one for the road

5

"happy new years!" nick shouted. miles and alex were still deep into their kiss. matt took his phone out and snapped a picture, knowing this was huge and alex was probably so drunk he wouldn't remember it. little did he know, alex managed to stay sober that night.

shortly after watching the fireworks on tv, everyone headed home. alex and miles were sitting together on the couch.

"mi, you wanna spend the night here?" alex asked. "i have no clothes here" he said. without responding, alex got up. he came back and threw something at miles. black adidas trackies that probably belonged to matt as well as a grey fred perry sweatshirt that miles was particularly excited about.

"i've been looking for this for ages!" he exclaimed. alex chuckled. "you gave it to me before you moved" miles put the sweatshirt on, enjoying the smell of alex lingering on it.

"well, if matt's here where am i meant to sleep?" alex's grin dropped, wondering if miles was purposely being this dumb. "don't be stupid, miles. you'll sleep with me" "that's fine by me!" he cheered, running into his old bedroom that he had dearly missed. alex planned on joining him, but he had to write about this occasion first.

January 1st, 2015

well miles, you outdid yourself. you kissed me after you broke up with jack. you're so hammered you probably won't remember in the morning, but i'll never forget it happened.

i love you so much miles x

alex closed his notebook and set it down on the coffee table as matt came out from his room.

"how are you feeling al?" he asked. "hmm? oh i'm actually really great!" "how much did you have to drink?" "only one drink why?" "so you know miles kissed you?" alex chuckled at matt's motherly nature he had towards him. "yes mum, i remember very well! and i don't plan on forgetting"

alex walked back into his room expecting miles to be dead asleep.

"took you long enough!" miles said, startling the older boy. "go to bed mi, you're drunk" alex said, climbing under his many blankets he kept on his bed. miles definitely had a few drinks that night, but he was far from drunk.

miles wrapped his arm around alex. "just like we used to" he mumbled.

—

miles woke alex up at 4am.

"alex alex alex wake up!" he exclaimed. alex grabbed his phone and checked the time. "miles, it's 4:15 in the morning. what are you doing?" "i just had a song idea! i gotta write it down before i forget!"

they went out in the living room. not thinking about it, alex flipped open his journal.

miles started talking and alex started scribbling down the words.

aviation in the evening
i can feel it coming on
momma told me you should start
as you mean to go wrong
or else you're never gonna get it right

alex smiled as he reread what miles had said. "that's nice miles i love it. now, let's go back to bed and i'll help you keep writing it in the morning. this will be great on your next solo album!" he exclaimed.

he left the journal in the living room, open to what he thought was the page with the lyrics.

—

later that morning miles woke up to see alex was still sound asleep. he walked out into the kitchen to be greeted by matt, who was making pancakes.

"hey matt?" "yeah miles?" "i kissed alex last night" "i know" "do you think he remembers?" "i don't think so miles" matt wasn't sure how the boys would be around each other after the kiss, so he tried his best to keep miles calm.

miles ate his pancakes and went into the living room, looking for his lyrics he had written earlier that morning. he found a spiral bound journal laying on the settee, and he picked it up to read what it said.

December 30th, 2014

i can't wait to see you tomorrow miles. i keep imagining myself kissing you as the clock strikes midnight, your perfect lips on mine. i know you have jack and i'll respect that this year. it's so hard on me but i'll find a way to survive. i love you and miss you so much babe.

miles couldn't stop himself from smiling as he kept reading the entries. they went back to 2012, when he had first moved away.

July 10th, 2012

today is the day you're moving away to be with some other man that isn't me. i'm absolutely devastated even though you have no idea that i'm so in love with you.

i was so close to being ready to tell you, but then jack came into your life and now i may never have that shot again. i've loved you even back when we did the shadow puppets. god, miles, if you're ever reading this, please know i haven't stopped loving you since.

—

alex woke up to the smell of burning bacon. typical of matt. he got out of bed and turned the corner to see miles sitting on the couch. he was reading something. in fact, he was reading his- oh shit!

"miles what're you doing?" he managed to choke out. "i'm reading your journal, alex" he said, looking up. "oh my gosh. miles, im so sorry. that's so embarrassing i'm literally obsessed with you and it's so creepy and-" "shut up, dork" miles said, smashing his lips into alex.

"i wanna be yours" miles said, breaking away from the kiss. "then baby, you can be mine" alex said back.