E i g h t

T h e  F i r s t   f r o m  M a n y

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{Italics = Flashback} {Bold Italics = Flashback Thoughts}

{[Y/F/N]= Your Full Name}{[Y/M's/N]=Your Mother's Name}

A/N: You get the picture :)

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1993 - Little Baddow

The van approached the corner and began to turn. It had been almost too dangerous as the edge of the rubber tyres barely skidded the white varnished fence that had been newly painted. 

Each house on the street had every outburst of personality, a variety of latest styled houses to thatched roofed cottages that you could imagine yourself sitting in your armchair by the fireplace, cosy with a mug of hot beverage and Jammy Dodgers.

[Y/N] knew a lot of things. For only five years old, she already knew the world - something which no toddler really notices about.

"Mummy," She called from the back of the car as she watched the van behind using the mirrors. "Will I be able to play the piano before bedtime, now that we have our own house?"

She heard her mother - [Y/M's/N] - chuckle with a smile before replying: "Yes of course, that's why we bought it detached so we'll be able to do so...but please remember that you have to complete your flute pieces first."

"But I've played the same suite twice!" The little girl fell back with a groan, huffing as she compacted the leather seat. Afterwards, she pulled back over the seat belt before placing her hands on the back of the driver's seat. Her head was perched in the middle, anticipated to see the new scenery in the front of the car.

Moving was not a rare thing for her family, she realised ever so quickly. Her parents moved constantly: trying to find a place. She knew though, that there were deeper meanings whenever they tried to explain why they moved. However, [Y/N] did not needed to worry about it anymore. For that it was the last time they would move, and for the better for her and her family.

When the van stopped in front of them, and carefully parked over the pavement by the fenced house, all she could do was stare intently at the beautiful house in front of her. It gave a sense of security, almost homely she would call it. Her father had exited the van alongside the driver, who began helping him unload their furniture and belongings with them. Her mother ushered her out of the car, and she obliged and rushed out to get a better view of the neighborhood.

To her: [Y/N] knew it would be a great home for her and her parents.

There were green hedges and topiaries lining the fence, with a gravel path lined with flowers and lights. A rose bush was planted by the window sills as well as dangling colourful violets on the ironed framed- style covers. It was a slight modern house, with already a working doorbell that her mum checked.

[Y/N] stood in front of the front fence, completely ignoring what was happening around her. All she clutched was her flute placed inside a case as well as a rugged bag with her pieces in - including some paper and pencils that were all worn out and ripped. Her clothes did not scream of ambitions and higher class, almost too simple unlike her parent's velvet blazers and posh hats.

"[Y/N]!" She spun around, only to find her father cry out as he struggled to carry a cabinet with the van driver. "Please can you move, or else your mum is going to put you into the new music room to play your flute pieces." He quickly spoke.

Immediately, she moved to side with quick pace. How her father knew what would happen was amazing to her small mind (which was not exactly small in all honesty). He gave a cheeky grin and wink back, causing her to grin back as he walked away down to the house. Her father was an enigma, and [Y/N] had loved his quirks when it came to knowing the future. Logically, she knew that her dad was not a mind reader: it was probably something clever or something.

When they disappeared in the house, she was left standing alone in the pavement - still a bit surprised at what was happening around her. She was so concentrated, she did not notice something flying right pass her.

A tennis ball whirled pass her, almost grazing the tip of her nose before it landed on the fenced hedge beside her. Panning around, she spotted where the ball had come from...or rather who had thrown it.

"Sorry!" A boy, much older than her ran across the empty road. His face pained with guilt once he knew what he had done. "I'm so sorry, that was my sister's fault."

[Y/N] spoke back, "Clearly you need better aim." Then, the boy was startled - nearly shocked and made her tilt her head in confusion.

Nevertheless, she placed her case slowly down onto the floor as well as her bag. Afterwards, she stepped over and went to grab the ball before looking back with pierce - yet innocent - eyes back at the boy. She did not know him at all, so [Y/N] was careful to have kept her distance clear. Instead of giving it to him, she tossed it back and he eagerly caught it with ease.

He nervously replied, "Ur...thanks."

"No problem," She replied.

And then he had introduced himself, "I'm Ralph." Whilst he told his name to her, she spotted another girl run from behind Ralph, looking much the same age as her - or maybe slightly younger. The boy was annoyed once he saw his sister, telling her off for running across the road without anyone. "You know you can't just run across the road! Where's Lewis?" He asked with concern and [Y/N] spectated the siblings.

"Lew Lew was 'busy'" The girl huffed, but then her whole face changed once she spotted the girl in front of her. "Hello, I'm Pippa."

[Y/N] meekly smiled and replied, "I'm [Y/N], nice to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too?" Ralph raised an eyebrow and all [Y/N] could do was simply nod it off. "Anyways, I'm sure you and Pippa would like to play. How old are you?"

She responded, "I'm six years old."

"I'm five years old!" Pippa jumped in glee, and she could see the girl's joy in her eyes. "We could play holidays or knights. It'll be fun!"

"Okay," [Y/N] could not let out the correct words, and she began to know that Ralph - the nine year old - was beginning to feel uncomfortable around her.

By the time Ralph was about to say something, a woman's voice roared from opposite the road. Standing in front of her was their mother, who was fuming for finding her two children and another by their own next to a van. All [Y/N]  could do was watch them being dragged, and saying hello politely to their mother. When the children and their mother left, she was left back on her own. Her father and the van driver had afterwards exited the house right on time: not even acknowledging the fact that she had met two of her new neighbors.

'But Pippa said another name: Lew Lew?'  She wondered.

And then she saw it. Not it: him.

It was a boy, perched on the window inside the house where Ralph and Pippa had entered and lived. He was only staring at his hands for a while, before she met his eyes at him...

"Fuck."

I gasped, sitting up from my bed with deep pants of breaths as I grasped my bedside table. I could not see anything but the illuminating light from the moon. But even then: the darkness didn't help my sudden awakening from god knows what.

It was weird, but it felt...real. 

Most of the dream's landscape was blurry apart from the certain place and person I was given the eyes of. They were young as well; young eyes that did not yet see much of what I knew. As well as that, whenever I began to retrace those memories of the dream: there was no knowledge. The names were so blurry in my head, making me groan in irritation.

Once I knew I couldn't go back, I had to stop hurting my mind before I would explode in rage. The night wasn't a good time to scream bloody murder...especially when it comes to the middle of a city.

When I turned the lampshade on, my eyelids flutter to adjust to the light before landing my palms over my alarm clock. It was only four in the morning, and my ungodly hour of a Friday morning. Though when I tried to lay my head back on my pillow, I struggled to fall back to sleep. I constantly tossed and turn in my large bed before I threw my duvet covers out and felt the cold air rush. Tingling my skin, I got up and grabbed my jumper and clutched my phone to my chest.

If I wasn't going to sleep, I might as well go and do something productive.

And that meant sorting out the flat after leaving it a mess when Katie and Trott came over for a Smash Bros. feud.

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Sometimes I had my salty days. And I believed that it was today.

George had luckily backed off, realizing that I was at the end of my tether ball and could've spilled all his unknown secrets and deductions to him. Yes: I was like that when I couldn't control my emotions - especially my anger.

It had died down, thank god, when I remembered that I was meeting up with Martyn for a coffee down at the local coffee shop at lunch. Calming down, I set myself to work on presenting myself decently. I decided to change later for work after my lunch, so the uniform was prepared on the foot of my bed  just in case I would have to rush back home. Hopefully, I assured myself, that it will go smoothly. And I meant everything.

"Enjoy your little lunch outing." George teased me just as I was going to escape his grasp via the door, "Don't fuck it up, [Y/N]!"

"Then please don't care too much!" I shouted back to him down the hallway. "It's rather unlike you to pry a lot on my extinct love life ."

All the response I got was an arm popping right out of the corner, it's hand flipping the bird back - and I could not help but chuckle in his childish plays.

The coffee shop Martyn recommended wasn't far from Yog Towers, since of course he had to return to recording right after whilst I needed to go to my other job. George was staying in; his usual Fridays was currently creating content at our home office whilst the rest of the weekdays was him actually at Yog Towers. It worked that way, since it was better for the both of us to have some sort of rota when it came to my half-time working jobs.

By the time I'd arrived, I spotted the blond man walking opposite me, crossing the road with a wave as I smiled back politely.

"Hey," Martyn chirped. "A bit warm today isn't it?"

I suppressed a raised eyebrow and spoke back, "It is, then why are you wearing a hoodie?"

"Why not?" He retorted, chuckling whilst he opened the door and letting me in before him. "I wear my hoodies; you keep surprising people with your great knowledge." The end sentence he gave was deepened in his hoarse noble voice, and my eyes darted in slight discomfort though calmness as we at down. He had complemented me, though also yet not knowing my interest besides games.

I think that's why I was confused. And a little bit terrified at first.

However, we carried on a long conversation. Talking about gaming to our houses, I picked up a lot of information from him. He had cats, and they were quite a rarity. What also did not surprise me was that he had a girlfriend before, and had broken up with her a few months ago by the tone and discomfort whenever he spoke the correct pronouns.

Martyn was totally someone that fitted what I observed about him. And I felt this warmth whenever I knew that I could trust what I spoke. So that's why I popped the question ever so quickly...and maybe in regret.

"Is this a date?" I asked, scrunching my eyes, wishing he wouldn't hate me and slash out.

Though then I felt a hand go over my shoulder, and I opened my eyes and found his eyes and face showing concern and care. "Hey...don't worry," He smiled as he spoke softly. "If you don't want it to be date, then it's alright. I wasn't even intending it to be."

"Really?" I questioned him, but mostly to myself as I pushed back carefully his hand and watched it fall back to his side.

He answered, "Never. I don't even think of you like that. Not that I'm trying to insult you that it-"

"No, no!" I nervously chuckled, glancing to my empty mug and back towards his eyes. "I...um...I'm sorry. I probably sound like a dick now," I muttered and Martyn laughed back in response.

"Don't worry, I'm pretty shit at starting relationships as well," Martyn truthfully explained. "I had to have my friend introduce to me my old girlfriend. Imagine that!" Once his playful jokes escaped his mouth, I felt myself raise my lips slightly to form a slight smile.

I then replied, "The last time I was asked out...I was horrified once I deduced what he did in his spare time." There was disgust in my tone, though I played it off when Martyn chuckled back.

The lunch ran smoothly then, and I felt as if it was like talking to someone I had known for quite a while and didn't have to pry slowly at my comfort around them. I was beginning to warm up to the man in front of me, and both of us accepted that we were much like siblings ourselves as much as friends also.

After the lunch, we stood on the pavement: finally finishing out last conversation before Martyn had to leave to go back to Yog Towers whilst I needed to head back for work.

His lips turned to smile. "Maybe we could record together sometime?"

"Of course," I grinned, shaking his hand as I spoke. "It's been a pleasure to speak with you, Sir Martyn!"

"And with you, too" He replied with his noble toned voice before he walked off in the same way he had arrived in - which had left me being the one to look back and watch.

I held the smile, though once he rounded the corner and vanished: my mind drew back from the happiness. However, the gleeful day did not stop me from reminding myself that I finally accepted what it was like of the reality I was worried long ago.

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A/N: I didn't know that flashback was going to be that long, but of well: more backstories for you guys ammirite ;)

So basically I'm pumping quite a lot of chapters on this story, which should be fine by me and for you, fellow reader. I think it's because I'm comfortable on what I'm writing, and that I've got lots of ideas on how to approach the dilemmas and situations the character faces.

Plus it's Lewis Brindley, and no one doesn't get tired of this beautiful man.

Hoped you guys enjoyed reading :)

-SierraOwls