‹ Prequel: Burn
Status: Hiatus

Whispers

And said show me something

Rae glanced out the window, looking up at the grey sky as the rain stopped for the first time that day. Getting closer to winter, the skies were getting greyer and the weather was already frigid, making the girl break out the warmer clothes and longer sleeves.

Movement caught her and she looked up, expecting to see Harry and Liam. But she saw that the person getting out of the car was just a girl, struggling under the weight of moving boxes, trying to make it into the gate next door.

Realizing she was having trouble, Rae left the window and bound out the door and down the steps, hurrying to her neighbor that was obviously new and opening the gate for the girl, who was about her age.

“Oh my goodness, thank you so much!” the girl’s accent was rough and Irish, a smile lighting her face as she fit through the gap in the fence, walking into her yard. She looked at Rae with a kind smile. “I’ve just moved in yesterday and the rain has hardly let me get me boxes, ya know?”

Rae laughed lightly, nodding. “Would you like me to open your door?”

“That would actually help a lot!”

Rae nodded and ducked past the girl carrying the oversized box, opening up the door to her flat and stepping in and out of her way. The flat was totally empty save for moving boxes and wrapped furniture, the smell of it empty and ready to take on a new scent of someone else.

The flat had been empty for years, similar looking to Rae’s and large. The girl dropped the box to the required spot, letting out a breath and pushing back her fiery red hair, damp from the weather outside and smiling at Rae.

Sticking her hand how for Rae to shake she introduced herself. “Annaleigh Finnegan, but you can call me Finn. Just moved in last night, so I guess we’re new neighbors.”

Rae nodded. “Rae Bastian. Welcome to the neighborhood. You’re moving in by yourself?”

She nodded, shoving her hands in her pockets and shrugging. She could not be any older than Rae, with a beautiful face and green eyes like sea glass. Her entire vibe was very carefree and friendly, and Rae already liked her. “Mum and dad were sick of me living at home, so they bought me a place and sent me off with my things.”

“Do they live nearby?”

“Yeah, just about ten minutes away, not far of course. My sister should be moving in next month. Enjoy the peace while you can, she is quite the rowdy one.”

Rae laughed, knowing the feeling. “My roommate Trystan is too. Why don’t you come over sometime this week, when you’re all settled in? I’m sure it’ll be nice to make some new friends.”

Finn grinned; a twinkle in her eye that Rae knew was pure happiness. Finn nodded and followed Rae towards the door. Outside, Harry and Liam were getting out of the car, and Rae waved at them, both of them pausing to observe. “That’ll be wonderful. It was nice to meet you. And thanks for helping me with those fucking boxes, a proper bitch, they were.”

“Of course.”

Skipping out of the gate, Rae approached Harry and Liam who stood in front of her gate. Standing on her tip toes, she pressed a kiss to Harry’s lips and gave Liam a big hug, his attention on the neighbor’s home.

“Happy Birthday, love.”

“Thanks,” Liam grinned.

“Who was that?” Harry questioned, the three of them entering the yard. Thunder rumbled in the distance, making Rae curl her lip in annoyance at the sky. She would have rather it been sunny on her day off from classes and work. “I’ve never seen her before.”

“That would be because she just moved in.” Inside the house, they shed their shoes at the door, padding to the kitchen where Rae instantly began preparing tea. The frigid and dampness outside was not enjoyable, and tea could get rid of it. “She’s actually quite nice.”

“What’s her name?”

Rae looked at Liam, her eyes knowing and raised an eyebrow. It was obvious by his tone that he thought the girl was fit. Being around the boy had taught Rae some of his mannerisms, and that was one of them. “Finn. You think she’s pretty?”

He nodded, grinning a bit. “You caught me.”

“She always does,” Harry laughed, clapping him on the back.

Pouring cups of tea, the three of them mulled about the kitchen, conversation flitting from one topic to the next. Talking with the two of them was always easy. The only one that Rae never really spoke to out of Harry’s friends, was Zayn and that was because he seldom came around, and because he seldom had much to say. She liked that about him.

Though they were not the most tight knit group of friends in the world, Rae did get to see one of those boys every once in a while. Harry liked to keep to himself or to Louis for the most part, especially since most of Harry’s drinking had always been with Niall.

But that night, they were going to dinner and having a get together at Liam’s flat that he shared with Zayn. Rae had no idea that they had lived together until she went their one day to pick up Harry, finding that they shared the nice three bedroom place. She thought they were good flat mates, the quiet and the kind.

“So would you like your birthday present now or later?” Rae asked finally, smiling at Liam. She knew that they could give him the gift later that night at dinner, but she was sure that he would drink throughout the meal and be too drunk to remember it or not to break it.

Liam raised his brows. “You didn’t have to get me anything at all.”

“Of course we did,” she said, smiling at Harry pointedly. He was trying not to laugh into his cup of tea, seeing as he had told her on short notice just after they had had sex to get the gift. “Harold, why don’t you go get Liam’s present?”

Throwing her an exhausted look, Harry dragged himself from the stool muttering under his breath about her nickname for him as he went to retrieve Liam’s gift. Liam was chuckled lightly to himself, taking another sip of his tea. “Let me guess, he told you at the last minute it was my birthday today?”

“Right after- you know what, not on a need to know bases.”

“Yeah,” Liam said awkwardly, scratching the back of his neck. His face flushed as he realized what she had been about to say. They did not have that kind of friendship. “I get where you were going with that.”

Coming back into the room, Harry had a smirk on his lips, carrying the slightly heavy, wrapped square with two, thin, smaller wrapped squares on top. Liam leaned back in surprised as Harry set it down in front of him, pushing it towards him and tapping the big box, signaling to open that first.

Carefully and gently, Liam began unwrapping his present, seeming as if he really did not want to hurt the delicate, white wrapping paper. It made Rae smile, because it was such a Liam quality, in her eyes.

Removing the last piece of paper, his mouth dropped slightly, staring at an old, but absolutely beautiful record player in front of him. The wood to it was dark, and there were lovely carvings in it, making it an overall beautiful work of craftsmanship.

“But…”

Rae and Harry smiled in unison. “You told me how mad you were for old records, but you couldn’t find any old record players.”

“And I,” Rae continued, leaning on the counter, “Happen to work at a music store. I found one, and then Harry told me what music you liked. So, you’re first two albums,” she tapped on the unwrapped, thinner squares, “should be up to your standards.”

The two albums revealed to be a mix of old and new. One was an old ACDC record, one of Liam’s favorite bands, as well as a brand new Jay-Z record. The boy had a wide variety of music tastes, but at least they were all good unlike Harry’s who drove Rae nuts once in a while.

Liam shook his head, laughing to himself. “This is brilliant. You’re both brilliant, thank you.”

“Of course. And the third installment to your gift is I will invite Finn, the new neighbor to the after party. Sound like a deal?”

Liam’s grin was huge. “You’ve got it.”

*

“Well shit,” Trystan said instantly, looking Finn up and down. “You’re proper fit. Trystan, Rae’s roommate. I’m sure she’s told you how wonderful I am and how she cannot fathom living without me.”

Finn grinned and Rae felt a relief. It was obvious the two of them were going to become fast friends, and Rae hoped that she would as well. Finn had accepted her invitation to Liam’s after party, and since dinner was over, they were stopping by to pick her up. “Finn. Nice to meet ya.”

“Ooh, she’s Irish!” Trystan clapped her hands together in delight while Finn settled in the back seat of Rae’s car. Rolling her eyes, Rae began driving towards Liam, excited for the party. “I like the Irish. They know how to drink.”

“We sure do.”

Trystan, as a matter of fact, didn’t need to drink too much more. Dinner had been filled with loud laughter and drinks all around. Save for Harry, who still was refusing to touch alcohol. Rae did not even enjoy having him around it, seeing as it was too dangerous, too tempting. So she herself was not going to drink tonight either.

Ever since Harry had warded off the substance, Rae had changed her habits. She did not keep it in the house- well, Trystan kept a stash but Rae did not know it’s location- she did not drink around him, and she stayed by his side while they were at parties.

One day, she knew that Harry may drink again. She wasn’t sure if she ever considered him an alcoholic. He didn’t need it to survive, and he was doing absolutely fine without it, not struggling, not craving it. It was just that he needed to learn how to drink without turning into an angry person.

Drumming her fingers on the wheel, Rae got to know Finn a little better. Finn was waiting to be accepted at the small university twenty minutes away for the spring term, wanting to study architecture. She explained she liked the way things were built, and it had always fascinated her. She was also twenty-one years of age, growing up with a sister just a year older than she.

“Spent most of my life where I was born in Dublin,” she explained opened Trystan’s inquisition, looking out the window as they pulled up to Liam’s. Already streams of people were trickling towards the flat, every light on and people hugging coats tight to their body, the cold seeping in. “But then when I was sixteen, we moved here to merry old London for my father’s business opportunity.”

“Which was?”

“Managing a record label company. My dad’s that real bossy, in your face bloke. But at home I swear he is a proper softy.”

Rae smiled. “Sounds like my father.”

The three girls stepped out of the car, hurrying to the house, in need of warmth. The wind was biting and by the time they got into Liam’s warm home, Rae’s nose was already turning red from the bitter air outside.

Shedding her jacket, she hung it near the door, surprised by the people in the home already. Everyone was absolutely buzzing, walking around with drinks, talking about how quickly the weather had turned cold. Walking down the hallway, Rae spotted Harry and Niall through the glass sliding door, standing and serving beer from the keg with a fire roaring behind them in the fire pit.

Instantly Rae head towards them, on autopilot. Her spot was at Harry’s side, and she preferred to be there. Even after a long time, Rae just felt safer near someone she knew at parties.

As she passed through the living room, Rae waved to a group of two girls and one boy. Gretta, John, and Erin were acquaintances she had met at parties before, though she had gone to school with Erin. They waved back at her, Erin blowing her a kiss lovingly before falling back into conversation.

Stepping outside, Rae shivered, hurrying over to Harry who smiled at her and opened his jacket for her to slide into his chest, wrapping her arms around him as he enveloped her in his arms and the flaps of his jacket, kissing her forehead.
“Hi Niall,” she greeted into Harry’s chest just loud enough for her friend to hear. She heard him laugh at her and she peeked at him from Harry’s embrace. “What? It’s bloody freezing out here, no need to go poking fun.”

“Whatever you say, Rae.”

“You leave your new lady friend to fend for herself?” Harry asked, his warm breath hitting her forehead. Around them, Niall continued to pour beer for people, drinking hearty amounts himself. She figured it kept him warm, and Harry was just keeping him company. “Dangerous.”

“Of course I didn’t,” she laughed, snuggling into him. “I left her with Trystan. They’re good friends now. I’ll be like a third wheel.”

“Cause that would be a shame,” Niall snorted, making both of them look at him. He looked up, shrugging his shoulders and grinning. Niall was such an honest person that sometimes it took them by surprise. “Just a comment.”

Rae smiled.

The night progressed and Rae stayed tucked into Harry, though she eventually turned around, her back pressed to his front. He radiated warmth, and she enjoyed that he was keeping the cold away from her. It was lovely.

“Did you hear the news, by the way?” some random lad asked Niall. Niall raised a brow, clearly not interested but shrugged as he pumped the tap, readying it as he began to pour the boy another beer. “Leon is supposed to get out on parole.”

Both Harry and Rae tensed immediately at the boys words. Niall, on the other hand, spit out the beer that was in his mouth, right into the boys cup. The boy stared at it and shrugged, continuing, “Yeah. Finally. The poor lad has been away for months. His mum has been worried sick.”

Licking her lips, Rae tried not to quiver. She did not like that fact at all. It seemed as if a single phrase had sucked the life out of her, and she thought she was going to be sick. Her eyes fell to the ground, and her lip began working between her teeth, her mind running all over itself.

Leon getting released was probably the worst news she had ever received in years. The thought of him walking around and not being stuck behind bars was repulsive, and the thought struck her with fear down to her very core.

“Don’t worry,” Harry murmured into her ear, his voice very dark and very calm. Rae hated when his voice suddenly took on that calm, collected tone. It was like he was repressing something so strongly that there was no emotion. “What’s mine is mine. And if for a second he thinks it’s not, it will be the last second he thinks.”

Rae nodded. But sometimes a nod was a lie. This time, it was.
♠ ♠ ♠
Rae's Outfit

Trystan's Outfit

Finn's Outfit

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