BLACKOUT :: REWIND // A Harry Styles AU

ELEVEN :: DEPARTURE

Mason returned around an hour after he'd left, soaked with sweat and rain. Madeleine still barely looked at him, a false investment on an irrelevant news story.

"Didn't want to wait for me to eat?" He asked dryly as he removed his running shoes in the hallway.

"I was hungry." She said simply, glancing to the empty bowl and instead collecting her cooled tea.

"Right." He mumbled. He wandered into the room and collected her bowl from where she left it, walking it to the sink. He then announced, "I'm gonna have a bath."

Madeleine never answered. She kept her gaze on the telly, only looking towards the bathroom door once it was closed again. Not that she ever had done before, but she refused to be belittled and controlled by him. She didn't need to be watched and babied all the time - she was a grown woman. It wasn't her fault that he had some kind of inferiority complex.

Mason's bath was quick, mostly because he'd always shown a disdain towards them but also to no doubt ensure that he could have his eyes on Madeleine for as long as possible. When he appeared from the bathroom, she could feel his gaze on her at all times. He was shameless - dropping his towel in the middle of the floor and wandering around the room naked for a moment before he actually dressed. When he was done, he walked over to the bed and sighed.

"Are you ever going to look at me-,"

The door knocked.

Madeleine's gaze drifted to the door, expression blank. Mason huffed, and turned away again to go and answer it. She watched and listened to hear out for whoever was on the other side of the door, not expecting anyone as far as she could remember. The immediate palaver that ensued once the door was open meant that she didn't even need to guess who it was - her mother. Whether it be on Mason's instruction or by her own free will (both were equally likely), Mandy had got on a plane at some point in the last 8 hours to come back to Bristol.

After a loud and overly comfortable greeting between Mason and Madeleine's mother, Mandy blew into the room with an eager urgence, making straight for the bed where Madeleine was still sitting.

"Hi, baby." She cooed, immediately bringing her daughter into a firm hold.

"Hi, Mum." Madeleine sighed into her mother's shoulder.

"Are you alright, how are you feeling?" She hummed warily, pecking Madeleine's cheek.

"I feel fine, honestly." She insisted, but allowed for her mother to fawn over her face and her arms for a moment, even if reluctantly. "Thank you for coming."

"Nonsense, of course I came. Even if Mason didn't want me to." She joked, winking in his direction where he stood leaning against the kitchen counter.

He rolled his eyes. "That is not what I said. I just meant I was more than capable of looking after her in your absence."

"And that may well be, but she's my baby and she's poorly."

"I'm not poorly, I feel genuinely fine."

"Well, you're obviously not fine since you keep passing out all the time." Mason said bitterly.

Madeleine ignored him. "Is Dad here?"

"Of course, he's just trying to source a hotel." Mandy smiled, taking Madeleine's hand and bringing it to her lips. "He'll be over later."

"Okay."

Mandy looked to Mason calmly. "Mason, why don't you go and find us all some breakfast and bring it back here? I'm starving and I know Martin will be, too."