Forever & Always 3

1.8

FLASHFORWARD: HOSPITAL

As soon as the nurse stepped outside. JJ felt himself going drowsy, his head spun and the room turned blurry. Hadiyeh was in a coma, the driver had died and Nas was in Intensive care. JJ had got away easy, a few bruises and cuts on his back was all.

His head fell back on the pillow, the news had left him lightheaded seeing stars, the door opened again, this time it wasn't the nurse who came in. Simon, Josh and Talia came in, all of them facing the floor, Talia had red puffy eyes from spending the past few days crying. Simon hadn't slept since he heard about the accident, he had dark undereye bags and Josh was numb. He couldn't believe that something as atrocious and horrible would happen to them. Especially to Hadiyeh and JJ.

"How you doing?" Josh asked.

"Fine."

"They said you'll be discharged from the hospital in the next few days," Simon said, but JJ couldn't care less about himself when his wife was lying in intensive care fighting for her life.

"How's she?" JJ turned to Talia knowing she would tell him the truth.

"Saeedeh and Jannah are with her." Talia said, "she's stable."

"I want to go visit her." 

"Your doctor said you're free to go as soon as you're able to move," Josh said unhooking the IV bag that was attached to the pole. JJ nodded silently, moving to get up, wincing at the pain in his back because no amount of pain could match the anguish in his heart. He needed to see her, knowing he wasn't going to like the sight, but nonetheless, he was going to see her.

FLASHBACK: CONTINUED 

Hadiyeh was riding back home with Simon and Talia when Simon announced he had a flight planned to Paris, to celebrate their four years together. Hadiyeh knew that Simon was going to propose, he had spent the rest of the party talking to her trying to organise how and where he's going to propose.

She couldn't wait until Simon and Talia were officially engaged, not to mention Josh and Freya's engagement party was soon and she couldn't wait. It was so delightful to see her friends moving forwards, happily.

"Hads?" JJ murmured whilst they were in bed, it was three in the morning and neither of them could sleep, his fingers drew patterns over her smooth body.

"JJ." She replied in the same tone, turning in the thin sheets to face him.

"If I told you that we should sneak out, what are you going to say?" 

"Jannah." She sighed, she would come out with JJ if it was just the two of them but she couldn't leave Jannah alone.

"She's asleep, Troy and Randy are still here," He pointed out.

"There is no way I'm leaving my child with them two," She laughed.

"We're in Leeds, Hads, you have no idea how long I've wanted to come to Leeds." He spoke his words laced with the thrill of what they were about to do. "Please?" He gave her those puppy dog eyes, he knew she could never say no to them.

"Fine, where are we going?" She sighed, giving into his big dow brown chocolate eyes. He giggled quietly in excitement as they both got dressed. Hadiyeh dressed fancy every time she stepped out into public but in order to disappear in the darkness of the night she picked up one of JJ's sidemen hoddies and a pair of black leggings to match, she wrapped a black hijab around her head and put on her shoes. JJ was dressed exactly the same black hoodie, durag and black joggers with the same black airforces as she was wearing. JJ was feeling spontaneous and Hadiyeh was more than happy to tag along.

Together they sneaked quietly out of the bus the wet cold air of the night sending shivers through their bodies, hand in hand they walked the busy streets of Leeds, trying to keep the heat between themselves. University students were out partying on a Saturday night or they hadn't gone home after the festival, girls giggled in their revealing dresses and high heels, boys laughed as they cheered for one another to take shots or to chug down their drink. Hadiyeh and JJ were lost in the vibe of the night.

One laugh lead to another, one moment to another, this was their life. The life that they dreamed about living day in day out. The euphoria running through their veins made them numb to the cold air of Yorkshire. 

"Hads!" JJ panted, they had been recognised by a few fans and had run, not because they didn't want to be recognised but because this was their moment, "RUN!" 

They ran across the city centre, splashing in puddles and screaming nothing but laughter at each other. "I LOVE YOU!" She screamed as they ran, her heart was beating so loudly in her ears that she had to yell to hear herself.

"I LOVE YOU MORE!" He replied yelling, oh how he wished her could write these words on the skyline in permanent ink, for every time they look at the sky the only thing they'll see is their love for each other. 

They came to a halt at the top of a hill, stopping to look at the skyline, Leeds was not only a busy city but a lively one, people here were happy, they didn't care about how much money you make or how many cars you have, they had each other and that was enough, for the most expensive elements in life are the things you cannot buy.

Both, gasping, fell to the wet grass under them not caring for the muddy stains that it would leave on their clothes. As they stopped they felt rain coming down onto them, it was only a mild drizzle, it wasn't going to last long, like most rains in autumn it would only last a few minutes.

The night was still and silent as they caught their breath, both gazing out at the horizon where the city meets the sky. From here they could see the moons and the stars, it was rare in London to catch a glimpse of the atmosphere. The busy city lights would mute out the beauty of nature.

"You know," JJ began, sliding his hands beneath his head as he lay on the grass, "That star reminds me of you." He pointed at the sky, catching a few drops of rain onto his face, but he didn't care.

"Out of all  the millions of stars in the sky, why that one?" She lay next to him, looking at where he was pointing to.

"Because that's star shines brighter than the rest, there is only one of you in a trillion." He said turning on his side to face her, admiring the moonlight that washed over her face illuminating features of her that he had never paid attention to before, the way her eyes wrinkle when she laughs or smiles, the way her dimples show when she grins.

"So cheezy." She turns to him their eyes meeting. Four years they have been together and she hadn't yet seen the way his eyes glow in the moonlight, bathing her in the warmth and comfort of the sun. Even in the darkest of times, he was the sun to her moon, he was the reason she burned so bright.

"Alright then, you give me your cheezy line," He said brushing a stray hair out of her face, the running had loosened her scarf and a few stray hairs had found their way onto her face. 

"If I was to name each star after a quality of yours, you know what would happen?" She said after a bit of thought. 

"What?" He whispered.

"I'd run out of stars."

When their lips found each other again, as though on cue, fireworks went off, each in a different ray of colours, none of this was planned, but maybe the best and worst things in life come without a plan. 

Written: 16/10/2021

Published: 19/10/2021

(A/N: Its the seasonal depression for meee & also happy eight years of sidemen <33)