bright lights, big city, she dreams of love, bright light, big city, he lives to run

bright lights, big city, she dreams of love, bright light, big city, he lives to run by sassy 

 I propped myself up and my elbows, turning my head to glance at Aria. I took a few seconds to do that, my eyes running up her perfect body that was laying down on the blanket we were sharing, Central park surrounding us in that amazing spring day. I felt like I had everything in this moment, a gorgeous girlfriend, a job I loved, free time to go out and just enjoy ourselves and the city. Plus, the good thing about being surrounded by so many people on that neverending stretch of green grass was that we could be easily feel like we were just a couple like many others, not Mrs Gates and Mr Pitt from Hollywood. "Are you sleeping?" I asked quietly as I noticed her closed eyes.

She lifted her hand to shield them from the sun, smiling at me immediatly, "What do you think?"

"You might be talking in your sleep." I grinned as I bent over her to kiss her chastely, still not big on public displays of affection and not wanting to draw the attention on us. I knew well how easily things got out of my control whenever I started kissing her.

"Do I?" She asked against my lips before I pulled away, her eyes not moving from me even when I laid back next to her.

"You do." I said simply, keeping my head turned in her direction as I smirked, "You always say how amazing I am and how I'm always right noo."

She rolled her eyes but grinned, "Lies."

I kept quiet a few moments, closing my eyes and enjoying the sun on my skin, my mind wandering in many directions since I had a lot to think about lately. Sure now at least my sentimental life was proceeding smoothly, Aria being stuck with me in New York making it only better, but there was still a whole summer to plan, it involving both my babe and work. "Did you bring it?" I asked out of nowhere, peeking one eye open.

"What?" She blinked at me, looking absolutely clueless.

"The book?" I said back, sure that I had told her so before leaving my hotel room. I was still trying to decide if my next job would be adapting the infamous 50 shades trilogy into a movie, but I hand't had the chance to read it yet so I had asked her to give me her copy.

She nodded with a huge smirk on her face, lifting herself into a sitting position and reaching for her bag, "I did yes. I even marked my fave parts." She said as she took the book out, crossing her legs indian style.

"Read them to me." I smirked back at her and stretched out my arm, wrapping it around her hips.

"Okay." She bit down on her lip, the look into her eyes letting me know she was up to something. "Let's start with this." She announced and cleared her throat, faking a straight face, "You beguile me, Christian. Completely overwhelm me. I feel like Icarus flying too close to the sun."

I cut her off, raising one eyebrow at her as I shot her an amused look, "Now I see why he makes you think of me."

She held her hand up, "Wait to say that, you might change your mind...listen." She paused again, going to another page, "He holds out his hand, and in his palm are two shiny silver balls linked with a thick black thread … Inside me! I gasp, and all the muscles deep in my belly clench. My inner goddess is doing the dance of the seven veils … Oh my …" She started reading again, her grin even wider as she struggled not to chuckle, "It’s a curious feeling. Once they’re inside me, I can’t really feel them—but then again I know they’re there … Oh my." And there it was when she started laughing, her head tossing back in the process.

I couldn't help but laugh too, those words so silly and she was so silly too, also so incredibly beautiful in that moment. "Oh dear god." I said between laughters, still looking at her as I shook my head, feeling...complete. And happier than I had ever been. "I love you Ar." I said without even thinking about it, the words coming out of my mouth spontaneously.

Her finger ran over the top of the book as her eyes remained locked on mine. I had no idea of what she was going to do with those three letters and I didn't care, I loved her and I already knew that she loved me back. Aria grinned slowly, taking her time. "I know it," She said and grinned bigger, being silly like always. I was sure that something else was coming out from those pretty lips though, the look on her face told me that her brain was very busy at the moment. "I'm glad you feel that way," She joked again, using the words that I had said back to her one time. To be honest there was no right way to answer to "I love you" except to say it back, only Aria had got mad everytime she hadn't hear it from me and it had been the only reason why we had been fighting. In my opinion it was stupid, because she knew how I felt...I guessed she was just impatient. I was happy we were over that though.

My hand fell down to her ass and I spanked it lightly, parting my lips as she leaned all of her body weight into me and kissed me hard. Her tongue slipped into my mouth first, a moan escaping her when I reciprocated to deepen the kiss. "Uhm," I responded with my lips still pressed against hers.

"I love you too," She smiled against my lips and pulled her head back to see my face again.

The book wedged between us as she wrapped an arm around me to play with my hair. "You make it hard to control myself when you do that," I said and she bit her lip, pressing her hips against his. Good god we were in Central Park and I was about to get a boner if she didn't stop...then again, she was effortlessly sexy and I was crazy about her and her body, we were both at fault.

"When I tell you that I love you or when I throw myself at you?" She asked innocently.

I reached for her wrist, pulling it away from my hair and up to my mouth, biting on her skin a little less than gently. "Both," I said quietly, my mind starting to think hard again as I wondered where those three words were leading us if anywhere. That was what scared me the most about feelings, I couldn't plan anything based on them, and for a control freak like me it was hard to let go.

"I should stop then," She said, still grinning as I freed her wrist and she let her hand drop onto my chest.

"You couldn't."

She nodded, "You're right. Guess what?"

"You're wet?" I grinned and she laughed.

"I'm always wet when I'm around you... but that's not what I meant," She said seriously, keeping her eyes on mine. I kept silent, scanning her face carefully as I tried to read her. "I finish filming next week."

My eyebrow shot up since she wasn't supposed to finish until next month and then we'd make plans for summer. Change of plans were in the list of things that I disliked too. "Then what?"

"Then I plan on coming here until you finish the boring cloud movie," She shrugged with a smirk that didn't reach her eyes. She looked nervous instead and a nervous Aria meant a nervous me too. "And after that? We'll figure it out together... I'm going to take a year off from movies."

I stared at her, speechless for a second because sure as hell I hadn't seen that coming. Finish filming a few weeks early? It was okay, great actually, and so it was her idea of joining me here but taking a year off? I didn't know how I felt about it, it seemed a huge decision to me. "Why?" I asked eventually, trying to get a grip. We were a couple, we declared each other our love, we were going to make things work, that was the mantra I kept repeating in my head. The thing was that for the last five years I had been alone and alone I had taken all the decisions for my own life, now having to share them and making them depend on another people in some way made me slightly unconfortable. But it was Aria, not just a person, and I was willing to be reasonable about it.

She shrugged, her nervousness finally surfacing when she started twirling her hair around her finger, "I made three movies in the last year, I feel like I need a break." She answered simply.

"True, you did a great job." I nodded in agreement, genuinely happy that her career had been so good for her during the last twelve months. I wrapped my arm around her shoulder as I adjusted my back on the blanket and I glanced at her, "I'm proud of you."

"I'm proud of you too." She smiled and relaxed a little, adjusting her cheek on my shoulder and letting me kiss her lips quickly.

I took a few more seconds to let her words soak in, wondering what she was going to do for a whole year and what she expected. I knew that there weren't going to be breaks for me, not so long ones anyway. "What do you want to do?" I asked, figuring that she was the only one who could give me the answers I was looking for.

She ran her hand up and down my chest, her eyes following mine as they stared at the blue sky, "I was thinking that maybe I could take classes." She paused, as if she wasn't still sure herself, "Not full time though."

"It's a great idea babe." I glanced down to smile at her as I ran my fingers up and down her arm mindlessly. I was always going to encourage Aria and support her, she was smart and just amazing, she could do anything easily.

She smiled back at me before snuggling closer to me and closing her eyes, looking like an angel. "What will you do instead?" She asked.

I let my eyes move back to the sky, following the few white clouds, "I guess it depends on this movie, if I decide to accept that's probably what I'll be doing for the next months." I paused, wondering where that would be filmed and when exactly, making a mental note to ask all the details as soon as possible.

"In Seattle?" She asked, apparently knowing the subject better than I know.

"Again, I don't know." I took a deep breath, ready to give voice to the question that kept echoing in my head but I was too afraid to ask. "If I said yes to the movie...would you come with me or not?" I said finally, knowing that we'd be fine no matter her answer, but still hoping that we wouldn't find ourself in a San Francisco kind of situation again.

Aria's eyes to fluttered open again, I could feel them watching me, studying my expression, and I wondered how much my face gave away if anything. I, on the other hand, couldn't find the heart to turn and look into those eyes. "I was assuming I would..." She trailed off, uncertainty in her tone. "Do you want me to?"

I looked down at her and forced a smile while a warning bell kept ringing in my head. I knew that we were in a territory that could lead us to a potential fight, but then again we had to learn to talk even about the more delicate subjects without starting arguing. Correction, maybe I needed to learn that. "Are you sure that's what you want?" I asked instead, hoping that she'd understand that I wasn't trying to push her away.

"Do you not want me to?" She rephrased her question, still searching my eyes for what I wasn't saying.

"I want the best for you Ar," I said honestly, not knowing how else to explain what I was thinking. I wanted her with me, but I didn't want her to become one of those needy girlfriends that lived their lives through their boyfriends' ones. "You're already putting your career on hold, I don't want you to do the same with the rest of your life."

She nodded, "I can take classes online... I can study wherever I am, whether it's at home or in Seattle with you."

"But it's not the same," Came my response and she sighed while I cursed myself for not being able to open up properly. I was trying though, that had to count for something.

"I mean, I don't have to be in Seattle the entire time..." She trailed off and her skin flushed. "But I want to spend my free time with you, yes."

I unwrapped my arm from around her and rolled over onto my side, propping myself up on my elbow as I set my head against my hand, "I want to spend my free time with you too." I said, looking into her eyes. I was trying so hard to make her understand what my point was, just I couldn't find a way apparently.

"So..." She trailed off, as if she was waiting for me to add more.

"So I'll be more than happy if you decide to come to Seattle or wherever I'll be." I paused, using my free hand to push her hair behind her ear. I was in love with this girl and I already lost her way too many times, now I had to push away that part of me that was so self centered and start acting like the boyfriend she deserved to have. "Only I want you to take this decision not for me only, for yourself too. I'll be busy filming-"

"I know that." She cut me off, turning her head a little to stare at me.

"And I won't be able to stay with you all day everyday, still I don't want to fly back and forth across the States every weekend." I went on, my logic part fighting against the one that wanted her to cuff her to myself and never let her go.

She nodded slowly, knowing what I meant because we already had done that for the last few months and even if that was better than nothing it was also exhausting. "I don't want that either." She said quietly.

"But while I work I want you to have something to do, I don't want you to get to the point where you're so bored that you regret your decision, whatever it will be." I said in one breath as I reached for her hand and held it in mine. Dear god how much it was taking me to say those words, to expose my fears, but I knew Aria and if we wanted to get a chance to be together long term we had to deal with how we were as individuals while still being a couple.

"I'm good at keeping myself busy," Aria said honestly and I raised an eyebrow at her. A long time had passed since the last time we had called ourselves a couple and yes, we both had changed in a way or another, but I still felt like I knew her well and for what I had seen during the months spent together I could tell that she was good keeping herself busy with me or with herself. She grinned and leaned her body back into mine. "Nothing dirty, although if you're making a movie that's practically porn? I might be turned on all the time..."

"I won't allow you on the set," I said with a serious face, cracking a smile only when her mouth fell open. I was serious though, I needed to be focused whenever I worked and the only thing that could distract me was my gorgeous, sexy and naughty girlfriend. No one could blame me.

"I believe it," She replied and nuzzled my neck before I could beat her to it. She relaxed in my hold and I did too, her hand a hand in my hair and her face hidden, making me feel like I was shielding her from the rest of the world. She kissed me instead of talking, the sudden silence between us feeling nice and relaxed, opposite from how it used to be. "I'm afraid you'll get tired of me if I'm around all the time," She whispered against my skin, the tone of her voice showing a hint of vulnerabily that I didn't heard usually in her tone.

I set my hand on her waist, playing with the bottom of her shirt before sliding my hand under it to rest on her skin. I took a few seconds to answer, not because I didn't know how to, but I was caught in my own thoughts, wondering if it was even possible to feel so tightly attached to another person, the bound that we had shared years ago now even stronger, as if it couldn't be broken anymore. I felt her chest stopping heaving up and down under my palm, realizing that I was still quiet. "Never," I finally said.

She pulled her head back to look at me again. "I'd never regret my decision if it meant spending more time with you," She said honestly.

"I hope so."

She smiled more genuinely and pressed a soft kiss against my lips while playing with my hair, "There are plenty of things I can do to keep me busy... school, I can take up yoga, maybe teach underprivileged students English," She shrugged, tearing her eyes away from mine and glancing down at my lips.

"See you're too smart to do nothing with yourself." I said with a smile, looking at her and meaning every word. "I like all of your ideas."

"Yeah?" She asked casually, seeming distracted and when I pared my lips to talk again I noticed how she couldn't stop staring at them.

"Stop that." I said with a laugh, slightly amused by her silly behavior. I couldn't complain though, only god knew for what crazy reason I had managed to make her fall for me again, sometimes I even thought that she was way too good for me, then my selfish part kicked in and I was simply happy about it.

She furrowed her brows, giving me a confused look as she finally make eye contact again, "What? I'm doing nothing."

"You keep looking at my lips, it distracts me." I explained quietly, my smile still in place as traced circles against her soft skin with my thumb.

"It's not my fault, they're distracting me." She said back and bit back a smirk, nuzzling closer to me before tilting her head back and making it obvious that she wanted to be kissed. And so I did, I pressed my mouth against hers firmly, lingering a moment until she was smiling wide. "Now, what were you saying?" She added.

"I was saying that you should do whatever you want to." I paused, tempted to add a second part. I didn't know why I always had such a hard time opening up, even with her, but god I was trying. "While you'll be with me."

She lifted herself up in a sitting position, crossing her legs indian style before allowing me to set my head in her lap. Thank god she wasn't wearing a skirt. "I'll find something..." She trailed off as she smiled wider, her head bowing down to keep her eyes on me as she traced every bone of my face with the tip of her index finger. "We still have time."

"True." I said quietly as I kept the eye contact, perfectly content with how things were going. We had even managed to talk about something important without arguing or fighting, I was proud of us. "We'll see if I'll decide to do this movie."

She nodded in agreement and bent over me, her hair cascading around my face as she kissed me softly, "We shall." She added quietly before straighting herself up again, her fingers back on my face as she played with my scruff.

I thought about our plans for the future, keeping quiet for a moment. "Where did you say you want to go this summer?" I asked out of nowhere, knowing that no matter what I'd be doing I was keeping my promise to take her somewhere hot.

Aria wrinkled her nose, sliding her hand down to cup my chin before pressing a kiss against my lips and then another. "Australia," She said in an accent that sounded more British than anything.

"Australia or Britain?" I grinned, turning my head to a side and nipping at her wrist.

"Australia," She said and gave me a nod and a grin, looking lost in a thought while I wondered if she was aware that when it was summer for us, it was winter for Australians. "Have you been before?"

"I have," I said and closed my eyes, feeling extremely peaceful and relaxed as I let my mind wander in every direction, from the trip from the past to the ones waiting for me in the future.

"Of course... my man has been everywhere," She said in a tone that hid a grin, I was sure even though I couldn't see her.

I grinned with my eyes still closed, relaxing as her fingers caressed my cheek, "You haven't gone?"

"Not yet," She moved her fingers to my hair, running them through it. "But this summer that'll change."

"I'm going to fall asleep if you keep doing that..." I trailed off in a quiet tone, barely listening to her at this point.

"Is it relaxing?" She asked just as quietly and I nodded. "I'll watch you sleep then."

I peeked an eye open and let my grin match the one on her lips, "Creepy."

"Would you rather me wake you up?" She slid a hand down my chest, letting her fingers cup me through my jeans, "Because I can think of a few ways I could wake you up..."

"Ar," I groaned as both eyes opened, on her instantly. I might be paranoid about being caught with her by some photographer jumping out of nowhere, but that aside we were still in a public park and that behaviour wan't appropriate, no matter who you were. She leaned her head down to kiss my forehead, lifting it back up and scanning the park. "Have you spoken to your sister recently?" I asked instead, distracting her and remembering that I still had something to tell her.

She shook her head, "No. Have you?"

"I saw her a week ago."

"Oh," She said, trying to mask the surprise in her tone and failing. I knew that it was a touchy subject and the last thing I wanted to do was to bring it but, still I had to thanks to Amelia who put me in this shitty situation. "How was she?"

"She's fine." I paused as I scanned her face carefully, trying to get a hint of what her emotions where but I couldn't see much, blame it on my lack on reading her or on her being a good actress. "She said she misses you."

She bit down on her lip, her good mood clouded by my words, "Still she doesn't even call me to know if I'm fine." She pointed out flatly.

I lifted myself up in a sitting position and I turned to her, grabbing her by her ankles to pull her closer to me. "I told her that you are, since you're with me now." I said with a smirk, wanting to make the moment light again and failing.

She glared at me when she almost lost her balance and risked to fell backwards, but reached for my arms to hold onto, "So now she knows we're back together?" She asked as she wrinled her nose.

I set her legs by each side of my hips, crossing mine as I lifted her ass to set her back down on my lap a second later, needing to have her as close as possible. "She does and she doesn't seem too thrilled." I paused and made a face, not that I really cared about hers or any other's opinion about my relationship with Aria. "She thinks I'll be the usual asshole."

She cupped my face and smiled, leaning into me as she wrapped her legs around my waist loosely, "If you were too good I'd get bored anyway." She joked, her voice coming out low and soft while her smile turned into a grin.

"Hey, I'm being a saint!" I protested as I closed the small distance between us and kissed her, my hands dropping on her ass in the process.

"Saint Sebby." She smirked against my lips, staring into my eyes.

I rolled my eyes but smirked with her, "I'm sure I'll go to hell instead." I shook my head as I tried to take more time before breaking the news to her. I wasn't worried about how she'd take that her sister and her "best friend" were fuck buddies now, I was more worried about myself. Call me selfish, but my relationship with Aria was my only concern.

"Heaven sounds boring anyway." She shrugged and kissed me again, this time a little harder and making me groan quietly since I was starting to get distracted.

"There's one more thing about your sister." I said as I pulled my head back regretfully, knowing that I had to tell her now. The more I waited the worse it would be. She just looked at me, sliding her hands on my chest and waiting for me to talk, "She's fucking Gavin."

Aria tilted her head to a side, keeping her eyes on me as she processed my words. Her face was blank and showed no emotions, only making me nervous. I felt as if a bomb was about to explode and I hadn't even been the one who had started it. "Funny," She said in a monotone, her eyes scanning my face which was still dead serious.

"Ar," I started and cut my own words off, not knowing how to go on and giving her time to understand that I wasn't joking.

"Sebastian," She retorted, the full name never being a good sign.

I let out a sigh and moved my hands from her ass to her hips, knowing that her mood had shifted. Not that I expected something else, I just hoped it wouldn't led us to fight because in that case I was sure I'd give the worst of me since I had no faults this time. "I wanted to tell you, but -"

"But you didn't!" She cut me off, trying to pull back but my arms kept her in place. "Let me go right now."

I shook my head and kept my hands firmly planted on her hips, refusing to take my hands away from her, "I'm not letting go until you listen to me." She narrowed her eyes on me, not adding a word though. I just wanted to make her reason, sure that once she would she'd also understand that she had no reason to be mad at me. "Amelia was supposed to tell you. And honestly? She should have been the one to."

She bit her lip and nodded her head. "So you decided to hide it from me... for a week," She said in a quiet voice, looking lost in a thought. It sounded worse than it was, I had waited only because I had wished that her sister would tell her herself.

"Do you seriously think that I wanted to hide that from you?" I asked in a louder tone, shaking my head in disbelief, close to lose my temper. "This is Gavin we're talking about. I hate him. I would never risk losing you or having you mad at me over that idiot."

She closed her eyes and leaned her head against my shoulder, breathing slowly. "I'm not mad at you. I wish you would have told me sooner... but I can't be mad at you for that. My sister put you in a bad position and you wanted to do the right thing," She reasoned out loud, the tone of her voice one I knew well. It was the one she had when she was hurt, I knew it because in the past I had been the one causing that.

I ran my fingers through her hair, playing with it as I kissed the top of her head and wrapped my arm around her waist, "I gave her one week to tell you herself, that's why I waited." I explained quietly, wishing I could do something to make things better. I hated seeing Aria hurt, always had, but while I couldn't do anything when I was the cause now that it was all on Amelia and Gavin I felt like I could easily kill them both. I was possessive of what was mine, apparently that had a good side too, I wanted to protect her from any kind of pain or disappointment that life could get her.

"You would've tell me sooner? I mean, if you didn't want me to hear it from her." She asked in a small voice, turning her head a little against my chest and looking up at me through her lashes.

I nodded my head, not needing to think about it twice. I was already good enough at f.ucking things up by myself, I didn't need other people to cause us troubles too. "Of course babe, I'd never keep anything from you." I said seriously, lifting my hand and brushing my thumb against her cheek.

She bit down on her lip as she wrapped her arms loosely around my waist, closing us in an embrace, "Never?" She asked, always the one looking for reassurance. She was a strong girl, still when it came to me she had her weak spots.

"Never." I smiled at her, showing her a side of me that I barely knew to have, protective and gentle. "I know better than making you mad."

"True." She said as a small smile appeared on her lips, making it hard for me to resist so I just tilted my head down and kissed her softly. Truth was, I wanted to be done with this conversation which was basically about how stupid her sister was and go back to be relaxed and happy. "Why she didn't tell me though? A week was long enough..." She trailed off as she broke the kiss, her head still resting against my chest and her body pressed against mine as if she was a koala.

"Because she's stupid?" I said back and raised one eyebrow, getting nothing but a glare. "Because Gavin is stupid?" I tried again.

"Seb." She said flatly, not looking amused even a bit.

"She said you'd get mad over them hooking up." I explained with a shrug, "And since we have this no hiding things from each other policy? I'm glad that they did because at least now that idiot will have another reason to stay away from you." I added, the thought alone making me groan. I had never approved her so called frienship with Gavin and never would, maybe she couldn't see why but I did perfectly.

Aria sighed and kept her body pressed against mine, slipping a hand under the back of my shirt and running her fingertips up and down my skin. "I wish you two got along," She said seriously, saying something that I had already heard before but it was never going to happen.

"Are you mad over them hooking up?" I ignored her words, not considering the subject even worth my breath.

"No," She replied honestly, grinning as she pressed a soft kiss against the front of my neck. "I think they're perfect for each other instead."

"Both idiots? Yeah, I agree," I said in a monotone while she rolled her eyes and sighed again. Okay, maybe it was mostly Gavin, but still. "Don't roll your eyes at me gorgeous," I said with a grin on my face, tilting her head up and kissing her again, quickly but enough to make her smile.

"What are you going to do about the movie baby?" She asked quietly, sliding her hand to my hip.

I shrugged, since my mind hadn't changed from the last time she had asked, watching her as she reached for the book again, fingering through the pages she had book marked. "Are you going to read to me again?" I asked with a grin.

She cleared her throat, “Suddenly, he sits up and tugs my panties off and throws them on the floor. Pulling off his boxer briefs, his erection springs free. Holy cow! He kneels up and pulls a condom onto his considerable length. Oh no … Will it? How?” She bit her lip and glanced at me, both of us laughing at the same time.

"Are you trying to talk me out of it? Because it's working." I pointed out, seeing how the book seemed to be written pretty bad.

She shook her head and tried to bite back her silly grin, "I wanted to read you that one because it was how my thought process went when I saw you naked for the first time."

I raised one eyebrow at her, amused, "Did you really thought holy cow?" I asked as I struggled not to laugh again. When she shook her head and smirked wider I went on, "I wasn't even wearing a condom."

"True, you never did with me." She pressed her chest against mine, wrapping her arms tight around my torso and tilting her head back to stare at me as she kept smirking. "Thank god." She added.

My smirk matched hers my eyes scanning hers and the glint into them that meant one thing only. Her thoughts were taking the dirty road. "See, that guy and I have nothing in common. Your thoughts must have a been a lot better."

"He's a control freak and has a huge penis, you could easily be him." She said seriously, killing me. What she was saying was true, but still, hearing it was a whole other thing. "No actually, you're better."

I shot her a smug grin as I cradled her head in my hands, letting her compliments feed my ego which was already as big as my d.ick, "I'm sure you're better than that girl too."

"You'll tell me when you'll read the book." She shrugged, pressing a quick noisy kiss on my lips before I grabbed her hips and forced her to get up on her feet. "Are you pulling away from me? Already? Don't you love me anymore?" She asked and faked a huge pout that made me smile like an idiot. When she acted so happy, so silly, so carefree, I knew that I was doing something right with my life.

I got up, reaching for the blanket in the process and handing it to her, "You caught me babe." I smirked as I took her hand in mine, "Let's go back to the hotel so that I can show you how much I don't love you anymore."