A/N: After seeing Laura tweet the Arctic Monkeys' 'Do I Wanna Know?' (ugh I love them so much), I started to have Raura feels. I know I said I would have an Austin & Ally one shot up and I swear I will, but this just couldn't leave. I got too musey while overanalyzing that her tweet was for Ross…. Hah. Anyways consider this a Valentine's Day gift to you all! (IT'S STILL VALENTINE'S DAY ON THE WEST COAST. SHH) This might seem all over and it might suck and I'm sorry ;-; but for the most part I'm content with it hence why it's been posted. It has also been a really long time since I wrote in past tense. I'm trying to get my footing with it once more.
I'd also like to dedicate this to Laura/slayross on twitter (hi bb!) because literally after I tweeted I was writing, she tweeted me telling me I should write a new one-shot. The timing was perf tbh. Also she's pretty awesome and such a lovely person :)
... not really proofread or beta'd so I apologize. I'm going to fix it when I'm not exhausted. Hopefully this doesn't disappoint because I'm literally so antsy right now I can't deal okay I'm done I swear. ENJOY.
Disclaimer: I do not own Austin & Ally or Ross & Laura or Skype. Or anything you don't really recognize.
They've always had that kind of relationship, the one between friends and knowing they could be boyfriend and girlfriend. They threaded on a thin line. It was something that was rarely discussed between them, but knew it existed. It was scary and they were scared. Scared to ruin the amazing friendship that had been formed in the last three years they had known each other, scared of regret.
It intensified as they grew up. No longer were they the small fifteen year olds who became friends and got lucky to be on a hit Disney Channel TV show. They were eighteen, both of them, gorgeous and attractive human beings. The attraction was there, you would be considered blind if you did not see it.
They didn't know when their 'just friends but I kind of like you' phase turned into 'best friends and I think I'm in love with you' one. However, when he came back from his 'Louder Tour' over the summer, something had definitely changed between them so maybe it was then. His summer was filled with promoting Teen Beach Movie and music while she was focusing on charity work, school, and other projects on the side during the break after season 2 of Austin & Ally. When they had returned for season 3, it was as if their relationship had gotten stronger. Hugs became longer, her arms barely left their place around his waist, his hand always found their way to her lower back and before they knew it, their hands soon found their way towards each other, fingers intertwining with each other, never letting go.
But… they weren't together.
Both were free to do whatever they wanted, they were not tied to each other. Ross was a natural born flirt and Laura was super friendly with many guys (which, if you asked him, passed off as kind of flirty… but he was not jealous. Nope. No way). They weren't together even though it was obvious that they kind of wanted to but with their lives being completely and utterly busy… there was just no way.
When season 3 finished and they had the wrap up party, saying goodbye for now was the hardest thing they both ever had to do. He and the band were ready to tour the world and she was going to be focusing on her studies as well as a movie that she just found out she had the lead role in. They would be apart for quite some time, unknowing if they were going to get a season 4. The cast and crew were positive that they would but there was still the lingering feeling that it would not happen.
They promised that the distance wouldn't make them lose whatever they had. Even if he was going to be in other countries, seeing beautiful and flawless women, signing chests and whatnot and she was going to be in a movie with a new leading man, deep down inside they knew that no matter what, they had that unspoken agreement that nothing would change.
They spoke to each other, mostly, without words, the chemistry between the two co-stars something truly and utterly unique.
And even when they were over a thousand miles away, glancing at each other through a screen in silence, all they needed was one look and it was like they instantly knew what each other was thinking or feeling.
Missing. Longing. Love.
"I miss you." Was all he said all the way from across the ocean and Laura nodded; the aching feeling deep within her heart. They had been Skyping for an hour or so, discussing how the R5 tour was going so far. The seven hour difference between them taking a toll on the blonde rockstar and she knew how exhausted he was. He did look comfortable in his hotel bed though, the blankets literally covering the majority of him as he snuggled within the comforter.
"I miss you too. But you sound like you're having a fantastic time, Ross," she grinned gently, bringing her knees up to her chest as she propped her iPad against a pillow so that she didn't have to hold it up. Laying her cheek against her knee, her eyes boring onto his tired hazel ones, he smiled sleepily at her, pushing some strands of his blonde hair away from his face.
"I'm having a blast, dude," he nodded, "Literally living the dream right now."
"You guys deserve it. You've come so far in the last few years, we're all proud of you," she bit her lip shyly, "I'm proud of you."
He could see the pride in her eyes, even if she was a little bit pixilated. It made him ridiculously happy knowing that she was proud of him.
"What else have you been up to? Besides rocking out on stage?" she questioned curiously, tilting her head back as she played with a loose thread on her sweater.
"Sightseeing as best as we can," he started to list off, "Some interviews, signings, the fun stuff."
She bit her lip at the sound of signings, "Heard there have been some interesting signings going on…" she laughed awkwardly and Ross raised a hand, rubbing the back of his neck nervously, "Yeah… it's whatever really, Laur…"
Shaking her head, Laura flashed him a smile. "It's okay, Ross. It's kind of funny, if you think about it. Besides, it's not every day you get asked to sign someone's… chest area?" she scrunched her nose cutely that caused him to chuckle as the realization dawning on him, seeing her dorky self through the small screen on his phone, that it had only been a few weeks since he last saw her. He missed having her adorkable aura around him or even the feeling of her hand laced with his. It was an empty feeling and he did no like it one bit. "The fans are super cool. It's surreal to know that there are so many fans around the world. It's exhilarating."
"Well, it's not every day you go to foreign countries and see beautiful and gorgeous women who love you." Laura replied and he frowned at her words. Clearly she knew that she was just as beautiful and gorgeous? To him, she was the epitome of perfection and yes, being in another country meant different people but they weren't her. They could never be her.
"Nobody compares," he spoke a bit loudly, his eyes shifting towards Ryland, making sure his younger brother was still heavily sleeping like he had been for the last hour across the room. She stayed silent for a bit and he continued, sitting up in bed as the thought of sleep became long forgotten. This was more important anyway. "You do know that you're just as beautiful and gorgeous, right? I want to be with you, Laura… One of these days."
They were threading on topic they've barely ever talk about and he looked at her, his heart pounding. His head was screaming at him, telling him to go back and not do this. Not now. They were thousands of miles away from each other. This was not supposed to happen.
She gaped at him, unable to process that he was talking about this now and not in person. Maybe it was the effects of them being separated. Their relationship was anything but ordinary the last few months. "I don't... We've… never spoken about this before…" she trailed of softly and he nodded slowly at her words. Her head was swarming. "Can we do it though? Risk everything? I thought that was something we both didn't want to do… if it didn't work out? We could lose everything-"
"Or we can have it all," he interrupted, ignoring the nagging voice in the back of his mind. "Yeah, it scares the shit out of me too but being here, away from you, missing you like crazy, I think... I'm ready to try it out. It scares me knowing that between now and figuring out what we are, someone else can take you away from me and I can't do anything about it. You could have any guy you wanted, Laura. You could fall for the perfect guy tomorrow and I can't be there to stop you."
Her heart fluttered at his words, knowing that what he was saying was not true. There was nobody else in this world that could ever take her heart like her blonde co-star. He was feeling threatened. Threatened by her cast-mates in her new movie, threatened that he was going to be replaced by Parker or Shayne not just as her leading man, but the keeper of her heart.
Taking a deep breath she shrugged her shoulders a bit, "Maybe I'm too busy being yours to fall for somebody new…" Laura admitted quietly and his head snapped up towards her. To hear it out loud was way more different than assuming that she felt the same way he did. "I've thought a lot about this too, Ross. I just... I don't want you to be disappointed when you realize I'm not the one you want. "
Ross' hazel eyes faltered a bit, "Laura-"
She interrupted him, "Can we do this?"
They stared at each other, the fear and love etched on both their faces. "I don't know," he said softly, his eyes casting down as he avoided her gaze. He knew that she was still staring at him intently, her brain working a million miles per second. She was trying to make sense of all that was happening right now. That was just who she was. He didn't know if they would work out but he was willing to try. "All I know," he started and looked back up, staring straight into the brown eyes that he had fallen in love with three years ago, "Is that I don't think I want anyone else to have you if I can't."
It would hurt too much.
Tears threaten to fall from her eyes and she forced out a laugh to stop herself from bawling in front of him. "I'm scared," her voice cracked, wrapping her arms around her knees tightly.
"I am, too," he responded back.
"I, sometimes, get bossy." she stated.
"I might forget dates."
"I can get pretty annoying."
"I'm stubborn as hell, you know this."
"I might not be happy when random girls throw themselves at you."
"That's fair because I get jealous pretty easily when guys come up to you."
She let out a small laugh at his retort before she looked at him. "Do you really want to do this?" she asked, "You and me?"
He nodded. "More than anything," he confessed, wishing that he could be in Louisiana right there with her right now. Or at least have someone bring her to him. "I'm in love with you."
Their hearts never felt so full.
"I'm in love with you, too."
Five weeks, endless Skype sessions, billion text messages, and one emotional reunion at the airport later, they finally knew where they belonged. They've always had that kind of relationship, the one between friends and knowing they could be boyfriend and girlfriend. They threaded on a thin line. It was something that was rarely discussed between them, but knew it existed. It was scary and they took the risk.
They don't regret it one bit.