Photographs (another fanfic)

Oh Wow! I've just caught up! I don't get much chance to read fics during the week, so I have to do some catching up at weekends. This is brilliant, I love it! Can't wait for more!
 
I'm back and I haven't caught up yet, but that's what I'll be doing the next time I get on here, can't wait! :)
 
Ohhh I caught up, I liked Aaron, then I hated Aaron, then I liked him again, but I've loved Damian and Lauren through the whole thing ;)

(What have you got against the name Aaron? :p)
 
Sorry Sugar plums. Weekend Vacations... they happen.

DAMIAN

Lauren crying was the most heartbreaking sound he'd ever heard.
His first reaction was anger at Aaron for making his best friend so confused and hurt to the point of tears. His next was sympathy for him, he DID just get rejected, that must have hurt. Last, though, was a twinge of relief. She'd turned him down.
Why had she turned him down? He wondered. This was a the guy she mistakenly called her boyfriend at one point. Part of him was positive she would jump at the offer of dating him. What had changed her mind? Who had changed her mind? Had she found someone else to like? He didn't want to dwell on that for too long. It got his emotions confused again.
So he soothed her, tried to tell her everything would be alright, tried to make her laugh. He wanted to tell her he would never ever want to see her crying or hurt. But that might have been awkward so he held it in. She called him sweet again, as she often did. That made him happy, because it meant he'd made her happy.
The conversation was over far too soon. Damian was glad she wanted to talk to him once a week. He wondered if she got Keith's number as well. She'd want to talk to him too. And he would defiantly want to talk to her.
God, they'd hung up seconds ago and he already missed her voice. Her laughter. It didn't help that he had plenty of pictures of her in his house. From when they were younger, when things were easier. When he could talk to her without his heart speeding up, think about her without wanting to drop everything to go and see her again, be near her again.
He had never been sure what to make of those feelings before now. But the more he thought of it the clearer it became.
He loved her.
Not just the sort of friend love he thought he'd had for her. No, he was truly IN LOVE with her. He could hardly believe he was thinking this. She'd been his friend so long, he'd never expected that he would ever like her more than that. Maybe he always had, and it just hadn't hit him until now.
So, he loved her... And she was in America.
"This sucks." He mumbled aloud. It did. Sorting out his feelings for the girl only made him miss her more. Instead of relieved or happy, he felt miserable. He sympathized with Aaron more than he ever thought he would. What if she turned him down too? What if they couldn't be friends anymore? He didn't want to do that. And, after her reaction to Aaron's proposal he defiantly didn't want to put her through THAT. He never ever wanted to be the cause of her tears.
The phone rang. He sighed and answered it.
"Yo." Keith's voice said, he sounded more than cheerful. He could only guess why.
"Lauren call you too?" Damian asked, dryly.
Keith laughed, "Sure did. God, I'm so glad I get to talk to her too! Letters just aren't enough, you know?"
"Yeah." He certainly did. "What'd she say?"
"Probably nothing you haven't heard. She's doing a solo in her choir class. Wish I could hear. She hasn't asked Mum if she can come visit yet, but she's looking for the right time to."
"I hope she can make it."
"So do I. I talked to my dad recently. He was kind of awkward about the idea of Mum coming. Don't understand that. Never understood those two." He sighed.
"Confused Lauren too." Damian commented, remembering when they younger asking why her parents were getting divorced.
"I don't know," She'd sighed, "They love each other. They've said so often. And they don't even fight that much."
Keith didn't feel like talking about that for long, "Whatever the reasons are I just hope Lauren comes."
Damian sighed, wondering if he should say anything. "Keith,"
"Yeah?"
Might as well. "I love her."
"Lauren?" He sounded surprised, but not shocked.
He was blushing but got out a "yeah."
He could hear Keith's smile in his voice, "For how long?"
"I don't even know. I just- She's - I mean-" He couldn't think right, or talk straight. Keith laughed now. Damian was surprised, he hadn't suspected Keith to be upset, but didn't think he would be so easily pleased at this. "Is that fine?"
More laughter, "Damian, I'm her brother not her bodyguard or anything. Besides, you make it sound like I didn't know already."
He blushed deeper, of course Keith knew. Probably everyone had known. Except himself.
"Are you going to tell her?"
"I'm not sure..."
"Why not?"
"Aside from the obvious," She'd reject him, "I don't want to ruin our friendship or anything."
He scoffed, "Whatever you want." He said simply, but added, "But just so you know, she's an amazing girl."
"I know."
Laughter, "Then you know there will probably be plenty of guys after her. I'd much rather she end up with you then some weirdo in America."
"Only so much I can do when she's an ocean away."
"Then I can only wish ya luck. Talk to you later." Without waiting for a goodbye he hung up.
Damian sighed, looking up from the phone to another photograph of young Lauren. She looked no older then 6 there, laughing. He sighed again. Why did love have to be so difficult?


I don't have anything against the name Aaron. In fact I ADORE the name. I love using his name in every story I write. Normally as the love interest. Since he obviously can't be that here he's gotta add SOMETHING to the plot.
 
OMG Maggie you're back! You have to official worst timing for not being on line. I REALLY could have used an update like, Saturday night or something. But anyway great update! I love the part where Damian tells Keith. That cracked me up :)
 
a bit more - to make up for my past weekend.


LAUREN

"Mom, why did you and Dad get divorced?"
It was a silly way to start asking her mom something important, but it was also something Lauren really wanted to know.
Her mom stiffened, and said nothing. And Lauren dropped it.
She would ask the question at least three times a week. Knowing it was stupid, and it was really only getting her mom irritated. But she knew nothing of why her mom wouldn't talk about home. If she knew that, she'd know the right tactics to get her mom to agree for her to visit Derry again.
It was dinner, it was July. The Celtic Thunder concert was in a week. It was now or never to ask.
"Mom, please? Can't I know?"
"Why do you want to know?"
"I want to know why I'm not aloud to talk about Derry or my brother or anything like that? Was it THAT awful!?" Her voice rose.
She was surprised by her mom's reaction. They had had similar discussions before that normally ended in both yelling at each other. But her mother stayed quiet, and looked upset. Lauren immediately felt guilty, but curious. There was no response so Lauren asked, "Do you hate Dad, now?" She sounded like a little girl.
Her mom met her eyes now, and Lauren was even more surprised. She was smiling, it was a sad, heartbroken smile but a smile all the same. "No." She said quietly.
"Then why?" She asked, surprised.
"It's complicated," Her mother said slowly, "Neither you or Keith would have understood at the time. You probably still won't understand."
She was getting through to her, it was exciting. Her mom actually said her brother's name for the first time in 8 years. "Try me." She pleaded.
Her mom laughed, "It's quite dramatic," She warned.
She sounded ready to explain so Lauren only nodded.
"My parents, simple enough, did not approve of your father."
That WAS dramatic. "Then how did you marry him?"
"I basically defied my parents. I was more rebellious then, and I loved him. So much." She sighed, and sounded like a lovesick teenager. She was dumbstruck.
"Then?"
"I couldn't take it." She said sadly, "I was tearing myself in half, having to choose between my family, that lived here, and my family there. Your father and I discussed how to make it easier, but it normally ended in fights. In the end I told him it would be better if we weren't together. I lied."
Lauren stared, mouth-open, gawking. She never had expected that of her mom. She'd never expected ANY of that from her mom. She wondered how much Keith knew. "But- but-but" she stumbled, "Now? Now your mom and dad - they -they" They had died when Lauren was around 10. She remembered nothing of either of them. "Why haven't you come back?
Her mom laughed again, bittersweet, "Do you think he would take me back? I was the one to leave him." She sighed, again as well. "He probably remarried anyways."
She shook her head fast, "Keith says he hasn't so much as gone on a date with anoth-" OOPS! She hid her face in her hands in embarrassment, then dropped them.
It was her mother's turn to gawk. "Keith said this, did he?" She said quietly.
Lauren stared at the table and nodded.
"And just when were you talking to Keith?"
"Every Saturday." She whispered.
A pause, "Where did you find the number?"
"Vanessa. She knows him. We've been writing too." She paused, “He's in a group, you know. Of singers, they've toured the U.S. plenty of times. They've come here."
Tears were glistening in her mom's eyes, "And you saw them, didn't you?"
She nodded again, then said, "He wrote a song about me, mom. A song."
She didn't seem able to find her voice. Now or never, Lauren thought.
"They are doing a show in Dublin in a week. He invited me and you to come." He actually had only invited Lauren, but she wouldn't say that now. "I want to go. I miss him."
"I do too, Lauren." her mom spoke her name for the first time as well. Her face lit up.
"So can we?"
Silence. Crap.
Laughter, and a nod. Lauren cried, happily. Her mom mumbled, teasingly "I feel like I'm signing up for 'The Parent Trap'."
"You don't have to see dad, mom! That's not why I want to go." She said.
"I understand, love." Her mom said, softly, "Next week, did you say?"
"Yes"
"Then we need to get tickets." She was smiling like a teenager again.
Lauren hugged her, "Mom I love you so much!"
"It's the least I could do Lauren. I've been doing what my parents did to me, tearing you in two. I never wanted to do that. I've been acting silly this whole time haven't I?"
"Mom, you know I love you, so I have to say; yes! yes you have!"
They both laughed and hugged again.
"I'll have to call!" She added, "Tell them I'm coming!!" She laughed and twirled back into her room.
Halfway through dialing Damian's number she got a better idea.


An epic bit more.
 
Yeah! I don't hate Lauren's mom anymore! I don't like hating people. It's one of the things I do the best but hate the most :) Anyway you better update at least twice today if you log on and oyu better log on!!! This story is awesome! I love it!
 
mo-ore!! (I finished this baby and am now beginning Keith's)

DAMIAN

The night of their show Damian got a text message. The text read "Damian, Tell Keith I tried. - Lauren". He wondered why she didn't call, but she must have been crying, and didn't want him to hear. He was glad of that, he hated to hear her cry, or even sound hurt in the slightest. He still wished he could talk to her.
She couldn't come. That hurt him a lot. It would hurt Keith too, he'd been so hopeful that her mom would agree. Damian had been looking forward to seeing Lauren again, as if all his confusion would be clear the second he saw her beaming face.
The show would be so hard to work out without that.
"Poor Lauren." Damian said quietly to Keith about 15 minutes before show time, "She risked a bunch telling her mom and she didn't even get anything from it."
"I'm an idiot for asking her to try." Keith sighed, pulling his fingers through his hair, "Now, Mum knows our plan. I've probably lost all contact with her."
Damian hadn't thought of that. And he had been glad he hadn't, now it was an awful thought. Not only would he never see her, but he was likely to never talk to her in any way. Now, now that he knew he loved her. Now, he had to loose contact with her.
"Well, that's just grand." He said sarcastically.
Keith sighed, "I know. I'm really not in the mood to sing."
"Neither am I."
Ryan, George and Paul came in right about then,, laughing. They stopped short at seeing the sullen looks on the boy’s faces.
"Where have you three been?" Damian asked. They'd gone out for dinner with Rachel and Vanessa earlier before coming here. The three guys had disappeared for a short time between then and now.
Ryan grinned wickedly, George laughed, and Paul said in a strained serious tone, "We found a fan club member spying outside."
The guys gulped. Fan girls, crazed fan girls, were something the guys rarely ran into but when they did... "What did you do?" Keith sounded as though he wasn't sure he wanted to know.
"We brought her with." Ryan beamed, looking proud of himself.
"You WHAT!?' They asked together, speechless.
"Why?" Damian stuttered, peering over the guy’s shoulders. He didn't see anyone behind them.
There humor wasn't going away in the slightest, "She sounded so desperate, our hearts went out to her." George said, simply.
"If Sharon finds out you brought a fan back here she's going t-"
"I think she'll make an exception in this case." Paul chuckled, "She seemed happy to see us but it's you two she was really here for. Want to meet her?"
The boys exchanged appalled glances. Despite their grins, they sounded completely serious.
"Come on in!" Paul called, he had to cover his mouth now to keep from laughing. Damian was scared... for a second.
"LAUREN!!!!!!" Keith yelled it first, the second her head even showed in the doorway. It took him only two strides forward before he took her into his arms. She laughed and Damian's heart pounded.
As she was let go she wasted no second before running straight to him. Before he could even think to say hi he was almost toppled as she threw her arms around him. His face burned a fiery red, and as he pulled away grinning he managed to say in a pointed tone, "You lied."
She laughed and made her voice huffy, "I did no such thing." Her arms were still around him.
"But you said-"
"I simply said, Damian Mcginty, that I tried. I never said what the outcome of said trying was."
"You tricky little..." He laughed, pinching her side.
"Ah!" She squeaked, laughing and trying to pull away. "Don't do that!!"
They both laughed again and then died down as they both realized how close they were. Her face was only inches from his, blushing just like his own. For a second, looking into her green eyes he felt like they were the only two in the room.
Paul coughed. They both turned to look at him, and the cough became a laugh. "I'm sure you two are happy to see each other but we have show in a few minutes, you know?"
They ignored him for a moment. Keith added, "How did Mum agree?"
Lauren's smile went crooked, "I'll explain later, I should go now. She's in the audience, though." She unhitched her arms from where they were still around Damian's neck and beamed. "You five break a leg."
They laughed and nodded. She sent another smile at the three older men, "And thanks for playing along! That worked out well."
"Anytime, love." George laughed, and they all joined in. She waved again and left.
Four pairs of eyes were locked on Damian.
"What?" He tried to keep from blushing, but failed.
Keith rolled his eyes, "Nothing, nothing at all."
"Except that you looked just about ready to kiss her, right then and there." Paul laughed.
Damian's face steamed. He hadn't even thought about that, at all! At least not consciously.
He wasn't going to say anything to that, anyways. But even if he had, he wouldn't have been able to, because the show was set to begin.
Minutes ago he as thinking of how hard it would be to perform without Lauren. Now, he was wondering if it might have been easier that way.
 
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