Life as They Know It by Nicole (ch1)

Disclaimer: I do not know Adam Brody or Rachel Bilson. All work in here is fiction, with some fiction inspired by real life events. Please do not read if this type of fiction will make you uncomfortable. I tried to time events correctly, but some may be out of place. Also if you don't like swearing or sexual situations...don't read. Other than that have fun.

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It had all started one year ago. And man did that year fly by.


A year ago they had been nobodies. Well nobodies to the public.


Now they were surrounded by cameras and everybody wanted a piece of them. Literally.


A year ago they had also been in relationships that, honestly, sucked.


Relationships that were not the amazing one they were currently in.


They had met and that was the end of anything else. Emily and what’s-his-face never stood a chance. Sucked to be them. Big time.


Rachel looked behind her down the red carpet, 5 minutes behind her to be exact. There he was talking to some random nosey reporter who really could care less about them other than getting dirt on them.


He hated it. And even though she could tell he hated all of this, she still couldn’t help but smile at him.


Cause he was just that charming and adorable - even when he was being tortured.


The red carpet had been insane. It was the Finale Party and everyone was pretty excited to finally be done, that is, except for this coming week of press in New York. Then they were done. Two months off was going to be amazing.


Rachel was readjusting herself after McG had picked her upside down in front of all the crazy paparazzi, who were just waiting for a Nipplegate Part II to occur. Luckily her publicist saved her.


She saw Adam look at her while it happened. He smiled a little. But she knew he so didn’t want to be doing ANY of this tonight. She could read it on his face. Something she learned from being together. He doesn’t really try to hide it.


Rachel on the other hand knew how to be ‘oh so sweet’ to the press. Not that that wasn’t her personality, but she was just good at doing the red carpet, press thing.


She loved dressing up and taking pictures, well most of the time. Half the time she wished her and Adam could just lie in bed all night being lazy together.


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After five minutes of waiting inside she felt hands slide around her waist from behind.


“Hey,” he said kissing her cheek.


“Hey.”


“So glad that’s over. My mood for it is so not here right now.”


“I could tell.”


“Yeah, well, you’re always the one who can,” he said turning her around and hugging her.


“You okay? You seem out of it? I know what you need. A little dancing. A little drink. Maybe a little massage? You know they have a massage room? So weird. But I can do it. I’m better than those other girls,” she said pulling him along giggling at how reluctant he was to do anything.


“Plus I’m so totally down for the whole ‘happy ending thing’,” she said as she raised her eyebrows at him suggestively then quickly turned around and made her way to the bar.


His eyes totally bulged out at that one. And that’s when he smiled. A real smile.


“You know I might just have to take you up on that offer,” he said walking quickly behind her, grabbing her hand and pulling her back to him.


“Definitely later,” she turned around and whispered into his ear, then dragged him over to get a drink.


They were hanging out by the bar and didn’t even notice Adam’s publicist standing right next to them.


“ADAM, yo dude. ADAM! ADAM! You have to go do an interview in the press room,” yelled Steve, his publicist. Right in his ear.


“Ow. What? Come the fuck on. Right now?”


“Yeah now dude. Everyone has to. Ben is in there now.”


“Can’t I get two fucking seconds alone without having to be dragged off to some damn interview?” he said, getting more annoyed and frustrated.


“Uh. No,”


“Fine who is it?”


“Ummm that Buzz guy or something….” mumbled Steve, not really wanting Adam to know.


“Whaaaat? Oh dear LORD. Fine let’s go,” he said, before quickly kissing Rachel and making his way to the press room.


“Can you get him out of this FUCKING funk he’s in?” Steve asked Rachel as he chased after Adam.


Rachel stood there confused. What the hell was up with him?


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While Adam was in the interview Rachel hung out with the rest of the cast and her friends and family that had shown up. She took some pictures with Ben, Josh, and McG, danced with Mischa and Lea, and caught up with some industry people.


The usual party routine. The same routine they had been living for the past year. It’s not that they hated it; it was time for a well deserved and needed break.


Out of the corner of her eye she saw Adam walk out of the press room. She made her way over to him.


“Hey how’d it go?” she asked pulling him into a quiet corner.


“Fine,” he said crossing his arms.


“Just fine? You seemed pretty pissed…”


“It’s just that. Ugh. It’s all fucking getting to me,” he said gesturing wildly and putting his hands on his head.


“All these people. All this press. I suck at it. And all they want to hear is about us. Or I know that’s what they’re thinking. I just want to be like ‘you know what, fuck you. You don’t know us.’ Or if I have to talk about the same thing more time…It’s not even that bad. I guess I’m just stressed,” he said wringing his hands together and going a little crazy.


Rachel stood there and listened to him. She knew he was tired. And needed to relax. It was all getting crazy for her too. He was just having a bad day. This was something a lot of people didn’t seem to understand, that even they had bad days.


“I know. I feel the same way sometimes,” she said to him, her eyes intently looking into his. She took his hands into hers and held onto them.


And as simple as that he was calmed. She got him like that. With one word or no words she brought him back.


“God I love you,” he whispered as he leaned his forehead against hers and kissed her, wrapping his arms around her.


“I love you too,” she said smiling up back at him. One of her real smiles.


“So about that happy ending….”


“Follow me.”


“Oh I love this party,” Adam said to himself as he followed her to the massage room.


Just as they were about to go inside Bret and Josh stopped them.


“Come on guys you have to see this new break dance move Bret showed me!” said Josh excitingly.


“Uh no. I think I’ll pass on that one,” Adam said trying to push Rachel into the room.


“Come on dude. It’s like the running man and then you grab your leg like this,” Bret said attempting to grab his foot from behind and dance...which caused him to lose his balance and fall on his face, but not before bringing Josh down in the process.


“DUDE. You suck. You can NEVER be Danny again!” Josh yelled as he scrambled to get up.


Adam and Rachel stared at them.


“Dude. That was so your fault. You know to move out of the way when I break out the Bret-a-nator,” Bret yelled back.


“The Bret-a-nator SUCKS. Big time. I’m gonna go find McKenzie. Maybe he’ll know what the hell he’s doing,” Josh said stalking away.


“Dude, no wait. I was out of line. I have one more move to show you!” Bret said chasing after Josh.


“Wow. Those two should get together. They’d make such a good couple,” Rachel laughed at them, sarcastically of course.


“They're both too weird for words. Let’s not think about them right now,” Adam said shuddering and pulling Rachel into the room.


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After kindly asking the masseuses to leave the room, Adam and Rachel sat on the couch they had set up. Well sat isn’t exactly the best word. More like Rachel threw him down.


“Whoa. Frisky tonight I see.”


“Shut up Brody,” she said kissing him. It wasn’t rough though. It was soft and slow yet seriously sensual. Rachel was good at that. Doing the exact opposite of what you’d expect. It was totally hot.


She could kiss him for hours, which was just enough torture for both of them to enjoy it. She loved the way he always started out by putting his hands around the back of her head and into her hair, then down her back to the hem of her shirt, lightly rubbing the skin on her lower back.


She was beginning to lose some of her control when he started lightly nibbling on her ear, then made his way down her neck, onto her chest, then back up again. Every place he kissed tingled. And made her skin heat up. Not even just her skin, her whole body. She always wondered if her kisses did that to him. At least she hoped she was THAT good.


She definitely was THAT good. She worked her mouth on his neck and face and lips. Definitely his lips. And neck. The way she was kissing him there was making him lose control. And that was just kissing.


They both loved making out with each other and of course all that comes after that. But they had never, ever, in a semi-public place. Like ever. But hey there was a first time for everything. And he needed to blow off some steam. Badly.


“Rachel,” he panted lightly, pushing her up and pulling her shirt off. Not even stopping to think. His instincts had taken over.


“Adam...should we...here?” she asked as she was pulling off his jacket and kissing him at the same time, her mouth lingering on his.


He pulled away from her just long enough to breathe out lightly in her ear, “Rachel. I need you…so bad right now.”


And that’s all she needed to hear.


She started unbuttoning his shirt and placed kisses down his chest and stomach, stopping to reach for the buckle on his belt.


He pulled her back down and kept kissing her. Really kissing her. He stopped for a second to look right into her eyes.


“I love you.”


“I love you,” she whispered back to him.


This was something they usually did, not out of habit, but because they both knew that it wasn’t just about the sex. It was more. Way more. And that was how they showed it.


It’s usually at that moment where they reach the point where there’s NO turning back. Unfortunately that was also the time when someone opened the door.


“Oh Shiiiiiiiiiiiit. So sorry. Uh go back to...yeah...whatever it was that you were doing. Sorry. Fuck. Soooo sorry,” said the mystery person as they tried to back themselves out of the dark room, as they knocked over things, and fell to the ground.


Adam scrambled to cover up Rachel with his shirt has he tried to find hers, in the process falling off the couch.


“Dude get out. Like now!” Adam yelled at the guy.


“Adam? Rachel? Oh it’s only you guys. We were looking for you,” said Josh trying to pick himself up off the floor.


“Rach you have an interview right now, everyone out there was looking for you guys…I told Bret to check under the tables and I think he actually is!” Josh laughed to himself.


Wow this guy was SO not funny.


“Josh, get out. How about some privacy man?” Adam said pushing him out of the room.


“Yeah sorry about that. Bye guys! Be safe!”


“Wow seriously he’s such a tool,” Rachel said laughing and putting her shirt back on.


“Yes. Yes he is. And he’s our boss. God help us the next couple of years,” Adam said laughing and attempting to button his shirt in the dark.


“Alright I’m gonna go do this interview. I’ll be back quick. K?” she said putting her tiny arms around his waist.


He kissed the top of her head. “Yeah real quick. I don’t think I can take too much Bret, Josh, and Adam time. Where’s Ben when you need him?”


“Probably trying to get some with who knows who,” she giggled.


“Probably. Now get your ass moving. And if Buzz bothers you, lemme know. I can totally kick ass,” he said pushing her out the door and lightly tapping her on the butt.


“Watch it.”


All he did was wink at her and smile. She smiled right back. They really did live in their own little world.


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The party was really starting to get crazy. Everyone had just enough drinks in them to let loose.


Unfortunately that meant Bret, Josh and now McG. They were all dancing like a bunch of idiots trying to make a “Mischa sandwich.”


Mischa’s mom and publicist were having a slight heart attack in the corner.


Adam stood there, holding his beer bottle, watching and laughing at the scene playing out in front of him.


Even though his friends could be so stupid sometimes, they had their good moments. He could get annoyed from time to time, but he really had fun with his job and loved working with these people. These people that were now his friends, his little group. That’s probably why part of him hated the press. They fucked around with his group, his L.A. family.


A big hand patted him on the back. Peter.


“Hey man, how’s it going?” Adam asked.


“Good. Great. Can’t complain. I saw you having a meltdown earlier though,” said Peter, always the one to get right to the point.


“Yeah you know how I am. The stress just got to me. I don’t know why….I talked to Rachel though so I’m good.”


“You’re lucky you’ve got that girl.”


“I know it,” he said looking up and spotting her making her way towards him. He didn’t take his eyes off of her.


“Hey, she’s lucky she’s got YOU too kid,” Peter saying giving out his wise old wisdom. “Hey over the hiatus I want to have all you guys up at my house in Connecticut. You, Rachel, Tate, Ben, everyone. Keep it open, alright?”


“Will do. Definitely.”


“Hey, I’m leaving, but you and Rachel have fun, don’t get into too much trouble tonight we have a big day tomorrow.” Peter said, patting him on the back.


“Don’t even remind me.”


Peter laughed at him as he walked away, waving goodbye. Even though Peter wasn’t his dad, Adam knew he was as close to him as a son could be.


“Hey there you are,” Rachel said, snapping him out of his thoughts and back to reality.


“Hey, how’d your interview go?”


“It went. Same as usual.”


“Was he jackass-y with you?” he asked, taking a sip back on his beer.


“No. Not really,” she smiled. “Okay well he tried to flirt a little. I kind of felt sorry for him. It was pretty pathetic. Did you know he wrote a song called Brody’s Girl, like Jessie’s Girl, about me and you? Like on his website. Kind of weird. But I felt sorry for the guy.”


“Rach, you’re too sweet for your own good sometimes,” he said smiling at her.


“Yeah well sometimes I’m not too,” she said winking at him.


“Oh yeah?” he asked leaning in closer to her.


“Oh yeah. Definitely,” she leaned closer into him.


That’s when he spontaneously picked her up around her waist, threw her over his shoulder, and carried her to the dance floor. She gave a little squeal at a first. But it wasn’t like she could complain, really.


Everyone started yelling their names to come over and dance. He made his way over to their group of friends, put her down and immediately his arms went around her waist. And even though they were surrounded by Ben, Bret, Lea, Chris, Josh and a bunch of other people, they were still in their own little world.


Maybe tonight wasn’t going to be so bad after all.


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It was almost 2 a.m. and they were tired. Way tired. And they had to go on the Ryan Seacrest show tomorrow. Lame. Well at least according to Adam.


They were making their way down the outside steps to the limo when FLASH, a photographer got a picture of both of them. Looking very dazed. And probably drunk and disheveled.


“Great, we look horrible. Hey, Adam your button.”


“Huh?”


“Your button, you buttoned your shirt wrong. You know after we almost…in the room thing…” Rachel whispered quietly to him pointing at his shirt.


“Oh. Yeah. Oops.”


“You’re going to be SO hungover tomorrow.”


“So are you.”


“Nah. I can deal better. I have make-up.”


“Oh well. It’s fucking Ryan Seacrest. He’s a Carson Daly wanna-be tool.”


“You better be nice tomorrow.”


“We’ll see,” he said smiling a little.


“One of these days you’re going to get yourself in SO much shit you know that?” she laughed at him as they made their way towards the valet stand.


“Yes. And that’s why I’m awesome. And why you love me.”


“Yeah, yeah, God you’re so full of yourself.”


“Reason number two why you love me.”


“Brody, really dude, you are SO full of yourself” joked Ben as he ran up behind Adam, jumped on his back and rubbed his head with his fist.

Looks like somebody was going home alone and tipsy. Even though he had a way early flight to New York tomorrow.


“Hey, dude. Great party, huh?” said Adam doing that boy hand-shake thing with him.


“Definitely…” said Ben trailing off as he stared at some random silicone breasted chick who walked past him.


“Dude. Snap out of it, she wasn’t that hot…..OW, that hurt woman!”


“Yeah well you deserved it. You have me to look at,” she said, teasing him.


“I know I do. I’m a very lucky guy,” he said putting his arm around her and kissing her.


“See Ben, you need to get yourself a girl. You’re always with this random chicas, not that that’s not AWESOME…Ow…but see we’re always going out together and you’re...Ben, hello? Yo dude…” said Adam waving his hand in front of Ben’s…who had passed out on the bench next to them.


“Look what you did Brody, you put him to sleep,” said Rachel, grinning at him.


It totally got to him.


“Shut up.”


She SO won that one.