Infinite

I was browsing around on the internet a few days later, curled up on the couch with Ronnie’s laptop on my lap as he slept in our bed, his face pressed into the pillow. We’d been out the night before with the guys and Jenn and Ronnie had made it clear that he wasn’t going to do anything productive at all today, meaning that I couldn’t either.

I looked up, startled, as Ronnie’s cell phone blared from the coffee table in front of me where it was charging. I reached for the little machine and smiled at a familiar name. I answered the call and held the phone up to my ear. “Hey, Bryan,” I greeted, “How’s the video coming along?”

The younger guy chuckled on the other end of the phone. “Atticus,” he replied, “It’s coming along good, I just thought I’d check back in with Ronnie and see if there was any more news I could add into the video,” he hinted, trying to be subtle about the topic but failing miserably.

I narrowed my eyes angrily at Ronnie, although he wasn’t even in the room. “Did he tell you that he was going to propose?” I asked bluntly.

Bryan chuckled nervously. “Yeah, he actually did it right? I’d hate to ruin the surprise if he didn’t,” he said quickly, even more nervous that he’d just spoiled our engagement. I listened to him talk nervously for another second before I cut him off.

“He did,” I told him with a smile on my lips, glancing down at the ring on my finger, “And I said yes, obviously.”

"That's great!" Bryan cheered into the phone, "You two are amazing together. I don't think I've ever seen a couple that's as perfect as you guys.When I was there for the interview, and you left, Ronnie told me that he was going to marry you. He sounded thrilled and excited and nervous. I've never heard him sound nervous before then."

I grinned and thanked him. "He's not nervous often," I agreed before my thoughts changed to something else, "You're not going to put the news in the video, are you?"

"Not if you don't want me to," he stated, sounding sincere, "I know you probably don't want the fans getting into your business this early on."

I shook my head to myself. "That's not it," I promised, "But we haven't told my dad yet and I'd rather he'd hear it from me and Ronnie that on the internet, you know?"

Bryan hummed. "Is your dad going to be okay with it?" he questioned, sounding worried for us.

I sighed and ran my fingers through my over-grown hair. "I don't think so," I muttered, "But I'm not going to let him stop me."

"You never have, have you?" he questioned, probably thinking about the story Ronnie told him of our past. "From what I've heard, you defied your dad from the start."

I laughed softly and nodded to myself. "He was Ronnie Radke," I chuckled, "You try to stay away from him when he's trying to do the exact opposite."

Bryan chuckled too. "Is he there? I'd like to congratulate him too since I've got some time."

"You've been busy, right?" I asked as I climbed up from the couch, "You were on that tour."

Bryan agreed. "Yeah, I just got home a couple days ago and now I'm trying to get the Falling in Reverse interview finished so I can get it posted."

"Did you like touring?" I asked as I padded down the hallway, "It's a big lifestyle change when you're used to living in one place."

"It was great," he enthused, "I'm going to have to do it again someday because it was so much fun getting to meet my fans."

I nodded as I climbed into our bed where Ronnie was sprawled out under the blankets. "One second," I told Bryan before I set the phone down on the nightstand. I pressed my palm against Ronnie's bare back and ran my fingers against his skin. "Baby, phone call," I murmured as he started to wake up.

He groaned and shook his head. "Tell whoever it is to call back," he grumbled before he wrapped his arm around my waist and tried to pull me back down next to him. "When did you get out of bed?"

I chuckled and shook my head, ignoring his question. "It's BryanStars," I told him, pressing my lips together, "He wants to ask you about an... update of some sort."

Ronnie caught my tone and opened his eyes. He reached out for the cellphone on the table instantly and held it to his ear. "You told her you knew?" he asked, watching me with cautious eyes as I crossed my arms over my chest.

Bryan spoke on the other end and Ronnie rolled his eyes, not entirely mad but not happy that I was mad at him for it. Ronnie sat up and slid passed me out of bed. He stretched his arms, taking the phone with his other hand as his shoulders popped and his vertebrae cracked in his back. "Thanks," he said to Bryan on the phone, "But I knew she was going to say yes."

I reached out and smacked his bare side. He turned and grinned at me smugly as I raised my eyebrows. "You did, did you?" I muttered to myself, heading out of the room as he followed behind me, paying attention to me and Bryan at the same time.

"Yeah, she's great," he agreed, watching me with his eyes as I went into the kitchen and rifled through the fridge.

I pulled out a soda and cracked it open. Ronnie dropped down onto the couch with his elbow on the back of it as he held the phone to his ear. I hopped up onto the counter and watched him as he talked with Bryan, someone who was becoming a pretty good friend to both of us. It was hard not to be his friend when he was such a nice guy.

I looked up as Ronnie called out to me. "Atticus!" he shouted to get my attention, "Why can't Bryan put that we're engaged in his interview?" he questioned, meeting my dark eyes with his own.

I shrugged my shoulders and stated, "Your funeral." I knew that Bryan had already told the reason, but Ronnie was stubborn and he wasn't going to budge on this unless there was a very good reason for me to say no.

Ronnie rolled his eyes. "You're worried about your dad finding out?" he questioned, still looking at me as he ignored Bryan on the phone.

"Well, yeah," I stated like it was obvious, "He's not going to be happy and he'll be here the second he finds out from someone who is not us that we're engaged."

Ronnie shook his head. "It's not like we're getting married anytime soon," he said to both Bryan and I before he turned his attention back to Bryan, "We know we're going to get married but we figured we'd wait to pick a date. We'll know when the time is right."

I frowned as my thoughts stayed on the topic of telling my dad, instead of moving along to the wedding details like Ronnie had. I knew that we'd have to tell my dad and Gina soon, but it was his reaction that was bothering me. He's already made it public that the thought of Ronnie Radke dating his "little girl" was utterly despicable. What would he do when he found out that he was going to marry her?

I slid off of the counter and took my soda with me to the living room. I dropped down onto the couch next to Ronnie and set the can on the coffee table so I could pull the laptop back to me. Ronnie glanced at the screen from next to me and then frowned, meeting my eyes.

"Hang on a second, Bryan," he said into the phone before he turned his full attention to me, "What are you doing?" he asked incredulously.

I looked up at him. "What?" I asked, looking back to the screen, "It's just Billie Joe Armstrong."

Ronnie glared at the screen. "You put Green Day as my background?" he questioned, although the proof was right in front of him.

"I use it way more than you do," I defended, "You get everything you need on your fancy cell phone."

"So what," he exclaimed, "There's no way my girlfriend is going to be staring at a picture of Billie Joe Armstrong every time she logs onto my computer." He reached for the silver laptop and I screeched, pulling it away from him with a smile on my face.

"Ronnie, stop it!" I demanded, "They're a great band!"

He nodded, the cellphone forgotten as he dropped it onto the couch next to him. "I completely agree with you," he stated, almost straddling me to get to the computer, "But if you're going to have any band as the background on my computer, it's going to be mine!"

"No!" I demanded, closing the lid of the computer, "I really, really like these guys and he's so attractive!"

Ronnie pulled it from my fingers as I laughed at his obvious annoyance over my liking of the Green Day front man. I watched with amusement as he opened it up and typed in the password to unlock it. I grinned widely as it denied him access for a second time. "What's the password, Atticus?" he asked calmly, looking to me for the answer.

I tried to conceal my grin as I shrugged. "I forgot."

Ronnie rolled his eyes and tried a couple different things as I sat next to him with my arms crossed. After his fourth failed attempt to get back into his laptop, I pulled it from him and pointed to his phone.

"You're forgetting about someone," I told him, grinning.

He grabbed the phone and spoke to Bryan, apologizing. "Sorry, man," he stated, shaking his head at me, "My insane fucking girlfriend decided she's going to marry Billie Joe instead of me." He paused. "Yes, the one from Green Day."

I covered my mouth as I laughed. I logged back into the computer when Ronnie was distracted by his conversation and finalized what I was doing before Bryan called.

Ronnie hung up a few minutes later. "He's going to put the news in his interview," he told me, his eyes bright with mischief.

"I bought Green Day tickets," I countered.

Ronnie looked slightly stunned. "For when?" he asked as I shut the computer.

I crossed my legs and ran my fingers through my hair. "A little over two weeks," I told him, smirking as another realization came to me.

"Seriously?" he questioned, "I'm going to get mobbed at one of their shows. We share a lot of the same fans, Atti."

I shrugged and reached out to push his thick and untamed hair away from his face. "I didn't say you were invited, did I?" I teased, running my thumb over the shaved part of his hair.

He rolled his eyes and grabbed my hand. "Funny, Atticus," he muttered, pulling me to him.

I slid closer and leaned my head on his bare shoulder. "I'll make you a deal," I bargained, speaking softly as he traced invisible patterns on my arm. "You can come with me to the show if you come with me to tell my dad about us... before the show." I looked up as he stayed silent.

Ronnie was biting his bottom lip as he looked at the silent TV. We hadn't discussed when we were going to tell my dad that I wasn't going to be his little girl for much longer, but now that Ronnie gave Bryan permission to release the news, it had to be soon. Before he had a chance to find out from someone else.

"What do you say?" I asked, pressing my fingers against his stomach.

He looked to me. "What if I say that I'd rather not go to the concert?" he asked, a small smile playing on the corners of his mouth.

I grinned. "You'll still have to come with to tell my dad," I deadpanned, crushing his hopes about getting out of spreading the news.

Ronnie rolled his eyes, having seen that coming. "Then you have a deal," he agreed without enthusiasm.

I ran my fingers up his chest and locked my arms around his neck. "Great," I said softly before I kissed him.

He kissed me back, his fingers touching the small of my back as he held me close to him.

We didn't know how it would go when we'd break the news but in the end, it didn't matter how my dad would take it. This wasn't the past, Ronnie didn't need permission and neither did I. We were two adults.

"I love you," I whispered against his lips, "I love you, Ronnie Radke."

Ronnie grinned. "I love you too, Att," he stated, "You're the best thing that's ever happened to me."

I ran my fingers through his hair and placed another kiss on his lips. "Good," I murmured, "Because I don't know what I'd do without you."