i still dream for you

Ruby raised her eyebrows towards Kyrie as their classmate, and close friend, Holly sang along to the newest 5 Seconds of Summer song, playing through the speakers of her laptop - no doubt hyping herself up for the show they were attending that night. Grabbing an Iron Maiden t-shirt, Ruby laughed at Holly's enthusiasm. "Someone's happy." She commented to Kyrie. Personally, Ruby wasn't looking forward to the show they were going to, seeing Michael Clifford's face was bound to bring back some things that Ruby just wasn't sure she was ready to feel. Breaking up with Michael hadn't been an easy choice, and she'd always considered him to be the one that got away, despite their age and difference in circumstance.

Luke Hemmings patted Michael's shoulder as they lounged about in the green room. Downtime before shows was crucial, especially with such a busy touring schedule after releasing their newest album. "Line's long out there, fellas." He grinned. Fans lined up down the block to get a good look at the boys, and to Luke, being back in Australia felt too good. He'd always gotten some kind of homesickness, no matter how much he was excited to break out of their town and into the mainstream music scene.

There was other things he missed in Australia - family, friends, a certain Kyrie Reeves. Luke frowned at the thought of his ex-lover, his heart dropping slightly. He'd never felt a love like theirs since their breakup, and he'd do anything to rekindle their romance. Hell, Kyrie had even been inspiration behind a lot of their songs, and no one knew.

Kyrie offered an amused look to Ruby, though she watched Holly. Admittedly, Kyrie wasn't looking forward to the concert, worried about seeing Luke again after all this time. While she knew there was no chance that he'd see her in the large crowd, she was worried about how it would feel to see him, to hear him sing and watch him perform after so much time had passed since she'd last seen him. Her chest ached a bit as she recalled the last time she'd seen him, having broken up with him to avoid holding him back from his dream. She'd missed him every single day since but she constantly tried to convince herself that it was the right thing to do for him. "It sure looks like it," she agreed, attempting to joke as she smiled at Ruby, "At least somebody is."

Michael had been distracted with memories of home while he sat, leaning back. The one person who constantly came to his mind when he got deep in thought like this was Ruby. Everything about her consumed his mind back when they'd been together and it was still the case to this day, even after all the time that had passed since they'd broken up. He found himself wondering how she was, where she was, what she was doing, whether she was happy or not, whether she missed him as much as he missed her, and whether she still thought about him the way he thought about her. While so much time had passed, Ruby had always been his one and he just knew that with everything in him, but there wasn't much he could do about it after they'd broken up.

Blinking from his thoughts when he felt Luke pat his shoulder, he offered a smile up to his friend. "Looks like it will be a good night, then," he said with a nod, trying to distract himself from his thoughts of Ruby.

Ruby offered Kyrie a sympathetic smile. "We've got this." She murmured, trying to take her mind off how her chest ached to see Michael again. 5 Seconds of Summer had gained such a large following, Ruby was doubtful that Michael would even think of her often. He could have moved on by now - and despite that thought burning a hole in Ruby's chest, she couldn't help but try to tell herself it was a real possibility. It was easier to think about than seeing Michael on stage and him not recognising her at all... Slipping on her converse high tops, Ruby looked to Holly. "Are we ready to go now?"

Luke offered Michael a half smile, knowing the pain his band mate and best friend was going through. Somewhere within him, Luke was hoping and praying to see Kyrie in the crowd. No matter how much time had passed since he'd seen her, he was confident that the light in her eyes and the shine of her smile was still so recognisable to him. But still, the fact remained that a while had passed since he'd seen her, and he couldn't help but think that a girl as fantastic as Kyrie was only once in a lifetime, and Luke feared he'd truly missed out on his chance.

Kyrie offered a small smile in return and nodded. "Yeah... It's just one night, we can get through it," she agreed quietly, though she wasn't too sure if she was convinced at all. Chewing on her lip, she tried to ignore the nervous flutters that filled her, reminded of how often the thought of seeing Luke had resulted in the same feeling in the past. Even if she couldn't talk to him, even if he wouldn't see or notice her, a part of her was excited to see him doing what he loved, even if it hurt.

Holly looked over, blinking, oblivious to the other two girls' internal struggles. "Oh, yeah!" she said, hopping up to tug on her shoes quickly, "Let's go." Grinning, she looped her arms through her friends' before leading the way out.

Michael nodded with seeing the smile from his friend, certain the two of them were going through similar turmoils. Scrubbing a hand across his face, he found himself wondering whether Ruby would be at the concert. She'd been so encouraging of the entire thing, though that had been before they had broken up, and he wasn't sure she'd ever want to see him again. Swallowing the thought away, he shook his head, deciding that he would scan every face in the crowd to see if she was there, just wanting to see her face and hear her voice again. He knew that he'd feel beyond disappointed if he didn't see her out in the crowd, but there was a chance, no matter how small, that she could be out there and he needed to believe that it was possible.

Ruby gasped at Holly's powerful pull, laughing as she fell into stride with Kyrie and Holly. "Well, at least we're not far from the venue here." She rolled her eyes jokingly. Holly had no idea of Kyrie and Ruby's association with the band, and that's the way Ruby was keen to keep it. "We could've sold our tickets and sat outside instead, could've heard everything either way." She murmured. Ruby loved that Michael and the boys had made it big, and she was always so proud of Michael's talents. Whenever she had felt her lowest, Michael would always sing to her, and even now, hearing his voice on CD brought her comfort. Looking to Kyrie as they approached the venue, Ruby saw that the doors had already opened. "We need a good spot."

Luke heard the cheers from beyond the stage and smiled weakly. "C'mon lads, we've got to get it together, doors have opened, got a show to play." He tried to sound enthusiastic, but the possibility of Kyrie being out there somewhere made him more eager than usual. Even though the chances of her being out there were very slim - he still remained very hopeful, and for that, he couldn't quite decide how he felt. Rubbing a nervous hand across his face, he tried to perk up, for Ashton and Calum's sake.

"But that's no experience!" Holly complained with a pout.

Kyrie laughed quietly. "I mean, it's kind of an experience," she said with a shrug, "How many people can say they sold their concert tickets and sat outside to listen instead?" She smiled jokingly to her friends and settled her attention ahead.

"Boring!" Holly claimed before looking to Ruby and nodding, "We should try to get as close to the front as possible."

Kyrie wasn't sure about that and she passed a nervous glance to Ruby, worried about being too close to Luke. As much as she wanted to see him again, she was afraid anything that could happen would just fall into a repetitive cycle.

Michael nodded his head to his friend's words, offering a small grin, trying to hype himself up. "We've got a long night ahead of us, let's make it enjoyable," he decided, though his heart wasn't fully in it because he was distracted with the thought of looking for Ruby. He tried to prepare himself for disappointment, but he didn't want to just set himself up for failure. Still, if he could catch even a glimpse of Ruby, he was sure his night would be made, regardless of the painful memories that would come with it.

"Well, then, let's do this, shall we?" Calum suggested, grinning to his friends, eager to get the show started now that they could hear the crowd filling up.

"Here's a fun fact," Ruby smirked, clearly teasing Holly, shooting a wink to Kyrie when Holly was distracted. "I would rather be sat on a balcony and drinking beer than mingling with sweaty teenage girls."

Holly shook her head at Ruby's words, maneuvering her way (almost expertly) through the crowd, getting them into the second row.

Ruby looked over her shoulder as the venue began to fill more, exhaling. "Great." She murmured. Ruby knew, she knew, that seeing Michael's face again would bring back the pain she felt during the last time she'd spent with him, and quite frankly, it was something she didn't want to relive.

Luke grinned at Calum's words, his excitement building as he heard the cheers, the stage darkening for the boys' to take their place and start the show. Luke thought of Kyrie, how she looked - he'd spent so long committing her to memory, that thinking of her face was a second nature to him. Thinking of her, Luke knew he'd be scanning every face in the crowd, and even though his logical side was telling him he was setting himself up for disappointment, he still wanted to try, just to put his heart at rest.

Kyrie shifted a bit uncomfortably when she saw how close they were to the stage. "I feel like this is going to drive me insane," she mentioned lightly, almost jokingly, to Ruby, but it still felt so true that it worried her. Clearing her throat, she made sure to keep her head down and to look anywhere but the stage for now, not sure she could face Luke after all this time. A part of her wanted to run while she could, before anything could happen, but she didn't want to ruin Holly's fun.

"Looks like it's time to start," Calum mentioned with excitement, looking to the others before they headed out onto stage and into their places to start the show.

Michael swallowed the nervousness that filled him - and, unlike usual, it wasn't nervousness that came with every show, but the nervousness that came with the thought that there was even a slim chance of spotting Ruby in the crowd, of seeing her beautiful face again. Trying to focus, he stepped out onto the stage, but his eyes scanned the crowd, searching, even as they started to play. To his surprise, though, he spotted her quickly - so close, too, which shocked him, and he couldn't take his eyes off of her.

Ruby looked up as the lights brightened, revealing the four boys she knew off by heart. Scanning the other three, she smiled at how, even after album releases and tours and fame, they hadn't changed that much. When her eyes landed on Michael, her heart skipped a beat when she noticed he was already looking right at her. Blinking in surprise, Ruby found herself not able to take her gaze away from Michael Clifford.

Luke grinned as he began singing Youngblood, scanning the crowd as he did, secretly hoping and praying his gaze would land upon Kyrie - if she was even there. And as if all of his prayers had been answered at once, Luke's attention fell to the second row, his grin broadening as he saw the familiar face of his ex flame in the crowd. Trying to keep his mind on the lyrics he was singing, the chords he was playing, Luke found it difficult to tear himself away from her.

Michael felt his heart swell when he saw that Ruby's attention had finally fallen on him, a grin spreading widely across his features. He locked his gaze on hers, never once even trying to tear his gaze away, wanting to focus on her and to not lose her in the crowd. He sang when it was his turn, of course, and he found himself being more enthusiastic about it, wanting to impress her, wanting her to remember all the times he sang to her. She had always been his solace, his escape, and he could feel every piece of him just wanting to get off the stage and go to her, but he held back the best he could.

Kyrie wasn't sure what it was, but something made her look up despite all her efforts to avoid doing so, and her attention was almost immediately drawn to Luke, to his voice, the way he moved, and, when her eyes landed on his, she felt her breath catch in her throat, because he was already watching her. Her heart pounded loudly in her chest and, to ground herself, she reached for Ruby's hand, not taking her eyes off of Luke, though she could feel her friend next to her just as stiff, just as frozen as she was, while everybody around them danced and cheered and jumped and sang along to the music.

Grabbing onto Kyrie's hand, Ruby squeezed gently, wanting to be there for her best friend, knowing she was going through the same scenario. Despite her own stubborness, Ruby couldn't resist smiling when Michael's grin spread across his face - a face she had kissed many times, and the sound of his voice just blew her away, as always, thinking back to all the lazy days they'd spent, cuddled up and so in love with Michael singing into her ear - all the while keeping her gaze on him, forgetting just how brilliant he was.

Luke felt the familiar pull towards Kyrie and did all he could to stop himself from jumping off the stage and going to her. But he didn't want to move his gaze away. He'd already lost Kyrie once, and he didn't want to lose her again, not now, not ever. Luke found himself more enthusiastic, putting on a lively show as he finished Youngblood, the screams of the crowd almost falling on deaf ears as Calum introduced the next song.

Throughout the show, Michael hadn't taken his eyes off of Ruby, not once. They'd played almost the whole show by now, but there was still just one song left and Michael was more than ready to finish up the show so he could go to Ruby already; it was all he really wanted that whole night, just to go to her, talk to her, see how she was doing, catch up, and try to rekindle things between them.

Kyrie had listened to the music the boys played the whole night, though she'd remained frozen in place the whole time, her attention never leaving Luke, taking in his performance and just how wonderful he looked, even after all this time. She knew the show was coming to an end soon and she could feel her heart ache with the thought that this could be the last time she'd see Luke for a very long time, again.

Luke grinned as he took to the microphone. "Alright," he smiled. "Michael and I would like to dedicate this song to two very special ladies in the crowd tonight." He sent a wink to Kyrie. "Their names are Kyrie and Ruby, and if it wasn't for them, 5 Seconds of Summer wouldn't be where we are today." He explained. "And, if it's alright with them, we'd love to get them up here for the final song."

Ruby looked to Kyrie, looking at Michael in disbelief and wondering if she was ready to be close to him again. Being within his reach would make Ruby wonder what she would do if tonight was the last night, the last opportunity, she had to rekindle anything between them.

Kyrie blinked, staring at Luke in shock, her cheeks a little warm, though she didn't want to admit that to herself. "Tell me he didn't really just do that," she almost pleaded to Ruby, not upset by it, but worried, especially when she saw Holly turn to look at them in shock out of the corner of her eyes. More so to get away from Holly's look of betrayal than anything, she swallowed hard and made her way over to the stage.

Michael couldn't help the grin that formed on his features, both amused and excited with the idea. His gaze remained on Ruby, but he shifted, moving to the edge of the stage to crouch down, offering his hand out to her, reaching as far as he could to her. "What do you say, Ruby?" he asked, speaking louder since the crowd was loud, though it'd quieted down with the shock that he was sure the whole crowd felt.

Seeing Holly's look - somewhere between shock and betrayal - made Ruby keen to move forward; "I think he did." She whispered back to Kyrie. Seeing Michael offer her his hand, she took it reluctantly, feeling the jolt of electricity she felt the first time they'd kissed. "You owe me big time for this, Michael Clifford." She murmured so only he could hear, joining him on stage and feeling her stomach twist with nerves as she felt all eyes on them.

Luke grinned, sitting on the edge of the stage, offering Kyrie his hand with a charming smile to match. "Hello sweetheart." He grinned, keeping his voice low so it was only between himself and Kyrie, despite the thousands of pairs of eyes watching their every move. "I was hoping you'd be here." Helping her onto the stage, Luke returned to his feet. "This next song is Long Way Home."

Michael grinned to her words, giving her hand a gentle squeeze after he'd helped her onto the stage, taking her in fully now that he could see her completely in the lights, mentally acknowledging how truly stunning she still was. "I'm perfectly alright with owing you whatever you want, Ruby King, I always have been, even more so with being able to see you again," he teased gently, grinning as he took her in, "Enjoy the last song." He winked teasingly before the song started.

"Always the flatterer," Kyrie murmured with faint amusement, trying to ignore all the attention that was on the couples. She could feel her heart swell with nervousness the moment her hand was in Luke's, so familiar still, and she tried to swallow the nerves down. "I almost talked myself out of it," she admitted quietly once she was on stage, but she smiled with the announcement, smiling at the decision to play an older song, but she and Ruby had always loved that song.

Ruby shook her head in amusement, biting her lip to stop her smile from broadening. His voice had always been so comforting to her, and just having him so close to her felt dizzying - it felt right. Singing along quietly, Ruby watched Michael with nothing but adoration, wondering to herself how she ever lived without him by her side, despite her logical side telling her not to get too caught up in it all.

Luke grinned. "Well I'm glad you're here." He murmured quietly to Kyrie, smiling genuinely, his heart fluttering with the excitement of having Kyrie there. As the show came to an end, Luke took Kyrie's hand once more, playfully forcing her to take a bow with himself and the rest of the band. "Thank you!" He called, guiding Kyrie off stage with him, not really caring about the girl she and Ruby had come with.

Michael grinned during the song, never once taking his eyes off of Ruby, even with her so close. He just wanted her to know how important she was to him and the fact that that hadn't changed, that his feelings for her hadn't changed or died at all. When it was time to bow, he did so in an almost dramatic way, motioning to Ruby as if she was the star of the entire show. When he rose up, he grinned, taking her hand to give it a gentle squeeze. "Come on," he told her before following the others off the stage.

A quiet, surprised laugh bubbled from Kyrie when Luke got her to bow, and she tried really hard not to get wrapped up in the whirlwind of all of this. Feeling him guiding her off the stage, she looked back towards Holly, who hadn't moved despite that the show had ended and other fans were leaving, and she felt slight guilt fill her. "Luke, wait," she said quietly, tugging at his hand for a moment, "Would you guys mind meeting one of our friends? We never told her we knew you guys, so I really don't want her to hate us after all of this."

Ruby shook her head. "You're crazy, Michael." She commented with a grin, and although she half meant it, she also knew it was one of the many things that she'd fallen for. Realising Holly was still there, Ruby reluctantly pulled away from Michael, silently telling him to wait a second.

Luke smiled. "Of course we don't - any friend of yours is a friend of ours." And although all he desperately wanted was to spend some time with Kyrie, he knew that she had always been so incredibly empathetic and compassionate, and to this day, he still loved it. "Bring her up." He looked to the others.