Sinking (A One Direction/Union J story)

Summary: She’s a girl that’s been with her boys since the X Factor and even before that in one of their cases but she’s been slowly sinking into an unfamiliar abyss of self-blame and guilt. Her boys help a lot without even knowing it and soon there’s a love interest on the horizon but is he too high on fame and fortune to even think about a romance with an unknown? And will this just make her sink even deeper into the abyss of self-blame and guilt?

Chapter 1 – The Beginning….

No P.O.V

“So Popstars,” A female voice called out startling the boys in the room she had just entered, “Guess who finally got their certificate? Well it’s obviously not a full qualification because I couldn’t get in touch with my tutor to hand in the last of my work as you all know and now I’m rambling once again, sorry.”

The boys all smiled over at where she stood in the doorway and jumped up from their previous spots around the room while cheering. They soon gathered her into a group hug before they separated and hugged her individually. The boy she’d known the longest out of all of them was the last one to hug her.

“I’m so proud of you,” He whispered in her ear, “You did it! Well most of it anyway.”

“Thanks Cuddle-Gnat,” She teasingly whispered back to him.

He groaned, “When will you quit it with that silly little nickname?”

“When you stop biting everyone as a way to show your affection,” She retorted.

He pouted at her and pulled back, “You’re no fun.”

“Hey that’s not true,” She protested, “You just never give me any fun options to choose from.”

“How very dare you,” He exclaimed, “Take that back.”

“Hmm…. Let me think,” She pondered, “How about no? I really don’t think that I will.”

“Ok then,” He smiled, “Now you can’t say that I didn’t warn you because you know that this happens whenever you offend one of us.”

“It’s the drill,” One of the other boys chimed in.

“NO!” She shouted with wide eyes.

She slowly started to back away but it was already too late as he’d pounced on her once she was distracted. He started to tickle her with one hand while the other held her close to his body to stop her from wriggling or running away.

“You know that this is what you get,” He paused to tickle her more viciously before he continued with his line of thought, “And you know just what to say to get it to stop.”

“No,” She giggled, “I shall never say it for as long as I shall live!”

“Fine then,” He answered and turned towards the boys around the room in various positions and watching them both in amusement, “Lads, can one of you stop just lounging around like an idiot and hold her so I can use both hands?”

“No,” She protested while still giggling, “Please don’t!”

“Sorry Baby-Cheeks,” The boy moved closer as he answered her, “But we’ve missed you and your musical laughter too much around here.”

The other boys nodded in agreement as the boy who’d spoken grabbed her from her eldest friend’s arms and held her tight.

“Traitors,” She spat now full on laughing, “You’re all traitors.”

They all laughed at her attempts at an indignant look while she laughed hard enough to cough up a lung.

“Now are you gonna say it Love?” The boy tickling her asked with a fond smile, “Or do I have to get the other lads involved in this tickle attack?”