HELLO, MY WONDERFUL BEINGS! I was just chilling today and I instantly went "HOLY SHIT what if this happens in my Music Within Me universe? That would be cool!" and then this chapter ended up being a thing.

I hope you guys really enjoy this because I have a BIG plan for the next chapter. I know it feels like I'm speeding up a lot of things, but this is one of the stories I'm toying with on ideas and styles so I'm just going with the flow at this point and trying not to make it another slow ass slow-burn.

ANYWAY! Have a wonderful time with this and let me know what you think! Much love, everyone!

The next few weeks of being together were like some kind of daydream.

If someone was going to knock on my door a few months ago and tell me that I was going to be dating my high school crush I would have looked at them as if they were crazy. I would think they were toying with me in some way.

But what I have with Claire feels like more than just dating my high school crush. It felt like everything within the world was just a bit brighter. That all the pieces within the puzzle I called my life was starting to actually fit into place. Like everything I ever wanted was coming true. Even more than when I was called by Strickler to offer me a record deal.

Yet it seemed a little too easy. A little too perfect.

And when she muttered the word "parents" from her lips, I realized why.

"I knew I was forgetting something this last few weeks." I groaned as I laid my head into Claire's lap. She instantly started to rake her fingers through my head as I continued to speak. "My mom's going to kill me once she realizes how long I've kept this from her."

"If my dad doesn't get you first." I looked up toward Claire like a deer in headlights.

"Claire, I don't want to be murdered. Can we just text it to them? I think that would be fine." She just laughed in reply.

"Oh come on. You know you were the only guy my dad actually liked that I showed up to the house with. Telling him we're dating will be like telling him what he's been suspecting for years now, more than likely."

"Doesn't mean he's still not going to beat the fuck out of me."

"You're acting like he's got a reason. It's not like we've done anything yet." I blushed at her words as I let out a frustrated groan.

"Claire Maria, you're not helping me here."

"Middle names, huh? Alright, James Lake Junior, I didn't know I had to." She smirked before leaning down and placing a quick kiss on my forehead. "It's going to be fine. We'll go back home to Arcadia, see our parents so that they know before the media does, and come back before the showcase the next day. No big deal."

"So much for you to say. My mom always liked you."

"Aw don't be a drama queen. That's my job, remember?" I looked up to her to see she was giving me a gentle look as she now caressed my left cheek with her right hand. "I'll be right beside you through it all. I won't let him get to you."

"And if he does?" A spark seemed to appear in her eyes that made a chill run through my body. She leaned in suddenly so that her lips were mere centimeters away from mine as she whispered softly toward me.

"I'll give them hell like I used to." I closed my eyes on instinct as she captured my lips softly right after she spoke. I smiled into the touch as I felt her do the same. Soon after though, she pulled back and gave me a sweet smile. "Are we on the same page?" I gave her a soft smile as I suddenly felt as if I could take on the world within that moment.

"Most definitely."

"Are we sure about this?" I whispered to her softly as we neared the front porch of her parent's house. Claire's hand was in mine and I held onto it like a lifeline as we went up the front steps together.

My mom took it very well. She seemed to think that we were showing up with bad news at first or something must have happened for us to be in Arcadia out of nowhere with not a single call or text in advance.

But when I said that Claire and I were dating, to say she lost her shit was an understatement.

"No way." My mom looked between us for a moment as Claire slipped her hand into mine.

"I think we broke her." I chuckled at her as I brought my attention back toward my mom.

"Are you okay, mom?"

"Okay?" She let out an airy laugh as she ran a hand through her red hair. It had a few grey specks in it now, but it just as vibrant as it always was when I was growing up. "I'm more than okay! I've been waiting for you two to get together!" I chuckled at her as she held out her arms toward us. "Come here, you rascals! I thought you two were here to tell me something bad happened, not that you two were together!" I laughed at her as Claire and I moved together to be hugged by my mom.

"Here I thought we broke you, Barbara."

"Oh, honey." She pulled back from us to look at Claire with a soft look on her face. "You might as well start calling me mom."

"Mom!"

"What? I know you. You've been wanting this more than anything. You won't let this one slip by on you." Claire gave her a sweet smile as I felt my face burn in embarrassment.

"Works for me! My mom likes being called mamá instead so it won't get confusing on me on who is who."

"I hate you both." My mom flashed a smirk toward me as she crossed her arms over her chest.

"I think everyone here knows that you feel quite the exact opposite for everyone in this room."

"Mom!"

"She's not wrong, Jim."

"You've my girlfriend. You're supposed to be on my side." My mom pulled Claire into her side for a side hug as she gave me a wide smile.

"Didn't you know? The bonds between mother's and their son's girlfriends are unbreakable. You brought this upon yourself."

"You two are going to be the death of me, aren't you?" Both of them gave me a wide smile as they spoke nearly in sync.

"Oh definitely."

"Oh, come on. My parents will take it just as well as mom did." She flashed me a smirk as I felt my cheek blush once more.

"You're not going to live that down, are you?"

"Why would I?" She squeezed my hand gently as I let out a soft sigh in reply. "Loosen up, Lake. It's not like you're meeting them for the first time."

"Don't remind me. Remember how I tripped over my words for a solid ten minutes because I was so nervous?"

"My dad did have his infamous scary routine going on, so I don't blame you. But this is something they can't change. We're adults, remember? If they hate, so fucking what?" I gave her a confused look as she just raised an eyebrow at my confusion. "What? Did you think I would break up with you all because they wouldn't like the idea? I've been pinning for far too long to give up on this now, Lake. You're not getting rid of me anytime soon." I smiled toward her before looking toward the front door once more.

"Then let's do this." I could tell by the slight squeeze on my hand that she was smiling at my response. She stepped forward and knocked at the door twice. The sound of small rushing footsteps came toward the door before the door swung itself open to welcome us to the sight of a small blonde-haired boy. His hazel eyes that were like an exact copy of Claire's looked up toward us in shock before a bright smile came over the boy's face.

"¡Hermana mayor!" Claire slipped her hand out of mine as the boy dashed forward to wrap his arms around her legs. She placed her hands onto his back in reply as a soft laugh came out of her.

"Hola hermanito." After the boy pulled back from her, she dropped to her knees to look the little boy in the eyes. "My, look at how big you've gotten!" I knelt beside them as the blonde then brought his attention toward me instead.

"¡Hermano mayor Jim!" He slipped out of Claire's grasp and basically slammed himself into my chest as he wrapped his arms around my neck. I let out a hearty laugh as I tried my best to keep myself upright.

"Hey there, Enrique." I reciprocated the hug with a smile as I glanced over toward Claire who was giving a soft smile at the scene.

"Enrique? Who is it-?" Claire brought herself to her feet as she looked ahead toward the masculine voice that spoke out toward us.

"Hola papá." She entered the doorway for a mere second before her dad came forward to engulf her in a hug. I smiled at the two of them as I knew that it has been a few years since Claire as been back in Arcadia. Two to be exact.

Don't get me wrong. She made sure to never forget major family events or anything. Sending text, cards, and even setting up FaceTimes with them on birthdays or special holidays so they never felt like she abandoned them, but her newest movie made it difficult for her to see them as of recently. It showed how the man held his grown daughter as if he let her go that he wouldn't see her again.

I picked Enrique up with a smile as I entered the home and closed the door behind me. I shifted Enrique so he was within my right arm so he sat on my hip as Claire and her father pulled apart from one another.

"Mi pequeña niña." A soft smile appeared on Javier looked at her. "Oh, how you have grown on me." She giggled at this as she gave her dad an equally soft smile in return.

"I was about to say, I'm not a little girl anymore, papá." At this point, Javier seemed to realize I was there with Enrique in hand as he gave me a simple nod.

"Jim."

"Mr. Nuñez." I gave him a nervous smile as Enrique squirmed lightly in my arm.

"Can I tell mamá that Claire is here?" I knelt down to put Enrique back onto his feet as I gave him a wide smile.

"Go ahead, Enrique." Javier spoke to him with a soft tone as I stood back to my full height. I looked back toward her dad as the gentle look on his face reappeared. "Not that I don't love to see you, mi hija, but a text would have been lovely."

"Well, we weren't planning on this till yesterday and I kind of wanted it to be a surprise." Claire moved so she was beside me once more as she gave her dad a wide smile. "We've got some news for you and mamá." The older man crossed his arms over his chest as he looked between Claire and me for a moment. I felt my nerves swelling in my chest as I saw a spark of hatred within the Latino's eyes deep hazel eyes. She seemed to pick up on it though as she suddenly grew defensive at my side. "Papá. Don't look at him like that."

"Well if the news is what I think it is, then I have all right to." I felt a blush appear on my face as I instantly understood what he meant by that.

"Enrique said someone was at the-." Ophelia came down the staircase at just the right time as she rushed toward Claire and me with open arms. "¡Hija!" She pulled Claire into a hug first before turning her attention toward me after they separated. "Jim. Wonderful to see you as always." She pulled me into a hug that I reciprocated with a smile.

"Mrs. Nuñez. Great to see you too." She pulled back from me to look over both Claire and me with a wide smile.

"Look at you two!" She gestured her arms toward both of us as she brought her attention to her husband. "Look at them! Oh, how you two have grown!" I chuckled mentally as I noted how each of the three Nuñez adults in the room has each said the same thing.

If you couldn't tell they were related by looks, then that would definitely give it away.

"They have news for us." Ophelia gave Javier a confused look as she went to join his side as Claire had done to me.

"And what is that?" I brought my attention toward Claire as she just looked up toward me with a large grin. She turned her head so she could look at her parents before taking a deep breath.

"Mamá. Papá." She turned her head back toward me as I felt her hand slip into mine once more. "Jim and I are dating." After a second of giving each other reassuring smiles, we both brought our attention toward Claire's parents that were awfully silent at the news. "¿Mamá? ¿Papá?" They were silent for a minute longer before Ophelia spoke.

"Honestly, I thought by all the headlines I saw of you two that you were already dating." I let out a breath I didn't know I was holding as her mom gave us a wide smile once more. "Congratulations. The both of you."

Well. I have her approval. Sorta.

I looked over toward Javier that still didn't speak just yet.

One more to go, though.

He looked between Claire and me for a moment as I just squeezed her hand gently as I felt my anxiety swell within my chest.

You would think performing for millions on occasion would make moments like this easy. But truthfully nothing can train you for telling your girlfriend's scary-ass father that you're dating.

"¿Papá?" Claire spoke softly toward her father as he instead gave me his complete attention.

"Treating her well?"

"As best as I always have."

"Giving her everything she deserves?"

"As much as I can."

"Being a gentleman."

"Just as my mother has taught me." He looked into my eyes as if he was looking into my soul as he stepped forward to stand before me. Suddenly, his hard features broke as he placed his hands onto his shoulders.

"If you're treating mi princesa well, then you're good with me." He glanced over toward his daughter for a moment as he continued speaking. "Always figured you had a thing for this one anyway."

"¡Papá!" I smiled as Javier gave a small laugh at his daughter's reaction. He patted my shoulders for a second with a simple nod.

"Bienvenido a la familia." He smirked as he gripped my shoulders a little too tight for my comfort. "Lastima a mi hija y te irás en una bolsa para cadáveres." I gave him a shocked look as I knew just enough Spanish to understand what the man had threatened me with.

"¡Papá! Don't scare him!"

"What? I had the right. I need to make sure whatever man comes along knows that he should treat you right. If not for you well being, than their own."

"Javier."

"Oh, come on, Ophelia. It's a tradition."

"Don't be scaring him off on her. You know just as much as I do that she likes him a lot more than she says."

"Mamá." I smirked as I looked over toward Claire who was blushing like a fool due to her parent's words.

"Now you know how I felt when you and my mom were team tagging on me." She gave me a shy glance as she squeezed my hand gently.

"Shush."

"Well dinner is almost done, right, Javier?" The man gave his wife a simple nod before she continued on. "So how about you two stay a little while? It's been a bit since you've been home anyway, hija." Claire looked at me as I just gave her a smile in reply. Seemingly getting the answer she was looking for, she turned her attention toward her mother once more.

"Of course!"

"Wonderful! Let's get cleaned up then, huh?"

The few hours we spent at the Nuñez estate went by fast as I was now leaning on the front porch post as Claire was talking with her mom before we made our way back to LA. But it wasn't like I didn't enjoy the time I have spent here. It was just that I've had enough embarrassment for the rest of my life if I'm honest.

But when the door opened behind me, I nearly jumped out of my skin. The soft laugh behind me though calmed me easily though as I heard the soft taps of dress shoes come closer to me.

"You're quite easy to scare, aren't you, Jim?" I smiled at Javier as he came closer and presented me with one of the two glass bottles in his hands. "I saw you both came here in hija's car so I figure this won't harm you. You do drink, don't you?" I took the obvious beer from the older man as I gave him a thankful nod.

"Occasionally. Never when I'm driving. But knowing Claire-." He gave a small laugh as he leaned onto the railing of the front porch as I was.

"She would tell you to live a little." I opened the beer with a chuckle as I glanced over toward the older man.

"Exactly. No wonder where she gets it from."

"Oh trust me. You should have seen her mother in high school. Just as rebellious."

"Just as stubborn."

"Oh, of course. She didn't get that drive from me, that's for sure." I chuckled at that as I shared a smile with him.

"Um, not to say anything weird, but why are you being so kind to me right now?" I looked over toward him as I spoke. "Sorry, it's just that, you just threatened me with a grand body bag exit and now you're giving me a beer on your front porch? Just seems a little sudden."

"Well," He took a quick swig from his beer as if it's liquid courage was needed for him to continue speaking. He swallowed quickly before he started speaking again. "After speaking to you and remembering how you were always willing to give the world for my little princesa when you two were young," He brought the bottle close to his lips once more as he finished his statement quickly. "I guess you won me over in the end." I flashed him a grin before taking a quick swig of my beer as he did the same. I swallowed it quickly as I noticed there was still a gloomy look on his face.

"But?"

"J-." He stuttered for a second as he brought his attention toward me. "Just don't take her away from me too soon. Okay?" I gave him a simple nod as I took another sip out of my drink.

"I won't ever take her away from you, sir. I've known Claire for years now. The two men that she'll always care about more than anything is you and Enrique. There is no change to that." He gave me a soft smile as silence hung between us for a second.

"But you can't seem to see it, huh?" I tilted my head in confusion as continued. "You say that we're the only men she cares about but you don't see the way she looks at you. I know my daughter. She looks at you like she has never seen before." I smiled toward him as I felt butterflies dance within my stomach. I saw it within her eyes myself. Especially within these past few weeks of dating together, but I never allowed myself to think about it too much.

But hearing it from her dad? The man that she would always put above everyone ever since I have met her? That made it more cementing than even seeing it.

"Thank you, sir."

"Javier. You can call me Javier." I gave him a shocked look as he just smirked in reply. "You've earned it." I smiled in reply as we went on to just enjoy our beers in our silent company.

"Look at these." Claire flashed me a large smile as she showed me her phone as we were laying on the couch together. "People literally lost their minds. Thank God we told our parents first. My mother would be calling me in a fucking fit." I looked over what she was showing me which was specifically a photo of Claire and me at her movie premiere. The headline underneath the photo was bold text that said 'THE WAIT IS OVER, JLAIRE IS ALIVE'. I chuckled at the headline with a smile dancing on my lips.

"Wow. A ship name."

"You never heard it before?" I shrugged as I gave her my answer.

"I knew people wanted us together, but I never really cared to keep up with it all. I was more focused on the real you and me instead of what others were saying about us." She smiled up at me for a second before leaning forward and pressing a quick kiss to my cheek.

"That's sweet of you. But I still kept up with them because I thought they were absolutely hilarious."

"In what way?"

"In the way that complete strangers were just slightly more desperate for me to start dating you than I was." I laughed wholeheartedly at her as she smacked me on the chest lightly. "Stop laughing at me."

"Hey! I was just as desperate at this as you were!"

"Doesn't change the fact that you laughed at me."

"Your stubbornness will be the end of you, Nuñez."

"This I have been told many times, Lake."

"So how are you going to deal with us being apart in a few months?" I shot her a lopsided grin as the idea of me being on tour for the new album drop in the next two months was going to cause a possible strain between us. Even though we have dealt with long-distance before as friends, the idea of leaving her side now was more painful than ever before with our recent developments.

But I should have known that was coming when I game Nomura the rest of the album.

"I have my own stuff starting up the month after you leave. It'll be lonely as always after you set out on the open road again. You're going to Europe this time around, right?" I flashed her a smile.

I only ever brought up the tour dates with her once, but that just shows how lucky I am to have such an attentive girlfriend.

Wow. Still can't seem to not get butterflies whenever I even think about that word.

"Yup! The first show will be in Nevada and the last will be in France. It's gonna be a wild one." I lifted a hand up to toy with her hair gently. "I'll be sure to call you every night though. As per usual from our tour routine."

"And I'll be sure to be awake. Even if I have late-night film sessions." I smiled at that as she brought her phone back to her as a loud ding came from the object. Suddenly, she shot up and escaped my grasp so she was sitting up beside me instead. I sat up instantly as worry swirled within my chest instantly.

"Is something wrong?"

"I was dropped." I gave her a confused look that she didn't seem to even have to turn her head to see. "The movie I'm supposed to start filming in a few months. I was dropped from it."

"What?" I moved so that I was sitting beside her instead. "Why would they do that? Wasn't the director of this one practically begging for you to work with him?"

"Yeah. Even offered me an actual stunt devil instead of me having to do it myself like in Turbo Raiders."

"What made him change his mind then? Weren't you ask to start memorizing the script and everything already too? Why would he just-?" Another ding came from Claire's phone which she read with a defeated look on her face.

"Darci said he didn't give a reason why. She said that it seems fishy." I felt a slight bit of anger fill my system as I looked over the text from Darci over her shoulder.

"A little bit more than fishy."

"I don't understand." She collapsed against the couch cushions as she dropped her phone to her side. "I was told that the part was practically made for me. Something completely new as well as the same from all the characters I've done before. A punk teenage witch fighting evil magical trolls to save the world as she's still trying to find herself at the same time." She sighed as she leaned her head back to look up at the ceiling. "I was really looking forward to this one, Jim. Did I do something wrong at all? I must have with him dropping me only a few months before the actual production starts." I got up from where I was sitting so I could sit on the floor before her as I reached out to grab both of her hands.

"There is nothing that you did that was wrong."

"How do you know that?" She brought her attention down toward me with a sad gleam in her eye. I just gave her a lopsided smile as I tighten my grip on both of her hands.

"Because you're Claire Maria Nuñez. You're the most amazing person I know. You're strong, stubborn as a mule, and downright talented. You would put god damn Emma Watson to shame."

"You and I both know I could never-."

"No. You think that you could never. I think you could take this whole damn world by storm if given the opportunity to." She gave me a soft smile as I decided to keep talking. "If this asshole saw the talent you have and then caused his mind cause of whatever bullshit reasoning he's keeping to himself, then he can fuck right off." She leaned forward and slipped her hands out of mine to instead cup my face into them.

"What would I do without you, Lake?" I smiled up toward her with a small shrug.

"I don't know. What would you do without me?"

"I wouldn't be fucking here. That's for sure." I chuckled at that before she planted a quick kiss on my lips. When she leaned back from me, I couldn't help but stare up at her like some kind of lovesick fool before her.

Well. I kind of am but that's beside the point.

Man. It's going to truly be difficult for the both of us now since she was dropped by the film though. Working on our separate stuff always kept us busy from our constant loneliness. Toby would also joke that it was our own fault since we always spent all of our free time together instead of anyone else.

I felt my eyes widened slightly as I came to a quick and sudden idea.

But wait. Maybe we don't have to be apart.

"Go on tour with me." Claire gave me a shocked look as the words fell from my mouth just as suddenly as the thought had appeared in my mind. "I mean, you don't have to if you don't want to and I can understand if you just want to look for another project instead, but maybe this will be good for you. A small break won't kill you, right?" I gave a small nervous chuckle in between statements. "Or maybe I'm just skipping ahead a bit too far and just crossing a bunch of lines here. Sorry."

"Don't be." Her voice was soft. Her thumbs dancing over my cheekbones as she looked at me as if I was the most precious thing in the world to her. "We've never been ones for traditional ways of life anyway." She smiled at me as I felt a flutter within my chest with how her eyes seemed to look deep within my soul.

"So is that a yes?"

"It's an 'I'll ask Darci to make sure I'm not stepping on her toes'. So basically a yes." I jumped up to my feet and pulled Claire up with me as I let out a joyous yell.

"Hell yeah!" Claire laughed at this as she slipped her arms around my neck.

"It's not set in stone just yet, loverboy."

"That's good enough for me!" I gave her a wide smile as my arms snaked themselves around her. She just giggled at me in reply. I didn't care about anything else at this point as I pulled her close to me.

Having Claire become my girlfriend as well as possibly come on tour with me? Best fucking year of my goddamn life. Nothing can change this for me.

Not a goddamn fucking thing.