The October air was brisk, leaving Shelbie chilled to the bone as more people began to form a line outside of the venue. She'd been there for at least two hours, her nose pink from the wind and another two hours to go before doors would open. Had it not been for her love of the band playing, she already would have said screw the concert and went home to warm herself up. The sun was starting to set by this point, which only made the air grow colder. Streetlamps were starting to come on, some of them flickering as the wind blew.


All around her, conversation about how making the fans stand in the cold was torture filled her ears. It was true, she was freezing and wanted nothing more than to either go inside the venue or go home, but she knew what she was getting into when she ventured out earlier that evening and how long she'd be waiting in line, hoping to get a spot near the stage. It didn't help matters that her best friend, who had come along to the concert with her, was engaged in such conversation with a few people standing behind them in line.


Shelbie sighed, letting her gaze wander to the busy street around her. From her place in line, she could see a neon on sign that read Hot Coffee just down the street. Her best friend was so caught up in sharing her opinion that she probably wouldn't notice if she left, at least just long enough to grab the two of them a hot drink. It would still be so long until the doors opened, she decided to just go for it. With a small grin on her face, Shelbie slipped out of line and started her walk towards the shop. In the distance, she could hear the fans laughing and talking amongst each other, which made her quicken her pace. She absolutely wanted to be back before her best friend could come looking for her. Losing her place in line by this point was simply not an option.


Ding!


A smile swept over her face as the instant heat from the coffee shop flooded her body. She probably could have laid down right there and taken a nap from the relief, but she was on a mission. Shelbie marched right up to the counter, ordered a coffee and a hot chocolate, paid her fee and bid farewell to the warmth of the shop. She began to regret her decision the moment the cold air slapped her in the face. Though her hands were warm, the rest of her was freezing far worse than it had been before. At least, out of line, she was free to walk to provide heat for herself. Still, it was too cold for her liking.


Shelbie was almost back to her place in line when a small figure caught her eye. It made her heart skip a beat at first, but she quickly realized the figure was nothing more than a small, black cat roaming the venue. She smiled to herself, feeling her heart burst with joy as the small animal meowed in her direction, making her giggle. The cat rubbed up against her leg before it took off down the side of the venue - The side where no fans were waiting for entry. There was still some time to kill before doors opened and honestly, she wanted to make sure the cat had somewhere warm to go, away from the streets so it wouldn't get hit by a car. Gripping her drinks, the girl took off after the cat, determined to provide the small creature with heat if it had none.


She rounded the corner to the back of the venue, her eyes locked on the small animal as it padded along the cold ground. Shelbie was so caught up in staring at the animal, that she didn't notice a man standing just a few feet away from the ball of fur. And she probably wouldn't have noticed him, at all, had it not been for her body harshly running into his. Shelbie stumbled back, dazed, as a bit of the hot chocolate sloshed out of the cup and burned her flesh. She let out a hiss and used her arm to wipe away the liquid.


"I am so sorry," the man mumbled, grabbing her by the arms to steady her. "You really shouldn't be back here, you know."


"I know, it's just that poor little kitty might be-" she paused, her brain registering the voice. Her eyes grew wide and her heart began to thud against her ribcage. "You'reAlexGaskarth."


"Yeah.." Alex laughed, shoving his hands in his pockets as he rocked his weight on his heels. The crooked grin spread across his face made her heart melt. "And you strike me as a crazy cat lady."


"Love cats, not a crazy cat lady," Shelbie giggled. For some reason, her body didn't feel so cold anymore. "I'm Shelbie."


Alex nodded awkwardly as he bent down to pet the cat. Shelbie couldn't help but giggle at the struggle he had to remove his hand from his pocket. With the feel of his fingers pressed against the black fur, the cat began to purr and rub against Alex's leg. The girl considered taking a picture, but she thought it might scare Alex off. Regardless, seeing her idol love on this stray cat made her beyond happy.


"So I'm going to assume from the drinks and the pink nose you're here for the show."


"Yeah," Shelbie nodded, a smile plastered to her lips. "Been here for a few hours but it got too cold for me. I had to take a break."


"I understand. I needed a break from all the pre-gaming.. But may I ask why you're following a cat through a back alley?"


"It does seem a little creepy, doesn't it?" She giggled, staring at the cat who had obviously taken a liking to Alex. "I needed to warm up and I wanted to make sure this little guy had somewhere safe to go. I'm weird, I know, but-"


"He actually belongs to the venue owner. He likes to go out and do his business, hunting and whatnot. The owner says he never strays too far away and the live music tends to spook him."


"Oh. Well now I feel dumb."


"Don't feel dumb. Feel grateful that the cat has a home."


Shelbie nodded, her flesh feeling warm again. She couldn't believe that going on a coffee run set her up for this moment, behind a venue talking to Alex Gaskarth like he was just another person in the crowd. It was like a dream come true. Knowing the cat had a good home only added to the moment. This was something she'd remember for the rest of her life.
"I should get back inside and you should get back in line. Doors open in about twenty minutes."


"Thanks, Alex. For telling me the cat had a home and for talking to me. This is like a dream come true for me."


"No, thank you for not fan-girling me to death," Alex chuckled, standing up with his arms extended. Shelbie fought a squeal of joy as she pressed herself against Alex's body. He was so much taller than her and she couldn't help but notice how much warmth his body sent to her own. That, and his smell. Fuck, he smelled good. "Just so you know, the cat will still be outside after the show. You know, if you wanted to come check on him. I might be here, too."


"Are- Are you..?" Shelbie was stunned. Alex was asking, without asking, to hang out with her after the show. A smile formed on her lips and she cleared her throat to see less giddy. "I sea what you did there."


Alex pulled away from the hug, his trademark smirk on his face. Shelbie could feel tingles shoot through her spine as she realized she'd not only be meeting Alex after the show, but she'd just made one of her famous ocean jokes around him and he didn't seem to mind it. Was this really happening or was she still in line, freezing to death on the sidewalk?


"Think about it," Alex murmured, his feet carrying him back towards the door. "Maybe I'll see you later, Shelbie."


In a happy daze, the girl nodded her head and watched the venue door close. Smiling to herself, she staggered back to the line, drunk off the moment. Her best friend began asking her where she'd been, but Shelbie could do nothing more than hand her a cup and daydream about meeting Alex after the show.


Best concert ever.

Notes

"Whale then," aha. <3.