About You ✸ Paul Mescal, discontinued

O55'

Paul and Orla had been sat amongst their friends in a restaurant in Central London, Paul and Orla were sat next to one another, with Daisy Edgar-Jones, Saoirse Ronan, Jack Lowden, India Mullen, Tilly Keeper and a few more of their friends scattered around a long table, the two had gotten up to go and get drinks when Orla leant into Paul's grasp."Someth- Something doesn't feel right" She whispered

Paul furrowed his brow in concern, taking her hands in his own as he brought them to quieter corner of the restaurant. His eyes searched her face, a mixture of worry and love in them "What do you mean?"

"I think i'm bleeding or something, it really hurts" She muttured, a shaky hand over her stomach. Paul's eyes widened in concern, his grip on her hands tightening slightly. His mind raced with a thousand thoughts, but he tried to stay calm for her sake. "Are you absolutely sure? It could just be... I don't know, something else." He said, his voice quivering a little.

"Can you come to the toilet with me, to- to check or something" She asked him softly, her breathing laboured

Paul nodded firmly, his hand gently taking hers and leading her towards the bathroom. Once inside, he quickly locked the door behind them for privacy before turning to face her with a serious expression. "Okay, let me see." He said, his voice steady despite the worry in his eyes.

She gently shoved her tights down her thighs and lifted her leather skirt up revealing her bloodied underwear. Paul's eyes immediately widened at the sight of the blood staining her underwear. His heart sank, and he took a deep breath to try to steady his nerves.

"Oh god," He muttered under his breath, his hands shaking slightly. He gently guided her to sit on the closed toilet lid, then crouched down in front of her. "Are you in a lot of pain? Has this been happening for long?"

"A- A couple of minutes maybe, is it bad?" She asked, deep down, she knew what was happening, but her mind seemed eager to convince herself she was just being silly.

Paul took a deep breath, his hands hovering hesitantly above her stomach before he gently placed his palm against her abdomen. He could feel the tension in her muscles, the fear and uncertainty in her eyes. "I... I don't know, but this looks pretty serious," he said softly, his voice cracking slightly. His mind was filled with the worst possible scenarios, and he fought to keep his expression calm.

"I'm sure it's nothing" She said, denial rife in her eyes. Paul couldn't help the pang of worry that shot through him at her words. He could see the denial in her eyes, the desperate hope that she was wrong, but deep down he knew that something was seriously wrong. "You're bleeding, Orl," he said quietly, his hand still resting gently against her stomach. "This isn't... it's not normal, and you know it."

"I bled with Ivy and it was fine" She told him. Paul frowned as he remembered Orla's pregnancy with Ivy. Yes, she had bled a few times, but this seemed different, more serious. "I know, but it's not the same," he said gently, his fingers tracing soothing circles against her skin. "It's more this time, and you're in pain."

"Let's just go back, they'll be wondering where we are" *She said. Paul hesitated for a moment, his heart torn between wanting to find out what was wrong and wanting to respect her wishes. But eventually, he sighed softly and nodded. "Yeah, alright," he agreed quietly. He helped her stand up and adjust her clothes, before they both walked back out into the restaurant, trying to hide their worry and fear.

Paul forced a smile as they sat back down at the table, putting on a facade of normalcy. But beneath the surface, his mind was racing. He listened to the conversations around him, laughter and chatter filling the air, but he couldn't focus on any of it. His eyes kept darting towards Orla, taking in every flicker of discomfort or pain that passed over her face. She held her hands in the other, allowing her to dig her nails into her fingers, a distraction from the pain she felt.