Characters belong to Pixelberry; Ella Brooks belongs to me; Alyssa Devereaux belongs to the amazing @burnsoslow
Summary: The Loft AU that takes place after Drake proposed to Alyssa in @burnsoslow ‘s last birthday fic It’s Your Love.
A/N: My sweet Burnsy, this is my THIRD birthday fic for you - can you freaking imagine???? We’ve known each other for three years! I will keep this short and sweet -> I can’t even begin to fathom what would have happened if we never became soul sisters. I love you, our hilarious conversations, the fact that I can watch football with you and you don’t judge me for the shit I say, and that you always finish my thoughts and take the words right out of my mouth. Thank you for always having my back, for believing in me, and for loving me really hard. I hope you loved your early gift and this fic! P.S. posting now because it’s your birthday on the east coast and I’m falling asleep
A/N2: Also participating in @wackydrabbles this week (after 573925639 bazillion years), prompt will be in bold.
Characters belong to Pixelberry; Ella Brooks belongs to me; Alyssa Devereaux belongs to the amazing @burnsoslow
Summary: The Loft AU that takes place after Drake proposed to Alyssa in @burnsoslow ‘s last birthday fic It’s Your Love.
A/N: My sweet Burnsy, this is my THIRD birthday fic for you - can you freaking imagine???? We’ve known each other for three years! I will keep this short and sweet -> I can’t even begin to fathom what would have happened if we never became soul sisters. I love you, our hilarious conversations, the fact that I can watch football with you and you don’t judge me for the shit I say, and that you always finish my thoughts and take the words right out of my mouth. Thank you for always having my back, for believing in me, and for loving me really hard. I hope you loved your early gift and this fic! P.S. posting now because it’s your birthday on the east coast and I’m falling asleep
A/N2: Also participating in @wackydrabbles this week (after 573925639 bazillion years), prompt will be in bold.
Characters belong to Pixelberry; Ella Brooks belongs to me; Alyssa Devereaux belongs to the amazing @burnsoslow
Summary: The Loft AU that takes place after Drake proposed to Alyssa in @burnsoslow ‘s last birthday fic It’s Your Love.
A/N: My sweet Burnsy, this is my THIRD birthday fic for you - can you freaking imagine???? We’ve known each other for three years! I will keep this short and sweet -> I can’t even begin to fathom what would have happened if we never became soul sisters. I love you, our hilarious conversations, the fact that I can watch football with you and you don’t judge me for the shit I say, and that you always finish my thoughts and take the words right out of my mouth. Thank you for always having my back, for believing in me, and for loving me really hard. I hope you loved your early gift and this fic! P.S. posting now because it’s your birthday on the east coast and I’m falling asleep
A/N2: Also participating in @wackydrabbles this week (after 573925639 bazillion years), prompt will be in bold.
Characters belong to Pixelberry; Ella Brooks belongs to me; Alyssa Devereaux belongs to the amazing @burnsoslow
Summary: The Loft AU that takes place after Drake proposed to Alyssa in @burnsoslow ‘s last birthday fic It’s Your Love.
A/N: My sweet Burnsy, this is my THIRD birthday fic for you - can you freaking imagine???? We’ve known each other for three years! I will keep this short and sweet -> I can’t even begin to fathom what would have happened if we never became soul sisters. I love you, our hilarious conversations, the fact that I can watch football with you and you don’t judge me for the shit I say, and that you always finish my thoughts and take the words right out of my mouth. Thank you for always having my back, for believing in me, and for loving me really hard. I hope you loved your early gift and this fic! P.S. posting now because it’s your birthday on the east coast and I’m falling asleep
A/N2: Also participating in @wackydrabbles this week (after 573925639 bazillion years), prompt will be in bold.
Characters belong to Pixelberry; Ella Brooks belongs to me; Alyssa Devereaux belongs to the amazing @burnsoslow
Summary: The Loft AU that takes place after Drake proposed to Alyssa in @burnsoslow ‘s last birthday fic It’s Your Love.
A/N: My sweet Burnsy, this is my THIRD birthday fic for you - can you freaking imagine???? We’ve known each other for three years! I will keep this short and sweet -> I can’t even begin to fathom what would have happened if we never became soul sisters. I love you, our hilarious conversations, the fact that I can watch football with you and you don’t judge me for the shit I say, and that you always finish my thoughts and take the words right out of my mouth. Thank you for always having my back, for believing in me, and for loving me really hard. I hope you loved your early gift and this fic! P.S. posting now because it’s your birthday on the east coast and I’m falling asleep
A/N2: Also participating in @wackydrabbles this week (after 573925639 bazillion years), prompt will be in bold.
Warnings: Adult language; sexual innuendos; possible stereotyping; mentioning of pubic hair. It’s the Loft guys, so just be prepared for anything.
Words: 3180
There’s not much that you can say, To stop me from falling in like I am
Even the waves can’t wash away our names in the sand
Never could, never can
It had been a week since Drake popped the question to Alyssa and the two had all but disappeared in his bedroom. The only way the gang knew they were alive was the banging of the headboard against the wall for a straight hour or the imperceptible noises of lovemaking. When Leo finally got Drake by himself in the kitchen, he talked him into going out that night for a drink.
“Where are we going? What are we doing? Who’s going?”
“Your bar, the one we always go to, Walker,” Leo raised his brow questioningly. “Why are you acting all squirrely?”
“I’mnot being squirrely, I just want to spend time with my fiancé rather than go to a sausage fest,” Drake retorted.
“She can come too, El is going to be there,” Leo shrugged and walked off, leaving Drake sitting at the kitchen island as Liam strolled in, whistling.
“What’s that face for?”
Drake shook his head. “Leo. There’s nothing left to say.”
Liam nodded with a chuckle. “So, long time, no see,” he smirked at his best friend. “You’re enjoying engaged life.”
“Yeah,” Drake grinned. “It’s been fucking awesome.”
Liam poured himself a mug of hot coffee and took a sip. “Well, I’m glad you’re headed out with us tonight, you know, so you can see someplace other than your bedroom.”
“I happen to like my bedroom, thank you very much.”
“Because the woman of your dreams is in there,” Liam pointed out with a knowing smile. “I’m proud of you.”
Drake looked up from pouring his coffee with a quirked brow; His best friend knew him better than anyone. “Yeah?”
Liam nodded. “You’ve been through a lot, not wanting to settle down at first, having your heart broken at times, and then swearing off women-”
“I was in a dark place,” he explained as he brought his mug to his lips. “It was rough.”
“That’s what I mean, Drake. You were in a dark place, and Lyssa brought you into the light.”
Later that night
While Ella and Lyssa sat at the bar with their glasses of champagne to celebrate, the guys relaxed in their regular booth while Max brought over a round of beer.
“This is on me guys,” Max chirped as he handed the glasses out. “Just for our friend Drake.”
Leo gulped his beer and pursed his lips. “You know what you never told us, Walker?”
“What’s that?”
“How you met Alyssa,” he paused as he took another sip of his drink. “And how you managed to hide her existence from us for six months.”
Drake smirked. “Well … it wasn’t easy when Liam and Ella were around because those two are so damned observant. But you guys” - he gestured to Max and Leo - “are dumb as shit.”
“What are you guys up to?” Ella and Alyssa appeared at the table with knowing smirks on their faces.
“The guys asked how I kept you a secret from them in the beginning,” Drake wrapped his arm around his fiance as she crawled into the booth next to him.
Alyssa dimpled. “In my defense, I wanted to meet everyone.”
“Yeah, but I didn’t.”
“You were not subtle, Walker,” Ella snorted as she plopped onto Liam’s lap and nuzzled her face into his neck, his arms instinctively coming up around her waist.
“I just didn’t want these idiots to embarrass me!” Drake cocked his head towards Leo and Max who gave him shocked expressions.
“Rude!” “I just bought you a drink!”
Lyssa waved both her hands in the air to stop the incoming argument. “I’ll tell you guys how I met this handsome guy.”
A year ago
Alyssa Devereaux was sick of meeting douchebags. These guys were hot but they were either really, really stupid or just creeps. As she walked down Anaheim Blvd, she saw the bar where she was supposed to meet this guy her coworker set her up with.
“This place looks like it’s crawling with egotistical idiots,” Lyss mumbled to herself. She didn’t even know this guy’s name, her coworker saying she didn’t want her to judge him from that. Which was already a bad sign. Alyssa was instructed to look for a tall man with a beanie and a red rose. She took a deep breath in and made her way inside the bar. A very drunk person was up on the stage singing a bad rendition of Ain’t No Mountain High Enough by Diana Ross.
Lyssa scanned the bargoers and saw a tall man in the corner booth with a beanie and a red rose. He spotted her immediately and waved; she gave him a small smile and waved back. Okay, well, at least he’s cute. They made their way towards each other and she found herself engulfed in a very big hug.
“Hi! You must be Alyssa?” He asked, hopeful.
She nodded. “Yes, and you are?”
“I’m Chet! Jessica told me you were beautiful, but … my God!” His eyes were wide as he took in Lyssa’s flawless porcelain face and short frame.
Her eyes were wide as well. “Y-your name is Chet?”
“Yup!” The man grinned proudly. “Let’s go sit! I ordered drinks already, Jess said you like white claws!”
Alyssa shrugged and looked around the bar, it was a small establishment but it had pinball machines, arcade games, a basketball hoop, a karaoke stage in the other corner of the room … she may have misjudged-
“So, you’re a teacher?” Chet asked, interrupting her thoughts, as they sat across from each other.
She nodded. “Jess and I work together, I run the reading program.”
“Damn, that’s awesome. I wish I learned to read good.”
Alyssa’s brows furrowed and she sat forward in her seat. “I’m sorry, you what?”
“Yeah! I never got to learn to read really good, I told my Nana that I wanted to be a street artist!”
Lyss pursed her lips and nodded. “I … see.”
Chet smiled and slammed a hand on the table, making their drinks rattle on the old wood. “She told me she wanted me to finish school but I was like screw you Nana! I’m gonna be a street artist and not just any street artist, but a sick as fuck street artist yo.”
“Right,” she picked up her white claw and took a large gulp. It’s going to be a long night.
Chet, unphased by her answers and facial expressions, continued his story. “Like, some people look at a wall and just see a wall, you know? But for me, I look at a wall and I see a damn dolphin with a cool backpack or Cookie Monster handing out tacos!”
“Oh! Tacos, do they have those here?”
“Yeah! Go ahead and order what you want, I gotta tinkle,” he ran up from his seat and walked towards the back of the bar.
Tinkle? Alyssa closed her eyes, covered her face with her hands, and groaned. She wasn’t even 15 minutes into this date and she already wanted to jump ship. Why did her friends and coworkers want to set her up? She was a 26-year-old woman who was single in Los Angeles. That’s why. Lyss fished her phone out of her purse and began scrolling through her contacts in hopes of finding someone that could bail her out.
Chet returned from the bathroom and his monologue went on for another 45 minutes. Lyssa was only able to nod, say one or two-word answers, or fake laugh at something he said.
Drake sat on a barstool across from Chet and Alyssa as he nursed his third glass of whiskey. He had just finished up a meeting with a potential client that wanted to invest in his bar and decided to stay for a few drinks. The bar wasn’t that big, and the drunk woman on the stage that was attempting to sing Build Me Up Buttercup by The Foundations finally finished her set, so he was able to hear most of the couple’s conversation. He noticed the gorgeous, dark-haired woman as soon as she walked in, but hid his dismay when the dumbass in a beanie stood and waved at her. Those starving artist types always get the girl, he thought to himself. But as the night wore on, he kept smirking or hiding his smile with his glass at the things the moron would say. The woman had no interest in him, not having said more than two words at a time, not that she could speak over this douche anyway. Drake watched the beanie man stand and make his way to the restroom again and then tilted his head as the woman closed her eyes and put her hands against her temples, looking like she was about to cry.
Maybe it was the whiskey, maybe it was how gorgeous this woman was, or maybe it was just the fact that everything this dude said was just stupid … but Drake wanted to help her. He drained the rest of his whiskey and made his way to the booth. “Excuse me, I’m sorry to bother you, but … are you okay?”
Lyssa opened her eyes and was startled to see a gorgeous man wearing a gray t-shirt that accentuated his perfectly chiseled chest and arms staring at her. “Oh,” she cleared her throat. “I … am not okay actually,” she turned and peered towards the back of the bar where the bathrooms were, then turned back to face him. “This is the worst date in the history of dates and I’ve been trying to get the fuck up out of here, but he won’t shut up.”
The man nodded, trying to hide a smile. “Well, he’s on his way back, so just follow my lead.”
Alyssa furrowed her brows in confusion, and before she could say anything, Chet returned to the table.
“I want to paint the walls of that bathroom so bad,” he gestured behind him. “I want to be like Michael D. Angelo and just go to town!”
Drake and Alyssa stifled their laughter.
“Do you mean Michelangelo?”
“No, no,” Chet shook his head fervently. “It’s Michael D. Angelo!” He turned to look at Drake. “Hey dude, can I order a sco-ro? And whatever the lady wants.”
Drake arched his brow. “A … sco-ro?”
“A scotch on the rocks, bro.”
“Right,” he looked at Lyssa, then back at Chet. “Sure, well, I’m Drake, I own this bar and a phone call came in for-”
“Alyssa,” she added with a smile.
Drake smiled back. “A phone call came in for Alyssa, there’s a family emergency and she needs to leave right now.”
“Oh shit!” Chet put his hand on his forehead. “Go, Alyssa! Go save the day!”
Without giving it another thought, she grabbed her purse and stood from her seat. “Thank you, Chet, have a good one!”
Drake quickly matched Lyssa’s steps and ushered her out of the bar. He continued to walk with her down the street until she saw another bar and quickly pulled him inside.
“Oh my God, that was so fun,” she giggled and Drake felt his knees go weak at the sound.
He grinned down at her. “You’re welcome. I’m sorry I stuck my nose in there, but I overheard part of the conversation and thought you might need a save.”
“He has a tattoo that says Warrior Poet,” she said in a deadpanned tone. “And he tipped the bartender with a sketch of a hip hop ninja.”
Drake snorted. “He called a scotch on the rocks a sco-ro.”
“Yes!” Alyssa let out a loud laugh. “What the fuck?”
After a few minutes of both of them laughing like lunatics in the corner of a bar, Lyss looked around. “Hey, this isn’t as cool as your bar,” she dimpled. “Was that really your bar?”
“Yeah,” Drake gave her a sad smile. “I have to go back in a little bit. I just wanted to make sure you got out of there safely.”
Both of them didn’t move as they stared at each other.
“Oh. Okay, well, thank you,” she whispered, Drake could barely hear her but he could have sworn there was disappointment in her voice.
“You’re welcome, Alyssa.”
“I parked just across the street from here,” she gestured to the door.
Drake nodded. “I’ll walk you.”
The pair walked in silence, both trying to figure out how to see the other again, but trying not to look too desperate.
Alyssa dug into her purse and found her keys, clicking the alarm so her door unlocked. “This is me. I appreciate you walking with me.”
“Of course,” Drake stared into her clear blue eyes, then drifted down to her plump lips. They began to move and all he could do was stare. “I’m sorry, what?”
“Can I give you a hug for saving me?”
He leaned down - way down - and wrapped his arms around her tiny waist. He felt her arms come around his shoulders and shivered at how her fingers raked through the hair at the nape of his neck. “Alyssa.”
“Lyss.”
He pulled back a little bit to look at her face. “Huh?”
“My friends call me Lyss or Lyssa,” those dimples made another appearance and he swore he would pull down the moon and fucking stars just for her to keep smiling at him like that.
“Lyssa, would you mind if I … um, took you out to eat? For lunch? Or dinner? Whatever you’re hungry for,” he felt a wave of nervousness course through him and he started to babble. “I mean … if you want to, that is. And not at my bar. We can go anywhere-”
She let out a laugh. “Yes, I’d love that, Drake.”
Present-day
“You’re such a simp, Walker!” Leo howled as he slammed his hand on the table with a laugh.
Ella’s eyes were wide. “You’re so … marshmallow-y and sweet, Drake! Do we even know you?”
“Heis sweet,” Lyss grinned as Drake blushed a crimson color.
“Okay, okay, enough about knowing me-”
“Well, I know something you all definitely don’t know about me,” Max announced. “Since we’re talking about all that, I blew my nose once and a bug came out.”
“We wereall there when that happened,” Ella pointed out.
Alyssa grimaced. “It was at my birthday brunch.”
“Alright, so how did you hide being in a relationship around the loft?” Liam questioned.
Drake and Lyss looked at each other. “Well …”
Three months into their relationship
“Your roommates always yell at each other like that?” Alyssa whispered as she curled against Drake’s side in his bed.
“Leo and Max usually go back and forth for a bit and then they chill out afterward and start eating cheese,” he chuckled. “Or Liam comes out and tells them to shut up. They’re like an old married couple.”
“I want to meet them.”
“They’re so ridiculous, baby,” Drake ran a hand up and down her soft arm. “And I don’t want to share you yet.”
A few hours later, when Drake thought the living area was empty, he snuck Lyss out of his bedroom and they both crept towards the front door.
“Drake! Is that you?”
The pair panicked and frantically looked around for somewhere Lyss could hide. Drake pushed her behind the couch and folded his arms across his chest in an attempt to look natural. “What?”
Max appeared from around the corner. “You’ve been holed up in your room for two days, I didn’t know if you died or not.”
“I’m alive, but I’m headed out so-”
“Oh! Where are you going? Leo!” Max hollered as he pounded on the bathroom door. “Let’s go out with Drake!”
Drake shook his head. “No, I-”
“Okay!” Leo’s voice sounded over the water running in the sink. “Give me a minute, I have a patch of pubic hair I need to get!”
“Ew!” Alyssa said from behind the couch and gagged.
Max turned. “What was that?”
Drake’s eyes widened and then coughed. “Ew, Leo, what the fuck?”
“Yeah, ew,” Max echoed. “Use your ball shaver and let’s go! I charged it after I used it.”
Drake scrambled to think of a way Alyssa could leave without being spotted. He feigned shock as he looked out the loft windows. “Beaumont! Is that Taylor Swift?!”
He had never seen his lanky friend run so quickly, his face plastered to the glass. “Where?!”
Drake waved at Lyss behind the couch for her to get up and move. She ran towards the front door, opened it, and scampered into the hallway out of sight.
“That wasn’t Taylor Swift, Drake,” Max turned away from the window with a pout. “But she does have a hat like that.”
Standing in front of the door and letting out a relieved sigh, Drake shrugged. “Sorry.”
Present-day
The gang let out wild bouts of laughter.
“That shit only worked with Max and Leo,” Drake said as he wiped the moisture from the corner of his eyes.
“They’re so gullible,” Ella snorted.
Leo rolled his eyes. “Alright, well even when we knewyou were together, it was still weird.”
Seven months into their relationship
Drake and Alyssa sat at the kitchen island, Lyss feeding him a grape and then kissing him.
Leo gave them a look of disdain. “It’s just food!”
Lyss giggled. “I know it’s super annoying being around a couple, I’m sorry, Leo.”
“I’m not sorry,” Drake smirked as he obligingly opened his mouth for the pineapple Lyss fed him.
Max stared at the couple with widened eyes. “It’s super annoying and super weird to be around Drake in a relationship. It’s freaking me out” - Leo elbowed Max in the side - “I mean freaking us out. Plus you’re freaking out the cat. He’s actually never going to experience real lovemaking!”
“I think you’re too into your cat, Beaumont,” Drake said with a shake of his head.
“He needs to get crazy and get his freak on! He’s getting snipped next week! What should we do?”
“A cat bachelor party?” Lyss suggested.
“How did we get to talking about his cat’s balls and kitty sex?!” Drake bellowed.
“The cat needs to go, Max,” Leo said sternly.
Alyssa had to know. “Why?”
“They carry disease, are obsessed with my nipples and they areunwelcome in this loft.”
“Your nipples?” She squeaked.
“Alright, we’re done here,” Drake stood from the barstool and tugged at his girlfriend’s arm.
“Where are we going, baby?”
“To my room, where we don’t talk about cat genitalia or my roommate’s nipples!” Alyssa snickered as she let him pull her down the hall. “I knew I shouldn’t have had you meet them,” Drake grumbled.
Present-day
“Well, I met them and we’re getting married,” Alyssa kissed Drake’s cheek. “You’re stuck with me now.”
The pair gazed at each other, their friend’s conversations and the bar noise fading around them.
“You know, some people come into your life for a season or a specific reason,” he murmured as he picked up her left hand and stared at the gold engagement ring with three stones, a small smile playing on his lips. “But you, baby” - his eyes traveled up her body and met her gaze - “You’re for a lifetime.” Drake leaned in for a kiss, ignoring his friend’s cheers in the background.
