Something More | Randy

chapter twenty-nine | lights

"Did I hallucinate just now, or does Jack currently have his tongue down Brooklyn's throat?" Rye asked, shock written across his face. "Wait, why are you smiling?"

I hadn't even noticed it stretch across my face, disbelief still coursing through me. But a good kind of disbelief.

"We'd better find somewhere else to go," I grinned at Rye, pulling him back into the house.

"Are we not gonna address-"

"Do we need to?" I asked, facing him.

Happy, excited and curious as I may have been, I knew it wasn't our place to barge in. Brook would tell me when he was ready, just as I had done for him. More than anyone, Rye could understand their need for a little space.

"I guess we don't," he sighed, "classic case of Brook copying us again though," he laughed as an afterthought.

"Right?" I agreed, laughing along with him as we found our way back to bed. The spa would have to wait, but there were plenty of alternatives for us in the meantime.

***

Surprisingly, it wasn't hard not to dwell on Jack and Brook, not when my every waking thought was consumed by my new life with Rye. My usually over curious nature easily took a back seat as we gradually went through the process of transferring my stuff into his room, settling into a new happy routine together. Being able to love him openly around the boys was a welcome refresher after being on edge for months. It started to feel like we'd made it.

Of course, that bubble only existed at home, within the confines of our little family, but for the meantime it was enough to pretend that was the whole world. We slowly grew more confident around the others, and it became fun to mess around and be flirty as we rehearsed- earning only a few eye rolls or heart eyes from the boys depending on the day. 

But tour still loomed around the corner, and the inevitability that we would soon need to figure out how we were going to tackle that.

"Um, Andy... are you watching Randy edits right now?" Rye asked, appearing over my shoulder.

I flushed, caught in the act. Hastily I tried to shove my phone away but Rye was too quick, snatching it from my hand as he landed next to me on the bed.

"You know if you want some Randy moments you only have to ask," he smirked, leaning in towards me suggestively. I smacked him playfully in the chest.

"I'm not getting off to this!" I protested.

"Sure, babe," Rye smirked, watching a slo-mo video of us kissing onstage from a couple of years ago. 

The reality was hardly less embarrassing than if I was getting off. I was analysing the way we interacted, gauging the reactions, comparing to the way we acted now. God, it was so hard to discern what was too far when we'd apparently been acting like a couple for years.

"I'm just trying to work some stuff out... for tour," I awkwardly explained. Rye seemed to sense my unease. Discarding the phone, he snuggled up closer, wrapping an arm around my waist.

"What are you working out?" He pried gently.

"How do we be less... obvious?" Or should we be obvious? Or should we just be normal? But what's normal?" I blurted the stream of questions out, searching for solace in his calming brown-eyed gaze.

Rye sighed. "I don't know, baby." He pecked me on the nose. "I don't wanna act fake with you, though." Rye placed a few more light kisses on my face.

"But we probably can't do this every five seconds either. Might be a bit abrupt for the fans." I noted.

"Mmm... anyhoo, tomorrow's problem, init?" He dismissed, clearly distracted by the kisses which he now continued, searching for my lips with his, clearly wanting to start something deeper. I wiggled away from him, trying to focus.