-SIN'S POV-

Home. I've missed Daisy more than anything, the amount of nights I've had away from her is not okay. I had a great time in London, an even lovelier time down in Cornwall; despite the shitty journey.

My home appears to be shiny and well-kept, the garden neat and appetising.

Good. The deal was kept.

Wrapping my arms around her, I plant a gentle kiss on her cheek.

"Thanks for a great weekend, Sin. I'm so happy we sorted everything." Elizabeth whispers, her eyes glazing up at me.

I smile. "No worries, babe. Just think: it's the fifteenth, in twelve days the wedding would be all over and done with. Then I'm all yours and I can put my all into the business again."

"I can't wait," she begins to lean into my lips, "I can't wait."

Just before her lips reach mine, the front door opens, causing me to leap back. "Catalina, hey!"

"Oh sorry, I thought I heard cars so I opened the door to check you weren't a burglar. Hello Beth."

"It's Elizabeth." Lizzie sighs, before her face lights up. She turns to me, her lips attaching to mine in a slobbery kiss.

My eyes go to Catalina, who pulls the most disgusted face at me, before turning around and walking inside.

"Okay," I step back, "bye B- Lizzie. I'll see you soon, okay?"

When she leaves, I rush into the house, dumping my shoes and suitcase at the bottom of the stairs. I walk into the kitchen, where Lina is stood over a pan, filled with what looks like a bolognese sauce.

"Who knew you were such a perfect little housewife?"

She rolls her eyes, chucking a piece of garlic at me. "Shut up. Enjoy your shagfest?"

"It was great, thank you," I laugh, chucking the garlic back at her, "nah. We didn't shag. We just talked- a lot."

"Sounds boring." She yawns, adding more herbs to the sauce.

Deciding I want to help, I come beside her to stir the neglected spaghetti. Thankfully, she's poured the right amount of salt and herbs in the spaghetti- clearly Mum taught her the skills of a bolognese as she did me.

Mum. I haven't seen her in a while.

"So, are you cooking for us?" I grin, sitting on the stool behind her.

She rolls her eyes. "No, genius, the meals for Daisy. What do you think?"

"Oi, remember who's letting you stay in their house."

"Don't act like you didn't practically beg me, Sin. Try the sauce?" She dips her clean finger in the sauce, offering it up to me.

I frown down at her. "Would a spoon not have been efficient enough for you?"

"No. Try it, then."

I sigh, wrapping my mouth round her finger. Once my tongue's collected all the flavour, I stand back, feeling the tension rise.

"So?"

"It's good. Don't tell Mum, but I think it could possibly be better than hers." I reply guiltily, scratching the back of my head.

She shakes her head, giggling as she continues to stir. "No way. I can't beat Missy's legendary spag bol, I don't think anyone can. That was a care-home favourite, that."

"Same with mine. Do you want some toast?"

"I'm cooking dinner, you pig."

"Okay and I'm hungry so I'm having toast. Consider it a starter." I reply with a smirk, heading over to make toast.

***
When the food's ready, we sit down at my simplistic table to eat.

Actually, I say simplistic, but Catalina decorated the table with a black cloth and red cherry-scented candles. The cutlery is laid out and the food is too, steaming, alongside a side of dough balls and garlic bread. It's quite impressive, to the point that for a second I consider offering her a job, although I highly doubt my girlfriend would be happy about that- she's mad enough about the current situation as it is.

Although, in London, Catalina and I created an agreement; a friendship agreement. And it worked. We were friends, we didn't argue, didn't kiss- we acted like normal civilians, a friend group away for a banging weekend. She even helped me sort things with Elizabeth, which was eerily strange (although a comforting abnormality). It felt as though maybe, just maybe, this weird situation could become a familiarity.

Catalina grabs us both a drink from the fridge before sitting down and tucking in.

The food was good, excellent, actually. Kinda surprised me.

"Do you wanna watch a film or something? My Netflix is bugging out, but I've got prime."

"Um," she coughs, "sure. Sure. I'll just tidy this up-"

"Don't be stupid, Catalina. Go and relax, I'll sort this all out. I'm going to make a hot chocolate, do you want one?" I ask, already knowing the answer.

She grins. "What kind of question is that? Obviously, twatface. Thank you."

"No worries, scarily nice Lina."

"Make my hot chocolate with water and I'll kill you. I'm gonna go pick the film, because no fucking way will I allow you to. Bye, Sin!" She responds, storming off to the television.

I laugh, yelling out to her "That's much better! More bitchy, I like it."

"I'll only get worse!" She replies, before I hear the comforting sound of my television turning on.

Laughing, I begin to clean up the mess after dinner. Once done, I grab the essentials for a hot chocolate; coco powder, warmed milk, whippy cream and of course: hot chocolate.

When done, I bring them out to her. Her chosen film is Dirty Dancing, a zeitgeist from a past that makes a reminiscing smile creep across my face.

"If this films a weird option, I can change it-"

"No. No, you know how much I adorate this film. It's great."

We sit down, separate ends of the sofa- the abnormal distance signifying an even bigger one.  A red fluffy blanket rests across Lina's lip, but, reluctantly, she chucks me one corner.

"So gracious of you." I wink.

She rolls her eyes, throwing a marshmallow at me. "Shut up, asshole."

"Press play then, bitch."

"Don't call me a bitch, dickface. Fine, I'll press play." She replies stubbornly, turning our film on.

Halfway during the movie, Catalina goes to grab a glass of water, presumably because she's finished her hot chocolate. She took ages though, returning with a black crop top and red plaid pajama bottoms on.

"Took your time."

She responds simply with a middle finger, before a smirk dances across her face.

"What, why are you looking like that?"

She puts a finger to her lips, a hushing motion, before grinning once more and sitting down. The blanket engulfs her as muffled giggles erupt from within her fort. The movie resumes and I quote along, not having the energy to question her incredibly strange energy.

"Catalina, you're still laughing. What is so funny?"

She grins once more, edging up closer and closer to me.

A wave of heat rushes across my body, partnered with a tingling in my spine. Why am I so nervous?

"What are you doing?"

Catalina laughs, "Stop panicking. You just have chocolate all over your face, like a toddler."

"Get it off then!" I reply, mortified.

She laughs, leaning over me, her thumb wiping across the outskirts of my lip. The edge of her nail brushes on my bottom lip, causing the shivers in my spine again. I look up at her, wondering if she felt it too.

She's looking down at me, biting her lip.

Suddenly, she leaps back, sitting back in her seat, her eyes glazed over with awkwardness.

A joke. Joke solves awkwardness.

"Was there actually chocolate on my face, or did you just wanna touch my lips?" I wink, to show I'm joking.

She rolls her eyes, grabbing a pillow and throwing it at my head. "You're an asshole."

"Why thank you, Miss Aldonondo. I appreciate it."

Lina smiles, a toothy-white, genuine smile. I smile back, appreciating the moment.

Maybe being Friends will be good for us. Maybe that's our chance at being happy.

When the films over, I still feel energised. "Do you wanna bake cookies or some shit?"

"Do you really think that'll go well? I know I made dinner, but I'm no Gordan Ramsey."

"Now, now. Don't belittle yourself that much. Anyways, I have one of those baking packet thingys. We just need to add water." I tell her, hoping she'll say yes.

She sighs. "Fine. You can tell me all about your trip to Cornwall. Minus the horny details, of course."

"I told you, we just talked a lot." I pout, walking towards the kitchen.

Catalina nods. "I know what's that code for."

"What is your obsession with it anyway? It's a bit weird."

"Asshole. I'm being a good friend, am I not? Asking about your relationship is very nice of me, is it not? So go on. Tell me about Cornwall- I helped you sort it out, I'm kinda entitled to hear how it went."

I sigh, purely because she has a point.

We grab all the ingredients for the cookies, not that it's many alongside my baking mix. Catalina found it extremely funny to constantly blow flour on my face, so once the cookies are in the oven I leave it out; making a note to get my revenge when she least expects it.

"Cornwall was nice. Elizabeth is a lovely person, really. Understanding. Polite. Never argue."

"Are you trying to convince me or yourself? I didn't ask about Beth, I asked about Cornwall." She responds, her first question lingering in my mind.

Am I trying convince her or myself?

"Cornwall went well. It's beautiful there. Reminded me of Torquay, when we went that time."

Shit.

"Oh, ha.. yeah." Lina awkwardly coughs.

Shit.

Grabbing the flour, I smirk, cupping some in my hand. Her eyes widen, taking a step back, and another, as I walk towards her.

"You didn't think you were going to get away with covering me in flour, did you?" I smirk, as I leap towards her, rubbing the white powder all over her face (avoiding her eyes).

She glares up at me, her face stained white. "You're an asshole. I am so going to get you back for that. Just you wait, you dumb prick. Fucking hell, you're so annoying!"

After dramatically storming off, she moodily stays away until I tell her the cookies are ready. Lina comes in with a washed face, her eyes sending me daggers as she traipses to the cookie tray.

She puts three on a plate and walks off, her eyes not leaving mine, until her absence fills the room.

"Thanks, Sin. No worries, Catalina!" I yell after her, chuckling when I hear the slam of a door- her temporary bedroom.

I plate myself up some cookies, getting cosy on the sofa. Just as I head to bed, my phone pings.

Mum: I need to see you tomorrow. I need you to meet my boyfriend.

I sigh, the idea of an upcoming step dad making me feel queasy. My mum has barely dated since my sperm donor. I never met him and I hope I never do, as my Mum made seem him like an absolute prick; he is an absolute prick. I only hope her new boyfriend is a good person.

Not like my so-called Father.

Ignoring the text, I yell goodnight to Catalina before clambering into bed.

*****
"NO!"

My eyes feel blurry, my head hurting from the abrupt, deafening yells I hear. Who is that? Shit, is it Catalina? Is she oka-

"PLEASE!"

Fuck. I thought her nightmares stopped, they stopped, didn't they?

"No..no...no..NO! Get off of me. No. I don't like this game. I want mum. Get me mum. Where's mum. MUM! MUM! MUM! WAKE UP. MUM!"

Leaping out of bed, I run towards the room she sleeps in, knocking once before dashing in.

She's asleep, tossing and turning as she screams- her face the picture of distress.

I tap her shoulder once, twice, three times.

"Lina, lina, wake up. It's just a dream. It's okay, it's just a dream, wake up." I whisper, shaking her gently, as though she was a porcelain doll.

Her eyes open, widening. She bites her lip, her fragile face full of fear. She's shaking, as her eyes begin to pool, but she blinks away the determined tears.

"S..S..Sin?" She says frantically, her voice wavering.

I nod. "It's okay. You're okay, you're awake now, I'm here with you. Don't cry, please don't cry little red, I can't bare to see you cry. Come here, I'm here." I whisper in her ear, wrapping my arms around her as she sobs into my chest.

"Sorry. T...this is so embarrassing." She hiccups into my chest, her body tremors vibrating through me.

I shake my head, pulling her back as I wipe her tears with my thumb. "I think we've both seen each other in much worse states, hm? Do you wanna go watch some TV? We can put the 100 on, cause of prime. I might even make you a hot chocolate."

She half-beams at me, her eyes still engulfed by trepidation, her mind plagued by PSTD, but her hitched breathing is slowly and her body is becoming more still; stability returning to her.

"Yes please," she whispers, "I'll just sort my face out:"

"Okay, I'm on it. Daisy will be ecstatic too, I'll make her a special doggy drink- she loves them. See you in a minute. If you need me, just shout, okay?" I tell her as I head towards the door.

Catalina nods. "Yeah. Yeah, okay."

As I begin to leave her room, she stops me, stating my name.

"You good?" I ask, frowning from the doorframe.

She smiles. "Thank you."

Grinning back, I wink at her, before skipping off to the kitchen to make the hot chocolates.

~~~~~~~
i'm not crying. you are.

i hope you all enjoy this chapter a lot and i mean a lot because its probably the most wholesome and the whole story is about to become super duper chaotic.

who's missys boyfriend? are sin and lina gonna be good friends?

its nearly the wedding! kinda.

what are ur favourite songs on midnights and the car? comment now.

till next time X