never have to lose

Luke ran fingers with bruised knuckles through his hair, overgrown and greasy, but fuck, he didn't care. He didn't care about much of anything since Arzaylea left - it seemed that it was true that your first heartbreak was the worst. Collapsing onto the couch with a sigh, Luke leaned his head back onto the cushion, gently scratching the top of Petunia's head as she snuffled over with curiosity; but Luke couldn't even bring himself to smile when she settled beside him. Bringing his knees to his chest, Luke shifted to get comfortable, allowing his eyes to close to hide the state of complete despair his home had fallen into - takeout boxes littering the floor, Petunia's bowls, that were empty, filled up the previous evening by Ashton; a hole in the wall where Luke had lost his temper at his own pathetic heartbreak. Shifting again to lay down, Luke wrapped his arms around Petunia, nuzzling his face into her fur before falling into a restless sleep.

Molly cut the engine to her faithful bug as she looked up to the beautiful house that her best friend owned, whistling lowly. She had joined him during a few of his house hunting days, and the fact that he had settled on this particular house really made Molly wonder what he was going to do with all of that extra space. Still, that didn't matter, because for the first time in three months, Molly was going to be reunited with Michael Clifford. Feeling the giddy excitement in her chest, Molly exited the car; knowing that all the time she'd lost out on would be made up for. She had agreed to stay with Michael for a while as he adjusted to living in his new home, and she couldn't help but think of all the possibilities of decorating. Stepping up to the front door, Molly knocked three times, grinning at the thought of seeing Michael's face.

Ashton had gotten home late after trying to help Luke clean up the mess he'd made the night before, but the peaceful sleep he'd hoped to have was disturbed by Rossella and her dumbass of a boyfriend having a little too much fun. Ashton could admit he'd been guilty of the same thing in the past, but just the thought of someone else's name falling from Rossella's lips caused a stronge jet of jealousy to surge through his veins. Ashton knew it was stupid to fall in love with your best friend, but damn it, he couldn't help himself. She was everything Ashton could ever want, and yet, Ashton didn't have the fucking balls to admit it to her, because some deadbeat - Joshua - already held her heart, even if he didn't deserve her, even if Ashton loved her more than he ever could. Frowning with that thought alone, Ashton rubbed at his eyes as he stood at the coffee maker, ignoring Josh as he sauntered through the apartment like he'd won the lottery. "Keep it down next time, yeah?" Ashton frowned, waiting for Rossella to make her appearance. Ashton really needed the comfort she provided.

Keira smiled softly as she gently dabbed at her mother's forehead with a damp, cold cloth, wanting to relief the woman of her fever somehow. She'd felt useless since this whole thing started, but she'd come to accept that there just wasn't much she could do - she just had to let her mother ride it out. "I think Joy has sent Calum over to help out a little," Keira spoke softly, although she knew her mother was too out of it to understand her words - Keira really wished Joy hadn't volunteered Calum forward, as much as the help was appreciated - she was certain she couldn't live with Calum for more than twenty four hours without killing him first, because the boy was egotistical and incredibly annoying. Hearing a knock at the door, Keira's jaw clenched, standing to her feet to poke her head around the bedroom door. "Come in, Calum!" Keira called.

Harry shifted as the sunshine broke it's way through the curtains, and with a groan; he opened his eyes to see the room as it was the night before, the only difference was there was clothes scattered across the floor and Neva slept beside him, naked and beautiful within the light of day. Harry knew that alcohol had a part to play in bringing them together, but he couldn't help but wish that this was the sight he woke up to every day. Exhaling, Harry fell back against his pillow. "Neva," Harry groaned, the sound of his own voice ridiculously loud. "Neva, wake up." And as Harry waited for the beauty beside him to begin to wake, he tried to recall the previous night, remembering only the way her legs wrapped around his hips as he buried himself deeper into her, how he kissed her lips as though she'd always been his, and how she cried out his name in the pleasure that they shared, that Harry could admit silently he wanted to experience again and again. With the thought, Harry shifted closer to Neva, his arm wrapping around her waist, gripping to her hip as he pressed his lips to her jaw - it wasn't something a best friend did, but he could always blame the faint traces of vodka that raced through his veins. "Neva, c'mon." Harry bumped his nose gently against hers.

Odette studied the kitchen she had cleaned to near perfection as she nursed her cup of tea, searching for anything she might of missed. Today was the day that Louis' son, the beautiful Freddie, would be arriving to spend the next three months with his father, and Odette had been worrying about it for weeks, having tried her hardest to make everything perfect and accomadating for a four year old. Chewing on her lip, the thought replayed in Odette's mind: what if Freddie didn't like her? Taking another sip of her drink, sighed heavily, trying to release her nerves. "Lou," Odette called, having sent her boyfriend to clean the living room to her standard. "Louis, what if he doesn't like me at all?" Odette put her cup down, realising just how important today was for her - and how important it would be for Louis. Walking to the living room, Odette wrapped her arms loosely around Louis' middle, seeking his comfort.

Daniel triple checked his reflection as he wondered just how stupid he was for even agreeing to a date with a good friend's cousin - Amedea. Daniel usually didn't buckle under peer pressure, but Nathaniel had spoken nothing but good things about the girl, and Daniel could admit he was curious about her - Nathaniel hadn't given him any further information about her, and yet, Daniel still found himself eager to find out about her. Ensuring his hair was in place and his breath wasn't awful, Daniel pushed open the door of the coffee shop; offering a small smile to the barista. Taking a deep breath, Daniel text Nathaniel quickly. I hate you for this. He grinned with his own words, shaking his head in amusement, certain that nothing would come of this and he could throttle his friend later. Studying the almost empty venue, Daniel's eyes landed on a beauty, sat by herself and looking just as nervous as he felt. Blinking in surprise, Daniel cleared his throat, almost thrown off track by just how gorgeous she was. "E - Excuse me?" He smiled. "Are you Amedea? Nathaniel's cousin?"

Nicole stood at the departure lounge like she'd promised Namjoon she would. He'd travelled the world by now and yet he was still nervous about flying such long distances, so Nicole had comforted him the only way she could from a whole continent away: by promising him a hug the moment she saw him. Eyes studying the fleeting crowd that filtered from the terminal, Nicole perked up when she spotted a familiar face, one that her heart recognised to be the boy she'd fallen so desperately in love with from the moment she'd agreed to help be his tour guide around school. "Joon!" Nicole called happily, jumping onto her best friend with a giggle, her legs around his middle as she wrapped her arms around his shoulders - he always did find koalas to be particularly cute. Burying her face into his hair, Nicole sighed happily. "Hi."

Nathaniel felt his phone buzz in his pocket and he looked to Alysia with a grin. "That has to be one of them." He offered his phone to the girl with a cheeky grin. "Do me the honours, Al." And although Nathaniel was excited that Daniel and Amedea had finally agreed to their blind date, Nathaniel found this as the perfect excuse to go on a little date of his own with Alysia, Amedea's best friend - a girl that, Nathaniel could admit, had held his heart for so long. He didn't trust anyone else with it, but he felt that Alysia was someone he could be with for the long run. "You know, we should grab a coffee ourselves. Or we can get out of here and find some fun of our own." Nathaniel winked teasingly, although his offer was certainly on the table if she wanted to accept. Watching as Alysia unlocked his phone - his password was obvious, the name of his cat - Nathaniel took a moment to admire her, to commit her to memory, because Alysia was all he'd wanted for so long, he wondered if she knew. "What's the gossip?"

Audrey sat in an empty meeting room, patiently waiting for the man she was supposedly dating to turn up - he was late already, some boyfriend. Their agencies had come to an agreeable contract and had set the time and date up for the pair to meet, and Audrey had signed away her single life for Cillian, and although she was giddy with the fact that she got to kiss and hug such a handsome face when the cameras were flashing, she was less than thrilled that he kept her on her toes. Leaning back in her chair, Audrey unlocked her phone to scroll through her Instagram, not bothering to look up when the door opened. "Took you a while." She commented.

Venetia looked to Luke’s house as she pulled up to it. It’d been a while since she’d last been here, but Ashton had called that morning to tell her what happened with Luke and how upset he was and he’d asked her to help Luke. She’d made a stop that morning to get some of Luke’s favorite comfort foods, wanting to use any idea that came to mind to try to cheer him up. Climbing out of her car, she grabbed the bags and made her way up to the door, grabbing the spare key Luke kept hidden under a rock in a planter - she’d have to tell him to hide it somewhere else later because this hiding spot was terrible - and, after unlocking the door, she made her way inside. “Lu?” she called out as she made her way into the kitchen to set the bags down, “Brought you some food - your favorites, even!” As she proceeded through the house, her expression softened when she spotted him on the couch, curled up with Petunia, and her heart ached at the sight of him. She’d always loved the idiot, and she’d never seen him look so vulnerable before. Making her way over, she crouched down in front of him, spotting the bruises on his knuckles, and she sighed, lifting a hand to run her fingers through his hair, surprised with the new length. “Lu…” She chewed on her lip but didn’t want to disturb his sleep anymore, certain he’d probably had trouble sleeping lately anyway, and she reached to pet Petunia before standing up. Not wanting to pull Petunia’s attention from Luke, she moved away and went to fill up the pup’s bowls before grabbing ice packs out of the freezer for Luke’s bruises and she set the ice packs on the coffee table in front of the couch before she went back to the kitchen to cook for him.

Michael had done his best to make his house clean and presentable for Molly’s visit. She’d be staying for a month and he found himself excited, eager to see her, and he knew it was for more reasons than one. The first reason was obvious: she was his best friend and, no matter if a day passed or a week or a month or a year, it always felt like a lifetime since he’d seen her last. The second reason, though, he’d kept a secret for years, for as long as he could remember: he loved her, so much so that she was the most important person in the world to him. He’d never told her, even though she deserved to be told, but by the time he realized it when they were younger, their friendship was so deeply rooted that he didn’t want to risk losing her in any way. So, instead, he’d kept it tucked away in his heart ever since the moment he realized it, and no matter how badly he wanted to tell her, he never could. But, that was okay, because at least now, he’d get to spend an entire month with her, since he had a break from band duties and she had some time to spare. Hearing the knock at the door, he perked up, sure that he was grinning from ear to ear just with the thought of seeing her, just with the thought of her in general. “Coming!” he called, taking a quick look around his house one more time to make sure everything looked okay and acceptable before he made his way to the door. Taking a breath, he opened the door, though his heart swelled at the sight of her, happiness filling him, certain she looked more beautiful each time he saw her. “Hey you,” he greeted with a grin, moving to wrap his arms around her, hugging her tightly, “It’s so good to see you, Molly.” He squeezed around her gently, taking her in before he pulled back and motioning. “Go ahead, head inside, get comfortable. I’ll grab your bags.”

Rossella smoothed out her hair when she woke up, a quiet hum escaping her. Josh had already left the bed, it seemed, but she shrugged the thought aside. Climbing from the bed, she moved to grab a shirt to tug on - it ended up being one of Ash’s that had gotten mixed up in her laundry months ago; she’d just never bothered to give it back, it was too comfortable, and she’d be lying if she said that his scent on it didn’t comfort her when he was gone for months with the band. He was her best friend, but she knew that she held a deeper affection for him than what was normal. But, she could never admit to it - she didn’t want to ruin their friendship, and she was dating Josh. Besides, she knew he preferred to just hook up with girls here and there; some nights, he’d make so much noise that she’d leave their home for the night just to get away from it, not wanting to admit to the jolt of pain she’d feel when she thought of who Ashton spent his nights with. Breathing out, she made her way out of her room just in time to hear Josh tell Ashton, “You know I can’t promise something like that.” When Rossella saw the grin on Josh’s face, she knew he was up to no good, so she moved over, smacking the back of his head. “Whatever you’re taunting Ash about, reign it in,” she hummed out easily, moving past her boyfriend to head to the kitchen to look through the fridge, “What do you guys want for breakfast?” Josh looked up, making a face, but shook his head. “Nothing for me, babe, I’ve gotta get going,” he said and, before Rossella could say anything in response, he was already heading out the door. Rolling her eyes, Rossella looked to Ash once Josh was gone. “Well, what do you want for breakfast, Ash?” she asked. “Or am I just cooking for myself?”

Calum couldn’t remember a time where he and Keira had ever gotten along; he didn’t think they’d ever even said a kind word about each other, to each other. He’d known her his whole life, their mothers having always been the best of friends. A part of him was sure that their mothers had expected for them to be the best of friends as well, but that had never come to fruition - hell, they’d probably even expected them to get together at some point, but all Calum or Keira had ever shown each other was disdain, even though Calum loved Keira with everything that was within him, with every fiber of his being. He just could never bring himself to tell Keira that, too certain that she hated him more than anything, and that it would only leave him heartbroken. Regardless, when he’d heard about Keira’s mother falling ill, he knew he wanted to help as much as he could. Keira’s mother had always been a kind, loving woman, and she’d treated him like a son; Hell, she was like a second mother to him. He had time away from the band for now, and it was a chance for him to do whatever he could to help Keira take care of her mother - and, while a part of him hoped that maybe it would mend things between them, it wasn’t the reason that he was wanting to help. He was planning to help solely because he was sure Keira couldn’t handle it alone, and her mother deserved to be well taken care of - the stress of it shouldn’t fall solely on Keira, in Calum’s mind. He’d packed up a whole care package, figuring maybe it would help, but he figured he’d stick around to help with whatever he could. When he approached the house and knocked, he heard Keira’s voice and it made his heart beat faster in his chest but he made his way inside as he peered around, spotting Keira’s head poking out of the bedroom. “Hey,” he greeted with a nod as he made his way over, offering up the box, “I brought this. And I’m here to help with whatever I can help with.”

Neva had been almost certain that the night before had been a dream - it wasn’t like it would have been the first time she’d had a dream about Harry that involved sex, though she would never dare admit to that out loud, especially to Harry. But her dreams had never been that vivid; she could remember the way they moved together, the way their breaths intermingled, the way it felt to be that close to him, to feel his skin against hers. Whining quietly when she heard Harry’s voice, she couldn’t help but try to bury her face against the nearest thing, which happened to be Harry’s chest, and she could feel the weight of his arm around her waist. The fact that she could feel him against her skin, though, was proof enough that the prior night’s events were certainly no dream - and she didn’t really mind. “Harry, nooo,” she murmured quietly, reaching to tuck her face against his neck, breathing in his scent, “It’s too early.” But, really, she found herself just not wanting this moment to end, too worried that the moment she opened her eyes, they’d have to pretend that last night never happened, even though she found herself wanting it to happen more. She’d had the biggest crush on her best friend for as long as she could remember, and she worried that their entire friendship would be ruined, but she didn’t want to forget anything that had happened between them.

Louis had prepared the extra room for Freddie, excited for his son to meet Odette, certain that everything would go well, and hopeful that Freddie would love Odette as much as he did. He’d been sent to clean up the living room and, while he was fond of Odette’s determination to make everything perfect, he knew that her hard work would go to waste five minutes after Freddie arrived - kids made such messes so quickly, after all. Amused with the thought, he lifted his gaze when he heard Odette, and he smiled slightly. “That won’t be the case, love,” he assured her quietly, though his heart eased and swelled when he felt Odette’s arms around him. Turning to face her, he slid his arms around her gently, holding her closer to himself, as close as he could manage to get her, and he ran his fingers through her hair. “He’ll love you. How could he not?” He arched a brow, peering down at her, and he leaned to press a fond, loving kiss to her forehead in hopes of comforting her in some way, and he held her closer to himself, pressing his face into her hair, breathing in her scent and allowing himself to relax with the weight of her in his arms, with her presence comforting him in ways that only she could. “Everything will be perfect, I promise. You should go easier on yourself, love.” Because the last thing he wanted was for Odette to stress out over his son; he wanted her to be able to relax and enjoy herself with him.

Amedea honestly couldn’t believe that she’d actually agreed to Nathaniel’s little plan - he’d been trying to set her up with his friend, Daniel, for months. She’d normally had a way to get out of it: work, her parents had plans, school, any small excuse she could think of. But, she had the week off from work, her parents had gone on vacation, and she’d graduated college two weeks ago, so she was fresh out of excuses. This had resulted in her finally agreeing to Nathaniel’s suggestion of going on a date with Daniel, and she’d done her best to look presentable, never one to try to look flashy - Alysia had helped to at least pick something cute that wouldn’t make her stand out too much, which Amedea certainly preferred. But, now, all she could do was sit and wait, breathing out anxiously as she peered around. She didn’t even know what Daniel looked like and she was sure he didn’t know what she looked like, so she hoped that they’d be able to spot each other somehow. As the thought passed her mind, though, she heard somebody clear their throat, and she blinked, looking towards the man who spoke, finding herself stunned into silence. He was a lot more attractive than what she was expecting, and she found herself enjoying the sound of his voice more than anything. “O-Oh, um, right, that’s me,” she confirmed quietly, nodding as she shifted to stand up, though she made a face at realizing how awkward she must seem, “And you must be Daniel?”

Namjoon could vividly remember the last time he’d been to Australia, having spent a while studying here in the past. It was where he’d met the love of his life, Nicole - although she wasn’t aware that she was the love of his life. At the moment, they were only the best of friends. While the entire situation was complicated, he couldn’t help how he felt, and he knew that he wanted things to become more intimate between them. Hell, he knew she was the woman he wanted to spend the rest of his life with, he even had a ring ready to propose to her when he felt the time was right. But, he had to work up to that, he knew it, and as impatient as he felt, he knew it was the way to go - proposing so soon when he wasn’t even sure how she felt about him may just serve to slap him in the face and ruin everything that was already between them, and he didn’t want to live his life without her in it in some way, even if it ended up not being in the way that he wanted. Regardless, now that he had time off, he figured now was as good a time as any to come visit her, to spend time with her, to just see her. Smiling with the thought, he made his way out of the terminal, eyes searching for Nicole, and he grinned when he spotted her, swearing the sight of her lifted his spirits in the best way. “Nicole,” he greeted, laughing when he felt her around him, and he slid his arms around her holding her up easily, his hands under her thighs. “Hey.” He squeezed her to himself gently. “I missed you.”

Alysia could feel a grin tugging at her lips when she heard Nathaniel’s voice, mischievous as ever. “As you wish,” she hummed out, holding her hand out for the phone. She couldn’t lie, she honestly enjoyed spending time with Nathaniel - he was attractive, sure, but he was also funny and kind, and any interaction between them was always enjoyable. In honesty, she could admit that he was the perfect guy, at least in her mind. The only person who knew that was Amedea, though, and she’d sworn Amedea to secrecy. Taking the phone when he offered it, she put in the password, humming in thought as she read through the texts. “Daniel would like for you to know that he hates you for this.” She grinned playfully, looking to Nathaniel with an arched brow. “You want me to reply or no?” She ran over Nathaniel’s offer quietly, debating. “Well, I’m perfectly fine with either option. Both have their merits and I’m not picky.” Plus, either way, she got to spend time with Nathaniel, and that was definitely something she found herself enjoying. It wasn’t often that they got to spend time together, just the two of them.

Cillian sighed out quietly. He didn’t know who thought this was such a good idea or why they pushed for it so strongly, but he’d come to accept that this was his fate - to pretend to date some woman he didn’t really even know. Nothing could be done about it, though; it had already been agreed on and he just had to play along, at least for now. As he made his way into the meeting room, he looked to the woman he was meant to be dating. He could admit that she was gorgeous, but that was expected - she seemed distracted by her phone when he had walked in, though, so he wasn’t entirely sure what to expect when it came to interactions. “Yes, well, I was discussing things with my agency,” he said easily as he watched her. Those things had involved the matter of a vacation his agency wanted the two of them to take together - they’d even laid out a whole plan of places they should go and when; the entire “vacation” being turned into itineraries for them already. It was just a matter of waiting for her agency to agree to it at this point. “I take it you’re Audrey Rowan?” He arched a brow as he made his way over. “It’s a pleasure to meet you.”

Luke's sleep had been unrewarding, and he was certain that in his dreams, he heard Venetia's voice, which had made things just that little bit sweeter. She'd always had a light surrounding her, and she could light up any room she walked into - it really was a talent that Luke was certain she'd never lose, because she was so wonderfully herself. Blinking himself back to reality as he woke up to Petunia's snoring, Luke inhaled, his brows furrowing in pleasant surprise as he caught the scent of a mouth watering meal, and with just the way his house seemed to feel more homely, he knew that Venetia was over. Rubbing his eyes with bruised knuckles, Luke hesitantly sat up, moving Petunia out of the way with a small flinch - he hoped he didn't break a finger, otherwise his guitar would be useless until a completed healing process. Seeing the ice pack on the coffee table, Luke smiled softly but ignored it, hanging onto Arzaylea's every word: he deserved nothing good. Standing to his feet, Luke exhaled heavily, running a hand through his hair as he treaded to the kitchen. "Ven?" He called groggily, not even pausing as he saw his best friend, rushing instead to engulf her into his arms, burying his face into her hair as tears sprung to his eyes, relief and heartbroken and grateful that she was there. "You shouldn't be here." He murmured gently.

Molly felt her heart burst with adoration as Michael opened the door, and without hesitation, Molly wrapped her arms around Michael's neck, smiling as she did because god, she'd missed him so much. "Hey yourself," Molly murmured into his ear with a laugh, and as he squeezed around her, Molly couldn't fight the feeling that was home, because for her, home had never been a place, it had been a person, and that person was Michael. Molly had been in love with Michael for as long as she could remember, but she could never tell him, she could never risk ruining what they had between them already, because their friendship had been so strong for so long, and love was known to break bonds. The scent of Michael's cologne made Molly nuzzle further into her best friend, and as he pulled away after a long moment, Molly ignored his words and pulled him back. "Michael? Shut up and hold me." She laughed, squeezing around him as they stood at his doorstep. Molly pulled back after another long moment, and she peered up at him with a sweet smile, biting her lip. "Show me around then, hot shot."

Ashton couldn't help but give the front door the middle finger as Josh left, and Ashton could feel his anger run through his veins. What did Rossella even see in that tool? Deciding that he needed to find someone to help relieve his frustration, Ashton looked to Rossella and felt his heart jolt at the sight of her in one of his shirts, because damn it, it was a sight that would never get old. His clothes, although they engulfed her, suited her so much. "I'm not hungry, Ross, thanks." And although Ashton had wanted nothing more than to hold her, seek her comfort in a time where he was worrying for Luke and feeling uncertain, he wouldn't dare lay his hands on her until she got all traces of Josh from her body, as though she was a rose tainted by the worst sort of poison. Biting on the inside of his cheek, Ashton stood to his feet. "Why don't we go out for breakfast, Ross?" Ashton suggested. "My treat." And Ashton took great joy from his own pettiness as he thought about the fact that if Josh had stuck around, he wouldn't of been invited. Rubbing at his jaw to stop himself from grinning with the thought, Ashton didn't wait for an answer as he went to get ready. "Meet by outside in half an hour!" Ashton called, shutting his bedroom door. God, why couldn't he just fucking admit his feelings? He'd chastised Michael, and Luke, and Calum over holding in their feelings, and yet, when it came to Rossella, he just couldn't be brave, couldn't risk losing the one person that became an escape for him. His apartment would be so empty without her.

Keira looked back to her mother and was satisfied that she was resting, and blinking away the tears before Calum could notice, Keira nodded in thanks, taking the box to place down in the kitchen. "Thanks," Keira cleared her throat, leading Calum to the kitchen as she placed down the adorable little package Calum had put together for them, finding that it was probably the nicest thing the golden skinned boy had ever done for her. Watching Calum carefully, Keira felt her heart rejoice in the fact that he was beside her, but she tried to silence the joy as quickly as she could, because the more she thought of Calum, or thought of the idea of the both of them becoming an item, Keira fell deeper into the abyss, despite her own annoyance. Sitting at the table, Keira rested her head in her hands, before pushing her hair from her face. "She's sleeping right now, so I guess you can just... shut up and relax." Keira leaned back in her seat, pawing at her eyes.

Harry couldn't help but chuckle as Neva buried her face into his chest, and he shifted his large hand from her waist to her back to rub soothing circles into her skin, looking down at her with nothing but adoration before resting his chin atop of her head, silently admitting that the closeness between them was something he'd craved for so long - maybe he should make the most of it. "Neva, yeees." Harry giggled, pressing a sweet kiss to Neva's temple as she got comfortable within the crook of his neck, and Harry wished he could have this moment forever. Continuing to rub circles into her back, Harry pulled Neva as close as he could physically have her. "Well, if you want to stay in bed a little longer, I certainly wouldn't complain." Harry promised. He wondered to himself why he couldn't just tell Neva that he loved her, that he loved having her to himself, that he loved the way she'd cried out his name the night before, the way she scratched at his back when he dug his fingers into her thighs with every thrust. Biting his lip with the thought, Harry shifted slightly, closing his eyes to reign himself in - Neva knew him better than he knew himself sometimes, she'd know if he was acting strangely. "Last night was fun." Harry hummed out, knowing he could be honest with her, burying his face into her hair to stop himself from saying something that might push her away, like can we do it again?

Odette closed her eyes as Louis pressed a kiss to her forehead, and she couldn't help but smile softly as he tugged her towards him, closing the gap between them. Burying her face into his neck, Odette exhaled, trying to release her anxiety as she focused on the scent of Louis' cologne, using the familiarity to ground herself. Louis' cuddles meant more to Odette than she could ever admit. "I know, but," pulling away then, Odette looked to Louis, gently cupping his face within her hands, running her thumbs across the apples of his cheeks with a soft motion. "Lou, this is so important to me." Odette offered a gentle smile then. "I want Freddie to feel welcome here." And she did, she really did. She'd seen photos of him from Louis - the two were so similar it was almost frightening - and Odette told herself that she'd love to give Freddie a little brother or sister one day. "I just... can't help but be nervous, he's your baby." Although at four years old, he wasn't much of a baby anymore. Hearing a knock at the door, Odette's eyes widened a little and she stepped back from Louis. "That must be Lottie to drop him off," Odette bit her lip anxiously. "Okay, do I look okay? Go and answer!"

Daniel smiled softly as Amedea stood to her feet to greet him, and with a shy smile, he offered her a bouquet of sunflowers and roses. "I am," he confirmed, trying not to sound so nervous. Daniel realised as he studied the girl that Nathaniel was either a genius or an idiot, to be decided by how well the date went. "Uh, Nathaniel told me that you graduated college a few weeks ago, congratulations." He offered her the bouquet then, his hands still by the sheer willpower Daniel kept hidden to stop himself from trembling. "It's so nice to meet you at last, I've heard great things about you," and Daniel motioned for Amedea to sit down. "Would you like a drink? My treat." He smiled, his anxiety beginning to seep away the more he studied the beauty, how she seemed just as nervous as he was, and how he was certain that Nathaniel had pressured her into this just as much as he'd pressured Daniel.

Nicole giggled as Namjoon held her up with ease, and she sighed happily into his hair, just taking the moment in, not caring if people around them stopped to stare at the display of affection - she'd missed him too much to part from him now. "I've missed you too, Namjoon." Nicole promised quietly, voice almost muffled by how close she was to him, but she wouldn't have it any other way. As he lowered her down, Nicole peered up at the handsome boy with a smile. "How was your flight? How are the boys?" She asked, staying so close that she was certain there was less than an inch of space between them. "I can't wait for you to see my new apartment, your room looks amazing." She laughed, gently wrapping her arms around his neck as she kissed his cheek. "God, I really have missed you." She murmured, burying her face into his neck, unable to help herself. This was the man she'd been in love with for so long, she could never hold back her affection.

Nathaniel let out a laugh when Alysia's sweet voice read out the text that Daniel had sent him, and he smirked. Daniel and Amedea just seemed so perfectly suited, he couldn't help but try his hardest to set them up together - he was certain they would thank him in the long run. "Well, how does a coffee sound?" Nathaniel smiled, offering her a cheeky wink as he studied her. Nathaniel was what people would describe as a mischief, but the he only wanted to show off to impress Alysia, to get her to find him funny. "My treat. Hell, we can even get a cookie." Nathaniel teased, pressing a gentle kiss to the side of Alysia's head. She was all he'd wanted, for so long, but he swore he'd wait forever if he had to, because she was perfect. "As for that text, reply with an eggplant emoji." Nathaniel laughed then, his head falling backwards with amusement. As Caramel, his cat, jumped onto his lap, Nathaniel placed her gently onto Alysia's lap, admiring the view. "I'm just gonna grab a jacket and then we can head out, do you wanna borrow a hoodie?" Nathaniel asked, running a hand through his dishevelled hair.

Audrey listened to the serious tone in Cillian's voice and she couldn't help but grin as she placed her phone into the pocket of her jacket, relaxing into her chair as she peered up at him. "Lighten up, baby." Audrey teased, finally getting a good look at the man she would be 'dating' for the next few months, and she could admit to herself that his handsome features alone would make the whole experience worth it, and those lips were just enticing, how could she not take this time to enjoy herself? As he made his way over though, Audrey smiled and offered out her hand for him to shake. "That I am. And you must be Cillian - I gotta admit, I wasn't expecting a handsome Irishman." And she really wasn't. "Everything has been signed on my side of things, so I suppose we're ready to be official." Audrey smiled. "You'll be attending New York Fashion Week with me too."