Penny's Pov
It was 6:45 when Tommy arrived. He was wearing a blue button up shirt and the color was similar to my dress. Darcy must have told him about it.
"You look great." He smirked.
I clutched my purse in my hands nervously as I looked at him. "Just great?"
"I was going to say beautiful but that's corny and I know how much you hate clichés." He said. "Are you ready now or do you need me to wait?"
"I'm ready." I smiled and he held his hand out for me to take as he lead the way to his car parked in the driveway.
He opened the door for me and then got in on the driver's side.
"I was going to give you flowers but again- the cliché thing. So here are the chocolates that you like, some have strawberry filing and others are raspberry." He said.
"Thank you." I took the box of chocolates he gave me.
"You don't like them." He immediately concluded.
"No, I do." I assured him. "I'm just saving them. I don't want to spoil my appetite and I'm sort of dieting right now."
"For what?" He frowned. "And don't say to lose weight because you don't have an ounce of body fat on your body."
"People diet for different reasons all the time. I'm just trying to eat healthier." I said. "But I will eat these eventually so thank you."
He started up the car after that and drove us to my favorite restaurant like he said he would. He made reservations so we were seated right away and brought bread and water before they asked what drinks we wanted.
"Please don't tell me you're one of those girls that don't eat in front of guys. Because I swear you used to eat like a pig. I witnessed you shove like three hamburgers down your throat before and asked for pie afterwards." Tommy said after our waitress walked away. "It's just me, you don't have to be shy."
I picked up the bread from the basket even though I wanted to avoid eating carbs.
"Don't call me a pig ever again." I added butter to the bread and he chuckled, knocking his feet against mine under the table.
"You're a cute pig." He smirked. "I've had a crush on you for awhile now... Not as long as you probably." He teased. "I mean, I had this whole plan to tell you around prom time but then you grew some balls and told me first."
"It was- I didn't mean to-"
"I'm glad that you did. I probably would have chickened out and if your dad knew you were here with me right now, he'd kill me." He smiled.
"Can't wait to tell him all about how Tommy Tomlinson wasn't a gentleman and how he tried making a move on me at dinner and then we fooled around in the back of his car." I joked and Tommy's eyes widened. "I'm kidding you prick." I shooed him. "Relax... I would never fool around in the back of a car." I winked at him.
"But the front seat is okay? I'll take notes." He smirked.
-
Darcy's Pov
"You burned them!" I fanned the air around me as Isaac opened the oven and out came smoke as he lifted the cookies out with an oven mitt. "How did I know this was going to happen?" I giggled.
"The first batch came out fine. I think it's you." He placed the pan of burnt cookies on the counter and started scrapping them off with the spatula.
"Me?"
"Yes, you." He said. "You distracted me."
"You had a timer set on your phone." I stated. Or at least he thought he did. "You should have double checked everything."
"You were strangling me, I couldn't get up to check with you sitting on me." He scoffed. "Your arse is so huge."
"It is not." I tossed a chocolate chip at him and he dodged it. "Now what are we gonna eat? You already ate half of these cookies." I said.
"We need real food." He sighed. "I'll order a pizza."
"Get-"
"Extra cheese with chicken, and peperoni. I already know your favorite." He grabbed his phone off of the counter and went in the other room to order pizza.
I seen that my dad texted me so I let him know that everything was fine and that I was going to eat dinner soon.
"Okay, you go get a movie started and I'll finish cleaning up in here." He said.
"Let me help you since this is partially my fault." I offered.
So he held the pan over the trash and I scrapped off as much as I could before washing the tray and he dried it off.
As he was putting the pan back in the cabinet, I reached for a mug to get down and almost slipped but luckily, he caught me.
"Can you be anymore clumsy?" He chuckled. "One of these days you're really going to break your neck and I'm not going to be around to save you." He said.
"It's my socks that made me slip. I would take them off but you know I'm always cold." I said.
"You can wear my house shoes. I'll go get them, can you make it to the couch okay or do you need me to assist you?" He squeezed my hand and pulled me along with him to the living room before we parted ways. "Do you want to wear my pajamas or are you comfortable in that?"
I'm wearing sweats and an oversized shirt, I could definitely wear this to bed.
"I'm good. I'll just take off my sweats." I said and he immediately started choking on air or his spit. I don't know because he wasn't eating anything and his back was to me. "Are you okay?"
"You- you said you were cold." He said.
"You can bring me a blanket or we can cuddle like always." I shrugged. "Why are you being weird?"
"Not weird. I'm not being weird! I'll go get- I mean, yeah... A blanket. I'll get you a blanket, love." He stuttered before running upstairs to his room.
-
"You should have let me pay." I said for the tenth time about the pizza we were getting ready to eat.
"I suggested we order it." He got comfortable on the couch and I sat next to him. "And it's my house"
"You're always treating me to things though." I said. "Next time, it's on me." I cuddled into his side a little and he tensed up. "Sorry. I'm cold bubby, can we cuddle?"
He blinked a few times before scooting away from me a little. "I need both hands to eat." He shyly mumbled. And you're not wearing pants. Isaac thought. "Just use the blanket I gave you then when we finish, we can cuddle."
I sighed and wrapped the blanket around my lower half.
He seemed to take forever to eat. Whereas I was done with both of my slices in less than ten minutes. There was more but I was full and usually Isaac would eat another slice or two but he's taking forever to finish his first slice and he hasn't even touched his second one.
He's a Horan. Eating is his middle name.
Out of the blue. I placed my hand on his forehead- just like earlier to see if he was sick or not. I don't know what's with his eating habits today but it's throwing me off and making me uneasy.
"What are you doing?" He jumped a little at my hand.
"Why aren't you eating?"
"I am eating." He held up his pizza slice for me to see. He was almost done with his first slice now.
"Not like you normally do." I frowned. "Are you sick? Did you not want peperoni and chicken because you could have ordered something else."
"I like peperoni and chicken." He said. "Nothing's wrong."
My eyes flickered between his to see if he was lying or not. It's hard to tell. He looks okay- physically but there's something he's not telling me. I know there's something but I don't know what and I don't know why. We tell each other everything, always.
"Something's on your mind and you're not telling me." I gently cupped his cheek and caressed it with my thumb. "You know you can talk to me."
"I know... It's nothing you need to worry about. I'm fine, I promise." I felt his cheek heat up under my palm and his eyes glanced down at my lips before shooting back up to my eyes.
Everything around us seemed to slow down. I suddenly couldn't hear the tv playing in the background and the lights seemed to get dimer and dimer until I was only focusing on Isaac. It's almost as if we're the only two people in the world right now.
I wanted to move my hand off of his face but I couldn't. It was like he was a magnet and I was stuck to him. My heart was beating out of my chest and I feel like I'm suffocating.
"Are you okay?" His voice brought me back to reality. "You look dazed out." He playfully put his hand against my forehead and I nervously giggled.
What was that?
Why did I just... have a moment with Isaac? He's my best friend, nothing more.
But it felt like something more. Even if that was only a few seconds, it felt like a few minutes where it was just us. Me and him. Him and me. I wanted to lean in and... kiss him.
I couldn't pull away from him and if he didn't say anything, I'm pretty sure we would still be in that position or kissing right now.
But he's Isaac. I can't- I won't- I wouldn't kiss him.
I like Kevin, not Isaac. I mean, I think I'll always like Isaac because he means the world to me and we're so close and he was my bloody husband when I was three but I don't like him like that.
"Do you want some water?" He asked and I blinked a few times, trying to stop thinking about his lips and how he looked at mine as if he really wanted to kiss me.
"Um, y-yes. Yes please." I sat up a little and wanted to curl up in a ball when he got off of the couch.
I can't like Isaac.
He doesn't feel the same way, we talked about this.
I'm finally on the verge of getting a boyfriend. I'm dating- well, sort of dating a guy that I really like. What's not to like about Kevin?
He's cute and smart and he knows how to make a mini shelf.
But Isaac... Isaac is everything.
"Drink this." He handed me a full cup of water and I took it from his hand. Our fingers brushed against each other's and I felt my heart start pounding in my chest again and my palms were sweaty but he didn't seem phased at all.
Bloody hell.
Penny's Pov
"You did not glue your brother's door shut." I clutched my stomach from laughing so hard at the story Tommy just told me.
"I did and he was pounding his fist so hard against the door that I thought it would break down. My dad grounded me for a month after that but he said it an iconic prank that he wish he thought of himself." He smirked proudly at himself and I giggled, trying not to be so loud because the people around us were looking a bit annoyed.
"You're an arse." I quietly said. "I can't believe you would be so cruel."
"He deserved it after getting chocolate all over my shirt that he took without asking to burrow. I wanted to teach him a lesson." He shrugged.
"And did it work?"
"He hasn't touched my clothes since so, yeah." He smiled.
The waiter came back to our table with the bill that we asked for and I reached for it but Tommy beat me to it.
"Ah ah ah, I'm treating you. I was the one that asked you on a date." He dug in his pocket for his wallet. "You really think I'm not going to be a gentleman?"
"Well, after staring at my boobs for half the night, I wasn't too sure." I smirked at him across the table and he rolled his eyes.
"What boobs?" He teasingly raised an eyebrow at me and I gasped, kicking him under the table. "Kidding, you've got a nice rack. I'm sure there's something behind those A cups."
"B cups." I corrected him before shushing him so no one else could hear this conversation. "So where to now?"
"What makes you so sure this isn't all we're doing?"
"I may have overheard you talking to Isaac about doing something else but I didn't hear what we were doing." I said. "It doesn't have to be over the top."
"Penny Malik doesn't want something that's over the top?" He chuckled. "Okay, we've now entered an alternate universe." He joked.
"Shut up. I'm just saying you don't have to go all out. This was a fun first date." I shyly smiled.
"Fun?" He playfully scoffed. "Eating ice cream is fun, go to see a movie with your friends is fun. this was fantastic." He dramatically said. "But you're right, our date isn't over yet." After paying the bill, he left the tip on the table and laced his hand with mine as we left the restaurant and he opened my car door for me again.
I had no idea where we were going or what we were doing now but I guess that's half the fun.
-
The car ride took about 20 minutes. It was almost 10 o'clock by the time we got there but my curfew is midnight on the weekends.
"Where are we?" He parked in an empty parking lot and there's little to no light on a path a few feet ahead.
"Do you trust me?"
"...Yes." I hesitated a little but I do trust him. It's just not something I expected him to ask in the middle of a field right now.
"Then don't ask questions." He got out of the car and ran over to my side to open my door for me.
Instead of locking the car, he opened the back door and got a jacket from the seat then placed it over my arms.
"So you don't get cold." He gently said.
"You thought of everything." I smiled and he smugly smiled.
We held hands as we walked down the path and I was grateful that I wore my flats tonight instead of my heels.
"Finally, we're here." He announced.
This part of the path was the most lit up. There was a small picnic area that had a gazebo and fairy lights hanging.
"This over looks a pond and it looks amazing when the sun is still up so we'll have to come another time and really enjoy it but I was thinking, this could be our spot." He whispered the last part and twiddled his thumbs as he avoided looking at me.
I gripped his hand a little tighter and quickly peeked his cheek. "I would like that."
I sat down on the bench and stared at the pond in front of us. Tommy wrapped his arm around my shoulder and I leaned my head against his.
"This is so sweet." I smiled.
"Think of how many times we can hook up here." He chuckled.
"And you ruined it." I groaned, detaching myself from him and he gently pulled me back.
"Kidding, love." He smiled. "But we can come here whenever we want and talk or not talk. This isn't that busy of a place, hardly anyone comes here and it's secluded." He said.
"So you think this is going somewhere after tonight?" I whispered.
"I hope so. I mean, we don't have to be serious right away but I really like you." He started. "I know you know I've had a few girlfriends already but those didn't last because... they weren't you. I know you hate clichés and believe me, I do too but I had to say it." He smirked. "So you don't have to be my girlfriend or anything if you don't want to be but... the option is open if you do."
"I don't know." I mumbled. "I don't want to rush things like you said but I really like you too."
"So no for now?" He concluded. "It's okay, we have all the time in the world to be together. We shouldn't rush it."
I like Tommy a lot. He's a lot sweeter than he looks.
Darcy's Pov
"We can cuddle now, love." Isaac held his arms open for me to crawl up and cuddle him but I didn't move.
I felt weird having these feelings for him without him knowing or having them in return. Maybe they'll go away after tonight. I'm probably only feeling this way because we're completely alone right now.
"I'm fine." I pulled the blanket up and laid against the couch arm.
"But now I'm freezing. Can you at least share the blanket with me?" He gently tugged on the blanket that was covering half of me and I allowed him to take some. His feet were freezing against my legs but I didn't move away from him. "Can I be the little spoon?" He gently asked and I looked over at him, he gave me those puppy dog eyes that I can never resist so of course I said yes without hesitation.
He stuck his head under the blanket and crawled until I felt him hover over me and lay his head against my chest. I pulled the blanket off of his head and he hugged his body to mine, molding against me as he continued watching the movie.
I, however couldn't focus on anything but his head on my chest. I hope he doesn't feel my heart beating fast.
"Your boobs are the perfect pillow, you know that?" He smirked up at me and I gently waked him.
And the moment is gone.
"I remember when they were small little peaches." He added. "You called me crying that time because you barely filled out your first training bra." He chuckled.
"Shut up." I cringed. I remember that day too. My mum bought me three bras from Target, they were the smallest size, I was 10 and they still had some much room in them. It was useless to even wear a bra back then because they were literally just nipples but my mum wanted me to get used to wearing one. My dad cried that night because 'his baby girl is growing up'. "I was too young to even have boobs."
"True but the same thing happened again when we were thirteen and almost all of the girls in our grade were wearing padded bras- or so you claimed." He continued.
"They were!" I groaned. "Every single girl in the locker room had a padded bra and I had cloth that barely protected my nipples."
Normally girls don't talk about girl things like this with their guy friends but I tell Isaac everything and he does the same with me. This is our normal.
"So you cried to me again about it and then boom! Puberty hit you like a truck." He smiled.
My boobs aren't that big but I do take after my mum and hers are rather large.
"Yeah well... You too. You used to sound like a chipmunk and now your voice is all deep."
"It's not that deep." He lowered his voce a little to be more dramatic. "Probably deeper than Kevin's though..."
"About the same but Kevin's more mainly." I teased.
"He is not." He groaned.
"Have you ever built a miniature shelf?" I taunted him and he rolled his eyes.
"I took woodshop last year, they taught us that in our third week. He's nothing special. If you asked me, I would have made you a whole dresser, not just a mini shelf." He said and I ran my fingers through his hair.
"You'd build a dresser for me?" I smiled and he hummed.
"I'd do anything for you, you know that." He whispered and I felt my heart skip a beat.
I tried to kiss his forehead but at the same time, he was lifting his head to kiss my cheek so I ended up kissing his eye instead.
We both couldn't stop laughing at the incident.
-
"I'm texting my mum and dad goodnight so they can stop worrying about me for the night." I said to Isaac as he turned off all the lights in the hallway before rushing back to his room where I was sitting on his bed.
"Tell your dad we're having animalistic sex and he's going to be a grandfather sooner than he thinks." He chuckled.
"He'll kill you for even thinking that." I set my phone on his night stand and laid down in his bed.
He had his arm stretched out, waiting for me to lay next to him like we always do.
"Goodnight Darce." He mumbled. "I love you."
"I love you more." I closed my eyes and cuddled further into him and he kissed my temple.
"Not possible."