Vulnerable

5 years later

Hi, it's Rye and I wanted to tell this part because everything that has happened over five years has been amazing. Each day a new adventure, each second a brand new memory I can save for ever and ev—

"Rye for fucks sake what do you think you are doing?"

"Well,I'm making a voice diary"

"Five years turned you into a little bitch more like heh" And he ran. Damn you Andy. Running away with my heart all the time. Only this time he had my dignity.

"Hey squirt, give that shit BaCk!"
—————-
Andy ran through the shared apartment and I followed. Rapid. I was almost there
Gotcha
Scooping him up into my arms and snuggling him into my chest. Both of our chests rising and falling, synced. A light rose flush had crept over the tips is Andy's ears from the dash through our apartment. He nuzzled his head into my neck and there we stood. Perfect, tranquil.
Until

"I'm home babbbeeeess" a goofy and idiotic. Probably blond, kinda short. Very un-straight person called from the kitchen. Barging through the door and our moment. It was our wonderful idiot. Brook. Someone decided to allow him to be a primary music teacher, he loved every second of it. It was like having a whole fan base of people who looked up to him and adored him with all their hearts.

"I am home you horny shits so, since you're allowed to be horny so am I. I'm calling jack and nobody is stopping me, and then, we are going into my room and having really hot s-"

"BROOK" Andy and I yell in unison, our embarrassment must have been so pungent that Sonny emerged from upstairs, took one look at the gathering, and left. All I could do was feel envious.
So we did the most mature thing we could think of and run away from Brook and Jack's imminent 'hot sex'
As fast as we could.

Hand in hand we walked through London, the dusk casting shadows that bounced of the walls, chasing the last rays of light that pooled in the streets like little lakes of gold. The evening chatter was amid the drone of the late evening traffic, indistinct and distant. If I am to be completely honest though, the reason for my lack of attention to my surroundings and the noises that make home so homely was the man walking beside me.

He looked forward with a darkened in his eyes but a rich determination, one that used the darkness to build its strength. The strength that left me in awe every single day he lived and breathed. The one that keeps my love for him alive.

He is of course, exceptionally handsome. The last five years have been very tough, but therapy and forgiveness have brought us closer. And while we will never forget. Ever. We have moved on. And we are better for it.

Smiling down at him I notice the way the gold of the sun ripples over his head, the lakes on the floor become rivers and ribbons of gold as it washes over him. The shadow cast by his nose and lips shows the defined structure of his face, the smirk that lingers on his lips as he turns to say.

"If you're staring at me, I get a free pass for staring at you. ESPECIALLY when you're asleep" He prods me. I called his weird for staring at me while I slept. But I think staying in public probably looks a LOT worse.

Seeing him smile up at me and tease me just makes me fall deeper in love with him. Honestly I think there's a point where you love someone so much that you forget what life was like without them. Now, if he was to leave I don't think I could possibly ever move on.

5 years really has turned my into a little bitch. At least I'm his little bitch.

We Wales for hours, hand in hand. The time passed so quickly. When we got back to the house, there was silence.

"Well we missed J and B or, you know B and J. If you get what I mean" Andy jokes, wiggling his eyebrows as we enter the kitchen. It was well past midnight and it was a dark, starry night. It was also the anniversary of the death of his mother. We do the same thing every year.

"Gazibo?" I question
"Yeah" he answers

We walk out into the garden, past the Apple trees and under the archway made from ivy and we arrive at the pastel blue gazibo at the very back of the garden. The top is made of imitation glass and looks, on this day, exactly at the star that Andy and his mother saw and called the Fowler Star, when he was a boy. So every year we come out here and sleep under it. His mother watching over us.

It's a sombre night, so we are quiet. Opening the gazibo Andy pulls me inside and locks the door. Pulling me down beside him onto the sofa-bed he says:

"Do you recon she really watches us here every year?"

"Of course she does, she's always with you now. Always" I reply, brushing the locks from his face and smiling at him.

He became so successful once he began to show self confidence, he's a songwriter and manager for many young and upcoming artists. He looks especially in downtrodden areas. And his programme has rescued over 10 kids from abusive homes. Honestly he's noting short of a hero.

I became a physiotherapist, often I'm involved with his cases when one of the poor children has been crippled, so from there it's a team effort. We try to save and rehabilitate kids as often as we can.

"Rye baby, do you think she knows all the good I've done, how I've managed to get better" he asks, a quiver in his voice.

"Baby, you're a hero, she knows. She's proud of you. Remember, she always has been and always will be. But if you doubt it. We've got all night, tell her about the last five years" I prompt. Pulling him into a tighter hug as a tear slides down his face.

"I love you, you know that Rye" he says, nuzzling his face into my shoulder.

"I love you too. Always" I respond. And so we stay. Embraced and silent for half an hour until I hear.

"I'm ready now" he announces
"I'm going to tell her about everything since I had to pull the plug, the good and the bad".
He took a deep breath in...
"So mum, it all began when we left for college. Me and Brook for music, Jack and Sonny for Sports and Harvey was in rehab. It was a journey and a half and it began like this..."

*************************************
Who is the very best in the whole world. Here's how my two cuties are doing after five years. Ah they're all grown up. So here's for all of you and all the votes all the reads. All the dms. And reposts on insta. I love and appreciate you all. Every single one of you readers made this book 40k + reads. I'm so absolutely thrown by that number. It's huge!!! Please stay safe during the Corona Pandemic guys. Read a load of Wattpad to get through the times. Time to plug my two other works in progress.
A more lighter hearted one:
Six of one half a dozen of the other

And a very un-lighthearted one:
Finding myself again.

Band drama will not stop shippers and fanfic writers from doing their shit. Just another reason to read them. Escapism is a drug people. This is NOT a drill.

Love you all so much
And till' next time (if there is one on here)
B xxxx