ROSES (Oli Sykes Fan Fiction) COMPLETE

LOOKING FORWARD

We stood together on our rooftop terrace on New Years Eve, anticipating the bay fireworks with the TV on in the background so we could hear the countdown. It had been such a crazy year with so many ups and downs, but I was happy and grateful to be ending it the way I was. It felt like the universe threw so many challenges and heartaches at me, but getting through them brought me to the most wonderful conclusion. I looked over at Cass and smiled as Oli stood behind me with his arms around my waist, then I looked over to Ivy who was fast asleep in her portable bed in a snuggly outfit. I had the most wonderful people around me.

As the countdown began, I felt tears in my eyes; not of sadness, but of happiness and closure on a year that completely changed my life in so many ways. We counted along with the TV presenters and as they said 'Happy New Year' Oli smiled at me and kissed me. I closed my eyes and heard the first fireworks exploding in the sky as our lips met... it was beautiful and I wouldn't have wanted to begin the new year in any other way.

Oli held me and I reached for Cass' hand as I stood there watching fireworks explode over the bay, squealing in delight as pink, blue and yellow lit up the sky. Everything about watching them from our new home, my home with Oli, felt perfect and magical and tears of joy filled my eyes. I hoped that we would do the same thing every single year; that the four of us would be together to start another new year together. "I love you." Oli said softly as the display came to an end.
"I love you too." I replied.

We spent all of January renovating, buying furniture and decorating the house, choosing paint colours, prints and décor and things that would make it feel like our own. Oli's dark and minimal vibe put an interesting spin on my more coastal aesthetic, while photos and lots of nods to our past really made it our own. We had a giant vase of roses right by our front door, I framed the record the guys had signed for me in Mexico and put it on the wall and Oli commissioned a gorgeous painting of Venice to grace the wall in our hallway as one of my Christmas gifts. Oli bought a car too; a hybrid of course, slick and environmentally friendly, but we still took the tram into town quite a bit. We lived a typical San Francisco lifestyle I suppose. Trips to parks, markets and the waterfront with Ivy were frequent and Oli's family came to visit once we were settled in. It was so nice to have them there and we took them to lots of different places, including an overnight trip to Big Sur and a day in Monterrey for something different. We also took Tom to the alien bar which he absolutely loved and I insisted Oli take him out to a few other bars and places too. I wanted him to be able to spend time with his brother without me always hanging around and it meant Cass and I could have some girl time as well. His family left on February 12 and Oli spoiled me on our first Valentine's day together with a night in a treehouse; a literal treehouse. It was about an hour out of the city and was secluded in the mountains but very romantic. He did thoughtful things for me all the time; dinners, little gifts, bringing me my morning coffee in bed, but more than that, he told me he loved me every single day and that was what made me most happy. 

At the end of February, I went back to University. I studied full time but did two days on campus and two days from home with Friday free to spend with Ivy. Oli sorted the upstairs office for me as my study since he had taken the spare room downstairs and some of the garage as his studio. His recording booth was all wired in and operational too, but he hadn't used it yet. He said he was waiting for when he had something 'really good'. We were settled in completely by March and we lived happily and comfortably. The house was perfect for us. Ivy had her own bedroom right next to ours that she could grow into, Oli had his workspace down away from the main living areas and I had my own little office sanctuary where I could focus on my studies. Cass had her own bedroom and bathroom too, we had even kept the guest suite downstairs for when guests came to stay. Everyone had plenty of space for themselves even though we spent most of our time all together in the kitchen and lounge areas. Oli set up so many things in his studio for Ivy so that she could be with him while he worked. He spent a lot of his time writing and mixing music on his computer with Ivy by his side or in his lap... I knew because he sent me selfies while I was away on campus. The two of them made my heart so happy. Oli ended up hiring a housekeeper who came in once a week, plus a gardener and he made sure I was never overwhelmed with study, chores, cooking... he made sure I was never stressed or pressured to do too much and I loved him for it. Cassidy did too, though we still enjoyed cooking together as much as possible. I even taught Cass how to make the pasta I'd learned to make in Venice!