Always With Love - Chapter Nine

Jul 20, 2015 14:09

Title: Always With Love
Genre: Romance/Fan Fic/Drama
Pairing: Theo James/OFC
Characters: Theo James, OFC, OC
Warnings: Language, Adult Situations
Disclaimer: a strict work of fiction, I own nothing except the original characters and the plot line. In no way am I affiliated to any of it.

Summary: For the last ten years, Theo has loved Lindsay. For the last three years, Lindsay has been a bit of a prisoner in her own life. For two people who were supposed to have it all, life sure turned out to be cruel. Caught up in life and all the dismay it sometimes brings can be challenging, even more so when the person you love is slowly slipping away.

Chapter Nine

Shailene staying over seemed to be the exact thing Lindsay needed, a fresh face that she hadn't saw in a while was always a welcome sight. Lindsay loved and adored Anna, but there was only so much perspective that Anna could give her. The list she had been compiling of pros and cons of taking Theo's offer was stacking up with almost no clear winner. A bit of one on one with Shailene may be what Lindsay needed to break the tie. If anybody knew this press tour business, it was the woman gearing up to do it.

The two ladies were in the kitchen, somewhere between getting food ready for dinner and half a bottle of merlot, when Lindsay had casually managed to get Shailene on the topic of the press. While her friend talked, Lindsay listened intently trying to use it to decide. Filling her glass with a bit more wine, Lindsay drew a deep breath as Shailene took a second to focus on the food. The lull in conversation was the perfect time to bring up Theo's proposal.

“Theo asked me to go with him.” Lindsay cleared her throat, picking up another piece of chicken to prep.

“On the press tour?” Shailene asked wide eyed. Lindsay nodded. “Wow. Hey, you should come. It would be so much fun.”

“I don't think I can.” Lindsay's reply was quiet.

“Why not? Did someone say you can't? Or because of other reasons?” Shailene questioned. Wiping her hands on her apron, she lifted her wine glass to her lips and took a sip.

“What happens if I go and then I can't handle it?” Lindsay answered. She was so torn. Part of her wanted to go, on the other hand she was terrified.

“You could always go, try it for a week and if you hate it then ask to come home.” Shailene suggested. “It wouldn't be hard to get you back home. Besides, you may go and things might be absolutely fine.”

Cutting up the chicken, Lindsay mulled it over. There was a point in the few words that Shailene had given on the subject. If something went wrong, home was only a flight away. Of course, Lindsay may go and things be absolutely fine. Was it a risk she could take? Clearly Theo felt it was a risk worth taking. Theo would never ask if he had any reservations.

A little reckless a times, Theo never put Lindsay in any situation that she couldn't handle. Shailene sat a bowl of freshly cut vegetables on the counter in front of her and placed the knife in the sink. She smiled weakly at Lindsay, wishing she had better advice.

“Would he ask you, if he thought something bad would happen?” Shailene asked.

“I think he's just trying to keep us normal.” Lindsay chuckled a little bit. “But no, Theo has never asked me to do anything that I can't.”

“First,” Shailene held up one finger and grinned, “you can do anything. Second,” she held up another finger, “why not try it? Like I said, if you come and shit goes bad, we can help you bail.”

“I don't know, Shai.” Lindsay wrinkled her nose.

“Okay, new plan.” Shailene spoke up, her voice louder even though there was only two of them in the house. “Forget everything else. Think of it this way, if you go then you get more time with Theo, no matter how crazy things get. If you stay home and he gets busy, then you're doing good to get a phone call.”

When she looked at it that way, there was no choice. Going with him meant that even if she didn't see him during the day, he was still sharing a bed with her at night. Staying home meant that Lindsay could go for days without hearing from Theo. Not being able to call or even text was something the couple had gotten used to, although it didn't mean Lindsay liked it.

“When you put it that way...” Lindsay lingered. Shailene giggled. “I'll give him my answer tonight, probably after everyone has left.”

“Yay!” Shailene clapped her hands gently and cheered. “I'm so excited! We're going to have so much fun.”

“I am just sick of being away from Theo so damn much.” Lindsay whined. Taking a sip of her wine, she licked her lips and pouted. “I sound so pathetic, like some clingy girlfriend.”

“Naw, you sound like you miss your boyfriend.” Shailene nudged her in the arm with a grin.

Theo was easy to miss. When he wasn't around the house seemed too quiet, nothing Lindsay did to fill that Theo sized void in the house ever worked. If he wasn't around things got lonelier, quieter, and some how Lindsay always seemed to get worse. Lindsay was scared, naturally that happened. Risks were meant to be scary, but if they weren't then would they be worth taking?

Dropping the subject, the two girls finished off their bottle of wine laughing and chatting about the most random things they could find. Lindsay was laughing at a story Shailene was elaborating about a slightly terrible date she had been on, when the front door swung open and a rather sweaty mess of a Theo crossed through. As Shailene had arrived earlier in the afternoon, Theo had been on his way out. There were errands he had to take care of, along with a stop at the gym, not that either of the two women in his kitchen minded.

No Theo meant he wouldn't be in their way while they were getting ready for dinner. Their dinner party wasn't expected to be big, Theo and Lindsay, Shailene of course, then Anna, along with Ansel. The usual suspects if it were. Never the less, if Theo made himself disappear for most of the preparation and then offered to clean up after, it would win him numerous brownie points.

“Honeys, I'm home.” Theo called out, dropping his coat in the closet and picking up his gym bag.

While Lindsay called out with a stereotypical greeting that one would give their significant other, Shailene had other plans for Theo. “Hey, you, come over here.” Shailene directed Theo.

Motioning to the coconut that sat on the counter top, she didn't have to say anything else. Lindsay knew what she had wanted.

“Whatever it is, you two can wait. I need a shower.” Theo called scooting down the hall, avoiding the kitchen and any work they may have for him.

“Theooodooore.” Lindsay yelled loudly, giggling. “Come here, we need help.” she called out.

Shouting back a firm “no”, Theo remained hidden down the hall. He had no intentions of even going near the two women until it was time to eat.

“Theo, we need your big, strong muscles.” Shailene snorted in laughter, trying to coax him out.

“Please, babe, we need you to help us.” Lindsay continued to harass him. “Theodore Patrick James Kinnaird Taptiklis, right now!”

Shailene laughed, making a silly comment about how Theo was really in trouble, if Lindsay was willing to play the full name card. Giggling, Lindsay tried to regain her composure. Theo knew she wasn't that upset, the playfulness of the situation was certainly shining through but it didn't mean Lindsay wouldn't try a poker face.

“Okay, fine, what do you need?” Theo asked, embarking back toward the kitchen with a smirk. If they wanted to be pains in the ass, he could be just as bad. Adjusting the bright pink towel around his waist, Theo double checked to make sure it was secure.

“You to put clothes on.” Shailene made a gagging noise and covered her eyes at the sight of his towel. “Jesus, I came to visit, not get dinner and a show.”

“Suck it up.” Theo laughed. “What do you need?” he asked, his gaze landing on Lindsay.

“You need to crack this mother fucker, because we can't.” Lindsay sighed and handed him a coconut.

“You called me to crack a fucking coconut?” Theo laughed at the situation. Lindsay pouted and Shailene nodded. “Fine.” he grabbed the hammer Lindsay was holding and smacked it against the coconut.

Coconut cracked and hammer placed on the kitchen counter, Theo smirked - clearly proud of himself - and draped his arm around Lindsay's shoulder. “There. Can I go shower now?”

“You smell manly.” Lindsay teased, wrapping her arms around him. “Maybe you should just skip the shower. Stick to the man sweat, it works for you.”

“Well, I won't look so manly if the others arrive and I am standing here like this.” Theo replied gesturing to his towel.

“I think it brings out your eyes.” Lindsay winked. “Really shows off your best feature.”

“My eyes?” Theo questioned with a grin.

“Yep.” Lindsay reached around and smacked his backside, hard. “Go on, get ready. We need you to help us start the grill.”

Plucking a couple of pieces of sliced red pepper from a plate Theo smiled and marched back down the hall, his pink towel moving around his knees like a dress as he walked. If the world could see him now, Lindsay snorted at the idea and turned back to preparing dinner with Shailene.

“This is why you should go with him.” Shailene leaned in, bumping hips with Lindsay. “You know he lives to keep you smiling.”

“You know what, I really think I am going to go.” Lindsay's smile spread across her face. If she smiled any bigger, her cheeks were going to fall off. “Excuse me.” she stepped away from the counter and rushed down the hall in the direction that Theo had gone.

Lindsay knocked on the bathroom door, before Theo answered she opened it and walked in. They had been together for ten years, she had saw everything and then some by now. On the other side of the door, Theo's towel was hung on the rack next to the shower while the glass shower casing dripped with steam and small drops of hot water. Inside the distorted figure turned to face Lindsay.

“Yes?” Theo sang out, his hair stuck up in several directions with shampoo.

“I uh, is that a shampoo beard?” Lindsay was distracted by the white foam covering Theo's actual beard.

Theo shrugged and turned back to the spray of the water, leaving Lindsay to shake her head at him.

“Anyway, I came in because I have news.” Lindsay continued, leaning her back against the wall next to the shower.

“What news?” Theo asked, his back still to her.

“I thought about your question.” Lindsay answered with a slight grin. “After a bit of debating, I think I'll go with you for the press tour. Let me know what I need and where I need to be.”

“Wait!” Theo spun around, his foam beard gone. “Don't do this because you think you have to. I want you doing this, because you want to.”

“I do.” Lindsay smiled, nodding eagerly. “I do want to do this. It's a bit scary to think about, but if things go wrong then I can always come home, yeah?” Theo smiled and nodded. “Good, then it's settled. I'm going with you.”

chaptered, ansel elgort, ofc, theo james, always with love, shailene woodley, fan fiction, fanfic, oc

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