Bradley Simpson imagines

The crowd

You hurry through the small path formed by security, Brad at your side. You keep your hood up and your head down, hiding most of your face from the cameras, while leaving your hair flowing out. Although you're taking quick, long strides, you're being half dragged by your boyfriend.

Whenever you're caught in the middle of a crowd, Brad holds your hand as tightly as he can, as if he's scared you're going to let go. It's nothing like how he normally holds you, those touches are soft and sweet. He interlocks your fingers or gently holds your waist, keeping you comfortable. Outside, Brad holds your hand so tightly that sometimes his rings imprint on your skin. He always apologises for holding on too tight afterwards, but never loosens his grip on you.

He also walks a lot faster when you're with him, knowing how much you hate the cameras. You once asked him why he acted differently when you were with him, as when he's on his own he usually walks slowly, waving and smiling at his fans while signing autographs for them. Although he still smiles at everyone, he doesn't stop to sign anything or take pictures, keeping his fast pace to wherever you're heading.

"You're one of the most important people in the world to me, Y/n. I don't want to lose you in the crowd. I don't know what I'd do if that happened. I love my fans, but sometimes they get a little too eager to take a picture, and I don't want you getting hurt."

His words replay in your head as you follow your main security guard, Rob, to your car a few streets away. You keep pace with your boyfriend, trying to ignore the throbbing in your hand and the screaming of his fans, all begging for a picture or autograph. Although the security barriers keep you separated from them, you can't help but feel slightly claustrophobic.

A few times, you hear your own name being called, along with 'girl' and 'Brad's girlfriend'. Although instinct tells you to look up, you keep your head down.

All of a sudden, the barrier in front of you breaks away, and the fans surge forward. Brad holds your hand even tighter as your security guards try to overpower the hundreds of people. Rob grabs Brad's arm, pulling him out of the crowd. At the same time, you feel bony fingers wrap around the wrist of your free hand, pulling you deeper into the crowd of crazed fans. Panic sets in as you realise that Brad's hand is no longer holding yours, and you've lost sight of your bodyguards. You let out a quiet squeak as you're instantly surrounded by strangers.

"Y/n! Over here! One picture please!" A bunch of bright lights blind you momentarily, forcing you to blink hard. You squint, disorientated momentarily before you realise that you're surrounded by large, bulky cameras.

The paparazzi.

You let out a quiet whimper, looking around wildly for your boyfriend. At that moment, someone grabs your shoulders, turning you to face them. Your eyes widen in panic before you realise that it's Brad. One of the paparazzi pull at your arm, trying to get you to face him again, and Brad's eyes narrow in fury as he yells loudly. "DON'T TOUCH HER! DON'T FUCKING TOUCH HER!" A large vein bulges in his forehead as grabs the mans arm roughly, shoving it away from you.

Red faced, he puts a protective arm around your shoulders, shielding you from the cameras while holding your small hand in his. The bodyguards surround you, hiding the both of you from view as they lead you to your car. Even though there's no way anyone can penetrate the wall of bodyguards, Brad doesn't let you go. He's hugging you against his chest, and you can feel his heart pounding beside you.

The moment you're safely in the car, he pulls you away so he can look at you. "Are you okay? Did they hurt you? I swear if any of them hurt you, I'll-"
"No, I'm okay." You give him a small smile, stroking his cheek gently. "I'm okay. You can calm down." Brad sighs loudly, his face still slightly red. "When I realised you weren't holding my hand anymore, I panicked. I thought I wouldn't be able to find you." You kiss his temple gently before leaning your head on his shoulder. "They just got a little over excited. They love you."
"They're not allowed to just grab you like that!"
"They were just doing their job, Bear." Brad looks out of the window at all his fans chanting his name and holding up signs.

"They don't understand why it scares you." You draw small circles on the palm of his hand as his face softens slightly. He lets out a long breath, pulling you even closer to him.

"You're right." He presses a kiss to the top of your head. "But nobody is ever allowed to touch my girl like that again."  You laugh at his words, snuggling into his chest. "Of course not. Don't worry, I'm sure you'll protect me from the big, scary crowds." He lets out a small chuckle before lifting your hand to his lips. "Always."