Second Place

How It All Started

Disclaimer: I don't own Austin & Ally, the actors/actresses who portray them, R5, the songs used, or anything recognizable. I do, however, own any OCs, who are obvious and if they're mentioned – Thank you for your time (:

Pairing: Ross/Laura/Riker

Author's Note: Don't like, don't read or review :P regular dialogue will start in chapter two

SP*SP*SP

At the tender age of thirteen, Ross Shor Lynch had known he was in love. He was young, impulsive at the time, just starting to notice the opposite gender, and was into video games, but he knew he was in love.

With one Laura Marano. She was everything a guy could want; sweet, caring, helpful, smart, and many more qualities that made her perfect in his eyes.

However, there were some circumstances that stopped him from fully expressing those romantic feelings, and they were:

One, Laura was two years older than him.

Two, she was Rydel's best friend in the whole world.

And finally, three, Laura was crushing big-time on Riker, the eldest of the Lynch kids. Ross was sure the feeling was mutual, despite Riker being older than her.

Ross wasn't sure which one made him pause the most, but he had a sneaking suspicion it was the first two. He knew the last one should have deterred him, but he couldn't bring himself to lose – not completely, anyway – to his older brother.

He'd rather come in second place than no place at all.

But, how was he supposed to ensure that spot was his within Laura's heart?

He could always try winning her over the normal way, with flowers, sweet words, and romantic dates, but Laura never looked at him the way she looked at Riker – with swooning sighs and glazed eyes; a girl clearly in love, or thereabouts.

And Ross? He got pats on the head when he did something "adorable" from her.

Well, it didn't help that they were about the same height, but still… She treated him like a kid, so it was his duty to make her 'see the light' and the error of her ways. The question is: How?

Unknown to Ross, that question was the beginning of how it all started…

SP*SP*SP

At the age of sixteen, Riker wanted to pursue an acting career. Mark and Stormie Lynch decided to move the entire family from Colorado to LA, not wanting to split their family apart. This meant moving away from Laura, which Ross didn't want to happen, but accepted the inevitable. Rydel had protested leaving her sister-figure behind as well, but didn't want to hold Riker back from his dream. They were a family, and family always came first for them.

On the day they were making the big move, Riker surprised everyone by dragging Laura along with them. Her suitcases and multiple boxes had been packed and shipped ahead, so she had no choice but to move in with them, as Riker had so cheerfully informed her.

Needless to say, Laura now knew what happened to most of her stuff… Her father, mother, and older sister had totally lied to her about Harry Potter transporting her stuff to Hogwarts.

Well, she supposed living with the Lynch family would be a lot more adventurous, anyway, so didn't complain. Besides, she got to spend every day with the guy she liked and the family she absolutely adored.

What more could she ask for?

Unknown to Laura, Ross was thinking the same thing. His original plan had been to wait until his eighteenth birthday to go back to Colorado, reunite with her, then make her fall in love with him, thus forgetting about Riker.

However, now that she was moving in with them, his plans didn't have to stay on the back-burner – he could sweep her off her feet while she lived with them. It would be so easy, too. Riker could have her now, but when Ross got a little older, he'd take Laura for his own, in his own way.

His spot as second place had been ensured, and it was all thanks to his older brother.

SP*SP*SP

Call him insane, but Ross could admit that he liked watching the way Riker touched Laura when the two didn't think anyone was looking. He also knew the two had been secretly dating since Laura's sweet sixteen, when they hooked up in the bathroom.

The music may have been blasting, people may have been milling in and out, but Ross could clearly hear the unmistakable thumping, giggles, and groans, that came from within the enclosed space. It didn't take a genius to figure out the teens had been hungrily tearing at each other.

Nope, it just took one Ross Shor Lynch standing outside, eavesdropping.

After that night, he watched the two carefully. He wanted to see if anything changed, if they were going to be open about their new relationship, which was when he noticed that he liked the way Riker touched Laura, like she was something fragile and precious – which is exactly how she should always be handled, in Ross's opinion.

It wasn't long until he had an epiphany – Riker was a great older brother. The older blonde was caring and loved his siblings; he was responsible and, most times, level headed. People always counted on him to make big decisions when their parents weren't home, and he was talented in multiple fields.

In essence, Ross felt Riker deserved a girl like Laura at his side. They would complement each other perfectly, and yes, their height difference was pretty adorable, if he said so himself.

Unknown to Laura and Riker, Ross had decided to amend his plans for the former. He wasn't going to steal her heart away – no, he was going back to his first plan, with a few adjustments to how things were going to work.

Ross was going to allow the relationship to bloom – encourage it, really – then, he was going to seduce Laura into his arms, in secret. Honestly, the bathroom hook-up had inspired him, especially the hidden relationship that followed.

Riker may have the dream girl during the day, but Ross was going to take her under the cover of night…

Second place had taken on a whole new meaning.

SP*SP*SP

It was maybe a couple years after moving to LA when the Lynch siblings and Laura met Ellington Ratliff at that fateful dance studio. It was soon after this initial meeting where they learned that he could play the drums – which resulted in the birth of R5.

Laura and Riker were still going strong; stronger than ever, since they came out to tell everyone that they were officially a couple. Rydel had been ecstatic, as well as Ross and their parents. Rocky had playfully teased Riker about "stealing his future wife", and Ryland had just smiled.

Of course, this was still LA, so Laura had taken to acting and singing, having been writing and composing music for as long as she could remember. She was even open about doing modeling jobs, as long as it didn't involve showing skin where she wasn't comfortable showing it.

Needless to say, Ross had always known she would be well-loved by the camera and by people. Hell, if she was crowned America's Sweetheart, he wouldn't be surprised.

Riker, on the other hand, landed a minor role on the hit TV series, Glee. He was happy being a part of such a wonderful production and had formed close friendships with his fellow Warblers. He enjoyed the songs they performed, and the dance numbers were always fun. Besides, with R5 beginning to gain followers, he could focus on both without having to worry about meshing them together.

And, of course, his biggest supporter was Laura. Riker didn't know what he would've done without her in his life.

Ross, meanwhile, was quickly learning how to play different instruments and working out in the gym. He wanted to be as talented as possible and learning from his older brothers and sister was fun; it was a bonding time for them. Of course, he also wanted to impress Laura, but her eyes always strayed back to Riker, no matter how fit and lean he got.

It was okay, though. The time to initiate his plan was nearing. He could feel it.

SP*SP*SP

He decided to start the first phase of his plan after R5's first successful show, which wasn't impressive by any means, but it got their name out and people loved them. It helped that Riker's name was recognizable, and that Ross had been doing some small roles for Disney Channel. Girls went wild for Rocky's good looks, and Ratliff's charm and awesome drum skills. Rydel was practically idolized for her sense of style and all-around Girl Power.

Now, Ross figured, would be a good time to let Laura know what her new role in life would be: Riker's girlfriend by day and Ross's mistress by night. With everything in their lives going so well, why wouldn't this work, too?

So, that was exactly what Ross did. He started slow; he didn't want to scare her off, after all. He just took her out on friend-dates, where they spent time together, one-on-one. It wasn't anything new – other people were used to seeing them, they were close, and always had a good time together.

Was there speculation about Laura and Ross before? Considering they lived in LA, yes, the paparazzi had made a few comments and speculations, but those had been put to rest when news broke about Laura living with the Lynch family, and that she was dating Riker. After that, Laura and Ross became old news, although they still garnered fans that 'shipped' them.

Throughout that whole drama, Riker hadn't once accused the two of hiding a secret relationship from him. No, the eldest Lynch sibling trusted and loved them to be honest with him, if such feelings ever surfaced.

And Ross, with a straight face, told Riker he didn't have romantic feelings for one Laura Marie Marano.

Things were just getting started, after all…

SP*SP*SP

The first major move Ross had made to further his romantic relationship with Laura had been on his sixteenth birthday. Laura had turned eighteen exactly one month before him, and he knew it was risky, but he had to take a chance. Besides, she'd taken her first major romantic move with Riker on her sixteenth birthday, so Ross felt this would be symbolic.

It was simple, really – he just wanted his first kiss to be with her. That wasn't asking too much, right? And it wasn't like he'd blurted out his request in front of everyone. No, Ross had taken Laura aside – to his room, to be exact – and made his intention known.

He could still remember that night, like it had just happened…

SP*SP*SP

Laura smiled as she spun around to face one of her best friends, Ross. "So, what did you want to tell me?" she curiously asked.

Ross returned her smile with a charming one of his own. He'd been working on the expression for over a year now, and he was quite proud of it. Taking a seat on the edge of his bed, he patted the spot next to him.

Taking the invitation with a playful roll of her doe-like eyes, the brunette sat down. "Gosh, you're killing me with this suspense, Ross! What did you want to tell me that we have to hide in here?" Suddenly grinning slyly, she nudged him with her shoulder. "You have a girlfriend, don't you? About time!"

He could feel his cheeks flushing, but chuckled to cover how hard his heart was pounding in his chest. He didn't know what the big deal was – he'd been planning this moment since learning that Laura and Riker were hooking up in the bathroom two years ago. He could do this!

"Um, no, I don't have a girlfriend," he said.

Laura pouted at having guessed wrong. "Okay, fine…" She leaned closer, and Ross had to fight the urge to lean forward too. "Do you have a boyfriend?" she whispered, no judgment in her tone.

He jerked back like she had slapped him. "What?" he sputtered, "No, Laura – I'm not into guys like that! I mean, I'm fine with gay people – love is limitless and you can't help who you fall for. But I'm not gay."

If the current subject was to be the judge of how this conversation was going to go, he knew it wouldn't end well. But, he was determined to get what he wanted – and that was for his first kiss to be with Laura. End of discussion.

She held her hands up defensively. "Okay, okay. I'm sorry. I just didn't know who you would be interested in." She paused to give the blonde a pointed look. "I mean, I never see you hanging out with any particular gender, so…"

"Whatever," he replied, rolling his eyes. His cheeks were still heated, so he was thankful his room wasn't well lit at the moment. "Let's put that aside and get back to why I wanted us to be alone for this."

"Good idea. Why did you want to have this conversation in private?"

Ross cleared his throat, feeling more nervous than he'd ever felt before in his life. Rubbing his palms against his jean-clad thighs, he spoke in a surprisingly confident manner. "I want my first kiss to be with you, Laura."

Silence greeted his request, and he almost winced at how awkward it now felt in the room.

"What?" Laura finally spoke, sounding stunned.

He turned to look at her fully, new determination burning in his chest and an almost desperate emotion in his eyes.

"I know you're dating Riker and that you two care deeply about each other," he began, words starting to ramble together. "I also know I've said in the past that all I feel for you is friendship, but I was brought up to believe that a first kiss was precious and shouldn't be wasted on someone I didn't care about and vice versa."

He took her hands into his, squeezing gently. "I care about you, Laura, and I know you feel the same way about me. Maybe it's not the same kind of caring, maybe it is, but I don't want my first kiss to be with anybody else, but you."

"Oh, gosh," she mumbled, starting to come out of her stunned state. She shook her head. "I can't, Ross, I'm sorry. I love Riker – I don't want to do anything to hurt him, no matter how sweet and innocent you make it sound." Lowering her head, she whispered, "I'm sorry."

Ross bit his bottom lip, having known this would happen but hoping it wouldn't. "How about a kiss on the cheek, then?" he hopefully asked.

Seeing an immediate out, Laura nodded her head. "Yeah. Yeah, on the cheek is fine," she responded.

However, when she leaned in, Ross 'accidently' turned his head at the right moment so that their lips met. He made sure to be extra careful about freezing, not wanting her to know he'd done that on purpose. The last thing he needed was for her to avoid him.

Instant shocks ran up and down his spine, and his skin tingled wherever they touched skin-to-skin. It was electrifying, to say the least, but over too soon when Laura jerked away quickly.

"Oh God, I'm so sorry, Laura," he instantly apologized, using his acquired acting skills to help him. "I didn't know you'd leaned in – and – the lights are so low in here – Oh God, I'm sorry. I'm really, really –"

Laura shook her head, teeth nibbling her bottom lip as she thought. The kiss had been good, but it didn't make her feel the way Riker did when he kissed her. No, she still felt sparks, but not the sheer fireworks she got when her boyfriend simply held her.

"It's okay," she quietly said. Looking up, she gave her best friend a reassuring smile. Ross appeared so horrified, she immediately wanted to comfort him. "Like you said, the light isn't that good in here, and it was an accident. No harm, no foul." She shrugged. "Let's just… keep it between us, all right? I don't want Riker – or anyone, for that matter – finding out. I mean, it was innocent, but they might not see it that way."

Ross nodded, breathing a sigh of relief that she wasn't yelling at him. "Yeah, yeah," he agreed. "We should just keep that kiss between us. No one needs to know."

"Exactly." Smiling, Laura stood and used their joined hands to pull him up. Although he was only sixteen, he was already almost a head taller than her, and she knew he was still growing. "We should really head back to your party. People must be wondering where the birthday boy ran off to."

"That's true," he chuckled. "You go on ahead. It might look suspicious to appear together, especially after what happened. Go find Riker or Rydel."

Laura smiled, then silently left to spend time with her boyfriend. After what happened in Ross's room, she needed some time to stop shaking from nerves and misplaced guilt. She didn't need to feel guilty over an accident. And that's exactly what happened, right? An accident.

Right, she assured herself.

Unknown to Laura, as soon as she left, Ross walked over to his dresser. Moving some strategically placed books, he revealed the camcorder he'd hidden minutes before sneaking Laura inside. The room may have been dimmer than natural to human eyes, but not dim enough to hide from the night vision setting it had.

Replaying the last few minutes, he watched the footage with a smirk forming on his face.

Perfect, he thought.

SP*SP*SP

Blackmail. Everyone knew that word. Everyone knew what it meant. Of course, it mostly depended on how a person used it to their advantage that spoke about their character. For Ross, it was simple – he got to be with Laura, and he never showed the edited version of their kiss to Riker, which meant she could still call him her boyfriend. An all-around win-win situation.

For Laura, it wasn't that simple. She felt betrayed by her best friend, like she was staring at a complete stranger that wanted – was, actually – taking advantage of her. At the same time, she felt she should have seen the signs that Ross liked her as more than a friend, but hadn't. If she had, maybe she wouldn't be stuck in the situation she was in now.

In the end, she blamed herself for pushing him into this position. It wasn't healthy to think that way, but she did. If she had just noticed, instead of flaunting her relationship with Riker, then Ross wouldn't feel he had to blackmail her into giving him attention. Sure, it was a romantic-type of attention she didn't feel for Ross, but it was attention nonetheless.

Besides, she felt she could bring back her best friend by giving in, for a little while at least. Laura was confident Ross would realize that what he was doing was wrong and they could put this all behind them.

The reason for her confidence was because he didn't treat her any differently when they were in public, only when they were alone. He didn't push her to do intimate acts with him, but rather coaxed her into them slowly, like when he wanted to make-out for a couple of hours. Ross would touch her gently and in appropriate places, nothing suggestive, and she would eventually melt.

And, by 'melt', Laura meant she breathed easier, which always took forever, but he never complained. She just felt so weird locking lips with her best friend, who was also her boyfriend's younger brother. It was wrong, and she normally had to do something afterwards to forget how violated she felt.

She just hoped Ross would see the error of his ways soon. She didn't know how much more of his 'attentions' she could take without snapping…

Until*Next*Time

Please review, and let me know what you thought! I don't want any flames, however :P if you don't have anything nice to say, you should have hit the 'back' button when you had the chance, instead of reading this until the end.

Also: If this first chapter is confusing, it's okay! More gets revealed the further into the story plot you get (:

Thank you! ;)

~ babydoll92