#Dancerlittle

[hb-writes]

Bloody Rotten

**imagine that cigarette in the gif is a piece of toast.

Summary: It’s 1925ish (???) in the Little Lady Blinderverse. Clara’s feeling bloody rotten, but thankfully her brother arrives home just in time to look after her. 

Request (from Dancerlittle over on ao3): If you’re taking requests, I’d love to see Clara sick and Tommy taking care of her (not sure if you’ve written this yet!) - I decided to use this request with the parental prompt 31: "When was the last time you ate something?”

Characters: Tommy Shelby and Clara Shelby w/ a bit of Frances.

Content Warnings: Clara’s got a flu/ stomach bug so there’s pretty open talk about not eating, not sleeping, vomiting, and feeling bloody rotten.  

Here’s the AO3 link if you prefer to read over there. Tell me what y'all think! Reviews and comments are always appreciated. 😌❤️

Peaky Blinders (Little Lady Blinder) Masterlist

Peaky Blinders (Non-Shelby!Sister) Masterlist

—

Frances took her boss's cap and briefcase as the pair of them stood in the foyer, enduring the chilliness left by the brief opening and closing of the front door.

"There's a pile of correspondence on your desk, Mr. Shelby."

He was several hours late in arriving, but the maid didn’t pass comment, and if she passed judgment, Tommy didn’t pick up on it—a rather pleasant and rare thing, if Tommy thought about it—to be welcomed home without complaint and admonishment.

"And the new chef started on Tuesday," Frances added, ignoring the icy bite that clung to the fabric of her uniform.

"Yeah?” Tommy asked. “How is he? No burnt toast, I hope."

"No, sir.” Frances gave a small smile. “No burnt toast, though he hasn't had much of an opportunity to cook for anyone but the staff since arriving."

Tommy waited for her to expand upon her statement, not offering commentary or prompting, simply willing her to continue. Frances knew her employer well-enough and quickly obliged.

"Charles is coming back to himself, but your sister is now poorly," Frances offered, failing to hide the concern that crept into her voice. "She's not kept anything down for three days, Mr. Shelby. She refused to even try for lunch and dinner today."

Tommy shrugged out of his coat, allowing Frances to take that as well as his gaze traveled up the staircase where his sister likely was. He had expected to find his sister there waiting for him, ready to give him an earful for his lateness, for missing Friday night dinner with her and Charles. Clara was prone to that sort of thing, which was why he was surprised to find Frances had waited up to greet him instead.

Tommy supposed he hadn’t missed much of a dinner after all though. It was better that he’d stayed in London attending to business.

“She’s asleep now?” Tommy asked.

“I don’t think so, sir, but she is in her room,” Frances answered. “She has spent most of her time there. She tried going to school and the shop, but I insisted she stay home and rest." Frances frowned. "She says she can't sleep, sir. And she won't eat, but Chef made up a tray for her anyway. I was just about to take it up.”

Frances nodded towards the tray balancing on the sideboard, a small assortment of mild foods, tea, and water set out.

Tommy nodded. "I'll take it up," he said. "Thank you, Frances.”

He collected the tray and moved to the stairs, part of him wondering how the woman had managed to garner even a smidgen of his sister’s compliance in such a state. Clara could be a notoriously difficult patient—she always had been, something which had only grown worse with age—and even he had trouble getting her to listen to reason sometimes.

Tommy could see from the stairs that the door to Clara's bedroom was pulled tightly shut. He didn't bother knocking before he eased it open to find his sister curled under the covers, her sniffling audible from the threshold.

"I'm not hungry, Frances," she said, her tone both sharp and pitiful in the same measure. "Just leave it," she ordered, giving her assumed visitor no room for discussion on the subject.

Tommy nearly snorted at Clara’s outright sullenness towards the maid she’d grown a certain affection toward since Mary’s departure. Frances had alluded that Clara hadn’t been easy, but if this was how his sister had been acting the last few days—not that he'd be surprised if that was the case—Tommy thought Frances deserved more than his thanks. She'd been gracious with him just now—she usually was—but after dealing with two sick, cantankerous children, Tommy figured he was owing the woman a few extra days off, perhaps, or some extra pay.

"Not hungry and you haven't eaten in three days?" Tommy prompted.

Clara slowly lifted her head from her pillow to look at him, a jolt of shock running through her at hearing her brother’s voice.

Up until then, Clara hadn’t been quite sure what day was what—things had sort of muddled together, especially once she started refusing meals, but Tommy’s presence reminded her that it must be Friday and judging by the quiet of the house, it was late. And if it was late, he’d broken a promise because he’d missed dinner.

Clara scowled after the shock of her brother’s sudden presence passed. She couldn't maintain it for more than a few seconds though, thoroughly tired by the little effort extended to lift her head. She settled her head back against the pillow, wiping at the half-dried tears on her cheeks as she hiked the blankets over her shoulder.

"Leave me alone."

Tommy walked across the room, settling the tray on her bedside table and ignoring her orders as he watched her. "Has the doctor been to see you?"

Clara didn't answer and something in her silence told Tommy that the possibility of calling in the doctor had been Frances's bargaining chip in gaining the girl's compliance. If Clara didn't consent to stay home and rest, Frances would call the doctor in. He couldn’t imagine Clara had liked that ultimatum very much. He imagined she had put up a fight, but Frances had persevered.

And it seemed that the tactic had worked—it had at least gotten Clara to stay in bed. Tommy had a feeling it was all for naught though if she wasn't getting any better. He couldn’t imagine this was what his sister looked like on the road to recovery. He couldn’t imagine this was better. She looked terrible and if there wasn’t improvement soon, they’d have to call the doctor whether she complied with her at-home care or not.

“You’re not sleeping and you’re not eating,” Tommy said. “We’ll need to—”

"When was the last time you ate something?” she mumbled, a bit of fire dancing in her tired tone though she didn’t lift her head from the pillow.

Tommy snorted. Her snark was comforting, reassuring that things weren’t too far gone to be taken care of with a little push. "It’s not me I’m worried about, Clara.”

Those words brought Clara to the crest of her emotions, the wave of it swelling within her because though she’d been resistant to Frances’s display of concern, her brother admitting it allowed Clara to admit that she was worried, too. There was part of her wondering if she was ever going to start feeling better, if she’d ever be able to get back to the business of eating and sleeping and carrying on, or if she’d be confined to this bed, sore and tired and cranky til the end of her days.

It was starting to feel that way. Clara was starving, more hungry than she’d been in her entire life. The pains in her stomach came and went now, sometimes overshadowed by the soreness of her body on account of all the heaving she’d done, but there was a constant emptiness in her she couldn’t escape, a constant lack of energy and will. But even if she was hungry—and terribly thirsty, to boot—Clara was far too afraid to try again. She hadn’t successfully kept anything down for days and she didn’t know she could handle that particular exertion. Not now.

“Clara, you need to—”

"Tommy, I can't,” she interrupted, already knowing what he intended to say. Frances had said it over and over. Miss, you need to eat. Miss, you need to sleep.  

Clara knew and somehow she couldn’t. Or maybe she simply wouldn’t. She hadn't tried anything except a few sips of water for the past day, at least. Her body had been hurt and achy from the cold, and then once all the heaving started, she just couldn't take it anymore. Clara didn’t know what would happen if she tried.

"You've got to keep something down," Tommy said. "And you need some rest."

“Leave me alone, then,” Clara’s voice seemed so small as it reached her brother’s ears. The bite had gone though she issued the same demands.

Clara curled up in the blankets, pulling them over her head as Tommy lowered himself to sit on the edge of her mattress.

"Clara."

"I don’t feel good."

"I know you don't," Tommy said, reaching out to rest his hand on her over the covers. "Come here, Clara. Come on. Sit up."

Clara didn't move from her spot and Tommy decided on waiting out her stubbornness. This routine was familiar to him. She’d relent sooner or later. He figured she was just trying to outlast him. She was just being grumpy because she was tired and hungry and sick and—

Tommy thought all that, but then he heard Clara’s sniffling sound once again as her breathing picked up, the lump under the blankets beginning to shake.

"I don't want to be sick anymore, Tommy," she whined, her voice breaking on a sob. “I feel rotten.”

Tommy didn't waste his breath trying to convince his sister to comply with his request, that she let him in and allow herself to be comforted and cared for. He didn't wait, didn’t even give Clara the option of ignoring him. Tommy pulled her up and shifted her into his arms, taking care as he rested her against him with her robe and blankets still wrapped around her.

"It hurts," Clara mumbled as she leaned into him.

A bit of crisp night air still clung to Tommy’s shirt even though he'd removed his jacket and Clara relished it, allowing the fabric to chill her fevered skin as he held her.  

"I know, my girl. I know," Tommy said, soothing her as his hand rubbed circles on her back. "You feel bloody rotten, but it's alright. You're alright."

Clara wanted to believe that everything would be alright. She wanted to be comforted by Tommy’s words, but Clara didn't truly know that she was alright. Or that she ever would be again.

Sure, her nephew had recovered from his bout of sickness in less than a week, but it hadn't been like this for him. His symptoms had been mild comparatively. Charles had had an appetite all the way through. He'd had no trouble keeping food down. He’d had no trouble sleeping.

Charles had been sick, but he hadn't been sick sick.

And the little boy certainly hadn’t had whatever illness Clara had earned for herself now.

But then again, Charles had willingly submitted to being cared for. He'd reveled in extra bedtime stories and endless servings of warm, brothy soup allowed to be consumed in his bed. He'd loved being doted on and snuggled up with his stuffed animals and his auntie.

Frances had warned Clara to keep away from her nephew's barking cough while he recovered. Clara hadn't listened to a single piece of Frances's advice.

Of course, she hadn't.

Then, once she’d started feeling feverish and sore in the throat, Frances had suggested Clara rest. She'd told her to take the day, to stay in bed.

Naturally, Clara hadn't listened to that advice either. She'd gone in to school and then to the office before coming back to Arrow House that night nearly dead on her feet.

And even then, Clara had only been enticed to go to her bed because Frances had gotten strategic in her negotiations, offering to hold off on calls to family members and doctors only on the condition that Clara stay in bed and try to rest.

Clara had been in bed ever since, but only by virtue of the fact that she’d needed bedrest. The damage was already done. She'd already pushed too hard and for too long. An illness that could've passed her over in a few days had taken root well within her and she’d been too tired, sore, and weak to do anything except stay in bed.

Tommy saw proof of that fact as Clara continued to cling to him, her breaths slowing as she settled. Half under the covers, he spotted the pile of his sister’s books—school texts and office ledgers and papers from the office—all of it a bit of evidence that even now, even with her feeling as rotten as she seemed to, Clara still wasn't taking care of herself.

And Frances's negotiations hadn't worked, not entirely. Tommy recognized they were past negotiations now. They were at a turning point in her illness and the handling of it. She wasn't eating or drinking. She wasn't sleeping. Tommy could feel the heat radiating off of his sister through the layers of fabric, Clara's body warm with a dangerous fever that reminded him of instances of childhood illnesses he'd rather forget. If she didn't make a turn soon, she'd be in trouble.

“Alright, Clara,” he said, as if with just two words he was putting an end to his sister’s suffering. “Frances sent up a tray. You need to eat and then it’s time for bed.”

Clara shook her head against him, settling herself more firmly in Tommy’s hold, somehow endeavoring to make herself dead weight, unmovable.

“I’ll have to call Dr. Osborne then, eh?” he said. “Can’t imagine he’ll be happy to be making a house call at two in the morning because a girl’s too stubborn to do as she’s told.”

Clara whined in protest, but she didn’t fight Tommy when he loosened his hold. Either Clara didn’t have it in her to fight anymore or some part of her knew her brother was right. She needed to eat if she was going to get better. Some part of Clara even wanted Tommy to force her hand. Clara knew she hadn’t the courage or the will to do it for herself.

“Alright.” Tommy shifted away from his sister. He guided her back on the bed, sitting up against the pillows. “Now, you have your choices. Eat your dinner and rest or I’ll—”

“Tommy, please,” Clara said. “I’m not being stubborn, I’m just…I’m…”

Scared. The word rattled around painfully in Clara’s brain. She was scared. Part of her knew it was silly. Part of her knew she could pull through and be on the mend soon enough, but it would probably take her eating something…and drinking something, too.

Clara didn’t know if she could manage another bout of heaving over the basin. It already felt like every muscle in her body was strained, sore, and exhausted. The mere thought of going through that again rattled her nerves, scared her nearly as much as the notion of never getting better.

Tommy waited for Clara to come to the word. He waited for her to say it even though some part of him already knew.

Clara started again when Tommy showed no signs of letting her out of finishing her thought. “Tommy, what if…” She closed her eyes, wincing as she swallowed the painful lump in her sore throat. “What if I get sick again?”

“I’m right here, Clara.”

A wave of something new rushed over Clara then. Tommy had meant the words to be a comfort. In a way, they were—whatever happened, at the end of the day, Tommy would be there with her. All that was a comfort, but Clara felt suddenly embarrassed at her brother’s declaration, too. She very suddenly wanted him out and away from her room, from her sickness.

Clara had already broken down in a pitiful bout of tears. She’d already shamelessly sought the comfort of her brother’s arms like a child. Neither of those things had troubled her, but with the idea of her brother being there while she was sick…the idea of Tommy being present as she spilled the limited contents of her stomach brought a fresh heat into her already flushed cheeks.

“It wouldn’t be the first time,” Tommy said, seeming to read his sister’s mind without her having to say a word. “I’m sure it won’t be the last either.” Tommy didn’t bother to clarify if he was talking about him being there for her or her being sick in front of him. It didn’t seem to matter. His words were likely true on both accounts.

Clara shook her head, instantly regretting the movement as it rattled her brain. She pressed her palms to the sides of her head, willing the pain to ease as she mumbled. “Maybe just leave it, Tommy. I promise I’ll try—”

“No.” Tommy snorted, shaking his head. “No empty promises, eh? Those were your own words just this week. You demanded I be home to have dinner and now you’re trying to get out of it,” he said, his speech grand and inflated as if he was making some grand business proposition and not talking to his sick little sister. “No, Miss Shelby. I won’t be going anywhere until you have some dinner.

“Start with this.” Tommy took a mug from the tray and held it out for Clara. “Go on.”  

Clara took a deep breath. The sharp pain in her head was starting to dull. She had thought about trying to talk Tommy out of it once again. She thought she could try from a different angle, perhaps, but then she thought better of it. Clara could recognize her brother’s resolve on the matter for what it was—adamant and unwavering.

Tommy had backed her into a corner. He was forcing her hand. And just as Tommy had seen the futility of fighting her on making a promise to be home for Friday dinner, Clara saw the futility in continuing to put up a fight and she took the mug of broth into her hand, savoring the radiating warmth that transferred to her fingers. Clara took a single sip of the liquid before pulling the mug from her lips.

“There,” Clara said, trying to hand the mug back to her brother.

Tommy refused to take the mug. “Have a little more.”

Clara lowered the mug, allowing it to rest on top of the blankets in her lap. “But you’re not having anything.”

“I’m not the one—”

“It’s not having dinner unless we’re both eating,” Clara argued.

Tommy shook his head, but sensed his sister’s sudden show of resolve, just as sturdy as his own had been.

“One sip and you’re already feeling better, eh?” Tommy chided as he took a triangle of toast from the tray. “Go on, then. We’ll eat, the both of us.”

“But you’re still not—”

Tommy took a bite of the toast, munching as he nodded his head toward the mug cradled in Clara’s lap. “There, I’ve eaten. Your turn.”

Clara slowly pulled the mug towards her lips. “Perhaps you should have some more—”

“Enough about my dinner,” Tommy warned.

“But—”

“You’re stalling, Clara.”

“I’m not,” Clara answered, though she was, at least a bit, and both of them knew as much.

“What is it you’re doing, then?” he asked.

“Having dinner with my brother?” she ventured, the corner of her mouth quirking just a bit. “He promised.”

Tommy shook his head at her. Whether it was the broth or Tommy’s company or something else entirely, his sister was clearly feeling a bit better if she was making comments like that. He retrieved the remaining bit of toast from the tray, holding it out as he pointed it at her.

“You’re spoiled bloody rotten, you know that, eh?”

Clara didn’t answer him, but Tommy didn’t mind. He wasn’t really expecting a response, and anyways, she was too busy holding the mug to her lips as she slowly sipped her dinner.

Peaky Blinders (Little Lady Blinder) Masterlist

Peaky Blinders (Non-Shelby!Sister) Masterlist

[prettyinlimegreenboots]

As promised, here’s my newest fic. It’s my take on Bucky returning to Thorpe Abbotts, before talking to Buck on the radio.

[dancerlittle006]

James + Josie - Chapter 4

Many, many thanks to @fromherlips, who this chapter wouldn’t have been possible without her many encouragements - simply saying thank you will never be enough.

Read Previous Chapters Here

DECEMBER 2018

He had surprised her with tickets to Ireland (a bucket list item of hers) with the sole purpose of going back to visit his family. He hung his head as he mentioned he hadn't been back in almost six months. His mother had been harping on him to come back to visit before the holidays. So early December was the best time between his schedule and hers.

But there was something he failed to mention in his plan to get her to Ireland. “I didn't let my family know I was bringing you along.”

Her eyes went wide at the nonchalant comment. She lowered her book, turning her attention to him. “You didn't tell anyone?”

“Not a soul.” He grinned. “You would think a heads up would be a great thing. However, with the Horans, they'd be blowing up me damn phone wanting to know every single thing about you and I'd rather they get to know you from the expert, rather than me.”

Emmy shook her head. “So, you didn't want to brag about me and let your family know I was coming so they'd be surprised when you show up with me?”

“I mean,” he grinned, hoping he could get out of it.

Tapping the golfer’s cap on his head, she dipped her head to place her lips on his. “You're lucky you're cute, James.”

She turned back to her book, getting swept up in the love life of the main characters.

She got a few pages in before noticing his hand on her thigh. A few minutes later, his hand was on her forearm. His feathery-light touch on her arm distracted her from Kate and her detective work.

Raising an eyebrow in his direction, “Can I help you?”

“Pay attention to me, Ems,” he whined, giving her a puppy dog look.

Placing her bookmarker in the book and closing with a quiet thump, she placed it in her bag before turning her full attention towards him. “You have my undivided attention.”

He had to laugh at her monotone, leaning over and capturing her lips in a kiss. “We only have twenty minutes until we land.”

“So what’s the plan when we land?”

Lacing his fingers with hers, he squeezed them, growing quiet. “We’ll hop on the train then it’s an hour ride to ma’s house. From there, god knows what that woman has planned. As she only knows I’m coming, she’s going to go crazy seein’ you.”

“Geez thanks.” The words rolled off her tongue before she could stop them. “At least this has to be better than how you met my parents.”

Squeezing her hand again, he knew she was still hurt by how her mother had treated her that day. “Have you heard from them at all?”

“No. And I honestly don’t expect to. I’ve been exiled from the family and I’m sure mom didn’t shy away from telling every single person she knew about what went down.” She sighed. “I’ve got my family in you, my siblings and friends. I’ll be fine.”

He hated that she thought she had to put on a brave face with him. “If ya wanna be pissed, be pissed love. Don’t hide it from me.”

“I’m just sad that she didn’t hear how I felt - she just saw the dollar signs that he could bring to the family. She didn’t care about my happiness or my quality of life.” Giving him a slight smile, she shrugged her shoulders. “I’m still dealing with it and it’ll be her loss.”

Kissing her forehead, he sighed. “I'll be your crying shoulder, I'll be the greatest fan of your life.”

He crooned one of her favorite songs, never getting enough of his voice. Since she learned of his singing abilities, he would sing random songs and tunes around her apartment and out and about.

Landing was a quiet affair. They gathered their belongings, heading towards the adjacent train station. He bought tickets, much to her dismay, and a hot cocoa, while waiting for the 9:05 train. He stood behind her, hand on her lip, kissing her the side of her head, watching the trains chug in and out of the station.

“Wanna know something?” She cranked her head, looking back at him. She didn't wait for a reply, “I wanted to be a conductor when I was little. I was fascinated by trains and have always loved traveling on them and watching them chug through the town. I was that girl who never was annoyed getting stopped by a passing train; I've always loved them.”

He hugged her closer to his body. “I thought I saw your eyes glow brighter when I mentioned we'd take the train. A conductor, huh? Well I know what to get you for Christmas.”

“What's that?” His excitement was contagious.

Kissing her cheek, he chuckled. “A conductor’s hat.”

A blush swept her cheeks, eyes falling towards the ground. “I've got one already. My brother and sister threw me a big train themed party last year. Train cake, conductor’s hat, and a full train and track for my apartment. In fact, last year, it ran around my Christmas tree.”

“Well I guess I’ll need to be more creative.” Their train has arrived. Watching the passengers disembark, he tilted his head in her direction. “Where’s the ultimate place to sit on a train?”

Emmy giggled, shrugging her shoulders. “I don’t know - as long as I’m on the train, I’ll be happy.”

Niall tugged her hand, leading her to the middle of the train. With their suitcases stored, he picked two seats before collapsing in one with a sigh. He quickly typed something out on his phone, storing it in his pocket with a grin. “Sit back, relax and enjoy the ride.”

Grabbing her book out of her bag, she relaxed against the window, getting lost in the book. She read the majority of the trip, only lifting her head to look out the window when she felt the train brake. Barely registering that Niall was beside her, she was happy feeling the motion of the train and getting caught up in the story she read.

Three chapters passed before Niall nudged her. “We're getting close, love. Get ready to be hugged and kissed many time.”

Before that, the nerves were pretty tame. She was excited to meet his family, yet there were some butterflies that fluttered. “I'm a little nervous.”

He met her eyes at the confession. “Awe babe, you've got nothing to be nervous about. Ma and Chris will love you as will da. Those are the only ones that absolutely have to love you and they will I have no doubt.”

“You sure?”

Niall chuckled. “Josie, one day I'll get you to see how incredible you are. The only ones you've got to worry about is Greg and Denise but I'm not sure if we'll even see ‘em.”

The conversation was dropped when the train pulled into the station. She took a few seconds to ensure she had gathered everything in preparation of disembarking. “Ma said she'd met us in the car park.”

Linking hands with him, Emmy followed Niall off the train. The clicks of her boots on the pavement was the only thing she focused on until she saw Niall’s face lit up setting his eyes on his mum. She dropped his hand, allowing him to drop his bag, giving her a hug.

“Oh my boy, it's so good to see ya.” She squeezed him tight before stepping back and taking him in. “It's been too long Niall James.”

Emmy snickered, hearing his mum full name him, drawing Niall and his mum’s attention to her. “Quit your laughing, Bennett.” Niall teased, pulling her closer to him. “Mum, this is Emmaline, or Emmy. Em, this is my mum Maura.”

Maura stepped forward, opening her arms for a hug. Emmy stepped in, feeling the warmth of a mother’s hug. “It’s so nice to meet you. This bugger won't shut up about you when I do get him on the phone.”

“It's nice to meet you too; however, I feel as if I don't know much about you or your family.” Motioning to Niall, she smiled. “This one doesn't open up much.”

Maura locked her arms with Emmy’s, winked at her son, before leading her towards the car. “We'll just have to change that these next few days.”

Three Days Later

The previous three days had been filled with family activities. Emmy had met the rest of Niall’s family, getting along wonderfully with his cousin, Aoife, who spilled many stories of the younger days of Niall and his other cousins. They had also gone searching through a Christmas tree farm searching for the “perfect” tree, according to Maura Horan. She was pulled into a snowball fight by no other than her boyfriend. She could still hear his boisterous laughter when he nailed her square in the chest. She had retaliated, running full steam into him, pushing them both into the snow. They had both ended up in stitches, causing Maura and Chris to shake their heads and join in the laughter.

Emmy had spent some time baking in the kitchen with Maura. As she poured the chocolate chips into the batter, Maura confessed how happy Niall had found her. During that time, she called Emmy the daughter she never had and Emmy had never felt more love from a mother.

And last night, Emmy had finally met the man Niall had called Da, Bobby Horan.  He pulled Emmy into a tight hug, and with a Guinness in hand, welcomed her into the family. She had gotten some more stories out of Bobby, all while he hugged her close to his side and didn’t let her out of his sight the entire night.

Hugging a mug of coffee (much to Niall’s disbelief, she wasn’t a tea drinker), she stared out of the window at the snow covered garden and sighed in contentment. Her book was disregarded on the desk while she was curled up in the overstuff chair thinking about the last few days.

Seeing Niall with his family was bittersweet. She loved seeing him interact with his cousins, especially the younger ones, all while not knowing when she would see her mom, dad, aunts, and uncles again. She had gossiped with his cousins and wished her own siblings were there to join in the activities.

“Hey.” Emmy was knocked out of her thoughts by Niall standing in the doorway, looking at her with a curious look. “You ok?”

“Just enjoying the quiet and watching the snow fall.” She smiled. “You startled me. Where have you been?”

Taking a seat in the chair next to her, he grinned. “Spending some time with ma and Chris. They were filling me on things I had missed around the town. Why are you down here all by yourself? Something bothering you?”

Emmy turned back to the window, efficiently ignoring his question. “Emmy, talk to me. I know something has been off since we landed but I haven’t been able to put my finger on it.”

She heard him sigh, scooting closer to the edge of the chair. “Darling, it’s just me. Talk to me.”

Taking another sip of her coffee, she shifted in the chair to look at him. She took his hand in hers, looking towards the ground. “I’ve been watching you with your family and it’s hit a little close to home.”

It was hard for him to hear her whisper, though the words had barely gotten to his ears. “Awww babe, I’m sorry. I didn’t even think about that.”

He was quiet, not really knowing what comfort her could bring to her. Grabbing her hand, he gave it a squeeze, and a gentle smile. “What can I do? I’m sorry you’ve been feeling left out.”

“But that’s the thing, I haven’t been left out,” she sighed, looking at him. “If anything it makes me feel bad that my family are the one that will be missing out. Mom’s the one that has done this to herself and that she won’t see me or my siblings until she apologizes. She’s the one I’ve been sorry for.”

Emmy laughed with bitterness. “Your mother has been more like a mother to me in these last few days than my mother ever was. She has hugged me more times than my mom did in the last two years.”

Before she knew it, there were tears flowing down her face. Emmy didn’t know why she was crying, just that there were tears. Niall pulled her from the chair, brought her into a hug, before rubbing his hand slowly up and down her back. “Please don’t cry. She’s not worth your tears.”

“You don’t understand.” She sniffled against his shoulder with a short laugh. “You’ve got the perfect family yet you don’t understand why I’m crying.”

He chuckled. “Do you know why you’re crying?”

“No!” She pulled back, wiping the tears away. “But I’m sure it has to do with the fact that I’m sure I’ve got to rebuild my family and being in yours makes me belong to something.”

Niall leaned in, kissed her cheek before grinning. “Well then, I guess we’ll have to create our own family. Willie and Deo will soon become the brothers you wish you had but never wanted. Aoife and Katie will become the gossiping cousins you wish would go away. My ma, Chris, and da will become your surrogate parents. You have your brother and sister who will round out the merry ‘ole gang. You’ve got a family, you just have to rediscover them for yourself.”

“What do I do about these feelings I have? How do I get past them, old wise one?” Emmy sniffled, then grinned in Niall’s direction.

“Hakuna Matata, Ain't no passing craze It means no worries, For the rest of your days, It's our problem-free philosophy.” A giggled passed her lips hearing one of her favorite songs sung by one of her favorite guys.

Shaking her head, she threw her head back laughing. “Your advice is to have no worries. Real convincing there, Horan.”

“Sorry that was the first song to pop into my head.” He cleared his throat. “Let me see if I can do something better.”

Niall gave her a silly look before singing the next song. “If I could, Baby I'd give you my world, Open up, Everything's waiting for you, You can go your own way.”

“Should’ve known you’d throw in Fleetwood Mac.” She leaned over and kissed him. “Thank you for giving me some sage advice.”

Niall shrugged his shoulders. “You want more? There’s a few songs I know that might help.”

“Sure. What do you have in your arsenal of song lyrics?”

The next one he sang surprised her. “And now I'm glad I didn't know, The way it all would end, the way it all would go, Our lives are better left to chance, I could have missed the pain, But I'd have had to miss the dance.”

“I’m impressed Horan. Didn’t know you had Garth Brooks’ country in you.” She wiped the stray tears away as he retorted by sticking his tongue out at her. “And I’m dating a two year old.”

Niall laughed. “Hey I’m at least three years old on a good day. Get your facts straight woman.”

“My apologies mister.” She kissed his cheek while he huffed in annoyance. “Any more songs?”

He held up a finger to which she leaned forward to kiss. “One more.”

“Just know you’re not alone, 'Cause I’m going to make this place your home.”

His singing did the opposite as it had been doing; the tears were back, though this time, happier tears than before. “Niall James . . .”

“Uh oh . . . is this one of those times I’m in trouble because you just double named me?” Fear crossed his face followed by the pouty face he wore when he was sorry something had happened.

She giggled, wiping the tears away, letting her eyes rest on him. “This is one of those moments where you’re the sweetest boyfriend in the world.”

He visibly relaxed, a goofy smile stretching across his lips. “Love you, Em.”

“Love you too.” Their lips met in a kiss, that was too soon interrupted by the buzz of the doorbell.

They heard Maura answer the door, speaking to whomever was on the other side. Emmy took a glance at Niall, who’s face had turned sour by the voice at the door. “Niall?”

“Stay here Emmy. Promise me, you’ll stay here.” She quickly nodded, watching him walk down the hall towards the door.

Emmy heard the voices grow louder, while she gripped the mug tighter in her hands. She heard Niall, who rarely raised his voice, growing louder with every passing word. Several minutes passed, the voices continued to grow, Emmy finally growing tired of the argument, placed the mug on the desk before walking down the hallway, her soft footfalls barely heard over the screaming.

Her eyes went wide taking in the sight in the entryway. Niall and Maura were facing a man and a woman, Niall’s stance was anything but friendly. Looking between Niall and the man, she guess that was his brother. Emmy knew there was some tension between the two but she hadn’t prodded him to find out more.

Leaning against the wall, she took everything in, not comprehending the words that were being thrown between the two men. Anger spewed from Niall’s mouth, his hands moving a mile a minute, and his stance protecting his dear mother from anything that his brother would do.

“Oh look, you brought a girl home.” The words flew from his brother’s mouth, causing the four occupants to turn their attention towards her.

Niall’s eyes went wide, seeing her standing there and in that moment, she should’ve actually listened to him and stayed in the living room. “She has nothing to do with this Greg. Leave her out of it.”

“You mean you don’t want her to know that you actually have a brother who has a family? What are you protecting her from?” His brother spat, taking his eyes off Emmy for a moment and redirecting them towards Niall. “You’re not usually the one to keep secrets, Niall.”

Emmy pushed herself off the wall, making her way to Niall’s side. “Actually I know more about you than you think I do. Niall has been very forthcoming regarding you and has told me the history. And frankly, I had no desire to meet you.”

Her hand found Niall’s, squeezing it, glaring at the man. “At the moment, I know you came in here hootin’ and hollerin’ and disturbing our afternoon. Now I believe Maura and Niall asked you to leave several minutes ago, so I’m not exactly sure why you’re still standing here thinking you’re welcomed. To be honest, no one wants you here.”

Niall smirked, listening to Emmy speak, with little respect, towards his brother, who had always been jealous and green with envy at the success Niall had obtained. Greg always blamed Niall for every little thing that had happened to him, his wife, and child. “You heard her Greg, no one wants you here. Now please leave so we can get along with our afternoon. I wish to see you at better circumstances but we’re through here.”

“Come along, dear, I can see we’re no longer welcome here.” Taking his wife’s hand in his, he gave Niall a look. “I wish I could say it’s nice to meet you but I don’t want to waste my breathe.”

Emmy squeezed Niall’s hand watching Greg stomp through the front door. Niall slammed the door behind him, looking between Emmy and his mum. “I’m sorry ma.”

“You have nothing to be sorry for.” She paused. “I’m sorry, Emmy, that you had to witness that.”

She gave Maura a shaky smile. “Please don’t apologize. He’s gone and we can get on with our afternoon.”

“I’m going to go finish getting ready and we can leave soon.” Maura hugged Niall first followed by Emmy before escaping upstairs.

Emmy’s eyes watched her leave, before turning her attention to Niall. “You ok?”

He didn’t speak for several seconds, simply squeezed her hand. “I hate him sometimes.”

“We all hate our siblings at times.” She smiled sadly. “There are several moments I can think of that I hate mine.”

Niall shook his head. “This is bigger than that. He’s been jealous of me since I joined the band and instead of just dealing with it, he lashes out and causes a big ruckus.”

“Is that why you didn’t tell anyone I was coming with you?” Emmy connected the dots pretty quickly, giving Niall a look. “Because if so, then it all makes sense.”

Pulling her into his arms, he kissed the side of her head, sighing loudly. “I guess we all have to have the black sheep in the family and Greg is ours. He’s exhausting and always want everything without the work. He’s green with envy that his little brother has it all without doing seemingly none of the work.”

“You work your arse off and deserve everything that you have currently. You don’t sit back and everything comes to you. Everything that you have, is rightly deserved due to the hard work and dedication you put into work.” Emmy stood on her tiptoes to place a kiss on his lips. “I’m so incredibly proud of you.”

He kissed her, not knowing what to say. He pulled her into his arms and just held her. Sighing, he pulled away. “Thank you for just knowing what to say.”

“I love you.”

“Love you too Em.”

She started humming, pulling him into her arms, swaying slowly, their bodies moving to the tune.  “What are you humming?”

“It’s stuck in my head.” Emmy murmured, surprised at him spinning her. “I don’t know what song it is.”

She continued to hum, watching his face to see if he recognized the song. His eyes lit up in recognition.

“Pay attention, I hope that you listen cause I let my guard down, Right now I'm completely defenseless, For your eyes only, I show you my heart, For when you're lonely and forget who you are”  His crooner voice sang only to her, causing goosebumps to form up her arm.

He continues to hum, twirling her around the foyer. Niall dipped her, causing her to squeal in surprised, making him pause in his humming, to crack up laughing. “I hate you Niall Horan.”

He sidestepped her swat in his direction. He was still laughing, seeing his mum come down the stairs. “What’s all this racket?”

“Your son is an arse.” Emmy shook her head, her hand finally making connection with his arm.

Niall frowned, both from her statement and the slap. “Hey now, as someone who just sang to you, I’m an arse? I see how it is. Maybe I’ll stop singing to you?”

Emmy’s eyes went wide. “Ok I take it back. Please don’t stop singing to me. You’re not an arse.”

The day continued, the family putting the disturbance from that morning out of their minds. They visited a pub followed by a tour of the town by the most famous resident. Emmy laughed at the ridiculous stories Niall told her about the residents.

And as he told her the stories, Emmy could start to imagine a future with him, him telling those stories to their children as he put them to bed. The thought was comforting and made her happy.

So family drama, huh? Have to love when families aren’t always perfect.

What did you think? I’d love to hear your thoughts!

[prettyinlimegreenboots]

After having her hopes and dreams shattered, Adelaide Baker must find a new dream to chase. Her entire family is part of the war effort and often finds herself utterly alone. As she starts her life over at Thorpe Abbotts, an unexpected force knocks her life upside down and all she has to do is buckle up and hold on. But with a war going on, can the two of them survive until the end or will circumstance keep them apart?

Just in case you haven’t seen this but I have a new multi-chapter Masters of the Air fan fiction being posted both here on Tumblr and AO3. There’s three chapters posted and it will probably be about 10-12 chapters in all.

[prettyinlimegreenboots]

“Taking Comfort (In Your Arms)” has reached 80,000 words 😳 Hard to believe it’s 13 chapters and probably 7-8 to go. Definitely will be 100,000+ words!

[prettyinlimegreenboots]

Stories of Our Lives - Chapter 10

A/N: I am so sorry it's taken me a little bit longer to post this. I wanted to make sure all was right because this is my favorite chapter just for the suspense. Let me know what you think!

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.

December 31, 2018

She should have known today was different when she woke up to an empty bed. Gia couldn't recall the last time she didn't wake up to Louis' snores and quiet hums. A note was placed on his pillow along with a pink Dahlia.

Morning Italia,

I'm sorry I'm not there with you when you wake but I'm planning a surprise for you. You're going on a bit of a scavenger's hunt today. The girls should be there soon and they'll spend the morning with you. They have your first clue.

Have fun and I love you!

Louis

Pulling herself out of bed, Gia wondering what her boyfriend had up his sleeve. Pulling on her dark washed jeans, a white long-sleeved shirt, her teal scarf and a pair of grey boots, she shook her hair trying to figure out what to do with it. Deciding not to mess with it, she pulled it up into a messy bun, heading out of the bedroom. Grinning, she heard the girls' loud voices as she neared the kitchen.

"There she is!" Tricia grinned holding a mug in her hands and a bright smile on her face. "Did you sleep well?"

Gia smirked, making herself a cup of tea. "Yes I did. Lou is very skilled, if you catch my drift."

The girls laughed, shaking their heads at their friend. "So what's the plans for the day?"

"That's for you to find out at a later time." Danielle smiled, her eyes bright with excitement.

Not wanting to push it, Gia nodded turning her attention to the littlest one in the room. "Hi Mollie!!."

"Hi Aunt Gia. Uncle Lewie told us he's got a 'prise for you." Mollie grinned brightly twirling around the room in her dress.

Moving closer to the newly turned five year old, Gia crouched down to Mollie's height. "He did? Can you give me a hint?"

"No silly. It's a 'prise! He promise me 50 pounds if I didn't dell you anything with a trip to de zoo." She giggled loudly. "But he said to give you dis."

It was a small box wrapped in multicolored polka dots paper. There was a thick black ribbon tied around it. Sliding it off, she wrapped it around Mollie's arm, who in returned smiled brightly. Ripping off the paper, Gia opened the box, noticing a gold bracelet and an envelope.

Tearing open the envelope, she grabbed the letter unfolding it.

Hi Damsel,

So this is officially your first clue. You should be able to figure this out pretty quickly. There are some rules though. At each stop, you must take a photo and send it my way. Take as many photos as you want, you're going to want to remember this. Second, ask as many questions as you want or need. The girls will be with you for most of the morning but they will be leaving you in capable hands later on in the day. But I'm getting ahead of myself.

I love you and I'll see you later.

Louis

P.S. - Your next clue will be at the place on the bracelet

Looking up from the letter, she smiled at the girls. "What do you have there?"

"My first clue and a letter. Louis is sending me on a scavenger's hunt of sorts. And apparently you girls are along for the ride." Gia smiled taking the bracelet out of the box and looking at it. The gold band was plain with “51° 30' 11.8542" and “-0° 7' 47.8128" inscribed on it. She racked her brain trying to figure out where the coordinates laid.

"He would throw me for a loop." She muttered, pulling out her phone. Plugging in the coordinates into the app, she smiled seeing where they landed. "Let's go girls."

Slipping on coats and gathering their purses, Gia and the girls headed towards the door. "And where are we going exactly?" Tricia asked, holding Mollie's hand as they locked up the flat.

"The park we always ended up after our dates. It's kinda become a tradition for Louis and I." Gia smiled leading the way down the sidewalk.

Despite being New Year's Eve, it was 2°C with no wind. It was actually a pretty pleasant day. She hummed to herself as her and the girls trotted down the way. Mollie was chattering with Scarlett and while Scarlett was giggling with Danielle.

"What are you thinking about?" Tricia creeped up silently to walk beside her friend.

Startled by the intrusion to her thoughts, Gia jumped. "Jeez woman you need a bell. Give a girl some warning next time."

"And you're avoiding my question miss. What are you thinking about?" Tricia smirked.

Seeing the park ahead, Gia looked over at Tricia. "Just how much Louis has planned. I'm anxious to see what he has up his sleeve."

"Oh you will love it. Let's just say Louis has given the boys some big shoes to fill." Tricia gushed.

Entering the park, Gia let her eyes scan the area she had come to love. "Now what?"

"I'm suppose to look for the next clue.  It should be around here somewhere."

Scarlett looked at Gia. The park was a good size and would take a while to search the entire area. "Is there a bench you two always sat on or somewhere here that's special for the two of you?"

There were two places that were special to the couple within the park. Walking towards a bench they often sat on, Gia's shoulders slumped when she realized that was a dead-end. "One more place.

Heading across the park, the girls struggled to keep up with Gia.

Stopping at a large sycamore tree in which Louis had carved their initials into the truck. Tied up in the branch above her was a yellow sunflower and an envelope. Untying the bundle, she quickly opened up the envelope pulling out the letter.

Hello Soldier,

So you're on your second clue! Congrats on figuring out the first one. Hope you liked the bracelet. Wear it and know that's our little secret place if you ever need to get away but always promise you'll come back to me.

Now for the next part: head to your favorite dress shop and pick out a dress to party the night away. Not long now until I see you.

All my love,

Louis

Folding the letter back up, she turned to the girls. "We have our next destination."

Taking a photo with the tree, Gia smiled, sending the photo to Louis before pocketing her phone. "Where to now madam?"

Laughing at Danielle's posh accent, Gia nodded towards the park entrance. "The dress shop we always frequent."

"Why there?" Tricia asked.

Taking Mollie from her arms, Gia danced down the sidewalk causing the little girl and their friends laugh. "Did Louis not tell you anything? According to his letter, I could ask you guys any and all questions I wanted."

"He told us need to know information." Scarlett informed her. "But he didn't give us specific information."

The group continued on their journey. Gia had Mollie in her arms singing an One Direction song softly in her ear.

Stopping in front of Hoopla, Gia threw open the door, stepping inside followed by the girls. A perky saleswoman smiled brightly in her direction.

"Hi can I help you?"

Transferring Mollie back to Tricia, Gia smiled. "I'm looking for a dress. My boyfriend is surprising me with a big night out."

"You wouldn't happen to be Giovanna would you?" The saleswoman asked shuffling through some papers.

Nodding, Gia looked at her friends with wide eyes. "I am."

"Louis spoke very highly of you. He has everything taken care of." Pausing, the woman smiled. "I'm sorry; I'm Mary and I will be assisting you today. If you follow me, we have a dressing room started for you. You have some guests waiting for you as well."

Looking back at the girls, Gia tried to figure out who would be waiting for her. Ava and her mum both had plans so it couldn't be them.

Nevertheless, the group followed Mary to the back. Gia lost in her own thoughts failed to see who her guests were until Tricia bumped her hip with Gia's. "Surprise!"

Looking up, Gia gasped seeing her mum, Ava and her grandma Catalanotte standing there along with Jay, Lottie, Fizzy, Daisy and Phoebe. "What are you all doing here?"

"We are here to help the Princess get ready for the ball or at least that's what Louis told us." Daisy exclaimed causing Phoebe and Mollie to giggle.

Jay smiled at her daughter. "Louis asked us to come down for the weekend. He asked us to help you."

"Thank you for coming. Avie, Mumma, Nonna you three little liars." Gia smirked at her family.

Ava laughed at her sister. "Like I was going to ruin the surprise. I'm not about to cross Louis Tomlinson when he's determined. I value my life too much!"

"All right dramatic one. I completely understand. Louis has always been a sneaky one." Gia smiled at the thought of her boyfriend.

Mary smiled at the sisters. "Shall we get started and let Gia try on some dresses?"

For the next hour and half, Gia tried on several dresses, opting for a plain black dress that she dressed up with a mint green bubble necklace, a green stoned ring and the emerald green earrings Louis had bought her while they were in Spain. Black peep-toed heels would accent her emerald painted toenails.

"I think this has been a very successful shopping trip." Jay grinned at her son's girlfriend.

Gia smiled back, watching Mary wrap up the dress in a plastic bag. "Now I believe this is for you."

Taking the now familiar envelope from her mum along with the Pale Pink Ranunculus, Gia opened the envelope, pulling out the letter.

Turkey,

Hi! You're almost there love. Hopefully the shopping trip was successful. Can't wait to see you all dressed up and ready to party the night away. Now for the next part. You are going to leave the girls behind. There's a car waiting for you outside. The driver will take you to your next destination. Not long now love. See you soon.

Love,

Louis

Gia folded the letter back up, putting it in her purse with the others before looking up at her friends and family.

"I guess this is where I say goodbye and continue on." Gia stated.

A group photo was taken, sent, hugs and well wishes were given before Gia left the shop and headed towards the car. Paul grinned at her opening the door. "Don't you have anything better to be doing than drive me around?"

"You would think so but seeing Louis beg for my help was just too sweet to witness." And with that Paul helped Gia into the car, shutting the door behind her.

He hopped into the car and before long the two of them were on their way to a place where only one of them knew. "Do you know what's happening?"

"Yes and I will not be spilling any secrets miss." Paul teased with a smile.

Gia laughed. "So no hints?"

"Nope but I will say Louis was pretty funny while he was planning this. He had millions of pieces of paper laying around trying to figure out which you'd like best." Paul made a left turn looking in the mirror. "You are going to love what he has planned. We are almost there. Take a few minutes to calm your nerves."

Returning to her thoughts, Gia completely trusting Louis but was nervous about what was in store. Everyone was telling her she would love it and Louis was setting the bar high for the other boys. Never in her wildest dreams did she think she would spend her New Year's Eve running around London. But she was having fun while her boyfriend left her guessing at every turn.

"Gia, hey Gia?"

Shaking from her thoughts, she looked at Paul. "Sorry to interrupt but we're at your next stop."

"Thanks." Gathering her dress, purse and jewelry, she looked out the car window, finding herself at an airfield. "Are you kidding me?"

Paul laughed opening the door for her. "Nope. Your chariot awaits."

Gia followed his finger to the private jet that waited. "Thanks Paul."

She made her way to the jet. Walking up the steps, she placed her bags on a seat, noticing a Purple Peony and an envelope sitting in an adjacent seat. She took a deep breath, grabbing the envelope and opening it.

Love,

Come fly with me! You're on your way to another place you've always wanted to go. It's a short plane ride. Once you land, there will be a limo waiting for you. Almost time to meet up with me. Now, sit back, relax, and you'll see me before you know it.

I love you always.

Louis

Folding up the letter, Gia smiled to herself. She took his advice and relaxed against the seat. Or at least tried to. The nerves bubbled in her tummy as she thought about her remarkable boyfriend.

Her mind traveled back to their first date. He wouldn't put on the big elaborate plan just to propose ... would he?

She closed her eyes willing the plane ride to go quickly anxious to see what her boyfriend was up to.

Hour and half later

She awoke as the plane touched down. Taking a deep breath, she took a moment to coat her lips in lipstick before the plane came to a stop. The stairs were pushed away from the plane allowing Gia to take a moment to gather her belongings. Heading down the steps she smiled at the man awaiting her in front of the limo.  

"Ciao Giovanna. Benvenuti Italia." A man in a suit smiled at her, holding out his hand. "I'm James and I'll be your driver. Welcome to Italy!"

Shaking his hand, Gia's face brightened. "It's very nice to meet you and thank you."

Opening the door, she allowed him to help her into the limo. Shutting the door, she took a couple of deep breaths knowing she would be seeing Louis soon. "Ahh miss?"

"Yes?"

James cleared his throat, passing her something from the front seat. "A Mr Tomlinson left this for you."

Taking the letter and an Orange Lily, she smiled in thanks. Quickly opening the letter, she got comfortable before allowing herself to read the words written.

Gia,

You're in the last leg of your journey. Welcome to Rome, Italy. I wish I could see your face right now. Get ready in your dress and be downstairs by 7:00p.m.  I will meet you and we will party the night away.

See you soon love.

Louis

She shook her head at Louis. Rome of all places. She couldn't believe her life and the amazing man she was dating. She would probably let Louis have it at some point but for now she was just too happy. Before long the limo pulled to a stop in front of a hotel. James came and opened the door for her before handing over a key card. "Room 1427."

"Thank you James."

Walking into the hotel, her boots squeaked against the tile floor. Going to the elevator, she pushed the button to the 14th floor. Her heart beated loudly against her chest as she stepped off the elevator. Following the hallway, she stopped in front of the door, putting the key into the door. Pushing open the door, she stepped into the room. Two duffel bags sat on the bed and Gia quickly recognized them as hers and Louis'.

On the beside table, a letter and a bouquet of flowers laid. The flowers were the exact same ones she found in her room the day Louis asked her to be his girlfriend. Dahlias, Ranunculus, Sunflowers, Peonies, Lilies, Chrysanthemums, Forget Me Nots, Daisies, Carnations and Daffodils. There were new additions, two red roses. Smiling she smelt the flowers before unfolding the letter.

Damsel,

You've got about two hours until you meet me downstairs. Take a shower, calm your heart, and take a few deep breaths. Get ready in your dress and be ready to have the night of your life.

Love you to the moon and back.

Louis

Taking his advice, she hopped into the shower and calmed herself down. Taking her time getting ready, she blow dried her hair, curling it slightly, it laying on her shoulders. She put on her necklace and ring before attaching her earrings to her ear lobes. She spritzed herself with the perfume Louis loved, granting herself one more look in the mirror.

She realized it was 6:30p.m. She wasn't nervous, no it was more anxiety, the unknown of what the night held caused her heart to skyrocket. She knew once she saw Louis, all would be right in her world. A thousand thoughts ran through her head, each crazier than the previous. But the thing was Louis knew her better than she knew herself sometimes.

Her cell phone chimed, alerting her of a text messages. Picking up the phone, a smiled tugged on her lips as she read the message.

You ready?

Yes! Are you?

Come on down then.

She slipped on her black peep-toed heels, grabbed her coat and black clutch before walking out the door, letting it slam behind her. Pausing she took a breath, trying to will the nerves away.

Dear god, what if he was asking her to marry him? Mrs Giovanna Maria Tomlinson ... has a nice ring to it. Of course she'd say yes. Shaking her head, Gia was getting ahead of herself.

Moving quickly down the hallway, her heels clicked against the tiles near the elevator. Pushing the down button, she stepped inside once the doors were opened. The smile couldn't be wiped from her lips as she thought about all the trouble her boyfriend had gone through. Whatever would happen that night, she knew she would have fun all because she was with Louis.

The elevator doors opened revealing the lobby. Stepping out of the elevator, her eyes scanned the space, landing on Louis with his hands in his dark grey dress pant pockets. From what she could see, he was dressed in a suit. He was staring at something out the front doors.

The clicking of her heels drew him out of his daydream causing him to turn around, his eyes landing on her and a bright smile on his face. "Well hello Damsel aren’t you are a sight for sore eyes, darling."

"Well, well look who is sucking up to me big time? So what is so important that you've kept me in suspense all day and fly me out to Rome?"

Louis chuckled, pulling Gia closer to his chest. "All in good time, Italia. All in good time."

"So now what? I mean we are dressed to the nines and I'd hate to see our suit and dress go to waste." Gia leaned up, giving him a kiss.

Louis returned the kiss, tightening his grip on her waist. "Dinner first then from there it's a surprise. You ready?"

Gia nodded, accepting his arm once it was offered. She let him take the lead, letting him guide her towards the door and out of the hotel. He helped her into the limo, getting in behind her.

"So I get no hints about what is going on tonight?" Gia shook her head. "By the way, your mum and sisters say hello."

Louis laughed. "I had tea with them this morning. They were very excited to see you this afternoon. As for a hint, you will be checking something you've wanted to do for a long time off your bucket list."

"I've got 23 things still on my bucket list, twelve of which could be accomplished in this country." Gia exclaimed listening to her boyfriend laugh.

He smiled. "I know you're frustrated with me but all I ask is a little more time. I promise you will know everything by midnight."

"Five hours to go." Gia smiled feeling the limo pull to a stop.

Louis raised his eyes. "Is that a challenge Giovanna?"

"Why not? I challenge you Pooks to make the next five hours the best I've ever had." Gia smirked in his direction.

Louis nodded. "Challenge accepted, Giovanna. But let's make this a little more interesting."

"In what way?"

Opening the limo door, Louis got out offering her his hand, helping her out. "I'm saying if the next five hours aren't the best you've ever had, I will do whatever you want for an entire day but if they are then, you do whatever I want. I'm envisioning footsie games, lots of them."

"Ok hot shot, you're on. But prepare yourself for a spa day, pedicures, and manicures." Gia giggled watching Louis' face turn to disgust.

He opened the door for her, grinning. "Let the fun begin. We have reservations under Buckland." Louis directed the last part to the hostess.

As the hostess led the couple to a table in the back, Gia raised her eyes in her boyfriend's direction. "Buckland?"

"I wanted and needed discretion for tonight." He laughed. "You'll have to thank Niall and Harry for thinking up the name."

She laughed, sitting in the chair as he pushed it in. Louis ordered a really good bottle of wine before the two were left alone. "So how involved were our friends and family in helping you plan tonight?"

"Very involved, even more than I anticipated. But I wouldn't have it any other way." He smirked her way. "They were very helpful. The girls threatened my life more times than I could count; the boys yelled at me for creating such big shoes to fill; and my mum couldn't stop crying, the girls yelling."

Shaking her head at the craziness that made up their extended family. "And my family?"

"Beyond excited. I think your mum is a bit jealous though."

The waitress brought their wine interrupting their conversation. Louis ordered for them both, the waitress leaving them alone. "Why would mum be jealous?"

"You're currently in Rome, Italy on New Year's Eve, sweetheart."

And with that their conversation left friends and family and turned to that of 2019. The boys were planning a late summer tour that had sold completely out. They were excited to get back on the road. They were finishing up a record that would drop in April, their 9th studio album, written entirely by the boys.

Their meals were delivered, tickling their senses with their delicious scents. They dug in, each enjoying stealing bites from each other plates.

Drowning the last of her wine, Gia looked at Louis with curiosity. "Now what?"

"Dessert now or later?"

"Later I'm too full." Gia's hand fell to her belly, too full to eat another bite.

Louis signaled for the check, grinning in Gia's direction. Once everything was settled, Louis stood offered Gia his hand, pulling her from her seat.

"Let's go for a walk."

Leading her from the restaurant, Louis waved off James and the limo, telling him to they'd call when they were ready to be picked up.

Rome was incredibly gorgeous at night when the city was lit up. The streets were eerily quiet for it being New Year's Eve. They stopped and threw change into the foundations they passed, each wishing for different things but at the same time the same things. Louis tugged on her hand leading her towards the bridge to their right.

"Do you know what this is?" Louis asked watching Gia touch all the locks attached to the bridge.

Gia grinned. "It's a love bridge. They say that if you attach a lock to the bridge with a partner then the two will be together forever."

"I was thinking we could attach a lock. But first there's something I want to ask you." Louis said putting a hand in his pocket.

"Fourteen months ago you came into my life and I knew that my life would never be the same. We started dating a little more than a year ago and I knew I wanted you by my side for the rest of my life." Sinking to his knee, he noticed the tears in her eyes, Louis squeezed her hand. "Giovanna Maria, will you make me the happiest man alive and marry me?"

She didn't have to think; quickly nodding, too emotional to physically say the word but Louis understood it all too well. He got to his feet, pulling her closer to him. "Yes, yes, yes a million times yes I will marry you!"

He kissed her on the middle of the bridge, stopping only to pick her up and twirl her around. Once she was steady on her feet, Louis slipped the 2.3 carat channel-round diamond ring on her finger.

Raising her hand to admire the ring, Gia gasped. "Louis William Tomlinson you spent way too much on this ring and trip."

Raising his eyebrows in her direction, he leaned over and kissed her. "I hate to break it to you sweetheart, but I have too much damn money and if I can spend some of it on you, then I'm too happy to do so. Besides, you better get used to it, especially since you will be Mrs. Louis Tomlinson."

"And so it begins." Gia grinned kissing him. "Now I believe you promised me a lock."

Bringing out a lime green lock from his pocket, he placed it in her open palm. The side was engraved with their initials and today's date. Smiling, Gia locked it amongst a cluster of gold locks, theirs sticking out like a sore thumb.

Pulling her phone from her clutch, she quickly took a photo of the lock before turning the phone on the two of them. "Since I'm sure our friends and family are waiting for news, let's tell them."

He took the photo from her, she held up her left hand, both of them smiling for the camera. Snapping the photo, it was quickly sent off to their friends and family. "So has this been the best night of your life?"

Damn Gia was caught. "Yes it was but you're forgetting one thing."

"What's that?" Louis ask enjoying the fact he won their challenge.

Gia smirked. "I love football just like you so it's not going to be a downer day like you planned."

"I know I figured it would be a day where we could just have fun and we both loved football so it's a win for us both." Louis grinned

Shaking her head, Gia smiled. "Damn you're amazing. You won by a landslide."

"I know. I love you Damsel, have I told you that lately?" Louis pulled her closer to him capturing her lips in a kiss.

Shaking her head, she snaked her arms around his neck. "Nope but guess what? I love you too Popstar."

"So now what Damsel?"

Titling her head to the side, Gia looked at him. "Thought you'd have everything planned out. All out of ideas?"

"I got my plans out of the way. Now it's up to you fiancée to figure what we are going to do." Louis grinned in his fiancée's direction. Fiancée was such a foreign word but he loved the way it rolled off his tongue.

Her eyes went wide, a grin stretched wide across her lips. "Ohhhh I love you calling me that."

"Fiancée, fiancée, fiancée .... I will continue to call you that until you get two new name." He brushed his lips across hers.

Pecking his lips with hers, she smirked. "And what will that be?"

"Wife and Mrs. Giovanna Maria Tomlinson."

Her eyes sparkled with the thought a chuckle escaping seeing her so excited. "I love those names!"

"So when do you want to get married?"

Placing a hand on his chest, Gia shook her head. "We've been engaged for 20 minutes and you wanna talk wedding? Who are you and what have you done with my fiancé?"

"I was just asking." Louis defended.

Shaking her head, Gia shrugged. "Haven't given it much thought. I'm still trying to wrap my head around the fact that you asked me to be your wife much less that we have a wedding to plan. But do you know what I really want?"

"What?"

Gia kissed him. "Gelato .... I believe you promised me some earlier. And then I've got the rest of the evening planned."

"What are we doing after gelato?"

She hummed, lacing their fingers together pulling him off the bridge. "You know they say the one you kiss at the strike of midnight is the one you'll be kissing the entire year? Well I'm planning on kissing you for a hell of a lot longer than that."

"Have I told you how much I love your plans?"

Gia thought for a moment before shaking her head. "Nope but remember that when I'm roping you into wedding plans!"

He laughed tugging her closer to him. The kiss the two would share at midnight definitely was the first the two would share for the rest of their lives.

[dancerlittle006]

James + Josie - Chapter 3

October 2018

Coming home from work wasn’t usually a fanfare. Rarely did walking through her front door from a long day cause her to pause in surprise. But that afternoon, there was a giant bouquet of roses, carnations, and lilies sitting in the middle of her coffee table. On further inspection, there was a coral envelope sitting underneath the vase.

Picking up the envelope, butterflies danced in her tummy at the excitement of the unknown. Sliding her finger under the flap and grasping the card, her eyes caught glimpse of the familiar handwriting. A grin grew as her eyes swept the writing.

Hi Pretty Girl,

Hope your day improved since we talked at lunch. If not, hopefully this will make it better. We’re going out on a date . . . dress to the nines and grab your dancing shoes. I’ll pick you up at 6pm, sharp!

See you then!

James

She read it once more before dropping it to the table. Picking up her cell phone, headed to the bedroom, knowing she only had an hour to get ready.

Picking out her new red polka dot dress, she quickly pulled it on. Now that she was dressed, her next mission was her hair. Her brunette locks were long, past her shoulders, and looking in the mirror, she sighed running a hand through.  Looking at the old style of the dress, she got some inspiration.

Pulling her hair into a ponytail, she grabbed the trusty bobby pins, pinning her hair into an elegant 1920’s bob. Taking the last few minutes to apply some light makeup, she deemed herself ready and headed down the stairs, cell phone in hand and a song stuck in her head.

No sooner did her feet hit the landing, did her doorbell ring. A nervous grin appeared as she made her way to the door, pulling it open. A brunette with a single pink peony stood on the other side with a grin and wide eyes. “Damn girl.”

“You’re funny.” She opened the door wider, allowing him to pass by. “You clean up nicely.”

Letting his eyes trail her body, he whistled in appreciation. “As do you. Little did I know when I planned this date, this is what I would walk in on. I like this dress.”

“Of course you do . . .” She rolled her eyes at the backhanded comment that was hidden in that statement. The dress gave a great view of her bosoms and we all know Niall Horan is a boob man.

He shuffled over, pulling her into his arms before giving her a gentle kiss. “It’s already babe. Just own it. You look fantastic. Did your day get any better since we talked at lunch?”

“No but the day is done and I’m excited for our date. Where are we going?”

Niall smirked, lacing her hand with his. “I’m not telling you a thing. Do you need anything?”

Looking at her bare feet, she laughed, pulling on her shoes. “I wasn’t going to say anything babe but you did look a little shorter than normal.”

Since he was too far to backhand, she settled for a death glare in his direction. “We all know I’m vertically challenged, yet you love to bring that up every chance you get, don’t you?”

“Gotta keep you on your toes, literally.” He threw his head back, cackling loudly, causing a smile to stretch across her face.

Gathering her purse and light jacket, she moved towards the door. “Alright funny guy, let’s go. I’m hungry.”

Dinner was at a quiet little Italian place that was family owned for over 45 years. Rosa’s eyes lit up as soon as she saw Niall walk in with a “very pretty girl”.

Joe and Rosa told stories of Niall stumbling into the restaurant five years ago to get out of the torrential downpour. Rosa immediately adopted him, hoping to get some meat on his bones.

Fighting a blush, Niall looked at Emmy. “Sorry about this. Their me English parents of sorts. I've spent a lot of time here when I'm off tour.”

“Don't apologize, I love the stories they're sharing.” She grinned. “I'm sure they've got some better ones to share.”

His eyes went wide. “Don't you dare ask for any follow up stories. You'll learn them eventually.”

“Well that's not fun at all. What are you scared of?” Her eyes lit up. “Are they embarrassing stories? You know those are the most fun and you've heard plenty of mine! It's only right I hear some of yours!”

“NO!” His voice raised in denial of the embarrassing stories. “There's nothing embarrassing about any of those stories. You're barking up the wrong tree if you want those kind of stories.”

Dinner soon arrived, lasagna for her and spaghetti for him. Conversations continued throughout dinner, laughter and many grins were exchanged between the two.

Before long, the bill was paid and Niall moved to pull the chair out for her. Offering her his hand, he pulled her to a stand before giving her a grin. Goodbyes were said and promises made to return, before he swept her out into the night.

“Now what?”

“If I told you, I'd have to kill you.” He smirked, waving her forward, out of the restaurant and into the cool night. “But, do you trust me?”

Yanking opening the door, he held it open, taking her hand to help her into the car. “Should I not trust you for any reason?”

“I mean,” he hesitated, a mischief gleam in his eyes. Realizing she didn't 100% believe him, he leaned in close and stole a kiss. “There's more where that came from. Just trust me. I'm not going to leave you astray. We are going to have fun tonight.”

Shutting the door, he did an Irish jig back to the driver’s side causing her to laugh (his sole purpose in life was to hear her laugh). The car started and a single destination in mind, Niall caught her grin with excitement, started driving.

Pulling into the drive of a nondescript building, her eyes went wide. “So this is where my death will occur, huh? Tell my brother and sister I love them and tell my future nieces and nephews that I was a cool aunt.”

“Enough with the damn dramatics, Bennett. You're not going to die tonight.” Niall grinned. “Let's do this.”

Her nerves kicked up at the prospect of what was in the building in front of them. The whitewashed building had several windows and a cool ocean colored door, in which they entered. As she stepped through, she could hear music down a corridor.

There wasn't a soul around as her eyes adjusted to the darkness of the building. Gripping Niall's hand tighter, she bumped into his as they stumbled through the hallway. “Where to now?”

He was unable to answer, due to a gentleman in a tux, coming around the corner. “Ahhh Mr Baloo, you're just in time. We have your room available now. Follow me this way, please.”

The couple followed the man through the twists and turns of the building. He unlocked the door and showed them inside.

She was shocked to see an open room with a dance floor, an entertainment center with hundreds of cds neatly displayed. There was a couple of comfy chairs in the back of the room, along with a chilled bottle of some type of wine.

“If you do not require anything else, I shall leave you two. Have a wonderful night.”

He excused himself, leaving Emmy and Niall together, a quietness between them.

“So what do you think?” Niall spoke first, grinning at his girlfriend.

Emmy took in the room, once more before laying eyes on her boyfriend. “I have so many questions. Number one, why Mr. Baloo? Two, what is this place?”

“Mr. Baloo is a fake name I sometimes use when I don't want my real name to come out. It's the bear from …”

“The Jungle Book.” She spoke softly, her eyes meeting his. “My favorite movie.”

Niall smirked. “And secondly, this is a dancing institute where people can come to learn how to dance. Back in the early days of my career, they tried sending us here to learn some coordination, though none of us picked anything up.”

“Obviously, by your lack of enthusiasm for dancing.” Emmy threw him a grin, causing him to shake his head.

“Anyways, I thought we might dance the night away and share some of those deep, dark secrets.” He shrugged, all of a sudden shy.

Emmy grinned, pleased at his plan for the rest of the evening. “I think, Niall, that sounds like a wonderful plan. Shall I choose some music for us to dance to?”

“No need.” He grabbed his phone, heading to the entertainment center. “I threw together a playlist of absolute randomness that we can sway to.”

Put on your old black dress And grab your dancing shoes Head out to the old bar Rose And we'll dance away our blues

“Shall we m’lady?” Holding out his hand, Emmy accepted it as Niall pulled her closer to him. They started swaying to the music, enjoying each other’s company.

“Your cousin told me you hated dancing yet were twirling around the dance floor. Wanna clue me in?” Emmy raised an eyebrow at Niall, curious with the change since the wedding they had attended.

“Dancing with you is easy. I don't have to think. Just pull you in my arms and my feet do the rest.” Niall placed a kiss on her lips, twirling them around.

Spent all week waiting Now my mind's on you Hold my loving arms My loving arms are for you Yeah, yeah I'm so tired of the nine to five Weighing down on my soul Let's get out all of this uptown life And head out on the country road

“So was this an acceptable date?” Niall, for the first time all night, looked nervous for her answer.

Emmy placed a kiss on his lips, snuggling closer to him, and placed her chin on his shoulder. “This was absolutely perfect. And though I wish I could've gotten some of those stories out of Rosa, it was a perfect evening because I was with you.”

“Sappy, absolutely sappy, Emmaline.” He teased, though his eyes were bright and his smile was wide.

[prettyinlimegreenboots]

Soooooo

I just started a new tumblr that is going to host the majority of my writings. You can follow along at @dancerlittle006

[prettyinlimegreenboots]

Story of Our Life - Chapter 8

August 12, 2018

"So who's Matt?" His question came a few days after she returned from base on a trial run. She had started working one or two days a week just to ease herself back into working.

Gia tore her eyes from the movie playing on TV. "Who?"

"Matt? You have an awfully lot of texts from him." Louis said throwing his own phone on the coffee table.

As soon as they returned from Spain, the couple had packed her apartment up, officially moving her into his place. The past two months had been difficult for the two, with each having their own quirks. Louis learned very quickly not to talk to Gia until she had her first sip of coffee. He would often bring her a cup in bed and sneak some snuggling before their day officially began.

Gia learned that Louis was still a bachelor at heart. She found clothes, shoes, and additional items strewn throughout the apartment. He was a slob and proud of it, which drove Gia up the wall.

Gia smile. "Matt's an old buddy from school. He's coming into town next week and would like to get together for drinks. He wants to meet the guy who's captured my heart." She paused. "But the better question is why were you going through my phone, Tomlinson?"

"Your phone was going off and I saw who was texting you." Louis' eyes narrowed. "Why is he telling you he loves you? Did you date him Giovanna?"

Gia's eyes widened. "So we're pulling out the full names huh? For your information, no I didn't date him. I'm not sure why he's telling me he loves me. He had a crush on me ages ago. I just ignored it. You sure got a lot out of that one text message you saw."

"And you didn't think to tell me about this guy? Why did you hide this away from me?" Louis' voice rose in frustration.

Over the past few weeks, Gia's phone had been going off at weird hours of the night. He would wake up due to her text tone but a comforting hand would rub his back and hush him back to sleep. He asked in the morning about the text and she said it was a friend or her mom but she would shift her eyes away from him.

Taking a deep breath, Gia willed herself to calm down for both their sakes. "Why would I tell you about him? You don't spend your time telling me about the millions of girls who would be willing to jump your bones, do you?"

"Those girls don't mean anything, Gia. But apparently this boy means a hell of a lot more than you've let on. Especially since this is the first time I've heard about him," Louis said.

Gia sighed. "Just like those girls, Matt means nothing. I've got my eyes on only one guy and currently he's sitting in front of me."

"Then why did Ava text you about him and you meeting for dinner tonight?" Louis asked hearing nothing from his girlfriend. "Judging by your reaction, you must be keeping more from me than you've let on. What else haven't you told me Gia? What other secrets am I being kept in the dark about?"

"Louis." Gia started. "I was going to tell you. But I didn't know how to tell you."

He chuckled. "How about there's a childhood friend of mine that I want you to meet? We're having dinner and then give me the details. How do I know you're not lying to me? This Matt character goes from someone you went to school with but now is someone who has wanted to date you in the past."

She was quiet. Hell she might have just thrown the best thing she's ever had in her life away.

Louis sighed. "Thought I trusted you but how do I know you're not playing me behind my back. I'm jealous of anyone who gets to spend time with you."

"Louis, look at me." She waited until she had his complete attention. "Matt is just a friend, nothing more or less. Dinner was just us catching up that's it."

He wanted to believe her but something was holding him back. All those late night text messages and her giggling throughout the night weighed heavy on his mind. "Gia I want to believe you but your story keeps changing."

"Where does this leave us?" Gia whispered playing with the ring on her finger. The one Louis gave her on their six month anniversary as a promise to one day make her his wife. The ring symbolized his love and devotion to her, even if it didn’t seem that way right now.

"I have to be able to trust you and at this point I'm not sure I do." He spoke quickly, not meeting her eyes. He stood, grabbing his coat, keys heading towards the door.

Gia's eyes widened. "So you're just going to up and leave? Walk away and not talk to me about this."

"At this moment, yes. Our tempers are high and I don't want to say something I'll regret later." Louis opened the door.

Gia clutched a glass, aiming it at towards the door. "If you walk out that door, don't expect me to be here waiting for you."

Closing the door behind him, he paused. He heard the glass shatter against the door before the gut wrenching sobs. Shaking his head, he headed toward the lobby to his car.

Throwing the glass shocked Gia. She had never been violent but there was something about what Louis did that pissed her off and completely changed her personality. How could she let him have that much power over her? How could she get so upset with him to start throwing things around in anger?

Slipping into the driver's side, Louis let his head fall to the steering wheel, as he tried to calm down. He thought about where he could go, what he he needed to buy, anything to keep his mind off what had just occurred.

Picking up the phone, he dialed the one person he knew would know what to say.

"Hi boo. To what do I owe this lovely surprise?" His mum's voice rang clear over the line.

He sighed, turning the engine on and started driving around aimlessly. "Gia and I had a fight."

"Did you steal her biscuit again or did you hog the covers?" Johannah chuckled teasing her son.

Louis shook his head, if only their argument was that simple. "No mum. She's talking to this guy who has feelings for her."

"Since when is that a crime? I'm sure you talking to Hannah or Eleanor looks the same." Jay sighed wishing she could slap her son over the head. "What's the real issue?"

He sighed turning down a street. "I don't know."

"Yes you do. You wouldn't have started a fight with Gia if there wasn't any motivation behind it. You aren't one just to start a fight just to fight, Louis William." Jay sighed. "What's the real issue here?"

"She kept changing the story with this guy. First they went to school then he's liked her for ages then they're meeting for dinner. She's keeping secrets mum. How am I supposed to trust her when she's talking to this guy behind my back without mentioning him to me." Louis rushed out only to hear his mum's chuckles.

Jay shook her head. "Oh boo. You don't want another guy, much less one who's had a crush on your girlfriend, to hang out with her."

"So what do I do?" Louis asked pulling to the curb in front of Harry's house.

Jay thought for a moment. "You need to give this a few days and don't act irrational. You need to calm yourself down, give her some space and then the two of you need to talk this out face to face."

"She told me not to expect her to be there at the flat waiting." Louis felt the tears pricking at her eyes.

Jay's heart broke at her son's words. "I would give her time to cool off. Gia's a great girl for you Louis. Do not let her walk away."

Pulling onto a familiar street, he was surprised to see Harry and Scarlett's flat staring back at him. He needed his friends at the moment.

Saying goodbye to his mum, he walked up to the house, ringing the doorbell. "You look like hell mate."

"Thanks." Louis said dryly following Harry into the kitchen where Scarlett, Niall, and Tricia stood.

The conversation stopped when he entered the room, as if they sensed something had gone wrong. "Hey Louis." Scarlett smiled. "What's up?"

"Nothing. Don't want to talk about it!" Louis took the beer Harry offered him.

The couples traded glances. "Sharing is caring, Lou. What happened?"

"Don't want to talk. Can we drop it?"

There was a commotion in the hallway followed by a squeal. "Uncle Lewie! You didn't say hello to me when you got here!"

"Hi princess. I'm terribly sorry for not saying hello. How are you?" Louis picked her up.

"Good. Where's aunt Gia?" Mollie's innocence killed him. Her question tore his heart out.

Louis smiled sadly. "She's at home. She's not feeling good and didn't want everyone to get sick."

"Will you tell her I hope she feels better?" Mollie asked with a bright smile.

He nodded. "Sure will, pretty girl."

Mollie pushed herself away from Louis, running back down the hallway.

Watching the girl run away, Louis took another sip.

"Wanna talk about it?"

"Geez you lot are worse than a two year old!" He exclaimed shaking his head at the girls. "Fine. I stormed out after calling Gia out on something."

Tricia glared his way, brow cocked. "What did you do?"

"Me? Why do you automatically assume it was me?" Louis' eyes widened in defense.

"Because things were going so good and you can't stand for things to go good for once in your life." Tricia glared. "So I'm going to ask you once more, what did you do to Giovanna?"

Louis gulped, looking at two of his best mates for help.

"You better answer or she'll get violent." As soon as the words left Niall's mouth, Tricia let her hand slap his head. "Ow!"

"There's more where that came from, pretty boy. What did you do to Gia?"

Since their first meeting, Tricia was protective of Gia. Even though Tricia was younger, she felt as if Gia was more of a sister than a close friend. The two had bonded over many lunches and girl nights while their boyfriends were off frockling the world.

"Jeez woman. I called Gia out for talking to a guy behind my back." Louis finally admitted, covering his head from any potential future slaps.

Scarlett and Tricia traded glances. "What?"

"Does the name Matt mean anything to you?." Louis took a swig of his beer to get the bitter taste of the man's name out of his mouth.

Scarlett's eyes grew in size. "How did you find out about him?"

"Saw the text message on her phone." Louis shrugged. "He said he loved her and they were meeting for dinner."

Tricia shook her head. "Number one, you shouldn't have looked at her phone. After her purse, her cell phone is the most sacred thing she owns."

"I thought that was her underwear drawer." Harry piped up.

Scarlett rolled her eyes. "That's the no fly zone for all guys, you nincompoop."

"What's number two?" Louis shook his head at the couple.

Tricia smiled. "You should have talked about Matt with Gia. I'm sure you blindsiding her didn't help your case at all."

Looking at the people surrounding him, he sighed. "What do I do?"

"For what?" Harry asked.

"Gia?"

"You're going to have to grovel and let her know you do trust her and want her in your life. A little romance doesn't hurt either," Tricia advised.

That started the wheels in his mind. "Like get her flowers and shit like that?"

"Well shit like that isn't going to win her back. I know you can be romantic Louis William." Tricia slapped him. "Gia has gushed about your romantic arse. Now would be a good time to pull that romantic shit out."

He was lost. "I don't know."

"Listen, here's some ideas ..." And for the next hour, he listened to Scarlett and Tricia plot ways to woo his girl back.

One Week Later - August 19, 2018

She hadn't spoken to him in a week. Seven days, 168 hours, 10,080 minutes, and 604,800 seconds. In the past 8 months they had been together, they had never gone this long without talking, text messages, or voicemails.

She had escaped to her parents' house for the week hoping they would keep the questions to a minimum. After a teary explanation, her mother told Gia to stay as long as she needed.

Though that morning an envelope and a beautiful bouquet of colorful flowers were sitting on the front porch as she swung open the door. She picked it up twirling it in her hands. She was nervous what would be written on the contents.

Taking a seat on the counter, she took a deep breath opening the envelope. A yellow piece of paper fell out. Unfolding it, she saw his scrawl across the paper.

Hello sunshine,

We haven't spoken in seven days .... A record for us. I'm sorry for everything. I should have been rational and talked to you like a normal human being but I let jealousy get in the way. Plain and simple I was jealous of the thought of any other guy wanting to be with you.

I'm an idiot and was an absolute arse to you. I don't know if I could ever properly make up for the words and accusations I threw at you.

I'm sorry. I'm sorry. I'm sorry.

Louis

P.S. - I am at the deli we visited last time we were in town after I met your parents. If you want, I'd love to see you but the ball is in your court. I completely understand if you don't want to come but I want to talk to you, in person, not through a note.

Folding the letter back up, she tucked it back into the envelope. Sighing, she knew what her heart wanted but her head was coming up with every excuse in the book.

Pulling out her phone, her finger hovered over their text message conversation. She had the mind to cuss him out and lay it all on the line. However, Gia's parents always taught her to deal with her problems face to face, looking at the other person in the eyes.

I'm scared. Pressing send, she held her breath watching the two words send to the receiver. Gia's heart sped up watching the bubble bounce up and down, signaling Louis was texting her back.

I am as well. Releasing the breath she held, her finger hesitated over the keyboard.

Are we going to be ok? She paused before sending not knowing it was the right question to ask him.

In the year since they met, the two have gone through so much. Separation, both with his job and hers, the kidnapping, him worrying he'd never see her again. The hours they had spent on the phone, the number of text messages and of course all the nicknames had left an impact on both of them. The walks in the parks, date nights, cooking in the kitchen - the number of hours they spent laughing. How devastating it would it be just to throw that all away just because of this stupid fight.

She hated watching the stupid bounce up and down before disappearing. The bubble appeared twice before his message appeared. I want us to be . . . I want us to go back to how we were when we first started dating.

Grabbing the keys to her car, she slipped on her sneakers before heading out of the house. Her mind was filled with various thoughts while she drove the familiar route to the place she spent most of her previous days. The butterflies were in full effect within her stomach and her heart was in a flutter.

They had survived it.

The meeting of her family had gone as smoothly as they could've hoped. Before leaving town, Louis had suggested coffee to celebrate the day. Gia guided him to her favorite coffee shop while showing him the town where she grew up.

Pointing out the building where she took piano lessons, she almost forgot to tell him to turn at the light. He mocked glared in her direction, smoothly turning onto the adjacent street. Pulling to a stop, Louis got out of the car, pulling open the door allowing her to take his hand. "Come along m'lady."

Walking up the pathway, his eyes took in the uniqueness of the hole-in-the-wall coffee shop. Pulling open the door, he allowed her to enter before him. "This is nice."

"I've been coming here since I was born. Mom and dad know the owners and have become good friends with them." She smiled at the barista. "I don't have a single memory that doesn't include this shop."

They placed their order, quickly finding a spot next to the roaring fire. They spoke quietly, only being interrupted by the delivering of their drinks. "We'll look what the cat dragged in!"

Gia perked up at the voice turning around with a bright smile on her face. "Luke. It's good to see you!"

"You as well little one." Luke was an older man, mid to late 60s, salt and pepper hair. Louis smiled at the man as Gia gasped. "Luke this is Louis; Louis this is Luke, the owner."

Louis shook his head smiling. "It's nice to meet you. I was just telling Gia I love this place."

"It's built on a lot of love and many years of friendship." Luke smiled.

The couple smiled, inviting Luke to join them. The older man filled Louis in on the mischief and shenanigans Gia had gotten up to during her childhood. Many laughs were shared that afternoon.

Pulling into the parking lot, stopping the car before emitting a loud sigh. Running her hand through her hair, she fluffed it a bit before checking her makeup in the mirror, Gia gave herself a semi pep talk before getting out of the car.

Muttering under her breath, Gia sighed. "You can do this Giovanna. Just walk in and talk to him. You've missed him this week and you've been miserable. Just walk in and talk to him. Clear this whole mess up."

Walking up the front, her eyes immediately zoned in on Louis. He was sitting at a table in the corner with a mug of tea. His eyes were glue to something outside the big bay window to his right. For seeing him for the first time in seven days, he looked good. She had missed him but she wasn't going to let him get away with that fight easily.

Opening the door, Gia slipped in before walking across the deli to where her boyfriend sat. Hell, she didn't even know where they stood.

Without saying a word, she took the spot across from him with a small smile. He saw movement out of the corner of his eye, before jumping slightly with the chair scraping along the ground.  "Sorry."

"You kinda have nothing to be sorry for." He took a swig of the tea. "Actually I have so much to be sorry for. And I'm sorry, Gia. I'm sorry for everything."

She smiled letting her eyes trail over him for the first time in a week. "How have you been?"

"Not good." He paused. "I stayed held up at the flat. I got my head slapped too many times by Scarlett and Tricia. How about you?"

Gia thought back to her week of hell. "Not good. Mom was hovering the entire week. I got pity looks from the boys and Ava. I was miserable to tell you the truth."

"I heard from your brothers. They paid a nice little visit to London the day after you showed up to your parents'."

Her eyes went wide. "What did they do?"

"Nothing that I didn't deserve." Louis thought back on the harsh and very frank conversation Leo, Alex, and Ryan had with him. "They just handed me my ass and told me to make it right with you."

Gia swore under her breath. "I'm gonna kill them, slow and painfully."

"Go easy on them. Can't say I wouldn't have done the same if it was one of my sisters."

She shook her head. "Alright enough about my brothers. Do you want to know something?

"What?"

She reached for his hand. "You were never far from my thoughts. I would often stop and wonder what you were doing; who you were talking to, what you were thinking. I wanted to pick up the phone and call you but always chickened out."

"I'm sorry Giovanna. I will be saying that to you for the rest of my days." Louis squeezed her hand. "What do you need from me?"

Taking a deep breath, she thought back on the last few days. She squeezed his hand back, smiling slightly. "First, I need you to trust me. I trust you 100% and with your job it isn't the easiest thing in the world. I know I should've told you about Matt but the truth of the matter is that I didn't know how. Whenever you and I are together, it's light hearted and fun; no drama. I didn't want that to change. You and I work so incredibly well together that I didn't want to rough the waters up. Second, we both need to know when it's time to leave the situation. I'll always let you leave providing you come back and talk it out with me. I was upset you left but looking back I understand completely. I'm glad you had the guts to walk out before we could say anything really bad."

She took a deep breath. "I also need to apologize for throwing the glass as soon as you walked out. I let my anger get the best of me and I have no idea what possessed me to do that. I'm sorry."

"I think I can do those." He smiled. "And I don't want you to take this the wrong way ..... But what do you think about taking a night to ourselves once or twice a month just to regroup and reconnect. That can be a night that we bring focus back on our relationship and ourselves. I was scared that I lost you forever and I will never forget what that feeling feels like. I'm sorry, Gia for ever doubting you and calling you out for something that was untrue."

He paused. "I stood outside the door and heard the glass shatter. I walked away after hearing your sobs."

Gia nodded. "I'd like that. There are times it feels like you and I are going in 100 different directions - a night or two to ourselves would only be beneficial to our relationship.  Apology accepted. No more I'm sorry’s. You made a mistake, hopefully learned from that mistake and now we move on."

"I'm forgiven that easy?" His voice was full of shock.

Gia laughed. "Nope. You will have to wine and dine me, darling. I'm thinking trips to the theater, shopping excursions, all the girly things men absolutely hate. Think of it as payback."

"As long as I'm spending time with you, consider it done." Louis laughed as Gia smile.

Slapping the table, Gia got to her feet offering her hand to Louis. "Come on."

"Where are we going?" Louis accepted her hand, letting her guide him out of the coffees shop.

Gia smiled before leading him down the street. She pointed out various places she spent during her childhood as they walked to her favorite place in the city. "Here."

Her declaration caused him to give her a puzzled look. "Here what?"

"Here was where I told my mom that I thought I was in love."

Louis laughed. "Right in front of the laundry mat?"

"Yes. I was home for a weekend right before we shared our first 'I Love Yous' and you were texting me goofy things from an interview you just had. Mom called me out on the bright smile I had on my face." She stopped, looking at his eyes. He squeezed her hand pulling Gia closer to him. "She asked what had me so happy. I told her I had been seeing this guy. You could tell she wanted to asked questions but she held back. She did ask one question."

He grinned. "What question was that?"

"She asked if I loved this boy. Because if my smile was anything to go by, then I must love this boy more than I knew."  

Louis cleared his throat, snaking his arm around her waist pulling her flush with him. "I love you Giovanna."

"I love you too Pooks."

Louis groaned, leaning down kissing her. They had a nice little make out session in front of the laundry mat. Pulling back, Louis narrowed his eyes. "One other thing we need to work on."

"What's that?" Gia's eyes rose in suspense.

His smile brightened, a chuckle escaping his mouth. "We need to work on nicknames for each other. Pooks has to go!"

"Come on!" Gia argued. "That's my favorite one. If that one goes so does Damsel."

Louis shook his head. "That was your first nickname bubs! You're stuck with that one."

Wounds were still fresh. Things were forgiven but it would take some time for them to be officially forgotten. The two moved forward, really paying attention to their relationship and working on trusting one another.

Thoughts?

[prettyinlimegreenboots]

James & Josie - Chapter 1

I’m starting something new. I hope you enjoy this new fic and I cannot wait to bring you on this journey with me.

May 2018

She found herself crying on a bench, drenched from the rain and a million and one thoughts running through her head. A to-do list started to formulate in her mind. Number one was to get out of the now-ruined white wedding dress and to change into her favorite sweats and hoodie.

Before her mind could continue with the list, a stranger plopped down next to her on the bench. She felt the tears well up in her eyes, shoulders start to shake and slacken, letting go of every annoyance, grievance, irritation, frustrations - everything flowed with the tears that now fell.

“Why the tears love? I mean, the skies are cryin’, doesn’t mean you have to as well.” He shrugged his shoulders, looking towards the woman beside him. “Thought weddings were supposed to be happy occasions, or that’s at least that’s what everyone tells me.”

She looked over at him trying to figure out what he wanted exactly. She wasn’t the one strangers usually talk to. In fact, people usually avoided her. She was the girl with her head stuck in a book, content to sit in the middle of a busy space, getting lost in the character’s lives of whatever book she was currently reading.

“What’s it to you?” Her voice was rough from the tears and came out nastier than she intended.

He put his hands out an apology. “It’s not every day you see a pretty lady dressed to the nines in a wedding dress, crying her eyes out on a park bench. Sorry for being concerned. I’ll leave you now.”

Before he could stand, a hasty apology flew from her mouth. “I’m so sorry. Normally, I’m not such a mess. You were being kind and I’m sorry. Please stay.”

“It looks like you want to be alone.” He muttered, hands in his pockets, shifting his weight from either leg uncomfortably.

She shook her head. “Alone is the last thing I want.”

“If you insist.” He took his seat again with a sigh. “So what’s with the tears, wedding dress, and moodiness? Again, thought weddin’ days were supposed to be a happy time.”

She found herself smiling despite the heaviness and indecisiveness of her heart. “Not when the idea of marriage sends you into a full blown panic attack. And your entire family making every decision for you despite the many protests and refusals.”

“So you left the altar and ran?”

A very unladylike snort was the answer to his question. “Didn’t even make it to the altar. I asked for a few minutes alone before I walked down and made a run for it.”

“That was awfully brave of you.” He mused looking over at her with a bit of a smile gracing his lips. “Have you heard from anyone?”

Shaking her head, she bit her lip. “My phone, purse, and other belongings are still at the church. I was trying to convince myself to go back and grab everything but I’m scare of the implications of my actions. There are several who won’t hesitate to give me an earful.”

“How about I go with ya? You know like a partner in crime or a support buddy?”

Her jaw involuntarily dropped at his suggestion. A man, whom’s name she didn’t even know, was volunteering to drop everything and go with her, back to the hell of the church, where her fiance, family and friends were. “Don’t you have anything better to do? I mean, I don’t even know your name.”

“The name is James. What’s yours pretty girl?” He smirked holding out his hand, mockingly. She smirked, slipping her hands into his. Thankfully the rain had stopped but not so lucky that she didn’t slip some, causing him to grab her hand for steadiness. “Josephine but you can call me Josie or Jo.”

“Well it’s nice to put a name with the pretty face, Josie. Shall we head back to the church and gather your belongings?” He pulled her from the bench motioning her forward with his free hand. Once she was steady on her feet, he pulled his hand from hers, causing her to frown from the lack of warmth his hand provided.

“Heads up, this is going to be a shit show and definitely isn’t going to be pretty but I appreciate you tagging along with me.”

“Not a worry darling. Now let’s go before either of us lose our confidence.” He nudge her, letting her lead the way out of the park.

She sighed, shaking the remaining raindrops from her styled hair. “So you’re not from around here.”

He grinned at her attempt to start a conversation and nodded. “Irish, born and raised. You don’t sound as if you’re from here at all - is that a Southern accent I detect?”

“Mississippi born and raised.” She smirked. “Moved to London after college for a job only to fall in love with Beau and now I’m running away from my own wedding.”

James exhaled loudly, not really knowing what to say or do. “Will you be alright on your own or do you need somewhere to crash until you’re back on your feet?”

She was taken back. Not only did she just met this stranger, but he was willing to open his door for her. No one had cared for her the way this man had in the half hour since she had met him. “To be honest, I have no idea what is next. All I know is that I’m not going back to the flat I shared with him. All I know is that I’m off work for the next two weeks and I plan to use them wisely.”

“We’ll figure it out, love.” He was so confident as he said it that Josie almost believed him.

“We?” She beamed, looking into his blue eyes. “You’re awfully confident I’m going to let you continue to come around.”

He chuckled, grabbing her hand, squeezing it reassuringly. “Pretty soon, you’re not going to want me to go, Josie. I have a feeling we’re going to be the best of friends.”

“We’ll see about that.” She snickered before a sigh escaped, seeing the church just ahead. “Here’s your last chance to run, James. I wouldn’t blame you if you did.”

Squeezing her hand, he smirked. “Causing hell was on my to-do list today. This is just up my alley. Now where’s all your stuff?”

“Bridal room - head into the church, turn left, and it’s the third door. Please grab my duffle bag and my purse. If there’s anything else that looks important, grab it too.” She inhaled deeply, releasing it slowly, hoping it would calm her nerves. “If I haven’t said it yet, thank you.”

He nodded, setting his eyes on the fury outside of the church. “No worries, Josie. I’ll be quick and we’ll get out of here.”

He left her side, escaping into the church. Her confidence wavered for a moment as he disappeared from her sight. She didn’t have her own chance to escape, due to her momma’s eyes meeting hers.

“Emmaline Josephine, how dare you run off?” Goosebumps trailed up her arm at her mother’s shrill voice. Savannah Bennett wasn’t one to piss off, no matter the situation.  “No note, nothing. When your father goes to collect you, an empty room, no trace of you. Well … what do you have to say for yourself?”

She narrowed her eyes, standing taller before glancing at her toe-tapping momma. “What part of ‘he’s a god-damn cheatin’ son of a bitch’ didn’t you comprehend? I told you I wasn’t going to marry him, no matter what he was going to be bringing to my life. I’m done listening to what you think I need. He’s not my prince charming and I ain’t his princess. And if you’re too blind to see that, then I don’t want you around.”

“Oh lordy, you better get off your high horse, young lady. Beau was so embarrassed when your father came up the aisle, saying you weren’t in that room. You’re a disgrace to this family, Emmaline Josephine. Don’t be cryin’ to me when you fall flat on your face. You made your bed, now you get to lie in it. Come on, let’s get out of here.”  Her momma’s face turned scarlet as she spat the words to her youngest daughter.  She looked for Josie’s sister, brother, and father before turning on her heels.

Josie smirked. “Momma I was never going to be the daughter you wanted and i’m quite fine with forging my own path and seeing where life is going to take me. I hope one day, you and I can put aside our differences and have the relationship I always dreamed of but for now, goodbye and don’t let the door hit you too hard.”

Someone cleared their throat behind Savannah’s turned back. “Actually, we’re with Josie.”

Josie held back tears, seeing her older siblings defy their mother, taking steps towards Josie. “Momma, you know damn well her ex is with his new flavor and on the way out of town. Josie will not have her entire family turn their backs on her during her time of need. Momma, you’re in the wrong here and we hope you realize it soon.”

Her mother, seeing she was being publicly defied by her children, hurried to the car, eager to get away. James, who surprisingly missed everything, narrowly missed being ran over by her mother. Josie let out a whoosh of air, quickly hugging her siblings, before pulling them both over to James.

“James, this is Grace and Austin, my older siblings. Grace, Austin, this is James. He found me in the park, sobbing, and convinced me to come back here.”

Pleasantries were exchanged between the four. James took in the scene, realizing everyone was retreating back to their vehicles. “I think we might need to move this party elsewhere. How about we grab some food and figure out what you’re going to do, Jose?”

All Josie wanted to do was get out of the now ruined dress, into sweats and a hoodie before agreeing to meet up at a restaurant down the lane.  Twenty minutes later, her perfect styled hair was now thrown carelessly into a ponytail, dress swapped for sweats and a hoodie and her face clean from makeup. And upon entering the restaurant, her lips curled into a grin seeing James already seated at a table.

Once seated, Grace turned her eyes to her younger sister. “So what now? He’s out of your life, just like you wanted? What’s next?”

Josie’s sat back in her chair, reflecting on the day and how it had gone. She smiled and a laugh escaped. “Well our joint account has been closed and all the money moved to my account. He’s not going to be going very far due to his passport is in my bag in the car. And now, I’m going to have some food, a drink, and plan.”

And with that, the afternoon continued, James and Josie’s friendship started to grow as they learned the little tidbits about one another. Before long, lunch was winding down, a little fight about who would pay the bill (James won that one) and the four were in front of the restaurant preparing to say their goodbyes.

“Thank you.” Josie started, stepping into James’ outstretched arms. “Thank you for giving me the push I needed to get back to the church. I’d like us to continue to be friends.” She blushed, pushing a piece of paper into his hand. “Don’t be a stranger, James.”

He grinned, pausing. “About that, James is my middle name; Niall’s the real name.”

Josie laughed. “Josephine’s mine. Emmaline is the real first name. Couldn’t let a complete stranger know my real name; just in case you became a stalker.”

“Oh Josie, don’t let your imagination work too hard.” He chuckled. “It was very nice to meet and help you today. I’ll text you to set up a time to hang out more.”

Goodbyes were complete as they parted ways. Thirty seconds after they parted, her phone buzzed with a text. ‘See you soon Emmy’.

And at that moment, she knew her world had just spun on itself and everything would be just fine.

[prettyinlimegreenboots]

James & Josie - Chapter 2

August 2018

Three months had passed since their chance meeting. Emmy and Niall had grown closer in that time. Currently, she was in a heated texting war with the man.

Sighing loudly, she let a string of curses fly through her brain before hitting the screen of her phone a little too hard. “They say stress is bad for you; but I think you’re takin’ it to a whole ‘nother level.” Grace stared at her younger sister with a smirk. “What’s Niall done now?”

Taking her eyes off the phone for a brief second, Emmy sighed. “He conveniently forgot he has a wedding tomorrow and since he mailed the RSVP back with a plus one, he needs someone to accompany him.”

“Why the hesitancy? You go, eat some good food, have a couple of drinks, and dance the night away. What do you have to lose?” Grace failed to see the problem Emmy was having. “Unless, things have changed between you two. Emmaline, do you have feelings for Niall?”

The horror that crossed Emmy’s face would’ve been hilarious, if Grace didn’t know her sister so well. “NO! Nothing has changed and I don’t like him. Some of his family will be there as well as his friends. I mean, it’s going to be weird, wouldn’t it?”

“Not everyone looks at every situation the 1,000 different ways you do, Em. You two are friends and you’re helping him out. No harm, no foul.” Grace smiled. “Besides, if there happened to be some hooking up after the wedding …” She trailed off with a grin.

Emmy threw her a dirty look, returning her attention to the phone, silence enveloping them. “So do you have a dress to wear?”

She bit her lip; she couldn’t believe she was actually going along with this. “I have a couple that might work but I just texted him to see what the colors are so I don’t clash.”

“I’m proud of you, you know.” Grace bit her lip, nervously looking at her sister.

Furrowing her eyebrows, Emmy’s eyes flew up. She didn’t know what to say, so she went for basics. “Why?”

“The way you’ve bounced back these last few months. You haven’t let anything stand in the way of what you’ve wanted. You found an awesome flat, in the middle of the city; you’re more successful at work and you’ve got a new best friend in Niall. Not to mention, how over the moon you are. This is a good look on you.”

A smile tugged on her lips. “Well you, Austin, and Niall had a lot to do with it. I’m not sure where I’d be without you three. And also, it’s been good to move on from what’s his name and all the damn drama.”

Her phone dinged, signaling a text from Niall. ‘Glad you’ve come to the dark side, Ems. Color of the wedding are black and mint - so don’t wear those. Pick you up at noon.’

“Wanna go dress shopping?” Emmy ignored the smug look of her sister before heading down the street to a speciality boutique.  

Next Day 12:00pm

She heard the door slam as she straightened out her dress. The navy blue one shoulder dress had been the third dress she tried on and it was the one that was voted the best one by Grace. A knock on her door caused her to look up. “Yes?”

“You almost ready, Ems? We’ve got to be going.” Niall’s gruff voice flowed through the door as she took one more glance at the door before walking to the door.

Taking a deep breath, she opened the door before coming face to face with Niall. He smirked, letting his eyes trail down her body before meeting her eyes. “Damn Ems, you know how to clean up.”

“Thanks idiot.” She grabbed her purse before walking towards the door. “Ready?”

They walked towards Niall’s car; her feeling confident in her dress and feeling his eyes on her ass. He opened the door for her before giving her a kiss on the check. “You really do look beautiful, Ems. This is a good look on you.”

Thankfully, her blush waited until the door was shut and he was jogging over to the driver’s side. “Thanks Niall. You look quite spiffy as well. A suit suits you.”

Rolling his eyes, he gunned the engine before heading towards the wedding site. “So how do you know the couple getting married?”

“A friend of a friend. I did some digging and we’re at a table with a bunch of friends and my cousin.” He smirked. “You’re going to love them.”

Raising an eyebrow, Emmy grinned. “Are they your clones or something?”

“Football and beer are simple things that make a man happy.” Niall chuckled. “I grew up with all of them so we’re more like brothers than friends.”

She wrung her hands in nervousness before looking out the window. In the three months since he’s know her, that was one of her favorite ticks. “Nervous?”

“Why would you ask that?”

Nodding to her hands, Niall shook his head. “You have no reason to be nervous. They’re going to love you.”

She wasn’t convenience and continued to wring her hands as London flew by them. “Hey, if they don’t love you, drinks on me next time we go out.”

Emmy peaked up at the thought. “Throw in midnight pizza, and you have a deal.”

“Done!” He laughed her, watching her relax against the seat as he pulled into the Westminister. Finding a place to park, he threw the car into park before looking over at her. “This is a big hoopla; Samantha is the bride and she’s marrying one of my best friends, Patrick.  They’ve been my surrogate parents while my family is back in Ireland.”

Taking a deep breath, she exhaled slowly. Unbuckling her seatbelt, she gathered everything, pausing to look at the man beside her. “What? Do I have something on my face?”

“Nope. Just wish you’d realize how fantastic you are and how you’re going to knock everyone’s socks off today. You’re going to be fine, Ems.” He smirked, pushing open his door, jogging over to hers, offering her his hand. “Let’s do this Bennett!”

With a gusto of confidence, she held his hand while he strolled up the stairs of the church. His grin was infectious, looking behind him to make sure he hadn’t lost her along the way. Seeing his friends standing in the back of the church, he tugged her gently to his side. “There’s the last man of the group. Nice of you to show up, Nialler.” The teasing was gentle among the friends. “And you brought a pretty girl with you.”

“Lads, this is Emmy. Em, these loveable idiots are my friends: Deo, Adam, James, Conor, and Matt.”

“It’s very nice to meet you, love. This one hasn’t shut up about you.” Deo nudged Niall before picking her hand up and giving it a kiss. “It’s nice to put a face with a name. Though, when you’re ready for a real man, let me know.”

Her eyes went wide, a giggle escaped her mouth and a wink was thrown his way. “I think I’m alright but I’ll keep you in mind.”

Niall looked between his cousin and Emmy. “And that’s enough outta you two. Geeze, I told you lot to be on your best behavior, yet it seems it went in one ear and out the other.”

The group laughed, Emmy relaxing in the laughter. Niall nudged her forward, guiding her down the aisle, following his friends down a row. Emmy’s eyes roamed the church, taking it all in. “Gorgeous, yeah?”

“A bit over the top for me. The next wedding I’m in, it’s going to be a low key affair.” She shrugged. “I hated everything that was picked for the ceremony and reception. I’m much more simple. That affair was a complete and utter shitshow.”

Matt poked his head between the couple with a grin. “Hey! We’re in a place of worship. How about we keep the cussing to a minimum or you’ll end up in hell.”

“Since you just used a cuss word, you’ll be joining us in the lovely place. Hope you love the heat.” Emmy smirked. “Glad you’re going to be going with us.”

His comeback was cut short with the organ playing “Pachelbel Canon” signaling the bridal party’s descent down the aisle. The adorable flower girl and ring bearer hammed it up as they walked down the aisle, waving to their friends and family along the way. The music became quieter, announcing the bride’s arrival. Niall’s hand found Emmy’s giving it a squeeze, watching his friend walk towards the love of her life, his oldest friend. Emmy smiled, caught up in the romance of the church and the happiness of the event about to take place.

Forty-five minutes after they took their seats, they stood once more and vacated the church, joining the line to congratulate the newly married couple. Niall once again grabbed her hand and lead her to the line. “So what did you think?”

“Gorgeous and from what I can tell, perfect for them.” Emmy stumbled slightly as the line moved forward.  “Sam has always had her wedding planned. She used to drone on about her wedding and how she wanted everything to be.” Looking around the church Niall smiled and nodded. “And I’d say this is exactly how she envisioned it.”

“Aww I’m so happy to hear that.” A new voice exclaimed happily. “Thanks for coming, Nialler.”

He hugged the blonde tightly. “Wouldn’t have missed it for the world, Sammy. By the way, Sam this is Emmy; Emmy, Sam.”

“It’s very nice to meet you. He hasn’t stopped talking about you for the last three months. I look forward to getting to know you more.” Sam hugged her, dropping her voice to a whisper. “You’ve been really good for him.”

Emmy smiled. “He’s been really good for me.” She pulled back. “I look forward to getting to know you as well.”

Niall was talking to Patrick, when she caught up to him. Introductions were made and Patrick grinned while Niall told him of Emmy’s comeback with Matt. The words ‘she’ll fit in just fine’ were thrown around provoking a giant grin to appear on Emmy’s face. Promises to catch up were made as Niall led her back to his vehicle. “It’s official, my friends love you already.”

“They just met me.” She whispered, wide-eyed looking at Niall.

He chuckled. “I’ve talked you up and they saw how happy you’ve made me these last few months.”

“They do know we’re not dating right?” The words that were thrown around among his friends caused her to question their understanding of their status.

Niall hesitated, slowly exhaling and eyes focused on the road ahead. “They do, but I might have let something slip.”

“And what’s that?” She looked out the window, watching the city flew by. Silence had hushed over the car, Emmy glanced over at Niall to see him biting his lip. “Niall, it’s me. Just talk to me.”

“I didn’t expect it to be this hard.” He muttered, gripping the steering wheel tighter. “Emmaline.”

Turning in her seat, she locked eyes with him. “Just talk to me, James. The one that you found in the park with makeup and mascara smudged from crying so hard.” Hearing his middle name, caused him to grin. Pulling into the reception hall’s parking lot, he threw the car into park before shifting in his seat. He took her hand in hers.

“Three months ago, you breezed into my life unexpectedly. And in the course of those three months, you’ve become one of my best friends but I’ve started to feel something more. I know you’re still healing from the previous guy … but I’ve been wanting to tell you and my wingmen have decided to help.” He chuckled. “But I’m not pressuring you. I know what it’s like to go through a rough breakup.”

A smile tugged on her lips at his words. Leaning forward, she placed a gentle kiss on his lips. “I could tell something was off but didn’t have any idea it was this. I’ve developed feelings for you along the way as well, Niall. And I may not be ready; yet I’m glad you’ve confessed what you’re thinking to me.”

At her words, he leaned forward and kissed her, trying to hold back from his desires of getting to know every nook and cranny of her lips. He pulled back, ignoring the angry look on her face. “As much as I’d love to sit in the car and make-out like teenagers, we have a wedding reception to attend.”

She pouted, looking into his blue eyes. “No one will miss us.”

“Oh how wrong you are. Come on.” Pushing open the car door, he opened hers, holding out his hand. He led the way to the Mandarin Oriental Hyde Park Hotel. Emmy’s eyes widened at the gorgeous building and the entry way that laid out in front of them. Niall nudged her, a grin on his face at her astonishment of the venue. “Don’t drool.”

“It’s gorgeous. Shut up, Horan.” She pushed him rolling her eyes.

Stopping at a table, they grabbed their name cards before finding the table they would be seated at. A small vase with pink peonies were in the middle of the table with polished silverware gleaming around the table. Pulling out a chair, Niall nudged her to sit down, taking the seat on her right.

They took in the massive room as other mingled in and found their own seats. Soon, their table was full and the laughter was abundant.  Emmy spoke quietly to Deo, learning more details about Niall, which displeased him due to the dirt that was being spilled.

Soon, the bridal party was seated, food served, and a hush settled among the guests. The food was delicious and the conversation kicked up at Table 15. Before long, plates were being cleared and the guests were ready to mingle and dance the night away.

“I’ll be right back.” Niall scooted his chair back, a kiss to her cheek, before disappearing around the corridor of the room.

Deo pulled her into a story of Niall from their childhood. The more he got into it, the more she saved it for a rainy day. She laughed just as the DJ mentioned it was time for the bride and groom’s first dance.

She glanced towards the stage, looking back at Deo before looking at the stage. “What is going on? Why is Niall on stage?”

A look was traded between the group at the table. “Emmy, how much did Niall tell you about what he does for a living?”

“We don’t talk much about work, to be honest. We talk more about his likes/dislikes, favorites, and sports, lots and lots of sports.” Emmy took note on how comfortable he looked on stage. “Is there something I should know?”

Deo smirked, shaking his head at Niall’s stupidity. “Have you ever heard of One Direction?”

“Sure … but what does Niall have to do with them?” A familiar melody played and Emmy’s eyes went wide at the realization. “Niall’s a part of One Direction?”

Deo chuckled, nodding slowly. “He is. The band is on a hiatus at the moment and he’s been doing some solo stuff but yes he’s been a part of that since 2010.”

She was quiet, letting that new piece of knowledge setting, listening to him sing “This I Promise You” by NSYNC.

And I will take you in my arms And hold you right where you belong Til’ the day my life is through This I promise you This I promise you

She had to admit, he had a smooth crooner of a voice. She would hear him sing while they hung out, but never realized he was a professional singer.  Emmy felt dumb, not realizing such a vital piece of information of her best friend.

“Deo, why wouldn’t he tell me?”

Niall’s cousin smiled. “Niall doesn’t have many people that love him for him. Outside of family and friends that have known him for a while, the people he meets all want something. With you, you just wanted his friendship and nothing more. I kept telling him he was going to have to tell you but he hesitated for some reason.”

I’ve loved you forever In lifetimes before And I promise you never Will you hurt anymore I give you my word I give you my heart This is a battle we’ve won And with this vow Forever has now begun

“I’ve heard him singing but never realized it.” She shook her head. “I feel dumb.”

Deo smirked. “Don’t let this change anything, Emmy. Promise me, you’ll give him hell about not telling you and move on. He has his own reason for not telling you and you can’t fault him for wanting to hold on to you not knowing who he was.”

“I promise. Thank you Deo for telling me.” She smirked looking towards the stage. “On a scale from 1 to 10, how much does he hate dancing?”

At that moment, Deo realized Emmy was perfect for his cousin. “9.5; he hates slow dancing especially.”

“Perfect. I’m going to head up there and snag him as he gets off stage.” She winked. “Thanks for the chat Deo. I greatly appreciate it.”

The song came to a finish and Emmy excused herself from the table. Walking towards the stage, she spotted Niall finishing up a conversation before moving off the stage. She met him at the bottom of the little staircase with a smirk.

“You promised me a dance.” She raised her eyebrows, her grin growing at his fearful face. “I fully intend on cashing in that. Let’s go Horan.”

Taking his offered hand, she let him pull her close, swaying slowly with the music. “So you are now adding secret spy to your resume?”

“What do you mean?” Niall looked down at her with a smile, letting the music sweep them away. “I am not coordinated enough for a spy.”

She giggled, gripping his arm tighter as he dipped her quickly. “You didn’t mention you were a professional singer in a band. And yet I’m trying to figure out what else you haven’t told me. That’s something pretty big to keep hidden, Niall.”

“I’m sorry but you have been going through your own personal stuff and I know it was really selfish for me to keep it from you but you’re on of the first people in many years that didn’t know who I was. And to be honest, I absolutely loved that you didn’t know.” He sighed. “Deo kept telling me to tell you but I didn’t want to ruin the magic and the easygoingness of our relationship.”

Taking in all that he was saying, she understood. If she was a celebrity herself, she would crave for something to not know every little thing she’d ever done and revel in the normacy. “I get it; I just wish you were upfront about it. But I have one question: were you afraid I was going to take advantage of you?”

He looked away for a second. “I’m not going to lie, yes it crossed my mind but it was gone as soon as it appeared.”

“Then you’re forgiven.” Standing on her tiptoes, she kissed his cheek. “Don’t keep something this big from me again.”

Niall’s eyes widened. “Ok! I can do that. Besides, the lads want to meet you.”

It was her eyes that widened at that statement. “You mean they know about me?”

“Of course they know about you.” He threw his head back and laughed, loudly. “I see them every couple of weeks or so and there’s a thing called texting. Liam, particular, loved how we met.”

Emmy followed him off the dance floor, giving him a glance. “Why do I feel like my life just became a heck of a lot more interesting since you came around Horan?”

“You have no idea, Bennett. No idea.”

Come chat with me about the chapter. What did you love? Hate? Give me your thoughts! I have much more planned for these two!

[prettyinlimegreenboots]

Story of Our Lives, Chapter 1

A/N: This is a story that was originally posted on 1DFF. I have gotten inspiration to re-write it and post it here on Tumblr.

Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.

______________________________________

October 2017

As far as first meetings go, theirs was nothing special. A typical storybook cliché of eyes meeting across the room – how many times have people heard that story before?

She had just returned home from a trip and was leaving again in a month. A simple night out with friends was exactly what she needed.

Meanwhile, he listened to his friends ramble on about their girls (who were otherwise absent for the night) while his bright blue eyes trailed the room. She stood at the bar, half-listening to a guy desperately trying to get into her pants.

Claiming he needed another drink, he headed to the bar, stopping a few seats from the girl. He struggled to hear the guy’s pathetic, wooing words. He tried to keep a straight face and pushed his way beside her.

Brushing his hand against her back, he leaned towards the couple. “Is there a problem here, babe?”

“Not at all honey; Dustin here was telling me about … what was it again?” She smirked in the stranger’s direction before pulling him into her.

“I was telling her about the charity soccer match my mates and I are playing in this weekend. Ugh … I didn’t realize you had a guy. I apologize.” Dustin stuttered, looking between the guy and the girl he had his arm curled around.

Watching Dustin walk away, the girl turned to the stranger with a smile. “Thanks but you didn’t have to do that.”

“You looked like you needed some help so I was happy to rescue you.”

She snorted shaking her head. “Honey, I don’t need you or any other man saving me.”

“Oh yeah? You look scared out of your mind talking to Dustin.” He said with a grin.

Leaning closer to him, she bit back a laugh at his nervous smile. “Honey, I’ve done stuff that little boys like you could only dream of.”

“How about you have a drink with me and we can talk about everything you’ve done?” His eyes held a sparkle of mischief in them as they bore into her soul. His eyes reminded her of her older brother who always got into trouble with his pranks.

Shaking her head, she took a sip from her glass. “You’re going to have to work a little bit harder than that cowboy. Any other pickup lines you want to try out?”

He was never one to back away from a challenge. “You’re different than most girls I run into. How about we ditch this place and take a walk around the city? I swear I’m not a psychopath or a mass murder.” He raised his hands to demonstrate his pure intention.

She ran through the pros and cons of his offer as she put her glass down. “How do you know I’m not the psychopath mass murderer who gets her victims by pretending to be a damsel in distress?”

“Are you?” He laughed at her attempt to look tough before raising his eyebrows. “I’m guessing you’re not. If you were a psycho, you wouldn’t have looked me in the eyes. You miss, are bullshitting me. Come on; what do you have to lose? A couple of hours of your free time? I’ll even buy you ice cream!”

She spoke quickly with the barkeep and slipped him a 10-pound note before pushing back from the bar. “I can be persuaded to join you for a walk around the city. Only because you promised ice cream.”

He ushered her out of the bar and used the throng of people they passed through as an excuse to hold her hand.

She pretended not to have noticed it. She took a deep breath and exhaled as they stumbled into the cool autumn air. “So where are we headed exactly? Or did you not figure that out yet hotshot?”

He took her raised eyebrows as a challenge and tugged on her arm, leading her down the street to the sleepy city center.  He muttered about getting ‘no respect’ causing her to giggle behind him. “So how about your name? I mean if I’m going to spend the next however many hours with you, I might as well know it. I’m trying to rack up brownie points here, not earn creeper points. I don’t want to call you babe or hun – unless you’re into those corny nicknames? Because I’m good at making up nicknames, Psycho.”

“Number one, damn you talk a lot. Number two, you’re not a creeper; at least I haven’t made up my mind about that yet. And third, it’s Gia.”

Nodding his head in approval, he smiled. “Is it short for anything, Damsel?”

She laughed at the nicknames he called her. “Giovanna … my parents are Italian. I have three older brothers and when they found out they were finally having a girl, they fell in love with the name Giovanna. What about you, Popstar?” She chuckled because her nickname for him also revealed she knew who he was all along.

He stopped walking, causing her to plow into his back. “You know who I am? Are you not a fan?”

“Oh your music is catchy as hell, constantly getting stuck in my head, and it doesn’t help that I have two nieces who are in love with you and your bandmates. Sadly, they’re 6 and 8 though one of them is convinced her and the curly haired mofo are going to live happily ever after.” Gia laughed thinking about the two little brunettes she would see in days.

They continued walking and ended up in an empty ice cream parlor. “Besides your three brothers, do you have any additional siblings? I mean, you’re Italian after all.”

“Yup.” She hit his shoulder for joking about Italians having huge families – even though he was right about her family. “In addition to the pain in the butt older brothers, I also have a younger sister. The house was always chaotic. Never a dull moment. Not exactly sure how my poor parents survived us growing up.”

Taking a moment to look up at the board, she weighed her options. Should she be good and go for the strawberry shake or go for the so-good-it’s-bad peanut butter chocolate shake? Strawberry shake won out. He, however, ordered a chocolate concoction with so many fillings and additives that made her head spin. “You’re destined for a sugar rush!”

“Good thing you’re here to keep me company then, Italia. Of all the things to choose from, you pick a plain old strawberry shake; I however like to live on the edge. I took a walk with a potential mass murder.” He teased as she went to find a booth for them to sit.

Taking a moment to herself to internally freak out, Gia took a deep breath before looking at the man at the counter. She had heard a thousand things from her nieces but the man she walked into the parlour with was nothing of the sort. He made her laugh and paid attention to every little thing she had said. He hadn’t been offended by her banter; in fact, he gave just as much back as she dished out.

“Uh oh … I sense an internal battle of thoughts occurring. Am I moving too fast for your liking or you taking a moment to pinch yourself that I’m real and not what you thought I’d be?“

She looked at him like he had grown two heads. “How the hell are you inside my head? It’s like you knew exactly what I was thinking!”

“I have sisters … sisters who just started dating so I’m very aware of the look that was just on your face.”

Taking her shake from his hands, she smiled in thanks before taking a long sip and thinking about how to word her next sentence without offending him. “My nieces seem to know everything about you and your bandmates. But I’ve realized everything they’ve mentioned is completely and utterly untrue.”

“Does it surprise you?”

She found herself shaking her head. Gia placed a hand on his. “No, not in the slightest.”

They sat in silence and enjoyed their shakes. Their minds each were in different places but both were curious about the other person in the booth. “So this is a little unfair. You know way too much about me but I hardly know anything about you. So have at it… tell me everything about you.”

Glaring in his direction, she took another sip of her shake and savored the sweet mix of ice cream and strawberries. “Oh boy - where do you want me to start? Can I at least have some questions to answer?”

He wanted to hear everything about her. “Welcome to my life, sweet cheeks. Questions? Hmmm … what can I ask you?” He put the hand that wasn’t holding hers to his chin. “When is your birthday? What do you do for a living? Favorite food? What do you do in your spare time, aside from shooting down guys like Dustin?”

Her eyes widened at the rapid succession of questions from him. “All right; birthday is the 6th of January; favorite food is pasta and cereal; and spare time … don’t have much of that but when I do I love to get lost in the city exploring antique stores.”

He liked those answers. “You missed one – what do you do for a living?” His eyebrows raised in anticipation. “And remember that Psycho or Damsel is not an official title for anything.”

Taking a deep breath, she pushed her shake aside before leaning forward a bit. His grip tightened on their joined hands. Letting the breath out slowly, her eyes met his in a nervous flick. “I’m a bombardier for the British Army.”

He was silent for a few seconds. His eyes were wide with astonishment and he kept opening and shutting his mouth without a sound. “Wait, what?”

She laughed at his sudden discovery of his voice. “You heard me.”

“So you were serious when you said that you’ve done stuff that I could only dream of?” He was still in that shocked as hell trance. He couldn’t believe the woman sitting in front of him was a bombardier – his grandfather was one back in his heyday and the stories he told were absolutely amazing.

Nodding, she thought back on all the places she had traveled to and all the opportunities she had because of her career. “Oh yeah; I’ve been to places you only thought of and worked with equipment you can only dream about. I take it you know what a bombardier is?”

“My granddad was one and the stories he used to tell would keep me entertained for days. The way he talked with such pride held you in a trance that was hard to break from. So I know what he did as a bombardier but what does the job entail today?” He leaned back and looked at her with nothing but curiosity on his face.

Good, she thought, at least he had some knowledge of her job. It was always hard telling people what she did for a living so the fact he had some background knowledge was a huge weight off her shoulders. “I am the lead engineer on the bomber airplanes for the Royal British Army. I have held bombs in my hands that could level cities and installed automatic guns into those same bombers. I have to travel often to inspect those bombers and make sure they are in tip top shape in case they are called into action.”

“Where have you traveled? Are you currently on leave? When do you go back? How did you get involved with the Army?” He was curious about all that she had accomplished and wanted to ask more questions but managed to hold back.

Taking a slurp of her shake before running a hand through her hair, she sighed. “Of course you’d jump right in. I’ve been to Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran, Africa, and Indonesia. I am currently on leave and will go back to base in four weeks. How did I get into the Army? My granddad and dad were both in the army and the stories they told were amazing. I went to uni for engineering, graduated first in my class, and the Army recruited me from there. I’ve been with them for about two years now.

“Wow … I honestly don’t know what to say.” He slowly said as she laughed.

“You mean the celebrity who wouldn’t shut up a few minutes ago is in awe of me? Surprised by what I do?”

He nodded. “Massively … never did I think that would come out of your mouth.”

“Most guys are shocked as hell when I tell them what I do.  A lot of times guys are intimidated by it, but I absolutely love my job; I get such a thrill every time I stand in front of those bombers.”

He smiled at the excitement and passion in her voice as she talked about her job. “You get so excited about your job. Have you ever been hurt or in any danger?”

“Anytime I go into any country with a war going on I’m in some kind of danger. I was a prisoner for four days in Afghanistan, which scared the hell out of me. The forces stormed in and rescued me and four other hostages. But any real danger? Not really.” She shrugged her shoulders smirking at the look of horror on his face. “So what did you think I did for a living, popstar?”

He looked at their still intertwined fingers, squeezing her hand gently. “No real danger? You’re scaring the hell out of me just by talking. I thought you were a nurse or teacher or something along those lines.  Can you fly the bombers or just work on them?”

“I’ve had my pilot’s license since I was 16. I had a lot of great memories of being in an airplane cockpit from the time I was a baby. It was just natural that I’d get my pilot’s license before I got my driver’s license. My granddad and dad were both pilots while in the Army. So it was natural my brothers Alex, Leo and I all have our pilot licenses. Ava and Ryan hate flying so they avoid planes like they are the plague.”

“So Leo and Alex are pilots? What about Ava and Ryan? What do they do?” He shifted in the booth trying to get more comfortable.

“Ava is at uni studying nursing and Ryan in a mechanical engineer. Our family is not normal at all. We’re really a bunch of misfits. Leo and Alex are twins who act more like 6 year olds than the 32 year olds they really are. Both of them are married; Leo is the one with the girls and Alex’s wife is pregnant with their first and second, ironically twins. Ryan is 28 and Ava is 23. I’m 24. Whenever the five of us are together its mayhem and we drive my parents crazy. There have been pranks that have put yours to shame.” A hint of a smile tugged on her lips as she thought about her siblings.

“Are you sure about those pranks? I pull the best ones off.” Squeezing her hand, he watched her eyes meet his. “When was the last time you saw them? I can’t even imagine what your parents and siblings go through every time you walk into a war zone.”

“Uh huh … sure we’ll have to put those ‘pranks’ to test one day. I saw them two months ago. Ryan just got married so we were all together for that. Skype is a fabulous thing while you’re away, as I assume you know all too well about. Are you off tour for a while or you heading back out in a few weeks? When was the last time you saw your family?”

He let himself slip back into a daydream of his family. He could still hear his four sisters laughing as they ran around the yard or his mother banging pots and pans in the kitchen, baking and cooking his favorite dishes. “I saw them a couple of days ago. We’ve got a few weeks off before we head into the studio to start recording.”

“You obviously love your job but it has to get old after a while. I can’t imagine being on the road for months on end. I would get too homesick and miss my family too much.” Shifting in her seat, she stretched her back with a huff.

Shrugging, he smiled. “You definitely have to love this job and have a passion for it. The road does get tiring but I’m with my best friends. Performing every night, there’s nothing like it. But don’t you do the same thing? Aren’t you always traveling and moving from one place to another?”

“Nah I’ve got a flat here but base is in Hampshire. I only travel for a couple of days at a time. Jet lag is a bitch though … I’m typically riding the red eye back so my body is messed up for days afterwards.” She stuck her tongue out at him as he chuckled. “Here’s your fair warning popstar, do not contact me for 48 hours after I return from a trip! I’m miserable for those precious hours after returning while my body kicks back to normal time.”

He nodded knowing exactly what she was talking about. “I’m the same. We typically stay up until one in the morning and then hit the sack but our bodies are up by 5:30. That’s the worse part of returning home from tour.”

“So any other questions, Mr. Tomlinson? Or is this the part we continue on our adventure of the city?”

Standing up, he offered her his hand. They gathered their trash before walking out into the chilly night. “Ummmm what’s a guy have to do to get a second date with you?”

“Wasn’t it torture enough to spend the last 2 hours with me? Now you want to spend even more time with me?”

Giving her a look, he tried to look serious but failed miserably. “Gia…” It was the first time he used her real name. He let it roll in his mouth. Something told him he would get used to saying her name. “Gia. Come on, give a guy a chance. If you just want to be friends, then that’s cool but I really enjoyed hanging out with you tonight. Like I said earlier, you are different than most girls and something is telling me to keep you around as long as possible.”

“I’ll bite, how about we have lunch together tomorrow? You can think of some decent questions to ask and we’ll go from there.”

Stopping at the curb waiting for the light to change, he pulled out his phone before handing it over. “Can I get your number to call you?”

“That was pathetic, Tomlinson. I anticipated a much better way of asking for my number.” Frowning, she accepted the phone and quickly put in her number before saving it. “I thought they taught you how to be suave and cool in Popstar School. Apparently you failed that part miserably.”

He chuckled, knowing that any upcoming hangout times with her would be anything but dull. “I got your number anyway, didn’t I, you quick whippersnapper.”

“And apparently your mind forgot to tell your mouth that it’s 2013 not 1920.” She teased, sticking out her tongue.

She walked ahead of him a bit, giving him a chance to think on the past few hours. He couldn’t believe that the girl he had ‘saved’ at the bar had been the same girl that is currently putting him in his place. He knew that she was going to definitely change his life for the better.

“Yo Tomlinson … did I lose you?” Her voice called knocking him out of his thoughts. “Where did you go?”

He smiled catching up to her. “I never left.”

“Uh huh … sure. You were in Neverland, Peter Pan. What were you thinking about?”

Shaking his head, he linked hands with her. “Nothing in particular but I think this is the start of a beautiful friendship, Gia.”

“Yeah? I think it’s the start of a pain in my butt popstar interrupting my quiet life.”

Throwing back his head, a loud laugh escaped, echoing off the building causing her to join in laughter as he walked her back to her flat.

They both agreed it was the start of something beautiful.

[prettyinlimegreenboots]

Flashback - HSM fiction days

I just had someone leave me a message on my High School Musical fic from many, many years ago and I cannot stop smiling. I'm amazed that people still read my old fiction ftom HSM and Jonas Brothers days!!

[prettyinlimegreenboots]

Warning, there are spoilers of Twelve Days of Holly, Jolly Tidings spoilers below. This fic will be posted daily starting December 13 on both of my Tumblrs (dancerlittle006 & prettyinlimegreenboots) and AO3 (dancerlittle).

@the-cowbi @lxwkey-as-hell @complete-newsies-trash @idontdoglitter @wide-eyed--wonderer @deliciouspeachpirate @somedayonbroadway @cutesiewooren @racetrackhigg @gendistic42 @newsies-hit-da-streets @biblixsmia

She looked around the small apartment, a smile tugging on her lips. She had lived there for the last year, since graduating college and it was finally starting to feel like her home. She had a real tree set up in the corner, one that her boyfriend, Jack, had helped her set up the weekend before. Her stocking was hung on the electric fireplace mantel, ready to be filled by Jolly Old St. Nick. As her eyes swept the area, she paused, seeing a wrapped present under the tree that wasn’t there earlier.

Walking over to the tree, she sank to her knees, pulling the box that was wrapped in blue snowman paper towards her. Sliding her finger under the wrapping paper, she quickly unwrapped the box, tossing the paper off to the side. Popping open the box, she saw an emerald green notebook sitting in the box. A smile on her face, she pulled it out, untying the ribbon around the notebook before opening the book. On the inside cover was a sketch of her and him, looking out over the city, the sunset in front of them. Pausing to take in the beauty of the drawing, she smiled seeing the little details Jack had included - the freckles across her face, his hand on her back steadying her as she laughed about something he had said, and the lone light in the corner of his apartment building’s roof.

Flipping to the first page, she bit her lip seeing Jack’s familiar handwriting.

Let me know what you think!!! I’m so excited to post this and for you to read the adventures!

[prettyinlimegreenboots]

Alright y’all my first Newsies story is posted. Go easy on me!!!

@somedayonbroadway @suddenly-im-respecsable @agentsnickers @newsies-girl