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walkerismychoice · 5 years ago

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It’s Complicated (Raleigh X MC, Avery X MC)

Book: Platinum

Pairing: Raleigh X MC, Avery X MC

Rating: PG-13

Word Count: 2211

Note: This was supposed to be mainly a Raleigh X MC fic and not a love triangle type thing, but Raleigh made MC mad enough that it turned into a Avery X MC fic also. It was inspired by me choosing to do Avery’s scene after Raleigh’s in the last chapter, and this idea is what followed. Much of the dialogue come from chapter 9, but I changed some up and added some for the purposes of fitting this fic.

Summary: Raleigh gets really drunk at Aria’s album release party and she is not happy. Avery is in the right place at the right time, providing comfort and a needed distraction. Then things get complicated.

Aria licks the salt from Raleigh’s abs, downs her tequila shot, and gently pulls the lime out of his mouth between her teeth.

“Woohoo! We did it!” She tosses the lime on the bar and coaxes Raleigh upright on the bartop to kiss him softly on the mouth. She can feel him smile against her lips, taste the tart lime that still lingers on his.

Raleigh pulls back with a smirk. “I’d gladly do this over body shots.”

“I never said you could skip your turn.”

“Is that so?”

As hot as it would be to watch him drag his tongue seductively across her skin, in her mouth is a much preferred place for it to be. Aria wraps her legs around his waist, twining her fingers through his hair. The feel of his bare chest against her lights up every bit of her exposed skin.

“Aria...” Raleigh breathes against her mouth.

Their lips just barely meet again before they are jolted a part by a laugh somewhere in the crowd.

Aria blushes as she puts herself back together. “I guess we are in a... very public place. And I’m the host no less.”

“Well, at least Fiona can’t fault us for not being in character.”

“Oh, right...” Dammit, she feels like such a fool. Putting on a PR show was the furthest thing from her mind, but apparently not his. “Yeah, we’re great actors.” She hopes the disappointment isn’t evident in her voice.

“Right...” Raleigh draws out the word, like he’s not quite believing her, or himself. Aria doesn’t really know. She never knows with him. Raleigh hops down from the bar and puts his clothes back on, promptly pouring himself another drink. It’s not like she hasn’t overindulged a tad in celebration this evening, but she’s still got her wits about her. Raleigh on the other hand is stumbling around and slurring his words like a drunken mess.

The more she thinks about it, the more her blood starts to boil. Although he never fails to remind her they are in a fake relationship, his actions, and little things he lets slip start to make her get hopes up and believe otherwise. But then he does shit like this. This is her big day, her first album release party. If he was supportive of her, if he really cared, he wouldn’t be getting so wasted with his “friends” or whoever they are. He'd be at her side. She’s got to keep reminding herself though that they aren’t a real couple, and she has no right to be mad. She’s not legitimate claim on him.

Aria takes a deep breath and plasters a fake smile on her face for appearances sake. “Raleigh Carrera, I think this is the drunkest I’ve ever seen you. Maybe I can get you to spill all your dark secrets."

“Just one problem...” Raleigh speaks slowly, stumbling over his words. “I don’t have any secrets. I’m an open book.”

“Is that right?” Aria shoot back.

“Go ahead, ask me anything.” He challenges.

Do you have any real feelings for me at all? If she were braver that’s what she’d ask but this is not the time nor the place. However, maybe she can get there in a roundabout way. “Have you ever been in love?”

“Wow, right to the hard-hitting questions, Aria?” Raleigh shakes his head and chuckles. “Truly? I don’t know. But I will say... You’re the best fake girlfriend I’ve ever had.”

"Well...” What did she expect? For him to say he was falling in love with her? But coming from him this might be the closest admission she'll get that there's something there. "...I'm flattered."

"It's like every song I've ever written was about you, and I just didn't know it yet." Raleigh blinks and stares off, his eyes almost glazed over.

Aria's jaw drops. "Raleigh, are you okay?" Does he even know what he's saying right now?

Raleigh shakes himself out of it and it's like he just woke up from a trance. "You should see the look on your face right now, I totally got you."

Got her how? Was he bullshitting her with the line about the songs? Does he even remember he said it? "But you said--"

Raleigh looks like a deer in headlights. "I ah... I need some air. Later."

Aria stands, dumbfounded, at the bar watching Raleigh walk away. Part of her knows with as drunk as he is, it's pointless to make anything of it, but another part of her thinks his ramblings are an indication of his true feelings, and he doesn't know how to handle them. Whatever the case, his actions have proven cowardly and immature, and she's so over it. Maybe it's time to talk to Fiona about orchestrating a PR relationship breakup.

Aria storms off, she's not even sure where, when she nearly runs right into Avery.

"Oh! Hi, Avery."

Avery's gaze travels up and down Aria's body. "Aria, you look breathtakingly beautiful, it should be illegal."

She's so not in the mood, and if it were anyone else it would come off as some cheesy pickup line, but Avery can't seem to be anything but sweet. "Thank you, Avery." Aria smiles weekly.

Avery picks up on the mood Aria's not hiding as well as she thought. "You seem like you could use a breather. I'd love a chance to get to show you my favorite balcony in the city. Seems like a beautiful night tonight"

Aria doesn't want to give him the wrong idea, but Avery has been a great friend and mentor through it all, and stepping outside with him would be go a long way in calming her down.

"That sounds lovely."

A light breeze hits Aria's face as she steps out on the balcony, the temperature quite a bit cooler and more comfortable than the hot, stuffy air inside the venue. The bustling sounds of the city below are present but muted from this high up, and the lights provide a perfect glow. She immediately feels much more grounded.

Avery leans against the balcony rail. "So what do you think of your first album release party?"

"It's been fun, but insane." Aria admits. "I've been pulled in so many directions, I haven't been able to catch my breath all night."

"I know. I've missed you, but you're doing a great job at playing host."

"Yeah..." Aria's thoughts circle back to Raleigh, so she changes the focus to put him out of her mind. They discuss the nwq song Avery's been working on in the studio and what's next for both of them.

During a comfortable lull in the conversation, Avery takes a step back and puts his thumbs and forefingers together in the shape of a frame pointed right at her.

"What are you doing?" Aria chuckles.

"Taking a mental picture of you right now." Avery snap his fingers like he's mimicking a flash, and Aria doesn't even know how this is her real life. Just months ago she encountered Avery at the smoothie shop, starstruck and unable to articulate any intelligible thoughts, and now here he is admiring her, wanting to commit this moment to memory. "I know they say a picture's worth a thousand words, but this one is leaving me speechless."

There he goes again with a line that if delivered by anyone else would make her roll her eyes, but she starts to feel flushed. "Avery Wilshire, that was some blatant flirting!"

Avery smiles coyly. "You haven't seemed to be taking my subtle hints, so I thought I'd try a more direct approach."

"Avery..." The truth is, since the moment she met Raleigh, she's been so hung up on him, nobody else mattered. Avery is sweet and wonderful, but once she had gotten to know him, she never pictured him moving out of the friendzone. Raleigh is sparks and fireworks, volatile and electrifying, igniting a passion in Aria. Avery's a warm blanket, comfortable, familiar and reliable, but nothing to get excited about. That is until one realizes that maybe they value the comfort and stability over the excitement and uncertainty. Maybe it's the alcohol mixed with the atmosphere, or maybe she's just that pissed at Raleigh, but she's beginning to see Avery in a new light.

Avery leans in and takes Aria’s hand in his. “Here we are, just a few months away from where we were. You’ve dropped an album and are climbing the charts...”

Reminded of how fast things are happening, some doubts start to creep in. As much as she wants to get him out of her mind, she thinks about young teenage Raleigh who was plucked from obscurity and became a star overnight. Everything he’s been through, everything he’s done, he’s probably so far removed from the boy that he was.

“Avery, do you think I’ve changed?”

“Of course. But who says that’s a bad thing? I’m different now from who I woke up as this very morning. All you’ve been through in New York these past few months... It’s only made you stronger.”

“You really think so?”

Avery gives Aria’s hand a reassuring squeeze. “I know so. This is what you were built for. Looking at you now, thinking of the girl I saw mopping the floor of Smoothie Star to music, stars in her eyes... I’ve never been more proud. And I’m so excited to see where you’re going to go next.

Something passes between them. The way Avery is looking at her, the way he actually sees her, makes her feel like she deserves to feel. There’s no games, no mixed messages. It’s clear that if she wants him, he’s hers for the taking, so in this moment she does. Aria cradles his face in her hands and moves in for a kiss. Avery reciprocates immediately, slow but determined, like he’s savoring every moment. Aria’s hands slide under his jacket, feeling the contours of his muscles through the fabric of his dress shirt.

Avery pulls back with a smirk. “We’d best be careful. Wouldn’t want anyone to catch you cheating on your monogamous tabloid relationship.”

“That’s okay. No one can see us out here, anyway. We’re pretty secluded, and everyone’s inside.” And Raleigh’s being an asshole, so right now Aria wouldn’t care if anyone did see.

“Mmm. And thank god for that.” Avery loops his arms around Aria’s waist and pulls her in for another kiss, deeper and more passionate this time.

In his embrace she feels safe and secure, yet so free at the same time. If she could stop time, she would, right here and now. When they finally pull apart, neither can stop smiling.

“I’m so glad you came came out here to join me. Sometimes, it's good to be still. And enjoy the view.” Avery grins and kisses her on the cheek one last time. “Now we should probably get you back inside.”

~~~

Aria wakes up at a reasonable hour, well, before noon at least, and thankfully she’s not the least bit hungover.

“What the-” She checks her phone and sees several text messages and missed calls. A message from Raleigh is the last to pop up, so she opens it first.

Raleigh: Care to explain this?

Oh shit. There’s a screenshot of a headline from Page Six: Is Aria Campbell cheating on Raleigh Carrera with Avery Wilshire? Underneath the headline is a picture of her and Avery facing one another with his arms around her. It’s not easy to make out who it is, but it’s definitely them. They aren’t kissing, but close to it, and she can only hope it was snapped after they had pulled apart so there’s nothing more incriminating out there.

She’s panicking a bit, but she’s still mad as hell at Raleigh, so she composes a text back.

Aria: Why do I owe you any explanation? You are just my fake boyfriend, remember? Why should it bother you? It’s just more publicity for the both of us.

Raleigh: It does bother me

Aria: And why is that?

Is he jealous because he’s actually into her, or does he just think it looks bad that God’s gift to women, Raleigh Carrera, got cheated on? She stares at her phone for a few minutes before finally getting a reply.

Raleigh: It’s complicated.

“Aagghhhhh!” She screams loud enough her neighbor’s might worry. He’s right, this whole fucking thing is complicated and she doesn’t want to deal with it anymore.

Then her phone rings, and its Raleigh, and she’s just not ready to talk to him right now. She’s in no mood to deal with interpreting the hidden meaning behind his words. She lets it go to voicemail, when another text pops up. Thinking it’s Raleigh again, she’s about to chuck her phone across the room, but it turns out to be Avery this time.

Avery: I had a really nice time with you last night. Would you like to grab dinner sometime soon? I’m free tonight if you are.

Oh, god. Avery definitely has somehow escaped finding out about their “cheating” scandal. She’s not ready for that conversation either. Aria shuts her phone off and gets back into bed. She’s not talking to anyone until she feels like it.

#playchoices fanfic #platinum #raleigh x mc #avery x mc #raleigh carrera #avery wilshire #my fic

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