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[KERFUFFLE]

Christien pulled a chair out for Elaina before seating himself opposite her. He could hardly believe that he was sitting in an Italian restaurant in New Jersey opposite her. Unable to help himself, he took her hand across the table, squeezing it gently. "I know what you mean. Especially when something prevented us from getting hold of each other.. Even one day was enough to make me wonder whether you and I really happened. I admit I called Suzanne a few times just so she would ask me how you were doing- just to be sure I wasn't under some illusion." He chuckled gently. "Mmm, I think you're right. Considering how your friends reacted to me just being a teacher in your class today makes me think that they might be a little bit jealous when they find out we're going out. Though goodness only knows why." He'd picked up a menu and decided upon a carbonara in the meantime. "Speaking of class," he said, "I hope I'm not going to distract you too much. I know you have a lot on your mind without you thinking that every free minute of your day has to be spent with me.

 

"I think I'll have to see some photos to judge whether your nerves affect you too badly." Caden's comment was in a joking manner, of course, which was implied by his tone, but he was genuinely curious to see what she'd done for her job, regardless . "I'll have to take one from a wall of your apartment when I come and visit you in Paris." He paused for a moment, trying to think how best to phrase his answer. He didn't want to sound too forward, almost as much for his own benefit as for hers. He liked her a lot, and he didn't want to mess something up when it was so early but also going so well. "Equally, I'd be happy to walk you back to your hotel if you want me to, and if that's where you want to spend the night. You don't have to stay if you don't feel comfortable with it, but if you want to, you can have my room and I can sleep on the sofa. Whatever suits you." He winked at her and added playfully, "Your wish is my command."

 

[VideoStar95]

-this is me cutting the chatter out, I'll see you on Tumblr- (;

Elaina seemed unable to completely cease moving as she squirmed in her chair excitedly, simply tracing the outlines of Christien's face with her gaze, feeling as though she'd forgotten how simply perfect it really was. She complied happily when he took her hand, also finding herself struggling to not reach out and touch him - for some physical confirmation that he was in fact here with here after all that time. "Did you really?" She cracked a smile at his story of his calling Suzanne, wishing that she had found a way to tell her friends of Christien - simply so they would ask her about him. Keeping the whole thing to herself was maddening. "Goodness knows why, huh, Christien?" She rolled her eyes and grinned at him childishly, knowing that he very well understood why women couldn't control themselves around him. "You've got all the waitresses in here memorized as well, by the way. In case you hadn't noticed." It was true, three of the female servers were hovering awkwardly by the hostess desk, hiding their gawking insufficiently. When they eventually noticed Elaina looking back at them, they panicked and went about their business in separate directions. Honestly, it didn't bother her whatsoever. Actually, it was kind of thrilling having somebody that others wanted so desperately. And Christien was indeed gorgeous, absolutely beautiful really, who was she to say who could and could not obsess over him? She set the menu that she had been toying with down, setting upon a meal. She always got the pizza here, but she would search the menu in hopes to add some change, but never did. "And you will definitely distract me, that I won't deny. But, it's nothing I can't handle. I've been busting my you-know-what getting such high marks in my classes and could use for a little slacking off."

Audrina smiled at the thought of Caden having a picture of her in his flat although he was simply joking; she definitely wouldn't mind something she was proud of and looked stunning in to remind him of their times together. It was such a lovely image that she wasn't accustomed to, due to the insufferable amount of self-centered men she had dated recently. They most definitely wouldn't sacrifice wall space for her photo - beautiful girls were a dime a dozen in the modeling agency and the mens' attitudes most definitely reflected that. She focused back in on what Caden was saying, chewing on her lower lip absentmindedly and reflecting over what he'd offered. The one thing she did not want was to invade his space and make him feel uncomfortable too early - although the man was so nice he definitely wouldn't hint in any way that her presence was bothersome, even though it was. If she knew one thing about guys it was that their space was precious, and she refused to let herself impose too early in the relationship. "Although staying here sounds absolutely wonderful," she began, shifting her weight and standing up from the couch - with a little difficulty due to how comfortable she previously was. "I believe this time I'll go back to the hotel." She smiled at him before adding, "And you most certainly don't have to walk me back, I'll probably take a taxi anyhow."

 

[KERFUFFLE]

Haha, well done. Yep, speak to you then :3

But, I do just have to say how gooooood your writing is. It's reminding me how out of touch I am with it all.

"Really? I hadn't noticed." Christien followed Elaina's gaze to the little huddle of excited onlooking waitresses, who quickly dispersed when they met her eyes. Of course, he couldn't deny to himself that he wasn't a stranger to this sort of activity around him, although he still was blind as to what all of the fuss was really about, and he always took it in the best possible way when it did happen; the problem was usually to do with whoever he was with at the time. He smiled and told her, "It's really.. refreshing, I suppose you could say, to have somebody who's willing to put up with it. I would understand if you were jealous or resentful but you, like with everything else you do, just take it in your stride. I'm very thankful for that, especially because we've spent all of this time away from each other." He didn't even want to cast his mind back to previous girlfriends and the constant 'where were you?' 'who are you texting?' that he'd experienced. He couldn't imagine that it could be any different for Elaina- she truly was beautiful, not just in his eyes but to everybody else as well-, but he trusted her just as she trusted him. As he came to the end of his chain of thought, he settled upon a pizza, as well- he was honestly a bit fearful of getting some kind of pasta sauce down his shirt, seeing as so little of his attention would be focussed on the food. "Then I shall happily distract you- as you will surely distract me- as much as you like. Of course, we both have work to do, but there's plenty of hours in the day." He paused. "So, tell me, and I mean really tell me, in the way that you can't over the phone, how is everything?"

 

Caden nodded. As much as he enjoyed having her around, it was probably best that she was going back to her hotel for the time being; for one thing, he was busy tomorrow and he didn't want to rush her out in the morning. But, and much more importantly, he didn't want to end up saying or doing anything that he'd regret later- admittedly, his mind had already wandered a few times more than he would have liked that evening. Things were going wonderfully, he wanted to keep it that way, and was glad that she seemed to feel the same. He stood up to escort her to the door, gently placing a hand on her back to lead her out. He stood with her at the open door, smiling as he said, "Today was really great. Thank you. I didn't think it would be possible for somebody to surprise me with something completely different to do in London, but you certainly managed it." It was true; the way she'd planned today was so good that it could have been fantastic with anybody. With Audrina it had just been special. As he thought about when he could next see her, a wave of excitement washed over him almost simultaneously as he felt a slight sense of dismay. He would be busy all of tomorrow, and then until the evening of Monday night, when he knew he would be seeing her anyway, at his show. "I suppose I'll see you on Monday night, then," he began. "If you get there a little early, you can just tell the guy at the door who you are, and he'll let you in. I couldn't have you standing all the way at the back, now, could I?" He grinned at her, leaning in for a quick kiss. It turned into a little more than that; he gently pressed her against the doorframe, letting his lips linger on hers a little longer than he'd first anticipated. He hoped she didn't mind. Then, stepping back to give her space to leave, he said, "Until Monday," offering her a little wave before she turned away. It was strange, he thought, as he shut the door and headed straight for his room, feeling tired now, how they hadn't been much like that with each other until now. Perhaps it was because he was a little older now, and so having his hands all over a girl from the moment they'd started dating didn't have any particular appeal anymore. He was just content to let feelings and passions between them grow in their own time. Yes; strange and different, but all the better for it.

 

[VideoStar95]

My writing? Holy goodness no! I just apologized for it actually on Tumblr. I can barely form normal sentences :3

Of course as a living and breathing female, there were bound to be moments when Elaina withheld a prick of jealousy or insecurity but nothing ever overly major - she understood that Christien was gorgeous and others would gawk as they pleased. "I personally think it's absolutely amusing. It just reminds me how lucky I am to have you, since we're clearly only together because of your looks." She winked at him, grinning once again like a buffoon at her own joke, which was utterly lame and that she would admit, but she didn't care. It had been a long, long while since she'd felt like this - giddy and playful. Their waitress had come over and taken both their orders, unable to keep her eyes off Christien of course which caused another wave of mass hilarity to roll through Elaina. When Christien asked her his question, she settled down and sunk onto her chair with a sigh. "Everything is…everything is going well, I suppose. It's not going badly, though, it could definitely go a little smoother. School is school and I won't complain about that, since I'm lucky to be here, but my parents I swear get a kick out of being pains. I went to visit them as soon as I got back and my mom basically harassed me for days, saying things like this meant I was never to travel anywhere again. And all of that nonsense. Not that she was happy I was alive or anything, basically that it was just my fault. And of course, my father just sat there giving me quiet support - which doesn't help one bit." She regretted dispelling all of this negative information to Christien right away but it had been really bothering her for the last few weeks. The image that seemed etched into her mind was her mother's disapproving scowl. How she would react to Christien was a whole other worry in itself.

Audrina was happy that Caden agreed with her that it was most likely best that she was to go back to her hotel. The majority of the guys she'd dated would have bent over backwards to keep her from leaving and have been very obnoxiously forward about it all. Caden's gentlemanly charm was a delightful breath of fresh air. "Today was really great wasn't it?" Audrina grinned, slightly smug about how the day had turned out, but more simply relieved her plans didn't crash and burn - as she had expected they would. "Oh, no, I'm definitely going to be front and center so I can embarrass you as much as possible." She told him, struggling to hide her excitement for seeing him perform. Sadly, Audrina really hadn't had the time off of her job to enjoy leisures like concerts. Also, she'd never been invited by a boyfriend to such a public occasion without having some sort of malicious publicity scam behind it. When Caden kissed her, she had to grip the doorframe in order to stabilize herself, happily surprised at his slight intensity. Considering the slightly scandalous things that had been creeping into her mind all night, she doubted she would have been satisfied with a quick goodnight kiss. "Yes, yes, until Monday." Audrina breathed, noting that she no doubt looked like an idiot with the silly grin plastered on her face. Offering a little wave, she headed out the building, still inwardly squealing even when she hailed a cab.

Sorry that was really bad ^ Haha

 

[KERFUFFLE]

No, I'm not taking that. Your writing is just fine (;

"Only for my looks? Surely not," Christien playfully looked taken aback by her comment. "I thought the fact that you had somewhere to stay in Paris for free had some kind of value in this relationship," he added, winking right back at her, smiling his most charming of all smiles for her. He sipped his drink quietly while she recounted how she felt about her life at the moment, taking in every word, giving her every ounce of his attention. It displeased him that she felt uneasy at the moment about things; there was nothing he hated more than to see her upset. He was surprised by what her parents were telling her- of course, he perfectly understood with his father being equally cynical, bitter and unsupportive about everything he chose to do with his life-, and he frowned slightly as he set his glass down. "They're not supporting you for being here? I mean, you're at Princeton, for Christ's sake, they should be so proud of you; I know I am. As for not travelling.. There's plenty of time for that after school and, what's more, I'm not going to hold you back and force you to settle down with me straight after college. I want to see the world, and I want you to come with me." He squeezed her hand, smiled reassuringly at her and said softly, "Hey, I know how you feel- you've met my Dad. But it'll be okay. They're probably just worried about their little girl being out in the big wide world." He changed his tone to one that was a little more lighthearted, "I know I am. Every day I worry that you're setting something on fire when you're trying to cook your dinner."

-To Monday!-

Monday night, and Caden was starting to get butterflies in his stomach. It was late evening now, and having spent the whole day getting everything ready, it was only now- just before it was all about to start- that he had time to stop and feel excited and nervous about the show. It was by far the biggest crowd they had ever played to so far. He saw out of the corner of his eye that his drummer was about to go on, followed by the rest of the band mates

He smiled at the roar of the crowd as he stepped into view. It was impossible to see out into the depths of the audience- the spotlight created a wall of darkness in front of him. They began with a few songs before he said anything to them.

"Hello!" he called into his mic. "Let's get some light on the subject, I want to see you all." He swung his guitar around onto his back and, shielding his eyes, he looked out into the illuminated crowd, unable to suppress a grin at the size of it. After the initial moment of taking it all in, he found himself subconsciously looking for Audrina. He found her easily- someone that gorgeous wasn't hard to spot. The trouble then was to not keep his eyes from catching hers.

"You all look fantastic tonight. Now, for those of you who've just wandered in off of the streets with no idea what you've come to see, my name is Caden Fletcher, and this is my band." A cheer from the crowd. "Thank you."

And so the rest of the show continued in much the same way. Amongst his own songs were a few covers, and plenty of interaction with the crowd. Coming into just enough time for a few more songs, Caden said, "Now, I have a... friend. Yes, they're here tonight. They may not remember but a little while ago I asked them what their favourite song was and, well, this is it, and I hope you like it." So, maybe Audrina hadn't remembered, but as soon as she'd told him it was 'Gravity', he felt inclined to play it for her- and, due to the nature of the song, the rest of the band didn't ned to play.

Looonnnggg.. Sorry!

 

[VideoStar95]

It's late and I have no idea if what I typed is actually English so enjoy

"Oh right!" Elaina nodded in agreement, acting as though she'd simply forgot that mooching off of him in Paris also contributed to why she dated him. "That was my mind-set on the island, to be honest. The whole time I just intended to seduce you to use you for insanely superficial things." It was hard not to feel reassured when Christien sat there looking gorgeous as ever and saying exactly what she needed to her in that scrumptious accent of his. She could have sworn their waitress had a heart attack when she'd arrived with their pizza and heard him speaking. She'd fumbled and set the pizzas down messily, stared at Christien and left, slowly but surely. If Elaina hadn't been completely involved with his words she would have undoubtedly laughed uncontrollably. She gave his hand a slight squeeze back, offering a smile to mirror his. "You're right babe, you're right. We can travel all around the world once I'm done here and then settle down and have that absolutely perfect life that I'm sure we will." She picked up a slice of pizza and was about to take a bite -well deserved after weeks of eating nothing but college food- when she snorted over his comment of her lack of cooking skills. "Hey!" She protested, pouting her lips playfully, "At least I give it my best shot! And when I find something you can't do, which I'm not really sure exists, you'll never hear the end of it!"

The image that gazed back at Audrina with a prominent irritated expression was not satisfactory. She had spent the past thirty minutes fretting around her hotel room, tossing outfits here and there and contemplating her previous choices in make-up. Everything she applied and slipped into simply would not suffice. Although anyone walking in would have sworn up and down that Audrina looked gorgeous - and she really did -, Audrina would have shook her head and insisted something was amiss. She was nervous; nervous being an understatement. Tonight was an important milestone in her and Caden's relationship and a sense of insecurity pricked at her skin incessantly. Eventually, exhausted and defeated, she settled on a tight black number that she paired with a jade necklace and matching blue heels - the bright shades complimenting her icy eyes.

She fidgeted the whole cab ride with excitement, imagining Caden on stage and the huge, proud-girlfriend hug she'd offer to him afterwards. Her nonstop juggling of outfits put her a bit behind schedule, so instead of arriving early, she arrived a bit before the performance actually started. True to Caden's words, the man at the door let her in and even escorted her to the front when he noted the worried twist of her features brought on by the total lack of seats. She made pleasant small talk with the couple beside her, agreeing with them that the venue was nice and the turn out was extremely impressive.

When Caden's band came out on stage, she squealed, jumping up and down and clapping hysterically like an excited child. The first few songs were absolutely beautiful and Audrina allowed herself to sway to the music along with the rest of the crowd. Man, if anyone from her company saw her letting loose as such they would all have a cow. She felt good and most importantly she felt free. A gasp escaped her mouth when he began to sing her favorite song, Gravity - a thing that she absolutely forgot she even mentioned to him. Overwhelmed with total joy, she began singing along, making sure her voice was low enough to not bother the people beside her. When he did end up making eye contact with her, she placed her fingers together in the shape of a heart and mouthed "thank you".

 

[KERFUFFLE]

It's perfectly fine (;

So, I've just realised that your picture/avatar thing is still a Christmas tree that you've had for like 18 months xD

Christien nodded with a convincing knowing expression. "I suspected as much. And luckily for you I was shallow enough to fall for your seduction. I think it would be fair to say my personal gains are your good looks and good sex. What else do I need?" he replied mockingly when he was sure that no waitress was within earshot. He was pleased that he was able to cheer her up with his reassuring words, and good to see her smile reappear so quickly. "Perhaps while we're on the subject, it might be nice to talk about where you might like to go? I get the impression Americans like the idea of Europe. But, then, you are quite unlike anyone else I've ever met, so I feel inclined to expect that you might suggest... Oh, I don't know, Armenia or something." He ate some of is pizza and grinned playfully at her as she defended herself and her cooking skills. "I guess I shouldn't be too hard on you, you do try. And, no, contrary to common belief I'm not flawless. There are a lot of things I can't do."

If Caden has known about Audrina's wardrobe struggle, he would have just laughed at her for going to so much trouble when she could have looked perfect in absolutely anything, although flattered at the same time since nobody ever made that sort of effort for him. It was impossible for him not to steal a few glances at her during 'Gravity'; he was anxious to know if she liked it or not; the fact that she was singing along was a good sign, at least, but her little gesture at the end plastered a smile across his face, and he winked at her as his a way of saying, 'you're welcome.' It was both a wonderful and scary feeling to sing with such conviction -which he did with any song he performed, such was the extent of his love of music- but to also lay his heart on the line for somebody as he did so, too.

After the cheering died down, he spoke again. "Thank you. Now we've only got a little more time..." He paused for a reaction. There was a rippling of 'aw's through the venue, but he waved his hand as if to say, 'You can do better than that!' He said, "Well, if that's the case then I'm off down the pub." The chorus of disapproval was easily three times as loud as before. "That's better. Now, as I said, we've not got much time left tonight, so I think we'll finish how we started to get you guys on your feet. We're done with all the swaying for now." With that, he and his band played several more rocky songs to give people a chance to dance. Caden was, without a doubt, a natural kind of performer- and not only that, but skilled, too; when it came to a lot of things, he felt he was distinctly average, and as an all around musician, taking into account his voice, he was great. But as a guitar player, he was verging on exceptional.

And so the time came for it all to come to an end. "Thank you all so much. We have been Caden Fletcher and band, and you have been absolutely fantastic! Goodnight!" He took in the crowd one more time, giving them a wave, before seeking out Audrina again and jerked his head a little to the side to let her know to go through the side door to come and see him backstage.

 

[VideoStar95]

Oh my Lawd, I really need to change that when I become less lazy. It's such a pretty Christmas tree though (':

Elaina couldn't help but blush at his mention at her flawless performance in bed, fully realizing at this point that she and him hadn't been intimate in much too long. She mentally cursed their previous distance for keeping her so deprived. Munching on her pizza she mulled over his question, wondering in fact where she did want to go. She adored Europe - or at least adored it when she wasn't stranded on some island - but she wasn't sure she could simply just give up on her American ways. "Well, although Armenia is just lovely, I'm sure, I don't know if it's right for me." She let out a laugh then said, "I really don't know. I love it here, America that is, but Europe is just so…exotic. Where are you thinking?" She snorted at his proclaim of not being flawless, rolling her eyes at him with a grin. "Mhm, yeah, I highly doubt there's anything you can't do much less lots. Feel free to fill me in though so I can get a head start on the teasing."

If Audrina didn't know better, she would have thought Caden had been raised on the stage - judging by his seemingly utter lack of nervousness and ability to connect with the audience. Throughout their last few songs, literally everyone in the venue was on their feet, more or less jerkily dancing to the beat; Audrina most definitely being one of them. Although she wasn't familiar with the lyrics, she still managed to belt out what bits and pieces of the chorus she could retain.

When they sadly ended their performance, Audrina almost missed Caden's signal due to the fact she was still bouncing on her heels with energy and humming the tunes. The couple next to her said farewell and that they hoped to see her at another performance, complimenting her once again on her accent. It didn't take her long to locate the backstage door - the large men with stoic expressions and matching black outfits weren't hard to miss. The man at the door earlier recognized her and opened it with a friendly nod. "Merci beaucoup." She told him, now jittery and anxious again to see Caden and congratulate him on his success, knowing what this meant to him. She squealed when she saw him and wrapped her arms around his neck, embracing him tightly and babbling about how perfect his performance was. His band was behind him but she didn't seem to mind looking like a bit of a fool. "You were absolutely wonderful! Tres magnifique!"

 

[KERFUFFLE]

Haha, it is pretty! It's a funny thing in that for a while, as in Christmas last year, it would have been like a retro/vintage thing that was so late and out of fashion that it came back into season again xD

Mine's prettier, though ;'D

Christien couldn't help but laugh at Elaina calling Europe 'exotic,' simply because to him most of it was right on his doorstep, living in France. He pretended to look surprised by her reaction to the idea of Armenia, 'Oh? I thought you might appreciate a random ex-Communist country somewhere in Asia." He ate some more of his pizza as he thought about her question. "Well, there's plenty of places I've not been to in Europe. You see, a lot of people in France either stay in France or drive to Spain or Italy for their holidays. I've been to London, but only with school to help with my English a long time ago... So Europe seems like a good place for us. But, sure, I wouldn't mind seeing some places here in the US, too, since I've only ever visited San Francisco and here." He wasn't sure why, but places like Africa had never really interested him in terms of travel. "Things I can't do? Well, for one thing I never actually learned how to ride a bike."

Caden made for a towel as soon as he was off the stage to make sure he wasn't covered in sweat when Audrina came to see him. When he felt suitably presentable, he waited for her to appear through the door. His face lit up as soon as she walked in, and he felt a little bit of a jitter in his stomach upon seeing her; it ever failed to strike him just how stunning she was whenever he saw her after a little bit of time away. He hugged her equally tightly, giving her a kiss on the cheek. Meanwhile, jaws were dropping behind him as his bandmates tapped onto the fact that this was the girl he'd mentioned a few times during practice. He'd been fairly secretive about it, not really even giving away as to whether they were just getting to know each other or if they were actually dating. His drummer turned to the bassist and whispered, "I thought he said she was 'pretty.' She's smoking!"

Caden wasn't paying them any attention. "I'm so glad you had fun." He pulled out of the hug, and took her in. "You look absolutely gorgeous, by the way," he told her, giving her a kiss. He slipped his hand into hers and turned the rest of the group, who quickly tried to resolve their pokerfaces, albeit a little late, for Caden noticed the looks of awe each one displayed on their features. "Everyone, this is Audrina. Audrina, this is Jude, Nathan, Ryan and Alex." There was a chorus of 'hello' from the guys, who each offered her their hand and a polite kiss on the cheek. "I don't suppose you'd like to get a drink somewhere?"

 

[VideoStar95]

Haha, that's so true! xD

And that is a given. Maybe I'll change mine to a celebrity that I want with a burning passion.

"Hmm, you know what, I really am warming up to the idea of Armenia." Elaina retorted, taking a moment to sip her water, looking as though she really was considering a life there. "The freezing cold paired with the fact that is is an ex-Communist country really just sounds like a place I'd like to settle down and raise kids." She tried to picture Christien and her settling in England or Spain, not being able to imagine a life where she had any sort of accent and didn't live five minutes from her parents - but it wasn't definitely more exciting than scary. "Oh, I'm definitely going to have to take you around the US a little bit before we decide on Europe. There are some crazy beautiful places I think you'll enjoy." She had to bite her inner-cheek to keep from snorting with laughter. It wasn't that not being able to ride a bike was really that outlandish, it was simply the fact that Christien couldn't that was utterly hilarious. "Aww, babe, that is….that is really sad, actually. Besides make-up distance sex and sleeping, add teaching you how to ride a bike to the list!"

Audrina didn't notice at all that Caden's bandmates were on the verge of drooling, purely enthralled with everything her boyfriend was saying and doing. As a model, she'd met celebrities and CEO's and other famous people that she would have been excepted to gape at, but this was the first time that she'd ever really felt starstruck. "It was amazing." She told him, returning the kiss and giving his hand a quick squeeze. She tucked a few askew pieces of hair behind her ear that had strayed during their hug as she turned to his bandmates. "Nice to meet you." Audrina smiled, shaking each of their hands and committing their names to memory. "You know what, I was just thinking I'd love a drink. And you definitely deserve to celebrate after tonight."

 

[KERFUFFLE]

Mm. Maybe you should

"Oh, wow. I was only thinking in terms of seeing the place, but now you mention it, I think that's a fantastic idea. Forget what I said about not dragging you into settling down straight away. We're going to Armenia to start a family." Realising he'd forgotten to keep eating as a result of the conversation, Christien cut himself a larger slice of pizza and made his way through it while she was talking, before it got cold. "Nothing's decided. We don't have to go anywhere else except the US if you don't want to. You know, in terms of where to live one day, I can't think of anywhere better for you and me both. Don't feel like we have to be somewhere else to make me happy- especially not Paris. Paris will always be special to me but home is wherever you are." He pouted at her, knowing she was trying not to laugh at his confession. "I couldn't afford one at the time, and by the time I could I didn't want anybody to see me learning," he admitted with a gentle chuckle. He nodded. "That sounds like a fantastic list to me. But I think we can agree that seeing as learning to ride a bike was added later, it can wait a little while, and I know I won't be able to sleep without that first one happening." He winked at her and finished off his food.

Caden's grin widened and he sighed with, admittedly, relief that she had enjoyed herself so much. His music was so much a part of him that, had she not warmed to it, things would have become very difficult; especially since just a few nights ago, they'd had such a great time. Naturally, he'd been worried as their relationship had been going so well that things might change for the worse. Audrina's reaction had only strengthened his belief that he was a very lucky man indeed to have met her- luckier than he deserved, he was sure of that. "We'll just get the last few things packed up and ready and then we'll go out and celebrate. You just sit tight and look pretty for a minute, okay?" he told her with a smile as he went to help the guys carry a few of the heavier things out, like the bass drum and a few speakers. They had a roadie now, who would take all their things back to their rehearsal space- definitely a good thing, since usually someone had to bow out of having a good time to be designated driver and go home early afterwards. With everything packed away, Caden returned to Audrina, taking her hand. They guys had agreed amongst themselves the best place, which was a few blocks away, and so they made their way out. A few people had waited behind outside to get some pictures, which he agreed to. It was then a straight walk down to the bar. "What can I get you?" Caden asked Audrina, taking out his wallet and choosing something for himself.

 

[VideoStar95]

"Oh, no, I don't believe in just 'seeing the place', as you put it." Elaina pursed her lips, using full quotation gestures and tossing her golden hair back flippantly. "I mean, if we're going to do something major, like create a family, I think I'd rather just jump in blindly and wing it." She was glad that Christien enjoyed the pizza, seeing as he took another slice. She couldn't count the number of times that dejected and exhausted from seemingly endless studying, she'd come here with friends after an exam to celebrate. Thinking of her friends, she fleetingly felt a ping of nervousness regarding how she was to tell them of her and Christien's relationship. It wasn't that she thought they wouldn't approve, because they most definitely would seeing as they all almost fainted when Christien entered the classroom. Elaina just feared that her secrecy might hurt their feelings. Returning mentally to what Christien was saying, she smiled and leaned over the table to give him a quick kiss. "Do you have to be so darn cute and say things like that? Sometimes you're just too good of a boyfriend. And oh, don't you worry, we're going to get the first one out of the way as soon as we get back to my dorm." She returned his wink and finished her food.

Audrina nodded, smiling, leaning against the wall with a content sigh as the boys carried some equipment out - the beat and acoustics of the performance still vibrating through her. It had been a painfully long time since she'd been allowed the luxury of going to a concert and she'd discovered that she had missed it greatly. Audrina had always been drawn to the pulsing excitement of concerts and other similar events and it thrilled her to no end that her boyfriend was the one who played at this one. She felt a bit of pride as Caden took her hand and even more so as she watched him in admiration take pictures with some fans. As handsome and talented as he was, he could have any sort of girl he wanted, and yet he seemed perfectly content with Audrina. At the bar, she nibbled on her bottom lip, noting that, again, it had been a long time since she'd been allowed to relax at a bar with friends. "I'd like another one of whatever he's ordered," she told the bartender with an appreciative smile. She turned to Caden, grinning, "How does it feel when you're on stage?" She'd always wanted to know what performing felt like, and so her curiosity got the better of her and she waited excitedly for his response.

 

[KERFUFFLE]

"Oh, yes? Something as important as that, and you would just throw yourself to somewhere you've never been? I like your style, darling," He replied. I think the main thing is, whatever happens, you and I are going to have beautiful babies… But not yet." He winked at her, and gave her a quick kiss across the table. Eating some more of his pizza, he watched her as she appeared to be mulling something over, her expression telling him that something was troubling her. Seeming to be able to read exactly what that was, he asked her, "Why didn't you tell your friends about us?" His tone showed that he wasn't in the least angry or upset about it, but he wasn't quite sure what it was that had held her back, considering so many of his friends had heard about her and seen the picture of them together that took pride of place in the living room of his Paris apartment. But then, plenty of his friends had met her anyway, or heard about her from the likes of Suzanne. He chuckled and gave a small nod at her question. "Of course I do, it's my job. And you're wrong. I have to do it in order to be good enough for you," he replied. He returned her kiss eagerly, placing a hand to the side of her face to hold her there a little longer than she'd probably intended. "I cannot wait. Your dorm, though? Sounds risky, if you're sharing with someone. But, in actual fact, that's why I love the idea of it so much."

The disappointment on the face of many of the girls who had been waiting for him as Caden had placed his hand in Audrina's to leave was a sight to behold. It made him smile and pull her a little closer to his side as they made their way to the bar. She clearly didn't know it, but he was immensely proud to call her his girlfriend. It was wonderful to have met her before she was aware of his occupation. He hated the idea of dating a fan; of course, the band wasn't massively famous, but they were successful enough that there were plenty of girls who'd decided they loved him before they even met him, and he couldn't deal with that. He'd once dated a girl who liked the band - a lot more than she'd let on-, and most of the things they talked about, she'd said, 'Oh, I knew that about you already.' It was enough to put him off for life. He wouldn't really have minded if Audrina hadn't liked his music, but the fact that she'd enjoyed herself so much was the reason he was incapable of keeping the wide smile off his face. At the bar, he passed her a bottle of beer to match his. He hoped she didn't mind having beer, but he supposed it was at least a light, Spanish one that was hopefully more appealing to the kind of sophisticated girl that she was. Her question made him smile, partly because he really wasn't sure how to answer it. "Well, I suppose it's difficult to describe, because it's just the best feeling in the world. I would liken it to how I feel the moment I see you after a while away, only that moment lasts for the whole hour and a half or two hours. The rest of the world falls away; the only thing that exists is you, your bandmates, the audience, and the room in which you're playing in."

 

[VideoStar95]

Mhm, of course; that certainly would make things a tad more exciting." Elaina honestly could not care less where they settled down, as long as they were together - although she preferred not to relive the whole remote island experience. Something that she definitely agreed on was the fact that they were going to have absolutely gorgeous children. She wasn't one to self-involve herself with her own looks, but she recognized that her genetics mixed with Christian's certainly would produce some great results. The thought of having babies frightened her to no end and yet sparked excitement within her as well. She was extremely glad that Christian wanted to enjoy their youth before getting into all of those serious things. Elaina pressed her lips together into a contemplating pout at his question, sitting back in her chair and trying to pinpoint the exact reason she didn't tell them - although, to be frank, she wasn't sure she had one. "I don't really know," she told him, "it just didn't exactly feel right at the moment. They were all really, really upset about the whole plane crash thing, and it took them all a while to stop crying whenever they caught sight of me. I really had no idea how to even bring you up, so I kind of just left it alone until I knew how." She hoped this didn't hurt his feelings at all, as he was a major part of her life and Elaina really tried to speak about him but found herself lacking the words. She couldn't help but grin cheekily and giggle, "My roommate's name is Victoria and she's majoring in medicine too. But all of her classes are really late at night since she's a year ahead of me. And when she get's in around one or two a.m., she'll be so tired I doubt she'd even notice anything. So, basically, we have the whole night to ourselves. Oh! I forgot to ask; where are you staying?"

Audrina also noticed the falling faces of a surplus of girls who had formed a line outside, awaiting Caden's arrival - having to stifle a giggle or two when their incessant blabbering and giddy movements ceased. She felt him pull her close and she welled up with pride. At the bar, Audrina gladly took the beer and downed half of it right away, to the surprise of many people around her. She grew so absolutely annoyed of those fruity, seemingly classy drinks that she was forced to drink at meetings, and social gatherings for the company - after a while, they all tasted the same. Caden's answer was exactly what Audrina was hoping to hear as he described the exact feeling she had during her shoots; where everything fades - no more blinding lights, or annoying camera men - until it's just her and the camera lens. "That sounds absolutely wonderful," she said almost dreamily, imagining to herself what it would like to be in front of all of those people. Of course thousands of people saw her on a day to day basis but only through her photos; she didn't have to worry about impressing them live.

 

[KERFUFFLE]

Listening to her talk about how her friends had reacted to the plane crash, he instantly understood the problem she was facing. With so many of his friends being guys, they were at least quicker to move on from the situation, but that doesn't mean to say that for many weeks that they weren't concerned about his wellbeing- not to mention the fact that many of his closer friends, as well as some of the girls he knew, were practically fawning over him. Sometimes, he would admit, they had made impossible to talk about anything else; this in itself didn't exactly help trying to get over the whole ordeal, as he'd rather not have talked about it, even thought he knew they were only trying to help. "Of course. I understand. And I'm sure they will, too." He smirked as she explained her living situation. "Sounds perfect to me. Although, of course I want to spend the whole night with you so… will that be a problem in the morning? Or does Victoria make up for her late nights by also sleeping late? I mean, I'd love to meet her sometime, but perhaps not quite like that," he laughed softly, finishing off the last slice of his pizza. "I'm staying in a little place about ten minutes' walk away from Princeton. You can come over and I'll make you dinner in the next few days. I'd invite you tonight, and save avoiding your roommate, but I'm afraid I haven't finished moving in yet," he told her. "Besides, I'm still looking forward to living life on the edge at yours tonight," he added with a boyish grin. He motioned to the waitress for the bill. "I'd like to pay, if that's okay with you? And then we can be off," he said as the waitress returned with it, looking decidedly red in the face as she passed him the tray. "The food was delicious, by the way. Thank you for bringing me here."

Caden watched with wide eyes as Audrina drained half of her beer as soon as he'd passed it to her. "I think you'll be needing another of those pretty quickly," he remarked, a wide smile then finding its way onto his face, which has previously been immobilised with surprise. He clinked his bottle against hers and laughed, "I like you a whole lot more because of that." He thought that the fact that she wasn't one to sip daintily at a fruit punch was cool and refreshing, especially given her usual elegance. Truthfully, he thought it was pretty hot. He thought it only fair that he should catch up with her, and so took a big swig from his own bottle. "It's one of the best feelings in the world," he agreed to her comment regarding the sensation of being on stage. Only a little while ago, he could have said it was the single best feeling. Now, of course, there were several others in contention, all of them involving Audrina; the little leap in his stomach when he sees her for the first time during the day, and the tangible charge in the air when they are at close proximity to one another. Both seemed to be growing with every time he saw her. The look in his eyes, whether he was willing to let it say as much or not, told her so. He cleared his throat, finishing his beer, and ordering another one for the both of them- this time, something a little heavier, considering her eagerness- and allowed himself to move on with the conversation, in order to get over that little moment of whatever it was from a few seconds before. "So, tell me, where does the most enjoyment for you as a model come from? Is it when the photos are being taken? When you see them after the shoot? Or not until they're out there for people to see?"

 

[KERFUFFLE]

This isn't allowed to die yet!

 

[lolplop]

I once got hit in the head by a coconut. It hurt.

 

[VideoStar95]

I'm literally horrible at posting in this haha

Elaina was more than relieved that Christien seemed to understand and sympathize with her regarding the whole friend dilemma. She'd tried numerous times to even mention his name in conversation but seemed sadly unable to bring him up as nonchalantly as she'd have liked. Withholding the information simply seemed like the best solution at the time but now that Christien had showed up - as absolutely thrilled as this made her otherwise - things were going to have to be explained. "Victoria will literally be so lethargic by the time she arrives home that she wouldn't notice if the building caught on fire and yes, she sleeps in incredibly late when her nights go past one and two in the morning, which they often do - so you definitely won't have to worry about meeting her in such a vulnerable state." She laughed and smiled as he told her about the place he was staying, imagining him fussing over boxes and decorating his new living area meticulously as she couldn't imagine Christien being content with clutter. "I'd love to see it whenever you have everything all set up! And yes, thank you, babe." Elaina got a sort of pleasure out of seeing their waitress so decidedly flustered again - never tiring of Christien's effect on women and the immediate jealousy that they hold for Elaina. "I'm glad you liked it! I wouldn't know if it would be able to compare with the extravagant food we ate in France but I think pizza is a good choice anytime."

Audrina enjoyed the hint of shock that washed over Caden's features when she finished off her beer, knowing that she definitely appeared as the type of girl that enjoyed those frilly drinks yet, in actuality, could hold a substantial amount of harder liquor regarding her small frame. She probably shouldn't have been indulging herself, as beer did have fattening qualities - I mean, hello 'beer gut'-, but decided that she'd earned a little relaxation and fun. "Don't get me wrong," she laughed, clinking her bottle again his, "I enjoy a martini from time to time, but beer is just so casual and classic." She watched as something passed over his face for a moment but disappear as soon as he cleared his throat - causing her to wonder curiously about what was passing through his mind at that very minute. That was one of the exciting things about the initial stages of dating - the guessing games and mystery that was present. She thanked him for the second helping that he'd ordered for the both of them and leaned against the counter, mulling over his question. "It's definitely while the pictures are being taken, I have to say. It's unlike any feeling in the world. At first it was extremely nerve-wrecking, I mean, all those people staring at you and watching literally your every move. But, eventually I got used to it and kind of started to crave the feeling. After a while, all you really are aware of is you, the lights, and the rhythmic clicks of the camera lens. Truth be told, seeing the pictures after the shoot are my least favorite part. I never know what to expect and the production managers have some mean poker faces. It's nothing like playing live, I'm sure. When people see my work, it's always after I've seen it and about a hundred others have poorer over it, making sure everything is perfect - playing live is like…you have to be perfect all of the time! Which you are, of course, but for some people, like me, that might be difficult." She smiled at him warmly and took a sip of whatever Caden had ordered, a bit hesitant this time as she realized that she hadn't drunk actual liquor in a while and her tolerance might be shamefully low.

 

[KERFUFFLE]

I swear I have a sixth sense which tells me, "See what's happening on there, it's been ages," and pretty much every time, there's a post from someone. I haven't been on for about a month and before that probably about two and then I look today and there you are! :L

What most amuses me though is how your picture has once again come back into season xD

Christien was set on trying to help Elaina find a way to tell her friends without anybody getting hurt as a result. A flash of inspiration hit him and his face lit up with it. "Well, how about we were holding out to see if we could cope with the distance before we decided to tell anybody? And now that I'm here and we still want to be together as much as before you had to come back, we figured it's the right time to tell everyone about us, " he suggested. He raised his glass, tilting his head to the side a little and smiled as he added, "Every cloud.. At least, I think that's what you say, isn't it?" He laughed at her description of Victoria, then winked at her as he replied, "Well, that's especially good. because that might just happen once I'm finished with you. As the flustered waitress returned, he pushed the little tray towards her with the money to cover the food and a tip, and he could tell she was consciously avoiding making any contact with his hand as she took it from him; he couldn't help but roll his eyes once her back had turned. "I'm glad you are never like this with me. All this giggling gets a little tedious," he remarked, offering her his hand, "Now, shall we get out of here? You lead the way." As they walked he commented on the food in reply to her relief that he liked it. "I had hoped you would have thought better of me than that by now," he joked. "Bigger doesn't always mean better, you know. I suppose I should really tell you something; I know you love Paris but I can see that here you are in your element and actually, so am I. For the past few years I've spent more time in America than I have in France, I've been made to feel welcome, been able to start again after everything that happened and truly I'd much rather eat a pizza or a burger or whatever than, I don't know, steak tartare with raw egg. I'll never try to take you away from here."

"That's good. I like that," Caden replied with a chuckle. "It's great to finally meet a classy lady who isn't afraid to let her hair down, too. Although you already showed that by coming tonight on your own. I can't tell you how much it means to me. But I'm glad it's only happened now. For once I wanted someone to get to know me, not Caden the musician, and you have and you're still here." He laughed and sipped at his second drink, feeling the warm hit in his chest from the liquor as it travelled down his throat. He grinned at her and said, "I'm trying to get you drunk with this. Can you tell?" He took a few small sips as she talked about her modelling; he'd never really imagined that the worlds so separate from which they were from had so much in common. He commented, "Perhaps then you could say it's more like making an album. I can't tell you how many times I recorded this one chorus until I was happy with it." He observed her over the rim of his glass after she'd said her final sentence, then put a finger under her chin to tilt it towards him and replied, "I find it hard to believe that you could ever be anything less than perfect. And there's so much I don't know about you yet; things I want to hear, things I want to find out. But even then I don't believe there's anything I don't know about you that could change that."

 

[VideoStar95]

Haha, really? Omg I think I chatted you that I did over twitter but I had a feeling you'd find it before I'd be able to. And I KNOW! I haven't changed it in like three years and it makes me happy that it's not completely in the wrong season.

​

Elaina mulled over Christien's idea carefully, trying to account for how some of her more stubborn and nosy friends would react. Technically they weren't exactly lying; the two were struggling to cope with the distance even if it wasn't necessarily why Elaina hadn't revealed Christien's existence. "I think it'll work!" She exclaimed, feeling joyous to finally find a seemingly working solution. "We'll have to take them all out to dinner and lay the news on them - I have to say, I'm kind of looking forward to see their exp

ressions when everything comes out since most of them were practically drooling over you in class earlier." The waitress returned in an even more flustered state - which Elaina could have swore wasn't possible - and practically snatched the check out of Christien's hand in order to escape eye contact. "Oh trust me, I was at first, but you know, when you have to snuggle with somebody for warmth on a desert island, the whole flustered thing goes a way a little bit." She stood up and slung her purse back over her shoulder before taking his hand. The walk to her dorm building wasn't too far from any of the restaurants due to its positively great location spot in the middle of campus - this had been making Elaina's daily commutes quite bearable. She led Christien in the right direction, noting happily how snugly her hand fit in his again, as through they were never apart. She was definitely caught off guard with Christien's promise about America and looked up at him with wide eyes. "Christien, love, I really appreciate that and to know that you like America is simply amazing but I am completely open to either place. Your family is in France and I think I would be the worst girlfriend in the world if I didn't let living in France be an option. Plus, I love France! I really, really do. The time we spent there was absolutely amazing and although my French is far from accurate, I could always learn. You don't have to promise to never take me away from here, okay? I don't care where we end up as long as we're together."​

"I like real Caden a lot," Audrina told him with a soft smile, overjoyed that her appearance meant so much to him, "and I must say that Caden the musician is pretty alright too." She gave him a sly look and took a larger swig of liquor this time around, convincing herself that her tolerance wasn't as low as she previously assumed - plus, it had been a dreadfully long time since she was allowed to enjoy the alcohol and tonight she would do just that. "Yes, yes I can definitely see creating an album and modeling to be quite similar; although, creating music does take much more creativity and dedication. All I have to do is basically just stand there and look somewhat nice." Caden's sudden touch was pleasant and Audrina looked up into his eyes as his finger rested under her chin. Although it would sound cheesy, and Audrina definitely wasn't one for that sort of thing, she was almost positive that her heart fluttered as he spoke to her. Overwhelmed, she leaned forward slowly , with a hand on his chest to balance herself, and pressed her lips again his.

​