It was so fucking cliche, but Elijah Hewson was mildly sure he had a crush on his best friend’s little sister.

He’d known you a long time. You came to a lot of rehearsals and shows and hangouts and shit to support your brother, Bobby — bassist of their band, Inhaler — and Elijah had really only seen you as, well, Bobby’s younger sister.

He was never paying any attention. Until one alcoholic, crazy night.

It had been after Inhaler’s last show in New York City, and everyone had decided to go to a bar to celebrate. Elijah wasn’t completely sure what had happened during it — he’d drunk a lot — but there were flashes of none other than you in the red dress you were wearing.

The next morning, he woke up with a pounding headache and a boner after a sex dream about none other than you.

And after that, he couldn’t look at you without seeing a very specific image, which he had no fucking idea how his subconscious had cooked up.

Elijah couldn’t look you in the eye, and he couldn’t look at Bobby, either. He felt like a bad friend, but at the same time, he couldn’t stop thinking about it, about you.

Following New York was a fortnight’s break from tour, back in Dublin for the time being. Band practice was more of a thing for teenage garage bands, but Ryan insisted on them, ‘so we don’t forget the lyrics.’ Which was fair, honestly.

Traditionally, they were held at Bobby’s house, which Elijah usually would’ve liked but was currently deeply opposed to it.

God was against him today, because the person who answered the fucking door was none other than you.

And you were wearing that oversized, old leather jacket that hung low on your shoulders. Elijah might’ve never noticed you much, but he did appreciate when you wore that specific aspect.

Eli might have been staring, because you were looking at him expectantly. Like you’d just asked a question.

He mentally hit himself and physically ran a hand through his messy brown hair. “Say that again?”

He grinned that Elijah Hewson grin that lit up any and every room. One that you couldn’t help but return.