A/N: If you put a request in my inbox my goal is to get it up sometime today. For now, enjoy this. I know this story doesn’t have a TON of readers, but I really love writing it and I want to finish!
Collins had made chicken noodle soup, which seemed serendipitous considering the cold that Y/N could feel herself getting. Her damp hair was still chilling her, and she hadn’t been able to sit in front of the fire long enough to dry it. Walking in the rain probably hadn’t been the best idea, but she couldn’t change her decision and was glad she’d risked getting a cold for Collins.
He busied himself in the kitchen, and despite her offering to help he insisted she sit down and waited for him to finish prepping the meal alone. Finally, he placed down the steaming pot of soup and some warm bread.
“I got this from the bakery down tha’ road,” he said. “It’s my favorite.”
Y/N smirked as she took a piece he offered from the basket. “Where’d you learn to cook?” she asked, slightly curious. She didn’t think she’d see the day where a man prepared food for her, lest he was a chef at a resturaunt.
He smiled. “My mum made me learn when ah was younger. Said she didn’t think just lassies should know how.” Y/N smirked in response as he sat across from her. “I’m no good, though, this is my mum’s recipe an’ I can’t make much else,” he confessed, unfolding his napkin and placing it on his lap. There was something that felt very familiar, the two of them sharing a meal in the cozy kitchen, the rain still coming down outside. It was something she could get used to.
Y/N tasted the soup, and had to admit she was impressed. “Well, I think you’ve done it justice.”
He sighed in relief, his face flushing slightly. “I’m glad ye like it. Do you cook often?”
Y/N nodded. “Usually with my mother. When I cook alone I always make too much food for myself.” She thought of the leftovers she always had stashed in her fridge. “Although maybe if you came over for dinner sometime I wouldn’t have that problem.”
“Ye tryin’ to get me to come over to yer place, ah?” he asked, winking at her.
“Maybe,” she said sheepishly. “If you’d like to see me again.” Collins rolled his eyes playfully as he took another bite from his bread. The phrase had become a sort of running joke between the two of them.
The meal was delicious, and warmed her up some more. She helped Collins clean up afterwards, despite his fervent protests, but she insisted. It was too sweet of him to put in all this effort without getting anything in return.
The rain had slowed down, which Y/N was thankful for, as she wasn’t sure how she’d make it home in the middle of the storm. She had about an hour before she’d head back, and hoped her clothes had dried some.
Once they cleared the table, he produced two glasses and a bottle of wine from a cupboard.
“‘M not much of a wine drinker,” he said, reading the label and offering it to her. “But ah thought we could share this.”
He stood next to her and showed her the label. Truth be told, Y/N didn’t drink wine often, either, so she nodded, knowing nothing about the brand or label or description on the bottle. It was a red wine, merlot maybe, but she wasn’t sure. “I’ll have a glass.”
“Jus’ one?” he asked, pouting.
“For now, yes,” she smirked.
He poured the two glasses full, and Y/N even widened her eyes at the portion. She didn’t drink often and was a bit of a lightweight. They clinked glasses, and she kept her eyes on him as she took the first sip. It was good wine, she thought. Not too sweet or too bitter.
“Not so bad,” he commented. Y/N took another sip before sitting her glass down.
“Should we tackle the dishes?” she asked and Collins nodded.
He washed while she dried, and at first he was all business scrubbing each dish meticulously. She dried them carefully and stacked them on the counter next to her, not sure where they belonged since she was unfamiliar with the kitchen.
While she was focused on drying, Collins surprised her by flicking his fingers, the warm soapy water hitting her face and startling her. “Hey!” she exclaimed, looking over at his cheeky grin. “That’s not nice.”
“Sorry, love.”
“Sorry’s not going to cut it,” she said matter-of-factly. She swiped her finger through the mountain of bubbles that had formed in Collins sink. The minute she did so, he immediately backed away with his hands raised.
“Please don’t!” he protested, despite the fact that he was cornered between her and the counter. He looked around frantically. Realizing he was trapped, he dropped his hands and squeezed his eyes shut.
Y/N tapped her finger to his nose, depositing the bubbles. He cracked an eye open. “That it?”
She nodded, satisfied. “An eye for an eye.”
Collins wiped his nose with the towel slung over his shoulder, sneezing. “Ye’ve given me yer cold!” he whined.
“I don’t have a cold,” she argued, turned from him and took a hearty swig of her wine, realizing in the process she’d left herself exposed. She barely had time to set down her wine when he pounced.
Collins’s attacked her waist and she let out a yelp as he tickled her. “Stop!” she managed between giggles. His fingers grazed the bare skin above the waistline of his pajama pants, despite the warmth of his hands, the contact made her shiver. “Jack, please!” she shrieked, sinking to the ground. He finally released her.
“Come on now, love. We ‘ave to finish these dishes.”
“I’m not the one who got distracted,” she straightened up. He laughed, and smoothed a piece of hair away from her face, placing a kiss on her cheek before focusing back on the dishes.
Y/N was curled back up on the couch, her body flush against Jack’s as he kissed her. She was now more than two glasses of wine in, though she’d lost track of exactly how much she’d drank because they’d abandoned their glasses to take turns drinking straight from the bottle.
It’d started off them chatting innocently on the couch, cuddled together under the blanket, finally able to get warm with him being so close. Somewhere along the way, she didn’t know if he’d started it or if she had, but their lips had locked and she lost track of how long they’d remained that way.
His lips tasted sweet like the wine, she was intoxicated, drinking him in, letting him wash over every one of her senses until she was completely engulfed in him. Normally, nerves would prevent her from something this risque, but between the wine and Collins, she wasn’t even ashamed. He teased out of her a side she didn’t know existed, but she liked.
She pulled him closer to her, feeling awkward in their upright position and desperate for more contact. When he didn’t move at first, she let out a frustrated grunt and he broke the kiss, chuckling. “Hold on, love.” His face was flushed, the tip of his nose red.
His arm didn’t leave its place from being wrapped around her waist, but he maneuvered them so she was lying on her back on the couch. Collins settled next to her, lying on his side, propping his head up with his free arm, gazing down at her with the look she once felt uncomfortable under. Now she was sure she was returning the same besotted stare.
Collins’s hand left her waist to push some loose strands of hair off her face before he leaned in again to kiss her. She sighed in contentment as the full weight of his body pressed against hers. His lips left hers to dip to her neck, his teeth nipping at the sensitive skin, applying just enough pressure so that she was writhing underneath him, gasping his name between sharp intakes of breath.
An unfamiliar feeling stirred in the pit of her stomach, and she lifted her leg to hook over his hip. Jack groaned into her neck. Her name fell breathlessly from his mouth.
A loud crack of thunder sounded, shaking the house and Collins pulled away, distracted. The noise seemed to break them out of the moment. Y/N steadied her breathing as she looked up at him, waiting for him to lean back in towards her, but he didn’t. “Jesus, Y/N.” He managed through ragged breaths. “Ye’ll be tha death a’ me, I swear.”
When she tried to kiss him again he let her, but kept it chaste and quick before pulling away. “Tha’s enough for tonight.” He chuckled, looking down at her.
“But Jack-”
“Hush love,” he said softly, tucking her hair behind her ear. “Ye’re quite tipsy. I don’ want you doin’ anything ye might regret.”
She didn’t protest, though she was disappointed, her head feeling slightly foggy from all the wine, her lips swollen from kissing as she sat up. Instead, her focus was on the pounding rain that came from above.
“I should probably head home,” she mumbled absentmindedly.
“‘M not lettin’ ye walk home alone, let alone in this weather.”
“What am I supposed to do?” she asked, tilting her head.
“Stay with me tonight.” he answered casually, his finger tracing down her arm. She sighed, and he leaned into her, his lips pressing against her shoulder as he looked up at her with big puppy dog eyes. “I’m not lettin’ ye walk home alone in this,” he repeated again. “You’ve already got me pajamas on.”
She wrinkled her nose and smiled. “As long as you don’t mind.”
“Course not, it’ll be fun. Ye can stay in my bed, I’ll sleep out ‘ere on the couch,” he offered, straightening up.
About an hour later, the fire had died down, Collins had changed into pajamas and he’d rolled back the covers on his bed. “I jus’ washed my sheets earlier today,” he said as Y/N stared at the large bed she was supposed to have all to herself. “They’re nice n’ clean for ye.”
Y/N had argued with Collins, insisting she take the couch, but he refused, as she expected he would. The storm outside had gotten louder and stronger than the one from earlier. The air in Collins’s home had grown considerably colder, especially now since she’d
“Okay,” she’d brushed her teeth with her finger and tied her hair back, all ready for bed, but as she climbed in, Collins stepped away, watching her from the doorway with his hand on the lightswitch.
“Ye need anythin’ else?” He asked, tilting his head. “Need me tae tuck ye in?” he smirked, his dimples making an appearance again. She giggled, shaking her head no. “Goodnight, hennie.” He flicked off the light and disappeared from the doorframe.
“Jack?” she called out after him, sitting up in the bed. The room was dark and cold.
“Hmm?” she heard his footsteps approaching the door again.
“Can you stay with me in here for a little?” she asked. “Until the storm dies down?”
“Ye’re afraid of storms?”
“Not at all,” she responded. “It’s just cold.”
“Aye, it’s cause ye caught a cold comin’ over here in the rain.”
“I don’t have a cold!” she insisted.
“I don’ know if thas’ a good idea.” Collins chuckled. “Quite presumptuous, isn’t it?”
“Booo,” she whined, pouting.
He laughed again, stepping into the room. “You’ve gotten quite tipsy tonight, haven’t you?”
“I’m not tipsy,” she lied, then hiccuped once.
He tilted his head at her.
“That was bad timing,” she explained. “Please?”
“Ye’ve worn me down, love.” She thought he’d refuse again, but he had already crossed the room to the opposite side of the bed, where he lay next to her, the bed frame creaking under his weight. She rolled over to face him, and he was smirking at her.
Collins tugged her towards him, letting her rest her head on his chest as he lay on his back. He stroked her hair softly, and they remained quiet, listening to the storm outside. She shivered once as the chill of the empty bed was replaced with his warmth.
She let her eyes flutter shut, the exhaustion from the day hitting her. “Goodnight, love,” he mumbled. That was the last thing she heard before drifting off.
so, i updated the collins x reader one shot i have on my blog w the help of a friend editing it with me, and getting advice from another lens.
the total word count is now well over 3,000 words....YIKES and honestly i love the idea so much it mightt even get it’s own series dedicated to it. who knows.
anyway, click anywhere on this sentence and you’ll be redirected to it.
if you’ve already read it, i’ve just added some dialogue and extra explanations to make things hopefully more understandable. plus, there’s some time jumps. if you skim over, you should be able to see what’s been added. reminder: requests are still open~
Somewhere Only We Know - A Collins/Reader Series - Chapter 6
Chapter 5 * Playlist * Masterlist
Summary: While on leave from the war, Collins meets an aspiring musician stuck working as a waitress at one of his favorite bars.
Word Count: 2,670
Warnings: None.
A/N: I’ve been pumped to write this chapter forever. Also there’s an extra fluffy chapter 7 that will follow!
Y/N exited her apartment and trudged down the three steps to the sidewalk below. Glancing up at the sky, she noticed dark clouds rolling in, lingering overhead like a cat ready to pounce. She pulled her jacket closer around her against the chill of the late October air that was heavy with humidity.
She’d spent the entire afternoon at one of her mother’s friend’s home, eating lunch, drinking tea and listening to her mother gossip. It was mind-numbing and exhausting, since her mother spent the entire time correcting her, and she was expected to sit quietly without squirming in her seat while she listened to stories about her grown up childhood friends.
The only thing she had on her mind was the night ahead of her. Jack had invited her over to his home to have dinner, and she was looking forward to spending the evening with him.
“So, what are you doing tonight?” her mother asked after they’d gotten home from lunch. Y/N had figured it’d be rude not to talk to her mother for a little bit after returning. They hadn’t spoken much since she had introduced her to Collins. Y/N stood in the doorway to the kitchen, watching her mother busy herself with cleaning dishes and making tea.
Y/N shrugged. “I’m not sure.” She wasn’t going to tell her mother about her plans.
“How’s your friend I met last weekend.” Her mother asked, pausing at looking at her daughter’s reaction. “Jack, was it?”
“You know his name.” Y/N quipped, knowing she was just playing games. Her mother gave her a stern look. Nervously, she fidgeted under her mother’s gaze, playing with the frilly sleeves on the modest dress she’d worn for the afternoon. “Good.”
“I’m not ignorant, Y/N.” her mother spoke. “I saw the way he looks at you.”
Y/N felt her face redden slightly, not sure how to respond to what had just been said. She knew she shouldn’t have lied to begin with. However, she knew being upfront with her mother about Collins would unleash a whole different firestorm. And truthfully, she never thought she and Collins would become as serious as they were.
Her mother surprised her, by continued. “He’s a nice man, Y/N. Polite, friendly. Handsome.”
Y/N nodded in agreement. “He is.”
“Well, I suggest you tell him about your engagement.” her mother suggested, turning back to wipe down the counter. “I’m sure he’s curious as to why you aren’t married yet, and he better hear it from you first before it makes it’s way back to him. Men don’t like baggage and I’d hate to see you get hurt again if you wait until the two of you become more serious.”
The feigned concern for their relationship made the anger rise in Y/N’s chest. “Yes, mother.”
Y/N left quickly after that, and retreated into her apartment, slamming the door shut behind her and breaking down into tears. It made no sense that it had to be this way. She’d made a mistake and she’d agreed to marry a man she’d known since high school, a man she thought she knew and loved. But it’d haunted her ever since in the gossip followed her around town.
By the time she calmed down and stopped crying, her eyes were red and swollen, and she held an icepack over them to soothe the irritation. She looked a mess, and contemplated calling off the date. But she knew if she did she would feel guilty and spend all night wallowing.
Once she composed herself, she changed and headed to Collins house, which was about a 20 minute walk from where she lived, on the outskirts of town.
As Y/N walked to Collin’s home, she felt the anger rising in her chest. Maybe her mother was right. A messy, broken engagement a little over a year ago was a lot of baggage, and Collins was a simple man, he didn’t seem to want any trouble. She walked faster as the wind picked up, the clouds growing darker above her as she wrapped her coat tighter around herself.
He’d been so kind to her in the few months she’d known him. He was exactly what she wanted, and exactly what she needed, at least at this time in her life. Unfortunately, she didn’t deserve his kindness. Even her mother knew this. Although she always insisted she was only doing what was best for Y/N, but instead, her brutal honesty, coupled with everything else she’d experienced in the past few years only served to make her a very insecure woman. She willed herself not to cry, even stopping a few times along the way to take deep breaths and compose herself.
When the skies opened up and it began raining profusely, it became harder and harder to fight the tears. She should have turned around, as she was only about halfway to Collins’s home, but something inside her willed her forward. Now she felt there was a whole new purpose to her evening than just dinner.
The rain soaked through her coat, drenching her completely. The droplets ran from her hairline down her forehead, falling off the tip of her nose. She couldn’t believe her luck. Coupled with the cold weather, the downpour left her chilled to the bone, and when she finally arrived at Collin’s, she was dripping wet and shivering profusely.
His home was small but charming, a little wooden cabin overlooking the countryside. Dusk, coupled with the dark clouds overhead made it hard for her to make out any details.
As she raised her hand to knock on the door, it swung open before her knuckles made contact with the wood.
“Y/N,” Jack said, his jaw going slack.
“Hello,” She shivered violently, sneezing into the back of her hand as the chill finally got to her.
“Jesus, love, git inside. Ye’re goin’ to catch cold.” he stepped out of the way. “I thought for sure ye wouldn’t come all the way out ‘ere in the rain.”
“I didn’t-” Y/N sneezed again, stepping inside as he closed his door behind her. “I didn’t want to stand you up.” He helped her out of her coat, and she surveyed the interior of the home, realizing she was standing in a cozy living room with a loveseat and a fireplace. A fire already burned inside.
“I would’ve understood,” he said, rubbing her shoulders in a failed attempt to warm her up.
She inhaled, and it smelled like Jack, a combination of smoke and pine. Off the living room there was a small hallway where she guessed his bedroom and bathroom were. To the left of her was a small dining area with a kitchen off that.
“Jesus, ye must be freezin’. Let me get ye somethin’ tae change into,” he said. “Ye can let ye’re clothes dry by the fire. I’ll make ye some hot tea. Come on.”
Y/N took her shoes off first, not wanting to track mud or water on the hardwood floors. She followed him into the hallway, where he opened a linen closet and took out two fluffy towels.
“Bathroom’s in ‘ere, if ye’ need it.” he clicked on a light to a small tiled room with a bathtub, shower, and a sink. He ducked into the room across from it, his bedroom, which was painted a pale blue. His bed was made neatly, a quilted comforter on top, a glass of water on the bedside table. A window to the left of his bed was cracked slightly, the curtains billowing out as the wind drove rain into the room. The breeze sent a shiver down her spine.
“Shite,” Jack exclaimed, rushing to shut the window before too much water got in. “Forgot I left tha’ open,” he mumbled to himself before going over to the tall dresser across from his bed. After digging through the top drawer, he presented her with a pile of neatly folded plaid. “These may be a bit big,” he said with a wink. “But they’ll keep ye warm.”
Y/N smiled weakly, unable to look him in the eye. She knew if she spoke she’d break down into tears and she was only going to let him down this evening. “Help yerself tae anythin’ ye need,” he said. “I’ll be out in the kitchen.”
She nodded, shivering again. “Thank you.”
Collins backed out of his room, shutting the door behind her. She heard his footsteps retreat until she was alone with her thoughts. The towel he’d left for her on the bed sat on the bed and the pile of thick flannel in her hands felt suddenly heavy. He’d given her his pajamas. To herself, she smiled, feeling the back of her eyes prick with tears. She didn’t deserve this.
Y/N dried off as best as she could with the towel after removing her dress and her slip, feeling a little exposed being half-naked in man’s house, despite the fact she was in another room. Slipping his shirt over her head, she buttoned it up with stiff and cold fingers. Collins was tall enough that the shirt could have made a short dress, cutting just about to mid thigh, but she put on the pants anyways. Padding across the hall to his bathroom, she towel-dried her hair and found a comb to run through the tangled mess. She supposed that would have to do.
She slung her dress over her arm along with the towel, balling her slip up in her opposite hand and keeping it behind her back. It would be embarrassing to hang it over the fire, so she figured she could put it in her coat pocket before she greeted him.
It would be a bit of a challenger, though, as he was adding logs to the fire when she entered the living room. He turned around and smiled at the sight of her.
“How do they fit?” he asked, taking her dress and the damp towel out of her hands, hanging them by the fire.
“A little long,” she said, holding out her free arm and lifting her leg, the pants hanging a good few inches past her feet.
“Let me,” he came towards her and knelt in front of her. He rolled up the pants so they no longer dragged across the floor, standing to cuff the wrists of his sleep shirt. He reached for her other hand where the slip still remained balled up. She pulled away slightly until he grabbed her wrist with a smirk. “Ye hiding somethin’ from me?”
“Well,” she began, pulling away. “It’s my slip, I don’t want you seeing that.”
“Ah, so ah dinnae ken what ye wear under yer dress, then?” he asked sarcastically. The Scottish phrase made her chuckle.
“It’s just….probably not ladylike to leave it out to dry,” she explained.
“Ah don’ think it’s ladylike to wear men’s pajamas, either, but in case ye couldn’t tell ah don’t care,” he held out his hand.
“Fine,” she handed him the damp piece of thin, lacy fabric. He snickered before placing it alongside the rest of her clothes.
“Maybe ye can try it on for me later,” he chuckled and Y/N felt her face heat up at the thought, though something deeper inside her didn’t mind the image. “Better?” he asked, returning to stand in front of her.
She nodded, shivering. “Well, now I’m underdressed.” She gestured to his sweater and slacks.
Ignoring her concern, he pulled her against him and pressed a tender kiss to her lips, his hands trailing down to settle into her waistline. “Sit down,” he pulled away and gestured towards the couch. He pulled a blanket off the back of the chair near the fire and she obeyed, tucking her legs underneath her. He unfolded the blanket and tucked it around her, over her shoulders and under her feet. It was warm from the fire and Collins knelt in front of her.
“Dinner’s not quite ready yet, so you can warm up fo’ a bit.” He leaned against her, placing one arm across her lap, looking up at her with his big blue eyes. “Don’t want ye catching cold.” He rested his chin on her knee. “Ye need anything else?”
She shook her head, a thought passing through her mind. Why are you so good to me?
Jack looked taken aback.“What do ye mean?” To her horror, she realized she’d said out loud what she’d been thinking.
Backtracking, she tried to come up with a way to amend the situation. She picked at a loose thread in the blanket, feeling her cheeks grow hot in embarrassment as she avoided his eyes. “I just...I don’t understand...why me? You’re…..you’re just so nice to me. I don’t know why.”
“Why would ye ask me that?” Jack stood from his position and shifted so he was sitting next to her on the couch. Y/N shrugged, and he moved closer to her, one arm on the back of the couch, the other resting on her lap still. “Ye think ye don’t deserve it?”
She refused to look at him still, shrugging. Jack sighed, leaning closer.
“Maybe I should tell ye,” he began, pausing to find the right words. “When I met yer mum a few weeks ago, she told me something…” he trailed off again, looked at the fireplace, then back at her, gauging her reaction. “I don’ know everything ye’ve been through....” she finally gave in and let her eyes flicker towards him, not turning her head.
So her mother had told him, though now she wasn’t sure how much he knew. Jack sighed. “I want te live a normal life. I want te make ye happy.” His hand left her lap to trace along her jawline. “I’m not gonna hurt ye.”
She sighed, turning her head away from his touch. His face fell slightly as she rejected his contact, and it broke her heart, but she knew it was for the best. It was now or never. “Jack, I need to tell you something.”
He looked at her with anxious eyes, though she could still see a bit of the affection he so often looked upon her with. Despite her effort to pull away from his contact, his arms were still wrapped loosely around her and a lazy embrace, his face inches from hers as she turned her head, unable to look him in the eyes.
“I was engaged,” she told him. “Just a little over a year ago I broke it off. And it was a big mess and everyone in town gossiped about it for months. They haven’t let it go.”
Peeking over at him, Collins seemed surprised, his jaw dropping slightly and his brow furrowing as he took in this information. Judging by his reaction, her mother must have not given too much away, and she was thankful for it.
“I meant to tell you sooner, but it’s not easy to talk about….I’d really rather forget it ever happened.,” Y/N’s voice cracked, and she swallowed. “He wasn’t very good to me,” she managed to finish without any tears. “I know I should have told you sooner, and I’m sorry. You deserve to know.”
She wasn’t sure what she was expecting from him, but to her surprise, Collins leaned forward, placing his opposite hand on the arm of the couch. “Ye don’t have tae be sorry,” he cupped her cheek in his hand. “I don’ care about any of that. I care about right now.”
Moving from her comfortable position, she leaned into him and embraced him, wrapping both her arms around his broad shoulders, closing her eyes and burying her face into his neck. “Thank, you, Jack,” she murmured into his shoulder. The gesture took him off guard at first, until he returned the embrace. For now, Y/N felt a weight lift off her chest.
Somewhere Only We Know - A Collins/Reader Series - Chapter 5
Chapter 4 * Playlist * Masterlist
Summary: While on leave from the war, Collins meets an aspiring musician stuck working as a waitress at one of his favorite bars.
Chapter Summary: Before a date with Collins, reader runs into someone unexpected.
Word Count: 2,700
Warnings: None.
A/N: I thought this fic was going to be like 10 chapters long but it’s definitely going to be longer. If you have any ideas for chapters, let me know! I would gladly incorporate more of what ya’ll want to see. Let me know what ya think!
Also be sure to check out the playlist linked above if you haven’t already. I added a bunch of songs.
Later the next week, Y/N had plans with Collins to go on a hike. She didn’t consider herself to be outdoorsy, but he’d promised he wouldn’t take her anywhere outrageous. Y/N knew he wouldn’t, and she had to admit she would have done it even if he had, as long as she got to spend time with him.
She’d put on a jacket, the early October weather hadn’t been too harsh yet, but she thought she’d be safe. Exiting her apartment, she made her way down the stairs to meet Collins outside. He had said he’d meet at her flat at noon, and when she opened the door outside, he was there waiting like he’d promised.
“Hey, you,” she said, grinning.
He responded with a smile and she embraced him. “Afternoon, love.” Collins leaned in and gave her a brief kiss, his arm looping around her waist to pull her closer to him. Although she normally would be weary to let someone kiss her in public, it didn’t matter to her at the moment.
She pulled away. “So, you’re not planning on taking me anywhere muddy, are you?” she asked. “I’m not sure if these shoes will be any good for that.” she stared down at her worn loafers, then looked him up and down. “It looks like you prepared for the worst.”
He wore military-style black boots, and she wondered briefly if they were a part of his uniform, laced tightly, coming up over his ankles, denim tucked into them. “I promise ye,‘m not takin’ ye anywhere muddy. ‘A least I hope not, it hasn’t rained in awhile.”
She laughed, when suddenly she was interrupted by the sound of a door opening and her named being called. “Y/N?” the voice was incredulous, in disbelief.
When she turned, she saw a woman standing on the stoop of her childhood home, staring down at her disapprovingly. Y/N swallowed thickly, and suddenly she was all-to-aware of Collins’ hand still resting on her waist; it felt like it was burning a hole through her clothes.
Y/N immediately ripped herself away from Collins as if he had just told her he had the plague, straightening up, growing serious, and facing the woman who stood in front of her.
“Hi, mum,” she said softly. Y/N’s mother stood stiffly, looking the same as she always did, refined and regal, a sturdy rock that never faltered, the foundation of an old home. Her hair had just begun to gray, but for her age she was still beautiful, despite the current scowl on her face as she looked down upon her daughter. Y/N was used to that look, she’d grown up with it, been on it’s receiving end more times than she could count. Her mother was angry, but just as soon as the look appeared it was gone, as she switched to focus on the man who’d just had his arms tangled around her daughter. Collins.
“Y/N….” her mother smiled, a bright beaming smile that any onlooker would think was warm and inviting. She made her way down their front porch steps and approached the pair. “Who is this?”
Y/N turned from her mother and looked at Collins with wide eyes, before turning back to her mother again, mouth open as she tried to form words. “This….this is…uh…”
“-Jack Collins,” he finished for her, returning her mother’s smile. “Royal Air Force. I fly spitfires.” He reached out and shook her hand firmly, leaving Y/N to look on their exchange until she finally found her voice. “Y/N and I are-“
“Friends.” she cut in quickly before he could finish. They had never formally talked about it, but Collins was more than just a friend. He was her boyfriend, and she would have had no trouble introducing him as that if this wasn’t her mother they were talking to. “We’re friends.”
Y/N’s mother quirked an eyebrow at her and Collins glanced over, eyeing her curiously. “Nice to meet you, Jack.” she said, returning her focus to the man in front of her. He gave her a charming smirk, his dimples growing prominent. “I’m Y/N’s mother. Mrs. L/N.”
“We were just going to go for a walk into town,” Y/N lied again, taking Collins’s arm and beginning to back away from the woman. “I’ll see you on Saturday.”
“Oh, there’s no need for you to leave so soon!” her mother exclaimed. “I was just heating up some tea, why don’t I fix the two of you some lunch?”
“I’m not hungry,” Y/N lied again. “But thank you so much.”
“How about Jack?” her mother all-but-ignored Y/N, turning to look at Collins with an expectant smile.
Collins, having picked up on the tension between them, opened and closed his mouth a few times. He looked hesitantly at her mother. “I wouldn’t mind sittin’ down tae have some lunch,” Collins pursed his lips, looking down at her.
“Perfect!” Y/N’s mother smiled, “Why don’t you come on inside then, get out of the cold?”
She couldn’t be mad at Collins for this, and maybe she was being a little dramatic. But this was not the way she’d intended for her mother to meet Collins. Her mother meeting him wasn’t exactly something she had planned to begin with, and now she would just get a lecture for not telling her about him in the first place.
Collins let her mother help him with his coat in the foyer, guiding them into the kitchen and seating them at the table. Her mother filled the teakettle and set it on the stove. Y/N sat, dejected, across from Collins as her mother rummaged through the icebox for food.
Out of the corner of her eye, she noticed Collins surveying the impeccably clean home, decorated minimally and always smelling of some freshly made baked good.
The kitchen table was flush against the window in their kitchen that looked out into the alleyway beside their townhouse. Y/N stared into the alleyway, until she felt something brush over the back of her hand. She looked up to find Collins looking at her.
“Are you okay?” he mouthed, tilting his head to look at her and she straightened up, nodding and pulling her hand out from under his just as her mother turned around, armful of food ready to be prepared.
As her mother began chopping vegetables, the teakettle began wailing, breaking Y/N again out of her trance as she stared out the window of the kitchen.
“Y/N, why don’t you get that and pour some tea for Jack?” her mother asked over her shoulder.
“Yes, mum.” Y/N stood and opened the cupboard where they kept cups and tea bags, absentmindedly pouring the hot water over the tea bags in the three cups.
“I can’t believe this,” she whispered to herself before turning around, juggling two cups in her hands as she carried them to the table.
“Here,” she placed the cup in front of Collins.
“Aren’t you going to ask him how he likes his tea? No cream or sugar.”
“He doesn’t-“ Y/N began, but Jack finished for her.
“I don’ like any o’ that,” he said politely. “Y/N knows,” he looked up at her and gave her a smile. Y/N tried her best not to turn beet red as he winked at her, giving her a knowing grin, though from the heat in her face she knew she was.
“Oh, does she?” her mother asked, glancing at her daughter.
“Y-yeah,” Y/N managed. “I mean, I-I’m just assuming he doesn’t.”
Her mother didn’t respond, just continued to chop vegetables. She was sure her remark hadn’t gone unnoticed. “So Jack, you’re Scottish?” her mother asked him after a pregnant pause. “I couldn’t help but notice your accent.”
“Yes, ‘m. I was born there until me parents moved here ‘fo a couple years.” Collins blew on his tea to cool it off. “They moved back, though, and I stayed until the war began.”
“I’ve heard it’s absolutely lovely there, but I’ve never gotten the chance to visit.”
Collins nodded. “It’s beautiful.”
For the next ten minutes, Y/N’s mother chatted with Collins while she prepared them food. Y/N didn’t chime in much, but she felt herself relaxing a bit. Collins was so sociable and polite, and her mother didn’t throw any snide comments her way while they talked.
After they ate lunch, Y/N remaining pretty quiet throughout the whole meal, until her mother spoke up.
“So Jack, how did you meet Y/N?” her mother asked, taking a sip of tea.
Y/N froze just as she was about to take a bite of her sandwich, her mouth hanging open.
“At the restaurant,” Collins answered for her, glancing over and giving her a small smile. She felt her heart soften. Despite the fact she’d been acting quite cold towards him, he was still so sweet.
“Hm,” her mom pondered. “You must be special. It’s been a long time since I’ve seen Y/N spend time with anyone outside of work, let alone a man. She’s been a bit of a recluse-”
Y/N stood up quickly, her chair screeching along the tile floor, stopping her mother mid-sentence. “I-” she began, fumbling over her words. “I need to use the restroom.” she said sternly.
She exited the kitchen quickly, nearly tripping over the threshold of the kitchen, leaving Collins and her mother alone. Things had gone South so quickly. She walked upstairs to the second floor, past the bathroom and into her childhood bedroom she’d shared with her older sister. Her mother used it as a guest room now, and it was adorned in hues of pale pink, filled nearly by the two twin beds that sat across from one another, a small desk shoved into the corner where she used to sit and do homework after her sister was married and moved out. The bedside table had a few photos of her and her sister on them from when they were children.
The apartment where Y/N lived now used to be rented out by her father to tenants for short periods of time. Without her father in the home to diffuse the tension between her and her mother, she’d moved into it a few months after her father passed. It’d been awhile since she’d been in her old bedroom, and her heart ached.
She sat on the bed and it creaked loudly under her weight. Her eyes squeezed shut as she rested her elbows on her knees, taking deep breaths. This was why she was waiting to introduce her mother to Collins. There were things about her past she had yet to tell him, and she had wanted to wait to tell him herself. And she knew around her mother, he’d find them out, and they’d scare him off. Tears stung her eyes and she did her best to fight them off. If she didn’t like Collins so much, it wouldn’t have mattered. But she never expected to fall like this for him, and this lunch surely ruined it.
She wasn’t sure how long it’d been since she retreated upstairs, but she was broken from her thoughts when she heart a knock on the door and she looked up. Jack stood, leaning against the doorframe. “I jus’ wanted tae come check on ye,” he said. Y/N straightened up on the bed as he approached her. “Are ye alright?” he sat down across from her.
“I’m okay” she tilted her head sideways.
“We can leave,” he said. “If ye want tae.”
“Could we?” she asked, perking up slightly.
“Ye, I promised ye a hike, right?” he chuckled.
“You did,” she nodded, smiling, feeling some of the pressure lift off her shoulders.
“Go downstairs,” he said softly. “I’ll be down in a minute.” He turned his head slightly, his eyes falling to the framed photos sitting on her old bedside table. “Aye, what’s this?” he asked, picking one up and studying it.
“Stop snooping,” she giggled, reaching out for the photo. Collins pulled it just out of reach and took a closer look.
“Is this ye?” He pointed at the baby in the photo, squinting and smiling at it. “Look a’ that. Ye’re still just as cute.”
“Stop,” Y/N rolled her eyes, unable to mope with him close to her. Swatting at him playfully, she made another failed attempt to take the photo from his hands. “Fine, I’m going downstairs.”
Before leaving the house, Y/N helped her mother clean up after lunch, washing and drying dishes. Collins offered to help, but her mother declined his offer, and he sat at the kitchen table with his hands folded, watching them and continuing to talk to her mother. Although it was a bit more challenging to actually get her mother to let them leave, the two of them managed, Collins being a bit more polite and patient than she would have been.
She followed Jack out past the outskirts of town where the rolling hills were either farmland or hills. It was beautiful, and she found herself pausing to look out over the lush green grasslands. After walking for about an hour, the pair paused to rest underneath a tree.
Y/N sat next to him, leaning back against the tree trunk, and was a bit startled when he put his arm around her, pulling her against him. She propped her head against his shoulder, and a silence fell between them as they looked out at the view. Her eyes fluttered closed, getting lost in the moment.
“Can I ask ye somethin’?” Collins voice broke into her thoughts and she opened her eyes, nodding.
“Ye told yer mother I was yer friend…” he trailed off. “I kind of thought….well, ye mean more than that tae me.”
Y/N pulled away briefly to look at him, and she could see his face was slightly flushed, and he turned away, not looking her in the eyes. “I know.” she answered. “I wanted to introduce you to her….but I wasn’t really expecting for it to happen that way.”
Taking a deep breath, she continued. “I don’t really get along with my mother very well, in case you couldn’t tell. She’s a lovely woman, but she can be very judgmental and has always put a lot of pressure on me. Things only got worse when my father passed away, and that’s why I moved out.”
Collins turned his head and locked eyes with her. Reaching up, she stroked the side of his cheek with her thumb. “I’m sorry if I hurt you.”
He smiled, pulling her towards him so her face was inches from hers. “Ye’re okay.” he murmured, before pressing his lips to hers.
They sat under the tree for a couple more minutes, enjoying the view and each other's company, before getting up and starting to head back.
“Fancy a pint when we get back into town?” he asked her.
She nodded. “Yes.”
All went well until the giant dirt path that they’d taken back started to dip down into a valley, the ground ground damper the lower they went, until it started to get wet and muddy.
She paused, looking down at the shoes she wore, which currently weren’t appropriate for the situation. Collins stopped with her. “What’s wrong?” he asked.
“You said there’d be no mud!” she exclaimed, laughing, pointing at the giant puddle in front of her. “I can’t jump over that.”
He chuckled, turning to face her. “Here, let me help.”
“No, Jack I’m really okay-” she let out a yelp. In one swift movement, he picked her up, effortlessly so, in his arms and began walking through the puddle.
She threw her head back, laughing. “Put me down!”
“I’m a man of me word, is tha’ how ye’re gonna thank me, then?” he asked, releasing her once they’d made it through the mud.
She just shook her head and smiled, letting him lean down and peck her on the lips before they continued on into town.
