Small sneak peek of the first chapter and prologue of my fanfiction "Catching 13"!
tw: fluff
The day was sunny, a fresh source of wind brushing through the bustling backyard of the Kavanaghs'.
In the middle of it all were four kids, running around, laughing and playing catch with each other.
The summer break had just started, the first year of school over. Finally. Officially.
Rory and Tessa were grinning, standing opposite a scowling AJ and a cackling Dante, whose hair stuck up in every possible direction.
Not only was his hair sticking up, but the little boy also held a rugby ball as high as he possibly could.
"Ye'll never get it!"
With that, Tessa's twin hurled the ball towards the two friends, confident he'd score a point.
But Rory caught it before it hit the ground.
Turning with a grin, he held the ball out to Tessa.
"Yer turn."
She beamed, taking it with both hands as though he'd handed her the greatest treasure in the world.
"You'll never get me!" Dante yelled, cupping his hands around his mouth.
The blond Lynch beside him swatted his shoulder.
"Will ye shet ep!? Ror's ego's as high as can be already! Lad's gonna bulldoze right through es 'n we wouldn't live te see the break!"
A harsh laughing came from the other side of the garden where a triumphant Rory stood with a definitely amused Tessa.
"Ye're just scared we're better than ye!" the blonde Gibson called out, her green eyes shining.
Next to her, Rory encouraged Tessa with a proud grin: "Ye better make sure te give it yer all! Remember what I taught ye!"
On a smaller blanket laid out onto the dry but well kept grass was Rory's smaller sister Caoimhe enjoying the sun.
Connorβwho was their younger brotherβcame crashing into the garden, bellowing out: "Who wants materwelon!?"
Back on the porch, Claire, Tessa's Mam, and Shannon, Rory's Mam, were telling each other some small stories about their kids.
Ever since they got pregnant, they always hung out with each other, Rory being older by just one and a half months.
While Shannon had given birth to Rory, Claire had twins. Dante and Tessa. Both of them unbelievably close with the Kavanaghs. It was amazing.
"Aye!" Another voice called out. Rory's father Johnny. "Is that me rugby ball?"
Freezing, Rory's face drained of all colors. "Shite..." he whispered under his breath, trying to hide the ball. But it was too late. Johnny already saw.
"That's my lad!" Instead of the anger Rory expected, Johnny came over and clapped the brunett on his shoulder.
"Knew ye had it in ye." Johnny grinned before calling out to his own best friend - Gerard. Tessa's Da.
"See that, Gibs? Me son's already fitter than ye! One day ye'll play Ireland, son!"
Laughing, Gerard came over and swooped Tessa up, the blonde giggling with amusement. "So? Rory's teaching this little whirlwind all the tricks!"
"Hey!" a now rather angered voice called out. Connor again. "Materwelon! Hellooo-hoo?"
Everyone laughed. How could they forget the... watermelon!?
"Coming, Connor! Keep yer knickers on!" Dante called out, immediately running up to the smaller guy.
"Ye heard him! Watermelon for everyone!"
Inside, Aoife prepared some bowls with watermelon, strawberries and apples.
"Aunt Aoife!"
Laughing at the chaos, the blonde woman pushed the bowls closer to the little monsters. "There, there. Don't go knocking 'round the bowls, now!"
And that was one of many fun-filled days through the many summer breaks the children shared.
With each passing summer, those "little" kids grew a little taller, a little louder, and a little closer.
The warm, soft, and soothing caresses of the morning sun tickled your nose as you started to stir, slowly waking up. A groan left your lips as the sun shone right into your eyes, and you turn around, being met with a wall of bricks.
Wall of bricks? You open your eyes, now being met with blue eyes, gazing into yours with something so close to adoration and love. Perhaps even more than that.
"G'morning, love." Your husband of two years hums quietly and reaches out a hand to brush the strands of hair falling into your face away. He was always so gentle and caring towards you. "Morning, pumpkin." You chuckle and lean into his touch.
You'd give everything to stay like this for the whole day, hell, your whole life, but the unpleasant scent of sweat cut through your plans. Oh, right, you didn't shower yesterday evening, being too tired from the day. A sigh left your lips, and you sit up, the blanket pooling at your thighs now.
"Hmm?" The voice of your husband rang out, and he sat up as well, still admiring you like you're the moon itself. "Something wrong, bug?"
"No... I'm going to take a shower. Love you." With that, you leaned over to press a peck against his cheek, and then you pull away. But you don't get far. A hand pulls you back, and then lips, the ones you love and cherish with every day, came crashing onto yours again. Letting out a soft breath, you close your eyes and let the kiss hold on for a few moments before he pulls away and smiles at you.
"Watch out for sharks. I heard they're very common nowadays here in our apartment..." At his words, you laugh and hit his shoulder playfully before you leave the bed and make your way to the bathroom.
Carefully, you discard your sleeping clothesβa worn, old shirt and some shorts you only use for sleepingβand grab a fluffy towel.
Since the shower you use is actually just your bathtub with a courtain, you hold onto the wall and step in, closing the courtain and then turning around to turn on the water. Then you saw it. A big, fat, ugly critter with eight legs sitting on the corner of the bathtub, almost taunting you.
The scream you let out could be mistaken for a war cry, and you stumbled back, too shocked at the sight, and crash down onto the floor with the shower courtain underneath you. It tore.
"Y/N?! What happened!?" Came the voice of Jake out, the door openening immediately, and he stepped in. "Oh shit-"
"A spider!" You inform him and turn away from his eyes slightly, now feeling a little shy under his gaze.
"I'll get rid of it, love. A tiny critter made you tear our courtain apart? How noble of you." Jake jokes, and you roll your eyes at his teasing.
Fortunately, he exited the bathroom with the spider and closed the door behind you. When you tried to stand up, you felt a pain run through your lower back, making you gasp. Your hand finds its way on your back, and you gently press against your skin. Ow! Yep, that's gonna form a bruise.
Another sigh left your lips, and you get back into the bathtub to start with your shower after you put the torn courtain next to the door.
The shower was soothing and helped get rid of the sizzle in your body from the shock the spider emitted in you. Jake was outside. You could hear him pacing around. He seems stressed about something. After a while, you finish the shower and dry up, curl yourself into a towel, and then step out.
Almost as if Jake waited for that moment, he rushed to you and bit his lip, giving you a once over. Not a perverted one, no. A worried, concerned one. "Sorry, love. I kinda just... thought you're okay and forgot to ask if you hurt yourself. And I didn't want to barge into the bathroom while you're showering... Did you hurt yourself, Y/N?"
His voice was quivering, and he seemed distressed. Awww.
"Just a small bruise, don't worry. I'm actually more worried about the courtain." You joke, and he let's out a sound which almost sounded like a laugh. But only almost.
"Yeah... we should buy a new one."
Now here you two were, just some clothes thrown on, hair hastily made and a frown plastered on both of your faces as you two looked at the courtains in the shops. Some for windows, some for doors, some for literal dog beds, and some for beds like you see in movies. Where the hell are the shower utensils!?
"There!" Jake exclaims and gently puts a hand onto your shoulder, pointing to what seemed like a bathroom stuff corner. "Good eye, love!"
Both of you approach the corner and start browsing through the different options of shower courtains. Not waterproof... made out of wool... too small... ew, yellow... How could it be so difficult to choose a courtain?
"This one, my love?" Jake calls out and holds onto a pinkish courtain. You approach him and let your hand brush over the material. Until-
"Look who we got here. Jake and Y/N!" a voice calls out, seemingly in a good mood. Ryan Reynolds? What's he doing here!? "Hey, Ryan, Blake." Jake greets the man and his own wife, and you turn around to give Blake a hug and also greet Ryan.
"What a coincidence to see you two here!" Ryan hums and throws an arm over Jake's shoulder, which made all of us laugh. The two men start talking about God-knows-what, and Blake and you go through the courtain corner.
"I tore our shower courtain apart, and we're trying to find a new one. But... I just couldn't find any! They even make non-waterproof ones!" You scoff and shake your head, letting your hand run over another courtain, trying to see if the fabric feels alright.
"You shouldn't try out any of those." She laughs and then walks over to the back of the bathroom stuff area, where the better made ones are being hidden. "Oh my god... thank you so much, Blake! You're my saviour!" You joke and then immediately go over to try and find one that would fit.
"What colour is your bathroom?"
Blake and you spent a while trying to find a good one, but in the end you finally got one. A light grey one which absorbs water and doesn't tear as easily. "Now, where are our husbands?"
The men were at some kind of place with stoves, some looking like kids' toys but whatever, talking and taking in the stoves. "You two looking for a stove?" You asked Blake, and she nodded, walking beside you as you approached your husbands.
"The old one broke, and we had to get a new one. Gotta be prepared for Christmas, after all." You both laugh at that and then join the two men.
"Got one?" Jake asks and nods towards your arm with the rolled up curtain, and you nod. "Yep. Did Ryan find a stove?"
You ask and smile at Jake before you watch Ryan and Blake look at all the stoves, leaning against the frame of Jake. He presses his lips against your hair, a kiss to your head, and then hums. "Yeah. He has to show Blake, though."
After a few minutes, the pair decided on the right stove and waved goodbye to you two when they got on their way to talk to a staff person. Jake and you make your way to the cashier to buy the curtain before you drive back home.
"You got it?" You ask as you held a few nails for him, watching while he worked on bringing the curtain on. "Yes, yes, don't worry. Almost done! Just one more nail."
The curtain was on after said nail, and Jake came closer to you to give you a kiss. "Next time, check before you get into the shower, okay? I'll happily get rid of the spider, no questions asked, but I like this curtain." He jokes, which made you laugh, and you nod and give him another kiss.
His hand finds yours, fiddling with it to put the nails away, and then he wrapped both of his arms around your back, slowly backing you backwards against the wall of the bathroom. As soon as the wall hit your back, specifically your lower back with the forming bruise, you let out a hurting gasp and let go of Jake.
"What's wrong!? Did I hurt you, baby?" He quickly asked and took a step back as he looked you over. You shake your head and then let your hand brush over your lower back, your face scrunching together as you felt the sharp ache of the bruise.
"Just the bruise from the fall... nothing major." You answer before Jake gently pulls you closer and presses a kiss to your forehead. "May I look at it?" To his question, you nod and turn around, lifting your hoodie and letting him take a look at the bruise.
"We need to ice that... come here, love. I'll get you to bed and then grab an ice pack." Jake whispers before you walk to the bedroom. You lay down on your side and receive another kiss from Jake before he exits the bedroom to grab an ice pack. After not even a minute, Jake returned with said ice pack and lay down behind you, wrapping his arms around you gently.
When you felt the icy cold of the ice pack, you leat out a soft gasp. But then you try to relax and focus on his touch, closing your eyes and leaning back against him. "Thanks, love... You're always doing so much for me." "Of course, baby. Always for you. I love you." He murmurs into your ear. After that, you felt his hand gently brush soothing caresses and circles into your back. "I love you, pumpkin."
