#pb could've given us platinum 2

[danlusional]

08 - our moment

book: Platinum pairing: M!Avery Wilshere x Cassidy Lowe warning: none word count: 1,704 summary: after finishing up their world tour, Avery and Cassidy take a break to talk about their past, present, and future

As her fingers grazed against the sheet of the bed, she found nothing aside from the crinkles and folds of last night’s remnants. She tried once more, reaching as far as she could without opening her eyes, but still nothing. Cassidy sat up and rubbed the sleep off her eyes before looking all over the small, quaint room from left to right. He wasn’t there. 

This wasn’t the first time she found him missing from their bed, but usually, she would’ve had a lead to where he was. A humming, a gentle melody playing on the piano, or anything. Unfortunately, they weren’t in his New York townhouse or her apartment. The lovely Bed and Breakfast his sister owned offered nothing but peace and quiet, something they needed — and now, something Cassidy wished had a piano lying somewhere to give her a clue. 

She walked over to the window, overlooking the lush field with the sun peeking from behind the trees far on the other side of it. As her eyes lowered from the view to the bench in the backyard, she found him. Cassidy couldn’t help but to smile and quickly get dressed to embrace the cold weather of the morning, not wanting to miss out on the view as well as the answers to her burning curiosity.

“You gave me a scare, mister.”, she announced her arrival with her arms wrapped gently around his shoulders from behind. “Leaving me in bed alone.”

Avery only chuckled before turning his head to plant a tender kiss on her cheek. “You looked like you needed the sleep, love. You did sleep well, right?”

His voice, his smile, and his overall presence could warm her from the inside out. How did she get so lucky? “I did, but I also don’t want to miss out on the experience of Blackawton’s sunrise.”, Cassidy walked around the bench to take her seat next to him, snuggling up to his side as their eyes fixated on the view. 

The morning fog was thinning with each passing minute and she could hear birds chirping from a distance. After wrapping up their joint world tour, Avery thought it would be great to take some downtime by visiting his hometown once more. This time, staying a little longer. It was an idea Cassidy took instantly. Aside from meeting his family and getting to know more about where he grew up, she thought they both needed it. 

The media attention and schedules were a circus. Despite them sharing a bed anywhere they went, there were nights where they just didn’t exactly meet. They still had good and bad days as a couple. They still had the pressure and gravity of being celebrities.

“What are you thinking about?”, his voice was only a whisper as he tightened his arm around her shoulders, bringing her closer when a cold gust of wind breezed through them. “You have that pensive look on your beautiful face.”

“Always the flatterer.”, Cassidy rolled her eyes in jest before tilting her head to look at him. “Have you ever looked back? I mean, this is our quiet time… Did you think about the tour? And… I don’t know, do some self-introspection?”

Avery stayed quiet for a few moments, trying to compress almost a year of traveling into one conversation. It was challenging, especially doing it as an artist from a newly-formed record label, only riding on his and his artist-slash-girlfriend’s popularities. They pulled through, and they made it, but he couldn’t lie by saying there weren’t times that made his relationship with Cassidy as a chip on the gambling table. 

“I do, and that’s why I came out here this morning, actually.”, their eyes met. Neither of them could get used to it; the jolts and the sparks when they looked at each other. Cassidy still had disbeliefs she could see his face, in real life now, not just as an audience in his concert or from the posters in her room.

As for Avery, after meeting all the beautiful people in the world, this girl was still the most beautiful one, the one his heart soared for, and the one he wanted to sing all the love songs to. “I thought about how we worked hard… How lucky I was to be able to do all of this with you… But also, the troubles we faced.”

She closed her eyes, feeling the nerves bubbled in her gut, but she let him continued with her hand reaching to his free one to hold. The rumors about their alleged breakups, photos of their discourse that happened here and there on tour, and how the media kept insisting they only sold the relationship as a publicity stunt (something that still made Cassidy scratched her head, confused) were enough to rock their boat a couple of times.

Fiona tried to keep the sharks at bay but the media were getting even more brutal with Avery and Cassidy’s popularities climbing to the peak of stardom.

“What do you think we should do…? Do we need to change anything?”, she asked him quietly, not wanting to disturb the peaceful ambiance around them. The sun was already out, showering both of them with golden light. Her eyes opened once more to look at how Avery’s golden hair gleamed, the rays kissed his skin so perfectly, and how enchanted he looked whenever his blue eyes made contact with hers.

“I love touring with you but I also don’t want to trouble you. You still need to grow and expand the record label, you still have so many things to do as an artist. I don’t want to be a hurdle in your path.”

“Nonsense!”, his eyes widened, surprised that she could even think of herself that way. “Cassidy, I love you and you’re an amazing artist. I’m not saying that because we’re dating or you’re under my label, but it’s the truth. Did you remember your interview with Tim Schenectady? Even he was impressed by your passion for your music. You are not and will never be a hurdle.”

Their gazes locked for a little before Cassidy let a grin blossomed on her face. “You have such a way with words, Mr. Wilshere.”

“All those interviews Fiona put me through has its benefits.”, he laughed softly. 

“So, what should we do once we get back to the States? We only have a few days left of—“, her hand waved to their surrounding before chuckling. “All of this.”

“We still need to finish your comeback album. Don’t think I forgot about that.”, a little smirked decorated his lips as Avery gently tucked a strand of her hair behind her ear. “I heard you only need one more song.”

Cassidy bit her bottom lip, preventing the grin to made its appearance once more. “I do and… I was wondering, if you would sing with me again, as an official collaboration.”

Not counting the songs he invited her on stage during the tour or their Indio Music Festival performance, they haven’t had an actual collaboration. Cassidy held back the question ever since she wrote the song during the tour. Watching him on stage night after night as a fan and his lover brought so many emotions in her as he dazzled her and thousands of other people like it was the first time she had seen him perform. 

“Are you sure? I mean, I’ll be honored to.”, he showed her his brilliant smile as he pulled her in for an embrace, wanting to show her all the love and support he had for her. “When were you planning to actually ask me about it?”

“When I finished the song, but… Since it’s a collaboration, not just a featuring, I want your words in it too.”, Cassidy smiled encouragingly when she pulled away. “I know you can do it.”

There was a pause from him. Despite not being under the Overknight rules anymore, Avery still had reservations about writing his own songs. This was something they argued about before, and Cassidy didn’t know how he would feel about it. “Do you remember the song you made back then? The one I strongly thought you needed to put in the album?”

“It was an experiment, Cass. Even after everything he did, Ellis had some things right. What if I’m not cut out as a songwriter? Just a pretty face with a voice to sing other people’s words?”, he avoided her eyes, averting his gaze to the dewy grass on their feet. 

She sighed. Knowing him, he would bury this insecurity talk behind a smile if she relented. Cassidy stood up and walked back in, leaving Avery agape in surprise. He didn't know what to do. Did she have enough fo this private side of his? The one who was self-conscious and unsure of branching out to try new things? 

Before he could self-deprecate any longer, his girlfriend returned with her trusty acoustic guitar. "Maybe hearing what I have so far will trigger that beautiful brain of yours.", Cassidy sat back down and smiled, fingers already softly strumming the strings.

"Every time you look at me, you have me on my knees... I wanna say I love you, baby, in every lifetime and my dreams...", she sang with her eyes never leaving his. "Anywhere I go, I want you there with me, 'cause now I know, you're the only one I need."

Without missing a beat, Avery finally joined in, much to her relief. His voice sounded like the morning they were having; the warm sun, the fresh air, and the coziness of home. "My home is where my heart is... And baby, my heart is with you... Thank the stars and the galaxies, you're my dream come true."

The melody ended, and they relished the moment with their eyes still locked on one another. Their breathing and the distant muffled sound of other people in the Bed and Breakfast were the only ones filling their ears. "Avery... That sounded beautiful."

"Only because I have a talented partner and inspiration.", he leaned in and pressed his lips for a chaste kiss on her forehead. It was then, Cassidy realized, they could withstand anything.