So Your Heart of Gold Turned Platinum

"Have you seen Zack?"

"He..." Jack said trying to get down from his bar stool and failing. "He..." he started again stumbling with a shot glass in his hand. Jaime sighed taking the glass out of his hand and putting it on the bar as far away from Jack as he could manage, causing Jack to whine and make grabby hands at it like a child would. "I don't..." Jack said, the rest of his statement was barley audible something about not feeling good before he stood falling into Jaime and causing both boys to stumble before Jaime caught his footing.

"Who are you looking for?" Vic asked. Thank god he wasn't that drunk yet because Vic might not have gotten drunk that often but when he did it never ended well.

"Zack," Jaime replied.

"Haven't seen him," Vic said putting the glass to his lips and turning back to his conversation with Kellin. Jaime sighed practically dragging the very drunk Jack over to where Rian Tony and Mike were sitting.

"Here," he said handing Jack off to Rian as gently as he could in his frustrated state.

"Who shoved a stick up your ass?" Mike asked handing him a shot glass filled with something that he couldn't recognize. Jaime shrugged downing the shot. He hadn't felt much like drinking tonight at first, but he was getting there. Honestly he hadn't even expected to win, and then he'd looked at his twitter and well, that didn't go well. He knew Zack deserved that award so much more then he had, hell had any of the kids that voted for him ever listened to an all time low song? Especially Poison, god that song might have been a beside but it was his favorite. The base part was a killer.

Even their more recent songs were kind of bass heavy if you asked him, but no one did. They just voted for him, enough so that he won best bassist. Which he didn't really feel like he deserved. It wasn't like he didn't know he was a good bassist because he was, but honestly, he felt like he got the award because he talked more then Zack. If more people know Zack he was sure that Zack would have taken home the award and not him. The guy deserved it on pure musical talent alone.

Jaime sighed again looking at Rian about to ask him where Zack had run off to when Alex came over and joined them. He liked Zack more then he should have and he honestly could not shake the feeling that he didn't deserve this award as much as Zack did even though deep down he knew he did, or he wouldn't have been nominated for it.

"Oh good you can deal with Jack then," Rian said to him.

Jack moaned something from his position with his head in Rian's lap, somehow twisted around so that he was sitting on the bar stool next to him.

All four of the boys ignored him. "Congrats Jaime," Alex said giving him a pat on the back. Jaime nodded and smiled at him.

"Congrats to you guys too," Jaime said. "Do you know where Zack went?"

"I think he went to crash back in the hotel," Alex said.

"Thank you," Jaime said. He realized halfway back to the hotel that he didn't know the room number that Zack was in and didn't know what to do about it, at least he was away from all those drunk celebrating people. Usually he'd be one to celebrate too but he just felt bad tonight.

He plopped down onto the sofa in the lobby and sent a text to Zack asking him what room he was in, and another to Rian asking him the same question about Zack's room hoping he'd get a response out of one of them. He then took a minute to scroll through his twitter while waiting for a response. He wished he hadn't done that. He already felt bad enough honestly he didn't need people telling him that he did deserve the award, but he continued to scroll through it until he came across one picture. A piece of paper reading 'Zack Merrick wins best person award' and it made him laugh but he also had an idea.

He walked up to the women at the desk a grin from ear to ear. "Excuse me," he started.

***

When Rian finally texted him back he was ready, back at the hotel about forty five minutes later with everything he needed, not surprised that it had taken Rian so long to text him back considering he was probably dealing with Jack at the moment and he knew how that felt.

"Zack open up," he knocked on the door, backpack hanging from one shoulder, and some flowers in the hand that he hadn't just used to knock on the door. He was dressed in his suit again.

"Why?" Zack asked through the door. The boy had been sitting in bed with the TV on scrolling through tweets on his phone for a while, before he decided to do something, and ended up settling for push ups on the floor of the room that wasn't occupied by bags of stuff. He couldn't make out what the TV was saying but sweating and working out was making him feel better.

"Because I asked nicely?" he heard the voice of someone that he didn't want to hear right now. Jaime was just so perfect, wasn't he? He was funny, he had the guts to talk in interviews, he actually did interviews, he had the confidence of Jack Barakat, not only that but he was good looking, and apparently now he was the best bassist. Zack sighed getting up from his position on the floor. He was shirtless and sweaty he didn't really want to deal with this right now. Honestly all he wanted to do was sleep.

But he answered the door anyway.

"Here," Jaime thrust something at him he had one hand behind his back, and Zack was confused as to what was being thrust into his arms, he looked down.

"What's this?" He asked, taking the bag from Jaime and backing up so he could step into the room.

"Look and see," Jaime said. Zack rolled his eyes backing up to the bed and emptying it out on the bed, there was a shirt and a tie in it, that made him laugh what he was supposed to do with this, was this like the gay guy version of a girl buying a girl a fancy bra or something. "I wasn't sure what size to get," he said.

"Why?" Zack asked with a small smile on his face. This was funny but he was still annoyed.

"Don't ask just do," Jaime said putting a hand on his back. "Put it on," he said.

So Zack agreed. Too shocked to say no he walked into the bathroom wiping the sweat off as much as he could and pulling on the dress shirt top that Jaime had bought him and tying the tie over it. He didn't want to take a shower and get clean so that was the best he was getting. He rolled the sleeves of the shirt up to the elbows and fixed his hair, grabbing a hat to put on over the mess of hair he had when he couldn't figure out what to do with it. He tucked the shirt into his black skinny jeans before emerging from the bathroom.

Jaime was grinning. "Close enough," he said. Zack was confused but again didn't say anything just watched as Jaime took his arm from behind his back and produced a bouquet of flowers.

"Where did you get these?" Zack asked, taking them from him. It was around three in the morning now, he didn't think that any florist would be open that late.

"A gas station," Jaime said. Zack laughed. "But come on," he pulled him by the arm. It was around three in the morning meant that there was a bigger chance that no one would be walking around that would recognize them.

"I didn't even know they sold flowers in gas stations," Zack said, and Jaime pulled him into the elevator. He really didn't want to take the elevator when they could have easily walked down the four flights of stairs to the bottom, but he didn't say anything. He wasn't one to take the elevator unless he had to and four flights of stairs didn't really constitute a necessity to him.

"I thought so too," he said. "But the lady at the front desk had a good point, because a lot of guys mess up and come begging to their wives in the middle of the night, where else are they supposed to get flowers? No florist is open that late," they walked through the lobby as he talked standing in front of it now and getting a cab.

"Are you saying that you're apologizing to me?" Zack asked. Fuck. He really didn't want him to apologize.

"I'm not," Jaime said leaning over to the cab driver and whispering things in his ear so that Zack couldn't catch them.

"Where are we going?" Zack asked.

"Don't worry about it," Jaime said taking his backpack off and setting it in his lap.

"Are you kidnapping me?" Zack asked.

"No," Jaime said. "That would require rope and duck tape, and plus it's not kidnap if you come willingly so."

The rest of the twenty minute drive was filled with idle chit chat, and neither one mentioning the elephant in the room, well cab.

Eventually they pulled up at a park, and Jaime got out paying the cab driver and waving good bye. The park would have been nice had it not been close to four in the morning, but that didn't matter.

"Trust me ok?" Jaime said as he wrapped something around Zack's eyes.

"Ok," Zack said, letting Jaime lead him to a bench where he sat. He didn't really know what to say to do so he sat there no sure what was going on, but that seemed to be his mindset recently. He really wished he had the confidence to speak up when he didn't really know what was going on with his band members but instead he just sat confused sometimes. Especially in interviews.

When he felt a hand on his shoulder he jumped but realized that it was just Jaime and sighed sinking into his touch as he took the thing around his eyes off. Zack had to laugh a bit at the effort that Jaime had put in, there was a blanket on the ground, lit up by either of their phones on flashlight mode, and in his hand he had one of those fake microphone things that you'd buy at a dollar store for a kid.

"Where did you get all this?" Was the only thing Zack could say. He had to admit it was probably the nicest thing that anyone had ever done for him really, even if it was small he could care less.

"Don't worry about that," he said taking him by the hand and helping him up from the bench. "Walmart is open twenty four hours," he said, pulling Zack around to the set up. "It's not exactly a carpet but it'll do," Zack looked down noting that the blanket or sheet that he had brought was red, and that made him smile as Jaime dropped his hand and walked backwards towards the end of it.

"Right now we have Zack Merrick walking down the carpet, and he's been nominated for a few awards, tonight ladies and gentlemen," he motioned towards Zack. "First of all for best bassist, because he is a fabulous bassist, and next for best looking, just in general, because that right there," he pointed to Zack. "That's a hottie," Zack could feel a blush creeping it's way onto his face and he was grinning from ear to ear. "There's a few others I think right?" He asked. He pretended to scream like a crowd. "Oh yeah, best person of the year," he said. "And uh.." He started. "I think there's another one I'm forgetting but don't worry I'll remember later," he motioned for Zack to follow him led him to the middle of the park and sat him on the ground before running over to grab the lights and set them up on the bench in front of him and stepped on it.

"You know, I am so grateful to announce this award because I feel like these people, they all make some great music and they hold their bands together, because what would a band be without a fucking amazing bassist?" He asked no one really. "So," he started. "The winner is," he was still speaking into the fake microphone which Zack had to admit was kind of cute.

"Zack Merrick of All Time Low," he read from the card which he threw onto the ground motioning for Zack to get up as he clapped the microphone against his hand and handed him the award which he'd bent down to pull from his bag. He had taken a piece of tape a written over the part that said his name on it and put Zack's name on it.

Zack stood on the bench next to him, and Jaime handed him the microphone.

"I want to thank, well the three idiots that started this band, and the crew, and well everyone," he gestured to the park pretending that there were people there. "Thank you," he said into the mic, and it went on, with Jaime giving Zack a list of made up awards most of which were just written on a piece of paper and handed to him.

"Ladies and Gentlemen Zack Merrick sweeps tonight give it up for him," he said stepping down off the bench and down to eye level with Zack.

"I don't care what the kids are saying on twitter you deserved that award," he said into his ear sitting down next to him.

"But you did too," Zack said.

"I know I did, but maybe... someone else needed it more then me." He said. "It doesn't matter who deserved it really, now I guess," Jaime explained.

"I just feel like I'm not worthy of my band sometimes," Zack started. "Thank you so much," he looked at him Jaime just shook his head and put a hand on Zack's.

"You don't need to thank me," he said. "You deserve it."

"But you did all this," Zack said.

"Trust me," Jaime said. "You're worth it." He leaned in close when he said that, close enough to Zack that their lips were hovering over each other's and their noses were touching. "You deserve it more then I did," Jaime whispered.

"I--" Zack was about to protest but he was cut off by Jaime's lips against his and for a moment it was like nothing else existed except Jaime's lips on his the soft taste of their lips moving against each other's that cause butterflies in Zack's stomach until Jaime pulled away and got up again, standing on the bench with the stupid pink microphone in hand.

"But I think there's one more award we have to give tonight," he said looking down at Zack who had no idea what he was about to say. "And this one has a little bit of a special meaning in my heart, it's called best boyfriend," and he opened it and threw the paper on the ground. "And the winner is..." he looked around. "Zack Merrick," he smiled. "If he'll accept it."

Best bassist or not, Zack thought that maybe, just maybe, tonight had still been one of the most memorable of his entire life, and just nodded and stood up to accept his "award" which was nothing more then another kiss, leading into the first of many make out sessions with his new boyfriend.