i'm only me when i'm with you, s e t h

[ARIA EOS MASON,]

Rain.

That was the only thing on Aria's mind lately.  Rain brought movie nights in her hotel room with Seth or Joey.  Or both.  That's why when it started pouring buckets and buckets of rain outside while she was out to lunch with Jake, she began to grin stupidly.   Of course, Jake had to tease her, asking if she was thinking of Seth.   Which, technically, she was.  But she knew what Jake meant.  He knew the tall blonde girl had a crush on her bandmate. 

And shortly after that, she picked up her cell phone and called Seth, practically bouncing around her room.  "Hey Seth! It's me, Ari," she beamed, speaking to his voicemail.  "Come over to my room tonight?  I need to see my favorite drummer and have an actual conversation about something other than songs for sets and junk like that.  And maybe watch a movie? Call me back, or just waltz right in.  My door's cracked. Kay? Thanks, bye!" With that, she ended the call.

That was an hour or two ago.  Now, at eight o'clock at night, she was in a tank top and sweat pants, her hair down and back to its frizzy, untamed curls.  Several white Chinese food cartons with red chinese lettering on the side were open on the desk that was supposed to be used for office purposes. At least that's what she always assumed.  But now, it was her dining table.   The twenty-one year old was lost in her country music that was blaring through her earphones that orginated from her iPod.  Her moves were uncoordinated and she was singing loudly to the song.  Door still cracked open and everything.  She wouldn't even had known if someone waltzed in.

Would never even know.

W O R D S * three hundred ;;
T H O U G H T S *  ta-da xD ;;
M U S I C * mix between country girl shake it for me, i'm only me when i'm with you, and who are you when i'm not looking ;;
T A G G E D * seth ;;
W E A R I N G * nothing ;;
C R E D I T S * bruno mars' lazy song ;;

template by RoyaLe of Caution 2.0

[SETH DUSTIN COY,]

i pray you love the man you wake up to

i hope your dreams come true

Rainy nights always put Seth in the mood for long hot showers. He had yet to hear from Aria that night, which was strange, but at least now he’d have time for said shower. He hopped in, the water scalding him for a brief moment. He closed his eyes scrubbing at his hair and face making sure to clear away any sweat dirt and stress the day had left behind. He could have sworn he heard his phone coming from his bedroom, but he figured if it wasn’t his phone he was hearing and just wishful thinking, it would have been a waste to jump out there to check. It could wait. About an hour later Seth was finished anyway. He had indeed missed a call and had a voicemail waiting for him. Wrapped up in his towel he wandered over to the dresser pulling out a pair of boxers and pyjama pants, holding his phone to his ear. He smiled at the sound of Aria’s voice. “Hey, Seth! It's me, Ari, come over to my room tonight? I need to see my favourite drummer and have an actual conversation about something other than songs for sets and junk like that. And maybe watch a movie? Call me back, or just waltz right in. My door's cracked. Kay? Thanks, bye!” He wasn’t sure if it was just how easy Aria made everything on everyone, or the fact that he had an undeniable crush on her, but either way, he couldn’t help but smile thinking about her. No doubt, she was adorable. Immediately feeling bad for making her wait so long, Seth got dressed in his comfiest pyjamas and a red sweatshirt to keep himself warm. Movie nights were always the best.

Before leaving out of his room Seth grabbed his well worn, and definitely Aria’s personal favourite green billabong sweatshirt. Whether Joey was present or not, it had almost become tradition for Aria and Seth to get into a wrestling, turned tickling, match until Aria had managed to get Seth’s sweatshirt off of his body and onto hers. He tossed it over his shoulder hoping she wouldn’t mind that it still smelled like him. He ventured down the hall a few doors to find Aria’s door cracked open just like she had said. He could hear her singing voice belting from behind the door already.

Quietly, he wandered in, only to find Aria bouncing around her room to no particular rhythm singing at the top of her lungs with her back turned to him. He leaned against the wall watching her motions carefully and laughing to himself, being sure not to indicate to her yet that he was there. Finally mid-way through the song Seth sarcastically interrupted. “No one told me it was karaoke night!” Aria jumped, squealing a bit, turning to face him. She laughed coming to find it was only to him as she took out her headphones. Despite the fact that they were still months away from the holiday, Seth tugged Aria’s favourite sweatshirt of his over her head simply saying, “merry Christmas you little bugger.”

Notes:
Tags: Aria!;
Word Count: 519
Outfit: click!
Muse:
Lyrics: Mat Musto; The Next Room

[ARIA EOS MASON,]

Aria was still giggling, slipping her arms through the sleeves and smiling.  It still smelled like him.  "Yay!" she beamed, snuggling into it slightly.  "Thank you!"  The girl scrambled onto her bed, tossing her iPod onto her purse.  She patted the spot next her, grinning as her friend took his designated spot.  "I missed you," she sighed, resting her head on his shoulder.  

Now, as she was doing all this, Joey's voice echoed in her head.  Ask him, she had told Aria.  Ask him if he likes you like you like him.  Joey made it seem easy.  Hell, she even had Joey act like Seth for her so she could rehearse what she was going to say.   Of course, that was with Joey.  Joey was her best girl friend.  Probably because they were the only two girls on the band.   And Seth was her best friend in the band.  

Ask him.  What's the worst that could happen?  He'd say no?  That's what everyone told her.  But her brain, being as evil as it could be, came up with one horrible scenario after another.  He could say yes, and then go cheat on her if they dated.  Jesus, just the thought of it gave her a killer migraine.  

"Hey Seth, how do you tell someone that you like them?" she blurted out, brushing her hair out of her eyes.  "Like as in likelike."  She looked up at him, laying back and hugging the rather large stuffed bear she had owned since she was four to her chest.  Usually that was the type of question she reserved for Jake.  But since him and his little boyfriend were having a tiff because Aria had cuddled with Jake in front of Tex, she didn't ask.  Her sister had warned against it, while Chelsea had told her she got together with Carver after telling him that she liked him, and now here they were married. "B-Because I like you like that..." she told him in a quiet voice that was usually reserved for strangers. She bit her lip waiting for his reply anxiously.  

W O R D S * three hundred fifty-six ;;
T H O U G H T S *  her teddy bear xP ;;
M U S I C * broken man and learning to fall by blg ;;
T A G G E D * seth ;;
W E A R I N G * nothing ;;
C R E D I T S * bruno mars' lazy song ;;

template by RoyaLe of Caution 2.0

[SETH DUSTIN COY,]

i pray you love the man you wake up to

i hope your dreams come true

“Yay! Thank you!”

Seth grinned back at Aria in satisfaction. He really did love seeing her happy. Aside from drumming and sleeping it was one of his favourite things. Seth took his place on the bed next to her and leaned his head back as Aria laid hers on his shoulder.

“I missed you too Ari. You’re like my best friend.”

Best friend. Would it ever be more than just best friends? Seth wasn’t so sure. Was he even ready for a relationship? That was the biggest question. But if he was, it was going to be with Aria. But dating a band mate? That was risky enough as it is. It was already making the guys a little uncomfortable, and despite Joey being one of Aria’s best friends, with her also being a bit of a drama queen who knew how she’d possibly react. There were so many logistics to such a small situation.

And then there was also Cloud. He always popped into Seth’s mind every time he was with Aria, alongside a twinge of guilt. No denying, there were feelings between the two of them, but Seth was straight. He just couldn’t do that; and especially not to Cloud. But what would it do to Cloud if Seth got a girlfriend? Again, so much to think about, and so many moves to make. For now, he’d just enjoy the moment.

"Hey Seth, how do you tell someone that you like them? Like as in likelike."

Seth’s heart jumped a bit. What was she getting at?

“Well, geeze Ari, I guess you just…” He was cut short by her words.

“B-Because I like you like that...”

Seth took a deep breathe, he thoughts reeling again. In his mind he begged for relief. He liked her too. He had to tell her that. He owed her that much. They had been friends for years. But if he told her that, what would she expect? Would she want a relationship? Maybe she could wait, cos Seth wasn’t sure if he was ready for all that. And as protective as he was of Cloud, he still owed him that much to consider his feelings.

But shit, he had to tell her. And of course he was happy. There was no more guessing. He wrapped his arm around her shoulder pulling her into a hug close to his chest and kissed her forehead, which was nothing new. They had been doing those sorts of things throughout their whole friendship. But something was about to change.

“I like you too Aria.”

Notes: Yay study hall responses!
Tags: Aria!;
Word Count: 428
Outfit: click!
Muse:
Lyrics: Mat Musto; The Next Room

[ARIA EOS MASON,]

Aria sat still, staring at her lap.  She knew how dangerous love could be; she learned from her parents.  The two of them never fought, at least not in front of their children. But that wasn't it.  It was when her mother died of cancer.  The following year, their father went on, putting on a stoic mask to keep the girls unalarmed.  Until the day he decided to take his life.  It had started out with Rachel waking up crying from a nightmare.  Aria crawled into her sister's room, pulling her into a hug until their father came in.  He had picked up both girls, comforting the young Rachel.  The man promised both that he would never leave them, that he'd always be there for them.  That he'd always protect them.  The rest of that day went off without a hitch, up till Aria got home.  The house was bizarrely quiet, eerily so.  Aria called out for him several times, before checking in the bedroom that once belonged to her parents.   And that's where she found him.  Gun in his hand, sprawled out  on the floor, blood splattered on the wall and floor.  She knew he was dead; she logically knew that.  Yet still she checked his pulse, and shook him, before dropping to her knees in tears.  She vaguely remembered calling the police, telling them everything.  And poor Rachel.  She had walked up when the ME was taking the body out in the bodybag.  The memories scrolled through her mind when he took a deep breath, biting her lip so hard, it was close to bleeding.   That was why she guarded her heart so carefully, the reason why she had the walls she had up.  

Feeling his arm wrap around her, she instinctively wrapped her arms around him.  She mentally prepared herself for the worst.  He'd probably say something along the lines of "I'm sorry Aria, I don't like you like that..." or  "Aria, we're just friends.".  She decided she would force a smile, say it was okay and curl up in his hoodie, and put on that stoic mask she had learned from her father.

That was why she was stunned as he revealed that he liked her too.  "Me?" she asked flabbergasted.  Aria tightened her arms around him, smiling. "Really?"  She crawled into his lap, nuzzling into his neck.  She didn't know what that meant, or where it would lead, but she was happy.  Heck, she didn't even think about when she happily pressed her lips to his.  Aria pulled away and sighed, curling back up in his lap.  "So what are we gonna do?" she asked, closing her eyes.  

W O R D S * four hundred fifty-four ;;
T H O U G H T S *  excuse my rambling xP ;;
M U S I C * mine and speak now by t. swizzle ;;
T A G G E D * seth ;;
W E A R I N G * nothing ;;
C R E D I T S * bruno mars' lazy song ;;

template by RoyaLe of Caution 2.0

[SETH DUSTIN COY,]

i pray you love the man you wake up to

i hope your dreams come true

Aria looked up at him, curled up underneath his arm, and he had to admit, he was amused by the shock upon her face as if she hadn’t seen his response coming.

“Me? Really?”

He laughed.

“Well is there anyone else in this room curled up against me wearing my hoodie?”

He warmed up inside as her grip around him tighten and she squirmed into his lap. And the next thing he knew, her lips were pressed to his. It felt different than what he remembered.

It had been a good long while since Seth had had a serious girlfriend. There had been a few prospective, and some got dangerously close. But Seth wasn’t the type to settle or wear his heart on his sleeve. To him, even getting into a relationship was long process. And he wasn’t much for random hookups either. Granted, they definitely happened, but not as often as most people. So for him, this was the first kiss in almost 6 months. But maybe that wasn’t the reason it felt different.

Maybe it felt different because Aria really was his best friend, because he really liked her, and because he really wasn’t sure where to go from here. But he knew for now he was happy where they were. But that would only take them so far. Not to mention this was the good kind of different. This was the kind of different that had history, connection, and potential. It was the kind of different he had been looking for. And then out came the question he knew he’d have to face.

"So what are we gonna do?"

Now this wasn’t as simple an answer as it would seem. This was a question needed and answer which required time and a whole hell of a lot of thought.

Seth knew Aria was emotionally damaged. He had heard the stories. He had been there for Rachel and Aria when memories proved too heavy. He had been there the nights where Aria would wake up crying and call him to her room at 3 am, just because it wasn’t the time to be alone. He knew what he was capable. He knew exactly how to tear her apart with just one word and that is what he’d avoid at all cost. Anything and everything they did together was potential for her to get hurt, and that was the last thing Seth ever wanted to do to her.

It was a catch twenty-two. He wasn’t sure if he was ready to make what they had a serious thing yet, but if he told her that, how bad would it hurt her? But what if he just said yes? That seemed safe…but again, what if he wasn’t ready? He couldn’t start dating her and break up with her a month later because of his own inability to be in a steady relationship right then and there.

But Aria was his best friend. And he knew he could always be honest with her and talk it out. So for right now, it was just time to see things from her perspective.

With Aria still in his lap he wrapped his free arm around her waist, cradling her against him, making a small quick note of how perfect she looked, even when she wasn’t trying. He sighed.

“Well…what do you think we should do?”

Notes: Pahaha oh rambling is fine. I do it all the time.
Tags: Aria!;
Word Count: 562
Outfit: click!
Muse:
Lyrics: Mat Musto; The Next Room

[ARIA EOS MASON,]

Aria smiled and shifted slightly to get more comfortable.  She was happy, cradled up in his arms.  He knew what could kill her and what could save her; something even Jake wasn't all clear on.  "What I think we should do?" she repeated, yawning.  "Well..... I dunno...." she sighed, leaning her head on his shoulder again.  "Like I don't want to be just friends.  But dating is dangerous.  And I don't want to force anything on you.  It's your love life not mine," she explained.  "Plus, if we did date, what if we broke up? How would that affect the band?" The blonde chewed on her lip.  

"A-And.... And I don't want use to end up like my parents," she added quietly, squeezing her eyes shut.  Tears were coaxing their way out of her eyes, but she wouldn't let them.   "And if we broke up, I'd lose my best friend.  You've stayed up with me so many nights, so I'd hate to lose you...."  She crawled out of his arms and buried herself under the covers.  

Careful to not kick her friend, Aria wriggled out of pajama pants.  Jeez, she was burning up.  Lazily the girl rolled onto her side, looking up at him.  "What's your opinion? We need to dissect this at all angles. Right?" she rambled, before shutting her eyes.  "Or we could just watch a movie...."

Aria rolled onto her back, sighing and shifting around till she was practically hanging off the edge of the bed.   Her eyes drifted up towards the ceiling, still thinking of the kiss.  Yes it was completely out of character for her.  But it just felt so.... right.  So perfect.  Yes, she had dated before; she had her share of jerks and cheaters.  But Seth knew her so damn well, she had even opened up to him about the most touchy subjects.  She yawned and rested her head on her pillow.  "I-I mean.... Would you be willing to commit?" she asked quietly.  

W O R D S * three hundred forty-four ;;
T H O U G H T S *  yay rambling! xD ;;
M U S I C *  ;;
T A G G E D * seth ;;
W E A R I N G * nothing ;;
C R E D I T S * bruno mars' lazy song ;;

template by RoyaLe of Caution 2.0

[SETH DUSTIN COY,]

i pray you love the man you wake up to

i hope your dreams come true

Seth looked down at Aria with her head on his shoulder absolutely beaming on the inside. Now Seth never was one to be judgemental, positive or negative. But now that they were alone and he had the perfect opportunity to just be with Aria and look at her without fear of being caught, he couldn’t help but notice just how gorgeous she was. Had he said this out loud Aria probably would have only argued that she looked like she was ready for bed and that that wasn’t too impressive at all; but to him it was. It was the way her make-up-less face glowed and the way her blonde hair fell in perfect curls over her shoulders. It was anything and everything about Aria Mason that made her beautiful, and that made her perfect in Seth’s eyes.

“Like I don’t want to be just friends. But dating is dangerous. And I don’t want to force anything on you. It’s your love life not mine. Plus if we did date, what if we broke up? How would that affect the band?”

Aria was right. And it was a lot to think about. How would it affect the band if they ever broke up?...Broke up. They weren’t even together and already the thought of the two of them breaking up made him feel sick. He didn’t want to ever lose her in any way ever.

“A-and…and I don’t want us to end up like my parents.”

That was one heart-wrecking though that Seth hated to even consider. He hugged her tighter for a moment kissing her temple.

“Ari, the chances of that ever happening are one in a million. Don’t worry.”

They had to talk this out but Seth hated seeing her so worried and so…paranoid.

“And if we broke up, I’d lose my best friend. You’ve stayed up with me so many nights, so I’d hate to lose you…”

Break-up. There it was again. Seth could swear he was visibly wincing at the idea.

Aria crawled out of his lap and beneath her blankets as he released his grip around her waist. Although she was under the covers he knew exactly what she was doing and had to say she looked silly doing it. She squirmed about under the covers and Seth laugh lightly at the sight. He couldn’t deny this much: the idea that Aria was next to him in only her underwear was a bit exciting, but this wasn’t the time for him to be thinking about that. She turned over and gazed up at him with her big blue eyes clearly getting tired.

“What’s your opinion? We need to dissect this at all angles. Right? Or we could just watch a movie…”

She shifted around a bit more and all Seth wanted to do was crawl under the covers with her and lay there in bed. Despite all the strange and slightly intimate things they had done together he wasn’t sure if that would be pushing it. He didn’t want to make her uncomfortable, but the idea was so inviting. Her voice broke into his thoughts.

“I – I mean…would you be willing to commit?”

This question surprised Seth a bit. Sitting up in bed next to her leaning against the headboard, he twisted his thumbs around one another. He grinned down at her as she was turned away from him and laughed.

“Always so analytical. I mean. Of course I’d be willing to. But it is a lot to think about, and a lot to consider, and a lot of people’s feelings to think about; especially our own.”

He rubbed her shoulder.

“And someone looks sleepy. How about this: We could talk about it a little more while we watch a movie. And then you can get some rest.”

He bit down on his lip restraining from kissing her again.

Notes: Finally back!
Tags: Aria!;
Word Count: 642
Outfit: click!
Muse: :D
Lyrics: Mat Musto; The Next Room