We stood there side by side, cheering along with millions of screaming fans under the warm, neon lights as the band began to play the last song of the evening. Her hands were raised in the air, swaying to the uplifting music and keeping her eyes on the dark stage with a smile I haven't seen for far too long. I couldn't stand seeing her all depressed any longer. Her grades dropped. She stopped caring about school. All her motivation and drive was gone. She had her whole life ahead of her, and she fell apart. I couldn't just helplessly watch her fall from a distance and see no one at the bottom to catch her. Again.

She fell to the bottom of her life
This wasn't meant for two
She struggles to find herself in time
But she can barely move…

In just one year flat, there were 7 fucked up break ups. Or as I always told her, 7 fucked up douche bags, who broke her heart brutally one by one. She always told me each one hurt a lot more than the one before, huge tears sparkling and spilling over her bright, onyx eyes. It all started with the school's heartthrob, Justin Anderson. It was pretty painful seeing her with another guy, but it killed me when he turned out to be a shithead, eating her heart alive and raw in the end. When it didn't end pretty due to unfaithfulness on his part, some Latino poser named Alejandro or something asked her out, only to dump her in less than a week. Soon enough, guys everywhere were lining up, winning her heart, and pressuring her to sex to which she'd always refuse to. And without giving it a 2nd though, they'd tear up her heart the next day.

I thought it was just to boost their big ass egos, but it only made me angrier when one man-whore fessed up, saying that he was simply bored one Saturday night. Freakin' asshole. It broke my heart to see hers broken too.

Just try and get up
You gotta slowly brush off
I know that words aren't enough
But you're better than this…

Sure, we don't get along as many times as when we do. And yeah, we may be complete polar opposites, and being at each other's necks was pretty much a daily routine for us, but somehow, we were best friends. She knew me by heart, and I knew everything about her too, heh, whether she liked it or not. Her favorites, her hatreds, the littlest things like how she prefers pink over green, but only in the winter. Our deepest, darkest secrets weren't so deep and dark when it came to us two.

And I can hear her melodic, sweet voice ringing in my ears, like a song stuck in my head. Back from when we finally could look at each other without going ballistic, past the arguments and disagreements. Day one. "A secret for a secret," she said smiling coyly and poking me in the chest. "It's only fair."

That was the day she told me that she secretly loves Mayday Parade, other than the same old classical music she always listens to. And well, "a secret for a secret", I said I have a soft spot for small animals. Hold that against me, and you're dead.

But with every break up, I was there by her side with every chance I had. I was her shoulder to cry on. Comforting her. Desperately trying to fix what another guy broke. I practically begged her to not cry her heart out anymore, because I knew there was so much more use to it than just filling it with tears. And that's how we got here, front row seats at a Mayday Parade concert. She needed to get away, so I brought her here.

Save your heart
For someone that's worth dying for
Don't give it away
Torn apart
Never getting what you've been crying for
It's always the same…

Caught up in all my thoughts, I didn't even notice her when she put her hands down back to her sides and nudged me with her shoulder. "Thanks for bringing me here, Duncan." She says, shining a genuine smile and gazing up at me with those big eyes.

I shrugged my shoulders, trying not to get overjoyed that I've made her happy. "Don't mention it. You enjoying yourself, Princess?" I ask, making absolutely sure that I've succeeded.

"Heck yes!" She yelled over the crazy, screaming Mayday Parade fans in the audience. I watched as she rose her hands up to the air, added with a little jump. Success. "This is the greatest Saturday night I've ever had in my life!"

Looking at her now, feeling every other person around me disappear as I gazed down at her, I still couldn't believe how she always blamed herself when another piece of her heart was broken off yet again. She'd pace back and forth, whether we're hanging out at my place or wherever, asking herself more than me.

"What did I do to make him leave me this time?" She'd say through sobs, feeling insecure and paranoid as ever. I'd do everything I could to convince her otherwise, telling her that it's all his fault, whoever broke her heart that time. Seriously, a girl like her? The only thing she could ever be blamed for is her unreal beauty, inside and out. How the hell did all those assholes who dated her just completely miss it? It was the first thing I ever saw in her, just by a glance.

She turns the pages everyday
Just to change the mood
But every chapter reads the same
So hard to make it through…
Just try and get up
You gotta slowly brush off…

Without thinking, I took her hand in mine, intertwining my fingers in hers. Pulling her close to my chest and placing one hand on the small of her back, I began to sway back and forth to the steady beat of the song. She slowly leaned to rest her head on my shoulder as the couples around us doing the same began to fade away, and it was only me and her. Nothing else existed.

I heard her sigh, suddenly saying "Duncan, I am so done crying every night for some jackass. I'm sick and tired of it all… I think I might as well just give up on love."

I know that words aren't enough
But you're better than this…

I cocked an eyebrow. "Love's given up on me anyway." She continued. I can feel her body shake in my arms as she suppressed a sob. "And you know my parents; they never really got along. That's why they divorced. I guess it being all heartbroken runs in the family-"

"It wasn't your fault." I hear myself cut her off, a bit shocked at my own seriousness. "It never was your fault, and you know that, Princess. You're beating yourself up too much."

Save your heart
For someone that's worth dying for
Don't give it away…

We stop swaying. Her hand slipped from mine as she pulled away from me, wiping her tears furiously with the backs of her hands and muttering curses under her breath for crying in public.

"Princess..." She still wouldn't look at me. She let her hair fall and cover her face, keeping her eyes on the floor. I continued.

"If a jackass ever made you feel that way, then there's no point wasting your tears on him. All 7 of them were never worth them."

Torn apart
Never getting what you've been crying for
It's always the same…

I used a hand to lift her chin up and force her to look at me. The colored stage lights and the shine of the moon above reflected on the tears sliding down her cheeks, as if shooting stars were falling from her onyx eyes. I gave her a smile other than my signature smirk I've always given her, because this time, I wasn't kidding around. I still had an arm wrapped securely around her waist, and I pulled her closer into a kind of hug. I wiped the fallen stars away with my thumb.

"Just... promise me you'll save your heart for someone like..." I mentally slapped myself for sounding unnaturally cheesy.

She grinned at me through new tears, blushing crazily that made her freckles stand out. "You mean someone like... you?"

And you give (and you give)
And they take (and they take)
And it's love that you want
But not love that you make…

I felt the blood drain from the veins in my face, going pale. Did I mean that? Did I really mean someone like me? I ran my fingers through my Mohawk nervously as I heard her giggle at my hesitance.

Her smile grew wider as she took me by surprise and put her hands on both sides of my face, leaning her forehead against mine. Her dark eyes were fixed on me and only me.

"Duncan, do you want to know why I never let those guys touch me, let alone kiss me?" She asked.

Though I didn't have a clue exactly she was trying to get at, I cocked an eyebrow and smirked at her playfully. "Okay, why, Princess?"

Without another word, she wrapped her arms around my neck and gently planted her lips on mine, closing the gap between us.

Save your heart
For someone who leaves you breathless
And I know that you're scared
Seems like someone said you had it in you

Electricity shot through my body as our lips easily molded together. We were like 2 puzzle pieces, fitting together flawlessly. I happily kissed her back with full force, locking my hands around her waist and pulling her closer. Her fingers entangled themselves in my Mohawk as I deepened the kiss, granted permission to explore her mouth with my tongue. She tasted like mint and smelled of vanilla. So untouched, so new, so perfect.

All along, you said you knew this was wrong
But still worth dying for…

It may have ended too soon when a mother covering her son's eyes and clutching him tightly from behind us tapped my shoulder and demanded us to stop, but damn, it was the best kiss I've ever had in my life.

And you give (and you give)
And they take (and they take)
And it's love that you want
But not love that you make…

She laughed lightly, tucking a lock of her hair behind her ear as she blushed madly in embarrassment. Crossing her arms over her chest, she turned back to face the stage and leaned against my chest. We were a perfect fit.

"Save your heart, for someone that's worth dying for..." She sang along beautifully, smiling up at me before placing her head comfortably at the crook of my neck.

I grinned like an idiot, wrapping an arm around her waist and pulling her closer to me as the last few notes of the song played. That was the night I fixed two broken hearts by joining them together, and it was everything I could ask for and more.

Don't give it away…

Amongst the crowd of millions of fans singing along to the last words, we stood there side by side.

"Love you too, Court."

Don't give it away…

A/N: So, whaddya think? Like it? Hate it? :) Here, we read of Duncan's more deeper side. Yes, past the perverted things roaming around his head, we find an emotional, gooey heart :P Hoorah.

So yeah, I enjoyed writing him like this, considering what an ass he's been lately in TDWT. I had an epiphany while watching "Pandorum" with my older bro (and don't ask why 'cause I don't know myself lol) that since by the time Duncan & Courtney get eliminated, there'll be another Aftermath and MAYBE, JUST MAYBE, Bridgette will somehow try and get them back together. She's pretty much only Courtney's true friend in the series, right? So why wouldn't she? Hmph, well, like I said, it's an epiphany :3 And I was pretty happy to see Trent & Gwen getting along at the recent Aftermath episode. It was like a relief. Now, I'm not much of a TxG fan, but it'd be a dang shame if TDWT ended with them not talking to each other :/ it was almost like they were… flirting perhaps? OuO my hopes for DxC just shot way up for the 48764th time today hehe.

Anyways, I lurv Mayday Parade. Duncan sorta sounds like the lead singer, or is it just me? Hmm… ah well. It's 1 of my fav songs by them. Hope you guys enjoyed it! I'll update "When In Italy..." real soon, and "You've Got Mail!" afterwards. C u!

~Raf