I Wanna Be Yours (Arctic Monkeys Fanfiction) UPDATED VERSION

31 | Popcorn

Technically, we rented the place until eight in the morning the next day, but the rest of the band was too tired to use the extra hours when they went home at midnight. On his way out, Alex grabbed the extra candy we had and opened the door. A cold breeze flew in the apartment. "You coming?"

I never got time alone anymore, and since this was private property now that we rented it, I figured it would be nice to finally enjoy my own company. "Nah, I think I'll just stay for a while."

Alex furrowed. "In the dark? Alone? Why?"

"Don't really know. I feel like it."

He sighed, rubbing his eyes, clearly tired. It smudged some of the makeup. "Not alone, you are. I'll tell the band to pick us up in the morning."

The morning? I only figured I'd stay for an hour or two.

"There's a store right down the street. They'll probably sell pajamas. I'll be back. It'll be a Halloween sleepover, of sorts." He grinned lazily.

I counted the time until he got back, running my hand along the faded world map. My heart pounded at the thought that we were staying the night together. I was so lost in my head I almost jumped when I heard the doorbell.

Alex tossed me some clothes, closing the door behind him. "Here you are."

"Thanks." It was soft under my hands. "I'll be quick to change."

He leaned against the door. "What, you can't change here?"

"Idiot," I laughed. I brushed past him on the way to the washroom. The grey tee was extremely comfortable, the shorts were soft, and the knee socks fit just right. When I walked out, Alex was in the midst of getting changed and I saw him put on another shirt. He seemed amused when he noticed I was staring and went to scrub off the rest of the makeup on his face.

Alex soon came back out. "What were you planning to do alone?"

I shrugged. "Watch some TV, make a snack. The usual."

"Fun. You like popcorn?"

"I like all food. No discrimination."

He smiled and went to the small kitchen, popping some in the microwave. Before I could turn on the TV, he stopped me. "Why don't we play a few games instead?"

It wasn't as if there were any board games here. I got goose bumps. "Well, what did you have in mind?"

The microwave beeped and he shook some out into the bowl, sitting on the couch beside me. A pumpkin outside flickered. The lamp inside let out a pale orange-ish light that danced around the shadows of Alex's face. It felt warm in here. He set the bowl in between us. "We throw a piece back and forth. Each time we catch it in the air, we get a point. Up for it?"

I nodded, grabbing a few pieces. Alex shifted on the couch, eye on the kernel. I tossed once and he missed. Twice. Didn't work—there was one on his head and one on his lap.

"You know what, Leah? You're just a horrid popcorn thrower." The side of his lips turned up. "I'd never recommend you for the popcorn Olympics."

I feigned heartbreak. "But that's been my dream since forever!"

He threw one to me, hitting my face and falling down. I felt a tiny bit of butter on my cheek and I wiped it off. "Well, maybe we're both terrible at throwing."

"Nah, watch this." Alex tilted his head back and tossed some popcorn in his mouth. He chewed deliberately slow, and proceeded to raise his hands.

I threw some more at him, not aiming for his mouth. "Cheater."

He laughed, and my heart fluttered. It hurt so hard I thought it was going to burst.

An hour in and we were somehow dancing in the middle of the floor at three am, his pajama bottoms dragging and my socks scuffing the floor, and Alex was singing classic Bonnie Tyler, his voice a little off. I recognized it as the chorus to 'Total Eclipse of the Heart.' He had one of my hands in the air and the other on my back and we were practically going in circles.

He stopped singing suddenly. "I was cut off at the motel."

"I remember this." I brought my chin up to meet his gaze. "What were you going to say?"

Alex suddenly stiffed up a little bit. "You wanna know?"

"Desperately."

He opened his mouth. Then closed it, then moved his eyes over me, and his gaze softened. "Leah, I—"

"Wait." All alarms had set off in my head.

A little pain flickered through his eyes. "What?"

I felt a little cold again; I wanted to pull up my socks. Although I truly had no idea what he was going to say, I couldn't have him say anything without knowing the truth. "Arielle called me."

His neck stiffened, head slightly tilted. Alex swallowed, lip curled up a little. "You're kidding."

I didn't know that my voice was going to come out so quiet. "Wish I was."

"What did she say?"

It rushed back to me, but I only wanted to address one part of the conversation. The rest... didn't matter anymore. I felt sick. "You do still call each other every day."

His lips parted and chest sunk. "It's not what you think."

I didn't know what hurt more: that Arielle wasn't lying, or that I hadn't asked sooner. My voice was raspy. "So... you do still call her?"

"Technically," he said, almost in a pleading tone. He held my hand tighter when I felt my grasp slipping. "It isn't what you think though, okay? She found out about the entire plan. Threatened to expose everything. We were only talking in legal terms. I promise you, I promise, it's nothing more. I don't know what she told you—"

"If it was in legal terms, why didn't you pass the job off to your manager?" My hand fell under complete control of gravity, but Alex steadied it in the same position.

"She said if I told anybody, she'd personally tell everybody about the plan. I had to work it out myself."

"You could've told me, I'd have kept a secret," I whispered, a little ounce of relief flooding my face again. "We were being honest with each other, remember?"

He looked a little pale under the kitchen lights. "I'm sorry."

For some reason, I felt bad. I held onto his hand again, my fingers holding on to his knuckles. "You can tell me anything." Soon a smile formed on my lips, and I raised my brows. "Even a man as strong as yourself needs a little support."

Alex burst into laughter, and I joined in. We let go of each other and my ribs hurt from laughing. He ran a hand through his hair. The corners of his eyes were ever so slightly damp. "Using the same words back at me. Nice."

I had to cover my mouth to stop laughing. When it all subsided, I was still grinning so hard my face hurt. "Now what were you going to tell me at the motel?"