Summary: Ross tells his son the story of how he met and fell in love with his mother. /Based on Terrible things by Mayday Parade. Raura.
A/N: Angst ... it's been a while my good friend. Wow, so writing this made me feel like I was experiencing an agonizing death yet feel all giddy inside. Might make you terribly sad as much as it made me. This is for Nada and all of you. Love you sunshines. Happy New Years!
*Insert dramatic quote below*
How do you go on knowing that you will never again - not ever, ever - see the person you have loved? How do you survive a single hour, a single minute, a single second of that knowledge? How do you hold yourself together? - howard jacobson, the finkler question
"Dad?"
Ross hears the familiar voice of his son calling him as he walks into the room. "Yeah?" He answers, looking up.
The brown-haired boy sets his backpack carefully down on the arm chair across from the couch. He sits. "Tell me about mom."
Ross raises his dark eyebrows in confusion. The question catching him completely by surprise. Where could this sudden interest have come from? "What?"
"Tell me about mom. I want to know. We're doing a project in school where we have to talk about one of our parents and you told me you'd tell me when I believed I was ready. I think I am. I want to know...everything. From beginning to end."
Ross smiles gently as he sits forward. "You ramble. Just like she used to. You know, you're the epitome of your mother in a way. Not just with her looks." He runs a hand through his unruly hair. "I'm not sure you are as ready as you say you are."
Maybe he never told him because it was too hard. Maybe because he still didn't understand it himself. Even after all these long, dreadful years.
"Dad...please?" The boy murmurs.
Ross sighs. "You sure?" The blonde looks over to his son, he can see the curiosity in his face. "You can always do it on me."
"How did it all happen?" Gabe asks, his eyes looking straight into his father's brown ones.
"Well, it's a long story actually. I knew about your mother way before I even met her." Ross chuckles thinking about the story.
"You were stalking her?" Gabe chuckles too, his laughter infectious. "Dad!"
"No!" He shakes his head. "I was...admiring from afar. See this is how it went. We met at a bookstore. That's where I first saw her."
She was probably the first and only girl he'd ever had a crush on. Long brown curls cascaded down past her shoulders. Big brown eyes that were always bright and full of excitement. She wasn't exactly quiet but she was quiet. She was self-proclaimed.
She'd rather keep to herself than be around others but he knew her personality was warm and welcoming. She had the friends to prove it, he was sure.
She had a big smile. Full of life. The plumpest pink lips. A heart wrenching, show stopping, achingly beautiful face. Probably the most beautiful one he could say he's ever seen.
"She was that beautiful?" Gabe questioned, his voice incredulous.
Ross chuckles lightly at his son's tone, nodding in response. "I don't really think there was any true word to describe her beauty..your mother's beauty. She was just beautiful." He smiles at the thought. "I made sure she knew that everyday."
Gabe's mouth tilts up a bit. "Even if she looked bad?"
"Define bad?" He's slightly amused.
"Uhmm," Gabe thinks. "Maybe bedhead bad?"
Ross tries to suppress another smile threatening to creep upon his lips. "To me...there was no bad. She was just beautiful." He shrugs. "Heart and face but heart mostly."
"How come I've never seen any pictures of her?" Gabe asks. Truth was he'd never truly seen how his mother looked. All he knew was that his dad would constantly tell him how much he resembled her because of his dark brown eyes and his brown hair.
"When I found out I guess I kind of lost it," He shrugs. "and just the sight of her and knowing she wasn't coming back...it hurt. So I threw all the pictures away after a few months. Just seeing her in those pictures and happy when I was everything but..." He stops in the middle of his sentence, shaking his head. "I do have one picture left. It's probably my favorite photo of her. Wanna see it?"
Gabe nods almost immediately. His interest is evident.
He had became so infatuated with her that he even knew that her nose always scrunched up when she was irritated, laughing or trying to concentrate. He found it insanely cute. Probably even adorable.
He knew she was into music too. That's likely what attracted him the most. Due to all the old graphic tees she'd wear of some of his favorite classic rock bands. He noticed her favorites happened to be Queen and The Rolling Stones. She was the ripped tights, jeans, oversized sweaters and cropped shirts kind of girl but she had her days where she was in between.
Like today. It was a simple look. Not too much but he knew he wouldn't forget it for the rest of his existence.
Even if he dared to try to erase it from his mind, it wouldn't work.
Those snug low rise jeans fitted her figure almost too perfectly along with the loose floral canopy top she wore to complete her look. Her pale skin complexion brought out her eyes and her wide smile. She looked so effortlessly beautiful, as if not much went into her morning routine that morning. Like it all came naturally.
He probably had a slight chance of her even noticing him. She barely even acknowledged him as it was.
But that's okay. He liked to admire her from afar.
Of course she'd say hi to him. His family owned the bookstore. When she did, he sometimes felt her gaze linger on his face a little longer than necessary but it wasn't as if he minded. Maybe it was all just in head. Shit, maybe she was just his imagination because she was just too damn good to be true. It was as if the universe dropped the most perfect girl down on earth and solely for him.
Said 'here you go ross' and then there she was. His.
That brings him back to right now. He's the clerk for the afternoon and no it has absolutely nothing to do with the girl standing a few feet away from him. Definitely not the girl who was standing in the non-fiction aisle of the store. Her eyes squinted as she looked down the rows of the book shelf. She looks confused almost and maybe it's sudden courage or just his natural confidence that makes him decide (and of course since it's rightfully part of his job) to ask her if she needs any help.
When he's a few steps away, he notices that she's crouched down and has a book cradled in her arms. He raises an eyebrow as he reads the title. Harry Potter and the Sorcerer's Stone. She was a Harry Potter fan? He smiles to himself. How much cuter could this girl get?
He stops directly in front of her but she still doesn't notice him. "Harry Potter fan?" Ross says, his eyebrows shooting up as he goes for a simple tactic to start the conversation.
The petite girl looks up immediately. Her long brown hair falling in her face a little as she notices the blonde boy standing in front of her. His hands casually stuffed in his jean pockets.
"Oh it's you," She laughs, pressing a hand to her racing heart. "You startled me." She stands up, the book now clasped in one of her small hands.
His mouth quirks up. "I didn't mean to, I apologize."
She returns a warm smile. "It's fine," Remembering his question, she looks down at the book she's currently holding. "And uh, yeah. I guess you can say that. I'm a potterhead now." She shrugs.
"You've read all the books?" He asks.
"Oh! No, no." She's quick to say and laughs softly, shaking her head. "I just finished the first book yesterday. Just recently inducted into the Harry Potter fan world."
Ross chuckles. "So what I'm guessing is that you're looking for Chamber of Secrets?" She nods, pushing the lingering hair out of her eyes. "That's why you were squinting so hard."
"You've got jokes." The brunette raises an amused eyebrow.
He grabs the book from her hand. "The second book is actually really good. There's some pretty interesting stuff in that book. Rowling did some serious work."
"Don't spoil it for me, now. I like the mystery of reading it and finding it out myself." She snatches it back.
"Would you dislike me if I told you everything that happened?" His eyes twinkle with playful mischief.
"I'd probably murder you in my mind. It'd be pretty brutal. Violent." She nods her head, her mouth tilting up.
"I'm scared now." He holds his hands up. "Am I even safe talking to you?"
She rolls her eyes. "I promise you I am totally harmless. I have weekly anger management meetings. I even have mechanisms to help me control it." She jokes.
"Good to know." He laughs.
The brunette laughs along with him. "I've seen you around. I just never thought to ask your name. I'm Laura." She holds out her hand.
"I'm Ross," He holds out his hand as well and encloses his palm in hers. A shock suddenly jolts through their two bodies and it startles them both how perfectly their hands fit together.
"Hi," She pulls back first and offers another kind smile. "Ross."
The way her voice caresses his name makes his throat suddenly go dry. "Hi," He breathes out and smiles an easy smile. "Laura."
"So you're a fellow potter head? Shouldn't we be connected to each other somehow?" Laura asks, looking down for a second at the book and tracing the title with one of her fingers.
"I thought we already were." He looks her directly in the eyes.
"I guess so...and yes you happen to be right, I am looking for Chamber of Secrets." Laura says. "I just can't seem to find it." She sighs. "I guess that's just my luck."
"Actually we ran out of stock. You'd be surprised to know how popular that book series is." Ross says sarcastically, winking.
"Oh really?" Laura says dryly. "How very observant of you."
"You're very snide. It's cute." The smile on his face widens at her snarky remark. "I have my own copy of the book. If you just happen to want it, you know."
She bites the edge of her lip. "Catch?"
"You promise that you and your pretty face will come back." He says fast and bluntly.
"Well Ross, that sucks. I was just about to go see what the other bookstores could offer a girl..." She stops.
"But?" He chuckles.
"I do find your offer quite intriguing. You drive quite a hard bargain." She smirks. "I might have to take you up on it."
"You promise I won't fall?" Laura asks. One of her feet is placed on the surface of the skateboard while the other is placed on the concrete in hesitation. Her tiny fingers are holding on to his forearms for support.
"Laura," Ross laughs hoarsely, she can feel his breath on the back of her neck and she has to ignore the sudden feeling that surges through her body. "I won't let you fall I promise."
"You've said that the past ten times and look at where it's got me." She looks back and glares at him. Ross tries his best to keep a straight face but ultimately the blonde fails.
"I know, I'm sorry." He laughs harder and kisses her cheek. "This time I really won't let you fall."
His hands are gripping her waist as if she's too fragile and delicate to stand on her own. She's not complaining though. She actually likes it. A lot more than she'd like to admit.
"Jesus, it's hot." Ross mutters. "Hold on," He lets go of her for a second and pulls his shirt over his head.
Laura's eyes widen briefly and she has to swallow at the sight of his chiseled abs and the way his body flexes as he moves, her mind going to a place it probably shouldn't. He was her friend. Yeah he made her heart beat pick up whenever he came within a foot of her and yeah he made her smile so big that it hurt at the lamest jokes possibly ever known to man. He even did the littlest things just to make her happy or to quote him "just to see her beautiful smile" because it was all he needed to get by. It means nothing though and she's sure of it. She's never entertained the idea of him liking her as more than a friend but having a relationship with him was something she had been thinking about for a long time.
Like hell of course she liked him. How could she not? Ross was the sweetest guy she'd ever met. He was the only person that she was excited to hear from when she woke up. He treated her like a princess. Made her feel wanted and always reminded her that she'd have a special place in his heart.
"If I do," She tells him, poking her finger into his hard chest. "just know I'm kicking your ass."
He smiles, stuffing the shirt into his pants pocket. "Careful now, you'll make me fall and with the way I'm holding you, you're going down with me. That wouldn't be a pretty scene now would it?"
"Oh please you'd enjoy the idea of a girl lying on top of you. You barely get any action as it is Mr. I wanna fall in love." She teases and smiles, placing her other foot on top of the skateboard.
"Well with what you're wearing right now, could you really blame me?" He says, his face completely devoid of any emotion. He looks serious.
"It's 95 degrees out in LA. The sun is freaking scorching," Laura begins, smirking. "can you really blame me?" She uses his own words against him.
It was the middle of June and the hot summer temperatures weren't even at the height of how much worse they could be. They were both free after a few hectic months. Laura was becoming an actress on the rise and Ross's band was slowly beginning to earn more gigs as the days went by. So it made sense as to why the two friends decided now would be a better time than any to hang out.
"Not really, you're really rocking that top." He winks and she nudges him playfully.
"Thanks, you're really rocking that beanie but...I think it'd look better on me." And before he can even say a thing, she snatches the beanie from him and pulls it on over her head.
He arches an eyebrow. "You're lucky you're cute,"
"How do I look?" Her eyes twinkle with amusement as the brunette twirls around, completely forgetting she's still on the skateboard. She falls backwards on her butt and into the grass, laughing at her own clumsiness and misfortune.
"Did I say cute? I meant insanely cute." He chuckles, walking over to where she fell and kneeling down.
Laura continues to laugh too. "Shut it, fiend and help me up." She holds out her hand.
He crawls over and hovers his body over her much smaller one. "And if I don't? I like to see you here. All sprawled out..."
She throws her head back and giggles, her hands trying to push him off but he's too heavy to budge. "Gutter. Your mind is the absolute gutter."
Ross smiles at the way her face lights up. It makes his chest tighten. "Your laugh is wonderful."
"You're a horrible flirt, you know that?" Laura chortles. "Now get off me!" She squeals as he grabs her wrists.
"I'll get off under one condition." He tells her.
"What?" Laura looks up at the boy.
"Go see Walk The Moon with me. I have two tickets and I'm in need of company. Preferable company at that."
Like what a date? "Why me? Maybe I already have plans, you can't just assum-" She's cut off by his finger pressing against her lips.
"First, I checked your schedule. You're free that night. Plus please dude I've known you for two years, and you take Fridays off to catch up on Homeland." Ross smirks. "Second, because you're the only one I want to go with."
He smiles down at the girl beneath him and her answering smile is all he needs.
Laura stares at herself in the mirror. After about fifteen different outfits, three hours of time wasted, and not being able to find a single decent thing to wear, the brunette barely has thirty minutes to get dressed.
She's quite agitated if she may add and on her sixteenth outfit. It's a tribal print crop top that fits her upper figure just perfectly paired with acidic high-waisted shorts that hug her curves. It's not too much and probably a bit different from anything she normally wears but it's new and she feels good in it. She's just still not sure it's the one but she has no choice but to go with it.
"What do you think?" She asks her older sister, Vanessa, for her opinion.
"Laura, you look good. You've looked good in all the outfits you've tried on." Her sister explains, laughing lightly. "Why are you so worked up over this? I thought you said it wasn't a date?"
Laura sighs and walks over to the dresser. "It's not. It's just two friends. Two very close friends. Hanging out on a Friday night. That's it." She shrugs nonchalantly.
"Yeah two friends that obviously have the hots for each other." Vanessa waggles her eyebrows.
Laura gapes and throws the bra in her hands at her sister. Vanessa dunks, dodging the article of clothing by an inch.
"What?" Vanessa says in defense. "It's true! You don't see the way that boy looks at you. Like you're the most precious thing in the world to him. His eyes literally light up whenever he sees you. "
"He likes to see me. I like to see him. What's the big deal?" Laura says, her deft fingers combing out her soft curls.
"The big deal is he's crazy about you and you're my sister, I know when a boy's gotten under your skin." She walks over to stand behind Laura.
"He won't make a move, so it'll never matter how I feel." She turns and smiles sadly. "That's fine with me."
"So you make the first move. He's probably just as scared as you. You both don't know what you're missing out on. I say go for it. See where it takes you."
"It doesn't come easy for me with describing my feelings, you know that." Laura frowns and turns back around, looking frantically around the dresser for something.
"Looking for this?" Vanessa asks, holding up a garland headband made of white daisies. Laura looks up at her sister through the mirror and nods.
Vanessa smiles gently and pulls the flower crown over and around the girl's head. "I don't want you to let your flaws stop you, okay? Live your life because you only have one."
"Yeah and in my case, I have to take my time seriously because I don't have much of it." The brunette looks down, pushing away a loose strand of hair.
"You don't know that. No one does." Vanessa's expression is one of sympathy.
"Oh please, Vanessa. We all fucking know it." Laura replies quite harshly. "I'm barely making it day by day."
"Laura. look at me." Vanessa says. Her eyes hard and determined. "Look at me." She repeats and Laura hesitantly turns to look at her. "You're strong. You are going to have a long, healthy life ahead of you. I'll make sure of it if I have to."
The brunette sighs, looking her older sister directly in the eyes before moving around her to go find her shoes. "How do I know that? How can you be so sure? It's like I have an hourglass attached to my body and it's running out."
"Stop saying that!" Vanessa admonishes. "For fucksake Laura, doesn't everybody? Stop giving up so easily."
Laura glares at her sister and is about to speak until she suddenly feels the rise of bile in her throat. She puts her hand over her mouth and quickly runs to the adjoining bathroom, sinking to the floor in front of the toliet. She then vomits all of the pain and worry away until she feels as if there's nothing left. Vanessa's by her side in a nanosecond, grabbing her hair and pulling it back so it won't be in her way.
It takes a few more minutes for her to finish and then Vanessa is up and back with two white tablets and a cup of water. "You're good?"
Laura nods, wiping her mouth with the back of her hand. "Yeah." She sighs and leans back against the wall. She can feel the tears threatening to fall. "Why me?"
Vanessa frowns and kneels down beside her sister, pulling the girl closer. "I don't know."
"Yeah. Of course everyone has an hourglass..but mine is just going a little faster than others." She decides to ignore her sister's previous tone and takes the pills she gives her.
Vanessa breathes in and out, she rubs her sister's shoulders."Stop worrying about time. Tonight I want you to have fun, let loose and stop being so uptight about everything cause you have been lately."
Laura opens her mouth to speak. "Nessa, I can't help my freak outs," She pauses. "and that's only becau-" She's cut off.
"Shut up. I don't want to hear anymore complaining from you tonight. Understand? You need to have fun, my little Audrey Hepburn." Vanessa gives her sister a pointed look and a little smile.
"Okay, okay. Fine. I promise." She surrenders, holding her hands up. "and really, Audrey Hepburn?"
"Good." The smile on Vanessa's face grows. "What? You look just like her." Laura's nose scrunches up, Vanessa laughs. "Mom would be so proud of you."
"You think?" Laura smiles a bit at the mention of her mother.
"I know it." Vanessa squeezes the girl's shoulders and hands her sister her toothbrush before letting her go.
They both walk out into the front room and before Laura can say another word, there's a knock at the apartment door and her eyebrows shoot up. "He's here."
Vanessa claps her hands excitedly. "Actions speak louder than words." She whispers before backing away and disappearing into the kitchen.
"What the hell does that mean?" Laura whispers back, her frown lines marring her forehead. She shakes her head and grabs her purse that she earlier laid on the couch, walking over to the front door.
She doesn't wait another second to open the door.
"Did I mention you look, uhm..wow?" Ross asks, stuffing his hands into his pockets.
They're walking on Santa Monica Boulevard and Laura keeps checking her watch. The time reads 8:30 PM and she's completely confused regarding where they're going. The venue they were supposed to be heading to was the opposite way.
"For the fifth time, yes." Laura smiles. "Not that I mind. You're really building up my self-esteem." Ross smirks at her comment. "Now do you mind telling me where we're going, lover boy?
"It's always my pleasure." He winks at her as they stop in front of a small building graffitied with different musical instruments and various artist names on the outer wall. "I just need to make a little stop here to pick something up." He pulls open the door for her.
Laura eyes him suspiciously but nods. "Okay." She looks up at the sign of the store and it says 'Record Surplus.' The name seems oddly familiar to her but she's not sure why.
"You coming, dude?" Ross asks the brunette, knocking her out of her fixation on the sign.
She looks over to him and she shakes her head. "Yeah, sorry." She smiles apologetically and walks in through the open door.
The store is rather big. A lot more bigger than you'd think it was if you were standing outside or just walking by. There's rows and rows of records filed neatly by categories such as artist names, album names and genre types. The rows actually go on so long that they seemed almost endless.
"What did you have to get?" She turns around to face him and shoots her eyebrows up in curiosity.
"Something." He smiles gently. "Come on." He grabs her hand and squeezes it before pulling her with him to the front desk.
It takes a few minutes for the clerk to turn around and notice the two friends but eventually he does and his eyes light up in recognition. He looks to be in his early forties and he's wearing a Greenday shirt and black jeans. "Ross!" The man exclaims, walking around the counter to come and hug the blonde.
"Greg!" Ross exclaims back, hugging the guy, not once letting go of Laura's hand even as she tries to pull it away.
"It's been a while. How you've been?" Greg asks, pulling back from the hug.
"I've been great. I miss working here. Feels weird not coming back every day." Ross frowns a little.
"You have your band now. It's fine, stop getting your panties in a twist." Greg jokes. "Business has been booming so it's been pretty great." He smiles and nods his head at Laura. "Is that the girl?"
Wait what? He knows about her?
"Hi," Laura responds, giving a polite smile.
Greg eyebrows raise. "You look awfully familiar." He mutters before diverting his attention back to Ross.
"This is the girl." Ross looks back behind him and smiles, pulling Laura a little closer to him before turning his head back around. "You got what I asked for?" He asks. "We're kind of in a hurry."
"Oh yeah." Greg walks back around the counter and kneels down to grab a record with a black and white cover. He places it on the counter and slides it across to Ross. "There you go."
"This it it?" The blonde takes the record into his hands.
"One of the first ever." Greg nods, leaning forward on the counter.
"Thanks, man." Ross smiles a smile of gratitude before shaking hands goodbye with Greg. "How's Lisa?"
"You're welcome. Just don't be a stranger." He points a finger at him. "And she's doing great. She's in the back doing inventory. I'll tell her you said hi."
"Awesome. I'll see you later." Ross heads to the door and then they're in and out.
Once they're outside, he lets go of Laura's hand and turns toward her. "Before you tell me no and say that it's too much. I want you to know that giving you this and seeing you smile would really make my night. So I'm not taking no for an answer, alright?"
She nods. "What exactly is it?" Laura asks.
"Hold out your hands and close your eyes," Ross tells her and she willingly does it. He then places the record into her hands. "Open."
She opens her eyes and what she sees makes her jaw drop. "You didn't," She breathes out in awe. "W-w-what how? Why?"
"I have my connections and because I remember you telling me you had every Rolling Stones vinyl but one for their first album and so I thought 'why not?'" He shrugs, a big stupid smile taking over his face.
Laura can't seem to help it herself when she replicates one of her own and it spreads over her face. "But England's Newest Hitmakers? This had to cost you a fortune."
"You're worth it though. You always are."
"Thank you." She leans up to kiss his cheek. "This is really sweet. I finally realized why this place seemed so familiar. My mom, she used to bring me here when I was a little girl. I remember thinking I was in heaven. My obsession with music started kind of early." She laughs.
"I know. Your dad was the one who suggested I take you here. When I told him I used to work here, he couldn't believe it. Thought it was divine intervention or something." He chuckles.
"You talked to my dad?" Laura smiles, shaking her head. "Yeah it kind of is. But it is a small world, right?"
"I guess so." He smiles.
"How did you find out she was in love with you if you found out on your first date?" Gabe asks, walking down the basement stairs with Ross at his side.
"It was later at the concert." Ross tells him, walking down the last step and helping the boy down too. "Your mom got a little too drunk. A lot more than I should have let her." He walks over to a stack of boxes labeled with different things. "Although If I had to take it back, I wouldn't because it changed everything."
Gabe follows close behind. "Did she just blurt it out?"
Ross grabs a box from the back of the stack and shakes his head. "Not exactly. It happened a different way."
Two hours later and they're safely at the concert. The band is on their twelfth song for the set and they're still only just getting started. They're playing the song Avalanche and Laura is feeling the music. Her body moving in synchronization with the slow beat.
She looks happy and Ross is beside the brunette. His dark brown eyes lighting up as he continues to look down at the beauty below him. His arm is thrown over her shoulder while her own arm is around his back.
The two best friends are swaying from side to side as the band sings about knowing someone in a past life. Laura moves from under his arm to twirl around, her fourth drink of cosmopolitan held high in her hand.
Ross had somehow managed to get two fake IDs. So the two seventeen year olds were granted to get all the alcohol they wanted. He had teased her about getting such a fruity drink but she didn't care, she just gave him the bird and kept dancing.
As the song comes to a close and the last beat drops, Laura faces Ross and starts shouting the lyrics to the top of her lungs. "I don't wanna wait till the next lifeeeeeeeeeeeee!"
He laughs because she looks free and so he decides to sing along with her. "One glance and the avalanche drops!"
She stumbles a little and he quickly grabs her by the waist and pulls her into his chest. Her drink spills a little and she just giggles, continuing to sing. The very last lyric of the song coming out a little softer this time. "One look and my heartbeat stops."
The song ends and Laura looks up to him, smiling. Her hands move up to hold on to his shoulders making him smile back. "What?"
She shakes her head and giggles again, hiding her flushed face in his neck. "I might be a teensy tiny bit drunk. Just a little." She slurs, holding up her two of her fingers for demonstration.
"Just a little?" He asks, chuckling at her cuteness. She nods, grinning stupidly at him and finishes the last drop of her drink before setting it down on the ground.
The band starts to play a new song and the beat is recognizable to both of them. Ross lets go of her to grab her elbows, sliding his warm hands down her arms until they reach her two much smaller hands.
The lead singer begins to speak into the microphone. "If you know this song, I want you to clap and sing along. Just have fun! Because she said don't you dare look back..."
Laura pulls away from Ross and begins to mimic the lyrics. She holds two of her fingers up and points at her eyes as they sing 'just keep your eyes on me.'
Ross smirks and plays along, shrugging. "You're holding back..."
"Shut up and dance with me!" She sings and grabs both of his hands. He laughs and entwines their fingers on one hand as he twirls her over and over. He swings both of their bodies around and then he lets go, deciding to let her do her own thing because he'd much rather watch her.
"Hey!" She pouts at the lost of contact and speaks up over the music. "I know you're in love with me! So come dance!"
Wait what? His heart stops. "What did you you just say?" He yells back.
Laura stops dancing to walk over to him. She smiles, covering her hands over her mouth so he can hear her loud and clearly. "I know you're in love with me."
Maybe it's the bit of alcohol in his own system that gives him the guts to say what he's about to say next. "How do you know?" He questions.
"I see the way you look at me." She shrugs as if it's just that easy. "And because...I'm in love with you too."
"You're in love with me?" He says incredulously, his eyes widening.
"I'm in love with you." She repeats.
Before she can take another breath, she's in his arms and he's kissing her. Hard. As if she's all he needs to breath.
"What're you doing out here?" Laura asks. Her shoes in her hands as she stands on the last step of the patio that leads out to the backyard. "I've been looking for you."
"Sorry." Ross tells the girl and looks up from his spot against a tree. "Just had to get away from all of the commotion for while." Holding up a bottle of whiskey, he asks "Join me?" He raises his eyebrows up in suggestion.
She doesn't give him an answer but instead she drops her shoes from her hands and takes the short walk to where he's at. It's a cool May night and being away from the graduation party going on inside sounds pretty ideal to Laura. The music was making her throbbing headache even worse than it already was. It'd been almost two years since she drunkenly told Ross for the first time that she was in love with him. She remembered that day like it was yesterday.
She takes a seat next to the boy against the large oak tree and grabs the bottle of alcohol out of his hands.
She takes a chug of the amber liquid before gulping it down and passing it back. "Want to tell me what's wrong?" She leans her head against the tree and looks over at Ross.
"The future." Ross shrugs and takes the bottle back. "College. Everything."
"Wanna talk about it?" She reaches over to grab his free hand and he looks down as she does.
He squeezes their joined hands. "If you think I'm worried about us too, then you couldn't be more wrong." He raises her hand up to his lips so he can kiss her knuckles. "You're my future."
"I know." She smiles gently. "I just still want to know these things. I told you your problems are my problems and your worries are my worries. We have to communicate about these things."
"I'm just scared, you know?" He says and takes another sip of alcohol. "Thinking of growing up and going out on my own is really frightening."
Laura nods and lays her head on his shoulder. "You won't be alone. Life's scary. I get that but we're going to get through it together, okay?"
"I remember you telling me you got accepted into NYU. The first thing that came to mind was you being thousands of miles away from home and well, me." He looks down at her as she plays with their fingers.
"But silly, you are my home." She kisses his shoulder. "You really thought I'd leave and without you?"
"I did." He answers with a hint of guilt. "That's why I made sure I applied exactly the next day."
"I love you for that." She whispers.
"I'll never tire of hearing you say that." He smiles. "Now since we're talking about my feelings. It's only fair that I get to ask about what's going on with you too." He softly nudges his girlfriend.
"Well other than the daily headaches. There's been nothing new." She tells him. She probably fibbed a little but that's only because she didn't want him to worry. She was 100% sure now that she was going to be fine. Sure, lately she had started to feel a lot more tired than usual, she felt weaker and her headaches were more frequent but still she didn't let that stop her from going on with her day. Her doctor just told her to continue to take her medication until it was time and so that's exactly what she did.
He kisses the top of her head. "You sure?"
"Yes. I'm sure. They're just stupid migraines. I'm fine." She reassures him.
"Nothing regarding you is stupid." He pulls her closer. "I just want to know if you're okay. You scratch my back, I scratch yours." He deadpans.
Laura loved him for that too. She just wasn't sure how she was going to tell him. She'd find some way to and soon.
Ross leans his body against the side of the bedroom door. The sight before his eyes making him grin. Laura's brown hair cascades down her back as she lays on her stomach. Her body is awkwardly sprawled out on the bed and she looks deep in slumber. Her usual snoring is very loud but it's cute though. At least to him.
He walks all the way into the room and over to the bed where he gently sits down beside her sleeping form. He leans down to push a few strands of her hair away from her face and then he kisses the spot below her ear.
Laura murmurs something that he can't exactly make out as she stirs, her body moving around to better adjust her position. Ross chuckles as she does, his fingertips ghosting up and down her smooth, bare arms.
He grabs the camera that is conveniently hung around his neck. Setting his finger on the button at the top, he zooms in and focuses the camera on his girlfriend's pale face. Taking the picture, her lips are parted as she takes each steady breath, her nose scrunching up in the adorable way it does when she's irritated and her long eyelashes flutter which lets him know that she's about to wake up.
He waits as she opens one eye and squints to avoid the morning light from blinding her. "Who is that?" She whispers groggily.
"It's me." Ross smiles, nudging her body with his elbow playfully and she groans.
"Stop it fiend, I'm sleepy." She shoos him away and closes her eyes again, rolling her entire body the other way.
"That's the kind of welcome I get. Really? I expected better than that." He teases, climbing over onto the bed and to her.
And as if she didn't realize who it was at first, her eyes pop open immediately and she turns her head. "Ross!" She squeals and tackles him making the blonde fall back onto the bed.
It'd been a month and a half to be exact since she'd last seen him. It was her senior year of college at NYU and in a week they were going to graduate. As promised and said before, Ross followed his girlfriend over 2,000 miles to New York and they shared a one bedroom apartment that was pretty spacious if they may add.
Laura was often alone though due to the fact that Ross and his band were constantly on the road so he was taking school online. They'd even made plans for him to actually return for their senior year on campus but not everything could go according to plan sadly.
She understood completely. This was what he wanted to do. Play music. Hell she didn't blame him. She was majoring in Performing Arts.
He had proposed to her over winter break back in Colorado. He had made her the cutest necklace made out of yarn with beads that had the letters engraved on them. The letters on the necklace spelled out 'will you marry me?' Of course she had said yes.
"I missed you." She smiles and he smiles back, wrapping his arms around her waist.
"I missed you too." He kisses her lips softly.
"Ow," Laura pulls back for a second. "What's with the camera poking my stomach, you some kind of photographer now?"
"I changed who I am." He jokes. "Stop cramping my style, lady."
She giggles and sits up. The shirt she has on catches his eye. It's of his favorite football team and it's his.
"I think you look better in my shirts." He murmurs. His hands sliding up her bare thighs. "So much better."
She grabs his hands before they can ascend higher. "Keep your hands to yourself you neanderthal." Laura then grabs his camera, lifting his head to pull the strap over it and holds the camera up to her eye. "Smile."
He laughs and brings his hand up to his face trying to cover his eyes. She presses the button and takes the picture. "Okay no fair! You can't do that." She pouts. "Just one big smile."
He rolls his eyes and then smiles big, showing his teeth. Laura grins, holding down the button once more and taking the picture. "Now was that so hard?" She sets the camera down on the other side of the bed and climbs off of her boyfriend. "I have something for you."
She leans over to grab an envelope, pushing a strand of her hair out of her face. She kneels on her knees and hands him the blue envelope.
Ross raises a curious eyebrow and takes the envelope. His facial expression is one of confusion as he sees his name scripted on the front. "What's this?"
Laura's cheek flush with nervousness as she responds. "Open it and see."
He eyes her weirdly but she gives nothing away and so he starts to tear the envelope open. It's a purple card and on the cover it says I have a surprise.
Ross looks up to see Laura grabbing the polaroid camera up from the bed and he's amused. "Is there a point to this?" He asks.
"Yes. Now open it." She tells him.
He doesn't wait another second to. What he sees makes his eyes hypothetically bulge out of their sockets and his breathing stop. The card reads I'm pregnant. With the picture of a small bottle underneath and at the bottom it says (SURPRISE) in capital letters.
Ross looks up again from the card and Laura as if on cue is quick to snap his reaction. "You're pregnant?" His face is full of shock yet awe. He looks baffled but with good intentions and evidently speechless. The smile that spreads on his face can't be missed within a mile radius.
"I'm 5 weeks along. I found out two days ago." Laura explains hoping to clear up the confusion on his face. It helps. Bringing the camera down, the brunette whispers. "Surprise." She lifts her shoulders as if saying 'what can a girl do?' and smiles.
Laura leans her body against the counter, her head propped in her hands as she waits for him. Her hands shaking as she anticipates his arrival. She's not sure whether she's freaking out because she can't believe it's back or because she's actually waited so long to tell him.
She starts to think about how much weaker she had started to become over the last few months and how come she didn't think that this could've been why. Especially after their son was born. She could barely move from place to place sometimes and it only seemed to get worse.
When she was 19, her doctor told her that the chances of her cancer coming back was at a low. 20% to be exact. But it still didn't mean that all traces of the cancer was gone from her body. Maybe she was too confident or maybe she just believed in miracles.
Laura would've never thought that six years later, she'd be back in this position and that it would be this bad. She suddenly hears the front door burst open then close a moment later.
"Laura!" Ross yells so loud that she's sure if there was anyone else in the entire house, they'd hear it.
"I'm in here." She says and he turns his head in the direction of the kitchen and runs into the room.
Ross hurries to her side, touching her face for any sign of injury. "What's the matter? I got your voicemail and I freaked. I got here as soon as I could. Is the baby okay? Are you okay?"
"It's not as urgent as you think. The baby's okay. I'm okay...at least for right now." She murmurs the last part to herself and grabs his hands from her face.
"You told me it was an emergency though, of course I'm going to be worried and what do you mean 'at least for now' what the hell is going on?" He clasps her shoulders.
"It's a long story." She takes a breath before beginning. "I never thought in a million years, I'd ever be diagnosed with cancer. Definitely not at seventeen years old. It was a total shock to me. Not much to my dad though." She shrugs out of his hold and moves around him. Ross turns, his face impassive as she continues. "Mostly because cancer was something that went around on my mom's side of the family. I mean even when she passed it was from cancer." She laughs bitterly. "He was sure the odds of Vanessa or me having it was 9/10. He just never thought it'd be so soon."
"You had cancer?" Ross asks, his voice a little too soft and full of disbelief. "What? How come I didn't know?"
"Ross that's what you don't get. I couldn't even handle the idea of knowing it myself. I was in complete denial. Hell just the thought of possibly fucking dying scared me. I wasn't ready for that." She explains. "But then...I beat it and I couldn't believe it."
"Is that why you cut all your hair off that summer I went away on tour?" Ross questions, trying to put two and two together.
Laura nods, confirming that he's correct. "I kind of felt invincible. I was 19 when the doctors finally told me that it was time and had given me different options. In the end I went with chemotherapy. The surgery ended up being a lot more successful than anyone imagined it would be. I swear it was like a miracle. I couldn't even believe that it had actually worked but it did."
"So just like that it was gone?" Ross walks over to her, his eyes confused and pleading for answers at the same time.
"My doctor told me that although the tumor was gone, I was in remission which meant that there could still be traces of cancer in my body. The thing that kind of made me so optimistic that it wouldn't come back was you." She turns to look at him and smiles a little.
He frowns. "But how? I knew nothing. I could've been there. I could've supported you."
"It was your first tour. I wanted you happy. You were there in my heart. You always were. You were my one reason not to give up." Laura explains. "And so I didn't, I fought."
He nods, understanding. "You were more important than some stupid tour. More than anything. But you're okay now." He rubs her arms. "That's all that matters."
"That's the thing, Ross. I was still in remission 4 and a half months ago. I'm not anymore." She whispers.
"What are you talking about, Laura? What are you saying?" He raises a confused eyebrow. "That's a good thing right?"
Laura shakes her head, crossing her arms. "It came back and this time the tumor is near my heart." She murmurs.
Ross's world stops. "Please tell me you're not being serious. Please tell me this is all some big practical joke and you're just fucking with me. Laura, don't do this. You're fine, right? You're fine." His voice cracks and he cradles her face in his hands.
"Ross," She mumbles his name and it's almost too hard for him to breath. "It's been ruled terminal. I don't even have two months to live. Barely a few weeks."
"No, No. No." He whispers to himself. He presses his forehead to hers and closes his eyes. "Laura, please. Please baby, please."
She touches his cheek. "I love you so so so much. You'll never know how much you really mean to me. I really believe you are the greatest thing that's ever happened to me." Laura whispers, trying to soothe him. She wraps her arms around him tightly when she feels his legs begin to buckle.
"Laura," He chokes out, hiding his face in the crook of her neck and he holds on tighter for dear life. He's too scared to let her go because he's afraid she's going to disappear into thin air and it'll be nothing left but pain.
"This is the picture." He hands the photograph to his son.
Gabs takes the photo, his eyes move over it several times. "She really was beautiful." The boy smiles as he stares at the photo of his mother.
It's the same photo Ross took the day he found out she was pregnant. She's sleeping peacefully on the bed. He even recognizes the way her nose scrunches. Just like his does. They have the same eyes, eyebrows, eyelashes, hair, lips, pretty much everything.
"Is that how you found out?" Gabe asks father.
"That's the story of how I found out. She was sent home to await death and she died three weeks later." Ross swallows a lump in his throat. It'd been almost thirteen years but he knew it'd always feel like it was yesterday. There'd always be that pain in the hollow of his stomach. No matter how hard he tried to move on.
"She sounds like she was amazing." Gabe smiles back.
"She was amazing." Ross says matter of a factly. "I know she loved you with all of her heart." He pokes the boy in the arm.
"She loved us both, I'm sure." The boy tells his father and his father nods in agreement.
Ross ruffles the boy's hair. "Just know the moral of this story is life does some really terrible things, son. If you ever fall in love, just don't let that girl get to you. Walk away." Ross sighs. "If you choose to stay, I just really hope life won't bring you the same pain it brought me."
"I promise." The boy hugs his dad tightly and it's then Ross realizes, the reason he's got through all these years is because of this boy. His son.
Fin.
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I really hope you enjoyed. Reviews would be amazing.