Chemical World || Damon Albarn

Chapter 10

I don't know what the actual heck this is, but enjoy anyways.

Damon and I had decided to 'chat' in his car, considering the recording studio had to shut down sometime, and I wanted to be able to leave as soon as possible. It wasn't until I actually stepped outside that I realized I would have been better off spending five more minutes in the building.

I was freezing my arse off the second I stepped outside, before not really even thinking about if it would be cold out or not. In the past close to fifteen hours I'd spent in the studio, the temperature must have fallen a good twenty degrees because I didn't remember ever struggling with finding warmth this morning. But then again, I was an hour late.

"Shit," I mumbled to myself as we approached the lead singer's car, being able to see my breath. I quickly pulled the ends of my long-sleeve shirt up to the palms of my hand to warm them as I opened the frigid, cold handle of the door.

I took notice of how hard it was to open the car door as soon as I got in and shut it behind me. I announced this without hesitation, but not as direct as normal.

"How long has your car been out here?" I asked, and Damon replied.

"Probably about two hours," I raised an eyebrow at this, since it meant he had been waiting for me for two hours. "Why do you ask?"

"'Cause it's so cold, the door was impossible to open," I spoke my mind and over-exaggerated as Damon rolled his eyes in a sort of playful way.

"Sorry, I'll try to get the heat going," He smiled jokingly, but still turned the car on, causing some heat the escape through the air vents.

I instantly put my hands up to them, acting like I had been in the Arctic for the past week. Oh well, it sure as hell felt like it when I had no jacket on in the middle of winter.

  Damon chuckled at this movement and opened his mouth to speak first and get the conversation going.

  "Erin..." He began trailing off soon after. "I know what you said this morning, and I can't help but think about it. A lot."

  I cringed at the thought of how harshly I told him to bug off this morning, and how I quick of a rush I was in. I decided I might as well apologize now and see where this was going.

  "Yeah, sorry about how harsh that came across," I replied and took my hands away from the vents, finally feeling the warmth. "I was rushing to get to work and I was kind of overwhelmed." I chuckled.

"No, I understand," Damon flashed a grin at me and I couldn't help but smile back, surprised at how nice he was being. "I was being a little whiny."

"Bit of an understatement," I joked. "But I didn't mean to sound rude. I'm just overwhelmed by the whole idea and I'm sorry."

"It's really okay," The man reassured me. "I didn't want to make you feel like you were obligated to be with me, but that obviously didn't really work." Even in the darkness of night, I could see him put a hand behind his neck.

"You didn't," I instantly stated. "I was just confused. And late. Really, really late." I paused.

"I understand,"

"But I don't- I don't want you to think that I didn't mean what I said at first, even though I put it in the wrong way," I counteracted. "I can't- we can't have a relationship, you know that, right?"

  Damon's eyes seemed to fall to the ground, and I could see him bite his lip, even in the dark. "Yeah, yeah, of course," He mumbled, but his voice was quite uncertain.

  "Okay," I replied just as quiet as he spoke.

  And we both fell silent, the only noise being the sound of crickets chirping outside, and the occasional car passing by in the road. I thought to myself about how busy traffic was during the day, and how I most likely wouldn't have any trouble getting home and going to bed, since it was one in the morning. But when would I leave? That was one thing I didn't know the answer to.

I looked over at the man sitting to my right, and my eyes met his, causing me to blush and look back down at the ground, not wanting to make this any awkward than it had already been. I had told him no and explained to him why, and now I wasn't sure what to say and how to move past this.

However, my wandering thoughts didn't last for long, when Damon was the first speak, telling me what was really on his mind.

"Listen, Erin," He started and I shifted my head to look him in the eyes again. "I didn't come here just to have a recap with you." He said and I shook my head at where this was going.

  "I understand that we're not supposed be together, but something about you..." He drifted off. "I don't know, it just makes me wanna be near you." He explained.

  I blushed slightly, no doubt about that, but it didn't matter. I still had to stick my original values, and do what was best for the both of us.

  "Damon, you know what-" I began to speak but was quickly cut off.

  "No, just hear me out," He interrupted and shifted in my seat, preparing to listen to what he had to say. "I wanna spend time with you." He got to the point. "But not as a couple. I get what you're saying."

  I raised an eyebrow at him but I'm not sure he was able to see, considering how dark it really was on my side of the car. "So, you wanna hang out;" I stopped talking for a second. "As mates."

  I could feel his smile. "Yeah," He said. "As mates, but nothing more."

  Damon's smile was contagious, as the corners of my lips raised upwards. "Mm, I don't know," I joked a bit, but also was serious, seeing where this would go. "How would we see each other?" I made my voice go lower to make my sentence seem to sort of have a creepier vibe. "The reporters are always out there, you know."

  The man laughed at this. "I think we can manage. I have my ways around them, you know." He mocked my tone of voice.

  I chuckled. "Me too. God knows how many times Liam and I have managed to fight them off." I cringed remembering what we had to do, and Damon took notice of that.

  "I'll make sure to ask about that later," He said. "How about I ask tomorrow night, at that new coffee place that opened? 8:00?"

  "Mm, that seems late enough that the guys will let me leave," I thought aloud. "So sure. But only as friends." I assured.

  "Of course," He agreed.

  And so that night I went home, thinking that maybe we had the slight possibly of actually being able to be around one another. And that nothing more than us being friends would happen.

  But I had the slightest feeling I was wrong.

A/n: This sucked. Thanks for reading. -Liz :)