This is based on/set right after the bonus scene on the DVD. If you haven't seen it, here's the gist: Lemonade Mouth is doing a TV interview and the interviewer asks about Mohini and Scott's relationship, prompting Mo's dad to start asking questions from off-camera. To save them from that uncomfortable position, Olivia says it's actually her and Wen that have been dating, which throws Wen off, but they manage it. Stella then steps in to avoid further awkwardness and suggests they go straight to performing their new song.
Lemonade Mouth is one of my favourite guilty pleasure movies (it's undeniably super cheesy, but I love it to pieces). I popped it on a few nights ago while working on some things and couldn't resist jotting this down afterwards, especially when I realized there were still people active in the fandom - I haven't written fic for this movie since 2013, so it was a pleasant surprise.
Anyway. Ramble done. Hope you enjoy.
[Cross-posted on AO3 - posted several days ago there, but FFNet was having that upload issue...]
"Seriously, Olivia, I can't thank you enough," Mohini said again as she tossed her dress on the bed and pulled on a sweater. "I know I have to tell my dad about Scott at some point, but that is so not how I want it to happen. You saved my life back there."
"Honestly, don't worry about it," Olivia assured her. "I couldn't leave you to fend for yourself in a spot like that, on live TV no less."
"I know, right?" Mo squawked. "I'm officially having 'no surprise relationship questions' put in our rider."
"Probably a good policy," Olivia laughed as she pulled on a pair of leggings. "Is Scott okay? He looked a bit rattled in the car on the way back."
"I was actually just gonna go check on him," Mo told her, hanging her dress up on the little garment rack in the corner. "He hid it well on air, but I think the question nearly gave him a heart attack. He's no more ready to face my dad than I am." There was a soft knock on the door just as she was crossing the room.
She pulled the door open and saw Wen standing there, back in his t-shirt and jeans, hands in his pockets. "Hey, Mo, can I talk to Olivia for a minute?" he asked awkwardly, bouncing up on the balls of his feet.
"Sure, Wen," she answered with a smile, then glancing over her shoulder to give Olivia an encouraging smile, too. "You guys take your time, I'll keep Stella out of your hair." Wen nodded appreciatively at her as she stepped out and closed the door behind her.
For a moment they just watched each other a little awkwardly across the hotel room, Wen standing by the door, Olivia on the far side of her bed. Then Wen let out a slow sigh and rolled his shoulders, forcing some of the tension out of his posture. "How ya holdin' up, Liv?" he asked, taking a couple steps towards the bed. He knew that sometimes the crash after the performance high could really wipe her out.
"I seem to be doing okay so far," she answered, relaxing a bit when he did. Then, reminding herself that this was Wen, one of her best friends, she mentally shook her head at herself. She shouldn't be so wound up about this. "You wanna sit?" she asked, hitting the mattress with a bounce and then scooping her legs up to sit cross-legged on top of the covers.
"Yeah." He smiled and walked the rest of the way to the bed, pulling his legs up as well and sitting facing her. "So, first official performance of High Wire. Went pretty well, right?"
"Yeah?" she smiled. "Yeah, I guess so. I dunno, I always second-guess myself later. It's hard to look at it objectively…"
Wen laughed a little. "It went well, Liv," he assured her. "You did great."
"Thanks," she answered, letting out a rush of breath. "You did too, for the record. You always do."
"Flattery will get you everywhere," he teased, grinning, and she laughed. They were quiet for a moment, and then he sighed and offered her a gentle little smile. "So, are we gonna talk about this?"
Olivia bit down hard on her lip, casting her gaze into her lap. "Um…" She seemed to be thinking, so he waited patiently. "I just – I mean, I mostly just said it to help Mo," she stammered after a moment. "Y'know, I kind of didn't think about it, I just did it. I mean, she didn't need to deal with that, especially on air. So I just said the first thing that came to mind."
"And that was us, huh?" he asked, still smiling a little, even though she wasn't meeting his eye.
"I guess?" she answered, shrugging, voice high. "I mean, we – we do hang out just us pretty often. And, you know, not always just for writing. Like, um, like that time we met up at the café, after you hurt your eye, and I…" she trailed off mid-sentence and winced slightly, remembering.
"And you got super mad at me?" Wen teased.
"Maybe not the best example," she admitted.
"It's okay. I kind of deserved it. I was being an ass." She peeked up at his face again, and he raised his eyebrows, letting her know he meant it. She half-smiled and glanced back down.
"But yeah, I dunno, it didn't seem implausible, I guess," she offered, shrugging again.
"Dating-ish, I believe you called it," he agreed. "Yeah, I mean, that's true. We have done a lot of that lately."
"You know, I've always kind of meant to bring that day up again, though," she started, tipping her head to one side. Wen could tell she was stalling on the current conversation by starting this second one, but he didn't interrupt her. "I owe you an apology for yelling at you for all of that. Just because your family situation is better than mine, that doesn't mean it's perfect, or that you're not allowed to be frustrated with it. That's not fair of me."
"Thanks," he answered, reaching across the space between them to take one of her fidgeting hands and give it a little squeeze. Holding hands wasn't totally unfamiliar to them, but it felt like it had more meaning now. He didn't let go, though. "I appreciate that. You weren't wrong, either, though. I was being stubborn and refusing to recognize the good in what was happening at home. I needed that kick in the pants." She nodded a little but didn't speak, so he carried on, carefully. "Actually, I've been meaning to ask a question about that conversation, myself. Liv… when you said you joined the band for me, what did you mean?"
Olivia stiffened a little bit. With his free hand he reached out and took her other one, holding her fingers gently on top of the cool duvet, trying to let her know that he was here and listening and it was safe. "I… we've known each other since kindergarten, right?" she asked slowly.
"Proud alumni of Mr. Vaughn's kindergarten class of 2000," he answered with a grin.
"So… we never really knew each other well before this year. But, you know, we've always known each other a little bit. You've always been around, is my point," she rambled.
Wen smiled again. "I've always been around."
"And, like, I've never… had a lot of friends," she admitted. "But I paid attention to people a lot, and you've just always… been a nice guy. To me and to other people. And then you were really nice to me when we had that detention, and you just… always knew how to make me feel comfortable." She paused and took a deep breath. "I just trust you. I always kind of have, even before we were friends. You always seemed safe. And, you know, you're…" her face started to flush. "You've always been cute. So I had had just a little bit of a crush on you for years, or like, the seed of a crush, and then when we played that first song together…" She trailed off.
"Yeah?" He was grinning again. "That's kinda cool." He gave her fingers another light squeeze.
"So, um, that's… that's what that was about. I probably wouldn't have joined the band if you hadn't been part of it," she confessed. "You made me feel like it was possible. And the excuse to hang out with you more was definitely a bonus."
He was glad he'd asked. It entertained him knowing there was that much history to it. "I'd be lying if I said I already liked you too, at that point," he told her. "I mean, I liked you, but I didn't… you know. I didn't know you. You'd always been cute and seemed pretty nice, but you're so quiet."
"Yeah," she agreed. "I know."
"That's okay though," he told her, still smiling. "Once the band got started I got to know you pretty fast, and I only ever liked you more. You're pretty great."
She met his eyes for just a moment again, smiling nervously. "Thanks, Wen."
"So now we're here," he said. He ran his thumbs over the backs of her fingers. "Hey," he added thoughtfully, "was the kissing-your-hand thing during the performance too cheesy? It felt like the thing to do at the time, but…"
Olivia blushed again. "No, it was cute," she answered. "I thought it was sweet."
"Cool." He lifted her hands a bit, twisting his own against them until they were palm-to-palm and he could lace their fingers. "So, Liv, are we calling what we said in the interview official? You're my girl?" He cleared his throat, a little nervous again himself, his eyes now on their hands. "Because otherwise I came in here prepared to ask you out properly, if the interview's not gonna be official."
When he managed to look up again, she had raised her gaze as well, red-faced and biting back a smile. "I'd like that a lot," she said softly.
"Which one?" Wen laughed, his left thumb stroking affectionately down the side of her right palm.
"You pick," she answered, her smile growing. Surprised, he laughed again.
"I pick the first one," he answered. "That way this has been going on for a while already and it's totally not out of place for me to do this." Pulling her forward by their linked hands, he leaned in close. He paused for a second before making contact, just in case she wanted to pull away, but when she didn't he closed the gap and kissed her, a smile still pulling at the corners of his mouth.
They stayed in place for a moment, but when they finally broke apart, both were beaming. "Good choice," Olivia breathed.
"For the record, I did plan how to ask you out if that was the direction this went," he joked. "It was gonna be real cute."
"Oh yeah?" she asked, giggling.
"Mhm," he confirmed, nodding seriously. "All about how much the band has changed my life, and about all the time we've spent together, and how I can't believe we've known each other our whole lives and somehow never actually got to know each other or I would've scooped you up ages ago, because I'm totally crazy about you…" He looked into her face and wagged his eyebrows, grinning.
"Is that so?" she laughed, her blush deepening even so.
He nodded again. "Oh, yeah, we would've been one of those disgusting couples that started dating in middle school and just stayed together forever. Or at least, that's how it works out in my head," he added, his grin broadening as she burst out giggling.
Olivia took a moment to catch her breath. "Well, we can still aim for the second part, right?" she asked.
"That's my plan, anyway," he agreed, leaning in to kiss her again.
This kiss was longer, but when it was over, she smiled at him again. "I don't know if I would've said crazy, but I'm pretty into you, too," she told him.
"I can work with that," Wen answered.