Dotty awoke the next morning and stayed in her bed writing some notes and ideas on her notepad for her book. It was quite early but not that early, in the morning and she heard her parents milling around the house and the smell of coffee wafted around. Her stomach grumbled from her lack of eating the night before and she wanted to go and fill it up with some toast but decided against it.

 It isn't as if she wants to starve herself, because she doesn't. Dotty loves food, who doesn't? She simply wasn't in the mood to get up. Her phone is still switched off in the corner of the room on the floor and frankly, she couldn't care less.

After a while a there was a knock on her door and her mother's head peered around the door. "Morning, sweetheart, can your father and I have a word?" Asked Emma softly.

Without looking up from her notepad, Dotty nodded and her parents joined her by sitting at the end of her bed. 

"Tom called round last night," Started Chris, "The guys were at the park when you were. They saw and heard everything that happened." 

Dotty dropped her notepad and pen, looking up in shock. "They saw? Everything? All of them?" Chris nodded placing a hand on her leg. "Oh no."

"Dotty, dear, it's fine. He explained everything to us and wanted to see if you were okay. All of them were disgusted with what was said about you. You needn't worry about your weight, what you dress like, what you do with your life. What you do need to do is block all of them, forget they exist and never speak to them again. You have more friends."

Dotty sniffed, "No I don't." 

"Um, who are those lovely lads that care about you? Don't you remember, Tom, Tom, Harry, Cillian, Barry, Jack, and oh yeah, your boyfriend?" Said Emma, "Open your eyes Dotty, you're too nice for you to be trampled on by some petty idiots who don't care about you. In life, friends come and go, but those who care, stay. Have you seen your messages and missed calls?" Dotty shook her head, "We've had Fionn calling the house phone to see if you are okay, Tom came over last night, Dotty, we bet you there are tonnes of calls and messages from your real friends."

Dotty sighed. She climbed off of her bed and over to her phone. She picked it up and switched it on returning to her bed just to see floods of notifications from all of the boys, but mostly Fionn. "There's so many." SHe whispered. 

"Exactly sweetheart, from those who care. Now, are you going to throw the trash away and talk to your love?" Smiled Chris with raised eyebrows, Dotty nodded her head a small smile on her face as she clicked on her contacts 

"Block. Block. Block. Block. Block. Block. Block. Delete. Delete. Delete.  Delete. Delete. Delete. Delete." She looked up and showed her parents her contacts. 

Kissing her head, they gave her one last smile before leaving herself to herself. Dotty clicked on her boyfriend's name and gave him a call. "Dotty!" Fionn exclaimed down the phone, "Bloody hell, I've been so worried, your parents said you were asleep and didn't eat last night. Are you all right?"

Chuckling softly Dotty replied to him leaning back on her bed her smile not fading as she listened to Fionn's voice for ages. The sound of her voice was comforting as he gave her another one of his speeches about no one being perfect and how she should be proud of her body and the way she was because... "You're perfect to me."

"Aw, quoting some One Direction, what would I do without you? No, seriously, what would I do? You are the best and thank you for everything. I don't know how I could repay you, Fionn because you do so much for me." 

"Let me take you on a date." Fionn replied casually, "We haven't even been on one yet and you letting me take you on one will be repayment enough."

Dotty could feel the blood rushing to her cheeks, thanking the Lord that he couldn't see her. 

"Okay. When?"

"Are you free today?" 

Dotty nodded. She then remembered what she was just thankful for and replied, "Yeah I am."

"I'll pick you up at one." Fionn stated quickly, "See you then, Dotty."

"See you then, Fionn."

* * *

Fionn arrived outside of the Nolan household clad in his yellow raincoat because it was raining, his glasses resting on his nose. Just as he went to knock he heard, "NO MUM! NO PHOTOS!" 

Shaking his head, he knocked on the door and it swung open quickly, Dotty slipping out of the crack and shutting it straight away. She looked up from her feet, her parka jacket covering her as the rain poured down, and looed Fionn up and down. "You look amazing." She breathed out. 

"You can't see what I'm wearing, I have a coat over the top," Fionn replied, his brows knitted together in confusion. 

"But that raincoat is bloody amazing and it suits you." 

Fionn smirked, "I could say the same thing about you and your coat, but I'm sure you'd prefer to be in the car and not on your doorstep right now." He held out his hand and led her to his car, even opening the door for her. 

He joined her in the car and took his hood down. The two didn't say much as Fionn started the car and drove off but as soon as they were halfway down the street the conversation started. "Now, it's nothing fancy, where I am taking you, but I doubt you'd like fancy."

"I couldn't care if we were going to a burger van on the M25, Fionn, I'm no fancy woman." 

Fionn swiped a look at her giving her a big grin, "That's sorted then, but, I do want to talk to you, on a serious matter." 

Dotty looked at him and sat up straighter. "What's up?"

"Other than close friends and family, I don't want our relationship to be out in the open." He said bluntly, figuring it was the only way to do it, instead, of beating around the bush.

"Okay," Dotty stated simply, she didn't see a problem in that, in fact, it's what she wanted too. 

"Is that okay, I mean, if you wnat to then we can sort things out-"

"Fionn, I want that too, I don't want everything to be out there, at least, not yet." Fionn nodded his head and took hold of her hand as he kept one hand on the steering wheel. "Is that all?"

"Yup," Said Fionn as he turned a corner approaching McDonald's. "Eat in or Drive Thru?" 

"I don't mind, whatever you want." 

"Eat in, it is then." He parked the car and stepped out, pulling the hood over his head and joining Dotty's side. He held her hand and they walked towards the entrance and up to the counter. 

"By the way, Fionn, I'm paying." Smirked Dotty as they waited in the queue. 

He shook his head, getting rid of his hood once more, "Nope, I said I'd be taking you on a date, not the other way around."

"Fine... how about you pay for yours, I pay for mine, a compromise." Fionn rolled his eyes playfully and she nudged his arm making him reluctantly nod his head. 

After they had ordered and collected their food they found a table in the corner where nobody was sat near and enjoyed their food. Of course, Dotty only ripped the tip off of her straw packet and blew into the straw, the wrapper flying off and hitting Fionn on the nose. She giggled heartily as he tried to do the same but failed miserably at doing so, pouting at the girl who laughed at him.

Dotty mirrored his put, throwing a chip at him - which he caught in his mouth - and then she wa spouting for real this time as she couldn't do that, instead, the chip Fionn threw at her bounced off of her glasses, which she had to wipe because there was a smear on them. 

"That was only because you can't throw properly!" She defended herself as Fionn began to gloat, "Besides it's one all, I got you, you got me."

"Sure, love, sure!" Fionn nodded squinting. 

"Gah! I hate you so much!" 

"You couldn't hate me!"

"Wanna bet?"

"No!"