A Bit Of This And That

by Missy71

A series of one-shots stemming from 'A New War', following Mia, Bucky, and the people in their lives. Moments and short-stories that fit into their little universe, ranging from angsty chapters to fluff-filled vignettes. AU.

Notes: HAIIIII GUYYYSSSS! Okay, I know I said I wouldn't be updating for a while, and that is true. Buttttt, I thought I'd post this one-shot I wrote a while back that ties in really well with where 'A New War' is headed. Gonna be a little sappy and say that this was written for my real life favourite human bean, (whose name also happens to be Mel hehe), the person who told me to start writing in the first place. She's the greatest. Seriously. Everyone, and I mean everyone, deserves to have a Mel in their lives. She's a 'bring-you-pizza-at-2-in-the-morning' and 'listen-to-you-talk-for-hours-about-stupid-things-you-like-' kinda gal. Annnnddd she's my rock. Love you with all my heart and my loins (no homo :'), Melon.

ANYYYWAAAYYYY, moving right along, this one-shot is set before and during 'A New War'. It follows the story of Mel and Richy, and how they started out. They're seriously 2 of my favourite characters to write, and not gonna lie, Richy is Richard Madden (If you don't know who Richard Madden is, please Google him…and then thank me for changing your life :'))))

Annddd I'm looking forward to doing more of these one-shots! In the future, there'll be some Mia and Bucky action, along with Steve, Sam and the rest of the gang making appearances. I'm gonna stop talking. Yep. I should stop talking. Okay, HAVE FUNNNNNN! :'D

She had to face it. There wasn't an easy way of putting it, it was simply time to accept her reality. She'd kept her hopes hesitantly high for an entire year; 12 long, anxiety-riddled and tiresome months. It wasn't supposed to turn out like this. If she was being completely honest, she hadn't expected it to be anything more than a crush or a fancy. When it had started out, there was no way in hell that Mel could have known it would end like it had; almost 350 days later with her passport in one hand, bag in the other and a pathetic sense of defeat blanketed over her senses.

And the cause of all this strife? None other than Richard "The Life Fucker-Upper" Flanagan. Don't be fooled by his generic name and the dull picture that may pop up in your mind upon hearing it, because Richard was far, far from ordinary. It was the reason why even after so many failed attempts at moving on with her damn life and picking someone a little more attainable to obsess over, Mel was left standing at D.C.'s Ronald Reagan Airport having finished her degree and wallowing in the fact that she would probably never see him again.

Before Mia had come into Mel's life, she'd spent most of her time at uni with odd friends here and there, never becoming too attached or close to anyone in particular. It hadn't been until she'd shown up that Mel even realised that she could be that close with someone after high school. They'd taken a liking to each other on only the second day at university, and they'd both been thrilled to learn that they were going to be sharing a few classes together, regardless of the fact that they were doing different degrees.

It was in their second week of university during an Allied Health Professions class that Mia and Mel found themselves about to doze off as a result of their 70-something year old professor droning on and on about the ever-increasing prices of banana bread. There was hardly a person in the room who could keep their eyes open, and Mia and Mel would've been content sneaking in an hour of extra sleep in class had it not been for the sound of a slamming door jarring them from their slumber.

"I'm so sorry Professor, I had a bit of trouble finding the room," said an accented someone that Mel couldn't quite see yet. She was seated at the back of the class, and it just so happened that the tallest person in the room besides her was sat right in front of her, blocking her vision. It's safe to say that it hit her like a tonne of bricks when she actually got a chance to see the person who'd spoken, and even more so when she noticed he was making his way over to her.

Her mother had taught her that it was rude to stare, and for the most part, she'd adhered to that societal guideline. But it was proving a little difficult when the person her gaze was glued to was 6'2, blue-eyed to the death and sporting a small smile, all the while looking at Mel like she was an old friend of his as he moved closer.

...I'm dreaming. Good God, this isn't real. How much Xanax did I take this morning?

Before she had too long to be brought back to her senses, the handsome dude with the smooth-as-silk accent was right in front of her and had his mouth open to say something, so Mel adopted a nervous smile and waited with bated breath to hear what he had to say.

"Mia! Do you mind if I, uh...y'know. Not too many seats around."

...

What. The. Frickity. Frack.

Mel turned to Mia, who was sitting right next to her, and threw her a confused expression that roughly translated to 'how the hell do you know him'?

"Richard! Hey, of course, yeah." Mia moved her bag and jacket from the seat next to her so that he could come around, and while she was busy doing so, Mel almost missed the small nod of greeting that the man known as 'Richard' sent her way.

Don't play games with my heart, boy.

"Thanks. God, this campus is bigger than anything I've ever seen. Glasgow has big buildings, but hardly any of them get used, y'know?"

Mia nodded. "Oh God, that's the same thing as Australia. We have beautiful campuses, but most of the buildings are for show. It makes you wonder why we even have them."

Richy laughed softly. "Yeah, it does."

Only a few moments went by of Mel keeping her gaze resolutely at the desk and hoping that Mia wouldn't draw attention to the fact that she existed, when her new friend did exactly that.

"Oh, sorry! I haven't introduced you guys. Richard, this is my friend, Meltem. Mel, this is Richard."

My palms are sweaty. Knees weak, mum's spaghetti—Shit Mel, stop rapping, this isn't the time! But forreal, palms are sweaty. Fix it, you egg!

Subtly wiping her hands on her faded denim jacket, Mel tried to hide the nervousness in her smile as she brought her eyes up to look at his, and boy oh boy, she should've known then that she was a goner.

He extended his hand over Mia's desk and quirked his smile into a cheeky grin, eyes lit with a gentle warmth. "Please, call me Richy."

Mel didn't hesitate before shaking his hand and laughing breathlessly. "Nice to meet you."

He nodded. "Meltem, was it? Wow, I've never heard of that name before."

She smiled. "Yeah, me neither."

...

Bridge. Jump off of one. Right. Now.

He laughed a little, brows drawn in as their linked hands broke apart. "You've never heard of your own name before?"

"No, I meant...As in, I've never heard it...used by...someone else." She shook her head and said, "Used for someone else. I mean, I'm the only Meltem that I know of. Y'know 'cos...y'know?"

He laughed a little louder, apparently finding her rather amusing. "Yeah no, I get you."

Mia must've seen Mel's inner turmoil written all over her face, because she decided that it was high time to save this dying situation. "Richy and I met at the international students welcoming breakfast last week. Apparently there aren't too many exchange students doing psychology so, we were a pretty small bunch."

Mel nodded and Richy stole a glance her way when her gaze retreated to the desk in front of her. She thought that that was the end of the conversation, now that the professor was actually beginning to speak about something other than overpriced pastries. But, to her pleasant surprise, Mia reclined back in her seat with a knowing grin on her face, and let Richy lean in a bit to ask Mel, "Are you studying psych too, or...?"

Mel's eyes widened a little. "Uh, no. I'm actually doing Paramedic Sciences."

He nodded. "Ah, so you just snuck into class to be with your girl here," he said, pointing at a smiling Mia.

Mel let out a proper laugh at that, and she didn't see the way that Richy smiled a little giddily at her reaction. "No, we have a few of the same subjects this semester. She wouldn't be worth all that trouble, to be honest."

Mia feigned offense, clutching her heart and saying softly, "You were my brother, Anakin." She covered her mouth and said, "I loved you."

Both Mel and Richy laughed a little too loudly for the professor's liking and got a bit of an earful for it, with the old fellow calling out only the two of them to behave like the mature collegiate students they were supposed to be. He even went so far as to single out Richy by saying, "I don't know how things work in Ireland young man, but there will be no tolerance for tomfoolery in this course. Understood?"

Mel almost doubled over with laughter when Richy mumbled, "It's Scotland, ya' doormat." He looked up at the professor and put on a cheeky grin, sat up straight in his chair and sent a small salute his way. "Yes, sir."

Mia was laughing quietly to herself, not wanting to cop an earful from Professor Lee, and was well over the little incident within a few minutes. But Mel? Oh, she was a completely different story.

Throughout the rest of the session, she was hyperaware of his presence and the fact that he was only a seat away, so she dared not chance a glance at him unless it was absolutely safe. Because she was so hell bent on not being seen looking at him, she missed the half a dozen or so glances that he threw her way, obviously not as interested in being subtle as she was. He only really got a chance to see her profile, but that was more than enough to spark an interest in his mind.

Her cocoa brown hair was in a low pony and fell past her shoulders, with a slight wave to it and a charmingly messy fringe covering her forehead. Her eyes were beautifully almond shaped, with a tinge of light brown and naturally long lashes coating their lids. Her lips were upturned in a perpetually content shape, and her skin was of such a shade that it made it hard for Richy to decide just where she hailed from.

Being the objective third party, Mia was able to note the few glances thrown by Richy, and was also good enough at reading people to know that Mel's insides were probably burning with the force of a thousand suns in an attempt to seem nonchalant. Even though it was the first time they had met, she decided to make a mental note of the moment in case it ever materialised into something in the future. Sure, the idea was a little far-fetched...but maybe, just maybe, something might happen.

It didn't take a whole lot longer for Mel to become all but putty in his hands (y'know, without actually being with him, in any way, shape or form). The next few weeks went by and he would sit at different places in class, sometimes with a group of his other friends and sometimes by himself. Mel would try to look a little more presentable if she knew she'd be seeing him on certain days, and it wasn't long until she simply had to admit the fact that she had a crush. Quite a prominent one, at that.

In the first month, she heard about it non-stop from Mia. Initially, she'd just tease her and make it ragingly obvious whenever he'd be within a 10 metre radius of them. Mel would try and brush it off, weaselling her way out of any situation where she'd have to interact with him for fear of screwing up. But it took a practical session one day for her to shake herself a little at just how much she was growing to like him.

Their prac was being held in a large theatre room, where they'd be learning about the importance of spatial understanding when it came to dealing with trauma patients. The professor was, as always, running a little late, and the entire class was either lazing about in a chair or pacing the large room with a friend.

It was one of the few times where Mel had shown up on time and Mia had been the one to be late to class. Mel figured that she might've slept in or gotten caught up at training, so she was willing to let it slide as she waited for her, sitting alone awkwardly in anticipation for the professor to arrive. She'd been playing Tetris on her phone for about 5 minutes, and was swearing quite harshly in Turkish under her breath. She'd been trying to get past this level for 2 days, and after she kept dying within the first few seconds of restarting, she groaned a little loudly and angrily shoved her phone into her bag.

Unbeknownst to her, Richy had just walked in and seen the little internal spiff she'd been having, with amusement shining in his eyes as he watched on. He felt a little hesitant before approaching her because Mia was usually there to be their buffer, but he reasoned 'what's the worst that could happen?'.

He came to stand in front of her, with his one-shouldered bag slung lazily on his back and his hands shoved in his pockets. When his scuffed shoes came into Mel's line of vision, she slowly looked up and could hardly believe that he was standing there, with an easy smile on his face and seemingly wanting to talk to her.

"Oh, hi. Hey," she said, shock evident in her voice.

"Hiya." He pointed at the seat next to her. "You mind if I...?"

Mel replied a little too excitedly, "Oh, no! Not at all."

Reason of death: cringed herself into a heart attack.

He smiled. "Thanks."

He put his bag down next to the seat and made himself comfortable, quite possibly just as unsure as she was as to what exactly would be the best thing to say. After a few moments of awkward silence had elapsed, he decided to go with the safest option. "Were you playing a game before?"

She mussed her fringe a little, a nervous habit of hers, before saying, "I was trying to. But, I'm not very good at it."

"Which game is it?"

"Only the classic, Tetris."

He hummed and nodded. "Ah, no quicker way to drive you up the wall than that."

She laughed a little, but not because what he was saying was particularly funny, but by God his accent would be the death of her, and what better way to face death than with a giggle.

After she didn't reply, he continued, "What level are you on?"

"Level 8. I've been on it for 2 days and…it's just killing me. I can't last for more than 10 seconds."

He had a thoughtful look on his face as he nodded. "Pass me your phone."

Mel laughed a little. "Seriously?"

"Yes, seriously. You haven't even gotten past Level 10 yet, this is the easy stuff." He held out his palm with a quirk of his lips. "Hand it over."

Mel smiled and shook her head, unlocking her phone and giving it to him. "You're awfully confident."

He had a certain glint in his eye as he replied, "I don't lose."

He began the game where Mel had left off, and managed to die 4 times before he actually passed the 10 second mark...and then proceeded to die 6 more times. His eyes were glued so intently to the phone as he shifted left, up, right, right, and then eventually got told the 'Game Over' sign more times than he was comfortable with. His eyes never faltered from the screen, and Mel's never faltered from him.

She couldn't help but smile every time he let out a cuss in his stupidly charming accent, leaning in and out with the phone as though his movements would make a difference to the game. His eyes were a deep blue, and she'd never had the chance to look at him so closely before. She suddenly became aware of him, sat in such close proximity that it coated her skin with a light layer of goosebumps. His cologne was suddenly very potent, and his hair was fluffier than she remembered. He was hardly paying attention to her as he tried his darndest to beat the level she was on, but she couldn't care less about that at the moment.

It was as his eyes lit up and his mouth quirked up into a silly smile at having passed the level that Mel knew; she was falling for this guy.

And it was gonna hurt like hell.

The professor eventually came in and broke the class up into groups, meaning that Mel and Richy weren't together in them. The rest of the session went off without a hitch, with Mia joining in and helping things flow normally. But Mel found herself sneaking glances when she could, trying to look his way when he wouldn't notice and being hyperaware of the fact that she couldn't make a fool of herself in front of him. It was meant to mean nothing...but things were hardly ever that simple.

After their mid-semester exams were done and dusted, October had come around and the number of parties that the girls were invited to increased exponentially. Most of the people that Mia and Mel socialised with were in their final years at university as well, and so it was an unspoken truth that everyone there simply wanted to have a good time.

One Friday night during the beginning of November, Mia and Mel's mutual friend, Arya, invited them to a housewarming party that would take place at her parent's new holiday home about an hour from D.C. Deciding that both of them desperately needed the break, the girls met at Mia's place and sifted through possible clothes they could wear for a fun night out.

"I don't care what you say, you're wearing heels," warned Mia.

"What, so I can be mistaken for a tree the entire night?!" cried Mel as she flopped onto her best friend's bed in despair. "Being tall is a curse."

Mia slapped her leg. "No, having that attitude is a curse. Do you know how many girls in this city would kill for your legs?"

"Not even a single one when they realise it basically limits your potential boyfriend options to -47."

Mia quirked a brow. "Richy's taller than you."

Mel groaned. "Don't talk about him."

"Aww, Mel's in love," Mia sang. "I totally get it, though. He's literally one of the only guys at campus that's worth talking to. And Turkish and Irish mixed in with Scottish? My God, your children would be perfection."

"No, they wouldn't." Dear God, yes they would. And he's the perfect height and his dimples kill me and why the hell does his accent sound like that? Is he trying to commit mass murder just by speaking? "He's never even really spoken to me."

"Stop being a coconut. You two just need to sit down together and have a proper talk. Believe me, I've tried to help you out, but every time I set up the perfect opportunity, you run away from him like he has ebola, Mel!"

She sat up. "It's not easy, y'know. Half the girls in class are in love with him as it is."

"But those girls aren't you." Mia stood in front of her friend and looked at her expression curiously. Letting out a small sigh, she asked, "You really like him, don't you?"

She rolled her eyes. "Of course not. He's just...I mean..." she sighed and put a pillow over her face. "I don't fucking know."

Mia laughed, and though she empathised with what her best friend was feeling, Mel needed the opportunity to just let go for the night. "Alright, well put him on the backburner for now. We're gonna go to Arya's party and actually have some fun. I'm sick of staring at textbooks and I know for a fact that meeting with other humans would do us both some good." She grabbed her friend by the arm and pulled her up. "So come one, and try on some of these dresses." Mel began groaning inaudibly, to which Mia replied, "Uh-uh, I don't wanna hear a word about how much you don't wanna do it. This isn't up to you."

And with that, the two girls spent the next hour or so getting ready, finishing each other's hair and makeup insanely well for people that didn't do this sort of thing very often. By the time they were in the car and ready to go, Mel had consciously decided that she'd let loose that night, rather than allowing her needless fretting to get the best of her. She was with her best friend and her college peers, so she figured the last thing that needed to be on her mind was some boy she barely knew and how she hoped to grow a little closer to him.

The parties that the girls usually went to were held at frat houses or dorms on campus. But after pulling up at Arya's new manor and seeing no less than 100 cars parked on and around the property, Mia and Mel were beyond sure that they'd be in for a very different sort of experience. The minute they stepped out of the car, the deafening sound of music filled their ears, mixed with excited hollers and laughter coming from inside. They shared a look before they walked up the stairs, instantly hit by the smell of alcohol and cheese crackers once they were through the door.

"Mel! Mia! Oh God, I'm so glad you guys could make it," said Arya as she came bounding towards them, smothering them in a tipsy hug. "Did you guys find the place OK?"

"Yeah, it was right off the highway, so we were good." The girls shrugged off their jackets as their eyes wandered the 2 storey mansion they were currently standing in and marvelled, "This place is insane, Ari."

She giggled excitedly and took both of their hands. "Let me show you around."

The girls snaked through the crowd of people dancing in the living room, with typical red cups in hand and a girl or a boy on their arm. Mel looked around and saw quite a few familiar faces, but no one that she knew well enough to approach for a conversation. She tried not to fall over in the heels that Mia had made her wear, not particularly used to being even taller than she already was, but she was determined to not make an idiot of herself tonight. Even she had to admit that she looked bangin', and unfortunately, nights where she felt like that didn't come around too often.

"Okay, so this is the top floor. Over here, we have the gaming room," said Arya as she opened the door and waved at the several boys inside playing pool. "We have 3 guest bedrooms here," she opened each door, abruptly shutting two of them when she realised that there were some reproductive processes taking place in them. Mia and Mel blinked slowly, trying to rid their brains of some less than flattering images of their classmates, but Arya simply continued on with the tour.

"This is the upstairs kitchen. It's fully stocked so feel free to grab whatever you want from in there. Oh, and," she opened a glass door, "This is the balcony."

Both girls looked in awe as they took in the view, no longer concerned with the raging sounds coming from inside the party. Mia kept her gaze at the sky, not even bothering to look down at the palatial pool that sat just below the balcony. Mel, on the other hand, made the mistake of doing so, and almost went into cardiac arrest when she saw Richy sitting by the Jacuzzi, clad in a snug knit sweater and slacks. He was nursing a bottle of Corona, with his eyes glued to his feet, and Mel didn't know whether she should be more worried about his apparently sombre mood, or her inability to breathe.

She was about to tell Mia that she'd seen him, but somewhere in the back of her mind, she tried to remind herself that this wasn't why she was here tonight. Even from her current viewpoint on the balcony, she could see a few girls standing near him, sneaking glances and whispering among themselves. That was just the sort of guy he was. He didn't lack female attention, and she was sure as hell that he wouldn't want hers when there were so many others already prepared to give it to him.

When Arya left the girls to go tend to some other guests, Mia said wistfully, "Are you as hungry as I am right now? Because I'd devour a baby rhino if I saw one close by."

Mel shook herself a little. "Yeah, I wouldn't mind some food actually."

"Come, let's go check it out." Mia grabbed her hand and then looked back at her friend excitedly, "Maybe they have some fairy bread."

"...At a college party?"

Mia shrugged. "We have 'em in Australia."

She shook her head and muttered, "There's no way that country's real."

Mia led her down the stairs and past the now properly drunk lot of people, trying to find a way to the kitchen, her enthusiasm fuelled by the fact that she hadn't been fed in 5 hours. Mel, being the charming baby giraffe that she was, tripped 3 times just on her way there, and all her plans of elegance were shot to hell when someone bumped into her near the kitchen.

"Oh, God! Jesus, I'm..." he paused, "Sorry."

Before Mel could regain her balance enough to see who she was talking to, she heard Mia intake a little gasp at the sight. There, standing right before her eyes, talking to her, was the All American, tantalisingly gorgeous pro-college wrestler, Duke Evans. Mel's eyes widened a little when he reached out to grab her hand, probably trying to help her a little but only making her increasingly lightheaded the longer he looked at her like that.

"God, that was my bad. I've almost killed 4 people tonight like that," he said with his disgustingly charming smile and unfair dimples.

Mia lightly nudged her elbow, trying to remind her that replying is usually pivotal in maintaining a conversation. "Oh, no that's...uh..." she cleared her throat, "It's no problem."

He let go of her hand and asked, "You're Jen, right?"

"Mel, actually," she smiled.

"Ah. You just look so much like Jennifer Garner, I guess I got mixed up."

Mel let out a string of giggles (since when did she giggle?) at that, not fully understanding what was happening because boys like him did not carve out time to talk to girls like her. It was just an unspoken rule of law, and he was breaking it. You're a criminal, Dukie.

"You must know Arya?" he asked, seeming genuinely interested.

She put a strand of hair behind her ear, and she missed the way that his eyes fell down the length of her body, taking in the knee-length dress she was wearing and how exquisite her curvaceous legs looked in it. "She's been in a few of my classes over the years."

He nodded. "Our families have known each other since we were 6." Mel's eyes widened as a reaction, but her brain was too busy computing why he was still standing there talking to her. She could feel the gaze of at least 5 girls on her at that moment, and maybe even a few guys, but one thing she missed was that Richy had made his way inside the house and was standing a few feet away. He'd been chatting to a group of friends when he saw a small commotion near the kitchen bench, and that was when he temporarily had the air knocked out of him.

At uni, he'd always seen Mel as the kind of person who was rather shy and introverted, and that was reflected in the way she dressed and carried herself. She always wore comfortable attire that suited her body, and it was undeniable that she possessed natural beauty that didn't need modification to be appreciated.

...But when he saw her standing in a gorgeously fitted black cocktail dress that hugged her body in ways he'd never seen before, he experienced the most surreal pull towards her, one that was completely foreign to him. She was talking to someone, or rather giggling with someone, but their face was obscured by a column in the kitchen.

Richy didn't particularly care that he left his conversation with his friends, nor did he mind that she was already in the midst of a dialogue with someone else. He left his bottle on a table nearby and started making his way over to her, not really sure what he was going to say but beyond certain that he had to say it. He'd been in her classes for a few months now, and every time they spoke (which wasn't all that often), he found himself replaying those moments and enjoying the feeling it gave him when he did.

She seemed so unsure of herself, but he wasn't. There'd been times in his life where he'd taken chances with girls who weren't even worth it, but this girl...he wanted to see what would happen if he took that leap. It wouldn't be all that difficult, all he had to do was go up to her and ask her out on a—

"—you're really wearing that dress like you're doing it a favour," said the one guy on campus that irked out Richy more than anyone. He watched in stupor as Duke Evans placed a cup of beer in Mel's hand, noting the way that she blushed and hating that he was the one who caused it.

"Uh...ha, well..." she struggled to reply, "...it's my friend's so, I think the dress is doing her a favour."

What.

The.

Actual.

Fuck.

What the fuck does that even mean? This is why you didn't have any friends until an Australian came, because all the people in your own country have already disowned you!

Thankfully, Duke laughed lightly and tried to revive the conversation by asking, "That's cute. Are you talking about the Australian one?"

Mel nodded, "Yeah, Mia."

"Yeah, I know her, she trains with one of my buddies, Jordan Coster?"

A light bulb went off in her head. "Oh yeah, isn't he the one...". She stopped talking immediately when she remembered that the only way Mia had described Jordan was by calling him '220 pounds worth of Premium African American Beef'. She cleared her throat, "Yeah, I think she's mentioned him."

Richy watched on as they talked, not fully understanding why seeing someone flirt with her made him feel the way that it did. But even then, he couldn't help but notice that she didn't seem fully at ease. Her frame was rigid and nothing about the way she was talking to him made it seem like she was comfortable.

But maybe he was seeing things. Maybe he was trying to find reasons why she couldn't possibly be interested in someone like Duke, who Richy knew was a bit of a scumbag from the interactions they'd had. He didn't want to admit it, but maybe she just wasn't all that interested.

"Hey, so my buddies and I are gonna leave here pretty soon to crash at one of their places. If you want, you and your friend could tag along." He saw guarded hesitance in her reaction, so he added, "That is, if you're tired of drinking watered down vodka and soda. C'mon, it'll be fun."

It was at that point that Richy decided he didn't want to hear what she had to say next. She'd say yes, and then he'd take her back to his place, finishing off the night the way that she probably wanted. It was a strangely sour pill to swallow, but there wasn't much he could do about it.

"Richy! Hey," said a smiling Mia as she walked his way. He turned around and looked at her, painting a smile on his face as he leaned down to hug her. "I didn't know you were coming out here tonight," she said.

He shrugged. "Yeah, it was sort of a last minute thing."

Mia was the sort of friend he'd clicked with within the first few days of knowing her. She was quirky and easy to talk to, and she reminded him of some of the friends he'd left behind in Scotland. They had some of the most outlandish conversations during their Psychology classes together, and it didn't take long for them to become comfortable with one another. That's why even in a moment of undeniable frustration, he was happy to see a familiar face.

"You look beautiful, M," he said kindly.

She smiled, "You don't look too terrible yourself. Have you seen Mel, by the way? She was in the kitchen before but I lost her."

Richy swallowed, trying to hide his disappointment as he replied, "No, I haven't."

She nodded slowly. "Alright, well if you do, can you please tell her that I've gone with Rachel to the gas station? Arya needs some more ice."

"You sure you don't want one of the fellas to do it instead? It's pretty late, Mia."

She waved him off, "Nah, it's just down the road. Just let her know for me, please?"

She swallowed and nodded, "Yeah, sure."

"Alright, well I'll catch you later, Rich," she squeezed his forearm lightly before walking off to join Rachel, leaving him without a girl and without a beer. Not the best situation for any Scot to be in.

The next half an hour went by in a haze, and Richy felt as though the wind had been taken out of his sails a little. It was strange, though. It really shouldn't have affected him like this. She wasn't anything to him, nor was he anything to her. But he supposed it had something to do with the way that she acted differently than the other girls around him.

She was always smiling. He couldn't think back to a time where he'd looked at her in class and she wasn't sitting contentedly, as though there was no burden weighing on her mind. She smiled at fellow students and at the teachers, even at the cleaners and the was refreshing seeing someone like that, someone who wasn't so overtly involved in their own world to the point where they ceased to exist in the real one.

There were at least 4 girls that tried to come and stir up a conversation with him in that time, touching him and talking in a way that they hoped was alluring. But his mind simply wasn't having any of it. It annoyed him, really. But after wallowing in self-pity for one too many opportunities, his track of mind deviated momentarily. It was when a 2nd year nursing student started flirting with him while he was seated on the couch, he had fuck it moment and simply went for it.

He flirted back, allowed her to get handsy and a little carried away in her tipsy state. She was cute, petite and blonde, nothing like what he'd usually go for but enough to get his mind away from...well, everything.

They talked about college and her yoga class, all safe topics, until she started whispering in his ear and making her intentions clearer by the minute. About halfway through her advances, the idea of what she expected from him clouded his senses with a dull nervousness. He wasn't like this, didn't particularly enjoy one-night deals, and he didn't see how engaging in one would improve his situation.

With that in mind, he tried to be subtle without directly rejecting her. He guided her hands off of his neck and chest, and told her that he'd be back in a little while. To her, he was bringing the car around and getting ready for their night together, but for him...he was making an escape.

He grabbed his leather jacket from Arya's coat rack and made sure his keys and wallet were on him. He opened the door and didn't look back as he walked out onto the front porch, fully prepared to make his exit as quickly as possible. He breathed hot air into his hands to fight the cool November breeze, and was about to make his way down the grand stairs when he saw someone seated on the side of them.

It was her. She was alone, sitting wrapped in a thin shawl that she must've gotten from Arya. Her heels were off and placed beside her, and the expression on her face gave away just how much she didn't want to be there.

He swallowed, not wanting to ignore her but not knowing how to start up a conversation either. He decided to stick with the basics and said, "I'm sure there's a heater inside."

She turned her head quickly at hearing his voice, breaking into a nervous smile as she replied, "Oh, uh, yeah I bet there is. Just…not really my kind of party, though."

He nodded. "Yeah, I get that."

She looked over him subtly, hating that he still looked so good in the dim lighting of the night, just as he did in the daytime. And he was wearing a leather jacket.

Fuck. You. Leather. Jacket.

He stood there with his keys in hand and was looking in her general direction, not really making an effort to leave. Taking that as a sign, Mel picked up her shoes and vacated that spot, shifting a little to the side of the stairs in an open invitation. She looked up at him, hoping to God that he wouldn't opt to be on his merry way instead of sitting with her, but luckily, he didn't disappoint.

He came and sat down, looking over her as she curled in on her shawl a little more to shield her skin from the cool wind that was hitting them. From that close, the smell of her hair wafted into the air and beautified the setting even more, leaving him at a little bit of a loss as to what should be said.

It took a particularly harsh gush of wind and the momentary chattering of her teeth for him to do what he did without thinking twice. He leaned back and shrugged off his jacket, not looking at her widened eyes as he did it. As he straightened it out, Mel began her protests.

"Oh, you don't have to do that, you'll freeze."

He looked at her coyly. "I'm not the one wearing a thigh-length dress."

Mel shook her head and wanted to kill herself for the way her cheeks were flaring up. That only increased hundred-fold when he leaned in to drape the jacket over her, with her arms sat snugly beneath the sleeves. He let his hands linger at her shoulders a little longer than they had to, but drew them away as soon as she looked up at him.

His jacket smelt of his cologne and just him, and she decided to say something before she fell into a sweet, sweet coma. "Thank you," she said timidly.

He nodded softly. Both of them looked ahead, neither one knowing that they were thinking similar things as the other. Mel was still reeling from the night she'd had so far, where she'd turned down one of the most popular guys on campus for his invite to a fun night. As much as she thought she wanted an experience like that, it just wasn't her. And now here she was, sitting next to someone she'd grown to like so much more than she'd expected, without two words to say to him.

Richy was wondering why the hell she wasn't with Duke at the moment. He'd asked her to leave with him, so maybe he was gathering his things and getting ready to go. Maybe she was waiting for him, or he was getting his friends together to leave. Either way, he didn't want to talk to her about that at the moment.

"Did you drive here with Mia?"

"Yeah," she nodded, "I'm still working on my car, so it's gonna be a few months before I can take it out."

He furrowed his brows. "You're working on your car? You mean it's in the shop?"

She shook her head, "No, it's in my garage at home."

His eyes widened as he asked, "You work on your own cars?"

She laughed lightly, "Yeah, sorta always have. My dad, he's a mechanical engineer and just an all-round rev-head," she smiled. "No kid of his was ever gonna go to the mechanic's if they could fix the problem themselves."

That surprised the hell out of him. Mel looked like a lot of things, but a petrol head? She was too dainty, too pretty for someone who smeared grease on their jeans for a living. But that being said, she seemed like the type of girl that would surprise him with a few things.

"I never would've guessed that about you," he said quietly. "What kinda car do you drive?"

"A '67 Charger."

If he was drinking water, he would've done a spit-take. "You...you drive a Charger?"

She nodded, not really seeing the surprising part of it. "Yeah. Is that...bad?"

His brows shot up. "Is that ba—That's...fucking awesome. My uncle had an '83, but I've never seen a '67 before."

She blushed, deciding not to take that as a compliment, but rather a testament to the legend of a car she drove. She clutched at the chance to talk to him, so she tried continuing the conversation and maybe even getting to know a little more about him.

"Is it difficult driving here? Cos', y'know, right hand driving and all."

He nodded. "It was weird the first few times, yeah. But there's so much damn traffic in D.C. that your car barely moves more than 10 metres at once, so it's not so bad."

"Ugh, I know. D.C. is just...I mean, I love it but...God, I wish I could be anywhere but there."

She caught herself, not really meaning to make that little confession but knowing that it came out because she was comfortable. He took that and asked, "So where are you from? As in, originally? Because you don't strike me as a local," he smiled.

She shook her head, "No, I'm not. Well, my mum's Turkish and my dad's Irish." He looked at her in shock to which she said, "I know, I know. It's not the most popular combination ever."

"Wow," he marvelled. "That makes sense."

She shook her head, "Believe me, I know it's really weird and—"

"Don't say that," he replied seriously. "It's not."

The two of them shared a look, and she felt inexplicably warm at someone, namely him, making her feel normal about something that'd set her apart from everyone else since she was little. He added, "The way I see it, you get the best of both worlds. Kebabs and bangers and mash? That's a fucking party."

Mel leant her head back as she laughed, and he smiled at the fact that he could make her do that. He looked her over, liking the fact that she was wearing his jacket and how she snuggled into it. He wasn't all that subtle about it, and so it didn't take her long to hesitantly look his way and catch him doing so. She still wore a leftover smile on her face, and he replied in kind.

She felt like she should say something. Maybe this was the moment she'd been waiting for throughout the last 3 months. Being there, huddled up in the winter breeze and only a breath away from him...it had to mean something. And if ever the inner extrovert in her were to make an appearance, this was the time.

She pushed a piece of her hair behind her ear and angled herself towards him slightly. The cold was all but forgotten when he looked at her intently, waiting for what she'd say and hoping it was what he wanted. She opened her mouth and spoke softly, "Richy, I—"

"Richy! Oh my God, there you are! I was looking for you everywhere inside," said the cursed abomination who would forever be enshrined in Mel's mind as the kind of person he would rather go for. She was gorgeous, petite and every bit blonde as Mel was brunette. In a phrase, she was everything that Mel wasn't, so it was no wonder that he'd already made plans to head home with someone that night. It was just the way that things went.

"Did you grab your things? I'm just gonna get my coat and then we can go, okay?" she said with a slight slur.

Mel told herself to keep it together, at least for the time being, because Lord knows she wouldn't recover if she let her eyes water in front of him. The hurt that spread in her stomach was every bit as real as the embarrassment in her mind was. She turned herself so that she was facing the front, not wanting to look at him for fear of every inadequacy she'd ever felt about herself surfacing in his gaze.

She could feel him about to say something. Maybe he would apologise for leaving and ask for his jacket back. But she wouldn't let herself be humiliated, so she grabbed either collar and shrugged it off herself, wordlessly placing it in his hands and not looking up.

"No, Mel it's cold. Just keep it for—"

She shook her head. "It's fine. Thank you, though."

He reluctantly clutched the jacket in his hand, not making an effort to put it back on in the hopes that she might change her mind and ask for it. But no such thing happened, and he couldn't believe his cursed luck that not only had his escape plan failed, but so had his first real shot at furthering things with her. If anything, he wished he hadn't come at all. That way, he wouldn't have had to see the kind of disappointment that was written on her features, an expression that was unfamiliar to her face.

He suddenly remembered that Mia had asked him to convey a message to her. "I think Mia's gone to the gas station."

She nodded, still not looking him in the eye. "Yeah, Arya told me."

"I could stay and wait...y'know, until she gets back."

She laughed a little sadly. "Oh no, please don't keep anyone waiting," she gestured vaguely to the front door. "I'm...I'm fine alone."

And that was it. That's what she was. And she hated it, but alone was what she'd been for so long. And nothing happening in her life indicated that that was about to change anytime soon.

"I'm ready," sang the killer of all hopes and dreams as she flipped her blonde hair out of her coat and walked carefully down the steps.

Before she had a chance to see anything that would really seal the nail in her coffin, Mel got up and walked barefoot up the stairs and back towards the door. She didn't want to look back at him, because then he'd say 'goodnight', and she'd know that whatever fantasy she'd concocted in her head was well and truly nonexistent. It might've been true, but that wasn't what she needed to hear.

She didn't know that he stood there with a beautiful girl on his arm, but didn't spare her a second glance as his eyes trailed to follow her departure, wanting desperately to go after her but unable to take that step. Maybe, he figured, it just wasn't meant to be.

After that night, Mel wholeheartedly settled on the fact that it wasn't going to happen. It had been a nice little crush, and sure, she'd enjoyed it in a strangely sadistic way. But at the crux of it, it just wasn't worth it. Over the next few weeks, she didn't see much of him at campus, nor did she actively try seeking him out during class like she usually did. Instead, she focused on her work and went home as soon as holidays started, well and truly prepared to finish the semester with flying colours and head into her final 4 months of study.

And she succeeded beautifully. She immersed herself into all the things she loved, having the time to fix her car, spending the weekend with friends, all the good stuff. Even Mia noticed the change in the way she was acting, and while she didn't know about what had transpired between Mel and Richy that night, she was just happy that her best friend was taking control of her life in the way she was.

She even went on a few dates with people Mia and Rachel had set her up with. One guy had been especially lovely, a fan of cars himself and in his first year of post-grad. Mel had enjoyed the date or two they went on, and if fate had different plans, maybe it could've worked out.

…But the fact that he had a secret boyfriend in Idaho didn't really help much…

It was the end of January and the girls' final semester came around. Mel intended to make the beginning of these last few months as perfect as possible. She wanted to finish her assessments before they were due, to arrive to class on time and to be an all-round badass when it came to school.

...Needless to say, that aspiration lasted for approximately 36 minutes.

On her very first day of uni, her traitorous biological clock (and alarm clock) forgot to wake her up in time for her 8:00am Trauma class. She cussed like the Irishman she was the whole time she was getting ready and the drive there, until she finally made her way to the right class...

...29 minutes late...

The moment she opened the door, she was hit by the sheer amount of people in the auditorium. She didn't think she'd ever seen it so full before, and it didn't surprise her when all 450 heads turned her way, most of them staring her down as though she'd assassinated the President of Chechnya.

She could feel her face growing redder than the YouTube logo as she was about to start babbling out apologies to the Professor, who everyone knew was a total hard-ass. Moments like this didn't sit well with her introverted personality at all. She didn't like being in the spotlight, hated it most of the time, and she could feel her throat closing up at the thought of having to explain herself in front of an auditorium full of judgemental peers.

But just as she was about to open her mouth, the unmistakable sound of clapping filled her ears, and she almost couldn't believe it when she noticed someone right at the back of the hall standing up and cheering.

The Professor's attention was shifted immediately, as was everyone else's in the room. But when she looked a little closer and saw the familiar outline of her idiotic Australian friend, she tried to stifle her laughter as much as humanly possible.

The Professor was about to say something to quieten Mia, but he stopped when she was joined by someone sitting close to her who had also gotten up from his seat and was clapping up a storm. Mel didn't need more than a few seconds to recognise who it was, and her jaw almost hit the floor when she saw Richy smiling proudly down at the Professor, and by extension, her.

It wasn't long before a few rows of people had stood up and began cheering, all seemingly happy to have gotten a distraction from their riveting lecture. Professor Walker waved his hands frantically, urging everyone to sit down but failing hopelessly as he did. Within a minute, all 250 or so students were on their feet, some even going so far as to stand up on their chairs as they clapped and laughed heartily, the 6'0 girl who came late to class all but forgotten and so was her embarrassment.

Mel made her way up the staircase to her friend as quickly as she could, and tried not to think too hard when she sat in the only vacant seat between Richy and Mia. Everyone had begun to settle down upon hearing the Professor's threat of assigning 3 more pop quizzes, but the uplifted atmosphere in the room allowed a smile on everyone's face.

She looked at Mia and whispered, "You're fucking insane, you know that right?"

She shrugged and said, "I'm just glad Richy joined in. I would've looked like a bit of a doorknob if I was doing it alone."

Mel turned to him and felt herself melt right back to where she was a few months ago at the sight of his cheeky smile. "Thank you."

He brushed her off. "Just needed an excuse to get this fucker to stop talking about Spinifex grass."

Fucking hell, there he goes with that fucking accent again. Fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck, fuck...

After she whispered another 863 'fucks' to herself, Mel got caught up in another one of those conversations with the two people sitting on either side of her. Of course, it was always easier when Mia was there. She had someone who could steer the conversation away from awkward territory, but then again, she had the tendency to make Mel's inclination towards him ragingly obvious.

Things took a bit of a turn as the trio fell into stride while the semester went on. The fateful night of Arya's party was all but forgotten as the weeks flew by, and Mel wanted to smash herself across the head with the side of a blunt hammer as she slowly but surely felt her heart and mind falling into the cycle of pining over him once again. She tried, Lord knows she tried not to let it happen. But a few comments here and a wink or two there had her breaking her resolve quicker than a priest at a strip club, and acceptance was the only way out.

To compensate, she'd find a way to refute the possibility of him liking her no matter what the situation entailed. The number one example was when he called out some dickhead in class for saying that people of mixed races shouldn't even technically exist. Richy'd said some things, some very surprising things, and Mel had a rough time believing that he said them on accident, especially when Mia was shouting down her ear for days about how the whole "Irish/Arab" reference was clearly aimed at her.

But nevertheless, she persisted in her quiet attraction and cynical state of mind. That was, of course, until the day that Mia came and talked to her about him a little differently than she ever had before.

"So, have you talked to Richy lately?" she asked through a cooking spoon's worth of ice cream in her mouth.

Mel shrugged, "Not since class a few weeks back."

Mia hummed. "So...like, not even a little bit?"

She eyed her warily. "...No..."

She nodded quickly, stabbing at the pint of ice cream as if it had personally wronged her. Mel watched curiously as she seemed to be having an internal dialogue that was causing her quite a bit of pain. "Are you...okay?"

She scoffed. "Okay? I'm...I'm perfect."

"...Then why are you assaulting the triple choc ice cream...?"

Mia let out a sigh and plonked her ice cream down, rolled off of her bed and made her way to the kitchen. "I'm not assaulting it, I'm...seductively caressing it."

"You sure?" said Mel as she followed her friend. "Cos you seem sorta pissed off."

"Pissed off? Pfft, what?" Mia grabbed out a glass and poured herself some Pepsi (which she found infinitely better than Coke), and sneaked a glance at her friend's unimpressed face. "What?"

"You're the world's shittiest liar, with a capital 'S'. Seriously, what's up?"

Mia sighed, chugging down a few sips' worth of drink. She couldn't tell her best friend that Richy had, in fact, come to her workplace and asked Mia whether Mel was interested in him or not. It'd been bugging her for days that she couldn't just spill the beans to her friend. But, she wanted it to really be a surprise when Richy finally asked her out. She'd wondered before why it'd taken him so long to bite the bullet, but then he'd gone and mentioned that he thought Duke and Mel were a thing, and Mia couldn't have felt more stupid for not clearing that up with him earlier, especially when nothing had actually happened between the two.

So she couldn't tell her friend why she was being antsy, but she could twist the truth just a little. "I just wish he'd talk to you, y'know? I mean, I know both of you so well, and you'd be perfect together."

Mel shook her head and sat down on a stool. "Don't even go there, M. I'm perfectly happy observing from afar. You've seen the kind of girls he likes, and they're all the Instagram model types. 'Oh hey, I drink FitTea and have the biggest tits in North Carolina'. I'm not even gonna try and compete with that."

Mia furrowed her brows. "...You literally have the best boobs on campus, you realise that, right?"

She rolled her eyes, "You're my best friend, you have to think that."

"...I don't think that's how it works..."

"Either way, the point is that he's out of my league and I need to accept that by continuing to creepily stare at him from a few rows back, whilst also not falling to my knees every time he speaks in that fucking accent."

"Y'know," Mia leaned in, "Falling to your knees might be exactly what he needs to get his mind on the right path."

Mel cried, "Mia."

The girls both broke into heart warming laughter, continuing the sort of talk that they only felt comfortable enough to say around each other. They were both alone (well, for the time being), but they had each other in moments where they needed it. Mel was content with that, and she didn't expect to get much more out of, what was, a shitty situation.

Once her final exams were done and dusted and she was given the OK from her university to become an independent woman after 4 years of gruelling studies, Mel was prepared to live up her break before graduation as much as humanly possible. Her and Mia planned on all the places in the States they wanted to travel, and even decided that they'd tag along with some of their classmates for a few concerts and stage shows that'd be playing in the next few months. In that time, Mel decided that she'd enjoy her last few interactions with Richy as much as she could, and try her best not to think about how this was probably the only time she'd get to be with him. After graduation, she figured that everyone would drift apart as it was, and no one knew where their jobs would take them.

But, alas, life had other plans. When Mel got the call that she had to fly to Turkey to take care of her aunty, she didn't think twice about it. It was her duty, and she adored her aunty just like she did her parents. It wasn't a matter of whether she would do it or not, but just when and where she needed to be.

Of course, that left her in pieces at the thought that she'd be leaving behind her best friend. They'd wanted to do so much during this time, and now, they probably wouldn't get the chance again. If it were up to her, she'd have Mia sitting next to her on the same plane to the same destination. But with her family and work, she knew it'd be a little too much to ask of her.

And then came the inevitable thought of him. She'd at least had the hope that she'd get to see him once or twice before graduation while she was partying around the States. But now...now she'd be in Turkey for 3 months, and all her opportunities at getting to see him had flown right out the imaginary, cursed window. She'd been stupid to think that things could've been different. Maybe somewhere in the back of her mind, she'd thought that if he got to spend a little more time with her, he'd have been impressed enough to take a liking to her. A little crevice in her heart hoped that he'd grow to like being around her...but she was used to this disappointment.

And so that's what brought her here, to the Ronald Reagan Airport with her baggage in hand and a queue of no less than 50 people in front of her. There were still a few hours left before her flight, and she figured that she'd check-in, maybe grab a bite to eat, and then head to her terminal to wallow in her pity.

When she heard the message alert sound on her phone, she fumbled around in her bag until she found it, with the words she read instantly bringing a smile to her face.

If you don't bring me back at least 3 super-babin' Turkish boyfriends, I will end you and everything that you love.

Mel laughed softly and replied, Why do you Arabs always go straight to death and killing. There's more peaceful ways to deal with me not bringing you back people to get hubba-hubba with.

Because you're forsaking me at a time where we could've spent three months living it up, getting wasted every night, do you understand?!

...You don't even drink, Mia.

THAT'S BESIDES THE POINT. It's the principle that matters.

Mel shook her head and moved ahead in the line, opening her phone when her friend sent her another text.

Well, at least meet some hot people on the plane or at the terminal. It's never too late to join the mile-high club, y'knowwwwwww.

Mel rolled her eyes, about to reply with a string of long 'No No No's, when she felt someone come to stand on the other side of the queue rope. She thought the person must've been waiting for someone else, or simply standing there for the fun of it. But when a few moments went by and she still felt him hovering a little too close to her, she whipped her head up and readied herself to tell him a very swift 'back the fuck off'.

...And then she saw his fluffy brown hair and his dimples and his fucking blue eyes, and she forgot what she was going to do altogether.

"If you've committed a federal crime and you're on the run from the cops, blink once."

...Am I hallucinating? What the fuck is he saying,,,?

"...What...?"

"Or, if you're simply going on a holiday to a foreign country, blink twice."

Mel really didn't know if he was being serious or if this was some strange ploy to get her to do something stupid. But she thought she'd run the risk of looking like a mongoose, and blinked twice.

He let out a wide smile. "Ah, good. I just wanted to make sure that I wasn't asking out a lass who was wanted by federal authorities, and was now planning her cunning escape."

She laughed a little, not having fully heard what he said.

And then...

...What?

...What?

"What?"

He nodded, still looking at her like she'd just told him the world's funniest joke. She shook her head and let out a slightly breathless laugh. "I don't...I don't understand." She furrowed her brows, "What are you doing here?"

"I came to drop off a friend."

She looked at him a little sceptically, and he could barely hold his stomach for longer than 2 seconds. "Alright, so I might have gotten some insider information about when you'd be leaving for Turkey."

What the fuck is this guy talking about?!

"You came here...to see me?"

He nodded as if it were the most obvious thing in the world, still stood behind the barrier of a flimsy rope but looking at her like she'd never been looked at before. "I'd like to ask you something, Mel," he said earnestly.

She floundered for words, but ended up simply nodding dumbly, really really not sure what the fuck was going on.

"Y'know, I've wanted to ask you this for a while now. But every time I'd go to say something, you'd either be with a guy or someone would interrupt...or some girl I barely knew would ask me to take her home. I...shit," he smiled and let out a strangely nervous sound, and Mel wasn't sure that her heart had ever grown to larger proportions. "I wanted to ask if you'd like to grab dinner some time."

She shook her head and kept shaking it to the point where he thought she was rejecting him. In actuality though, she just really couldn't believe that this was happening. "I don't think this is real. I'm...Jesus, I'm pretty sure that I passively smoked some pot or something, I—"

He leaned over and clutched at both her forearms, looking her intently in the eyes and saying in a softer voice, "I'm being serious."

She looked at him and tried to find something, some insincerity or pity. "Why didn't you say anything before?" she whispered.

Richy's face sobered a little at her question as he swallowed. "You're...God, I've wanted to say something for so long but...it never felt right. But then I heard that you'd be away for the summer, and...I couldn't let the chance get away from me." He moved his fingers slightly against her skin, "Now...It feels right."

She closed her eyes and shook her head. This is why she believed in guardian angels, because things like this didn't just happen. The feelings that were engulfing her senses at the moment were indescribable. She felt desired, important, beautiful, all at once. She'd never had that, and for whatever reason, she never thought she'd get to experience it either.

She stood there for a few moments, taking in what he had said and revelling in the fact that he was still holding her. How had this happened? How was this moment even real? Did this mean—

"Hey lady, can you move up a little?" asked an impatient businessman from behind her. She looked ahead of her to see that there was a good 10 metre space left in between her and the person in front of her.

"Oh, shit. Sorry!" she said as she was about to reach down and grab her carry-on luggage.

"Here, let me," said Richy as he leant to get it. "Jesus—What the hell is in here?"

She giggled. "Some medicine for my aunty."

His expression sobered. "Yeah, Mia told me you had to go take care of her. I'm sorry she's not well."

She nodded and smiled in thanks, and then furrowed her brows because...hold the fucking phone—

"Wait, so...you talked to Mia...about me?"

He smiled slyly. "Yeah, I told her a few weeks ago and she lost it."

Mel's mouth fell open. "And she didn't tell me?" she asked in surprise.

"Surprisingly enough. I don't think it was easy for her, though. She gave me a bit of an earful when she found out I still hadn't asked you out yet."

Mel blushed, feeling incredibly strange at hearing those words come out of his mouth. She tried to divert the topic, "Does she know you're here right now?"

He shook his head. "No, I just asked her when your flight was. She thinks I'm gonna wait til you get back to ask."

She nodded softly, wanting to pull her hair out and kiss him senseless and run through every terminal, screaming 'He Fucking Asked Me Out'. But instead, she stayed content in the airport queue, anxiously awaiting what would happen next.

"Y'know, I thought you were dating Duke for a good 3 months."

Her eyes widened in shock. "Duke?! What—Why would you think that?"

"He was chatting you up at the party, how was I supposed to know?"

She recalled the memory, "You mean Arya's party? I thought you were with that, I don't know, mini-sized Barbie the whole time."

He let out a sarcastic laugh. "Who, the nurse? Oh my God, you're joking."

Mel laughed and pulled up her shoulders, "What, how was I supposed to know? She asked you to take her home and...I don't know, I just figured...that's y'know...your type."

"You're my type," he said without thinking.

This is how I die. I can feel it. I can sense the sweet ache of death entering my bones. It was nice living, but alas, I must return to my Heavenly Home.

Mel mumbled incoherently, still trying to poke holes in any and all of what he was saying. Apparently Richy understood that in a instant, and he wasn't about to have any of it.

"You're tall, funny, charming, and your body was carved by God himself, I'm sure of it." He looked her dead in the eyes, probably not aware of the effect he was having on her brain and her loins. "Why is that so hard for you to believe?"

She swallowed, looking down to avoid the intensity of his gaze. "I don't…Y'know, you grow up as me and you just get used to people putting you in a box, I guess. I've..." she cleared her throat. "...No one's ever said things like that before."

He drew back, not expecting an answer as honest as that from a girl he knew to be private about her feelings. What a shame it was that someone like her, someone strong and independent and downright beautiful could feel like that. He didn't know all that much about her, but he knew enough to realise that he wanted this. He wanted to make her feel special and to shower her with the kind of attention she'd never gotten. He wanted her to let him into her own little world, and he'd stay there for as long as she'd let him.

He realised that he undoubtedly and whole-heartedly wanted her.

He leaned in a little, close enough that she could feel his breath on her exposed neck. She could feel her heartbeat quicken even at that, and then he said lowly, "Well, you better get used to it."