The silence between Sean and his mother was palpable. The distant grumbling of Jake and their father filling the odd gaps. Martha stood still, one hand in front of her mouth as she stared unblinkingly at her eldest son.

"Sean." She managed to squeak out. "Is that-"
"Yes."
"Sean!"

"I know." Sean softly responded. "Please, please can you not draw any more attention to this."
She glared over at him.

"Jake can't know." Sean pleaded. His shoulders slouching in defeat. "He just can't."

Martha visibly softened, her arms falling to her side, she sighed as she took a step forward looking at Sean's bedroom door.

"I know." She said, looking back up at Sean sympathetically. "How is she?" A hint of a smile graced his mothers lips.

"I can imagine right now if she's awake, she's not too good." Sean responded, running his hand through his hair as the panic began to resurface. "Mum I need to get her out of here before Jake finds out."

"It's ok I'll go distract him in the kitchen and you two can leave then." Martha nodded matter of factly, turning to leave down the staircase.

"It's not as easy as that." Sean said, stopping her.
"What do you mean?"
"Her clothes are in the washing machine."

Martha blinked slowly, the sound of her nails tapping on the bannister gently as she collected her thoughts.
"Do I want to know?"
"Please mum, I'll explain fully later. Can you do me this one favour? Just whilst I explain things and figure out how I'm going to get her back to the travel lodge."

With another deep sigh, Martha nodded before turning to descend the staircase. Sean watched on, his chest heaving with ragged breathes. He slumped against the door, his vision tunnelling. What the fuck?! The panic swam across his body, prickling it with goose bumps and a deathly chill. Collecting himself he took a deep breathe, twisting the door handle and stepping back into his childhood room.

The atmosphere had shifted. Kelsey sat wide eyed on the bed, the duvet clutched tightly in her hands across her lap. Her face ashen, she stared at the door.

"Fuck." She said, her voice rough with sleep. Sean slowly nodded in agreement, clicking the door behind him.
"Fuck."

"What are we going to do?" Kelsey asked, twisting the bedsheet in her fists. Sean walked over and slumped down on the bed, his head falling into his hands.

"I'm so sorry." He spoke, the words muffled. Dragging his hands through his hair and down to the back of his neck he swallowed. "Truly sorry, Kels. I should've known." He finally looked up meeting Kelsey's gaze. "I should've checked my phone. But I was distracted."

"We." Kelsey added, the corners of her mouth turning up in a slight smile. "We were both distracted."

Seeing her face soften Sean felt the compression around his chest lessen.
"I really did have a fun time." Kelsey said. "Now, however. We really have to figure this out." She reached for her ring, twisting it round and round her finger, her teeth grazing her lower lip. Instinctively Sean reached out and took her hand in his, squeezing it in comfort, rubbing his fingers over her knuckles. The built up tension dispersing with their connection, each both falling into a brief state of calm.

Tap, tap, tap.

Both of their necks snapped in the direction of the door.

"Sean?" Martha's voice gently carried through the closed door. "I got what you asked for from downstairs. I'll, um, just leave it outside the door." A soft rustling followed before the fading of footsteps.

Sean stood up, letting go of Kelsey's hand which had tightened around his at the sound of his mother's knocking. Quickly opening the door, Sean noticed a neat pile of freshly washed clothes dry and folded in front of him. Resting atop the blue fabric was a sugar waffle, still incased in it's plastic wrapping. Picking up the pile in his arms, Sean turned back into the room shutting the door with his foot.

"Seems like my mum still remembers the only breakfast you ever ate here." Sean smiled, glancing down at the waffle and then back to Kelsey. If on cue her stomach growled in response. The sugary treat looking like a full fledged meal to her right now.

"You remember that?" Kelsey said standing up from the bed, discarding the duvet that she'd been clinging onto as protection. Taking the pile out of Sean's hands she placed the waffle down on the desk top, her stomach once more begging with her to consume the food.

"Of course I remember." Sean responded sheepishly, his eyes boldly keeping her gaze as his cheeks tinged pink. "Who do you think it was that made sure we always had them stocked." He raised an eyebrow, tilting his head subtly.

   Kelsey's heart was in her throat. She had no words to reply with. Just her pulse sounded in her ears. Her inhibitions slipping further away. Not only was Sean standing before her bare chested and sculpted with zero imperfections but she was learning more and more about the man who was a complete mystery in the past but as it now appears, the most caring man that she was around back then.
Shaking her head she placed her clothes down on the chair, leaning against the desk she hastily unwrapped the waffle.

"Why do I feel like I severely misjudged you all those years ago." She laughed, picking bite size chunks before nibbling at the edges. "I thought you couldn't stand me." Her heart beat rapidly in her chest, keeping her eyes on the crumbling pieces of the sugar encrusted waffle she dared not to look up without flooding her feelings in the shrinking space that they both stood in.

"Oh Kelsey." Sean's voice softly enveloped her. The way he spoke her name sending a shiver down her back. He walked over to her, taking her chin delicately with his fingers he tilted her head up to look her in the eyes, a devilish smile pulling at the side of his mouth. "You were all I wanted to be around."

Kelsey quickly swallowed the bite of waffle before she inevitably choked on it. His eyes burned intensely, wicked thoughts flowing between them. He leant down, resting his hands beside her hips on the desk, his face just above hers.

"There's a lot you wouldn't know from back then." He smirked.
"Fuck me." Kelsey whispered under her breathe due to his tortuous proximity. Sean's devilish grin spread wider.
"Now now, Owens. Dinner first. That'll come later."

Sean straightened back up, folding his arms loosely across his chest he grazed his thumb on his lower lip smiling down at Kelsey.
"Still fancy that second date?" He said.

Kelsey's thoughts were a rapid daze in her mind. She didn't know whether to jump on Sean or hit him. Her instincts were screaming at her for the first option. Simmering her thoughts she brought herself back to reality.

"I think we have a lot to talk about." She nodded along with her words, her smile now mirroring Sean's. "So yes, I'm still on for this second date."

The ease from the day before returned to them, their thoughts momentarily away from the newfound situation they were in. A loud crash broke that bliss instantly. Muffled shouts could be heard from the floor below. Sean's face falling back into one of concern, his smile slipping away.

"I'll call you a cab, we can wait up here till it arrives and then just hope there's a clear path to the door when it's time." Sean said, turning around searching the floor for his discarded t-shirt.

"Sounds like a solid plan." Kelsey agreed, putting the half eaten waffle down and picking back up her freshly cleaned clothes, her eyes drawing along the outlines of Sean's broad shoulders as he stretched his shirt over his head, his defined abs now covered by black cotton fabric. He looked up, blue eyes glinting and his dimpled cheeks pulled upwards in a grin.

"Do you want me to leave so you can change?" He asked sincerely, eyes briefly darting to look at the door and back.
"Ever the gentlemen." Kelsey replied, her heart skipping every other beat as she fought back the urge to get him to stay.
"I'll go call that taxi." Sean said, sliding his phone off of the bedside table. "247 365, right?" He winked.

"247 365." Kelsey echoed , chuckling gently as more memories from last night resurfaced. How it felt to be held against Sean's chest as he swayed in the night air, deep voice speaking slowly on the phone to the taxi company. How he twirled her under his arm and pulled her closer to him afterwords, the proximity of their lips and the intensity of feelings leading to an inevitable collision that Kelsey welcomed freely. Yet it never happened. At least not yet.

The door shut gently, the dial tone piercing against the silence. Sean paced across the landing, his footfalls muffled against the dense carpet. The glazed over gazes of his family watched over him as his passed the ornate frames that hung from the walls. A crackle sounded from the speaker before the croaked voice answered from the other end.

"247 365, taxi service. How can we help?"
"Hi. I'd like a taxi from 48 Centurion lane to the travel lodge on Hudson road." Sean recited, tapping his finger repeatedly on the back of his phone, his eyes unable to tear away from the cold ones of his own incased in the frame in front of him.

"Uh-uh." The voice responded, the sound of keys clacking distantly in the background. "And when would you want that?"

"As soon as possible." Sean answered, his eyes no longer focusing on the photo but now on the glimpse of his reflection in the glass.

"Right." There was the sound of more rapid clicks. "It seems there's a cab dispatched in your area, should be around about five minutes."
"Thank you."

"No worries. Have a good day." The dispatcher spoke with no emotion, the distinct click of the line ending most likely being their favourite part of their job. Sean pocketed his phone, his eyes taking in the lines of his own face compared to the fresh face of the version of himself captured behind glass. This place was truly a time capsule of his parents holding on to those younger years.

Heading back towards his room, the sound of the front door shutting and boxes being dropped in the hallway caught his attention. He watched as he caught a glimpse of his younger brother saunter in the direction of the kitchen. Even Jake was still holding on to how things were back then, he truly hadn't changed at all it seemed.

A light rapping against the door alerted Kelsey, Sean's hushed voice following after.
"All decent?"

Kelsey tightened the bow against her waist, checking her reflection one final time she fixed her hem pulling it down. She was deeply regretting her flirtatious outfit choice she made yesterday. This was most definitely not what she wanted to be seen in by Sean's parents nor Jake. Her stomach dropped at just the thought.
"All good." She called back. The door opening at her response. Sean stepped in his head low.

"So they said they'll be about five minutes away..." Sean's voice trailed off when he saw Kelsey, his eyes lighting up as he took her in. Kelsey turned back to the mirror, eyes wide panicked that something was wrong. Dress on inside out? A rip in the fabric? No, everything was fine.

"You look beautiful." he said catching her eyes in the mirror. Her cheeks instantly heated. Kelsey fidgeted with the ring on her finger willing for her blush to disappear, or for the world to open up beneath her feet.

"I'm feeling rather underdressed right now." She laughed. "Any clue where I dumped my jacket yesterday?"
"I think I remember seeing it laying beside your trainers and bag near the front door." Sean replied, rubbing the back of his neck as he thought about it, his bicep tense and taught against the fabric of his shirt.

"Ok. I think my phone is in the pocket" She nodded turning back around, her cheeks still tinged pink. "I dread to know how many messages I have to answer to from Mills." She joked in order to cleanse her thoughts. Sean's eyes widened.

"Oh I'm sure you're fucked." He laughed.

"Yep. Milly's going to go off on one for sure." Kelsey said, fluffing her hair with her hand as she chuckled at the prospect of what tirade Milly will bestow upon her.

Sean reached for the door handle beside him, clicking it free from the mechanism, opening it slightly.
"Shall we brave it?" He asked nodding his head towards the exit. Taking a deep breathe Kelsey nodded.
"I guess it's time."

The voices stemmed from the kitchen, the clattering of utensils and thudding of boxes covered the sound of Kelsey and Sean's footsteps as they descended the stairs, the front door in sight. Kelsey's heart thudded against her ribcage, her vision tunnelling on the pile of shoes and jackets pushed into the corner.
Grabbing her jacket she slipped her arms in, patting down her pockets a small sense of relief filled her when the feel of her phone was present in one. Grabbing one of her trainers she struggled to slip her foot in, too impatient to undo the laces she hopped losing her balance before catching herself against the wall. Sean's hand immediately reaching out to catch her around her waist, holding her gently till she regained her balance.

"Oh guess who's finally decided to put his dick in his pants and join us-" Jakes voice filled the hallway, the stealth mission crumpling. His sentence stopping suddenly as he took in the scene before him. His ex girlfriend stood hunched over, arm propping her away from the wall with cheeks flushed as his older brother stood behind her holding her delicately at the waist.

Kelsey's eyes met Jake's, her throat going dry as his gaze narrowed and his body tensed.