I Wanna Be Yours (Arctic Monkeys Fanfiction) UPDATED VERSION

10 | Velvet

We stayed at the beach for a full hour laughing—Collin was extremely relieved we found Alex before there was too much negative publicity about the situation. And I got into the rhythm of things; for the first time I felt welcomed. Alex seemed to genuinely enjoy being near me without being forced to. I couldn't wipe the smile off my face the entire way back to the new hotel. Sand dried between my toes in my shoes. The skin on my face felt tight after being splashed with saltwater. As the morning air dulled, the sun began to rise, warming my shoulders.

The lobby to the new hotel had short ceilings, a stone wall along the sides, and a bar near the back of the building. Most of the furniture was covered in red velvet. It was definitely much pricier than the last one, by the looks of it. We took the stairs to the second floor and found our suite. It had two beds, and a heather grey pull out couch for me.

"I'm going to get ice," Alex said, taking the bucket from the room.

My heart was still caught up in my chest. "I'll come with."

"We'll be back." Alex smiled as we headed to a winding hallway. He chuckled and nudged my shoulder. Our feet scuffed the thin carpet. "You're great at this."

The hallway was pretty long with no lamps, large windows at the end bringing in the only light. My lips were still turned up. "I'm really great at a lot of things. You're going to have to be more specific."

He shook his head and laughed. It was warm and rough, like tequila sliding down my tongue. "Acting, of course."

I forced myself to maintain stride, lips faltering.

"You're a pretty good flirt," Alex continued, running a hand through his hair. His cheeks were flushed. "You had me convinced back there, no doubt that reporter on the other side of the beach. I fully commend you for catching on so fast. You're a natural."

I laughed on exhale, tucking some hair behind an ear. Something hurt in my chest. "Thanks. You too."

"If we keep this up, it'll be a breeze. You could go home faster than expected."

I nodded.

We got to the ice machine and Alex pressed the button, chunks of ice crashing at the bottom of the bucket. He put the lid over and we walked back to the room. "You feeling well?"

"Dandy."

His eyebrow twitched. "Every time you've said that, you've been sarcastic."

"Not sarcastic this time," I gave the fakest smile I could, "I'm doing good."

Alex glanced at me from the side. "Why do you say it so sarcastically, then?"

"Forget it." I quickly opened the door to the room.

"I don't understand."

I threw off my shoes. "I said I'm good."

"Your shoe just hit the wall at hundred kilometers an hour!" Alex shut the door behind us. The rest of the band quieted down at our entrance.

"Sorry, I didn't realize it was illegal to be fast at taking off shoes." I shrugged off my jacket and threw it on the chair, keeping my voice levelled. "I don't understand why you're getting worked up. I'm doing great. I've never been better."

Alex rolled his eyes. "Maybe you're not as good as acting as I thought."

Bingo. "Anyways, what are we doing today?"

"Just tell me what's wrong."

"Nothing!" There was no way I was stupid or vulnerable enough to tell him that I was unaware we were acting on the beach—as if he would actually be flirting with me. In any other situation, I'd usually be happy to tell the truth. "Nothing, God. Can we drop it?"

Alex curled his lip. "So this is a habit, huh?"

"What?"

"One moment, we're fine. The next you hate me."

"I hate you?"

"Seems like it!" Alex tapped his fingers on his dress pants. Two buttons were undone from his collar.

"Guys," Matt coughed.

Blood boiled underneath my skin. "I'm just juggling all of your mood swings! It's hard to feel welcome. All we've talked about when we're not in public is about how you want me gone."

"I said it wasn't personal." Alex's eyes look pained. "I said I didn't want you here because the media will hurt you, especially since you don't know what it's like to have every second of your life watched under a magnifying glass. I do. You leave, nobody gets hurt."

Nick cleared his throat. "Can't we just settle this—"

"How can I not feel like it's personal? You've taken every opportunity you can to make it that way. Fetch?  What the hell was that?" My shoulders ached. "We're not a real couple, so why did you feel the need to lash out at Stephen?"

Alex tilted his head back to the side, straining the muscles in his jaw. His profile cast a stark shadow against the wall. The room filtered in a greyish light that emphasized the lines underneath his eyes, which held an odd sadness. "I'm under a lot of pressure."

The phone rang in the distance.

"Well, there are better ways to deal with the pressure than to tell me to fight you."

Jamie sat up. "Wait, what happened?"

The phone rang again.

"It was a valid suggestion. Sorry if it seemed a little crass," Alex huffed.

I looked to Jamie. "If I physically hurt him, Collin would deem it bad publicity. It's a loophole to get home."

Phone rang.

Alex stepped closer. His voice got quieter. "And don't you want that? Hit me."

I shook my head.

He took another step, lips parting. The cut on his lip hadn't completely healed. "Kick me."

Another ring. My chest heaved.

"Tear me apart; break me to pieces." We were now inches apart, the scent of ash and the ocean still staining his white shirt. His voice dropped down a notch. "Hurt me."

I shoved past him and answered the phone.