Destined to Explode

Third Person 

"Happy Birthday! "

Poppy startles as Jack yells, he skipping into the front lounge from outside, grinning a hundred watt smile as he thrusts a pink cupcake in front of her face.

"Thanks?"

"Happy anniversary of being born, cousin!" He huddles her into an awkward albeit tight hug from the side, the table jutting from the wall getting in the way.

"Again, thank you." The girl laughs, taking the fist bump the bassist offers as he slides a bottle of Champagne towards her.

She'd woken up to an almost empty bus, the band and a few of the crew trailing off to a radio interview while everyone else set up and only now, a few hours before the show, was  everyone getting back.
 Needless to say, she'd completed many Angry Birds levels in the time alone.

"Right, time for sound check I'd think. You coming, Pops?" Zack holds out a crooked arm which Poppy smacks instead of looping with, poking her tongue out as she walks ahead with her alcohol tucked under an arm.

There's a few fans hovering around the back door, which Zack and Jack greet and pamper with autographs and silly pictures, Poppy practically smothering a girl who hands her a wrapped present.

The birthday surprise comes when she steps onto the venue floor, the gathered people surrounding a cake that 's almost identical to Zack's a couple days before and Alex already has a piece cut, which is hastily shoved into her face before she can even register everything. 

"You fuck!" She exclaims, wiping the frosting from near her eyes, immediately flinging the goo towards her not-so better half. 

"My favourite shirt!" Rian exclaims, looking down at the brown stain on his torso.

Insanity ensues as the cake is pulled apart and thrown every which way, smothering people's clothes, hair and skin until finally Matt whistles loud enough to stop everyone, all of them laughing as they observe how covered in the treat everyone  is.

Alex has Poppy wrapped in his arms, pressing kisses all over her face as she giggles and tries to squirm away. 

"You don't get kisses when you just ruined my cake!" She laughs, giving in despite her words, pushing up to her toes to mold their lips in a slightly sticky kiss. 

The boy laughs, tilting his head as he tightens his hold that bit more, deepening another kiss from the girl he just can't enough of.
 There's a groan as Poppy accidentally moans into the kiss, Matt just shaking his head and telling everyone to get back to work now that the Birthday girl had been completely distracted. 

----

"So, uh, England's pretty rainy."

"So much for a rooftop party." Jack pouts in reply, glancing out of the glass doors that are smeared with the still falling droplets, which lead to the deck.

The plan had been that they'd have VIP access to the rooftop deck and bar, but the typical English weather had spoiled that, so alas, they were trapped inside the roof level bar, listening to the stupidly loud house music play, not yet drunk enough to dance to it and definitely not inebriated enough to enjoy it.

"Your party is so dull."

"Jack!"

"Well it is! We're just sat here."

"Well get up and do something then."

"Where's Alex, anyway? He'd get this place going."

"He disappeared with Grieco a while ago. God knows where."

It's like magic as the boys prance through the door, Alex bee-lining for his girlfriend while Grieco swerves off as Ian calls his name.

"Right, me and Poppy are going for a few hours, so uh, yeah! Keep the party going, man!"

He doesn't give Poppy a chance to protest just throws an arm around her shoulders and leads her back to the street where a cab is waiting.

"Uh, Lex? You pull me away from my party for a reason?"

"We're gonna go eat. Managed to pull a few strings so we've got this little restaurant to ourselves, basically. Then maybe we'll pop back if the rain has cleared, otherwise, on to the hotel."

He winks, not leaving his plans up to argument as he slouches back into the seat, the driver seeming to know where he's going already.
 Shame Poppy didn't.

"Can I ask why all this?"

"Well, the club was organised so people didn't complain about being able to celebrate but as soon as you got here, I'd pretty much planned this. Plus, you leave tomorrow - I haven't had much time with you alone."

"And you say you've booked a hotel?" Poppy had to admit, that sounded better than clambering back to the bus to spend the night surrounded by 12 other drunk people.

Alex grins at the smirk on his girlfriends lips, nuzzling under her hair until he can nip gently at her neck.

"Tonight is definitely brightening up."

-----

"Alex!" Poppy screeches as he pulls her from her temporary shelter in a shop doorway, spinning them  as it rains.

"Embrace the English weather!" He laughs, letting the girl go back into hiding as he spins in quick, slightly drunken circles.

"It's freezing." The girl laughs, tucking her arms around herself, "I thought you said the hotel was just around the corner."

"I couple of corners, a few streets - it's all the same thing." He chuckles, "Now come on, brave the rain like a man!"

He doesn't give her much choice, stepping up behind her and awkwardly making her walk down the street, both of them laughing as they wipe the water from their faces. 

The poor receptionist looks shocked as they tumble through the door, wiping soaked hair from faces as they try to breathlessly tell her their room number.

She's clearly dealt with intoxicated people before though, or at least couples who are hopelessly in love, judging by the way she hands over the key without question and tells them short instructions on how to get there. 

It takes them ten minutes to trip through the door, five of those spent with Alex pressing Poppy up against it, incessantly pressing his mouth onto hers, despite the hot blush present on her cheeks as the public display.

"Shower?" She suggests as they separate, both of them starting to peel their soggy clothes from their shivering bodies. 

"Yes, warmth and naked you. Perfect."

-----

Poppy worries her lip as she gazes up at Alex, turning their hands over in the small space between them, the burning feeling in the back of her nose alerting her to the fact that she wasn't doing a very good job of resisting the tears.

"15 days isn't all that long." Alex pouts, squeezing her fingers between his.

"It was only meant to be a week." 

"We're in high demand." He tries to laugh, "It won't seem all that long when you get back to work."

"I just miss you."

Alex sighs, unknotting their fingers so he can pull his miserable girlfriend into his chest, "I miss you too, baby." 

"Two more weeks?"

"Only two more weeks. I'll spend some time in New York with you when I get back. We can disappear for a while."

"That better be a promise, jackass."

"Always."