stolen smile - a mason mount story

f i f t e e n

To say he was disappointed would be an understatement. The rain had completely ruined Mason's plans for the day and on top of that, she had planned a dog walk with the two people she had spent everyday 24/7 with for the past two weeks. Maybe the rain would've ruined those plans for them but she knew what the two best friends were like and they always needed that morning after debrief. Mason thought about asking if he would be able to join them but with Jack being in town, he knew it would be a given that he would be dragged along.

"Good morning, babe! How did you sleep?" He cheesed.

"Amazing, missed sleeping next to you!" She paused, looking at the dog at the foot of her bed. "And Apollo apparently." She paused briefly, unsure whether the new habit of the dog getting on the bed was due to Aimee or Mason. She thought the latter, Mason was a massive softy when it came to her dog, or their dog as he claimed.

"He was just so scared of my house, it was too big for him. He would cry outside my door!"

"Mase, when he's fully grown, I won't have space on my bed for you and him!"

"At that point, we'll be living together and my bed will have more than enough space for us all."

Florence frowned. "I didn't spend all that money on a dog bed for him, just for him not to use it!"

"You can use it then, at least Apollo gives me cuddles!"

Florence poked his side, laughing as he flinched. "You, my love, are far too sweaty to cuddle all night."

They paused, sitting in silence. Mason wanted to ask the context behind the photo that went round of her and Trent on the balcony of their hotel room but he didn't know if she would react too well, after all she had been ignoring his messages about it. Florence picked up on his awkwardness, raising an eyebrow as she turned to face him.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

"Mhm. What even happened?"

"Nothing, he greeted me a happy birthday. That was it."

"Flo, you've gotta understand it doesn't look good when my teammate is on holiday with my girlfriend and someone takes a picture of him giving her a kiss on her head whilst hes stood in his boxers."

"Oh, give over, Mason. It would be no problem if it was Sasha in her underwear giving me a kiss on my head. At least Trent greeted me a happy birthday."

Mason scoffed, turning away from her. Apollo shot up immediately and ran in between the squabbling couple. "Look, I'm sorry for that but everyone in the blimmin' country thinks my girlfriend cheated on me with fucking Trent Alexander-Arnold! Bet your dad was bloody chuffed when he saw the news."

"Fuck off, Mase. Literally don't even start with that right now. Who cares if Trent plays for Liverpool, it won't change the fact that I love you! It doesn't change the fact that my dad likes you for you, you could play for Stoke City and he wouldn't care, Mase. Stop caring about other people's opinions. The only opinions that matter is mine, yours and our friends and families. Who cares what some journalists thinks?" Florence ranted. "Look, Mase, if you don't trust me then it's never gonna work, is it?"

"Flossie, no, I didn't mean it like that. I trust you, I know you're only friends. Look, I'm sorry. I didn't mean to doubt you. I'm just so scared to lose you!"

Florence looked over at the man next to her, a small laugh coming out of him as her dog tried to lick his tears away. Her heart skipped a beat, she felt guilty for putting him through so much stress and pain. It was infuriating to know that her friendship could cause Mason so much hurt to the point that he was crying at the idea of losing her. "Look Mase, you aren't going to lose me. I love you and I only have love for you but Trent, he was my first friend, other than Jack, in your little football community. That night when you decided to give me a cold reception, he sat with me and we joked and he made me feel welcome." She paused for a second, looking away from him. She couldn't bare to look at him or she'd begin crying. The way he looked so hurt tugged at her heart strings. "I love Trent the way I love Jack and Josh. He's like a brother to me, someone I turn to when I need familiar advice, when I need that no judgement but straightforward talking to or when my boyfriend makes me sad because he didn't greet me happy birthday."

Mason laughed. He knew he had been overthinking the whole situation and that he shouldn't have ever second guessed his feelings. "I love you in a way words could never describe. Every time I see you, I love you more than I did the previous day. What do I have to do to get it through to your thick head?"

He laughed, wrapping his arms around her, lifting her chin up so she could look at him. "I'm sorry, Flo. I love you." He connected their lips together, the salty taste on her lips made him smile. In that moment, he was thankful that she was his and he was hers. Two people intertwined and with hearts full of love. Sure, it was difficult seeing the media present her in that light but he knew that it didn't matter to her and by extension, it shouldn't matter to him. He only needed to care about her opinion and feelings. None of his friends cared about the media reports because they knew her and they knew that she had made him happy and that he made her happy. All the suffering and pain he would ever have to face would be a minor inconvenience if she was by his side.

"Remember when I said I was the luckiest person to know a soul as beautiful as yours?" Mason asked, as Florence nodded, not looking at him but rather playing with the dog's ears that lay in between them. "I meant it and I'm even more luckier now because a soul as beautiful as yours loves me, and only me."

Florence let out a hearty laugh. "You're learning."
---

declan rice
Today 07:44

Welcome home Flozster. I've
missed you. I'm not training
tomorrow, come work from mine.

Pleaseeeee

Today 11:59

nah, i quit. didn't you hear?

i'm sleeping with two prem
players, i dont need the job xo

jokes. will be there bright and
early !!!
Delivered

Bring Apollo...and your
boyfriend I guess.
---
Apollo ran after Jack as he sprinted away from the group, happy to be surrounded by lots of people giving him all the fuss he wanted. Sasha and Florence were slightly ahead of Trent and Mason, who were laughing and chatting away.

"Are you okay, Floss?"

"Yeah, flight had me exhausted though! Didn't sleep until three in the morning. Mase was getting so frustrated!"

"Did you talk about the whole balcony photo thing?"

"Yeah, felt fuckin' awful, Sash. He was crying. I didn't know what to do."

"I feel you, it'll be alright in the end."

A few metres ahead, Jack and Apollo waited by a park bench, the dog happily getting pets from the footballer, panting away and licking his hand. "You're a good boy, my lad!"

As if he understood, Apollo nodded his head and nuzzled it into the man's lap, looking up at him, expecting more pets. Sasha and Florence caught up and waited alongside the man and dog duo, watching as Trent and Mason nattered away. "They're getting along well ... Again!"

The women nodded, a smile appeared on Florence's face. She was glad that the conversation from earlier that day had somehow worked and Mason was able to push aside the insecurity he felt about her friendship with Trent, although she knew that the nagging feeling hadn't automatically vanished, she was glad that a part of Mason was willing to put it to the side and be as close as he previously was to the Liverpool player.

"Cheers for being such a good friend to her, bro. She deserves the best!" Mason smiled.

Trent pat Mason's shoulder, the smile on his face matching his. "No worries, lad. Will always look out for that girl. No one deserves her as much as you. Take care of her or I might just key your car."