All Along | ✓

Chapter Two

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"Two souls don't find each other by simple accident."

- unknown

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Luna's POV

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Nine Months Later

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"Make sure you don't go off on your own."

"Uh huh."

"Stay with him the whole time."

"I know."

"Don't talk to strangers."

"Mom! I know!" I groan, tossing myself backwards onto the couch.

Mom sighs softly, "I just want you to be safe, Luna."

I sit up to look at her, "I will be, Mom. Oli will take care of me."

"I know, love," She smiles and leans over to kiss my cheek, "why don't you go wait for him on the front porch? Just yell out when you're leaving."

I immediately jump up with a grin, "See you later!" I hurry out the front door and plop myself down on the front porch steps to wait for my best friend. He doesn't leave me waiting long and walks down the street towards me only a few minutes later. Jumping up, I quickly call out a goodbye to my Mom then run down the street towards him.

Oli stops when he sees me running towards him and visibly sighs, shaking his head at me. When I get closer, he places the basketball in his hands down on the ground beside him, freeing his hands up to catch me, which he already knows he'll have to do. When I'm close enough, I launch myself into his arms and he stumbles back a little, wrapping his arms around me tightly. My legs wind around his torso and my arms hook over his shoulders as I press my face against his neck.

A small laugh leaves him and he rubs my back for a minute to sooth me. "You always give the best welcomes, Little One." He tells me quietly as I relax in his arms.

"Just missed you, Oli," I mumble, not letting him go. I'd like to stay latched onto him like this for as long as I can.

He chuckles softly, "You saw me two days ago."

"But I didn't see you yesterday," I argue, "You were busy."

"I'm sorry, Little Luna," he murmurs, gently guiding my face out from his neck, "But we get to spend all day together today."

I smile at that. "We're going to the park?"

He nods and sets me down on my feet, picking the basketball back up. "'Course we are. You ready?"

I nod and start skipping ahead of him, heading towards the park. We arrive after a few minutes and find the basketball court empty, so I run over to make sure no one starts playing before us. Oli and I play for hours in the summer sun, running up and down the court. Eventually I start feeling tired as the afternoon rolls around and Oli notices immediately.

"You ready to go home, Little One?" He asks, walking over to me with the basketball tucked under his arm. He crouches down in front of me and looks up, meeting my eyes.

I quickly shake my head despite my tired legs and arms making it hard to stand. "I don't want to go."

"Really? Well, I'm super tired. I thought we could go back to your house and watch a movie." Oli offers, a little smile on his lips.

I perk up a little at his words, "A Disney movie?"

"If that's what you want," he agrees, opening his arms to me.

Quickly falling into his embrace, he wraps me up in his arms and stands to his full height with me still clinging to him. He balances me on his hip, holding the basketball under his free arm. "Okay, Oli. Let's go home."

He chuckles softly and angles his head to press a kiss to my head. "That's what I thought, Little One. Let's get you home."

The walk back home is short and before I know it, Oli is walking up the front porch steps. He steps inside the house without knocking after my parents insisted on him doing so time and time again. Oli sets the basketball down on the ground in the entranceway beside his shoes that he kicks off as well. He then unties my shoes for me and sets them both on the ground beside his.

Oli peaks into the living room to find it empty, so he walks through to the kitchen. Laughter flows into the house from outside, so he follows the noise and steps through the backdoor. I look up from where my face has been buried against his neck and see my parents and his moms sitting around outside with snacks and drinks.

"How was the park?" Mom asks, smiling when she spots us.

I offer a sleepy smile then tuck myself back against Oli, wanting him to answer. He does so without me having to ask. "It was good. Luna's a bit tired now though. We were going to watch a movie."

"That's a great idea," Claire smiles at us.

"Netflix is set up on the TV in the living room," Dad reminds us before Oli heads back inside, still carrying me with him.

He walks through to the living room and grabs the remote from the coffee table before sitting down on the couch. I shuffle around to sit more comfortably in his lap, relaxing back against him once again.

"What movie do you want to watch, Little One?" He asks quietly, one hand gently rubbing up and down my back while the other loads Netflix onto the TV.

"Can we watch Moana?" I ask softly.

"Sure we can," He agrees easily, finding the right movie and playing it on the screen. He sets the remote down and lets his hand rest on the back of my head, gently smoothing my hair back for me.

I'm quick to relax into his touch, the soothing motions pushing me further and further into my sleepy state. I'm not paying too much attention to the movie, but Oli doesn't comment on it, letting me fall asleep against him.

"I love you, Oli," I murmur, seconds away from sleep.

His hand on my back stills and it's then that I realise I don't think I've ever said that before. We've been best friends for almost a year and I do love him. I just don't think I have ever told him that.

Oli drops his forehead onto my shoulder gently, his arms completely circling around me in a protective and welcoming hold. "I've never had anyone to love before you, Little One. But now I have you. My best friend," He sighs softly, "I love you, Little Luna."

I snuggle closer to him, a smile lifting my lips. "Promise we'll be best friends forever?"

He holds me close and I listen to his heart beating steadily in his chest, the rhythm putting me to sleep. "I promise."

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~ Pink Flamingo