Symphonies of the Damned

There is nothing more frustrating than not understanding something you desperately wished you could understand.
A week ago, he wouldn’t even look at me.
I was nothing but a keeper of passion and warmth; perfect for those lonely and cold days on tour.
All of a sudden, his feelings seemed to change.
This wasn’t something I was about to question; I was ecstatic to have realization dawn on the arrogant boy’s head.
I was leaning against the wall of the venue, watching as the roadies pack up our set for the final time.
Finally, after weeks of touring the beautiful country, we were heading back to the states for a well-deserved break before continuing.
“Ashley!”
Looking sideways, I could see Andy walking towards me with a big grin on his face as he wrapped his arms around me.
“Hey.” I answered, taking in the scent of him.
“I’ve been looking for you.” He pouted, taking my hand and dragging me towards the exiting double doors.
He had changed from his stage getup to a pair of skinny jeans and a giant Asking Alexandria hoodie, his hair messily fingered through.
“I’ve been right here, what did you want?”
“Well, it’s our last day in the UK and I thought we could enjoy it together and do something.” Andy blushed slightly.
“I’d like that.”
Following him out into the crisp air, we shuffled our way down the cracked sidewalk in a peaceful silence.
It seemed like things were finally starting to look up.
After years of inconsequent suffering, the puzzle pieces of my life were starting to form into a colorful image.
The wind was blowing his hair in every direction, causing him to grumble and prop the hood over his pale face.
“Come on Andy,” I pouted. “You looked adorable.”
He made a face in return, bringing a smile to my lips. His eyes flickered down before leaning in.
The kiss was short, a soft moment of sentiment.
Seconds later, my lips felt cold and empty but the rest on me was on fire; a dizzying wave of heat and emotion.
“I-I’m sorry.” He stuttered, looking at the ground.
“Don’t apologize.” I whispered, bringing a hand to my lips.
He nodded, his eyes troubled with all the thoughts running through his mind as we continued to walk.
Taking the chance, I linked our hands together and gave it a reassuring squeeze and offered another smile.
“You’re something special.” Andy murmured, stopping in the middle of the sidewalk. He turned to face me, resting a hand on my cheek.
“You don’t know what you mean to me,” I chose my words carefully, locking gazes with his baby blues. “You always have.”
“I wish I could say the same; I wish I had realized what was standing in front of me this entire time.”
“Better late than never.” I breathed, pressing my lips against his one more time. This time, they lingered together for a minute or two.
It wasn’t heated, it wasn’t rough; just a gentle and warm touch of unsaid feelings and raw emotion.
It was a kiss of discovery and dancing melodies.
His hand lingered on my cheek for a second longer before he realized that, dropping it and biting his lower lip.
His stare returned to the ground and I could see the rosy color flood his face.
“Andy…” I cooed, hooking his chin under my fingers and forcing him to look back up at me.
“I think I love you.” I mumbled, staring intently.
He broke out into a grin before throwing himself at me and holding me in a tight hug. By then, I had trudged backwards against the closest building so we weren’t blocking the passing way.
“When we get home tonight, I’m going to talk to Juliet.”
“Really?”
“I’ve realized there are more important things in my life and I want to continue kindling this spark, I don’t want to hold either of us behind on the path to new things.” Andy confirmed, speaking of himself and Juju.
“No wonder you’re the songwriter.” I broke the sappy moment, kissing his cheek.
“I’m incredibly talented, I know.” He smirked, taking my hand and guiding us down the narrow street.
What followed was one of the best days of this tour so far.
We wandered along the half-empty streets, playing an involuntary game of hide-and-seek with any fans that spotted us.
We stopped for a late dinner at a tiny bar, ordering beer and chips, as they call them here.
“Finally, something that isn’t peanut butter!” Andy laughed, throwing a fry at me.
“Don’t throw it at me!” I ducked.
After another hour, we had to return to the tour bus for bus call.
We had a long trip ahead of us before we would finally land in LA.
It was the quiet ride towards the airport that brought silence from Andy.
He remained thoughtful and silent the entire flight to New York.
It wasn't until we boarded our connecting flight to California that we had grown tired of our useless attempts to converse with him.
"Andy!" Jake yelled, kicking his shin.
"Ow! What the fuck was that for?" Andy demanded, rubbing his leg.
"You weren't paying attention to us! You've been lose in daydream land for the past sixteen hours, and fucking hell!"
"Sorry," Andy muttered, crossing his legs underneath him and turned towards the rest of us. "What did you want to talk about?"
"I think we're all wondering what's been on your mind for the past half a day." CC muttered, taking a sip of a martini the airlines had offered.
"I've come up with this idea...and I don't know if it would work out... It's just been so long, and we haven't had any ideas, and I just got one and-"
"TELL US WHAT THE FUCK YOU'RE THINKING ABOUT." Jake screeched, bringing a hand to his face in exasperation.
"I think I've got an idea for a new album." Andy smiled, looking at us expectantly.
"Really?" Jinxx asked, looking interested.
“Yeah, I propose a band dinner the day after we get back to LA and fully discuss this, considering I’m about to fall asleep.”
He yawned adorably before cuddling towards me.
It seemed like things were really looking up. Andy was becoming mine; he was going to talk to Juliet when we returned and now we had an idea for our next album.
All I could think was, finally.