mouth to hide her teeth and stifles a laugh.

“So, you gonna romance novel it off?” Grace asks, quirking an eyebrow at him. He shakes his head resting his hand to his forehead muttering a few words to himself before he feels Grace’s foot brushing against his shin under the table. “I asked you a question.” She smirks biting back a laugh after he looks at her.

“This novel never made it onto paper.” Aiden shakes his head standing from the table. “Now that I’ve been embarrassed thoroughly I’ll take my leave, sweetheart,” Aiden replies using his pet name for her causing her to beam at him.

“WIthout a kiss?” Grace quips, mocking offense. “Why what happened to the gentleman who was sitting her moments ago.” Aiden rolls his eyes at her antics again, before leaning down to press a kiss to her cheek. He moves to start walking away when Grace’s voice interrupts him again. “If you see Maria, tell her I’m at the diner awaiting a real kiss.”

“I’ll tell Bryan instead.” He calls over his shoulder, watching as Grace dissolves into giggles in the booth she and Aiden were in. A few minutes pass as Grace nurses the last of her drink when she’s about to get up to see Aiden walk back into the diner.

Looking annoyed and distressed, he approaches their both pushing his lips against each other. His cheeks heavy with a deep scarlet blush as he stands besides her face her, Grace glancing at him begging him practically to explain himself. Aiden silently refuses, pulling the noir gloves off of his hands tucking them back into the pocket of his jacket, his foot tapping against the floor. After a few moments, Grace takes it upon herself to tease him again.

“Where art thou, Romeo Bryan?” Grace sighs dramatically her voice carrying a Shakespearean accent, falling slightly into Aiden who remains straight-faced at her antics. “He is my prince charming according to my uncharming boyfriend who left me at the diner even though he rode in my car to get here.” She looks distraughtly out into the diner, using her hand to fake blocking out the sun looking out into the distance for Aiden.

“Very funny.” Aiden shakes his head looking down at Grace who leans her head back to meet his gaze. He leans down pressing a kiss to her forehead after brushing back loose curls that fell onto her face. “I would enjoy a ride a home.”

Grace nods looking in thought for a few seconds. “Sorry, no can do sir. I have a devilishly un-handsome Romeo waiting for me in the Trader Joe’s parking lot.” Aiden rolls his eyes at her again, brushing his thumb against her cheek. He leans down pressing a kiss onto her lips, sweet and short, pulling away much too soon for Grace’s liking. “Oh no, my Romeo was a frog all along.”

“Less talking, more walking, sleeping beauty.” Aiden moves to the side helping Grace out of the booth. She laughs pushing him forward as they walk towards the exit, with a few quick motions and protest from Aiden she jumps onto his back yelling sounds typical of Santa.

“On Aiden! On Blitzen!” She cheers, Aiden huffing out of breath, holding tightly onto her knees to keep them from falling although keeping them from running into other people wasn’t exactly his best skill. “Faster Aiden! We have presents to deliver!”

“So, you’re saying he doesn’t know I’m about to ruin his quiet time?” Grace asks, mulling over the statement. She couldn’t be entirely surprised, Myra did enjoy pushing people together, not just her and Aiden though. She saw the look she gives Callie and Michael, and she could only assume Callie noticed it as well.

“Pretty much.” Callie smiles, grabbing her drink off the table, “Michael wants to me to play a game or something with him outside, catch up with me later?”

“Sure.” Grace nods, parting from her friend who happily skips away to go find Michael. Grace shakes her head, pushing back her curls that fell into her face, as she goes in her search of Aiden.

It doesn’t take long for her to find him, the sound of a melody from a piano pouring down from the stairs leading to the attic, she stealthy sneaks up the stairs silently, planning to spook him. She holds her breath as she approaches Aiden who sits with his back to the door intently poised over the piano his hands moving faster as he keeps the beat of the song alive.

As he builds up to the crescendo Grace slams her hands down onto his shoulder, “I’M A GHOST!” She laughs as Aiden slams his hands into the key with a yelp. The piano roars an ugly noise as he brings a hand to his heart the other pushing down onto a group of keys trying to catch his breath, turning his head at Grace an agitated shocked look glossing over his features.

“What the hell were you thinking?” He asks, his breath labored lifting his hand from the keys using it to rest his head in his hands.

“The look on your face that’d make it worth it?” She offers with a grin, nudging him with her knee before sitting down beside him. She turns in her seat to face him, her smile growing on her face. “I wish I was recording, might get more hits than when I beat up Brian.”

“Ha, ha. Real funny.” He rolls his eyes, bringing down the piano keys cover carefully dragging his hands over the wood. “What are you even doing up here?” 

“What does it look like?” She jokes, “Scaring the shit out of you.”

“Real mature.” He sighs, resting his elbow onto the piano. “Seriously, why are you here?”

“What? You don’t want to talk to me?” She asks, slightly offended by his tone and direction of his voice, giving him a soft glare. He blushes under her gaze her eyes fixating on him skeptically. “Admit, you wanted me to come and be with you.” She shrugs, “I’m clearly amazing and you’re clearly bored.”

“I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’m not exactly a people person.” He says nonchalantly, his eyes glossing over her. She nods, looking off into the distance thinking about his words, before letting her gaze fall back on him, him staring back. “But you weren’t entirely wrong.”

“Is that so?” She asks, raising her eyebrow at him, getting a soft eye roll, but smile from him. “Tell me all about how I’m never ‘entirely wrong’?” She lets out a soft chuckle as he turns his back to her standing up from the bench walking towards the corner of the room. Grace watches him for a few seconds on he blows onto an old looking music player. After a few seconds he grabs a basket off the floor full of old records before turning to face her again.

“Maybe I’m not entirely upset that you’re here.” He admits, turning his back to her, the clear crimson blush painted onto his cheeks. She grins as she stands from the bench approaching him. “I am not a people person, but I could be a Grace person.” 

“I could be an Aidens person then.” She smiles, stepping next to him, looking into the basket of records. Moving her hand to look at one at the same time Aiden goes to pick it up, their hands coming into contact, a shared glance lasting a mere few seconds before Aiden pulls his hands away clearing his throat.

“Go ahead.” 

She nods at his words, grabbing the album out of the basket, “She’s So Unusual.” She says mostly to herself flipping the record over in her hand. “My mom loves this song.” Grace smiles reading over the song titles. 

“Which one?” Aiden inquiries, peeking over her shoulder at the songs on the album.

“Time After Time.” Grace nods, “Want to listen to it?” 

“Cyndi Lauper.” Aiden says to himself clearly in thought for a second before smiling, “I would love to. I’ve heard positive reviews.” He shrugs, taking the record out of Grace hand stepping up to the record player, “You know how to use one of these?”

“Yeah. My mom owns one.” Grace answers, stepping up to the record player, as Aiden slides the record into place, his hands hovering over the dials and buttons before the music finally begins to play after a long period of silence. 

Lying in my bed I hear the clock tick by…

Grace nods her head to the beat of the slow song, looking over at Aiden a simple smile on his face his head moving to the beat same as hers. She reaches her hand out to him with a smirk, “Care to dance, Sandy?”

“Please don’t ever call me Sandy again.” Aiden huffs, before accepting her hand into his own. She laughs as she pulls him towards the middle of the room, happy he got her Grease joke. She pulls him in very close, his hands falling onto her waist hers around his neck as she rests her head onto his chest. She listens to the gentle beat of his heart as he sways in place to the song.

If you’re lost you can look - and you will find me, time after time…

Grace smiles in comfort, as Aiden steps away from her his hand still in hers as he leads her through a twirl, a laugh leaving both of their lips as he pulls her back into his embrace. His beaming smile looking down at her in admiration, before ducking down his eyes bashfully. Causing Grace to grin her teeth digging into her lower lip as they look back at one another.

If you fall i will catch you - i’ll be waiting, time after time…

Aiden leans in as Cydni sings the last word, Grace standing on her tippytoes as she begins to lean into his touch their faces inches away when they’re pulled apart from one another by the sound of someone’s gasp both of them turning to look to see Maria standing there her face flushing red looking away.

“Oh my god, I’m so sorry, I was looking for somewhere quiet to decompress.” She admits, looking at Grace a glint in her eye that fills Grace with a feeling she can’t quite explain but leaves her stomach churning as she looks back at Aiden. 

“I - uh -” He blushes himself, “I’m going to find Myra, she’s probably making a fool of herself,” Aiden affirms. “Grace.” He nods, walking away from her, “Maria.” He nods at her as well, and Grace watches him retreat down the stairs.

“I’m sorry, Grace. I didn’t mean-” Maria starts to explain clearly flustered and confused as Grace holds up her hand cutting Maria off, smiling softly at the girl in front of her.