BILLET-DOUX ✦ CLASSIC ROCK

60 - alex lifeson

For BarrettTheCarrott ! I was so happy to get a Rush request. They have such a special place in my heart!
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An impromptu trip to an art museum was probably the last thing that you expected to be doing with Alex on such a fine Friday night. Typically, you would go out to see a movie or drink way too much at a local bar, spending the hours together chatting and catching up on each other's lives. But Alex had made it clear (as clear as he could possibly express, which wasn't well) over the phone that this would be a special night – one with a surprise curated just for you. This had your curiosity beyond piqued, and it wasn't long before you were picking out a nice set of clothes and waiting for Alex to pick you up.

You were nervous at first, afraid to convey too much emotion lest this be some outing between friends. Over the years, you had become quite unsure of Alex's true feelings about you. They seemed to range on a spectrum, growing overpoweringly big at some instances and lessening to something platonically small during others. It was clear that you were close, though you were itching to make the jump from friends to lovers. The only thing stopping you was Rush.

Well, it wasn't Rush exactly. It wasn't Neil and Geddy's fault if you couldn't look past your own issues to see that you made a great pair. However, you were very consciously aware of the band's increasing popularity and extensive tours across Europe and the United States. Right now, there were probably thousands of people vying for Alex's attention and you were just another person lost in a sea of adoring fans. Were you any more special than the fanbase that made Rush so big?

Alex never encouraged these silly insecurities of yours, and you supposed that it was your own fault for engraining a false reality in your life. If Alex didn't care for you, he wouldn't be paying for two high dollar tickets to an art gallery, now would he? You wanted so desperately to leave it at that, but your brain wouldn't let it go.

It was quite possible that your nervousness leaked onto Alex, as the trip was full of awkward silence and quick glimpses of his blue eyes flitting back and forth between you and the road ahead. There were subtle attempts at pleasantries, but neither of you had ever been any good at those, and they died a painful death in mere minutes. You were sure that this idea of Alex's was doomed from the start because of this weird energy between you, but he was determined to see it through either way.

Brushing the long strands of blond hair from his eyes, Alex pointed out the various landmarks that you passed, hoping to garner a reaction from you. "D'ya see Mark's? Remember when we got coffee there? I made you laugh so hard you spilled your latte everywhere?"

You chuckled at the memory, recalling the sting of the hot coffee vividly just as well as you remembered the way Alex had laughed before scurrying over to help you clean the mess up. His hands had been so careful, dabbing away the stains with a napkin and offering to grab handfuls of ice to hold against your burning skin to soothe your pain. It had taken nearly thirty minutes to convince Alex that you were alright and didn't need to go to the hospital and you had spent nearly the entire time relishing in the affectionate attention that he gave you.

"I remember you spilling ice everywhere and getting us kicked out," you remarked. "All over a few burns."

"You were screamin', Y/N!" Alex cried, taking his attention away from the road for a few beats too long. You almost hated to bring up the more negative parts of the incident, like how Alex's face fell when he heard your shrieking and the guilt lurking in the shadows of his face at what he had indirectly caused. "I had to do something!"