After the first weeks on tour, Amelia had fallen into an easy routine, of life on the road. She adjusted to playing concerts late into the night, waking up to the rocking motion of the bus and a text from Sebastian asking her if she was awake. Phones calls with Sebastian stretching passed the night and into the morning.

The first two months slipped by before she knew it, her days filled with amusing activities with Danny and the band. Life on the road felt like the only thing she had ever known.

************

Amelia gripped the soft leather cushion of the stool beneath her, the tips of her toes settled on the ground.

"I don't think you're ready for this Daniel?" she teased.

"Those are fighting words, Aims. It's only my mother whose calls me Daniel. And my father when he is mad. Anyways, you can bet I was born ready for this," Danny said, his tone low.

Nate and Grant let out roars of laughter.

"I have ten on Amelia to win," Nate said to Matt.

"I'm in for ten on Amelia as well," Haley said.

Danny gave her a hurt look.

"Seriously Haley, that hurts deep," Danny said, in mock pain.

Haley gave Danny a mischievous wink.

"Rules are simple, whoever reaches the end of the hallway first, wins." Matt pointed to Danny. "You play nice, we still have a concert to play and if Amelia hurts her wrists, you'll have us to deal with us," he said, making a sweeping gesture to the rest of the band.   

"You've turned my band against me," Danny said, to Amelia.

"You go through a water balloon battle together and it bonds you," Amelia said, seriously.

"Alright. On my mark. Ready...Get set...GO!" Matt yelled, letting his arm drop.

Amelia pushed hard against the floor, flying backward. The squeaking of their wheels, the cheers and cries of the audience thundered around the space. Amelia collided with the far wall a second before Danny slammed in next to her.

Louder cheers broke out. A metal door opened behind Amelia but she didn't hear it, caught up in the shouts from the band. Danny's gaze drifted past her and his expression turned to surprise.

Amelia twisted around. The movement was stronger than she thought and she was tumbling backwards.

Sebastian rushed forward and catch her arms before she landed on the floor. Smiling, he lifted her gently to her feet. Amelia's heart gave a giddy jolt as she stood speechless, staring up into his face.

"Hey," he said.   

A rush of warmth raced through Amelia and her heartbeat quickened.

"Bash!" Danny said, pushing Amelia aside and hugged Sebastian.

"Hey Danny. Mind if I stop by?" Sebastian asked.

The cheering crowd circled around them, bombarding Sebastian with curious questions. Amelia was jostled from behind and fell into Sebastian. He reached out and steadied her.   

"Sorry," Amelia said, glaring back at Grant who raised his hands up.

Sebastian let go of her arms. His hand bumping her's, sending a spark of electricity running through Amelia; the touch a silent question. She locked their fingers together, an subtle energy spreading through her body.   

"So what do you think?" Danny asked.

"Sorry, what did you say?" Sebastian asked.

"What do you say to performing with me tonight, for a song or two?"

"Sounds good to me."

"Alright, lets do this," Danny said leading the way to the stage for practice.

*************

"Alright, I think we got it," Sebastian said, clapping as they finished the last song.

The band nodded and moved off stage. Sebastian moved over to Amelia and took her hand, pulling her in the opposite direction. He guided her through the backstage and out into the auditorium, winding his way through the seats to one of the rows in the far back. The settled into seats, facing each other.   

"I've missed you Aims," Sebastian said.

"I've missed you too. How are you even here? I didn't expect to see you for another two and half months," she said.

"I finished my last concert in the U.S. at the Staples Center last night. So this morning I got the first flight I could here. I have a few days off and then I leave for the European part of my tour."

"Wait? Are you going to stay with us for a couple days?"

"No, I will travel with you guys tonight and then I'll get a flight in Seattle and head back to L.A. Unfortunately, I still have interviews and things I need to do before I start next part of the tour."

Amelia sank back into the seat, her shoulders sagging.   

"At least I get you now. That's more than I thought."

"If you're free tomorrow morning, I would love to take you to breakfast," Sebastian said. "I'm pretty sure I can get a flight late enough to make that a possibility."

"I guess I can make myself free tomorrow morning, if you insist," she said, in a careless tone.

Their conversations fell to talk of the previous two and a half months. The fast approaching end of Danny's tour. The beginning of Sebastian's European tour. The visits from Poppy and Will, where they announced they were officially boyfriend and girlfriend. Will and Danny talking music and future collaborations. Amelia finding out that Charlie had passed the Bar exam and asked Natalie out.

They talked in low voices, like two kids sharing secrets, their heads bent together, their words barely reaching the row in front of them.

The bubble that had created around themselves was popped when Danny called, telling them to come to dinner. The rest of the evening vanished in a flurry of preparations, a concert and ending on the bus. One by one the band members gave sleepily farewells and climbed into their bunks, eventually leaving Sebastian, Amelia and Danny alone.  Pretty soon Danny pushed himself off the couch and stumbled to his bunk.

"Are you going to leave me too, my dear Aims?" Sebastian asked, taking her hand.

"Are you kidding? If you're leaving tomorrow I plan on staying awake with you until I fall asleep out of pure exhaustion. Why? Do you want me to leave you?"   

"No, I'll take all the time with you that I can get." A small smile crept over Sebastian's face. "Did you know you smile when you play the drums?"

"Is that so?"

"Yeah. I was watching you from off stage. You get this look on your face that I've only seen when your playing, like you would be fine never doing anything else."

A heat rose to her face and she dropped her eyes to their linked hands.

"That's because I would never be happy doing anything else." She met his gaze. "Has anyone ever told you, you're an amazing performer?"

"Only a couple people who pass me on the street," Sebastian joked.

"So you perform on the street, uh?"

"Only when I'm strapped for cash."

Amelia laughed.   

"Tell me, have you found the bimbo that you're going to fall in love with?" Amelia asked.

"As a matter of fact I did."

"Oh?"

"Yup, only problem was our moment lasted for a second. The next time I walked back up the runway I couldn't find her again." He sighed dejectedly. "I guess it wasn't meant to be me. Have you fallen for Danny yet?"

"He's fallen for Haley, so my hopes are dashed. I guess it wasn't meant to be."

Sebastian's grip tightened.

"I guess we're stuck with each other then."

"I guess so."

Beyond the window the darkened landscape zipped, trees and buildings blurring into formless void.

"Who was your first kiss?" Amelia asked.

"I guess technically is was Yvette." Amelia raised her eyebrows, curious. "I was in kindergarten and she kissed me after snack time. But if we're going with actual first kisses, I guess it would be Nicole. I was in 7th grade. There was a dance at school and she kissed me. We then were boyfriend and girlfriend for a whole weekend and she broke up with me on Monday."

Amelia gave him a puzzled look.

"I think it had something to do with the fact that I didn't talk to her at all the whole weekend." Sebastian said.

"Yeah, that probably had something to do with it."

"What about you? I know you never had a boyfriend but did you at least have a first kiss?"

"Yes, I was 12 and it was right before my 13th birthday. It was my first boy girl party. So it was a big deal. We played spin the bottle and I'm not actually sure you could call it a kiss. It was more our lips hit keep each, but I guess that would technically be mine."

Sebastian's laugh was low and sleepy.

"That was it for my kissing days though, after that my parents died and any sort of relationship with a boy was not really on my top list of things. That was pretty much the extent of my romantic life. After that I substituted music for relationships."

Amelia curled her legs up and rested her head against the back of the couch.   

"What about when you came to New York and started going to Juilliard, did you ever date then?" Sebastian asked.

"Yeah, I went on one or two dates. But my music always seemed more important and I never actually found someone who seemed worth it. So I became the number one drummer at the school."

The bus filled with a heavy silence, thoughts drifting restlessly.   

"I've always wondered, did you always plan on moving to New York?" Amelia asked.   

"No, I liked living in Indiana, but I needed to be some place central for recordings and working with my writers, so I eventually moved."

"Would you ever move back?"

"Maybe, after I'm done and feel like retiring. I always thought it would be kind of fun to take over my mother's position of running the arts division at the school. Carry on the tradition."   

"That sounds nice." Amelia said, her tone sleepy.

Her head slumped onto Sebastian's shoulder, her gaze falling to there interlocked fingers. Sebastian  rested his head on her's.

"What's one of your favorite memories?" Sebastian asked.

Images and scenes bubbled in Amelia's brain, snap shots of her past flashing by.   

"Okay, it was after my parents died, a year after we moved to London. My grandparents took us to Paris on vacation during late Spring. The city was so crowded and overwhelming that it was more stressful than anything."

Amelia's voice seemed to come from a great distance, as image after image darted through her mind, each vivid.   

The early evening heat of the city. The distinctive smell of car fumes and cigarette smoke wafting through the air. The sound of sirens as they raced passed and faded into the distance, their lights flashing off the building walls. Walking along the Seine with Charlie. The rough uneven cobble stones beneath her feet. The clouds of smoke that bloomed in the air from lone Parisians, gazing quietly out at the Seine, soaking up the stillness of the night, thoughts floating like the cigarette smoke. The Eiffel tower bursting into a thousand lights, all blinking rapidly against the blackness of the night.

"It was the first time Charlie and I went out on our own. We walked by the river, not talking. It was one of the first times I realized it was going to be okay. Though I had lost the two people I loved the most, I still had Charlie and there was a future to be lived," Amelia said, her voice echoing the gentle whisper of the river lapping against the bricks.

"That's why Paris at night is one of your favorite places?"

Amelia nodded.

"What about you, what's one of your favorite memories?" she asked.   

His gaze dropped to their hands, and he started playing with the tips of her fingers as he talked.

"Dancing with my mother. My father was gone and my mother always put on a brave face, but she never really smiled. We were waltzing together one night. I was finally was tall enough that it wasn't awkward."

His smile went distance.

"The studio was quiet except for the music. We didn't talk, just danced. As we kept dancing, my mother smiled for the first time. Something in my chest lifted. A weight I hadn't realized was even there, vanished. She looked so content in that moment. I never wanted to stop because I was afraid she would be sad again. Of course, we did stop and she was sad again at times but those times eventually became fewer and fewer. Now she's one of the happiest people I know," Sebastian said.

"Your mother sounds like an amazing person." Amelia yawned tiredly, her eyes drooping. "I hope I get to meet her some day."

"Me too," Sebastian said, his words fading into the air, disappearing among the gentle breathing and rocking of the bus.

****************

Amelia opened her eyes and found herself looking into the center of the tour bus. Laying on the opposite couch, was Sebastian, sleeping with one arm flopped over the edge. Amelia laid there for a long minute, watching as his chest slowly rose and fell.

Eventually she pulled herself up and moved down the short hallway to her room. Her bed was stripped of its contents and Amelia tried to remember if she had helped Sebastian bring the items out or if he had done it after she had fallen asleep.   

Dressed, she remerged from her room and tiptoed to the front of the bus, but stopped when she noticed Sebastian rubbing his eyes.   

"Hey," he said, his voice gravelly.

He shifted his legs and Amelia moved to sit down on the couch next to him.

"Remind me, did I fall asleep before or after we took the blankets from my bed?" she asked.

Sebastian pushed himself into a sitting position. His hair was undecided which way it should be going and so had gone in every direction as a compromise. He ran his hand through the mess, trying to bring it under some order and only half succeeding.

"I have to apologize for something. I thought about carrying you to your bed but you looked so cute laying on the couch I didn't want to disturb you. So I just brought the blankets and pillow to you."

"I can't believe you," she said, her tone sarcastic.

She shrugged, lacing her fingers through his.

"I guess with an excuse like that I have to forgive you."

"You're too kind. How did you sleep?" Sebastian asked.

"I didn't wake up because of any of my dreams," she said, astonished. "That's a first. I guess I found the solution."

Sebastian raised his eyebrows, his smile going mischievous.

"Talk until I fall asleep from exhaustion," Amelia said, simply.

"Probably not the best long term solution."

"Probably not. You want to go to breakfast?"

Sebastian nodded. His eyes fell to his crinkled shirt.   

"I should probably get a shower and change," he said, his hand going to his wild mane of hair again.

A teasing smile flashed across Amelia's face.

"You sure? You look pretty cute this way to me," she said.

Sebastian cocked one eyebrow at her, his head tilting to one side.

"Is that so?" he said, his manner playful.

The bus door swung open and Danny appeared.

"You're just getting up? I already had my morning interview. I guess this means we can all go to breakfast then," Danny said, jovially.

Sebastian looked to Amelia and she gave him a small reassuring smile.   

"I guess so," Sebastian said.

Danny clapped a hand on Sebastian's shoulder.

"Dude, I would suggest a shower and a change of clothes. You don't look that good, I'm surprised Aims can ever stand the sight of you."

Sebastian meet Amelia's laughing eyes and smiled.

"She's just too nice to say anything against."

"Come on Aims, we'll wait while his highness makes himself decent. You can come with me to say hi to Haley," Danny said.

Amelia followed, tossing a glance back to Sebastian, and he smiled.

***********

The door to the sleek black car lay open, looking like a large mouth about to swallow something. Sebastian leaned back against the trunk, one hand curled tightly around Amelia's hand, her body pressed next to his.

"Where's your first concert?" Danny asked.

"London." Sebastian looked down at Amelia. "Did I tell you, Poppy and Will are coming to the performance. They got a hold of me through Chuck and asked if they could stop by afterwards."

"That's great. I wish I could say Poppy is more calm with Will but I'm not sure its the truth."

Sebastian laughed, the sound ringing though Amelia's ears and landing in her chest. Sighing deeply, she leaned her head against his shoulder, breathing in the smell of his cologne. She held tightly to every second, feeling as if time knew this and picked up speed to spite her.

He kissed the top of her head, whispering soothingly to her. She wrapped her arms around him, her head coming to rest on his shoulder, his arms holding her closely. Danny took a step back, his attention drifting to a distant point, letting it hold him captive.

"I don't know what's worse. Having seen you and having you leave again or not having seen you at all," Amelia said.

Sebastian cupped her face, eyes locked on her's.

"It's just two and half more months, that's all it is. I'll be back sooner than you know it."

"Some how that seems longer than the five months."

He kissed her forehead and pulled her even closer, resting his head on her's. They stood there for a long moment, all the words they would have said already spoken months before in the airport. A cough cracked the dome they had built up and Sebastian lifted his head, sending the pieces shattering to the floor at their feet.

"I have to go, Aims."

She nodded, her throat suddenly dry.

"Don't forget me," she said.

Their hands fell into each other as Sebastian leaned his forehead to her's, his lips curving upward.

"I'm pretty sure that my line," he said quietly.

Another cough and he pulled away. Amelia raised herself to her toes and kissed his cheek.

"Bye Sebastian."

Taking a step back, she crossed her arms, feeling slightly cold, dispite the hot day, now that his arms no longer held her.

"Bye Aims." His gaze cut to Danny and they both nodded to each other. "Bye Danny," Sebastian said, climbing into the gaping mouth and shutting the door.

He reappeared a second later and waved as the car glided away and turned out into traffic, vanishing from view. Amelia stared unseeing at the spot where the car had melted away, her thoughts sitting with occupant in the back seat. An arm dropped over her shoulders, pulling her back to the scene around her.

"Come on Aims, lets go do something. Maybe dye Matt's hair while he sleeps," Danny said, gently pulling her back towards the backstage.

Amelia glanced back once more and then smiled at Danny, nodding, though her look was distant.

**********************************************************************

So.....what did you think?

Did you expect Sebastian to show up? I have to tell you the story Sebastian told about his first kiss is actually what happened to my young brother. What was your first kiss like?

Vote, comment, follow! Cause why not?