you're my everything ~FILLIE AU~

six - scared

"Finn?" Millie called out softly as she entered her bedroom after breakfast, shutting the door carefully behind her. She looked around and frowned when she saw that he had gone, his bag still by her bedside by it looked as if he had rummaged through it, not leaving much in there. 

She frowned as he usually left her a note as to when he would return. 

Millie left for school, ignoring the strange feeling that was putting her on edge like she was being watched. She tried to focus in class but found her thoughts constantly drifting back to Finn, wondering where he was and what he was doing. She knew that whatever it was probably wasn't innocent, but she couldn't help but wonder if he was okay. 

She didn't know where this strong sense of care had come from but ever since he came back to check she was okay, she had become more protective over him almost. She would wait until he was back before falling asleep in case something happened and always make sure he put healing cream on his bruises. 

As stupid as it may have been, she cared about him. 

Later that night, Millie was getting restless. She had come back from school and gone downstairs to eat dinner, and he was nowhere to be found. No sign of him and no note to say where he had gone. 

She stayed up waiting for him as usual, her stomach feeling sicker with each minute that passed, dreading that something bad had happened to him. The sky got darker until the streetlights outside her house turned off, leaving her in darkness struggling to breathe. Millie eventually fell asleep, waking up the next morning to get ready for school. The instant her eyes opened, she got frantic and looked beside her but found that the sheets were untouched. 

He had not come home that night either. 

Four days had past and Millie kept looking around on her jogging sessions, her pace slowing around the familiar alley where she had originally seen Finn. She didn't see him once and her stomach felt constantly sick with worry, wondering what nonsense he had gotten himself into. The other part of her was angry that he had not tried to contact her. She imagined that he was off having a good time drunk or on drugs, and did not give a shit about her or letting her know that he was okay. After all, why should he? She was nothing to him. 

On the fifth day, Millie's parents left the house for a date night, kissing her head and telling her to get some sleep. 

"You look tired, sweetie" her mother told her. "Something worrying you?"

"Yeah" Millie chuckled weakly. "Something."

They left and Millie collapsed into her bed, rolling up inside her covers and trying to force herself to sleep. She tried her best to keep her mind off him, thinking of anything else but it would just immediately flash back into her mind. 

The sound of the window opening an hour later made her eyes shoot open. 

She sat up suddenly and jumped out of the bed, seeing Finn climbing through her window in the same dark green hoodie that he originally left in. She stood there waiting, her eyes narrowing at his calm expression, as he awkwardly scratched his head. 

"Where were you?" her voice came out shakily. 

Finn ran a hand down his face and sighed, "Look, I'm sorry-"

"What was so important that you couldn't leave me a simple note to tell me you wouldn't be back? A drug rave? Somebody to beat up? Some cash to spend?" Millie spat at him and his eyes widened at her dark tone, used to her being so carefree and kind. She was done being kind to him when she didn't get an ounce of it in return. 

"Millie, listen-"

"Do you know how long it has been? Four days! I didn't know if you were lying in a ditch somewhere, if your father had finished you off or if you were out partying without a care in the world...you can't just-"

"I had some stuff to do" Finn sighed in exasperation, "I had to deal with some things to get people off my back so that they-"

"That isn't good enough, Finn" Millie cried out angrily, "I have let you into my home, sleeping in my goddamn bed and you don't even have the decency to let me know where you are?"

"Millie, I'm sorry" Finn looked at her with pleading eyes, "I really am. I know I should have told you and I wanted to but I had to be sure that they wouldn't come here. They have been following me everywhere-"

"What?" she interrupted him, frowning suddenly. "Who?"

"Last week" Finn sighed. "When I came back and checked you were okay. Some idiots I know were threatening you, to hurt you. They have been following me and I didn't want you getting caught up in this."

"Why me?" Millie whispered, her gaze on the floor. 

"They saw us buying clothes" Finn sighed, shaking his head at himself, "I knew we should have been more careful. They wanted...god, I don't even want to talk about it...but they have been following me to make me angry. I couldn't risk them finding you and your family."

Millie was silent, refusing to look at him and crossed her arms angrily. He sighed in defeat, feeling like shit for the trouble he would have caused her. He didn't know what he did to deserve her sympathy and care, but he had got it and was desperate for her to not let go. 

"Millie" he called softly, stepping closer to her, "I really am sorry."

Millie looked up at him and his face fell at the sight of her glassy eyes. She shook her head slightly as he stepped closer worriedly, "I was so scared."

"Millie-"

"I was so scared" she repeated, a tear rolling down her cheek, "I don't even know why but I thought something terrible had happened to you."

Finn reached out to softly place a hand on her arm, not knowing what to say other than his pathetic apologies that he knew came to nothing. His eyes widened and he stumbled back slightly when she suddenly came careening into his arms, holding onto him tightly as she sobbed in his embrace. 

"Hey, hey" his eyes widened in panic as he pulled her closer, "calm down, I'm here. I'm okay."

He wrapped his arms around her as she buried her face in his sweatshirt due to her small height, and he rested his chin gently on the top of her head. He held her as she cried, his heart breaking at the sound. He didn't know what he did to make her care about him so much but part of him knew that he felt the same, thinking back to the anger he felt when those guys threatened her safety. He had spent the past days sleeping in alleyways far away and spent days walking to drive them away, leading clues to make them think he had left to the next town over. 

And he knew deep down that he did it all for her. 

He held her in his arms for the rest of the night, repeating the same words, whether they were valid for a month, a day or even only a second, "I'm here."

xxx

This is my favorite chapter so far, it is so sweet and I love the character development of them both caring about each other. Let me know if you liked it and what you are hoping to see next!

I'll update real soon! Love you guys, stay sweet!

~Jodie