[Kenzie] Paparazzi

[Brayden Shane Madden]

Hanging out in December with record breaking high temperatures in New York was so much weirder than being in a real life relationship with Kenzie.  People always said love was friendship on fire, and if that was true then their love was heating up the entire city over the holidays.  But that didn't mean they were trying to flaunt their being together to the public.  It wasn't that they were hiding it, they weren't.  But the way everything went down it wasn't a hassle to keep things low key for a while.  Out of respect for Daniel and just out of having decency.  But that didn't mean they couldn't go out and about.  And that's why Brayden and Kenzie were wandering around west of Midtown hand in hand, enjoying the warm weather between Christmas and New Year's.  Kenzie was wearing half of Brayden's closet, and it made Brayden smile as he put his phone in his pocket.  No texts, no missed calls, he had the most important thing right next to him.  "Kenzie, is that Brayden's shirt?"  "Can the happy couple look over here?"  "How's Daniel doing?"  "Jesus Christ," Brayden groaned and glanced across the street at the paparazzi trying to weave their lenses around cabs and other people walking along the sidewalk.  It wasn't even like they were in their own neighborhood.  Somehow the paps always managed to figure out where they were.  Brayden looked around quickly as they turned the corner out of the paparazzi's sight, looking for somewhere they could take refuge for a bit.  He looked at the building next to them and grinned, "Want to get cupcakes?"  Magnolia's was right in front of them, offering it's sweet treats and warm atmosphere away from cameras so Brayden pulled her inside and found a table near the far corner.  Brayden took a couple of menus and propped them up against the window so they could hide behind them.  The flavor list was extensive.  "I'm thinking I want one of those lemon cupcakes with the raspberry filling," he said seriously, peeking over the top  of the menu out the window.  

[Kenzie Renner]

Kenzie looked down at her and Brayden’s hands, their matching tattoos peeking out where they lined up. A small smile crossed her lips before she took a quick sip of the hot tea she had gotten. There had been this small little café that they had passed. And Emma had gone on and on about this weird type of green tea that they had. Normally Kenzie would’ve chalked it up to Emma being Emma. But since the crash, whenever someone said something was amazing, Kenzie figured she might as well try things out and experience them. Who knew what other amazing things she had missed out on already? Walking the streets today was a little exhausting. The duration of it had been the most physically exhausting since she had left the hospital, but since it was Brayden that was with her she wasn’t entirely worried. His flannel dangled from her hips where she had wrapped it tightly, since the weather was warmer than she had expected. He’d kindly agreed to spend the day with her looking for presents that she wanted to get for everyone. Spend more than a few hours in the hospital and you feel obligated to compensate everyone around you with presents for coming to see you. It was the Renner way. She pushed some of her curls from her face when she heard them yelling across the street. She narrowed her eyebrows, looking down at the shirt she was wearing before looking up at Brayden. It was interesting to see him in this new role. “Boyfriend”. He’d always been protective, but now it seemed like he was almost more in charge. She tightened her hand around his, looking up with a small nod in his direction as he asked her about cupcakes. When they came into the cozy little business, the first thing that Kenzie could think of was the fact that she needed to figure out which one to take home to Emma. There were a couple that she really liked; lemonade cupcake with blueberries, the apple streudel with a cinnamon buttered French topping. She sat in front of Brayden, reaching over to touch his arm. He was still focused on the paparazzi outside. But maybe they could be in their own little bubble. Maybe it wouldn’t be so bad. She’d always had a “bubble” with Brayden, their own little world. Now it felt like it was full of so much love. When it was their friendship in her world, it felt like she had all of the puzzle pieces and that they were just in a jumbled mess. But now that they were together it felt like they were starting to fit together perfectly. It was like that batman light had been out of power and finally someone figured out to plug the damn thing in. He would pick the lemon one. She smiled, “ I am going to get the peanut butter cupcake with bacon and maple frosting.” she said, knowing she should order two because he would want to try some. She reached over placing her hand over his arm. “We didn’t do anything wrong..” she said, lifting her eyebrow. “If anything, I’m the one that did something wrong. I’m the one that made a promise and then didn’t keep it. So just ignore them. I think you’re being a much better guy in this scenario. You’re just an innocent third party.” she said with a smile, ignoring the pain in her side as she leaned across the table to give him a quick kiss. “Back of the shop. He’s wearing a black t-shirt with a flannel shirt with rolled up sleeves. She’s wearing black ripped skinny jeans, a batman shirt, and a black flannel around her waist. No… No, they’re all over each other. ” she overheard, looking over at someone behind the counter. Their back was to them, but the girl looked over her shoulders every so often. Kenzie looked back at Brayden. Is this going to be what it was from now on? She bit the inside of her cheek. What would her dad say to do? Shane and Claire would be making out against a window by now. Her mother would say to do something classy and civilized.. though she would probably be walking beside Logan without touching his hand. But Logan? What would Logan say to do? He knew how much she loved Brayden, how it tore her heart apart that so many people had gotten hurt in the process of her and Brayden figuring out their love for each other. He knew it was real. He had known it the first time she went crying to Brayden instead of him when they were younger. But that last thing Brayden deserved was to be stalked around the city by vultures with cameras for something he didn’t do. “… Should we get them to go?” she asked with a hint of disappointment in her voice.

[Brayden Shane Madden]

Brayden smiled and sat back in his chair, trying to relax.  He just wanted her to enjoy herself.  It was funny because they had always been equals as friends, and they were equals now but Brayden could feel himself becoming more protective of her than he already was.  He had always been there to make her feel better but now he was more invested in making sure he didn't need to make her feel better.  Brayden let out a laugh, "Yeah, a real innocent third party," he said, jokingly rolling his eyes.  Brayden knew there were people watching them, though there was some rule against taking photos inside the business, they were still lurking.  But they weren't hiding.  "All over each other," he scoffed.  They were not all over each other.  They hadn't seen anything yet.  "No I want to eat my cupcakes here.  And I'm gonna order like 6 of them.  Yes, hi, we're ready to order.  I'm gonna have the lemon one with the raspberry stuff inside.  And we're going to have two peanut butter things with maple bacon stuff.  And I would like the triple chocolate and one of those apple ones with the crunchy topping.  Also... the salted caramel, the lemon with blueberry filling... do you have any of the orange creamsicle?  For my sister," he added to Kenzie, after taking a last glance at their waitress.  "And two large  glasses of milk.  Please. And whatever else my girlfriend would like to order." He said finally, with a wink at Kenzie. "And whatever those paparazzi at the counter order, you can go ahead and put their orders on my bill.  Thanks."

[Kenzie Renner]

Kenzie watched Brayden, spinning the now empty paper cup in her hands as she tried to figure out what was going on inside of his pretty little head. Not that it was ever any real mystery. She felt like the nice thing about her and Brayden’s relationship had always been this real communication. Up until the whole “hey I’m mad you slept with someone and ruined what I thought we were so I moved on and ended up getting engaged,” …..thing… there had never been any “games”. If she wanted to know, she just had to ask. She looked up at the waitress that had come to take their order. It was hard to contain the smile that came over her as Brayden just sort of took charge and ordered for both of them. It was the tiny little things that changed since they decided to be together. He was just beyond adorable. As the waitress started to walk away, Kenzie turned slightly, looking over shoulder. “Chocolate milk, please! Thank you!” she said before looking at Brayden and taking in a deep breath. It was just like Brayden to pay for the cupcakes that they were getting. But now she was mildly aware she’d get the third degree from her mother on why they went to a cupcake shop, when they could have just made them at home. At any rate, Brayden was doing a damn good job of simultaneously letting the paparazzi know that he was aware that they were there, while also making it more and more difficult to paint him as ‘the bad guy’ in any situation. She didn’t want to be rushed, but she also knew that the longer they sat in here, the more that would be out there when they left. “When do you have to go back?” she asked curiously. Honestly, she’d been avoiding the subject. They had this little time together in Australia, and then honestly.. the flight back to New York she had been a nervous wreck the entire time. So it was really nice of Brayden to fly back with her so she didn’t have a mental breakdown. But knowing that he had tour, and that he would probably have to get on a plane again gave her anxiety that was keeping her from sleeping too well. “Excuse me,” the quietest little voice said, pulling Kenzie from her thoughts. She looked over at a young girl, loose blonde waves. She was wearing a little blue jean overall that had a skirt, with a floral blouse underneath it. “Are you Brayden Madden?” she asked again, this time a bit louder. There was a slight sparkle in her eyes as she looked up at someone. Kenzie looked at the cupcake in the little girls hands, noticing the 5 Seconds of Summer tour bracelet on her wrist. “ I thought you might like a cupcake… Since you’re in a cupcake shop…” she said, her cheeks starting to flush red as she held up the strawberry shortcake cupcake. “Um.. could I… May I have your autograph?” she asked, looking down to the floor where she scuffed her mary jane shoes against the tiling. Immediately Kenzie looked from the little girl to Brayden and covered her smile with her fingertips. Brayden was so talented, and he always worked so hard. She knew that when little people, or people in general, looked up to him he found it slightly amusing. He didn’t know where half of his belongings were half the time, but people looked up to him. And it’s because he was admirable. Hell, Kenzie had been looking up to him since he’d been born.

[Brayden Shane Madden]

Brayden sat back, holding her hands across the table, "I go back after New Year's.  We rescheduled some shows for the spring, but we didn't have any to reschedule for now.  My mom made sure we had the holidays off," he laughed, noticing a small girl had approached their table, asking if he was Brayden Madden.  "I am," he replied, turning to face her, "What's your name?"  "Abigail," she answered quietly, Brayden smiling.  "Nice to meet you, Abigail.  What can I do for ya?"  She asked to have his autograph as their waitress returned with a large platter of cupcakes.  "Could we get a box to go?" Just in case.  Why couldn't the paparazzi be that polite?  Excuse me, could I please take your picture?  Yeah, right.  "Tell you what Abigail, you can have my autograph," he said as she handed him a pen her mother had probably given her, noticing her tour bracelet.  "IF I can have picture of us for my instagram," he said, glancing at her mother who motioned that it was fine.  Abigail's eyes widened, "Okay."  Brayden signed his name on a clean napkin and then picked up one of the cupcakes he knew Kenzie wouldn't be sad about not having, "How about you keep your cupcake.  Kenzie, will you take our picture?"  Brayden linked arms with the girl, each holding their cupcake, "Okay, one, two, three," he said and they both took a big bite.  Abigail laughed, and Brayden hurried to try and catch the chunks falling into his lap.  "Alright, how about a hug," he said giving her a big hug and sent her on her way with her autograph.  "Just think if everyone asked to take your picture?" he said with a laugh.  "Actually, this one's pretty good.  Here try it," he said, offering it out to Kenzie to have a bite before pushing it into her nose, "Oh man, how did that happen..."

[Kenzie Renner]

Kenzie nodded, sitting there quietly as she tried to coax herself with the fact that she was going to have to mentally prepare for Brayden to get on a plane. And the fact that she was going to be pretty much demanding that he call her the absolute second that it landed. It was endearing really, to watch the little exchange between the little girl and Brayden. She clicked though his instagram feed to open up the camera before kneeling down to take their picture. She laughed quietly as they bit into their cupcakes before adding a couple of hash tags to the picture and posting it for him. “Lovely,” she said, holding Brayden’s phone out to him. She waved goodbye to the little girl and her mother before sitting back down and crossing her legs. " Yeah, you can impregnate me," she said before crossing her arms and sitting back. "Daddy's never liked paparazzi either.. but he's always so good at manipulating them. You do a pretty good job, too" she said with a wink. “Which one is it?” she asked curiously, hoping it was the bacon and maple one before realizing that it was being smushed against her nose. Well, it smelled like the bacon and maple one. She tried not to smile, licking the frosting off of her lip. Just as she was about to wipe it off with a napkin, she decided instead to lean over and kiss him, holding the side of his face in the same way she used to when they were kids. Except then she just used to shout “ugh you’re so cute I just want to squish you!”. Now she could just actually squish him. With her face. She nibbled against his bottom lip, making sure to smear it really nicely on him before she leaned back. After taking a quick sip of her chocolate milk she finally reached for a napkin. But a magazine on one of the tables caught her eye and she got up to go get it before coming back to him. “ Did you see this?” she questioned, coming over to sit closer to him this time. She rest the magazine cover on the table. It had a picture of Daniel on the left outside of the hotel where they were getting married in a tux, and then on the right a picture of Kenzie and Brayden hand in hand getting on an airplane. Of course he was comforting her about the airplane. She was scared. Kenzie leaned over, keeping her eyes on the magazine as she tried to flip through the pages to find the article, while simultaneously turning her head to take a bite out of the cupcake that Brayden was lifting for himself.

[Brayden Shane Madden]

Brayden laughed when Kenzie said he could impregnate her. She was always saying shit like that before... well, before the Great Depression.  But now it was sort of an actual thing to say, so he awkwardly stopped laughing when it occurred to him that they hadn't exactly done everything that comes with being in a serious relationship.  With Kenzie being in the hospital and recovering, they hadn't really had alone time like that.  He picked another cupcake and took a bite, before letting her take a bite too as she had leaned over.  Brayden reached over to  run his hand over her hair, glancing at the magazine.  "Are you sure you really want to look at that?" He questioned, watching her skeptically.  It was like, you didn't want to care what people were saying, but you'd be a fool to not just at least see what bullshit they were telling people about you.  Brayden looked closer at one of the photos of them, "... why didn't you tell me I was wearing two different colored socks..."  That was embarrassing, for other people.  Brayden started packing up cupcakes and putting them in the box, before he leaned over and whispered to Kenzie, "Be ready to move," and then looked out the window, pointing, "Hey!  Is that Uncle Luke?  Yeah, ha, there's Uncle Luke!"  he said loudly, the paparazzi at the counter turning to looked across the street, "Luke Bryan?"  Brayden quickly stood up, taking Kenzie's arm and moved out the back door of the shop, leaving money and a generous tip on their table.

[Kenzie Renner]

Kenzie was standing back up, tightening the arms of his flannel back around her waist as she stretched before wincing and holding her side slightly. Be ready to move? “Wai-wh” she started, looking around. Oh, there was no uncle Luke. Rude. She frowned slightly before taking his hand and realizing that they were leaving out the back door. When they stepped outside she looked at one of the dumpsters, smoke coming from the neighboring building. Glamorous… She lift her eyebrows slightly, looking in Brayden’s direction. But then she realized something as she looked down at their hands intertwined. This was everything she had ever needed. So really, this was her dream…. Running into an alley with her sidekick in hand. Kenzie looked around, realizing they were alone. Actually, they were alone for the first time in what felt like a really long time. Okay maybe an alley wasn’t romantic by any means, but it did make her turn to him and jokingly wiggle her eyebrow a bit. “Hey maybe this isn’t the best time, but what about sex?” she asked, turning to look at him, before realizing how she had worded it. “Not here!” she clarified, putting her hand up slightly. “ It’s just… I mean maybe we should talk about this. You’re leaving after the New Year and you’ll be gone for a few months and I’m assuming you’ve looked in a mirror so you can understand how when I ask about when we are having sex, it’s because I’ve been wondering about it since you were 15. And then when you got the lip ring…” she said, giving a nod. “So what I think we should do is plan something out. You come with your terms, and I’ll come with mine, and we can hash things out. Cause maybe it’s just important that we come to the same conclusion. Cause I mean.. I mean… not to throw this out there, but I went down in a plane to get some of that D.”

[Brayden Shane Madden]

Brayden stopped once they were in the alley, looking around, not sure where they should go from here. But they had a moment before someone came and cornered them.  He looked at her when she asked about sex, and he replied, "We... should have it..." nodding when she clarified not in the alley.  "Are you sure?  Because this is a pretty nice wall.  Or that dumpster over there might be comfortable to lean on..." he joked, but stopped joking because even though to an outsider it probably looked like a goofy conversation, he knew she was serious.  It was a weird feeling to hear her talk about when they were 15, feeling that way about him back then.  A good weird feeling, but weird because he thought of the things that had happened since then.  If he could go back and change any of it, would he?  He did laugh out loud when she mentioned his "D", shaking his head.  "Alright, so what would your terms be then?  If we were to negotiate." he asked, crossing his hands over his chest.  Kenzie was the only person he knew that would try to negotiate sex.  He just wanted to have it.  But he still wanted to hear what these terms were.  

[Kenzie Renner]

Kenzie watched as he crossed his arms over his chest and took in a deep breath and pushed her hair from her face. “Okay.” She stopped for a moment, trying to think of how she was going to explain herself. “Not to bring up the whore that slept with you before I could..” she said, putting her hands up slightly. “But before said whore en..well, before you entered her, technically.. this is how I imagined how it would go,…” she said, putting her hands out slightly. So it would have been raining outside. I’m not sure you can actually get it to rain during the winter time before the New Year but I mean… preferable. Anyway, it was raining and we came inside. And oh my gosh the power was out… because of the storm. But I was wearing that lilac colored sundress that you really like. I lit candles, cause there was no power. And they were the sandalwood ones that you really like. And I just placed them…all over. It was at my place, because obviously your room is disgusting.” she said, before smiling sweetly at him. “But we used our phone to put on music, and the only Pandora station that wouldn’t quit skipping was this Billie Holiday station… so it was that I’ll Be Seeing You song…from the Notebook. Don’t laugh. We emptied out the fridge because the food was going to be bad anyway. So we had a tray of just… strawberries and grapes.. honeydew..all of it. And when I started to get cold you helped me take my lilac sundress off. But it was okay, because I had one of your spare dry shirts. So I just wore that. And then we would slow dance.. And the ENTIRE time I would play it off coolly as though I hadn’t planned any of it.. And my family would be dead. Or visiting the Bryan’s.” she said, scrunching her nose as she watched him. “You’ve known me long enough to know how I like to plan things…That’s just how I pictured it for us. And I didn’t get to plan my first time the way I wanted. Daniel is a dink. And with you it’s.. I mean the first time with you is special. And I get to plan that,”

[Brayden Shane Madden]

Brayden ignored the part about Brooke the Whore but listened as patiently as he could while she named her terms, which weren't as much terms as they were just how she imagined it would be.  Brayden wasn't sure if it was helpful or intimidating knowing he could not possibly make all those things happen.  "Wait, why would your family have to be dead?  I mean, we know some people, but I can't imagine that part is vital to the whole thing..."  It was one thing to make light of the situation but now he was more nervous about it than he was before.  At least before he was just nervous about he normal things, but now he was worried that the reality wouldn't live up to her fantasy.  "Come on, we need to get away from these dumpsters."  Brayden started walking out of the alley beside her, quiet for a moment.  "I don't really have any terms.  Unless you count just making it happen a term," he joked.  He knew he shouldn't 'plan' something, but he was leaving to go back on tour next week.  It felt like such short notice to try and make it some what special or even remotely close to living up to that scenario she had dreamed up.  

[Kenzie Renner]

“Cause in what realm would my dad let me be alone with you during a power outage and a storm.. he knows you have hormones. He knows I have hormones,” she said, lifting her eyebrows as it occurred to her that it was probably obvious to everyone else how often she had wanted to jump his bones. She wrapped her arm around the inside of his, leaning into his side as they walked out of the alley. It wasn’t so much that She rest her cheek against his arm, listening to his sole term; that it happen. “Okay, I think that I have just wanted this for so long that I’ve built it up in my head of what it is supposed to be,” she said, frowning slightly as she was mentally scolding herself. “I just never thought that you and I would be in a place where we are both scrambling to try and plan something before you leave for tour. I mean.. I never thought I would actually have you. And I think that’s the part that is the most important anyway,” she said, doing her best to sort of speak quietly so that the conversation remained private. With their luck they would turn a corner and run into a handful of middle-aged men with cameras. “ I just love you so much, that I want it to be perfect for you, too.”

[Brayden Shane Madden]

Well at least she realized that it couldn't be all like a fantasy.  Nothing about their relationship so far had been like a fantasy.  But actually, looking at the adults around them, none of them had started all rainbows and butterflies.  His parents, her parents, their aunts and uncles; they all had hoops to jump through too, and some of them had to fight twice as hard just to keep each other.  In real life, things weren't perfect, but what effort you put in while getting there meant more than having perfection.  It showed commitment, and that you really gave a shit.  And that you desired a life with that person even with all the bumps along the way.  It made worrying about things like this seem trivial after what they had already been through to get here.  Brayden leaned down to kiss the side of her forehead, "It will be."  Just because it would be them.  After they had started walking both of them had just been walking in the direction of home, which seemed like a good place to be headed.  "I love you, too."  He added, wrapping an arm around her shoulders so he could hold her against his side while they walked.  He smiled again, thinking about saying that and how many times they had said it in their lives, but how much more it meant now.  "Man I love saying that."

[Kenzie Renner]

Even on a slightly warmer day than usual, curling up next to Brayden as they walked felt heavenly. He was heavenly. So when he said that he loved her, too, she couldn’t help but smile idiotically. Here they were talking about love and she was dying to tear his jeans off. What the hell was wrong with her? She looked up at him, his defined jawline, the way his hair sort of fell in his eyes, how he absent-mindedly played with his lip ring. Oh yeah. That’s what the hell was wrong with her. “ Hey..” she said , holding onto his arm tighter before she lift her head to look at him. “ Maybe HOW it happens doesn’t matter, but WHEN. Because if you think about it.. we have a short time span. And the sooner we do it… the more…we can do it… before you leave,” she said, looking at him as though she had just solved the greatest mystery in all of the land. “ I love saying it, too. By the way. You shouldn’t feel like a piece of meat, if you do. It’s just.. you’re brand new to this whole “hey I love her thing,”. And I’ve loved you since… I can remember. So that’s all there to me. I’ve meant it every time I’ve said it. Now I get access to your naughty zone and I’m like dying to get on the VIP list and see if my key works.” she said… making a slight face as she realized the way she chose to vocalize her thoughts. “ What I mean is, I love you, too. Again.”

Kenzie stepped inside the house, yelling for anyone that might be home. She picked up a card, reading it quickly. Emma was with Wes, something about going to look for some antique stuff and re-do it for the farmhouse. They were cute. She liked the way Emma smiled around him. “ ….Mom? Dad?” she called out, going into the kitchen where she set the cupcakes down. She shook her arms out of her jacket, dropping it on the counter before she went to the fridge to grab Brayden a beer. They could hang out upstairs, but she had so many boxes in her room. She figured that now was the time to move out. All of her stuff had already started to be packed to move in with Daniel, and now that Brayden was going back on tour she could just rip the band aid off and get her own place since he wouldn’t be around anyway. She twisted the top off of a cider for herself before holding the beer out toward Brayden. “…Are we saving those extra cupcakes for anything special? Cause if my mom gets home and sees those… it won’t matter that you’re a Madden,”

[Brayden Shane Madden]

So then it was settled, they should just do it as soon as possible. Alright then. That was usually how things worked with them anyhow; things that seemed complicated could be made simple with one conversation. It just took a moment of talking through it. They stepped through the front door, immediately finding that there wasn't anyone in the house. "Well, look at that, no one's home. What should we do with this big house to ourselves..." He smiled as he leaned against the counter and turned the sink on to wash done cupcake off his hands. Brayden took the beer from her, taking a sip before shutting off the water and grabbed the hose. Kenzie was asking about the cupcakes, "I don't know, we could bring them upstairs," he suggested, pressing down the little handle that shot a stream of water at her for just a second. He couldn't make it rain, but her fantasy did involve taking off wet clothes.