Chapter Text
"Gwen, we're not going to the other side of the world, you know?" Blake joked as he walked up to me and took over most of my bags, which I let happen willingly.
"I know, I know. But you'll thank me at the end. Whatever you'll need is in here", I defended myself while giving Blake a playful punch on his biceps. All Blake was left to do was grin brightly while shaking his head a little. Meanwhile he walked up to his truck in which he carefully placed my luggage. I was a bit distracted looking around at his rental and yard, which seemed so country somehow, even though it was in the middle of LA and was just a rental. It was so him.
"It's good to see you again", he said then, while he took a short glance over his shoulder, meeting my eyes. Quickly I threw him a small smile before he returned his attention again to putting all the bags I packed inside the back of his truck.
"How you've been?" Slowly I had closed the distance between us, while leaning against his truck a little, being able to make eye contact now.
"Fine, I guess", I heard a sarcastic chuckle leaving his throat, which worried me. Instead of asking further on it, I decided to give him a pitiful smile. Even if I would ask him further on it, the only thing I would accomplish is a frustrated Blake, I knew from experience. I don't want to talk about my divorce either right now. My hand went to his arm and squeezed it, trying to catch his attention again, after his eyes had wondered off of mine.
"Hey? We're gonna have a great time this week. Forgetting about all the problems, just having fun, right?"
Now it was his time to smile while he nodded. "Yeah", he closed his trunk before returning his focus on me. "I could really use that", he ended while stretching out one of his arms. My small body didn't hesitate to walk into his arm, as it came to rest around my shoulder that same second. I returned the sight hug, by pulling one of my arms around his back as well.
"I missed you", he said then, sounding so sincere and nonchalant, which made me blush a little.
"I missed you, too", I replied as we walked in his house, arm around one another, meeting two familiar faces in the hallway.
"I feel like I'm in Tish, it's freaking me out. How does he even find these places?", Adam said while throwing on his coat, followed by the adorable laughter from Pharrell. Soon Blake's chuckle followed, as their heads snapped around towards us.
"Gwen, boo!", Pharrell's face brightened up even more with his typical content, relaxed smile on his face. "Hey you", I took my arm away from Blake's back as I opened my arms for Pharrell immediately.
"Hey gorgeous", Adam said now as well while leaning in and placing a kiss on my cheek before hugging me as well.
"So does anyone know what this is about?" I asked, facing the three men, shrugging in a similar time.
"All I know is that Carson was on vacation somewhere in Canada and then Mark and some others are heading from another direction as well", Adam laughed while making a funny, confused face.
"So no one knows why we're all invited to meet up in Denver?" Pharrell asked while frowning also amused.
"Nope", Adam said as we were all walking out of Blake's house and waited for Blake to lock up.
"I bet it's something like we did in season five, with Christina and Cee Lo", Blake nodded towards Adam, followed by a full time frowning Pharrell and I as we had no clue what they were talking about.
"I was thinking the exact same when we got that e-mail, but man that would've sucked if you wouldn've been there", he then said while rolling his eyes at the memory as a truthful sign he was indeed relieved that Blake had been there as well.
"Yeah, buddy, I seriously thought I was gonna die out there", Blake chuckled now while also Adam started clapping his hands while laughing from the memory. Meanwhile the four of us were walking to Blake's car.
"Wait, wait! What did you guys do in season five?" I asked then curious and maybe even a bit scared, as we were all settling down in Blake's truck. Both Adam and Blake laughed as my clearly frightened self had shimmed through.
"We did this teambuilding weekend, but that was like in San Francisco, which is way closer to LA then Denver", Adam started explaining as he turned around in the passenger seat, facing Pharrell and I. Meanwhile Blake started pulling out of his driveway as we officially began our trip.
"But anyway, we also had to get there by car, which is ridiculous to start with--"
"--and believe me, being in a car with Christina Aguilera, I love that woman, but eight hours straight, God I swear I was gonna open the vehicle door and jump out of it", Blake added, sounding so serious about what he was saying, which made me and Adam burst out in laughter, as I could barely contain my happy tears from falling. When I looked beside me, I also saw a very amused Pharrell listen intently as his usual happy smile had changed into a holding-back-bursting-out smile as his eyes started to tear up a bit as well.
"So eventually we arrived, already in a frustrated mood and then we discovered that we had to do all kinds of team building in the five days that were staying there. I was so close to killing myself when that fifth day arrived", Adam joked.
"For real, Cee Lo barely showed up, good knows what he has done those five days", Adam said as Blake started chuckling. "I don't think I wanna know either", I joked, which made all three of the boys laugh out loud. Don't get me wrong, I don't know the guy and haven't even met him once. But I mean, everyone knows about his kinda odd reputation, right?
"Besides Cee Lo's constant absence, Christina was like the opposite, she was all in it and was so competitive all the time. So Adam and I were just laughing all day long and making fools of ourselves as we just laughed with what kind of stupid things we had to do as grown-ups." I couldn't help but focus on Blake's face as he was laughing while telling the story. Clearly being brought back to that time.
"Don't forget about Carson!" Adam added as also he was laughing nonstop, which seemed to take over the whole mood in the car.
"Right! He was like in the middle of everything, trying to not get Christina too pissed off and trying to control the two of us", I heard a chuckle coming from Pharrell's mouth now as he was grinning.
I couldn't stop laughing either as I could totally see that happening. Those two pissing everyone off, especially Christina as Carson tried to make the best out of it and tried to keep the piece in the group.
"How long of a drive is this anyway?" I ended up asking while looking out of the window, as soon as the laughter had reduced.
"Around sixteen hours or something", Blake answered, who was sitting behind the wheel.
"Ok, cool", I heard Adam sight already, probably his adhd talking. He then picked up the cardboard box and placed it on his lap.
"What's that?" I pulled myself up a little, sitting at the edge of my seat to look over Adam's seat.
"No road trip without good music, am I right or am I right?" He smiled then bright as he saw me nod enthusiastic. I tried to peek in the cardboard box with so many albums in it, to recognize some.
"Which ones did you bring?" Curiously I asked. He started to name lots of bands and singers, mostly from which I knew he loved or was close friends with. Such as Tori Kelly, Rihanna, Sammy Hager, The Beatles, Fleetwood Mac, Elton John and a lot more.
"This one's my favourite", Blake ended up saying while vaguely pointing to a certain album, as he took his eyes off the road for only a few seconds. As I had already spotted Blake's name on one of the albums when I had been trying to peek, I considered he was talking about his own album.
"You talking about your own album, cowboy?" I asked giggling, as he chuckled as well.
"There isn't one of mine in there", he looked at me through the mirror while he gave me a small wink. It's then that I heard Adam sight while picking up an album and hesitantly showing it to Blake.
"Wait? That's yours?", Blake sounded genuinely surprised as he raised his voice when he saw Adam putting Blake's recent album 'bringing back the sunshine' in the air. Adam sighted again as he simply ignored Blake's question and putting it back in the box.
"I can't believe you bought my album!" He was mocking Adam which made me laugh while looking out of the window, as my heart filled with laughter seeing the two of them interact as I felt my smile headache come up. I felt blessed to be surrounded by those three again, as I had only been with them for less than an hour and I've laughed more than the whole last month combined.
"Adam, I'd kiss you if I wouldn't be driving", he teased some more, still about the album.
"Thank God you're driving then. Let's put up your favourite album then", I heard Adam vaguely say between my thoughts, as my mind had wondered off to what my babies would be doing now. Whether Gavin was doing something fun with them for once in his life. My heart breaks every time I had to drop my three lovely boys off at their dads, at how their mood changes the moment they give me a goodbye hug. As even Apollo starts crying from time to time. I swallowed, trying to control my feelings.
As on cue I frowned when I heard a familiar tune reach my ears. The second I heard a yodelling sound, I snapped my head towards Pharrell.
"Hey, that's our song!", I say to Pharrell who had his eyes locked on mine, recognizing Wind It Up as well immediately. "You have The Sweet Escape album?" I then ask directly to Adam on which he nodded.
"Of course I have. I wasn't kidding when I kept on telling you in your last season that I'm a big fan."
I'm not gonna lie, I was a bit taken aback. He did complement me a lot in season seven and had told me multiple times how much he loves my music. But I always figured that that's just the charming guy he is. That he knew like my big hit songs, but I never thought he would've actually be the big fan he tells me he is.
"You're the sweetest." I ended up saying, right before another thought flew through my head. "I thought we were gonna listen to Blake's favourite album, though?"
"You're so modest", Adam said, sounding totally in awe, I frowned a little, just ignoring him.
"This is my favourite album, Gwen", I heard the southern accent say, as he grinned at me, meeting my eyes through the mirror again. "I might be a cowboy, but I'm not from another planet." My eyes must've widened once I realised what he was saying, which filled the car with laughter once again.
My smile took over my face as I blushed while his dimples reached my eyes. I mouthed him a simple 'thank you', not trusting on my voice now. Afraid it would actually crack because of the emotion. Because never in my life have I felt so supported. I can't imagine having a better way to spend my time then to be on a road trip with my three favourite people, who support me no matter what.
I saw Blake frown a bit worried as he gave me a small smile, showing his dimples nevertheless. Damn those dimples.