She'd been staying in Arthurs room for the past two days and her time spent at their house had been great. She loved having Darcey as company as her own apartment could feel lonely at times. At first she'd felt a little worried about spending a whole week alone with Darcey, thinking that it may feel a bit awkward. But on the first nigh all feelings of tension had been thrown out the window after Darcey had entered her room to have a 'midnight feast' and read books.
Maeve missed having room mates, after leaving uni a couple of years ago she'd lived alone. As much as she loved having time to herself, moments that she'd experienced with Darcey made her wish for someone else to live alongside in her own apartment.
Darcey had assured her however that as fun as it may look, it could be frustrating at times. From when Flo would steal her makeup or almost burn down the house to Arthur spilling a pint of beer over her brand new £150 Uggs.
That was why they were all planning on moving out soon. The last few years together had been fun but now it was deemed time for each of them to start a new chapter of their lives. Darcey had already found a gorgeous apartment that she was planning on moving to for February of next year, Arthur wanted to live with George, Chris and Arthur Hill. And, well, Flo had no clue but Maeve couldn't blame her.
Suddenly her train of though was interrupted as the door ahead of them swung open and the bell above it gave a polite jingle, signalling someone new walking in. Or in their case, sprinting.
"Abort! Abort!" Arthur yelled as he came charging over to the table that Maeve and Darcey were waiting at in the café, talking quietly amongst themselves. Shortly after him came George, waving his hand across his neck in cutting motions.
"Right!" Announced Chris as he opened the door and the familiar jingle sounded again. Arthur attempted to bury his face in his hands and George leant against the wall, checking his fingernails and looking incredibly inconspicuous.
"Christopher!" Darcey called out making Arthur hiss at her to shut up. But it was too late and soon he had spotted them all and began walking over to Maeve with a smug grin on his face.
"Oh, Chris!" George stated in a shocked manor, "Fancy seeing you here!"
"George you trickster, like you couldn't see me!" Chris replied as he elbowed him in his side causing him to wince.
"I mean you're pretty easy to miss, the height and all." Maeve mumbled making Darcey snicker.
"She's got a point." Arthur shrugged as he took off his coat and placed it on the back of his chair. Chris could only look at them all with his jaw slacked in shock as they acted as if he weren't even there, avoiding eye contact at all costs.
"Okay fine Chris, since you're so egar I guess I could slip it in..." George sighed, pretending to undo the zipper on his trousers as he stood in front of Chris making him jump up from his chair in surprise.
"Oh look Chris is standing up to offer to get us drinks, isn't that lovely!" Maeve smiled sweetly at the man who simply groaned before trudging off towards the counter - not even bothering to argue.
"I should probably tell him our order." Darcey added with a loud exhale as she got up, "One ice latte for me, Two flat whites and..."
"A mocha please!" Maeve requested, Darcey giving her a quick thumbs up before skipping after Chris.
As soon as she had left, Arthur slammed his fist down on the table causing both Maeve and George to flinch and turn to face him.
"Now that Chris has buggered off." He began, "We can finally talk Buckmore park 2024! I was thinking 'senorita toads' is a great team name."
"Calm down, you haven't even been offered a definite place yet!" Maeve exclaimed though she wasn't exactly in the position to be turning down admissions from willing participants. She also decided to ignore his suggestion at a super original team name altogether, not giving into his stupid jokes even if they were a bit funny.
"You need us Maeve let's be honest." George laughed making Maeve scowl at him. She knew it was true, it was just that George would never get the words "You're right" out of her. Would do far too much for his already huge ego.
"You really do have a large head don't you." She replied instead. Arthur clasped his hands to his mouth in shock as George just stared blankly at the girl who struggled to contain her smile.
"Funny, how long did it take you to think of that?" He deadpanned as Maeve held her finger to her chin and looked up to the sky pretending to think for a moment.
"How long did it take your mum to push your head out? Must've been a strenuous task."
"George how are you just sitting here and taking this disrespect? Me personally, I wouldn't have that." Arthur asked in an attempt to instigate the argument further.
"Anything Maeve says will never come close to being as funny as her type in men so its alright." He retorted making Maeve roll her eyes.
"That's funny cause I think you're fit."
"How can you say that about your boyfriends best friend!" George joked, trying to turn Maeve into the bad guy as she fought back to his childish comments.
"Bold of you to assume Arthur views you as a friend, let alone a best friend."
"So you aren't arguing that he's your boyfriend? Weird." George teased, pouting his lips and glancing around the room. Maeve decided to end the conversation at that as Chris and Darcey returned to their table, drinks in hands and unaware of their discussion, giving George a final glare before turning to thank Chris for her drink.
They sipped slowly, laughing at stupid jokes each of them would make. Chris had come to ask Maeve if she wanted to be in a cooking video that he was planning on filming that day, and by being in the video he meant standing on the sides and helping him. He'd initially been planning on having just Maeve regulate and score dishes but had also invited Darcey along too as they waited for their coffees.
Of course the pair happily agreed, only on the condition that they got to make their own dish as well which Chris wasn't particularly pleased about.
"But you're both just going to win!" He groaned as Maeve and Darcey high fived each other across the table.
"That's the whole point!" Maeve giggled at the frustrated man .
"Way to have faith in our culinary skills Chris." Arthur complained, shaking his head in disappointment.
"I'm sorry but they're just better."
"Why are they better Chris? Have you ever even seen either of them cook before?" George asked with a knowing look.
"No, but-" Chris began before Maeve cut him off.
"Is it because we're women?"
"Yes." He admitted making everyone erupt into laughter.
-
They had soon finished their drinks and were up and away, across the street to waterstones upon Darcey's request before they went back to the boys apartment which thankfully wasn't too far away. Maeve enjoyed reading, but not as much as Darcey who seemed nothing short of obsessed. So whilst she searched the shelves with Arthur, Maeve alongside Chris and George found their way to the gift shop section.
"I didn't realise they had jelly cats! They're so cute!" Maeve squealed as she crouched beside a big bookshelf stacked with the stuffed animals.
"Just toys though aren't they?" Chris laughed and George nodded in agreement.
"Yeah but they're cute, how can you not find them cute?"
"Sorry that we grew out of cuddly toys Maeve." George replied yet Maeve paid no attention to their comments, distracted by what she had just spotted out of the corner of her eye. Hidden behind a group of gingerbread men in the Christmas section was the most adorable trio of reindeer.
"Oh my God I need one." She announced, turning to look up at the men as they held back their judgment after seeing the pure joy on her face.
"Look Chris, ones even shorter than the other two, it's literally us!"
"Fuck off." He replied and walked away towards the exit making George laugh. Maeve looked at them again for a moment, deciding to hold onto her saving rather than blow them on an overpriced teddy and eventually got up to her feet.
"Let's go grab Darcey and Arthur." She smiled at George who nodded and ushered her away from the jelly cat section before she changed her mind.
"We're just going to get the others!" George called out to Chris who gave them a thumbs up as they wandered up the stairs in search of Darcey and Arthur. It took them a while to find the pair, eventually discovering them sat around a table in the far corner of the third floor reading quietly.
"We're going." George stated, catching them both off guard as they'd been to immersed in their books to even realise that Maeve and George were stood in front of them.
"Wait cause I don't know if I want this book, let me read more." Arthur pleaded whilst George attempted to pry it from his hands.
"Arthur you say this every time and you never end up buying it." He groaned and let out a sigh as Arthur finally gave in and let go of the book, nearly sending George flying.
"Oh my God George are you okay?" Darcey asked but struggled to hold back her laughter as he stood still in disbelief.
"He's fine, just being dramatic." Maeve grinned, her and Arthur moving around the man and back towards the top of the stairs. They began to walk down slowly but quickly turned to running down, holding onto each others arms and trying their hardest to not trip over their own feet as George came chasing behind them.
"Woah, what's happening?" A very confused Chris asked as he stood with Maeve and Arthur using him as a human meat shield from George.
"Take him not us!" Arthur called out, moving Chris around them when George tried to push him out of the way.
"Shit, he won't want Chris, not enough meat on his very small bones to fill anyone at all." Maeve face palmed, George began laughing as Chris spluttered about how rude she was and it seemed her attempt at distraction had worked. That was until George suddenly lunged at her, grabbing her head and holding her in a headlock as she tried to squirm free.
"Let go of her!" Darcey yelled, trying to force his arms away from around her neck.
"Women would pay money to be choked by me, she's lucky she's getting it for free." George joked as he let Maeve go, causing her to almost collapse to the floor.
"Now this seems like a weird time but, I'm not good at giving, well, just take them.." Chris stated, holding up two paper bags to Maeve and George who only stared at him in confusion.
What they didn't know was that once they disappeared from view, Chris had gone back to the jelly cats. He'd grabbed all three and with a shake of his head, made his way to the counter to pay for them. He then returned to stand by the door, holding them behind his back, and eagerly waited for everyone to return.
Maeve carefully opened the bag and peered inside, what she saw making her crush Chris in a tight hug.
"Thank you, you're the best!" She whispered as he reciprocated the action and his arms held onto her small frame.
"You have got the little one though." He chuckled, "Only seemed fair."
-
"Wait, do you need flour in cupcakes?" Arthur asked causing Maeve to give him a look up and down.
"Are you actually being serious?" She replied, half wishing that he was joking to save himself the embarrassment.
"Yes, totally!" He replied, shooting George a glance that told her everything she needed to know.
"You're so lucky that Chris is carrying you team right now." Maeve sighed as she watched Chris do all the dirty work and George alongside Arthur stood back and watched.
"Acting as if Darcey isn't carrying you." George retorted as Maeve threw some flour at him in annoyance.
"She isn't actually." She rolled her eyes, picking up a bowl full of cookie dough and showing it to him in order to prove her involvement in the baking. To be fair, all that Maeve had done was mix it all together after Darcey had measured out the ingredients for her, so the credit really should've gone to Darcey. But Maeve was clinging onto her part as well as technically without her there wouldn't even be any dough just a load of ingredients, basically in short she was doing all the hard work.
Kind of.
Well not really, but that wasn't the point.
"Chris I beg you hurry up." Darcey sighed as they all waited for Chris to finish his second batch of mix after the first one had somehow ended up full of egg shell which wasn't exactly a surprise.
"Stop rushing me." He cried, placing down the bowl so that they could take their third shot of the video before pouring his mixture into the cupcake cases that Arthur had laid out neatly for him. They were drinking sambuca, much to Maeve's disliking as she hated that taste of anise, but apparently it was all they had in the house so she put up with it.
"Thank you Shannon for this wonderful video idea!" Maeve smiled as she placed down the glass after taking her shot.
"Oh my God, stop promoting Shannon." Chris groaned. She'd made sure to spend every minute spare shouting out Shannon's channel since Chris had basically nabbed the whole video from her without giving her any recognition. Not that she'd ask for promotion from her ex to his dick riding teenage boy football obsessed fans, but Maeve did it for her anyway.
"I can't I just love her too much." She sighed, holding her hands up to the camera in a heart whilst blowing a kiss.
"Should I make the icing?" Arthur asked, clearly wanting to feel useful as he and George had done next to nothing for the past hour.
"As long as you don't fuck it up." Chris replied whilst placing his cupcakes in the oven and setting a timer. Arthur cheered, running to the cupboard to grab random colours of food dye to add to the pre-made frosting that Chris had bought. The cheating bastard.
"What colours make red again?" He whispered to Maeve making her giggle.
"Red's a primary colour."
"Those words mean nothing to me."
"You can't make it."
"When there's a will, there's a way!" He announced positively, though Maeve had no faith in him. Clearly George didn't either as he instantly grabbed the black dye to prevent him from using it and gave Maeve a worried look.
"That looks about right!" George grinned as Arthur poured almost the entirety of a small bottle of orange and pink food colouring into the bowl.
"Not anymore!" Maeve chuckled when he didn't stop there, adding a hearty portion of green to the mixture as well. His smile too also changed to a pout upon mixing and watching in horror as the colour turned to a grey-brown like it had moulded at least twenty years ago and just been left to sit ever since then.
"Well, brown cupcakes with green sprinkles it is." He sighed, hiding the icing from Chris so he didn't get told off.
"Arthur's facetiming me." George announced, everyone crowding around him to look down at the phone as he answered and Arthurs smiling face came into view.
"Maeve!" He called out upon seeing the girl who was smiling from ear to ear as the sight of the man she missed dearly.
"Arthur you called me mate, not Maeve." George cut in, scolding Arthurs childlike excitement.
"Sorry, it's not important so it can wait." He replied whilst looking guilty for interrupting their time together.
"Don't leave us in suspense Arthur, spill!" Darcey giggled, the screen pausing for a moment before he returned to the camera with a smile.
"I sent you a picture, check your messages." George clicked on the notification as it popped up, all eyes on the screen waiting patiently whilst it loaded. However, it was very anticlimactic. A picture of Arthur with his thumbs up stood outside the front of a large building was all that had been sent.
"Is that the New York Hall of Science?" Maeve cried out in between laughs, clutching onto her side as Arthur began spluttering asking how she knew.
"God Arthur you really are boring." Arthur Hill sighed, watching as more photos came through of the inside of the museum which was just as bleak as the name suggested.
"It was fun though!" He protested yet they all begged to differ.
"Who went with you?"
"Nobody." He mumbled making everyone laugh even harder.
"No that's sad Arthur, I would've come!" Maeve reassured him though he didn't appear thankful for the notion of good will.
"Thanks Maeve but in case you didn't notice we are in different countries at the moment."
"Of course I noticed, I miss you every day." She teased making Chris gag.
"Well I miss you too, I miss all of you." Arthur beamed towards his friends who despite being halfway across the world had somehow managed to make him feel happy inside just from one conversation.
"Me the most though." Chris grinned as Arthur nodded vigorously in response.
"Well since you're here Arthur..." Darcey began.
"I don't like the sound of this."
"Will you be the judge for Chris' video on our desserts?"
"Darcey, what I'm about to say may come as a shock." He replied after letting out a long sigh, "But I can't exactly taste them from here."
"Just appearance then." Chris laughed as Darcey sulked about having a mockery made out of her by her supposed friends.
"I think we shouldn't do that actually!" Arthur H declared with an incredibly suspicious look on his face, making Chris glare at him.
"Don't tell me you've somehow managed to fuck them up?"
"I haven't fucked them up?" Arthur replied in more of a questioning tone than one of a man who was certain of his actions.
"No spoilers guys!" George interjected, standing between the pair before things got messy and icing ended up all over their new kitchen. "Our judge needs to be surprised when he see's the results."
"It'll be more of a horrified look in their case but that's alright!" Maeve joked making Arthur laugh. Maeve had missed his laugh. She would say that that was what she missed the most but it was hard to pick one thing. She'd only last night been selfishly wanting him to come back early but knew that he would be enjoying spending time with friends so she pushed that aside. But seeing him and hearing him made her only want him next to her even more which she hadn't thought possible before now.
"I think I'm going insane without you." She laughed as she wandered away from the disorder of the group and sat on the sofa to talk with Arthur.
"Me too." He admitted making a sad smile tug at her lips.
"Not too long though." She replied and he nodded in reply, leaving the pair in silence for a moment.
"How has Lola been?"
"A pleasure as always." Maeve chuckled, "How has everyone else been? Flo sent me a picture of her and Sabina drinking a milkshake, it looks like you're all having fun."
"Its honestly really great. All the girls get on so well and even though I haven't spent much time with Jodie before she's really lovely too." He responded, smiling softly as he though of the past few days he'd spent with everyone.
"And the lads?"
"Just their wonderfully frustrating selves as ever!" He joked, "No, they're great too, not sharing a room with Josh has felt weird though."
"Do you miss having him to cuddle with?" Maeve giggled.
"Something like that." Arthur rolled his eyes at the stupid comment and watched as the girl laughed quietly to herself at the though of him and Josh snuggled up under the covers together.
"Maeve help me!" Darcey called out to the girl as she attempted to take the cookies out of the oven whilst closing the oven door at the same time.
"Got to go Arthur, but stay online so you can rate the puddings when we send the pictures in a bit." She announced.
"Yes ma'am!"
"You're such an idiot."
"Go help Darcey."
"Okay bye, you better pick the cookies by the way!" She rushed out before quickly hanging up the phone and hurrying over to Darcey's side.
-
maeverobber ; my faves (except chris)💗💗
8,917 likes | 43 comments
@ chrismd10 : thats the last time i buy you a jellycat
↳ @ maeverobber : nooooo im sorry ily 😇
↳ @ chrismd10 : ew okay no need to go that far
@ georgeclarkeey : we made some cwazy cupqwakes guys
↳ @ darceyangel : youre such an ick george icl
↳ @ georgeclakeey : sounds like someones jealous of our cwazy cupqwakes
@ camkirkham : wtaf are those cakes?????
↳ @ arthurnfhill : art.
↳ @ chrismd10 : completely arthurs fault
@ georgeclarkeey : still can't believe you lot won
↳ @ maeverobber : GEORGE STOP SPOILING
@ florencerobertson : imu😞
↳ @ sabinablair_ : imu @ maeverobber
↳ @ arthurtv : imu @ maeverobber
↳ @ theburntchip : tbh i dont miss you @ maeverobber
a bit of a longer chapter, havent proof read but will tomorrow morning and make any changes if necessary. i keep ending the chapters with ig posts, do we like this or would we prefer something else? i kind of wanted to end with something different but i feel like the posts r really good at giving a brief summary and overview of the chapter. i can change if thats what most people want.
tysm for the support as always, i love the votes and comments and appreciate my silent readers so much too 💗💗💗