Steps Singles - The One Shots

One for Sorrow

Well writing this made a stark change to the doom and gloom of the story before

"We can't keep having this fight! I have to go away and you know that!" I shouted down the hallway.
"Well you don't do you! Heaven forbid you could actually have stayed normal Faye!" Jesper replied.
I took a deep breath, my eyes burning with tears, but I was angry at him so refused to let him see me cry. "I thought you wanted this for me? I thought you wanted for me to be happy and doing what I love!"
He sighed, coming back down the stairs to talk to me more calmly. "I did. I do, but do you really love all the travelling and being away from all your family? I mean you loved what you were doing before when you didn't travel didn't you? You could have just carried that on."
"That hotel. That ruddy hotel would have been the death of me if I'd stayed any longer and you know that! But the other four are like my family! And I still see Clare and my parents so just..."
He took a gentle hold of my hands, but as he spoke again I shook them from his grip. "But they're not your family are they? They're just four other people in the same mess as your life is. You don't all love each other really."
"We do love each other like a family. Hell I think they all actually love me more than you do." I took a moment to think before carefully taking my ring off and slamming it down on top of the shelf in the hallway. "Fuck this. I've given up with this war. I'm leaving." I grabbed my bag, swung it over my shoulder and left.

*****

"Alright Blondie, what happened?" Lisa asked. I was sat in an airport bar drinking, I'd been in a pants mood the whole journey to Heathrow, I knew the question was coming. "Wait..." She added, staring at the slight tan line where my ring had been. "You two broke up."
I nodded tearfully. "I didn't want to say earlier with the others because I didn't want anyone to make a fuss, but yeah. I broke off the engagement this morning. I couldn't take him anymore."
"Shit sorry." Lisa said, slipping her arm round me. "To do with the trip or... well I knew you two had been fighting anyway but did you fall out again?"
"Yeah, the same fight as always. I just got fed up with it. Don't be sorry Lise it's not your fault. You guys always said it would happen sooner or later. I was just... we'd had the same fight so many times." I told her.
She sighed softly. "It'll be alright. I think you might be better off without him."
"He said so often you guys didn't care about me really and I always knew that was a lie. Anyway I'm happier hanging around with you four than I am with him." I told her.
Lisa pulled me a little bit closer. "I do care about you, so do Lele and Clara and even H - he just has a funny way of showing it. I'm definitely glad you got rid of him if he was like that." She told me, before playfully kissing my cheek. "You're better without him, believe me."
Smiling a little, I nodded. I really hoped she was right. I never got to voice that though because before I could the other three showed up. Claire had been shopping, it was obvious the way her backpack was bulging now and I slightly wanted to ask her what she'd brought. It appeared H had mostly just accompanied her, though he appeared to have brought some hard sweets which I knew he always did when we flew anywhere because he always forgot to buy them before we left, and I wasn't really sure where Lee had been other than maybe making sure they didn't get lost entirely.

Claire set her bag down on the table and started rummaging through it. "Fuf-fuf you're sad and I know that, and also I know something isn't right with you and Jesper, so I got you a little something... erh shit where did I put it?" She said. "Ah here she is." She added as she pulled a carrier bag out. She handed it to me and I carefully took it. Inside was a soft, yellow, shaggy furred teddy dog.
"Awh Clara she's adorable! You didn't have to." I said, gently rubbing the teddy's fur with my thumb. I felt like a child falling in love immediately with a new teddy, but I didn't care. It was adorable.
"I know, and I know we get given teddies all the time on all our tours, but I saw her and she was so cute and made me think of you so I just had to buy her!" Claire replied.
"I did tell her not to." H announced as I blushed a little at the idea that the first thing Claire had thought when she saw the teddy was of me. It did make me wonder who the hell it had been designed for given it wasn't exactly a normal set of design ideas to put together.
Lisa laughed and I smiled at the thought of H being even vaguely responsible. "You know what. I'm going to call her Anne." I said with a grin.
Claire blushed and hid her face at her middle name. I knew she slightly hated people mentioning it, but with a sister called Clare as well I really couldn't call the teddy that too. After a moment she sighed. "I brought that on myself."
I giggled, exchanging a glance with Lisa who was laughing too.