A Thing of Beauty - A Hozier Fanfiction

Chapter Three

12 April, 2020 {Easter}

Co. Wicklow, Ireland

Positive COVID-19 Cases: 9,655

Deaths: 334

"Any fun plans for the day?" Andrew asked as he sat in his desk chair, his mobile phone perched on his desk.

Cassie shrugged. "Dunno. Probably not. Though the irony of this being the first Easter Finn will remember and me not actually being able to do anything for it is not lost on me."

"No egg hunt, then?" he joked with a smirk.

"There will be a hunt, but not for eggs," she sighed. "All of my spoons have magically disappeared, so that's what we're going to do today."

He laughed. "So Finn is a spoon goblin."

"Apparently," she smiled and tucked some of her blonde hair behind her pierced ear. "Or the fairies have gotten them."

"H-how many piercings do you have?" he asked, nodding to the screen.

"Oh - I don't know. Maybe three on each ear?" her fingers went to the small silver rings that lined the edge of her ear. "I had four on one but Finn yanked it out."

"Fuck," he hissed. "So he's a spoon goblin and an earring-puller."

"I mean he was only like, seven months old, so I don't think I can hold it against him," Cassie said offhandedly.

"Ah, fair," he replied. He glanced at the clock on his desk. "Shit, is that the time?" he asked himself.

"Have somewhere you need to be?" she asked, more in jest.

"Ehm, yeah," he slid his glasses up his nose. "I'm meeting my brother at my parents' house. We're doing a sort of distance thing in the back garden."

"Is that...is that safe?" she stammered. He could sense the apprehension in her voice.

"Y-yeah, we think it'll be fine," he explained, ducking his head slightly. "We're all meeting outside and wearing masks and staying far away from each other."

Cassie was quiet for a second and he could swear he saw a bit of judgement cross over her face. He opened his mouth to fill the silence, but she spoke first.

"How's your dad doing? Did Tadgh work out?" she asked.

He inhaled sharply and smiled. "Yeah - yeah, he came by the house for the first time last week. He really helped my dad. He can't do everything he usually does, but at least its something."

"Good! I'm glad," she smiled easily.

"Thank you so much for connecting us," he said, pushing his glasses back up again. "You have no idea how much its helped. Not just my dad - me. Its so nice to feel like I can do something, you know?"

Cassie nodded. "Definitely. I'm glad things are going well for them."

There was a knock at Andrew's office door and Alex popped his head in. "Oh, sorry," he said quickly, realizing he was on a call.

"I thought you were alone out there in your mansion," she teased.

Andrew blushed slightly and chuckled. "No, this is my friend Alex," he answered, waving the other man over. "He's staying with me."

Alex reluctantly crossed the room and stood behind Andrew's desk chair, resting one hand on the back. "Hi," he said awkwardly, lifting the other one in greeting.

"Hi," she answered, giving him a polite smile. She looked back at Andrew. "I'm glad you've got a...companion?" she said, stifling a giggle.

The two men exchanged a hasty horrified look before trying to speak at the same time.