she's leaving home 𝐓𝐇𝐄 𝐁𝐄𝐀𝐓𝐋𝐄𝐒 [𝐛𝐨𝐨𝐤 𝐭𝐰𝐨]

X

george slumped into the chair, his tired eyes closing in relief as molly handed him a steaming mug of hot chocolate. her eyes sparkled with warmth. "you seem like you could use a cup of coffee," she said, her voice gentle.

george took the mug gratefully, his fingers wrapping around it. "and then straight to bed," he added, his voice rough from exhaustion. he sank into the chair beside hers, his tired eyes closing in relief as he savoured the rich aroma of the hot chocolate.

"thank you," he said, his voice low and sincere, as he took a sip. the sweet, velvety drink warmed his hands and heart, comforting him like a hug.

molly grinned brightly, her gaze softening as she looked at him. "did you enjoy the show as much as i did?" she asked, her voice bubbly.

george opened his eyes, a small smile playing on his lips. "maybe," he hummed, his voice teasing. "you seemed to have quite the fun with stick."

molly huffed, her laughter light and carefree. "you noticed? well... you know stick."

she took a sip of her hot chocolate, her eyes sparkling with mischief. george chuckled, his exhaustion momentarily forgotten. "hard not to. you danced with him the whole night," he remarked, amusement evident in his tone. "and he always seems to show up at the weirdest of times."

molly's laughter echoed off the walls of the cozy kitchen, her eyes shining with joy. "well, what can i say? your music has a way of getting me to dance," she admitted, her voice full of admiration.

the two fell into a comfortable silence, the only sound the soft crackle of the fire in the hearth. george watched as molly's eyes drifted closed, her features softening in the flickering light. her eyelashes cast a low shadow on her face.

"you know," george began, his voice quiet, "i never expected any of this. the band. the fame." he looked at molly, his expression earnest.

she turned to him, her gaze searching his face. "but you wouldn't trade it for anything, would you?" she asked softly. she could tell he craved the attention—the validation. he loved it.

george met her eyes, his expression sincere. "no. i guess i wouldn't." he knew he had found something worth holding onto. molly. she was undoubtedly his best friend.

molly's eyes sparkled with mischief. "well, i'll have to thank you for that one day," she quipped, her voice full of humour.

george raised an eyebrow, a smirk tugging at the corners of his lips. "oh, and why's that?" he asked, feigning innocence.

"because now i'll never be able to listen to your music without dancing like a fool," molly replied, her laughter full of amusement.

george chuckled, shaking his head in mock exasperation. "it's nice to know we have such an enthusiastic fan." he playfully nudged her shoulder with his free hand, his eyes twinkling with warmth.

molly's face turned bittersweet. "when are we going to talk about... that night?"

george's smile slightly faded away as he registered molly's words. his expression turned thoughtful, his eyes clouding over for a moment. he took a sip of his hot chocolate, collecting his thoughts before responding.