Love And Other Drugs

"Okay C, again from the top." Luxe smiled as drumming filled her ears. CC was a monster behind the drums and Luxe knew that he was having the time of his life right now.

"It's sounding pretty good so far." Luxe said softly to Andy, who was seated beside her on one of the beat up couches in the mixing room. His blue eyes shined with pride as he looked at her, his short black hair shining under the dim lighting.

"Yeah, Bob's got us working pretty hard and it's been different, but I can tell the difference." Andy said as he focused on the window in to the studio and watched as CC tried a few things.


The guys had been in the studio for over a month-the writing process was done and now, like the Dolls, they were beginning to get everything recorded. They were doing things slightly different than the girls-drums would be tracked first, then guitars, then bass and finally they would be going up to Vancouver to track Andy's vocals. The only thing that was the same between the two bands is that both producers insisted that all members of the band be present every single day.

It was much different from when the guys recorded Wretched and Divine-there were some days when Jake and Jinxx didn't come in to the studio because they were tracking everything at Jake's place. Now everyone was in the same room, listening to the same things and talking things over. It had proved to be magical as the once fractured band were coming together again and feeling closer than ever. Andy and Ashley were even hanging out outside of the studio.

Overall it had been a positive experience and Andy was grateful for that.


"So how's the recording going on your end?" Andy asked Luxe, smiling as he took her in. Her shoulder length blonde hair was straight, with her bangs tucked behind her pierced ears. She was wearing a comfortable outfit of long ripped skinny jeans, a Blackcraft crop top and her leather jacket was draped over an empty chair in the corner.

"Amazing. Jimmy is the best guy we've ever worked with-he pulls things from us that I never thought possible." Luxe beamed and Andy only smiled. He was happy for the girls-it seemed like they were having the same positive studio experience that he and the guys were having.

"That's really awesome. How many songs have you guys started tracking?" Andy asked and he watched as Luxe bit down on her lower lip in thought. God it drove him crazy when she did that and he had to hold everything back as he was tempted to reach out and kiss her.

"We've finished three songs-we're going about things a little differently than you guys are." Luxe said and Andy only nodded his head. He knew that the girls were tracking song by song-which had been something he and BVB had done on their second album-it worked, it was just a lot of work all at once.

"I'm really glad you girls are working things out. It's funny-both of our bands have seemed to become reconnected during this entire thing." Andy said as he placed an arm around her shoulders and pulled Luxe close. They hadn't seen one another in a week-a long time for the couple-and now that they were together they didn't know what to talk about.


Before getting in to the studio, the couple had become inseparable and had also become recluses. Either they were together at Luxe's, holed up in her den with takeout and a stack of movies. Or they were cuddled together in Andy's small apartment, Crow curled in between them while they talked about Batman VS. Iron Man or any other superhero pairing they could think up. The two bands didn't see their singers for very long-the couple only making appearances at label functions when they needed to.

The two had talked off and on about moving in together, but then both agreed that right now might not be the right time. Luxe was all for it-she was ready this time to completely stay on the right path and make things work with Andy. She knew that she had fucked things up the last time-Luxe had completely taken advantage of Andy and his kindness, not to mention his place, but this time it would be different. Andy wanted to get out of his small apartment and Luxe was feeling lonely in her large townhouse, but neither one of them could think of a way to make it work.


"So I was thinking..." Luxe said and then stopped as Andy turned away from watching CC behind the drums and stared right in to her eyes. She hated-secretly loved-when he did that because it left her breathless and unable to form a complete sentence.

"Oh? Sprain anything?" He teased and Luxe playfully shoved him. They used to do that to one another all the time before they had started dating, only then it hadn't been in a teasing manner.

"Shut up! I was really thinking that maybe tonight you and I could go out-get something to eat." Luxe suggested and Andy only smiled softly. He loved this girl-everything about her and something he especially loved was her willingness to do anything for the ones she cared about.

"Sounds good. Ooof!" Andy groaned as a massive weight fell on top of him, crushing his lap and his lungs. Luxe only laughed as she looked at the skinny jean clad butt that was right in her face and then reached out and smacked it for good measure.

"Ow! Luxe!" Ashley bellowed as he moved to squeeze himself in between the couple. Luxe rolled her eyes at the bassist and kept the temptation to smack him to herself.

"Well don't lay on top of my boyfriend's most private bits-I'm gonna need those later." She said, sticking her tongue out and then laughing at the disgusted look on Ashley's face.

"Ew-please don't talk about your carnal desires in front of me...my virgin ears can't handle it." Ashley said as he clapped his tattooed hands over his ears and shut his eyes.

"Virgin my ass." Andy muttered and then yelped as Ashley jumped on top of him and began to run his knuckles across the singer's scalp in a good old fashioned noogy.

"Speaking of your virtue-isn't there a purple haired, feisty guitar player who you should be calling?" Luxe asked and Ashley just stared at her. Usually she kept her nose out of the love lives of her bandmates and friends, but she-like everyone else-was tired of seeing the two commitmentphobes dancing around one another.

"I don't know to whom you are referring to." Ashley said, feigning stupidity but Luxe could see right through it.


She had watched the two of them that summer on Warped Tour-had seen how in to one another they were until their egos got in the way. Both were seen as the players of the two bands and they liked living up to that reputation. But Luxe saw the way Ashley looked at Char when he thought no one was looking and she heard Char talking about Ash to anyone who would listen when she thought no one was really paying attention. The two of them were smitten with one another, they were both just too scared to make the jump.


"Yes you do. I insist you call her." Luxe said as she draped her legs over Ashley's lap and stuck her bare feet as close to his face as she could. Ashley hated feet and he cringed as Luxe's left big toe came dangerously close to his nose.

"Luxe. Get your feet away from me." Ashley said, his tone guarded but Luxe could smell fear. She only giggled and wiggled her toes at him some more.

"Not until you call Char and set up a date." She insisted and Ashley only glared at her.

"What makes you think that she and I would even work out?" Ashley asked as he dug around in his pants pocket and soon pulled out a phone. Luxe only sighed and touched her foot to his face-Ashley jumped so hard that Andy almost got pushed off the couch and soon enough the bassist was standing in front of the couple.

"I just know." She said and Ashley only rolled his eyes, began typing on his phone and muttered under his breath as he walked away to make his call.

"Just because you two are perfect for one another, doesn't mean you know everything about love." Maybe not, but as Luxe and Andy smiled at one another-they knew that they were right where they belonged.

Notes

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