Status: Ongoing
Ain't Love Grand?
Smile
As jealous as I had been of Brandon over the years, with that stupid idea of him "stealing" Alex from me, it was he who finally brought Alex and I together. He pulled me aside one day after I'd sat in on one of their rehearsals, while the rest of the guys were busy packing their equipment away.
"He likes you, you know?" He gave a subtle nod in Alex's direction while he wrapped up a microphone cord. "Has done for years."
I frowned, looking over to Alex, who was oblivious to the conversation going on behind him, and then back to Brandon. "What do you mean?"
He rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on, Leese." He laughed. "It's obvious. He's as in to you as you are him." A wink and a cheeky smirk told me that he knew what I'd been trying to hide for years.
I could feel my cheeks burning and I sucked in my bottom lip to hide the beaming smile that so desperately wanted to show itself. "Really?"
"Mhm." Brandon nodded and nudged me in the shoulder. "You should just go for it."
Could I do that? No... If I was brave enough to make the first move I would have done it already. I shook my head. "No way."
Brandon laughed. "You're as bad as each other. He's TERRIFIED of taking the chance. He doesn't think you like him in that way. I've told him, but he doesn't believe me." He shrugged. "I just know these things, you see? You guys are made for each other."
My brows furrowed as I took a seat on a nearby chair, looking at Brandon. "He's terrified?" I couldn't believe it. All this time I'd been the one scared of him not returning the feelings I had for him. I still wasn't sure, even though Brandon seemed completely sincere. "Are you for real?"
He rolled his eyes and stepped closer, seating himself on the arm of the chair. "You know what he's like," he said, "he's not as cocky and sure of himself as he is when he's on that stage. He's crazy about you."
Inside I was squealing with delight, but I tried not to let it show and remained as calm as possible. "Are you sure?"
"YES!" Brandon laughed. "Jesus Christ. What is it going to take for you BOTH to just go for it? Stop dancing around each other. EVERYBODY can see it's going to happen eventually. Just stop wasting time and go get him!"
I giggled like a nervous schoolgirl. "I can't," I squeaked quietly. I could feel my cheeks burning.
"Fine." He held his hands up and stood up, looking over to his best friend. "Hey, Alex," he called, "come here for a second."
Alex looked over and my stomach did a somersault. He started to cross over to us and I wrung my hands together nervously in my lap. I had no idea what was about to happen, and neither did he. "What's up?" he asked.
Brandon nodded his head in my direction. "Ask her out."
Alex's eyes widened, and my expression almost mirrored his as we both looked at Brandon. Alex laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his neck – he always did that when he was nervous. "What?"
Brandon arched a brow. "Don't make me punch you," he threatened. "You want it, she wants it... just get to it already!"
Alex flashed him a glare and then looked down to the floor, shaking his head. He hated to be put on the spot, and I kind of felt sorry for him. He looked as embarrassed and awkward as I felt. "Leave us alone for a minute, then?"
Grinning, Brandon gave a salute and turned and walked away, leaving the two of us together in an awkward silence. "Sorry," I laughed uneasily. "Just ignore him..."
I hoped he wouldn't.
And he didn't.
"No, it's alright," Alex said, raising his head and looking at me with a soft smile. "I, uh... I've kinda wanted to do this for a while," he admitted and I watched him carefully, trying not to smile like a complete idiot. I knew what was coming, but I didn't want to interrupt him. "Would you like to... I mean, can we...?" He sighed, and I could tell he was struggling to find the words. Poor guy. "Will you let me take you out some time? Just the two of us?"
I sucked in a deep breath and let the smile ease onto my lips as I nodded my head. "Yeah... that sounds nice, Alex."
He exhaled, letting out the breath I don't even think he knew he was holding. "Awesome," he said with a laugh, and I laughed with him, knowing that it had turned out far more awkward than it had to be... but I'd never been happier. I was finally on the path to getting my man.
"He likes you, you know?" He gave a subtle nod in Alex's direction while he wrapped up a microphone cord. "Has done for years."
I frowned, looking over to Alex, who was oblivious to the conversation going on behind him, and then back to Brandon. "What do you mean?"
He rolled his eyes. "Oh, come on, Leese." He laughed. "It's obvious. He's as in to you as you are him." A wink and a cheeky smirk told me that he knew what I'd been trying to hide for years.
I could feel my cheeks burning and I sucked in my bottom lip to hide the beaming smile that so desperately wanted to show itself. "Really?"
"Mhm." Brandon nodded and nudged me in the shoulder. "You should just go for it."
Could I do that? No... If I was brave enough to make the first move I would have done it already. I shook my head. "No way."
Brandon laughed. "You're as bad as each other. He's TERRIFIED of taking the chance. He doesn't think you like him in that way. I've told him, but he doesn't believe me." He shrugged. "I just know these things, you see? You guys are made for each other."
My brows furrowed as I took a seat on a nearby chair, looking at Brandon. "He's terrified?" I couldn't believe it. All this time I'd been the one scared of him not returning the feelings I had for him. I still wasn't sure, even though Brandon seemed completely sincere. "Are you for real?"
He rolled his eyes and stepped closer, seating himself on the arm of the chair. "You know what he's like," he said, "he's not as cocky and sure of himself as he is when he's on that stage. He's crazy about you."
Inside I was squealing with delight, but I tried not to let it show and remained as calm as possible. "Are you sure?"
"YES!" Brandon laughed. "Jesus Christ. What is it going to take for you BOTH to just go for it? Stop dancing around each other. EVERYBODY can see it's going to happen eventually. Just stop wasting time and go get him!"
I giggled like a nervous schoolgirl. "I can't," I squeaked quietly. I could feel my cheeks burning.
"Fine." He held his hands up and stood up, looking over to his best friend. "Hey, Alex," he called, "come here for a second."
Alex looked over and my stomach did a somersault. He started to cross over to us and I wrung my hands together nervously in my lap. I had no idea what was about to happen, and neither did he. "What's up?" he asked.
Brandon nodded his head in my direction. "Ask her out."
Alex's eyes widened, and my expression almost mirrored his as we both looked at Brandon. Alex laughed nervously and rubbed the back of his neck – he always did that when he was nervous. "What?"
Brandon arched a brow. "Don't make me punch you," he threatened. "You want it, she wants it... just get to it already!"
Alex flashed him a glare and then looked down to the floor, shaking his head. He hated to be put on the spot, and I kind of felt sorry for him. He looked as embarrassed and awkward as I felt. "Leave us alone for a minute, then?"
Grinning, Brandon gave a salute and turned and walked away, leaving the two of us together in an awkward silence. "Sorry," I laughed uneasily. "Just ignore him..."
I hoped he wouldn't.
And he didn't.
"No, it's alright," Alex said, raising his head and looking at me with a soft smile. "I, uh... I've kinda wanted to do this for a while," he admitted and I watched him carefully, trying not to smile like a complete idiot. I knew what was coming, but I didn't want to interrupt him. "Would you like to... I mean, can we...?" He sighed, and I could tell he was struggling to find the words. Poor guy. "Will you let me take you out some time? Just the two of us?"
I sucked in a deep breath and let the smile ease onto my lips as I nodded my head. "Yeah... that sounds nice, Alex."
He exhaled, letting out the breath I don't even think he knew he was holding. "Awesome," he said with a laugh, and I laughed with him, knowing that it had turned out far more awkward than it had to be... but I'd never been happier. I was finally on the path to getting my man.