Second Place
Portland
Disclaimer: You know what to do! ;)
Pairing: Ross/Laura/Riker
Author's Note: "Shut Up and Let Me Go" by The Ting Tings (cover by Rydel Lynch)
SP*SP*SP
"Hello, Portland, Oregon!" Rocky shouted, his fists in the air, as his chocolate gaze scanned the airport and everyone who would stop and stare at the tall teen, especially the girls. He grinned and threw a wink at the latter, who, in turn, would giggle and wave before continuing on their way.
Ratliff chuckled. "Could you be any more obvious? We're not supposed to attract attention until the concert."
The younger man jerked a thumb behind him. "Tell that to Laura," he retorted, eyes shining with amusement.
Grinning at each other, they directed their attention simultaneously towards said petite brunette, who was smiling and signing autographs. Photos were also being taken, whether with fans or with Riker – it depended on who was a Riaura shipper. Otherwise, it was a typical scene between a celebrity and her adoring fans.
"Should we go save them?" Rydel asked, smirking. She released a giggle when Laura was asked to sign a guy's muscled bicep, and the ensuing frown that appeared on her older brother's face. "Correction – it looks like we'll have to save the male population from Riker's wrath."
"Only if those guys keep hitting on Laura," Ross interjected, snickering under his breath.
Ratliff added, "Besides, it's not like he'd kill anyone… In public."
While they shared a good laugh at their band mate's expense, said blonde was busy fending off guys who couldn't take a hint and stop flirting with his girlfriend. He knew she was popular and pretty and nice and the list could go on and on, but this was getting ridiculous.
And Laura? Laura looked like she was having the time of her life.
It was not encouraging. Not for one Riker Anthony Lynch, anyway.
"Laura, do you have a boyfriend?" a fan asked, obviously male and obviously hinting at nefarious intentions towards her. Not that Laura could tell, and Riker grit his teeth to keep from snapping a reply for her. These were her fans, so he'd let her deal with them however she saw fit.
The brunette smiled, hooking one arm through Riker's and lightly pulling him closer. "Yes, I do," she answered. "This is Riker – he's in a band called R5. Have you heard of them?"
"Oh, I have! I have!" a different fan – this one, thankfully, a teenage girl – squealed, bouncing on the balls of her feet to catch their attention while one hand waved wildly in the air. "I love their music. But not as much as I love knowing you two are still dating!"
"Oh, stop it," Laura bashfully said, beaming. Instead, she saw an opportunity to fan-girl over her favorite band (and no, she wasn't biased… She hoped, anyway) while also promoting their name. "Did you hear about their concert tomorrow night? Please tell me you're going!"
The fan whipped out a concert ticket from her purse. "That's why I'm at the airport! I flew in to see their concert."
Laura and the fan – whose name turned out to be Katelyn – squealed (again) and started discussing details about what they thought the show would be like, what songs they hoped to hear. From the outside looking in, it would appear as though two fan-girls were… Well, fan-girling over their favorite boy band. But that was ridiculous.
Rydel represented a show of female power, because she could hold her own against a band full of guys (whether they were her brothers and friend or not), therefore, R5 was not a boy band. It was as simple as that.
On the sidelines, Riker watched the two girls discuss the band like they had all day. He found it amusing how Laura would wiggle and gesture crazily with her hands when something exciting was spoken about, like how a certain rift went during a particular song or when a favorite lyric was mentioned. He absolutely loved how his girlfriend was as passionate about R5 as he was, if not more so.
Katelyn was the one to pause their conversation; however, it wasn't before the two managed to attract a rather large crowd around the three. "Oh wow, were we talking that loudly?" she sheepishly asked, laughing nervously.
"It's okay, it was fun," Laura soothed, smiling and waving calmly at everyone. "We should be going, anyway. I'm sure the band is tired."
"Yeah, totally," the younger girl said in understanding, nodding. "I'll be sure to say hi tomorrow night."
Beaming, the brunette hugged Katelyn, who looked about ready to implode with happiness. "That would be awesome," she replied, pulling away. "See you tomorrow!"
"Bye!" With that, Katelyn disappeared within the crowd, still flustered but giddy about being hugged by one of her idols, as Laura and Riker did the same. Of course, they were stopped for a couple of autographs and pictures, but they made it back to the rest of R5 within a reasonable amount of time.
"Took you two long enough," Rocky teased, grinning at his brother and friend. "I thought we were going to be stuck in the airport until the actual concert."
Riker gave him a weird look. "Dude, Ryland arranged for the tour bus to pick us up here. You could have just left, and we would have met up there. It's not like it would have left without all of us."
Everyone, except Laura, froze at his words.
"I didn't know that," Rydel finally commented.
"How come you did, but we didn't?" Ratliff asked, suspiciously eying both Riker and Laura. "You two are being suspicious! What are you hiding?"
Laura blinked, feeling a bit clueless about what was going on. "Nothing," she answered. "Ryland sent me and Riker a text about the tour bus. It's going to take us to the venue you guys are performing at, and we're going to stay around the area until the concerts are over."
"Yeah, then afterwards, it's going to drive us to our next stop," Riker agreed, nodding. Suddenly, a thought struck him and he smirked. "Oh, I get it now."
"What?" Ross asked, confused but interested in what the older blonde had to say. "What do you get?"
Grabbing his girlfriend's hand, he started leading her out of the airport, the others following behind them. Casting a glance over his shoulder, he said, "I guess we know who Ryland favors, now, don't we?"
"Hey!" they protested, while Laura laughed out loud.
"Take that back, Riker!" Rocky and Ratliff exclaimed, offended expressions plastered on their faces.
Grinning widely, the blonde popped back, "No way – you're just jealous!" With that said, he pulled Laura into a run as the others gave chase, all shouting that Riker take back what he said. The brunette couldn't help the bubble of laughter that erupted from her throat.
It was no mystery why she loved R5 – especially Riker – as much as she did.
Every day was a new adventure with them, filled with laughs and so much happiness, a normal person wouldn't know what to do with it.
Laura hoped their days like this never ended.
SP*SP*SP
As soon as they stepped foot on the tour bus everyone ooh-ed and ahh-ed over the interior. From the outside, it didn't look like much – just another tour bus with tinted windows for privacy, with a black, grey, white, and dark gold, paint job. But the inside – the inside was amazing.
The living space was bigger than one would expect, with a comfortable black leather couch against one side of the bus. A little further in was the kitchen, with a good-sized sink, a mini refrigerator, some counter room, and a two-stove cook area.
Venturing further inside, the group found a closed-off section that housed their bunk beds. Ross and Ratliff immediately claimed the very top ones, while Rocky wanted the bunk under the drummer. Rydel, who didn't want to sleep anywhere near the floor, claimed the bunk under Ross, which left the two bottom beds for Riker and Laura. The two didn't mind – it just meant that sneaking into the other's bed would be easier.
Finally, they came upon the last section of the bus. Opening the door that separated it from their 'bedroom', they peered inside, excited.
"Damn, is that what I think it is?" Rocky breathed out, awestruck.
"If you're seeing a game room, like I am, bro," Ross, with a giddy expression, replied, "Then, yeah, it is what we think it is."
It wasn't just a game room, however. The flat screen mounted on the wall, with different game consoles available (along with multiple controllers), and all sorts of DVDs and CDs, would suggest that, but the circular couch and table made it clear it would be their work room, too. If one looked closely, they would spot the clear drawers that held the supplies needed – paper, music sheets, pencils, different colored pens, highlighters, etcetera.
Eyes sparkling, Laura said, "This is going to be awesome."
"I can't wait for the rest of the tour to start," Rydel added, beaming happily, "Especially since I'm going to sing a new cover at tomorrow night's concert!"
"It's going to rock!" the two girls exclaimed together, laughing.
The guys chuckled at the girls' enthusiasm. "Yeah, well, we should get some sleep, in the meantime," Riker pointed out. "We have a big day, not to mention rehearsal to get through. We're gonna need all the energy we can manage."
Everyone agreed, then scrambled to claim the one bathroom on the bus. Their luggage had been stowed in the bus's undercarriage, but their carry-on bags had been placed by their bunks, so grabbing clothes or other necessities wouldn't be an issue. In the end, Rydel and Laura won, and both girls checked out their accommodations.
Like the other sections, the bathroom was more spacious than expected. It could easily fit two people but no more, unless they didn't mind being pressed against each other. It had the standard toilet and sink, and the shower was wide and long enough to fit one person comfortably. There were also stacked towels that looked fluffy and soft sitting on the counter, along with a bar of hand soap and mini lotions.
By the time they were changed, washed up, and settled, everyone was exhausted and quickly dropped into a deep sleep. That is, everyone except a certain couple.
Being as quiet as a mouse, Laura crawled from her bed under Rydel's, across the space separating the bunks, and straight into Riker's arms. She breathed a sigh of contentment when his arms wrapped around her petite frame, bringing her closer to his warmth.
Riker pressed a tender kiss to her temple. "Hey," he whispered, a smile clear in his tone. The beds were not so wide that it could fit two people comfortably, but he liked being this close to the girl he loved. He found it soothing.
"Hey," she replied, just as quietly. Shifting around, she positioned herself on top of the blonde, between his legs, chest to chest. She smiled. "You make a comfortable bed."
"Thanks," he said. "It's my purpose in life."
She pouted. "But only for me, right?"
"Of course. You know you're the only girl I've ever wanted, Laura." His fingers ran through her silky hair. "The only one."
"Good, because that's exactly how I feel about you, Riker."
Humming in approval, he figured now would be a good time to bring up the subject that had been bugging him all tour.
"How have your songs been coming along?"
Laura buried her face into his T-shirt, sighing. "I guess they're okay. My manager emailed me last week. When I get back from tour, I have a meeting set up with Disney about recording a song for a soundtrack." At the end, she released a yawn that was quickly muffled by his chest.
If he could jump and shout with happiness, Riker would have. As it stood, it was late, and the rest of R5 were sleeping, so he settled for hugging the brunette tightly. He also couldn't keep the grin from curving his lips upward.
"That's great, babe! This is an opportunity you've been waiting for. You can finally get your name out there, as a singer."
She mumbled in agreement, wariness starting to win, and her eyelids were getting heavier and heavier.
Seeing this, the blonde continued running his fingers through her hair, knowing it would relax her further into the realm of sleep. "Hey babe," he whispered, feeling sneaky and not caring. "Would you do me a favor?"
"… 'Kay," she blurrily responded. Her eyes lost the battle and closed, and her breathing was getting deeper and deeper. Snuggling closer to her boyfriend, she sighed once more in contentment.
Riker bit his bottom lip for a second. He briefly debated if he was okay with manipulating his girlfriend, but mentally shrugged. She would totally do the same thing to him, if given the chance. On that note, he requested, "Will you sing during our tour? At least before we get back to LA?"
She was silent for several moments, and he was afraid she had fallen asleep before she could hear about his 'favor'. He was about to leave it alone and get some rest himself, but the brunette surprised him when she shifted, sighing again.
"… 'Kay. 'Night, Riker."
Grinning in triumph, the blonde quietly said good night before closing his eyes and relaxing into the mattress. Maybe he should feel bad about manipulating Laura like that, despite his knowing she would do the same to him, but he couldn't bring himself to feel that amount of guilt. Not enough, anyway, to take back what he did.
Earlier on the tour, he'd sworn he would get her to sing during one of R5's concerts, and he had just succeeded in getting her to agree. There was no way he was going to change his mind, and no way he was going to let her go back on her word.
Riker was (pretty) sure he could take whatever she dished out in retaliation.
He hoped so, in any case.
SP*SP*SP
In response to his little trick, Laura 'forced' Riker to take her out on a date. He didn't mind – she (reluctantly) agreed to keep her word and, in return, he took her on the most romantic outing he could think of in the city of Portland, Oregon. It wasn't that difficult either. The city was beautiful, the people were friendly, and their surroundings were breathtaking.
Laura breathed in the scent of nature, sighing at how fresh and alive everything was. "This walk through the park was an awesome idea, Riker," she said, throwing a smile in the blonde's direction. "I think I'm in love with this place."
"Like you're in love with all the other places we've been to this whole tour?" he teased. Hands shoved into his pockets, he watched as the brunette twirled where she stood, stirring the leaves to dance around her booted feet. He smiled at the sight, wishing he had a camera to capture this moment.
She playfully wrinkled her nose. "Hey, you can't deny how gorgeous those places were – especially Canada! I would love to visit Victoria."
He nodded in agreement. "We'll go back one day, I promise," he said. "In the meantime, what other places would you like to see?"
"Oh, that's easy," she commented, linking their arms together to continue their stroll through the park. "Australia, for sure, and I would love to go back to New York. I wouldn't mind Italy, because, you know, I'm half Italian." She chuckled a little. "I think France would be beautiful, especially Paris, and who doesn't want to go to Japan? That would be exciting."
Riker chuckled. He found her enthusiasm adorable. "That's a long list, but I'm sure one day you'll get to see all of it." Mentally, he was making notes of the places she mentioned. Laura deserved a lot for everything she has done for him and the band – He would love to take her all over the world, if he could.
"I hope so. What about you? What kinds of places would you visit?"
He pretended to think about it, then answered, "I don't need to go anywhere. I like where I am right now."
The brunette cocked her head to the side, like a curious puppy. "What do you mean, Riker? Like, this park?" she asked, confused. "Or do you mean Portland, in general?"
Pulling them to a stop in the middle of a bridge that overlooked a crystal-clear river, he looked straight into her doe-like eyes. "No, I mean, I like where I am," he whispered, a shy, boyish smile on his face, "As long as I'm with you, Laura. I don't need to go anywhere unless you're there or right beside me."
"Riker…" she breathed out. Warmth spread throughout her chest at his words; her heart melting all over again for the tall blonde in front of her. What she couldn't say out loud was clearly displayed in her expressive eyes, and he leaned down to press a sweet kiss to her lips.
When they broke apart, he grabbed her hand and started walking once more. Both were grinning like maniacs but they didn't care what other people thought – they were happy, and that was all that mattered.
"Come on, let's continue our date. We have band rehearsal in a couple of hours."
She nodded. "Yeah, let's."
SP*SP*SP
As the ending note to their song reverberated through the concert hall, the crowd screamed and cheered. Those in the front were jumping and waving their arms, trying to catch the band members' attention, especially the boys. Girls couldn't get enough of Rocky's good looks, Ross's charm, Riker's boyish smile, and Ratliff's humor. With all four components mixed together on one stage, including Rydel's positivity (her bubbly personality), it created a potent combination.
"Alright, Portland," Riker called out, causing another wave of exclamations to rise up. He laughed. "We have a special performance planned for you guys – Are you ready to see it?"
The audience loudly approved, every single person gathered eager to see what R5 had up their sleeves.
Rocky chuckled. "I think they're ready, Riker," he commented. He nodded toward Rydel, who beamed and jumped down from behind her keyboard. "We now present Rydel!"
Screaming once more in approval, the crowd went wild when said blonde teen walked out with a microphone. It was rare for the only female member of R5 to sing, so they considered this performance a treat.
"Hey, guys, are you ready?" Rydel shouted, laughing. When the crowd roared, she signaled for the music to start. "That's what I wanna hear! Now, this is a new cover, so don't get mad if I mess it up, okay?" At the end, she lightly chuckled, as did the audience to show their support. "It's called Shut Up and Let Me Go."
As the beat sounded through the speakers, she danced slightly where she stood, grinning at everyone. Adrenaline pumping through her veins, she brought the microphone closer to her mouth to make sure every lyric was captured.
Shut Up and Let Me Go:
"Shut up and let me go
This hurts, I tell you so
For the last time you will kiss my lips
Now shut up and let me go!
Your jeans were once so clean, I bet you changed your wardrobe since we met
Now oh so easily your over me
Gone is love"
As the song continued, Ross let his thoughts wander. It wasn't enough that anyone watching him could tell, but it was deep enough that he wouldn't get too distracted by the music pounding throughout the concert hall.
And where do you suppose his thoughts centered on?
Laura Marano, of course. She was always on his mind – there was no escaping her, and Ross didn't want to escape. It was more like the opposite, actually.
"It's you that ought to be holding me
I'm not containable
This turns up it's not sustainable.
I ain't freakin', I ain't fakin' this
I ain't freakin', I ain't fakin' this
I ain't freakin', I ain't fakin' this
Shut up and let me go, hey!"
He was sure he was going insane, if only a little. He hadn't touched Laura since their last night in LA, before leaving for Canada to start their West Coast Tour, and his fingers were itching to feel her soft skin again. His patience with waiting was slowly but surely killing him, and he was almost positive the brunette felt the same way.
Several times he'd caught himself before he dragged her off somewhere, whether it was into the bus's bathroom or into a random closet at one of R5's concerts. He knew Riker had done the latter before – Ross wasn't dumb (or blind, for that matter). He was sure the only thing (or person, rather) that was keeping Laura from his arms was Riker and their hyped-up sexual activities with each other.
It was okay, though, he assured himself. Soon, he would have her once more then his cravings would be satisfied, at least for a little while. He was putting the finishing touches on his newest plan to get them alone, and that took a certain level of patience he needed, if he wanted to pull it off.
And Ross desperately needed to pull it off.
"Shut up and let me go
This hurts, what I can't show
For the last time you had me in bits
Now shut up and let me go
For fear of living in regret I changed this one when we first met
Now oh so easily your over me
Gone is love
It's me that ought to be moving on
You're not adorable
I was something unignorable.
I ain't freakin', I ain't fakin' this
I ain't freakin', I ain't fakin' this
I ain't freakin', I ain't fakin' this
Shut up and let me go, hey!
Oh, love, hold, this.
Hey!"
Ross concentrated on his guitar playing as he grit his teeth. He vaguely felt when Rydel wrapped an arm around his shoulders, but didn't pay attention otherwise. His thoughts were too jumbled with images of Laura under him, panting and flushed from one of their sessions, to completely focus on anything happening on stage.
Yeah, he definitely needed to have the petite brunette under him once more, or at least in front of him, on her knees, as she sucked him off, like she did Riker in the dining room.
Not a bad scenario, he concluded, not bad, at all. He could work with what he knew Laura did with Riker, and incorporate that into their sessions. It wasn't like she hadn't done them before, so she shouldn't be too reluctant. At least, that's what Ross figured.
"Hey!
Shut up and let me go
This hurts, I told you so
For the last time you will kiss my lips
Now shut up and let me go, hey!"
The song came to an end, and the audience screamed their excitement and approval. While everyone else beamed with pride over doing a great job, Ross's smile was directed mostly inward.
He had a plan.
Now, he just had to wait for the perfect moment to strike.
Until*Next*Time
Please review at the bottom. Thanks for reading!
~babydoll92
Nora: Glad to hear things worked out for you (: but yeah, I like the concept of where my story is going, so yeah haha I hope you and your friend keep reading! ;)