fic: Longer Than The Road
Longer Than The Road | PG-13 | ~3,000
The Kit and Lissa sequel to Found Days
download the soundtrack
The problem with being in a band with Pear Wentz is that Pear Wentz is a diva. A diva and a dirty rotten best friend stealer.
A/N: I don't know, I think maybe I love this a little bit too much. Title is from Two of Us by The Beatles. Kit and Lissa have a band with Sam Beckett and Pear Wentz - and I have no clue who came up with Pear Wentz, but it's adorable, so I'm using it; my hat's off to you, my friend. *laughs* Oh, Pete.
Longer Than The Road
July 2030
Sam is six foot one and gorgeous.
“I don’t have an ass,” Sam laments, twisting to see her backside in the mirror.
“It doesn’t matter,” Lissa says. “You have cheekbones and five miles of leg, Sam. Your tiny ass only makes you more appealing.” Lissa has a huge ass. She blames her dad.
“I’m boy-shaped,” Sam says, frowning.
Lissa doesn’t roll her eyes, but only because she knows Sam’s serious. She has no idea how Sam can be so self-conscious, growing up with Bill Beckett as a dad. Although Bill is also boy-shaped and gorgeous - it could maybe give any straight-hipped girl a complex.
“Your brother’s on fire,” Pear says, swinging into the closet they claimed as their dressing room with an arm over Kit’s shoulders.
“He’s not my brother,” Lissa says harshly, and ignores the flash of hurt on Kit’s face. Kit Walker is not her brother. If he were, it’d be kind of hard to be in love with him.
*
Kit looks a lot like his dad, except his hair has a tendency to curl. He’s got the same big brown eyes and easy smile, the Walker nose, height, and penchant for flip-flops in all sorts of weather.
Lissa figures she fell in love with him right around the time he stopped loving her back.
*
The problem with being in a band with Pear Wentz is that Pear Wentz is a diva. A diva and a dirty rotten best friend stealer.
“Whoa, easy on the sticks, girl,” Sam says, curling her freakishly long fingers over hers. She frowns down at her, because Sam’s a little protective about her kit. Lissa knows Bill’s still bewildered that Sam chooses to hide behind a drum kit on stage - Bill always wants to be upfront and center - but Sam is totally an amazing drummer, taught by her Uncle Butcher himself.
Lissa sighs and gives up the sticks easily when Sam twists them out of her hands. “Sam, Sammy, does she have to hang all over him? Really?”
Sam arches an eyebrow. Sam is the only other person in the world that knows that Lissa is in love with Kit, and it’s not because she told her. It’s because Sam’s in love with her best friend Mary Beth, and she totally knows all the signs.
Mary Beth Saporta freaks Lissa out - she’s sort of epically relaxed all the time, and has her dad’s creepy, creepy eyes - but Sam follows her around like a puppy.
Lissa totally doesn’t follow Kit around. Physically, at least. She’s pretty sure her eyes follow him everywhere.
Pear Wentz, though, is always hanging all over him and he’s lead guitarist, so Pear should just keep her paws off him and stay on her own side of the fucking stage.
*
Pear and Lissa are the exact same age, but Pear and Lissa have never really been friends. She’s pretended to be her friend, for her dad, and the really horrible thing is that she knows Pear is genuine. Pear means every smile she’s ever flashed her and Pear drags her into the backseat of the van and cuddles close and tells her about awesome new music she’s found and. And Lissa just thinks she’s kind of annoying.
Of course, Pear had been a little shit when they’d been younger, so Lissa has a hard time reconciling the old, spoiled brat Pear and the new, improved rock star Pear who gives her spontaneous hugs and tells interviewers that Lissa has the most amazing voice of all time with a completely straight, one hundred percent serious face.
Kit seems to have no trouble getting along with Pear at all, of course, despite the years of commiserating about how horrible she was.
It kind of makes Lissa sick to her stomach.
*
Zack is and always has been Lissa’s rock.
Zack doesn’t say anything when Lissa sneaks up and stealth hugs him; just pulls her closer and pats her back. He’s maybe not as good at comforting hugs as her dad, but he’s the next best thing.
She sniffles into his shirt and he pretends she isn’t crying.
Lissa’s fine. She’s just a little homesick.
*
“Daddy.”
“Uh oh,” he says. “What’s wrong, baby?”
Lissa sighs. “Nothing.”
“Does the nothing rhyme with bear tents?”
Lissa bites her lip to stifle a giggle. Her dad is so lame. “I’m just-,” she starts, then sighs again and says, “I wanna come home.”
“No you don’t,” he says, and he’s mostly right.
Lissa loves touring. She loves the fans, loves singing, loves being up on stage. She loves AZF; it’s still a trip, seeing their merch plastered all over hundreds of screaming kids. She wouldn’t give it up for anything.
“Hey, dad, can I talk to Jon?”
*
Pear dive bombs the couch Lissa’s commandeered for a well-needed nap and sprawls out on top of her, hands tucked under her armpits. “I love you, Lissa Urie,” Pear says.
For all that Pear drives her absolutely crazy - which is saying something, since Lissa’s a Urie, and it’s physically impossible for her dad to stay still more than five seconds at a time - Lissa loves her, too.
*
Automatic Zombie Fall is Lissa’s baby, but Pear’s the one that’s gotten them on this, their very first tour. It’s kind of hard for anyone in the music business to say no to a Wentz - Pear has absolutely no compunction about using the My Dad Is Pete Wentz card - but mainly it’s because AZF is awesome, and they all know it and Pear’s just great at making other people see that too.
“It’s all because of this girl here,” Pear says to the VJ, wrapping an arm around Lissa’s waist. They’ve got a tiny little spot on Fuse, since they’re opening for Damage Eaters and Metro Station and it’s kind of a big deal. “She’s totally magic.”
“Pear,” Lissa says, rolling her eyes. She can’t help the stupid blush. Pear is always embarrassing her on camera.
“Oh, and our jailbait guitarist, seriously, Kit’s so so dreamy.” Pear melts into Lissa’s side in a mock swoon and Lissa jabs her with an elbow.
“We just,” Lissa fidgets a little on her feet and Pear shifts with her without letting go, “really enjoy playing, you know? I think everyone can tell how much fun we’re having up there, so it’s, like. Just try to hate us, right?” Lissa smiles at the camera and Pear turns her head into her neck and Lissa feels her mouth stretching wide and happy against her skin, and sometimes. Sometimes, Pear makes it really, really hard to be upset with her, even if she can’t keep her hands to herself.
*
Lissa knows there’re rumors about her and Pear, which is so stupid.
Pear is into boys and Lissa is into Kit.
Lissa tries not to think too hard about how Pear being into boys means Pear is into Kit, too.
*
“Kit,” Lissa says, poking him with her toe. They’ve got the backseat to themselves and an amp, and Sam’s driving and Pear’s shotgun and Duncan is taking up the entire middle. “Kit-Kat Walker, you love me, right?” She flutters her eyelashes at him, because this is a joke. This is a shtick they’ve been doing for years.
Kit grins and curls a warm hand around her ankle. “Yeah.”
Kit used to look at her with the biggest, adoring eyes. Kit used to grab her hand and hold on and never let go, no matter how much she wriggled her fingers in protest.
Lissa had caught some skank scene whore going down on Kit just the night before, around the corner from the front of the venue, leaning up against dirty brick, his fingers tangled in her hair, his grin ridiculously indulgent as he stared down at her.
Lissa tries to breathe like her heart isn’t being squeezed to death and says, “Good thing.”
“Always,” Kit says, and slips his hand down to rub his thumb along her arch.
*
Sam wears baggy cargo pants and old Cobra Starship tees, except when Mary Beth is visiting. When Mary Beth is visiting, Sam breaks out the tiny skirts and half shirts that show off her belly, and Lissa tries not to laugh.
Mary Beth gives them all vague smiles and air-kisses Sam’s cheek and then squeaks a mild laugh when Sam folds her up into a big hug and lifts her off her feet.
They’re sweet together, Lissa thinks, even if Mary Beth is currently dating this guy named Jerome; has been dating him long enough, apparently, to drag him along.
Lissa hides with Sam in the bathroom and says, “He’s half a foot shorter than her, it’ll never last.”
“He’s totally got an ass, though,” Sam says. “And, like, a penis. I’m getting the feeling that Mary Beth is fond of those.”
Lissa pats her shoulder. She thinks Sam should just kiss her and see what happens. Mary Beth seems like the kind of girl who’d just go with it.
She’s totally not going to say that, though. Lissa can see how it’d be hard to do something that might mess up a friendship forever.
*
When Kit turns eighteen, the guys from Damage Eaters set out to get him as drunk as humanly possible. Which, okay, is not all that unusual, except Lissa and Kit have a tradition on their birthdays - they drink chocolate milk and watch Sixteen Candles and talk about how awesome their lives are, and how much awesomer their lives are going to get. It’s stupid, but Lissa even gave up her twenty-first birthday for it, but now.
Now, Kit turns eighteen and Lyle flashes a bottle of Johnny Walker Red and Kit shrugs and says, “It’s not like we have a DVD player anyway.”
Lissa has a portable DVD player hidden in the back of the van. Pear joins her halfway through, curling up in between her and one of Kit’s guitar cases.
“Sam’s keeping an eye on your boy,” Pear says, leaning her head onto Lissa’s shoulder.
“He’s not mine,” Lissa mutters.
Pear digs her fingers into Lissa’s ribs and says, “Yours, yours, it’s kind of pathetic.”
Lissa bites her lip around a grin. “Shut up.”
“He’s totally legal now, too.”
“Shut up,” Lissa says, but she’s giggling a little, and lets Pear lace her fingers together with hers.
*
Lissa buys Kit a greasy breakfast the next morning and sits across from him and laughs at his pale face and red, watery eyes.
Kit kicks her in the shin, but his mouth twitches up at the corners.
By the time Zack shows up to tell them they’re heading out, they’ve got their pinkies locked together over the cheap, cracked Formica table.
This is fine, Lissa thinks. She’s totally fine with this, for now and always.
*
Kit kisses Lissa in the hallway of a Pittsburgh venue directly after soundcheck. He doesn’t say anything; just pushes her up against the wall and cages her head in his hands and sweeps his tongue into her mouth and Lissa is so so stunned and she doesn’t do a thing to stop him. She clutches at his wrists with white-knuckled fingers and tries not to moan. Tries to ignore the tingle at the base of her skull and the press of his hips up against hers.
Lissa manages a strangled, “What?” when he pulls back, but Kit just grins at her and swipes his thumb over her lower lip and presses one more sweet, soft kiss over her mouth before walking away.
Lissa’s legs don’t seem to be working properly.
Duncan looks at her funny when he passes by with Pear’s bass. She waves at him and gives him a weak smile.
She has no idea what’s going on.
*
Kit acts completely normal during the show, letting Pear whirl around him, turning his back to play to Sam during Running Hot Cold, sharing Lissa’s mike for the refrain on This Is Three Times Already.
Lissa’s sweating like crazy, even more than usual. Her hands shake whenever Kit smiles at her across the stage, and she feels like vomiting up the hot pocket she’d eaten for dinner.
It’s by far their best concert.
After the last song, Pear whips off her bass and throws herself into the crowd.
Pear is an idiot.
*
“You’re an idiot,” Zack says, carrying Pear into Metro Station’s dressing room and setting her down on the couch.
“I’m awesome,” Pear says.
Sam slaps a pack of ice on Pear’s ankle and says, “Fucktard.”
Pear sticks her tongue out at her.
Kit slides his hands into his pockets and rocks back on his heels. “It was kind of awesome.”
“Thank you, Christopher,” Pear says, then points a finger at Zack. “Don’t tell Dad.”
“I won’t have to,” Zack says gruffly. “It’s probably already all over Youtube.”
*
In the van, Pear sprawls out by herself in the middle with her ankle propped up and Duncan and Kit take the backseat and Lissa has shotgun while Sam drives.
Lissa is pretty sure everyone in the back is asleep. She leans onto the armrest and stares at the side of Sam’s head.
Sam has pretty brown hair that tumbles almost to her elbows, but mainly she keeps it braided down the middle of her back.
Lissa stares at Sam until Sam cracks and says, “What?”
“Kit kissed me,” she whispers. She flashes a quick look towards the back, but it’s dark and there’s no movement and Pear’s still snoring so she thinks she’s safe.
Sam almost swerves off the road. “What?” she says, incredulous, and then she starts laughing. She laughs and laughs and Lissa crosses her arms over her chest and scowls at her, but then a sneaker hits the back of Sam’s head and Duncan shouts, “Shut the fuck up,” and Lissa starts laughing, too.
*
Lissa’s not big on letting things go. She’s not sure if she gets that from her mom or her dad, but it’s kind of tough for her to think oh, well and let bygones be bygones.
“I’m eighteen and I’m in love with you,” Kit says when she asks why - why the kiss, why now, why everything - and he says it slowly, like she’s stupid, and maybe she is. That is entirely possible, apparently.
“You, uh.” Lissa opens and closes her mouth, eyes wide. Of all the reasons he could have come up with, she had totally not been expecting that one.
“Geez, Liss, I’ve been in love with you since I was eight, you can’t tell me-” He waves a hand around. “You can’t tell me you didn’t know.”
Lissa could tell him a lot of things, including about that time when he was fifteen and Lissa saw him looking at Taylor Banning the exact same way he’d been looking at Lissa for seven years.
Kit doesn’t get agitated. Kit doesn’t fidget or show any outward signs of nerves, even if he’s quaking deep down inside. He’s worrying his hands in the hem of his shirt now, though, something Lissa’s seen her dad do too many times to count.
“Kit, I-”
“I’ve kind of been waiting,” Kit says. He half-shrugs, like it isn’t a big deal, even though it’s so obvious it totally is. “I was hoping maybe you’ve been waiting, too.”
*
Lissa tells Jon, because she knows her dad, and she knows he’s been planning her imaginary wedding to Kit since she’d been twelve.
Jon says, “This’ll be awesome,” and, “Is this worse than first cousin love?” and, “Your Grandma Walker’s gonna flip, I can’t wait,” and Lissa thinks maybe she’s made a total error in judgment here.
Kit’s grinning at her from across the room.
She chucks her cell at him and says, “Talk to your dad, douche.”
Kit picks up the phone and rolls his eyes and says, “Yeah, Dad,” and, “Oh, totally, tell Brendon we’re down with the ruffled hoop skirts,” and shoots Lissa a thumbs-up.
Her entire family is full of dorks. She doesn’t know how she got so damn lucky.
*
Pear drapes herself over Lissa’s shoulders and nuzzles the back of her neck and asks, “What’re you doing?”
Lissa hits send and flips her cell shut. “Giving Mary Beth a nudge.”
Pear nods. “Good, good.” She yawns noisily into Lissa’s skin. “I’mma nap here, ‘kay?”
“Go for it,” Lissa says. She closes her own eyes and settles deeper into the couch. They’ve got soundcheck in an hour. Lissa knows Zack’ll make sure they’re up in time.
The Kit and Lissa sequel to Found Days
download the soundtrack
The problem with being in a band with Pear Wentz is that Pear Wentz is a diva. A diva and a dirty rotten best friend stealer.
A/N: I don't know, I think maybe I love this a little bit too much. Title is from Two of Us by The Beatles. Kit and Lissa have a band with Sam Beckett and Pear Wentz - and I have no clue who came up with Pear Wentz, but it's adorable, so I'm using it; my hat's off to you, my friend. *laughs* Oh, Pete.
Longer Than The Road
July 2030
Sam is six foot one and gorgeous.
“I don’t have an ass,” Sam laments, twisting to see her backside in the mirror.
“It doesn’t matter,” Lissa says. “You have cheekbones and five miles of leg, Sam. Your tiny ass only makes you more appealing.” Lissa has a huge ass. She blames her dad.
“I’m boy-shaped,” Sam says, frowning.
Lissa doesn’t roll her eyes, but only because she knows Sam’s serious. She has no idea how Sam can be so self-conscious, growing up with Bill Beckett as a dad. Although Bill is also boy-shaped and gorgeous - it could maybe give any straight-hipped girl a complex.
“Your brother’s on fire,” Pear says, swinging into the closet they claimed as their dressing room with an arm over Kit’s shoulders.
“He’s not my brother,” Lissa says harshly, and ignores the flash of hurt on Kit’s face. Kit Walker is not her brother. If he were, it’d be kind of hard to be in love with him.
*
Kit looks a lot like his dad, except his hair has a tendency to curl. He’s got the same big brown eyes and easy smile, the Walker nose, height, and penchant for flip-flops in all sorts of weather.
Lissa figures she fell in love with him right around the time he stopped loving her back.
*
The problem with being in a band with Pear Wentz is that Pear Wentz is a diva. A diva and a dirty rotten best friend stealer.
“Whoa, easy on the sticks, girl,” Sam says, curling her freakishly long fingers over hers. She frowns down at her, because Sam’s a little protective about her kit. Lissa knows Bill’s still bewildered that Sam chooses to hide behind a drum kit on stage - Bill always wants to be upfront and center - but Sam is totally an amazing drummer, taught by her Uncle Butcher himself.
Lissa sighs and gives up the sticks easily when Sam twists them out of her hands. “Sam, Sammy, does she have to hang all over him? Really?”
Sam arches an eyebrow. Sam is the only other person in the world that knows that Lissa is in love with Kit, and it’s not because she told her. It’s because Sam’s in love with her best friend Mary Beth, and she totally knows all the signs.
Mary Beth Saporta freaks Lissa out - she’s sort of epically relaxed all the time, and has her dad’s creepy, creepy eyes - but Sam follows her around like a puppy.
Lissa totally doesn’t follow Kit around. Physically, at least. She’s pretty sure her eyes follow him everywhere.
Pear Wentz, though, is always hanging all over him and he’s lead guitarist, so Pear should just keep her paws off him and stay on her own side of the fucking stage.
*
Pear and Lissa are the exact same age, but Pear and Lissa have never really been friends. She’s pretended to be her friend, for her dad, and the really horrible thing is that she knows Pear is genuine. Pear means every smile she’s ever flashed her and Pear drags her into the backseat of the van and cuddles close and tells her about awesome new music she’s found and. And Lissa just thinks she’s kind of annoying.
Of course, Pear had been a little shit when they’d been younger, so Lissa has a hard time reconciling the old, spoiled brat Pear and the new, improved rock star Pear who gives her spontaneous hugs and tells interviewers that Lissa has the most amazing voice of all time with a completely straight, one hundred percent serious face.
Kit seems to have no trouble getting along with Pear at all, of course, despite the years of commiserating about how horrible she was.
It kind of makes Lissa sick to her stomach.
*
Zack is and always has been Lissa’s rock.
Zack doesn’t say anything when Lissa sneaks up and stealth hugs him; just pulls her closer and pats her back. He’s maybe not as good at comforting hugs as her dad, but he’s the next best thing.
She sniffles into his shirt and he pretends she isn’t crying.
Lissa’s fine. She’s just a little homesick.
*
“Daddy.”
“Uh oh,” he says. “What’s wrong, baby?”
Lissa sighs. “Nothing.”
“Does the nothing rhyme with bear tents?”
Lissa bites her lip to stifle a giggle. Her dad is so lame. “I’m just-,” she starts, then sighs again and says, “I wanna come home.”
“No you don’t,” he says, and he’s mostly right.
Lissa loves touring. She loves the fans, loves singing, loves being up on stage. She loves AZF; it’s still a trip, seeing their merch plastered all over hundreds of screaming kids. She wouldn’t give it up for anything.
“Hey, dad, can I talk to Jon?”
*
Pear dive bombs the couch Lissa’s commandeered for a well-needed nap and sprawls out on top of her, hands tucked under her armpits. “I love you, Lissa Urie,” Pear says.
For all that Pear drives her absolutely crazy - which is saying something, since Lissa’s a Urie, and it’s physically impossible for her dad to stay still more than five seconds at a time - Lissa loves her, too.
*
Automatic Zombie Fall is Lissa’s baby, but Pear’s the one that’s gotten them on this, their very first tour. It’s kind of hard for anyone in the music business to say no to a Wentz - Pear has absolutely no compunction about using the My Dad Is Pete Wentz card - but mainly it’s because AZF is awesome, and they all know it and Pear’s just great at making other people see that too.
“It’s all because of this girl here,” Pear says to the VJ, wrapping an arm around Lissa’s waist. They’ve got a tiny little spot on Fuse, since they’re opening for Damage Eaters and Metro Station and it’s kind of a big deal. “She’s totally magic.”
“Pear,” Lissa says, rolling her eyes. She can’t help the stupid blush. Pear is always embarrassing her on camera.
“Oh, and our jailbait guitarist, seriously, Kit’s so so dreamy.” Pear melts into Lissa’s side in a mock swoon and Lissa jabs her with an elbow.
“We just,” Lissa fidgets a little on her feet and Pear shifts with her without letting go, “really enjoy playing, you know? I think everyone can tell how much fun we’re having up there, so it’s, like. Just try to hate us, right?” Lissa smiles at the camera and Pear turns her head into her neck and Lissa feels her mouth stretching wide and happy against her skin, and sometimes. Sometimes, Pear makes it really, really hard to be upset with her, even if she can’t keep her hands to herself.
*
Lissa knows there’re rumors about her and Pear, which is so stupid.
Pear is into boys and Lissa is into Kit.
Lissa tries not to think too hard about how Pear being into boys means Pear is into Kit, too.
*
“Kit,” Lissa says, poking him with her toe. They’ve got the backseat to themselves and an amp, and Sam’s driving and Pear’s shotgun and Duncan is taking up the entire middle. “Kit-Kat Walker, you love me, right?” She flutters her eyelashes at him, because this is a joke. This is a shtick they’ve been doing for years.
Kit grins and curls a warm hand around her ankle. “Yeah.”
Kit used to look at her with the biggest, adoring eyes. Kit used to grab her hand and hold on and never let go, no matter how much she wriggled her fingers in protest.
Lissa had caught some skank scene whore going down on Kit just the night before, around the corner from the front of the venue, leaning up against dirty brick, his fingers tangled in her hair, his grin ridiculously indulgent as he stared down at her.
Lissa tries to breathe like her heart isn’t being squeezed to death and says, “Good thing.”
“Always,” Kit says, and slips his hand down to rub his thumb along her arch.
*
Sam wears baggy cargo pants and old Cobra Starship tees, except when Mary Beth is visiting. When Mary Beth is visiting, Sam breaks out the tiny skirts and half shirts that show off her belly, and Lissa tries not to laugh.
Mary Beth gives them all vague smiles and air-kisses Sam’s cheek and then squeaks a mild laugh when Sam folds her up into a big hug and lifts her off her feet.
They’re sweet together, Lissa thinks, even if Mary Beth is currently dating this guy named Jerome; has been dating him long enough, apparently, to drag him along.
Lissa hides with Sam in the bathroom and says, “He’s half a foot shorter than her, it’ll never last.”
“He’s totally got an ass, though,” Sam says. “And, like, a penis. I’m getting the feeling that Mary Beth is fond of those.”
Lissa pats her shoulder. She thinks Sam should just kiss her and see what happens. Mary Beth seems like the kind of girl who’d just go with it.
She’s totally not going to say that, though. Lissa can see how it’d be hard to do something that might mess up a friendship forever.
*
When Kit turns eighteen, the guys from Damage Eaters set out to get him as drunk as humanly possible. Which, okay, is not all that unusual, except Lissa and Kit have a tradition on their birthdays - they drink chocolate milk and watch Sixteen Candles and talk about how awesome their lives are, and how much awesomer their lives are going to get. It’s stupid, but Lissa even gave up her twenty-first birthday for it, but now.
Now, Kit turns eighteen and Lyle flashes a bottle of Johnny Walker Red and Kit shrugs and says, “It’s not like we have a DVD player anyway.”
Lissa has a portable DVD player hidden in the back of the van. Pear joins her halfway through, curling up in between her and one of Kit’s guitar cases.
“Sam’s keeping an eye on your boy,” Pear says, leaning her head onto Lissa’s shoulder.
“He’s not mine,” Lissa mutters.
Pear digs her fingers into Lissa’s ribs and says, “Yours, yours, it’s kind of pathetic.”
Lissa bites her lip around a grin. “Shut up.”
“He’s totally legal now, too.”
“Shut up,” Lissa says, but she’s giggling a little, and lets Pear lace her fingers together with hers.
*
Lissa buys Kit a greasy breakfast the next morning and sits across from him and laughs at his pale face and red, watery eyes.
Kit kicks her in the shin, but his mouth twitches up at the corners.
By the time Zack shows up to tell them they’re heading out, they’ve got their pinkies locked together over the cheap, cracked Formica table.
This is fine, Lissa thinks. She’s totally fine with this, for now and always.
*
Kit kisses Lissa in the hallway of a Pittsburgh venue directly after soundcheck. He doesn’t say anything; just pushes her up against the wall and cages her head in his hands and sweeps his tongue into her mouth and Lissa is so so stunned and she doesn’t do a thing to stop him. She clutches at his wrists with white-knuckled fingers and tries not to moan. Tries to ignore the tingle at the base of her skull and the press of his hips up against hers.
Lissa manages a strangled, “What?” when he pulls back, but Kit just grins at her and swipes his thumb over her lower lip and presses one more sweet, soft kiss over her mouth before walking away.
Lissa’s legs don’t seem to be working properly.
Duncan looks at her funny when he passes by with Pear’s bass. She waves at him and gives him a weak smile.
She has no idea what’s going on.
*
Kit acts completely normal during the show, letting Pear whirl around him, turning his back to play to Sam during Running Hot Cold, sharing Lissa’s mike for the refrain on This Is Three Times Already.
Lissa’s sweating like crazy, even more than usual. Her hands shake whenever Kit smiles at her across the stage, and she feels like vomiting up the hot pocket she’d eaten for dinner.
It’s by far their best concert.
After the last song, Pear whips off her bass and throws herself into the crowd.
Pear is an idiot.
*
“You’re an idiot,” Zack says, carrying Pear into Metro Station’s dressing room and setting her down on the couch.
“I’m awesome,” Pear says.
Sam slaps a pack of ice on Pear’s ankle and says, “Fucktard.”
Pear sticks her tongue out at her.
Kit slides his hands into his pockets and rocks back on his heels. “It was kind of awesome.”
“Thank you, Christopher,” Pear says, then points a finger at Zack. “Don’t tell Dad.”
“I won’t have to,” Zack says gruffly. “It’s probably already all over Youtube.”
*
In the van, Pear sprawls out by herself in the middle with her ankle propped up and Duncan and Kit take the backseat and Lissa has shotgun while Sam drives.
Lissa is pretty sure everyone in the back is asleep. She leans onto the armrest and stares at the side of Sam’s head.
Sam has pretty brown hair that tumbles almost to her elbows, but mainly she keeps it braided down the middle of her back.
Lissa stares at Sam until Sam cracks and says, “What?”
“Kit kissed me,” she whispers. She flashes a quick look towards the back, but it’s dark and there’s no movement and Pear’s still snoring so she thinks she’s safe.
Sam almost swerves off the road. “What?” she says, incredulous, and then she starts laughing. She laughs and laughs and Lissa crosses her arms over her chest and scowls at her, but then a sneaker hits the back of Sam’s head and Duncan shouts, “Shut the fuck up,” and Lissa starts laughing, too.
*
Lissa’s not big on letting things go. She’s not sure if she gets that from her mom or her dad, but it’s kind of tough for her to think oh, well and let bygones be bygones.
“I’m eighteen and I’m in love with you,” Kit says when she asks why - why the kiss, why now, why everything - and he says it slowly, like she’s stupid, and maybe she is. That is entirely possible, apparently.
“You, uh.” Lissa opens and closes her mouth, eyes wide. Of all the reasons he could have come up with, she had totally not been expecting that one.
“Geez, Liss, I’ve been in love with you since I was eight, you can’t tell me-” He waves a hand around. “You can’t tell me you didn’t know.”
Lissa could tell him a lot of things, including about that time when he was fifteen and Lissa saw him looking at Taylor Banning the exact same way he’d been looking at Lissa for seven years.
Kit doesn’t get agitated. Kit doesn’t fidget or show any outward signs of nerves, even if he’s quaking deep down inside. He’s worrying his hands in the hem of his shirt now, though, something Lissa’s seen her dad do too many times to count.
“Kit, I-”
“I’ve kind of been waiting,” Kit says. He half-shrugs, like it isn’t a big deal, even though it’s so obvious it totally is. “I was hoping maybe you’ve been waiting, too.”
*
Lissa tells Jon, because she knows her dad, and she knows he’s been planning her imaginary wedding to Kit since she’d been twelve.
Jon says, “This’ll be awesome,” and, “Is this worse than first cousin love?” and, “Your Grandma Walker’s gonna flip, I can’t wait,” and Lissa thinks maybe she’s made a total error in judgment here.
Kit’s grinning at her from across the room.
She chucks her cell at him and says, “Talk to your dad, douche.”
Kit picks up the phone and rolls his eyes and says, “Yeah, Dad,” and, “Oh, totally, tell Brendon we’re down with the ruffled hoop skirts,” and shoots Lissa a thumbs-up.
Her entire family is full of dorks. She doesn’t know how she got so damn lucky.
*
Pear drapes herself over Lissa’s shoulders and nuzzles the back of her neck and asks, “What’re you doing?”
Lissa hits send and flips her cell shut. “Giving Mary Beth a nudge.”
Pear nods. “Good, good.” She yawns noisily into Lissa’s skin. “I’mma nap here, ‘kay?”
“Go for it,” Lissa says. She closes her own eyes and settles deeper into the couch. They’ve got soundcheck in an hour. Lissa knows Zack’ll make sure they’re up in time.