Chapter 1

AN: This story is set during season 4, Finn and Violet are both 18 at the start of the story. Hope you all enjoy!

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Finn was stood, queuing in the market, hands shoved deep in his pockets as he waited to be served. His eyes were fixed on the floor, lost in thought when he sensed someone coming to stand beside him.

"Finn?" The person asks softly, peering up at him. "Finn Shelby?"

"Yeah?" He sighs, looking up from the ground and catching the eyes of the pretty young girl stood beside him. He immediately recognised her face, her chocolate brown eyes hard to forget, but unable to place her and remember her name, frowned at her. "Sorry, you are...?"

"Oh! Violet!" She supplies with a smile, as his face breaks out into a smile too.

"Of course! Violet Stone!" He exclaims as she inwardly sighs in relief that he had recognised her.

"Yes!" She replies, reaching up to give him a quick, timid hug as he steps out of the queue towards her. "I can't believe you remembered!"

"You're not easy to forget Vi!" He says with a chuckle as he took in the sight of his childhood friend stood in front of him, placing his hands back in his pockets. "It's been a long time."

"8 years," she offers with a shrug, twisting her hands together. "I've only been back a couple of days, can't believe I bumped into you so quickly. I hear your brothers are pretty big around here now."

"Yeah, something like that." Finn replies, nodding his head. "Wanna go for a walk?" He suggests, nodding his head towards the street.

"Oh, but aren't you waiting..?" Violet asks, motioning towards the stall they were stood in front of. Finn glances back and shakes his head, offering her his arm.

"Nah, I can come back later," he says, smiling to himself as she gently laces her arm through his. "As long as you're not busy, of course!"

"No!" Violet quickly replies, tightening her grip on his elbow, almost as if she was afraid he would pull away. "I've got all the time in the world!"

"So, where have you been for the last 8 years?" Finn asks as they stroll slowly through the streets of Small Heath; not the most romantic of places to take a walk, but it would do for the young pair for now.

"Well, after you left school, we didn't hang around much longer. Mum got ill so we moved to the countryside for a while, dad hoped the fresh air would help her get better, but...well, she never really recovered from losing our Ruby." Violet replies, pulling herself closer to Finn as she involuntarily shivers at the memory of her mother and sister's deaths. "Mum passed not long after we moved."

"Ah shit Vi, I'm sorry." Finn says, quickly rubbing a hand over hers that held his elbow.

"It's ok." She replies, sending him a small smile. "After that, dad didn't want to stay in the house for long. We moved on to London pretty quickly, I went to school there, dad and Daniel both got jobs, until Daniel met his wife, Esther. She's a gypsy and he quickly fell into the travelling life style and we haven't seen them for ages."

"So how did you end up back in Small Heath?" Finn asked; the last time he had seen Violet, they were 10 and he had just left school, Violet having left Small Heath not long after that. He could still remember the death of her older sister Ruby and how her older brother Daniel was often the one to pick her up from school with her mum staying at home while her dad was at work. Little did Violet know, Finn had fallen for the young girl just months prior to her leaving. The two of them had often sat beside each other in class, occasionally running into each other around Small Heath, as their groups of friends often found their way to each other. He had been silently heart broken when she had left without warning; he would hang around his old group of school friends every so often, in the hope he would catch a glimpse of her again, only to be told she had moved away.

"Dad also passed away a few months ago. I had to settle everything up in London before leaving. I just knew this would be the best place to come. Try and start afresh in a place I knew and loved." She replies with a sad smile.

"God Vi, I'm so sorry you had to do that." He says, pulling her to a stop by a bench near the water, sitting down and motioning for her to join him.

"Eh, it's ok. Someone had to do it." Violet says with a shrug. "What about you? What are you up to now? How is everyone?"

"I work with my brothers," he replies turning his body to face her, leaning an elbow on the back of the bench. "John died earlier this year."

"Oh Finn," she says gently, cupping his cheek with one hand, before quickly pulling back, embarrassed at her sudden, unconscious gesture. "I'm sorry."

"I've uh, kind of started taking his place in the company." He responds with a shrug, butterflies filling his stomach at her hand making contact with his skin, his young crush immediately coming back.

"But you're not like them," she whispers softly, looking up at him.

"Well...I guess not..." he replies, slightly uncomfortable at how well she still knew him and his character. "Where are you staying?" He asks now, changing the subject.

"Um, a couple of roads over from Watery Lane actually, in an inn."

"Really?" He asks, pulling a face.

"It's all I can afford for now Finn," she replies with a frown of her own. "I'm still trying to find a job."

"You can move in with me, I've got spare rooms." he offers quickly, mentally slapping himself as the words leave his lips. "Shit. That was really fucking forward." He mutters to himself, swiping at his face in embarrassment as Violet let's out a soft giggle.

"Finn," she says, shaking her head. "I couldn't do that."

"You could," he replies honestly. "Like, purely on a friends basis." They both blush profusely at this, turning their faces away from each other as he continues. "And I'm sure Tommy could find you something to do, something in the company."

"Do you really think so?" She asks hopefully, glancing back up at him.

"Oh yeah, definitely! We could go and ask him now." Finn says, wincing at his eagerness, internally telling himself to cool it down. "Sorry. I'm being very forward. I should.."

"No. You're fine." Violet replies, smiling at him. "I appreciate the thought. And how much you care."

"I just hate the idea of you sleeping in those hell holes Vi." He responds with a frown, thinking about the sleeping conditions in the inns not far from his own house.

"It's not the worst." She says gently with a shrug, trying to be somewhat optimistic.

"But it's sure as hell not the best." He states, raising his eyebrows at her.

"Well..."

"Just tell me you'll think about it at least." He asks, rising from the seat and holding his arm out for her again, noticing the sky was beginning to get darker.

"Ok." She says, standing in front of him to stop him from going anywhere.

"Ok?" He repeats, her hands slipping into his that we're hanging between their bodies. "Ok you'll think about it, or ok you'll stay?"

"Ok, I'll stay." She replies, leaning up on her tiptoes to press a kiss to his cheek. "But just until I get back on my feet." She states, standing back to her normal height, slightly shorter than him meaning she had to tilt her head up to look him in the eye. "Thank you Finn."

'Anything for you Violet.' He replies silently in his head as they head back the way they came.

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That evening, after walking Violet back to the inn she was staying at to gather her belongings, Finn let's them into his house on Watery Lane, leading her upstairs.

"There's two spare rooms," he explains, motioning to the two closed doors on either side of the hallway. "Pick whichever you'd like."

"I'll take that one." Violet replies, pointing to the room next door to the one she assumed was Finn's.

"Perfect," he says, pushing open the door, holding it open for her as she steps inside, immediately flopping down on to the bed.

"Ah!" She sighs making Finn laugh as he places her bags on the floor at the end of the bed. "So comfy!"

"Really?" He laughs as he walks to the window, drawing the curtains closed.

"Yes! So much softer than the bed in the inn." She comments, shutting her eyes with another sigh.

"Told you they were hell holes." He mocks quietly, Violet kicking her toes out in an attempt to catch Finn on the leg.

"Oi!" She calls back jokingly as he dodges her flailing limbs.

"I'll leave you to rest," he says gently, walking backwards to the door, eyes on her as she leans up on her elbows to watch him. "I'll call you when dinner's ready."

"I can help with that," she protests, sitting up properly. "Just let me freshen up and I'll be down." Finn nods at this, heading back downstairs as she sits and watches him go, her eyes not leaving him until he disappears down the stairs, before standing and moving to the bathroom across the hallway.

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The two teens sit opposite each other at the dinner table, tucking into their meal in silence, both happy to sit in the presence of the other without the need to speak. It seemed as though the pair had fallen back into the old routine they used to have in the classroom, their own silent thoughts filling the space as they sat beside each other, content to just be in each other's presence.

"Thank you, Finn." Violet says, quietly breaking the silence, Finn glancing up to meet her eyes, his mouth too full to reply for a moment.

"It's just dinner Vi." He replies with a chuckle, putting his knife and form down. "It's a necessary meal of the day. And you helped too."

"I didn't mean that Finn, and you know it." She teases in reply, lightly kicking his feet that he had kicked out in front of him, resting under her chair. This was also a habit the pair had had during their younger years, Finn having had a tendency to rock on his chair, eliciting the most annoying squeaking sound from the floorboards of the classroom, or kicking his legs against the bench in the playground they would occasionally share. Violet's automatic response had always been to kick a foot out against his, leaving it to rest there to bring his movements to a stop. "Thank you for taking me in."

"I've not taken you in Vi." He protests, mouth full again, swallowing before continuing. "This is just two friends, living together, in a mutually beneficial way."

"Mutually beneficial?" Violet repeats with a giggle. "Those are big words Finn! Do you even know what they mean?"

"Yes!" He indignantly protests again. "I'm not as dumb as I look!"

"You don't look dumb Finn." She says softly, giving him a withering look. "How is this mutually beneficial, eh?"

"Well, you needed a comfy bed, and I needed a little company to help fill this house. Gets a little lonely here alone." Finn says, adding the last part quietly.

"Well, I'm glad I could help!" She says cheerfully, lightening the mood. "And very grateful for the comfy bed!"

"Well, I'm glad I could help too!" Finn replies with a smile, holding his hand out for her plate. "Seconds?"

"Nah, I'm good. I'm going to light the fire in the lounge if that's ok?" Violet asks, rising from her chair as she hands Finn her plate.

"Yeah, of course." He says, turning his back on her. "I'll just wash these up and I'll come and join you. Pour us a drink, eh?"

"Sure." She says, heading towards the living room.