we work too damn hard for this just to give it up now

we work too damn hard for this just to give it up now

I got out of the black car as soon as it stopped in front of Aria's house, my hand holding my phone while I glanced at my watch. "I can't talk about it right now, I'm already late. And no, I can't talk about it later either, you have to deal with it by yourself." I said flatly, not waiting for Erin to said anything back and hunging up instead before nothicing I had a voice mail. It could wait.
"Ar?" I called out from the doorway, wondering if she was already ready.
She appeared in the foyer and saw me standing, fixing one of my cuffs. "You're late," She replied with a pout making its way onto her face that didn't match the dress she was wearing. She was beautiful.
I lifted an eyebrow in response, "Hello. It's good to see you also."
She grinned and wrapped her arms around her waist, closing her eyes as she kissed him hard. "I missed you," She said with her lips still grazing mine, her hands making fists in my jacket. "Why are you late?"
"Don't crinkle my jacket." I said back, grabbing her wrists and forcing her to let go of the cloth gently before I broke into a grin, "I missed you too."
Her lips curved against mine as she leaned into me, "Good, but that still doesn't answer my question."
I ignored her, since I wasn't that late. Ten minutes weren't late. Instead I took a step back, still holding her hand as I let my eyes move down her body which was wrapped by a dress that made her look like a goddess. She was stunning. "You're gorgeous babe." I said genuinely once my eyes met hers again. I wasn't exactly happy to go to this premiere, because I didn't like them in general, but I was happy to go for her, mostly when she looked like this.
"You're not so bad either." She smirked at me before pulling away and almost running to the kichen, "We better go now." Came his voice as I felt my phone vibrate against the pocket of my jacket and I pulled it out, reading Erin's text. Of course I had left a bunch of hours before and there were problems already. "I was wishing you had left that in Seattle."
"Keep dreaming." I said in a vaguely amused tone as I reached for her hand again, escorting her outside and walking her to the car waiting for us.
"You're obsessed, I think you might have a problem." She retorted, faking a serious face before getting into the car as I did after her.
Once we started moving I bent over, reaching for the hem of her dress and peeking down between her legs. "I'm obsessed with you...why are you wearing panties?" I asked as I sat in a straighter position again.
She bit down on her lip, trying to conceal a grin, "Because I know how much my boyfriend likes to rip them off of me." She answered nonchalantly, making me groan.
"I can't wait." I said seriously and pressing a kiss on her lips.
She kissed me back as she grabbed my hand, tangling her fingers with mine, "Why were you late?"
I groaned again, this time for different reasons, "The flight was late and I also had to shower and get changed." I said flatly.
She parted her lips, then closed them again, furrowing her brows, "Where did you get changed?"
"I went to my parents." I explained quietly, my words sounding odd to myself but it had seemed like the best solution to me. I couldn't go to Ar since I was sure I'd distract her from getting ready, not to add that I hadn't seen my family in a while now.
"But you're sleeping with me tonight...right?" She raised one eyebrow slowly.
I smirked from ear to ear, already picturing all the things I'd do to her, "Who said anything about sleeping?"
Aria grinned back at me before turning her gaze towards the road ahead of us, "I'm never going to make it through this premiere if you keep saying sexy things to me."
I laughed, allowing myself to relax and forget about my movie at least for tonight. "I'm doing nothing," I replied with a more serious expression on my face.
"Lies. You're probably trying to get out of going to the premiere," She joked, even if it wasn't funny. "Thank you for coming," She added said and offered me a genuine smile.
I watched her, studying her face stubbornly because I knew I'd never be able to read her, it didn't mean I'd ever stop trying though. "You know I wouldn't have missed it eventually...right?" I asked slowly.
"You're here now and it's all that matters." She kept her smile in place, letting me know she didn't really want to talk about it.
I sighed and reached for her hand, playing with her fingers as I thought about our fight. Sure I wasn't a fan of going out to events of this kind and I was also aware that I had been kind of an a.sshole to her, I could only hope that she knew that I'd always support her. "I'm really curious to see your movie." I said instead, offering back a smile and meaning my words.
She frowned a little, "I'm nervous about you seeing it instead."
"I'm sure you're great. You always are." I smirked a little at her, noticing how we were able to bring out each others insecurities. If that meant that it'd make us better? I didn't mind it. She parted her lips, about to say something, when the car stopped and her whole body tensed. "Ready?" I asked with a smile on her face, doing it all for her since I knew that this night wasn't just about her movie, it was also the first time that we were officially together at an event.
"Mm," Aria responded with a mumble and gave my hand a squeeze before letting go and unbuckling her seat belt. "Are you ready instead?"
"No," I said simply and she broke into a laugh, using her fingers to tilt my face towards hers.
She wasted not another second, pressing her lips against mine to ease both of our nerves, the stress, or just the plain annoyance I would soon be feeling once we stepped out of the car and became public property. She broke the kiss and pulled her head back to grin at me, "Well you can't spend all night in the car. You'll get bored."
I sighed but the tiniest smirk was tugging at my lips, "I can think of a few ways to entertain myself."
"That sounds naughty," She grinned and kissed me again.
"It's not instead." I grinned back at her, "I'd probably just sleep."
This time it was her turn to sigh, "You need to sleep more." She said seriously and while I appreciated her concern I also knew that I didn't have much time these days, work was a lot and it was hard, sleeping was the last thing on my list.
"I will." I said simply, not wanting to get into the subject since we had to get out of this car eventually and get over with this event. I didn't mind the part where we'd watch the movie, but the social part instead? It was the worst for me, the fact that we were in LA it made it even worse. "Are you done distracting me? Can we get out?" I added with a smirk on my face.
"I like distracting you but I think it's time to share my man with the world." She said with a silly smile on her face, wrinkling her nose a little and I couldn't tell if she was nervous, but I guessed she was. She stressed over things a lot.
"I don't like sharing or being shared." I winked at her before opening the door of the car, keeping it open before I got out and offering my hand to Aria to help her getting out herself. I could already hear all the cameras clicking, and I could feel my annoyance already too, so I did the only thing that could get me through this night, I focused on Aria and on how beautiful she looked.
"That only means more of you for me then," Aria smiled back at ne.
"Exactly." I smirked back at her and our fingers intertwined together, "Are you nervous?"
"No. I'm good at handling you," She shook her head, attempting a joke since she was nervous instead and it showed.
A small laugh escaped my lips as I tightened my grasp on her hand and we moved through the crowd, lights flashing and questions being tossed in our direction. She never really did red carpet interviews, I didn't even know why but I didn't care either. It was her choice and in this case one that worked better for me too. "You're cute babe," I said in a barely audible tone.
"Shh, someone might hear you and think you've gone soft," She grinned up at me.
"I'm never soft." I retorted, meaning it. I knew she was just teasing me, but still.
She kept grinning as we made our way to the part where every person attending the premiere had to stop and pose, which was one of the things I hated the most. "Don't give me that kind of thoughts." She whispered, peeking up at me when we stopped in front of the flashing lights. "Smile, or they'll think I don't make you happy."
I looked down at her and as soon as our eyes met I felt the corners of my lips turn upwards automatically. "I'm going to shock them since I'm always so serious instead." I said back as I let go of her hand to set mine on the small of her back instead, gently pulling her closer to me while we broke eye contact and looked in front of ourselves. If there was something acually positive about this whole thing was that at least now everyone officially knew that Aria was mine. "I think that's enough." I added once my eyes couldn't take a second longer of those damn flashes without getting blind.
"Were you counting to ten?" She teased me but let me lead her inside anyway.
"No I was counting to twenty." I joked back with a sigh, guessing that now it was the part when she had to talk to the rest of the cast and stuff like that. I wondered if her dad was there too. I just needed a drink instead.
Aria laughed softly and shook her head, "As long as it worked. I'd hate people to see you being grumpy and thinking that I treat you bad."
"Since when do you care what people think about you?" I lifted an eyebrow and stared at her skeptically since usually she didn't have a care in the world. Except for when she did, she was the woman of opposites and I both loved it and disliked it at the same time.
She made a serious face to look like she was contemplating his words before parting her lips, "You're right. I don't care instead." She paused, "Plus I'm so open about our love life in every interview I give. Everyone already knows how happy you are since I spoil you in bed," She winked at me.
I sighed again and shook my head, "Aria."
"I'm joking!" She smiled and nudged my side. "I mean, I do spoil you in bed, but the rest was a joke."
"We'll see that." I said back quietly as I looked away, eyeing the bar and leading her towards it.
"See what?" She asked and when I glanced at her she was staring at me with an eyebrow raised.
I couldn't help but smirk at the expression on her face, since I was only teasing her. "How much you'll spoil me in bed tonight."
"We shall." She said seriously before looking behind me, "I want to go say hi to the guys I worked with."
I shrugged, since I wasn't interested in that as much as I was interested into getting a drink. I didn't even know them and my presence was not necessary. "Okay babe, I'll wait for you at the bar." I replied simply, already turning to the guy at the counter.
"You can come with me." She said and bit down on her lip, reaching for my hand then squeezing it to get my attention again.
I lifted her hand to my mouth, kissing her knuckles as I stared into her gorgeous eyes. "Or I can get my drink while you talk to them." I replied stubbornly, making it clear that I wouldn't change my mind but genuinely wanting her to go. She was better than me at the social part anyway, it was in her duties since it was her premiere, while my duty was drink a scotch and keep my eyes on her.
Ar looked annoyed, letting a small sigh escape her lips too. "Fine," She said reluctantly. "But you're going to owe me big time later," She added before turning on her heels and walking over to a few actors.
I turned to the bartender instead, "A whiskey please." I said shortly before I let my eyes follow my girlfriend again. In that moment she was talking with a woman I didn't know and she was pointing me, making the woman wave. Who the hell was she? I shrugged the question away and stopped looking at Ar the moment James arrived, focusing on my drink instead. Ar seemed to be not only perfectly fine, but also completely at ease, while I wished I could skip that all. I did what I did because I loved it, fame was for me an awful side effect.
Ar reappeared a bunch of seconds later, leaning against the counter beside me, "The movies going to start soon."
"I know." I commented shortly as I stared at my girl, wondering how many times we'd find ourselves in this same situation in the future. She was a great actress so, unless she'd stop acting, I'd say a lot.
She raised one eyebrow at me slowly, studying me just like I was studying her, "Are you going to stay here at the bar the whole night?" She asked.
I broke into a wide grin, "And miss your performance? Never." I said before downing the rest of my drink, setting my hand on the small of her back just like I always did.
"That sounds naughty." She grinned back at me, then pouted, "Where's my drink."
"Still in the bottle." I kept smirking, gently forcing her to start walking towards the main room of the theater.
She let out a small sigh, clutching her hands around her small purse, "I could have used a glass of champagne."
I let my hand slide a little down her back, almost on her a.ss but not really, turning my head to give her an amused look, "Do you want to get drunk?"
"I wouldn't even be tipsy." She sighed again. Then again. She was nervous and it was starting to show.
"I'll get you drunk once this thing is over." I said and offered a smile before eyeing the seats that were supposed to be for us, my name next to hers and hers next to James. Awesome. I was really curious about the movie, it'd be actually the only part of the night I was interested with, then we'd be finally free and able to celebrate our way.



"I believe you owe me a few drinks," Aria slipped her arms around my waist the second we walked into my hotel room.
"A few?" I lifted my eyebrow at her, keeping my face serious.
"Didn't you promise to get me drunk?" She grinned at me, finally looking at ease since the premiere was over and she was out of the spotlight.
"Won't that only take one drink?" I said in response, a grin playing on my own lips. I knew my girl and how easily she could get drunk.
She narrowed her eyes on me and shook hrt head, "Not funny. I could probably out drink you if I really wanted."
"Doubtful," I said simply.
She stared at me for a moment and I let her because no matter what she was trying to read from my face, she wouldn't be able to anyway. "What did you think of the movie?" She asked after a few beats of silence.
A genuine smile curved my lips as I looked at her, thinking about it. "You were great babe." I said quietly, lifting her chin up with my fingers to press a chaste kiss on her lips.
She smiled against my mouth, pressing her body harder against mine. "Thanks." She blushed a little, only making me smile wider, "Tell me more."
At that I let out a soft laugh, because I knew what she wanted to know. I had been an actor for so long and now I was a director, she didn't want my opinion as her boyfriend only, she wanted mine as someone in the business too. "More about what?" I asked as I pulled awayfrom her, heading to the fridge to grab the bottle of champagne I had ordered.
"My movie." She looked at me with an eyebrow raised, though she was still grinning. Only she knew what I was doing, trying to deflect like I always did.
"Do you really want my opinion?" I asked more seriously, eyeing as she sat on the edge of the bed and kicked her heels off while I poured some champagne into two glasses.
She watched me closely and nodded, taking the glass from my hand as I offered it to her. "Of course."
I took a few seconds to think about a way to voice my thoughts in a decent way, breaking eye contact in the process. "Without you it would have been a disaster. You made of that movie a good one." I said eventually as I looked back at her, wishing she'd take it in the right way.
Aria pursed her lips together and studied my face before breaking into a grin, "I knew you hated it." I sighed and took a sip from my glass before answering, since that wasn't the case, but she was fater than me. "I'm not mad. I figured it wouldn't be your thing."
"I didn't say I hated it," I shook my head, wondering why she had to read it that way. "I just said that you were great and made the movie good."
"You don't usually like romantic comedies," She lifted an eyebrow while her grin remained in place.
"True."
"Even though we fell in love on the set of one," She added, grinning wider before taking another sip.
One of my eyebrows shot up, "Is the champagne already getting to you?"
"I'm not a lightweight!" She rolled her eyes, standing up again and giving me her back. "Will you help me out of this dress before I ruin it?"
"Are you trying to seduce me already?" I asked as I grinned to myself, setting my glass on the nearest table before grabbing her tiny body.
"Do I need to seduce you now?" She asked back, a grin in her own voice.
I let my hands slide down her sides to grasp her hips, pulling her against me as I tilted my head down to press a kiss on her neck. "Always." I replied seriously, because no matter if we had been together for a while now, sometimes it felt like the first day. Or at least it did when it came to the sex part, we were still as impatient as before, it was like a game we never got tired to play.
She leaned into my touch, letting out a breath. "You should seduce me and spoil me instead."
"We'll have time for that." I said back slimply as I took a step back before unzipping her dress, helping her out of it and gluing my eyes on her a.ss immediately.
She stepped out of it, bending over and setting it on the chair, also giving me the best chance to spank her. And I did. When she turned to me, the smirk oon her lips was wide. "When?" She asked, wrapping her arms around my neck.
"When I'll take you away." I answered and cupped her a.ss in my hands, staring at her and grinning. When I had started planning this vacation at first I hand't been too sure or too thrilled about it. I still had tons to do and I was bad handling work and Aria together, but now? I couldn't actually wait.
She pouted, knowing the effect it had on me, "But that's in so long." She protested.
"A week." I retorted instead, my face serious, "A week and you won't have to ever wear any clothes."
"You're not serious." She grinned wider.
I shrugged, since I was. I had made sure we'd stay in a place intimate at least, and in our house in Bora Bora we'd have all the privacy we needed. "I want you naked always."
"Does that mean I should pack nothing?" Aria raised an eyebrow, still grinning while she looked as excited as a kid on Christmas.
I grinned back at her and shrugged again, since my say about that subject counted nothing. She always overpacked, then ended up wearing close to nothing. "That's up to you."
She pursed her lips together, proving me that I was right. My bet was that she had already packed, correction, overpacked. "We'll see. Right now I want to slip into a big fluffy robe and order room service."
I groaned as she pulled away from me, already making her way over to the robe that would most likely swallow her whole. "I hate those things," I said as she pulled it on, tying it closed around her waist. "What happened to you trying to seduce me?"
She laughed and sat down on the couch, lifting a menu off the coffee table and flipping through it, "Food first and then sex."
I kept my eyes on her as I took my tuxedo blazer off and set it on a chair, "Since when you make rules? Or you pick food over sex?" I asked with an eyebrow raised, finding that behaviour odd at least. Then again Aria wasn't a normal girl, that's why I was never bored.
"Since it's my celebration night and I'm starving." She said as she bit back a grin, looking at the menu still but I could tell she wasn't reading it really.
"I hope you won't regret it playing by your rules." I bit back a grin myself as I headed to the bedroom, getting rid of my clothes too but refusing to wear one of those robes and keeping my boxers only on instead. Next I reached for a bottle of water before turning the tv on and letting myself fall on the bed, hearing Aria talking from the other room. I couldn't even remember the last time I had allowed myself to just relax, not only because I was always busy, but I was incapable of doing nothing. Tonight instead, with all my technology in another city and many nights of no sleep, I felt as if I had finally reached the point where I was literally exhausted and wanted to turn my brain off. When I noticed Aria in the doorway, hands on her hips and eyes on me, I grinned. "What gorgeous?"
"What are you doing?" She asked slowly.
"I made my rule. Sleep first and then food." I answered, wondering if she had ordered for me too.
"Sorry, I didn't realize you were an old man who needed to be in bed by 10," Aria joked with a straight face, keeping her hands on her hips while her eyes wandered down my body.
I let out a sigh, "You shouldn't have dated such an old man."
"I love my old man instead," She replied with a smirk and crawled into bed beside me. "I ordered a pizza."
"I'm not hungry," I said simply and draped an arm around her shoulder loosely, letting her rest her head on my body. I knew that if she'd stay with me I'd have zero chance of resting, she'd either talk too much or seduce me.
"Just tired?" She asked with a frown.
"Yes," I replied simply because I didn't have much more to add. I wasn't usually tired, but tonight I was.
She sighed, "If I take off this ugly robe, will you wake up?"
I eyed her as I bit back a grin, "It depends."
"On what?" She asked, raising one eyebrow slowly.
"What's inside this ugly robe." I answered quietly, playing with the tie already. I was sure that a naked Aria on top of me would make me sleep better.
This time she smirked and threw her leg over mine, keeping her eyes on mine. "Your girlfriend." She paused to allow her grin to widen, "Correction, your naked girlfriend."
"Are you suggesting I should sleep on your boobs?" I asked and all I got back was a roll of her eyes. "I take it as a no."
She sighed, again, and looked up at me with her big eyes, "I thought we would've celebrated..."
"I thought you wanted to eat first." I retorted.
"But I want to eat with you." She protested then hid her face against my neck, "God you're so stubborn."
"Did you just call me god?" I asked as I slid my hand under her robe to cup her a.ss. She lifted her head up to glare at me and I kissed her instead. "New rule. Let's eat pizza, then I'll eat you."