chapter five
happy hearts and heavy hearts
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"hey beautiful," nate grins widely at alana, grabbing onto her hands and spinning her around gently, making alana immediately giggle. "ready to go?"

"yeah hold on, let me just go grab my phone," she tells him, before letting go of his hands and walking back into the condo, seeing brian and connor still playing fifa. "aren't you guys going?"

"yeah in a sec," brian says, not looking away from the screen. "shawns fine, he just texted."

"isn't it supposed to be your party too?" alana asks, picking up her phone, before spritzing a few more sprays of her perfume.

"yeah but it's fine," brian waves off. "we just need to finish this game."

"alright," alana sighs. "con, make sure you lock up. and set the heating to come on at around midnight."

"yeah, yeah," connor says, making alana roll her eyes, before walking back to the door, meeting nate there.

"are they coming?" nate asks, swooping his arm around alanas waist.

"god no, not yet anyway. apparently fifa's more important," alana chuckles, leaning closer to nates side. "how was your class?"

"it was alright," nate answers, leaning down and kissing alana's temple gently. "missed you though. sorry i had to leave lunch early."

"s'okay," alana responds, walking into the elevator, nate following her. "guess what?"

"you're in my management class tomorrow?" nate grins, knowing the answer already. "finally! we have a class together."

"good thing we're both taking management modules," alana giggles, pressing the ground floor button. "hey, can we maybe go out tomorrow evening? for dinner?"

"are you asking me on a date?" nate smirks at her. "i can't tomorrow, but the day after definitely."

"why not tomorrow?" alana whines, leaning against his bicep.

"shawns got a hockey game, all of us said we were going," nate says to her. "you can come, i know some of the other guys are bringing their girls, but our dinners gonna be hot dogs, just saying."

"let's go for the day after tomorrow," alana compromises. "it's okay, maybe breakfast tomorrow instead? my lectures been cancelled for the morning."

"alright, that sounds good, i don't have any classes until after lunch," nate nods. "wait, we can spend the day together then. we've got management in the afternoon."

"do you wanna stay over at mine tonight?" alana offers. "connor will probably be staying at brian and shawns place tonight anyway, it'll just be us," she says, biting her bottom lip, as the two of them walk out of the elevator, walking out of the complex and getting into their uber.

"yeah, that sounds good," nate grins softly at her, kissing the top of her head. "oh by the way, have you decided if you're coming skiing with us in december?"

"maybe, not sure yet," alana sighs gently. "should i? i don't want to intrude with you guys and-"

"baby, you're not intruding," nate chuckles gently, as the car pulls up in front of shawn and brian's condo block. "come with us, it'll be fun. plus i know you love skiing."

"fine," alana giggles in response, getting out of the car, and waiting on the pavement for nate, who was saying a quick thank you to the driver. "hey, i'll tip," alana calls out, opening her uber app and tipping the driver a few dollars.

"hey, doll, wait," nate says, grasping alana's arm gently in his hand, twirling her around, and standing tall in front of her, leaning down to press his forehead against hers. "you'll tell me if you wanna leave?"

"mhm," she hums, smiling softly, before leaning forward and pressing her lips gently to his. "hmm," she mumbles, before he pulls away, pressing a soft kiss to the tip of her nose.

"alright, come on," he says, linking his hand with hers, before leading her up to the penthouse condo.

the door was already open, revealing a large crowd of people in the "small gathering". alana and nate both chuckled to themselves as soon as they saw the number of people there, before easing themselves in and heading to the white couches pressed against the tall windows.

"hey, you guys made it!" shawn pushes out of a group of girls, greeting nate with that weird bro-shake-hug all of them seem to do, before sending a soft wave to alana.

she's beautiful, shawn thinks to himself, feeling his cheeks grow slightly rosy. fuck, stop it shawn.

"small party, eh?" nate comments, before shawn hands nate and alana a bottle of beer each.

"ha, you know it," shawn nods, taking a sip of his own drink. "somehow it got out, it's okay, some guy brought a keg with him."

"really?" alana asks, looking around. "can't see people going too crazy yet."

"you haven't been outside yet," shawn laughs softly, pointing to the balcony, where people were bent over backwards getting beer poured directly down their throats from the keg tap.

"wow," her eyes widen, before nate leans down to her ear.

"baby, just seen some people, m'gonna go say hi, okay?" alana nods her head, sending nate a smile, and planting a kiss on his cheek, before he walks away, leaving shawn and alana alone together.

he looked good, alana almost gasped at herself as she quickly looked away from shawn, and the black jeans that clung to his hips almost perfectly, along with the blush pink silk shirt draped around his shoulders, the white vest under making alana's mins go crazy. stop!

"i finished the project, by the way," shawn says, cutting alana out of her drool-dream.

"oh, thanks," alana says, taking a long sip of her beer. "connor and brian turned up yet?"

"i thought brian was at your place? didn't he come with you guys?" shawn asks confused, making alana laugh in response.

"they were playing fifa when we left, they said they were just behind us though," alana tells him. "brian got it all wrong, he said you were fine here alone."

"oh, i was," shawn chuckles. "i bet he was the one who told what looks like, the whole third year cohort about this party."

"graduation come a year early?" alana jokes, making shawn laugh again.

"looks like it," he grins. "so, nates saying you're undecided about the ski trip?"

"i said yes maybe about half an hour ago," alana smiles. "at first i was unsure, didn't really know how i felt getting involved but i realised what's the point? i love skiing. why not?"

"it'll be fun," shawn tells her. "we head to the same place every year and the slopes somehow always feel fresh, even if there hasn't been a snow fall," he says, making excitement bubble up in alana. "anyway, i'm gonna go say hi to a few more people, catch you later?"

"sure," alana smiles politely. "see you later."

"by the way," shawn says softly, turning back around to face her. "you look pretty."

alana's cheeks flush bright red, before shawn sends her a soft smirk, disappearing back into the crowd.
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alana was well and truly drunk. after playing never have i ever, which ended up being truly horrid to her personally, she found nate, then the two of them challenged each other to tequila shots. alana was drunk, and she loved it.

"whoops!" alana giggles, falling onto some random boys lap, as she rushes about trying to find nate again. "oh, shawn! hey!"

"hey lana," shawn chuckles, easing the drunk girl off of his lap. "someone's drunk a lot."

"no! only fourty-eighteen!" she slurs, hiccuping softly after. "have you seen nate?" she yells in shawns face. "i wanna have sex!"

"woah, alana," shawn laughs, but secretly cries on the inside. "he left a while ago, brian put him into a taxi."

"oh really? why? we were supposed to have a sleepover!" alana grumbles, a frown on her face. "can you drop me home?"

"you don't wanna stay?" shawn asks her, putting down his glass of water. alana shakes her head in response.

"my boyfriend left me," she pouts, before her drunken self makes her an emotional mess, tears immediately pooling at her eyes. "you're not drunk, right?"

"i'm under limit," he says to her. "come on, i'll take you," he says, standing up from the couch and holding his hand out. "are you cold?"

"a little," she shrugs, folding her arms to her chest. "can i have a jumper?"

"here," he grabs a zip up hoodie from behind him, handing it to alana, who quickly slips her arms through. "hold on, let me get you some water, okay?"

"thanks!" alana chirps, before looking around and slumping her shoulders. "i'm so bored!" she yells, as shawn walks off to the kitchen, heading to find a bottle of water.

alana sighs loudly, looking around the still pretty packed condo, not being able to find connor at all; he must've gone home too, alana thinks to herself, before pushing herself onto the empty balcony.

the chill of the late night/early morning toronto surrounds her, and she feels herself shivering almost immediately, making her zip up the hoodie, and clutch her sleeves to her chest.

the hoodie smelt too good to alana, and if she wasn't already intoxicated enough, the pure smell of shawns cologne made her mind jump and her knees shake. the smell was pure heaven to her.

was she smelling my hoodie? shawn questions himself, walking out onto the balcony, luckily not being noticed by alana. damn, it looks so good on her.

"oh- jesus," alana jumps, turning around and seeing shawn standing there. "more vodka?"

"water," shawn corrects her, handing her the bottle, making alana sigh dramatically. "drink up, you'll thank me later."

"fine," alana glares at him, twisting open the bottle and eagerly gulping half of it down. "your views insane."

"i know," shawn feels the corners of his mouth lift up into a smirk. alana turns back to him, raising her eyebrows.

"did you know, i didn't want to come here at first," she slurs, pointing her finger at shawn. "a-and do you wanna know why?"

"why?" shawn plays along, sending her a playful smirk.

"you," she jabs her finger at his chest, pushing him back slightly, making shawn chuckle lowly. "you. self conceited prick," she continues, hiccuping. "b-but because i'm so nice, i a-actually thought of you when i was deciding to come here."

"oh yeah? you think about me?" shawn shoots at her, his heart racing in his chest.

"mhm," alana continues, pushing her finger back onto his chest. "you don't even wanna know."

"let's get you home," shawn cuts her off quickly, knowing the situations getting a little uncomfortable between them.

alana nods in response, glumly following shawn out of the condo, stumbling on her own feet, causing her to be a few steps behind shawn.

he has such a cute back profile-

"holy shit, alana," shawn turns around after hearing the slam onto the floor, seeing alana now hunched over in a ball, frowning slightly. "lana, are you okay?"

"i think i'm- i think i'm-" she repeats, as shawn crouches down next to her.

"what happened?" shawn asks her gently.

"i think i'm-" she cuts herself off, spewing out the contents of her stomach all over shawns shoes. "-gonna be sick." shawn flinches, scrunching his eyes shut and gulping back his breath, trying not to breathe in the acrid smell. "shit shawn- i'm so sorry," alana mutters, sobering up slightly as she notices what just happened. "i'll pay for new shoes-"

"alana, shh, don't worry, it's okay," shawn tells her gently. "i've got slippers in my car, come on," he says, guiding her outside the building, heading straight to the car park.

"s-slippers, why?" alana stutters, following shawn further into the car park, before they reach a jeep.

"my feet get cold after hockey," he says to her, opening up the passenger door, letting her clamber in. "i'll be a couple seconds, hold on," he says, before going to the boot of the car, and pulling out his slipper boots, chucking off his trainers to the side, before pulling on the soft slippers. he decides to to leave the trainers where they are, before jumping into the drivers seat, before taking the short drive to connor and alana's place.

"shawn?" alana asks sleepily, slightly sober but still drunk enough to not know what she was saying. 

"hmm?" he says, nodding his head towards her, as he speeds up along the highway.

"thanks for looking out for me," she yawns, leaning her head against the window. "i underestimated how good a person you are, if the roles were reversed, i definitely wouldn't have looked out for you."

"thanks," shawn says sarcastically, before letting out a nervous chuckle. "it was nothing, lana. gotta look after you if brian sends home nate."

"you guys are really good friends, y'know?" she says softly. "i can't deny i'm jealous of that. connors literally my only friend who i talk to regularly. the others are just people i've talked to before. and there's nate obviously."

"you've got brian, and me if you want," he offers, his heart racing. "i'm really sorry about how things got off with us to begin with. you must've thought i was such an arrogant prick."

"it's okay, me too," she responds. "i have no idea if i'm gonna remember this tomorrow, so just drop me a text about it, okay? i don't wanna forget."

how can someone be so perfect? shawn questions to himself, turning to face her for just a second, before looking back at the road, exiting the highway and heading straight down the road where alana and connor live.

"come on, let's get you back up," shawn says softly, parking the car in the car park, before getting out of it, and opening the door for alana. "easy, it's pretty high up," he tells her, as she clutches onto his shoulder, jumping out of the car, before landing directly in front of him.

shawn gulps visibly. she's so close to me, i can smell her perfume, he feels his cheeks flush as she looks back up at him, her eyes innocent and wide.

how does he look good from every angle? alana feels herself mentally drool at him, before her eyes trail down to his pink, puffy lips. one kiss wouldn't hurt, right?

"alana," shawn says quietly, breaking up their moment, making alana realise what was happening.

"fuck," she mutters to herself, shaking her head and pushing herself away. "i-i'm sorry i-"

"it's okay, you're not in the right mindset," he tells her, placing a hand on her arm in a friendly manner. "come on, let's get you upstairs."

guiltily, alana walked by shawns side, the two of them heading up to her tenth floor condo. alana unlocks the door, opening it up and revealing connor passed out on the kitchen island, along with nate sitting next to him, scrolling away on his phone.

"fuck, alana, thank god," nate looks up, rushing towards his girlfriend, embracing her tightly. "someone at the party said you'd gone off with some guy, and i had already left thanks to brian," he blurts out. "that guy was probably shawn?"

"yeah," she nods, letting go of the hug and looking back at shawn. "don't know where i would be if he didn't offer to take me home."

"s'no problem," shawn smiles gently, his heart clenching in his chest. obviously i couldn't kiss her, shes head over heels for nate. i can't compete with that.

"thanks man," nate says to shawn, before wrapping his arms back around alana. "you stink of vodka baby," alana laughs gently at him.

"i don't think i'm gonna remember tonight at all," she says, a small laugh emitting from her lips. her laugh is stunning, shawn thinks to himself. "shawn? thanks for dropping me off," alana says, letting go of nate and walking back up to shawn. "i'm sorry about just now," she whispers, the tension between them palpable.

"no problem," he smiles sadly at her. "see you around."

"see you," she tells him gently, before shawn walks out, shutting the door behind him.

shawn sighs gently to himself, leaning his back against the white fronted door, placing his hand on his chest and feeling his heart race. i've got to get over this stupid crush.