Ain't It SALTY

Ain't it fun, ain't it fun, Baby now you're one of us

Dalton's POV:

She kissed me in the middle of the restaurant, like really kissed me. I felt butterflies, like crazy. I know I made a silly joke after, but I only do that when I'm nervous. I really do think I love Hayley Williams. She didn't specifically say if she loved me too, but that's okay. I'm not gonna lie, I only met her a few days ago and I'm a little freaked at how fast things are moving between us. Anyone might look at us and be like "what the heck are they doing." But this is really legitimately how I'm feeling. I just can't help it.

"Ready to go, Hayley?" I offer her my hand. "Yeah, sure." We leave our secluded table and walk out of the restaurant toward our cabins. We're both fully aware that fans can see us. In fact, a few have already come up asking for autographs. We both happily obliged - our fans are what brought us where we are today. I've signed napkins, paper plates, and even one fat guy's back. It's a crazy existence, being the center of all the attention. But I've grown to like some aspects of it.

"So, uh, the song tomorrow... Are you sure that's the one you want to do?" Hayley looks at me with curious, wide eyes. "Yeah, I think... It'll be good. Just enough to get some good-natured rumors going but leave them wondering." Hayley smiles. "Okay, yeah. I think that's perfect then." I walk her to her door, and give her a hug goodnight. "This is the part of the night where most guys wouldn't mind being invited in to a room..." I smirked. Hayley rolls her eyes. "Sorry, Dalty. Not gonna happen. But you're a great guy... and when it's the right time... I'll let you know." She winks at me and shuts her door. I was half kidding. Half. She's just so beautiful.

I walk to my room and get ready to go to bed. Will is in the bathroom brushing his teeth. "Oh hey, Dalton. How was your date with Hayley?" I grin. "Um, fantastic! We also plan to surprise the fans with a song together tomorrow." "Ooh wow. That'll be cool. Have you practiced it yet?" I shake my head. "Nah, we never got around to it, but we both figured it will be kinda fun and raw that way if it's not super practiced. As long as I know the chords and the words, I'll be fine." Will nods. "Well, cool! I can't wait to see it!" We switch places and I brush my teeth, the minty paste breaking through the bits of marinara sauce (and probably Hayley's spit. Yeah, I went there).

"Alright, goodnight Buddy! Looking forward to seeing the show tomorrow!" I smile at Will. "Yep! It should be fun." I a apply my eyeliner (so it smudges just right while I sleep) and then close my eyes as my head hits the pillow. Tomorrow will be a great day... I hope.

Hayley's POV:

I get into my room, and I can't get that smile off my face. Every time Dalton kisses me, it feels like I'm both suffocated and breathing for the first time all at once. His lips mold to mine flawlessly, like they were made for each other. I take a shower, stripping off my tight clothes to get into my over-sized pajama shirt and comfy shorts. I climb into bed, my mind spinning with all the possibilities that tomorrow might bring. I'm sad it's the last day of the cruise, but also happy to get to have an epic last show, as we usually do on Parahoy cruises. Not that every show isn't epic, of course, but we always make the last one a little extra epic.

DAY FIVE

Dalton's POV:

"Dalton! Wake up!" I jolt awake, with Will standing at the edge of my bed. "What? What time is it?" Will looks at the clock. "It's 11:00!" I groan loudly. "I went to get breakfast a while ago, and thought you'd get up on your own. I just now got back and still found you fast asleep! Isn't the show at noon?!" I gasp. He's right. I tear off the covers and hop in the shower. "Hey Will?" I yell through the bathroom door. "Can you grab me something to eat while I'm getting ready?" "Sure thing, Dalton. No dairy, right?" "Yep." I avoid dairy before I perform as it tightens up my throat and makes it harder to sing, it's the oldest trick in the book. "Okay, I'll be right back." I hear Will open and close the cabin door behind him.

I get out of the shower and grab my outfit for the last show: ripped blue skinny jeans with my pocket chain, a black Ramones concert tee, and my high-top black Converse. I check the time: it's 11:30. Gotta get to the stage. I run as quickly as I can to the "backstage" area and hope I didn't miss anything important.

"Dalton! Where were you?" Dean walks over to me, his arms crossed across his chest. "Yeah, I kind of overslept. Will woke me up about thirty minutes ago. Sorry about that." Dean shakes his head but carries on with his tasks. "All right, well, you're here now. Good luck out there!" He nods, and then gets back to whatever he was doing.

"Hey Dalty!" I see Hayley walking toward me, as beautiful as ever. Her bright yellow hair is straightened, and she's wearing a cool black bodysuit with sparkly silver shorts and bright purple Doc Martens. "Hey Hayley!" I catch her in a hug, inhaling her scent of peaches and mint. "Are you set with our song?" She nods. "Absolutely, let's do this!" I smile, place a quick kiss on her lips, and make my way to the stage.

Hayley's POV:

I watch as Dalton enters the stage for the last time on this Parahoy cruise. I'm really going to miss this little routine that we've fallen into... Doing the show, getting dinner, just generally visiting and everything. But mostly, his kisses, and how sweet he is. He is just the most beautiful person I've ever met. And even though I haven't said it yet, I really do think I might love him. Before I know it, Dalton's set is done, and he waves goodbye to the audience as if this was the last time they'll see him. It's going to be great surprising them with our duet.

Dalton's POV (see above for song):

I'm walking off the stage when I make eye contact with Hayley. She walks over to me and whispers in my ear. "Stay here, ready to go. My band already knows about the plan, just walk out with your guitar after the second chorus of the 'Use Somebody' cover in about ten minutes. They'll drop out, and it'll just be you and me. Got it?" I nod my head and smile at her.

She runs onto the stage with her band, and I stand with my guitar, ready to go. I'm actually really looking forward to this. I spy Dean out the corner of my eye and he nods at me as a sort of silent reminder of our tentative agreement. I inhale deeply and nod my head. I really hope I don't slip and do something obvious.

Before I know it, I hear the beginning of the second chorus and move closer to the stage, but still out of sight. At just the precise moment, I walk out onto the stage strumming the chords of the song that we had agreed upon while Hayley sings and I harmonize:

I am finding out
That maybe I was wrong
That I've fallen down, and I can't do this alone
Stay with me... This is what I need please.
Sing us a song, and we'll sing it back to you.
We could sing alone, but what would it be without you...
This heart, it beats, beats for only you
This heart, it beats, beats for only you..... Ohhhhhhh
This heart, it beats, beats for only you
My heart is yours!

The crowd goes positively wild... I had no idea that they would be so amazed to see me perform with Hayley. I'm overcome with emotion, so as soon as the song ends, I impulsively kiss Hayley. On stage. In front of everyone. As passionately as ever. And then, all too late, I remember what Dean said, and how Hayley wanted to keep it quiet.

Hayley's POV:

He kissed me. On stage, in front of all the fans. I can only imagine the deluge of YouTube videos and news articles surfacing on the internet tomorrow. I mean, it's okay. I just wasn't expecting it. So much for ambiguity - now everyone knows for sure! My wide-eyed gaze must tell him how I'm feeling. He's smiling at me amidst the chaos of the crowd, even if his face is a little pale, likely thinking about what his manager said. I smile at him, and give him a hug to calm him down. I lean over and whisper into his ear: "I love you too, Dalton." And then he kisses me again, even harder than before. And I let him.

"Well, you guessed it guys! We're dating now!" I pick up Dalton's hand clasped in my own. The crowd continues to erupt, and I can see the security team circulating through the crowd to keep the craziness safe for everyone. Dalton smiles at me nervously, and then he walks off stage to let me finish the show with my band.