The Music Sounds Better With You - Wintumn One Shots

Alone

I hear the ticking of the clock
I'm lying here the room's pitch dark
I wonder where you are tonight
No answer on the telephone

It wasn't unusual for Autumn to find herself up until the middle of the night. She couldn't remember a time when she hadn't had trouble sleeping. Whether it was her parents fighting or her own racing thoughts there was always something to keep her up. But never before had she been kept up because she couldn't get someone out of her head. Someone she wanted to be here with her. Someone she needed so desperately.

She'd checked her phone for what felt like the millionth time that night. 1:56 AM. She hadn't even been home an hour at this point, but it felt like so much longer. She couldn't stop thinking about his face as she left him in that bathroom. They both knew they couldn't be seen leaving together, but when she slipped out the door she was sure it looked like he wanted her to come back. But she didn't. She couldn't. And now she regretted it.

But he didn't follow her. She thought maybe he would have come out of the bar behind her. Chased her down and asked for the night to continue. She'd walked away slowly hoping maybe he might be trying to catch her. But he never came. Maybe it was just one night and done for him. Maybe she was just imagining the looks in his eyes, creating meaning behind his kisses that wasn't really there.

This was so unlike her. She'd never grown attached to a hookup before, she knew better than that. She was comfortable on her own. She was happy on her own. When feelings get involved things get messy. People get hurt. She gets hurt. She wouldn't let that happen.

"Too late." She thought, her brain berating her heart for being so stupid.

Till now I always got by on my own
I never really cared until I met you
And now it chills me to the bone
How do I get you alone

She checked the time again. It had to have been at least a half hour since the last time right?

1:57 AM.

"Fuck."

It was pointless to stay in bed, she wasn't going to be getting any rest. She wandered through her house, the place she had always loved so much, admiring details she'd seen a million times before. It was completely hers, decorated just the way she liked it. She had converted a few of the bedrooms so she had a place to indulge her hobbies. She had a library and an art room. One room was solely dedicated to music, housing her piano and her record collection. Autumn went to every room, trying to find anything to take her mind off of him.

But she couldn't focus on the words of the page of her book, instead her mind replayed the conversations they had that evening. How he was so charming seemingly without trying, breaking down her walls in mere seconds. When she tried to sketch the only thing that came to mind was him. How his eyes sparkled even in the dingy bathroom lighting and the body that he kept hidden under his baggy work clothes. And every song she could think to play related back to him. They made her think about the fact that she'd missed her chance to tell him everything she was feeling.

She'd never felt so lonely in her own home. As she made her way down to the kitchen, she saw the time once again. 2:06 AM. There was no way she was going to make it through the night. She knew she had to text him. If she didn't she'd spend the rest of this agonizing night and possibly every night for the rest of her life wondering if she ever would have had a chance. She sent him her address, nothing else. All the reasons he could not show up flashed through her mind. He could be asleep, his phone could be dead, or he could just not want to see her. She told herself if it was meant to be, he'd get the message.

You don't know how long I have wanted
To touch your lips and hold you tight
You don't know how long I have waited
And I was going to tell you tonight

Winter didn't know how long he stood stunned in that restroom. The whole night had been so unlike him in the best way possible. He'd never been one to rush into something so fast, but there was just something about her that made him feel like he could be more reckless than normal. He felt like he could be himself with her immediately. Like he didn't have to put on the personality he usually used around women. In his last relationship he always had to hide parts of himself to seem "cooler" to not "embarrass" his ex. He promised himself he'd never do that again. He is completely himself for the first time in his life and he lands her. Autumn Knight. It seemed way too good to be true.

Winter would be the first to admit she was out of his league. Even when he couldn't stand her he wouldn't have denied that she was an extremely attractive woman. Never in a million years, though, would he have thought he had a chance with her. Putting her looks aside every moment they spent talking he just saw her as more and more perfect. She was incredibly smart and surprisingly attentive in how she spoke to people. He'd never met someone that could sass him back quiet as well as her. Somehow she allowed him to see a side of her that nobody knew. And to be as close to her as anyone could ever be. He longed to be that close again.

When he finally left the bathroom, he scanned the room hoping to find her. He just needed to catch one more glimpse of her to try to see if she was still thinking about him. And he got that glimpse. He watched her walk right out the door, not even looking back to see if he was there. It took him by surprise just how emotional he felt as he watched her walk away. It almost felt as if she was leaving his life for good before she even really entered it. Of course she wouldn't have waited for him. That was a stupid thought. It was just a bit of fun right?

His mind raced as he took himself back to the bar. There was nothing he could do to get her out of his mind. Time slipped away as he wondered if there was anything he could have done to keep her from leaving like that. He could have held her tighter, kissed her longer, not let her go. He should have run after her and told her exactly how he felt about her. He couldn't believe that he had missed his chance. The only thing he had left to cling to was the look in her eyes after their last kiss. Something in that look made him believe this wasn't the end. It couldn't be the end.

He was pulled from his spiral when he felt his phone vibrate in his pocket. He saw a new message. From her. His heart leapt from his chest just seeing it, he didn't know how it didn't explode when he saw that it was her address. He'd never ordered a taxi faster than he did at that moment. He was in such a hurry that he didn't even tell her he was coming. As he waited for the cab he just stared at the message, reading it over and over again. He wasn't going to let his chance pass him by again.

And the night goes by so very slow
Oh I hope that it won't end though
Alone

He'd read the message nearly ten minutes ago but hadn't responded. As time dragged on slowly, Autumn's hope of hearing from him was fading. She realized that she had misread the night entirely. She put her head in her hands, wondering how she could have let herself get this carried away. This wasn't her. Waiting up, pining over a man who couldn't have cared less about her. That wasn't who she was. She had always been alone. She was fine being alone.

She checked her phone one last time. 2:23 AM. No new messages. With a heavy sigh, she started back toward the stairs. But a faint knock at the door stopped her, a surge of butterflies erupting in her stomach at the noise.

The second the door opened, Winter pulled her back into his arms. Their lips connected in an explosive kiss as he held her as close as possible. They didn't pull away until they were both gasping for air. She looked in his eyes, seeing all the love and desire she felt reflected back at her.

"You came."

"Of course, Autumn. I couldn't stand the thought of you here alone."