Archive of Our Own ^beta

Chapter Text

January 2016: 

Beep Beep Beep

"Aviva, it's time to wake up, we're gonna be late!"

        I stirred in the warm comfort of my bed, burying my face in my plush pillow with a sigh of frustration. It was 3:30 in the morning on a Thursday, and was the earliest I ever had to be up in the past five years. The last time was the day I left for Myrtle Beach and had to drive myself fourteen hours for a three day weekend during my best friends Spring Break. It was a habit I was more than happy to break, but this was like a total kick in the ass.

My door was flung open hastily, and my best friend and roommate came in and flicked on the light. She was fully dressed and her straight, long black hair was tied into a messy bun and her corrective glasses were crooked on her nose. She glared at me from the doorway, coming into the room and ripping the warm covers off my partially clothed body. I sat up, glaring at her the best I could while being blinded by the lights. My room was cold, as it was in the middle of January in Boston and the temperature was probably below freezing. One of the differences between us was that Sasha was a morning person, yet I was the complete opposite.

"Are you up?" She asked, putting her hands on her slim hips as she smirked at me. Her brown eyes were mocking me, though I could tell she was just anxious about missing our flight that departed for Miami at 5 AM. We lived twenty minutes from the airport, but thankfully not many flights left that early so we didn't have to necessarily rush to get there five hours ahead of time to beat the crowd.

"Yeah, I'm up," I said, bringing my hands up to rub my tired eyes. I wiped away the crusty corners and got up from the bed, longing for my morning coffee.

"Good! We gotta leave by 4:05. I probably should have woken you up earlier, but I know how much sleep you need so you don't get cranky!" She said, dodging my hands as I smacked at her.  "I'll bring the usual." She said, leaving my room. She was referring to the same breakfast I eat every morning, and I was grateful that I had one less thing to do now that she seemed to have read my mind.

I threw on a simple outfit: black yoga pants, a Pentatonix t-shirt, and tied a sweatshirt around my waist for the ride. I didn't bother with makeup, as I usually only wore it for special occasions and when I was doing a performance, which anymore seemed less and less.

When I say performance, I mean singing. I started singing when I was six, when my mother was doing volunteer work at the only Jewish church in my neighborhood at the time. My little brother Scott and I grew up only an hour away from Boston, where we lived as a happy family until I was 10, when our dad was arrested for illegal drug possession, trying to sell to an undercover officer, and possible child endangerment. We haven't seen him since. My mom came from a Jewish family, though she never technically  forced the religion onto us, and for that Scott and I are grateful. I did a few tv performances growing up, even getting 2nd place in a national singing competition when I was eleven, though had I won first place I could have received a major recording contract and then some. The woman who beat me was twenty-six at the time, and if I remember correctly wasn't exactly the nicest person on the planet, though I had to admit she could sing. Scott was only eight at the time, but he was born with a voice too, though for a while he was insanely shy singing in front of people until he reached high school. We sing together quite a bit.

I met Sasha in high school, when we were both freshmen and she had just transferred from our rival school and completely swept the boys off their feet. We didn't like each other much at first, where she often called me an 'entitled bitch' until one afternoon I caught her crying in the school bathroom after a pregnancy scare. I was a nice person at heart, so I couldn't help but attempt to comfort her and promised I wouldn't tell anyone no matter the outcome. We've been best friends ever since.

I left the bathroom to see a steaming bowl of peach oatmeal and my morning smoothie sitting on my bedside table. I heard the tv on in the living room along with the slightly muffled voice on the phone where it sounded like she was having a rather heated discussion with whoever was on the other line. We're leaving for Miami due to Sasha's college internship where she was practicing stage management on the Walker Stalker Cruise, which if I'm not mistaken was the first year of service, though I could be wrong.

Luckily, Sasha was assigned a roommate on the cruise, which only lasted three days, but said roommate canceled last minute as another internship opened up that was 'more appealing to her tastes'. Sasha would be on the cruise, and then travel to New York two weeks after to do a three month long stint on Broadway before she would be ready to receive her diploma from her Performing Arts Academy from Boston University. Her roommate canceling was the only reason I was going, as I looked at the guest list for the cruise and didn't recognize anybody. Plus, the cruise most certainly wasn't cheap!

I managed to snag a gig for the last two nights on the cruise, and I would be performing for who knows how many people. This was technically my first big break in two years, where I often did small gigs for a reasonable pay at the many bars and events here in Boston. My dream was to record an album and be able to tour the United States, and maybe even internationally, if I was lucky. It's always been my dream.

After I ate, I  rolled my suitcase and carry on into the living room of our apartment when she shut the tv off, glancing at the clock. It was ten minutes until four and I could tell she was already becoming even more anxious than she was twenty minutes ago. After brushing my teeth and loading my dishes in the dishwasher, she rushed me out of the house five minutes early.

We made it to the airport by 4:25, giving us thirty-five minutes until our plane boarded and we'd be off to Miami International Airport. We made it through security and grabbed our bags as we headed to our gate, which looked like it was located all the way at the other end of the airport. There were a few places open, which kind of surprised me considering the place was practically dead from it being so early. Sasha and I headed for the closest Starbucks, ordering our morning coffee before we boarded the plane. Plane coffee was disgusting.

"Can you believe we'll be in Miami in almost six hours?" she asked, grabbing her drink from the counter that the lone barista placed in front of us. I was still waiting for mine.

"No, I can't.. Honestly, I think you're more excited than I am. Your career is almost set, mine is still on the backburner." I told her, watching her roll her eyes as she turned away from me. Sasha knew if I was bullshitting, and this time I was, only a little. I was excited about getting back on stage, believe me, even if it was with my band and I doing acoustics. We recorded a few tracks for free, as my drummer, Mitch, knows someone from Atlantic Records and said person owed him a slight debt. The equipment was being donated to us by the cruiseliner, and me being myself, didn't have the heart to refuse. It was a sweet gesture, and quite honestly, acoustic and acapella performances never bothered me. 

"Aviva, you don't know what this could mean for you. I mean, yeah, you might not get a record deal out of it, but it's good publicity, you know? The cruise is entirely sold out, for Christ's sake."

We started making our way to our gate after I received my drink, and we made it just as they were boarding. The internship paid for our flight and room on the cruise, so we automatically upgraded to first class seating. I had only flown on a plane a number of times, and only ever sat in coach except for the time I had the chance to sing on the Rosie O'Donnell show when I was seven and she gave my parents and I the tickets for absolutely no charge. That was nineteen years ago, and I could only imagine what it was like now!

"I wonder if I'll meet any celebrities," Sasha wondered aloud as we boarded the plane and searched for our seats. The plane was illuminated with purple lights throughout the cabin and I grew excited. Purple was my favorite color, and it was almost peaceful where I could probably sleep for a few more hours. "You know, I've always wanted to go to Comic-Con, this is my first chance, right?" She asked, stopping as we found our seats right in the middle of the cabin. She took the window seat, as she knew that I got nervous being by the window as I had a fear of heights and takeoff was almost as bad for me as landing was for her.

"The only thing about this is that it's for that one show, The Walking Dead." Sasha said, adjusting her seatbelt as I attempted to shove my bag below my feet. I packed a little heavy, and I felt the overhead compartments were just a waste of time. I'd put it up there and not even get up to fetch it during the flight. 

"You've watched The Walking Dead!" I said, giving her a weird look. She glared at me, sipping from her coffee. 

"I watched the first two seasons, I haven't caught up since!" Sasha defended herself, before sticking her tongue out at me. "I just didn't have the interest to," she shrugged, leaning back with a sigh, "I've had other shows to watch."

"At least you actually know who some of these people are. I don't know anybody, so that kind of leaves out getting an autograph and photo ops on the cruise, right?" I didn't watch much tv, the only shows I do have been off air for a few years, leaving me to mainly binge watch them on Netflix whenever I was bored. I recently started watching Orange is the New Black, which is really good. Sadly, those people won't be here, and I'm not surprised considering it's called the Walker Stalker.

"Even if I wanted to, I probably won't even have time. My schedule will probably be too hectic." she shrugged, her attention suddenly turning away from me onto someone who must have just boarded. "And, it looks like there's only three of us?" 

I turned slightly in my seat to see a man with long, dark brown hair make his way down the aisle. He was sporting Ray Bans and a baseball hat, even though the sun had yet to rise, and he was dressed quite comfortably. I could vaguely see the strings of earbuds hanging from his ears, partially hidden by his hair and his black hoodie. I turned my attention away from him, as I couldn't see his eyes and wasn't sure if I wanted to stare at him and make him uncomfortable. Beside me, Sasha snickered and leaned forward, looking for her own earbuds.

"Shouldn't those be off?" I asked as she took out her iPod. I wasn't all too familiar with the rules of airplanes anymore. 

"Only when we're taking off, and then for landing. I have a few minutes." she replied, before turning and peeking at the man who sat a few rows behind us. "Plus, he doesn't seem to give a shit." I tried not to be nosy, but I couldn't help but turn and peek at him too. He was facing the window, though I couldn't tell if he was actually looking out it. He could have been watching us, irritated that we kept looking at him and I'd never know. 

I cleared my throat, reaching for my bag and turning off my own iPod and my Android. My Galaxy s6 had a full battery charge and I wasn't sure if I'd even turn it on by the time we landed, as I was growing tired and the lights illuminating the cabin weren't helping in the slightest.

By the time we departed the airport, a small group of businessmen joined us and a few single passengers who went to other sections of the plane. Take-off was horrid, my hands gripping the seat below me so tightly that my knuckles were turning white. Sasha gave me a sympathetic look, gently patting my hand, strangely calm. She was always cool and nonchalant about things it always made me jealous.

We had flown for about an hour when my frappuccino and morning smoothie began to kick in. The cabin was filled with low murmurs from the businessmen as it seemed they were having a little meeting with each other, and that was it. The flight attendants made their rounds, giving out pillows and blankets to those who were passed out in their seats. I turned to Sasha, nudging her in the arm, "I'm gonna use the bathroom," I said. She nodded, before turning to look out the window.

I stood up and made my way to the small bathroom. It was currently occupied, and I sighed, fidgeting in my spot. I had always done a small dance when I desperately had to pee as a child, and now being twenty-five, I obviously hadn't grown out of that habit. 

The wait seemed to have taken forever, as by the time whoever was on the other side of the door came out, I was about ready to bolt to the other end of the plane to find the bathroom. It was the same guy from earlier; long dark hair and the sunglasses. He paused in the doorway, looking at me and I could vaguely see his eyes behind the lenses. He was looking right at me. I grew uncomfortable, from having to pee AND being under this stranger's gaze. He cleared his throat, nodding his head at me.

"I'm sorry I took so long," He said, his voice slightly gruffly but not overly so. It sounded like he had a higher tone, and it was surprising considering it looked like he could pack a deep base. He was just scruffy like that.

"You're fine," I said, shaking my head. He seemed to observe me for a minute, before carefully sticking his hand in my direction. "I'm Norman."

I couldn't help but stare at his outstretched hand, surprised but not at all bothered. I took his hand in mine, giving it a firm shake, "Um.. Aviva," I said, before releasing my grip. 

What an odd place to introduce yourself!

He smiled a little, his thin lips parting enough to show a little teeth. It was rather cute. 

"Nice to meet you, Aviva." He said, before stepping out of the way, gesturing for me to go through.

"You too, Norman." I replied, giving him a little smile before going into the bathroom and closing the door. I took care of business, before watching myself in the mirror as I washed my hands. Because I wasn't wearing makeup, the freckles on and around my nose were very noticeable and I sighed. I was a pretty confident person, but as a kid my freckles were the subject of lots of teasing and ever since they've always been a touchy subject for me. Sasha and all of my other girlfriends have told me they're cute, but I wasn't so sure. I leaned forward in the sink and rubbed my eyes with cold water, taking a deep breath before drying off. My hair was brown with streaks of blonde throughout and on the tips. I took the tie off my wrist and bunched my semi-long hair into a messy bun. I probably wouldn't sleep now, as I was awake from the cold water and I found myself thinking about Norman. I was only 5'3, and he had to be at least 5'8 or 5'9, like most of my friends as I was the shortie of the group. It's weird to think that we only exchanged names and yet I was wondering if he liked what he saw.

I made my way back to my seat and sat down beside a sleeping Sasha. I grabbed the headphones in front of me and put them on, looking through the guide for something interesting to watch for the next few hours. I had settled on Catfish: The TV Show  for a few episodes before I felt fatigue sweep over me and I fell asleep.

        I was shaken awake by someone sitting next to me, much to my dismay a few hours later. I opened my eyes to see an equally tired Sasha shaking my shoulders, her mouth shaped in an 'O' as she yawned. "It's time to wake up, Avi." 
The headphones had fallen off of my head during my slumber, and MTV was still playing on the small screen in front of me. I turned it off as soon as one of the attendants came over the speaker and started explaining the landing procedures. I tightened my seatbelt in preparation for the turbulence that was more than likely going to scare the shit out of me. 

We made our way through Miami International at 10:30, heading towards the baggage claim where our stuff was supposed to come through. We didn't have to wait super long, which came as a surprise to both of us. I picked up my black duffle first, before Sasha's came a few minutes after mine. She turned on her phone, scrolling through her texts as we made our way towards the exit. I hummed to myself as we waited for our taxi to arrive, which would take us to the pier we were supposed to board the ship on. We technically had five hours before the cruise departed, but due to circumstance we had to be there before noon for check in and Sasha had a meeting with her fellow interns and whoever else was in charge. I was more than likely going to stay in our room during, vegging out in front of the tv watching worthless tv shows or maybe catch up on more sleep. We'd tour the ship later on after dinner, check out all the major parties and other happenings later.

        "Deck 6, Suite 2448"

I slid the card in the slot, opening the door to reveal the room. The curtains on our deck were wide open, letting the bright sunlight filter throughout the room, illuminating everything and making it even more beautiful. I walked in, the bathroom located on the right and the hallway lead to the single bedroom. Two queen beds. I placed my stuff on the one nearest to the deck, and observed the rest of the room. There was a huge bookshelf lined with books of various genres, even some comics here and there. The tv hung over an electric fireplace, which right next to that was a rounded table with four chairs. The walls were a deep blue, and the flooring was a nice tan hardwood around the fireplace, deck doors, bathroom, and the tiny kitchen, while there was carpet around the beds. It was a nice homey feeling.

"As much as I'd love to stay, I gotta go!" Sasha said, suddenly running in and throwing her stuff on the only available bed. "Text me!" she said, not giving the room even a glance before she ran out, slamming the door with a loud BANG!

I couldn't help but chuckle, going to the sliding glass doors and opening them, stepping out onto the deck. The warm 85 degree weather hit my face, the heat kissing my skin rather uncomfortably. The ocean water was so blue; the sun causing it to glisten endlessly. I can hear the excited chatter all around me, coming from other people checking out their decks, and just the people running around on the other side of the ship, loud music playing and somebody announcing, probably the DJ. I sat outside for about ten minutes before deciding to head out, realizing that I was in fact becoming excited for the next three days and I wanted to be part of the excitement.

I rode the elevator down to ground level, my phone in my hand as I watched people bustle by with their luggage and families, many of them dressed in cosplay. Zombies and humans alike were everywhere, taking selfies and talking excitedly amongst each other. I had to giggle when someone growled at me as I walked by, reaching for me as if they were gonna eat a chunk of my arm. There was an excitement in the air that I had never felt before, and it made me a little sad to think that I hadn't been a part of something like this before, not ever. I wasn't a fan of the show, so still, my being here wasn't necessarily the same as being involved with all of the die hard fans. I was just here for money for my half of the rent.

I passed the main lobby and entered a section where there were metal fences lined up parallel to each other, kind of like a red carpet event as people were already lining up. My interest was peaked, as I could make out men, women, and children alike wearing shirts showing The Walking Dead characters and a few advertising the cruise. They were lined up, waiting for the special guests to arrive. 

I felt a tap on my shoulder.

"Avi, you're here!"

I turned to see Mitch, sporting a TWD hat with a huge grin on his face. The rest of my band lingered behind, each of them wearing something that commemorated the show. I forgot to mention that I was the only person in my band who didn't watch it.

"I'm here," I said, shrugging before enveloping him in a hug when he stepped closer. Mitch was always the closest member to me, having known him since we were in kindergarten together. He was my best guy friend.

"You're just in time, too. We're getting in line to get some autographs. We gotta get in line before it fills up."

"Um, I'll just wait in my room until you're done," I said, pulling back to take my leave. He wasn't having it.

"Nuh uh, nope, nope. You're coming with us." He grabbed my hand and pulled me to the line I just came from. My guitarist, Brianna, and the bassist, Michael followed and aided him in pulling me along.

"I reeaaallly don't wanna wait here. I don't know anybody!"

"Oh, come on," said Mitch, pulling me beside him as we lined up in a row, leaning against the gate for support. "They're arriving at 2:30, and the ship is leaving at 3:30. That's then the real fun begins!" He grinned at me and took out his phone, pulling up instagram.

"But it's not even two!" I cried out, watching as his clock smirked back at me. 1:45.

"Oh, come on. You can hide out in your room the rest of the night."

We stood there for the next forty five minutes, being pushed even further into the fence as more and more people lined up, eager to get closer to their favorite celebs. I was an artist, but I never really met any other celebrities like this. I somehow managed to stick it out until 2:30, silently thanking that I had used the bathroom before I left my room.

I was scrolling through Facebook when blinding screams filled the air around us. I jumped, dropping my phone on the other side of the fence where it bounced a few feet before laying face down. My mouth dropped open in shock, silently cursing whoever thought it was a good idea to scream like a banshee. Mitch attempted to bend down and snatch it, but people were pushing us into the gate and it was almost impossible for him to bend down and stick his thin yet muscular arm through the slits. People continued to scream and flashes went off as the stars of the show began to make their way down the aisle. 

"Shit!" Mitch yelled when a girl kneed him in the back of the head, causing him to smack his forehead into the gate. I laughed, grabbing his arm to pull him back up, a tiny chuckle escaping him as well as he rubbed his fingers over his forehead. "I can't reach it!" He said, pointing to the lone device sitting there, mocking us. Brianna and Michael weren't even paying attention, but that didn't bother me. They were farther away and wouldn't be able to reach it either. 

"Can I have your autograph!?"

"Norman, take a selfie with me, please!"

We turned our heads to see someone bent down, picking up my phone and observing it quietly. Mitch began to bounce excitedly beside me, fumbling with his own phone in his pocket before pulling up the camera.

"Is this yours?" the man said to me. I nodded, reaching for it as he held it out to me. I looked at his face, registering who it was. The girls screaming his name should have been a red flag, as I realized it was Norman from the plane!

"Thanks.." I said, my voice raspy and barely a whisper. He was still wearing the sunglasses, and he seemed to have remembered me too, as he smirked and handed me the phone. I took it.

"No problem, sweetheart."

My heart fluttered in my chest as he went to take a picture with Mitchie. He gave the camera a thumbs up, before straightening out and moving on. He looked back at me and waved, before moving on to the next girl crying hysterically as she asked for his autograph.

"I took a picture with Reedus!" Mitch yelled, slightly jarring me as he shoved his phone in my face. Norman had stuck his tongue out for the photo, his eyes completely hidden from view. I couldn't help but wonder what they looked like. ".. And he touched your phone!"  He cried, grinning at me and giving me a slap on the back. 

"Yeah.." I said, giving him a little smile. He'd really freak if I told him the story about the airplane.

We stayed for another hour, me helplessly listening to the screaming fans and laughing hysterically when a woman came and signed Mitch's arm, the name Christian written in beautiful cursive. The poor guy had almost passed out. She was beautiful, but he didn't roll that way. I'm pretty sure he thought she was a queen!

        It was nearing 10:30 that evening when I left the cabin again. Sasha and I had dinner with my band and her few friends who had bought their own tickets for personal pleasure. That was around six, and since then we explored almost the entirety of the ship before turning in at nine. I was freshly showered and clothed with oversized men's Ravenclaw  pajama pants, a simple Harry Potter shirt from Kohl's, and my worn converse. Sasha had passed out in her bed when I was in the shower, and I was too riled up thinking about Norman to sleep, so I decided to go out for a drink. 

There was a bar located just off of the main lobby, so I headed there. There weren't many people there, which surprised me, considering it wasn't that late but I could see that people came from all over the world to be here and most were probably too exhausted or had younger kids to tend to. A few people littered about, sitting at the bar or scattered in the plushy seating here and there. I headed to the bar, going for one of the empty chairs away from the small group of people. The bartender was a male, possibly the same age as me, sporting an engagement ring on his finger. He smiled at me as I sat down, "I'll be over in a minute," He said as he mixed someone's drink. I smiled back and nodded.

I ordered a Heineken, keeping it simple. The bartender, whose name I learned was Tyler set it in front of me on top of a coaster with a smile. I thanked him before taking a sip.

"I'll take some whiskey, please." a voice beside me said, pulling out the stool beside me.

"Coming right up, sir." Tyler said, before heading down the bar. I huffed a little, wondering who it was that was going to attempt to hit on me. I wasn't going home with anyone, that's for sure!

Or.. Back to their cabin.. You know what I mean!

"I'm surprised to see you here." a voice said, slightly raspy but overall attractive. Damn it. I knew who it was.

"Well, imagine my surprise seeing you here. Especially on the red carpet, practically." 

Norman chuckled, thanking Tyler as he placed the glass of whiskey in front of him. He pulled it closer to him, but didn't take a drink. He was still wearing those damn glasses, but now due to circumstance I could see why. I turned around, peeking behind us, expecting to see a group of bodyguards or something watching us like a hawk. I was surprised to find nobody of that sort. I turned back to him.

"What, you don't have a security posse following you around?" I joked, giving him a little smile. He laughed, shaking his hair that seemed partially wet. It was so dark it was kind of difficult to tell. 

"Nah, I usually go out alone. Don't like getting any extra attention than I already do." he replied, bringing the glass to his mouth where he took a sip. I looked down at my bottle and brought it to mine as well, taking a hearty gulp.

"Lucky for you I'm clueless to who you are, besides the fact that your name is Norman."

Norman glanced at me, his tongue briefly peeking from his lips as he wet them. He stuck his hand out for the second time that day, before speaking gruffly, "Norman. Norman Reedus."

I giggled, taking his hand again and giving it another firm shake. "Aviva. Aviva Jackson."

He grinned, releasing my hand before cupping his glass in his large hand. "That's a cool name," he said, looking at me, "I've never heard it before."

I shrugged, "It's Hebrew. My mom is Jewish; it means Innocence.. Or Springtime, doesn't really matter," he nodded, looking down at his drink. "My friends call me Avi, so.. If you want.. Yeah."

"Avi. That's cute."

"Thanks," I smiled.

"How old are you, Aviva?"

"I'm twenty-five. My birthday is April 15th." I answered, taking another gulp of my beer. I was gonna need another. I waved towards Ty as he wiped down the counter where the group once sat. He nodded at me.

"Huh.. You don't look twenty-five, you're kind of babyfaced." 

I frowned, unconsciously reaching up to touch my face. I had almost always looked the same; my face hadn't really changed much, except that it isn't as chubby as it was when I was six. I barely weighed 125 pounds and I lost the chubbiness throughout the years, though I did have dimples whenever I smiled for a picture. 

"Not that it's a bad thing," He interjected, continuing before I could say anything, "You just look like a teenager."

I laughed at that, explaining to him my almost continuous appearance the last nineteen years of my life. I explained the problem with my freckles, which surprisingly, he also thought that was 'really cute'.

"Can I guess your age?" I asked, bringing my newly chilled beer to my lips. 

"Go right ahead," He smirked, reaching forward to grab a small black mixer from the bar, bringing it to his drink where he absentmindedly began to stir it. I briefly wondered if I was boring him.

Slightly crestfallen, I cleared my throat, observing his face as much as I could with his Ray Bans hiding. I tilted my head, before gently reaching forward and slipping them from his eyes. He seemed to have froze, staring at me as I pulled them off to reveal bright blue orbs. I blinked, most definitely not expecting that. They seemed to have darkened to a slight grey due to the light, and I carefully folded up his glasses before setting them on the counter next to his glass. He didn't seem angry, thankfully, just surprised.

"That's better. I'll be surprised if you told me you didn't sleep with them on."

He chuckled, his eyes crinkling at the corners as he took another drink, this time draining most of it. I watched him, before blurting out the first number that popped into my head. "Thirty-seven!"

Norman smirked at me, before shaking his head, "Nope," He said, popping the 'p'.

"Thirty-five?"

"You're cold."

"Forty?"

"Warmer."

"Forty-two?"

"Warmer, but not by much."

I playfully glared at him, causing him to laugh in my direction. He had to be messing with me, he couldn't be more than forty-five!

"You're lying!"

"I'm forty-seven, sweetheart. Just had my birthday on the 6th."

I frowned, mentally calculating the date. "That was two days ago!"

Norman nodded, bringing his finger to the corner of his mouth where he lightly scratched the corner of his lip. "Yep."

"Happy belated birthday?"

"Thank you. Now tell me Aviva, what do you do for a living?"

My cheeks turned a slight shade of pink under his intense gaze, and I managed to croak out a response, "I sing. Professionally.. Sort of." I frowned, wondering if he'd actually believe me.

"Wow, really? What kind of music?" Norman asked, seeming to be fully interested.

"Mostly R&B, though I do sing some pop. I guess it depends how I feel for the day."

"Wow, that's awesome! Anything I know?"

"Probably not. I haven't released an album or anything, just a few singles and they're not exactly exploding everywhere, so it's mostly word of mouth." I had a few diehard fans who started their own fanclubs, and they're constantly recruiting more members. It makes me emotional to think I have fans that are that passionate about me and my music.

"Hmm, well, I'll have to change that." He said, before a phone ringing cut through the calm atmosphere. He reached in his pocket, pulling out an iPhone before looking at the home screen. Not wanting to be nosey, I turned towards the counter and admired all of the bottles of alcohol that littered the shelves. He looked at it, before putting the phone down on the bar.

"Do you have a stage name?" He asked, smirking at me. "Something cute like, Girl Power or something?"

I laughed loudly, cupping my hand over my mouth as I giggled to myself. I hadn't been expecting that, and part of me felt slightly offended but the majority of me didn't give a shit. It was a funny joke, a little stereotypical but I have a great sense of humor. Something told me he did, too, and that this was just him teasing me. "No, oh my gosh. You're an ass, you ass." I said, smacking his arm. He chuckled, nudging me with in the arm.

"I just go by my name, Aviva. It's simple, and maybe a little cliche, but it works, you know?"

"Of course. I was afraid to say that, I didn't want you snapping and kicking my ass!" Norman said, turning in his stool till he was facing me fully.

We continued talking, mostly about me but I finally convinced him to talk about himself after a while. I found out that he plays Daryl Dixon in the show, a character I had heard about and seen on a lot of merchandise but somehow didn't recognize him until now. He liked art, painting and photography and he had a cat named Eye in the Dark, and also had a sixteen year old son named Mingus with his ex girlfriend though they never married nor were engaged. The name Helena Christensen sounded vaguely familiar, but I couldn't put the name to her face. She was a former Victoria's Secret angel.

It was nearing 1:00 when the bar started closing down, and against my wishes he paid for all three of my beers and his two glasses of whiskey. I thanked him more times than I probably needed to, but I wasn't used to guys doing that stuff for me. I either payed for everything or we split half and half. This was the first.

Norman followed me out into the main lobby, which by now was practically deserted save for a few people coming back from what seemed to be a party celebrating the first night on the ship. It had been quiet between the two of us, but I was slightly shocked when he handed me his phone, asking for my number.

"Norman, are you sure?" I asked, looking up at him in concern. He nodded, smiling at me, slipping back on his Ray Bans. "You trust me enough?"

"I trust you. Trust me, Aviva. You're awesome, girl."

I blushed furiously as I typed in my number, Typing 'Avi' for the contact name. I handed the phone back, and he beamed before tucking the phone away and enveloping me in a hug. I was taken aback, but found myself easily melting into his embrace. He smelled fucking amazing.

"You give good hugs.." I admitted, whispering in his ear. He stayed quiet, and if I wasn't mistaken, shivered in my grasp. He tilted his head down, brushing his lips across my cheek, before pulling away and smiling at me.

"I'll see you later, Avi."

"Goodnight, Norman." 

Chapter Text

       I woke up the next morning with drool on my pillow. My mouth was dry from the alcohol, yet I was still able to wet my pillow with a sandpaper throat. I sat up in the extremely comfy bed, alone. Sasha must have left already, though when I looked at the clock it was only 8:30. I groaned and laid back down, curling up in the sheets in attempt to fall back asleep. I had probably laid there for half an hour before I came to the conclusion there was no more sleepy time for me.

I reached for the remote on the bedside table between us and flicked on the television, flipping through the channels before settling on The Golden Girls. I relaxed against the pillows, before unplugging my phone and switching on the power button. My android was relatively new, and started up rather quickly. I watched my favorite ladies on tv while my phone continuously vibrated from emails, texts, and other notifications. I had texts from my mom, which I replied to right away as they were sent last night and have yet to receive a response. I was able to set my phone aside for about fifteen minutes before my phone buzzed again.

(212)-613-8994: Good Morning, Avi!

I read the message and frowned, momentarily forgetting that I gave Norman my number and it was more than likely him. I recognized the area code from NYC, as my mom currently resides there just outside of Manhattan. I smiled, before typing a quick reply.

Good Morning. :)

A few minutes later he replied. I had added his name to my contact list, only I made up a nickname as my friends had a habit of being snoopy when it came to looking at other people's homescreens. I chose 'Stubby' as I had teased him about having long, yet somehow stubby fingers last night, much to his embarrassment, though he was a good sport about it and didn't take it too seriously. I found it rather cute, to be honest..

Stubby: What is your room number?

I frowned yet again, wondering what he could possibly need my suite address for. I hesitated before answering. Not that I didn't trust him, but it was just a complete mystery to me. Perhaps he was just wondering how close we were? I figured that the celebrities would be on their own part of the ship away from everyone else as a safety and privacy precaution, but maybe I'm wrong..

Deck 6, Suite 2448. Why?

Stubby: Just wondered.

I shook my head, putting my phone back on the bedside table before snuggling back into my spot to watch tv. I had watched another full episode before I heard a knock at the door. I muted the television, crawling out of bed to answer the door. I was fully dressed in my clothes from last night, though I peeked through the peep hole just in case. It was a man wearing a Walker Stalker crew shirt and a nametag. It read 'Malik'. I opened the door, and he smiled at me, looking down at the clipboard in his hand.

"Aviva Jackson?" He asked, looking at me for confirmation.

"Yeah, that's me." I said, thinking maybe it was just an inspection of some sort. I had never been on a cruise, so I honestly had no idea what to expect the next two days.

"I have this for you, it was sent by someone important," He said, releasing a manila envelope from the prongs on his clipboard and handed it over. 'Avi' was scribbled in black sharpie along the front, where the circle over the 'I' was was a smiley face with little dots around my nose and eyes. They were my freckles.

"Oh, thank you very much." I said, before bidding him goodbye and shutting the door. It took me a minute to process that Norman had sent something for me, and I wasn't sure what to expect. I opened the envelope carefully, not wanting to ruin the way he wrote my name. (I'm assuming he wrote it).

Inside was one of those VIP necklace things that I saw quite a few people walk around with yesterday. There was only one, which wasn't a big deal since Sasha had her own due to her internship. She was part of the crew, just without pay. Normans face was on the plastic card, and I couldn't help but roll my eyes in amusement. I wonder how many females are practically drooling over it right now.

I peeked inside the envelope again, spotting a single sheet of paper that was located in every bedside table advertising the cruiseliners name. In the same writing scribbled along the envelope, the words written in black sharpie were simply,

Come and visit me.

I chuckled, wanting to go to my phone and text him, but refused. I'd thank him in person. I found the remote and switched to the information channel, wondering when he'd be where and at what time. There were many activities planned for today, where autographs were from ten until three, and then photo-ops were five until eight. Panels were scheduled throughout the day, and multiple parties and cosplay events were until three AM. I did a double take when my name scrolled across the screen.

Concert: Aviva; Main Stage at 8:30PM

I grinned, rushing to the bathroom to get dressed and officially start my day. I dressed in jeans and a simple black t-shirt, brushing my hair, deciding to leave it down until it was curled and played with later on for tonight. We had to be at the stage at five thirty for rehearsal, and we'd be practising until eight before doors were opened and people are allowed to come in. I texted the band and my manager to confirm our schedule as I made my way downstairs to catch a small breakfast. I had Normans pass around my neck, in case I decided to just go and see him instead of head right back to my suite.

I ate slowly, trying to savour every bite of eggs and sausage as I'd only be snacking on healthy foods for the rest of the day. I finished before too long, leaving the restaurant in a hurry. It was a few minutes past ten, and by this point autographs had just started. Norman could be anywhere.

The urge to text him was almost unbearable, as I desperately wanted to, yet I wasn't sure if I should. He was more than likely enveloped in his fans and it didn't feel right to take this opportunity from them as some of these people were paying thousands of dollars out of their pockets to be here for a three minute conversation and a photo. I decided that I'd wait it out a while longer, to see if he'd text first or else.

The place was a zoo, though I managed to make it to one of the many gift shops without being trampled by a zombie or a fake katana swinging badass. There were a lot of Walking Dead stuff, plenty of it with Daryl Dixon gracing the fabric. They had a good collection of WS shirts, so I ended up buying one of those instead.

My phone vibrated in my pocket just as I walked out of the shop. I pulled it out and scanned my fingerprint, opening up a new message from Sasha. I was slightly disappointed, as I was expecting it to be Stubby.

Sasha: They need my help at the autographs. Are you gonna go?

Yeah, want me to come now?

Sasha: YES! You gotta see me in action, girl!!

I found the stands with little difficulty. The lines were waaay long, the chatter in the room loud and extremely giddy. I searched the crowds, unsure of what I was supposed to be looking for exactly. I saw the names of the guests on these huge banners as I made my way through. Steven Yeun, Melissa McBride, Lauren Cohan, Chandler Riggs, Josh McDermitt, just to name a few. I spotted Sasha standing next to Steven, a headset on her head and a huge metal clipboard in her hands. She was talking, to whom I didn't know, and was quickly scribbling stuff down. I wasn't sure if I should go over there, as I didn't want people to think I was cutting. I casually walked over, standing a good distance away, waiting for her to spot me and wave me over. She finally noticed me after a few minutes of standing there like a goof.

"Avi!" she called, waving me over. I came over and smiled, pulling her in for a hug. She was on the other side of the table, so it was kind of awkward but that was nothing new.

"Hi. Why do they have you here?" I asked, looking around the place. It didn't really seem like stage management to me.

"They're running low on staff for now, so I volunteered to help out. I'm assigned to help Steven here," she said, gesturing to the Korean man currently signing a little girl's photo of him. It was cute. "He has the second longest line here, you know. Right after that Reedus guy.." She trailed off, taking notice of my VIP pass with said Reedus on it. "Where'd you get that?" she asked, tilting her head at me.

"Oh, they dropped it off earlier. They said it was for your original roommate but since she canceled they'd just give it to me." I lied, not wanting to rat out Norman. Sasha was a trustworthy person; she'd never say anything about it had I told her, but I wasn't sure how Norman felt about that. I didn't want to betray his trust.

"Wow, that's cool. You're a lucky girl, Avi." She smiled, before patting my arm. "Hey, I have to go, but I'll be helping your show backstage! I'll see you at 5:30, okay?" she said, pulling me in for another hug.

"Okay, I'll see you then. Have fun." I said, squeezing her tight before releasing her. She turned and made her way through the black curtains behind Steven, turning to me one last time, "I love you!"

"I love you, too!"

I turned my attention back to the people around me. I had yet to see Norman's name, and I continued making my way down the way until I was surrounded by more stands of people I didn't recognize. The longest line was at the very end, where Norman's name was displayed for all to see. Sasha wasn't lying when she said he had the longest line. Whoever was at the end probably would be waiting the entirety of the little time they had. If I wasn't mistaken tomorrow they'd be in here almost all day, but I'd imagine they had quite a day yesterday.

Norman was vaguely visible from where I was standing, though I moved over to the right more as I grew closer and suddenly I had a perfect view. He was dressed in a blue short sleeved shirt, dark jeans, a matching blue and white hat with his sunglasses on. I shook my head, laughing to myself. I wondered if he could even see without them he wore them so much.

Come on, Aviva. Just go over there like you did with Sasha. Let him spot you.

I took a deep breath, counting to ten before I edged closer. He was messing around on his phone, taking pictures of various things. It seemed like forever before he saw me, his head turning to look in my direction. I could see where he smiled, giving me a little wave. The group of girls who were watching him sign their things turned to look, probably expecting it to be someone from the show. The tallest one was extremely round, and quite honestly was scary. I could tell she was glaring at me and I had only waved to him!

Norman finished up with them and they left, giggling and calling back to him as they walked away. The one seemed to have forgotten about me, thankfully, as I was able to get to him when he waved me over safely. He smirked at me as I approached him, politely excusing myself as the next fan stepped forward.

"You look nice," He commented, smiling at me before bending down to sign his name. "What's your name, Sweetheart?" He asked the teenager, looking up at her as she replied with 'Jessica'. I stood by, tuning out their conversation as I didn't want to intrude or come off as rude. When she left, I answered him.

"Thank you. You don't look too bad yourself," I said, giving him a smirk of my own. Norman chuckled, setting the sharpie down and gesturing for me to go around back. "Go back there and wait for me, it's almost my break."

       I had only waited about ten minutes before Norman popped his head through the curtain, observing me as I patiently waited on the couch playing SongPop. He turned and said something to whoever was on the other side, and a huge wave of groans swept through the crowd. I obviously couldn't see through the curtains, but I knew that the line of people weren't too happy. I wouldn't be either, quite honestly. I heard Norman laugh gently, before he completely made his way in and headed over to me. My phone was put on standby and on my lap the moment he sat down a cushion away from me.

"Hi."

"Hey."

I smiled, adjusting myself in my spot to get a better look at him. "I'm curious as to why you decided to give this to me," I said, taking the plastic card and waving it around in front of me. Norman smiled, tilting his head down as he touched his fingertips to the others repeatedly.

"Well, I figured I wouldn't be seeing you that much. I'm booked pretty much all day," he said, leaning back in his spot, placing his arm over the back of the couch. I squirmed.

"I saw the schedule. I have about four and a half hours before I gotta go to rehearsal." I said, twiddling my thumbs in my lap. He looked at me in surprise, his tone slightly accusing, "You're performing?"

I nodded. "Yeah.. tonight and tomorrow."

Norman observed me for a moment, his lips slightly parted before a 'huh' came from his mouth. He reached a hand towards his beard and slightly scratched it. "Shit, I had no idea. What time does it start?"

"Eight thirty," I replied.

"Shit, I'll probably still be here by then," He sighed, taking off his shades to rub his blue eyes. To my surprise he kept them off, neatly placing them on the neck of his shirt before turning his attention back to me. "They say they're over at eight but I could be here all night."

"I guess being number one isn't everything.." I whispered, hoping he didn't get offended. He seemed thoughtful for a moment, before he smiled a little, speaking in the same gruff tone he did when I first met him, "You're right, it's not. But I'm forever grateful for my fans, I'd be nothing without 'em."

I smiled at him, scooting closer, just enough that my shoulders were aligned with his wrist. "That's sweet of you to say."

"It's true," He shrugged.

It got quiet after that.

"Do you have Instagram?" He asked out of the blue.

I blinked, laughing a bit before I realized he was completely serious. He raised his eyebrow at me, amused that I had found his question funny, but he truly wanted to know if I used the app.

"Uh, yeah, I have it. Why?" I asked, taking his phone as he handed it to me. The search bar in the app was up, and I realized he wanted to add me. I typed in my name, which automatically brought up my account. I didn't have a fancy name, just something easy to remember as the app liked to log me out unexpectedly quite a bit.

I gave the phone back and he chuckled at my name, scrolling through my posts. I had exactly 150 posts from the past three years, my most recent one being two weeks ago when I performed at an Irish pub a block from my apartment building. I had been drunk afterwards and decided that posting an Instagram video of my hair during a drunken stupor was a good idea. My phone vibrated in my lap, and a notification popped up on my screen:

@bigbaldhead is now following @aviijacks

"That's.. an interesting name, Norman." I said, allowing my dirty mind to automatically think of the worst possible reference to that. For all I knew, it could have been just a coincidence, but part of me wasn't so sure about that.

"Thanks, Sweetheart." he said, grinning knowingly at me. He must have still been on my profile as he liked a few of my most recent posts, including the birthday one from Sasha's party back in December. I had stuck my tongue out at the camera at the end, and by judging the look of Norman's profile as I followed him back, he seemed to be a tongue person too.

"How much longer is your break?" I asked, putting my phone down the same time he did. He glanced at the black watch on his left wrist, before slipping his glasses back on. "About five minutes. I usually only get around fifteen every hour and a half." I nodded, disappointed that I'd have to leave him. He chewed on his nail, his fingers on the back of the couch right next to my shoulders starting to tap a beat absentmindedly.

I grabbed his hand, stilling his fingers as I observed his hand. He watched me silently as I traced his fingers, lightly tapping on his neatly trimmed fingernails. I was thinking about how he didn't have a ring on his finger, an engagement ring or a wedding band. Part of me wasn't surprised, but the other was curious as to why he never married.

"I'm just realizing that you aren't sporting a ring," I muttered, looking up at him as I continued to trace his digits. "Nobody special?" I asked, looking at him with genuine curiosity. He shook his head, a gentle smile forming on his lips as he watched me play with his hand. The topic of relationships had never come up last night, the more I think about it. He briefly talked about Helena and Mingus, but only because I had asked if they were ever married.

"Nah, I haven't dated for a while, it's been about a year," he replied, twisting his hand around to capture my own fingers. I giggled. "What about you, Avi?" He asked, a bit of nervousness in his voice. I tried not to overthink it, maybe I was just imagining it. I tended to have an overactive imagination.

"I haven't had the best of luck with dating. I was with somebody for over a year when I was twenty-two, but nothing since. His name was Finn.." I swallowed, thinking of that adorable hunk of man and took a deep breath, running my hands through my hair. "We had a lot of issues and just decided to call it quits."

Norman watched me carefully, before his gaze went to our hands where he gave my fingers a reassuring squeeze. "I'm sorry to hear that," He whispered. "It's tough; trust me, I know."

We were interrupted when a man popped his head through the curtain, looking at us with a smirk before he spoke, "Come on, Norm. It's showtime."

Norman nodded, releasing my hand and standing up. I followed, tucking my phone away in my back pocket. "Thanks, Vic," Norman said, before gesturing towards me. "Vic, this is Avi. Avi, this is Vic. He's kind of my intern at these things."

I stuck my hand out, giving his hand a shake as he smiled at me, "Nice to meet you, Avi."

"Same to you, sir."

"Please, call me Vic," he smiled again before releasing my hand, turning his attention back to Norman who was doing something behind me. "Norm, let's go."

Norman patted my back, reaching for my hand as Vic disappeared behind the curtain, slipping something in my grasp. I looked up at him in confusion, but he just smiled at me and followed Vic. I heard the excited squeals and running footsteps as his super fans raced back in line to get a spot. I looked around, not wanting to draw attention to myself by sneaking out of Norman Reedus' privacy curtain. I took a deep breath and opened the piece of paper, revealing his handwriting once again written with a black sharpie:

If you're feeling down, meet me tonight at one.

Suite 9978, deck e9

Show this to Vic when you come.

Norman

I couldn't help but smile, chewing on my lip before I crushed the note in my hand, finding an ounce of courage as I slipped through the curtains and made my way back to the lobby. I caught his eye as he was signing an arm, where he gave me a smile before turning his attention back to the middle aged woman practically fawning over him as he held her arm. I smiled brightly, continuing on my way.

It was nearing 8 when I received a text from Norman.

Stubby: What time is your concert?

I was sitting in my makeup chair, the hair designer given to me by the cruiseliner brushing my hair out before curling it. I read his text message and replied with the time, secretly hoping he'd be able to swing by even if it was for one song. As I waited for a reply, Sasha was running around, making sure everyone knew their job even though we have been rehearsing for the past three hours. My set list was only seven songs, as Emily Kinney was set to on right after me. I suspected that she'd draw a bigger crowd than me, but I had this opportunity and was forever grateful.

Stubby: Okay, cool.

The crowd out front was becoming insanely packed as it grew closer to showtime. I peeked around from backstage and had just taken a peek when my band ripped me away for the customary prayer. We held hands, bowing our heads as my manager led us in prayer. I wasn't one for praying, or religion in general, but so many people blessed before a concert and I wasn't about to be the one to break that tradition. I heard it was bad luck, but I couldn't prove that.

"Ladies and gentleman, please welcome to the stage, AVIVA!"

I held my microphone in hand as the blast of cheers and screams welcomed me as I stepped out into the spotlight. I wasn't mainstream, but I knew that I did have some fans out there right now and they were probably the ones screaming their heads off. Pictures flashed wildly in my direction, and I welcomed them with open arms.

"Hi guys!" I said, coming to a stop in front of my post. Mitch played the drums, while Michael and Brianna tinkered with their instruments as our opening number began. I peeked behind me to see Sasha, still holding the clipboard with a huge smile on her face. I grinned in return, turning my attention back to the front before the music abruptly stopped and the audience quieted down.

Mirror, mirror on the wall
You seem to think you know it all
Why do, why do I believe?
You tear me down just to laugh
But if I break your shining glass
I'll just see pieces of me

No, no, no, don't you dare
Who do you think you are standing there?
I'll tell you

I am, I am, I am, I am worthy of love
Am I, am I, am I, am I strong enough?
Because it feels like I'm not anything at all
But I am, I am, I am, I am beautiful

Beautiful

I stuck my arm out, moving my hand and silently signaling them to turn up my mic. This song was a piano accompaniment, but since we didn't have one at the moment we had to use a track. I couldn't hear myself.

Fool me once, shame on you
Fool me twice, that's what you do
It's time to change up the game
Can't be that little girl no more
The one you cut up on the floor
I'm done with all the shame

No, no, no, don't you dare
Who do you think you are standing there?
I'll tell you

I am, I am, I am, I am worthy of love
Am I, am I, am I, am I strong enough?
'Cause it feels like I'm not anything at all
But I am, I am, I am, I am beautiful

There was a time when I let you in
With all the doubt underneath my skin
I think it's time that I see the way

I am, I am, I am, I am worthy of love
Am I, am I, am I, am I strong enough?
'Cause it feels like I'm not anything at all
I am, I am, I am, I am beautiful

At the end of the song I glanced down as the applause were deafening and the single spotlight on me changed into hues of white, blue, and purple, illuminating the whole stage.

Norman:

I glanced at my phone for the hundredth time in the past twenty minutes, checking the time. Aviva was probably on stage right now, singing her little heart out and I was stuck here signing autographs though I wanted to be over there, watching her in her element. It had been almost six hours since I last saw her and we only exchanged a few texts as she couldn't have her phone during rehearsal. It was only seven minutes past eight thirty and I had saved the last two breaks so I could go and see her for at least half an hour. I finished signing the toy crossbow the little cosplayer in front me me carried around with pride before giving the eight year old kid a fist bump. I just capped the marker when Vic approached me, clapping me on the shoulder. "Come on, bud, time for a break."

I stood up, tossing the sharpie on the table before pocketing my phone. I had been here since eight this morning, alternating between autographs and photos with the fans, while somehow the line never seemed to let up. There were more groans from the line as I was escorted away, which I felt pretty bad but I had other things to attend to.

I practically sped walked to the stage area, where I could hear the music and audience from outside the walls and I heard a familiar, yet unfamiliarly so voice blast through the entire space. I nudged Vic, gesturing towards the backstage door, and he nodded, following me in. There were people bustling around, and I spotted Emily sitting in a chair, right next to one with Aviva lettered along the backrest; almost like a director's chair. I waved to her, smiling as a woman began tying her hair in a French braid. She waved enthusiastically, munching on some popcorn and I had forgotten that she was supposed to sing right after Avi. I saw it on the schedule a few hours after Avi left.

I made my way to the stage, peeking around the curtains to see her standing from a stool, where someone came and whisked it away. She was looking down as a soft melody began playing in the background. I had seats like this quite a few times in the past years, as being a celebrity had perks many people could only ever dream of. I had a perfect view; no cameras or overly tall people in the way to block my view of her. It was a song I recognized, as it came from one of my favorite bands of all time. Fleetwood Mac had been like crack to me back in the eighties when I was a teenager, and to this day, this song often gave me goosebumps.

The lights changed to a deep red, and I could vaguely make her out to be wearing deep red lipstick. She had nice lips, I had to admit. 'Songbird' began to play, and when she sang, her voice went right through me. Goosebumps rose along my skin, a shiver shaking my entire body. This girl could sing.

She sang three more songs after that, the two being acoustic and the last piece being.. acapella, I think it's called? I was able to record some of it to post on Instagram, and I did that as she thanked the crowd, waving and even bowing a few times.

@bigbaldhead: amazing @aviijacks

I smiled as it went through and posted. I pocketed my phone as Aviva came backstage with her band, all of them talking excitedly about what had just happened. They were all handed bottles of water, Avi especially since she was the voice of the whole act. I clapped in her direction as she grew closer, smiling behind my ray bans. She saw me and paused, mouth open in shock before she grinned, coming towards me as she squeezed her half empty bottle. "You came!" she said excitedly, giving me a hug as she got closer. I hugged her back tightly, laughing lightly before releasing her.

"Of course I came. I saved some breaks so I could come and see you. You're incredible, Sweetheart," I said, wrapping my arm around her shoulder to lead her away as the announcer called Emily to the stage.

"I thought you'd be up to your elbows in stuff," she explained, beaming up at me. I had known some short people in my life, but she was the shortest girl I ever had the pleasure to crush on. "I'm so glad you made it, when did you get here?"

"As soon as you started 'Songbird'. I didn't know you liked Fleetwood Mac," I said, following her as she lead me over to a dressing room, stepping inside first. It was simple, a full wall taken up by a mirror, a black loveseat pushed against the wall. A makeup dresser sat empty at one corner, though the lights were all turned on. She left the door open, gesturing for me to sit and make myself comfortable. I had about fifteen minutes before I was due to head back.

"Yeah, my dad used to be a huge fan. I used to sing for him when he was having a bad day," She spoke, kicking off her shoes before taking a seat next to me. "It always cheered him up.." She trailed off, clearing her throat before smiling at me. "I read your note, by the way."

I smirked at her, scratching at my lip with my finger as I watched her intently. "Are you gonna come? This could be a once and a lifetime offer." I joked, smiling as she giggled, taking a sip of her water. I watched as a small drip rolled down her lip when she pulled the bottle away. She wiped it off with her finger, before sucking it off the tip. I swallowed, adjusting myself carefully.

Down, boy.

"It crossed my mind, yes," she giggled some more, before shrugging, "Sasha will probably be here until late, and I promised Mitch I'd eat dinner with him," she paused, thinking to herself for a moment. I knew who they were, since she told me about them last night. They seemed like they were really good friends. "Um, I hadn't heard of that deck before," she frowned, standing up and heading over to her bag, searching through it before she pulled out the wad of paper I gave to her hours ago. "Deck e9?" she asked, looking up at me.

I nodded, standing up as well, "It's reserved for us actors," I explained, watching as her mouth formed into a perfect 'o' as it seemed to all make sense. "It's hidden from everyone else, kind of locked away, I guess you could say. The only way you can get in is if you're on the list," I explained, approaching her and pointing to the part about giving it to Vic. "Give it to him and you're in. If not, call me and I'll rescue you anyway." I winked.

Aviva nodded in understanding, tossing the note back in her bag. I checked my watch. My time was up. "I hate to leave you, Sweetheart, but I gotta run." I said, leaning in close, brushing my lips against her ear, "I'll see you later. Don't break my heart, darlin'," I whispered, causing her to shiver violently.

"I won't.." she whispered.

Aviva:

"You bitch, was that who I think it was?!"

I smirked in the mirror as I took off my lipstick, seeing Mitch approach me from the side. I used the moist towelette to wipe off the makeup so I didn't have to worry about it while we ate.

"I don't know, who do you think it was?" I asked, straightening out as I finished. I tossed the soiled towel in the trash, before digging through my purse for my EOS lip balm. He glared at me through the glass, but I refrained from laughing at him.

"Girl, that was Norman fucking Reedus, aka my favorite character on that damn show!" He said, smacking my ass, causing me to jump. I turned and glared, but it never fazed him. I had to try, right?

"Yes, it was him. He came and saw the show."

"And you went to your dressing room with him, you dog!"

"The door was open!" I said in disbelief, smacking the back of his head as some of the crew members gave us weird looks. Mitch was openly gay, though somehow it surprised people when they found out that he could really shred on those drums. I had a feeling that his love for Daryl was more than just the character; I knew he has the hots for Stubby.

Heh, Stubby.

"You should introduce us," Mitch teased, leaning forward to check his hair. I giggled, shaking my head at his diva antics. My younger brother, Scott, was the only member in my family to come out of the closet. They were practically brothers, though I couldn't help but wonder if there was really more that meets the eye. I am all for them to get together, but Mitch was too convinced he was going to marry rich and probably move to Paris for the rest of his life. Scott, well.. He's just Scott.

"I'll probably introduce you tomorrow, if Norman's okay with it," I assured him, smiling as he clapped his hands, smiling brightly. I didn't think Stubby would care, though I wanted to be sure before promising Mitch.

"This is exciting! I wonder if he'll remember me.." he said, linking our arms together as I grabbed my bag, heading towards the exit. I was starving and couldn't wait to get my hands on some food. He yapped the whole way down to the buffet, mostly about our show but he couldn't resist teasing me about Norman. I explained that we were just friends, while he laughed and told me he could probably turn him gay if he really tried.

Mitch and I sat together and ate for about two hours, talking about how amazing this cruise really was. Tomorrow was the last official day to do anything, and he had yet to get any autographs or photos with any of his favorites. I felt bad, knowing that he spent his whole day helping prepare the stage, and then having to rehearse for the rest of the evening. This was probably the first time all day he was able to walk free.

"What are you doing tonight?" He asked, poking his apple pie with his fork. I smiled, looking down at my empty plate that was once blessed with steak, but was now sadly gone.

"I'm going back to my room, getting a shower, and watching tv for the rest of the night," I said, knowing perfectly well he was going to ask to do something. I hadn't told anybody about meeting Norman tonight, but Mitch and I had a strict code about always telling each other the truth. Scott was in on our little pact, so we always told each other the truth, no matter how the other two were to react.

"We should go to a party! Come on, it will be fun," He said, protesting as I shook my head. "Why not? Tomorrow all of the good parties might be over!"

"I just don't want to, Mitch. We'll do something tomorrow, I promise."

"Or we could just do something tonight."

I glared at him, before standing up, "I want dessert."

Chapter Text

       One AM came faster than a jogging Forrest Gump. I had showered after my dinner with Mitch, but I was currently in bed, waiting for Sasha to come out of the bathroom. Steven Yeun didn't finish meeting fans until 12:30, causing her to just now get back.  I didn't want to lie to her, even though she saw Norman come backstage, she wasn't aware that we were becoming friends and that I was going to hang out with him, even if I didn't come back before morning.

Not that I was thinking about that, of course.

I laid in bed, messing around with my phone. I decided to check Instagram, since I was seriously bored and didn't have anything else to do. All of the good shows on tv stopped playing as it was so late, so I had to do something. I wasn't surprised to see that I had quite a few notifications from people; from people adding me to fans tagging me in something they posted. Only one stuck out, though.

bigbaldhead tagged you in a post

I frowned, wondering what it could possibly be. I clicked on it, waiting for it to load. When it did, I was shocked to see a video of me performing SWV's 'Weak' acapella. It had been my last song, and it had always been a favorite of mine as a little girl. I grinned, seeing that it had over 40,000 likes. I stayed away from the comments, only wanting to imagine what some of them said. I went through some of my other notifications, liking fan-art before scrolling through my feed to see the whereabouts of my other friends and family.

"I'm so fucking tired!" Sasha groaned, coming out of the steamy bathroom in only her underwear and an oversized gray shirt. She tossed her clothes on the nearest chair, before heading to her bed where she carelessly flopped on her belly. I chuckled, closing Instagram before putting my phone down.

"I bet. What time do you have to be up tomorrow?" I asked, anxiously glancing at the clock. 1:19

"They don't need me until ten," she replied, her voice muffled by her pillow. It was quiet for a  few minutes, and I thought she had actually fallen asleep before she lazily continued, "I can sleep in for a few more hours."

"Good for you, babe."

She stayed quiet for a few minutes, before her breathing evened out and she was asleep. I chewed on my lip, carefully climbing out of bed. I tiptoed to her bed, gently covering her up with the blankets before grabbing my phone, shutting off the tv and the lamp next to our beds. It was quiet as I carefully left the room, closing the door softly behind me. It wasn't 1:15 yet, and the hallway was completely empty, thankfully. I was dressed in my Harry Potter pajamas, the same ones from the night before. I had folded Normans paper and stuck it in the oversized pocket. As I walked, I reached in and grabbed it just in case.

It was bad enough that I was almost half an hour late, but it was worse when I got lost halfway down. I took the stairs to deck nine, and it seemed I had walked forever before I reached a dead end. Running a nervous hand through my hair, I swallowed and quickly took in my surroundings. The plaque on the wall had arrows pointing out what was in what direction, and e9 was nowhere to be seen. I knew that it wouldn't be that easy to find, but this was just ridiculous. Norman would think I ditched him, and then he'd be upset with me. I grunted, shoving open the door to the stairwell before making my way inside. I decided to go up a level, in case there was something that would help me locate Normans deck. I had made it up the first flight of stairs, and paused.

Ahead, there was a metal door, simply marked 'e9', though the words were hardly noticeable. I frowned, doing a double take. It could have been anything; a dead end, janitor's closet, emergency exit..

I stepped forward, grabbing the handle before tugging. It swung open with ease, revealing a long, red painted hallway that was nicely lit. The walls were bare, and the flooring was white carpet. I swallowed, hoping that I wouldn't get caught and be arrested for something.

I reached the end of the hallway, turning the corner as that was the only way to proceed. There sat Vic and a security officer, talking amongst themselves quietly. They didn't notice me at first, but I cleared my throat, catching their attention.

Both heads shot in my direction; the uniformed officer brought his hand to his belt, almost as if he were ready to blow my head off. I brought my hands up, my eyes widening at the realization that I might actually get shot.

"Daniels! Take it easy, man," said Vic, reaching forward and swatting Daniels on the arm. The officer nodded, giving me a nervous look before somewhat relaxing in his chair. Vic turned his attention to me, a flicker of remembrance present in his eyes.

"Allison, right?"

I shook my head, "Aviva."

Vic chuckled, standing up, "Sorry, kid. I've met too many new people today."

"It's okay," I nodded, stepping forward with Norman's note that I had taken out of my pocket before Daniels tried to shoot me. I handed it to Vic, who took it curiously. "I was told to give this to you."

Vic read the note, a small smile coming to his lips, before he looked up at me. He nodded, gesturing towards the sliding doors behind their table. "Knock yourself out, kid."

I thanked him, giving Daniels a awkward smile before walking past them into another hallway. The doors automatically closed behind me, and I could hear them mumbling as I walked away. Normans suite was 9978, as I made sure to memorize it in case I didn't get the note back. I'm glad I did.

9974, 75, 76, 77..

9978

I paused in front of the door, suddenly feeling nervous. It was just turning 1:30. Maybe I wasn't lost for as long as I thought.

I anxiously knocked on the door, careful not to be too loud as I didn't want to wake the neighbors. I didn't have the desire to be caught by anyone, celebrity or not.

I had knocked a second time before the door finally swung open. Norman looked relieved to see me, and judging by his wet hair, I knew he must have taken a shower. He smiled, his eyes trailing over me before looking into my eyes.

"Hi."

"Hi." I said, giving him a little wave.

Norman moved over, nodding his head at me to come in. I obediently followed, trying to ignore how amazing he smelled. He closed the door behind me, locking it before turning to look at me, "Shit, I was afraid you changed your mind.." He began, nervously running a hand through his long hair. The action caused it to push back from his forehead, and I couldn't help but smile at the notion.

"No, I'm sorry," I said, explaining that I had gotten lost as he led me farther into the suite. The room wasn't too different from mine, the only differences being there was a king sized bed, a jacuzzi, and there wasn't a small kitchen. The tv was on mute over the fireplace, which was currently turned off. He had the blinds open, letting some of the light from the moon filter in. He had his own balcony, but I could tell that the sides were covered, the only view coming from straight ahead. He wasn't kidding when he said they received privacy.

"It's cool, sweetheart," he said, a hint of laughter in his voice. I smiled shyly, stuffing my hands in my pockets as he headed to the mini fridge, he paused with his hand on the door handle, looking back at me, "Can I get you anything?"

"Do you have any beer?" I asked, tilting my head at him.

Norman chuckled, opening it up to reveal several bottles of Heineken, a single bottle of whiskey, and multiple bottles of Deer Park. He grabbed two Heineken, before handing one over to me. I smiled graciously, taking it from him. "Thank you."

I sat down on the couch, carefully twisting the cap off. I placed it on the coffee table, not wanting to be messy, though if we were at home it would end up on the floor until Sasha stepped on it, causing her to cuss me out. I giggled at the thought.

Norman sat beside me, giving me a weird look as he used his huge palm to twist off his own, "What's so funny?"

"Nothing," I shook my head, looking at him. He gave me a look; he didn't believe me. "What? It's nothing, I promise."

"Huh.. If you say so," he said, smirking at me as he brought the bottle to his lips, chugging half of it in just a few gulps. This was going to be a fun night.

       Norman and I stayed in his room for a little less than an hour, drinking and talking about our lives; personal and career oriented. I was only nursing my second beer, while Norman was a on his fourth. He wasn't really drunk, that's for sure, but I could tell that if he decided to have a fifth we'd be quickly heading down that road.

"You scared me earlier," he whispered, leaning his head back on the couch. I looked over at him in surprise, his words catching me off guard. I leaned forward to set my drink on the table, before looking over at him. "Thought you weren't gonna show."

"I'm sorry, Norman. I should have texted you."

He shrugged, turning his head to look at me. "It's okay. You're here now."

We stared at each other for a few, our eyes reading into each others before he looked down at my attire, his right hand coming to my shirt where he fidgeted the white fabric with a finger. "What are those weird words on the back of your shirt?" He asked, looking up at my face again.

I laughed, gently smacking at his hand. The four Hogwarts houses, Gryffindor, Slytherin, Ravenclaw, and Hufflepuff were listed on the back of my shirt in large, black letters. I thought it was funny that it took him this long to ask; I figured he already knew or simply just didn't care.

"It's from Harry Potter," I answered, shrugging as I smiled at him. "I'm a Potterhead, what can I say."

Norman smiled, bringing his finger from my shirt down to my sweats, gently tracing the word RAVENCLAW with the tip. I didn't think anything of it, until he flattened his palm out; his entire hand covering my thigh. "Out of all the names in the world, they came up with 'Potterhead'?" he teased, giving my leg a squeeze. "Think y'all are just a bunch of potheads."

I laughed, leaning forward to place my beer on the coffee table. His hand moved back into his lap, and part of me was disappointed over the fact. I had had a few one night stands over the years, nothing to be proud of, but nothing I absolutely regretted, either. There was something about Norman that made this a pretty comfortable situation; I wasn't nervous, and if something were to happen tonight, I'd never in my wildest dreams regret it.

"You're a dork." I said, moving back to my original position. He smirked at me, bringing the bottle to his lips where he drained the last drop. Norman stood up, tossing his bottle in the trash before opening the fridge, grabbing two bottles of water this time. He placed one down next to my bottle, before setting his on the counter, "I gotta piss, be right back."

As Stubby disappeared into the bathroom, I sighed, standing up. The tv had been turned off long ago, and my phone was below thirty percent, and in case, I didn't want to use it unless necessary. Norman had an iPhone, so his charger wouldn't work on my android. I decided to head to the deck, as I hadn't had a chance to use it at night before.

The air was warm as I opened the sliding glass, shutting the screen as I stepped out. The ship had since stopped, as the captains were probably asleep after a long day. The water around us was illuminated with lights, some of many colors, and I can hear loud music coming from the other side of the ship. It was probably that party Mitch had decided to go to with Brianna and Michael. Tomorrow night, we were gonna go, probably get shit-faced, and wake up with a terrible hangover and probably stay at a motel before heading back to Boston the day after. What a life!

I was leaning on the railing, looking ahead as that was the only direction I was able to. It must have been a few minutes before I heard the screen door open, before sliding closed again. He came and stood beside me, but I don't think he was looking at the same thing I was. I turned to look at him, not surprised to see his back to the railing, arms crossed over his chest as he casually stared at the ground. I reached over and nudged him.

"You okay?" I asked, concern weighing heavily in my voice. Norman looked over at me, bringing his fingers to his beard, rubbing the tiny hairs there.

"I'm fine. Just have a lot on my mind, I guess," he replied, giving a little chuckle before continuing, "Didn't you mention you're living in Boston?"

I nodded, turning my attention back to the water. The sky was becoming thick with clouds, and the light from the moon began to diminish as we stood there. "I've lived there for about five years, now. It's home, but I've been thinking of relocating.. For my singing," I said, sighing in longing as I thought of moving out to LA, or even New York to record an album. It was a dream. "Why do you ask?" I smiled, looking over at him again.

Norman was quiet for a moment before he spoke, his voice quiet, "Tomorrow's the last day I'm gonna see ya for a while.." he trailed off, before chuckling, though his tone held no humor, "I gotta go back home, it's my time with Mingus."

"I'm sure we'll see each other soon, Norman."

He huffed, reaching in the pocket of his sweats and pulled out his phone. I carefully peeked, checking the time. 2:35. He put it back in his pocket.

"I should probably get to bed," he said, clearing his throat. I nodded, righting myself as I followed him back into his room. He shut the door, fixing the curtains as I opened the water bottle he put out for me and took a few gulps. I had just enough time to get back, hopefully with Sasha still asleep. I'd have to come up with a story along the way just in case she was awake for whatever reason.

Norman stood there awkwardly, scratching the back of his head as he observed me. The room was quiet, and the only lights on was the ones hanging above the nightstand, and the one he left on over the door. I began to search for my shoes, unable to handle the intensity of his gaze even if it was full on awkward and maybe even a little nervous.

I had just found them when I heard the bed shift, turning to look to see Norman sitting on the edge, running his hands over his face. He was probably beyond exhausted, and I needed to get the hell out of here so he could sleep. Norman spoke up suddenly, startling me, "You're leaving?"

I blinked, loosening the grip on my shoes, not quite dropping them but almost. I stared at him, mouth slightly gaped, "Don't you want me to? You're tired, Norm." I said, raising my eyebrows as he frowned, standing up from his seat on the bed.

"You don't have to leave. I mean, you can, but it's a long walk, and.." He continued rambling, though I could tell most of it was a nervous tick of his. I chuckled, smiling as I dropped my shoes, going over to him and placing my hand over his mouth. He looked shocked, his blue eyes eyeing me in amusement.

"I can stay, Norman. I just thought you'd wan-"

"Stay."

"Okay, I will."

       Norman let me use the bathroom, even letting me borrow the complimentary toothbrush left by housekeeping. I wiped down my face, brushed my teeth, and put my hair up in a messy bun before letting him have the bathroom. He eyed me as we walked by each other, him nudging me with his arm as I giggled at the notion. He winked at me as he shut the bathroom door.

His bed was huge.

I didn't pay much attention to it at first sight, but as I pulled the covers back, I realized that this was the mattress of royalty. I crawled onto it, laying back to test it out. It felt amazing, very soft, yet firm enough that my body contoured to the mattress. I had laid there in complete bliss for a little while before Stubby came out of the bathroom.

"Damn, you don't waste time, do you?" he joked, smiling at me as he shut off the light in the entryway, coming onto the bed himself. I grinned, sitting up pretzel style so I wasn't hogging the bed anymore.

"Nope. I love laying in bed," I said, stroking the soft sheets with my fingertips. I looked up at Norman, only to find him watching my hand, almost in a trance. I paused my movements, causing his eyes to flicker up towards me. "It's great." I finished, my voice quieting to a whisper.

The air between us shifted abruptly as we continued to watch each other. I was itching to lean forward, to close the space between us and attack his lips. Part of me felt that he had the same idea, but I didn't want to get too cocky and embarrass myself. I'd really have to go home if that had happened. I'd be too shy to even look at him, let alone sleep beside him!

Norman seemed to have snapped out of whatever trance he was in; pulling the covers back farther, inviting himself and I to crawl under the sheets. I laid on the left side of the bed, giving him the right. I always slept on the left no matter where I was, but something told me that Norman preferred the right.

The last light was shut off before too long, and it was quiet between us for a while. I could tell he wasn't sleeping, as his breathing wasn't too even just yet. I couldn't stop twitching; whether it was my head, leg, foot, or even fingers and toes, something was squirming. I chalked it up to nerves, even if we weren't doing anything. We were as far apart as comfortable. We weren't exactly hanging off the bed, but there were absolutely no body parts touching. Norman was a hugger, so I admittedly thought of him as a cuddler, too. Even if he looked rugged on the outside, I knew Norman was a total softie. In a good way, too. Not the overly bearing way that made me want to blow my brains out.

It seemed like an eternity passed before he spoke, his voice low and hoarse, actually scaring me as I hadn't been expecting it. "Are you awake?"

"Yes.." I whispered, turning my head in his direction. I could vaguely make out his face in the dark, but only a little.

Norman mumbled something under his breath, before propping himself up, reaching his arm across the bed, attaching his hand to my hip, pulling me in close. My eyes widened in shock, gripping his bicep in my left hand, my right arm completely frozen. Norman hovered over me, letting his free hand come up to my face, letting his fingers gently trace my cheekbones, lips, chin, and my nose. He was so close; his scent amazing and so delicious that I wanted to surround myself in it all day, everyday. My heart was pounding in my chest so hard that it would probably pop out of my chest at any moment. That would for sure ruin the mood-- Getting dirty with someone just to die right in the middle, ha.

"Hi." I whispered, blinking up at him, still surprised. He smiled at me, his fingers lightly tucking themselves against the back of my head before leaning down, pressing his lips to mine.

I had a few boyfriends in the past, though I hadn't kissed them within two days of knowing each other. I knew I had the power to pull away, to push him away, to stop it if I wanted, but I didn't want to. Normans lips were soft, softer than I would ever expect and his technique didn't disappoint. I briefly thought if being an actor had anything to do with it; I would assume he had kissed plenty of woman on and off screen, that had to count for something, right?

Normans lips moved from mine, trailing them down the corner of my mouth, across my chin, and onto my neck. His long, dark hair tickled my skin and as much as I always loved the feeling of lips on my skin; my neck especially, I couldn't help the soft mewl that escaped my lips. It seemed to stir him on, as his hands went for my hips, squeezing the skin in his hands.

Norman

      When I kissed Aviva, it felt different.

I wasn't one for cheesiness, and by what Avi told me so far, she wasn't too keen on it either, which didn't surprise me. But the minute our lips connected it felt like a fire erupted in my veins and spread throughout my entire body. I obviously wasn't inexperienced in the girlfriend department, and admittedly I had my share of one-night stands and casual flings with multiple women in the past twenty some years of my life, and Helena was the only woman I really loved for about five years before we just couldn't stand to be together anymore and split. This wasn't the same, it was different and in an awfully good way.

When I saw her on the plane, I immediately thought she was attractive and most certainly cute. I was drawn to the cute freckles around her nose and her dimples when she gave me a nervous smile. I crushed. I mean, I'm a man who adores woman for who they are and when given the chance to flirt I take it.

Well, when my anxiety is at it's low.

I was drawn from my thoughts when warm hands covered my cheeks and gently nudged my head back. I followed, barely able to make her sweet face out in the dark. Her fingers gently stroked my skin, before I felt her shift and in a second the lamp next to my bed clicked on.

"You always kiss girls when you ask them to sleep over?" she asked, a gentle smirk on her face. I couldn't help but chuckle in response, gently shifting to where I was leaning on my elbows, my head drawing closer to hers, making her smirk turn into a shy smile.

"Nah, just when I really like them," I answered, somewhat honest. I didn't feel like getting into my many flings as it was in the past and I didn't want her to think she was just another one of them girls. She wasn't. That wasn't what this was. I briefly thought back to when my hands grasped her hips just mere minutes ago. She was thin but had wide hips-- It's great.

She shifted underneath me, peeking at the alarm clock on the bedside table. 3:10.

"You should get some sleep, you had a long day, and you'll have an even longer one tomorrow.." she trailed off, her cute nose crinkling as her face morphed into a yawn. I smiled, letting my hands touch the skin of her arm before moving off of her, getting back on my side of the bed. She scooted farther away, but we remained closer than we were before. I shut off the lamp, getting comfortable against the fluffy pillows.

"Goodnight, Avi."

"Night, Norman."

Aviva

      I awoke the next morning in an empty bed. The time was nine o'clock, and the sheets beside me were semi-warm. I sat up, looking around tiredly to see everything shut off and it was only me. I saw a note on the bedside table, where I grabbed it and saw Normans recognizable handwriting staring back at me:

I had an early start this morning.
You were dead to the world, haven't moved an inch since I've been up.
Thanks for sharing the night with me, I had fun.
Hopefully I'll see you around. :)

Norman

I smiled, folding up the note before climbing out of bed. Norman had his suitcase thrown on the couch, the contents spilling out everywhere. I shook my head as I put on my shoes, smiling at the thought of him being messy while he told me last night that he was a bit of a clean freak. He probably slept in and had to make a quick dash for the door.

I left his room a few minutes later, my phone and his folded up note in my hand. I somehow managed to find my way back to my room without any problems. Until I plugged my phone into the charger.

Sasha:

Where are you?

2:00

Did you sneak out?

2:05

Are you with Mitch? I thought you were staying in!

2:07

I just texted Mitch and he said you're not with him

2:11

WHERE ARE YOU?

2:30

Shit.

I changed into some yoga pants and a sports bra, needing a good workout as it had been a few days since the last. I left my phone, as it was already plugged in. I'd deal with Sasha later.

I was twenty minutes into a brisk walk on the treadmill in the decent sized gym when I saw Mitch come in; wearing an oversized black hoodie, dark jeans and his black hair carefully styled like always. He had his phone in his hands, not taking his eyes off the screen as he came right over to me. I walked for about an extra two minutes before he actually looked at me.

"How'd you know I'd be in here?" I asked, keeping an eye on the calorie meter in front of me.

"Oh, I know you, girl. Trust me, I could find you any second of the day if I wanted." He said, looking around at all the empty machines here and there. It was just the two of us, and that was perfectly fine with me. Mitch wasn't too keen on working out on a daily basis like me, but he did like joining me a few times a month. He had lost a lot of weight in the past few years, and since he completed his goal he eats more healthy and eats junk on his cheat days. Which was basically every other day.

"Well, you are my best friend, so.."

Mitch grinned, moving aside as I stopped the treadmill and climbed off, stretching my limbs while he held his phone in front of him and snapped a picture.

"Mitch!"

He laughed, turning his back towards me, switching the camera to selfie mode. We took a picture, smiling brightly. He'd upload it to Instagram, I knew.

I sauntered to the free weights and he followed suite. I knew why he was here; he knew I snuck out and he was dying to know where and who I was with. I also knew he'd be mad that I lied to him about staying in for the night, but we lived in the same city and were together almost six days a week, whether it was for 12 hours or ten minutes, we always see each other. He'd understand eventually.

"So.."

Told you.

"Come out with it, Mitchie,"

"Girl, you totally ditched me last night! I thought you were tired, if I knew you were lying I would have dragged your ass out with me anyway!"

I pouted, "I know, Mitch. I'm sorry, okay? I told you we'd go out tonight, and we will."

"Where did you go?" He asked, completely ignoring my apology, going straight for the potential gossip. Typical diva.

"I was with a friend," I replied, picking up the ten pound weights, slowly raising my arms above my head.

He gave me a displeased look, wiggling his fingers at me, "You gotta be specific, come on, I'm itching for gossip here."

I sighed, bending at the waist, moving my arms in a triangle, left, up, down, repeat.

Click

"Mitch!"

"Tell me or your ass goes on the internet!"

I laughed loudly, losing my balance, propping myself up on my knee. His laughter joined mine and soon enough all that could be heard was our giggles, workout forgotten.

      "You were with Norman freaking Reedus?"

"Yeeeeep."

Mitch gasped, grabbing his smoothie from the counter, swiping his finger through the whipped cream, sucking it off his finger. "Holy shit! How did you manage that?"

I took my organic smoothie from the barista, sliding a few bucks in the tip jar before following Mitch out into the lobby. It was the last day for all events, and people were bustling around, hurrying to get to the panels and have their pictures taken and autographs signed left and right. Mitch admitted that he was able to get as many autographs as he wanted, but had yet to go to the panels.

"He asked me to hang out when we were backstage," I said, shrugging on Mitch's hoodie as I didn't want to walk around in just a sports bra. "We went to his room and talked for a few hours."

He gave me a look, "But you didn't come home.."

I glared, sipping from my drink before snapping, "We didn't do anything! We just talked."

And kissed

"Ooh, I'm not your mom, babe. You can't fool me. She can't see through your angel wings but I for sure can, mhm. Sasha told me you didn't come home and you were still gone when she left this morning."

"Well, she's right, not gonna lie. But seriously, we didn't sleep together."

"If you say so."

We went back to my room, allowing me to change and grab my phone which now held a full charge. Mitch was on the phone with my brother, standing on the deck with his smoothie without a care in the world. I, on the other hand, had a shit load of messages from multiple people, including Norman.

Stubby: Are you awake?

Yes.

Stubby: Are you still in my room?

No, I'm with Mitch. We're gonna check out some panels in a few.

Stubby: SWEET.

I was washing my face in the bathroom sink when my phone vibrated again, though it wasn't from Norman this time.

Sasha: YOU'RE IN SERIOUS TROUBLE WHEN I GET BACK, AVIVA JACKSON

Great, just great. You have one best friend suspicious and another is pissed at you.

"Are you ready to go?" Mitch asked, popping his head in the door just as I patted my face with a towel. We made our way back down to the lobby, both of us sporting our VIP necklaces as we made our way around, looking for a seat. It was pretty crowded, but we managed to snag two seats four rows from the front, right at the end. Not many people were coming in couples, apparently. Mitch let me have the aisle seat, letting him sit next to someone dressed in what I figured to be Rick Grimes cosplay, as he had on a sheriffs outfit splattered in fake blood, a matching hat resting on his legs. I wasn't a complete stranger to the show; I know some things.

We were sitting for about an hour, much to his impatience when a thin, handsome man came on stage, receiving thunderous applause. I recognized him as Chris Hardwick, seeing him on Comedy Central a few times when I visited my mom and step-dad, who seemed to watch nothing but that channel much to my moms displeasure. He was cute, and seeing him here was weird. I'd have to ask for his autograph for my dad before tomorrow.

"Hi Walker Stalker Con! How we doing!?" Chris spoke into the microphone, grinning wildly when he was met with thunderous applause and screams from the crowd. Mitch sang out, his tenor voice breaking through the crowd, causing people to turn and look at us in confusion. I giggled, sipping my drink. Did I mention Mitch could sing?

"I am so excited, I see a few familiar faces in the crowd! I hope you guys enjoy this, we have some of the greatest actors from the greatest tv family in all of history with us this afternoon! If you're unfamiliar with this, you'll have a chance to ask your favorites some questions about the show and their characters. Shall we bring them out?" Chris asked, chuckling when a wave of shouts were thrown in his direction. I clapped, not wanting to seem like a downer. Mitch was excited, clapping furiously, half of his drink spilling all over the floor as he clapped enthusiastically.

He introduced Lauren, Danai, Steven, Michael, Christian, Chandler, Josh, Sonequa, Andrew, Melissa, Robert Kirkman, and Greg Nicotero. There was one seat left, and the crowd around me began to get anxious as Chris teased the crowd about bringing, "'The man himself, Mr. Norman Reedus.'"

Norman sauntered out, his Ray Bans and his baseball hat planted firmly on his head. The room was enthusiastic, enough that if the sound could make the walls crumble, they would have. He was wearing dark jeans, and a plain black t-shirt. He had a few bracelets on his wrist, rather colorful and I briefly wondered if his fans made them and gave them to him. Aww.

Norman embraced Andrew in a hug, pulling anyone in close proximity into an embrace before he sat down, grinning as the crowd yelled at him, asking him to marry them or screaming "I love you!" above all other noise in the room. Mitch nudged me, leaning close to my ear. I leaned in closer, already having an idea on what he was going to say.

"You have some competition, girl!"

I smacked his arm, giving him a glare as he laughed it off and took out his phone, snapping a few pictures before nudging me to take a selfie. I did.

Norman got comfortable, a laugh escaping him as the crowd began to quiet down and Chris Hardwick began speaking, addressing us as a whole.

It grew quiet; a little too quiet compared to what it had been a few minutes ago. You could hear a pin drop had Chris remained silent.

"Norman, why is it that you make sixty percent of the girls in this room have an orgasm by just being in the same room as them?" Chris asked, laughing as the audience laughed along with him. I smirked, nudging Mitch in the arm before he can shoot a smart assed comment back.

"I don't know, man. It's crazy," Norman said, before pointing to many different corners in the room, "You guys are fucking crazy." There was a wave of laughter before it grew rather quiet, the only sounds being the clicks of cameras and phones as they snapped as many pictures as they could. I smiled.

They talked about many things concerning the show, even a few questions about personal lives and I was able to follow most of everything, but I kept getting distracted by Norman. Besides Mitch, he was the only reason why I was sitting in this chair in the first place. If it weren't for either of them, I'd just be locked in my room until I had to go to rehearsal, which reminded me:

"Mitch, I'm hungry, let's go before we have to be at the stage," I said, nudging him when he waved me off. "Come on!"

"Alright, who else has a question?" Chris asked from the podium.

"Hang on!" He said, before standing up, waving his hands in front of him like a madman. The cast looked at him, a mixture of amusement and confusion plastered on their faces as they watched him get their attention. A man ran down, bringing a microphone where he shoved it in Mitch's hand.

Uh oh, ABORT ABORT ABORT

"Hi, I'm Mitch, and this question is for Norman!" he said excitedly, practically bouncing in his spot.

Oh god

"Okay, cool," Norman said, leaning forward in his seat a little bit, watching Mitch. His damn sunglasses covered his eyes, making it hard to tell where he was looking. Did he see me? Does he know that was talking to my Mitch?

"I have a friend-"

No

"And she's really into you-"

NO

"Will you take her out on a date?"

FUCK!

Norman stared, jaw slightly open as the cast members around him snickered and the crowd began to fill with giggles, oohs and ahhs, and even a few protests from die-hard fans. Norman chuckled, swatting at Andrew's hands when they reached over in attempt to pinch his cheek. I covered my face, knowing and feeling multiple eyes on me, this wasn't happening. He was so DEAD!

"Um, I mean, that's very, very tempting, but.." Norman started, causing a few girls to cheer in response. I felt a slight pang of jealousy within me, even if this wasn't remotely close to how I admittedly thought about how he would ask me out, or even vice versa, you know?

Stupid fangirls

"She's really sweet, you know.. And she's hot. You'll regret it if you say no!"

fuckfuckfuckfuckfuckfuck

"Wow," Chris said, chuckling as he moved from the podium to the front of the stage, watching Mitch. "You're really into this, aren't you. Is that her?" He asked, gesturing towards me who was still sitting with my hands over my face. "Aw, it's okay, hun. Don't be shy!"

I felt Mitch grab my arm firmly, not enough to hurt me but enough to pull me up beside him. I kept my hands over my face, mentally counting to ten before dropping my hands, shyly looking up at the panel of celebrities who were above me in more ways than one. Norman watched me, slightly frozen in place before he chuckled, reaching up to take off his Ray Bans.

I heard murmurs, a few who recognized me and a few who probably wanted to set me on fire right here and now for having my friend UNWILLINGLY make a move on Norman. I was so embarrassed that I wanted to hide my face and run off to my room and hide for the rest of my existence. Chris Hardwick was sure getting a kick out of this, as he made another joke before Mitch spoke up:

"We'll come back later. Mitchie, out."

      "I hate you." I said to Mitch a few hours later.

"Oh, lighten up, Avi. He knows who you are, do you really think he's gonna be mad at you?" Mitch said, sitting at his drum set, picking up the sticks before tapping the symbols a few times.

"Mitch, that was embarrassing! And did you hear some of those people? They hated me," I said, pacing in front of his drums with a bottle of water clutched in my hand. "They probably fucking fantasize about marrying him and here I come, having my friend try setting us up in a room full of hundreds of people!"

"Look," He said, setting the sticks in his lap, giving me a serious look. "I've known you since we were like six, okay? The minute you told me you were with Norman I knew that this wasn't just 'two friends getting together', but two people who have the hots for one another, simple as that. And don't try to deny it either, girl."

I sighed, rubbing my forehead tiredly. He was right, obviously. We had kissed, and I was starting to like him, and if that kiss was any hint, he felt the same.

"Am I wrong?" Mitch asked, his eyes moving from me to someone behind me. His facial expression changed into one of nervousness but amused. I turned, to find Sasha standing behind me with my microphone.

"Long time no see!" she said, glaring at me as she turned me around, hooking my microphone box to the back of my outfit, walking around my body to clip the actual piece onto my dress. "You scared me, you know. I thought you got kidnapped when I was asleep,"

"I'm sorry. It was important," I said, ignoring the look she gave me as she flipped off the mic. Mitch played a simple beat, singing quietly to himself, desperately trying to avoid getting involved in our little dispute. "But I'm okay, and that's what matters, right?"

"Sure, sure," Sasha replied, giving my arm a pat as she handed Mitch a microphone to put on the stand in front of his set of drums. "We'll discuss this shit later, you're on in an hour."

I sighed, crossing my arms, looking at Mitch. He was standing up, testing the mic before placing it on the stand and switching it off. "What?" He asked, giving me a simple frown.

"Nothing. She's just pissing me off," I said, running a hand through my hair. I had taken it out of its bun, and it was falling down my back in gentle curls. "I'm not a little kid."

"Just ignore her, she was even in a mood when she texted me last night." Mitch said, before his phone started ringing. "Oh! I gotta take this." He said, answering the phone before walking away.

sigh.

Chapter Text

       "This is so fucking awesome!" Mitch yelled, a mostly empty bottle of vodka clutched in his hand, thrusting it towards the ceiling which caused some to splash on the floor and on nearby dancers. It was the cast and crew after party, and any cast, crew, or performers who participated was invited. Good thing I didn't go out and party last night, I'd totally bomb tonight if I had. Mitch was making up for embarrassing me at the panel early today, taking the throne for king bonehead himself. He was on his seventh shot, and his tall, lanky body wasn't handling it very well. It was nearing two, and all panels, autographs, and photos were closed. There were a few parties going on for the passengers, but nothing could ever compare with what was going on here.

I had the pleasure of being introduced to the main cast of The Walking Dead, including the creators and then some. They were all really nice, though they couldn't help but tease me about my best friend embarrassing the hell out of me on the final night on the cruise. I swallowed my pride and went along with it, though I was still itching to murder Mitch before the night was over. 

"Your friend really made an impression on Norman, " Lauren Cohan said, standing next to me with a glass of wine in her hand. We were watching Steven and Josh dance together, both of them dancing  rather suggestively against each other, though they had that friendship where they didn't give a shit. It was great.

"That's good," I replied, watching Mitch dance in a circle, not caring that he was splashing alcohol everywhere and on everyone. "He really likes Norman, you know? Big fan." I looked down at my glass of water, gently swishing the ice around before taking a sip. "Whenever Mitch wants attention, he gets it."

Lauren smiled, her eyes leaving her on-screen lover to look at me. She gave me a nudge, nodding towards the right of me. "He's definitely getting it, then."

I looked over to see Norman shaking a very drunk Mitch's hand. Mitchie smiled happily, drawing the poor man into a huge hug, his dark hair becoming ruffled as it brushed against Normans vest. Norman had changed for the party, not in his casual wear from earlier but nothing too flashy. He looked good. 

"He also embarrassed him a bit," Lauren said, giving me a gentle nudge with her elbow, "I guess he's been talking Andrew's ear off about you all day, so when you were outed it just made it worse. I think Andrew locked himself in his room for the night."

"I honestly had no idea that he was going to do that. I was just trying to leave when he stood up and.." I shook my head, chuckling a little when Lauren smirked at me. "I just wanna forget about it."

"Forget about what?" 

We turned to find Norman standing behind us, a gentle smile on his face. My face turned slightly red, where Lauren smiled and excused herself, claiming she 'needed to break up Steven and Josh up before things got too out of hand'.

"Oh, nothing," I said, giving him a shy smile. 

"If you're sure," He said, giving me a wink before leaning forward, peeking in my glass, "What are you drinking?" 

"Just water," I said, biting my lip as I looked up at him, "I've had enough to drink the past few days." My gaze casually fell onto Mitch who clearly didn't think the same. 

"Ahh, I see," He smiled, his blue eyes that were thankfully uncovered by his Ray Bans sparkling a bit as they looked over me. "So, I met your friend."

Shit, here we go.

"Mitch? Yeah, he's a big fan. Really, really  big fan. He loves Daryl," I paused, before adding, "And you."

Norman chuckled, looking back to take a peek at the man in conversation, currently trying to wrestle a microphone out of the DJ's hand. He was either going to sing or shout out drunken blurbs that everyone would remember but himself. "I could tell.. But, it sounds like you do, too." He smirked at me.

I cleared my throat, desperately trying to keep from laughing out loud as Norman smirked at me. He gently grabbed my arm, pulling me with him as he headed to the bar to get a drink. "Are you sure you don't want anything? I'll gladly pay it forward," He said, giving the bartender a little wave. She scurried over, a little to eager I might add, and took his order. 

He seemed to be having a blast, seemingly forgetting about me as he talked with her, who I now knew by the name of Jessie. She was only a few inches taller than me, a little thicker around the middle, but overall gorgeous. Norman made a small introduction of us, but she gave me a weird look before waving me off.  I couldn't help but chuckle, shaking my head as I finished my water and placed the glass on the counter. 

I felt warm hands grab my shoulders, roughly pulling me back as I let out a little screech of surprise. I was crushed against someone warm, and lanky, but I knew that embrace from anywhere.

"WHY is he flirting with someone else?" Mitch whispered roughly in my ear, giving Norman an icy glare as he continued talking with Jessie. I rolled my eyes, gently patting his hands as they held onto me tightly. "You know, I thought he was really into you."

"They're just talking, Mitch. It's okay." I said, secretly wanting to tear her a new one just for giving me that look a few minutes ago. Norman and I were just friends, friends who kissed, but still friends. She wasn't hiding the fact that she wanted his hands in her pants.

"Sweetie, go get him and tell her to f-"

"Aren't you the one who tried setting our dear Norm up with your friend?"

We both looked to see a tall, well built redhead with a beard. He was empty handed, but based on the slight gloss over his eyes, I could tell he hadn't been the whole evening. Mitch let go of my shoulder, reaching forward to take the mans hand. "Yes, that was me Mr. Cudlitz."

"Ahh, that was really good. Norman was very pleased," He chuckled, shaking Mitch's trembling hand before directing his attention to me. "I certainly recognize you, your friend here really embarrassed you. I'm Michael, Michael Cudlitz." He stuck his hand out, allowing me to shake his hand also. His large hand engulfed mine completely, leaving it extremely warm. I smiled, now remembering why he looked so familiar. "Aviva, Aviva Jackson." 

"Nice to formally meet you, Aviva. And your name?.."

"Mitch."

"Nice to meet you, Mitch."

       I had yet to hear from Norman while I sat talking with Mitch and Michael. Soon, Lauren, Steven, and even Chandler had joined us and we were all conversing. It was weird, considering they were the real stars yet they wanted to hear all about Mitch and I. Mitch was two sheets to the wind, but was sober enough to answer questions in the correct manner. I shoved a tall glass of water in his hands, knowing he'd have one hell of a hangover for the flight home tomorrow.

I tried not to dote too much on the fact that both Norman and bartender Barbie had disappeared and nobody had a clue where either was. Now that Mitch was somewhat sober, he casually held my hand, giving me reassuring smiles every once in a while. It was comforting during, but after, it still hurt. I kept denying the fact that I was crushing on Norman, and he could be off somewhere blindly fucking another girl into a wall and I wouldn't know about it.

"We saw a little bit of your set tonight," Lauren smiled brightly, focusing her eyes on the both of us. "You have an amazing voice, the both of you!" Our last song was a duet, just something small Mitch and I had written up and luckily the crowd seemed to have enjoyed it by the thunderous applause at the end. 

"Thank you!" Mitch and I replied at the same time. It wasn't until a few minutes later that he nudged my arm, pointing beyond Steven and Lauren's heads.

Norman had strolled in, on his iPhone and not paying much attention to the world around him. He went straight to the bar and spoke to the now lone bartender, one who seemed unhappy that he was left alone on the job, but gave him a nod and began preparing something anyway. I looked away, not wanting to give him the satisfaction of me longing for him to come back and then watching his every move when he did. I focused in on the others as Danai joined in, smiling and shaking Mitch and I's hand. He began talking excitedly, complimenting her dress and making sure she knew how much he 'adored her character since the beginning'. I chuckled a little, patting his leg.

"Look who decided to show up! Norm, where ya been?" Michael bellowed, throwing his arms up as everyone turned their attention to whoever was behind me. Of course, it was obvious who it was, but I didn't wanna look at him. If he did what I thought he did, he wasn't about to get my attention. 

Stupid stupid stupid

"Oh, I was just with someone.." He answered simply, taking the only empty seat which ironically was the recliner right next to my side of the couch. He had a glass of whisky, once again stirring it with one of those thin rods. From the corner of my eye I saw him peek at me, but I made sure to occupy myself by playing footsie with Mitch, who was winning by a landslide. I kicked his ankle.

"Ouch! Motherfu-"

"If I didn't know any better I'd say you guys are dating," Chandler said, smirking as he watched Mitch wrestle me into the cushions. We both froze, giving each other wide eyes before he released me, helping me sit back in the correct position as if nothing ever happened. It seemed to amuse everyone, with the exception of Norman, who wasn't exactly in the moment, if you know what I mean.

"We did date before, but we're where we're supposed to be; a family." Mitch said, giving me a smile as he recalled the memory of our year long relationship back in ninth grade. Mitch had still been in the closet at the time, and while we were like any other relationship in high school, we never went that far. I always suspected he was gay, but when he asked me out it threw a curveball in that equation and we had been happy for eleven and a half months until we both realized that it was in both of our interests to go back to being best friends. He hadn't had the best of luck in the love department since. I wasn't any better.

"That's a high school story if I ever heard one." Steven said, getting a small chuckle from around the group. After a while Chandler left, claiming he was beyond exhausted. Lauren ended up falling asleep, her head resting on Steven's lap not long after, and all of us decided to go our separate ways after that. I was surprised when Michael gave me a hug, where Steven claimed he would have had he not had to carry Lauren to her room. I smiled, giving them a wave as they headed out. The room was pretty much dead, take a few crew members sitting around a table playing cards still. I sent Mitch up to his room as I collected my stuff, ready to go back and climb into bed. Sasha would be chewing my ear off in the morning, I knew.

I could feel his presence before he even uttered a word.

I breathed quietly, scooping up my purse and Hollister jacket, trying my best to ignore him. It didn't work.

"I'm sorry."

I sighed, slipping on the jacket before turning to look at him. He had his hands shoved into the pocket of his jeans, and I realized that he had changed from his vest into the same outfit he was wearing at the panel this afternoon. I shrugged, throwing the strap of my bag over my head. 

"You know, usually when you pull someone along it means you wanna have a conversation, not just do that and then ignore them completely."

He frowned, seemingly at a loss for words before he sighed, his blue eyes flashing to meet my hazel ones, "It was a shitty thing for me to do; I get it."

"Do you?" I retorted, walking past him for the door. I just wanted to go to bed.

"Yes, I fucking do! Don't walk away, okay? I was just.."

I paused, mentally counting to ten before I turned and looked at him. "You just what?"

Norman cleared his throat, nervously shifting from one side to the next. He looked embarrassed, but a little nervous at the same time. 

"Walk with me?" He asked, taking a step closer. We were merely a few feet apart, and even though I wanted to yell at him for being such an idiot, I swallowed my pride and nodded, knowing my bed would have to wait.

        "I wasn't jealous."

Our walk led us to Normans room, though we sat on the deck overlooking the water. It was a relatively silent walk, but now that we had somewhat settled into comfortability, he blurted out the first thing on his mind. I couldn't help but scoff, giving him a look as he gave me a nervous smile. 

"Of who, Mitch? You better not be, that's completely nuts."

"I know, that's why I'm telling you the complete opposite."

"Norman, come on. He fucking stood up in front of hundreds of people and asked you if you'd take me out. If he wasn't gay, and he still had feelings for me, why would he do that?"

"Aviva, I'm a guy, we do stupid shit all of the time-"

"You're right, it is stupid."

Norman chuckled, reaching over to grab my hand. I let him take it, letting the warmth of his large palm envelope my hand completely. It was weird to think that both him and Michael had large hands that made mine seem so small and insignificant; my brother Scott was the same, large hands that made me feel smaller, even if I was compared to them. Maybe my problems were just that, small and insignificant and I just needed to get over it and forgive him. Now it just seemed a stupid thing to get upset over.

"You heard the story," I murmured, peeking up at him, to find him already staring at me, "We dated, and we were happy, but it wasn't right. He's important to me, Norman. If it were any different I wouldn't have let you kiss me last night," I breathed, faintly remembering the way his lips felt against mine. I smiled a little, before continuing, "I mean, he openly has a crush on you. What does that say?"

He didn't respond, just reaching with his hand to grab my chin. He pulled my face close, pressing his lips to mine. I kissed him back, our hands that were once intertwined moving to each others faces. Norman slid his fingers in my hair, pulling our heads closer while I let both my hands cup his cheeks. The last time I felt this way was with Finn, and even then, this was significantly different. I hadn't felt anything like this since him, and I wasn't sure how to handle it this time. 

Before I knew it, Norman had lifted me up and I was on his bed, laying on my back. He eased up, giving me a few kisses before pulling away, letting his hands stroke my cheeks as he gazed down at me. 

"Stay the night, please," He mumbled, tilting my head to the side where he attached his lips to my neck, letting his tongue brush against the sensitive skin there. 

I squirmed underneath him, sighing. "Tomorrow's our last chance.."

"I know," he mumbled, raising his head to look at me. Our eyes connected, and Norman rested his forehead against mine; his eyes radiantly blue and.. beautiful. "Just stay with me, because it could.." He paused, sighing, "It could be weeks before we can see each other. Just give me this."

"Who was that bartender?" I asked, the words spilling out like vomit before I could control it. "Did you.."

Norman looked down at me, pulling away enough so we could see each other clearly. There was a look in his eyes that was very unfamiliar, "No, we didn't do anything."

"Then where'd you go?"

Norman chuckled, but the sound didn't quite reach his eyes. "She said she was a fan, and asked if I'd autograph something for her."

I raised my eyebrows, now fully intrigued, "What was it?"

Norman was quiet for a moment, before he laughed again; this time completely genuine and the sound made me smile, he could be so contagious at times. "I'll tell you, but you can't get mad."

"I won't," I said, my curiosity spiking ten fold. "Tell meee."

"I signed her breast."

"Her breast?"

"Yep. Nipple and everything."

I blinked, staring up at him in shock before we started laughing, him falling against me and off to the side, our giggles filling his cabin and I was red in the face before we managed to calm down, taking deep breaths. I glanced at him, another giggle escaping, "Did you actually sign her boob and not just the cleavage?"

"Fuck yeah. I've signed cleavage before but never the whole thing. That  was a first."

"And you'd do it again?"

Norman didn't answer, but the smug smile that left his lips told me everything.

Just a misunderstanding.

Chapter Text

        Aviva awoke the next morning with Norman's arm thrown over her waist. The blinds over the sliding glass doors were shut, but light was slowly filtering in through the sides and spilling into the room, making it very inconvenient for her to fall back asleep. Norman was still fast asleep beside her, his hair covering his left eye while the other was buried into his pillow. They went from spooning to laying face to face over night, but still remained in each others grasp. Aviva rubbed her eyes, moving quietly as not to disturb him. But Norman seemed to be a light sleeper, as his eyes shot open when she stood up from the comfort of the bed and stretched.

"Where ya going?" He asked tiredly, a hand coming up to his hair where he pushed it aside so he could see her better.

"I can't sleep," she said, looking down at him with a gentle smile, "And it's getting late, I gotta get going to pack up my stuff."

"Fuck-" He said, sitting up to take a look at the alarm clock beside the bed. 8:43. "Shit- I'm supposed to be downstairs, we're supposed to say goodbye."

Aviva frowned, grabbing her shoes and started slipping them on; "Say goodbye?"

Norman was off the bed, raiding his suitcase for a quick change of clothes. His back was to her, and she could vaguely see the muscles of his arms twitch underneath the fabric, "Yeah, we like to thank everyone for coming out, seeing us, being fans.. I guess it's the least we can do." He said, his voice becoming muffled as he slid his shirt over his head, throwing it in the suitcase.

"People are paying thousands of dollars to see you guys," Aviva stated, tucking the laces into the sides of her shoes, glancing up at him, "It would take me a few paychecks to be able to afford even a room here. I'd say that just giving them this opportunity is enough of a thank you."

Norman paused, as if he was thinking hard about what she had just said. She heard him grunt a little, as if agreeing or just acknowledging the fact that he heard her. When Aviva stood up, his shirt had just slid over his head, once again hiding his back from her view. She temporarily pouted when he disappeared into the bathroom; where she heard the water turn on, and the sound of him brushing his teeth after a few seconds.

Aviva's phone must have died overnight, and she cursed silently when the device flashed her the low battery icon. Norman came out of the bathroom, toothbrush in his mouth and a small dribble of toothpaste on the corner of his lip. Aviva giggled a little, wrinkling her nose when he came over and gripped her cheeks, pressing his forehead to the side of her head. He mumbled something, but with the toothbrush in his mouth it sounded like, "She youf lafer"

"What was that?" Riley asked, pretty sure he said see you later, but she wanted to be sure. And, quite honestly, she just liked teasing him. Norman made a noise, almost like a laugh, and he disappeared back into the bathroom. A moment later, she heard the water running again, and after he came out, swiping his arm over his mouth. Norman's arms wrapped around her, giving her a tight hug, one of his big hands coming to the side of her head, pressing it to his chest. They stood there for a few minutes, just hugging each other silently. Aviva could hear the steady beating of his heart, and when they eventually released each other, the small smile he gave her almost made her want to throw her arms back around him and hug him tight. "See you later," he said, giving her a gentle smirk, "I'll uh.. I'll try and see you before you leave, but.." He cleared his throat, giving her a gentle nod, "I'll see you soon."

When Aviva reached her room minutes later, she found Sasha sitting crosslegged on her bed, a cup of coffee in her hand with the television on. She flashed Aviva a small smile, as if she were still silently burning with anger but had also had a slight change of heart. Aviva immediately plugged in her phone, watching the android start to charge when she turned it on. Sasha was silent, watching The Golden Girls, which she didn't even know existed until after Aviva had introduced her to it. Aviva wanted to avoid conversation; to just take a quick shower, pack all of her shit, and be done with it. She had opened one of the drawers to find her outfit that she'd be comfortable with while driving around Miami after the ship docked and the band was back together. Sasha had decided to go straight home, so Aviva would be spending most of the time with Mitch while the other two did their own thing.

"Were you with Mitch?" Sasha asked out of nowhere, taking the remote and muting the television just as Dorothy was about to spit out a sarcastic remark. Aviva chuckled a little, having memorized the scene and the thought alone amused her. Sasha must have showered or soaked in the bath, as she realized her hair was wet and she was wrapped in a thin, white robe.

"Um, no, not really.." Aviva said, answering carefully. She knew that Sasha would have asked him of her whereabouts, and there was no point in lying about it, especially since Aviva didn't like to lie anyway. "I was with someone else, I fell asleep in their cabin."

Sasha nodded, and Avi could tell she wanted to ask more questions, but thankfully she un-muted the tv and this allowed Aviva to slip into the bathroom, completely stripping before hopping in the shower. The water was hot and immediately relaxed her. Aviva let her head tip back, welcoming the warmth with open arms. Her thoughts drifted off to Norman, who was probably making hundreds of fans cry just by being in their presence. Their goodbye wasn't necessarily final; he left it open in the chance that he'd be able to sneak away for a few minutes and do it properly. As she washed her hair, she thought of her not seeing him for months on end. Norman had told her that he was away from home more than half of the year, and it was hard to maintain a relationship, which is why he sort of given up on the whole idea, which surprisingly hadn't bothered her too much as she had taken a break herself, but for entirely different reasons.

All she knew was, whatever happened between them, time between him and his son would come first.

        A few hours later, they were all packed and the ship would be boarding the pier within the next hour and a half. Aviva and Sasha had grabbed a cart to push their luggage on when it was time to head out, and it was currently in their cabin, all of their stuff neatly placed. They were roaming the ship, watching people push through the gift shops in an attempt to get a last minute souvenir. Aviva had decided to throw on her Walker Stalker shirt and a pair of white shorts. There was a certain pride that came with wearing it, and while many others had one just like it, just having an opportunity like this was great. Only problem was, many people were staring at her as if she grew two heads. Aviva was currently leaned against a wall, waiting for Sasha to come out of one of the public bathrooms. A teenaged girl approached her, probably around fifteen with long, blonde hair and a stunning pair of green eyes. Her slim figure was hidden by an oversized hoodie, and when she stuck a sheet of paper barely out past her chest, Aviva perked up, eyeing her curiously.

"Um, Aviva? Can I have your autograph?" she asked shyly, her voice soft with a hint of nervousness. Aviva smiled, nodding while she reached forward and took the paper from the young girl. "Oh, and here.." she said, reaching into her hoodie pocket to pull out a red sharpie. Aviva took it, putting the paper against the wall to compensate for a table top. "What's your name, sweetheart?" Aviva asked, uncapping the marker with her teeth.

"Emilee, E-M-I-L-E-E," she replied, and Aviva scribbled it out in neat cursive, before speaking, "I take it your a fan?" she asked, knowing it was a pretty stupid question, but considering many ask for autographs just to ask was a real occurrence for her, she always wanted to make sure when approached in public.

"Yeah! I saw both of your shows and I have all of your singles," Emilee laughed anxiously, tucking her thick hair behind her ear, "Are you going to release any more music?" she asked.

"I hope so, I've been working on a little something, hopefully it will be completed in a few weeks." Aviva said, writing her name in cursive before giving it to Emilee with a smile. "Here, I hope that's good. I don't have much experience in autographing.." She said, giving the teen a nervous smile herself. Emilee beamed, holding it in front of her.

"It's great, thank you so much! Can I have a photo?"

"Of course," Aviva said, smiling brightly when the teen scrambled for her phone. Aviva took out hers, wanting one to post on Instagram later. The two posed for a selfie, taking a few photos before switching phones, repeating the process. Emilee thanked her again, giving her a hug before she ran off in the direction Aviva and Sasha had just came from.

"Can I have one, too?"

Aviva turned to see Sasha standing behind her, arms crossed over her chest with a grin. Aviva blushed, turning to see Emilee standing with her family, waiting in one of the long lines to the overflowing gift shop. "We live together, I think you're spoiled enough."

"Bummer. We've been friends for almost ten years and not once have I-"

"Are you Aviva Jackson?" a loud, excited voice sounded from behind them, interrupting Sasha. They turned to see a small group of people, guys and girls watching them anxiously. Aviva nodded, slightly horrified at the notion that they all were holding a writing utensil and something to write on. What followed was chaos.

"Can you sign this-"

"-Please take a picture with m-"

"-Are you dating anyo-"

"-I WAS HERE FIRST!"

"Excuse me!" Sasha yelled, pushing her way through the mass of fans and attempted to separate them from being too close to Aviva. "If you guys want an autograph or some shit you have to settle down!"

It went rather quiet. Aviva was weary of all the eyes glancing at them when they walked by, going wherever they needed to be.

"Now," Sasha began, grabbing her friend by the shoulders and gently moving her aside, before turning to the small group. "Line up, get your shit done, and please, don't cause a scene."

One by one, they shared a look before obediently doing as they were told. Aviva spent the next several minutes signing whatever it was they offered to her, and she was pleased to find one of the females had an actual photo of her from almost a year and a half ago. She had been invited to a small, local charity event as one of the 'celebrity' guests and there was a photographer there who had snapped a ton of professional photos, and the young woman who she now knew as Abigail, had attended the event but hadn't been able to catch Aviva's attention.

"I'm sorry about that," Aviva said, giving Abigail a tiny smile after she handed the photo back over. It had been a busy day then and she hadn't able to personally interact with fans much. "It was nice meeting you!"

Luckily, the crowd died down and Aviva had space to breathe. Sasha must have left during, and Avi was relieved when she came with a bottle of water for each of them. Taking the bottle from her, she opened it and took a long, grateful chug. "Boy, I bet that was fun." Sasha joked, watching as her friend almost finished the water. "If you're tired after just seven people-I counted- I can only imagine how all of those celebrities felt."

Aviva chuckled dryly, leading the way back to their cabin. She was pretty confident she had collected all of her things, but it wouldn't be a bad idea to double check with the remaining time they had. "Same. That's the kind of thing Mitch would enjoy, me.. Not so much."

"I don't blame you, damn. They all flock together. Like ducks."

Upon reaching their room, they began to search the room for any forgotten belongings. It was pretty quiet between them; a nice, comfortable silence that Aviva was enjoying after that escapade in the lobby. Sasha was going through her makeup bag, mumbling things under her breath, and Avi was sure she had a name for every product in that bag.

It was quiet until there was a knock at the door.

"I'll get it," Aviva said, since she was closest to the door. Sasha was looking through all of the drawers, making sure they were all empty. Approaching the door, she peeped through the peephole to find Mitch standing on the other side, his face morphed into an unreadable mask.

Uh oh

Swallowing her pride, Aviva opened the door, preparing for an unkind introduction from her best friend. It never came, though. All she was met with was a huge, knowing grin and she was weary of Sasha's presence further into the room. One who still didn't know any details about her whereabouts, though Avi knew she was dying to ask.

"Are you guys almost ready?" Mitch asked, a perfect eyebrow raising in question. He had that 'I know what you did last night'look and Aviva was annoyed by the very presence of it. She moved to the side, allowing him to squeeze in and make his way into their cabin. Sasha was just tucking her bag back into her suitcase, and she looked up when Mitch plopped down on her bed. "They're about ready to start letting people off."

Aviva felt her heart drop to the pit of her stomach. Her eyes went to the sliding glass doors that had the curtains pulled back more than halfway to allow natural light in. The ship wasn't moving, and she was angry to find that she hadn't even noticed they docked and were now back in Miami. Being back in Miami meant that Norman was more than likely gone or was about to be escorted off the ship, which also meant she wouldn't be seeing him any time soon. "Um, I am.. Sasha?" Aviva said, directing the question to Sasha so her feelings wouldn't show through her voice.

"Yeah, I'm good. Where is the rest of your crew?" she asked, tying her long, black hair back into a ponytail. Mitch sat up, putting her suitcase on the cart while Aviva did the same with hers, making sure it was zipped after rummaging through it one last time.

"They're all cranky as hell," Mitch said, going to the door where he opened it, kicking the little stand down to keep it open. "I'm about ready to send them off with you, I can't deal with it. They'll probably the the first ones off this ship. Especially when I kick their asses off."

Sasha laughed, taking her sunglasses off the little kitchen table, resting them on her head. With the help of Mitch, Aviva was able to wheel the cart into the hallway, which wasn't desolate. Other families were wheeling their carts down to the lobby as well, their carts stacked with suitcases, stuffed animals, posters, fanart, and cosplay toys, just to name a few. It made their cart seem rather pathetic.

About halfway down, while in the elevator with another cart, Mitch began to get claustrophobic and wiggled his way on their cart, sitting on Aviva's suitcase. The girls giggled, while the small family of three beside them gave them an odd look which Aviva had the urge to smack off their faces. When the elevator reached their floor, they got off first, Sasha and Aviva pushing the cart now carrying Mitch down the halls to their destination. Of course, people stared, most amused while others, not so much. They had just reached the lobby when an employee dressed in a Walker Stalker uniform came running out, "Hey! Don't play on those, please. They're expensive and it's dangerous!"

Grumbling in disappointment, Mitch obeyed and slid off of the cart. The girls shared a grim smile, remembering how they felt moments before before it was ruined. Mitch helped them take off their belongings, shouldering Aviva's carryon before leading them over to Brianna and Michael who were huddled in a corner, all of their stuff in their grasp with the exception of Mitch's suitcase which was resting against the wall. They crowded around, Aviva slipping her sunglasses over her eyes in an attempt to feel normal as not to draw anymore attention.

After a few minutes, her phone vibrated in her back pocket. Pulling it out, she watched as her friends were intently listening to a story that Mitch was telling and not paying her much attention. Upon unlocking her phone, she felt a pang in her chest after seeing the sender.

Stubby

She swallowed, hesitating with her thumb over the view button, wanting to see what he said but if it were an apology because he missed her, the sadness was already creeping up on her.

Stubby: Come to the bathroom

Aviva frowned, looking up on instinct to look at the same bathroom Sasha had used several minutes ago. There were lines, from here she could tell. This was the only public bathrooms she knew of, where else could he mean?

Where are you?

The sudden realization that he was still on the ship and requesting her company hit her hard. Her stomach did a flip, and she waited almost impatiently for him to respond. Laughter rang around her, and she made sure to chuckle a little to make it look as if she were still involved. Her phone vibrated again.

Stubby: Employee bathroom. Special benefits. :)

A chuckle escaped, and she looked around for anything that resembled an employee bathroom. She began to walk around, leaving her friends who probably wouldn't have noticed she was gone until it was already too late. Her phone buzzed in her hand.

Stubby: Towards the Candy Hut.

Aviva looked up, her eyes searching for the candy store. She found it in no time, watching as the workers bustled around, packaging candy for the customers and handing it out like clockwork. When she reached it, she followed the line of people waiting to be waited on, and found the bathroom. EMPLOYEES ONLY.

Aviva tried the doorknob, but it was locked. The bathroom wasn't concealed from the public eye, but obviously you needed a key to access it and she didn't have one. Taking another look around, she made sure no eyes were on her before she quietly knocked.

The door opened slightly.

Aviva blinked, pushing the door open and stepping inside. The lights were off, which was enough to make her cringe a little. When the door was shut, they flicked on.

Norman stood there, in his sunglasses and a hat. It was one of those bathrooms with a single toilet and a sink, which was pretty convenient for the given situation. Aviva tucked her phone in her pocket, giving him a small, sad smile, "Hi.."

"Hi," Norman said, his voice low and hoarse. He bit his lip, observing her quietly. "Uh, there's not many private places now that my room has been cleared.."

Aviva nodded, "Yeah, I understand.. Mine too."

It was quiet between the two. They were in a bit of an awkward silence before Norman stepped forward and embraced her in a hug. His arms wrapped tightly around her, and she easily complied, hugging his waist tightly. They hugged in silence, before Norman spoke against her hair, his words slightly muffled, "You should definitely call me sometime."

Aviva giggled, ignoring the slight ache in her chest that grew and was still growing. She had only known him for a short while, but it was hard to ignore how much she enjoyed his company. She never had any romantic relations with anyone since her ex, and having the constant company of friends and family got tiring after a while. Norman was a new light in her life, and it was a nice change when he made the move and kissed her, to give her something different and make her feel.. Different.

"I wouldn't dream of forgetting you," she said honestly, looking up at him with a smile. Almost in unison, they reached up and took off the others' glasses. Aviva folded up his, holding them in her grasp while he buried his hand in her hair and pressed his lips to her forehead. Her Ray Bans sat safely in his other hand. "This is going to suck. I really enjoyed your company." she whispered, pulling away after a few moments.

"I know," he mumbled, and his tongue darted out of his mouth, licking his bottom lip. His hand left her hair, instead cupping her cheek, "Don't be a stranger."

Aviva could only nod in response; completely out of breath when he gently kissed her lips.

        Hours later, Aviva and Mitch had found a hotel and started to settle for the night. Sasha and the rest of the band caught the first flight back to Boston, while the two best friends stayed in the city. Norman had left himself right after their little moment in the bathroom, and Aviva had yet to hear from him since. She debated messaging him first, but for all she knew he could be busy and she didn't want to interrupt him. Mitch had been to Miami a few times, and he had taken her around town, spending money and taking her to the one of the best restaurants ever. Mitch had been in the shower for a good twenty or so minutes, so Aviva had started changing in her pajamas while he was occupied.

After leaving the airport, Aviva had went to put on her glasses when she realized they weren't hers. Norman had her glasses and vice versa, and he let her take them and didn't say anything. They were currently sitting on the desk with all of their other belongings, and she found herself staring at them often. He left a part of him with her.

It was nearing eleven when she crawled into bed, leaving enough room for Mitch to be able to crawl in comfortably as they snagged a room with only one bed. It was comfortable, though. Odd as it sounded, they had some great times in a sleepover setting. Mitch could be a bed hog at times, but Aviva was known for being a blanket thief.

She had been laying there for what seemed like an eternity before she finally reached over, grabbing her phone that was charging on the nightstand. She unlocked it, pulling up her messages. As much as she wanted to appear not desperate, it was killing her that she hadn't heard anything from him for almost twelve hours.

Are you awake?

Aviva hesitantly pressed send, just hoping she wouldn't be bothering him. Minutes passed, and Mitch had come out of the bathroom in his favorite plaid pajama bottoms and a gray t-shirt. His Spongebob tattoo was on clear display and it made Aviva smile a little.

"You're not asleep yet?" Mitch asked, neatly folding his clothes before putting them neatly in his suitcase. Aviva could be a slob at times; usually when she was really busy or extremely tired, but Mitch was his own version of OCD.

"No, I've just been thinking about things.." Aviva said, laying her head down on her fluffy pillow. Mitch made a noise of understanding, zipping up his suitcase. "Is everything okay?" he asked, turning and making his way to the bed where he crawled onto it.

"Yes and no?"

"Girl, you know you can tell me anything. Just tell me." he said, pulling the blankets up to his nose, turning on his side. His brown eyes settled on hers, reeling her right in. Mitch had this thing where he would look right into your eyes, and it was almost as if he'd be able to hypnotize you to do or say anything he said.

Every once in a good while he'd make a girl melt into a puddle, though he never really tried. Considering, well.. You know.

"I'm afraid of getting too desperate," she said, watching as his eyebrows furrowed for only a brief moment before recognition flashed in his eyes. "It hasn't even been a day and I want to talk to him."

"Why is that bothering you?" he asked, clearly in disbelief. Mitch clicked his tongue, reaching over and delivering a not-so-hard-but-not-so-soft hit to the forehead. Aviva pouted, grabbing her forehead in attempt to sooth the ache. "Just say you wanted to tell him goodnight or something! If you were desperate you would have blown up his phone the moment you said goodbye this afternoon."

Aviva paled. "H-How did you know about that?"

Mitch laughed a little, giving her a look, "I kept telling stories to keep them distracted. I mean, I started telling stories because I wanted to, but I saw the look on your face when you picked up your phone."

"You're lying-"

"I couldn't be lying if I know that you went and said goodbye!"

Aviva glared, pulling the blankets on her side over her head completely. Mitch chuckled, staying quiet and she could hear him start to get comfortable while she closed her eyes. It was quiet for a few minutes before he spoke up, his voice timid, "Sasha knows."

"You told her about everything?"

Mitch was silent for a moment, before nodding, though she couldn't see. She did feel it, though as he was moving the blanket as he did so. "She grilled me about it, I'm sorry."

Aviva shook her head, moving the blankets to uncover her head. "No, don't be. I should have told her the first time I was able."

That explains why she was cool about it today.

"Maybe so, but now she knows and it's over with."

"What did she say?" Aviva asked, trying to ignore her drooping eyes.

"She said, "'I should have known!'", and that was it, really.." Mitch said, laughing a little. "But now that she knows, just make sure to clue her in, please? I think my phone was about to have a nervous breakdown by all the cussing she threw at me the other night when you snuck out and it ended up not being with me!" He said, narrowing his pretty brown eyes at her.

"Sorry about that," she said, apologizing because she knew Sasha didn't have the best kept temper. "I'll tell her, I promise."

"Good," Mitch nodded, before reaching over to turn off the lamp, "Let's go to bed, your ass looks dead."

Aviva laughed; falling asleep without hearing from Norman.

Chapter Text

        Some weeks later, Aviva found herself at ease.

It was now February, as January seemed to have swooped by in a flash. It was going on a month since the cruise had ended, but she had talked to Norman plenty of times since.

It was a few days after her and Mitch arrived back to Boston when she finally heard from him. Aviva had been walking the treadmill when a message popped up on her phone, making her laugh when the first message he had sent was a winky face. Ever since then, they talked plenty throughout the day and occasionally called each other at night whenever he was free. To her knowledge production of The Walking Dead was halted until early May where they would begin the filming of season seven. Though she still hadn't watched the show, she found herself interested whenever he brought it up in conversation. 

The unanswered question of when she'd be able to see him again continually hung over her head, but because he had been offered his own show on AMC, he was out and about filming for that in place of Walking Dead. He had a few days of vacation after the cruise, but had jumped right to filming for Ride when it was over. Aviva and her friends had kept busy; composing music and booking small gigs like normal. The paychecks were adding up, and because of that the rent was paid and the bills that had been adding up were taken care of. Sasha was a mere four months away from graduation, she'd quit her current job to start her life, and then they'd be well off on their own.

Now that Valentine's Day was approaching, the group had been scouting the area to find the best venue to book a performance. It was surprising to Aviva that the group didn't have their own plans, but in her opinion, being with her friends was better than being home alone while Sasha went out with her boyfriend of three years. It was sort of depressing. 

Aviva and Mitch were standing outside M-Bar, a classy live music club a few minutes from their apartment building. Aviva had recruited him and her brother Scott to help look for a gig, while  Michael and Bree went off on the other side of town to do the same. Scott being the people person that he was, gladly went in to talk to the manager while the other two stood outside, relishing in the abnormal sixty degree weather they were getting in Boston at this time of the year.

"I've always thought Valentine's Day was overrated," Mitch said, staring off into space while Avi anxiously stared at her phone, waiting for a text from Norman. "Now it's just damn depressing."

Aviva agreed, looking down at the blank notifications on her home screen. "Maybe it's just stupid because we've never really had a date."

Mitch thought for a moment, before scoffing, flipping his short black hair away from his eyes, "That seems so snobby when you say it like that."

Aviva shrugged, stepping away from the wall when Scott came out, all smiles, "You guys are in! Nine o'clock on the 13th.. Valentine's Day is on Sunday and they're not open, so."

Mitch grinned, wrapping his arm around his taller best friend, yanking him down for a hug. "Thank God, at least our weekend won't be that fucking depressing!"

Aviva laughed, unlocking her phone to text Bree and Michael that they're in for a performance. Now all that was left was to return back to the studio and crack down on their latest invention.

        Vroom... vroom... vroom...

Aviva walked out of the bathroom; a towel wrapped around her damp figure and her long hair dripping water on her clean floor. She had left her phone on her bedside table to charge, and luckily she had just stepped out of the shower to hear the loud vibrating sound her phone was making. 

Now that her friends knew about Norman, she was quick to change the name from Stubby to his real name. Though she still stands by the notion that he did, in fact, have stubby fingers, it just tickled her to see Norman flash across her screen multiple times throughout the day. Aviva answered the phone with a smile, tucking her towel tighter around her body, "Hello?"

"Hi, sweetheart," a voice said on the other end, immediately making her smile become bigger, "Are you busy?"

"I just took a shower, actually," she said, sitting on the edge of her bed. "I'm not doing anything the rest of the night."

"I hate to say this but I don't have a whole lot of time," Norman said, his voice sounding slightly static, "I just wanted to ask you something."

Though she was disappointed, she sucked it up, taking a deep breath, "Okay, what is it?"

"Are you, for any reason, leaving town any time this week?"

Aviva frowned, laying on her side. Her apartment was always extremely chilly, but she knew enough to go out and buy a space heater for when it got extremely cold. The weather had plopped down into the low forties over the course of  few hours, which was disappointing but it didn't surprise her as this was Boston in the middle of winter. The sixty degree weather was over. She tucked the towel tighter around her body, "No, I'm not. My brother snagged us a gig for Saturday, though."

It was silent on the other end, but she could hear the faint sound of what could have been the revving of a motorcycle. If it wasn't for that and what sounded like a manly screech on the other end, she would have thought they had lost connection. "Norman?" 

"Oh, shit," he said, his voice back to having that staticky quality to it again. Where in the hell was he?  "Mhm, where is it?" he asked, his voice low and rushed, as if he wasn't supposed to be talking to her. The thought made her smile. 

"It's this fancy club in downtown Boston. It's called M-Bar." 

"Good, that's good," he said, now talking faster than before, "Listen, I gotta go- they need me for another scen-" he was interrupted by a voice on the other line, but it was hard to make out what was being said, "Yeah, I'm coming. Listen, I gotta go-"

"Okay, that's fine. I'll-"

"Bye, sweetheart."

Aviva frowned when they got disconnected, bringing the phone down from her ear to stare at it. Norman blinked at her, showing they had only talked for three minutes. She sighed, locking her phone, standing up to properly dry off and change into pajamas. 

A few days later, Aviva and her group were anxiously pacing behind the stage. Boston was known for the seemingly endless number of bars in the area, and she knew they were all going to be packed. The crowd at M was unlike any other they had performed. The bar itself had dress code; business casual, and it seemed like the only interesting thing going on was a woman who seemed to enjoy having the hair style of one Marge Simpson. The live music had been going on all night, as it seemed they had a huge setlist for different local bands around the area who had contacted the business. Aviva and Mitch sat next to each other, each clenching a bottle of water tightly in their pale hands. 

"Do you think we're classy enough for this?" Aviva asked, watching from behind the curtain as the current group, Froot, was playing a well known ballad. The audience seemed extremely content; laughing, conversing softly, and even dancing a little to the music. 

"I don't see why not," Scott said from behind, getting the attention of his best friend and his sister. "It's not like you play hard rock, it's good music.. There's young people out there, but they're just dressed all fancy and shit."

"Thanks," Aviva said, licking her lips as the song finished, the band bowing before thanking the crowd. Once they had their set moved off the stage, the crew would move their stuff in and they'd be up as soon as everything was set. "Go tell the others it's time?"

"Already on it!" Scott said, dashing off to find the rest of the band and their very small group of crew members. 

"I'm not sure how I feel about the name Froot.." Mitch said, raising his eyebrow as the band moved off the stage, flashing them a sickly sweet smile as they passed. Mitch rolled his eyes, clicking his tongue, "That's like, some fantasy band an eleven year old has when he gets high the first time."

"They probably got it from Fruit Loops." Aviva said, laughing a little under her breath. 

"Uhm.. Aviva?"

She turned in her chair, to see a young man dressed in a blue button down, tan pants, and a gray zip-up hoodie standing there with a huge bouquet of flowers in his hand. White roses. "These are for you?.."

Aviva blinked, ignoring the excited gasp that came from Mitch's throat as she stood up, trying to figure out if they were from him or the young man was just a delivery boy. "Oh, well, thank you," she said, hesitantly taking them into her arms, inhaling as a few of the petals brushed against her nose. The bouquet was huge.  "They're beautiful."

"T-there's a card in there, I think." he said, taking a few steps backwards. Okay, so it wasn't from him. 

"Okay.." Aviva nodded, ignoring Mitch who saddled up beside her, grinning hugely, "Thank you."

When he was gone, Mitch spoke up, his voice teasing, "Ooh, is that a new secret admirer?" he asked, plucking the black card that was buried deep in the bouquet, holding it up. Though he could be nosy, he did have his limits on invading her personal privacy. This seemed to be one of them. 

Good luck tonight, I'll be watching.

Norman

"It's Norman," Aviva said, smiling brightly at the little cat he had drawn next to his name. It was drawn in purple sharpie, and the ears were very crooked and angled awkwardly, but he seemed to be one of those people who would be good at drawing anime, or maybe even just for a comic book. "He.. He's out there!"  she said, slightly mortified that she didn't figure that out sooner. He's in town.. To see me!

"At least one of us is getting some tonight." Mitch mumbled, obediently closing his mouth when Aviva shot him a glare.

"Guys, it's time to go!" Michael yelled from across the way, giving them a look as Brianna made her way onto the stage. 

"Shit! Scott!" Aviva said, getting the attention of her brother who was ushering Mitch onto the stage right after Michael. "Take these, keep them safe!" she said, practically dumping the dozen or so roses into his arms, forcing him to cradle them against his chest.  

"Oh my God, who are these from!?" he asked in awe, attempting to grab her to get answers before she could get on stage. She swatted at his hand, quietly scolding him as she stepped into the spotlight. 

Scott grinned, peeking at the card that he had taken from Mitch. 

The name Norman stared back at him, instantly clicking when he realized it was the man his older sister was seeing, or talking to, or something along those lines. 

.. And he was here.. Interesting.

        Norman Reedus sat at the bar, mindlessly doodling on a napkin while fingering his sunglasses as he leaned his elbow comfortably against the tabletop. A glass of single malt whiskey sat on another napkin across from his arm, a small jar of chocolate placed next to it. If he was going to have a few drinks, he was going to do it right.

Norman was always artsy; though he was nowhere near a Picasso, he had always found himself doodling throughout high school when the class got too boring to stand without allowing his mind to go into some sort of creative realm while his teacher went on and on and on about mathematical shit he didn't care about. It seemed to have never left him. 

 One of the downsides about being him was that there was hardly ever any privacy. Of course, he wasn't too high on the paparazzi radar, but his loyal fans of The Walking Dead proved their ever lasting love for him everyday by asking for pictures, autographs, or sometimes just a friendly handshake, and he was always more than happy to oblige, as long as it didn't consist of a three-way in the middle of a gas station.. Which he could admit was actually asked of him back in Georgia a few years back.

But, somehow, it seemed like the load on him this time was next to nothing, as his fellow bar patrons were too busy in their own little world to notice a possible celebrity sitting within inches of them. He wasn't complaining, of course, as he was anxiously waiting for Aviva and her band to take the stage. Whoever was playing before, which he was sure was called Froot, did an okay job, but he couldn't concentrate well enough to really hear the live music the band was offering. Everything's about her.

There was a slight mic feedback that echoed around the club, catching his wandering mind. He looked up at the stage to see her, Aviva, standing at the microphone podium, looking not the least bit nervous as the crowd seemed to settle down, watching the new group take their places on stage. He watched as Mitch seemed to gaze around the room; looking excited and pumped, until his wandering eyes landed on him. He grinned, taking the drum sticks that were placed beside his stool, amusing Norman when he realized he must have read the note. 

Aviva spoke into the mic, her voice echoing around the room and straight into his chest, "Hi. I'm Aviva, and this is my band-"

"Hi, y'all," Mitch said, leaning over to speak into his mic that was meant to be for his drums. "I'm Mitch, and I'm completely single if any of you guys out there-"

"Okay, that's enough.." Aviva said, cutting in before he could say another word. A wave of laughter swept through the crowd, Norman even laughing a little at her best friend's expense. She continued on, talking briefly about the band and giving a few hints to their setlist. Norman watched the whole time; doodles forgotten as the stage absolutely lit up with the presence of an extremely talented group. 

From the corner of his eye, he saw the man he had tipped to deliver the flowers approach the bar; giving Norman a tiny nod to signal the deed was done. Though he already knew, he acknowledged him with a slight tilt of the head. 

Their set consisted of seven songs; all of them catching the attention of all the bar goers in the room. A few had even slow danced at some of the ballads, while the more upbeat songs amused the guests and turned the calm atmosphere into a fun little hangout of sorts. Norman watched the entire time, pushing his doodle aside so he could focus on Aviva and Aviva only. 

"You guys were such a great audience, thank you so much. Have a great Valentine's Day!" she said, grinning hugely at the thunderous applause, even taking a little bow as her friends set down their instruments, joining in for their own. He caught her eye, giving him a small smile while being ushered off the stage and into the back.

Norman grinned, downing the last of his whiskey before hopping off the stool, swiping his doodled napkin before heading backstage. 

...

"You guys were so good!" said Scott, bringing his sister and best friend into a hug, squeezing them extra tight. He had watched backstage the whole time, watching two of the most important people in his life do what they do best. "They loved you, we have to come back.."

"They were great," Aviva said, smiling gratefully as the stage manager came around, handing each member a fresh bottle of water. "They seemed kind of stiff at the beginning, we must have loosened them up."

"Do you see the way they're dressed?" Mitch asked, having sucked down half of his bottle already. "It's like being at that one office party where everyone tries one-upping the other in fashion." 

"I already commented on their clothing," Scott said, pushing his friend in the arm, "Were you not listening?"

"Fuck you, you did not!"

"Oh my god, don't start!" 

Aviva rolled her eyes, watching the two go at it when the man she had been dying to see appeared behind them; sunglasses off and anxiously looking around the room as if afraid he'd be tackled.. or mauled. 

"Norman!" she said, pushing past the bickering men, all but making a beeline for the man who had snagged her complete attention for the past month. 

He smiled, holding his arms open as she embraced him; her small arms wrapping around his torso in a tight hold. Norman squeezed her tight, burying his nose in her perfectly straight hair. He heard Mitch say something; his voice excited and another say something smart in return, though it was very unfamiliar. 

"Guys, stop. I just ate."

Aviva grumbled incoherently, pulling away after what was probably only a minute hug. They smiled at each other; Aviva grabbing his arm affectionately, pulling him over to where Scott and Mitch had finally stopped arguing, only watching them with smirks plastered on their faces. Mitch, being the huge fan that he was, was practically bouncing in place, while Scott seemed calm about it, only smirking. 

"Norman, this is my brother, Scott. Scott, this is Norman Reedus."

"It's so nice to meet you, Mr. Reedus," Scott said, holding his hand out for Norman to shake. Norman smiled, shaking his hand firmly, "Same here, man. I've heard quite a bit about you."

Scott smiled, shrugging a little. "She's talked about you, too.. Nothing embarrassing, though."

"Ahh, I wish I could say the same for you." Norman said, causing the foursome to laugh; Mitch actually snorting at the unexpectedness of the harmless jab. Aviva giggled, hooking her arm through his tightly. 

"Hi, Norman," Mitch said, holding out a polished hand. Norman smiled, shaking it too. "I know we've met and all, but I think you're amazing and-"

"Down, boy.." said Scott, nudging his best friend hard in the side.

"Ouch! You know what, you're really getting on my nerves-"

"Guys!" Aviva said, sending them both an alarmed look. Norman could only chuckle, knowing perfectly well that he could get that exact same way with his own friends that were like family to him. Believe it or not, he was not at all bothered at the obvious crush Mitch had on him. It was actually pretty flattering to say the least. "Please, do that later."

"Sorry.." they mumbled, before turning around and walking to the small group of people gathered around a table, passing out glasses of champagne. Norman brought his hand up, laying it over hers that was wrapped around the inside of his elbow, making her look up at him. She smiled, "Thank you for the roses, they're beautiful."

"You're welcome, sweetheart.." he said, before smiling shyly, "It's a little cliche for Valentine's Day, but you said roses are your favorite, so.." 

Aviva beamed, turning into him, embracing him in another hug. He smells so good.

After a few minutes, Norman reached up, cupping her cheek in his big hand. Her hair was straight; still that brown color with the blonde highlights through it. It fell nicely around her face, the slight curl touching him. He nudged one, before letting it tap against her cheek. "When do you have to leave?" she asked, her voice soft, not wanting anyone else to hear within distance. 

"I'm here for a few days.." he said, leaning his face in close, their noses just barely touching. "Is that okay?"

She grinned, holding onto his waist tightly, nodding eagerly. "Yeah, that's great."

"Good!" he said, smiling when he leaned in, wanting to kiss her so badly-

"We have alcohol!" Scott said loudly, making them jump apart. Norman mentally cursed, watching as Aviva whipped around, gladly taking a wine glass from Mitch while Scott came over, already half drunk and shoving one into Norman's hand. 

"Damn Scott, how much did you drink?" Aviva giggled, sipping from her glass. 

Scott smiled stupidly, leaning against Mitch who was also off the wall. "A few glasses.. I'm starting to think I'm going to be a lightweight the rest of my life."

"It's because you're skinny," Norman cut in, smirking at Aviva who grinned at him in return. "It goes right through you-"

"Oh my God," Scott said, grinning widely, "That is the nicest thing anyone has ever said to me.."

"Isn't he just dreamy?" Mitch said, looking up at Scott with a dreamy, dazed look. "He knows exactly the right thing to say!"

Norman cleared his throat, holding back a laugh with a drink; very amused and the night was only beginning. 

        The party had moved to the main part of the club right after, only a few of the bands staying while others claimed to have more gigs to play elsewhere. Aviva was sitting on a couch with Norman, leaning into his side while he had thrown an arm over her shoulders, holding her tightly. He had ordered another whiskey while she continued drinking the champagne, happily talking with her other friends who had shown up, introducing them to Norman and vice versa, some of them freaking as they were fans of the show. 

Norman gladly chatted with the group; talking a little about his work on the show and the photography he did on occasion. Luckily, though, her friends caught on that he got nervous talking about himself, and they changed the subject, smiling when they realized how down to earth he really was. He squeezed Aviva tighter, his fingers gently running up and down her arm. 

Like always, the life of the party was none other than Mitch; instead this time, add Scott to the mix. They had continued drinking the champagne like Aviva, only they were sucking it down compared to her, who was gently nursing it. They were two sheets to the wind, now trying to participate in a non-existent game of charades. Nobody had the heart to tell them nobody had started a game.. They just came up with it out of nowhere, with Mitch asking, "Whose turn is it now?"

After a while, though, Aviva pulled herself together and broke the news to them, everyone laughing at the looks on the two's faces. 

"Are those two always like this?" Norman had asked, looking down at his girl who was still leaning against him, her eyes slightly droopy. She popped her head up, giving him a small smile, nodding. "All of the time.. Mitch is my best friend, but he and Scott are closer than that. I've honestly never seen anything like it."

He chuckled, brushing her hair away from her face, watching as she grew more and more tired as the night dragged on. Soon it was midnight, and the club was still going strong. Aviva, though, was dead to the world. 

Norman wasn't sure what to do. Yes, obviously he knew to take her home, but he had no idea where she lived and it seemed every one of her friends had became dead ass drunk. It occurred to him that Sasha wasn't here; the girl who Aviva had accompanied with on the cruise just last month. If only he had her number, maybe she'd be able to help..

Instead, he shook Aviva awake, feeling guilty when her eyes opened; groggy and lost as she sat up, taking in her surroundings with a wrinkled nose. How cute. "What time is it?" she asked, yawning as she rubbed her eyes. 

"It's just after twelve," Norman said, giving her a little smile. "Come on, let me take you home."

She nodded, gathering her purse that had partially fallen between the couch cushions over time. "I gotta go find Scott-"

"No, go backstage and get your stuff. I'll tell them I'm taking you home."

Though tired, Aviva felt a swell of love and admiration bubble inside of her. She beamed, nodding before turning around, heading off in the direction of the stage to collect her jacket and her flowers. 

Norman wandered around, soon finding Scott and Mitch dancing; no longer holding alcohol but huge glasses of water. They didn't notice him at first, but when they did, they stopped, grinning widely at the older man. 

"Hey man!" Mitch said, approaching Norman, throwing his arms around him in a tight hug. Scott blinked, grinning at his friend who was squeezing the shit out of an unprepared Norman. "How the hell are you!?"

"I'm good, man," Norman said, using some force to wrestle Mitch off of him, being nice about it. "Listen, I'm gonna take Aviva home-"

"You are such a gentleman!" Mitch said, clapping him drunkenly on the shoulder. "Okay, be careful! We'll be here.. Uh.."

"The rest of the night!" Scott yelled, already back into his groove while Norman nodded, turning around to get the hell out of there before he was kissed next. 

As he pushed his way through the crowd, he saw Aviva standing next to the entrance, jacket on and his bouquet of flowers in her arms. He smiled, pushing through until he was beside her, zipping up his own jacket. "You ready?"

She nodded, smiling as he took her free hand, slipping his sunglasses on over his eyes as they left. 

"I only live a few minutes away," she said, looking up at him as they exited the club. "We can walk, if you want."

"That's fine with me." Norman said, taking in their surroundings. Boston wasn't like New York, as nightlife was almost the same as it being in the middle of the day in his favorite city. Boston, though, was bustling with activity just the same, only not as loud and hectic like what you'd find in the Big Apple. 

"Where are you staying?" she asked, looking up at him expectantly as they walked across the street onto the next block. 

"I got some hotel room a few blocks into the city," he said, looking down at her. "I didn't know if you'd be okay with me crashing with you.."

Aviva couldn't help but smile, shaking her head a little at his expense. "Of course it'd be okay, Norman.."

He shrugged, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze. "I didn't want to intrude.."

"You wouldn't be.." she said, before grinning, "You can 'crash' with me, if you'd like.. Sasha has her boyfriend stay over all of the time, it's no big deal."

Norman smirked, looking down at her in amusement. "Ahh, so does that make me your boyfriend, too?"

Aviva giggled, shaking her head as they turned the corner that led to her apartment building. It was in a nice area; the roads clean, a plethora of stores on the opposite side of the street, while her building looked great and well maintained. "Wow, this is nice.." 

"Thank you." she said, digging in her bag, smiling when he took the flowers, allowing her to take her keys out of her purse. "I wouldn't be able to afford it if I didn't have Sasha living with me, though. I make a little more than her, but it's our home and we love it."

The building they entered was like any other apartment complex. This particular building didn't have a lobby with a night guard, only a staircase and an elevator to allow easy access to those with a disability. "We have to take the stairs, it's only a few floors, though."

"Good, I need the fucking exercise." Norman said, making Aviva laugh.

"No you don't, shut up."

He laughed, following her as she led him up the stairs to the fourth floor. Her apartment was exactly three doors down from the stairs, and he made a note to remember the number 403.

"Sasha is actually staying with her boyfriend this weekend, so it's just us." Aviva said, switching to the other key that was white with pink and purple polka dots on it. Norman smiled. 

"Wow, you're telling me someone actually tamed the beast?" he teased, referring to the many, many stories Aviva had relayed to him over the past month about the multiple escapades of her friend who never had much luck in the romance department, much like Aviva for the longest time. That and the fact that she seemed to be a huge spitfire at times.

"Yeah, they're going on three and a half years." she said, swinging open the door, stepping inside. 

Norman stepped in, immediately taking in the apartment. It was decent sized, more than likely what a penthouse would look like if you took out all the walls separating the two bedrooms and bath, the kitchen and living room sharing the same space. The floors were a beautiful, light gray hardwood, complimented by a black couch and a matching chair that sat next to a glass coffee table and a flatscreen on the wall. The window beside it was huge, as whoever left last didn't cover it with the long black curtain that was slid into the corner. 

The walls were all white, though they went to a beautiful light brown tile when the living room became the kitchen. The appliances weren't too fancy, but they were good quality brands that he even had in his own apartment back home in New York, even including his house down in Georgia. There was a bar placed in the middle, two high stools placed on each side that were bolted into the flooring. The table was the same color as the walls, and the chairs were too. 

"Nice place you have here." Norman said, still looking around with her flowers in hand while she shrugged out of her jacket, draping it over her arm when he looked at her; sunglasses still covering his eyes.

"Thank you.. Make yourself at home," she said, kicking off her shoes and haphazardly tossing them by the door. Aviva was always clean, but right now she was too tired to care. "Put those on the bar, I'll get them in water."

He complied, carefully setting the bouquet down, shrugging out of his jacket, wanting to protest when she took it from him, hanging it on one of the free racks that was built into the wall. "The bathroom is there," she said, gesturing for him to come over. He did, looking at where she was pointing.

On the same wall the television was hung, there was a square cut into the wall, dipping into the room where a misty gray colored door was placed smack in the middle of it. On the two corners of said square, a door sat on each side. Aviva pointed to the one of the left, "That's my room, and Sasha's is on the right. Feel free to look around in my room."

Norman nodded, watching as she walked over to the kitchen, bending down to grab what he guessed was a vase. He walked to her bedroom door, opening it to reveal the dark room. He flipped on the light.

The room was nice. The color was a deep purple, with a queen sized bed without a headboard pushed into the far left corner of the room, just mere feet from the door. The carpet was white, with a large, black rug laying in the middle of the room. Her bed had white sheets; the pillow cases being white and purple, with a few stray pillows thrown in with shades of red, blue, and green. A closet door was located on the adjacent wall, the door wide open and from what he could see it was a walk-in. There was a dresser beside the window, with a built-in bookshelf on the same wall the door was on. There were twinkle lights hung on the wall around her bed; and an alarm clock sat on the dark hardwood bedside table that took place beside it's bed companion. 

He walked in, sitting on the bed. It was firm, yet soft that he knew he'd sleep like a baby if she allowed him to share with her during his four day stay. Norman only now realized he still had on his sunglasses. He took them off. 

Aviva appeared, peeking in the door to find him on her bed. She smiled, coming into the room with him. "Do you like it?"

"It's amazing," he said, smiling at her before pointing at the lights around her bed. "Can you turn these on?"

"Of course!" she said, smiling when she pressed a button he hadn't seen right under the light switch, the lights above him flickering on. They were white. "You have to turn them on and off here.. A friend of Scott's did it for me." she said, turning off the main light, bathing them in the soft, white light they were giving off, though it was bright enough to illuminate the whole room, they were still subtle in a way. 

"Your room really is great," said Norman, being completely honest. "If only my room was as kickass as this."

They laughed, Aviva plopping down beside him. It grew quiet, Norman reaching over to gently hold her hand in his. He stared at her tattooed hand, admiring all of the little tattoos that always held a bigger meaning. Being a tattoo person himself, he couldn't lie and say it wasn't a turn on for him. 

"You can um.." she started, her voice quiet, "Sleep in here with me, if you want. Or I can take the cou-"

"Don't even finish that sentence," Norman scolded, squeezing her hand. "If anything I'm the one taking the couch."

"Just sleep with me," she interjected, her face turning red at how it sounded, "Then nobody has to sleep on the couch."

"I'd gladly sleep with you, sweetheart," he said, leaning in, their noses barely touching again. "Am I really gonna get that lucky tonight?"

Aviva laughed, her hand moving from his own to his arm, gently digging her nails into his skin. "I don't now, maybe.."

"Want to find out?" he asked hopefully, counting the last few centimeters it would take to be able to kiss her. 

Aviva smiled shyly, her face so red that she probably looked like a tomato. ".. Maybe only halfway."

Norman laughed, "I'll take what I can get." he said, finally closing the space between them. 

Chapter Text

I have decided to discontinue this format.

I will be deleting the story, and starting over. I know it's been a long time since an update, and I've realized there's other things I want to explore with these two.

I will more than likely change Aviva's face claim, but the others will remain the same. I might decide to keep her, but that will be decided shortly.

Believe it or not, I had the pleasure of meeting JoJo in March during her MAD LOVE tour. It was a dream come true!

Anyway, I hope you guys aren't too upset and will stick with me! The chapters will be shorter, as my Negan story and my Riley/Jeffrey pairing is my current passion, but I'm not ready to ditch Norman and Aviva.

With love,

Mal