A/N: About the title, eat that up, it's good for you, it was supposed to be one's better but then I listened to a song by Two Door Cinema Club with the above title and I found the song completely, and accurately relevant to the entire plot of this fanfiction. Like damn, I was surprised that it even fit like I just thought the title was good but wow, even the lyrics just went with the flow of this fanfiction. So, ta-da! If you have time, do listen to Two Door Cinema Club because they are an amazing band :)
Disclaimer: Don't own anything at all! :)
Dallas
His family was prestigious - they were people who were rich and fancy, high above the hierarchy. They came into the wedding clad in white, and faces twisted into graceful smiles and narrowed eyes.
His suit was white-go figure-and his hair as floppy as the first time they met - and his eyes as kind as the first time she's stared into them. And she walks down the aisle, with a veil like a crown on top of her head-she doesn't deny the fact that she felt like a princess-and her creamy white dress flows to the ground, following behind her slow, long steps.
Her prince await at the end, smiling nervously with sweaty palms. Beside him is her jester, the best man of the wedding-her best man, Austin Moon. He wears a sad smile on his face, but a proud gleam in his eyes. And she understands why. Because he thinks the kingdom should be his, and that he should be the prince marrying her, not the fool here to entertain and help - or the best friend who has the honor of singing at her wedding.
She doesn't say anything, but her eyes tell him "I'm sorry" as she takes her final step towards the altar. The wedding march ends and she's looking into Dallas' eyes, looking into forever. They say their promises, hold each other's hands, and slip those rings symbolizing eternity into the other's finger. She smiles softly at him, he smiles back with a haze of doubt in his brown eyes.
Austin saw it coming. Ally did not. Once the wedding ends, and the registers are all signed, and that cliché "you may now kiss the bride" moment comes, Dallas runs out the church doors like the scared little boy that he was-no, is.
And Ally stands there for a moment, surrounded by people whose faces held nothing but pure shock and surprise. And she laughs, a loud maniacal one. She gasps for air, and her eyes start to tear up, but she laughs anyway. And the people gaze at her with pity, and Austin holds her close by the waist.
Later that night she's in her wedding dress, the white creamy fabric torn and covered with dirty shades of grey and brown. Her hair is a mess, brown curls all over the place, and her make-up completely ruined. She's sitting on the floor, a tub of ice cream in hand, and head leaning onto Austin's broad shoulders.
He doesn't say anything. He doesn't want to say anything. He just listens to her quiet sobs and whimpers, while he holds tight her hand.
"You told me so." She whispers.
"I know." He sighs deeply and closes his eyes. "I know."
Houston
She met him at a concert - everything loud in hysteria. He's bashfully flirting with her, shy smiles and batting eyes. And she tucks her hair behind her ear, and listens to Paramore singing the lyircs to Still into You over a hundred and one times. He's not a smooth talker, she can tell you that. But he has a charm that just catches her - and ironically enough, she fell.
They spent two weeks together, wandering Las Vegas. He's gambling and she's blowing the dice, and coins are crashing down on their empty hands. She smokes weed, and he drinks a little too much-they're both twenty, lost and in love.
At the chapel she wears a blue dress, and phone calls were made but only Austin ever showed up. He stands at the back, watching them say their vows, say "I do" - it hurts more the second time around. And he leaves as soon as they're done, out the back door - no one ever noticed him.
They start their wondrous life together, still living in Vegas, only staying at hotels. They're getting better at this gambling thing - she jumps every time she wins, and he smiles and pulls her by the waist. When he's holding her so close, he places a soft kiss right there at the corner of her lips-she tastes like cigarettes and vodka.
She cuts off all her ties-no mother, no father, no Trish, no Austin. And it's a little sad but he does so too, and they're even - both sacrificing their happiness (their entire lives) for the sake of freedom.
But fights start and sometimes he's never home anymore - home as in, whichever hotel they chose to stay at that week. She's sick of waiting for him so she calls downstairs and orders food service-a lot of it. He comes back to her passed out on the couch with a bottle of Jack Daniel's on hand, and the tv turned on to some sad sappy romcom movie. He sighs and leaves again.
It doesn't take long for her to catch on, he's got another girl on the side - she's prettier, blonde with blue eyes and the perfect everything. She doesn't feel near enough heartbroken; she's just numb. And for the first time in three months, she dials Austin's number, calling for him to pick her up and take her away. He does.
They're at the court and she's filing for another divorce - same old, same old. Papers are signed and the deal is done. Husband number two, is out.
Parker
She's twenty-three and still in college. She does homework at a small café by her campus, and lets the coffee cool down to the point it tastes like nothing. That's when she meets him, a charming black haired waiter with a wonderful smile and very pretty eyes. He asks if she wanted him to warm up her cup, and she says no, asking for his name instead.
"Parker. My name is Parker Faith."
When she hears it, she's not at all surprised. She just wonders - wonders what it is about boys named after cities in Texas that's got her so attracted.
Their first date was simple - a small movie, some popcorn, and maybe even a slip of the tongue, or two. He grins like summer, and her hands feel like winter, ice cold from the past two relationships that failed. She hides the fact that she's married before - married twice, married two more times than he believes she is. And when he proposes, she doesn't even think about it
"Will you please marry me? I swear I will give you everything."
"You don't even have to ask."
"Is that a yes?"
"Yes."
She really thought that he could've been the one.
Their wedding fell the day Austin's first leg of his world tour kicked off, and this time it's his turn to not show up. He says he's sorry, but he didn't sound like so. She didn't care because, Trish was there, her dad was there, and her mom was there-and she was marrying someone so goddamn perfect, he makes up for all the shit she's been through.
The wedding was great, and their honeymoon was even better. He carried her all the way from the beach back to their hotel room, just to keep her favorite flip flops dry. They kissed under the sunset and walked along the boardwalk of Hawaii. Everything was perfect.
On her twenty-fifth birthday, he had a massive plan for her - a nice dinner, a dance around the candles, all the clichés the world never once offered her. But then he met Sally - a high school sweetheart he never told Ally about, a girl he never got over. She was single and stood-up, alone at the restaurant. And he had to beg his loving wife to let him console her. She nodded but she knew this was the end.
With every passing moment he spent smiling at Sally, comforting her, and hugging her, she felt her perfect guy slip from the grasp of her fingers.
The divorce is filed before they even get a chance to talk about it. And her bags are all packed and she's ready to run away, once again. Austin's tour bus is warm and cozy, and he makes her hot coffee and pats her head. She frowns at the bitter reminder, and then leans a little against his shoulder whilst his lips leave a ghostly brush on her forehead.
"Thank you." She murmurs, eyes half-lidded in her dream state.
"It's okay." He says but, it's not.
Evidently, losing Parker hurt the most.
Bryan
They met on a sunny day in Central Park, the sun blinding her and the grass tickling her skin. He's got a guitar in hand and she cloud watches for the first time in years. When their eyes lock, sparks, fireworks, and all those explosions that stood as placebos for the nonexistent love was all that she could think about. She wonders if he's also named after a city in Texas.
"I'm Bryan-some wannabe musician."
"I'm Ally, a wannabe songwriter."
She looks it up, and it turns out, he is named after a city in Texas after all.
She's hesitant at first, and tries to avoid him - because based on past experiences, Texas wasn't exactly the city named after love. But he's persistent and he's got a little something in him that just draws her in. And she finally does-you know, give in to him.
When she looks at him she sees him, like really sees him-pale lips, the skin of a ghost, and dark blue eyes. He's stunning in every possible way and he thinks she is too.
They have movie nights every Fridays and Saturdays. When it rains, they take a walk - because according to him, that's the best time ever to take a walk. She writes him songs about big dreams and falling in love, he sings about how beautiful she is with her messy her and baggy clothes. They fall in love too quick, and too fast.
But she doesn't realize time is slow ticking for him.
"Do you want to get married?"
"Really?"
"It doesn't have to be anything big, just as long as we're together."
"I don't know."
"I swear I won't be like the rest of them."
"Okay."
They don't get a big wedding at all - it's Vegas all over again except this time, she's sure of it. There's no weed and alcohol, and Austin sings a duet with Ally. They dance all night at the roof of the small motel, and road trip the next day all across America.
She was twenty-eight when she found out-he was sick.
He spent his last days at the hospital, his fingers tightly interlocked with hers. She cries every night when he's asleep, and she smiles the minute he wakes up - she doesn't tell him but she's scared the next time, he might not wake up.
His days are numbered and she's counting down whatever time she has left with him. Each second that passes by hurts more and more than the one before. Austin is by her side the entire time, but he never says a word - not even to tell her that he had to cancel four of his shows just to be there for her.
He dies on the ninth of May, and the funeral is held just a week later. He's cremated along with his guitar and his ashes are thrown to the sea. Ally doesn't speak for days - she feels like she can never speak again.
And she realizes, oh the good they do die young.
Austin
He proposes before they even start going out. And she cries because she knows she's never been good at marriage. He's her best friend, her everything - if she loses him, she'll lose herself. He swears he's not going anywhere - but truth be told, what else is new?
"I want to, I really do. I always have. But you're more important to me than anyone else I've ever been with, and I'm scared to lose you more than I'm scared of anything."
"Alls, we've been best friends, we've been partners. I've always been here, always will be here. I'm never going to leave you unless you tell me to. You will never lose me, ever.
"But I-"
"So what if you're terrible at marriage-it's okay. Because I'll change that. I'll be here for you through it all, like we said before - there's just no damn way I can make it without you."
"I always knew you were the one."
It wasn't their first kiss, and it definitely wasn't their last. But she said yes and that is all that mattered.
The wedding was at his concert, and he sang the first song he's ever written in front of a crowd of ten thousand, whilst holding her hand. Dez films the vows, he films the kiss-he films everything. And Lester cries.
They're thirteen years too late but they're finally here. They've come a long way since corn dogs and please do not play the drums signs but, they will never ever forget meeting by chance. It took her awhile but, she's finally got it right - he's something different and really, she's never met anyone who's actually stayed.
But he did. That's what makes it so wonderful.