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fics-not-tragedies · 4 years

Text

In a Week: Chapter 20 🌲

Words: 1902; Warnings: none, unless you want one for drinking alcohol and another one for mention of kinda erotic things then you have them; Summary: Another dinner filled with answering trick questions.

Hozier tag list:

@letoursilencebreaktonight; @angelpeachamber; @sgt-morgan; @julessbrown;

Tuesday, 6:55pm

The waiter approached them again at last. By this point, Flo’s stomach was rumbling loudly and though she knew he wouldn’t care really, she prayed Andrew couldn’t hear it.

“I’ll have the sweet platter, please” Andrew declared, clearing his throat before and after he spoke.

“You’re going straight for dessert?” Flo asked, met with a shrug. “Then I will too. It’s got cheesecake and cheesecake is my favorite.”

“Any drinks?”

“We’ll have a bottle of Prosecco, then” he confirmed.

“Of course, Sir.”

The waiter hurried away and Andrew turned back to Flo.

“You know, Flo, I don’t get called Sir enough” he nodded, relieved by the fact he was at least making a joke again. He was aware of the dull throbbing in his underwear still, shuffled closer to the table to keep his arousal hidden, but was doing his best to subvert the desire.

“I am not going to start calling you Sir” she replied, shaking her head even though she was smiling, “Don’t even ask.”

“Ohhh, why not?” He said, his own lips curling in amusement, “Sir Andrew Hozier Byrne sounds really fucking nice.”

“Maybe you will be a Sir one day” she suggested, raising her hand. She was half joking, but Andrew lit up enthusiastically anyway.

“A proper one? Like… named by the Queen?”

“You never know,” she giggled back.

Andrew grinned wide, ear to ear and as much as he annoyed her and liked to tease her so much it made her mad - she was still not over him, wondered if she’d ever be over him, those eyes, that smile, the infectious energy he carried himself with.

Tuesday, 7pm

The waiter returned with their wine, pouring a small glass for both Flo and Andrew, propping the bottle on the table then moving on to the next. Once he was gone, Flo tutted and filled their glasses ‘properly’, an inch or two from the top, making a comment about how they both needed it. Andrew shifted in his seat again as she slid his glass over to him, his smile edging towards being a little forced and Flo was concerned by how quiet he was being since they arrived, the usual jokes and chatter not flowing as comfortably as she was used to.

“What’s wrong?” She asked, reaching out to touch his hand which was balled into a tight fist on the table. It wasn’t such a shock for them to be touching anymore, but her fingers wrapping over his hand didn’t particularly fix his issue, didn’t dull down how bad he wanted her, “Are you alright?”

“Nothing’s wrong… I’m alright, love.”

“I don’t believe you” she sighed, taking a sip from her glass with her free hand and rolling her eyes. She swallowed the sweet liquid, “Where did you disappear to for so long?”

“I told you…” he coughed, barely able to meet her gaze, “I just got lost…”

“Got lost in the shower?” She countered, with disbelief lacing her words.

“Well, I take long showers and then, em, I got lost, alright?” he hadn’t meant to raise his voice slightly, but the fear of her finding out the truth had startled him and he instantly tried to retract his actions when she began to pull her hand away, cupping his spare hand on top of hers to keep it there, “I’m sorry, babe…” he grumbled. Flo flinched at that word again, the one that had tipped her over the edge before, but could tell he was apologetic in a way that he meant.

“You’re just being quiet that’s all…” she sighed, squeezing his hand again, “I’m worried.”

“So, em, what do you want to talk about?” He asked, giving her the power she needed to feel secure in the conversation, “Ask me about anything, em, and I’ll tell you the truth…”

It wasn’t that he had nothing to discuss with her or didn’t have a million questions he was dying to know the answers to himself. Rather, there was so much unexplored that it hurt to know he’d leave her with so much not asked, so much unsaid, undiscovered. Flo pulled away and out of his touch, sitting back in her chair to take another sip from her glass.

“When did you lose your virginity?”

Andrew laughed deeply, thankful it was a question he didn’t feel too ashamed in answering, but at the same time was in instant agony over a conversation about sex. And it was Flo asking him. His mind cycled through three things over and over again - Flo, Sex, Flo.

“Teens.”

“Was it good?” She asked, her face inquisitive over the top of her drink, though he couldn’t work out if it was a genuine question or not.

“It was good, yes. She was a nice girl.” he licked his lips and took his own mouthful of wine, “We were in the same class… em… she had those beautiful eyes, like yours, but blue.”

“So you were paying more attention to her eyes than anything else?” She laughed, his predictable attention to detail not a surprise at all.

“They were absolutely mesmerizing, Flo, love. I badly wanted to impress her, but, em, it wasn’t working…”

“So you’re a romantic lover then?” She teased, though part of her was deeply interested, wanted to know for her own fantasies what he was like in bed, knew that whatever he said would help her marginally improve her daydreams.

“Romantic? I can be. With the right woman…” he coughed, raising one eyebrow at her, keeping it raised as he continued speaking, “But I think, em, I’m kinda better in bed now.”

Though Flo’s mouth was a little propped open at his statement, she didn’t have to think of a response because the waiter arrived with their many desserts, placing them on the table. Andrew was practically drooling over each dish. With eyes wide he grabbed his spoon and took a mouthful of tiramisu before the last plate was even placed. He nodded enthusiastically as he ate, Flo watched him lick his lips with fierceness, trying to work out what he wanted to eat next. She thanked the waiter and picked up her own spoon.

“When was yours?” He asked, between spoonfuls of sorbet.

“My first time? I was seventeen or eighteen…” she said, pulling a face of disgust.

“Ooh… Not good?”

“Dreadful actually.”

“Who was he?”

“My first boyfriend” she laughed, “We waited three months then broke up the day after because it was so bad.”

Andrew nodded, finishing a mouthful of lemon sorbet. He looked so deep in thought as he chewed, his face suggesting he was about to ask her another question, but she cut in first.

“Have you had a lot of women, Andrew?” Flo asked deadpanned, taking another sip from her glass as Andrew tried not spit his over the table at the question. His eyes wide, he swallowed the liquid in his mouth and ran his hands through his hair.

“I mean… define…”

“No, no, no…” she added hastily, changing her mind, shaking her head and biting her lip, “Don’t answer that question… I don’t want to know…”

“Okay, then…” he mumbled, holding his hands up in defense, chocolate coated spoon in the air.

Tuesday, 7:10pm

The silence that followed was unbearable and lasted longer than either of them were used to. Andrew paid the bill, because Flo didn’t have the energy to fight it. She stood up first, smoothed her navy dress down and waited for Andrew to follow her movements, though she had no idea what she was doing or where they would go next. Everything felt unsettled and different, her body so full of tension. She shifted her weight on her feet, keeping her eyes on the floor. He was first to break through the quiet, his voice even thicker than usual.

“You could you know…” he muttered as he stood from the table.

“I could what?” She replied, her heart heavy as she looked back at him. Andrew was silent for a while then formed his answer, lips curling into a smirk even if he hadn’t planned for them to.

“Come with me…” he drawled. She waited for his laugh, but nothing came. First she was enamoured by his boldness. Then came the shock and the fear and the anger at him for even suggesting it.

“Andy…” she sighed in disbelief, shaking her head, not able to meet his gaze simply because it hurt too much.

“I’m serious” he assured her, then took three long strides until he was stood before her and next to the table, fingers brushing the cloth next to him as he fought to find his strength, “you can come with me… have few more weeks for ourselves around in my city” he licked his lips and his face flinched closer to hers, hands coming to rest on her shoulders, unsure of what he was even saying.

It was an offer no bone in her body wanted to turn down, but he was being ridiculous. It was impossible. And that simple fact made her angry and frustrated, tears forming in the corner of her eyes. She didn’t understand.

“I have a life outside of you, Andrew” she uttered at last, her statement sounding much more twisted and defensive than she intended. Andrew sucked in a breath at her reply and blinked a couple of times, tried to think of something to say, “I- I- didn’t mean to…” she stuttered. “Didn’t mean it like that-”

“I know, I know…” he muttered back.

“It just…”

“I understand…”

“Andrew, I…”

“Look at me, Flo, love…” he commanded with the same gentility he always had when trying to reassure her. He cupped her face and bent down to her height, thumbs stroking her cheeks in the way she longed for, but had told herself she’d never feel like that again. She tried to avoid his gaze but he drew her in. “You can do whatever you want, you’re a strong, independent woman, I don’t understand what’s holding you back” he almost whispered, his voice catching in his throat on the way out.

“Andrew…” she sighed, the disappointment welling upside her. “I can’t…”

“Yes, yes, you fucking can, love” he stated, tucking the hairs that had come loose in her frustration back behind her ears, her cheeks were bright and hot and she blew cool air into her own face with a slight laugh, just trying to calm herself down, “Stop thinking, Flo” Andrew pushed, the wrinkles in his forehead exaggerated by his efforts as he held her close in the middle of the restaurant. His goal was in sight, “You’re always thinking about the next day. Em, stop thinking about Monday. It’s us now.”

No, Andrew, there’s no ‘us’ and there won’t ever be such thing as ‘us’.

Flo nodded, licked her lips, looked up at the ceiling to stop the tears that had had formed from falling. She shifted closer into him before she could stop herself, her hand pressing flat against his abdomen where he retained the warmth that spread through his entire body and smoothed down his shirt as she tried to find the words. She looked back at him finally, convinced of her answer.

“Think about now” he drawled thickly, coaxing her response, stretching his jaw as he spoke, “What do you want right now?”

You, Sir Hozier Byrne, I want you.

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fics-not-tragedies · 4 years

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In a Week: Chapter 19 🌲

This chapters is sponsored by temptation and lustful thoughts, so please enjoy it!

Words: 2377; Warnings: first, but minor, smut warning for this chapter; Summary: Andrew was well deserved to be pushed into the pool by Flo and now she runs around his mind making endless loops.

Hozier tag list:

@letoursilencebreaktonight; @angelpeachamber; @sgt-morgan; @julessbrown;

Tuesday, 6pm

Andrew was frustrated. He couldn’t find anything witty to say as she walked away from him. He watched her leave speechlessly before he dared to move, wanted her to have that satisfaction of the win, knew she deserved it. As he hauled himself out of the water, he could have sworn the ten year old kid laughing at him had snapped a picture, but he didn’t have time to pay attention, needed to take a cold shower immediately.

To his annoyance, the spray of the shower in his cubicle was intermittently too hot then too cold, doing nothing to calm him down. Andrew desperately tried to blink out all of his obscene thoughts prompted by the way she wiggled her ass at him. She was a fucking tease, especially when she knew how badly he wanted her, but he couldn’t deny for a second that he loved it. He ran his hands back through his hair and washed the pool scent from his body with his hands.

Even just touching his own chest felt too dirty, especially when he couldn’t think about anything but Flo’s body in that too tight swimsuit. And he couldn’t help but imagine her with him now, the idea of fucking her against the wall too good to repress. He wouldn’t even bother undressing her, would simply move the material out of his way and skip the teasing she was asking for, too hungry, too desperate, too close to giving her everything. Andrew almost choked on his staggered breath, too aware of how aroused he was when he looked down at the sudden movement in his shorts, thankful he was alone.

Andrew double and triple checked the door behind him, ensuring nobody could get in. He paced for a second or two in the limited space of the shower cubicle, the pent up energy refusing to fade and as his breathing increased, his arousal grew. He couldn’t get her out of his head, her twisted smirk, her tits threatening to spill over the flimsy material whenever she made the slightest of movements, the confidence he helped her finding too much to handle. He blinked a couple of his times, trying to reason with himself.

But as aware as he was that she was waiting for him, he was certain he wouldn’t be able to think straight until he dealt with his need. So, without a second of reconsideration, he began to palm himself through his shorts eagerly with one hand. With the other hand he fumbled with the knot in the front of them, frustrated by his past self for being so meticulous about how he tied it and hissed with relief when they dropped to his ankles and he freed his cock at last. He stroked his semi-hard length gently, worried that any harsher movements would make him moan in a way that he couldn’t control, but he was already shaking.

He turned his mind back to Flo and how desperately he wanted her. He thought about how good it’d feel to push his length inside her, hold her hips down so she could take him, feel her heat envelope him and keep him close, squeezing him tightly with her wetness dripping down the thighs he adored so much. He hated how hard she made him without even being here, how easy it was for her to have him reeling over the mere thought of her when she wasn’t even trying and began running his hand over his cock with more force, the sensation too good to deny himself of.

The rhythmic flicks of his wrist satisfied him greatly and whilst there was relief in touching himself, fucking his palm in the way that he was doing so now, his body was also tense, shaking with how bad he needed her. As the spray from the shower fell down over his body, he looked down at himself, the purplish head of his cock disappearing into his tight fist over and over again, hips jerking with little control. His arm already ached from how much he was straining it, the muscles tight and bulging. Hair was falling into his face, wet and he didn’t have the energy or strength to push it back. He furrowed his brow, getting lost in the sudden heat after the water had been so cold for so long and bit the inside of his cheek, desperately trying to hold himself together when all he wanted was to come undone at the thought of her.

His head fell against the wall of the shower loudly, eyes closing so that he could picture her and only her as he hovered closer to the feeling of letting go, obsessed. He tried to imagine Flo’s hand tugging at him instead of his own. He thought about her long delicate fingers and her imperfectly painted nails, the way she wrapped her hand around his bicep, his knee, touched his chest, locked her fingers with his. Andrew had always been aware of the fact that he wanted her, but his need to be inside her was carnal now. He wanted to make her tremble and writhe underneath him, find out what her moans sounded like when they echoed off the walls of the tight space he was in, be the one and only reason for them.

Knowing he was close now, his spare hand stroked and tugged at his balls to elicit that throbbing he craved and he shifted his hips up into his palm, back against the tiled wall, squeezing himself and fucking his fist until he was panting. Then, with a sudden low growl he couldn’t keep repressed and a slight tremble from his lips that formed her name, he watched himself shake, his thick cum oozing from the tip of his cock. Thankful the noise of his grunting was covered somewhat by the rushing of water, he stroked himself until he felt empty, spreading it over his shaft as he came down from the high, the mess dripping over his hand and through his fingers.

His cheeks flushing at the sticky mess he made for her without her even knowing, he closed his eyes again and panted whilst he tried to control himself. He washed himself down, standing under the shower head for longer than necessary. He hoped that relieving himself would at least exorcise her from his mind, but she was still there and every time he tried to think of something new, she wriggled her way back. Turning the shower off at last, he stepped out and patted himself down with the towel, still out of breath. As he dressed he chuckled to himself, remembering the way he annoyed her, worth it for her satisfied smirk when she pushed him in the pool and though he hadn’t expected her reaction at all, looking back now it didn’t surprise him. Making sure there was no concrete evidence of what he’d done in his moment of weakness, he exited the cubicle.

Tuesday, 6:15pm

After washing his hands at the sink in the far corner, Andrew rubbed his face and stared himself down in the mirror. His lips were swollen from how shallow his breathing was and he swallowed dryly as he fought to hold onto any shred of control knowing he’d given so much of it to her just by fucking his fist to the mirage of her. The shower had helped a little but his eyes were still red and stingy from the chlorine and from how much he ached for her. Knowing there was no way to fix his appearance now, his upper chest a little pink, hair a mess no matter what he tried, he exited the changing rooms with a dire need to see her face again, silently hoping he could hold himself together.

Tuesday, 6:20pm

Flo was waiting with her arms crossed, lean against the pillar in the middle of the reception with her head slightly dipped. She washed, dressed and combed her hair through in minutes and had been waiting for him patiently. And even though he’d been gone longer than she’d expected she told herself he was just probably fighting with his hair. She looked up when she sensed his presence in the room at last, her eyes adjusting as he walked toward her. His hair was still damp and more of a mess than she’d ever seen it, though she could tell he tried at least to comb it through with his fingers. His skin a little pink and sweaty and though she wanted to question it, she decided it would give him the satisfaction of knowing she was staring. He had managed to squeeze back into his jeans and his jacket was hanging over his shoulder.

“Took your time…” she tutted as he stopped in front of her, but she was smiling at him nonetheless, eyes bright and general posture much more calm than his. She was wearing the same dress she chosen that morning, showing plenty of skin, reminding Andrew just how quickly he could be inside her just by pushing up her skirt. Clearly he wasn’t over the dirty thoughts just yet. She tied her straw hair back into a bun and it killed him - how effortlessly cute she was without her makeup, with her hair out of her face.

“Yes, sorry…” he grumbled, scratching his throat uneasily, “I got… em, a bit lost…” He was paranoid that something gave him away but could tell she hadn’t caught on from the way she was smiling, so carefree.

“Why are you pouting at me?” She asked, eyebrows raised at him as she waited for an answer. Her eyes drifted over his neck and he almost flinched.

“Me? Pouting? I don’t think so…”

“You are always pouting at me and giving me puppy eyes, Andrew.”

“Oh, no no, I’m not” he stated, lips curled. Flo laughed in response, could sense a little tension in his body that she wanted to soothe, “What are we doing now?” he asked grumpily, trying to change the subject.

“I’m hungry” she told him firmly, grabbing his forearm arm in a way that was enough to make Andrew lose his mind at the way her fingers wound around him, “We’re gonna eat.”

Tuesday, 6:30pm

No more than ten minutes later they were sat in the restaurant, at a table with white table cloths, Andrew pulling out Flo’s chair before the waiter could offer. Though he didn’t regret his actions in the shower one bit, it hadn’t satisfied his cravings in the way he’d expected and he also felt strangely guilty for leaving her waiting whilst he took the edge off his desire, so was subconsciously trying to make up for it now.

“Such a gentleman” she laughed, as he pushed it back in.

“You know me” he replied, the irony of his words striking him.

He walked slowly round to his side of the table. Andrew sat down in his chair in a sort of slump, spreading his legs a little wider than usual to make up for the way he was aching. With his cock trapped behind his boxers and his jeans, he didn’t dare to look at her for a moment longer than necessary, worried what she’d do to him just with her wicked smile and her tits pushed up against the fabric of her dress like they were. Settled for at least a moment, he graciously tipped his head as the waiter handed them their menus and gave them a lengthy explanation about the specials and the soup of the day.

Though Flo was in fact hungry, she couldn’t focus on the waiter fully. She was preoccupied by Andrew, watched him wriggle in his seat uncomfortably out of the corner of her eye as she nodded along to the mention of tomato and basil soup. If his fidgeting wasn’t enough, he stretched his arm like it ached, wincing a little dramatically. Then he squeezed his hand into a tight fist and released it again, repeating the movement over and over in an attempt to ease something she didn’t quite understand. He was fine before. After giving Andy a look just as concerned as hers was, the waiter left them to make their decisions.

Andrew was struggling, in more ways than one. The ache from how he was so tense in the shower was worse than he’d realized possible, but the way she lean forward over to speak to him was even harder to ignore.

“Andrew, what’s wrong?”

He looked across at her tentatively, the way her lips parted when she said his name so delectable and he couldn’t stop replaying it in his head. She wasn’t even meaning to push him over the edge, but he was going to fucking lose it. He could feel a twitch from his crotch, a sign of his undeniable arousal for her and he formed a fist then flattened his palm to readjust himself, hoping she wouldn’t notice, hoping nobody else would notice. He swallowed sharply at the realization he was semi-hard in his pants again, struggling to think properly with her looking so deliciously innocent. He wanted to ruin her, wanted her to moan his name over and over whilst he gave her everything he’d been dreaming of. Partly as a distraction, he stretched his arm again, annoyed with the pain that had built there.

“You alright?” Flo asked, a hint of genuine concern in her voice.

“I got a cramp…” he sighed, frustrated with himself.

“In one arm?” Her eyebrows raised again when he lifted his gaze to her at last.

“Yes…”

“Been lonely in your hotel room, Andy?” She teased mercilessly after a beat, too close to the truth, but so unaware of it.

“If you only knew, Flo, honey…” he said, swallowing hard before quickly changing the subject back to the food, “What are you ordering?”

“I’m not sure…” she mumbled, hesitantly turning back to her menu and scanning it with her eyes. She looked up at him again briefly, his wriggling and stretching unnerving, wasn’t convinced he was okay, could tell he was lying at least a little bit, or covering something up, but didn’t want to push him.

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fics-not-tragedies · 4 years

Text

In a Week: Chapter 18 🌲

I think this is the most funny chapter I’ve ever written in my entire life and I think it’s the only one fully funny and sweet in this piece of fanfiction.

Words: 2122; Warnings: none; Summary: Chilling in a hot tub with Flo Andrew decides to make a little fun of them both.

Hozier tag list:

@letoursilencebreaktonight; @angelpeachamber; @sgt-morgan; @julessbrown;

Tuesday, 5:25pm

“You reminded me that I should send my Mum some flowers” he declared.

Flo smiled.

“Do you get on with her?”

“My Mum? Yes, we’re quite close…” he considered his next words, approached them with caution then decided to say them anyway, despite the potential damage they could cause, “And she’d like you, Flo. She’d really like you…”

He tried to picture it, allowed himself the daydream as she smiled back at him softly. In a different world, back home. Bringing Flo to meet his parents knowing he was so sure of her. She’d be worrying about what dress she was wearing, would worry she overdone it with the flowers and the dessert she spent all week practicing, but his Mum would love it, bring her in for one of her killer hugs straight away. Dad would give her the same, would want to know all about her instantly, would love her stories about their adventures. Andrew was sure she’d tell it all better than he could anyway.

“Is your Mum a control freak like me then?” Flo sighed, frustrated by the lack of reality in the conversation now. As incredible as it was to imagine it all, being the girl he decided he wanted to bring home, she didn’t allow herself to wallow in it, for too long it was too cruel.

“Hmm… maybe a little…” he nodded, still beaming from the vision he’d created for himself, “And you were right about the flowers… I just finished another tour, em, that’s why I’m here for the week.”

Flo thought about asking what he was planning to do next, but part of her didn’t want to know, didn’t want to be subconsciously tracking his every move. What if she’d turn up to one of his gigs in the future, if there still was one for her, bustle her way to front row, get pushed against the barriers by the huge crowd, nod her head to the tracks she knew, hope he’d make his way down to the front and spot her. But what if he didn’t look at her in the same soft way he did now? What if there was someone else waiting for him at the side of the stage? Or worse yet, what if he’d ignored her or didn’t even recognize her?

No, she decided. It’d be better not to know, to avoid it as much as she could.

“Do you like performing?” She asked instead.

“Well, yes. I feel like I’m only myself on stage, but, em, it’s really exciting when I see all those faces screaming my words back at me. Is fantastic. Sometimes they know them better than I do.”

“Must be overwhelming in front of all those people” she shuddered and added: “I’d hate it.”

Andrew chuckled in delight at her wittiness, preparing himself for the next question he could already see twitching in her smile.

“Got a pre-show ritual? Couple of prostitutes? A bottle of absinthe?”

“Not quite” he mumbled, “We’d fancy a goat slaughter, but no venue can pull that off. We only do a small chant…”

“Slaughtering a goat sounds quite eccentric…” she teased and he screwed his nose up at her.

Tuesday, 5:30pm

There was a sudden, loud click at the door and both Andrew and Flo turned their heads towards the sound, so accustomed to being alone with each other. Another couple entered the small room in their bathing suits, both smiling until they realized it was partly occupied. She was tall and thin, had a pointy nose and dark eyes and he was shorter, a little rounder in the middle, had a face that looked permanently unamused. From the way they were clinging onto each other, they were clearly on some kind of romantic getaway. Though Flo couldn’t draw much from them straight away, the disappointment on their faces was stark. They were clearly unhappy to find another ‘couple’ in the tub, but were far too British to simply walk back out.

“Sorry, mind if we…” the woman began, “… join you…”

Flo turned her gaze to Andrew and watched him smile up at the couple just as a bright, brilliant idea, so clear on his face, occurred to him.

“It’s alright” he drawled then turned back to Flo, “We can get cozier with Hozier, can’t we, love?”

After a moment of speechlessness, her body rigid, questioning what the correct response was, Flo shot Andrew a glare like she hadn’t before.

Bastard.

She couldn’t deny that the opportunity excited her a little. It wasn’t that she didn’t want to be near to him or ‘get cozier with Hozier’, rather that she knew she would have trouble resisting the temptation again with him that close to her. He looked so good and she caught onto his distinctive scent as he shifted around to make room for her. She clearly had no choice.

With an awkward shuffle she moved through the middle of the jacuzzi and sat down next to Andrew, instantly aware of him pressed close to her and how much she hated the outfit she was wearing. Not waiting for long, the couple sunk into the tub opposite them and there was an awkward stare off for a while, the four of them nodding awkwardly back and forth.

“Nice hotel, right?” Andrew said at last, cutting through the looming silence. He couldn’t resist chatting with them a little.

“Oh, yes, it’s lovely” the woman replied, her partner doing his best to relax and ignore them, his eyes closed.

Then, without warning, Andrew’s arm snaked around Flo’s body and he cupped her waist tightly with his hand. His fingertips pressed into the skin there and she almost squealed. Even under the water, his touch overwhelmed her and she felt drawn into him again, like she hadn’t learned a single thing from the last time. Despite it all, despite his face inches from hers, his neck adjacent to her lips, she couldn’t bring herself to look at him. Her face was deeply flushed with embarrassment, though if anyone would have asked, she’d have blamed it on the heat. It took everything she had not to react and to play along with his game as best she could.

“We’re celebrating our fifteen year anniversary this week aren’t we, honeybee?…”

Flo stared blankly ahead, couldn’t believe he was really doing this, but then again of course she could. Honeybee? When she didn’t respond he gave her waist a quick squeeze and she moaned quietly to herself before muttering a quick “mhmmmm” out loud.

The couple were clearly uninterested, didn’t care about her response, probably hadn’t even noticed the strange body language of the couple in front of them but Andrew was persistent. “We were childhood sweethearts” he proclaimed. He was showing no signs of stopping, only just able to hide how badly he wanted to laugh. His face twitched as he fought the urge, “Stole my heart right after the first round of ‘spin the bottle’, haven’t you, honeybee?”

“Awh, that’s lovely” the woman cooed, though she was mostly engrossed on the massive glittering rock on her finger, “We just got engaged” she announced, just to better Andrew’s tale, as if the wafting and waving of her hand in the last minute or so hadn’t made that clear.

“Oh, congratulations!” Flo chimed, though she could barely focus. Andrew’s fingers began to draw lazy circles into her skin. It could have soothed her in the right time and place, but right now, with so much of her exposed, with the ridiculous game he was playing, with the stupid look on his face she could catch from the corner of her eye all because he was winning, it was too much.

“Thank you!” The woman chimed, settling against her partner.

A few minutes passed, and though he wouldn’t have admitted it, Andrew was struggling too. He cursed himself for being so stupid. He couldn’t focus properly either, especially when Flo pressed herself into his side, rolled her knee up against his, moved her thigh against his just to make things more difficult for him.

“You staying here for long?” The man asked, clearly agitated by how competitive Andrew was with their fake relationship. Flo questioned whether he was asking about how long they’d be staying at the hotel or merely in the tub, desperate for peace and quiet.

“No, no. Got the kids waiting for us at home…” when neither of them responded, it just fueled him further: “Yes, little Jackie and Wilson. And he’s only three, bet he’s missing his Mummy, eh?” Another squeeze of her waist.

“Ahh, that’s lovely” the woman replied, though her responses were becoming more and more repetitive.

When the next silence came, Flo shook her head at him in constant disbelief, too dumbstruck to even come back at him with something as a challenge. Her hand suddenly on his knee made him jump, but he was still holding the happy couple facade together. With little fight from her, his own hand wandered down to her thigh. Aware of her heart beat and the wideness of his eyes, she was shaking, holding on to her control with everything she had and she turned to him in exasperation.

The quick movement of her head knocked a strand of hair into her eyes and without even questioning it, not part of his plan at all, Andrew moved it from her face with his free hand and tucked it neatly behind her ear. His touch was so delicate that she stared at him for longer than she should have and he stared right back at her. She watched him inhale deeply, his lips parting again as the breath left him.

“My little cinnamon bun…” he mumbled almost incoherently, barely blinking, “…we should go. I’m wrinkling like a prune in here…”

Flo could tell Andrew was struggling too, knew that they had to break apart now before it all came crashing down again and she took the opportunity to shimmy out of his touch and stand, forgetting the need to cover her body like she had before.

“Nice to meet you…” she mumbled to the couple, before darting out of the door, her legs like jelly, barely able to hold herself up. Behind her, Andrew said a goodbye Flo couldn’t hear then he quickly caught up to her.

Tuesday, 5:45pm

Surrounded by the noise of the pool water splashing and the cheerful chatter of the guests around them, they walked a couple of steps together in silence, strolling past the still water. Flo tried to gather her thoughts, tried to think of something to say. She was frustrated in more ways than one and needed him to know that. Her heart still pounding in her chest she suddenly turned to him, a clear intention in her eyes. Andrew was already laughing.

“Are you fucking for real?” Flo said, raising her voice as much as she was comfortable with, her teeth gritted.

“You bet I am, babe” he giggled, mocking his innocence.

“Don’t ‘babe’’ me, Andrew…” she warned, her finger jabbing him in the chest and he pouted back at her. “Oh god I could fucking…” she stopped moving, stomped her foot on the ground in frustration.

“Don’t swear, love” Andrew giggled, tears forming in his eyes at the hilarity. “It’s a fucking bad habit. What if the kids heard you?”

“Jackie and Wilson?” Flo grunted. “You have some nerve, Andrew…”

“It was funny, love…”

There it was again, love, each letter dragged out mercilessly.

Flo couldn’t take it anymore. She felt something snap inside of her and without processing it fully, she pushed Andrew backwards with all her strength towards the pool. Her hand met his chest and though he was excited at first, that wild flash of promise so clear, he soon lost his control. She wasn’t stronger than him but the element of surprise aided her and she watched as he shuffled over the edge and fell backwards, flailing pathetically until he hit the water.

Flo panicked for a split second, but Andrew resurfaced with some coughing and spluttering, his eyes trying to find Flo again. His hair was in his face, mouth agape, his eyes wide with shock.

And at that sight, Flo was satisfied, smiling and bending down slightly as she spoke to him.

“I’ll be in reception” she stated, then turned on her heel walking away from him. She made sure to wiggle her hips so that he had the perfect view of her overexposed ass as she left him and even though he couldn’t see her face, he knew the exact powerful smirk she was wearing.

Okay, Andrew decided, he deserved it.

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fics-not-tragedies · 4 years

Text

In a Week: Chapter 1 🌲

For everyone’s surprise it’s another Hozier piece of fiction and since I don’t want to spoil too much I can tell it’s a slow burn that takes place in a hotel in the woods somewhere (yes, pun intended) within a week. It will be somehow angsty, somehow sweet yet full of sorrow, dark in some places and magic in some other ones. But we’re firm on reality in this one, so don’t have too many fantasy expectations in your mind.

Big thanks to @ladyreapermc who helped me with the name for my OFC, I love you lots babe, you’re the best! 💖

Please enjoy the first chapter of it and as always: every form of feedback is deeply appreciated!

STORY SUMMARY: In a hotel located in the middle of the woods, where Flo escaped from the usual struggles of her life, she stumbles upon an unusual man named Andrew, who seems too be escaping from something too.

Words: 3072; Warnings: none, unless you want a warning for alcohol drinking, then you have it; Summary: Flo escapes from her usual life to a hotel located deep in the woods, so she can rethink her whole life, before making a final decision.

Hozier tag list:

@letoursilencebreaktonight; @angelpeachamber; @sgt-morgan; @julessbrown;

Sunday, 10:30pm

When she sat in the back seat of the cab, her head pressed closely to the foggy window pane, she had to fight the constant urge to cry. Flo stopped crying a while ago, before she even called to order that ride, but she had the feeling that the pain wasn’t about to leave her alone just yet. Her head was pounding and it seemed like only good cry would ease her a little. The radio in the cab was blasting some acoustic music and even though it usually soothed her, now it was more than annoying to hear another man with dulcet voice singing about lost love. All she wanted now was to get drunk in a bar, if the place even had one, eat something decent and cry into a pillow in a freshly made bed, until the heavy pain she felt in her chest would feel slightly lighter.

After a while of driving through the woods, the pitch black enveloping the car, she felt disconnected with the usual world. The darkness felt more than welcoming and she finally found herself in the environment she always yearned for. Brushing the stray strands of her straw colored hair she reached for her phone wanting to see where she was now, but she had no signal. Instead of staring at the overly bright screen she turned her attention back to the views, hoping that she’d be able to spot the faded sign that showed where the forest road leading to the hotel was located.

Flo took her time while browsing through the various sites of hotels and motels. She knew what she wanted: the place had to be located in the woods somewhere, preferably by a river, perhaps with a deep lake nearby and loads of swamps and bogs around.

“There’s a sign” she said suddenly, “turn right, please” the clicking sound of the blinker confirmed that the grumpy driver actually heard her. In one swift movement he took a rather sharp turn to the right. She squinted out of the window, trying to at least see the trees they were passing by, but it was too dark for her to notice anything.

When the cab had stopped, she could see the faint lights that were lit on the porch and around the wooden doors. She rummaged through her bag looking for a fistful of notes, so she could pay him. Flo handed him the money and then, with what was left of her willpower, she opened the door.

She knew it was raining for the whole day, but it was much heavier than she realized. The raindrops were huge and heavy, cold and it didn’t seem like the pouring would stop anytime soon. It was too late to change her mind, all was already said, there was no turning back now. Flo slowly stepped out onto the dirt covered drive, regretting not telling the driver to take her straight to the front door. She pulled her leather jacket tighter around her, grabbed her stuffed duffel bags from the backseat and when she closed the door of the cab, the driver quickly sped off, leaving her alone to soak in the rain.

The building was old, huge and gorgeous and even though she knew nothing about architecture, she was absolutely enchanted by how the outside looked. As she got closer, though her somehow blurred vision, she was able to make out the much brighter light that was shining through the large windows she didn’t noticed at first and it hypnotized her to move forward, like a moth being attracted to the flame.

Before Flo could get to the door, she was already drenched. Her wavy hair, now heavy and damp stuck to her face and wrapped around her neck like they wanted to suffocate her. Her body trembled against the cold. The rain was so thick, she could barely see where she was going.

Reaching the bottom of the steps at last, she planted her feet firmly on each stone step, desperately trying not to slip. Her heeled boots were rubbing uncomfortably on the back of her heels and she was too exhausted. The moment her hand found one of the door handles, with all her remaining strength she pushed the heavy doors forward and she was finally able to escape the raging storm. The doors slammed shut behind her with a loud thud.

She fought the impulse to shake the wetness off like a dog, but her body shivered anyway. The lobby was bright and wide, but still there was something somehow archaic to it that made her feel as if she had traveled back in time. The chandeliers were covered in a thick layer of dust, the plants were in desperate need of water. The hotel seemed generally quiet from where she was standing now, but she could make out voices from down the wooden corridors. Flo hurried to the long desk ahead, every step leaving a small puddle of rainwater as she moved.

Her hair were slick against her face. Her clothes were soaked, clinging to her skin and her leather jacket felt much more heavier than it usually did. She dropped her bags to the wooden floor and tried to focus on anything except how ridiculously uncomfortable she felt now. It didn’t help when the man behind the counter peered at her through his glasses and raised one eyebrow in alarm. Yeah. She looked crazy and she fucking knew it.

“I um…” she croaked, her voice hoarse from the dryness. Flo coughed nervously and tried once again, “I’d like a room for the week please.”

“Checking out on the Sunday morning?” The concierge asked without looking up from his computer monitor.

“Um, the Monday afternoon if that’s okay?” She replied, scratching her head in thought. Flo blinked few times slowly, thoughts dancing around her mind, but she didn’t wanted to ruin the comfortable silence with an excessive amount of questions that could seem too ridiculous to the man she had in front of her.

“I have a room on the second floor…” he repeated himself, his voice sounding frustrated because she didn’t get that the first time he spoke. She had all of those hours away from reality now, that would be enough to clear her mind, that would be enough to think everything through and make one final decision.

“That’ll be perfect.”

The bellboy was quick to grab her bags, even she knew she would have managed just fine on her own. They rode the elevator in silence to the second floor and her door was a few steps away. He took the keys from her, opening her room wide for her to see. The room was modern and bright, but the dark wooden interior gave her almost gothic vibes and it felt like it was the perfect scenery to contemplate her whole life, with the forest all around her. The windows were huge, the curtains drawn wide and the stunning view of green trees seemed to crawl into the room through the glass panes. The bed was huge and high in layers of comfort, the white sheets pristine and perfectly smoothed. There was even a fully stocked minibar.

Flo nodded in the man’s direction and as soon as the bellboy had left, she threw herself onto the bed and sprawled out. She was exhausted, cried out, emotionally drained, but she was also hungry and that hunger persisted more than anything else. So, with a loud sigh, she dragged herself to the bathroom so she could freshen up.

She washed the mess that the rain formed on her face away and reapplied some makeup that had been stuffed in her handbag. It was light, delicate and it made her feel better instantly. She coated her lips with red and dried her hair with the hair dryer mounted into the wall right by the mirror. Flo opened her bags and threw everything onto the bed to rummage through the overly exceeded number of clothes she took with her. She eventually settled on a low cut chiffon black dress that accentuated her waist, but wouldn’t ever get chosen, so she made an exception only for this night. Then her heeled boots were back on, the lights were off and she headed to the bar with nothing, but the room key in her hand.

Sunday, 10:45pm

Andrew was downing his liquor filled glasses quicker than he ever wanted to admit, asking for a refill with a casual wave of his hand once he reached the bottom of every glass. The whiskey was strong, and expensive too, but he was over that moment in which he’d care about that. It hit his lips hard and burned all the way down through his throat and he enjoyed the little spark the alcohol gave him.

He was bored. Bored out of his mind. But what they say of intelligent people? They’re never truly bored. Maybe being drunk would provide him with entertainment somehow or it would push him to write new songs. He hadn’t been at the bar long or even in the hotel for more than a couple of hours, but he had a feeling this week was going to drag.

The tour has ended, his crew flew to their families. And now he was alone. Bored and alone and fucking miserable about it. Normally he wouldn’t have minded, the solitude was as much a part of his personality as the worn out flannels and layered shirts were, but he was beginning to question how long he was going to be comfortable this alone.

His mind reeling from the deep internal conflict, Andrew took one more sip and glanced up but almost spat his drink back out into his glass. Fuck. She stepped into the room, her head held high and he wiped his chin, struggling to keep his composure. She had an abundance of energy that made him catch his breath in his throat, all womanly and powerful, commanding the attention of the room with just her elegant features, no arrogance, so perfect and pristine he worried he’d corrupt her somehow if he get too close. But there was something else there too, richer, full of life and light that he caught a glimpse of when she smiled politely at strangers, the corners of her mouth curling upwards, a pair of dimples appearing in her both cheeks. Her skin was pale, gorgeous and glowy as she passed the lights.

Andrew swallowed hard. Long wavy straw blond hair fell over her shoulders effortlessly, like she hadn’t even tried. She was a fucking dream, the way the thin material of her dress was flowing around her with every step she made. She seemed like an otherworldly creature that ceased her run through the woods just to stop by and have few drinks and perhaps a late dinner. He sighed at the way she walked and his eyes drew in her body hungrily, noticing the way her breasts were pushed against the fabric of the top part of her dress, her slim waist, the sensational curve of her hips, the way her legs looked in those heeled boots. Even her lips were obscenely plump and it made him restless. He looked away, shuffling in his seat, running his hands through his hair with frustration, making it even more puffy.

She was the spark he’d been desperate for, gagging for, she satisfied his thirst like no whiskey could.

He had been in this position before, pretty girl at a quiet bar, he was Andrew Hozier Byrne, of course he had. But something about her demeanor made him nervous like he hadn’t been in a while. Flirting wasn’t really his thing, but he always succeed no matter how miserable he was, but there was something totally different about her. He was going to have to choose the perfect Andrew persona, like picking an outfit from a wardrobe, for this one. He ordered another refill and tried to calm down.

Sunday, 10:55pm

The second Flo sat down, in “the tiny table by the widow, please” and ordered her food, she felt lost again. She placed her key on the table, her fingers toying with the key-chain with the room number. The rain was still thick and heavy and she couldn’t see further than the pitch blackness so she studied the room, desperate for distraction. The restaurant and bar area was just as stunning as the rest of the hotel. Dark wood and velvet-like finishing touches, neatly carved thick crystals. Music played from an old record player located in the corner of the room. The place wasn’t overly packed, there were few empty seats here and there, but even at that hour the staff was certainly busy by constant orders of cocktails, platters of savory food, or just like she had chosen: a selection of sweet treats. There was nothing better than something sweet at this time of the evening.

The Malibu Flo ordered arrived quickly and she savored the taste, smacking her lips together, flicking her tongue across them, but carefully not to swipe off her lipstick. Once her cakes and pastries arrived, she ate them all with delight, entranced by each mouthful of sugar. It would look horrendous on her bill but she didn’t care anymore, not about the bill.

As she finished her sweets, she ordered another drink, the combination of drowsiness, emotion and lack of having a proper meal earlier beginning to intoxicate her. For a while she sat in comfortable silence, admiring the music coming from an old record. But when a lull in the melody came, her eyes fell shut momentarily and she felt a wave of sadness wash over her.

Flo was the type of person that kept all of her emotions buried deep inside, until she simply couldn’t keep them all in and they burst out into the surface. Running away from her problems always made everything worse, that’s why she needed this gateway, so she could face them in new environment, where one final thought could cross her mind. And just as she was trying to be focused on herself only, something, or someone made her thought divert.

He was sat at the bar, profile to her, balancing his glass of whiskey between his finger and thumb occasionally lifting it to his lips. She had no idea how she’d not noticed him before, because now she had, it had changed everything. Something about him was so inviting and even though she knew she was way too obviously staring, she couldn’t look away from him even for a split of second.

His face was bearded, like he didn’t cared to shave for a whole month, lit perfectly by the surprisingly modern LED lighting of the bar. He lifted his chin to drink, slowly putting the glass to his mouth hidden by the ginger colored beard. His hair was long, curly, falling onto his arms and onto his face. His complexity was overwhelming - there was so much to him. There was a delectable softness to his face had too. His skin was smooth, pale, glistening.

The man was wearing an oversized flannel shirt, with something looking like a simple grey T-shirt underneath. Despite the fit of the material, she could tell that his figure was still somewhat muscular underneath, especially his arms and the top half of his torso that was visible along with the patch of curly chest hair. He was gorgeous - so alarmingly gorgeous in fact, that she felt immediately flushed and had to take a long sip of her drink to calm herself down. Flo pressed the still frozen backs of her hands to her flushed cheeks and tried to regain her composure. But he didn’t fit in here, or at least his looks weren’t belonging to a person that was visiting that kind of hotel. It could be old and in the middle of nowhere, that’s true, but it was still stylish - something you couldn’t tell about that curly haired man by the bar.

Sunday, 11pm

His mind already made a decision for him, as Andrew swirled his glass and downed the contents, swallowing his pride and standing slowly. He could do this.

Don’t fuck it up, man.

He turned in her direction, surprised to find that she was already looking at him and he watched her body tense, her jaw lock, her breath hitch, when he noticed.

Flo felt frustrated, in more ways than one, when her gaze locked with his. His eyes were warm, round and inviting but there was something else in him too, something darker too like he knew something that nobody else did, and it made her stomach twist and turn. There was an immediate sense of softness when he stared back at her like a frightened deer in the headlights. She let out a shaky breath she didn’t know she was holding and felt how her whole body was filled with warmth.

He was moved by her, yet still beyond the levels of comprehension, like he was a man from a different time and place entirely but some part of him felt surprisingly familiar to her, like she knew him in a different life on a different planet, where she made other choices and met him in a totally different setting.

This is the moment, Byrne. Now.

He had made it so far from the bar already, so Andrew staggered in her direction, his hands running through his hair, like had no idea what to do with them, except for when he held his guitars. He stared into her raw red eyes, that spoiled the fact that she was crying not so long ago, even though she tried to cover it with some makeup and then he stopped behind the spare chair, already struggling to find the perfect sentence to start with.

“Are you expecting someone’s company?” He asked finally, his mouth trying its best not to curl into a wide smile already.

“No. I’m on my own” she swallowed sharply, trying to make her voice sound as confident and unfazed as possible. No man had ever paid attention to her like he was in this moment, their eye contact and the softness of his gaze almost making her change her plans.

“Would you like to have another drink accompanied by me then, honey?”

“Yes.”

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fics-not-tragedies · 4 years

Text

In a Week: Chapter 16 🌲

Words: 3492; Warnings: none; Summary: The morning after is filled with realizations they both were scared of.

Hozier tag list:

@letoursilencebreaktonight; @angelpeachamber; @sgt-morgan; @julessbrown;

Tuesday, 11:05am

When Andrew woke up the next morning he had no solid plan, no grasp on reality - all he knew was that his head hurt indubitably and that somewhere among everything else that had happened before he passed out half dressed in his bed - he kissed Flo.

His mouth was dry, hair a complete mess and though he didn’t recall working his way through the mini-bar at first, the collection of empty bottles on the bedside table were enough to jog the memory. It took an unbearable amount of effort to slot the events of the night before into place, but when he finally put it all into perspective, he was reeling. He squeezed his eyes shut as he rolled over in the bed, refusing to lay and wallow for too long. Andrew groaned as he stood, looking everywhere for his cigarettes, patting his coat furiously and almost throwing it across the room when he at first couldn’t find them. Finally lighting up on the balcony, he scraped his dirty hair back and tried to work out his next move, taking several deep drags whilst he agonized over how he was going to move on.

He recalled how, in the afterglow of the kiss, he held her for a while, let her lean into his palm, brushed over her hair like he was saying goodbye to it. Andrew felt wholly responsible - had tried to be smart and make rational decisions. He told himself before he could give in again, that the kiss was only going to be a kiss and that they had to ignore their need out of respect for each other and the mirage of the perfect week.

“Maybe we should get some sleep, love… It’s been a long day…”

At the time he convinced himself he was doing the right thing, but the second he let go of her, the air felt thick, something felt wrong. It was how hurt she looked when he pulled away from her. How she flinched when he tried to comfort her. He could distinctly remember the awkwardness, how she pressed herself against the opposite wall of the elevator to stay away from him, how she could barely look at him. It broke his heart to walk her to her hotel room door and say goodnight with nothing, but a forced smile. And now, he couldn’t shake the feeling that he fucked up, that he read the signs wrong and that she was currently regretting even giving him the chance.

But among all the fragmented pictures he flicked through in his head, there was also an impending sense of good. Andrew couldn’t ignore how right it had been in that brief moment when time had stopped moving, when the desire outweighed the consequences. He could still remember how gorgeous she looked under the lights, her barefooted dancing around him, how real and youthful her giggle had been and how she literally taken his breath away when she kissed him, how sweet she tasted, how soft her lips had been.

She kissed him back and he was sure of that, knew the way she moved her lips against his was out of as much need as he had. But even if it all worked out on Monday’s night he’d be back into his reality.

Once the cigarette had burnt down to a nub, he wasted no time in crushing it, throwing himself into the shower, scrubbing at his face violently with his hands to wake himself up then patting himself dry. He smothered himself in cologne. His eyes were visibly red and he couldn’t stop yawning as he raked his hands back through his damp hair, no intention of taming it today. Andrew didn’t pay attention to his clothes like he usually would’ve, too worked up to put off seeing her any longer, just grabbed the first thing he found, some fading black jeans and a jeans shirt. He struggled to button it properly at first, fingers shaking out of nervousness, but grabbed his old jacket and threw it over the top as he rushed out of the door.

Tuesday, 11:25am

Once he sailed down to the ground floor, he was out of the lift with a start. His shoes echoed on the hard, shiny floor as he darted down the corridor and through the lobby. He drew attention to himself as always, whether that was the bad or good kind, but he barely noticed, ignored every other person on his journey to the restaurant, just praying she’ll be already waiting for him. His heart almost stopped when he considered her having left already, no idea what he’d do or how he’d handle it if she wasn’t patiently waiting for him. He didn’t even have her number.

Realizing how bad he was shaking, he considered another cigarette twice, but ignored the craving, feeling more desperate for her in ways he couldn’t justify. As he finally turned the corner through the doors into the grand restaurant, he laid eyes on her and felt everything shift suddenly inside him.

Flo was sat at the same table they shared breakfast at the day before, looking like a forties movie star. She wasn’t wearing much makeup, her cheeks were naturally flushed on their own, but Andrew couldn’t help but think of her as effortlessly sublime in even the tiniest of her movements, watching her inhale a cup of tea. Her shiny, straw hair fell over her shoulders, lighter than ever and she was resting her head on her left palm as she flicked through the book she was reading. Her eyebrows were arched in a way that suggested she was tired, or that her head was aching, struggling to keep her eyes completely focused. She was wearing a dress, something in a navy blue, a little exception for the black ones she wore previously, with buttons down the front and her shoulders were exposed, showing off that perfect pale skin he dreamt about.

He was lost again, so lost in fact he didn’t hear the waiter ask which table he’d like.

Needing to push himself forward, Andrew took a deep breath and turned on his heel, now walking with an exact purpose towards her, the same way she walked to him at breakfast the day before. He couldn’t bring himself to look at her until he reached the table, stopping dead behind the chair like he’d been struck with an immediate panic.

Tuesday, 11:30am

She hadn’t seen him enter, didn’t have time to prepare, but when Flo looked up, her lips parted. From the moment their eyes met, she hated how much it hurt to look at him. Her head felt foggier than ever, her Hozier Byrne hangover only accentuated by how good he looked right now. She couldn’t believe the audacity he had to look that good. It was like she was already drinking again, like she was always drunk when he was close to her and she fought the temptation to groan.

She tossed and turned in the night, worried about what she’d say when she saw him again, wondering how awkward it’d be now that the tension had been truly shattered. She was sure he seemed full of regret once he kissed her, could see through his fake smiles, could read his body language as plainly as it was. And when she closed her door on him, she told herself they made a dreadful mistake and had fucked up everything they built over the last few days. Once down in the restaurant, she was sure he wouldn’t even come, with so much unsaid and so much to work through. She told herself she’d forget about him.

But with him standing here now, the pent up energy flowing from him in waves, remembering exactly how it felt to kiss him - it made her want to forget the forgetting.

She hadn’t quite prepared herself for the way he was looking at her now. His muddy green eyes were so wide, she was worried he’d pass out from the intensity of his stare. His face was far from relaxed, angry about something, confused maybe, his forehead and nose wrinkling, but his hair was the opposite completely unsettled, those soft curls falling around his head. She hated herself for how much she wanted him. Hated herself for how he was driving her insane. Hated herself for letting him buy her another Malibu that night. Hated how good he was looking now. Hated how badly she wanted to kiss him again. Hated how she had nothing to say.

“Flo, I’m so sorry…” he announced before she could, his voice considerably weaker than he intended it to be.

“Huh?” Came her reply after a moment, barely blinking. His hands wrapped around the chair in clenched fists, his knuckles turning white.

“I’m so fucking sorry” he repeated, keeping his eyes locked on hers.

“Andy…” Flo mumbled, her voice a little scratchy, “What are you…”

“I know I shouldn’t have kissed you and I know it was so wrong…”

“Andy… I-”

“No, just let me finish speaking, Flo, please…” he grumbled, holding one hand up to silence her, swallowing hard, “I think that maybe, em, I overstepped a line, because we both know that, em, this wasn’t how it’s supposed to be… but like… I got carried away and, em, I’m not gonna blame it on me drinking, because that’s not why it happened… I just didn’t mean to make you feel awkward, Flo… em, didn’t mean to hurt you or…” his voice began to trail off due to a lack of preparation. He made a noise that sounded desperate and confused, scratching at his head with bewilderment. Noticing how hard he was trying and not wanting him to feel bad for a second longer, she quickly put him out of his misery.

“Andrew…” she sighed, closing her book, “Sit down with me, please…”

He nodded thankfully and drew the chair back, the dragging noise making him cough out of awkwardness and then once he’d taken off his jacket, he sat down, shuffling the chair back towards her and close to the table.

Tuesday, 11:35am

Flo watched him for a moment, could see how much tension he was holding in his frame, how puffed out his chest was. She knew better than to pull him up on it, knew it’d make him retreat even further into himself and so she considered her words carefully, taking another mouthful of hot tea and swallowing as she bought herself some time.

“Are you forgetting that I kissed you back?” She uttered at last, head cocked to the side slightly, folding her hands in front of her delicately.

“Em… what do you mean?”

“You’re right, Andrew…” she huffed, like it took some effort to admit, “it was wrong.”

“I’m so sorry, Flo, I…”

She held up her hand to allow him to let her finish, cleared her throat and continued speaking.

“And we shouldn’t have been so reckless and… we probably shouldn’t… let it happen again.”

He felt his heart sink a little, but waved it off, just thankful she was even speaking to him. At the silence, Andrew nodded slowly back at her, licking his lips, so confused by what was right, what was wrong. He bowed his head, trying to craft a sensible response, but she wasn’t finished yet.

“But you didn’t overstep any line… because I wanted you.”

He lifted his eye line to hers once more, so hung on everything she was saying, wracked with internal conflict.

“I kissed you back because I wanted to. So, you are not taking the blame for this” Flo shrugged, smoothed her fingers over her hair and smiled as genuinely as she could, satisfied with the way she conducted herself.

“You wanted to kiss me?” He said at last, processing it, rethinking it over and over again as he spoke.

“Of course I did…” she sighed, frustrated as she toyed with the idea again.

“Because, em, you were drunk?”

“No, because it was in the heat of the moment” Flo lean forward, dropping her voice to a subtle whisper, raising her eyebrows at him teasingly, “And because you’re actually rather handsome, Andrew…” he smiled bashfully at her attempt to cheer him up, her efforts to reinstate the flirtatious batter they’d picked up so quickly, “but we can’t… go there…” she added.

“I know, I-I know…” he agreed reluctantly, “we don’t want to complicate, em, this…” Andrew chewed on the corner of his lip, suddenly hungry and desperate to drown his sorrows in food, “Have you eaten breakfast?” He grumbled.

Flo laughed and shook her head.

“I was just about to order. I waited for you as long as I could, but my tummy is rumbling like crazy.”

“Okay, great, let’s eat” he decided, clapping his hands together and grabbing a spare menu from the empty table beside him.

“Mmmm… I love brunch…” she cooed, already skimming the menu in her hands.

“Yes, brunch” he mumbled, “Who came up with it?”

“Who came up with brunch? Probably somebody like you, incapable of dealing with a hangover and needing an excuse to lay in and then eat a ton.”

Andrew laughed at her response, scratching his nose.

Tuesday, 11:40am

“Eggs Benedict, please…” she said to the waiter who had promptly arrived at their table.

“And for you, sir?”

“I’ll have the, em, french toast, please… and two black coffees”

“Two black coffees?”

“Yes, two, in separate cups if you can…”

The waiter raised his eyebrows at Andrew, then promptly headed to the kitchen to place their orders.

“So, are you somehow mad at me?” He asked as he turned his attention back to her. As reassuring as she had been, he was still paranoid, still worried about how last night had affected their relationship.

“Why would I be mad at you?” She countered, raising her drink to her lips, but keeping her eyes locked on his.

“For ruining your week.”

“It’s not my week and you haven’t ruined anything” she assured him. She thought about taking his hand again just to ease his insecurity, couldn’t handle his pouting, but decided firmly against it. Flo grimaced, she was making a habit of touching him at the table and it was too soon for that again already. “Maybe we just had to get it out of our systems? Like not being allowed to have something you want makes you want it more, right?”

“Yes” he replied with a shrug, “I guess that really makes sense” a pause, “it was great though, weren’t it?” He chuckled, teasing her but only a little.

“What was great?” She replied, barely looking up from her drink.

“Kissing.”

Flo sighed and for a moment he was worried he pissed her off for good, but her lips pulled quickly into that smirk that killed him, a tease no doubt on the tip of her tongue.

“Did you doubt that I was a good kisser, Andrew?”

He scratched his neck and swallowed hard.

“Nah, I knew it, you just, em, exceeded my own expectations…”

They both laughed and it temporarily eased them both.

“But we can’t… just…” she made a vague gesture to the two of them with her hands.

“I know that already, Flo, so, em, don’t worry…”

Tuesday, 11:45am

Andrew piled a tiny mountain of french toast and demolished it with his mouth, chewing in delight at the great meal. Flo poked at her eggs and watched them ooze over the plate, much slower and delicate as she lifted her fork.

“Okay” he mumbled after only a few mouthfuls, his voice slightly muffled as he patted his lips with a napkin, “So, em, here’s what I’m proposing…”

“You’re proposing?” She giggled, covering her mouth in mock shock, “After one kiss? Damn I must be good” she wiggled her eyebrows at him, tucking into another mouthful of her food.

“Just, Flo… shut your pretty mouth for few seconds, please? Lemme finish.”

“Alright.”

“When are you leaving?”

Flo paused to think.

“Need to be checked out of my room by three on Monday afternoon” she said plainly, the truth sending a jolt of panic through her.

“Then I’m proposing…” he coughed, “that we just forget what happened on, em, that damned roof and make the most of today, em, and the rest of the week…”

He pushed the hair that was falling into his eyes out of the way and crossed his arms in front of him triumphantly, his biceps bulging in the shirt he was wearing, “If you want we can pretend nothing ever happened, em, between us…”

Flo wasn’t sure where to look. She eventually settled on his eyes, the softness she found there making her breath hitch in her throat nonetheless.

“Thank you, Andrew…”

Tuesday, 11:55am

Finished with food and having downed more coffee than humanly possible, they stood from the table in sync, their smiles only a little forced. Flo considered the fact that she never get to see him over her morning tea again when Monday’s morning comes. Or much rather she’d never see him again at all. There was a pinching sense of familiarity and routine to sharing all her meals with him, it was a comfort.

Andrew shrugged back into his jacket even though the weather outside was definitely too hot for anything more than a shirt sleeved shirt and short pants.

“What are you about?” He drawled suddenly, struggling to keep his distance from her as they walked together back into the corridor, so much of her skin exposed to him in her dress.

“Nothing…” she mumbled, waving him off.

“Don’t lie, to me, please, Flo” he commanded, his hand finding the curve of her waist naturally, “I know when your mind is off and filled with dreadful thoughts…”

She turned into him with a sigh. He was even prettier up close, his lips still chapped, but this trimmed beard and ridiculous curls, plus how tall he was, enough to make him completely irresistible. She held her breath, tried not to show her weakness, but it was impossible. Her body seemed to gravitate towards him no matter what she did, her hands inching closer to holding him in every second she spent speechless.

“Flo?”

“Andy?”

“We really are okay, right?”

Every inch of his face triggered a different memory from the past two days - the adventures and the laughing, and the moments they were so close to each other.

“Yeah, we’re okay.”

There were so many stories he’d told her and she wanted to hear more, wanted to find out about his music, hear some of his songs. She wanted the time to thank him for reminding her who she was, for giving her the not so gentle nudge in a slightly brighter direction. But she still didn’t changed her mind. She wanted the chance to dance with him again, wanted to sway against him until time was up.

“We don’t have long left together. I’m just thinking about that.”

“It’s still more than five days, Flo… don’t think about it…” he sighed, flinching a little, “we have some time.”

But I don’t have much time left, Andy.

She nodded, looking away from him. He tried his best to resist her it but was too hard, his hands slotting right back on her cheeks to direct her gaze to him. He was so close he could’ve kissed her, wanted to kiss her, but it wasn’t right.

It’s not right. It’s not right.

“I’m not ready to say goodbye to you, Mister Hozier Byrne.”

He brushed her cheekbones with his thumbs affectionately, weak for her again. She smelt like vanilla and some sort of flower he couldn’t quite pinpoint, but it was one he hoped he’d smell in a year or two which would allow him to revel in nostalgia over her for a while.

“Give us a smile, darling…” he sighed, needing it just to soothe the anxiety that was piling higher than his french toast.

Flo rolled her eyes, eliciting a deep, satisfied chuckle from him then turned the corners of her lips up with little effort. Her whole body seemed to exhale under his influence, green eyes melting into even greener ones. After a moment of quiet he surprised her, his hand cupping the back of her head, fingers knotting in the hair to pull her in and hug her close. She wrapped her arms tightly around him without argument, thankful, above everything else, that they had patched over the seemingly catastrophic problem that last night’s desire caused.

They both couldn’t handle the thought of losing each other before their time was up. Andrew swayed on the spot, remembering how they had danced together the night before and allowed himself four more seconds holding her. It was all he needed for now, just four more seconds.

One. Two. Three. Four…

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fics-not-tragedies · 4 years

Text

In a Week: Chapter 13 🌲

Words: 1483; Warnings: none, unless you want another warning for drinking alcohol, then you have it; Summary: The evening unwinds, the dinner ends, but it seems like there’s much more for her to experience than Flo thought.

Hozier tag list:

@letoursilencebreaktonight; @angelpeachamber; @sgt-morgan; @julessbrown;

Monday, 10:15pm

When the starters had been cleared away and the main courses were placed, Andrew’s green eyes were wide and ravenous at the size of his plate.

“It’s quite, em, massive” he chuckled, then lowered his tone to make a joke about his steak, “Have you ever seen, em… a bigger piece of meat than this one?” He chuckled.

“Behave” she tittered, a little light-headed from the first sip of her second glass of wine after Andrew had insisted they just bring her the bottle.

They ate hungrily, both focused as much on each other as the food. They took time to ask questions they’d forgotten to so far, trying to take in as much information about families and their hometowns, the movies they’d seen and the ones they had been meaning to.

“Have you seriously never seen Dirty Dancing?”

“No, should I?”

“Absolutely.”

“Perhaps you’d watch it with me?”

“Perhaps.”

Monday, 10:20pm

They were almost finished with their second course when Andrew turned back to the view, the lights dotted along the skyline so mesmerizing.

“Stunning setting for that date, isn’t it?” He drawled, sitting back a little in his cushioned chair, the buzz of alcohol on his lips giving him the cocky, confident edge he first tried with her. Of course it had failed him last night, she has seen straight through it, but it was certainly worth a second shot, even just for fun.

“We’re on a date, are we?” She laughed back, not breaking her eye contact once.

“Well it has all the obvious signs of a date…” he shrugged, lips a little pouty.

“Which are?” She sipped from her glass, her fingers wrapping around it, intrigued. He paused, lifting a final forkful to his lips and chewing in thought.

“Good food… butterflies in my stomach… beautiful girl giving me the eye-”

“I most certainly am not giving you the eye, Andrew…”

She took another long gulp from her glass and squeezed her lips together defensively. Andrew shifted forward in his seat, resting his hand on the table as close to hers as he could without touching her. For a moment Flo thought he was going to take hers and hold it like almost every other couple in the restaurant, unsure if she’d actually be able to resist his touch. But he was purposely being a tease in his actions, had noticed how she noticed and was thriving off it. His words were a little slower, his nose wrinkling with effort as he spoke.

“Hmm… I know when a woman wants me…” he drawled, eye contact steady, his overconfidence fueled by the alcohol he already drank, hoping this persona will do him better than the usual one, “and I hate to break it to you, my love, but, em, you are giving me the eye.”

There was an impossible silence in which Flo could feel her heart rate increase, had to close her eyes for a moment and focus so not to fall for his honeyed words. His fingers danced close to her wrist, trying to spark a reaction.

“Are we really doing this now?” she asked quickly, her question direct, her eyebrow arched.

“Mhmm.”

“Are you sure?” She had been waiting for his abrupt forwardness to show again, had been desperate to retaliate to something after being civil about it all for so long.

“Go for it” he sighed through gritted teeth, loving how easy it was to challenge her.

“Well…” she began, taking one last sip from her wine glass before placing it out of fear she’d smash it somehow, “I’m pretty sure you’ve been trying to get me into bed with you since we met. So don’t act the innocent.”

“But you are tempted, aren’t you? You’re curious.”

“I didn’t start it.”

“Didn’t say you did” he smirked, jaw tense, “But you are tempted and I bet you already, em, thought about it.”

“And you haven’t?”

“Oh, I definitely have. Numerous times…” Flo bit her lip hard, unable to ignore what he was telling her, what he was admitting out loud and what she had too in such a short amount of time, “You’re blushing, Flo.”

“I know.”

She couldn’t meet his eye, couldn’t bring herself to give in, refusing to let him win this easily. And then his fingers brushed over the smooth skin of her wrist, reminiscent of the very first time they touched and she almost whimpered, clamping her other hand on the table just to keep herself still. The alcohol had made her feel dizzy and she was now aware of his cologne too - it was all too much. His calloused fingertips ran over the veins of her wrist, his muddy eyes locked on hers, waiting to be blessed with her full attention again.

“Well, we clearly don’t have very much self-control around each other” she stated, her breath shaky and uneven, hoping he won’t move his fingers to slide them down her wrist, “...only friends…” she repeated, her cherry-red lips pursed together as she brought her eyes up to meet his.

“W-what?” Andrew was obviously confused, not sure what her point was. His face was still, but the movement of his fingers against her skin stilled for a second and it caught her off guard when he started to move them again.

“Back there, when we came in…” she swallowed dryly, “you said we were ‘only friends’.”

“Aren’t we?” He smirked gently, his lips parting as he waited for her answer.

“You tell me, Andrew…”

“Can I interest you in any desserts?” Jack asked suddenly, cutting the pair off as he stopped beside their table. It took a moment for Andrew to register he was actually there, but when he did he flinched violently, like he just been caught doing something very wrong and retreated into his own personal space. Flo felt the absence of his touch painfully, pulling her own arm back and turning her focus to the waiter.

“I have the menus here if you’d like to take a look.”

“Are you in?” Andrew asked Flo, though the dessert was the very last thing on his mind.

“I’m in.”

Monday, 10:30pm

Flo and Andy were both feeling rather frustrated and flustered by the conversation, with neither of them winning anything, rather just confirming that they couldn’t have what they now knew they wanted equally. The silence was unbearable, the awkwardness hard to see through and as much as Andrew had wanted to wind her up about their sexual tension, he hated to think of her genuinely affected by anything he’d said or done. The next time Flo heard Andrew speak was when he ordered.

“I’d like the triple chocolate cake a-and, em, the raspberry cheesecake, please, Jack…”

“Both?” She laughed hesitantly, his childish smile back at her easing her nerves a little.

“Yeah, both” he replied with a shrug, “Couldn’t decide.”

“I’ll have the tiramisu, please” she hummed, giving Jack her best flirtatious grin before he disappeared, just to annoy Andrew a tiny bit more, “Do you have room for two?” She sighed, turning back to him.

“Watch me.”

Monday, 10:45pm

To even his surprise, Andrew polished off both plates in no time, licking his lips with delight as he threw his fork down in triumph.

“Told you, love…” he sat back in his chair and sipped on the remainders of his second whiskey, fully indulged by food, drink and her.

“Well, I’m very proud of you” she giggled.

“Oh. Andy?” She mumbled, obviously suppressing a laugh.

“Yes?”

“You’ve - uh - got a bit of chocolate on your lip…” she smirked, pointing to her own slightly smudged lips to indicate where it was.

“Oh, that’s not good…” he grumbled, patting at his mouth frantically with a napkin and managing to miss the blob of brown each time. She laughed and he sighed in frustration.

“Let me…” she giggled, lifting her hand to his face and swiping at the chocolate with her own napkin. She lingered there for a moment, staring at his chapped pink lips, wondering whether he’d taste more of chocolate or raspberry or whiskey, “… Help you.”

“Thank you…” he replied, softly, weaker for her than ever when she reluctantly pulled away.

“Flo?”

“Andy?”

“I’m sorry if I… overstepped… any boundaries…”

“It’s fine…” she replied, trying to reassure him with the casualness of her voice.

“I wouldn’t ever wanna make you feel-”

“Andrew, it’s okay…”

Flo lean forward and without thinking covered his hand with hers to reassure him, the softness back in his face providing her with such comfort, her fingers brushing over his with little care for the consequences. With her permission now he linked his fingers with hers, caressing the side of her thumb with his.

“I’ll get the bill…” he suggested, at least ten seconds later, his voice deeper, gravelly, “I’ve one place I really want to show you…”

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fics-not-tragedies · 4 years

Text

In a Week: Chapter 15 🌲

Things happen in this chapter, very nice and important things for the of their story.

Words: 1655; Warnings: none; Summary: Flo and Andrew dance at the rooftop of their hotel.

Hozier tag list:

@letoursilencebreaktonight; @angelpeachamber; @sgt-morgan; @julessbrown;

Monday, 11:20pm

As soon as Andrew had finished smoking, he headed to the bench. He patted the seat next to him and Flo hurried over, eager and not quite afraid as she had been before to show it. He opened his arm for her to come close to him in case she was cold. She wasn’t. But she didn’t pass up on the opportunity, leaning her head against his shoulder.

“What’s your middle name?” He mumbled against her temple, like it was embarrassing he didn’t know, watching her twirl a strand of hair around her finger.

“Stella.”

“Flo Stella Hayes…” he sighed, drawing circles into her shoulder through her dress with his index finger, “Pretty…”

“Yours?”

“John. After my Dad.”

“That’s sweet” she acknowledged. Flo tilted her head in the same direction Andrew was looking, batting her eyelashes at the sky, “Do you know any of the constellations, Andy?” Andrew was soft and warm and she resisted the temptation to curl further into him. Her lips were so close to his neck now that if she moved slightly, they would have easily pressed against it. She started to wonder what kind of sound he’d make if she did, when he began to answer her.

“If you pointed them out I think I’d get it, but I don’t know much about them… not off the top of my head…”

“What about the zodiac ones?” She pressed.

“I know… few” Flo laughed a little.

“Few is good. But I feel like you’re capable of much more than that.”

A moment of silence fell between them and she was determined to break it.

“Andrew?”

“Yes?”

“What animal do you think you’d be reincarnated as?” He laughed loudly, surprised by how quickly she changed the subject, how fast her mind worked, how many questions she had.

“Dunno, love, nobody has ever asked me about that before…”

She stood up, suddenly filled with energy, spinning around with her arms out.

“You see I’d wanna be a bird” she announced, flapping her arms idiotically, “…but I’d probably be something much more boring like… a woodlouse or… a mealworm.”

“Flo Hayes” he chuckled, standing up to match her energy, “you’re absolutely not a fucking mealworm… I can see you, perhaps as a… shrike…”

“You…” she started, ignoring his observations about her, wiggling her finger in his direction instead, “You’re difficult. I can’t work you out” Andrew bit his lip as she moved towards him. Her chest and cleavage was exposed more than it’d been in hours and her lips were pouty. It was harder than ever to resist her, “At first I was thinking maybe a bear or a tiger, but you’re too gentle for that. Maybe a kitten.”

“A kitten?” He coughed, eyes wide, “A little fluffy kitten?”

“Mhm. You’re definitely a kitten.”

“Pffff…” he exhaled, shaking his head.

Monday, 11:30pm

“Oh!” He chimed, remembering something important that had been part of his plan all day, “There’s a speaker up here somewhere…” he turned with his back to Flo, fiddling with a black box on the wall, “…which I think… plays music from somewhere in the hotel…” he fumbled with a couple of buttons and music started playing suddenly, vibrating quietly across the rooftop, Chet Baker crooning, making Andrew sway his hips for a moment.

“Let's get lost

Lost in each other's arms

Let's get lost

Let them send out alarms

And though they'll think us rather rude

Let's tell the world

We're in that crazy mood…”

Flo watched him shake from side to side, arms swinging with little consideration for the beat of the music, “I, em, I danced to it with my Mum when I was, you know, smaller…”

“Like this?” She sniggered, raising her eyebrows as he spun around her, letting the music move him.

“No, like proper slow dancing” he chuckled, “I never was good at it, em, I’m a terrible dancer honestly…” Andrew shrugged, licking his lips as she stared at him. Flo could feel herself smiling brightly from the way her cheeks ached. This was it. She stepped towards him, her heart pounding.

“You should try.”

Andy swallowed hard, stopped moving for a second, tried to process what she was saying.

“Let's defrost

In a romantic mist

Let's get crossed

Off everybody's list

To celebrate this night we found each other

Mmm, let's get lost…”

He cleared his throat and smoothed a hand through his hair to mask his nervousness, though Flo could see straight through it, “Are you offering yourself as a dance partner, to me?” Andrew held out his hand as confidently as he could, wiggling his fingers at her with a warm smile, the corners of his lips pulled up sharply, “Will you dance with me, Florence?”

She bit her lip, considered the dangers, loudly screamed FUCK in her head then nodded at him once before she could change her mind.

“I can do that.”

Flo exhaled nervously as she clasped her fingers around his, the warmth from just his fingertips spreading through her and he pulled her closer to him in one swift movement, reluctant to move too quickly in case she changed her mind. He dragged her backwards with him a little, eyes locked on hers, their hands still tightly clasped together. Andrew waited for a second, performed an elaborate mock bow to invite her in and she laughed carelessly as he spun her towards him.

“Let's defrost

In a romantic mist

Let's get crossed

Off everybody's list

To celebrate this night we found each other

Mmm, let's get lost…”

After a moment or two of stiffness, scared to make a sudden move, Flo relaxed and placed her other hand gently on his shoulder. Checking she was comfortable by her expression, he stepped forward, his puffed out chest almost touching hers. They began to dance clumsily, swaying to and fro, completely out of time. In seconds, Flo was laughing so hard her sides hurt. Andrew giggled too, spinning her out and in dramatically, her bare feet struggling to keep up, little regard for how dizzy she felt.

It was only when the track switched to something slower that they felt the mood shift.

Flo pressed herself against him and held on as tightly as she dared. But the closer she got, the more she was lost in how he smelt, the way his hands felt on her body. Andrew wasn’t even sure what to do with his hands. He settled eventually on holding her waist before climbing back up her back to bring her even closer. Flo pressed her flushed cheek against his chest, her fingers moving to stroke the soft hair at the back of his neck. Andrew was losing his mind trying to keep his control, knew he couldn’t hold back much longer. He leaned down to press his cheek to her hair for a second, inhaling deeply. They swayed together silently for the remainder of the song, eyes closed but when the music came to an end they slowed dramatically - as if both caught on something they couldn’t ignore.

Flo turned her face so that she could find his eyes again and he did the same, leaning down even further, his nose close to hers, nudging it accidentally for a moment, their eyes so intensely locked. Her fingers were still at the back of his neck, she could feel his pulse, wondered if her own was faster. She was surrounded by the spice of his cologne, by his warmth. There was pause where Flo felt like she was in the middle of a hurricane, watching everything fall to pieces around her. Andrew counted the shades of green in her eyes, wondering how he could ever write them into a song.

And then, he was kissing her.

The moment his lips touched hers, Flo moaned. His mouth was soft and warm, his lips a little chapped but it was so him, everything she expected. She kissed him back hungrily, without any shred of hesitancy, climbing onto her tiptoes, could taste his whiskey, so overwhelmed by him, unafraid, her fingers trying to find some way to bring him closer. She sighed at the relief that she was kissing him at last, that he was kissing her back and that everything was in the right place in this very moment.

Andrew couldn’t get enough, couldn’t believe his luck, couldn’t think about anything but how sweet her lips tasted, how softly she was moaning against his mouth, the way her body was curving into his. He hummed against her, needing more, never having enough of her, insatiable now he knew what kissing her was like. Flo was obsessed. He struggled for air under her control, his hand cupping the side of her face as they finally let go, neither of them ready for the moment of euphoria to be gone before it had even begun.

“You have to say something now” Andrew muttered, his forehead pressed against hers.

“Why me?” She replied breathlessly, looking up at him through her thick lashes, the need she had for him so hard to resist. She was so drunk on the moment, unable to process how wrong and right it was, too giddy on the fact he was holding her, touching her, making her feel this way. His big doe eyes and swollen lips had her weak.

“You usually have, em, something witty to say.”

“I’ve got nothing this time” she said, shaking her head and nuzzling into his palm.

He tenderly stroked her cheek with his thumb for a moment as he thought. He needed her like he never needed anyone before, his addictive personality well and truly triggered by the way she was looking at him. But Andrew didn’t want to make a mistake, didn’t want to ruin anything. He sighed dramatically, gave her a weak smile that made her eyes shine like emeralds under the stars and whispered:

“Neither have I…”

#In a Week #hozier fanfiction #hozier fanfic #hozier fic #hozier series #hozier chaptered fic #andrew hozier byrne fanfiction #andrew hozier byrne fanfic #andrew hozier byrne fic #andrew hozier byrne series #andrew hozier byrne chaptered fic #hozier/flo #hozier x flo #andrew hozier byrne/flo #andrew hozier byrne x flo #ahb:chaptered_fic

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fics-not-tragedies · 4 years

Text

In a Week: Chapter 14 🌲

It’s a beginning to a quite major break point for this story and I hope you’re still hooked by it somehow.

Words: 3054; Warnings: none, unless you want another warning for smoking then you have it; Summary: Andrew surprises Flo by showing her one quite magical place.

Hozier tag list:

@letoursilencebreaktonight; @angelpeachamber; @sgt-morgan; @julessbrown;

Monday, 11pm

Flo felt Andrew’s hand press against the small of her back to guide her out of the restaurant. There was a slight gape in the fabric at the back of her dress and his palm conveniently found that spot, fingers brushing against her silken skin. The heat from his hand made her skin tingle and she looked away bashfully, hoping it wasn’t too obvious. Up until this very moment she made some accusatory comment about him touching her like that purely as a defense mechanism, but she couldn’t bring herself to quip at him for fear he’d move his hand away from her and never touch her again. She also noticed the way people were looking at her when she was this close to him, probably assuming like everyone else in the hotel had that they were a couple, their walk out of the restaurant drawing all of the attention. She quickly blamed it on her drunken haze, but there was something she found undeniably quite exciting about that.

Now out of the restaurant, they stepped out into the seemingly never ending corridor. With only a few steps, the cushion carpet was already proving a struggle for her heeled feet and it didn’t help that she was wobbling a little from the alcohol she’d consumed at dinner. Noticing her struggle, Andrew took his hand from where it was nestled against her lower back and enveloped hers to pull her along like it was natural now. Neither of them were slightly fazed by it.

“Where are we going?” She sighed.

“It’s a surprise” he replied, eyes shining wildly under the yellow bulbs on the walls, “Please be patient, love.”

“I don’t do surprises” she pouted.

Music was playing in the corridor, something with a beat that Andrew had definitely heard and if Flo hadn’t she was at least pretending to, trying to dance even when she walked, her rhythm completely off balance, mouthing the lyrics a little sloppily.

“Lightweight…” Andrew laughed under his breath, loud enough so that she could definitely hear.

“I am not!” She replied instantly, looking to her side at him, fire in her eyes.

“So you’re not drunk, Flo?” He asked, scrunching his nose up at her.

“I don’t think so.”

“Well, show me a proof that you’re not.”

She stopped walking for a second, waiting for inspiration to strike her. Andrew chuckled at the way she scrunched her face up in thought. She was clutching at his hand and squeezed it at her light-bulb moment, overjoyed she thought of something at last.

“I can do a cartwheel…” she announced proudly, giggling, swaying her shoulders as she spoke.

“You can?”

“Mhm…” she said, nodding quickly and confidently.

“Prove it” he chuckled, raising one eyebrow at her. She looked down at their entwined hands just as Andrew let go.

“Alright, hang on…” Flo lifted her feet to slip off her heels, handing them to Andrew to hold on to. He took them and her clutch graciously and looped the straps at the back around two of his fingers, swinging them as he stepped back to make room for her acrobatic performance. She painted her toenails a sparkly purple that made Andrew think of deep space. His eyes drifted shamelessly from her feet all the way up her legs, across her thighs and over the curve of her ass as he watched her mentally prepare for her trick. He hadn’t considered himself drunk until this moment.

Flo stretched her arms like a mock athlete, focused too much on that to even see Andrew observing her. He settled his gaze a little further up now, wanting to kiss along the smooth skin of her neck, delighted by the little twitches in her face as she thought, the dimple in her left cheek, the way she flicked her hair over her shoulder a little dramatically. The music thudded still, the second chorus of the song that was playing booming over the speakers. She took a deep breath, cursing the reckless bravery she always found to impress him because she hadn’t done a cartwheel in years and was frankly unsure she’d be able to do it now. Then, without warning, Flo suddenly lunged out to the side, kicking off the ground, her legs wide in the air, almost flashing Andrew from the way her dress had moved, but it was too quick of a descent for that opportunity to arise. She landed well, if a little wobbly, on her feet, then threw her arms up triumphantly.

Andrew clapped her joyously, with as much energy and volume as he could whilst still holding her shoes.

“Well, now I’m more impressed than I already was” Flo beamed foolishly and took a mock bow, unsure why something so stupid had made her so happy, “Are you alright, love?” He questioned as she staggered back towards him, struggling to put one foot in front of the other.

“Yep. I feel fine. Great actually. Bit dizzy though.”

Andrew steadied her with two strong hands on her shoulders, the heels wrapped around his fingers knocking a little against her back.

“Look at me” he mumbled, tilting her chin upward and bringing her face close to his, waiting for her eyes to focus, trying to check more than anything that she was okay.

“Aren’t you drunk, Andrew?” She purred, tilting her head and licking her lips as she spoke. Andrew chuckled thickly and pulled away when she seemed stable enough.

“Maybe I am, maybe I’m not… Maybe you’ll never know.”

“I think you are” she giggled, stepping ahead of him and continuing down the corridor, enjoying the new song that just began to play.

Andrew focused on steadying himself, giddy on merely the idea of her. He was enchanted by her new found happiness, the burning, bright passion for life he helped install in her. He found himself in awe of her childish giggling, the way she threw her head back laughing like everything was exciting and utterly hilarious. He couldn’t help but lose his mind at the angle of her hips as she pranced down the corridor a couple of feet ahead of him.

And that’s when he heard it. A song. His song.

The pace of his walk slowed dramatically, face dropping, rigid with panic, but Flo had barely noticed, tipsily wiggling to the thudding music. She was spinning her arms around wildly, her dress hitching up further than she’d have liked at the back when she did, her hair swaying as she bounced with the sound of the bass. And after only four paralyzing seconds, his own voice echoed from the speakers like a curse.

“Honey, this club here is stuck up

Dinner and diatribes

I knew well from our first hookup

The look of mischief in your eyes”

“I like this song” she proclaimed, her hips swaying intoxicatingly to the music. Andrew licked his lips. He was dreaming, had surely lost his mind. But here she was, the woman of his dreams, singing and dancing drunkenly to one of his songs, with absolutely no idea who he was, “Thaaaaat’s the kind oof looooooove…” she sang under her breath.

As he watched her, he toyed with the possibilities in his mind, how to break it to her, whether he should be direct or gentle with it and if he was going to break the dreaded news, what he could possibly say to justify hiding the truth for so long. He realized just how much of a sign this was, his own music playing at that specific moment and he was washed over with the realization than he was more than ready to share everything with her now. Her kind eyes and heart of gold were too pure to conceal himself for another second.

“This is my song” he mumbled, at last, his throat dry.

“What?!” She exclaimed, her dance coming to an end, much to his dismay. She turned back to him with a ferocity. Her eyes were wide, her mouth open and he loved the way her hair was still swinging to the beat, a life of its own entirely.

“This is my song” he repeated, swallowing nervously. It was the moment he dreaded, had re-enacted a million times over in his head in a million torturous ways, but here she was all bright eyed, grinning uncontrollably, no reservation or negativity in the way she looked at him.

“Andy!” She shrieked, storming forward and throwing her arms around him, enveloping him in a warm embrace, her fingers tugging at the collar of his shirt as she pulled away. She mock swatted him in the chest, “You prick! Why didn’t you tell me?”

“Well I told you I’m Andrew Hozier Byrne, so…” he grumbled, unnerved by his own voice echoing around them, “I didn’t wanted to dip deeper into it, so em, you wouldn’t change your opinion about me…”

“Why would I change my opinion?” She asked only partially offended, “I think it’s fantastic! I want to hear all about it!” Andrew shook his head at her like he couldn’t quite believe she was real.

“So yeah, I’m that Hozier…”

“Hozier…” she repeated after him, humming the song still with a sense of familiarity. “I knew I’d seen your face somewhere. I’m just rubbish with celebrity stuff.”

“Oh, bloody hell” he groaned, realizing her fingers were still on his collar, “Please don’t call me that way.”

“What?”

“Don’t call me a celebrity.”

“Alright, alright” she mumbled, letting go of his shirt at last and turning back to his side to walk with her.

“Oh, let there be hotel complaints and grievances raised

And that kind of love

(That’s the kind of love

That's the kind of love

That's the kind of love)

Oh, let there be damage ensued and tabloid news

And that kind of love…”

“So you’re proper famous?”

“Define ‘proper famous’…”

“You know, rich and successful alternative rock God...” she began, pursuing her lips, “lots of girlfriends, lots of sex. Drugs. Messy parties and trashed hotel rooms. Oooooh! Is your hotel room trashed? Can I see?”

“No my hotel room isn’t trashed” he grumbled, rolling his eyes at her. He held on to her hip with his free hand as they walked side by side, slowly.

“But everything else was true?”

“And I don’t have loads of girls, em, we already had that conversation…”

“I’m just teasing you” Flo sighed, sensing his irritation, reaching up to pat his cheek affectionately. He smiled back, her soft fingertips soothing him a little.

Dinner & Diatribes stopped playing and something else started, something mellow which made most of Andrew’s built up tension fade. He noted how nothing had really changed, how she hadn’t shunned him or said anything to suggest she was disappointed in him for keeping his secret. He couldn’t help, but hurry after her.

Monday, 11:05pm

Flo had reached the end of the corridor now, a dead end with nothing but a window. She looked over her shoulder, confused, as if to ask Andrew where she was supposed to turn now.

“We’re here…” he announced still pacing towards her.

“What do you mean we’re here?”

Outside the window Flo could make out a few buildings in the distance and a dark sky, speckled with a few stars which had decided to show themselves at last. There were some metal steps with a twisted railing and as she put the pieces together, she looked back at Andrew again, regarding him as if he were crazy. Andrew tiptoed around her, placed her shoes down for a moment and with one confident movement clicked and slid the window open wide, holding it with a suggestive grin. There was a slight breeze which swept Flo’s hair back and made her blink a couple of times.

“We’re going up.”

“Yes, but after we die… not right now.”

“Yes, we are.”

“For fuck sakes” she muttered, peering further out into the dark fearfully. “Have you been up there before? Is it safe? Are the stairs old? Am I going to fall and die?”

“Yes, yes, yes, no” he countered, answering her questions as quickly as possible, entertained by her predictable overthinking, “C’mon, do this for me, please?”

She grimaced at him, still unsure, then rolled her eyes and stepped closer to the window to check whether or not she trusted the stairs. It was the excitement on his face and the idea of never knowing what might’ve happened - she couldn’t help herself.

“Where does this lead to then?”

“You’ll see…” he mumbled with a teasing shrug, “I’m not going to spoil you all the fun. Are you curious now?”

“Yeah…” she sighed, biting her lip as she stared out of the window dubiously, simultaneously hating and loving how well he could read her, “Fine, I’ll do it.”

Andrew grinned at her appreciatively and stepped out of her way, holding the sticky window frame up.

“I’m right behind you, love…”

Flo tried to process how she was going to be elegant, her dress too short for much decency and he chuckled watching her try to pull it down as far as she could. She bent down and straddled the window, throwing one leg outside of the frame, her bare foot already cold. A couple of strands of hair were falling over his forehead into his eyes and he was struggling to see through them properly. Without processing it first, she slicked them back for him and he smiled in a far off, dreamy way.

Needing to distract herself, quickly, she swung the other leg out and stood up, pulling her dress back down again. She tested the steps with one foot, relieved when they didn’t shudder under her weight and began to walk up them, taking her time, focused on putting her steps in the right place. She was too intoxicated for this. Andy picked up her shoes and began to copy her exact movements, throwing one leg over the window ledge uncomfortably.

“Andrew?” She called after only a second, turning back to him before she disappeared out of view. She sounded frantic and panicked as if she had been suddenly struck with something important. He was closer to her than she’d imagined when she spun back to him, leaning halfway out of the window, faces only inches apart.

“Yes, love?” He replied, unblinking. She tried not to look at his lips.

“I uh - I just want you to know that you don’t have to justify or explain anything to me. I liked you before I knew who you were and that’s not gonna change” she gave him her best reassuring smile, the stain her lipstick had left making her teeth dazzle under the starlight.

“Thank you, Flo” he almost whispered.

Satisfied, she turned around and started climbing again. Her hands were visibly shaking as she clutched at the rail. Shaken himself by her words, Andrew dropped the widow closed behind him and making sure it didn’t lock behind them, got to his feet, following her up.

“I know you’re staring at my ass” she stated when she heard the meal clang below her, wiggling her hips enticingly.

“That’s pure torture…” he grumbled, trying to divert his gaze.

Monday, 11:10pm

Once Flo was at the top, she took a big step out onto what she quickly realized was the roof of the hotel. The air felt thicker somehow, like velvet and she stumbled forward and took in the picture directly above her. The sky was a deep midnight blue that could have almost been black. Every corner of the canvas as far as she could see was pricked with dots and splatters of white light from the stars, all part of bigger constellations, weaving in and out of each other. The moon was a perfect crescent, high above them and she laughed at how incredible it was, having never seen a sky this dramatic.

Andrew was completely still, watching her with her head tilted back, laughing at the sky like it meant more to her than she could’ve put into words. He smirked as she turned around, her features lit in moonlight.

“I’ve never seen the sky this clear before” she announced, “The stars look so different here, you can see everything…”

“The light pollution is non existent here…” he replied, struggling to think of something better to say. He should’ve rehearsed. He was so lost. He pointed to the buildings in the distance, “it’s all because outside of town.”

“Right” she said, nodding, an equally challenging smirk pulling through her lips. “Does your light pollution line work on all the girls?”

“Only you, so far” he grinned.

The floor was patio-ed leading up to a small gazebo area with a couple of fluorescent string lights. A bench was pushed against the wall and there was an open door leading presumably back down into the hotel. Flo noticed that and turned back to Andrew.

“You mean to tell me that I didn’t have to climb up those shitty fire escape steps? I could’ve come through an actual door?”

“Where’s the fun in that?” He asked.

“How did you even find this place?”

Andrew crossed to the bench, putting down her shoes, “Got bored before you showed up yesterday and I just went exploring.”

“It’s really pretty up here” she whispered, her voice sounding a little tipsy as it came out. “Do you think anyone knows this place exists?”

“I bet the staff does, but it seems like, em, no one has really been up here in a long time” Flo nodded, biting her lip, “Would you mind if I have a smoke?”

“Go on then…” she replied with a shrug.

Andrew lit up quickly, standing in a position so that the wind would blow the smoke away from her rather than into her face. The stars shone behind him and illuminated his eyes, the stray strands of hair dropping into his eyes again. The collar of his white shirt was slightly crinkled by her hands. He exhaled and watched the grey wispiness disappear into the air again, scratching his nose, unaware of how intensely she was watching him now. She never got bored of watching him, the way he made everything look so effortless, like an art form.

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fics-not-tragedies · 4 years

Text

In a Week: Chapter 3 🌲

New chapter folks! We’re getting deeper into the story now, slowly but surely and I hope you’re hooked on reading just as I am on writing it.

Words: 3327; Warnings: none, unless you want a warning for smoking, then you have it; Summary: Flo and Andrew start talking and he helps her with coming out of her comfort zone.

Hozier tag list:

@letoursilencebreaktonight; @angelpeachamber; @sgt-morgan; @julessbrown;

Sunday, 11:40pm

Slightly buzzed from her drink, Flo couldn’t help but shiver as they made their way through the bar and outside, a small patio area lit with string lights. The night was dark, almost starless thanks to the storminess that had raged a few hours prior, but the moon was bright, high in the sky as it peaked through the clouds, making the sky glow with white light. It was mostly empty out here, though a few men were stood around smoking, dressed immaculately and laughing in deep tones. Music vibrated through the speakers, tunes that seemed somewhat out of place for the aesthetic of the hotel, but she appreciated it now that she was tipsy, humming softly to the familiar tunes. She couldn’t deny that she felt good.

There was something about that moment that seemed somehow both electric and serene and Flo had to take a mental picture and capture it, remember it. There was something about knowing he was there, almost pressed into her side and that he was new, exciting, unlike anyone she ever met. Something about the breeze which whipped around her lower arms and legs, blowing strands of her hair across her face. Something about the warm buzz of alcohol filling her insides, the rush of blood in her cheeks. Something about being a million miles from the life she knew and wanted to change.

Andrew had lit his cigarette before he even stepped out of the building and he lifted it to his lips, taking a long drag and exhaled, a practiced move.

“Do you smoke, honey?” He breathed, his voice thick against the bitterness of the night. He lean back against the wall and held out his almost empty packet to her.

“No…” Flo replied with a firm shake of her head, to which he shrugged and shoved it away. For a moment she watched him breathe out the smoke, the smell filling her senses, but he was close enough that she could bask in his own scent now, the deep spice of his cologne and something else, homely and earthy.

The moonlight bounced off his face in all the right places, illuminating his features perfectly. Flo found herself completely transfixed on his eyes, unable to tear herself away, the warm green hues making her knees feel weak. It wasn’t even that his appearance had shaken her from the very first moment, he had an addictive energy too. Every moment she spent with him, she found herself flourishing, pushing herself to reach his level of brilliance.

“Are you cold, Flo?” He mumbled, snapping her from her daze.

“A little. I can handle it” she nodded, convincing herself more than him as she swept stray hairs from her face.

“You can have my shirt, em… it’s not that warm, but it can help you somehow…”

“I’ll be fine Andy” she insisted, her body betraying her as the goosebumps crawled up her arms. She instinctively went to rub them, then rolled her eyes at her own stupidity, Andrew saw straight through her.

“You’re shivering Flo” he stated, rolling his eyes as he flicked his cigarette ash away from her, before popping it back between his lips and beginning to carefully shift out of his flannel shirt, “I’m the one who dragged you here, out to the cold.”

“I could have said no.”

“But you didn’t…” he mumbled, trying to keep his cigarette balanced as he slipped out of the sleeves.

She was stubborn and he loved that, but he didn’t like that she was cold now. In fact, Andrew had to restrain himself from moving closer to her and surrounding her with his heat, reminding himself they only met less than an hour ago and they were complete strangers with a mere slight drunkenness in common. But fuck, he wanted to touch her.

He’d been a fool to think that he’d manage to touch her again, just like he had and he wet his lips at the sight of her neck as she craned it to look at him - the cool, silky skin adorned by the night. His need was frankly insatiable now and he fought to bury the idea at the back of his mind along with everything else he was thinking of and could not do.

“Just take my shirt, please” he said firmly, holding it out, more of a demand than a suggestion. Flo sighed heavily but gave in, her fingers carefully placed around the fabric, so she wouldn’t meet his, she knew she couldn’t be able to handle it.

“Not sure if I can pull it off like you do” she laughed nervously, pulling it over her dress like an oversized blazer, relaxing into to the comfort and improvement to her warmth.

“Emm… you really look a million times better…” Andrew replied between desperate drags, his words scratchy and distracted as he subtly eyed the way it fit her in all the right places. He cursed himself for being so dumb yet again. She was delectable and it was slowly killing him.

“Thanks” she replied with a stifled laugh.

Andrew looked up at the sky, enjoying his cigarette in a comfortable silence, glancing every now and then to the charming girl beside him. He wouldn’t have admitted it, but he was cold, the crispness of Irish night outside gripped him more harshly than he expected.

But each time she grinned, her eyes lighting up in that dizzying way, Andrew seemed to forget about the cold. Flo on the other hand was thinking, too much, her mind beginning to spiral from the lack of conversation. She tried to bring herself back to the place she’d been content in, reminding herself that this wasn’t a good moment to fall apart but she was still raw, still very much aware of the pain. She blinked it away and busied herself in noticing the tone of his biceps through his slightly sheer gray T-shirt, when he broke the quiet at last, a smirk on his face.

“Flo?”

“Andy?” She replied with an equally wide grin at their casual nicknames.

“What are you, emm… thinking about?” He asked, breathing smoke away from her.

“Uh…” she bit her lip, unintentionally, trying to work out what she should offer as an answer, when her mind was truly blurry. But with his kind smile, his wide eyes and the way he smoothed his hair from his face, focused on her, she couldn’t help but spill all of the secrets she’d been trying to keep.

“I’m worried about what happens on Monday morning…” she admitted, the truth of the statement bringing back the resounding emotion she’d tried to shrug off too many times, “when I wake up trying to make a final decision.”

Andrew nodded, his face still as he crushed his cigarette, clearly debating over his words.

“I um- I umm - do you want to know what I’m thinking about it?”

Flo shuffled ever so slightly closer to him, the breeze pushing her towards him like a sign and she nodded back, words failing her more times than she managed to count this evening.

“Well, I think that you’re too worried about the future…” he ran his hand over his chin before continuing, “I think em… you’re always thinking about the next day, desperately trying to em… plan every little detail and you just should focus about those things that happen now, right in this em… moment” Flo shook her head, her lips pouty and confused even though it was entirely true and she knew it, “But then again, em… I’m just a drunk stranger in an hotel you met by pure coincidence and I don’t em… know a thing about you” she laughed then, a real laugh with her entire heart in it and he smiled, so pleased with his wit, “What I mean it’s that em… we have the whole weekend. Let’s enjoy it.”

She sighed, relieved by how kind his soul was, the lengths he was going to just to cheer her up, distract her, give her some temporary joy even though she was nothing but a sad girl at a bar to him.

“What do you suggest?”

“We can do anything you want now, just em… just say the word and we’ll do it” he bent down to her height, taking a moment to stop towering over her, because the truth was he was like a tall pine tree over her and he gripped her shoulders full of excitement. She noticed the touch first, glancing down then bringing her eyes up to meet his, convinced she’d do whatever he told her to, “Is there a thing em… you’ve never did because it was too stupid for you?” he waited, blinking, anticipating her reply.

“Karaoke” she giggled, instantly panicking about the mortifying events to come.

Andrew clapped his hands together, making her jump a little and announced: “Karaoke it is then.”

Monday, 12:05am

Flo felt like the entire room was watching them, Andrew’s hand gripping hers tightly, dragging her away back through the hotel before she could change her mind. She has lost herself in the feeling once again, his touch making her head reel.

“Wait, where are we going?”

“Karaoke!” He replied, the childish excitement building. Maybe it was the drink, maybe it was the lack of sleep, maybe it was Flo, but Andrew had a new found energy and he wasn’t going to waste it.

Passing waiters with their trays stacked high, trying to avoid a collision, he pulled her to the side of the stage, in the ballroom where the piano was located. The stage was empty now, a singular microphone not far from the piano and it made her panic with the sudden realization that she was going to have to go through with this stupid idea. She cursed him under her breath.

Andrew stepped up and tapped the mic, almost nervously, like he didn’t know what he was doing. He figured that he’d definitely had too much to drink, that his confident on-stage persona was too far out of reach now and that he’d have to wing it. He cleared his throat, the deepness enough to make the vacant faces turn in his direction.

“Lads and gents, may I have your attention please” Andrew announced to the empty room and she couldn’t help but giggle, “I’m Andrew, few of you might know me and it is my absolute pleasure to introduce Flo, who is going to give a one in a lifetime performance” he glanced momentarily behind him, searching for her eyes, relieved that she hadn’t run away. Even if she’d wanted to, she couldn’t. Her breath hitched in her throat, her limbs numb, her legs too fragile to move. Andrew noticed, always attentive and turned back to the mic, his hand curling around the stand with a sense of familiarity, “She’s a lil’ nervous so let’s give her a warm welcome” he quickly made his way back down the steps to join her at the side of the stage as he was the only one that clapped his hands.

“I told you I can’t sing, Andy” she muttered, her body pressed inches from his due to the lack of space, a last beg before it was too late.

“I heard you, honey.”

“It’s gonna be awful” she laughed, a deep blush creeping into her cheeks. He shook his head reassuringly, his flat palm warm on her shoulder blade as he tried to push her up the steps towards the stage.

“I won’t judge you” but when she didn’t move he simply mumbled: “I’m waiting.”

“Fine” she sighed at last, shaking her fingers through her hair and re-adjusting her dress as she handed his flannel back, “Florence. Shake It Out.”

Walking only with purpose, her heeled footsteps sharp and disconcerting, her shoulders sagged, she kept her head down, too afraid to look up at him from the stage. She shuffled forward in front of the mic and closed her eyes, waiting. Rather impressively, Andrew managed to navigate the song playing through the speaker system, pressed play, turned up her microphone a little and made his way quickly to a better position, one where he could see her but she wasn’t overly aware of him. He crossed his arms in front of him as the first notes filled the room.

Tucking the straw strands of hair behind her ears, the fiddling helping to keep her nerves at bay, she was thankful that she’d had enough to drink and that maybe she wouldn’t remember this moment come the morning, that the stare from him wouldn’t make much sense when she’d be sober. Flo swallowed and opened her mouth as the words began, praying that something would come out and that it would sound somewhat decent.

“Regrets collect like old friends

Here to relive your darkest moments

I can see no way, I can see no way

And all of the ghouls come out to play

And every demon wants his pound of flesh

But I like to keep some things to myself

I like to keep my issues drawn

It's always darkest before the dawn.”

To her surprise, her own voice mixed with Florence’s in a way that masked the worst of it, in a way that gave the impression she was at least an average singer. A little relieved, she lifted her head and zoned out, not focusing on anything or him in particular, letting the swell of the music give her the energy she so desperately needed to persevere.

“And I've been a fool and I've been blind

I can never leave the past behind

I can see no way, I can see no way

I'm always dragging that horse around

All of his questions, such a mournful sound

Tonight I'm gonna bury that horse in the ground

Cause I like to keep my issues drawn

But it's always darkest before the dawn.”

Flo was not used to being this out of control, it was simply alien to her. Her hands trembled slightly and she steadied them on the stand, mimicking the way Andrew had moments before.

“Shake it out, shake it out

Shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa.”

With every beat she relaxed into it and she moved her hips a little to fill the gap between the words. Andrew was smiling, grinning, he couldn’t help it.

“And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back

So shake him off, oh whoa.”

Now aware of his gaze, feeling it rippled through her entire body, Flo angled herself slightly towards Andrew, craving his reaction and he wiggled his eyebrows in response, his lips curling at the corners. Her own smile at last infectious and real, Andrew chuckled.

“And I am done with my graceless heart

So tonight I'm gonna cut it out and then restart

Cause I like to keep my issues drawn

It's always darkest before the dawn.”

Her pristine red lips pressed against the mic as she sang and even though she missed a lot of cues and the notes were often dodgy, her formerly repressed confidence shone through in a way that made up for it.

“Shake it out, shake it out

Shake it out, shake it out, ooh whoa.”

Though her heart was continually pounding, Flo finished the song much more powerfully than she started it. Meanwhile Andrew was losing his mind, practically undressing her with his gaze, mesmerized by the curve of her waist, her thighs poking from underneath the skirt of her dress, the way her hips hugged each line of the song.

“And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back

So shake him off, oh whoa.”

He prayed he was keeping it at least a little subtle, that it wasn’t showing too obviously in his expression that he was obsessed with her every move.

“And it's hard to dance with a devil on your back

(shake him off)

And given half the chance, would I take any of it back

(shake him off)

It's a fine romance but it's left me so undone

(shake him off)

It's always darkest before the dawn.”

His eyes were glued to her, as he was absolutely unable to look away, his lip stuck between his teeth as he just kept breathing her in.

“And I'm damned if I do and I'm damned if I don't

So here's to drinks in the dark at the end of my rope

And I'm ready to suffer and I'm ready to hope

It's a shot in the dark aimed right at my throat”

There was something captivating in her, something magic in a way he always desperately tried to find in every new person he met. Perhaps she was the one he always yearned for.

“‘Cause looking for heaven, found the devil in me (whoa)

Looking for heaven, found the devil in me (whoa)

Well, what the hell, I'm gonna let it happen to me.”

As she finished the performance he found himself applauding, probably quite a bit louder than he should have been. Flo exhaled with relief, the excitement bouncing around inside of her.

Monday, 12:15am

After a moment of stillness and a clumsy bow, she hurried to the back of the stage and headed straight towards Andrew, her hands running through her hair anxiously. Flo didn’t want to admit it for fear of what he might suggest next, but the adrenaline was a wonderful and rare feeling, still pumping through her as she stopped in front of him.

Glowing like she knew him all her life, Andrew’s eyes bore into hers once more and she couldn’t help herself, throwing her arms around him to bring him close to her in a hug. She was thanking him really, for something she couldn’t quite put into words. Their bodies pressed together with little resistance, his lips parting as he breathed her in, her sweet scent wrapping around him as her cheek pressed to his chest, her eyes tightly shut.

“That was fucking terrifying” she mumbled, her hands clasping behind his back to draw him closer.

“But you did it, Lo” his long arms wrapped around her in a hug that felt like the best one she ever had in her whole life.

“It was the worst karaoke held in here.”

“Nobody booed you. Also em… I think you hit like em… thirty percent of the notes.”

She rolled her eyes, then, aware of the closeness of his voice, his hands trailing loosely around her waist, she pulled away and he obliged, knowing he was losing control.

They watched each other for a while, the silence ringing in their ears. Andrew tilted his head, his jaw taught, his smile lines deep, wrinkling his long nose at her. Flo shuffled on the spot, looking at him through her long eyelashes and found herself glancing at his lips, agonizing over the fact that he was so close to her, but much too far away at the same time.

For a moment she thought about it, sure she was going to move in, kiss him, pulling him down to her, her fingers tightly knotting in the hair gathered at the nape of his neck, finally give in to that craving.

But she didn’t.

Instead, she licked her lips and took a wobbly step back, gathering herself, avoiding his round unblinking stare for as long as she could. Equally as frustrated, he cleared his throat and ran his hands back through his hair, trying to tame the frizz.

“Right, it’s your turn” Flo announced, her breaths short and shallow, stabbing him in the chest with one rather shaky finger to diffuse the tension.

“My turn for what?” He laughed childishly, clutching his chest, pretending that she hurt him. Flo stood on her tiptoes, dangerously close to him again, unable to resist him for too long.

“What’s something you’ve never done, Andrew?”

15 notes · View notes

fics-not-tragedies · 4 years

Text

In a Week: Chapter 9 🌲

It’s chapter 9 already, but it’s still much more to unwind when it comes to this story. Also I’m glad that I have like two readers, it’s still worth going on for them.

Words: 2702; Warnings: none, unless you want another warning for smoking and drinking alcohol, then you have it; Summary: Andrew encourages Flo to do something she’s never done before.

Hozier tag list:

@letoursilencebreaktonight; @angelpeachamber; @sgt-morgan; @julessbrown;

Monday, 1:55pm

He steered her through the lobby and through the bar to the paved garden area they stood in last night. Past the double doors, it was really hot now and she regretted not wearing something thinner now. It was even quieter than it had been the last time, the early afternoon calling people for late lunch instead. Flo and Andy headed into a secluded corner surrounded by evergreen bushes.

“Are you sure you want to? I don’t want to, em, force you into anything” he mumbled almost incoherently as they stopped moving.

“One…” she nodded, holding up one finger confidently, trying to show him she wanted this, “just one.”

He nodded back without further prompt, fumbling in his shirt pocket for the cigarettes he stashed there, pulling out the green Marlboro like a practiced move, his fingers wrapping around the packet as he flicked it open. He fished one out for her and held it for her to take and she did, her deep black nail polish catching his eye as she placed it between her own lips. He had to stop staring at those lips.

“Am I corrupting you, Miss Hayes?” He chuckled, bringing his lighter dramatically close to them, shielding the flame from the non-existing wind and watching it light. She looked at him long and hard for a moment, holding the cigarette in her mouth, examining his chiseled features and the crinkles around his eyes, how smooth and sheen his skin was. Andrew knew she was staring, figured that she got lost in her thoughts again, decided that she wasn’t going to reply, and then…

“I think you’ve already done that, Andrew.”

He placed a cigarette between his own lips as he watched her expression change, clearly focused on what she was supposed to do and she took that first drag, well aware of his eyes on her. It felt different that she expected, her face pulling into a twisted combination of shock and distaste as the smoke filled her lungs and she couldn’t help but cough and splutter as it worked its way back out.

“Tastes like wooden shit, doesn’t it?” He laughed, lighting his own with ease, trying to remember his first.

“I don’t know - why you do it” she replied, still sputtering a little midway through her sentence.

“Well mostly because I,em, know what to do with my hands when I smoke.”

“Oh, really?” She replied, taking another short drag, as he wiggled his eyebrows.

“I’m, em, quite lost without my guitar” he added.

“You don’t look lost right now.”

“Because I’m with you…”

Flo rolled her eyes at him mockingly. She focused on taking her next drag without coughing her lungs up.

Andrew inhaled deeply, letting the thickness fill his lungs, held it there for a second then let it disappear again as he parted his lips, grey lines drifting away from him and up towards the sky. She knew she shouldn’t have found it hot, that it was stupid to find the way he inhaled and exhaled the smoke so attractive, but somehow Andrew made everything look too good. His face was so still and calm, his jaw stretching as he looked up at the sky with those inquisitive eyes. He made her want him so effortlessly, his continual battle between maturity and childishness too much to process. She tried to copy him, a stifled giggle fighting to break free when the smoke did, but she felt useless, knew it was stupid trying to act like she didn’t hate it. She coughed again and he smiled reassuringly. Flo looked away, trying to focus on anything, but Andrew.

“Well, smoking isn’t fun” she decided firmly, flicking the ash away from them, a little disappointed that she just failed to make it look good.

Andrew thought differently. He couldn’t help but want her now, was transfixed on how stunning she looked with one of his cigarettes between her lips, how her eyes went wide at every drag and she pulled an adorable face every time to hide how disgusting she found it.

“It’s fun watching you struggle with it” he replied after a moment, a jokey tone to his voice.

“Hey!” She laughed, swatting his arm lightly.

Her cheeks were rosy from the heat and she kept rolling her jumper’s sleeves upwards. Andrew wished it was cold, so he could give her his flannel again - he wanted her. He wanted to hold her against his chest in absolute silence as he finished his cigarette, rake his fingers through her hair and feel her deep breathing on his skin, without any worry of the damage it would do. The whole time they already spend together felt like a nervous bomb waiting to detonate and every move they made was agonizing. Andrew knew Flo was scared of one of them taking it too far. He knew she needed the illusion of the perfect week between two perfect strangers. But it was killing him.

“Do you think you’ll ever quit?” She asked in a quiet moment, catching him a little off guard, trying to blow her smoke as effortlessly as he was. He paused for a moment, flicking the ash that had gathered and considered his answer for longer than seemed possible, scrunching his eyes then opening them wide in thought.

“I, em, I never smoke around my dog, nor in large groups of people… I would, em, stop if I’d ever had a kid, probably” he mumbled as he ran a hand through his hair nervously, though he seemed to instantly regret it, not used to sharing so much of his future plans. Flo nodded knowingly, tried to meet his eye, but she could tell he was avoiding hers for a reason. She was conflicted about asking more or giving up, not wanting him to close up on her again.

“So you want kids?” She pushed, finally. Andrew let the cigarette dangle between his lips for a while before lifting it between his thumb and a finger, like he had an idea.

“It sounds more like a tenth date question, don’t you think?”

“Wait - who said we were on a date?”

“Nobody” he smirked.

He enjoyed how instantly annoyed her face was, how she clicked her tongue in irritation and turned away from him, trying not to show how secretly entertained she was by his wit. It was too much for his ego and he grinned like an idiot, stepping closer to her when he started speaking again, softer.

“Yeah, I want kids” he admitted. Flo turned back to him, alarmed to find him so close and smiled, her makeup-less face all shiny and slightly freckled.

“I think you’d be a great Dad, you know?” She sighed, unafraid of admitting it, like she had already thought it through at least once, “Teaching them things. Telling them stories. Running around with tiny Andrew doubles…”

“Well then…” he began, with a half-suppressed laugh, “I guess that I should give up smoking soon, so I’d still have the chance to keep up with them.”

Flo was about to ask him something else, sensing her small window of opportunity already closing but he was there first, the question hitting her hard.

“Do you want to be a Mum?”

“Not right now…” she laughed quickly, her fingers dancing around a strand of her her hair as she tried to enjoy the drags of her first and probably last cigarette ever, “perhaps one day. Need to work out how to handle myself first.”

There was a moment of silence, thick, like she said something wrong and she tried to retrace her steps. But before she could ask Andrew was mumbling again.

“You just don’t give yourself enough credit.”

“What do you mean?” she replied, taken back by his abrupt forwardness.

“You’re a beautiful woman, capable of making equally beautiful things” he decided confidently. Flo watched his lips twitch as he formed the words.

“That’s really sweet,” she admitted after a lengthy pause, moving a little closer to him without thinking, her heart beating illogically faster at his burst of honesty. He wrinkled his nose as he turned his head away from her.

“I can be” he chuckled, scared to look too long into her emerald eyes in case he couldn’t hold back any longer, “also I think, em, you’re too harsh on yourself. You’re spectacular.”

The words hung there like a clumsily, visible admission of adoration and though Flo couldn’t quite find the words back to explain how much they meant to her, he knew he would get through to her somehow.

“Thank you, Andy” she whispered.

Monday, 2:10pm

Andrew took his last drag, enjoying the final hit of nicotine and then crushed it into the ashtray on the little patio table next to him. Flo followed suit, with her finger and thumb, reminding herself to book a manicure whenever she found the time. She coughed once more, her cheeks puffed out and sighed in frustration.

“So… first cigarette ever…” he mumbled as they hurried back inside to the bar, desperate to be in the room with AC, too hot to be out there longer than necessary.

“Indeed.”

“Thoughts?”

“Last cigarette ever…” she said, firmly, pulling the door behind her. Andrew laughed, heartily, leaning against the wall, “ and I didn’t look very cool” she huffed, crossing her arms and furrowing her brow.

“You always look cool. Effortlessly cool, Flo” he nudged her elbow with his and she rolled her eyes again in response. Andrew loved how predictable that was.

“If you weren’t happy with this one you can, em, have another turn, just, em, pick another thing.”

Flo scrunched her face up in thought, trying to think of something reckless she always wanted to do, but had never been brave enough to. There was something about this day which pushed her beyond rationale. Somehow Andrew was her safety net and she felt so much more free around him, knew he’d go to any length he could just to make her crazy ideas possible.

“I’ve got something…” she proclaimed half-heartedly, “but I don’t know if I can justify it.”

“Go on” he pushed excitedly, scratching his beard.

“Well, me being the classy mess I am, I always pick the cheapest option on any wine menu. Every time. Without question. I actually have this theory that cheap wine gets me drunk quicker than the expensive stuff does, but maybe that’s because I can afford the bottle as opposed to one glass. So I’ve never had anything other than the first, cheapest option on every wine list.”

“So…” he drawled, quite confused by how long she esd talking, trying to wrap his mind around how quick she spoke when she was describing something.

“So I want to try the most expensive champagne on the menu.”

Flo tried to read Andrew’s face, tried to make sense of the dizzying grin he was wearing and loved how excited he seemed by everything she said.

“I’m in, honey. And I’m paying for it.”

“You can’t pay for everything!” she groaned immediately, expecting this exact response from him, “What are you, a billionaire?”

Andrew cackled at her, adding quickly: “I think we spend the equal amount of money so far.”

She was quiet, thinking. Her independence bounced around inside her, the need to turn down his offer practically dangling from her lips. He saw it and reached out to touch her wrist reassuringly. She flinched at the unexpected closeness, unprepared when he pulled her closer to him to drawl, “Just let me treat you, honey, you deserve it.”

“One glass” she said with a huge sigh.

“One glass.”

“Just one.”

“Only one.”

Andrew let go of her wrist and sauntered over to the bar, his hips wiggling idiotically. Flo watched him clear his throat before leaning in to mumble something Flo couldn’t quite make out from where she was standing. The bartender seemed to check twice, shaking his head a little in disbelief then she saw Andrew remove the gold credit card from his wallet. He purposely turned back and winked at her, his eyes all glittery with excitement and then returned empty handed.

“They’re bringing it over” he declared.

“How much was it?” She asked the second he was close enough.

“Not telling you!”

“Andy!”

“Flo!” he replied, mockingly.

Monday, 2:25pm

They sat at what was now apparently their table, the one they ate breakfast at that morning, surrounded by the noise of guests devouring lunch and talking casually about things Flo didn’t want or need to listen to. Andrew always took her full attention.

Glancing around the room as Flo shuffled in her chair, Andrew took in a couple of faces that they had run into already, staff and guests. He was surprised they weren’t notorious for their hotel antics by now - especially when his face was embarrassingly well known wherever he went. It amazed him once again how little Flo knew about him and he had a sudden internal dilemma that was hard to swallow. Was he lying to her by not telling her who he was?

Like a perfect intervention, the waiter came over seconds later, visibly judging the pair for ordering a single glass of champagne, the most expensive champagne they had. He raised his thick eyebrows as he placed the glasses and hurried off without a word.

“Okay then, honey…” Andrew called cheerily, holding the glass filled with sparkly golden liquid in his hand, “Shall we have a toast?”

“To what?” She giggled, taking her own glass between her fingers delicately. She lifted her eyes to his, allowing herself to be lost in him for a moment. He licked his lips, kept his intense gaze to match hers before adding proudly: “To us. To Flo and Andy. To this week, even though it barely started.”

They clinked their glasses against each other, the sound ringing between them then each took a long sip, watching each other as they did. Flo swallowed, enjoying the refreshing buzz and concentrated on how the bubbly-liquid tasted. Andrew did the same, his Adam’s apple bobbing wildly in his throat as he tilted his head to think at great effort.

“It’s uh…” she began, pulling a confused face as she searched for words.

“It’s, em, well…”

“I mean…”

Andrew shrugged, took another large sip then said: “Tastes like any other champagne, doesn’t it?”

Flo nodded, trying not to laugh as she took another sip from the glass. It wasn’t bad at all and she was surprised by how thirsty she was, but it really wasn’t what she was expecting.

“It genuinely tastes like the cheap stuff…” she giggled, shaking her head in disbelief, eyes bright and wide.

“Disappointed?” he grumbled, licking his lips as he sipped again, hoping for something more exciting that the familiar fruitiness.

“Not disappointed” she stated firmly, “I’m actually kinda relieved that I’m not missing out too much when I go for the cheap and cheerful stuff.”

She laughed again in disbelief, her eyes crinkling and nose scrunching after they each finished their glasses in another sip. Andrew smiled at how much he loved that face, placing his glass and watching her tilt her head to look at him again. He didn’t really care about the money, the stupidity of how much he just paid for one glass of bubbly, he cared that he made her laugh like that again.

“It must be your turn again now, Andrew” she sang, dabbing her lips with her fingertips.

He rubbed his eyes. He knew somehow that she wouldn’t let him off that easily and tried to focus on the task at hand, planning a new adventure for the both of them. It was almost impossible when she was sat in front of him like that, naturally stunning, full of light, quick and smart and hilarious without even trying. He shuffled uncomfortably.

“Come on, Andy” she sighed in a low, soft voice, impatiently leaning forward a little, batting her long eyelashes in his direction. “What do you want to do? What do you want, right now?”

Andrew swallowed dryly and tried not to verbalize the only answer he had.

You, Flo. I want you.

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fics-not-tragedies · 4 years

Text

In a week: Chapter 12 🌲

Words: 1972; Warnings: none, unless you want a warning for drinking alcohol, then you have it; Summary: Andrew and Flo have a lovely dinner together.

Hozier tag list:

@letoursilencebreaktonight; @angelpeachamber; @sgt-morgan; @julessbrown;

Monday, 9:30pm

When she opened the door, it took a second for him to focus properly on her features, everything a little blurry with panic, but when he finally did, Andrew almost choked on the breath he was holding. His eyes softened instantly at her, weak beyond explanation, wanting nothing more than to back her against the wall and make her moan for him. She looked like Flo, his Flo, but there was something even more irresistible about her now. The fullness of her lips, the way the satin fabric draped over her body and hugged her, her straight straw hair falling down her back so stark against her pale skin, the way she held herself. He felt his lip trembling, her sharp green eyes begging for his to meet them and when he did, he sighed audibly, then clutched his heart in a dramatic fashion as if he was aching over how good she looked.

“Bloody hell, love…” he moaned, “made me heart stop. Might actually be dead right now.”

“Woodland creatures don’t die, Andy” she laughed instantly, relieved that he had spoken first, his dramatics making her cheeks flush despite the makeup. But it wasn’t just that. She wanted him so badly that it was embarrassing. His hair was slightly more tamed, those luscious curls making him look like a tall cupid, his beard looked more neat now, his lips teasing her with their ever wild smirk. His whole body was tense.

“I mean it” he drawled, “You look, oh fuck, Flo… I, em, I don’t have any words.”

“When you think of some, let me know…” she grinned, stepping close to him to close the door behind her. With her this close to him again, his fingers twitched with a need to grab and hold her hips, to show her just how incredible she really did look.

“I’ll do my best…” he croaked, scratching his neck with his index finger to keep his hands occupied. He licked his lip slowly, not even sure of how long he could keep doing this to himself, her closeness agonizing, the aroma of her perfume hitting him so hard he almost lost his balance.

Flo was drinking him in too, wanting to press her hands and dig her nails into his chest, losing herself in the idea of having him at last, but then the door clicked behind her and they both flinched, broken out of their daze.

“We should go eat…” she said slowly, a fact rather than suggestion.

“Yes, y-yes” he nodded, knowing she was right, taking a step or two back from her so that he could offer his arm, “Let’s go then” she laughed quietly, but took it without second guessing, his little pat on her hand making her stomach flip.

Monday, 9:40pm

For the entire duration of their journey from the second floor to the restaurant, Flo and Andy were quiet, observing each other whenever the other wasn’t looking. But as they entered the restaurant, they were flooded with various scents from the kitchen, which momentarily replaced the hunger they had for each other.

“I am so hungry” Flo groaned, breaking the silence, squeezing Andrew’s arm whenever a waiter carried something delicious-looking past them, the steam rising from the dish wafting in their direction.

“You’re always hungry, love” he chuckled, as they headed further in.

The lady who greeted them was a middle-aged woman with a beaming smile and her blonde hair in a perm. She had a voice that sounded genuinely cheerful, not at all forced, and she looked up as they stopped before her.

“Hello, lovely couple” she sang, “You’re both looking wonderful tonight, do you have a booking?”

“Oh, we’re not a-” Flo began.

“Yes, we’re, em, only friends” Andrew nodded, cutting her off to reassure her that he knew. Flo turned and looked at him for longer than she should’ve, a thankful smile plastered on her face. She knew he was just trying to remind her that he was aware of his place and the gravity of their situation, but there was also something ridiculous about him referring to them as ‘only friends’ out loud.

“Oh, do forgive me” the woman responded and they both turned sharply back to her. “You just look so wonderful together.”

“We’re under my name” he coughed immediately, trying to diffuse the tension, “Byrne.”

She marched them to their table, their arms still linked, Flo swaying against his side comfortably. Their table was a quiet one by the window, with a perfect view of the city by night and in the distance they could both just about make out the hill they’d been sat on earlier that day. Andrew had requested this table specifically, wanting to compare the gorgeousness of the night skyline next to her, knowing that no view would ever compare - not that Flo had to know that. There was a candle lit in the centre, a pristine table cloth underneath it and more cutlery on one table than Flo had ever seen in her life. Andrew insisted on pulling out Flo’s chair himself and she thanked him for it with her eyes, completely melted by how soft he was in that moment.

“Jack will be over shortly with the menus, but can I get you both something to drink first?”

“A Malibu, please…” Flo and Andrew stated at the same time, sharing a knowing smile.

“Very well.”

Neither of them noticed the woman leave. Andrew was busy watching her fuss with her dress. Flo observed his hands smoothing over the white table cloth.

“I like your dress” he announced after a breathless moment.

“Thank you. I like your…” Flo looked up and searched for a word to sum it all up, how incredibly attracted she was to him right now. Then he tilted his head in expectation and she almost lost all her control over the way his neck stretched, “Uhm - I like your… face.”

“Thanks” a little giggle left his mouth.

Monday, 9:45pm

The waiter, Jack, arrived promptly, bringing with him two menus and their drinks. He was a similar age to the pair of them and had an air of youth in his kind eyes, a bronzed skin tone and his hair was styled perfectly. He was broad, with arms fighting against the fabric of his shirt and when he handed Flo her menu, he did a double take, obviously noticing her in a more than professional manner. Flo barely saw the lustful way Jack was looking at her but Andrew did, already willing to fight him for her attention. He coughed, then began speaking with lines from a rehearsed script.

“Good evening, my name is Jack and I’ll be serving you tonight. I’ll give you a bit of time to look over the menus and will be back in a little while to take your order. Please, let me know if there’s anything I can get you.” They both thanked him and with a subtle glare of warning from Andrew, then a polite smile from Flo, he shuffled away again.

“What are you, em, thinking?” Andrew asked almost immediately, his eyes wide with lust over the top of the leather bound menu.

“Oh, I can never decide” Flo sighed, tucking her hair behind her ear as she gnawed at her bottom lip, “I’ve got eyes bigger than my stomach.”

“Oh me too” Andrew replied, taking a sip from his Malibu and enjoying the relief of alcohol to soothe his building frustration, “But, when it comes to sugar I really can’t resist.”

“You’re a dessert person?” She asked, flicking her brows up. There was something so enjoyable about earning from each other, gathering new facts to store away for future reference.

“Oh, yes!” He exclaimed, licking his lips in excitement, “You are what you eat.”

“Hm?”

“Because… I’m incredibly sweet?”

Flo knotted her eyebrows together as she laughed, tipping her head back slightly then found her drink to take a sip, delighted by the taste.

“You’re such a dork.”

“Well, em, you didn’t disagree with me tho.”

Monday, 9:50pm

Jack returned to take their orders and Andrew found it even harder not to react at the way he gawked at Flo when she spoke. He was clearly nervous even talking to her, failing to get his first question out properly.

“What can I give - uh get you to start?”

“Soup, please….” Flo replied cheerily, her head still in the menu, looking up and blinking at the man, waiting for his next question.

“Yeah, me too. Whatever the lady’s having.”

“And then I’ll have the pasta, please. That penne sounds lovely!” Flo closed her menu, patted it with her hand then took another sip from her drink.

“And for you, sir?”

“For me.. em, steak, please, Jack. Medium-rare” Andrew handed his menu back and then Jack, was gone again.

Andrew looked at Flo, glass in hand stamped with her lipstick stain, staring out at the city with wide eyes. The light shone back at her and illuminated her face, the glow of her cheekbones making her seem ethereal and delicate.

“I think the waiter likes you… quite much…” Andrew laughed nervously. Flo shrugged dismissively, too focused on trying to make out shapes in the sky to respond, “He was staring at you, Flo” he continued, the outrageous jealousy lining his stomach failing to settle “…staring at you.”

“Okay, Andrew” she sighed, turning back to him, her features soft and calm. She had an air of being unfazed by it and Andrew’s insecurity told him he made a fool of himself by overreacting. He swallowed, his mouth dry and tried to keep himself from slamming his hand on the table by taking a huge gulp of his glass. He couldn’t help but be fixated on the fact that he couldn’t do anything about other guys looking at her. The truth of it killed him, but she simply wasn’t his to fight over.

Monday, 10:05pm

By the time their first course arrived, both Flo and Andy were ready for more drinks. Flo requested a large glass of moet and Andrew settled for something stronger, their smoothest whiskey. The soup was a pale green-yellow colour, styled with cream and a handful of croutons, topped with a flower as decoration. There was a selection of rolls and butter too and the scent of fresh bread made Flo roll her eyes in pleasure.

“Flowery food, em, well flowers are too pretty to be eaten” Andrew grumbled, picking the flower off between his finger and thumb and wiping it on his side plate.

“What’s wrong with flowers?” Flo chuckled, amused by how childish his actions were.

“I like flowers, but not as food”

“What flavor is it?” She asked, realizing she hadn’t even checked, lifting her soup spoon to her mouth hopefully.

“I have no idea, you’ve chosen it and I just copied you.”

“It tastes like broccoli” she nodded, licking her lips. Andrew took his own mouthful and nodded back in agreement. Flo watched him lick his lips as he brought his roll to them, chewing it with passion, “Have you ever bought flowers?” She asked in the next quiet moment, returning to the previous conversation out of curiosity.

“For a girl?”

“No for your mates…” she joked.

“Yes, I have. I have even handpicked few myself” he mumbled, eating between words. There was another pause. Flo ate, Andrew ate.

“Would you buy me flowers, Andrew?” She asked, a feeble attempt at flirting but one he picked up on straight away. Flo noticed how sheer his shirt was under the light above them, fixated on his chest rising and falling rapidly. He finished the droplets of his Malibu, raked a hand through his hair then replied.

“Naw, I’d grow them for you in my garden.”

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fics-not-tragedies · 4 years

Text

In a Week: Chapter 11 🌲

Words: 1577; Warnings: none; Summary: Andrew tells Flo he’s taking her out for dinner.

Hozier tag list:

@letoursilencebreaktonight; @angelpeachamber; @sgt-morgan; @julessbrown;

Monday, 8:20pm

Back at the hotel, Andrew opened the doors for her, letting her enter the lobby before he did, like the proper gentleman he was. But his eyes dropped down to her hips, mesmerized by the way they swayed with every step she took.

“I’m taking you to dinner, tonight” he informed her as they entered the lift, in away that clearly surprised him, like he hadn’t planned it at all. He pressed the button for her floor.

“Are you?” She giggled, eyebrows raised.

“Yep.”

“I’ll have to see what I’m doing” she replied sarcastically, flicking her hair over her shoulder, pretending to avoid his eye contact, “Might have plans.”

“Oh, really?”

“Yeah…” she said, raising her chin in mock confidence, “was gonna hang around the bar for a bit and see if a handsome stranger approaches me offering a Malibu” he shook his head at the way she liked to tease him then tried again, pride long gone.

“Come to dinner with me and, em, I’ll buy you all of the Malibus you can drink…” he drawled. She pouted and tapped her lips with her index finger like she was weighing up her options.

“Throw in a bottle of cheap champagne and I’m yours for the night.”

“Can do” he concluded, grinning like a fool.

Monday, 8:25pm

They stepped out of the lift walking silently all the way to her door, Flo retrieving her key from her jeans pocket to unlock it.

“I’ll see you at half nine then…” he said firmly as she fiddled with the lock, “will pick you up from your door like a proper gentleman.”

“Okay” she laughed, nervously, “I’ll see you soon” Andrew nodded, taking a good look at her rosy cheeks and messy hair, amazed how she always looked so put together, before turning sharply on his heel, “What am I wearing?” She called before he could get too far, already panicking about her wardrobe situation.

“I really don’t think that, em, I’d help you with that” he chuckled suggestively, “Besides, you’re gonna kill me with whatever you wear, honey.”

Monday, 9:15pm

With only fifteen minutes left until Andrew was due to rap his knuckles on her hotel room door, Flo was now beginning to panic. She had told herself that twenty minutes lying on her bed would do no harm, but she had inevitably slept and overslept, drained from the buzz of being with him.

She was halfway done with drying her hair, the white towel thrown frantically across the bathroom, but the typically crappy hotel room hairdryer was proving more of a challenge than she was prepared for. She wiggled her hips in the mirror to tip her hair back and forth, still wearing only her underwear, unsure if she even had anything to wear over it. “…you’re gonna kill me with whatever you wear, honey…” - that’d be an understatement.

Clipping her slightly damp hair on top of her head, she threw on some makeup, something glowy, but with a touch of glam, rouging her lips. Though her skin wasn’t heavily made up, it was more makeup than she worn around him before and it made her worry that he’d think it was too dramatic - too much for a date. She seriously considered scrubbing it all off and starting again, then she reminded herself that she shouldn’t allow it to be a date, shouldn’t have called it a date - it wasn’t a date. But… was it?

After a second breakdown about her lack of clothing choice, she settled on a deep black colored shirt dress in a satin material, something that was shorter than she’d usually be comfortable with, showing off her legs. She wasn’t wear it anytime soon, she even had no idea what she packed it at the first place, so it seemed like a perfect opportunity to put it on now. The neckline plunged in a way to expose her cleavage and Flo buttoned it up a little so that she wasn’t showing too much skin and rolled the sleeves. She found her heels at the foot of her bed and sat to slip them on. Aware of the time, she threw on her gold necklaces, put in some gold earrings and shoved on a couple of rings.

As the minutes rolled by, her fingers were shaking with more vivacity. She couldn’t put into words what she was feeling, how she was feeling, how he made her feel. Part of her was excited just to be surrounded by his energy again, his bottomless excitement and curiosity about everything bringing out smiles that were so intense her jaw ached. But she was also terrified of being vulnerable, of losing the control she practiced every second he was near to her, scared she’d do something wrong and undermine the connection she couldn’t deny. She stood at the dressing table, dousing herself in more perfume than she’d ever used in her life, pondering how he’d look and just how she was going to keep herself from touching him.

Monday, 9:25pm

Andrew’s approach was much less frantic, though the anxious feeling instilled in him was very much the same. He had three cigarettes to calm his initial nerves, smoking and reading on his balcony until he had to shower, then stood under the spray of the water for almost twenty minutes, just reminding himself of all the ways he was bound to fuck this up.

After washing his hair and scrubbing his body with an overly abrasive sponge, he patted his body down in the mirror and observed himself long enough to make himself uncomfortable. He was frustrated by the natural moodiness of his face when he stared back at himself, worried he didn’t smile enough, that she’d think he was grumpy. He twitched the corners of his lips, trimmed his beard a little, so he doesn’t looked like a bear and dried his hair. Wrapping his towel around his waist and heading back to the wardrobe, he picked out some clean underwear and some suit trousers which sat well on his waist. Pulling them on, he laced them with a thin belt and buttoned a tight white shirt over his chest and tucked it in. Andrew left the top two buttons undone, rolled his sleeves and found some dress shoes in the bottom of his suitcase.

It was now that he pouted at himself nervously in the mirror, pushing his trembling hands through his hair. This was special, important and he had to look good, had to feel good about himself if he was going to actually win her over. He hadn’t even had time to process how she’d look, what she’d be wearing, how much skin she’d be showing and how he was going to handle wanting her so bad, but as soon as the thought occurred to him he couldn’t ignore it. He was just about to pick a sample from the minibar, one with the strongest alcohol percentage, then checked the time and had to scrape together his phone, key and self-assurance to get out of the door on time. He wasn’t going to be late.

Andrew locked his door and sunk into the old elevator with his head down, sailing smoothly three floors down to hers. He cleared his throat as he stepped out. As he approached the spot he said goodbye to her twice already, he tried to focus his attention, tried not to blink too often or too little, tried to smile. And then, he raised his fist and held his breath.

Monday, 9:29pm

Just then, Flo heard a slight shuffle and a quick but solid knock against the wood, three times. The sound was followed by a silence which made her want to pass out and she froze, momentarily forgetting what she was supposed to be doing. Barely able to walk straight, think straight, she headed towards the sound, checking her reflection in the bathroom mirror as she passed. With only approximately three seconds to judge her appearance, she shook her light hair dramatically from the clip she forgotten about, tossing it aside and undid two buttons at her chest. Hand already on the handle, she practiced her most confident smile, assured that as soon as she saw him, she’d lose her mind and along with it any of the confidence she was faking. He was too much for her and she was certain that at this point he already knew this, noticed the way her eyes lit up every time he opened his mouth to say something, his Irish accent making every word sound more poetic and Flo just wanted to fall asleep to him reading her some of his favorite poetry, because she just knew he loved poetry.

On the other side of the doors Andrew exhaled shakily, thinking that no matter what she put on her outfit would do more damage to him than imagined it will. There was something magic about her, something so deeply captivating that he found himself breathless when he was around her way too often. What was scaring him was the black hole in her that was filled with unsaid words and unspoken emotions. He wanted to encrypt her like she was his own Enigma, he wanted to know even the darkest secrets she held deep in her heart. But mostly - he wanted to know what was the final decision that drew her here, to that hotel.

8 notes · View notes

fics-not-tragedies · 4 years

Text

In a Week: Chapter 7 🌲

I feel like a poser writing about walks in the woods when I wasn’t even in a stupid park since like summer. Somehow I forgot how it’s like to be in a place inhabited by the wild. Also I forgot how weeks work, Thursday was yesterday, oops.

Words: 2619; Warnings: none, but really, none; Summary: Andrew and Flo wander back into the woods to retrieve the missing pieces of clothing they’ve left by the creek last night.

Hozier tag list:

@letoursilencebreaktonight; @angelpeachamber; @sgt-morgan; @julessbrown;

Monday, 10:15am

“Are you sure you’re done with the coffee?” Flo teased as they stood from the breakfast table, nodding to his three empty cups as she tucked her chair in slightly. She was feeling full, content, more at ease than she prepared herself for today and when she looked at Andrew, his sleepy smile and scrunched up face, she reminded herself just how much fun she was having.

Fun.

She rolled the word around in her head for a while - it was like she already forgotten how it worked.

“I needed it, em, quite desperately this morning” he grumbled back, half smiling, still achy, pushing his glasses back on to cover his eyes as he stood, “…don’t be too judgy…”

“I’m not judging you” she laughed, her hair fanning over her shoulders as they shook, “Besides, I think I ate more than you ever did in that one breakfast sitting.”

“Quite impressive” he replied, like he really meant it.

Andrew thought about pressing his hand against the small of her back to guide her out of the restaurant, anything to touch her again, but she was already ahead of him, her strides nearly twice the speed of his. Then, sensing his sluggishness, she turned her head to look over her shoulder, indicating for him to hurry up with a wiggle of her finger. He huffed. At her side again, he raised his eyebrows from under his glasses, as they thanked waiters and shuffled out of the restaurant, passing the bar and back out into the lobby.

Andrew had been relatively calm until this point. It was only when she turned to him with an expectant look on her face that he realized he didn’t actually have a plan. He’d spent an hour or two last night before he could fall asleep, alcohol keeping him awake, trying to put together the perfect week for Flo - the complete stranger who he had somehow come to know more deeply than logically possible. This week was about her, everything was suddenly about her and his original intention of resting and taking some time alone had been thrown out the window.

But now she was waiting for his green light, the curious tone of her expression making him nervous. She demanded so much from him, without actually asking for anything. He had ideas, parts of the days sculpted out roughly in his head, but they weren’t perfect yet. Andrew decided to buy himself some time, give her the option to pick something first, whatever she wanted.

“So, em, what’s on the agenda today, love? What do you want to do?”

“Do I have to plan everything today?” Flo replied, pulling her jumper sleeves to her palms and crossing her arms with indecisiveness, “You promised me a wonderful week, remember?”

“I’ve got few things planned for, em, later but you gotta pick first. Your move.”

Flo thought hard for a moment and Andrew laughed when he saw the idea strike her, her expression too obviously plastered on her face. He loved how easy she was to read, how he could tell that she cared when she said she didn’t, how he knew when she was hungry or thirsty or when she was feeling insecure.

“Okay, fine” without further explanation, she grabbed his arm to drag him down one of the corridors feathering off from the lobby, down to the back patio, her march determined now that she just settled on an idea.

“Wait, em, where we going?” Andrew chuckled, his free hand quickly scooping back the hair that had come loose in the movement.

“The woods” she announced, the suggestion from earlier at breakfast too good to resist. So what if she had to resist Andrew again? She could do it. Right? Right?

“Oh-” Andrew drawled, “then I think we’ll need something to, em, distract those wild animals, I don’t think they’d, em, be scared of your underwear.”

Monday, 10:25am

She bit her lip when he again kept moving in silence, a few steps ahead of her as always when he took the lead, navigating through the woods like he spend here his entire life in here. Flo shook her head as he turned another left and ran a hand through his hair which was falling into his face. The woods looked much different in day time.

They were passing by the branches she saw last night and they look quite familiar or it was just a false impression, because to her all of the trees really looked the same. Andrew pushed apart the thick bushes, just like he did last night and she silently followed him, watching him push them further apart and she moved onto the patch of green grass covered in small flowers walking carefully, passing under his long arms quickly and stopping at the tiny meadow by the creek.

All of the clothes they’ve left there were still laying under the small bush close to the creek. They were still damp, from the rain that were pouring in the night, but they were still in the exact spot they were laid and there wasn’t any sign of animals tracks near them.

“Looks like you were right” Flo said, picking up her underwear and pushing it deep into the back pocket of her jeans, “boars doesn’t fancy lace lingerie.”

Andrew couldn’t help, but laughed a little, wrinkles appearing at the top of his nose.

Monday, 10:35am

He picked up his flannel shirt and tied it around his waist, tucking the sleeves into his pockets, so they wouldn’t disturb his movements. Fixing the sunglasses back onto his face he sat down onto the grass right by the shrub and inhaled the fresh air deeply.

“Don’t you ever think about smoking in here” Flo scolded him before he even had the chance to think about the pack of cigarettes that longed in his pocket.

“I’m not…” he mumbled, turning his head to look at her. She was kneeling by the tranquil water, her hand dipped into it, stirring the surface. The water was cold, but it was the pleasant kind of cold, the one you yearn for in the hot summer.

Flo tilted her head just to have a better look at Andrew, the smug smile on his lips never disappeared whenever she was close to her. There was something in that woman that captivated him fully. He felt like she owned his soul, even though he knew her only for one day now.

“You really seem like the man of the woods” she giggled a little, playing with the water again, feeling how it cools her fingers.

“I just simply like being here” he ran his hand through the grass, feeling the damp soil under his palm that didn’t had the chance to become dry in the harsh summer sun, “I like, em, the sounds of the forest, the birds sing so beautifully…”

“Probably not as beautifully as you do” she was smiling widely at him, brushing the strands of her fair hair from her face, while her other hand was still playing with the creek’s water.

“The birds are much more beautiful in every field.”

“No, you’re just too humble, Andrew…”

Monday, 10:40am

A wild creature roared from the opposite side of the creek, striding towards them. It was a boar, a huge one, streaks of dark fur well visible on its both sides. It roared at them again and they both quickly stood up, Andrew arm extended towards her and she gently grabbed his large hand, her fingers entwined with his somehow like Flo always did it, the gesture automatic.

He pulled her closer as they started to back off slowly, trying not to annoy the boar even more.

“Just… be calm” Andrew mumbled, squeezing her hand a little tighter.

“It’s just a boar, it can’t eat us!” She raised her voice a little and the boar roared at them even louder, moving towards them.

“You ever climbed a tree?” He pulled her closer, his long arm languidly wrapping around her shoulders, like somehow he tried to shield her with his own body from the dangerous creature.

“No, never…”

“Then it’ll be your first time” Andrew quickly turned around, pushing Flo to the front with his arm and started to running through the forest with her pressed firmly to his side, “come one, love, let’s climb that one!” his long finger pointed to one tree that was few meters away from them and they ran to it as fast as they can.

Monday, 10:45am

“I think we’ll have to, em, spend few moments up in here” Andrew said, looking down at the boar family that was looking for a full course meal in the ground right below the tree they were both sat on.

“At least we have our clothes back” Flo held onto the thick branch she was seated on, trying not to fall onto the ground right between the boars.

“I can tell you’ve never climbed a tree before” he chuckled a little, seeing how she clutched with her whole body to the mossy trunk of the tall tree they both climbed for safety.

“And I’ve never run through a forest desperately trying to escape a really annoyed boar” she added, looking up at him. He was few branches above her, sitting on a particularly wide one with such ease, looking like he was comfortably hurdled up in a leather arm chair rather than on a really big piece of a still living wood. His curls looked absolutely stunning in the morning sun, the different shades of auburn and maroon visible only now, in the once-a-lifetime experience and she was living through it now. Those black-hued sunglasses were back on his nose, but it felt like somehow he was reading her mind, because when she thought how badly she wanted to see his muddy eyes he just simply took them off and stuffed them into the pocket of his flannel shirt.

“Come here” he stretched his long arm for her to hold onto and she carefully stood up, her body trembling and he held his hand like it was a lifebuoy. After she threw her underwear into the back pocket of her jeans, she took few small steps and looked up at him again, letting out a shaky breath, before she decided to move upwards, “Don’t worry, I got you, honey.”

His both arms were wrapped around her waist now, carefully helping her onto the branch he was sitting on. When she finally hopped onto the wood next to him she felt exhausted, sweat dripping down her back, her breath caught in her throat. Flo rested her forehead against his arm for a moment, but only for a brief one, every touch they exchanged was sending shivers all over her body and she was frightened she’d fall to the ground.

“You should teach people how to climb, really” she breathed, breaking the silence that fell between them like the thick morning fog.

“It comes naturally to me” he flashed her a wide smile and she was glad she still held his hand, because that damned smile would be the reason of her quite literal downfall.

“You sit here like the king of this forest… perhaps you really are a fae” she raised her eyebrow at him, receiving a small giggle as a response, his nose wrinkling as he tried not to laugh out loud.

“Those boars don’t look like they want to listen to me” he stretched out his long neck to look under the tree, only to see them digging in the ground closer to the trunk of the tree they were sitting on.

“If you’d use your charm on them I’m sure they’ll listen” Flo changed her position, trying to balance herself on the branch, clutching his arm tightly. The sleeves of his flannel were rolled up and she could feel his hot skin under her fingertips, dying inside just to caress it, just to touch him in more proper manner, feel more of his skin, “... maybe if you’d sing them a song they’ll go away, but since you’re like a Snow White it could summon more of them” she laughed a little, fixing her straw hair behind her ears and Andrew couldn’t help and joined her, the sound of their giggles filling the forest.

“If you’d like, I could, em, sing you something… if you want to, of course. I don’t have my guitar here with me, but, em, I can go acapella, just for you” he looked at her, tilting his head to the side, seeing how she tried to nest her on the branch, before she finally pressed her back against the trunk, legs hanging from both sides of the branch they were sat on.

“No man ever sang to me while sitting on the tree, so I think I’ll take that opportunity” she winked at him and it seemed like his face turned an even darker shade of pink, “Do you have any songs about woods, Andrew?” Flo asked and her question somehow felt like a challenge to him.

“I have a few of songs about woods, which one do you want?”

“Surprise me, Andy”

“Flo…” he breathed out, before clearing his throat and awkwardly pulling one leg up and onto the branch, then leaning closer to her.

She could feel the tension that grew between them with every minute they spend together. And she couldn’t deny the fact that there was something wondrous about the man that shared the branch with her. Somehow his eyes seemed like the perfect shade of green that reminded her of that kind of muddy bog water she’d like to drown herself, yet she never planned to become his version of Ophelia.

“My head was warm

My skin was soaked

I called your name 'til the fever broke

When I awoke

The moon still hung

The night so black

That the darkness hums”

His words, like the most precious poetry, leaving his mouth, the dulcet tone of his voice filling the air hypnotizing her somehow. It seemed like every time he sang Flo was catapulted to another realm, with him as the guide that showed her the wonders of other world.

“I raised myself

My legs were weak

I prayed my mind be good to me

An awful noise filled the air

I heard a scream

In the woods somewhere”

There was only his voice and the occasional chirping from birds that had nests above their heads. Andrew’s eyes were half closed, she noticed how his lower lip trembled slightly with the last word of every verse.

“A woman's voice

I quickly ran

Into the trees

With empty hands”

A fox it was

He shook afraid

I spoke no words, no sound he made”

The way he sang was much more than captivating. She could stay on that branch with him forever, listening to the peculiar, yet overly pleasant way, every letter rolled of his tongue and entwined with the sound of silence.

“What if I kissed you now, Andrew?” She mumbled under her breath, the thought slipping out of her mind and coming up onto the surface, her face in a quite appealing shade of crimson.

“What?” his eyes grew wider, the muddy greens staring right into hers.

“I think they’re gone…”

“Who?” He asked her, pulled back to Earth from his singing haze.

“The boars, Andrew” Flo said, before slowly moving down the tree.

“Oh-” he hoped she’d repeat herself, say that again, but louder, for him to hear properly, for him to answer that question, “yes, they’re gone now.”

Miss Florence, I’d feel honored to kiss you back.

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fics-not-tragedies · 4 years

Text

In a Week: Chapter 17 🌲

More hurtful moments right around the corner, but I mixed it with some ridiculous humor, so you don’t die of heartbreak.

Words: 2575; Warnings: none; Summary: They try to part their ways for the rest of the day, but both fail at is miserably.

Hozier tag list:

@letoursilencebreaktonight; @angelpeachamber; @sgt-morgan; @julessbrown;

Tuesday, 12:05pm

Andrew had kept his promise to himself that he’d enjoy the four seconds of holding her, held his breath for each one, forgot who he was among the bliss of her perfume and then he had to let her go.

Though he instantly longed to touch her again, it was not a new need, rather one he learned to cope with even though it seemed overwhelming at times. As he pulled out of her touch, the air felt softer and lighter somehow.

“I’m just a little bit worried, em… that’s all…” he grumbled, “I don’t want to mess up again.”

“You didn’t mess anything up” she added, turning back to him, walking backwards down the garishly lit corridor as she spoke. He had a hint of worry in his otherwise perfect features, the way he was carrying himself, his deflated chest, creased eyebrows, and she had to soothe that, “You’ve done nothing wrong and we’re okay.”

Andrew lifted his head a little higher than he had before, nodding at her to show he understood and above all was grateful for this second chance. He hadn’t sketched out a fully formed plan in his head yet about what he was going to do with it, but he was thankful nonetheless. Flo still didn’t quite understand why he was blaming himself at all, wanted to carry the burden equally, knew that the drunken boiling over of tension last night was as much her fault as it was his, but he was too stubborn to hear that.

And even though they were feeling more content than before, they were both still repressing the panic of saying goodbye to each other before the week was up. As she looked at him, Flo considered changing her plans, delaying the inevitable, but had always been the kind of woman to rip the band-aid off and deal with the sudden shock, instead of dramatically prolonging any suffering. And she knew, no matter what would happen between them before she left Andrew to simply end everything, that something about him would always stay with her anyway. She would always have a piece of him right next to her like if they’d be buried together in one grave.

She never met anyone like him, nobody as smart and conscientious, endlessly fascinating and she liked to think some of his better qualities had imprinted on her too. The resounding fact that shocked her was that Andrew had never forced her into anything, instead peeled back the surface layer of who she was just with his charisma and charm and then gave her a firm nudge in the right direction towards the Flo she had locked away for so long.

Even though he was already forming a small for the rest of the upcoming week, it was clear that they needed to take a break from each other, even though it was only until the next morning. So quite naturally, they both decided to part their ways for the rest of the day, but since the world’s so small and the hotel was even smaller, they met again in a hot tub in the small pool area of the hotel.

Tuesday, 5pm

There were plenty of moments in his life that Andrew could recall having made him feel truly flustered because beneath the surface, it really didn’t take much to fluster him. Talking to his musical heroes at fancy parties. Interviews that were awkward and poorly executed. Watching his friends perform their new music. Difficult first dates.

But now here he was, watching Flo Hayes, climb into a hot tub, rosy cheeked and trying her very best not to flash more of her skin than was already on show and Andrew Hozier Byrne was very, very flustered.

Her body disappeared under the water for the most part, her breasts sinking just below the surface, but he could still see the top of them, her obvious cleavage, her collarbone which he ached to press his lips against. Her skin was shiny and fresh looking, the makeup that remained barely visible and he studied her face for a while, trying to learn it so that when it wasn’t there to devote his time to anymore, he’d at least find her in his daydreams.

He envied how radiant she looked no matter the time of day. There was no doubt she took care of herself, probably drank enough water, got enough sleep and he smiled at the thought of her tucked up in bed, wondered if she slept on her side or her back, whether she tied her hair up or if it sprawled across the pillow, amused himself with the imaginary sound of her snores. She tilted her head to him silently.

Suddenly worried she’d notice how blankly he was staring at her, Andrew climbed around and into the hot tub opposite Flo. His moves were precise as he sunk into the seat, trying to avoid her touch, trying to find a place to fit everything without accidentally brushing her beneath the surface. His hair were slicked back and tied into a small bun, only a few strands out of place and his chest was rising and falling uncontrollably with nervousness just from staring at her for so long. Flo rolled her eyes at his beard, his glowy eyes, how he never failed to look gorgeous even with that concentration face he was pulling.

Neither of them having spoken, Flo tried to relax, adjusted her back so it was more comfortable against the wall, spread her arms out a little further. There was plenty of room, but he was still close to her and every time he looked up at her across the bubbling surface, she was worried she’d lose her focus again. She tucked her wet hair behind her ears.

Andrew loved the way it shone under the lights of the small room, how perfectly straight it fell. He decided that she looked like some sort of ethereal goddess or like a siren who would’ve drawn him in if he was a lonely sailor at sea or like the kind of woman who renaissance painters would have dreamed of bringing to life on canvas. He blinked at her a couple of times as she met his eye line almost immediately. Her eyes were always curious, always thinking about the next thing.

“What?”

“I just can’t believe we run onto each other in a jacuzzi” Flo laughed at last, shaking her head. Andrew spread his legs out underwater and rested his arms on the back of the tub, trying to get comfortable himself. He seemed to toy with a response, she could see it bouncing around in his head, the corners of his lip curling as if they were anticipating his words.

“How does it feel?”

“How does what feel?” She sighed, knowing he’d prepared a question she didn’t understand just to evoke that very response, to keep his game of teasing her up. He wanted her to ask.

“Being in jacuzzi with a true music star” he smirked, eyebrows cocked in that way that made Flo want to simultaneously thump him around the head and climb into his lap and kiss him till he moaned against her.

“Oh, shut up.”

Tuesday, 5:15pm

He chuckled for what seemed like a long minute, impressed by the sulk she was pulling as she crossed her arms in front of her and shook her head, mouth cocked slightly open. It was then that Flo decided to test him, see how much information she could work out of him this time. He had nowhere to hide from her now, the room silent except for the sounds coming from the water and he seemed pretty sure of himself.

“Talk to me about it” she uttered after a soft moment of contemplation.

“About what?”

“About ‘being a true music star’…” she replied.

She noticed a small flinch, worried he was retreating into himself already, shoulders tight with tension, nose screwing up with doubt. He licked his lips then answered her.

“What do you want to know, love?”

“What’s it like?” She asked, keeping her response as vague as she could.

“It’s more like a love-hate relationship…” he responded, a little sooner than she’d been expecting, “I feel so lucky that, em, I can compose and perform my music to people who love it, but, em, on the other hand… I’m tired of being recognizable every place I go to.”

“It’s fascinating to me.”

“It’s really crazy. I had no idea that, em, things would get this big.”

He meant his career, had meant performing, but when he looked at her then, he also meant it about her. He truly had had no idea things would get this big with her when he saw it at the hotel bar.

“You get to do what you love and what you’re good at at the same time, that’s the dream, right?”

“Yes… but, sometimes I wonder, em, who I’d be if I wasn’t doing what I do now” he mumbled.

“You think it changed you somehow?” She asked, not having expected that response at all, but still feeling so humbled by the fact he was sharing anything at all.

“Yes, but just a little bit. Sometimes it feels like, em, the world knows more about me than I do” he scratched his head with one of his long fingers, like he was recalling something he’d read about himself that he hadn’t liked then shrugged, bringing his eyes back up, “Shit, sorry. Got a bit existential there…”

“It’s alright” Flo assured him, wishing she was closer to him so that she could use it as an excuse to touch him.

“It just scares me that, em, people can say anything they like about me.”

“Don’t you have a voice? Like an online presence?”

“I do… half owned by me, half by my team. Em, I bet people notice the difference between what I post and what my social media team does” he giggles a little, moving in the tub like he wanted to sink deeper, but he’s too tall to do so.

“As a musician, a person who writes his own songs from start to finish you have the chance to show your voice in your songs.”

“You’re right, em, I try to do it as often as possible…” he mumbled, lost in thought for a second. “Did you go to an university or a college?”

“Yes, did you?”

“Well, I started a college…”

“But you didn’t finished it?“

“But I didn’t” he confirmed, “music got me too busy and I fell into it completely” he lifted his hand from the water to scratch his neck as he spoke. “My Mum was worried at first, but she’s an artist too, em, she paints bloody gorgeous, so she understood that I’m doing what my heart wants.”

“Does she still worry?” Flo pushed.

“My Mum? No, no. Of course she’s stressed every time I’m coming home after a tour and, em, really takes care of me forgetting I’m near my thirties…”

Flo laughed again and tried to picture Andrew in any way domesticated. It was just as jarring for her to picture as being outside of the hotel together had been. She just couldn’t see him doing nothing for days on end.

“I’m kinda proud of myself, not every person has that relationship with their parents…” he swallowed sharply at the realization of how much he’d opened up to her. “What about yours?”

“My parents? They’re dead now…” she sighed.

“Oh, no… I’m- I- so sorry, Flo, I didn’t mean to…”

He nodded in her direction, fighting the urge to simply hold her in his warm embrace.

“You’re such a role model then…” she said, then quickly changing the subject, “I just can’t believe I didn’t make the connection…” she laughed, “…about who you are. I mean, I know the name now and it makes sense, but I have friends who’d be furious with me for not working it out sooner.”

“You gonna look me up later?” He chuckled, “On YouTube?”

“Who’s to say I haven’t already?” She teased, though it had been the last thought on her mind since she found out who he was. It was her golden rule with new people anyway, to work them out without using her phone, make an effort to connect in real life rather than finding out their dog’s name through their Instagram profile. And that golden rule was even more important now, with Andrew.

“No. I know you weren’t stalking me online, because, em, people who did that act differently…”

“Oh, but, I’ve already got you worked out, Andrew” she giggled, tapping her temple as if she had all the answers. He cocked his eyebrow immediately and ran his hand through the front of his hair to keep it in place.

She had such a devilish twinkle in her eye, like she’d been saving this moment for a while and he watched her shift her position slightly, leaning further towards him. His face was slightly pink from the steam that rose from the water surface and her hair was drying now with the slightest hint of frizziness. He was just about to ask her to prove her point when she was speaking again.

“You’re a perfectionist. Went to prom with a pretty girl, but you hated her dress-”

“Wait…” he asked, taken a little off guard by her sudden outburst, “Are you profiling me?”

“Well I always wanted to be a profiler…”

Intrigued, Andrew settled back into position then gave her a firm nod, lifting his hand as if to challenge her. She cleared her throat and continued.

“You send your Mum flowers whenever you feel guilty about not being home. You’re a heavy sleeper. Eat more sugar than you should. Have tried quitting smoking, but as I could see with my own eyes you failed miserably. You’re paranoid about trusting people, because you were let down by too many. You’ve broken a few hearts. Have more records at home than you have storage for. You’ve cried watching at least one Disney film - my money is on… Bambi.” Andrew laughed at that pause, “Good at bullshitting your way through anything. You have a pet - I bet it’s a dog. Worry about any mistake you make for at least two months…” Flo smiled softly before adding her last guess, one she knew was a fact: “And you’re not only big yourself, but you’ve got a big heart too, Andrew, you really care about people.”

There was a beat and Andrew folded his arms as she finished, blinking at her for a while. He tried to recall the ones she got wrong, but had been more focused on her smart mind, mesmerized by the way her thoughts were so clearly plastered across her face as she processed them. He was so impressed by the way she observed him and wanted to congratulate her.

“I know…” she said confidently, snapping him from his daze, “I’m pretty good at this.”

“Don’t you want to know which ones you got right?” He asked, the smirk on his face so full of excitement.

“You don’t know if they all fit until you catch the killer, Andy” she replied cockily, “It’s a profile, not fully fitting description of traits you have.”

“So I am the killer now?”

Yes, Andrew, you killed my heart with that kiss.

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fics-not-tragedies · 4 years

Text

In a Week: Chapter 10 🌲

Yes, I have a thing for walks in the woods and no, I cannot be stopped with them. So you can bet it’s another chapter they spend in the forest.

Words: 2472; Warnings: none, unless you want another warning for smoking then you have it; Summary: Andrew and Flo go for another walk in the woods.

Hozier tag list:

@letoursilencebreaktonight; @angelpeachamber; @sgt-morgan; @julessbrown;

Monday, 3pm

Her hand was wrapped in his, like they were walking that way all the time, the gesture was quite natural for them when he was guiding her through the forest he seemed to know like the back of his hand.

The woods welcomed them both with juicy grass and tall trees with moss covered trunks. They were walking alongside the creek, stopping here and there to have a closer look at the colorful flowers or just to breathe in the fresh summer air.

Suddenly he stopped and Flo bumped into his back, “Hey, take a look” Andrew whispered to her, slowly taking few small steps to the side, so she could finally see why he stopped.

There was a little deer that stopped few meters from them on the other side of the creek that stopped by to have a refreshing drink.

He crouched down, pulling her to his level, so their appearance wouldn’t scare the animal. Flo sat on the nearest rock close to him and they both watched as the deer was taking slow sips from the cold creek. There was some movement in the bushes behind it and another three deers gracefully walked over to the creek and joined the first one.

“I wish I had my camera with me” Flo breathed looking at Andrew now.

“You’re a photographer?” He asked her with little sparks in his muddy eyes.

“I wouldn’t call myself that… I kinda made my wish come true and got myself an analog camera last year and I’m just taking photos whenever I can.”

“I must admit, em, it’s a moment worth capturing” he moved closer to her, so he didn’t had to speak louder.

“Yes, the deers and us here on a rock by the creek.”

“The deers and us?” Andrew asked, like he was stunned by her words.

“Yes, those two. I feel like the only way I can take you home with me is by pictures.”

“Em… or you can just ask” he giggled almost soundlessly, brushing his locks away from his face.

“Mister Byrne, are you flirting with me?” Flo wiggled her eyebrows at him and he had to hide his face into his large hands to avoid laughing out loud.

“Just… maybe a tiny little bit.”

“I’ll remember that Andrew” she had to look away from him, move her gaze back to the deers, because she knew that if her eyes would long for a little bit more on his face she’d give in and kiss him.

Monday, 4pm

“Do you really got the marshmallows?” Flo asked him, slowly sitting at the wide stump next to him.

The small fire was already lit, thanks to the lighter he carries around and Andrew just silently kept stabbing the marshmallows with a stick.

“I did” he placed them over the fire watching them carefully as they started to melt really slowly.

“What made you think I like roasted marshmallows?” Her eyes were glued to his face, carefully studying every little detail, every little wrinkle formed on his skin, she’d desperately try to remember it all after this week ends and they part their ways forever.

“Everyone loves roasted marshmallows” Andrew took one off the stick with his long fingers and pressed it to her lips.

“Well… you’re right” she smiled and gently took the warm candy in her mouth, desperately trying to avoid any contact with his fingers, but they both knew it wasn’t possible, when he brushed her lower lips with his fingertips, “Does every girl gets feed by you?” Flo asked chewing vigorously at the melted marshmallow.

Andrew chuckled a little, before placing another one in his own mouth, “Not really, em, you’re the first one, Flo.”

“Oh, delightful” she snatched another one from the stick he was gripping and now she was the one who was pressing the marshmallow against his lips.

“I feel like Dionysus would be proud of us” her fingers gently brushed his mouth when he took the candy from her and she let herself long them there for a little bit longer than she should.

“It’s not a real feast Andrew, also we don’t have wine and naked girls, also we’re in the middle-” his other hand gently grasped her hand, his long fingers wrapping around her wrist and he planted a little kiss to her fingertips, “... the middle of a forest.”

A little untamed gasp left her mouth and she shook her head, seeing the little grin forming on his narrow lips.

“You don’t have to be naked to have some fun” Andrew winked and she tamed another gasp with a marshmallow stuffed into her mouth.

“Do men like you hide under the moss?” Flo joked, taking another candy into her sticky fingers.

“No ma’am” he laughed a little, eating another marshmallow, “we just don’t get that much recognition.”

“Such a shame.”

Monday, 7pm

“I need a smoke” he announced, patting his pockets down and wandering a little down the hill. She followed without question.

“You say that a lot, Andy” Flo pulled the sleeves of her jumper down to cover her hands and crossed her arms, staying close behind him.

“I’m saying what?” He replied, looking back at her for a second, the gold sun bright on her bare face.

“That you need something.”

They found a spot that was grassy and only slightly moss covered. Even though the incline of the hill was uncomfortable on their backs, neither of them wanted to move once they had settled. Flo quickly pulled her knees up to her chin, staring out at the sky and the city below. Andrew was directly to her right and he lit his cigarette, legs stretched out, taking a long drag before asking what she meant.

“What’s wrong with, em, saying that I need something?”

She turned back to him, almost having forgotten her point, tilting her head to observe him properly, her hair wild from the bun it had been in. He squinted a little as the brightness of the sun rolled gradually away from them.

“I just think people who say the word need all time have an addictive personality” she suggested teasingly.

He raised his eyebrow, nodding slowly, amused. He considered the truth in her statement wholly, knew how excited and obsessed he could be over small things that he got lost in. She was just another example - he knew her for less than twenty-four hours and already he was enamored, completely mesmerized by her. He blew smoke away from her and flicked the ash, his bare arms pricking a little at the sudden blow of wind.

“I get what you have on your mind…” then he coughed, nudging her softly, “addicted to you, aren’t I?”

Flo’s lips pulled into a smirk identical to his and she shook her head in disbelief at how quick he was, how he turned nearly everything into some variant of flirtatious joke.

“Wow, Andrew, that was almost good.”

“I’ll keep trying” he chuckled deeply, scratching his nose with his free hand.

“I’m sure you will.”

“It’s not my usual self, em, I haven’t been like that around anyone” Andrew beamed so intensely at her that she thought he had malfunctioned for a moment. It was only when she shivered against the cold that he moved, shuffling slightly closer to her in a quiet panic.

“Cold?”

“Actually, a little bit” she sighed, blinking at him through her lashes, knowing she couldn’t resist what he was inevitably bound to offer.

“C’mere then.”

His long arm draped around her instantly and she had no desire to fight it, so she didn’t. She held her breath as her head fell against his toned chest, tucking her body snugly against his. There was an immediate comfort in being this close to him again and she exhaled sharply at last, her breath a little shaky as it drifted from her lips. Unsatisfied, the palm of her hand stretched out on his abdomen, his eternal warmth seeping through his shirt despite the cold.

“Is this weird?” He hummed gently, resting his chin on the top of her head and inhaling the scent of her floral shampoo, before taking another quick drag of his cigarette, making sure to blow the smoke away from her.

“Only if we let it be weird” she mumbled back, too obsessed with the quiet, focused so intently on only the rhythmic patterns of his heart, to raise her voice over it. The fingers of his free hand tucked a few strands of loose hair behind her ear, then he stroked over it softly, letting it fall between his fingers, unable to resist the chance. Flo didn’t dare to flinch, scared for a moment he’d stop and felt her eyelids automatically closing at how gentle this tall man was with her, the golden light fading.

Monday, 7:45pm

“Flo… Honey…”

Flo woke slowly to the hushed sound of Andrew repeating her name, his thumb brushing casually over her arm to stir her. She hadn’t planned to sleep, hadn’t realized she was tired at all, but he was so overwhelmingly soft and warm and his hand in her hair had been a complete comfort, so much so that it was unavoidable. She lifted her head from his shirt gradually, shocked by the audacity her past self had had to touch his lower chest in the way she had, peeling her palm from his abdomen with a hint of embarrassment.

She prayed to every god there was that she hadn’t snored, or dribbled or done anything remotely humiliating whilst she was out. Flo squeezed her eyes as she readjusted to the light, everything much darker than it had been before. Andrew’s arm was still around her, eager to keep her close and she brushed over her hair nervously, remembering the way he combed it with his fingers, suddenly worried about her appearance.

“What?” She mumbled sleepily, finally able to bring herself to look at him, his eyes deep and muddy, his beard a little harsh yet still fluffy.

“You’re missing the sunset now, love…” he announced, his voice a mere whisper, pointing towards the sky she failed to even notice, too desperate to find his face the moment she was conscious. Flo hung on his face for a moment more, breathless at the way his lips parted when he called her ‘love’ and found herself filled with an irrefutable need to press hers against his, just to ease the fire he had rekindled inside her. Instead, she turned her head immediately to the view, a little too sharply to be subtle, the stiffness in her neck now very apparent.

The sunset was anything but anticlimactic. If it hadn’t been beautiful before, it certainly was now, the sky erupting with more colour than should’ve been possible. It was more intense than she’s ever seen from where she lived in the city, more shades of orange and red, pink and even purple than she could count on one hand, shrouding the skyline elegantly.

“Did you plan this?” Flo giggled breathlessly, obsessed with the way the colors bounced off his skin, his nose illuminated with a bright orange hue.

“Well, I asked the universe for a favor” he hummed, licking his lips as she turned back to him, “and it seems like, em, someone was listening to me this time.”

She rolled her eyes, baffled by just how immature he could be while simultaneously having one of the most complex minds she’d ever witnessed. She settled back against him for a moment to watch the sun sink out of view. It was a little awkward, neither of them sure how to soothe the absurd tension, but the crook of his shoulder was so inviting and he was more than happy to oblige in holding her. They were quiet for a while, each blinking at the horizon in awe.

Andrew felt for a while like a teenager all over again. It was the combination of Flo making him idiotically nervous and the vague deja-vu he felt from sitting in the grass holding her, watching the sun go down, like he had so many times in his youth. He had a beer in hand and a sudden breakout of spots too, the similarity would’ve been uncanny. Of course, the girls he sat with back then were merely girls, not women and were nowhere near as gorgeous as he thought Flo was.

Flo was lost on the idea of staying in this moment forever, wanted nothing more than to come back to it whenever she felt bad or alone or angry with the universe, because it had given her this beautiful memory now that she already held so close to her heart. It was confusing being away from the hotel, outside of the walls she spent every memory with Andrew. She told herself over and over again that it was cruel to think of anything other than Monday being the end of the line, but watching the sunset, on the hill, his closeness so comforting, it felt like a blind promise that their whirlwind of an adventure was genuine. She knew that it wasn’t just the hotel or that week that worked - it was them.

Monday, 7:50pm

The sun disappeared moments later with a last desperate dash of colour streaking through the clouds and then everything was suddenly navy and dark. To both of their annoyance, it wasn’t clear enough to make out many stars just yet. Flo’s bum felt numb, Andrew’s hands were blue, his shoulder cramped from where she’d been curled against him and they were simply too cold to be comforted by each other anymore.

“We should’ve brought our coats… or a blanket” she decided as he stood, brushed himself down and pulled her to her feet with both hands, disappointed when he let go straight away, “That’s why I don’t do spontaneity.”

“If being a little bit cold is, em, all that’s holding you back from living your life, then maybe, em, you should reconsider.”

“I just like being warm, that’s all” Flo fixed her hair, tucking the straw strands behind her ears.

“All I can offer you now is a really warm hug, from a really tall man.”

“I take that offer” she breathed out and his long arms wrapped around her back pulling her into a tight hug.

“So what we do now?” A mumble left her lips as she inhaled the scent of his perfume.

“Oh, I’m sure you’ll figure something out in a minute” Andrew let himself press his nose into her hair, smell her herbal shampoo, before the realization that this wasn’t his girlfriend, nor she’ll ever be one, hit him like a train and he had to choke in few tears that were threatening to fall from his muddy green eyes.

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