XV

𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐡𝐮𝐫 𝐩𝐨𝐯

The smaller brunette stood in front of my speechless. Did I scare her, did I say too much, did I read the room wrong, maybe she just doesn't like me at all. All my thoughts were answered though when she spoke up,

"I really like you too Arts, you mean so much to me it's insane. I sound like a crazy person talking about you and everything that you do, I feel like a fan half the time. But I just don't know if I'm ready for something this major, I just need a lot of time to process everything and to be honest, I don't know if our current circumstances are the best ones to start being something I guess. Gosh this feels like love island where we're couples up but not exclusive or something." We both started laughing as I looked down into her hazel eyes, they were appearing more green against her blood shot eyes from all the tears she cried.

"Well then, the girl I would like to be coupled up with is you Lilee. We can still be friends for now and just start getting to know each other more on a deeper level and go out just us two and when you're ready we can take the next step and start talking romantically."

"That sounds really good Arts, thank you."

"How about when we get back to London and we've had some time to rest, we film a video together. Like that baking challenge we spoke about all those weeks ago when we met for the first time huh?"

"Yeah that sounds perfect." I let go of Aquilah and walked towards the bathroom, quickly turning to her to speak up,

"I'm just gonna change into some pyjamas and then I'll come back 'kay?"

"Okay, I'm gonna go take a quick shower then."

"I'll go through the corridor then on my way back."

"Okay."

I walked into my room and changed into a white shirt and grey sweatpants before heading into Aquilah's room and just sitting on her bed scrolling on my phone. I was just aimlessly scrolling when I heard the bathroom door click and I saw her, there she was, in a black tee and some greu checkered pyjama shorts.

"I saw an xbox in the living room, did you wanna play some games on it?"

"Do I wanna play games? Of course! Come one." I stood up front her bed and grabbed her hand as I dragged us both downstairs towards the living room where there indeed there was an xbox console with two controllers. I grabbed them both and booted up the console and tv and loaded up Fortnite.

"Seriously, you are such a teenage boy."

"Wha-"

"Fortnite? Of all the games, that's what you choose!"

"It's fun, and I'm shit so I have to get better so I can win games and beat Chris in amount of wins."

"That's such a Jersey thing of you."

"Hmm?"

"You are so competitive, it's cute." She was squishing my cheeks with her hand and scrunched up her nose as she said that. 

"Well, I think you're cute." I booped her nose with my finger and she immediately retracted her hand from my face, going bright red and facing away from me. I just grabbed her waist and pulled her into me so we were practically cuddling,

"do you want to play something else?"

"no, i'll watch you play arts." I let go of her and she leaned back against the corner of the sofa and was just on her phone. I loaded up the game, one controller in my hand, the other on my leg and my phone on the opposite leg. I was so into the game that I didn't even notice my phone go off, only when I heard Aquilah giggling like a schoolgirl did I finally look towards her. She pointed at my phone and I grabbed it, seeing I had a notification.

lileeJW tagged you in a story

"What did you do?"

"nothinggg" she said dragging out the g almost in a high pitch squeal. I opened the app and saw her story.

"you are so ann-" just as I was abt to finish my sentence, I hear my player taking damage. Before I could react and retaliate, I was already dead placing 3rd.

"I LOST!!! NOOOOOOO!!", the brunette girl sitting to my right begins laughing like a manic,

"You are so not getting away with this Lilee."

"Oh yeah, what are you gonna do about it?" in one swift motion, I whacked everything off my lap and leapt towards the girl, arm around her waist and throwing her over my shoulder.

"Arthur! Put me down!!" she's hitting my back and kicking her legs but I don't listen, I'm running around with her on my shoulder and eventually make my way upstairs and into my room, I threw her onto my bed. 

"Was that entertaining enough for you?"

"Mmmmm, nope!" I give her a look and smirk, immediately attacking her sides and tickling her, she's laughing uncontrollably and is kicking her legs and swatting her arms around like crazy. Everything was fine before I felt a kick to my side and I fell over in pain, hitting my hard pretty hard on the floor.

𝐚𝐪𝐮𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐡 𝐩𝐨𝐯

"HOLY SHIT ARTS!! are you okay, i'm so sorry oh my gosh!" I immediately rush over to his side and look down at him,

"are you hurt anywhere, can you hear me, arts please!" I grab his hand and start squeezing it to see if he reacts, I'm trying to stay calm but it's beginning to freak me out when he's grunting and I can only see him frown in pain.

"arts please say something or do something!" almost instantly, I feel his finger rubbing circles on my hand, when I look down at him I see his big brown eyes looking up and I could see the pain in his eyes.

"I'll call an ambulance for yo-"

"No no, i'm o-o-o-okay. I just need to sit up."

"No you could have a concussion, I need to please!"

"It's okay Lilee, I prom-"

"No. Arthur, I need to get you checked out because I can't have you fainting or dying on me okay?" at this point the waterworks have started and I'm hyperventilating and speaking in a voice laced with panic and worry. 

I hear the bedroom door open and to my shock it's Chris, I started breaking down again as he looks petrified,

"Chris, I'm so sorry, I didn't mean to hurt him.  We were just messing around and Arthur was tickling and and I accidentally kicked him and then he fell onto the floor and he hit his head and I'm scared that he has a concussion because he isn't responding properly but he doesn't want the ambulance but I'm scared and what if he's really hurt and what if-"

"Aquilah, breathe okay. I know you're worried for Arthur but you stressing out is only putting him in more pain. Breathe okay, I am going to call emergency services but I'm staying here with you both. Let me get Tobi as well or Harry so that you aren't alone."

"B-b-b both of them, p-p-please Chris."

"Okay, I'm gonna quickly pop out to go get them alright?"

"Mhmm." He left the room and I'm slowly gaining control of my breathing when I look down to Arthur,

"please arts, something."

"Lilee, I-I-I'm okay. Just stay w-w-with me p-p-please."

"Always arts, always. I just need you to stay awake okay?"

"Mmm." The door opened again and now there are three guys standing at the doorway, two in shock and one on the phone speaking to emergency services.

"Quilah, what happened?"

"Harry, don't stress her out more okay? She looks traumatised."

"I-i-i didn't mean to I p-p-promise!"

"it's okay, we know Aquilah, we know."

"Ambulance will be five minutes. Let's try sit him up." Tobi and Harry walked over to me and pushed Arthur in a sitting position with his back resting against the end of the bed. I stood up and sat on the bed, just running my fingers through his hair,

"please don't die arthur."

"He won't die Aquilah okay?"

"HOW DO WE KNOW THAT?!"

"lilee?"

"yes arts."

"don't cry please, i'm going to be fine, just come here please."

"kay." I went off the bed and sat next the Arthur, I laid my head in his lap and his fingers twirled my hair and I could hear him mumbling some words of im sorry.

"stop apologising, it's my fault okay." the door burst open and I jumped up, sitting straight up,

"Where's the boy?" two paramedics were standing with a gurney and it was all becoming too real, I could genuinely lose Arthur right now, I started breaking down again as I run over to him and hold his hand, sobbing.

"He's here, I don't know what to do."

"It's alright miss, we'll take him to the hospital to run some tests on him."

"i-i-i want her t-to come with u-u-us."

"Is she your girlfriend?"

"y-yes." the other three boys were shocked and I just put a finger up to my mouth telling them to shut up. The two paramedics walk over and place Arthur on a gurney and I run over to Harry hugging him,

"I'm so scared Haz, what if he dies?"

"He won't Quilah, you can't freak out because you'll stress him out and he'll get worse okay?"

"Ay, are you coming woman?"

"Don't speak to her like that, we will follow behind you guys."

"Fine." they carried Arthur out but he spoke softly,

"Q-q-quils, come w-w-ith me p-p-please."

"o-okay arts." I followed the paramedics into the ambulance and sat on the side just holding Arthur's hand as we drove to the hospital. The sirens were drowned out by my thoughts, what if he doesn't make it, what if he goes into a coma, what if what if what if.

We reached the hospital and the doors opened, there were doctors and nurses standing there looking blank,

"Well help him!" I cried out and jumped out of the ambulance so they could take Arthur's gurney, I ran over to Harry and Tobi and started crying in Harry's arms,

"I promise Quilah he's going to be okay, he's a strong lad yeah?"

"Yeah, okay." We made our way inside and were told to sit in the waiting room as Arthur went through a series of tests. I situated myself between the two boys and tried to get some rest because all of my stress had tired me out and I was asleep before I knew it.

Around a hour or two later, I was awoken by Tobi,

"The doctor said we can visit him."

"We can?"

"Yeah, come with us." We stood up and the three of us made our way to his room. When I walked him, my hand quickly raised to my mouth in shock, he was connected to so many wires with an iv drip and he was asleep.

"He's alright, a slight concussion but no damage to the brain or skull, just needs some rest now and a calm 24 hours now. He'll be discharged tomorrow morning after a check up."

"Thank you." Harry said as I sat down by his side and held his hand, I felt extremely guilty for what happened and just leaned my head on the hospital bed, closing my eyes and trying to drift off to sleep. I felt a squeeze on my hand though so when I shot up head up, I saw the big brown eyes looking down at me.

"Lilee?"

"I'm here Arts."

"Can you stay here tonight?"

"Of course."

"We have one question." I look over and see Harry looking at us with a serious expression.

"No we aren't actually dating. But we're just getting to know each other first and are taking it really slow, we're just friends for now but when I'm ready, we're gonna start going out and be talking I guess?"

"Oh, okay."

"You're fine with it Haz."

"Quilah, I don't have possession over you and I don't have control over your life. You both liked each other all those years ago and speaking with Chris, it's clear that those feelings never went away. Tobi and I will leave you to it and come back tomorrow to pick you both up."

"Okay, bye guys."

"Please get sleep the both of you." Tobi said as he and Harry walked out the hospital room.

I got into the bed with Arthur and he wrapped his arms around me, my hands went into his hair as I played with the soft brunette curls, closing my eyes and letting myself drift off to sleep. I quickly whispered to Arthur,

"i'm so sorry i hurt you and caused this."

"at least it was entertaining right?" i giggled at his response and wrapped my arms around his neck as I closed my eyes and went to sleep. I could only hope that tomorrow would be more calm so that we could film the video on Thursday.

AUTHORS NOTE: ummmm, so sorry for that ! just had to have some scary moments. anyways thank you all fro almost 7k reads !!!! 💗💗 i am so grateful for every vote, comment and read seriously yall its crazy 🫶🏽 anyways i'm currently on holiday so im going to try and get another chapter or two out for yall and its going to deffo be a slow burner with the upcoming chapters but i have ideas abt what to write on. anyways love you guys 😽😽