Mason released a small sigh as he glanced at the clock staring back on the wall above him. It was his final mock exam, physics, and he only had twenty minutes ago.

The last two weeks had passed by with unbelievable speed. He'd barely had a moment free outside of revision, working through his shifts at the diner and training under his father's guidance. Singing and spending time with his friends had been put on the back burner, but thankfully Anya and Lucas were facing similar scenarios, so the understanding was mutual.

Tonight, however, he planned for things to change. His shift at Sinclair's diner would end at 6 pm, so Spencer has asked if he could spend the rest of the evening giving a live performance. It would be the first time he would be performing at the diner since Spencer had agreed, and so he had silently decided tonight was the night he was going to make things official between him and Anya. Lucas was in on the plan and had already agreed to ask Anya if they would like to meet at the diner later in the evening.

But first, Mason needed to complete his exam, and when Mrs. Smith, the assigned invigilator, made eye contact with him from across the hall, it was a stark reminder that he needed to concentrate.

"How did you find it?" Lucas asked, meeting him at the exit door before they walked towards the changing rooms, attached to the sports hall, where their belongings were kept.

"It wasn't great, but it wasn't horrible." He decided, zipping up his clear pencil case as the blonde murmured his agreement.

"And how are you feeling about tonight? Are you excited?"

"I'd rather retake my exams; I'm bricking it!" Mason summarised as Lucas chuckled, clapping his back in comfort as he added:

"She'll say yes," He gushed, "and if she doesn't, then at least ten years down the line, you won't regret that you didn't shoot your shot."

"I suppose that's true,"

"Of course, it's true," Lucas grinned, placing his denim jacket over his shoulders. "Anyway, I best head off; Laura promised me a milkshake for finishing my exams,"

"Well, I won't keep you; see you tonight!" Mason smiled, taking a left turn to where his car was parked. He was quick to unlock the vehicle, but a niggling thought persuaded him to pivot and stare at the brick building standing tall. Seven years had been spent in the school, and only then did Mason acknowledge his education was almost over. He'd made seven years' worth of memories, attended classes, and found close friends behind those walls, and to think he would be free of it all in six months felt like a shock to his system.

He still had six months, he mentally appeased, and the upcoming Christmas ball would be an opportunity to celebrate and enjoy the company of his peers without the threat of life's most significant decisions along with school exams looming over him.

Unlocking his car, he dumped his rucksack in the boot but kept his coat on as a result of the brisk chill. Soon enough, he was in the front seat, meandering the familiar roads as he thought over the lines he had rehearsed. There would never have been enough time to practise, but he wanted things to be perfect. It was this reason alone that caused his heart to flutter intensely as Anya's home appeared.

Out of respect, he had decided to speak to Mr. Kumar before asking Anya to be officially his. The timing couldn't have been more perfect as Anya had gone to the ice cream parlour after her English exam this morning for her shift, and her uncle could be heard from within the shop as he entered.

"Hi Mason, how are you?" Naveer asked as the bell above the shop alerted his arrival.

"Mr Kumar-" Somehow, the words seemed to get tangled in his throat when the Asian man glanced his way. "I-I'm fine," he finally forced out, "how's erm, how are you?"

"I'm well," Naveer answered, raising a threatening brow as he added, "Anya isn't home,"

"I know, sir, erm,"

"Sir?"

"Erm, Mr Naveer..."

"Breath, Mason," the uncle instructed with a light chuckle, and he complied, tucking his hands into his pockets to stop them from shaking. "You look like you've seen a ghost; what's up?"

"I erm, I wanted to ask your permission," Mason finally revealed, gaining the uncle's interest. "I was hoping to ask Anya to be my girlfriend...."

The uncle pursed his lips, and Mason felt his heart drop to his stomach. "You two have been together all this time, and yet she's not your girlfriend?"

"I no, that sounds awful; I just wanted to make things exclusive,"

"They haven't been exclusive?" Mason was making a deep hole for himself, and it seemed the more he spoke, the higher Mr Kumar's eyebrows rose as he continued the interrogation. The thick black hairs would disappear into his hairline if he said anything more suspicious.

"There has only ever been Anya," He clarified. "And I really like her, and I want to show that I respect her by asking her out properly...."

It seemed that was precisely what Naveer wanted to hear as he leaned back, perching on the counter and uncrossing his arms, deep in thought.

"I remember you from when you were younger," Naveer expressed, his usually wide smile dim as he reflected on the past. "You were a good friend to Sameer, and you never allowed his health to stop him from being included. I knew back then that you were a good kid, that you would make thoughtful decisions...."

Mason could only listen intently, praying that the uncle's chosen course of conversation wouldn't end with a 'but.' He could already sense the apprehension in the uncle's tone. Still, he rolled back his shoulders and forced himself to listen, praying that he was wrong.

"You make our Anu happy, and it hasn't been easy for her these past few months. She misses her parents, though she won't ever complain, you've made it easier for her, without overtly trying,"

"Thank you?" Mason questioned his response, and the uncle nodded in approval.

"You do know that she intends to go back to Birmingham, right?" Naveer added, and Mason stilled, realising that this was something he should have known. Anya had been clear that she missed home; the only reason why she was here was that it was too risky for her mum for her to continue going to school. Once exams were over, there wouldn't be any other reason for her to stay.

"I erm, yes, she has hinted," Mason nodded, and Naveer mirrored the expression, his smile grim as he released a sigh. "I know what you're thinking," He added, "But even if we only have six months together, that is still half a year that I know we can still be happy. She won't be leaving anytime before that, and so I intend to enjoy every moment that we have,"

"Then I've said all I needed to," Naveer agreed, "If you feel you can make her happy without hurting her, then I have nothing more to say. Anya has a pure heart; I'm only allowing this because I know you'll do your best; just don't hurt her," Though the permission was allotted, the threat was imminent, and Mason was quick to assure that he would never have such malicious intent.

"I promise to do my best for her," Mason smiled, gaining a genuine grin in return. "I have to leave for my shift at the diner now; it was nice to see you,"

"And you, Mason,"

As he had found in the last few weeks, with more students finishing their A-Levels and GCSE mock exams, the diner was becoming increasingly packed. The moment he entered, Mason was ushered to the staff room to change and chop the vegetables Spencer needed for his main dishes.

It was havoc.

"It's not been like this since New Year," Nathaniel complained, placing the filled tub of dishes besides the sink.

"Tell me about it; I'm glad you're back. How was self-isolation?" Mason queried, concentrating on peeling the potato in his hand.

"It was pretty relaxed," Nathaniel shrugged, turning on the faucet. "Exams were tricky, but at least it's the first year of A-levels. Boris is thinking of tightening restrictions though, especially for those of us without vaccination, so things are going to get tough again,"

"You're kidding," Mason responded, his eyes wide in surprise. "But that...that's unfair for us! We haven't been called in for jabs, and what about the school?"

"Well, I doubt he'll close schools again." Nathaniel reminded with a slight chuckle as he began to scrub the dishes in the plastic tub.

The virus had hit the UK like a hurricane, and though since the vaccine roll-out, cases had massively reduced, the threat was still out there. Mason still sanitised and showered every time he came home, he may not be overly concerned, but he knew the virus was still taking lives, whether it was ten or a thousand; each death was a reminder of how terrible the virus could be.

"Orders up!" Spencer announced from the other side of the kitchen, and Vanessa quickly appeared to take the dishes. "How do you feel about tonight, Mase?" He asked, and Mason paused from his task as a shy smile pulled at his lips.

"I erm, I'm nervous, but I am excited,"

"Good man," Spencer grinned, "I need those potatoes in five minutes," he added, and Mason nodded, returning to his task while answering Nathaniel's questions that arrived in abundance as he uncovered Mason's plan.

The following two hours passed in a rush, and none of the diners seemed to be in any hurry to go home. Mason had been moved to the bar and had reserved a booth towards the back for when Lucas and Anya arrived, and he was excited to greet them the moment they had come. The plan heavily relied on Lucas playing his part, as he would need Anya to drive them to the diner since he didn't have a car.

It seemed luck wasn't entirely on Mason's side when his phone rang; however, and he just knew the plan had gone slightly awry.
"Hey, what's up?" Mason answered, resting the phone between his ear and shoulder as he scooped some ice cream into the blender, followed by a tub of strawberries, cream, sugar, and milk.

"I can't make it," Lucas explained apologetically. "Laura's car blew a tyre; we've been stuck on the road for an hour..." a glance at the clock alerted Mason to how close he was towards his shift ending. It was too late.

"It's okay, mate; it happens. Have you called my dad?"

"Yeah, he's on his way," Lucas confirmed, "But I feel awful," He added as Mason placed the fresh coffee he'd brewed onto a tray. "This was supposed to be your night,"

"It's fine," Mason appeased, "I'll figure something out." He decided, hanging up the phone before he blended the milkshake and poured it into glass cups. The bell alerted Vanessa to collect the drinks, and Mason used the rag on his shoulder to wipe the mess as he considered a beta plan.

He'd promised Spencer that he would sing tonight, and a post had already been put out on Facebook. He couldn't bail now. The only option would be for Mason to visit Anya after his shift. It would be a late night, but he hadn't been able to see her; the few text messages they'd used as a form of communication just wasn't enough. It was all he had on his mind.

"Are you ready?" Vanessa asked, and he nodded, gulping as he realised how packed the restaurant was. Usually, when he performed, it was for events where people were too occupied with excitement to focus on the music, like at the races. At a restaurant where there was little room to hide; here, he would be heard.

"I just need to collect my guitar,"

"Take your time," she grinned, "I've set up the microphone, so it's all ready for you," he nodded and headed into the staff room to remove his apron, spray some lynx to conceal the oil smell before picking up his guitar.
He took an additional few minutes to drink his water and settle his heart, and when he returned into the main dining room, Vanessa announced that Mason was about to sing.

The gig lasted almost forty-five minutes. Mason had strummed the guitar and produced his renditions of his favourite songs, including Homicide Love by James Arthur, and excited the mood with 2step by Ed Sheeran.
By the end, he was exhausted, but Mason felt...he felt as if he couldn't float any higher even if he had tried. Happiness oozed out of his pores as he offered one final bow and a wave before meeting Vanessa at the bar to claim a drink of water.

"That was incredible," she beamed, clapping her hands together to show her excitement. "You have a fantastic voice,"

"Thank you," Mason blushed, tipping his head back to swallow the dregs of water from his cup.

"So which one is she?" Vanessa added, perusing the crowd as his smile dimmed.

"She couldn't make it," he revealed, his smile dimming at the reminder. "I'm heading straight over to her apartment to ask,"

"It's pretty late," Vanessa reminded, but Mason could only nod in return. He had no intention of changing his mind, and with a final goodbye, he was on his way.

Once his guitar was secured in its case, he switched on the engine, and the headlights automatically beamed, temporarily blinding him in the darkness as he released the clutch, the lights dimming as he increased his speed.
The music from his radio filled the silence as Mason manoeuvred through the cars and hummed along, his nerves increasing as he recognised what he was about to do.

It was his thoughts that distracted him from his surrounding, and if it wasn't for the sharp horn of the car to gain his attention, Mason wouldn't have stomped on his brakes and realised the consequences of what only could have been a disaster. It wasn't entirely his fault; the car before him should never have swerved in his way.

'That was close,' he thought, gasping for breath as he squinted over the beam of the other car. The woman switched off her lights and climbed out of the green Fiat he recognised.

He opened the door, and the raven-haired girl waved before resting her hands on her knees as she reclaimed her breath.
"I think that was the stupidest thing I've ever done," Anya claimed as he chuckled, forcing her upright as he planted a peck to her cheek.

"Hi there," Mason grinned in return. "what are you doing here?"

"I erm," Anya panted, her cheeks reddened from shock in the dimmed light as she met his gaze. "Lucas said there was an emergency,"

"An emergency?" Mason queried as she nodded in response.

"Yeah, something about you needing me to come to the restaurant...."
Realisation dawned upon Mason, and he gulped, the nerves he'd forgotten about suddenly returning at full force.

"So you were there? At the restaurant, I mean,"

"Yeah..." she nodded, "and I heard you sing, and oh Mason, you have the most beautiful voice! It's so rustic and unique-" a beep of a horn interrupted her sentence, and the pair turned, realising they had blocked the exit of the restaurant.

"Shall we go to the cliff?" Mason suggested, and Anya quickly agreed, jumping into her car to clear the way.

The cliff face they had frequently met upon was a four-mile drive towards the sea. Though as he tailed the lime coloured car, they faced traffic, the now seven-minute journey did nothing to settle his nerves or reassure him that this was what he had intended. His following thoughts were tainted with anger, and he wanted to message Lucas with a series of red-faced emojis to highlight his horror. Still, he perused on, and when he parked his car, he took several breaths before locking his vehicle and seating himself on the passenger seat in Anya's Fiat.

"Hi again," he announced as she nodded with a slight chuckle, unclipping her belt.

"So, what was the emergency?" She queried as he avoided her gaze, concentrating on the obsidian sea that ceased below them. "You left in such a hurry, and I felt that I had no choice but to...."

"Almost smash your car into me," he concluded as she nodded, rolling her lower lip behind her front teeth in a way that distracted him. "I think you owe me an ice cream for that," Mason decided, and her grin mirrored his own, reminding the pair of their first introduction."There wasn't an emergency," Mason added, "I just really wanted to see you today,"

"Oh," she met his gaze, and he smiled to relieve Anya of her building angst.

"I had it planned to erm, sing for you...would you mind?" It seemed to have stunned her, and when she shook her head, Mason exited the car to open his boot, grateful that she had followed along.

Placing his guitar car on the floor, as well as the gym bag that he hadn't used for a while, he laid a blanket onto the bottom of the boot and tapped the space so that she could sit.
Anya gave him a strange look, but with the open ocean behind her and the stars beaming their lights, Mason knew a perfectly intimate moment like this couldn't have been reflected in the presence of customers at the Sinclair's diner.

Mason cleared his throat and met the deep brown eyes that burned in the dim lights, and then he began to play. The words of Taylor Swift's Untouchable tumbled from his lips as he breathed in every lyric and felt every chord. The water quality to his voice was a combination of the emotion that he experienced and of what he wanted to convey, and the silent look of awe on Anya's face told him that she appreciated his use of the song.

"- like a million stars spelling out your name, spelling out your name...."

He ended the song with the final chords of his guitar, and with difficulty, he met her gaze to see the water had coated those beautiful eyes of hers. It was almost painful to see, and determination to hear her response persuaded him to close the gap and hold her hand in his own.

"Anya...you have brought me more joy in the last two months than I've felt in the last two years. You've filled a void in my heart, and I...I love you. And I guess what I'm asking is if I can officially be yours?"

"I..." she sniffled and then inhaled in an unladylike way that seemed to successfully kill the tension as she nodded and giggled and bobbed her head again. "Of course! You idiot!" She wiped her tears with the sleeve of her jumper as another watery chuckle once more bubbled from her lips.

"So that's a yes?" Mason queried, perching awkwardly on the rim of the boot.

"Yes!" She grinned, and the impulse to kiss her and seal their pact was too immense for Mason to resist. Their lips collided, and tongues tangled as fireworks exploded in his mind.

"I love you, Anya," he confessed, not allowing their foreheads to break contact as her warm breath fanned over his face.

"I love you too," she beamed, pulling him closer once more as her arms made their way around his neck and her fingers crawled into his hair, intensifying the moment once more.
Mason had been wrong. He didn't think a feeling could top how he felt after he performed, but this...knowing he was Anya's, and that she reciprocated his feelings; that their hearts were linked and that she loved him too, it was the best feeling in the world.

A.N
Happy Wednesday lovelies!
I wasn't expecting to update today but this chapter is cute, and I couldn't resist haha.
I hope you're all well! I'm so excited for the run up to Christmas, the holidays are just around the corner.
Also, I'm sure you've noticed but new Cover Alert! Haha. And there's a new bio, so special thanks to DomiSotto and @Zoe_Blessing for that, I truly appreciate it 💕

See you for Friday's update!
Aamenah x

Song: Untouchable - Taylor Swift