Zoe paced in front of the luggage carousel, her hands in her pockets as her brown hair fell down in waves around her face. She had gone to the airport once she had gotten a call from Andy saying that their tour in Japan had been cancelled due to the earthquake that had just devastated the country. Their conversation had been rushed and sad-he sounded terrified and that only made Zoe worry more. The guys were stuck in some small airport, trying to get a flight out and it turned in to a three day trial of waiting and wishing.She sniffed, rubbing her nose as she tried to hold back her tears-her green eyes scanning over the arrivals board to see when his flight had landed.

According to the digital board in front of her their flight had been on the ground for twenty minutes but Zoe knew it would take him some time to get through customs. She had been so scared when she had gotten his rushed call and of course he had asked her to call Sammi and some other people for the guys as this was the only call they were going to be able to make. She smiled softly as Zoe straightened up, tucking a piece of hair behind her ear as she noticed the luggage carousel had begun to move.

Zoe thought back to when she and Andy had first met-drama class in tenth grade when she had walked in to the room, the new girl in school, with a Rancid shirt on and ripped jeans. He had been the shy awkward kid in the corner, his black hair sticking up in the back and she remembered smirking as she took in his blue eyes that were caked with black eyeliner. They had been asked to get in to groups and as the whole class stood and Zoe began to look around, she noticed that Andy had come closer towards her, that lopsided smirk gracing his lips as he pointed at her chest and then pointed at his own with a question in his eyes.

They had become fast friends-of course being the only two kids who liked their type of music in the entire school would make anyone cling to someone else. She had been sad when he had left to come to LA to follow his dreams, but once the guys had gotten noticed and Andy was able to afford it-Zoe had moved out to LA to be with him. They had started out as friends and now they were best friends and there was something more there.

They had been talking about taking things to a more serious level, but with his constant touring and her working at a producing office-it was hard to even talk on the phone every day. Zoe’s smile faded as she noticed that other people seemed to be walking towards where she was waiting, but there was still no sign of Andy or the other guys. The televisions above her head were all saying the same thing-8.9 Earthquake slams into Japan, causing major damage and widespread panic all over the entire Eastern part of the country.

The guys had been at sound check according to Andy’s last tweet before it hit and then Zoe had not been able to get a hold of him. She sat on their couch, biting her nails down to the quick as she watched the footage slowly roll in. Finally after three hours her phone rang and it was the only person who she had wanted to hear from. They were okay-he assured her-but it would take them some time to get back home and would she please come get him from LAX? Zoe pulled out her phone, smiling softly as she scanned over some of her saved pictures of the two of them together.

Starting back from when she had first gotten to LA, Zoe smirked as she noticed that they had taken a selfie together and as she looked at the baggage claim number up in the right hand corner of the picture she smiled. Baggage Claim Number 12 and as she looked up, her green eyes taking in the sign she was standing under, Zoe felt her eyes become misty-Baggage Claim Number 12.

She could only laugh as Zoe looked down from the sign and noticed that more and more people were walking towards her. The group that was approaching were all American, but they looked exhausted and slightly relieved to be back in the states-this was obviously Andy’s flight. Zoe began to bounce on the balls of her feet, her hands back in the pockets of her hoodie as she kept her eyes peeled for Andy or any of the guys. Suddenly there was a parting in the crowd and Zoe felt her heart leap as she looked at the guy approaching her.

His black hair was untidy and underneath a knit cap, keeping it out of his tired eyes that still held traces of dark makeup around them. His black lip ring was shining softly in the light and his lips were held up in that smirk that he always got when he was nervous. His black boots clapped against the tile as he began to jog towards her, his black peacoat flying out behind him to reveal a tattered and dirty The Damned shirt and skinny jeans. Zoe felt the tears begin to fall down her cheeks as she ran towards him, her arms out stretched and her legs couldn’t get her there fast enough.

Finally they reached one another and Zoe fell into his arms, sobbing against his chest as he ran his long fingers through her soft brown hair. She didn’t want to let go, but Zoe could hear laughter from behind her and as she popped her head up, sniffing away her tears, she noticed that the rest of the band and crew were all standing there watching the two of them embrace. It was good to see that everyone was okay-but Zoe really was only concerned about one person and that was her best friend.

Andy sighed as he held on to the one person in the world who he had thought about as the building around him had begun to shake. Zoe-his best friend and most trusted confidant. He and the guys had been doing their sound check when all of a sudden the walls around them began to shake. As they were evacuated from the building and then when they were standing in the street-Andy could only think of two things.

One-surviving whatever the fuck this was. Two-surviving to make it back home to see Zoe. Andy looked around him as he stood in LAX with Zoe in his arms and he smiled. Sammi and Jinxx were embracing, while the other three guys were all standing around, laughing and joking as they waited for their bags. It had been terrifying thinking that they may never make it home and now that he was home and Zoe was in his arms-Andy felt something in him stir.

He had never thought of her as anything more than his best friend from high school who he could confide in and tell everything to. But with the earthquake and watching everything literally fall apart before his eyes and then having to spend days in a crowded airport waiting to get home-Andy started thinking of her in new ways.

The way she smiled-her eyes crinkling up with the edges of her lips. The way she laughed-that full force laugh that made everyone around her take notice. The way her hair fell in front of her face when she was bent over the sink washing dishes or standing over her bed folding clothes. Everything about her was familiar and comforting and as Andy got the thought in to his head that he may actually die…he could only think of Zoe and what might have been.


“Hey there…” He said, his voice low and raspy as he looked down at her and Zoe only smiled, her eyes glistening with her tears as she looked up at him.

“Hi…” She said, her voice weak and soft and before he could even consider his actions, Andy pressed his lips against hers softly.


Her arms were wrapped around his neck, her wrists crossed over one another and Zoe felt herself melt into his touch as Andy kissed her gently. His fingers were rubbing tiny circles on the small of her back and Zoe felt herself shiver as she thought about his touch. They had never kissed-they had come close one time at a school dance during some stupid slow song that she had made him dance to-but this was something else. It was comforting, but more than anything it felt right in that moment and Zoe couldn’t imagine being anywhere else in the world.

All of the fear that she had felt at his phone call and the days following as she waited around to hear more about his coming home had melted away with his embrace and Zoe could feel herself falling for him. There had always been feelings there on her part, but Andy was always so damn focused on the band and his career that she didn’t think the time would ever be right.


“An-Andy…” Zoe said as she pulled away from him, her eyes still closed and Andy only smiled softly as he pressed his forehead against hers and pulled her close.

“Open your eyes Zo…” He was smirking and his breath caught in his throat as her eyes slowly opened, her thick lashes leaving her pale skin until finally he was face to face with her green eyes and soft smile.

“Wha-what just happened?” She asked, smirking slightly as Andy moved his face away from hers but then his hands moved to cup her cheeks as he tilted her head up towards his.

“I love you…” He said simply, his blue eyes serious and Zoe just looked at him, her mouth falling open. Andy just threw his head back, laughing loudly as he thick black hair fell down around his shoulders and Zoe only blushed.

“I-um…I love you too Andy…” She said, her voice shy and soft sounding and Andy stopped laughing as he pressed his lips to hers once more and then grabbed for one of her hands.


The two of them moved towards the group where Zoe was hugged and pulled one way or the other by the other guys as Andy got his bags from the spinning carousel. It felt so good to tell her how he felt and as he watched Zoe laugh and joke around with CC and Ash-Andy knew that he had made the right choice. She was everything to him-she was home to him and as he grabbed his bags and walked back over towards the group Andy couldn’t help but smile.

Zoe was there for him-she always had been and she probably always would be and for years he had been too stupid and self absorbed to see it. She always told him her opinions, whether he wanted to hear them or not and she had also packed up her life and moved west to keep him company when he had started missing home. Really he had missed her and it took him two years, an earthquake and almost dying to finally fucking figure it out. He loved her and he probably always had loved her.

Watching her walk in to their third period drama class for the first time-seeing her Rancid shirt and ripped jeans…Andy no longer felt alone for some reason. He had been the weird kid-the one no one talked to and yet when they were told to partner up and he pointed to her and then pointed to himself and she smiled at him…he should have known. They had kept one another company all through high school and even though he never finished and she graduated with honors-she never looked down on him.

He left her, crying on her doorstep as he said goodbye and moved out to LA. She had tried to get through school, but he knew that his constant pestering about her moving out to LA had finally gotten to her and Zoe dropped out and moved out to live with him. Roommates for two years and finally it seemed like the timing was right.


“You ready to go home?” Andy said as he came up from behind her and he laughed as Zoe jumped at the sound of his voice. She turned, those green eyes bright and happy as she smiled up at him and nodded her head.

“Sure. I guess you’re gonna want to get some sleep since you probably didn’t get much on the way home…” She said and Andy only smirked as he tossed an arm around her shoulders and then they both bid their goodbyes to his bandmates. The group had a short amount of time off before they would begin to get ready for their first time touring on the Vans Warped Tour.

“I wouldn’t mind watching some tv or a movie when we get back to the apartment…” Andy said as the two of them walked out towards where she had parked her car in one of the huge garages. Zoe only sighed happily as she looked up at him-it was good having Andy back in her world. She had missed her best friend.

“How about a movie…in bed…” She cocked an eyebrow at him as they walked out the front doors and Andy stopped walking as he faced her, that boyish grin on his lips.

“That’s not moving too fast is it?” He asked and Andy yelped as Zoe flew at him, her arms wrapping around his neck once more as her soft lips fell against his and Andy felt his knees grow weak.

Where had this girl been all of his life?

Oh yeah…she had been his best friend since he was fourteen and with the deepening of their kiss and feeling her against him-Andy knew that she would always be his best friend.

Only now could he call her his in an entirely new way and it made feeling like he was going to die worth it. He had everything now…he had Zoe and that was more than enough for Andy.

Notes

Whelp there you have it! Hope you liked it : )

If anyone would like to submit an Imagine(even if I have already done one for you) please feel free to shoot me a request.

<3