Bring Me To 1D (One Direction fan fiction)

And Let Me Kiss You

We packed up all the equipment and once the banner was loaded into the lorry, we jumped in a black cab over to Parliament Square to watch as the guys lugged it up the back breaking 334 steps to the top of Big Ben's clock tower.

I spotted my Dad coming out of the exit to the House of Commons with a few other politicians so I ran up to him and flung my arms around him. "Thanks so much Dad for getting permission to do this. It's going to be amazing!"

He spun me around just like he used to when I was little and smiled down at me. "Anything for my gorgeous girl. Can't wait to see it unveiled!"

He introduced me to a group of people he worked with and I realised as I looked around that there was quite a crowd gathering in anticipation of seeing an enormous painting draped down one side of the building. I guess it wasn't something you got to see every day. My stomach did a little somersault and I suddenly felt really nervous about it all going smoothly.

Tom and I trudged up the steps and got to the top just as the men had finished tying the banner to the balcony. "It's good to go love, just give us a shout when you're ready and we'll come and release the ties."

"Ok..thanks, see you in...a bit." I was puffed out from the climb and had to lean over the railings to catch my breath.

When I looked back up, I took a sharp breath in. We were up so high and the views over London were spectacular. Tom and I stood there, full of elation, pointing out all the wonderful buildings, trying to name all the bridges across the Thames which was snaking its way through the city.

I turned to Tom, whose camera shutter was clicking, taking hundreds of photos per second from different angles. "This is brilliant!"

"Isn't it?" He lowered the camera and let it hang around his neck turning to face me. Looking into his eyes, I suddenly felt a surge of adrenaline. Something inside me was saying 'Go for it Beth, do it now...kiss him."

But as I leaned towards him and went in for the kiss, he turned his head slightly and stretched his finger out over the balcony. "That's an example of Byzantine architecture over there." He turned back to face me until our eyes locked again and he must have picked up on my vibes because he came towards me and tried to kiss me on the lips. But I pulled away, the moment had gone.

'It's ok," His head was hung low. "I know you don't fancy me."

"Tom, I.." I could hear Dad and the others coming up the stone steps. "Look Tom, we'll talk about this later ok?"

"What is there to talk about? I'll go over the road and take the photos, give me the thumbs up when you're ready for me to start." And he sloped out sulkily, hardly glancing upwards as he passed everyone coming up the staircase.

"Tom ok?" my Dad said as he puffed and wheezed his way to the top.

"Yep," I lied. "He's gone to get into position for the photos."

The men started to untie the ropes that were holding the curled up banner in place and I got a nervous fluttering in my stomach looking down at the crowd gathered below, all with their cameras and phones pointing up to my work.

I watched Tom appear from under Big Ben and skulk solemnly across the square, fiddling with his lens. I felt so bad. I'd tried but the feeling just wasn't there. I felt a sudden pang of regret that what had just happened would probably mean the end of a really good friendship and my heart sank a little.

"All ready?" shouted the men holding onto the ropes.

"Ready!" I yelled. My stomach flipped over with excitement.

"Ok..THREE....TWO...ONE....GO!"

The banner unfurled in a dramatic flourish, I could hear the flapping of the canvass in the wind as it went and the gasps from below were audible. My heart swelled with pride as I looked down at everyone, open mouthed, admiring my painting.

Then suddenly, without any warning, there was an almighty clap of thunder, the heavens above London opened and it poured down with rain.

"NO!" I screamed and lunged towards the balcony, grabbing at the canvas which was quickly becoming soaked and trying desperately to pull it back up. My Dad grabbed me around the waist and pulled me away from the railing. "Sweetheart, careful! Let the men do it."

I watched with growing devastation as everyone struggled to pull the canvas back over the railings but they couldn't because it was already water logged and so much heavier.

I looked across the way and saw Tom raised his hands in desperation as if to say "What do we do now?"

My eyes brimmed over with tears and my voice came out high pitched and distraught. "All that time! All that work! All my dreams of meeting One Direction are now literally slipping down the drain!" 

I turned to my Dad, my tears mixing with the rain running down my face. "It's all ruined." I struggled to catch my breath. "It's all totally ruined." He put his arm around me. I put my head inside his suit jacket and sobbed my heart out.

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