Title: Up At Night

Rating: K+

Based off "Up At Night" by Cimorelli

*A college au

**

I put on my jeans with
The holes in the front
I'm tryna pick out just the right outfit to get your attention

Heather was never one to go out of her way to try and impress a guy. But ever since the new transfer student, Alejandro Burromuerto showed up, he had tormented her in the best ways possible.

She hated it.

And yet here she was, dressing up for the last University football game this year, and thinking about what he would like on her.

You in that plaid shirt
Could give me a heart attack
Thinking to myself "This could be trouble" but sometimes I like that

Her and her best friend Courtney arrived at the game and sat next to Duncan. "Hey hot stuff," he wrapped his arm around Courtney.

"What did I say about calling me that?" She pouted.

He rolled his eyes. "Come on, Courtney. It's..."

Heather blinked his words out as she looked around for Alejandro. He showed up in a red plaid shirt. Red looks so good on him, she thought.

He sat next to Duncan. "Hola, bromigo! Ladies," he winked.

"Hey Alejandro," Courtney said, ignoring his flirting as Duncan gave him a small warning glare. Heather just crossed her arms and looked the other way. He's such a flirt. There's no way he could actually like me. I shouldn't even be thinking about this! She knew very well that he could break her heart. But she couldn't help it.

I can see my breath
In this cold night air
You put your hood up, you look so good that you know I can't help but stare.
Yeah, you got a hold on me

Heather didn't know why football games had to stretch all the way out to November. It was freezing outside. She could see her breath. She hugged herself, shivering a bit and putting her gloves on.

Alejandro put his hood up. "I don't get why these football games have to stretch out until November."

"Right? Exactly what I was thinking," Heather replied.

He smirked. "Well, great minds do think alike."

"Oh, shut it." He looks so good with his hood up.

Heather kept glancing at him throughout the game. Alejandro noticed and chuckled.

"What's so funny?!"

"You can't resist me."

She blushed. At least she had the cold as an excuse. "I can too! It's not that hard!"

"Then why do you keep staring, hermosa?"

"Ugh! Ew! Never call me that again!" He thinks I'm beautiful?

Alejandro whispered something to Duncan, and he whispered something to Courtney. Courtney smirked and sent Heather a text message with a random phone number on it.

She scoffed when she realized whose it was. "Seriously, Alejandro? I'm not stupid. I know this is your number."

Courtney texted Alejandro Heather's phone number. Alejandro smirked. "Yeah, I know. Thanks to Courtney, I have yours now."

"Courtney!!"

"What?" She giggled.

"...Can we talk in private?" Heather said through clenched teeth.

"If you want. But we better be back before Halftime's over."

Heather grabbed Courtney's hand and walked with her behind the bleachers. "Why would you give him my phone number?!"

"Because he asked Duncan to tell me to give him yours. And let's face it, Heather. You like him."

"There is no way I could ever like that handsome jerk!"

Courtney smirked. "Handsome jerk?"

"I didn't mean it like...ugh! You know what I meant!!"

"Mhm."

"Stop that!"

"Stop what?"

"Stop believing I like him! In fact, I hate him! You see how he's constantly flirting with all the girls!"

"He looks at you differently, Heather," she smiled.

"How do you know?!"

"I can just tell."

I danced across the parking lot
So nervous, but I laughed it off
Now I can't stop looking at my phone
Just wanna see your name

Heather waited by Courtney's car after the game. Ugh, her and Duncan are taking forever talking! She pulled out her phone and came across Courtney's text with Alejandro's number on it. I'm deleting that jerk's number!

A minute after contemplating, she found herself making a new contact for him. She stared at his name. Alejandro. She smiled and clicked on the text message button. She began to type in the box, but stopped herself. I shouldn't be the one texting first. I look like a total loser. And I don't want him thinking I like him. She put her phone in her back pocket.

No more than a couple minutes later, she looked at her phone again. No text message. Ugh, why?! He's the one who wanted my number so badly! And he should be home by now, considering how long Duncan and Courtney are chatting it up over there! She checked her phone after another minute. Still nothing. "I hate him so much," she muttered to herself.

When I close my eyes, all I see is me right there
In his front seat
His headlights pouring down my street
I try to forget, but I can't lie
His words keep me up at night!
If it's 4:30, and I can't sleep
You don't have to guess
What's keeping me up at night
What's keeping me up at night

Heather couldn't sleep that night. Partially because she couldn't stop looking at her phone, and partially because she kept imagining the headlights that were passing by were Alejandro's. She knew what his car looked like. It was a black Tesla. He had a Texas longhorn keychain dangling from the rear view mirror.

She didn't know where all these wild thoughts were coming from. He doesn't even know where I live. Why would he even drive down my street on purpose? She started thinking about what it would be like to sit next to him in his car. Just driving nowhere, talking about whatever.

Heather used to try to ignore these feelings completely. And now she was barely able to even deny them anymore. He called me beautiful tonight. Did he mean it? How many other girls has he called beautiful? She picked up her phone again. It was 4:30 in the morning. How have I not slept yet?!

When she woke up later that morning, she saw that Alejandro texted her. She immediately read it: 'Buenas Dias, hermosa😘'

'Shut up, jerk.'

'Glad you decided to keep my number😉'

'Whatever.' She smiled as she typed.

Sittin' on the tailgate
Head on your shoulder
I love that you drove all the way out here just to get closer

Courtney and Duncan invited some friends over for New Years Eve and they sat off fireworks in their backyard.

"Champagne?" Alejandro asked Heather, holding out a small glass for her. They were both sitting in the back of someone's -there were way too many people at the party- trunk.

"Pfft, no." She looked away.

"Alright, more for me," he shrugged.

Heather continued to look at the fireworks. "The gold ones are my favorite," she said.

"Mine too."

She rolled her eyes. "You know, it's annoying when you agree with everything I say."

"I really do agree though!"

"Sure."

"Argh...eres imposible."

Heather would've clapped back, but she decided to enjoy her New Years instead of getting all worked up about some stupid jerk face she may or may not have liked.

As the show went on, Heather slowly laid her head on Alejandro's shoulder. She could feel him tense for a moment, then relax. She was surprised he didn't make some cocky remark about it.

Last night our phone call
Lasted for hours
I was in my bed whispering trying not to wake up my sister

"Chocolate is so totally not overrated!" Heather whisper-yelled over the phone at Alejandro. It was 2:00 in the morning and they'd been talking for hours.

"It is, chica! All it does is pollute your body!"

"Oh, so it's polluting mine?!"

"Yes, but in the most attractive way possible."

She could almost see the smirk on his face. "Oh shut up!"

"That was what you wanted to hear, no?"

"Pfft! No!"

"Guess I need to stop being so honest with you, hermosa."

She blushed. "Would you just stop calling me beautiful?!"

"I know you don't want that, Heather."

She paused for a long while. "I..."

"I'll be at your house tomorrow by 6:00. Dress like you're going to the restaurant of your dreams."

"Wait, what?! You jerk-" He hung up on her. Ugh!! No! Now I have no choice!

**

"He's forcing me to go on a date with him! Isn't this illegal or something?!" Heather ranted to Courtney over the phone the next day.

"Heather, relax," she laughed. "No one can force you to do anything. If you really don't want to go on that date, you easily could've called back or texted him no. And you know it."

"I swear, if you and Duncan set this up-"

"We didn't. We did, however, give him some information about you."

"Courtney! What. Did. You. Tell. Him?"

"We only told him some of your likes and dislikes. He needed to prepare for your date, after all."

"Sometimes I really hate you guys."

Courtney giggled. "You do not hate us. Trust me, you're going to love us once you see where he takes you tonight."

Outside my front door
When you drop me off
Before I go in take a second just to breath in this moment
Reality sets in

"Thank you for, um...taking me to my favorite sushi place," Heather blushed as Alejandro pulled up beside her house.

"Of course. Anything for you, hermosa-"

"Save the cheesy spanish talk for your pillow."

He scoffed. "Wow, I take you out to your favorite place and this is the thanks I get?"

"I told you thank you!"

Maybe I don't like your shoes
And you might think sometimes I'm rude
Well that's true
But still you find a way to never let me sleep

"Then you get all defensive when I compliment you!"

"Because your little compliments mean nothing."

"Why are you so rude?!"

"Why are you so fake?!" He started laughing. "What's so funny?!" She snapped.

"You think I'm being fake with you, Heather?"

"Well duh," she crossed her arms. "This is the part where you kiss me and say 'I can't wait to see you again' and then I stay up all night dreaming about you, but I never ever hear from you again. And don't even give me the innocent look! I've heard all about your little love affairs!"

Alejandro blinked. Ok, so maybe she's right. I have played many girls before. Now he was starting regret it. If I can't have her because of it...I've really messed up. "Alright," he hung his head. "Believe what you want. But just know, I really like you." He gave her a short kiss on the cheek. If I'm killed, I'm killed. It was worth it.

She scoffed weakly, touching her cheek. "You...you...you!" She got out of the car, desperately trying to hide her bright red face. "Jokes on you! You won't win this, Alejandro! I'm not doing any dreaming of you tonight!"

Her frustration was almost comical to him. "Goodnight, Heather." He managed to keep a straight face. "I can't wait to see you again," he smirked.

She gasped. No matter how much she didn't want those words to affect her, they did. I really hope we go on another date. But I'm not gonna let him know that.

When I close my eyes, all I see is me right there
In his front seat
His headlights pouring down my street

I try to forget, but I can't lie
His words keep me up at night!
If it's 4:30, and I can't sleep
You don't have to guess
What's keeping me up at night
What's keeping me up at night

Heather was wrong. Alejandro had texted her the next day.

'How was your beauty sleep, hermosa? Have any special dreams?💕'

No, because I was up all night thinking about you, she thought. 'You wish, Alejerkdro🤣'

'Alejerkdro? That's new. I love it!'

'No you don't! Stop saying that just to bug me!'

'I truly do love it. I'll love anything you want to call me😘 such as mi novio?'

'You're not my bf!'

'Not yet. How about we go on another date tonight and then you can decide?😏'

'I hate you.'

'I'll take that as a yes. It's a date! I'll pick you up the same time as last night.'

Heather didn't text back. She helplessly flopped down on her bed and stared up at the ceiling. "Handsome...jerk..." she muttered to herself.

I couldn't stop
This if I tried
When all the streets whisper your name when I go by

I'm making wishes 'bout you
Heading to my car
Running through the summer rain
Screamin' at the stars

Heather passed Alejandro's street when she was heading back home from a shopping trip. She couldn't stop thinking about the second date they'd went on the other night. They went to see a movie. It was a movie she'd been wanting to see for weeks now. She was i risky planning on going with Courtney, but she found out Courtney betrayed her and went with Duncan. So she had no shame in going with Alejandro. "I don't like him!" She had told Courtney over the phone after. Even though they kissed in his car after the movie and talked for hours, she totally did not like him!

When I close my eyes, all I see is me right there
In his front seat
His headlights pouring down my street

I try to forget, but I can't lie
His words keep me up at night!
If it's 4:30, and I can't sleep
You don't have to guess

What's keeping me up at night
What's keeping me up at night

Heather was exhausted.

Exhausted of getting no sleep. Exhausted of constantly having him on her mind. I can fix all my problems if I just admit it.

You're keeping me up at night
You're keeping me up at night

Yep, I'm in love with him. I'm ridiculously in love with that spanish jerk.