Present's Past || Larry Stylinson AU ||

Present

Okay before you continue, I uploaded this before and I decided to delete that and reupload it again because it was having some problems on Wattpad. I don't even know why.

Ok so without any furthur delay, here it isssss.

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I took a small sip out of my tea cup of peppermint tea as I stare out the vintage-framed window. The wind was blowing gently against the tree leaves as it swayed along.

It was a nice, peaceful morning in Britain. The rain has yet to fall but still, there's little droplets on leaves that was condensed and it sparkled under the bright sun like diamonds.

The soft sounds of a barking dog could be heard through the closed windows. It was our dog, Brinky, a golden retriever. Brinky was running around our lawn, chasing its tail.

" Daddy! " Darcin, my daughter, called out from the hallway behind me, breaking me out of my trance. " Daddy! "

I sighed and place my tea cup back onto its saucer. I straightened my legs out and stood up. I followed her calls to the storage room, wandering why she was there.

She was sitting crossed-legged on the floor beside an old opened box. It has something written on it, " Sealed Forever " in an Italian font. The words had faded over the years and the box was not in the same condition as it was before but it was enough to make me drown mentally.

In her hands was an old photo. In fact, a rather old and familiar one. She was studying the contents of that photograph and all of a sudden, I feel overprotective and insecure.

" Who is this, daddy? " Darcin spoke up. My muscles tensed as I find the right words to say, but instead, " W- what are you doing in here? " was all I could come up with.

I shook my head and furrowed my eyebrows. I bent down, squating, and took it out of her hands, feeling strangely naked.

My eyes immediately fell on the person next to me, its arm wrapped around my shoulders. I feel as if my world is being crushed down to the ground as I fight the threatening tears. I sniffed.

" Daddy? Are-are you crying? " she reached up and touched the tear that was rolling down my cheek with her index finger. I didn't even notice that more tears were falling. I quickly tossed the photograph back into its box and wiped my tears with my sleeve, sniffing. " I- I'm sorry daddy, I- I didn't mean to- " she sniffed and I realized that she has too, started to cry.

" No, no darling, it's alright, it's not your fault. " I lifted her off the ground by her armpits and pulled her into my chest, calming her. And at the same time, calming myself too.

I sighed, deciding or not whether to tell her. She's only 10 and I don't want to fill her head with adult stuff yet. But I guess it was time to tell her that she indeed, doesn't have a mother, but another father.

" Do you really want to know, Darcin? " I spoke up, my voice cracking in the process. She pulled away and looked up into my eyes, she nodded.

" Are you okay with it, daddy? " I felt her small, soft hand on my right cheek, caressing it, right above my dimple.

I closed my eyelids and let my head rest on her palm. A tear rolled down my cheek again, and into the space between my face and her palm. I don't know why it's making me so emotional all of a sudden. It's like I've fallen back into the deep hole of depression and sadness that I had once escaped but I don't think I might come out of it again any time soon unless of course, he's here by my side and the three of us could finally reunite as a family once again. But after so many painful years without his presence, I'm starting to lose hope, bit by bit every passing day.

I nodded then opened my eyes, " You deserve to know, sweetheart. " I stood up and held her hand, leading her to my car which was parked outside the house.

" Where are we going, daddy? "

I stared out ahead of me and thought about how I should put it, " To a place where I've never been in a long time. " I choked out.

I got into the drivers seat after helping Darcin onto the passengers seat and took out a piece of tissue from the glove compartment. I quickly dried my eyes and blowed my nose before driving down the very familiar road to the place where I would once call the best place on Earth.

We arrived in an old playground where there was no one in sight. From where I am, you could see that the slides and the see-saws hadn't been cleaned or touch in quite awhile. I'm guessing it's because there was a new playground that was opened a few weeks ago not too far away from here.

The metals had rusted and the once smooth, polished surfaces of the playground objects is now black and have a few patches of moss here and there. The paint had become dry and cracked, breaking off the surface. At least the trees and the plants surrounding the area doesn't look too bad.

I parked the car under an old oak tree and we both got out. Darcin looked a little scared so I held her hand and gave it a soft squeeze, reassuring her.

She looked up at me and hugged my arm tightly, " Wha- why are we here, daddy? There's no one here... "

I didn't answer her, instead, I just pulled my arm out of her embrace and wrapped it around her tiny shoulders. She burried her face into my shirt and I led her to the swings.

I sat down on the green-seated one that had been worn out over the years while Darcin sat on the blue-seated one, where he used to sit on. The colors indicating our eye colors. All the times we had in this very playground was just absolutely priceless.

A soft chuckle escaped my lips thinking back and pain rosed up to my nose, signalling that I'm about to cry. I bit my bottom lip and forced myself to be strong. I only let go of it when blood could be tasted.

Darcin was looking down on her fumbling fingers while she rock herself back and forth as she waited for me to speak.

" I- I'm going to... tell you a really really long story and whenever you feel the need for me to stop, just tell me alright? " she looked up at me and we locked eyes. She nodded lightly.

" Okay. " she whispered to me, clearly knowing that this wasn't going to be one of those happy-ending fairy tales.

I cleared my throat and brace myself for the heartbreak, knowing that walking down memory lane will be the worst thing ever since he left and begin to tell her the happiest yet the saddest story of my life.

" Okay.. "