TW: Mentions of anxiety attacks and dealing with the aftermath of an anxiety attack. If you find this to be triggering, it might be best for you not to read. However, if you do choose to read, it is completely at your own discretion. As always, if you need anyone to talk to, my DMs are open.

A week had passed since Mollie's anxiety attack. She hadn't stepped foot outside the house, too afraid of having another anxiety attack but nobody being there to help her. It was a terrifying thought for Mollie. She had never experienced anything like it before last week. Sure, she had been anxious in large crowds or before exams before but nothing ever that extreme.

The blonde girl had also been dodging Kieran's calls and ignoring his texts. She wasn't trying to be rude, she just had no idea what to say to him. They had kissed and she wasn't sure if it meant anything. Not to mention the embarrassment that she felt. Some part of her knew that she shouldn't feel embarrassed but she couldn't help it. Not when she had completely broken down in front of the guy that she was beginning to like.

"Molls, I'm just heading out to the shops. You sure that you don't want to come?" Liam peeked his head through the doorway of the living room and noticed that his cousin was all curled up in her loungewear on the couch, watching Teen Wolf on Netflix. He let out a sigh, already knowing the answer before it had been given to him.

"No thank you." She gave him a forced smile but Liam could see right through it. He wanted his cousin to get back to normal life. He understood that she was afraid but he didn't want her to live her life in fear.

Liam simply returned the smile before leaving the house, leaving Mollie to sit and watch her TV shows.

She hadn't been to her apprenticeship ever since the incident. She had been calling in sick which wasn't technically a lie but she knew that it wouldn't be long before she ran out of sick days and would have to face the real world again. The thoughts made her shudder but it wasn't long before the door bell rang loudly throughout the house, pulling her out of her thoughts.

Trudging to the door in her comfortable hoody, joggers and slippers, she opened the door to see Kieran standing on the door step with a bouquet of flowers in his hands for the blonde girl who he had grown so fond of.

"Dahlias? How did you know that they're my favourites?" The Glaswegian boy could see the faintest of smiles appear on her face and he knew that he had accomplished his mission.

Mollie invited him into her home, feeling slightly guilty for ignoring him for the past week. He had been nothing but sweet to her and she had taken that for granted.

"Liam may have mentioned it to me once or twice..." Kieran trailed off, giving the smaller girl a bright grin which she returned. The gesture was sweet and something that she didn't realise that she needed. She had been having a tough week and perhaps, if she had let Kieran in, it wouldn't have been so lonely or difficult.

"Well, thank you Kieran. They're beautiful," Mollie made her way into the kitchen where she got out her best vase from the cupboard and filled it up with water in an effort to keep the flowers as fresh as possible. Once she was finished, she turned around, her back to the countertop and faced the footballer who was standing in the middle of her kitchen, watching her intently.

"I'm sorry," she sighed. She had been wrong to ignore Kieran and she wanted him to know that it had nothing to do with him.

"I shouldn't have blanked your texts and ignored your calls. It was wrong of me and had nothing to do with you. It was all me. I was embarrassed." The blonde girl sighed and looked up at the boy that she had grown so close to over the past month or so.

"You don't have to apologise but if you want to make it up to me, you can come out for a walk with me." His words made Mollie's heart hammer in her chest. Going outside shouldn't have made her so nervous but it did.

"I'll be with you the entire time, Molls. I've actually done a bit of reading about panic attacks." He admitted sheepishly, scratching the back of his neck as he did so. Mollie looked at him in utter disbelief. He had gone above and beyond for her when he didn't need to. How was she supposed to say no to that walk now?

***

The fresh, autumnal air blew Mollie's blonde, shoulder length hair behind her and she smiled, feeling the wind stab at her cheeks. Kieran walked beside her, smiling to himself as he watched her enjoy being outside again for the first time in a week. He was glad that he had finally managed to pull her out of her slump.

"How you feeling?" The boy asked as the two sat down on a park bench and watched as the burnt orange leaves fell from the trees and formed a blanket over the vibrant grass.

"Better. Definitley a lot better thanks to you." Mollie looked up at him and gave him a warm smile, a stark contrast from the cool air that surrounded them both. She nudged his shoulder in an effort to show him just how much she appreciated him pushing her out of her comfort zone.

Kieran didn't speak, instead, he lifted his arm and wrapped it around her shoulders. Mollie leaned into the warmth of his body and the two of them continued to sit in the park together, enjoying the serenity that it brought them.

Written: 26th December 2017
Edited: 15th December 2020
Published: 16th December 2020

✧･ﾟ: *✧･ﾟ:*

a/n: hey everyone! Another update for you all! I'm practically finished with semester one of uni now. I have a few things to hand in for my Spanish elective but other than that, I am terminado/terminé! (I couldn't remember which was Spanish so have the French word too.)

I spent a good portion of today re-writing this chapter and it isn't the best and a bit slow but we're getting there! I'm posting this in celebration of Hibs reaching the semi-finals of the League Cup! Glory Glory!

I have this whole book planned out now and I've even written the last chapter (who am I?) so it's just a matter of actually re-writing some chapters for you all!

What are some goals that you would like to see your club achieve this season?
- Reach more finals, (hopefully) finish in the top three and possibly win a bit of silverware. That's me being greedy though. We've improved massively this season and I'm loving what Jack Ross is doing for us.

Enjoy and stay safe!

Lots of love, e x