House on the Vistula (an Ed Sheeran story)

Chapter Six

I couldn't help myself. I took a step forward and wrapped my arms around his torso, pressing my cheek against his jacket, breathing in his scent and blinking rapidly. "I just got so scared. I'm sorry for being a prick."

"We all get scared, Natalia." Ed told me slowly, a single arm wrapping around my waist equally as slowly.

I pulled away. I couldn't help that either- even something as small as that made me uncertain. "Not that quickly, though. You can say it."

"I wasn't going to say that." He corrected me as he sat down, shrugging off his jacket and leaning forward with his arms crossed on the table.

"Sorry. But it's common sense. I overreacted. I shouldn't have. And even more so, I shouldn't have made such a fuss earlier on. The crying, that I don't feel bad for because I was hurt, and embarrassed, and confused. However," I took a cautious sip of my coffee. "I'm sorry for running off like that- I feel like a right twat for that, Ed. I was shocked and drunk and a drama queen. Honestly, I have no idea why you even bothered running after me."

"Honestly? I have- had no idea either. It was you, and there was so much left unexplained. I hate to leave things off on such a sour note." He gave a soft snort of mockery. "I guess we're both drama queens for making such a fuss of a week-long friendship."

"I suppose you can grow attached to someone within a week, and I guess I wouldn't have minded that so much had we not kissed and if we weren't both going separate ways. As I said, two different worlds that rarely collide-"

He laughed out loud, and I stared at him for a moment, feeling rather humiliated that this was funny to him. And then I, the woman without a single intelligent cell in my brain, also realised and started chuckling.

"I suppose it is somewhat different in this case, but as I was saying, if you would please return your undivided attention to what I am trying to say." I smirked, and he mimed zipping his lips with a wink. "- and I wanted a clean break. To not drag this out. To not get attached, and then either end up hurting you, or..."

"Having me hurt you." He finished for me when he saw my discomfort saying something that could indicate something else that could call for ridicule or something unwanted, then also took a few sips of his drink.

"Yes." I met his eyes and smiled wryly. "Pathetic, I know."

"I wouldn't say pathetic. Only human."

"Exactly. Pathetic."

We sat there in silence for a few minutes, staring out at the station through the window. It was nearing rush hour, so not only was it getting noisy downstairs, but it was also getting horribly crowded around the large station.

"Looks like I won't be getting the tube for a couple hours yet." I commented innocently, but Ed caught my sideways smirk.

"I guess you can say I'm in the same situation." He told me, raising his eyebrow and matching my smirk with his grin.

"Oh? Then how about we wait it out together? For old times' sake."

"Except this time, without the sunburn, nosy kids and tight schedule."

"Ah, I wouldn't be so sure about the last two. One, soon enough it will be younger people here before school or uni. You know what that means. And two, I'm pretty sure you have a concert tonight."

"One, fair point. And two, I'm also fairly certain that you don't have some sort of three-hour sunbathing session you can't get out of, dinner or activity, or a need for sleep before yet another day consisting of the very same activities."

"Shush you," I grinned, leaning forward to kiss his cheek, but accidentally (yes, completely by accident) planting it on the corner of his mouth, between his lips and cheek. I was almost finished with my coffee so I downed it and stood up with a grimace. "Right, I'm going to go have a wee and refresh myself. I didn't sleep or get to fix my face before leaving the party, since some f.ucker puked all over the sink and the items surrounding it, including my toothbrush."