So this is a story I'm thinking about continuing - most likely I'm going to - after I finish my other Violet fic 'Stay With Me' and I thought I would just post the first chapter to see what the fandom thinks :D Enjoy!

WARNING: Ok, so there were people in reviews worried about pedophilia in this fic because Violet is 17 (a month off being 18) and Tate's 34. I just wanted to reassure some of you that nothing sexual happens between them until after her birthday, and that Tate doesn't even start to be sexually attracted to her until after she's 18, and it's all one sided from Violet in this chapter. I have added to the chapter just to make it clear that all Tate is thinking so far is friendship. I just wanted to clear it up for some people it might be a problem for, I just wanted Violet to be the same age as Tate was when he was in the house in this chapter, but she is 18 in the next chapter. :)

Tate leans against his car door, loosening his tie as he stares up at his childhood house. It hasn't changed at all in the past seventeen, or so, years. His eyes drift over the entire building before coming to rest on what used to be his bedroom window. His eye catches movement in the window and he wonders what kind of a family lives there now. What kind of issues do they have? Are they anything like what his family used to be like? Is the house doing to them what it did to him?

He's bought out of his reverie as the front door slams shut and a teenage girl begins to walk down the path towards him. Her head is down, her mousy blonde hair hanging in her face and she doesn't notice him at first. He watches her open the black, iron gate and close it again behind her. As she turns, her head is still raised and she catches sight of the blonde man leaning against his car in a suit, staring at her. She shuffles forwards a few steps, readjusting her bag strap that's across her chest.

"Err, can I help you?" she asks, somewhat testily, her body hunched in a slightly defensive stance. He stares at her for a while longer, taking in her appearance, her dress sense much like his used to be back when he was a teenager. He looks at her long sleeves despite the sweltering heat and wonders if they're to hide the scars like he used to… She widens her already big, brown eyes at him and he shakes his head slightly, smiling at her.

"Yeah, sorry, it's just… this used to be my house back when I was a teenager. It's been a while since I've been in LA and I just thought I'd come by and see if it's the same as it used to be… it is," he explains, smiling gently at her. She flashes him an awkward grin but makes no effort to move from the uncomfortable situation and go on – he looks at his watch – what he's presuming is her way to school. "I'm Tate," he says, holding out his hand after another moment's silence. She eyes him warily before slipping her small hand in his larger one.

She studies him as he grins at her and shakes her hand. He's quite good looking… really good looking; curly blonde hair, wide, glistening smile, cute dimples that make him look much younger than she presumes he is, the darkest eyes she's ever seen and could get totally lost in… She snaps herself out of it and quirks her mouth up at the side.

"Violet," she replies, dropping his warm hand eventually. She looks at the path to the left of her, not looking forward to the usual, dreary walk to school in the boiling heat. She looks at him and then his car which probably has AC. "Wanna give me a ride to school?" she asks hopefully, but with a brave air of nonchalance to her steady voice. He lets out a laugh.

"But you barely know me, Violet." She likes how her name sounds on his tongue. She mentally chastises herself. She'll be 18 next month but he's still probably a lot older than her. But, she's always liked an older man… "What if I'm some kind of psychopath?" he finishes, widening his eyes dramatically and leaning forwards slightly. She scoffs and stares at him, directly in the eye.

"My dad's a therapist. There are psychopaths in my house daily," she says, holding her head high, as if she's proud of her come back. He shakes his head and laughs at her again. She folds her arms over her chest and waits for his answer, not one to back down easily. Eventually, he sighs and shrugs.

"You know what? Sure, I'm headed that way anyway. Hop in," he says with a genuine smile, motioning to the passenger door as he opens the drivers side and gets in, starting up the engine as she jogs around the car and slips in beside him.

They sit in comfortable silence as the scenery whips by the windows. Violet tries to surreptitiously cast glances at Tate's profile as he drives with ease. As her eyes rake over his body, his strong hands gripping the wheel. She bites her lip against the moan that accompanies the tingle in her body at the thought of those hands running over her body. She turns away quickly, taking a couple of breaths and trying to distract herself with something, anything. She decides that conversation would be the best distraction.

"So… Tate. You said you hadn't been here in a while? Since you moved out of my house?" she starts, not quite sure where she's going with this.

"Yeah, it was a… difficult time for me and my family," he replies cautiously, his voice straining a little on the word family. "It was 1994, and I was 17. Around your age, right?" She nods a yes and does the math in her head. He'd be around… 34. Quite a bit of an age gap.

"I'll be 18 next month," she adds before she can stop herself, sounding like a petulant child who's trying to convince an adult she's 'all grown up'.

Ah, right," he says, somewhat amused. She scowls slightly out of the windshield, noticing that he'd picked up on it.

"So, why'd you come back then?" she asks, somewhat irritably, slouching down in her seat. He bites his lip to hold back laughter.

"I had a job interview at a publishing house up here. So, I thought why not? It's not like my family are here anymore, and I don't have to live in that house–" She cuts him off.

"What's wrong with my house?" Violet says defensively, turning sharply to look at him, protective of her new house. "I think it has character and soul."

Tate flicks his eyes towards Violet every few seconds, trying to keep his eyes on the road at the same time. He likes her. She's fiery and mouthy and reminds him of himself a lot. But she was only 17, he reminds himself. She was still technically a child, even if she did seem beyond her years. Some people might get the wrong idea if he started hanging out with her.

"Nothing, nothing, I just… had a difficult childhood," he explains, turning into the school's parking lot. She stares at him, not wanting to get out of the car.

"Well, maybe you could tell me about it sometime," she says with a gentle smile. He smiles back.

"Yeah. Maybe." He definitely wants to see Violet again, but every inch of him screams out that it is wrong. He stares at the plastic, fake students that are milling around outside before the first bell. "I'm guessing this place hasn't changed much since I was here?" Tate sighs, looking in disgust as a group of high-heel wearing, short skirt clad girls with too much makeup on scuttle past. He thinks of what he nearly did all those years ago and his grip tightens on the wheel as he tries to clear the flashbacks from his mind. His life would have been a lot different if he hadn't been stopped and sent away…

"Yeah. I hate it here, with all their designer bullshit. I don't fit in here, but I don't care enough to try. They just have to accept that," she says, sitting up a little straighter in her seat. Tate turns to her, adoration in his eyes. Yes; definitely like him.

"You shouldn't fit in anyway. You should stand out." They smile at each other in silence, the tension in the car growing until Violet can't take it anymore. She opens the door quickly and gets out, leaning down to say one last thing.

"Thanks for the ride, Tate. See you around?" she asks, grinning her first proper grin in a long time at this gorgeous stranger. He grins back, his dimples making him look so much younger again.

"Sure. See you, Violet." She nods and closes the door. He watches her walk into the building, head down all the way, ignoring everyone and everything around her. Violet. She was nearly 18 and completely forbidden.

It was definitely worth moving back.

So I hope you like it! My other fic has a few more chapters yet so it might be a while before I continue, but you never know, I might feel like writing this one instead every once in a while :) Reviews are lovely and help so much!

If you have any requests for fics you'd like me to write, please feel free to leave them in a review or PM me :)