Never Really Over

Chapter 36

John laughs to himself as he knocks on the door to Beth's apartment. Firstly, it feels ridiculous to even be doing this when he has just barged in more times than he can ever count. Secondly, he is nervous and he never thought he would feel like this around her. It is just over two weeks into the new year and he has spoken to her every day but a packed fixture calendar has meant they haven't been able to see each other. Tonight, they are finally going on their 'let's start again' date. To see Harry Styles in Manchester, with tickets that John has had to pull strings to secure, not only offering up his box at the Etihad for the home leg of the League Cup semi-final against Manchester United at the end of the month but promising to go and greet whoever occupies it after the match. He's already dreading it. What if he plays badly and has to show his face afterwards when all he wants to do is come home and lick his wounds?!

Any reservations about whether his sacrifice is worth it or not vanish when Beth opens the door looking as bashful as he feels but as beautiful as ever.

"You're ready?!" John exclaims in surprise; he doesn't think he has ever arrived at Beth's door to find her set to leave; he has heard her call 'five more minutes' in a singsong voice more times than he can remember and it's never just five minutes.

"Been waiting a long time for this," she smiles at him.

"To see Harry Styles?" He grins as he steps into the familiar warmth of her apartment. It looks the same as the last time he was here, right down to the little details like the cushions on the sofa and the stupid coffee table books that do nothing but gather dust. He looked through a couple ones, they were just filled with pictures. Boring. The lack of change in Beth's home is comforting and it eases his nerves a little.

"You know what I mean," she brushes a stray hair that has fallen from her high ponytail back from her face. She has seen One Direction four times and Harry solo once, but she's never gone on a date with John that has been plotted in the diary and planned for with agonising hours spent shopping for outfits then doing try-ons in front of the mirror. Keira had made it perfectly clear she did not approve of the latest relationship development so Beth hadn't even had her to bounce ideas off.

"Do I not get a kiss?" He shuffles his feet awkwardly and rubs his fingers against the pockets on his jeans, wishing they weren't so tight that he could bury his hands in them anything to stop him playing nervously with them.

"Feel shy," she glances down at her choice of clothing; is her skirt too short?! Is the cream roll neck top she's wearing dressy enough?! Is her coat too long?! If she buttons it, it doesn't even look like she's wearing a skirt. Is that sexy or slutty?!

"You've never been shy a day in your life," he laughs. He has been so looking forward today, to have Beth all to himself and to be able to touch her whenever he wants to. "Come here!"

He slides his hand inside her coat and hooks it around her waist, tugging her towards him inhaling the scent of her familiar perfume as it radiates from her pulse points as her heartbeat speeds up being in such close proximity to him. "You look so fit," he sighs as he leans in for a kiss and all of Beth's nerves disappear in an instant.

*

Beth's lips are still tingling when they arrive at their VIP seats in a private suite that overlooks the arena. The kiss that John had pulled her into before they left was no chaste first date greeting, it had her legs trembling, her hands grasping at his hair and her moaning with desire as his mouth moved against hers. But now, she has to put lustful feelings aside and concentrate on the evening ahead.

"We should have eaten before we came," John sighs reluctantly as he scans the menu on the tablet they were handed on arrival. He is fighting to recover both his form and his place in the team, eating a dirty burger and fries will do nothing to help this. He's fit again and started against Port Vale in the cup, it was only Port Vale but it was a start, and he didn't play badly. He is hopeful that the second half of his season will pan out better than the first, especially now that he has his secret weapon Beth back by his side.