A love to last

FALCON WASN'T in any more of Freya's classes. She wasn't sure whether she was relieved about the fact that she hadn't had to deal with his staring, or if she missed the safety his presence seemed to give her. As intimidating as he was, he worked well as a human shield; something Freya hoped she could take advantage of in the future. 50

Packing her things back into her locker as she prepared to go home, Freya was startled by a warm breath on her neck. Whipping around, she was faced with the usual grinning face of Penn. She pressed a hand to her chest, taking in a deep breath. 139

"Hey princess," he greeted. 129

"You scared me," Freya stated the obvious in a breathless voice.

Penn chuckled in response, resting his shoulder on the locker beside her. Freya pushed away the loose strands of her hair, readjusting the bag on her shoulder before closing her locker. "Did you need something?" she asked, wondering why he wasn't saying anything. Penn looked down at her curiously, still smiling. 1

"What are you doing this afternoon?" He suddenly asked. 119

Freya's eyes widened slightly in thought as she puffed out her cheeks, letting the air out slowly. "I don't think I have anything on," she responded kindly. "Why?" 10

Penn's smile grew as he straightened up. "Great!" he cheered. "Do you wanna grab some ice cream with me? Mövenpick?" 158

Freya's eyes lit up at the mention of her favourite ice cream store and she immediately nodded

her head, a grin spreading across her lips. "I'd love to," she squealed. 1

Penn slung an arm over Freya's shoulders and began to lead her outside. "I'll drive?" he suggested. 19

Freya shrugged, not really caring how they got there as long as they did. Penn led her to his velvet red range rover, opening the passenger side door for her before running around the car and hopping into the driver's seat. 33

They drove in silence for a while, the radio playing softly to fill the silence. Freya was perfectly content to get lost in her own thoughts, which mostly consisted of what kind of ice cream

flavours she was going to get. 8

"So," Penn broke the silence. "What's up with you and Anders?" 26

Freya scrunched up her brow in confusion. "Who's Anders?" she asked innocently.

Freya swore she saw Penn roll his eyes slightly in irritation, the action making her bristle. It wasn't her fault she didn't know who Anders was. "Falcon," Penn said pointedly. "Falcon Anders. What's going on between you guys?" 103

Freya was left confused yet again. There was something between them? "What do you mean?" she questioned hesitantly. "Nothing's going on." 4

She fiddled with her the ends of her cardigan as Penn let out a frustrated breath, his hands clenching the steering wheel tighter. "He was awfully protective for there to be 'nothing,"" Penn gritted out. 178

Freya felt like crying now. She didn't know why the boy was so angry at her, but she felt like it was her fault he was mad. She sniffled slightly, trying to hide her distress and confusion. Penn didn't seem to take any notice of her situation, continuing to glare at the road in front of him while Freya sat in guilty silence. 252

"I only met him today," she whispered, not knowing why she felt the need to explain herself. She hadn't done anything wrong, had she? 21

It seemed to have been the right thing to say as Penn's hands relaxed, the crease in his forehead disappearing as his mood did a complete 180. "What kind of ice cream do you want, princess?" he asked. 254

STORY CONTINUES BELOW

Penn attempted to make conversation with a flustered and muddled Freya who tried to reciprocate the effort, but she wasn't in the mood anymore. She was still a little sad, thinking about the way the boy next to her - who was the closest thing she had to a real friend - had almost blown up at her for no reason. 55

They finally pulled into the carpark of the ice cream parlour, Penn getting out of the car before opening the door for Freya. He acted as if nothing had happened on the drive over, instead kept an arm wrapped around her small waist as he led her inside the building. 78

Freya took a deep breath, feeling the need to make a noise of discomfort, but she held herself back. His arm felt oddly wrong pulling her closer like that. She almost felt like she was a traitor. To what or whom, she didn't know. 119

She pulled the sleeves of her cardigan over her hands, wrapping one of her hands around the other arm's elbow. The approached the counter just as Penn began to move his hand, stroking her side. She took the chance to quickly move out of his hold, not having to completely feign her excitement as she ran up to the glass display that held the sweet delicacy. 27

Her mood was instantly lifted and she turned to grin at Penn who was staring at her with a small smile. "Order whatever you want, Freya," Penn told her. 27

Freya took one glance at the cashier looking at her expectantly and shrunk back behind Penn. She didn't like ordering by herself. She looked up at Penn helplessly, silently begging him to do it for her. The same irritated look as before washed over his face and she quickly looked down at her feet. 470

Taking a deep breath, she pushed down her nerves, approaching the counter. "A-a single chocolate fudge, please," she said quietly, exactly how she had practised in her head. 58

She smiled to herself, proud that she hadn't melted into a complete mess. She looked up at Penn again, expecting to see his usual smile settled on his face, instead, she was greeted with a raised eyebrow and a huff. 10

Freya busied herself with studying the floor as Penn ordered his choice of flavours. She didn't know why this was going to badly; he had never acted like this towards her at school. She must have done something wrong. 130

The bell at the front doors of the parlour rang out as someone entered, but Freya was too lost in her own thoughts to think of looking up. Heavy boots made their way over to where Freya and Penn stood, finally grabbing the small girl's attention. "Frowning's not a good look on you, princess," a deep voice said, the nickname sending shivers down her spine. 142

Freya was strangely relieved and happy to see Falcon's handsome face, his presence instantly lifting her bad mood. She grinned widely at the boy, turning his smirk into something more genuine. 19

Just as Freya was about to respond, she saw her ice cream being set on top of the display cabinet and quickly grabbed it. She cradled the cup in her small hands as she brought the plastic spoon to her mouth, closing her eyes and almost moaning in delight as she let it melt on her tongue. Definitely worth the argument with Penn. 131

Freya opened her eyes to see Falcon staring at her with amused eyes, his gaze flickering down to her lips as she licked away the remnants of her treat. "Can I have a taste?" he asked, taking a step closer. 295

Freya tilted her head for a moment, debating on whether or not he was worth the delicious piece of heaven. Something inside her told her that he was, in fact, very worthy of the one spoonful less of her chocolatey goodness. 41

Though she was still hesitant to give up any amount of her ice cream, no matter how small it may be, she dipped the spoon into the side of the cup, dishing out a decent amount for her new friend. She held it out to him, expecting him to take the spoon from her, when he simply bent down, wrapping his plump lips around the utensil and licking off the remaining ice cream. Freya's eyes widened slightly as she watched him, eyes closed and humming in delight. "Good choice," he commented.10

All she could do was nod. He really was beautiful. 42

Suddenly his eyes changed from their playful mood as a presence made itself known behind them. "Anders," Penn nodded in acknowledgement, his eyes narrowing slightly, though he kept his voice light. "What are you doing here?"3

Falcon gave the boy a sarcastic smile, not bothering to hide his displeasure at the intrusion. "What do you think I would be doing in an ice cream parlour, Harris?" He raised an eyebrow. "Playing hockey?"119

"With your tongue, sure," Penn muttered. 219

Falcon smirked, stuffing his hands into his front jean pockets. He easily towered over Penn's 5'11 height, making Penn's brave face fall for a second before he mirrored Falcon's expression. Freya looked between the two boys as they stared each other down, not quite understanding what was happening.92

Why would Falcon play hockey with his tongue? Was that even possible? 655 Freya was very confused. 66

Falcon seemed to take notice of her furrowed brows as she looked up at the two boys. His eyes grew soft before being replaced by a darker look, though it had none of the venom she had expected. It kind of reminded her of the way she looked at food. With that thought, Freya licked another spoonful of ice-cream clean as she continued to stare up at Falcon with puzzled eyes.85

Falcon took a deep breath, breaking their eye contact as he softly cleared his throat. It didn't last long, like magnets, his gaze soon returned to her own. Completely ignoring the boy beside her, Falcon addressed Freya. "What made that pretty smile of yours disappear?" he asked, referring to when she had previously been in a bad mood. 27

Freya shrugged, not knowing if she should throw her - pretty much only - friend under the bus. Her eyes slid to the floor as she continued to eat her ice cream in an effort to avoid talking. Falcon's accusing eyes shot towards Penn and his face hardened. "Did he do something?" he questioned, looking back at Freya.43

The girl's eyes widened involuntarily; she had never been a good liar, and Falcon's eyes narrowed. He took one threatening step forwards before Freya set down her ice cream, thrusting herself in between the two boys, placing her small hands on Falcon's chest. The action seemed to snap him out of his thoughts as he looked down at her; eyebrows raised as his mouth fell slack slightly.208 "We just had a misunderstanding," she said quietly, still not removing her hands. "It's okay." Falcon collected himself, releasing a puff of air as he scowled before lifting his hands to grab her own. He held them close to his chest, rubbing the back of them absentmindedly as his eyes set on the boy behind Freya. "He better hope that's all it was," Falcon growled.56

His jaw clenched, eyes cold as his grip got tighter; not enough to hurt but enough for Freya to wiggle a little uncomfortably. He seemed to be trying to send some kind of unspoken warning towards the other boy before dropping one of Freya's hands and dragging her out of the store with the other; though not before she quickly grabbed her forgotten cup.71 Falcon didn't slow down or glance back at her as he stormed towards the adjoining carpark. His grip was still tight around Freya's wrist and his long strides were causing her to trip over her own feet as her cardigan slipped off her shoulders.24

A mix between a whine and a huff left her lips when she almost face-planted for the fourth time. She tugged her hand back, trying to get his attention before they finally stopped next to a sleek, black bike.31

STORY CONTINUES BELOW

Before she could register what was happening, her hand was suddenly freed and warm arms enveloped her as she stood in stunned silence. Falcon was quiet for a while as he pressed his cheek into the red-headed girl's hair; relishing in the moment. "I'm sorry," he said softly, letting out a breath. 48

He straightened, taking Freya's wrist into his hands before gazing down at her with worried eyes. "Did I hurt you?" he asked. 30

Freya shook her head in a daze, staring up at him with big brown eyes. Falcon didn't resist his instinct as he gathered her back into his arms, holding her close. The action caused the girl to finally regain control of her body and she hesitantly returned the hug. She didn't know why it felt so good to have his arms around her, but she didn't bother questioning it. It was a hug; she gave and received them all the time. He was probably just a really good hugger.88 Falcon didn't let go for a long while, allowing Freya's mind to wander. Specifically, to the melting ice cream in her hand. 28

She wiggled, trying to make space for her hand to slip out from under his arm. He loosened his

grip slightly, looking on with curious and confused eyes. Freya made sure to keep herself pressed

up against him, not wanting to lose the warmth she suddenly craved and freed her hands to resume eating her treat.14

She looked up at him as she ate, his arms still loosely hanging around her waist as he stared at her in amusement. He let out a breath, smiling down at the young girl. 63

Falcon seemed to suddenly realise what he was doing and dropped his arms completely, much to Freya's disappointment. He stuffed a hand into the left front pocket of his jeans, running the other through his unruly hair. Freya's eyes followed the action as she continued to eat. "Can I take you home?" Falcon asked, already picking up the helmet rested on the handlebars of the bike.44

The girl had barely nodded her acceptance when he was already pulling the heavy piece of armour over her head. He took her empty ice cream cup, throwing it in a bin close by and picked her up, placing her on the leather seat.34

As he swung his leg over, settling himself behind her, Freya quickly caught on to the fact that

there was only one helmet. "What about you?" she questioned, slightly panicked.22

She was answered with a chuckle and two arms caging her in as his hands grasped the handlebars. "Don't worry your pretty little head about me, sweetheart," he said, his voice muffled by the helmet she wore. 37

Freya huffed, not liking the idea of him getting hurt. She hated when people were in pain. "Hold on," was the only warning Freya received before they backed out of the parking spot and sped off in the direction of the road.1

She squealed, grasping onto Falcon's wrists as they tore out of the parking area. She suddenly didn't know what had possessed her into thinking that getting on that death trap was a good idea. She was thoroughly terrified.39

Falcon's legs tightened around her own, holding her in place as they flew down the street. Freya's heart remained lodged in her throat and she promised herself then and there that never again would she get onto a motorbike with anyone. Especially him. 44

In no time at all - which had a lot to do with the one or two red lights Falcon had practically run and his insistence on going at least 5 miles over the speed limit - they had reached Freya's house, which she had directed him towards.39

Without waiting for him to help her off the bike, Freya broke through the barrier of his arms, shoving off the heavy helmet and taking a deep, soothing breath as she smoothed back her hair.6

Never again.

Ever.10

She turned her gaze towards the man who remained perched on the leather seat, looking every bit as dangerous as the roaring beast beneath him. With a smirk lightly painted across his lips, he regarded her figure with dark eyes, allowing them to take their time returning to her face.3 "I'll see you tomorrow then?" he asked, though it wasn't really a question. Freya nodded, still trying to calm her heart from the near-death experience. Falcon made no move to leave, instead quirked an eyebrow up at her, an amused expression contorting his features as it often seemed to. "Are you going to stand and gawk all afternoon or are you going to go inside?" he let out a breathy chuckle, the statement making heat rise to Freya's already naturally rosy cheeks.

"I wasn't gawking," she defended weakly, earning another chuckle from the dark-haired man.1 "Go inside princess," he gestured his head towards her front door, making it clear that he wasn't leaving until she did as she was told.24

She gingerly handed back his helmet, and he effortlessly pulled it over his handsome face. Without much more hesitation, Freya pivoted in her spot and made her way up the stone steps and to her door. She couldn't resist one last look behind her and was greeted with the sight of Falcon in the exact same position she had left him in, staring in her direction.2

A smile lit up his face when he realised she was watching and he kicked back the bike's kickstand, readying himself to leave. Freya opened the door, sealing herself inside the house before looking out the window. Upon seeing her safely inside her home, Falcon revved his bike, glancing back at the house once more before driving off. 51

Freya let the sheer curtain in her hand drape over the window in the same fashion as before she had disturbed it and turned to face the empty room. Her parents were most likely still at work as they usually were, so she didn't bother calling out to see if anyone was home.1

She hung her bag on the coat stand, making a mental note to grab it later, and made her way towards the kitchen. The smell of freshly baked bread welcomed her senses as she poked her head into the homely room.

As soon as Freya had assured herself that the coast was clear, she quietly crept towards the table

of warm pastries, grabbing two sweet buns before hightailing it out of the room. Her mother would have berated her had she seen her sneaking out the food. She said it spoiled Freya's appetite for dinner.

Freya thought that that was absurd.

She'd always have room for dinner. 163

She grabbed her white book bag from the coat hooks, bounding up the far too elegant staircase

and into her brightly coloured room. Much like her, the room was painted in a pure white with pink accents planted strategically on top of bookshelves and in curtains.

She placed the book bag on her desk, walking over to her closet with thoughts of getting into some comfortable clothes. She neatly took off her shoes, placing them exactly where they had been that morning and changed into an oversized white sweater and pink, fluffy socks.28 Freya let out a huff as she dropped herself onto her bed, cuddling under her plush blankets. She made the rash decision of deciding that homework could wait a little longer and decided to wrap her arms around her favourite stuffed toy - which to no surprise was a white and pink bunny - and nestled herself further into the soft pillows.86

A new colour overtook her mind, painting the scene a distinct forest green as Freya closed her eyes. Heavy blankets of safety and security coddled her as she dozed off, her usually energetic and chirpy mind needing no encouragement to turn off and succumb to a peaceful slumber