I'm Dating Alex Gaskarth!?

Part 5: "If I was Jay-Z, you'd be my Beyonce," -The Summer Set

Alex's POV

I was freaking out back at the hotel. A dinner date... as just friends? Alex you're so stupid, I thought to myself. God, I don't go out on dates. I don't get dressed up. I'm just Alex Gaskarth. I don't work for dates. God I'm an idiot.

"Alex, bro...calm down." Jack said patting me on my back.

"Jack, bro...how am I supposed to calm down?"

"We could watch reruns of Full House." He offered.

"Jack that's the stupidest thing you've said all day." I said walking over to the closet.

"Well, how rude." Jack replied walking over to the closet with me. "What's the problem?"

"What do you wear on dates?" I asked him looking through my closet.

"It's a casual dinner date, right?" I nodded and winced a bit on the emphasis on casual. "Wear jeans and a button down shirt. Then put on one of your stupid H&M beanies, Fagskarth."

"Hey." I feigned offense. "Only my fans can make fun of my beanies."

He did have a point though. It seemed like a good outfit. Not too dressy, not too informal. Jack was actually a pretty decent consultant when it came to this stuff. It made me wonder about his lack of a girlfriend. He really just needed someone to party with him and someone to go back home and watch Home Alone with. He was a pretty simple guy.

"Your fans are my fans too, idiot." Jack said walking back to his bed. "Where are you taking her?"

"Shit." I said. "I forgot to make reservations at the Italian place. God dammit." I began freaking out. How could I be so stupid? Ugh, way to go Gaskarth. "Jack this isn't funny stop laughing."

"Rian made reservations at the Italian restaurant from yesterday earlier today. Just in case." Jack grinned.

Without this band I'd probably be living in a dumpster. At least Cassadee has an intelligent boyfriend, I thought to myself. Meanwhile, I have...my beanies. God, I hope this goes okay.

Victoria's POV

I laid in my bed that night, thinking of all the ways this could go wrong. Did I have feelings for Alex Gaskarth? Of course I loved Alex, what fangirl didn't? Was I willing to casually date Alex Gaskarth? No. I didn't have time. I couldn't even think about the repercussions of this event. I really couldn't.

I got up and looked at myself in the mirror. I looked the same as every single day before I met Alex, but I felt different. I was worried that any feelings I had for Alex were caused by my adoration of his band. Their music helped me so much, through so many things. What if he didn't live up to my dreams of what I idolized Alex to be?

Of course he won't, I thought to myself. Alex is a human being and no one is perfect. He certainly isn't if I found him in a parking a garage. But neither are you, my subconscious argued back at me. I'd decided to give Alex a try. Worst case scenario, we didn't work out and just stayed friends and being friends with Alex Gaskarth wouldn't be so bad.

~ ~ ~

I was ready by 6:55 the next night. I was wearing a nice blue and white spring dress. It had a white bow in the back. I paired it with some white flats. My hair was pulled back in a barrette and I'd lightly dusted my face with some make up. It was a very casual dinner ensemble that would work wherever he took me for dinner.

I heard whispering outside my door and quickly looked in the peephole. Alex was a few minutes early and he was talking to himself on the porch steps. He had on a red beanie with black jeans and a white button down shirt with his sleeves rolled up to his elbows. I opened the door and he jumped back in surprise. I quickly apologized for startling him.

"No, no. It's okay." He replied smoothly, entering my apartment. "You look wonderful!" Alex stated after getting a chance to look at me.

I blushed. Alex Gaskarth was standing in front of me, complimenting me, about to take me out for dinner. This was a fangirl's dream come true, but I had to try not to label it as that. This wasn't a fangirl going out with the band member of her dreams, this was just a boy and girl, having dinner.

"Thank you," I replied as I went to get my purse. "I'm all set to go."

We left and he walked me down a familiar street that had a restaurant my grandfather and I ate at the previous day. I was surprised when Alex stopped in front of it.

"Is this where we're eating?" I asked him.

"Is that okay?" Alex replied nervously. "We can go somewhere else."

I shook my head. "No, it's great. We can eat here."

Alex had made reservations and so we were seated in no time. Usually, there was a large wait for Benito's Little Italy during dinner on a Saturday night, so it was wise to reserve in advance. Most of the restaurant's customers eat outside, but Alex had requested a table inside. It was probably best, it was a little cold outside tonight.

During dinner, Alex told me stories about the places he'd gone and the antics he'd been involved him. He had me laughing basically all night, and that was something I hadn't had in a while.

"And then, we get off the train and Jack asks the conductor where we are and he says, get this, Segovia!" Alex says.

"No! How could you get on the wrong train three times!" I asked, taking a sip of water.

"I literally have no idea, but that was the last time we let Jack organize our train travel in Europe. That's for sure." Alex said, grinning. We shared a moment of comfortable silence. "This is nice." Alex remarked.

I nodded. "Very."

"Look Victora. I have to be honest with you." Oh boy. "I did mean for this to be a date, not a casual dinner. I don't know if I really have feelings for you but I really want to find out and see where this takes us."

I looked at him and scanned his features. He was such a good guy and he could make me laugh. Honestly, I don't know what the issue was. If he were anyone other than Alex Gaskarth, I'd go out with him intimately, but he wasn't. This is what complicated things. I let out a sigh.

"Look Alex. You're one of my heroes and you saved me on many occasions, just like the rest of the band did. But that's all you are. A hero, not someone I can do this with." I said, looking at him.

Without hesitation Alex told me, "Growing up means watching my heroes turn human in front of me."

I gave him a small smile, because he quoted The Wonder Years but it still didn't change anything. He was a dreamer and I was a realist. He had a band, I had Juilliard. He had a fanbase, I had one friend and my grandfather.

"Victoria," Alex sighed, "you were my hero last night. I could've been gangbanged by a hoard of screaming fangirls, but you saved me." I cracked a smile. "I'm not falling in love and neither are you, I can tell. But we'd both be lying to each other if we said we didn't have feelings for one another."

"Alex-"

"No, Victoria." Alex said. "I've had a lot of people tell me I'm their hero, but I'm not. I'm an alcoholic. I write music. I don't save lives. "

"But you do, Alex. You do save lives. You've saved mine." I replied.

"No, my music saved your life. I didn't. The band all had a part in it, but I don't want to be just a guy in a band to you, Victoria. Please, just give me a chance. If you want a normal relationship, I can do that! If you want this starstruck, sweep you off to London for a show, relationship, I can do that too! Just tell me what you want and I'll try it."

He was so willing to be whatever I wanted him to be just to find out if we could date. I wasn't risking anything, neither of us were. There was no reason I should say no, so I didn't.

"Okay." I whispered from across the table. "Let's try it."