Second Shot (Bastille)

7: Keep it PG-13

*Freddie's POV*

"Ooh, I haven't seen this is a while" Sam exclaimed excitedly, rushing to my side and pointing to the burgundy skirt I was wearing. "How far into Narnia did you have to go to root this out?" I chuckled amusedly at Sam's joke but didn't retort back, instead I smoothed out the pleats of the skirt and smiled proudly to myself; this was the first time, in a while, that I had worn a skirt without Sam deciding for me and tugging it over my head like a child dressing a Barbie. "Okay, what's the occasion?" During the day, Sam was busy working on a project with a few other photographers and in the evenings she was out with Kyle (both of whom were absolutely smitten with one another) so I hadn't had time to tell her about Dan and I. A mischievous smirk grew on my face.

"I'm going to lunch... With Dan..." I tried to keep my tone cool and calm but the minute I said Dan's name, I turned into a giggly mess, however, Sam cut me off by squealing at an impossibly high pitch and scooping me up in her arms.

"Finally! When did this happen?!"

"Friday, after you and Kyle fucked us over" Sam giggled, clearly impressed by her master plan.

"Wait. Did you kiss him?" She quizzed, getting right up to my face so I could smell her coffee infused breath without even breathing in. I felt a warm, gooey sensation bubble in my stomach and I shifted my feet (almost embarrassedly).

"Maybe..." I mumbled, barely audible under Sam's excited squeaks.

"Aww Freddie," Once again, she put her arms around me "How was it?" Soooo good! Perfect in fact! Is what I wanted to shout at the top of my lungs. I was silent for a moment as the feeling of the kiss tingled on my lips again; how Dan's short stubble brushed my chin as I kissed his cheek and the way the shape of his mouth fitted flawlessly against mine. How he had politely put his hands on my waist and pulled me back as I stepped away, planting another kiss on my lips- respectful but affectionate at the same time. "Hello?" Sam snapped her fingers in my face "You still with me?" I blinked and dragged myself out of my daydream. "The kiss was....?"

"Amazing. Beyond anything I've ever experienced with anyone else, completely different to how Rowan used to... He was so courteous but there was loads of feeling in it too and-"

"Alright alright, I get it, don't need all the sloppy details" We both laughed until the joke passed and we drifted into quiet "He'll be good for you Fred. I'll be honest, when we first met him I wasn't sure, you know, he was just sat there at the bar, looking like a miserable arse but now that I've talked to Kyle- and Dan, obviously- I think he's exactly who you need, the precise embodiment of that 'second shot' I was on about" Sam spoke in a serious, motherly tone and her green eyes had darkened, making her look more mature than ever but I could also see a relieving weight rise off her; the whole Rowan situation had effected her just as much as it had effected me, it had turned her into a protective, worrying wreck and she now felt that it was her duty to look after me and keep me safe. Good old Sammy.

"Well I wouldn't be here without your unyielding pestering" Her solemn expression softened and she flung her arms around my shoulders a final time before a gentle knocking echoed through the apartment. "Speak of the devil" I disentangled myself from Sam's grip and crossed the room. The door swung open and I was greeted with Dan who was modelling a light blue shirt hidden under a navy blue jumper and the already familiar tatty white converse. He grinned shyly and wiggled his fingers in a timid 'hi'.

"Hey. You ready?" He asked, scratching the back of his neck. I nodded and grabbed my handbag.

"Hey Fred, I may be staying at Kyle's tonight so, be home before midnight, keep it PG-13 you pair, have fun" My cheeks- no, my entire face- burnt red, I shut the door before Sam could say another word and stepped out into the hallway. Shaking my head, I looked up at Dan who was still smiling brightly, before I had a chance to apologise for Sam's behaviour, Dan had put his hand round the back of my neck and his lips were pressed against mine.

"Let's get going" He took hold of my hand and we made our way to the café where we had agreed to have lunch. We were walking through a lively marketplace, talking about the release of the bands first album which was only a week or two away when an unknown voice called out behind us.

"Dan, is that you?" Both of us turned around and I was faced with three people; a curvy woman, possibly in her late-forties, with short brown hair stood in between two men. One about the same age and the other, significantly younger. The older man was tall and had an athletes build, his hair was almost black and speckled with strands of grey and thin frame glasses rested on his nose. Finally, the younger boy stood just a bit taller than the woman and held himself with a burning confidence, his hair was also dark but fell in a mop of messy waves and almost covered his big, excitable eyes. Before anyone had a chance to speak, I caught on: the resemblance was uncanny.

"Mum, Dad, hey" Dan stepped forward and put his arms around his mother then clapping his dad on the shoulder in a typical father-son way. "You alright Oli?" He asked, nodding over to the younger boy.

Oli smirked and nodded "You alright Danny?" Dan scoffed quietly and rolled his eyes. Then all eyes landed on me. "You gonna introduce us to this lovely young lady then big brother?" My cheeks flushed scarlet.

"Oh yeah, family this is Freddie, Freddie meet family." I smiled and waved politely and waited while each of Dan's relatives surveyed me.

"Nice to meet you Freddie, I'm Amelia, this is John and Oliver"

"Nice to meet all of you" We talked for a while, the conversation mostly between Dan and his mum, but I kept seeing her glance over at me, desperate to ask how Dan and I knew each other, however, she kept it to herself.

"Well, we should probably get going Freddie," Then Dan turned to his parents "I'll call or pop over soon" We waved goodbye before walking down the street and heading towards the café.   

Lunch had somehow turned into the whole afternoon of Dan and I wandering around the market, checking out what was being sold on the stalls (even though I knew I had a lot of work piling up at home). It was late evening by the time we returned to the apartment, Big Ben chimed eight times as I put the key in the lock and let the door swing open.

"You, uh, wanna come in? I can make you dinner, if you want?" Dan nodded and followed me into the apartment. I grabbed a bottle of wine out of the fridge and removed the cork with a soft pop. "Pasta alright? It's not exactly Michelin Star cuisine but-"

"Pasta's fine" Dan finished, chuckling slightly. Yes Freddie, you don't have to give an explanation for everything. I turned to the cupboard, hoping Dan wouldn't see my awkwardness, and rooted out a box of pasta along with some sauce.

"You wouldn't mind cutting up some vegetables would you?" I asked after setting out a chopping board and an array of vegetables. Almost instantly, Dan sprung into action; he pulled his jumper off over his head and pushed his shirtsleeves up to his elbows, grabbed a knife from the stand and began precisely running the blade through a tomato. "Showing some good skills there" I complimented, automatically regretting it as Dan burst out in a fit of childish sniggering. Humiliation raced through me and I turned back to the pan of water that was gently simmering.

"I can show you some other skills if you want... sorry, that was bad. I'm ashamed of myself." Our quiet laughs floated around the room. Glancing over my shoulder, I saw Dan shaking his head shamefully.

We quickly finished cooking and sat on the not-so-romantic sofa while we ate. Once we had eaten, I moved over to the kitchen counter and refilled the two glasses with crisp white wine. As I was pouring the last drops of wine into my glass, I noticed Dan's shadow draw near.

A/N: Hey, I'm gonna start updating twice a week but I'm not sure how long this will last because I'm really busy with college and work