NEW LONG-FORM HOZIER FIC STARTED: Still Living Roots
If you love Dadzier and forced proximity angst, with a big ole serving of childhood friends to lovers to strangers to hooking up to co-parents to...lovers (?!)...then this one's for you, darlings ;)
STILL LIVING ROOTS
Ellie Gallagher and Andy Byrne were fast friends in their school days, with barely two years between them.
He protected her and she checked his homework. They were each other's firsts after years of tension snapped for them.
But from smoking a badly rolled joint outside a Dublin dive bar and enjoying the sweet and soft intimacy of alone time in his Trinity College dorm...suddenly they find themselves almost a decade later still stuck on one another.
After years of yearning and a clandestine, whisky fuelled hook up while Andrew's trying to escape the pressure of life as a successful, Grammy nominated musician and his abusive girlfriend...Elouise finds herself with a choice to make.
And that's where our story picks up: 2020 - Ellie turns back up in town, searching for the tenderness they once had, or at least support with their daughter. Andy would still do anything for her and once the COVID-19 pandemic locks down access to the outside world, they are forced to give their life together another try for the sake of their young baby.
Will they make it? Or will they burn? Are there...
Still Living Roots?
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CHAPTER WARNINGS: immediate angst, old wounds, mentions of addiction and slight (??) inferred trauma, no smut yet but still...be wary always as I write fics with 'mature' themes! Don't think I missed anything!
First chapter below <3 real lover girls, gays, theys and other babes leave likes and comments :3
Chapter 1
ANDREW
Andrew sat back in his chair after what already felt like the longest day of the longest week. It had officially been three months since his break up, he noted again as he checked his phone – not a single non work related notification. He then also noticed it was only 11:10. “Fuck.”
He huffed.
He tried his best to relax and once he found an acceptable way to sit, he took a sip of his tea only to wince at the heat. He then put it down and groaned and just when he thought about getting back up, a call from his mother came through. He smiled as he answered. “Hi, Mam. How ya been?”
“Mornin’, a stór. We’re alright thanks…little thing’s just come up, d’ya mind popping over for a bit?” Raine looked over at her husband from where she was in the kitchen. John was in the lounge chatting with their last minute guests. Andy could hear her preparing the kettle and smiled warmly but then swore he could hear a baby fussing in the background.
“Yeah I’ll come over now – have some family come to visit or something?” He cursed himself for always missing or forgetting when things were coming up, even when he was supposed to have a break between touring and…well, more touring. He got up to his feet, almost stumbling and then wandering over to the door.
“Err – something like that, aye…see you soon, dear.” His Mam then hung up quickly, going to pour the tea. Andrew frowned at the abrupt end to the conversation but shook himself and tucked his phone in his jeans pocket, pulling a large furlined denim jacket over the tee and flannel he already had on. He pulled his hair into a high bun at the back of his head and grabbed his keys and wallet after heading out the door.
~~~
ELOUISE
Ellie smiled weakly as she took the tea from Raine when the older woman sat down next to her. “Thanks, Raine.” She then took a sip and put it down on the coffee table, offering her arms out to grab her infant from John’s arms.
“Oh you’re absolutely more than welcome, dear. Least we could do to welcome you home.” Raine smiled warmly, a bit of pity in her eyes. “Let me have a wee hold of baby Tilly, hm?”
Elouise nodded and passed the now settled baby to Raine. “Just for a bit…while I have this cuppa, aye? I’m so tired.” She rubbed her face and grabbed her tea again, looking at how Tilly gave Raine gummy grins and gurgles. Ellie looked to John. “I don’t know how she got so calm.”
John chuckled. “Oh, Ellie, don’t worry about it…Raine was convinced I had the gift when our lads were just tiny.” He shrugged. “All I did was sing to them…badly.”
Raine smirked as she rocked and bounced Tilly slightly, propping the little one up on her lap with her hand supporting her head and her back. “She’s a solid lass – you’re doing everything right, love.”
Ellie sat back and sighed as she sipped the tea full of milk and a little too much sugar than she should really have. She startled slightly at the knock on the door and then was confused when she heard a key and it opened.
“Mam, Dad…I’m home!” Andy called softly then saw they were in view of the door in the living room. He tucked his things in his pockets then gave a puzzled look. It suddenly dawned on him. “Ellie?” He queried then looked between everyone. He gulped at the sight of Tilly and looked back to Ellie, cogs turning.
El stood and walked over from the couch to Andrew, putting her tea down on her way. The rest of the room was suddenly still. She wordlessly hugged him and he was taken aback despite her size. She sighed and breathed in his scent. “Hey, you.” She whispered into his collar.
Andy immediately hugged her back and held back tears that he was not prepared to strike him. “Hi, love.” The exchange continued a little longer and led John to give his wife a puzzled look.
Raine just shook her head. “Andy, give the girl some space. The kettle's still hot for a cuppa. You know where the coffee is.”
Ellie stumbled back and Andy scratched his stubble covered jaw awkwardly. El cleared her throat. “Oh, Raine…if you’re fine holding her, I’ll go make a mug for Andrew.” She picked up her cup and downed the rest of its contents as soon as Raine nodded. The woman was already cooing again at the baby when Elouise stalked off to the kitchen.
Andrew looked over to little Tilly and then to his father, who now had a rather concerned look but continued to watch the muted garden show on the TV. He followed Ellie with his hands shoved in his pockets.
Elouise softly shut the partition from the kitchen to the living room and Andrew shut the door after him. He gulped and then frowned, scratching his head like a caricature. “When…uh, when did you get back to town?” He asked, avoidant but hopeful.
El just filled the kettle further then set it down and flicked it back on. She turned to him and sighed. “Crack of dawn. Sat in the car for like…five odd hours with Tilly.” She winced slightly. “Please, Andy…just don’t be mad?”
“Mad?” Andy scoffed. “What…that this is how you tell me?” He then pauses and gives her a genuine look of…something that can only be identified as sadness. “She…she is mine, yeah?”
Ellie nodded slowly and folded her arms. “She’ll be three months next week. We hooked up again a year ago after that random Glasgow gig.” She paused. “Matilda Lorraine Gallagher-Byrne.” She finally whispered. “There…there was no one else, Andrew. There’s actually…not been anyone else in years.” She let her tears slip and watched him wander over and lean on the bench next to her.
“Why didn’t you just show up to my house? I was still up. Didn’t sleep til almost six.” He hesitantly took her hand and kissed it tenderly.
“I didn’t know if she was still there. Anastasia…you were pretty hot and heavy, last I knew.” She looked at their hands and then lowered them and grabbed the coffee tin and spooned three scoops into his old favourite mug. She tensed when he touched her waist. “Andy, just—”
Andy sighed and almost pulled back then stepped forward and pressed her into the bench from behind. “El, love…I could’ve dropped everything.” He rested his chin atop her head in the familiar way they’d always done since that first night in his Trinity College dorm room over a decade ago. She simply kept pouring the hot water into the cups and then stirring the steaming drinks. She then turned in his grip and stepped out from it, offering out the black coffee.
“Well, I’d never ask you to do that for little old me.” She didn’t dare look in his eyes. “No matter if our daughter has your eyes and bears your last name.”
That was what broke Andrew. He let a tear roll down, yet wiped her cheek instead. “Were…you going to stay here?”
“I’m not exactly going to stay in your love nest with your ridiculously hot backup singer on and off girlfriend, am I?” She uttered, hurt by the betrayal.
“It’s over, Ellie Bear.” He sniffed, going to touch her cheek. That’s when Elouise put down their mugs and pushed him away.
“Don’t fucking do this, Andrew! You’re being a git when you have no right to be. You were drunk and high out of your mind with me and telling me it was over with her last February too! Remember that? Probably not…but Tilly’s here now and I just wanted you to know and I wanted her to grow up here and at least meet her grandparents…but this was a fucking mistake obviously!” She snapped, not fully aware of her volume and that his parents could absolutely hear her. She stormed out of the kitchen and looked back without shutting the door. “Don’t bloody follow me. I don’t wanna smell like smoke around our baby.” She said as she cried and rushed out the front door in a huff.
Andy took a moment, pinching the bridge of his nose before slowly making his way back out to the living room. He stood in front of his taken aback mother as she held the baby to her chest, trying to get her to stop fussing again. “Uhh…umm…”
John kept his eyes on the TV but finally spoke back up. “Go follow her then, lad. You got to make this right for the three of ya’s.” He then sipped his tea and leant back in his armchair and turned the volume back on. Raine simply looked at her son and nodded as Matilda fell asleep.
“Don’t take your cigarettes, dear.” She said softly as he wiped his cheeks and walked out to follow Ellie. He found her sitting on the bonnet of her small, beat up car and trying to light her own smoke. He tilted his head and wandered over, offering out his lighter when he pulled out his pack.
“Peace offering, baby?”
El scoffed and shook her head. “It…got too much, okay?”
Andy shrugged and watched her still struggle. He shook his lighter and lit hers for her then lit his own. He leant next to her. “What…feeling sixteen again fighting in my parents kitchen about stupid relationship stuff and me acting the maggot while stoned or worse?”
Ellie nodded and took a long drag. “How’d we get here, huh? You’re all famous and successful and shit…I have a bleedin’ PhD in English Literature, Andrew! So…how?”
He sniffed and ended up breathing out with her. He looked up at the sky, watching the smoke. “Because any amount of success and bullshit and degrees and us both professionally yearning won’t change that we’re just…yearning, in the end.”
El chuckled almost sadly and leant her head against him. “So it’s really over?” She asked genuinely.
“Three…uh, yeah three months ago actually. And we never lived together.” He took another puff.
Elouise smirked. “Want some house guests while we get on our feet then?”
He rolled his eyes. “You’re having a laugh…sure.” He shook his head and then kissed then top of hers. She’s back. She’s safe. He thought. Don’t lose her this time, dickhead.
~~~
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