Under A Paper Moon

Ava’s POV.

“Gene has something she wants to say” I announce and give her a gentle shove further into the room before I slowly back out and close the door behind me.
“And what have you been doing young lady?” a familiar voice asks and Alex steps out of his room down the hall.
“Nothing” I reply walking towards him and smiling at him.
“So you’re not playing cupid then? You’re not trying to set Jack up with Genevieve?” he asks.
“Ok…so maybe I gave them a tiny little bit of encouragement to talk to each other and reveal their feelings” I say softly.
“You wanna come with me so I can tell you about my feelings for you?” he asks bending down and pressing a kiss to my lips.
“No she doesn’t, you two have to come and help make lunch.” Matt says emerging from the kitchen.
“Ask Zack and Rian, I have more important things to do” Alex says.
“Ok have it your way. I’ll ask Jack to cook the pizzas then, you don’t mind do you?” Rian hollers from the kitchen.
“No! you leave Jack alone, he’s talking to Gene, we’ll come help with the pizzas, give those two some privacy” I say jumping in front of Rian who has just come out of the kitchen and is walking towards the studio.
“Wait, what? Jack’s asking her out?” Zack demands poking his head round the kitchen door.
“Yes! or well they’re talking in the studio, alone…so I hope he’s gonna ask her out and that she’s gonna say yes. So just let them be and come help prepare lunch” I say fixing them all with a mock stern expression.
“But Ava! If we come with you that means we’re gonna have to wait to find out if those two are gonna get together!” Rian whines.
“Well what else are you gonna do just bust in there, march up to Jack and demand to know if he’s asked her out yet?” Alex asks.
“That, or just stand outside the door and eaves-drop on them yeah” Rian says with a shrug.
“You are gonna do nothing of the sort!” I say “you’re all gonna do what you’re told and leave Jack and Gene to work things out on their own, WITHOUT an audience!” I add.
“You’re such a party pooper” Zack says poking his tongue out at me.
“No, I just wouldn’t want people eavesdropping on my private conversations with Alex, so I’m not about to let you lot go and eavesdrop on Gene and Jacks private conversations either” I say taking a few steps closer to Alex and slipping my hand into his.
“Trust me Ava, no one in their right mind would want to eaves drop on yours and Alex’s private conversations.” Matt says with a chuckle.
“What’s that supposed to mean?” Alex asks.
“Nothing, just that no one with a brain stem would dare to eave’s drop on a private conversation of hers cause anyone who knows her even a little bit, would know that she’d kick their asses” he says.
“Aww, you guys no me so well!” I joke, but in reality I am actually kinda touched that they know me well enough to know that I really value my privacy and hate it when people listen in to private conversations I am having whether they are with Alex or the lighting guy on tour. I mean sure I’ve known all the guys for almost as long as I’ve known Alex and I’ve always known that they accepted me as first as his best friend, then as his girlfriend and now as his fiancé, but its nice to know that they actually know me for me, and not just as their best friends significant other. I love all of these guys like they’re my brothers, (with the exception of Alex, he sure as fuck is not like a brother) and I couldn’t imagine my life without them in it. I know a lot of people say that their band is ‘like a family’ but with ATL its true, we all grew up together and have been through good and bad and always have each others backs no matter what.
“Ava?” Alex voice asks breaking into my thoughts.
“Hmm?” I ask.
“You ok? I’ve called your name like three times.” he says.
“Oh yeah, I’m fine, just thinking” I say smiling at him.
“What were you thinking about?” he asks smiling back.
“Just how lucky I am to have you in my life” I respond reaching up to press I quick kiss to his lips. “and how lucky we are to get paid to hang out with our best friends every single day” I add.
“Hmm we are pretty lucky huh?” he says.
“Yup” I agree.
“I mean how many people get to meet the love of their life while they’re in elementary school? And live next door to them no less?” he asks.
“You do realise we are like the biggest cliché couple ever right?” I ask. “Girl next door, high school sweet-hearts, chess club president and band geek, the only way we could be more clichéd would be if it was love at first sight”
“Well uhmm about that….” he says. “I kinda uhhmm that is…it kinda was like that for me…..I still remember that day you moved in as clear as if it was yesterday”

No ones POV
16 years ago…
It was just another day in Baltimore, warm but not to hot, The sun was shining, the birds were singing and 6 year old Alex Gaskarth was playing with his toy cars driving them around the imaginary town he had set up on the floor of his room. “Alex dear come down stairs, the new neighbours are here, come and say hello” his mothers voice came from the hallway. “But mummy I’m playing with my cars” Alex called back. “You can play with your cars later Alexander, right now you’re to come down stairs and welcome the neighbours” she says. Alex sighs and stands up “ok mummy I’m coming” he said and walked down the stairs. “Do they have any kids?” he asked his mother when he reached the foot of the stairs. “I think they have a daughter” she replies. “Now come along dear, they’re outside, your brother and daddy are already out there.” “Ok mummy” Alex says following her outside and over to where his dad and brother were talking to three people Alex assumed were the new neighbours. “Hi, my names Ava, I’m six. What’s your name?” the little girl asked smiling at Alex and holding her hand out. “I’m Alex, I’m six as well and this is my brother Max” Alex says shaking her hand. “Do you want to come and see my cars?” he asks. “Ok, I’ll just ask my mummy” Ava replies. “Mummy can I go play with Alex and Max?” she asks. “Of course you can dear, but be back home for dinner, you have school tomorrow” her mother replies. “Yes mummy” Ava says. “Play nicely you three” Alex’s mother says. “We will mummy” Alex replies “come on, lets go play” he adds to the other two. “Last one inside is a wrotten egg” Max says running off ahead of the other two.

Alex’s POV

Present day….

“I thought you were really pretty, even back then when we were six” I say quietly looking down at Ava.
“Really?” she asks.
“Yeah, really” I reply with a chuckle pressing a quick kiss to her lips. “I was to shy to tell you back then, and I never in my wildest dreams imagined that we’d end up dating in high-school and then eventually get engaged 16 years later.” I say. “Hell I never even entertained the idea of our remaining friends, I thought you were wa-ay out of my league”
“Aww ‘Lex, I was never out of your league. You were in a league of your own. It always way you Alex, there was never any other guy I wanted to go out with. It just took me about a decade to realise that” she says.
“Yeah it took me that long to get up the guts to ask you to go out with me, and even then I was so fucking nervous. I was so afraid you wouldn’t feel the same way and that I’d screw up our friendship for good” I say. “just ask Jack, he’ll tell you how nervous I was”
“Well I for one am really glad that you did grow a pair of cajones and ask me out.” she says poking her tongue out at me “I was beginning to think that I’d have to do it myself after all the hints I’d been dropping”
“Wait…so when you asked me to give you a ride home…that wasn’t just because you ‘couldn’t be fucked walking’ and when you sat next to me in class it wasn’t because you I was ‘good at music’ it was because you liked me?” I ask.
“Uhh yeah….kinda.. a little bit” she says blushing slightly and ducking her head.
“Hey” I say reaching out and gently tilting her head up so I can look into her eyes. “Don’t do that” I say.
“Don’t do what?” she asks meeting my gaze.
“Turn your beautiful face away from me” I respond bending down and kissing her gently.
“Ok you two! That’s enough of that! Get in here and help us make lunch before I send Matt out here with a bucket of ice water” Rian says stepping out of the kitchen and clapping his hands causing Ava and I to jump apart.
“Fuck off Dawson” Ava says poking her tongue out at him
“Eww! go stick that thing back in Alex’s mouth, I don’t want it near me” he says.
“Gladly” she says winking at him before turning back to me and wrapping her arms round my neck. She reaches up and pulls my mouth down to hers, before she kisses me, running her tongue across my bottom lip, I open my mouth and our tongues wrestle for dominance.
“Omg! Get a room if you’re gonna do that” Rian says.
Ava pulls away from me and smiles mischievously at him “you’re the one who told me to stick my tongue in his mouth” she says.
“I was being sarcastic” he replies. “You know, as in joking”
“Oh where you? Sorry I guess I didn’t pick up on that” she says.
Rian rolls his eyes “Whatever, just come help with lunch before Matt and Zack burn the whole fucking house down trying to light the oven, you know how those two are with fire” he says.
“You left them alone? With fire?” I demand.
“Only for a minute” he says.
“Dude! Are you crazy! Don’t you remember bonfire night last year?” I ask, last year we were touring in England and bonfire night rolled around, so naturally with me having English heritage and being in England we just had to have a bonfire. Unfortunately though we made the mistake of letting Matt and Zack light the fire….lets just say we’re damn lucky we were in a big paddock in the middle of no where and there were no trees or houses near by. Matt and Zack had for some reason thought it was a bright idea to douse the fire with petrol, the thing went up like something in an episode of ‘Mythbusters’ or one of the ‘Die Hard’ movies.