A love to last

He had never had to work so hard to contain himself in his life.

"Happy?" he asked her with twinkling eyes.

Freya nodded, returning his grin as she wiggled excitedly in his lap. Falcon's smile dropped as he sucked in a breath, planting his hands either side of hips and holding her still. "Don't do that, angel," he gritted out, fighting down the tingling sensation that spread through his body like wildfire.227

Freya pouted, staring at his lips sadly. She looked down, guilt filling her chest. "I'm sorry," she mumbled quietly.11

Falcon cursed in his head, damning his instincts and his dick to hell. He pulled her closer to his chest, nuzzling his head into her hair as he sighed. "It's okay, baby girl," he said softly. "You didn't do anything wrong, I promise."50

Freya looked up at him with sad and hopeful eyes. "You sure?" she asked, her voice still softened with guilt.

Falcon let out a breathy laugh, a smile gracing his handsome features once again. "Positive," he mumbled into her hair.5

Freya's childish grin was back in seconds and she hopped off his lap as the bell for the end of lunch blared through the crowded cafeteria. It was only now that the couple realised that their little exchange hadn't gone unnoticed; in fact, it seemed the majority of the room were openly staring and whispering about the two as Falcon stood up, wrapping his arm around Freya's petite shoulders. 93

The girl timidly clutched herself closer to Falcon's larger form as the numerous eyes began to weigh down on her. Falcon was quick to catch on to her discomfort and glared at every face in the room, a snarl pulling up the corner of his mouth. "Mind your own fucking business," he growled, his voice filling the room as he ushered his shy princess through the large doors.53 Any emotion but happiness from the small girl - and perhaps some variations of the feeling - was something Falcon was beginning to abhor. He never wanted to see her without a smile lighting her delicate features - except in very specific situations, but even then, what she would feel would be the furthest thing from pain or sorrow.192

Falcon cleared his throat, blinking a few times as he tried to settle himself. She was innocent, and he had to remind himself of that fact whenever thoughts of her filled his head.31

Together, they walked into the only class that Falcon bothered to show up to, completely having to do with that fact that it was the only class he shared with the only person he cared about. Upon walking inside the classroom, Falcon was stopped by a friendly hand on his shoulder, the face of one of his old friends coming into view.7

It had been years since Falcon had last seen some of his old "gang," as they called it. They acted as if Falcon could slip right back into his place among the group but he knew better; Falcon had changed immensely over his time away. He wasn't the person they knew anymore.1

"Hey man," Jason - if Falcon's memory was correct - addressed him. "Why don't you come sit up the back with us?"

Jason's eyes flittered down to the girl under Falcon's heavy arm, a charming smile lighting his face. "You can bring your friend if you want," that word was enough to have Falcon's features settling into a stony expression, but what came after it made it hard to hold back his fist from being introduced to his smug face.

He winked. 130

Falcon's fist clenched. How the dumb fuck didn't realise Falcon's obvious claim over her was baffling.5

A gentle hand against his chest dragged his narrowed eyes away from the boy in front of him to the girl beside him. After witnessing one instance of it already, Freya had quickly caught on to the tell-tale signs that Falcon was ready to throw punches.

Murderous expression? Check. 17

Clenched fists? Check.

Tense body? Check. 9

And the one thing Freya found adorable; twitching nose. Also, a check. 128

Freya pushed down the giggle that threatened to erupt from her mouth.

With Falcon's attention successfully diverted to her, Freya snuggled into his warmth, wordlessly encouraging him to let it go. Little by little, his body relaxed. He returned his gaze to the boy in front of them, Jason's face had paled slightly, understanding filling his features.11 "Uh-y-your girl can join us," his wide eyes danced around the room, refusing to meet either of the couple's gazes. "I-if she wants."60

Falcon didn't grace him with an answer, knowing that anything coming out of his mouth at this point would be less than friendly. He simply grunted, steering Freya around the boy to what had become their seat. Freya felt a weird sense of giddiness inside her stomach as she sat down. She liked the effect she had on Falcon; an effect which she was pretty sure no one else had.9 Falcon grabbed her tiny hand in his, curling his arms around it before laying his head on top of the tangle of arms. He pressed a soft kiss to each of Freya's knuckles, her heartbeat doubling as he contentedly closed his eyes. Freya didn't hold back her grin as she stared at the man next to her. She was completely smitten with him and not a single part of her minded.34 Whether or not he wanted her in that way, she was his. 64

It was as simple as that.

FREYA HAD a feeling being dropped home by Falcon every day was going to become as natural as breathing. It had only been their second day of knowing each other and yet, Freya had automatically made her way towards the familiar shiny black bike after exiting the school doors. Yes, she broke her vow.

She got on the death trap once again.

With Falcon.

Though this time, because of Freya's threat to never let him drive her again if he didn't, Falcon had actually obeyed the road laws. Now they stood in front of her home, Falcon trapped by Freya's tiny arms as she refused to let go. Not that he minded in the least. "Freya," he sighed softly, wanting to cave in to her wishes and stay with her as much as he knew he couldn't. "I have to go, I have work."

Freya whined, pushing her face further into his hard chest. She had become embarrassingly attached to the man over the short period of time they had known each other. She couldn't help it; her naive and childish heart accepted people easily and Falcon had managed to weasel his way into every crevice.

"Freya," he let out a chuckle, dropping his forehead onto the top of her head. "I have to go, baby. I'm gonna be late."

Freya pouted but reluctantly let her arms drop from around his waist. Falcon smiled softly at the small girl, cradling her head in his hands as he pressed a kiss to her forehead. "I'll see you tomorrow," Falcon tried to catch Freya's gaze but she kept it firmly fixed on the ground.

She made a noise somewhere between a grunt and a whine in response, continuing to pout as Falcon stood there helplessly. "Come on, don't be like that Freya," he said. "If I could stay with you, I would, but I really have to go."

Freya sighed, nodding dejectedly. She understood, but she still wasn't happy. A small smile crept onto Falcon's face as he opened his arms. "One last hug?" he asked.

Freya didn't hesitate to latch herself onto the man, squeezing him as hard as she could; which wasn't very tight at all, but she tried. Knowing he was already going to be late to work at this rate, Freya broke free from the embrace and raced up the driveway to her front door. She grabbed her key from her pocket - expecting the door to be locked - but was pleasantly surprised when the handle turned by itself; the door swinging open to reveal her father. She flung her arms around his neck, snuggling into him as she squealed. "Daddy!" she grinned up at him. "Why are you home so early?"

Her father protectively wrapped both arms around her, his steely gaze set on someone else as he remained quiet. Freya looked behind her to see what he was glaring at, only to see Falcon revving his bike and driving down the street. She bounced on her feet, her grin unfailing as she looked back at her father.

"That was Falcon, daddy," she giggled. "He's really nice and he-"

"I don't want you hanging around him anymore, Freya," Her father's voice interrupted her as he moved his eyes to meet hers.

Freya's face fell instantly, her lips forming a pout. "But why?" she whined. "I really like him and he gives really good hugs and-"

"No," her father's voice was harsh enough to have her cringing away from him. "I said no, Freya." Freya's bottom lip trembled as tears pricked her eyes. She pushed past him, running up to her room where she locked the door and threw herself onto her bed. She grabbed her stuffed bunny, cuddling it close to her chest as she whimpered. Her father had never spoken to her like that before and the shock of it was enough to reduce her to a blubbering mess.

STORY CONTINUES BELOW

A knock on the door and the turn of a key in the lock broke Freya out of her pity party and she sat up, clutching her bunny to her chest. "C-come in," she sniffled, rubbing at her red-rimmed

eyes.

Kendra stepped in, placing her hands on her hips and letting out a heavy breath as she took in Freya's state. She shook her head, shuffling over to the bed and sitting down next to the girl, collecting Freya into her arms and settling her on her lap.

She stroked her hair, humming softly as Freya continued to sniffle. Once Freya had calmed down completely, Kendra spoke. "If this is how you are after knowing the boy for two days," she began. "I'd hate to know how you'd be if you two ever broke up."

Freya's forehead creased in confusion, her doe eyes looking up into Kendra's comforting brown ones. "We-we're just f-friends," Freya sniffled.

Kendra let out an amused snort, rocking the girl back and forth. "Friends don't look at each other the way he looks at you," Kendra paused for a moment, raising an amused eyebrow at the young girl. "And don't think I didn't see that little scene out there."

Freya's cheeks burned as she looked down at her hands, biting her lip to contain her embarrassment. Kendra's face fell as the atmosphere changed with Freya's mood. Her father had banned her from ever seeing Falcon again.

She let that sink in for a moment and tears began to streak her cheeks once more. "W-why doesn't da-daddy l-like him?" she hiccupped. "H-he never said an-anything about P-Penn." Kendra's hand paused as her body tensed. She hesitated for a moment; a moment too long. Freya looked up at her favourite maid questioningly. The knowing look on Kendra's face didn't go unnoticed. "W-what?" Freya asked, but Kendra shook her head in response.

"It's not my place to tell you, love," she said softly.

"N-no, tell me!" Freya pushed herself off Kendra's lap, staring up at her expectantly. Kendra took in a deep breath. The girl deserved to know, but she couldn't say anything. "It's best coming from your father," she gave Freya a sad smile. "It's not my place to say."

With a kiss to the forehead and another soft look, Kendra left the room without another word. Freya snuggled into her bunny, whining as her thoughts instantly swarmed with images of Falcon. She sighed harshly, letting herself drop off the bed and onto the floor before rolling under the bed.

She grabbed her art chest, rolling back out from under the bed with ease. Opening it up, she took out the roll up the bag of pencils and was immediately met with the same forest green eyes that she was afraid she might never be allowed to look into ever again. She carefully retrieved the page from the chest, staring at it for a few moments before a harsh pain whipped through her chest. Tears clouded her vision and she dropped the paper, dragging herself back up to her bed and curled into a ball, sulking.

This was all very unfair.

Her father was just being a big, old meanie.

Freya pulled her legs to her chest, allowing her drooping eyes to close as she sniffled. Crying certainly used up a lot of her energy.

When Freya opened her eyes again, she was greeted by a darkened room. She couldn't remember falling asleep, but she obviously had as now her alarm clock read 7:53 pm. She stretched, barely filling half of her king-sized bed, and rubbed her sore eyes with both fists. She stumbled into her en suite bathroom, cringing at her reflection. Puffy eyes and a splotchy face was certainly not a good look on her.

After washing her face with cool water, Freya made her way to her closest. It was almost her bedtime; she may as well get ready for bed and go back to sleep.

Just as she pulled on the cropped top to a silky beige two-piece that her mother had insisted she

buy for her, a peculiar knock came from somewhere she would never expect.4

The window.88

Freya furrowed her eyebrows, completely forgetting that there was possibly a person behind the noise and she was in clothes that she would never want to be caught dead in, she exited the closest, walking into her room to investigate.

With her curtains drawn, she was unable to see what was making the noise and when another knock sounded, she squealed rushing over to her bed and clutching her bunny in fear. A familiar chuckle followed by a muffled curse drew her off the bed and closer to the window, stuffed toy in hand. She tiptoed - as if it would make all that much difference with her already soundless footsteps - and pulled back the curtain slightly to peek outside.4

Relief flooded her body as her favourite green eyes came into view and she pulled back the curtain completely.

Falcon's grin seemed to die within seconds as his eyes scanned down her body, his adam's apple bobbing as he swallowed harshly. Freya didn't notice the way his eyes had darkened, focusing on the fact that he was there, her mood rising for the first time that evening.50

She quickly opened the window, stuffing her toy under her arm as she pushed the heavy glass up enough for Falcon to slip into her room. He did so without a second's hesitation and stood in front of her, rubbing his mouth and chin with one hand as his eyes stuck to her figure like glue.16 Unaware of his inner thoughts, Freya flung herself at him, hugging him tightly to her much smaller body. Falcon hesitantly returned the embrace, taking deep breaths as his heart pounded against his chest.24

As a familiar sensation flooded through his lower regions he tried to let go of her as gently and naturally as possible but she clung to him with a whimper. Thinking quickly, he curled his hands around both of her thighs, lifting her up so she was comfortably resting on his hip bone with her arms around his neck.115

She giggled, the sound warming his stomach as he smiled back. She nestled her face into the crook of his neck, rubbing her cheek against him like a kitten. "I missed you," she mumbled

softly.

Falcon soothingly rubbed her back underneath her silky top as he let out a breathy laugh. "I wasn't gone for that long, baby girl," he said, though he couldn't deny that he had missed her

too.

"I-I know," she mumbled into his shirt. "But da-daddy said I couldn't s-see you anymo-more."13 Her eyes began to sting again as her chest clenched. Falcon's heart stopped for a moment as the words came out of her mouth. He knew something like this was bound to happen; no sane parent would allow a girl like Freya to be around a guy like Falcon. Honestly, he didn't blame her father. He would have done the same thing. But that thought still didn't stop his breath from becoming erratic as he imagined not having his precious girl in his life.7 Fuck what her father thought. He wasn't about to lose her over a judgmental asshole.163 Falcon held Freya closer to him, his jaw clenched as he sat them down on the edge of her bed. He was letting his temper get the best of him, but at that moment, he couldn't care less. For the first time in his life, he actually had something worth living for and dammit, he was going to do everything in his power to keep her in his arms.2

"C-can you stay?" Freya hiccupped as she leaned back to look in his eyes.7

As if Falcon had the will power to say no when she looked at him like that.1

With a heavy sigh, his forehead creased in frustration. "What about your father?" he asked

gruffly.5

Freya shook her head, her eyes travelling around the room as she rubbed her red nose. "K- Kendra is the only one who ever wakes me up," she sniffled again, wiping away a tear that had fallen down her rosy cheeks. "She won't tell. I kn-know she won't." 14

Her eyes settled on Falcon's face again as he watched her with a gentle smile. "Okay then," he

said

softly.

He lifted her up again before pulling back the covers of her bed and laying her on her back. He rounded the bed, crawling under the covers on the opposite side. Freya immediately curled up against him, settling her stuffed bunny between them before wrapping her arms around his neck and one leg around his waist, cuddling into his chest. He was so warm.52 Freya didn't think she would ever be able to sleep without him after this.

She let out a yawn, rubbing her face against his shirt. Both actions brought a grin to Falcon's face

as he stroked her hair, his arms securely wrapped around her waist. "Go to sleep, angel," Falcon mumbled softly. "I'll be here when you wake up. Promise." 1

Freya tightened her hold on him in response, too tired to muster up an answer. With the soothing rhythm of his hand over her hair and the comfort his warm body provided, it didn't take long for Freya to drift off to sleep, completely content.