Chapter 6

The sun was brighter than the day before when it crept through the curtains of the small inn. Waves crashed along the shore and the sound of squealing and laughter could be heard from the beach nearby, typical sounds of the summer months - brought together by the weather and the closeness of a town.

The two on the bed slept peacefully through the sun filled the room, unknown to them both still that the pillow wall between them had failed to keep them apart. Una's head rested in the crook of Gus' neck, her hands resting on his chest as she lay - practically - on top of him, breaths tangled together as well as limbs and Gus' arms had wrapped around her so tightly as though he never wanted to let her go.

It wasn't the biggest surprise for the two of them to shift in the bed so much that they managed to cling to each other, they were both terrible fidgets to the point that they moved and twisted and turned in order to find the perfect spot to sleep, and in this case the perfect spot was wrapped up in each other's arms.

It was the sound of a door slamming down the hall from another room that stirred Una from her slumber, a soft groan bubbling from her lips when the light streaming in managed to land directly in her eye, and she nuzzled closer to Gus just to get away from it.

That was, of course, until she realised what she was doing.

She tried to jump away from him, wide-eyed and shocked and now completely wide awake but the grip on her merely tightened. He groaned some very colourful words under his breath, pulling her closer as though she was his pillow and pressed his face to the side of her cheek.

"Gus," she mumbled, her voice was deeper than usual, filled with sleepiness that had yet to fully leave her and she was trying her hardest not to stare at him, but she was finding it rather hard.

His hands had trailed over the bare skin of her waist since the t-shirt she wore to bed seemed to rise up in the night and she would be lying if she said that a shiver didn't run down her back, or that Goosebumps didn't seem to form at his touch on her skin.

"Gus," she repeated, slowly and reluctantly lifting her hand to move a stray piece of hair from the side of his face and although he cuddled closer, his eyes were tightly shut.

She couldn't help but laugh softly, regardless of the awkward position she found herself in and the fact that thinking of it got her terribly flustered, it was rather hilarious, and he looked so adorable, something she just couldn't deny but would never say to his face, of course.

"Gus," she tried once again, her fingertips softly dancing over the skin of his cheek but instead of pulling him from his sleep, it was just relaxing him even more. She took that moment to look at him, the shape of his face, his parted lips and the soft breaths emitting from his lips.

He was handsome to her, and to a lot of people but his appearance was just one small bonus over a million reasons to like him, and she had - sort of - realised that maybe a friendship wasn't what was between them, well, for her, but in fact she had found herself liking him.

She wasn't stupid, she had read plenty of books of all different genres and romance was a favourite, so thinking of how adorable he was and liking the feeling of his hand in hers and thinking of doing a lot more than kissing with him was definitely not what friends thought of each other, but what shocked her most was that he flirted with her, he teased her and he held her hand and wanted to.

He wasn't shy when it came to tease her, regardless of his flushed cheeks he would say what was on his mind and he wanted her to come with him, so it was sort of a thought she couldn't get out of her head, that maybe there was a possibility, a hope for her that had sparked, that he may like her the way that she liked him.

And regardless of how much he was greatly irritating, the thought sent a wave of butterflies into her stomach and a small smile onto her lips.

"Gus, please," she laughed, watching as the small smile tugged at his lips, "have you been awake this whole time?!"

"Maybe," his voice was deeper, much deeper than usual and she had to stop herself from dwelling on it as she lay there practically on top of him and unable to move, "I also know that you have been staring at me this whole time."

"Well I'm sorry but you wouldn't wake up!" she huffed, and his eyes finally fluttered open to look at her. She had a smile on her face which showed that any irritation wasn't anything of the sort, and he quickly mimicked the smile with his own, lifting up his hand to move a piece of her hair out of the way, he soon whispered, "what a sight to wake up to."

"Does Mr Cohen ever take a break from the flirting?" she asked. It was such an odd thing to do for her, to tease him the way he teased her but it seemed...right, it was as though it was a skill she already knew and meeting him was the key to unlocking it, because she wasn't awkward around him and she didn't feel embarrassed or alone or the girl who knocked over a pyramid of tea boxes whilst he tried not to laugh.

She felt like Una Reynolds, the Una who could laugh with her siblings who saw what she was truly like and now Gus was seeing that girl too.

"I would but then how would I see that gorgeous smile of yours," he asked, head tilted and his hand tightening around her whilst she snorted.

"Does this ever work?" she asked, "do girls really fall for your charm?"

"Well, have you fallen for my charm?" he smirked, seeing her roll her eyes but his heart couldn't help but race when the familiar sight of her flushed cheeks deceived her reaction.

"No comment," she wiggled herself out of his embrace whilst he protested that she was warm, and soon stretched her muscles, a groan tumbling from her lips in the process, "we've still got a while to go and we got lost so it might take us longer to get there."

"There's this little place near the city that my friends and I used to go to, I think we should go there," he was smiling contently, his hand over his eyes to block out the sun but he looked happy, really happy and so relaxed and he was.

The thought of seeing his friends again had made him ecstatic from the moment they left the town, he had wanted to finally see them again after the longest time that he drove and drove and drove and wanted to get there, but now, he could handle waiting a few hours longer because those hours would be spent with Una alone without his friends wanting to talk to her and taking her away from him, he was basking in his time spent with her, basking in her smile and her happiness and her flirting which he wasn't sure was intentional or not.

"Don't you want to see your friends as quickly as possible?" she asked, turning from the view of the town and sea to look at him on the bed. She had to refrain herself from climbing back in beside him, feeling the chill of the morning air regardless of the sun in the sky, and instead opted to sit on the window seat beside her suitcase.

"I want to see my friends all the time," he shrugged, turning on his side so that it was easier to look at her, "but I want to spend as much time with you as I can before they steal you from me."

She laughed softly, "I'm sure they won't steal me away."

"Oh please," he snorted, "We'll maybe see each other for one day but Elysia Ari will want to figure out everything about you, Del will try and get you into hacking or gardening or something along those lines. Ferris will take you partying and will most likely flirt with you until you have a breakdown. Flynn will take you to the park and point out all the dogs he sees, and River will just...scowl at you."

"Oh, how I'm looking forward to meeting River," she teased, seeing the grin widen on the boy's lips, "they all sound amazing, I'm so excited!"

He smiled lazily, finally pushing himself up off of the bed whilst she watched him. His hair was messier than it usually was, sticking up in the oddest places and she wished to run her hands through it, it was such an odd thought to have but she wished to do it, to feel the softness of his hair in her hands, to see his eyes closed and a smile widen on his lips.

She wondered what her mind was doing...these thoughts she was having, she couldn't exactly say it was sudden but there was a lot more swirling in her mind as she watched him rummage through his suitcase, stretching the muscles of his back that she could see through his shirt.

"You look deep in thought," he commented, turning to face her whilst she threw him a smile, gnawing at the skin of her bottom lip and suddenly reaching for the clothes she had laid out the night previous.

"I was thinking of what songs we're going to listen to today," she shrugged. She rummaged through her bag, her stomach dropping with dread when she caught sight of her phone that she barely looked at. She had no use for it when she was with Gus, she loved her phone and she needed it at all times but she much preferred the boy's company instead of her phone screens.

"Miss calls?" asked Gus, and Una almost cursed in surprise to see him shirtless, a smirk on his lips and his hands clutching the t-shirt he had pulled out for their day. She decided not to give him the time of day, only slightly glancing at the shirt in his hand - and nothing else - before her eyes slid back to her phone.

"...thirty," she groaned, "and that's just from Beck!"

"Well you did just up and leave," Gus teased, earning a hard glare in reply. She scrambled to call the boy, flipping off a laughing Gus as she entered the bathroom for some privacy.

"Una, oh my god, where are you?!" Beck screeched down the phone, oblivious to Una cringing on her end.

"I'm fine Beck," her voice was softer than his, much softer, and she would've laughed along had it not been for the loud voice on the other end shouting back, "fine?!"

"Beck-"

"We have been looking for you since yesterday, Una! And you're fine?!" he was fuming, of course, he was, and she realised that it was a stupid idea to leave, selfish, maybe, in some aspects.

But she was having fun.

"Beck please calm down," she paced the bathroom, running a hand through her knotted bed hair, "me and Gus decided-"

"Gus?!" his voice boomed, "as in Angus Cohen?! Una, I swear if you aren't back home in the hour-"

"Oh, what are you going to do, Beck?!" she snapped back, "gonna tell mum as if she cares?! I left you and Kasey a letter to explain everything, and don't dare tell me you wouldn't have done something like this at my age because I'm pretty sure I remember you up and leaving on a spontaneous trip more than a few times!

I'm having fun, Beck. When have I ever left before, when have I ever went on an adventure. I'm having fun and I'm safe, and I'd appreciate you reading the letter." She breathed a sigh, lifting her head to stare in the mirror of the small bathroom.

"I'm not gone forever, I'm just enjoying my summer," she laughed that time, but it was breathy and small and her voice was quiet too and he was silent on the other line, "tell Kasey I love her, yeah? I haven't run away, I'll be home in a while but if I wasn't safe then you would be the first to know Beck, I promise.

I love you," she stopped as he took a sharp breath and she sighed, "...Beck?"

"I love you too, Una," he sighed, "but you should have told me you were leaving I was just about to phone the police!"

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry for worrying you like that Beck. I thought you would have found the letter by now, I haven't even been checking my phone," she took a deep breath.

"If Angus tries anything-"

"He hasn't and he won't," Una cut him off, more than thankful that her brother couldn't look into her thoughts because it wasn't exactly Gus trying anything, but more like Una wanting to.

"Let me talk to him!"

"Beck, no," Una chuckled, "we had to stop at an inn but we're leaving soon."

"Separate rooms?"

"...Yes, obviously," Una scoffed, her head resting in her hands whilst she heard the faint sound of laughter outside as though Gus was listening.

"You hesitated!" Beck exclaimed.

"Oh, what do you want me to say? Huh?" Una opened the bathroom door, coming face to face with an amused looking Gus. She figured there was no point in hiding if he could already hear her, "that we slept in the same bed?"

"You're treading on some thin ice here, Una," Beck grumbled.

"Oh, sorry I can't concentrate right now, Gus is just fully naked after our wild night," Una smirked at the sound of his loud groans of protest and Gus had to cover his mouth to stop himself from laughing too loudly.

"You joke now but when you get home you're both dead," Beck tutted, "are you sure you're alright."

Una smiled softly, trying her best to ignore Gus staring at her as though she was going to admit some truth that she wished to return home, but with a short laugh as she leaned against the window, she whispered, "I never thought I'd ever have this much fun in my life."

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

"So, is there any point in me returning to the village or will your brother kill me on arrival?" asked Gus as they passed by rolling fields as the radio played faintly in the background. Una let out a laugh, tapping her fingers on her bare knees that she had pulled up to her chest. She had decided that her outfit would be summery but still her own style, and opted for a very flowy white dress and a knitted yellow jumper to top it.

She was wearing leather boots she had gotten one year as a present she was sure and figured they would be good in case their adventure decided to stray from just driving.

"I can't say he won't try," she trailed off laughing, "but don't worry, I'll protect you."

"Oh, how lovely," Gus smirked. He was tapping on the steering wheel as he drove, and part of him wished to lean over to take her hand just to know fully that she was there, he loved the feeling of her hand on his own, and he knew fine well as to why.

"Where is this city anyway?" asked Una after the silence engulfed them and the radio had stopped playing songs, "I don't even know the name of it."

"It's known for happiness. Day dreamer's paradise people call it, but weirdly enough - it's hidden. It's only popular with the residents of the city, and whilst it's big, outsiders don't tend to stay for long. It's a bit outdated in terms of who runs it, in terms of who keeps things going but it's a wonderful place...magical even." He quickly turned to smile at her, seeing her slowly nod her head at his words.

"It's called Somnium."

"Somnium...I've - it's just so weird, I've never heard of it," she frowned. She wasn't the best when it came to geography but she didn't think it was quite possible to have never heard of a city that was only a drive away.

"It means dream," he pointed out, "Somnium does. I looked it up one day when I was bored and the founder was an orphan boy with a big mind and a passion for travelling. He found the place run down after a war that happened years and years ago and decided to take cover there from people trying to hunt him down.

He built the city from the ground and it thrived, he called it Somnium because everyone in his life told him he would only be a dreamer. He built the city for dreamers."

"You miss living there, don't you?" Una whispered, and it didn't take him a long time to finally nod. She reached for his free hand, lacing their fingers together whilst he sighed.

"My dad runs the city," he admitted truthfully, "he's the most powerful man in the whole city and he ran us out, we had to leave because of it. No one wants him to run it...in fact, everyone wants River's dad to take the position, and bloody hell we all want that too."

He had failed to mention something to her, though she didn't know that, it was painful keeping something so vital away from her. But he had too. She was blissfully unaware of so much, so much he could tell her and yet couldn't bring himself too and as he sat there with her hand in his own, he wished to tell her everything.

But he just couldn't find the words to.

"Bloody hell," she whispered, "do you talk to your dad, still. Does he care?"

"Not in the slightest," the bitterness on his face made Una's hand tighten around his, "he doesn't care about anyone but himself. Cruel, he is."

"Well he's not worth your time," she shook her head, "this trip isn't about him, it's about you seeing your friends who you miss dearly and having fun with them."

Their conversation was cut short after that as Una's head leaned against the window and her hand in Gus' rested on her knee. She was trailing her thumb over the skin of his hand softly, very softly, her thumb moving between his knuckles and over his fingers whilst he tried his best to concentrate his eyes on the road and not the fact that she was touching him, and that he was touching her leg.

The sun bright for summer just like it always was, beaming down on the car as it sped over hills and through dark secluded areas surrounded by woods and near the coast where the beaches were busy and the towns were getting the usual dose of tourists.

Both of them were happy, it didn't take either of them long to finally realise that they weren't worried or scared or sad, but happy, and content and relaxed in each other's company. Una had worried before that spending so long with Gus would be awkward, that she would run out of things to say and their time in the car would be unbearable but it was nothing of the sort.

It was the exact opposite actually.

She didn't need to talk to him every second of the day, she didn't need to find something to talk about because his company was more than enough. They didn't need to have a conversation in order to enjoy each other's company, and Una loved that more than anything because there were times when talking just didn't seem ideal, but he was always ideal.

She was humming along to the radio and leaned her head on her knee near where his hand rested whilst she traced little patterns, focusing on his hand other than anything else. With the silence, she had time with her thoughts, and her thoughts seemed to greatly revolve around Gus, and what she would very much like to do with him.

She was a teenage girl and she liked him, she couldn't help how her thoughts worked but as much as she hoped he liked her the way she liked him...wanted her like she wanted him, she just didn't know, and she didn't want to do anything just in case.

She had never been in a relationship, she had never liked someone the way she liked Gus, but she had read countless books, and the way he was...she knew that it would be easy to fall for him, and she did.

She fell hard.

"Why are we stopping?" she frowned, turning to Gus suddenly who had an expression on his face that told her she really didn't want to know. They had just passed a town and had made it onto an open road near the beach that was just to the right of them when the car jerked and had suddenly stopped, "...Gus?"

"It seems like," he trailed off, running a hand through his hair, "we have broken down."

♡♡♡♡♡♡♡

"Why aren't you freaking out?!" Gus exclaimed, pacing in front of the car whilst Una leaned on the bonnet. He had tried everything, and it was a while ago that they realised they simply needed to stop for more petrol after driving so much the previous day, and today, but the night was getting darker and Gus didn't want to leave the car alone - but Una was trying to persuade him -, nor did he want to leave Una alone to go and get what he needed.

Una had volunteered to go seeing as the town was maybe only ten minutes away and the sun was only just setting but Gus furiously disagreed with that idea, saying he made a vow to keep her safe and there was no way she was wandering off on her own.

So, the idea was to push the car into the small parking area near the beach so that it wasn't in the way of any cars driving down the road, and see what happened after. Neither of them were happy to sleep in the car, especially in the middle of nowhere and Una was more than fine to pay for another room for the two of them to sleep in, she just wasn't sure how Gus was going to react to having to leave his car behind.

"Seeing you this bothered is actually quite a turn on," she teased him, watching him turn to her with a glare to see her amused smile widening, "Gus this is just another problem that we can deal with!"

He grumbled some colourful words of disagreement whilst she rolled her eyes, leaning into the car and switching on the radio to block out his sadness. She smiled at the song, it was a slow song and one of her favourites and as she hummed along, she knew that regardless of breaking down, or regardless of not making it in time, she was still happy.

She took Gus' arm, pulling him away from the car whilst he frowned and even went as far too close over the bonnet so that the car was back to normal, playing one of her favourite songs through the radio as she stood at the top of the beach.

"Dance with me?" she asked, wiggling her eyebrows whilst he frowned.

"...Una," he trailed off, looking back at his car whilst she nudged him.

"There is nothing else we can do to fix it," she stepped forward, reaching up her hand and guiding him to look at her, "we'll get petrol in the morning and we'll be back driving...but for now please dance with me!"

She looped her arms around his neck and he reluctantly slid his around her waist, pulling her in closer to him and her head rested on his shoulder, both of them softly swaying to the music. It was a sadder song, not exactly romantic but neither of them cared. Una was just happy that Gus wasn't dwelling on what he couldn't fix, and Gus was finally just happy to hold her again.

"Maybe this was meant to happen," she mumbled quietly, her fingertips trailing along the back of his neck whilst he watched her, stared at her head near his shoulder as they swayed in time to the beats of the song.

It was just them and no one else, the only sound floating through the air being the song they both knew word for word but that wasn't the meaning of the song anymore, it wasn't a sad song anymore, it was a song they danced too whilst their feelings for each other allowed them to cling to everything the other had, basking in each other's company.

"Hmm?" Gus whispered, his lips brushing off of her forehead that created a shiver going right down her back and she smiled softly.

"Maybe we were meant to break down, to stop here. Maybe you were meant to dance with me, maybe this song was supposed to be the one that played," she shrugged her shoulders, "we're going to a place called daydreamers paradise, well my dream was to have a friend.

And I found you and you're so much better than anything I could've ever hoped for." She had lifted her head in order to stare at him, see him, his eyes, his lips, his face, all of him. Her words had allowed any panic, any annoyance or irritation that he still had in an instant, the smile on her lips is the one he mimicked as he inched ever so slightly closer to her and she made no move to pull away.

"If we're talking about dreams," he muttered, "my most recent one is kissing you. Do you think it'd come true?"

"I think there's a definite possibility," her breath had caught in her throat and even just saying those words was a challenge as his eyes bore into hers and then to her lips.

And that was it, he was leaning in, and then...so was she and she wasn't scared to kiss him, to have her first kiss, because it felt right, to her, and to him, it felt right for them to be so close and to be together.

His lips were soft when hers met them, and she finally got her wish of running her hands through his hair whilst he reacted to the feeling of her lips by wanting them much more. She hummed as he pushed her against the car, gripping her tightly as their lips moved in sync and not long later did his tongue slip into her mouth, connecting with her own, creating a wave of pleasure for the both of them that allowed the softest of moans to escape Una's lips.

She gripped the front of his shirt, pulling him closer so that she was flush against him and his hands roamed her body, gripping her tightly and wanting her as close as he could get her, wanting her and only her and all of her.

"Dreams really do come true," he whispered, hardly audible and more like a growl of approval whilst her head threw back and his lips attacked her neck. She clawed at his hair, legs wrapped around his waist as she sat on the bonnet of the car, and he was just trying to touch as much of her as he possibly could.

"Gus," she squeaked out, she couldn't help it and her cheeks flushed red at the sound she had made, she wasn't used to being so intimate but she was basking in it, in the pleasure of him close to her, of his hands running up her legs and his lips finding hers again one more time.

She caught a glimpse of his face and moved his chin to stare at her, both of them panting for a breath amongst their moment of pleasure, and she saw his eyes darken. His hands gripped her thighs, pulling her closer to him though it was hardly possible, and she was clinging to him, kissing him every time she could, wanting her lips on every part of skin she could possibly reach.

She wondered if teasing him would be a good idea, especially as he gripped her so tightly - hoping he wouldn't have to let her go and she never wanted him to let her go, she wanted him, and just him, "you know," her voice was breathy and low and it wasn't intentional but she could hardly speak over what had just happened, "I don't think anyone would hear me screaming your name here."

He could barely process her words as she nibbled on his earlobe and his heart raced in his chest and she didn't think it was possible for him to pull her closer until she was in his arms and off of the bonnet, "don't tease me like that, Una."

She moved her head to look at him, cupping his cheek and kissing him slowly, the pleasure running down her spine whilst he opened the door to the back of the car, "I'm not teasing you," and she wasn't, she realised as soon as she had said it that she wasn't teasing him because she wanted him, she wanted him more than she thought she would ever want anyone and he was the same.

"Are...are you sure?" he whispered it so quietly, and she knew, and he did too, that if she wanted to stop if any of them wanted to stop them they would but they didn't, they wanted fun and they wanted each other, and they had the opportunity.

She pulled him down with her hand on the back of his neck, smiling into the eager kiss she placed on his lips and whispered, "I'm more than sure."

And Una was right, no one did hear her scream his name.