SEVEN

3 weeks later

"I hope you've packed enough clothes to last ya', especially jeans, mine'll be too long for you," Connor says, smirking as he leans against the car he'd driven to airport.

"Certainly packed enough, well, my mum did," Simon says, watching as Connor opens the boot of the car. Connor puts Simon's suitcase into the car and then closes the boot again.

"Did you like your present, by the way?" Simon asks, climbing into the car as Connor does.

"I did, thank you," Connor says, he didn't want to seem overly grateful about it, he didn't know why he didn't, but he didn't. In truth, he had loved the gift Simon had gotten him, a silver chain with a cross hanging from it, it was simple, but sweet and Connor was wearing it right there, in that moment.

"So, how was Christmas?" Simon asks, breathing into his cupped hands to try and warm them up.

"Alright, got ma' sister a new bike, she's been riding it round the neighbourhood for the last week," Connor chuckles, pulling off as he glances to Simon, "And yourself?"

"Good, my mum and I visited my grandparents and my brothers came home to see us and I got a new phone and it was fun," Simon says and Connor nods, glancing in his rearview mirror at the car that was following behind.

"Fuckin' hell, what does this cunt want now?" Connor mutters, pulling over as the undercover police car pulls up behind him. Connor winds down the window as the police officer gets out from the car and approaches. The officer leans his arm on the car as he looks down at the boy in the drivers seat.

"Whats up now?" Connor asks and the officer smirks.

"That anyway to talk to your local law enforcement?" The policeman asks, in the passenger seat, Simon swallows the lump in his throat.

"When the local law enforcement officer speaking to me is a dick, then yeah, it is," Connor replies, a smirk on his lips.

It was then that Simon noticed it, the similarities in the smirk- this police officer was related to Connor, there was no doubt about it.

"Hows your mother and Gracie?"

"They're good, you'd know that if you were still around, now fuck off," Connor says, he puts his foot on the gas, the officer steps away in time to not get caught under the wheels of the car and Connor holds a middle finger out the window as he drives away.

"What a twat, thinking he can stroll up to my car and have a moan about my speaking, that cunt can't even visit his ex-wife or his daughter," Connor mutters, his driving becoming erratic and slightly dangerous as he zoomed down the country lanes.

"So thats your dad? Never thought you'd have a cop for a dad," Simon says, he was wondering why on earth Connor never mentioned his father, but he gathered the idea there was a tension between father and son.

"My dad is a twat, following me around in his unmarked car like some kinda' fuckin' stalker," Connor complains, slamming his hand on the wheel of his car as he drives.

"Want me to drive?" Simon asks as Connor swerves round the corner, Simon had been in Ireland for little under 30 minutes and was already having a near death experience.

"Fuck no! I'm perfectly-" Connor swerves to the left to avoid a car, "Watch where you're fuckin' drivin',"

Simon leans back uncomfortably into his seat, eyes focused on the scenery that was rushing past them as they sped along the country roads.

It took them another 30 minutes before they arrived, and though Connor had sent Simon a few photos of his families house nothing could beat seeing the little home in person. Simon climbed out of the car with a face of wonder, he smiled at the ivy vines travelling up the side of the house, the wooden doors and thatched roof. It was beautiful and even better than Simon had imagined. A proper, country house.

"Your house is amazing," Simon smiles, glancing round at Connor who had pulled Simon's suitcase from the car and was now standing watching the slightly shorter boy marvel at the house.

"I guess, it beats my dorm room, though I have to say, this place is freezing in the winter," Connor chuckles, dragging the suitcase across the pebble floor and to the front door. Simon follows, eyes still wide with wonder.

The two boys enter the house and Connor leaves the suitcase at the door before guiding Simon through to the living room where a pile of home made cookies sit on a tray on the coffee table. Simon smiles, it was like a cottage- a stone fireplace, lit up with orange fire, wood burning slowly. A string of Christmas cards  hung above it, including the one Simon had given Connor. The Christmas tree still stood, decorations and all and Simon noticed it was a real one when he saw a collection of pine needles sitting on the wooden floor underneath it.

As Connor guided Simon to the kitchen the smell of beef stew filled the noses of both boys, their smiles broke onto their lips as Connor's mother looked up from the pot she was stirring.

"Is this him? Oh, look! You're one handsome boy! I'm Ciara, Connor's mother," The woman smiles, she looked like Connor, but she had blonde hair with wisps of silver flowing through it, it was pulled back into a bun and Simon smiled as she walked towards him with open arms. He hugs her and she smiles, "Welcome to the household,"

"Thank you for having me, Ciara, I've been looking forward to coming here since Connor mentioned it to me! I've heard great things, particularly about your food," Simon grins, glancing to Connor who was leaning against the counter top eating a cookie he'd plucked from the tray.

"Where's Gracie?" Connor asks and Ciara points a thumb over her shoulder towards the back door, "Typical,"

"She's been told she has to come in for dinner in 5 minutes," Ciara says, "But call her in now would you? The dinner is practically done,"

"Of course,"  Connor says and he opens the backdoor and steps outside, black boots hitting the stone step with force, "Grace! Come on! Dinner is ready!"

Simon sits down at the round table with a smile on his lips, and Connor steps back inside and waits for his sisters return. The girl runs into the house, her nose and cheeks pink from the cold and her golden hair wind ruined, sticking up all over the place. She throws herself at her brother, hugging him tightly and warmly, her hands wrapping around him as he lifts her up into the air.

"Gracie, this is Simon, I told you about him, remember?" Connor asks after putting his sister back on the ground.

"Hey! I'm Gracie!" The girl says, full of confidence and a wide smile on her lips as she thrusts her hand towards Simon. He shakes her hand with a smile.

"Hi, I'm Simon," He says, eyes blue and bright as he glances towards Ciara, she was placing a large pot of stew onto the table.

"Dinner is served!"

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Thank you for reading and i hope you enjoyed!

sorry its been awhile, but i lost a bit of inspo and i've been on a hiatus for a little while because i'm back at college now but here we are

much love to the most Savage fam on Wattpad!

~lachys-loch
❤️