Suck It And See

1) Worlds Collide

*Disclaimer: I only own my characters and unfortunately not all real people mentioned here. If I did, it wouldn't be fiction.*

Chapter 1: Worlds Collide

If he'd been told that morning that the night would change everything, all he would have managed would have been an eyebrow raise, a polite smile and inquiry before going about his day.

The nominations weren't important to him and he knew any award won would inevitably find its way under the settee, on the cupboard shelf or in the fridge door afterwards. He was here for the performance under the guise it was 'good PR' which 'couldn't hurt'. Any laughs with the costume had been quietly warned against (but he couldn't get the rest of the band on board anyway). The only reason he was wearing this particular tuxedo looking suit was because he could fit his pack of cigarettes and a couple of miniature whiskeys in the pockets.

All this on a Thursday. Joy.

Finally, thought Alex Turner, reclining against the off-white wall. One pocket of peace in the whole damn building. It was the first time he'd felt anything positive since their arrival (excluding maybe that blonde's thigh from earlier). The BRIT Awards always felt like an ordeal and it was only the second one the band had turned up to. All that schmoozing; first with the press on the red carpet under the watchful eye of the swarm of photographers, then inside with the hierarchy of executives and producers and worst of all, the other artists. Most of them were your best buddies - providing there was a lens around and you were deemed famous enough.

Bollocks.

So he'd gone outside the main hall after the dinner. Dinner would have been a highlight, had he not choked on a small piece of bone in his chicken and had to endure Matt, Jamie and Nick constantly checking that dessert was 'safe enough for Grandad'. After accidentally taking a wrong turn en route to the toilets, he'd found this empty corridor. Although he knew it was probably not intended for the guests, it was clean of all the hubbub, the fake tan and ridiculous dresses. No pretence, just silence. After a moment or three or more accurately 7 minutes at the top of the corridor nursing a miniature, he forced himself to make his way back into the circus of a night. He still had some time before the ceremony started but after three texts from Matt, asking where he was and if he'd managed to get locked in the toilets again, he felt his absence had been clocked.

Too absorbed in telling Matt to fuck off, that happened one time at the NME Awards, he failed to notice the sound of the double doors opening, the cautious clacking of heels on the vinyl flooring or the oncoming figure. Text sent, he looked up to see a very pretty brunette pretty close to him walking with deliberate steps, arms slightly outstretched, all her intense focus down on her red shoes. Just in time to see her propel forwards.

"Whoa-!"

Instinctively, he reached out to grab her at the forearms in an attempt to steady her. Except her outstretched arms caused him to instead to hold onto the girl's waist in turn pulling her towards him. Unfortunately for Alex, physics was never a strong point. The momentum of her fall lead them both to end up on the ground, Alex securing the girl on top of him.

"Oooft!"

The pair lay there silenced for a moment, trying to work out what had happened and why they were now pressed horizontally against a stranger.

"Oh, god! I am SO sorry!"

The shock of the fall seemed to subside for her. The girl took charge and took her rather small hands from Alex's shoulders and placed them on the floor and pushed. Her head lifted from his chest and meant there was a little distance between them.