PART FOUR

JUNE 2024

Molly closed her car door and leaned heavily against the vehicle for several seconds, gathering her thoughts. Her brain felt like mush, sloshing around in her head. After seven days straight of sitting exams for the QLTT, she was looking forward to sleeping for several days and a strong drink. Even though it was a rare cloudless day, all she could think of was crawling into bed with Clementine and sleeping for days on end.

Her phone rang as she unlocked the kitchen door, but she let it go to voicemail, dropping her bag on the island and greeting Clementine as she stretched on the floor. She grabbed a glass of water and an apple and her phone rang again. She sighed and dug through her bag to find it. Caroline's name flashed on the screen and Molly nearly choked at the thoughts that ran through her frazzled head.

Why is she calling multiple times? Is Andrew OK?!

"Hello?" she asked, chewing rapidly.

"Molly! Glad I caught you. Do you have a few minutes?" Caroline asked.

Molly searched her tone for any indication of a problem. "Uh...sure. Is everything alright?"

"Oh, I'm so sorry, yes. Everything is fine," Caroline assured her. "Sorry to cause alarm," she chuckled lightly. "I was actually phoning because I had a proposition for you."

Molly sat on a bar stool at the island. "What sort of proposition?" she asked cautiously.

"I know you're in the process of getting fully qualified to practice here, but is there any chance you'd be open to an in-house legal counsel position with us?"

"Us?" Molly asked. "At Rubyworks? I'm flattered, Caroline, I really am, but my knowledge isn't really in entertainment law. And it would be a conflict of interest for me to work on the label responsible for my husband's success."

There was a brief pause before Caroline spoke. "Oh! Sorry, not at Rubyworks," she clarified. "I was asking about the ISPCC. We lost our go-to legal counsel when he moved to Germany earlier this year. We haven't had much success finding another decent solicitor that understands how a charity organization is run. Then your name popped to mind and I thought I'd reach out."

Molly blinked and rubbed her eyes. "I - uh... that's really flattering. I won't know if I've qualified for at least two months, though. Don't you think you'd be better off continuing to search in the mean time?"

"We've survived this long. Another couple months won't make a difference," the older woman said casually. "I remember Andy told me about the work you did at Pavee Point and I thought you'd be perfect here as well."

"That's really kind, but I only volunteer at Pavee Point. I translate and act as an advocate and mediator for Roma that come in," she replied. "I'm not really providing legal information or representation. I can't."

"Right, but if you could, would you?" Caroline asked.

Molly inhaled slowly. She'd considered it, but since it was a volunteer role, she didn't give the idea much weight. Sharon, the director of the program, made it clear that money was tight and any role she took on was in a voluntary capacity only. But if she could get paid for it, it would be a lot like her role with Bright Horizons

"Possibly. I just...and don't take this the wrong way, Caroline - I don't want to start my career in Ireland with nepotism," Molly answered.

"If I'm honest Molly, I didn't suggest you," Caroline replied. Though her tone was brusque, Molly was grateful for it. "Someone else did. But when I realized how great of a choice you were, it made sense."

"Oh - well...I kind of thought I'd try to focus on immigrants in the Direct Provision program, but I guess I could carve out some time for you guys, too," she answered. "But please, let me do an interview first. Like a proper one. Just for my own peace of mind."

Caroline laughed. "Andy was right about you wanting to earn your own place." She cleared her throat. "Sure. That sounds good. Why don't you come by the offices next week for a tour. You can meet everyone and we can set up an interview then, right?"

"Um...sure. But Caroline, you know my focus is going to be on representing individuals, right? I'm not entirely sure I will have enough time to dedicate to you guys. So I can't promise anything," Molly warned.

"We know. We really just need someone who can oversee the legal details and keep everything up to date in terms of compliance, especially with regard to the public image of the organization," Caroline said simply.

"Alright, sure," Molly relented. "I'll come in next week if you like."

"Excellent! See you then. You can contact my assistant about a good time. I'll send you her number," Caroline replied. "Listen, I have to go. Chat soon!"

The line went dead before Molly could respond. She took another bite from her apple and sighed, unsure of what exactly she'd just agreed to. That was a problem for Future Molly. Present Molly needed a long, hot bath, a nap, and a very strong whiskey.

FIRST WEEK OF JULY, 2024

RALEIGH, NORTH CAROLINA

Andrew kept a firm grip on his phone as he spoke. "It was a long day. I'm exhausted," he said as he walked back to his hotel room. "Night, Mandy," he said to his tour assistant as she let herself into her shared room. She waved back at him before disappearing. "I'm getting old, love," he continued into the phone.

Molly laughed on her end. "You're thirty-four. That's not even old enough for a mid-life crisis."

He laughed and reached into his back pocket for his wallet and key card. After letting himself into his room, he tossed both items onto the desk near the door and kicked off his shoes before slumping onto the bed.

"Did you give Caroline an answer yet?" he asked.

"I said I'd do it," she replied. "But I'm still not sure how people will react. They'll definitely say it was a nepotism hire."

"Honey, nobody cares how you got hired," he sighed, amused at her annoyance. "You're working for a child abuse prevention charity. Nobody gets upset about who is working with abused kids."

"Still. I've never had a job just handed to me like that. Its weird," she said.

He smiled sadly. "I miss you," he said softly. "I'm sorry we're not together."

"Its okay. You're working. Its not a big deal," she said. "We knew this was coming last year. Its not like it was a surprise. We'll do something big when you get back home."

"Still. Today of all days, we should be together," he ran his hand over his face. A knock came at his door and he groaned softly. "Hang on, love. Someone's at the door. Its probably Alex or something."

He got up, phone still to his ear, and shuffled to the door. "What?" he sighed, opening it.

Molly stood in front of him and he was sure she was an illusion until she spoke.

"Hi," she smiled, ending the phone call.

Andrew started laughing softly, taking her hand in disbelief. "What are you doing here?"

"I wanted to spend my wedding anniversary with my husband," she grinned up at him as he shut the door behind her.

He didn't know what he wanted to do first; different parts of his body were telling him to do different things and he was overwhelmed at the sudden explosion of commands his brain was giving him. He settled for a hug, pulling her to his body and wrapping his arms around her tightly. He buried his nose in her hair, inhaling the smell of her shampoo and absorbing the heat of her body against his. He was surprised to feel tears pricking at the corners of his eyes.

"Honey," she said softly, looking up at him. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing," he replied, rubbing one of his eyes. "I'm just so happy to see you. I missed you."

"I missed you, too," she answered.

"How are you even here?" he asked, walking her over to the bed.

"I flew," she smirked, sitting next to him.

"Obviously," he answered, sticking his tongue out. "How did you know the hotel?"

"Caroline gave me your entire itinerary back when the tour started. Alex gave me your room number," she answered. "Caroline was nice enough to instruct everyone to let you have a late start tomorrow morning as well."

"Ooo, lucky me," he smiled, brushing her hair from her face.

"My stuff is in another room," she continued. "Caroline arranged it so I could follow along with you guys to the next few stops. I figured I'd rent my own car or something. I don't want to cramp your style on the bus," she chuckled.

He sighed and took her hand. "Stand up," he asked.

She stood in front of him and he took her in like an oasis in the middle of a desert. It was only jeans and a t-shirt, but she'd never looked better to him. He took her hand and pulled her to him again, kissing her softly. She sighed into his body as his hands came to her hips. He wanted so badly to take her clothes off and explore her bare skin, but he was exhausted.

"Honey, believe me, you are the best thing I've seen for months, but I'm so tired," he sighed, running his hands over his face and stifling a yawn. "Would you be horribly insulted if I said I just wanted to take a shower and go to sleep?" he asked nervously.

Molly smiled gently and nodded. "Do you want me to join you?" she asked.

He sighed deeply, looking her up and down. "Do you want to?"

"I need to get my stuff from my room," she replied as he ran his hands up her back.

"Let's go then," he told her, standing.

After retrieving her bags from her room and showering, the two of them settled into bed for the night. It was refreshing and relaxing for him to feel her nestled against his body again. He'd forgotten the smallest details, like the steady beating of her heart underneath his arm and the way her head rose and fell with his chest as he breathed. As he drifted off to sleep, he realized it was the most relaxed he'd been in months.

At some point in the night, Andrew woke up from a deep sleep. He laid there in the dark, staring up at the ceiling as the lights of cars driving by passed across its smooth white surface. Molly had curled in on herself facing away from him and he shifted so he was looking at her back. He ran his finger slowly along her bare spine.

He'd last seen her in person for a long weekend back in April when he had a stopover in Ireland for three days on the way to America for the summer leg of the tour. He didn't even tell his parents he was back because he only wanted to see her. They'd had a blissful couple of days before he had to leave again.

The tour started with the first weekend of Coachella and continued east across the country. Caroline had managed to book venues closer together so the travel time wasn't as bad, but the schedule was still blistering. After Coachella, he'd done Bonnaroo in Tennessee, and they were hitting up Lollapalooza at the end of the month. He wasn't due to see her again until the end of September, when he had a two week break built into the schedule before taking off again for another European leg in the fall and winter.

He slid closer to her and nuzzled the back of her neck softly. She sighed in her sleep and rolled onto her back. He traced the length of her nose gently, bringing his finger tip across her lips, over her chin, and down to her neck. She let out another sigh and shifted again. He brought his lips to hers and inhaled sharply when he felt her fingers in his damp hair.

He deepened the kiss with a hint of urgency, shifting so his chest was on top of hers. He could feel his erection pressing against her hip but he didn't dare do anything until he was sure she was completely awake. In the darkness, he had to go by memory and feel. Molly brought her hands to his shoulders and arched her back as he pressed against her.

He dragged his tongue across her throat, smiling to himself as he felt the vibrations on her skin when she moaned softly. She gasped as his tongue circled one of her nipples and he raked his finger nails across her abdomen, stopping at her public bone.

"Honey?" he whispered against her skin.

"Please don't stop," she gasped back.

It was all the permission he needed. He dragged his fingers down to her clit and hummed against her breast as she moaned softly. Her moans were driving him crazy, and all he wanted was to be inside of her, but he waited, savoring the feeling. She was right there underneath him, begging him. It was as if his dreams from the last couple of months had come to life. When he'd brought her to orgasm once, he slid on top of her, resting his full weight on his forearms. He felt her hands come to the back of his neck and she pulled him back down to kiss her.

"Did you bring any condoms?" he asked between kisses.

"In my bag," she answered.

He tore himself away from her, sliding out from underneath the blanket into the frigid air conditioning. He felt his way along the edge of the bed, not wanting to turn on the light. Eventually, he found her bag and rummaged through it to find a small foil packet. After slipping the condom on, he crawled back into the bed, but froze when Molly moved away from him.

"Lay down," she said softly.

He obeyed and watched as she climbed on top of him and slid him inside of her. He hissed and dug his fingers into her hips. He kept his eyes trained on hers through the darkness as she moved above him. It was like going home. He didn't need to see her to know that her head would fall back, exposing her neck to him. He didn't need to see her to know that her hands would settle on his chest as she rose and fell. He knew every inch of her body and didn't need to see it to make her moan louder.

"Shit, love," he gasped as he felt the familiar tug in his balls. He wasn't going to last long; he didn't expect to. "Don't stop, please."

Molly fell forward and caught herself with both hands on either side of his head. He took the opportunity to roll both of them over so he was on top. She wrapped her legs around his hips and he settled his cheek against hers, biting her ear softly as he thrust in and out of her.

"Fuck, Andrew," she purred against his ear. Her legs tightened around him and she was clinging to him, her nails digging into his back. "Please don't stop."

He gripped her ass tightly and hissed when she bit down on his collar bone. When she clenched around him, he couldn't hold back any longer and he released into her with a loud groan. Stars exploded behind his eyes as he collapsed on top of her, breathing raggedly. She clung tightly to him and he was reluctant to pull away. Eventually, she relaxed and he rolled off of her.

"I love you," he whispered against her forehead.

"Love you, too," she answered, bringing her hand up to his cheek.

He kissed her palm and sighed before getting up. He cringed as he turned on the bathroom light, keeping one eye closed against the harsh fluorescents. Molly appeared a second later and stepped into the shower. He watched her for several seconds as the water flowed over her body. She looked at him through the glass.

"What?"

He shook his head. "Nothing. You're just really beautiful." He crossed the bathroom and get into the shower next to her. "I'm actually looking forward to when we can just settle down at home next year," he sighed, wrapping his arms around her.

Molly leaned back against his chest. "And a baby," she said dreamily.

So she was still serious about it. When she proposed to him after he'd said they had to wait to have a baby, part of him thought she'd lose interest. It wasn't that he didn't want to have a baby with her - he'd be thrilled if they had kids. It was that he was unsure if she was actually ready for it, given how things had gone with their first pregnancy. He didn't want to be in the same position, with her blaming him for anything. He certainly didn't want to have her struggling with balancing motherhood and working.

"Really? A baby?" he asked, turning her around in his arms. "You're still serious about it?"

She looked at him like he was an idiot. "Of course I am. Why wouldn't I be?"

"I don't know. I guess I just thought that you'd be really focused on starting your career back home," he answered. "I didn't think having a baby would be on your radar because it would change everything."

"Well...yeah. It'll change everything, but it'll be easier with you home," she said. "You'd obviously take some time away from writing and everything. So its not like I'd be alone."

"No, but still. Its...its a baby. Its for life," he said.

"Can we talk about this more another time? Please?" she asked. "We're both exhausted and you have a full day in the morning." He nodded. She brushed her finger tip across the bruise forming on his clavicle. "Sorry," she said wincing. "I think you might get some questions."

He covered her hand with his and shrugged. "Its alright. I don't care."

"C'mon. Let's get to sleep. Caroline will kill me if you're too exhausted to function. I'll never be allowed to visit on tour again," she said, rinsing her face off one last time.

R/HOZIERFANS

U/HEIROGLYPH POSTED: I saw Andy in Raleigh tonight! It was such an incredible show! He's such a good performer. Definite dream come true.

U/FROMEDEN1990 POSTED: OMG I was there, too! So was Molly. I saw her on the side of the stage. She looks so pretty and glamorous.

U/MRSPOTATOEHEAD34 POSTED: Is it just me or does it look like Andrew has a hickey on his chest??

U/FROMEDEN1990 POSTED: I mean, his wife is there. Its logical that they're getting it on. Good for him. It seemed like they got married and then had to be apart. He seemed to light up on stage last night compared to other times on the tour.

U/LEPRECHAUNFARTS POSTED: GUYS. He just put up a post about their wedding anniversary. Its so fucking cute! And he posted a pic from the wedding. I love that he didn't say any details, just wrote "One year" and put up a photo.

U/FROMEDEN1990 POSTED: So we were right when we guessed they had married in the beginning of July. A couple other people posted pics from what looks like the wedding reception or something. Jon posted a very cute picture of Andy and Molly sitting next to each other. It looks like it was a low-key, small ceremony and reception.

U/MRSPOTATOEHEAD34 POSTED: So I found their marriage license. We were right; they got married in California, in Topanga at what looks like a house (based off the address provided) on July 7th. I guess Michelle Cross (the president or whatever of Bright Horizons) officiated the marriage and Oscar and Este Haim acted as witnesses.

So, based on info we know already, I think we can assume all of HAIM was there, as well as Stevie Appleby, Patrick Ryan (Alex's brother), Jon (and obviously Andy's parents), and Caroline Downey (and her husband, I think?), Michelle Cross (obviously), and maybe a few other people. Very, very small.

U/LEPRECHAUNFARTS POSTED: I'm just glad the fandom hasn't lost their shite over this, yet.

U/FROMEDEN1990 POSTED: What exactly are they supposed to do? Gripe to him about getting married? Its not like Molly has a social media account for them to target. They don't really have a choice but to accept things.

I'm surprised Andrew actually said something about it. He's always been a very private person when it comes to his family. But I see a lot of similarities in the way he runs his socials and the way Ed Sheeran does: he mostly keeps it about the music, touring, and adds in an occasional fun post about his friends or funny antics (like that video he put up of Clementine snoring in his studio joking about why it was taking so long). It might be different if Molly had social media, but until then I doubt it.

U/LEPRECHAUNFARTS POSTED: Well, he's touring the US through to the end of the summer and then after a two-week break in September, he's back in Europe. They just announced a date in Japan, one in Korea, and one in Singapore, all in April of next year, so it'll be exciting for him to go to a new place he's never played. Then I think he has the last shows of the tour scheduled in Dublin in May.

SEPTEMBER 2024

Molly looked up from her paperwork as Andrew came into her office, mug of tea in hand.

"Good walk?" she asked.

"Yes. You don't realize how much you miss walking until you're stuck on a bus for hours on end for weeks straight," he sighed, sitting on the edge of her desk. "What are you working on?" he asked, examining the paperwork strewn across its surface.

"Since I've been admitted to the Legal Aid Board, they've thrown me four Direct Provision cases in the last week," she sighed. "Nobody wants to take these cases on anymore."

"They were supposed to shut it down this year," he replied. "No surprise why they didn't. They're a bunch of useless fucks," he added bitterly. "Is that all you're working on?"

She shook her head. "I've got a meeting with the people at ISPCC tomorrow morning and a phone call with someone from DORAS."

"DORAS? They're in Limerick, aren't they?" he asked, sipping his tea.

"They want to talk to me about an in-house advisory council position. It would only be ten or so hours a week," Molly explained. "I'd probably only go into the office once a month."

"You're turning into quite the in-demand person, Counselor," he quipped, leaning in to kiss her lightly. "Between your time at ISPCC, Pavee Point, DORAS, and the Legal Aid Board, you're quite busy."

Molly laughed. "It sounds like more than it is. The Legal Aid cases are pretty self-explanatory. I don't mind them that much and they're easy - just a lot of paperwork, really. And the more I can get through, the fewer people there are in the system." She stretched her arms over her head and yawned. "The charity work isn't that hard, either. They mostly want to make sure they're not making any mistakes with regard to how they operate, from a legal standpoint. Pavee Point is actually the one that takes the most effort and I'm not even paid for it beyond reimbursement for gas."

The emotional labor that went into her work at Pavee Point was rough. She saw so much of herself in the women and children that passed through the doors. Since her acceptance as a solicitor, her role had changed within the charity. Before, she mostly acted as a translator and helped mediate legal situations as best she could. Now, she had a more official role as a legal aid counselor providing legal assistance and helping Roma and Travelers draw up wills, go over contracts, and a host of other (mostly) mundane things. But it brought her so much joy to know she was helping people who otherwise would have been taken advantage of or laughed into the street.

"I'm very proud of you, you know that right?" he said softly, nudging her arm with his knee.

Molly looked down to hide her blush. "Thank you."

"I'm also glad you've adjusted to life here, too," he admitted. "I was worried you'd struggle without me around."

She scoffed. "Check out the ego on you," she laughed.

He grinned. "Its just that its a big house and I know it must be hard to have it all to yourself, especially being out in the country, as you'd put it. I know you like being able to socialize with people."

"I get enough socialization with going into the office and seeing my Direct Provision clients," she replied.

"Is this something you see yourself doing when we have a baby?" he asked casually sipping his tea.

Molly paused for a moment. She hadn't actually given it much thought, if she was honest. "I don't really know. I like working this much. I figured you'd be home from the tour and could take care of everything when I went back to work. I thought that was the deal we'd made?"

He set his empty mug on a coaster and crossed his arms. "The deal we made? We've hardly spoken about it," he chuckled.

"Okay...do you want to talk about it now?" she asked, spinning in her chair.

He inhaled slowly. "If you want. I'm not sure how much we'll get done since I'm only here for another week," he responded. "But we could make a start of it."

She nodded and crossed her legs. "I figured we could start trying as soon as you get back, if that works," she said. "That's what you said before."

The idea of waiting any more time after they would have already waited two years wasn't appealing. He nodded.

"That was what I said before, yes. I still agree with it," he answered. "And provided we don't need to reschedule any shows, it shouldn't be a problem."

"Okay...and when I get pregnant, I'm going to continue working," she said.

"Obviously, but I don't want you working a whole lot," he said. "I don't want a repeat of...last time," he added softly.

She swallowed at the reminder of the miscarriage. No, she didn't want that either.

"Right," she agreed. She inhaled sharply, a sudden wave of doubt washing over her. "Do you think I'll be a good mother?" she asked.

He looked at her intently. "Of course I do."

"You don't think I'll fuck the kid up like my parents did me?" she asked, staring at the floor nervously.

"Love, I think you'll be a great mum," he answered seriously. "I know you will."

Molly sighed. "I wish we didn't have to wait, though."

He smiled sadly. "I know." He pushed off her desk and inhaled sharply, looking at his watch. "I need to meet up with Stevie and Taylor. Are we...can we put this on hold for a couple hours and pick it back up when I'm back?" he asked. She nodded. He kissed her softly and walked away. "I'll be back in time for dinner."

She smiled at him and returned to her files. Even though he'd only be there for another week, it was nice to have him back and she wished it could last forever. It was strange to be living in his house all alone, with reminders of him all over. His shampoo was still in the shower. His clothes were in his side of the closet. She'd even left the book he'd been reading on his night stand. It brought her comfort to see all of those things. It made her feel less alone.

He'd gotten in late at night and she'd woken up to him in bed next to her, his arm over her hips. They'd spent his first day there in bed, leaving only for food and later to take Clementine for a walk. It was glorious, but eventually she had to go to court for one of her Direct Provision cases and the bubble had to pop. Still, it was nice to know when she came home, he'd be waiting.

When Molly first came back from Los Angeles, her focus went immediately to studying for the QLTT. After she'd passed it, she'd started working with ISPCC and immediately registered with the Legal Aid Board. It seemed like the ink barely had a chance to dry before she'd gotten her first cases and set to work. She didn't really get a chance to miss Andrew, unless she was at home surrounded by his things.

One day at a time, she reminded herself. The tour will go by one day at a time.

R/HOZIERFANS

U/LEPRECHAUNFARTS POSTED: It looks like Molly is working with the ISPCC as in-house legal counsel. They just posted a picture of her on their IG account announcing it.

U/HEIROGLYPH POSTED: I wonder if Caroline offered it to her. What else do we think Molly is doing now that she's apparently a solicitor?

U/LEPRECHAUNFARTS POSTED: I checked the solicitor's roll here in Ireland and it looks like Molly was admitted last month after she finished the QLTT. I checked the Legal Aid Board to see if she was attached there and she is! So it seems as if she's continuing the work she was doing with Bright Horizons.

U/FROMEDEN1990 POSTED: I think Andy is back home in Ireland. The tour is on a break for another week. I hope he gets lots of time with Molly and his family. Ever since they got married, even though he's seemed a bit exhausted, he's also seemed much more confident on stage. I'm loving it.

U/MRSPOTATOEHEAD34 POSTED: I've noticed that too! I've noticed that he's so much more relaxed on stage and seems so much happier performing. Like he's glowing or something.

U/SUNLIGHT459 POSTED: I saw him at the last US tour date and I was so surprised he was still performing Shrike. Most of his music has sort of been focused on the newer album and it seems like he stopped performing stuff from the earlier albums almost completely. He only did TMTC, Shrike, & JBJ and the rest was from the most recent two albums. I wonder why he picks those three songs of all the others he has? Every time he plays Shrike he seems so peaceful and happy.

U/FROMEDEN1990 POSTED: I have a theory that those songs mean the most to him. TMTC is what brought him fame and it means so much to the LGBTQIA+ community that has supported him for so long. JBJ is really timely now and he has always seemed very interested in playing it and spreading the message behind it. Shrike is a wildcard for me.

Back when Wasteland, Baby! first came out, he spoke about how Shrike was a very special song to him and how it was a love song. So whomever that song was for must have left a big impression on him. Personally I'd say it was a song dedicated to Molly, but we have no evidence that they dated or were together before 2021.

It would be really weird for him to be playing a song inspired by another woman for years, even after he's married to Molly. Is it at all possible that they could have met each other before September 2021?

NOVEMBER 2024

VIENNA, AUSTRIA

Andrew laid back on the hotel bed, grateful for the comfort it provided. They'd been sleeping on the bus for the last two weeks straight and his back was beginning to protest considerably. He'd finished all of his press obligations early and was now enjoying a rare few minutes of peace and privacy before the pre-show meeting. His phone buzzed next to his head and he reached for it, smiling when he saw it was a message from Molly.

He opened it and his grin got even bigger. She'd sent him a photo of herself, completely naked, laying on one of the lounge chairs by his pool. Another photo buzzed in, this time she was standing in front of the full-length mirror in their closet wearing the matching black lace lingerie set he'd gotten her for Christmas. He bit his lip and chuckled softly as another photo came through and she was on her knees looking up at him with her mouth wide open.

He felt himself harden, knowing the game she was playing. Before this tour, she'd rarely sent him anything racier than a self. But now, for some reason, she'd gotten very into sexting him. Typically he didn't really have a lot of time to do much with the photos she sent and they wound up saved on his phone for the rare chance he had to use them.

His cock twitched as another photo came through, this time a close up of her breasts. It did him in. He decided to have some fun of his own, slipping his sweatpants over his hips and freeing his cock from his boxers. He positioned his phone and snapped a photo of it before shooting it off to her.

With a sigh, Andrew began stroking himself, thinking of Molly and the way her body felt against his. The way she glowed in the moonlight that streamed through their bedroom window. How she felt when he slid into her and her soft moans against his ear as he moved. His phone buzzed again but he was too focused on the image of Molly underneath him to pay it any mind. The picture in his mind shifted to her bent over in front of him, his hands gripping her hips tightly as she moved against him.

He could feel his release growing as he stroked faster. The image of Molly on her knees in front of him, mouth wide open, floated across his mind's eye. Yes, that was it. He imagined her naked and willing, waiting for him to empty himself into her mouth. The way her mouth felt around him jolted back from his memories and he lost it, emptying himself onto his bare chest.

He lay there for several seconds, breathing heavily as his surroundings came back to him. The release had been welcome, but did little to stem the longing he had to be with her again. Even seeing her in the crowd at one of the shows would be better than nothing at all. After a minute, he wiped his stomach off and went into the bathroom for a shower.

When he was clean and dressed, he picked up his phone. Then his stomach dropped down to his asshole when he saw the message on the screen.

I'm 95% certain this wasn't for me, but on the off chance it was, do you need help, Andy?

Oscar's snarky reply faded as Andrew's eyes lost focus and panic began to overtake him. A second message buzzed underneath the first.

Also, I KNEW you were hung. No wonder Molly is always smiling.

In fear, Andrew threw his phone across the bed and ran his hands over his face. Okay, so it could have been worse. O was really close to M in his contacts. At least it hadn't gone to his mum. Small victories, right?

You need to tell Molly before Oscar does. The Twisted Sisters tell each other everything, he thought suddenly.

He leapt for his phone and started a facetime call with Molly. Mercifully, she answered on the second ring.

"Hi honey," she said. He could see she was making her way back into the house. "Can you just wait a second? I've just done the shopping."

"Yeah," he answered, grateful for the extra fleeting moments to compose himself and come up with an explanation. "Hey, has Oscar spoken to you...recently?" he asked, trying to keep his voice casual.

He heard some muffled sounds as Molly settled things on the kitchen counter. "Uh...no. Why?" she asked. Her voice was distant and he knew she'd be putting things away.

"No - no reason," he answered nervously. He ran his hand over his face again. "Ehm, so I got your messages earlier," he started.

"You did?" her face reappeared and he saw her grin.

"Yeah - thanks for them," he chuckled nervously. "But, ehm...I sent you something back and I -," he started.

"Wait honey, Oscar's calling. You said you wanted to talk to him, right? I'll connect him," Molly said quickly.

"No! Don't!" Andrew yelped. But the screen split before she heard him and Oscar appeared.

"Oscar, Andrew was asking about you," she said. "Isn't this a coincidence?"

"I'll bet he was," Oscar replied with a knowing grin.

"Stop it, Oscar," Andrew warned.

"What? What's going on?" she asked. "What happened?"

Oscar was clearly fighting to control his grin. "Ask your husband."

"Oscar, I swear to God..." Andrew warned again.

"This is absurd. Will one of you two tell me already? What the fuck happened?" she demanded.

"Go ahead Andrew. Tell her what happened," Oscar prompted, biting back a laugh.

"Andrew?" she asked sternly.

With a heavy sigh, Andrew started speaking. "IsentOscaradickpickbymistake," he rushed out, covering his face with his hands.

"...you what?" she asked, narrowing her eyes.

Andrew opened one eye and saw Oscar grinning smugly. He sighed dejectedly. "I sent Oscar a dick pick by mistake," he said slower. 

"And what a fine one it was, too, Andrew," Oscar said dreamily. 

"Jesus Christ," Andrew muttered as Molly dissolved into laughter. 

"Oscar you have to send it to me," she managed as she gasped for air. 

"Oh, I will. Andrew, can I keep it?" Oscar asked. 

Andrew looked at him incredulously. "NO! You can't fucking keep it, Oscar! It wasn't meant for you! Molly, help me out here, please?"

Molly took pity on him, though she was still cackling. "Oscar, delete it. Its not yours to have."

"You're no fun," Oscar pouted slightly. "Fine. I'll delete it. But Andy, if you ever do want to spice up the bedroom, I'm definitely down. Just ask," he added, waggling his eyebrows.

"Goodbye, Oscar," Andrew replied pointedly. 

Molly ended Oscar's call and he disappeared from the screen. "Honey, don't be too embarrassed. I'm sure Oscar got a thrill out of it," she laughed. 

"Oh that makes two of us, for very different fucking reasons," he muttered, groaning again.

"He's not gonna show anyone," she replied. "I'll make sure he's deleted it when he gets in next week."

"Next week?" Andrew asked. "What's happening next week?"

"I invited him to stay with me for Christmas since you won't be here," she explained. "I didn't think it would matter."

"Its fine, don't worry. I'm actually glad you'll have someone with you," he sighed, a new wave of sadness washing over him. Yet again, he was missing Christmas. But at least it meant that after Christmas he only had five more months left before he was totally done.

"I'll be with your family, so its not like I'll be totally alone," she explained. "Its just...Oscar's dad is sort of going downhill, health-wise, I think. And he needs some serious cheering up."

"Shit, is he...I mean, is he dying?" Andrew asked carefully. 

"I don't really know. Oscar won't talk about it, other than complaining about the increased demands his father's putting on him," she said. "He wants him to leave Bright Horizons and take on a role high up in the company. Oscar clearly is not pleased."

"I can imagine," he replied. A knock came at the door and he sighed. "Look, honey, I have to go. I love you."

"Love you, too," she answered before he ended the call. 

"Yep," he said, opening the door. 

"Ready to go?" Maddy asked, standing in front of him.

"Let me get my bag and we can head over," he answered, checking the watch Molly had given him for their anniversary.

The work never stopped.