Maya’s POV

I went out of the bus and walked a couple of steps before realizing, that I had seen Matt’s favorite flannel shirt on the bench of the couch I had been sitting on. I rolled my eyes, and turned back around, entering the bus when I heard MB’s angry voice.

“What the hell are you talking about?”

I took another step up and saw how MB was pushing Matt away and smoothing out his shirt. I never heard them argue like that before, what the hell was going on here?

“Maya is my fucking girlfriend and she doesn’t need you to just talk or do something to make her feel better,” Matt hissed, inches from MB’s face.

“That’s my job and I swear if you ever make a move on her again, I will shove my foot so far up your ass that you won’t remember your own name!” I opened my mouth, what the hell was this about?! About me? Matt was arguing with MB about me!? But why? What the hell did he think MB and I were doing here? He knew we were friends; we always hung out together, almost since day one.

MB rolled his eye and shoved Matt backwards. “First of all, I didn’t make a move on Maya and second of all, maybe you should take better care of your girlfriend so that I don’t have to be her shoulder to cry on. What the hell were you thinking taking her out there without a plan?!” MB said and I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I confided in MB and now he was throwing that in Matt’s face. I didn’t like that, sure I appreciated for him to be there, listen to me, and also stand up for me, but I thought this would stay between us.

Sometimes you just needed someone from the outside to talk to, and wasn’t it MB who wanted to come here and talk to me, see if I was alright?! My head was beginning to spin, what the hell was going on here?!

“It’s none of your fucking business what my plan was!” Matt hissed “Back the fuck off, MB. I’m telling you now!” Matt warned. And I took the final step up, standing only a couple of feet away from the two hotheads.

Maybe I should take a distance to MB, maybe I shouldn’t have talked to him about all this, I now questioned myself. I shouldn’t burden him with my problems, that was wrong, friends or not. But still there was no fucking way that Matt was talking to one of our friends like that, thinking they were making a move on me, when there was nothing. What was wrong with him lately?!

“Then do a better job of not being a dick to your girlfriend,” MB said, pushing past Matt towards the door and lifting his head to look at me. I saw regret in his eyes and he opened his mouth to say something but I shook my head and stepped aside, he waited a second longer then sighed and left.

I crossed my arms over my chest and glared at Matt, waiting for an explanation to this fucked up situation.

Matt sighed and rubbed his neck “How much did you hear?” He asked and bites his lip. I remained silent and Matt took a step towards me but I held my hands out to make him stop, his closeness would just distract me, and I didn’t want that now.

“Does it matter?” I asked and Matt shrugged “I guess not.” He closed his eyes and sighed “Look, Maya… This was something between Matt and me and not-” He started but I barked out a laugh.

“You wanna tell me now this had nothing to do with me? Try again Matthew, because I heard my name form your lips loud and clear, or do you want to tell me that you didn’t just warn one your best friends off of me.” I asked him and Matt huffed out a curse.

“I wouldn’t have to warn him off you, if he wouldn’t be all over you. You think I didn’t hear what he said to you? Or what were you two doing here all alone on the couch, laughing and doing god knows what” Matt’s temper was rising and I gaped at him.

“Doing god knows what? Are you out of your mind, Sanders?” I hissed “Do you think Matt and I have something going on behind your back? Is that what you are asking me right now?” I couldn’t believe it.

“Well, he said he would do everything to make you feel better” Matt narrowed his eyes “What the hell am I supposed to think?!” Matt asked angrily and I looked away “This is just unbelievable. You are unbelievable. I thought we were past this shit!” I looked at him and Matt stared right back.

“You tell me. What is going on here? Why are you secretly sneaking away with him? What did you tell him? Why would he say I should take better care of you? You feeling lonely and all that shit?! If we have a problem, if you have a problem with me, you need to come to me Maya! You have to talk to me about that, not with anyone else, goddammit!” Matt took a menacing step forward.

“Well, sometimes you also just need someone to talk to, Matt. And you were working, and you cannot tell me that you never talked to one of the guys about us?!” I asked him and he was silent for a long moment.

“Don’t tell me you didn’t, I know you did. So what is the difference? I just talked to MB! And nothing else happened, I don’t understand how you can think that there would be something going on behind your back. I mean, did I give you just the slightest feeling that you aren’t enough for me?!” I asked him and felt hurt, I mean, why would he think that? Why was he behaving so weird lately?! Was something going on I had no idea about?

I thought we had our talk about trust, and now he was the one bringing all this up again “And then you think I would go to one of your best friends? How stupid do you think I am?!” I said and Matt opened his mouth but then clamped it shut again, his lips a thin line.

“Guys? Sound-check?! Everyone is waiting for you” Jason stood in the door way “And I have no idea what you did to my brother but he is pretty pissed off and sent me to get you” He motioned to the door and I turned around, but before I could take a step I felt Matt’s arm on my wrist, stopping me.

“We are not done talking” Matt growled at me and I rolled my eyes “I think we pretty much are.”

“Maya” Matt’s voice sounded warning, but I knew him well enough to not pay attention to him like this “I’ll find you after the sound-check and then we have a talk” He clarified, pulling me into his embrace.

My hands landed on chest and I pulled away to look up and into his eyes “Am I allowed to talk to Avery? Or should I keep my mouth shut? Should I ask for your permission now, when I want to talk to someone beside you?” I asked my voice bittersweet.

“You know damn well that is not what I meant” Matt growled back pulling me closer to him again but I pushed back “Go to sound check Matt, I will try and keep my mouth shut” I smiled at him but was shooting daggers at him with my eyes and he knew damn well.

“Holy hell” He cursed when he moved down the steps and Jason was waiting there for us, lifted eyebrows and a smirk on his face “Fuck off” He shot Jason an angry look and I quickly moved away from them and back to the hotel.

I had to find Ave, wherever she was, we had to talk. I couldn’t believe what had come to Matt’s mind that he would be talking to me like that. Sometimes I really wondered what was going on inside his head.

I entered the lobby just when the elevator came down and Ave got out. I sighed in relief “AVE!” I waved and when her eyes met mine she quickly came running over to me.

“Maya! Damn I had been searching for you! We need to talk!” She dragged me back to the elevator and up to our floor.

She pulled me into Brian and her room and sat down on the bed. I opened the fridge and grabbed a small flask, emptying the bottle with one big gulp. Ave looked at me with a frown “What is going on?” She asked and I sighed.

“You wouldn’t believe me even if I told you” I shot right back and Ave patted the space beside her “Try me”

I told her about the stupid spontaneous date from Matt and how it ended with me being all alone and waiting, then I told her about MB and my talk with him and ended with my fight with Matt.

“He didn’t really think that?! I mean you and MB?” Ave looked at me with disbelief and I nodded “See… I told you, you wouldn’t believe me?! I mean, how did he even come to that thought?!” I really couldn’t grab what was behind this.

“No idea…And then what did you do?” Ave asked and I looked at her, “What did you think happened?” Ave crouched her eyebrows together “Either you screamed at each other or you had sex”

“Ave!” I slapped her arm and she chuckled “What? Isn’t that the Sanders/Brandon solution to everything?” She grinned and I rolled my eyes.

“Normally yes. But we decided for option A) and we both yelled at each other and it ended in a fight, then Jason came to pick Matt up for sound-check and we had to leave it at that” I sighed “I have no idea what’s gotten into Matt lately, he is acting so weird”
“Just talk to him again, tell him you would never do such a thing, and that you just needed an opinion from someone else. That you would have come to him later on… I mean, you would have, right?” Ave asked and I nodded “I think… I mean, I was confused but Matt had this meeting and we just didn’t have time… And then MB was there. Why is everything so complicated lately?”

I looked around the room and saw a fresh drawing on the table. I got up from the bed and took it into my hands “You know, Ave. I always envied you for your talent in drawing.” I said softly “I always wished I could do that too” I let my finger run over the dark area and the girl and turned around to Ave.

“Now, tell me what happened that made you close yourself in a dark shadowed place, little gnome” I put the drawing away and Ave’s eyes widened then she looked down on her feet dangling of the bed.

“Why do you think that-” Ave started and I sat down beside her, pulling her to me. She rested her head on my shoulder and I let my fingers ran through her hair. “You know better than try to fool me” I tell her with a smile and she sighed heavily.

“Brian and I are supposed to marry in 3 weeks, and at the moment I have no idea if he still wants that.” Ave said and I stilled my hand in her hair “What?”
Ave gave a small sob and I sighed, turning and grabbed her chin to make her look at me.

“What the hell are you talking about, Ave?! He loves you, he is so desperately fallen for you, what on earth brings you to think he doesn’t want you? Did he say something? Should I kick his ass? Does he have cold feet? I will-” I rambled on until Ave gave a strangled laugh.
“No no, I mean…” Ave sighed and then told me about the set-up from Brian and continued with them being not able to talk and how weird Brian had acted, how hurt he was and I shook my head.

“Ave, talk to him. Tell him the exact thing you just told me. Tell him you can’t concentrate with him in such close proximity cause he drives you wild with want. That you are so aroused with him-”

“MAYA! STOP!” Ave laughed loudly and hid her red face behind her hands. “God, how can you be so.. so.. shameless” Ave asked still chuckling and I shrugged “It’s the truth, isn’t it? You should go all out, Ave and tell him just like that. Do you think I can concentrate on anything when Matt is on stage or singing for me? Hell no, I want to jump his bones-”

“Oh lord, please save me!” Ave threw a pillow at me and I laughed. “I missed you today, little gnome.”

“I needed you too, but only got your voicemail” Ave complained and I cringed “Shit, I don’t even know where my phone is. Probably still in Matt’s room.” I looked at her with an apologetic look “Sorry”

“It’s okay.” Ave smiled “Hey, how about we now go and doll up, we gonna put some nice dresses on and go all out for the after party. That will give you a chance to show Brian, what he got and believe me he will come talking to you…” I planned and Ave’s sad eyes lit up.

“And Matt will come apologize, don’t give him such a hard time, M. He loves you, just tell him and I believe he will realize that he was an ass earlier.” Ave squeezed my hand a little and I nodded.

Brian’s POV

Damn it, I had to leave Ave alone just after finding her. Why hadn’t she been in our room, like she was supposed to be?!

During the meeting with Larry, I realized that we had to talk this out. Had to find a way for me being exactly what she needed. Because I couldn’t let her go.

She would be mine only in a matter of weeks and I needed her, I couldn’t and wouldn’t let her go anymore. And I would make her see that I could be all she needed.

Problem was, we had sound check and then another meeting for interviews and shit, then we were on for the show, and I wouldn’t probably get to talk to Ave before the after party. And that sucked pretty badly.

She had looked completely crushed and I knew that it was my fault, but I was just so fucking angry, that I wasn’t enough for her, afraid that she would realize that and go to someone else, that I couldn’t think clearly.

“Haner? You listening?! You start the song” Zack stood beside me with a frown and I nodded. “Shit, sorry. I zoomed out.” I tried to sort through my thoughts and started playing, but at the moment where Matt was supposed to start singing only silence greeted us.

Zack groaned loudly “HELLO?! Anyone here to actually do sound check?”

“Fuck! I-I… Start again” Matt muttered into his mic and we went back to the beginning. I started playing and we sounded horrible. I couldn’t concentrate, Jimmy had thrown his stick at Jason who started to rearrange something on his drums, now only had one stick to play.

Johnny and Zack were probably the only ones playing with their normal routine. I looked over at Matt who rubbed a hand over his eyes in frustration.

“Two more” MB yelled from the side, his eyes were directed at anyone but Matt, who he normally signed to. I frowned and didn’t get what was going on there.

We played the additional songs, and it just wouldn’t get any better. But that would mean the real performance would be awesome, right?

Matt was crouched down by his set lists and seemed to be completely lost in his thoughts. I approached him slowly and was curious to what was having him so absentminded, especially since he was normally the workaholic, could only mean trouble with Maya, if you asked me.

“Hey man, you okay?” I asked and Matt didn’t react. I crouched down beside him, laying my guitar on the ground and sitting with him on the stage, letting out feet dangle off the edge.

“Not really” He finally replied when he saw me sitting beside him. “What’s wrong?” I asked and Matt rubbed a hand over his eyes.

“I don’t fucking know… I had a fight with Maya, and started shit with MB. And I have no fucking clue if I am right or not. It all added up together, I mean… fuck!” Matt cursed loudly making several people look at us.
“If it makes you feel any better, Ave and I are also having a rough day. And our talk ended in disaster.” I sighed and closed my eyes for a second.

“You know what I have been thinking… maybe we… ah no never mind” Matt shook his head and I frowned “What is it?” I asked curious.

“I was thinking all sound check about the opportunity for the Rock on the Range… I mean, what if we decline, that wouldn’t do any good for us, this is a big fucking chance for us, right?” Matt asked and I nodded.

“Yeah, I think so.” I said and thought about the consequences, having to deal with the Asking guys.

“And what if that wouldn’t be such a bad opportunity to see how the girls would deal with all this? I mean, your wedding is coming up, and I still want to ask Maya to-” Matt looked around and then whispered “to marry me.”

“I know I see probably things that aren’t there, and I fucking lose my temper when I see her with someone else, but maybe having the ultimate scenario, will bring my mind to ease, you know?” Matt continued to ask and a thought formed in my head, was he thinking the same thing I thought?

“You want to agree to the concert and see if Maya and Ave are still hung up on the Asking guys?” I asked and Matt seemed uncomfortable “Fuck, I don’t know. Maybe this is stupid, and I can’t tell the other guys about that, but maybe you-”

“We should do it” I said quickly making Matt look up with a frown “You think so?” He asked and I nodded.

“What time did Larry say, we had to call? Seven?” I asked and Matt nodded “It’s six, so let’s do it.”

It would be the final question; it would solve my nagging mind about the fact, that somehow Ave was still having feelings for this douchebag, and maybe even solve the mystery about me not being her inspiration.

Maybe I could finally close that chapter…

I pulled my phone out and dialed Larry’s number, he picked up right away “What is it going to be?” He asked as if he knew why we would call.

“Sign us up for the festival.” I said and Larry was silent “You really think, that is a good idea? I don’t want to hear any trouble coming from your side, boys?” Larry asked and I rolled my eyes “We are positive, it’s a great chance. We need to take it, it will go over smoothly” I said and didn’t really know if I could believe my own words.

“Alright, I’ll set it up and arrange everything.” Larry said and hung up, well that went easier than I thought.

Hours later after the interviews and even the show was done, Matt and I gathered the rest of the band around us.

“We called Larry, and told him to sign us up for the festival” Matt announced and earned some questioning looks from Zack and Jimmy.

“You did? What about talking to us first?” Johnny asked and I clapped his back “It was mostly about me and Matt making the decision, right? So, we decided, it will work out. Larry will set everything up, there is nothing to worry about.”

“Like we shouldn’t worry about you landing in jail? Guys, have you really thought this through? You cannot hide the girls anywhere, they will be around, and they will be alone with those guys, are you really able to handle that?!” Zacky asked and I nodded confidently.

Matt and I were on the same level, we wanted this and we wanted a final closure for this, so we had to go through it. We should make a plan together to set something up, so we could have a look on the situation, I trusted Ave, really I did. I had nothing to worry about… And that’s why this would go over smoothly…

“We trust our girls and there will be no problem. Just take our word” I said and saw Matt clamp his mouth shut.

“Fine, it’s done now anyway, right?” Zack shrugged, “And not that I am not excited about it, it will be freaking huge!” They slowly walked away, while I headed for the hotel room, grabbing a shower and changing into some new clothes.

I had to find Ave quickly, we had some talking to do. I needed to explain to her what this all was about and how I saw the situation, maybe I was just to rash with the whole plan, maybe she just needed more time.

Ave wasn’t at the hotel, not in our room and nowhere else to be seen, so where the hell was she? Had she gone to the party already?

I was about to leave the hotel when I heard someone yell my name behind me “Haner! Wait” Matt jogged up to me, also freshly showered. “You know where the girls are at?” He asked and I shook my head.

“My guess was the party, because Ave wasn’t around” I shrugged and hated that Ave had been going there without me. That way it would be even harder to find her and find a place to talk to her privately.

“M, didn’t even leave a note” Matt grumbled and I nodded “Ave didn’t either.”

We made the distance back to the venue and headed straight for the party. Loud music was blaring and I looked around “You see them?” I yelled at Matt who was overlooking the crowd as well.

“Dancefloor, little to the left” Matt shouted back and I fell into step behind him. When we reached the girls they were dancing together laughing and my heart stopped there for a second.

Ave looked breathtaking, and I wasn’t the only guy staring at her, that was for sure. Matt stood beside me, also frozen in his step.

I was the first to regain my mobility and headed over to them. I pushed the other people surrounding them away and moved in close to Ave.

She stiffened because she hadn’t seen me approach “You look fantastic, babe” I whispered into her ear and let my fingers run over her hip.

She turned around and a small smile was on her lips “You don’t look too bad yourself” She eyed me up and down and I smirked.

“I need to talk to you… in private” I added when she just lifted her eyebrows. “Do I really want to hear it?” She whispered, and I wasn’t too sure if the words were meant for me or her.

I grabbed Ave’s hand and made her follow me outside, she threw a glance over her shoulder to Matt and Maya, but they were soon out of sight, and I wasn’t interested in another scene those two caused, when Ave and I had something important to discuss.

When we were outside Ave began to shiver, I shrugged off my leather jacket and laid it around her slim shoulders.

She smiled up to me and we walked slowly back to the hotel, we didn’t say a word, just walking beside each other. I knew I was the one supposed to say something, but I just didn’t find the right words.

I didn’t want to make her feel sad again, or that we would start fighting again, still I didn’t get what happened earlier… how it got so out of hand.

When we reached our floor I slowly guided her to our room “Didn’t you want to talk?” Ave asked carefully and I sighed. “I can’t seem to find the words” I said honestly while Ave’s eyes widened in confusion and shock maybe, I wasn’t too sure.

“I just want to clear the air… I mean… about earlier” I guided her to the bed and sat her down on the edge. I kneeled down before her and lifted her leg, gliding one of her high heels of her feet and letting my hands massage her foot slowly.

“Ave, I love you. I think we can make this work, even though if I am not-” I started and swallowed thickly, having to say the words were harder than I thought. Because she was everything to me, my love, my muse-

“Brian? Is this still about the drawing? That I wasn’t able to draw with you playing?” Ave asked her hands touching my face lightly, making me look up into her face. I nodded without saying something.

“I get that I am not what you need to be inspired, I mean I saw it… and as much as I hate it, maybe I just need to do something different, you could tell me what to do… and if not, I still love you, and we could work on it together, maybe find something-” I rambled on, because suddenly I was afraid of her realizing she might need someone else, something else to be able to live her life.

“Babe!” Ave’s hands landed on my cheeks, directing my head up to her, her lips brushed mine and a small smile played on her full lips.

“Let me tell you something, without you interrupting me, okay? Without you talking between it and coming to early conclusions, got it?” She looked at me steely and I nodded.
“Good” She got up, kicked off her other heel and then grabbed my arms, she sat me on the bed and straddled me.

My heartrate kicked up and my pants getting tighter right away, my dick wanting to come out and play.

“You are my muse” I opened my mouth to deny but she pushed her finger to my lips silencing my “I told you not to interrupt” She shut me up and I nodded, licking her finger with a smirk.

“You are my muse, all my clothes designed are inspired from you, Brian. I love you, more than anything. You inspire me every day, every hour, there is no time you are not inspiring to me.” She said and smiled, her hands around my neck playing with the hair there.

“Do you want to know, why I couldn’t draw anything when you had that set up there earlier?” She asked and I nodded eagerly.

“Because seeing you play did things to me, always does things to me, where I think of everything I wanna do to you and nothing has to do with drawing.” She smiles that sexy little smile of hers and I swallowed, did she mean what I thought she meant?!

“When I see your fingers glide over the strings, see your concentrated face, hear the music you play, my whole body is shivering, my heart is beating so fast, that I only yearn for your touch and at the same time, I don’t want you to ever stop, does that make sense?” Her voice was husky and my pants about to rip apart, she was beginning to slowly rub on me and I could hardly think.

“Do you now understand why I couldn’t draw a thing?” Ave asked and I swallowed. “I didn’t… I thought you-” That was probably a first, Syn Gates speechless.

“You should know better” Ave unbuttoned the shirt and shoved it off my shoulders “This is what I imagine doing to you while you play, knowing you belong to me, and that this is all mine.” She begins kissing my jawline, moving down my throat and biting softly into my collarbone.

“Fuck Ave!” I grabbed her hips and threw her on the bed, not thinking anymore with my brain, not able to. I shed my pants and boxers and almost rip the dress and panties off Ave’s body before I sink between her spread legs.

“All this for me?” I let my fingers glide over Ave’s wet folds making her moan “Yes, only you” Ave whispered huskily and I groaned while I pushed one finger deep inside her, feeling and spreading her wetness.

“Oh Brian” Ave moaned loudly when I finally replace my fingers with my erection and push into her with one deep stroke.

“Fuck Ave! I love you” I whisper near her ear, I like her ear shell and begin in a slow and steady rhythm. I make her feel just how stupid I was for not solving this misunderstanding right away, what an idiot I was but thank god I had this beautiful and strong woman beside me, to bring me back to the right paths.

I began to increase my thrusts, pushing in and out of her, making both of us sweat and groan until we would finally hit the peak and I groaned loudly while Ave yelled my name, making me feel like the luckiest man in the world.

Notes

Soo what do u guys think now?!
Brian and Avery made up, u think it will stay that way?!
What about Matt and Maya?

And they signed up for the festival, you think that was a good idea?!