Sparring Partners [18+]

BONUS: CHAPTER 6.5

(Daisy )

"I GOT ME A CAR, IT SEATS ABOUT TWENTY, SO COME ON AND BRING YOUR-"

"JUKEBOX MONEY!" I yelled, waving my arms in the air as Roman and I danced down the street.

"LOVE SHACK, BABY LOVE SHACK," Roman sang, unbothered by the sound of Lynch groaning three steps back. He wiggled his body in time with the excellent tune we were singing.

"You're both so loud," Lynch hiccupped. I spun on my feet, stumbling a little as I started to walk backwards, so I could face both Lynch and Markus, laughing as I did. We were the only four left of the night, Sarah and her friends had long since gone home but I had been having too much fun with Roman to want to leave with them. Somehow, at some point in the evening, Markus and Lynch had joined us and - upon Roman's insistence - we were all now walking to Romans house. I couldn't remember why.

"Oh shit," Roman's slurred curse was instantly followed by the sound of a body hitting the pavement.

"Roman!" I gasped between laughs, sprinting up to his crumpled body on the ground. His shoulders were shaking and for a horrible moment I thought he was sobbing, until he lifted his head up and I realised the tears streaming down his face weren't from pain but laughter. "You poor little baby," I cooed, squeezing his cheeks between my hands.

"I think my legs have turned to jelly," he giggled, rolling onto his back, arms and legs spread wide.

"Roman, get the fuck up, the ground is filthy," Lynch groaned, suddenly right beside us. Roman only giggled in response, completely ignoring Lynch as he picked up right where we had left off in the song Love Shack.

(Markus)

"This is who we're attracted to," Lynch said with a heavy sigh, fondly eyeing the drunken nineteen year old boy sprawled out on the filthy pavement.

"Your boyfriend is the one on the ground. Don't drag Daisy into this." Even though Daisy was right there beside Roman, on her knees, singing along to a song I didn't recognise at the top of her lungs. It was a wonder no one had come out to tell them to shut the fuck up yet.

"Oh yeah, like your woman isn't just as much of a mess right now," Lynch crooned sarcastically, waving his arm towards both Daisy and Roman drunkenly babbling to one another. She'd certainly had a lot to drink, more than on that first night I had met her. With the added alcohol, she'd been grinning at me so freely. Teeth bared so wide, her flushed cheeks dimpling, her eyes seeking out mine every opportunity she had. It was almost too much. Almost.

I rolled my eyes, forcing my attention away from Daisy. "She's not my woman."

"Oh right, of course," Lynch laughed. He shook his head in disbelief. "I meant to say the giyou have fucking heart eyes for after speaking to her for less than a week, you soppy git."

I'd only known her for four fucking days.

"Then again, you've been salivating over her for months now."

"Fuck off." I shoved Lynch away from me.

"Seriously," he laughed, unsteady on his feet from his own intake. "Hundred quid you're proposing next week."

"Fuck off," I repeated with a scowl, arms crossed against my chest.

Lynch moved closer to Roman and Daisy, crouching down to grab Roman's arms. Tugging the younger boy upwards, and groaning with the effort as Roman tried to wriggle free, he glanced over his shoulder at me. "Two hundred, Bisto's calling her mummy in the next two weeks."

"Yeah, my fucking dog is learning English as we speak."

Roman moved too quickly, his hand smacking against Lynch's face. The older man grunted, and glared. "Roman, mate, get the fuck up." Somehow, in a way I couldn't understand at all, Lynch said the word 'mate' as if it were a Goddamn pet-name for Roman and not something he referred us all by on a daily basis - his affection for the other man obvious in every letter.

Daisy rocked back on her heels too quickly as she laughed at the two of them, falling straight onto her arse. She only laughed harder. With a sigh, I stepped forward, my hands gripping her beneath her arms, and smoothly lifted her to her feet in one move. She squeaked and fell back into my chest.

My arm wrapped around her waist, holding her to me, both loving and despising how fucking perfect she felt in my arms. Head tilted upwards, her eyes met mine and fuck... There was that blindingly big smile again, the one that had my heart beating a mile a minute and my fucking anxiety surging forward. I didn't know where to look, and any words dried up on the tip of my tongue.

Lynch snickering two steps ahead had me finally breaking the eye contact. He had Roman up in his arms, legs wrapped around his waist and arms tight enough around his neck I thought the boy was probably trying to strangle him. I know I wanted to.

Lynch paid no mind to the kid nuzzling his face into his neck. He was too busy grinning at me in a way I'd come to learn meant he wasn't done taking the piss out of me just yet - as per usual. "I get to tattoo you if you buy a ring in the next 3 weeks."

"You're not coming anywhere near me with a fucking needle, you prick. And we both know Jun would deck you if you so much as looked at any of her shit."

"You'll get your eyebrow pierced if you're in love with her in the next three months."

I nudged Daisy forward, leading her past Lynch and down the street towards Roman's house. She was saying something to me in a soft murmur, but I couldn't hear what over the sound of Lynch's obnoxious laughter.

"Grim?" Lynch called after me. "Grim? We got a deal, yeah?"

I didn't have to turn to know he was still grinning.

"I'm texting Alec. We're holding you to this. Eyebrow. Pierced. Three months."

I gave him the finger over my shoulder, scowling at the sound of his howling laughter following us down the street.