Various Ficlets, Various Pairings (AI7, Anthemic, PG-NC-17)
Author: sophie_448
Rating: PG-NC-17
Pairings: Gen, Cookleta, Neal/Archie, Archie/Selena Gomez, Benchuleta
Word Count: 2094 total
Warnings: Cheating (in A Step Too Far), Graphic m/m sex (in Hot)
Notes: I turned on itunes shuffle and started writing fic to songs. Like ya do. Ended up with some random, but several that I really quite like. So ... enjoy! Unbeta'd. Oh, and let me know if you want any of the songs and I'll upload :-)
Nobody Wants To - Crowded House (Neal, Gen - PG-13)
Neal’s not a whiner. Neal makes fun of those emo kids, always going on about their existential angst. Whatever. He’s fine. So what if his friends all fucked off to LA to do their own thing. New York is way more his speed anyway. And if he’s ignored a voicemail or two, let a few texts go without replies, well. He’s busy. Doing his own thing. Because that’s what they’re doing. They’re all doing their own thing. And if he’d thought their things were all the same, it turns out he was wrong. No big deal. That’s just fucking life.
Home is Where the Heart Is - Lady Antebellum (Benchuleta - PG-13)
David shifts his duffle bag on his shoulder, standing on the porch. He knows this door like it’s his own. He takes another couple of breaths and rings the bell before he loses his nerve. The sound of someone moving inside and then the door opens.
David tries to think of something to say, something that will be good enough, something that will explain. He’s got nothing.
“What’s wrong, rock star, LA not good enough for you?”
David bites his lip. He probably deserved that. “It didn’t have what I needed,” he says softly.
Benton raises an eyebrow. “What’s that?”
Another fortifying breath. “You.”
Benton’s eyes widen just a fraction. “You’ve got a lot of nerve, coming back here and saying that to me, Archuleta.”
David nods. “I know. And I’d understand if you didn’t, but-I have to ask. Give me another chance?”
Benton closes his eyes, shakes his head just a little. David figures that’s a no and turns to leave. Benton grabs him by the shoulder. David stops. “Don’t break my heart again,” Benton says, the slightest tremor in his voice.
David’s heart feels like it’s too big for his chest suddenly. “Never,” he says, trying to put every ounce of sincerity he has behind that one word. And then Benton is kissing him. He realizes vaguely that his bag has fallen to the ground as he twines his arms up around Benton’s neck and presses in close, kissing back with all he’s worth.
He left home to find what was missing in his life. Turns out, what he really needed was here the whole time. And he’s never running away again.
Tell Her About It - Billy Joel (Cook/Archie - PG)
“You’re an idiot,” Carly says.
Cook looks up from his drink. “Thanks,” he says, with a sarcastic smile.
Carly rolls her eyes. “You love him, right?”
Cook doesn’t bother asking how Carly knows about him and Archie. She has ways. He shrugs. “Of course.”
“Does he know that?”
“Of course he does!”
“Are you sure?”
“How could he not? After everything I’ve done-”
“Exactly,” Carly interrupts. “Everything you’ve done. But Archie’s the kind of boy who needs to hear the words sometimes.”
Cook blinks. He’s not always so great at that part. The words. But surely Archie knows. He hasn’t exactly been subtle about how gone he is. “But-”
Carly shakes her head. “No buts. If you want to keep him, you’ve got to tell him. With words.”
Cook sighs. When she’s right, she’s right. He thinks about tossing his drink back as fortification, but that’s not exactly going to help his case with his Mormon boyfriend. “All right, all right,” he surrenders. “I’m going.”
Carly nods approvingly and shoos him away.
Hot - Avril Lavigne (Neal/Archie - NC-17)
Neal makes David have thoughts he’s never had before. Never even thought about having. It’s like his brain’s been taken over by-other parts of his anatomy.
They’re at a county fair, and Neal’s absolutely determined to win this stuffed unicorn for David. Like he’s some girl or something. And it’s just so ridiculous and unexpected, and suddenly all David can think about is pushing Neal up against the technicolored side of the game booth and dropping to his knees and-and-oh, he’s got to stop thinking about this right now or he is going to be in no condition for a family-oriented activity like a county fair.
They’re at a party. Just a small thing with Cook and Andy and Carly and a few other friends. Neal’s gesturing enthusiastically about the latest terrible horror movie he’s in love with, nearly spilling his drink in the process. David is pressed up against his side so close he can feel the rumbling of Neal’s voice when he speaks. Suddenly it’s all too much. The excited pitch of Neal’s voice, the happy light in his eyes, and the flash of colors as his arms move through the air. David pushes up off the couch and grabs his hand.
“Come with me,” he says, trying not to sound too breathless.
“What?” Neal asks, glancing around at their friends, but David really doesn’t care right now.
He drags Neal upstairs and into the first bedroom he finds. He shoves Neal backwards until he sprawls across the bed and crawls on top of him. Neal looks like he’s going to start asking questions, so David leans down and sucks on his neck. He moans instead.
David’s hard already, and he grinds down against Neal’s hip. Neal thrusts up to meet him, getting with the program quickly. David reaches between them and gets both of their jeans undone and the minimum amount of fabric out of the way. He takes them both in his hand and jerks them hard and fast. Neal is panting hard underneath him and making these broken moans like he just can’t help himself. David feels a bright, hard stab of satisfaction. That’s for him. That’s because of him. A few more pulls and they’re both coming, hot and messy. David collapses on top of Neal, panting against his neck.
Neal lifts David’s chin and kisses him, tangling a hand in his hair. “What was that for?” he asks.
David shakes his head. “Cause you’re you,” he says. It’s the best answer he can come up with.
Neal huffs a little laugh. “Never stop surprising me, Archuleta.”
David doesn’t know how to say that Neal’s the surprising one.
They’re walking up the front steps of a church. Neal takes his hand in front of God and everybody. David doesn’t realize he’s stopped until Neal leans down to whisper in his ear.
“If they don’t know love when they see it, they’re the ones with the problem.”
David looks up to meet blue eyes that don’t hold a single doubt. Then he leans up and presses a kiss to his boyfriend’s lips.
In front of God and everybody.
A Step Too Far - from Aida (Cookleta, Archie/Selena Gomez - PG-13)
Selena looks at the ring sparkling on her finger. It’s exquisite, beautiful and tasteful, everything she ever wanted when she imagined her wedding as a little girl, cutting pictures out of magazines. On the surface, David is that too. The prince charming to her Disney princess. He’s thoughtful, respectful, wonderful. And if there’s a certain passion lacking, well, he was brought up conservative and religious. She’s sure that’s all it is. Isn’t she?
David doesn’t know how he got in so deep. At first it had seemed so easy. Date a nice, age-appropriate girl that the label approved of. He wouldn’t let it go too far. They’d break up after a couple of months. No harm, no foul. Except they hadn’t broken up. Everyone had been so pleased. His family, his management. And somehow he found himself shopping for a ring and making the most expensive dinner reservations of his life. And no one knows he has a whole other life. Well, almost no one. He knows this is all going to come crashing down around his head, but he doesn’t know how to stop it.
Cook knows one thing for sure. He loves Archie. Loves him with a stupid, all-consuming passion that he’s at a loss to explain. The man is engaged to someone else and he can’t find the strength to break it off. It’s what would be best for both of them, but every time he tries, the words get stuck in his throat, and he kisses Archie instead. He knows why Archie won’t come out. Or can’t. Semantics don’t really matter with impossibilities. Cook hates the unbreakable rules of the world they live in. Just once he lets his rage run unchecked. He trashes a hotel room. It makes a gossip rag or two, and they chalk it up to “the rock star lifestyle.” Cook twists his lips in a wry grimace. If only they knew. This time, he thinks. This time he’ll break it off for real. He ignores that snide voice at the back of his mind that whispers, liar.
I Believe - Steve Carlson & Rosalee (Cookleta - PG-13)
There’s a commotion in the crowd, moving towards front row, center. It’s more than the usual disturbances that are inevitable at any GA show. Cook narrows his eyes, trying to figure out what’s going on without losing the rhythm of Light On. It’s hard to sing these days, but the fans expect it.
The disturbance seems to be followed by shrieking. Again, nothing strange for a rock show, but there’s something going on, that much is clear. He makes it to the last note without incident. That’s when he hears the shouts of “David, David!” That are strangely insistent. He looks at front row center again, but the lights are too bright. Then he hears it, like a ripple. The calls of “Archie!”
“Can we bring the house lights up?” he says, his throat suddenly dry. The techs comply and suddenly he can see. But he’s not sure his eyes aren’t playing tricks on him. “Archie?”
Archie nods. Because somehow, impossibly, David Archuleta is standing in the middle of a sea of screaming women at his show. All schedule conflicts and near-misses for years and everything they’ve been through and now-this.
Cook realizes he’s been staring silently when Neal elbows him in the ribs. Hard.
“Jesus,” he mutters, but the mic picks it up. “Shit. Security!” Now he’s calling to be heard. “Where’s security? Get him up here!” He tries to sound happy instead of panicked, but fuck, what was Archie thinking? Pushing his way through a crowd of fans without so much as an escort? He could have been trampled or kidnapped or-or-Cook’s mind runs out of appropriately dire scenarios, but he’s sure there’s another or. But then Archie’s up on stage, next to him, having been lifted by some impressively burly security guards. Archie may look slight, but he’s got muscle.
“What are you doing here, Arch?” he says, going for the obvious question.
Archie licks his lips, clearly nervous. “Well,” he says. “You stopped answering my calls, so, I didn’t know what else to do.” His eyes are big and almost apologetic, but there’s a tinge of anger there too.
Shit. Cook is torn between being incredibly embarrassed that a roomful of fans (doubtless recording the moment for posterity) were hearing this, and feeling guilty, and then again, maybe feeling a little bit angry himself. He pulls the mic away.
“We broke up, Arch. What was I supposed to do?”
Archie shakes his head. He takes the mic from Cook’s hands and, in his surprise, Cook lets him. Then he’s-he’s getting down on one knee.
“I’m sorry, Cook,” he says into the mic. The crowd is unnaturally silent. “I’m sorry for all the times I didn’t want to show people what we were to each other. And if you’ll let me, I want to spend the rest of our lives making it up to you. Will you marry me, David?”
Cook just stares, utterly poleaxed. Then he hears a couple of stray yells of “Answer him!” and “Say yes!” He pulls Archie to his feet and kisses him hard. The crowd goes wild.
Under cover of the cheers, Cook pulls back and looks at Archie. “Yes,” he says. “God, yes, forever.” And he wants to say more, but he has to clap a hand over his mouth and try to contain the tears. Archie reaches up and brushes the tears away.
“I love you,” he says. “I don’t have, um, a ring or anything. Because, you’re not a girl?”
And then Cook has to laugh. He laughs from the pure, unexpected joy of this moment as his band converges on him and his fiancé with hugs and back slaps and congratulations and the crowd screams and cheers.
Rating: PG-NC-17
Pairings: Gen, Cookleta, Neal/Archie, Archie/Selena Gomez, Benchuleta
Word Count: 2094 total
Warnings: Cheating (in A Step Too Far), Graphic m/m sex (in Hot)
Notes: I turned on itunes shuffle and started writing fic to songs. Like ya do. Ended up with some random, but several that I really quite like. So ... enjoy! Unbeta'd. Oh, and let me know if you want any of the songs and I'll upload :-)
Nobody Wants To - Crowded House (Neal, Gen - PG-13)
Neal’s not a whiner. Neal makes fun of those emo kids, always going on about their existential angst. Whatever. He’s fine. So what if his friends all fucked off to LA to do their own thing. New York is way more his speed anyway. And if he’s ignored a voicemail or two, let a few texts go without replies, well. He’s busy. Doing his own thing. Because that’s what they’re doing. They’re all doing their own thing. And if he’d thought their things were all the same, it turns out he was wrong. No big deal. That’s just fucking life.
Home is Where the Heart Is - Lady Antebellum (Benchuleta - PG-13)
David shifts his duffle bag on his shoulder, standing on the porch. He knows this door like it’s his own. He takes another couple of breaths and rings the bell before he loses his nerve. The sound of someone moving inside and then the door opens.
David tries to think of something to say, something that will be good enough, something that will explain. He’s got nothing.
“What’s wrong, rock star, LA not good enough for you?”
David bites his lip. He probably deserved that. “It didn’t have what I needed,” he says softly.
Benton raises an eyebrow. “What’s that?”
Another fortifying breath. “You.”
Benton’s eyes widen just a fraction. “You’ve got a lot of nerve, coming back here and saying that to me, Archuleta.”
David nods. “I know. And I’d understand if you didn’t, but-I have to ask. Give me another chance?”
Benton closes his eyes, shakes his head just a little. David figures that’s a no and turns to leave. Benton grabs him by the shoulder. David stops. “Don’t break my heart again,” Benton says, the slightest tremor in his voice.
David’s heart feels like it’s too big for his chest suddenly. “Never,” he says, trying to put every ounce of sincerity he has behind that one word. And then Benton is kissing him. He realizes vaguely that his bag has fallen to the ground as he twines his arms up around Benton’s neck and presses in close, kissing back with all he’s worth.
He left home to find what was missing in his life. Turns out, what he really needed was here the whole time. And he’s never running away again.
Tell Her About It - Billy Joel (Cook/Archie - PG)
“You’re an idiot,” Carly says.
Cook looks up from his drink. “Thanks,” he says, with a sarcastic smile.
Carly rolls her eyes. “You love him, right?”
Cook doesn’t bother asking how Carly knows about him and Archie. She has ways. He shrugs. “Of course.”
“Does he know that?”
“Of course he does!”
“Are you sure?”
“How could he not? After everything I’ve done-”
“Exactly,” Carly interrupts. “Everything you’ve done. But Archie’s the kind of boy who needs to hear the words sometimes.”
Cook blinks. He’s not always so great at that part. The words. But surely Archie knows. He hasn’t exactly been subtle about how gone he is. “But-”
Carly shakes her head. “No buts. If you want to keep him, you’ve got to tell him. With words.”
Cook sighs. When she’s right, she’s right. He thinks about tossing his drink back as fortification, but that’s not exactly going to help his case with his Mormon boyfriend. “All right, all right,” he surrenders. “I’m going.”
Carly nods approvingly and shoos him away.
Hot - Avril Lavigne (Neal/Archie - NC-17)
Neal makes David have thoughts he’s never had before. Never even thought about having. It’s like his brain’s been taken over by-other parts of his anatomy.
They’re at a county fair, and Neal’s absolutely determined to win this stuffed unicorn for David. Like he’s some girl or something. And it’s just so ridiculous and unexpected, and suddenly all David can think about is pushing Neal up against the technicolored side of the game booth and dropping to his knees and-and-oh, he’s got to stop thinking about this right now or he is going to be in no condition for a family-oriented activity like a county fair.
They’re at a party. Just a small thing with Cook and Andy and Carly and a few other friends. Neal’s gesturing enthusiastically about the latest terrible horror movie he’s in love with, nearly spilling his drink in the process. David is pressed up against his side so close he can feel the rumbling of Neal’s voice when he speaks. Suddenly it’s all too much. The excited pitch of Neal’s voice, the happy light in his eyes, and the flash of colors as his arms move through the air. David pushes up off the couch and grabs his hand.
“Come with me,” he says, trying not to sound too breathless.
“What?” Neal asks, glancing around at their friends, but David really doesn’t care right now.
He drags Neal upstairs and into the first bedroom he finds. He shoves Neal backwards until he sprawls across the bed and crawls on top of him. Neal looks like he’s going to start asking questions, so David leans down and sucks on his neck. He moans instead.
David’s hard already, and he grinds down against Neal’s hip. Neal thrusts up to meet him, getting with the program quickly. David reaches between them and gets both of their jeans undone and the minimum amount of fabric out of the way. He takes them both in his hand and jerks them hard and fast. Neal is panting hard underneath him and making these broken moans like he just can’t help himself. David feels a bright, hard stab of satisfaction. That’s for him. That’s because of him. A few more pulls and they’re both coming, hot and messy. David collapses on top of Neal, panting against his neck.
Neal lifts David’s chin and kisses him, tangling a hand in his hair. “What was that for?” he asks.
David shakes his head. “Cause you’re you,” he says. It’s the best answer he can come up with.
Neal huffs a little laugh. “Never stop surprising me, Archuleta.”
David doesn’t know how to say that Neal’s the surprising one.
They’re walking up the front steps of a church. Neal takes his hand in front of God and everybody. David doesn’t realize he’s stopped until Neal leans down to whisper in his ear.
“If they don’t know love when they see it, they’re the ones with the problem.”
David looks up to meet blue eyes that don’t hold a single doubt. Then he leans up and presses a kiss to his boyfriend’s lips.
In front of God and everybody.
A Step Too Far - from Aida (Cookleta, Archie/Selena Gomez - PG-13)
Selena looks at the ring sparkling on her finger. It’s exquisite, beautiful and tasteful, everything she ever wanted when she imagined her wedding as a little girl, cutting pictures out of magazines. On the surface, David is that too. The prince charming to her Disney princess. He’s thoughtful, respectful, wonderful. And if there’s a certain passion lacking, well, he was brought up conservative and religious. She’s sure that’s all it is. Isn’t she?
David doesn’t know how he got in so deep. At first it had seemed so easy. Date a nice, age-appropriate girl that the label approved of. He wouldn’t let it go too far. They’d break up after a couple of months. No harm, no foul. Except they hadn’t broken up. Everyone had been so pleased. His family, his management. And somehow he found himself shopping for a ring and making the most expensive dinner reservations of his life. And no one knows he has a whole other life. Well, almost no one. He knows this is all going to come crashing down around his head, but he doesn’t know how to stop it.
Cook knows one thing for sure. He loves Archie. Loves him with a stupid, all-consuming passion that he’s at a loss to explain. The man is engaged to someone else and he can’t find the strength to break it off. It’s what would be best for both of them, but every time he tries, the words get stuck in his throat, and he kisses Archie instead. He knows why Archie won’t come out. Or can’t. Semantics don’t really matter with impossibilities. Cook hates the unbreakable rules of the world they live in. Just once he lets his rage run unchecked. He trashes a hotel room. It makes a gossip rag or two, and they chalk it up to “the rock star lifestyle.” Cook twists his lips in a wry grimace. If only they knew. This time, he thinks. This time he’ll break it off for real. He ignores that snide voice at the back of his mind that whispers, liar.
I Believe - Steve Carlson & Rosalee (Cookleta - PG-13)
There’s a commotion in the crowd, moving towards front row, center. It’s more than the usual disturbances that are inevitable at any GA show. Cook narrows his eyes, trying to figure out what’s going on without losing the rhythm of Light On. It’s hard to sing these days, but the fans expect it.
The disturbance seems to be followed by shrieking. Again, nothing strange for a rock show, but there’s something going on, that much is clear. He makes it to the last note without incident. That’s when he hears the shouts of “David, David!” That are strangely insistent. He looks at front row center again, but the lights are too bright. Then he hears it, like a ripple. The calls of “Archie!”
“Can we bring the house lights up?” he says, his throat suddenly dry. The techs comply and suddenly he can see. But he’s not sure his eyes aren’t playing tricks on him. “Archie?”
Archie nods. Because somehow, impossibly, David Archuleta is standing in the middle of a sea of screaming women at his show. All schedule conflicts and near-misses for years and everything they’ve been through and now-this.
Cook realizes he’s been staring silently when Neal elbows him in the ribs. Hard.
“Jesus,” he mutters, but the mic picks it up. “Shit. Security!” Now he’s calling to be heard. “Where’s security? Get him up here!” He tries to sound happy instead of panicked, but fuck, what was Archie thinking? Pushing his way through a crowd of fans without so much as an escort? He could have been trampled or kidnapped or-or-Cook’s mind runs out of appropriately dire scenarios, but he’s sure there’s another or. But then Archie’s up on stage, next to him, having been lifted by some impressively burly security guards. Archie may look slight, but he’s got muscle.
“What are you doing here, Arch?” he says, going for the obvious question.
Archie licks his lips, clearly nervous. “Well,” he says. “You stopped answering my calls, so, I didn’t know what else to do.” His eyes are big and almost apologetic, but there’s a tinge of anger there too.
Shit. Cook is torn between being incredibly embarrassed that a roomful of fans (doubtless recording the moment for posterity) were hearing this, and feeling guilty, and then again, maybe feeling a little bit angry himself. He pulls the mic away.
“We broke up, Arch. What was I supposed to do?”
Archie shakes his head. He takes the mic from Cook’s hands and, in his surprise, Cook lets him. Then he’s-he’s getting down on one knee.
“I’m sorry, Cook,” he says into the mic. The crowd is unnaturally silent. “I’m sorry for all the times I didn’t want to show people what we were to each other. And if you’ll let me, I want to spend the rest of our lives making it up to you. Will you marry me, David?”
Cook just stares, utterly poleaxed. Then he hears a couple of stray yells of “Answer him!” and “Say yes!” He pulls Archie to his feet and kisses him hard. The crowd goes wild.
Under cover of the cheers, Cook pulls back and looks at Archie. “Yes,” he says. “God, yes, forever.” And he wants to say more, but he has to clap a hand over his mouth and try to contain the tears. Archie reaches up and brushes the tears away.
“I love you,” he says. “I don’t have, um, a ring or anything. Because, you’re not a girl?”
And then Cook has to laugh. He laughs from the pure, unexpected joy of this moment as his band converges on him and his fiancé with hugs and back slaps and congratulations and the crowd screams and cheers.