Untitled

“Came and sat at a table in my section asking to talk, can you believe it? Like I have the time or mind space to talk to him about his family drama while I’m working,” Miles ranted to his brother about Theo coming to the restaurant, “Has he spoken to you at all recently?”

@despairtheabyss​

Noah poked lightly at the drink that had been set in front of him as Miles spoke and shook his head at the question. “No he hasn’t. Not since I wasn’t exactly pleasant last time.” His emotions had gotten the better of him. Noah liked to think he was a good, kind person but he’d definitely lost that in the moment which he was a little ashamed of but he was hurt and where forgiveness normally came easy to him, he was struggling this time. “I don’t know what I’d say to him even if he did.”

Noah shook his head quickly, reaching for her hand. The nighmares were about her. Her dying specifically and her being there meant they weren’t real. She was still here. She did die but she was here, he did not want to let this go, “Stay,” he all but pleaded, looking helpless and feeble, “Just stay here. Please.”

That response couldn’t have been any more vehement and June gave a soft sigh as she tugged her feet up onto the bed and curled herself up with Noah, still holding him tightly, not that he seemed like he was going to let her go any time soon with the way he had hold of her hand in a vice like grip. “I’m not going anywhere. I never have. I’ve always been right here.” Even when he hadn’t been able to see her she’d been right there by his side. June pressed a kiss into his hair softly, humming a soft tune. 

Louis enjoyed the way Nell moved to the music against him, finding himself doing the same as her back was pressed against his front, “You say that like I have ulterior motives,” he teased as his arms tightened around her a little and he pressed a kiss against her neck. His body was reacting in a slightly possessive manner at the idea of any man flirting with her despite knowing that she did mean him. He spun her around in his arms and planted a proper kiss on her mouth, “Caveman you? What on earth does that mean?” he asked, chuckling against her lips. He had no intention of leaving until she wanted to. That was part of the whole pact deal. They actually had to do the fun thing. Besides, he knew that if he didn’t enjoy the club scene itself, he could have plenty fun with her anyway without leaving.

Nell had never been the type of woman to need a man to protect her but she’d be lying if she said there wasn’t something undeniably sexy about the way Louis seemed to have a possessive streak where she was concerned. Don’t get her wrong, if he pushed that too far, she’d slap him right back down to size but he’d never been overbearing with it. It actually made Nell feel like she had a lot of power where he was concerned and she loved the reactions she could draw from him. “Caveman me as in pick me up and toss me over your shoulder to take me home before having your wicked way with me.” The woman explained with a little laugh as she tilted her head to give him more access to her neck. “And I wouldn’t be complaining in the least. Still, I’m enjoying our fun time here too.”

“What? No, of course not. I always make you breakfast, don’t I?” Aiden replieed. She was right in saying that he did not typically get out of bed before she woke up but making breakfast for her wasn’t suspicious, “Just woke up with some energy I guess,” he shrugged. It had been the opposite but not being able to get back to sleep had made him restless, “How do you want your eggs today?”

“Well there is that.” She agreed, pressing a kiss to his shoulder as she stayed resting up against his back. “But something’s not quite right.” The morning felt a little off to her though she couldn’t quite put her finger on why. She supposed she’d spent so much time around Aiden that even the little changes were noticeable even when she couldn’t quite pinpoint what they were. “You know, if you wake up with energy, there’s a lot better ways to expend it...” 

Caleb wasn’t sure what he had done. Well, they had kissed but she was equally involved in that and he thought that it had gone well. He had liked her for a while, instantly drawn to her the minute she walked into his studio and he never wanted to leave her presence. She had made that very difficult recently, “Yeah,” he agreed, awkwardly scratching the back of his neck, “I uh… I’m sorry. I mean, if I did something to upset you or… make you hate me, I don’t know what it is but I’m sorry and I just… I’d like you to come back. Not seeing you, it sucks. Like a lot,” he laughed with as much nerves as his words implied, “Also, you avoiding me makes it kinda difficult for me to ask you out, you know?”

Halliwell immediately felt the guilt tugging at her when Caleb apologised for something he hadn’t even done. The reason she was avoiding him wasn’t because of his actions and simply because of herself that she’d taken to holing herself away. In a way she hated it though because Caleb had been the one who had managed to make her feel safe once more after everything had happened with Eric and not being around him... well it felt almost like being on unstable grounds once more. “No you... there was nothing you did wrong.” She immediately found herself stumbling out, not wanting him to blame himself. “I don’t hate you I -- What?” Halliwell’s words were cut short when Caleb mentioned asking her out. An expression of disbelief on her features. “But why would you want to ask me out?”

Louis was forever grateful for the pact that he and Nell had made before they had gotten together. If they hadn’t, he’d be burning out at his job and, more importantly, he would probably still be single. He wasn’t sure what he would do without the firefighter. This week’s fun thing was a themed night at the nighclub. It was a beach theme and, though Louis could not remember the last time he had been properly clubbing, he was having a good time. The company was playing a big part in that, “Have I mentioned how beautiful you look tonight?” he asked, arms snaking around her waist.

@despairtheabyss​

Nell had jumped at the chance to go out dancing. She’d always felt that it was a great way to blow off some steam but other than the events that got thrown around North Knot, it’d been a while since she’d actually gone out for the sake of it like this with no intentions of getting back in until she’d thoroughly worn her feet out. Wandering hands encircled her waist though and would no doubt begin travelling if the words were anything to go by, leaving her to smirk and lean back into the presence as she continued to move to the music. “You may have once or twice. Not nearly enough for me to consider taking you home with me though. I do like to be flirted with with handsome men at a club normally.” The girl joked, knowing that Louis would entertain any whims that she had. “Though I get the feeling you might try and caveman me outta here sooner than I plan.” At least knowing her man anyway. 

“Good morning,” Aiden greeted his girlfriend as she came into the kitchen and quickly put down his utensils to kiss her properly, “Hope you’re hungry, I’m making breakfast,” he said. He had actually been up for over an hour, waking up from a nightmare and unable to get back to sleep. Fortunately, he had not woken her up to begin with so he just came downstairs to get some jobs done before cooking.

@despairtheabyss​

“Should I be suspicious?” Juliet questioned in amusement, raising an eyebrow at her boyfriend as she padded across the room. “You’re up early and you’re making breakfast. Normally I find you curled up next to me for as long as possible if you don’t have to be in work early in the morning.” She pointed out, coming up behind him to slip her hands around his waist whilst peering around him to see what he was making. “I don’t need to be concerned about a guilty conscience do I?” Not that she actually believed that to be the case. Aiden was far too committed to her to be up to anything else. He always had been.

The number of nights that Noah had woken up from nightmares, reaching out for her to get reassurance only to find his nightmares were real and she was not there, were too many to count. Tonight was not one of them. He opened his eyes to find her there, reaching out for him. He moved into her arms, resting his forehead against hers and closing his eyes for a moment, “You’re here,” he whispered, reassuring himself more than stating a fact. He held her tightly, worried she would disappear if he let go, “I’m sorry. I didn’t mean to startle you.”

“I’m here.” She confirmed in a soft tone, not about to rub her usual concerns in his face at a moment like this. June’s primary interest had always been making sure that Noah was safe and cared for. This moment was no different. “It’s fine. You saved me having to read about my favourite character being unreasonably ousted from the book anyway.” The woman explained with a little smile as she held him close as they sat in silence for a moment. “Would you like me to make you a hot drink? You look like you could use it right now.”

Caleb missed seeing Halliwell around the student. He had been giving her space since that’s what she had asked for but he had also texted her once or twice to see if she wanted to start up lessons again. He guessed it was a no. While wrapping up a dance lesson, he caught sight of blonde in his perpheral vision from the studio window out into the hall. He was quick to look though it was gone by the time he turned fully, “Okay guys, that was great. Finish your cool down by yourselves and I’ll see you next week,” he said and quickly moved out of the classroom, hoping to catch her before she got too far and ignoring the looks his students gave him, “Hali!” he exclaimed out in the hall, only to find her right there just below the window, “Hey…”

@despairtheabyss​ ( Halliwell Brookes )

It’d perhaps been a cowardly thing to do but there had definitely been a serious moment of panic of Hali’s part after they’d kissed, like she’d suddenly been hit with a lorries worth of information that she didn’t quite know what to do with and it had completely overwhelmed her so she’d practically ran. Well hidden more than ran. Up until this point anyway. For a while now she’d been gathering up the courage to come and see the male but there had always been an excuse to be anywhere but in his presence. It still seemed completely ridiculous to her that someone like Caleb could even begin to notice her never mind be interested and she was still trying to fathom how that would happen, especially as she peered in through the window to see him close to a beautiful girl right now. They seemed more fitting in her mind. More suited. What she hadn’t anticipated however was being spotted and she made a small squeak of surprise immediately ducking and moving to try and get away before Caleb could reach her. That failed miserably however when she practically collided with the cleaner. The voice made her want to close her eyes and curse whatever deities were around to listen but instead she let out a breath and offered up a weak smile. “Caleb... hey... It’s been a while.”

Zach opened the door and smiled sleepily, “Hey Nell,” he greeted. He was pretty tired from having a newborn but he was happy to see his coworker, “Sick of work without me already?” he asked teasingly.

@despairtheabyss​ ( Eleanor Grimaldi )

“Figured I’d come check on you and see how you were getting on. Mainly your partner though now that she has two babies to take care of.” Nell couldn’t resist teasing her colleague, reaching up to give him a tight hug. “How are you doing?”

Aiden smirked against her lips, “Heard that one before,” he mused. He shrugged, “You got back in late, thought you deserved a good breakfast,” he explained, “So you can have real breakfast first. You don’t want your bacon and eggs to get cold,” he said, reaching for her hand to start pulling her up slightly, “If you still want the other thing after, I’ll happily oblige.”

“Oh shut up you smug bastard.” Came the soft, amused response as she was pulled up, shifting in the bed until she was comfortable and patting the space beside her. “I want you in here with me. I can wait for the rest but not that. Get here.” Juliet insisted, picking up a piece of bacon between her fingers to pop it in her mouth.

Noah loved having June back. It made him happy, even if they weren’t picking up where they left off. He still slept alone. She didn’t need to but was still insisting she took the couch. He wasn’t going to push her so he let her take the lead in the relationship. He was just grateful she had decided to stay. However, having her back did not get rid of the nightmares he had about losing her. He woke up from one, yelling himself awake and sat upright. He was breathing heavily and hoping that June hasn’t heard it.

@despairtheabyss​ ( June Fairburn )

June could tell that going as slow as she happened to be was hard for Noah. He’d always been an all or nothing guy for things like this but he was also extremely respectful and as much as she was tempted to jump back into things, she couldn’t quite get the reminder out of her head that this wasn’t permanent. That it was quite real and that it didn’t make her what she once was. She was still dead. Still, the book she’d been reading in the living room was immediately dropped when she heard the sounds of yelling from the bedroom. One might have thought her heart was beating hard in her chest at the surprise of it though it didn’t take her long to figure out the cause. Making her way to his side, she noted how he was already awake now but she still sat on the bed, fingers moving to brush through his damp hair. She’d watched him go through this enough nights to know exactly what caused it which was why she didn’t even bother asking. “Come here...” She encouraged in a soft tone, holding her arms out to Noah. 

Aiden smiled from the doorway of their bedroom as he watched his girlfriend sleep. He had been up early, the ghost of his father haunting his dreams so he had meditated for a little while. It had always calmed him, not 100% but it mostly worked. After that, he had made breakfast for the two of them, quietly as he could so she could lie in. He moved over to the bed and planted a kiss on her cheek, “Wakey, wakey,” he murmured, “I made breakfast.”

@despairtheabyss​ ( Juliet Robinson )

After a long shift the night before, Juliet had practically fallen into bed when she’d gotten in, curling up next to her boyfriend and immediately passing out. Even his exiting the bed hadn’t woke her up but she supposed by now she was used to the feeling of having him moving about around her so it didn’t particularly bother her body any more. Still, she gave a soft grumble as she was gently awakened, tired eyes blinking up at Aiden. “Mhm... okay... though you look more like breakfast to me right now.” She informed him with a little smile, pressing a kiss to his lips. “Thank you.”

“I know you’re teasing but you of all people know how untalented I am at the control thing. You’re the only person who knows,” Louis reminded her. Despite the truth to it, he was not hurt or offended by the comment. In fact, he had added teasing to his own tone as well, “Does that mean no touching at all or just the ones not allowed in public?” He asked, raising an eyebrow as he continued to smirk.

“You are not untalented.” Nell was quick to jump to, shifting to stand in front of him for a moment. “And actually, you’re getting better aren’t you? So don’t.” She huffed, oddly serious for the situation. “And I’m still debating that... it depends on how much you annoy me.” Nell stated with a small smirk. “But just how much do you think you could get away with, hm?”

Caleb thought, for a moment, that maybe he’d gone too far in what he’d said. That it was too much to say to someone who was a friend and he opened his mouth to apologise only to find it occupied by hers. Hand resting on her cheek, Caleb reciprocated the kiss and his mind was racing. Why had they not done this sooner? He wondered. All the feelings that had bubbled up since they’d met were released in this kiss and he put his all into it. 

It wasn’t really a train of thought that made sense, more like a jumble of emotions that came out in an action and at first Halliwell didn’t really register what was happening. It was like a wire had short circuited in her brain and left her completely clueless and it was only after what felt like a few minutes but in actual fact was likely only several seconds that she realised that she’d actually kissed Caleb. She’d broke that barrier they had between them and that could change anything. A soft gasp left he lips as she finally registered everything, pulling her mouth away. “S-Sorry, Oh sorry...” Halliwell uttered in shock and fear.  “I-- Well...” How did she even explain what she’d just done.

“You would. You picked the costume,” Noah replied, laughing, “As long as it means I can veto a cowboy hat, I’ll take it,” he agreed, knowing it was the best he would get and that June would ultimately get the final say and he would just agree. The man was whipped and he had no qualms about that, “You look adorable though. I don’t think I’ve ever met a cuter cowboy.”

“You’re just a stick in the mud. You don’t like dressing up in general. Just what would you be happy wearing that isn’t your normal clothes?” She teased, yanking the cowboy hat down on his head playfully. “Why thank you cowboy but I’m actually a cowgirl or have you forgotten my gender?” June continued to joke with the male, wrapping her arms around Noah’s neck from behind and practically hanging off him. “Let’s go do something.”

Caleb lifted his head so he could look at her face. He lifted a hand to brush some hair out of it and smiled at her with a hint of confusion, “Why not?” He asked, “They’re true.” Yes, Caleb had accomplished a lot in his life and he’d taught many students and had many friends but none of them had been like Hali. She’d walked into his dance studio and everything had changed, “I can’t explain it,” he admitted, “I just know that my life got brighter when you walked into it.”

Halliwell had opened her mouth to answer, to explain all the amazing accomplishments that Caleb had managed to accrue in his short life so far and that any of them could far outshine her presence but Caleb beat her to it. The words caught her so completely by surprise that she fell deafeningly silent for several moments. No one had ever talked about her like that before, not even her parents and here he was making her feel like she was so unbelievably special that it stole the air from her lungs. When words failed her, Halliwell’s body seemed to do the talking for her as she surged forward pressing her lips to his.