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you-andthebottlemen · 5 years

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52. Request - Van is lovesick but you think he’s just being friendly.

Based off this request:

hiii, love your blog so much!!! you're crazy talented, could you write something about van liking reader like waaay more than she likes him? maybe they're friends and he has a crush on her and writes songs about her and acts "lovesick" but reader just acts like it's just him being friendly lol and doesn't really mind it? i havent thought about the ending at all so it can be fluffly or whatever you want it to be! thank you xxxx

Thank you sooo much to whoever sent this! I am SO sorry it has taken over a year for me to write this as I received it just after I officially closed my requests. But now that I am back....here it is! Hope you love it. <3

Please send me any requests if you have them!

E x

*********************************

The window was open which meant the warm springtime air flooded in and filled your small flat with the smell of freshly cut grass and blossoms. It was your favourite time of year. Van lay casually draped across your couch with only his boots hanging lazily off the end, guitar in hand and strumming away slowly trying to piece together new chords into a song. You were sat on the floor by his feet reading and Larry was clattering about in the kitchen making a fresh pot of tea. Being Larry’s roommate meant the three of you spent almost all your down time together since Van and Larry were practically attached at the hip. You and Van were pretty close too. You all existed in a perfect harmony.

When Larry walked back out, both you and Van dropped what you were doing instantly. You moved the vase full of flowers Van had bought you that morning over so there was space and Larry placed the pot on the table. He filled all your mugs before settling down beside the now upright Van. The three of you slurped in silence for a little while until Larry began to talk.

“So what you workin’ on Van?” he asked, throwing you a small smirk.

“New song,” Van replied after swallowing a mouthful of tea.

“Duh. About what?” Larry questioned.

“Y/n,” he grinned bashfully and picked up his guitar again.

“As per usual…” you said quietly, not looking up from your book. “What is it this time? My enchanting wittiness or my stunning smile?” you teased, over exaggerating.

“Not my fault you’re a dead perfect muse y/n.”

You rolled your eyes and Van gave you a gentle nudge in the rubs with his boot.

“You need to get a girlfriend Van.”

“Yeah Van, get a girlfriend,” Larry provoked and leant over to give his best friend a small punch in the arm.

You and Larry laughed in amusement, but Van just stayed quiet and returned to strumming his guitar and humming softly. Everyone always teased you, saying Van was practically in love with you. All the songs he wrote about you, how he followed you around like a puppy, his general behaviour around you. But you always passed this off as friendliness; Van was the kindest most loveable person you knew, and he treated everyone as if they were special. This was just how your friendship was and you didn’t mind.

The three of you continued to exist easily in the same space for the remainder of the afternoon, occasionally floating in and out of the room. There was some casual conversation, but mostly a comfortable silence only interrupted by Van singing smoothly under his breath. It was the most relaxed you’d felt in months; you loved having them back from tour. As the sun went down, Larry went out, you retired to your room and Van eventually went home after a solitary smoke out the window.

………………….

The smell of alcohol rose off Van like a horrid perfume. He dragged along behind you slurring words to a half-written song only he knew and swayed around trying to move his feet both in the direction you were walking and as if he were trying to dance a waltz.

The others had piled into a taxi but Van in his drunken state, had insisted on walking and you couldn’t leave him alone. You’d sobered up by now, so the walk wasn’t pleasant. You were cold and not dressed properly for a 3am adventure through the city.

“Come on…” you whined, looking back at Van who was now swinging slowly around a street lamp. “I want to go home.”

Van’s face melted into a pout and he came up behind you and held both your shoulders as if he were about to start a conga line. Then he let one hand fall and used the empty space to pull you into him with his arm wrapped tightly around your shoulders, so he could share his body heat. You put yours around his waist and held onto his velvet blazer gratefully.

“You’re like...nothin’ else y/n,” he slurred, a soppy smile on his face as he looked down at you.

“You too, McCann, you too.”

Van’s drunken weight made you stagger slightly but you soon fell into rhythm as you led him all the way home.

Once you arrived back at your flat, you found that all the boys had stayed. Benji and Bob were crashing on the couch, Bondy was top and tailing with Larry. This meant Van had to share with you.

Larry helped you drag Van’s body to your room and pulled off his boots for him. Meanwhile, Van was still singing in slurs and trying to serenade you, seemingly unaware or at least, very unbothered by what was going on around him.

“Crushing on you, that one is,” Larry laughed. Your cheeks burned.

“Shut up he’s not.”

“Totally lovesick,” Larry asserted, too drunk to be wary of what he was letting slip.

Once Van was successfully in your bed, you bid Larry goodnight and made sure he was okay too. Then, you showered and washed away the grime of a boy’s night out. When you came back to your room, Van was fast asleep in your bed and snoring lightly. His face looked soft and peaceful, kind of angelic really. You climbed under the sheets and curled up beside him then tried your best to fall asleep too. But Larry’s words echoed in your brain. Van was not into you. No way. Yeah, he was a little obsessed with you. But you were sure it was because he didn’t really have many other female friends. You were different and he treated you differently because of it. All innocent.

You let these thoughts carry you off into a deep sleep and didn’t notice when Van’s arms snaked around your waist and pulled you closer to him.

…………………………

Unsure of how it all came to be, Catfish were doing a bar show. Unheard of at this point in their career. You weren’t missing it. They may be some of your best mates and you weren’t a fangirl, but their band was fucking good. You’d only seen them live for the first time just before The Ride came out, so mostly larger venues. This was special.

The room buzzed with a vibe you couldn’t describe but wanted to bottle up and keep forever. Everyone was excited, happy and in awe of the guys. You felt a different energy from the guys too, one you’d not felt before. One that confirmed to every single person there, that they belonged in arenas, that they were going to be the biggest band in the world someday. Van’s stage presence was a lot usually, in a small venue such as this, it was something else entirely. He effortlessly captured the attention of every single pair of eyes in the room. No wonder they’d made it so big already. Their talent was plain as day. You felt lucky to be there and couldn’t help but smile.

“Hope you don’t mind if we play a new tune for ya?” Van asked the crowd. He was met by loud whistles and cheers. “This one’s for you, y/n.”

Van used the neck of his guitar to point you out in the crowd and you felt everyone turn to face you curiously, some whispering to each other and other’s throwing you expressions you didn’t understand. His hair was sweaty and stuck to his face and you could hear the excitement in his voice, accompanied by his huge grin. Your cheeks turned a bright red and you awkwardly held you glass up to him. After a small chuckle into the microphone, Van launched into the song.

“You’re so lucky to be his girlfriend!” a random girl beside you squeaked.

“Oh, no. I’m not his girlfriend,” you replied with a bit of a laugh.

She looked confused. You gazed back over to Van, who was just visible over raised arms, from where you were stood at the back of the packed room. He was throwing himself around stage and singing about you. Your eyebrows furrowed and you got lost in your thoughts, not listening to the lyrics of the new song at all.

That was the first time you’d properly thought about what it would be like to be Van’s girlfriend.

…………………….

You and Larry were holding a small party at your flat to celebrate one whole year of living together. Somehow, the place hadn’t blown up and you were still sane, just. Your job was to take care of the space; cleaning and decoration. You’d spent most of the morning on the kitchen and much to your displeasure, the bathroom. Now onto the living area.

“Van, can you like not do that right now? I’m trying to vacuum?”

Van was laying on the floor propped up on his elbows, vinyls spread all around him.

“I’m on music duty,” he replied bluntly. He continued to slowly flip through all the records he’d gathered from around your flat and from his own, as if you weren’t there.

“I know.”

You prodded his leg with the end of the vacuum. He ignored this and began to whistle as he fiddled with the record player. Your record player.

“God you’re so annoying,” you groaned in defeat.

“Yeah but you love it,” Van replied, sounding smug. He looked at you over his shoulder and gave a cheeky smile with his tongue between his teeth. You rolled your eyes.

“Can you leave that for literally two minutes? I won’t take long,” you argued. “Or, hey. Go get food and alcohol with Larry, he will need the extra set of hands.”

Van huffed and gathered his limbs together, so he was now sat cross-legged and looking up at you. He looked like a child in kindergarten when the teacher had roused on them.

“Why’re you trying to get rid of me,” he whined.

“Fuck Van, I just want to vacuum the floor!” you laughed in disbelief.

Finally, he stood up and you pushed him out the door with Larry who was on food and beverage duty. After you cleared the vinyls and record player Van had left off the floor, you went around and finished your tasks undisturbed. They took about half the time they would have if the boys were still around. Once you were satisfied with the cleanliness of everything, you moved onto the aesthetics.

You strung up some colourful bunting and golden fairy lights on the ceilings and empty walls. When the sun would finally go down and you would turn the big lights off, the room would have a glow. You were excited. All the tables and surfaces were clear, ready for Larry to put out a spread of drinks and snacks.

Van and Larry took longer than expected so you used the peace and quiet to get ready. Your phone occasionally chimed; people texting questions about what to bring, confirming their attendance or bailing, sometimes the odd text from Larry double checking what you’d written on his list.

Once you’d slipped on your party dress and done both your hair and makeup, you felt ready.

Van and Larry finally came crashing back through the door, arms piled high with groceries. You rushed over to help, envisioning one of them dropping and breaking a wine bottle all over the cream coloured carpet.

“Fuck, y/n…the place looks amazin’!” Larry beamed at you as he gazed around the room.

“Forget the place, look at you! Dead gorgeous.”

Van was staring you up and down from behind the boxes of beer stacked in his arms, his eyes twinkling. You knew if he had his hands free, he would have come up and twirled you around.

“Er, thanks!” you swayed side to side awkwardly and smiled.

The boys disappeared to get ready; which probably meant reapplying deodorant and maybe changing their shirts. But not without Van sneaking one last glance at you around the corner, which you didn’t see. You got to work on the drinks, even though that wasn’t your job. You only had an hour until everyone was meant to start arriving and knowing the rest of the Catfish boys, they’d be early to get dibs on the best food and drink.

You looked up from the kitchen sink where you were mixing up a punch and saw Van leaning in the doorway, his arms crossed and eyes on you. You were unsure how long he’d been there. He’d changed into the burgundy button up you loved on him and kept his trademark black jeans and brown boots. You could smell his cologne and slight tobacco scent from where you were stood.

“Can I help you?” you chuckled.

“Nah. Well…maybe.”

Van came and stood across from you on the other side of the counter. He ran a hand through his hair and made a small noise, almost like a sigh.

“I think- I think I’ve gotta tell you something y/n,” he said nervously, his voice dipping up at the end of the sentence. He placed both hands down on the counter.

“What did you break?” you said seriously, trying to joke and lighten the mood. But he didn’t react.

“I know I’m just your mate and stuff. But I like you y/n. I really fuckin’ like you.”

Your eyes widened and you dropped the bottle you were holding, luckily into the sink.

“Careful,” Van laughed and reached over to pick it up just as you did. Your hands collided together and you snatched yours back instantly.

“No, you don’t Van. You only think that because I’m the only girl who hasn’t fallen at your feet.”

You refused to believe that everyone had been right about him this entire time. Why hadn’t Larry just said something for god’s sake? But then you remembered he had when he was wasted that time. Fuck.

“Maybe. Guess that’s part of it. But no! For real, I was proper taken with you ever since we first met. You completely blew me out my mind.”

“Oi don’t go ripping off more Oasis lyrics on my account,” you teased in a faux tone of disapproval.

“I’m being serious, y/n. I have feelings for you.”

Van’s voice reached a level of sincerity you’d never heard before. You sighed and weren’t really sure how to react. You couldn’t say you were shocked? But it was also the last thing you expected.

“I probably should have been able to tell, right?”

“Yeah, I’m no good at subtle,” Van laughed.

Your mind flipped through memories of the last few months. The songs. The flowers. The compliments. The unnecessary intimacy. All of it.

“Always thought you were just like, really nice to me. That it was normal?”

You gave Van a small shrug and chuckle as you put the punch bowl aside on the bench. When you were done, he came over to be beside you. Your hip touched his leg and neither of you moved apart. You looked down nervously, avoiding his eyes.

“I won’t lie, I hadn’t really thought about us in that way before,” you said quietly, feeling embarrassed and worried about hurting his feelings with your honesty.

“Would you want to?” he asked innocently.

Then, you spoke words you never thought you’d be saying.

“Yeah, I think maybe I would…”

With that, Van lazily rolled his head down and planted a slow kiss on your cheek, testing the waters. You let him. He raised a gentle hand to your chin and moved your face to be looking up at him. You thought he was going to kiss you on the lips and your heartbeat rose – you weren’t sure you were ready for that.

“Well okay then,” he replied simply.

His voice was low and quiet, but it was also hopeful and smug; you could hear the tiny grin in it. You smiled at his tone and wrapped your arms around his middle, giving a small embarrassed groan.

“I’m so stupid!”

Van just chuckled, pulled you into him and swayed you side to side, your forehead pressed to his chest.

This was going to be new and different. Van definitely liked you way more than you liked him and clearly had for a long time, in a romantic way at least. But somewhere, you knew that it wouldn’t be long before you were going to be head over heels in love with him. He was just that sort of a person. Magnetic.

Soon, people began to arrive. You and Van sat with your friends, chatting away and socialising but keeping yourselves a secret for now. You’d not necessarily agreed you were a ‘thing’, but you’d acknowledged something further than a friendship. You’d work it out together with time.

The evening was spent swapping stolen glances, arm touches and shared drinks. Both of you smug in the awareness that you were something no one else could see. As the night went on and you both became progressively more drunk, Van stole you away to an empty room, pushed you up against the wall and kissed you for the first time. One kiss and that was it. You knew you were made for Van McCann and he was made for you.

#van #van mccann #van mccann fanfiction #catfish #catb #Catfish and the Bottlemen

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