Closer // Graham Coxon

lovers collided

diana put her lips against his, "what are you doing!!" he pushed her off.

"i don't want this, i don't want you!" he shouted at her quite aggressively. it brought her to tears.

she stormed off & graham was very happy with that. just a month ago he was trying his luck at the claw machine asking it whether diana loved him or not? & today he had kicked her out his flat. he had come far.

he stepped into the living room only to be met with a panicked damon. 

"she looked upset, i'll go bring her back for you!" he said while putting on a coat & before graham could say anything damon left thru the door. he had good intentions, he thought his mate wanted to get back with his ex. he was so wrong.

it was raining. graham quickly got the red umbrella from his room & chased after his mental mate & ex girlfriend. they were long gone but graham pushed thru the crowd that walked beneath the street of his downtown london flat.

that's how he ended up on the same street as y/n.

you on the other hand were coming from the right side of the road. the situations that led you on that path were quite sorrowful. that day you had woken up to a stinging memory. you immediately pulled out a framed drawing from under the bed. the glass covering it had broken into a million pieces. it was no other drawing than the london skyline one. it had shattered the day graham left because you closed the door with too much force that day causing the drawing on the wall to fall.

you hid it away in order to forget all about graham & you did but for unfortunate reasons. at work you had to handle a rude customer. he was having a bad day & his bad day was contagious apparentaly. he complained about things you had no control over. oh the beauty of working at a retail job.

though you tried your best to brush this off as you had a meeting with emma who owned a local art gallery. you were planning to get a job there as the manager, she had talked to you about it. she said the job was practically yours you just needed to meet her once & talk things thru. it was all for formality.

and right when you were about to leave for the art gallery you got a devastating call from ray saying that his mum had just passed away at the hospital due to organ failure. she couldn't survive. this crushed your soul. you left everything at the drop of a hat & went to go help your friend in need.

-

(present day)

"are you okay?" he asks with obvious concern present in his voice.

you decide to ignore him & continue walking forward but graham follows you, 

"where are you going?" he puts the red umbrella over your head to save you from the rain.

"don't talk to me." you give him a firm look & rush over to the hospital where ray needs you. graham follows you there too & you let him because you are in a situation full of hurry.

"stand outside, don't come in." you say to him & leave him there at the hospital gate. 

you run into the hallway & immediately spot ray. he is sitting on the hospital char & he looks beyond defeated. you run over to him & pull him in for a long hug. he can't keep it in so he ends up sobbing aggressively on your shoulders. you stay there & console him.

"i'm so sorry ray! your mum- she was a wonderful woman!" you rub his back.

"i know. i told myself months ago that this might happen, i tried to prepare myself but-" his tears interrupted the sentence.

"it's not your fault ray! you can never prepare for such a thing! please calm down, i'm here for you. i'll stay here all night with you!" you comforted him.

"no! it's like what? 11 pm? go home y/n." he rubbed his tears.

"no! ray-

he spoke over you, "i insist. go home & get some rest. one of us needs to be energized enough to function normally, please go." he states. you didn't want to leave but he forced you out.

you wave him goodbye then make your way to the exit door. your feet hit the ground in a sparratic way as you notice graham still standing there, waiting patiently in the rain with the red umbrella in his hands.

"you're waiting for me?" you stand next to him.

"of course i am." he replies with a smile on his face. you almost smile in response but you jerk out of it. you start looking for a cab.

"can we please talk?" he requests.

you ignore him & motion for a cab. it stops & you get into the respective seat.

"it was a misunderstanding y/n! let me explain!" he kneels over the window.

"go!" you tell to the driver & he takes off.

graham immediately gets another cab to follow yours. he isn't going to go give up. you two meeting again must mean something right? it is destiny.

he ends up finding where you live. you get out of the cab & pay the driver at your own pace, graham does the same with his driver but he's in a hurry. he can't let you escape. you start walking towards your building, he walks behind you.

you turn around, "you little stalker."

"please talk to me y/n! i am begging you!" he pleads.

"no graham i've got things to do, bills to pay." you reply to him & keep walking.

"i'll help you with all that!" & he keeps following.

you stop in your tracks & face him, "i don't want your help. i want to do & achieve things on my own, independently graham! i don't want to wreck my life because of you again."

"you know i've dreamt of being an artist living in london even before i met you. let me live out that dream first." you continue to talk.

he takes a short pause to think & regain his breath. you start walking again to your flat.

"y/n!" he calls out for you."

you stop but don't turn around.

"go on! live out dreams first, do anything you want! just know that i'll always patiently wait for you!" he says.

a small smile appears on your face as you go back home.