Scissors & Pens

"You two kids go have fun," Oliver winked at Alaska, before turning away he smacked her ass making her jump.

"Damn," she mumbled, Austin sat down in her chair looking over all the products she had set out.

"Alaska, love, make me a pretty princess," Austin held his hand out palm up and spoke in a horrible British accent to her, causing her to laugh uncontrollably.

"You don't need my help for that, Princess Carlile. You do a mighty good job of that yourself," her giggle filled his ears, Austin felt the same way she did, he had a crush. Only at 26.

Alaska packed her train case and bag neatly, as she was setting her hairspray in the case a polaroid photo fell out onto the floor. Austin's bright eyes shifted to the picture she hadn't noticed. He leaned down to pick up the face down Polaroid photograph. He was worried to see what it might me, maybe another boyfriend? He slowly turned the photo over, what it revealed surprised him. The bottom read "I love you!", the next part that surprised him was that his signature was next to it. Looking at the picture a grin crawled across his stubble covered face. He remembered her. From 2011. He remembered it in great detail.

Austin had just jumped off stage, he knew he needed to meet all the fans there to support him, some would be dicks and others would try to grope him. The special fans who he had truly helped made all the difference. As he greeted fans, took pictures, signed pictures and bodies he kept looking up to notice a girl who wasn't fighting to get into the front. Her pastel purple hair pressed against the brick wall of the concert hall while she puffed on a cigarette, she would glance over at Austin waiting for the crowd to dissipate, but at the rate it was going she doubted she would even be able to get close to him.

He was unable to stop thinking of her as his fans crowded around him. As they began to fade away Alan called him to get on the bus to go to Denny's. Austin declined, he told them to give him some time.

Alaska dropped her cigarette, stepping on it to walk over to Austin, now was her chance.

"Hey," Alaska spoke softly, she was still shy at this time. "I just wanted to say that, well, I feel a connection with you because of your passion for music and helping people and I have a passion like that, but a little different. I'm passionate about beauty and making people feel beautiful about themselves. And happy with themselves because everyone deserves to feel beautiful. Even me."

Austin was taken back by her words, his lips contorted into a mix between a smile and his jaw dropping. He checked her out from head to toe, she was extremely beautiful and it bothered him that she felt otherwise, even if she didn't say it he was aware.

"You are beautiful, you're one of the most beautiful girls I have ever seen," Austin genuinely smiled at her, "and girl that eyebrow game is strong." He waved his finger and tried to be as sassy as possible to make her smile.

"Can I take a picture with you?" Alaska asked shyly, "I'm Alaska by the way."

"Yes of course! I'm Austin, but you already knew that," he chuckled as she handed him her Polaroid camera. They both smiled, if looks could kill the two in that picture could destroy the earth, they looked perfect together.

"That's the first genuine smile I've had in a long time, thank you so much," Alaska could feel her eyes watering, Austin noticed and gently used his thumb to wipe away the tears.

"Follow your passion, Alaska. Great things are going to come to you. You're a beautiful young woman and never settle for less than you deserve." Austin was about to lean in to kiss her forehead, just because it felt right, but as he was about to he was stopped abruptly.

"Alaska! Get your ass over here we're leaving!" A teenage guy yelled at her from a car. He was rude and crude.

"He's less than what I deserve, I'm tired of this shit. I'm better than this, right? He screams at me and shoves me..." She trailed off, just to hear him yell more profanities at her.

"You deserve the world, not someone like him," Austin spoke knowing her boyfriend was watching, he hugged Alaska close to him and gently left a kiss on her forehead.

"Austin," Alaska broke his trail of thought, "what?"

"I just," he let out a light laugh, "I remember you."

Austin held up the picture to show her, she blushed in response as an inevitable smile crept upon her face pushing her piercings in to cause even deeper dimples. She always kept that picture with her, to remind her that she was better than she thought.

"I remember you, too." She took the picture from him placing it in her bag. Alaska brushed her long red hair to the side to toss her bag over her shoulder and pulled the handle of the big rolling case up so she could pull it.

"I'll take that," Austin smiled taking her train case and bag from her. "We're out Oli, see you later at the meeting!"

As the two stepped out into the street Austin maneuvered around her to where he free hand was beside her, gently he scooped up her hand as he looked off into the distance. Inside Alaska started to panic, what if her hands got sweaty or what if he noticed they got sweaty? It was like holding hands with someone for the first time again.

"I found this little fish and chips diner that I like, how's that sound?" Austin asked looking over at her, she had been smiling the whole time and failing at trying to cover it up. Alaska gave a quick nod in response, they continued to walk in happy silence for about a block or so until they came to the diner. Even with his hands full Austin held open the door for her.

The cashier greeted them, not knowing who stood before him.

"Let me get a large fish and chips combo with a cola, and Alaska what do you want sweetie?" Austin looked over to her, she was mildly confused, she didn't eat fish.

"Well, I don't like fish so I thought I could just steal your chips," she let out a laugh, "just fries please, I mean chips."

Alaska felt slightly embarrassed, she wasn't sure if what she said seemed cute or not. Austin had smiled and wrapped his arm around her waist, so maybe that was good? As the cashier gave their total Alaska reached for her wallet in her back pocket to pay for her half of the meal.

"No," Austin scolded her playfully, "I got it, babe."

He even knew her favorite names to be called, she wanted to run to her room and scream into her pillow out of happiness.

As they sat down Austin reached over to place his larger hand on her perfectly manicured one, their eyes met causing a small smile across his gentle face.

"I can't believe that you're that shy girl who waited around just to talk to me, I can't believe we're really here together," Austin was speaking from his heart, Alaska could tell even if she wasn't sure if she could believe it, "I've always thought about you. What you're doing and where you are. I know that's weird. I'm sorry. Damn Alaska, I didn't know you were that Alaska. I mean you looked similar, but different hair and you didn't have cheek piercings or tattoos that I could see. I'm truly amazed and grateful."

"It's crazy," Alaska let out a sigh, "I never thought we would meet again or someone like you could like someone like me, I mean, I know I'm not a normal girl. Obviously. I have a lot of followers and stuff, but I didn't think that, well, you know, I'd be on a date with you. When I hate fish."

"You could have said something you know," Austin laughed eating a chip.

"I didn't care as long as I got to spend time with you. I saw in this book one, you're lucky to find true love, not saying I'm in love with you, but the connection I talked to you about. I think it's the same for that, too. You only find one person you can connect with on that level, even though I only met you once I felt like I knew you."

"I believe that, I've made the mistake of marrying someone I thought I truly loved. We made some mistakes and it changes you. I think it made me better," Austin didn't like to remember those times.

"I think you're pretty great," Alaska shrugged taking a bite of a chip and trying to not stare at how cute Austin was.

"I think the same about you, but," he paused. Alaska's eyes widened, she knew this could mean he didn't want her or she wasn't good enough, or just something bad in general. Her eyes darted down to her food attempting to brace herself. "But you have a lot of passion and love for what you do and I love that. You're edgy and seem so innocent at the same time. What? You thought I'd say something bad?"

"Yeah," Alaska sighed, "the way you started off saying it made it seem bad. It would have broken me down a bit, but I'm used to being alone or used so it wouldn't have made that much of a difference."

"Alaska, babe, if you stay with me I'll show you someone who really cares about you. I've had a crush on you for a year, I just didn't want to admit to it."

"I'm going back to California in two weeks though," she bit her lip and looked at Austin, she knew a tour meeting would mean he would be leaving to travel eventually.

"I saw on Instagram," Austin chuckled, "which is why I had Oli help me out. Anyways, that was really high school of me, but I also came to talk with our managers about a US tour. You could come."

"I have to work baby," after calling him 'baby' she immediately covered her mouth. "I'm sorry."

"I like to be called that, Alaska Bear." Her eyes lit up at the new nickname she enjoyed it. She felt special.

"Well, I can't just be broke during that time. I mean I do a lot of freelance so I don't know." She was pondering a way to do this, tour would probably be fun. There would probably be parties and she loved to party.

"This girl band wants to come and their band manager is willing to spend big bucks to make them look good, and they're looking for a stylist. If you say yes you can stay with me and snuggle all night," Austin's offer was becoming harder to refuse.

"Done deal, there's parties right?" Alaska perked a bit as she eagerly waited Austin's answer.

"With Sykes the party never ends," his laughter made her feel warm and fuzzy inside, she would only imagine how nice it would feel to be up close and personal with him, to hear his heartbeat and be skin to skin with him.

Austin took her back to her hotel after taking her to get ice cream, he knew how to treat a lady and be a gentleman. Alaska had never been treated so well, and the times it got close to being that nice it was because they wanted something from them. Before Austin dropped her off he asked her to go on a date after the manager meeting. Alaska agreed, she was also told to wear something for a party, which excited her. Immediately after he left her with a romantic sweet kiss she didn't want to end, she ran into her room to get ready. She only had two hours to be party ready.

Alaska curled her hair again, giving it a lot of volume. She moved onto makeup where she knew she needed a beat face to turn heads. She applied a deep chiseled contour, a perfect highlight with the right amount of shimmer, her usually flawless eyebrows, and a bold smokey eye that was complimented by a nude glossy lip.

For an outfit she picked out a black form fitting dress with a sweetheart neckline and ruffles from the waist down to where it ended, which wasn't much longer than the back of her rear. She considered heels, however, she didn't want to fall down if she got drunk. Height wouldn't matter, Austin nearly had a foot on her. She spun in the hotel mirror, she felt good about herself with her party dress that showed off her skull and roses half sleeve as well as her other arm that was now home to a Victorian frame and inside were a pair of shears, lipstick, makeup brushes, and other beauty products. You could see her leg tattoos, one of a ship, the other a neo traditional style picture of her cat Casanova. Her other various tattoos were showing as well, peeking out of her shoes was a gorgeous mandala tattoo, half on one foot and half on the other. Alaska just hoped Austin would think she looked stunning.

Checking her phone, she saw a text from Austin, "Only 30 minutes until I see you <3 :*"

The text made her smile, she quickly sent a reply back and switched to Instagram. She saw fans arguing on Oliver's picture of them causing her to roll her eyes. They asked about Hannah, Oliver's future wife, and if he was dating me on the side. Scrolling down she saw a picture Austin had taking without her knowing. She smiled, it wasn't a bad picture. The caption made her smile grow even more "first date with my dream girl". He even used the hearts for eyes emoji from his iPhone.

She began to think about if Austin wanted to be with her, she was pretty sure he did. Her mind began to wander into dangerous territory, what if she wasn't good enough? She wondered if she was even his type. How could she be his dream girl? Alaska tried to push the thoughts away, she stepped out on her balcony taking in the scent of rain from the early morning. Quickly she lit up a cigarette before realizing she had something more, setting down her cigarette she opened the pack and reached for the familiar cigarette like cylinder. Quickly she lit up her joint to relax her nerves, the wind would carry away the smell. By the time she was finished her door had a knock at it. She became panic stricken, ditching the joint she scurried inside spraying herself with perfume.

She checked the eye hole in the door, it was Austin. Alaska let out a sigh opening the door, he stepped in scooping her up in his arms to plant a long kiss on her.

"I love that perfume you're wearing baby," he breathed onto her neck, it was her usual perfume Viva La Juicy by Juicy Couture.

"I call it, Viva La Juicy a la Ganja," she laughed, Austin had to know she smoked based on her social media profiles. Austin still hadn't let her go, he held her close.

"One day you'll have to show me what this reefer smoking you young kids do is all about," he joked kissing her forehead. His kisses trailed down the side of her face to her lips.

"It's great, you feel amazing and sometimes super hungry, but it makes sex super amazing," she giggled, "Austin, you make me feel special."

"Good, because you deserve it. I saw how that one guy was to you, I won't do that."

"You're so good to me," she sighed, "I don't know if I deserve it."

"You do."