thunder -- michael clifford

chapter six

>> six.

I felt the smile on my face growing wider and wider as I watched Michael singing harmonies and backing vocals in the booth. I was sitting with Luke and Ashton as he did his thing in the booth. Nothing had made me this happy in forever. I noticed the way he closed his eyes when he sang, the way he looked so passionate about it. All of the boys did. I sat and listened to them all recording their vocals. All of them seemed like they could do nothing else because they knew music was where they belonged. They were born for it and nothing else.

"Jesus, Lia. If you stare any harder, you're gonna turn our guitarist to stone!" Luke cried, laughing.

I flipped him the finger. "Fuck off, Luke." I said as I giggled.

"But really," Ashton began, "what is going on with you and Mikey?"

"What do you mean?"

"We mean you've been inseperable since you two met, and it hasn't even been three days. We all notice that little smile you get whenever you see him and the way your eyes just seem to... light up whenever someone even mentions him. And the way Michael never fucking stops talking about you whenever he's with us. 'Oh, do you think Lia would like to come with us for that?' 'Lia is so rad.' 'Wow, Lia is so pretty.' Really. I've never seen Michael like this. Ever." Luke explained.

"We aren't a thing.. I mean, I think he's amazing, but it's only been a few days since we met. I don't know really how I feel about him."

Ashton chuckled. "We know how you feel about him."

I rolled my eyes. "Ashton, really. Like, I do love being around him. And I love the way he gets so into video games and the way he closes his eyes like that when he's singing, like he could save the world with his voice. And the way he's so comforting, like the way he did to me yesterday. He held me like he was scared to let go because I would disappear or something. I listened to his heartbeat, and for once, I felt like everything was right. Everything was okay. I love that dumb smirk he does whenever he's being cheeky and how he just makes these little comments to make you feel.. Well... Important. And beautiful. Like you really belong, you know? I feel like I could tell him anything. I trust him with my life. And how he taps his fingers on his steering wheel whenever he's waiting at a stoplight. And his little chuckle that literally sounds like an angel is giggling. And his devotion to you guys, the band, his friends, his fans. I've known the boy for not even three days, and he's driving me crazy. His laugh, his smile, his eyes, his personality. Everything. His voice is my soundtrack basically. It makes me feel like for once in my life, nothing really matters. The stress of everything just disappears. Goddamn, I'm losing my mind. I don't know what it is. I love everything about him. I wanna be with him all the time and just stay in his dumb arms and I wanna hold his dumb hand and kiss his dumb face." I placed my face in my hands. "Fuck. I told Beau I wouldn't even think about guys until after I graduated and got an apprenticeship. But.. Just... He's changed everything. He changed my entire life in three days. How does that even happen?"

I looked back up to find Michael standing in the doorway of the booth, staring dead at me with that fucking smirk. Ashton and Luke were looking back and forth between us.

"How much of that did you hear?" I asked, blushing furiously in embarrassment. 

"You really think my smirk is dumb?"

"Fuck off, Michael." I laughed. "You weren't supposed to hear any of that."

"Well, fine, so it's even. I'll tell you everything I love about you." 

"Really, you don't have to."

"Shh. I'm going to. Okay. You know what drives me absolutely crazy? The way you blush when anyone compliments you or you get embarrassed. The way you can fucking rock those dreadlocks unlike anyone else I've ever met. How you have an unconditional love for your family, like the way you stick beside your brother, even if he upset you. The way you can whoop my ass at FIFA. The face you make when you get excited about something, like you did when you heard Come As You Are on the radio. You may not like All Time Low, but I won't hold that against you. You're so passionate about everything, and anyone who meets you can see that. You'd lay down in front of a truck for what you believe in. How you seem to zone out and just get lost in something you're doing. How a smile is always on your face, even when you wake up in the mornings. You could know someone for two hours, but if you saw them with so much as a mere frown, you'd drop everything you were doing just to see what was wrong with them and try to help. You aren't afraid to be yourself. You're so real about everything. You fall for my dumb, cheesy pickup lines. And you know what else? I wanna hold your dumb hand and kiss your dumb face, too. I've never met anyone, and I mean anyone like you, Lia. I don't understand how it happened, but you've driven me wild in a matter of three days. I feel like I've known you since birth. I just wanna spend every waking minute with you and I wanna hear nothing but your voice for the rest of my life." He said smiling.

"I'm gonna vomit, oh god." Luke groaned.

Michael and I giggled, but quickly returned our attention back to each other. He came over and pushed Luke out of the way so he could sit next to me. His fingers curled themselves within my own.

"Come on, mate. You have to kiss her. Don't just leave us hangin'!" Ashton yelled, causing Mikey and I to laugh again.

Michael's gaze moved from my eyes to my lips, and he leaned in slowly. I hesitated at first, wondering what Beau would say, but once I could feel Michael's breath on my lips, I forgot about everything else in the world. I closed the gap between us and connected our lips. 

It felt as if I were flying; I was on top of the world. All of my cares disappeared, and nothing mattered to me but Michael Clifford. I felt almost at home, being here with him, his lips on mine, like there was nowhere else I was meant to be. 

Slowly, he pulled away from me with a grin. "Lia McAllister.. I don't know how you did it, but you've made me fall for you in three days."

"Maybe I'm The Little Mermaid." I said with a chuckle.

"Well, I kissed you before sunset, so that means I won't be losing you anytime soon. At least, I hope not."

I pulled him close and kissed him again. "That's nothing to worry about, love. I'm not going anywhere."