I squeeze Blazes' hand a little harder as the plane hits the tarmac, he only chuckles at my muscles reaction knowing I'm a nervous flyer. I've only been on a plane once and that was from Illinois to Atlanta- it was a long while ago too so this is... freaky. We're in a metal box that manages to stay in the air... uh I'm not great at science but what...
Gemma and Helen sit in the centre row of seats across from Blaze and I, Gemma bounces up and down in her seat restless, urging to remove her seatbelt and Helen tries to keep her seated until the plane stops. I turn to look at Blaze, he's looking distantly out of the small frosted window, his jaw set in a hard line and posture tight. His eyes are cold and fixed on the airport approaching on the horizon.
A surge of guilt washes through me, I feel fricking awful I had to bring him back to the one place he hates the most. Where everything he's longed to rid will follow him around for the next week.
"Hey. Blondie." He squeezes my hand drawing my attention back to his weak attempt at a smile, worry and frustration coat his bottom lip as it juts out, "This is about you, not me. I wouldn't have come if I didn't want to." He kisses me softly as the plane rolls to a complete stop. He doesn't want to be here and anyone can see it but he does want to be here for me and everyone can see that too, I still feel conflicted.
After we trudge through passport control and collect our luggage Blazes mom leads us all out of the terminal, Gemma holds my hand swinging it about as we pass other travellers being careful she doesn't accidentally knock into one in her excited haste. Blaze holds my other hand purposely rendering me of any available limbs to carry my own luggage.
I glare at him, he smugly wheels our cases around by our ankles and winks at me- cocky shit. We step outside into the crisp winters air, my body already shrinking back into my camel peacoat. Even though Atlanta Is cold this time of year New York is fricking freezing. So much so, little flecks of white land all around me, my eyes adjusting to the snowy landscape before me.
Snowflakes land on my cheeks biting a hello and flurry into my hair making it puff. It's fricking snowing! I'm in New York and it's snowing!
Yellow Taxis with a dusting of white sit in a row, shuffling forward every few seconds and busy commuters with coffees steaming into the air, wrapped up with leather gloves and thick black scarves climb into the backs of them, often talking to their phones. I feel like I've stepped into the second home alone film.
Blaze gives my hand a gentle tug towards a yellow Taxi Helen is already climbing into, she sits in the front and I climb into the middle backseat after Gemma. Blaze barely fits in and just manages to close the door before the driver scurries away from the curb and flees into the lanes of New York traffic. Gem and I laughing at how squished Blaze looks. He offers twice for me to sit on his lap and if it wasn't illegal I probably would but the driver's already shot us several unimpressed eyerolls in the review mirror when Blaze starts flirting with me. His mom tries to hide her grin but she's not as convincing.
I gaze out of the window at the magic that is New York City, the towering buildings that look picturesque against the grey sky, the people that bustle in the streets flowing in and out of the subway careful not to slip in their big fur-lined winter coats and the production and amplification of everything. It's so bright, so much bolder and it's just simply beautiful. I feel like I'm living a dream and... well... I suppose I am.
"Is it as magical as you dreamt?" Blaze nudges me with his elbow and lowers his lips to my ear in a whisper.
"Even more so." I beam back, my eyes never leaving the snowy scenery.
"I'll show you my favourite parts of New York later." He whispers again, his hot breath on my neck making me tingle.
"Really? You'd want to?" I turn to him, his eyes already watching me.
"Of course Blondie." He presses a kiss to my temple and tugs me into his side so my head is resting on his shoulder, we watch New York pass in a blur together as the taxi hurtles through the less built-up areas getting further away from the city centre.
Eventually, the taxi pulls up to a massive black iron gate that seals off a cul-de-sack of pristine mansions. Helen pokes her head out of the Taxi window, a dusting of snow settling on her brown locks as she talks to the guard in his little patrol box.
The gates swing open and the taxi proceeds down the road at a slower speed. We pass white houses with hundreds of windows and fricking forests in their backyards. Fountains and Rolls Royces line the entrances to their homes up steep gated drives- despite being a gated community anyway.
Big sash windows accompany balconies with patio chairs that hang off the first floors of the buildings and poor gardeners are still out cutting fence high hedges. I shrink back under Blazes arm at the explicitly enormous and expensive neighbourhood. Considering Blaze and I both come from washed up, slightly petrifying estates I'm not used to this kind of luxury. I know his grandparents are wealthy after successful careers but... I really misjudged that word.
The taxi rolls up to one of the final properties, beyond the black iron gate small fir trees line the brick driveway leading to a cupid style water fountain. In front of the wooden double doors sits a white Range Rover, two Rolls Royce, a green Mini Cooper, a Mercedes and a Porche. I gawk frozen in place as Blaze and Gemma climb out either side of the car helping Helen and the driver with their luggage.
Oh my god... what... what am I walking in too...
"Stop panicking, it's going to be fine." Blaze pokes his head back in the car holding out his hand.
"I'm... I'm not panicking!" I try to puff my chest out but the cold bites at my windpipes.
"It's written all over your face butterfly." He grins watching my face pale, I let out a big breath, "Trust me." He leans in closer, almost addressing the statement like a question. I nod watching his brows relax slightly, a smile holding his lips as I take his hand and scoot out of the car.
I manage to take my suitcase from the side of the road before he can and we follow Helen and Gemma up the drive as the gates swing open. In between the double drive is a tiny patch of grass that holds an even bigger fir tree, being covered in snow I can imagine how magical Christmas would be here.
Every step up the drive fills me with more dread, I've never had grandparents so I don't know how to act or what to expect, what if they hate me and think I'm not good enough for Blaze. On top of my audition tomorrow I really don't think I could handle it if they hate me.
"Stop. They're going to love you." Blaze squeezes my hand startling me, he smiles reassuringly. I bite on my lip as we approach the door, Gemma rings the classic old fashioned doorbell and I cower under Blazes arm. He snickers and squeezes my shoulder with encouragement.
One of the doors swings open, a yellow glow coating us and the patch of white snow behind us on the drive. Warmth hits me from the doorway caressing my frostbitten cheeks and cold hands.
"Ahhh, my babies!" A slim woman in a pair of ripped jeans and a white blouse stands in the doorway, her outstretched arms are filled with gold bangles and her nails are a bright shade of red, to match her lipstick. She wears minimal makeup but I never would have said she was a grandmother- she's quite simply stunning.
A tall man appears beside her, about the same size as Blaze stood in a football jersey. Neither of their hair has discoloured yet and he looks just as young as her with his lean but still visibly built body.
"Grab their bags! Don't just stand there Bennett!" Blazes gran, I presume, whacks him in the chest before beckoning us in, "Come in, don't stand in the cold!"
"Hi, mom." Helen hugs her as we trail into the foyer... the incredibly large decedent foyer. A double set of staircases runs up each side onto a balconied hallway, a large chandelier lights the marble flooring and several vases of flowers sit on small tables adding colour and life to the room.
"How was your flight? I told Bennett we should have picked you up from the airport, it's coming down hard out there now." She bends down to kiss Gemma on the cheek, playing with her two plaits.
"It was fine and it's not that bad out there, on par with the usual." Helen shrugs, removing her coat and passing it to the elder man who drags in our suitcase.
The red-lipped woman stands up from Gemma about to greet Blaze but her gaze settles on me, she scans my face a smile protruding hers.
"Hi... uh... I'm... uh..."
"Atlas." She smiles ignoring the ass I made of myself, my cheeks flame. Get yourself together! Blaze squeezes my shoulders and I realise I'm trying to hide beneath his ginormous arm, "You're even more beautiful than Blaze described." She touches the delicate string of pearls draped around her neck as her husband joins her, almost laughing at her. I glare at Blaze for talking about me but all he does is shrug with a smirk. Nothing embarrasses this guy.
"Thank you... uh for... for letting me stay. I really appreciate it." I muster with a thick swallow. My nerves are on top form today.
"Oh, nonsense! We've been absolutely dying to meet you. We've been begging Blaze to see you for ages now." She gushes, pure excitement streaming from features.
"Oh yes, the famous Atlas Blaze gushes over." The man lifts his brows with another warming smile and I feel slightly bewildered- like I'm a famous painting on the wall of a gallery. No one knows the artist or the history but it's something everyone knows.
"I am still here you know." Blaze huffs.
"Don't I know it." The male jokes giving Blaze the side-eye, I giggle into his arm.
"What you laughing at Blondie." He teases flipping my ribbon tied messy plait over my shoulder. I stare up into his deep blue eyes feeling some of the apprehension seep away, It's going to be okay. You're fine with me... with us, his eyes tell me. A cooing kind of noise pulls me back to the others in the room.
"Ahh Bennett, just look at them. Young love." She grasps his shirt slapping his arm, he just shakes his head placating his wife.
"Jesus Nana." Blaze drags his hand down his face, his mom and sister giggling as my cheeks flame a beetroot colour.
"Leave them be love." The man kisses her temple and she swats him away.
"Sorry... anyway I'm Shirley but just call me Nana or Nana Shirly or Nana S or-"
"She gets it darling," Shirley bites her bottom lip mouthing sorry again, I smile at her and her attempt to welcome me into her home, "I'm Bennett and I really don't mind what you call me."
I thank them again for letting me stay but they brush it off like it's a regular occurrence.
"I'll show you to your room." Bennett smiles and I can see it's genetic being the exact same as Blazes... his gorgeous smile that makes me weak- Blaze not Bennett... that would be overly weird.
He leads me up a set of marble stairs and along with one of the hallways situated on the landing, Blaze follows keeping his hand on my lower back until we stop outside of a white door.
"Here we go, kid. I'll leave you to settle in, just call if you need anything." Bennett smiles and leads me into the room. I nod thanks as he scurries out of the door, slapping Blaze on the shoulder.
"Wow." I gawk at the large king-sized bed with a hotel-style duvet and pillows in a crystal white. A purple fluffy blanket rolled halfway up the bed. The bedroom leads onto an en-suite with one of those cool rainfall showers and a fricking bathtub that could fit a family of twelve.
I wander around the room, which is probably much larger than any of my bedrooms put together, and glance out of the large sash window onto the acres of land covered in white snow. Blaze has mentioned before that they have an indoor and outdoor pool, acres of land, a tennis court and a gym studio...
I turn back to the bed and look at Blaze stood leaning on the doorframe, he casts me a cheeky grin with a flare in his eyes and I know exactly what he's about to do.... So I want to do it first.
We both run forward and launch ourselves onto the bed, the soft mattress compressing beneath our weight but it's so goddamn comfy. We fall into a fit of laughter, my hair falling out of its plait onto the linen I watch Blaze's chest rise up and down.
He turns his head to look at me, "My rooms are the next one down the hall." He suggestively winks sending a flush from head to toe, "Kidding... or am I." I sock him in the arm, which does absolutely nothing to the wall of muscle.
"Your grandparents are great," I mumble staring up at the grand light fixture in the centre of the ceiling.
"Yeah..."
"Sorry if I clammed up and seemed like an absolute weirdo... they're probably thinking oh my god what a freak he's bought a home" I sigh into a bout of forced laughter picking at the varnish on my nails. Blaze notices and cups my hands rolling so he's on top of me, supporting his weight with one arm by my head.
"You're not a freak butterfly. Don't fucking say that. It's not your fault your shy, they understand and I wouldn't change it for the fucking world... it's who you are and that's what I like. You should be unapologetically you." His breath feels hot against my cheek and his eyes pool with sincerity. My lungs have a hard time taking oxygen on top of the full of butterflies in my stomach.
"Sorry, I just nervous about..." fricking up my audition.
"Don't apologise. And don't freak, you're going to walk it. No doubt." His head dips lower towards me, lips finding mine-
"Blazey, Atty. Nana asks if you want a snack-" Gemma appears at the doorway staring at us, I practically push Blaze off me which only makes him laugh harder, "Oh Sorry." Gem grins like her brother but doesn't move from her spot in the doorway.
"We'll be down in a sec Gem." Blaze sends her away still chuckling. "Come on." He grabs my hands and yanks me off the bed, linking our fingers and trailing us back downstairs.
When we reach the bottom of the marble staircase Blaze veers me off to the side and into a large modern kitchen where everyone sits around a granite top kitchen island, mugs in their hands and a fresh plate of cookies sat in the middle near one of the two taps in the room.
The large windows overlook the snow ridden drive and part of the outside space around the back of the house. Mile hile ceilings make it easy to hang tones of vintage pans and cooking equipment from the white walls and the pantry currently held open by Gemma has rows upon rows of snacks and staple foods filling the shelves.
"Ah, there you are, come perch!" Shirley beckons us forward-looking very obviously at our intertwined hands between our bodies. I almost feel the urge to rip them apart so everyone will stop looking at us but Blaze keeps them joined like their frigging superglued.
I shuffle over to one of the available high rise stools, Blaze following suit into the one next to me.
"So Atlas, you go to the same school as Blaze? Same classes? Are you from there? Where did you grow up? Were you born in Atlanta? " Shirley leans over the counter, her pearls swinging from her neck and her eyes beam as they cast over me.
"Christ mom she's only just got here, don't start interrogating her." Helen sighs shaking her head, Bennett chuckling. From what I've gathered my arrival was... highly anticipated ... I'm not sure why but I feel like I'm about to find out.
"Don't give me that Helen Marrie Beckett! You've had months living with her, that's an unfair advantage and now it's my turn!" Shirley snaps playfully.
"Nana she's not a toy, maybe you should try acknowledging her like she's an actual person... with feelings... that are probably nervous right now all things considering. She doesn't need a verbal assault" Blaze puts his arm around my waist, carefully dragging the chair towards his effortlessly. I look up at him, grateful, not that I don't appreciate his grandparents trying to take an interest in me but this whole weekend is... overwhelming to say the least.
"When did you turn my boy into a man?" Shirley leans back on the counter, admiration coating her eyes as she mumbles aloud, then she straightens up, "I'm sorry... I can be a bit... brash... I've just been so looking forward to meeting you after I've heard so much." She smiles, cupping her mug in her hands staring down at the liquid slightly embarrassed.
"Yes we go to the same school, definitely have a few classes together although I'm not sure how we got dumped in the same french and science class. I grew up in Illinois but moved to Atlanta at the start of freshman year..." I say pulling the sleeves of my T-shirt. She stands a little straighter with a lopsided grin and through a few cups of tea, she had asked me about my interests, school life, cheerleading and some slightly harmless but awkward... relationship questions and Blaze just stood there and laughed. They both seemed intrigued and listened with such interest even at my one-worded answers. I could feel myself relaxing at every question, Bennett laughing at myself and Blaze and Shirley looking like she might literally combust.
"So Julliard ay?" Bennett swings the lighthearted conversation into doomsville- population Atlas Grove and her pending audition. I tense up again, "That's a hard school to get into love, to do dance is it?"
"I know... chances are I won't get in but..." I trail off pinching the skin between my thumb.
"I always used to tell Blaze you are your own worst enemy, especially with a mindset like that." Bennett wags his finger at me.
"You can tell he's a fucking coach." Blaze huffs never losing the admirable smile he has for the elder man.
"Watch it, kid," He smirks at Blaze, "So why Julliard?" He redirects the conversation to me.
"Well, it's always been a dream of mine since I was young, and my moms. She went there too when she was my age."
"Was she a dancer too?"
"Yeah, ballet was her forte."
"What kind of dance do you do?" Shirley sips her second cup of tea.
"Ballett and contemporary mainly but I can do just about everything. I love acrobatics and stuff like that too. I went to a dance academy when I was younger- dance first academic second- so instead of biology I was doing an hour of tap or Jazz."
"Are you nervous about tomorrow?" Shirley asks now watching Gemma colour something in on a colouring book full of planes and trucks.
"Yeah..." I mumble.
"Just try your best, that's what they'll look for on top of talent- the willingness to learn." Bennett smiles warmly across the counter, "And afterwards we can all go to lunch, lovely little Italian-"
"Bennett! The poor girls not worrying about lunch." She shakes her head and I feel Blazes arm pull my waist closer towards him as they bicker, it's actually funny to watch and behind the frosty glares I know it's all just love.
"It's all okay Blondie." Blaze murmurs into my ear, shivers driving down my spine.
"Yeah... it's all okay Blazey." He shakes his head at the name adaptation and places a tender kiss on my forehead.
Hey hey! These next few chapters have probably been my absolute favourite to write so far! I've also got a bit of a writing block going on rn so I'm a bit slack, I apologise! Hope you're all well! Thank you so much for 130k reads!!! If you enjoyed the chapter hit that star! ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️