The One in the Middle

Chapter 6- I'll Go Anywhere With You

It's been at least two years and it's 1967. My mom decided to take me to America to stay with some relatives. The thing is... I don't know when we're going back to Australia. I want to see my boys again. Robin and Mo... I want to see how much they've changed and grown. I haven't seen them in two years and I always go back to the day when we left. 

*** 

(Two years ago, the day Hazel left) 

"You're- You're leaving?" Robin mutters. We were alone in his room, so I could tell him what was up. 

This is the first time I have ever seen him like this. He couldn't look me in the eyes and I knew it was because I was leaving. His hair hung over his eyes as he looked down at his feet. 

In return, I lifted his head by putting a finger under his chin to make him look at me. "Look, Robin, my mom hasn't told me how long we're staying. As far as I know, it's only for a few months. Don't worry Robby," I reply. 

He looked at me with big, sad eyes and I couldn't bear to leave him. All he did was pull me into a hug and squeezed me tightly. 

"I'll miss you, Hazel." With that, he lightly kissed me on the lips, he barely ghosted mine the second before the kiss. 

"I will miss you too..." 

After a few more minutes of saying goodbye to Robin, I had to talk to Mo. Lucky for me, I found him in the main room of the Gibb house sitting in front of the record player. 

"Hey, Mo..." 

He looked up at me with curiosity in his eyes. "What's wrong?"

"How did you know something was wrong?" I ask. 

He chuckles. "I know you. Hazel, you have that look in your eyes whenever you're upset." He scoots closer to me, so close that my breath catches in my throat. 

"I'm leaving. My mom is taking me to America to stay with some relatives and I don't know for how long..." I explain, not meeting his eyes. 

"Oh..." He whispered. That was all he managed to say. 

My heart sunk at both of their reactions. I can't handle it. 

We didn't say anything else to each other, except he only kissed me one last time before I left to go back to my house. And then I left, and that was that. 

*** 

(Back to the present) 

I sit in the main room with my mom and think about the Gibbs and how much I miss them. I was making it so obvious too. 

"Hazel." My mom called my name and I whipped my head to see her, and she was standing before me with an unreadable look on her face. 

I don't say anything, but I have acknowledged her. 

"I'm sending you to Manchester," she states simply. 

Manchester? Why in the world would I go there? I know no one there. Sure, I am 18 now, but what am I going to do there? It's completely foreign to me... 

"But- I- Why?" I stammer, tripping over my own words. 

She nods for a quick moment. "I think you'll understand when I say that the Gibbs live there. More specifically, Robin, Maurice, and Barry."

My heart fluttered. My mom is sending me to live in Manchester with Robin and Maurice (and Barry too)? She must love me a lot to do this for me. 

"I know how much you care for Robin and Maurice, so I figured that you would want to get out of here now that you're 18 years old," she adds further. 

I had no idea what to do, what to say, what to think even. 

But one thing that I was thinking was that Robin and Mo must still be 17 because their birthdays are in December. I inwardly giggled at that thought. They must be taller though. God, I wonder how much they have changed. 

*** 

(One long flight to Manchester later) 

Mom told me that someone would be waiting for me on the tarmac, so I expect at least one person to be there waiting for me. 

The plane lands and I grab my suitcase of necessities and exit the plane. 

That's when I see him. Robin Gibb. He's standing there and my God he's gotten even more handsome. I haven't even seen him up close yet. 

As fast as I can, I sprint over to him and he picks me up, spinning me around by holding onto my waist. 

As he set me down, we were so close to each other and my breath caught in my throat. 

(A/N- The picture at the top is what Hazel sees right now.)

"Hi, love. Long time no see," he mutters into my ear. 

All I wanted to do was kiss him, but I was still so surprised that I was seeing him again. 

"Robin... You've grown so much. My gosh, you've gotten tall. I have to look up at you now." I let out a small giggle. "And your hair is so fluffy..." 

I won't lie when I say that I love how fluffy his hair is. I just wanna run my hands through it...

Saying that I'm speechless is an understatement because I'm blown away. I always liked him as a kid, but now I'm not a kid anymore, and Robin is on his way to being 18... It seems like only so long ago that we were two kids who liked each other a lot. 

All we did was stare into each other's eyes and I didn't want to look away. Not for a second. But looking into his eyes made me realize something: I fell in love with him. I don't know how, I don't know why. But I did. I guess you really can say that absence makes the heart grow fonder. I felt my cheeks sting from blushing. 

"You look so grown up too..." He leans closer to me and speaks barely above a whisper. "You look so beautiful. Much different from when we were kids." 

I felt his breath against my skin and it made me shiver. Then he wraps me in a warm hug and I place my head against his chest. I could hear him breathing in and out and, I'll admit, that I inhaled some of his scents. Maybe that was weird, but I found it oddly comforting. 

Right as we're letting go of each other, he leans back in and kisses me. It was electric and sent a shiver down my spine. It only lasted a few seconds, but it felt like forever. 

"God I've been waiting for that," he comment, breathless. 

"Me too." I smile at him shyly. 

"Would it be okay if I took you out on an official date...?" he asks. Suddenly Robin was acting shy around me. This is new. 

However, I knew the answer right away and without hesitation. "I would love to go out with you!" 

"Great, I was hoping you would say yes. Especially after everything we went through before as kids..." Robin comments with a sly grin. 

I grab his hand without any words and we walk away from the plane together.