𝐌𝐚𝐲𝐛𝐞, 𝐏𝐫𝐨𝐛𝐚𝐛𝐥𝐲│ 𝐏𝐞𝐝𝐫𝐢 𝐆𝐨𝐧𝐳𝐚𝐥𝐞𝐳 ✔

𝟗. 𝐇𝐨𝐦𝐞 𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐞𝐭 𝐡𝐨𝐦𝐞

After working nonstop for the last four months, Julia was worn out and relieved to be in bed. But she knew tomorrow would be just another day spent studying for her biology exam; that is what she did the following day. She spent hours upon hours in the library because it was her final exam. The only incentive she had to get through this week was the prospect of graduating and concentrating solely on her music career. Julia loved school and her degree but struggled to balance music and academics. She needed a break badly so she could focus on one thing instead of a thousand. 

By Thursday, she had finally finished her finals, and as a celebration, she and Sira decided to go out to a club. Julia had a few shots and then joined Sira on the dance floor. Julia was a great dancer and attracted every guy when she was dancing. She flinched when a guy touched her inappropriately without her consent. She became angry and shoved the guy a little. The guy smirked and introduced himself as "Ryder." Impulsive and a little drunk, she told him, "I don't care what your name is, Ryan. Just leave me alone",  intentionally getting the name wrong. She pushed him aside and headed to the bar to take a seat. Unaware of it, he followed her. He took her by the hand and headed for the toilets. He had a firm grip on Julia's hand despite her attempts to rip it away from him, almost stopping blood flow.

"Let me go! Let me go," she kept saying it.

He replied with a stern no. Julia became frightened, with tears threatening to fall at any point. She was afraid of what he was capable of. Someone punched him in the face before he could open the door. A breath of relief left her mouth. The guy almost lost his balance and dropped her hand. She quickly turned around to see Pedri standing there. Pedri continued to punch the guy, and she allowed him since he deserved it. But when things started to get out of hand, she grabbed his shoulder and pulled him away. He stopped in mid-action and let go of the asshole. Upon seeing her tear-stained face, his expression instantly softened. He hugged her tightly, and she did the same. 

"Are you okay?" Pedri asked with his hand on the back of her head. Julia shook her head no. Her little cries were breaking Pedri's heart. He calmed her by running his fingers through her hair. She eventually released him after what felt like an eternity. He missed her warmth. She wiped her cheeks and said, "Thank you for helping. It could've ended pretty badly..." Pedri hushed her. 

"I will always be there for you, Julia. It doesn't matter if we are not together. I will still care and protect you." He looked her in the eyes, and they both glanced at each other's lips. However, Pedri broke the tension by saying: "We should probably head home. Where is Sira?" He took her by the hand and went looking for her. Finally, they spotted her.

"What are you doing here?" Sira glared angrily at Pedri before noticing a pair of hands intertwined. It made sense when she turned to look at the person standing next to him.  

"What happened, Julia?" She embraced her in a hug. Pedri left briefly, explaining that he had to find Ferran. They all silently exited the club before getting into Pedri's car. Sira and Ferran were the first people Pedri dropped. Now it was just the two of them in the car. She looked out the window and noticed the sky was filled with light and dark grey clouds. The wind was loud. A shiver ran down her spine.  A loud rumble came from the clouds, startling her. Thunder was one of Julia's phobias and something she dreaded. Understanding, Pedri smiled. He found it endearing because, on the surface, Julia appeared to be a strong person, which she was, but the funny fear definitely caught him off guard when they first started dating. The more he learned about her. The hotter and cuter she became. They arrived at her apartment complex. 

"Do you want me to stay over?" he asked gently. 

"No. How weird would that be..."

She screamed when a crash of thunder struck, grabbing his arm and shutting her eyes. He could sense that she had been keeping it inside for some time.

" I can't be driving if it's thundering. What if something were to happen?" He insinuated so he could stay at her apartment. She then groaned and stepped outside the car while waiting for him to do the same. 

"I'm not waiting here all day. Come out". He smiled, parked the car in the garage, and dashed out. Julia was about to go inside when the lightning flashed, and thunder rumbled loudly, making her scream and hide her face in Pedri's chest. 

"Calm down, amor. It's okay." He said, kissing the top of her head and gently rubbing her back. She calmed down, and they both went inside. She left Pedri in the dark as she entered her room to shower. She changed into her pyjamas and carried Pedri's clothes that she had kept into the living room. 

He tried to hide his smile as he asked, "You kept my clothes?" but failed.

"Oh shut up. I haven't had an opportunity to return them to you until now. I've been too busy." she spoke. 

"You're right about that. You were amazing, by the way... at all your performances and interviews," he said. 

"Did you watch them?"

"Yeah, I did indeed... Um, do you want to play the game '21 Questions'? " He spoke without making eye contact and switched the subject. Julia nodded. Pedri asked about the meaning of the songs "Locksmith" and "WYD Now" and whether they were about him. He wanted to hear it from her mouth despite being aware that it was about him.

"Yes, those songs are inspired by you. Most of the songs are. I'll explain what 'locksmith' is about." He had heard the song before, so he enthusiastically nodded. It was arguably his favourite track on the album.

"'Locksmith' is a song that I wrote about a person who will always hold a special place in your heart, no matter how much time has passed. It's about that feeling of wanting to reconnect with someone from your past, even if it's just for a moment. The song is my way of expressing those emotions and seeking some closure, without completely shutting the door on the possibility of reconnecting. The lyric I love the most is 'You're the one that I can see me growing old with. Build a house, I see it now, you plant me roses.'" Julia said genuinely. 'Locksmith' was one of the last songs she wrote before completing the album, which she created to convey her current emotions.

Pedri had a massive grin on his face, but Julia's patience began to wear thin after the eighteenth question. 

"Can we do something else? Perhaps watch a movie?" she suggested. Pedri nodded, already knowing which movie she wanted to see. Tangled was Julia's favourite film, so whenever they were hanging out, they would always watch it. Another thing he adored about her. Sharing a blanket, they were both seated on the couch. At one point in the movie, Pedri smiled while laughing and turned to face Julia. However, Julia was trying hard to keep her eyes open as they had just begun the movie. 

"You tired?" Pedri frowned. She shook her head slowly. She heard him giggle, "Don't lie. I can tell." She said she was okay while opening her eyes widely. Halfway through the movie, though, she could feel her eyelids start to get heavy; before she knew it, she had fallen asleep against Pedri. He carefully looked at her and smiled slightly, seeing how sweet and innocent she looked when she slept. He moved to lean down, kissing the top of her head. He shifted to make himself more comfortable so they were both lying down and soon he fell asleep with his arms wrapped around her.