Second Place
Heard It On the Radio
Disclaimer: I don't own anything, except this plot/idea – Thanks!
Pairing: Ross/Laura/Riker
Author's Note: "Steal Your Heart" and "Heard It On The Radio" by Ross Lynch (Austin & Ally soundtrack)
*Laura's outfit for Ally Dawson can be found on my profile – Check it out!
SP*SP*SP
Ally stood behind the counter of Sonic Boom, her eyes trailing over a music magazine her father had left for the customers to skim through. However, it was a slow day, so she felt it was okay to relax and take a break instead of straightening instruments like she would normally do.
Flipping the page, the petite brunette nibbled on her lip-glossed lips as her eyes lingered on a baby grand piano that was absolute perfection. Her star bracelet slipped down her small wrist but she didn't pay too much attention to it. Her entire focus was on the beautiful piano. How much allowance would she have to spend for that beauty? She wondered.
Suddenly, the lights went off, and Ally immediately straightened her posture in alarm.
"Hello?" she called out cautiously. "Is someone there?" To keep her hands busy – and to stop the panic she felt from escaping – her fingers plucked at her floral skirt's hem, and she was thankful she wore a sweater. The sudden chill she felt running up and down her spine wasn't helpful for her nerves. "This isn't funny, you know…"
"Well, I should hope not," Austin's voice suddenly spoke, and Ally jumped. Whipping around, her gaze traveled upwards until she saw her blonde companion standing in the doorway to their practice room. When did he get here? She hadn't seen him come in.
"Austin…?"
He smiled shyly. His hands were nervously playing with his red jacket sleeve, and his plain white T-shirt and jet-black pants were the perfect contrast to the otherwise bright color. Ally also noted he was wearing his red Jordans; one of his favorite pairs of shoes. Why was he dressed so nicely?
Austin licked his lips, feeling his mouth turn dry as he stared down at the girl who had captured his heart the moment he'd laid eyes on her. "I, uh," he started. Then, he grinned boyishly. "I wanted to perform something for you, Ally."
"Really?" she asked, brows furrowing curiously. The smile that appeared on her facial features, however, had his heart working double-time. "Perform what?"
He chuckled a little, knowing he couldn't actually tell her. Communicating his feelings through music had always been easier. "I think it would be better if you just listened, okay?"
"Okay, Austin. Whatever you want."
"Cool." Breathing out a relieved sigh, the blonde signaled for Dez and Trish to turn on the strobe lights they'd set up around the store and to play the music he'd prerecorded for this moment.
As the music started, filling Sonic Boom with an unfamiliar but wonderful beat, Ally's smile widened as she waited in anticipation for what Austin wanted to show her. She liked it so far, she liked it a lot.
Austin adjusted his headset microphone, grinning, before opening his mouth to sing.
Steal Your Heart:
"You're a good girl
The perfect picture of an angel smile
From a magazine
But it's a new world
And I know somewhere
There's a side of you
No one's ever seen"
He quickly made his way down the flight of stairs, his feet smoothly sliding him across the floor whenever they could. His smile widened when he noticed how Ally started clapping to the beat, her doe-like eyes sparkling.
"Hey now, baby
No doubt about it
Girl, you drive me crazy
I'm pleading guilty
To the way you make me
Wanna steal your heart
Steal your heart"
Ally laughed as Austin grabbed her hand, pulling her close to his taller frame. He twirled her, making sure to keep her close, and that his words were being taken seriously. They made her blush, but in a good way, and not out of embarrassment.
When he lifted her to sit on the counter, her booted feet lightly kicked the air to keep her balanced but she knew he wouldn't let her fall. She did start laughing again, however, when Austin started dancing right in front of her.
It wasn't like he was doing anything that was funny. No, it was more than that. No guy had ever done something like this to win her heart before, and she was beyond flattered.
"Call me criminal
I won't deny
You make me want it all
Everything you are
So lock it up
Go on and try it
No matter what you do
I'm gonna steal your heart"
From the sidelines, Dez and Trish watched with adoring eyes as their two friends got caught up in each other. Dez was happy that his best friend was getting the girl of his dreams, and Trish was happy that Ally had such a great guy that cared about her.
Exchanging looks, the two silently high-fived in triumph. Now, they just had to make sure the two got their happily ever after. There was no way anyone or anything would get in the way of those two.
"I confess
I kind of like it
That you're innocent
Keeping up your guard
I'll break it down
So you can't hide it"
As the song got closer and closer to the end, Austin slowly closed the short distance between himself and the petite brunette. When his knees brushed against the material of her skirt, he smiled adoringly at her. His hands came up to form a heart over his own as he softly sang the last couple of lines directly to Ally.
"No matter what you do
I'm gonna steal your heart"
The song ended, the music stopped, and Austin was softly panting as he continued staring into the most beautiful pair of chocolate eyes he'd ever seen. Ally seemed just as mesmerized, and he decided to take a chance. A leap of faith.
Gently, he cupped her cheek with one hand while the other found its way to her hip. Leaning down, he kissed her.
Vaguely, the blonde could hear Dez exclaiming in happiness, while Trish rambled excitedly between Spanish and English. Austin didn't care, though. His lips curved into a grin as Ally kissed him back, her arms wrapping around his neck, like she'd been doing it for years.
This… This was the most perfect moment in Austin Moon's life.
Then, "And CUT! That was a great shot, everyone! Good work!"
Ross broke the kiss, stepping away from Laura and the counter she was situated on. Her arms dropped to her sides, and he ran his fingers through his hair. He grinned at her, like they hadn't just been kissing a second ago.
"So, did we decide on where to eat lunch?"
Laura absently swiped a thumb across her smeared lip-gloss. "I think we're still stuck between buying burgers or picking up take-out from that diner a few blocks down," she answered.
"Maybe the others have come up with a solution?" he suggested hopefully. Without thought, he offered one hand to help the petite brunette down. Then, still holding her hand, they started walking to his dressing room. "I'm starving!"
"I know. Your stomach was growling so loudly, I'm surprised I could hear the music," she teased.
He rolled his eyes playfully. "Ha ha, very funny, Laura." Coming up to his dressing room's door, he opened it to see the members of R5 in various states of relaxation on the furniture his mother got to decorate the room. The only one who appeared the least relaxed was Riker, but Ross knew the reason behind that. "What's up, guys? Have you decided where we're gonna get lunch?"
Riker didn't answer; though Rocky and Ratliff voiced their opinions while Rydel made it known that she wanted the opposite. Instead, the blonde bassist glared pointedly at Ross and Laura's entwined hands. If someone were to describe his expression, they would say it was a cross between a pout and a scowl.
As if she sensed the problem, Laura released Ross's hand to take a seat next to her boyfriend on the couch. The sounds of the other four arguing were drowned out as the brunette laid her chin on Riker's shoulder to stare directly at his face.
"You want to talk about it?" she softly offered. She knew he would have a problem with the kissing scenes that were in the movie, so she expected this type of reaction. She didn't have to like it, but she expected it.
Riker shook his head, a sigh leaving his parted lips as he forced himself to calm down. He didn't have anything to worry about – Ross and Laura were just friends; best friends – but his jealousy and possessiveness weren't always logical. He didn't like it, but he knew he had to deal with it before it got out of hand.
"No, no, I'm fine." Taking her hand within his own, he squeezed her fingers reassuringly. "I'm sorry. I'm okay now. Where do you want to eat lunch?"
Laura was satisfied (for now) that Riker really was okay, so she lifted her chin and shrugged. "I don't know, but–" Her head tilted in the direction of the rest of the band members of R5, "–it sounds like burgers are winning." Amused, she smiled.
Chuckling, Riker's shoulders slumped as his nerves calmed even further. "Well, looks like we're having burgers, then." He checked the clock on the wall. "And it only took us almost six hours to decide that."
"A new record."
"Yeah… Our shortest record, to-date."
SP*SP*SP
"So, when do the producers think we're going to Miami?" Ratliff asked over lunch, curious. "I mean, filming just started and everything, but you guys have been working nonstop for a week. When are they planning to shoot the other scenes?"
Sitting across from the drummer, Ross popped a French fry into his mouth, chewed and swallowed, before answering. "Well, right now, we're pretty much done with filming what we need to here, so I guess the Miami trip is going to be scheduled within the next couple of days. Why?"
"We're still a little stuck on the songs we need to write," Rocky commented. "They really liked You Can Come To Me, but we're still responsible for two more songs for the album."
Rydel spoke up. "Hopefully, then, Miami will inspire you guys."
Laura then asked, "What type of songs are you stuck on? Maybe I can help."
"We still have the summer-themed song," Rocky ticked off on his finger, "And the song Austin sings to Ally to win her back after being a douche." At the last, he gave Ross a playfully scolding look. In response, the blonde teen threw a fry at him, and they both laughed.
"The good news," she said, smiling, "is that we don't need either song until we get to Miami. They're going to use one of their beaches for the 'summer contest', and the other song is one of the last scenes we'll be shooting. We have time to come up with something."
"What about recording them?" Riker asked. Time was something they needed, but he liked having time-frames to keep on-track. It was the only way to stay organized, most days.
Ross answered, "The producers booked some studio time in Miami. We're covered, bro."
The older blonde sighed in relief. "Okay, then. We better get to work. I'd feel better if we had most of the music done before we leave."
"Yes, sir," the other five chorused at the same time, grinning innocently. Riker rolled his eyes at their antics but couldn't help the chuckle that escaped.
SP*SP*SP
Before they knew it, their trip to Miami was upon them. However, progress had been made with both songs. Thanks to Laura's help, she and R5 were able to create a romantic song that could make any girl swoon, which was exactly what Austin needed to happen when he won back Ally's heart in the movie. The summer-themed song, on the other hand, was halfway done, but Riker considered it a win. Who knew writing about summer could be so difficult? Regardless, it was going to be awesome.
Currently, R5 was gathered in Riker's room while Laura was filming with Raini and Calum. Ross would have been included, but it was a scene involving only the three of them, like how he had a few scenes by himself. It was okay, though. This gave him the chance to help his band mates with songwriting.
He was idly strumming his guitar, trying to come up with new chords for the melody. Next to him, Rocky was doing the same, but neither teen could come up with anything yet. Riker was tapping a pencil against the small table the hotel provided, his eyes locked on the sheet music, and Ratliff and Rydel were looking through and scribbling down lyric ideas.
"… We could have him rapping some lines?" Rocky finally suggested, breaking the silence.
"Ross can rap?" Ratliff incredulously asked, sounding almost horrified at the prospect.
In response, without looking up from his guitar, Ross threw a nearby wad of paper at the drummer. Unfortunately, said brunette used a pillow to the block the otherwise perfect shot.
Rydel, in defense of her little brother, said, "He can kind of rap. It depends on what he's rapping, though."
Riker stopped tapping his pencil. "We can make it fairly simple." He looked at Rocky, who slowly stood to walk over to him. "What did you have in mind, Rocky?"
The tall brunette brushed his bangs out of his face. A smile was working its way across his features as he said, "I think I have a few ideas… We'll just have to match the melody with the lyrics."
"Well, let's hear it."
SP*SP*SP
Ross was thankful Will had also come to Miami to be their executive music producer. He didn't really trust anyone else to handle their recordings the way Will could, not that he didn't trust Disney to hire the best or anything like that. Ross had worked with the older man many times before, so he knew him and was familiar with his work.
Laura was sitting beside said music producer, eyes excited as she waited to hear R5 record. The song was mostly based on Ross's voice, but needed his band mates' vocal backup to deliver something more powerful. No one seemed to mind, and the producers appeared equally excited.
"Are you guys ready?" Will asked through the soundboard's microphone.
Ross adjusted his guitar on his shoulder. Glancing at his siblings and Ratliff, he saw they were ready too, so gave Will a thumbs-up gesture. "Ready, Will."
As they started playing their instruments, they bopped their heads to the beat, smiling widely. Ross took a small step forward, so that his voice caught perfectly in the microphone.
Heard It On The Radio:
"What up?!
Summer in the sand
He's a drummer in the band
Droppin' the beat
She's a DJ at the boardwalk
A smile and a tan
And her sandals in her hand
Rockin' the shades
You could almost see their eyes lock"
Laura was pleasantly surprised to hear Ross (slightly) rapping, but she had to admit that he sounded good. It wasn't hardcore, like Eminem, but still upbeat and it fit. It made her fingers tap against the soundboard in-time with the music.
"What could be better
Than a party and the weather
With the both of us together
In the backdrop?
Everything was right
And the day turned into night
With the music and the lights
That's where we stop"
Ross rocked his body back and forth to the rhythm, his fingers flying over the guitar strings as he continued to sing. He could definitely see this song being turned into a music video.
"Oh, I heard it on the radio
Sing it out loud
Oh, Coming down to see your show
Uh, Uh, oh,
Everybody now
I heard it on the radio
Oh, Ohoo
Uh, Uh, Oh
Everybody now
Coming down to see your show
Play it back, play it back
One time yeah
I heard it on the radio"
On the other side of the glass, the petite brunette felt like standing up and dancing. If she were being completely honest, this was going to be one of her favorite songs from the album. She was so happy the producers loved R5 enough to give them this sort of opportunity, too.
They were all seriously talented, and this song proved it without a shadow of a doubt (if there actually were any).
"Board and a wet suit
On the day we met
You said, I think of you as catchin' a wave
Shorts and a jet ski
All the other summer things
Kickin it in the sun
All day
We only got time for each other
And we only got time for the summer
Everybody knows
If you gotta let it go
Takin'
Makin' it go your way
Oh, I heard it on the radio
Sing it out loud
Oh, Coming down to see your show
Uh, Uh, oh,
Everybody now
I heard it on the radio
Oh, Ohoo
Uh, Uh, Oh
Everybody now
Coming down to see your show"
Grinning, Will adjusted some switches on the soundboard. He loved working with such talented individuals; they made his work easier and he got to listen to great music. As it stood, R5 was now one of his favorite bands, and Ross Lynch and Laura Marano were two of his most favorite actor/actress. He felt truly lucky to be working with them; they were amazing.
"Play it back, play it back
One time yeah
I heard it on the radio
Okay,
Listen to the story 'bout the party
'Bout the glory, 'bout the summer that would raise the bar
Anyone will tell you
It was chill, it was stellar
The best time we've had so far
Everyone together
Always goin' "Never better"
And the good times go on, and on, and on
Never will forget it
Doesn't matter where we're headed
I'll remember when I hear our song"
At the last line, Ross pointed at Laura, who laughed. He playfully winked, then went back to strumming his guitar. They both knew this movie would be memorable, so every time they heard this particular song they would remember everything it was associated with.
But, mostly, they'd remember the people they'd met and befriended. And the awesome music they had made.
"What!
Oh, Heard it on the radio
Oh, Coming down to see your show
Uh, Uh, Oh,
Everybody now
Heard it on the radio
Oh, Ohoo
Uh, Uh, Oh
Everybody now
Coming down to see your show
Oh oh, oh
I heard it on the radio
Oh oh, oh
I heard it on the radio
Oh, I heard it on the radio
Everybody now
I heard it on the radio
Oh, Ohoo
Oh, oh, oh
Everybody now
Coming down to see your show
Uh, Uh, oh,
Uh, Uh, Oh"
Knowing the end was coming up, Will adjusted the settings so that it sounded like their voices were fading out. It wasn't an effect they had used on any other song for the album, but he felt this would be a nice touch.
"Play it back, play it back
One time yeah
Uh, Uh, Oh
[Fades out]"
"That was amazing, guys," Will praised, grinning at the band. "Now, we just have to record it a few more times, then we can focus on the other song. Sound good?"
As one, the five gave the music producer a thumbs-up gesture. They were all smiling happily, and they looked pumped and ready for anything. It was the type of expression one expected from someone who loved music.
"All right, then" Will said, "Let's play it again, from the top!"
SP*SP*SP
After a long day of recording, the members of R5 were exhausted and retired to their rooms earlier than normal. It was okay, though. Laura understood, and it wasn't like Riker left her alone for long.
No, her beloved boyfriend decided to grab some stuff from his room and bring it over to hers. It wasn't like she minded, and it wasn't like Stormie was going to catch them. The Lynch matriarch, her husband, and Ryland were at home, in LA. Ryland had some football obligations he wanted to fulfill, so had stayed behind, along with his parents. Besides, Mark and Stormie trusted Riker to make sure everyone didn't goof off or get into trouble, and it wasn't like the other Disney workers weren't also present.
And, really, there wasn't a lot that could keep Riker away from sleeping next to his girlfriend.
So, there he was, lying down beside Laura, arms wrapped comfortably around her smaller frame. Her head was cushioned on his chest, her own arms wrapped around his torso.
"I've been talking to Neo," Laura started, feeling slightly nervous but knowing there was no real reason behind it.
"Yeah? What about?"
"He told me that he's been sending in samples of my music to some record labels. He also said that they liked it, and wanted to meet me."
Riker hugged her reassuringly. "Of course they liked you and want to meet you, babe," he said, smiling. "You're an awesome singer and songwriter."
"Thanks," she softly murmured, flushing at the compliments. "I'm not that amazing, but it's nice to hear. Anyway, Neo also mentioned that because of the movie, he said he was going schedule some meetings afterwards."
"But…" he hinted, knowing she was going to add more.
"But, he thinks I should take a break before jumping into anything else," she said, smiling. "I've been doing kind of lot lately, especially since going on the West Coast Tour with you guys. I agreed."
He raised an eyebrow, his eyes trailing down to look at her. "What does that mean? You're going on vacation?" he asked.
"Well, yes," she answered, fingers starting to pluck at his T-shirt nervously. "And, I was hoping if we could… You know…" She ducked her head down, feeling embarrassed. "If we could go on that trip to Canada we've talked about before?"
Riker's face broke out into a grin. "Really?"
"Really." Laura connected her eyes with his, smiling cutely. "This would be the perfect time, don't you think? By the time I finish filming, Glee will be on hiatus, and everything else will be put on-hold. Besides, we haven't been able to spend a lot of time together – Just you and me."
Tenderly, he brushed a strand of hair out of her face. "Sounds perfect," he whispered. Then, he leaned down to 'seal the deal' with a passionate kiss.
Until*Next*Time
Guest: Thank you for reviewing the previous chapter(s). To answer your question, yes, Ross is a virgin. He's isn't suddenly one. Trust me. When he and Laura go 'all the way' everyone will know! ;) Thanks again for reviewing!
And thank you to everyone for reviewing/favorite/following! (: I really appreciate it! And sorry for the update taking so long - I've been going through some personal and technical issues T-T
~babydoll92