You're Just A Daydream Away.

Alex exhaled deeply, trying to calm his nerves or at least a little. It was a common part of being in a band who were known right round the globe, with a legion of fans to rival most. He was always anxious before a gig, it'd just be unnatural if he wasn't. It wouldn't be long, though, before the adrenaline kicked in, and with the excitement coursing through his veins, his worries would soon be forgotten about.

"You're on in five, guys!" he heard Flyzik call from somewhere nearby in the building. He'd been there all day, but he'd gotten lost so many times it was unbelievable. I mean there's only so many times you can walk down one corridor and realise you're going the wrong way, but somehow, Alex never learned.

He felt some of his anxiety ebb away with the sound of Flyzik's voice though. There was something calming about knowing that no matter how many times the four of them fucked up, he'd always be there. He was like a father figure when they were on tour. Actually, he was more like an older brother. He watched over them, keeping them right whenever they strayed from the path, but there was still some banter. In fact, a good portion of their entertainment on tour came from taking the piss out of Matt in some way or another, but all of them would gladly do anything for him, and even though they rarely showed it, Alex was sure he knew.

He looked up for a minute, just taking some time to survey the scene around him. Rian was twirling his drumsticks impatiently, their movements getting increasingly faster, as if he somehow thought that would shorten the time they'd have to wait. Zack was talking to Jack, his arms waving around animatedly as he spoke, a stupid grin plastered across his face. Probably the way Alex looked when he spoke to Jack too. Jack nodded occasionally, sometimes murmuring 'yeah' or 'uh huh' or 'mhm'. He sounded vaguely interested, but not overly. He was paying just the right amount of attention to keep Zack happy, Alex supposed. It was an odd sight. Usually Jack was a ball of energy and exuberance. A leaping - yes, leaping - bundle of excitement and dick jokes. Normally he'd be buzzing before a show, but instead, he was quiet and subdued. Alex wondered if there was something wrong, if any of them had said something they shouldn't have, but he couldn't think of anything that might have upset him. Maybe it was just one of those days.

---

The chants of thousands of eager people, mainly kids, desperate to see their favourite band emerge, grew louder. Alex didn't need to listen carefully to hear what they were saying; they heard it at almost every show. "All. Time. Low. All. Time. Low." The volume just kept increasing, building up a steady rhythm that simply brought on the adrenaline and excitement. Alex was ready for this.

The curtain dropped.

That's when everything kicked off. The crowd lost it, any excitement they'd been holding back just flowed. Alex grinned, stepping back as they started into the intro of Lost In Stereo. It was a fun song to begin with, usually opened up the set with a bit of a bang. He played his part, listening to the others, waiting for the moment he had to open his mouth and sing, and when they reached it, he was ready. He closed his eyes, and he sang.

"She works for the weekend; mixtape of her favourite bands."

He reopened them for the next line, beaming as the crowd joined in, reciting every last word. It always got to him when the kids sang along with him. These were just stupid songs he'd written with his stupid band. He'd always wanted to get somewhere with the whole band thing, but he didn't think it'd be possible. He certainly didn't think he'd have this impact on so many people. I mean, all they were was three Americans and a posh twat English kid. How on earth did they ever make it?

He winked at a couple of girls by the barrier, knowing that one gesture had probably just made their night and/or lives. Sometimes, band life could be pretty damn fun.

---

The set was going well; no one had fucked up yet - Alex hadn't missed a single word, Jack hadn't yet fallen into the swarming mass of fangirls, and Zack had even made some interaction with the crowd.

Alex took a deep breath, watching his band mates warily as they left the stage, their departure leaving him looking very much alone and vulnerable. This was his time, he had a couple of songs to himself, just him. He closed his eyes as he plucked at the strings of his old acoustic guitar in the beginning of Remembering Sunday, strumming the rhythm with ease, a melody he'd committed to memory from countless times of playing the same tune. The crowd's reaction was priceless, and he laughed a little, looking up at them all with a genuine smile on his face.

He made it through Remembering Sunday and Therapy without fail, smiling again as he caught tears in the eyes of most of the girls in the front row, knowing just how much those songs meant to them. That's when things took an unexpected turn.

Jack lifted his guitar, and Zack did the same, and the three of them moved to make their grand appearance onstage again, but Alex held up a hand, willing them to stop there. The crowd looked around anxiously, clearly confused. What the fuck did Alex think he was playing at?

"Uh, I know this is the point where you guys are expecting the rest of the band to show up again, right?" Alex laughed nervously, addressing the crowd. He wasn't quite sure how well this would go down. "Well, there's been a bit of a change of plan, I guess. This isn't really meant to be in the set, but we should have time, and I... I wanted to try something."

He offered them a weak smile, before looking off to the side, where his band mates were watching on with confusion etched onto their face. He felt his hands shake a little as he moved his fingers to find the right chords. He wasn't used to playing this one, but he wanted to, just this once. So he did it. He began to play, and if the start wasn't enough to give it away, everyone was certain as soon as the first words had left his mouth.

"I wish you could see your face right now, 'cause you're grinning like a fool." He half expected to trip over his words, or make a fool out of himself in one way or another, but he didn't. He bit his lip, glancing up at Jack to gauge his reaction. It was no coincidence that he'd chosen to play that particular song. It wasn't just that he wanted to, but he'd never let on. Jack was watching him, a curious expression on his face, and even though it wasn't all too encouraging, the fact that Jack wasn't treating him like he'd lost his marbles was enough to give him confidence.

The crowd were ecstatic when he finished. It was definitely a treat for them, they just so happened to be lucky enough that tonight would be the night Alex would try his nerves. It was only when he'd finished, though, that he realised he hadn't moved his gaze from Jack during the entire song. None of them mentioned it though, they joined him again, acting as if it had never happened, the way they would have anyway.

---

"You guys have been amazing, my dick is sad to leave you all!" Jack announced after their final song, grinning so much it looked painful. The crowd, although sad to see them go as usual, laughed a little. It simply wouldn't be an ATL gig if you didn't hear at least one crude dick joke.

And soon, they were gone. The stage looked too big, too empty, like they were made to inhabit it. That was it: party's over, everyone can go home. Backstage, however, the party was only just getting started. Alex watched as they began dishing out the alcohol, not taking any himself, but just observing. He wasn't quite sure when he noticed he wasn't alone, but when he did, he turned, only to find himself face to face with Jack, who unfortunately, happened to be the last person he wanted to speak to.

"Uh, Alex? Can I have a word?" he asked awkwardly, and Alex noticed that he hadn't touched the drink either. Shame, he thought. It'd be easier to bullshit his way out of this if Jack was drunk.

Jack took his hand, pulling him out of the way and down a corridor, leading him into another room. It was dark, even with the light on, but it was empty at least, and they could do with a bit of time alone, away from the madness going on just outside.

They sat, mute, both watching each other, but neither saying a word. Jack was the first to break the silence. "So..." he began, raising his eyes to meet Alex's. "What was that about, man?"

Alex sighed. Of course that's what Jack wanted to talk about. He knew it, but part of him still hoped, wished it was something else. "Listen Jack..." he mumbled, unsure of what to say. He'd kept it hidden for so long, should he really go into it now? Common sense seemed to have abandoned him at that point, though, and he found himself blurting it out. "You're probably going to hate me for this afterwards, but IthinkImightbeinlovewithyou." He rushed the last few words, terrified that Jack might have actually heard what he said.

"You... You love me?" Jack asked incredulously.

"I think I might," Alex corrected him, keeping his eyes fixed on the floor, not daring to even look at Jack again, until he heard the faint sound of Jack laughing, as much as he tried to muffle and disguise it.

"You idiot," Jack scoffed, and Alex frowned at him.

"I what?"

"You're an idiot," Jack replied, grinning, only causing Alex to frown even more. "Are you seriously that thick, Alex? I've fucking loved you for so long and you've never noticed that? Man, you suck." He was laughing, though, and Alex couldn't help but join him. He was so relieved. First of all, Jack didn't hate him, and second of all, he actually fucking liked him back. Like whoa.

He bit his lip, his nerves returning again. "Jack?" Jack nodded in acknowledgement, encouraging him to go on. "Can I, um, can I kiss y-"

The rest of his question, however, was cut off by a pair of lips on his own, and before his brain had time to register anything, he was kissing back. He couldn't believe it. This was actually happening. He was kissing Jack, Jack was kissing him. And maybe, just maybe, dreams do come true.