“Have you seen Kian?” Nicky asked, entering the apartment and looking around like some sort of detective. Had he been wearing a fedora and overcoat, he would have looked the part at least. As it was, he had on jeans and a white t-shirt proclaiming him a “Sex God” (no doubt from Kian’s closet).

She stepped back, closing the door, a confused look on her face. “I thought he was at rehearsal.”

“Well, he was. About six hours ago.” Nicky straightened up, having been looking under the couch (which was not high enough for a person to fit under in the first place) and gave her a peculiar look. “He didn’t come back here?”

“Ah---” She shook her head, dropping down onto the sofa. “No. I didn’t expect him back until dinner. We were supposed to go out…is he missing?”

“He’s not like a hat, Sophie.” Nicky headed down the hallway, calling over his shoulder. “He’s a person. We can’t just misplace him!”

“Then why are you checking under the sofa as if he IS a hat?” Sophie questioned, jumping up to follow him to the bedroom.

“Shane said, ‘Leave no stone unturned, Nix, or I will kick your arse.’ Which, of course, is impossible, but I have no doubt he’ll hire a hitman to kick my arse.”

“I don’t think hitmen do arse kicking; I think they only kill, but okay.” She watched from the doorway as Nicky rifled through the closet, and then looked under the perfectly made bed.

“Have you moved in?” Nicky asked, gesturing towards one side of the closet, which was obviously full of a woman’s clothing, judging from all the pink. Not that Kian didn’t own anything pink, because he did, but there was a certain extent of pink that suggested a woman must own the clothes.

“Well, yeah,” Sophie replied, her eyebrows knitting together in confusion. “Didn’t Kian tell you? I moved in over your break two weeks ago.”

“He didn’t mention it.” Nicky stood in the middle of the room, his hands on his hips. “I would think I’d remember.”

“That’s odd.”

“He has been acting really odd lately, Soph. I’m sure you’ve noticed.”

Sophie gave a little laugh. “Yeah, I noticed.”

“When was the last time you saw him?”

“This morning. He brought me some coffee while I was still in bed, and he told me he’d made reservations for tonight, and would I be ready by six? I said I would and then he said he’d see me later. Then he left.”

“Nothing unusual,” Nicky commented thoughtfully.

“No, not really.” Sophie grabbed Nicky’s arm suddenly. “Do you think he’s been kidnapped?”

“I doubt it. Who would want Kian?” Nicky’s attempt at levity was not received well; Sophie stared at him in horror as if he was being blasphemous. “Okay, sorry.” He laughed a bit.

“It’s alright.” She sighed heavily and flopped onto the bed. “What do you think has happened to him?”

Nicky shrugged and sat down beside her. “We were all at rehearsal at eight, and then we had a break at ten. Ki said he wanted to go get something to drink, but he didn’t come back.”

Sophie jumped up, horrified. “You haven’t seen him since TEN this MORNING!? Nicky, it’s four! He’s been gone six bloody hours and--”

Nicky grabbed her arms, stopping her mid-sentence. “Soph, get a hold on yourself. He’s FINE. Shane only sent me here so that we could rehearse some more. I’m sure he just decided he’d prefer drinking at a pub to practicing, which is what I’d prefer as well, today, but nevertheless.”

“He doesn’t just run off in the middle of rehearsals.”

“No, not usually.” Nicky dropped his arms to his sides. “Mark and Shane have been checking all his usual places, and we’re supposed to meet back at the studio…so why don’t you come with, and we’ll see if they found him.”

“He usually calls me on your breaks,” Sophie said, as if she hadn’t heard.

“I know, but--”

“Something must be wrong.” Sophie began rummaging through the closet, came out with a sweatshirt, and set off towards the living room.

“Maybe you should call him?” Nicky suggested, catching up with her. “Instead of just running off.”

“You haven’t called him?” Sophie stopped putting on her sweatshirt, surprised at this new information. “Most people would try that first, as Kian’s mobile is his lifeline.”

“We did try his mobile. He didn’t answer. We left a few voicemails, though.”

Sophie finished putting her sweatshirt on and went to the phone. After checking that there were no messages, she dialed Kian’s familiar number.

After five rings, she was about to hang up, but stopped when she heard the unmistakable click of the phone being answered.

“Soph? Are you okay?”

“KIAN!” Sophie cried, glancing at Nicky, who was looking relieved. “AM I OKAY? NO, I’m not bloody okay. Where the hell are you?”

“What do you mean, where am I? I’m at rehearsals.”

Sophie shook her head and watched Nicky as she talked. “Nicky’s here. He says you weren’t at rehearsals. They’re all going mad looking for you, and I was about to call the police. Where the hell have you been?”

“Just out and about. Thanks, Mark.”

“What, did Mark find you?”

“No, he just handed me a water.”

Sophie sighed, obviously exasperated.

“Why are you calling? You never call during rehearsals unless it’s an emergency.”

“It is an emergency! Well, was. Nobody could find you!”

Nicky put his hands on either of her shoulders and lowered her down onto the couch, instructing her with hand motions to breathe in and out slowly.

“I only went out for a bit.”

Sophie shook her head, sighing again. “Kian, are you high or something?”

Kian laughed. “No.” He paused. “Shane wants to know if Nicky’s there, and can you put him on because Shane would like to talk to him.”

Sophie cupped the phone in her hand and rolled her eyes at Nicky. “Call Shane. He needs to talk to you.”

Nicky nodded and took his mobile from his pocket, dialing Shane’s mobile very efficiently and quickly.

“Soph, are you there?”

Sophie put the phone back to her ear. “Yes, I’m here.”

“Do you want to come down here with Nicky? We’ll have to go to dinner from here, because we still have a few more hours left. I’ve got my suit here, but if you could bring a comb or something, I can take a shower here.”

“You’re seriously not going to tell me what you’ve been doing for six hours?”

“I can tell you at dinner,” Kian commented lightly, swigging from his water bottle. “But right now, no.”

Sophie watched as Nicky paced back and forth across the floor in front of her. “Where’s Mark?”

“He’s right here. Why?”

“May I speak to him?”

“You want to speak to Mark?” Kian echoed, a curious note to his voice.

“Yes, please.”

“Sophie, if you think you’re going to get any information out of him, you’re wrong. He doesn’t know anything.”

“Oh, fine.” Sophie let out a long breath, whisking hair out of her face. “I’ll come down with Nicky. What do you want me to wear, Egan?”

He ignored the fact that she’d called him what she usually only called him when she was pissed at him, which was quite often as of late. “Something hot, I think. Dressy. But not Oscar dressy.”

“I’ll let Nicky pick something out.”

Nicky put his mobile back in his pocket, raising his eyebrows at her.

“Don’t you dare. He’ll have you in a potato sack. I don’t think that goes under the dress code.”

“Where are we going? The Palace?”

“Very funny, no. I’ll see you in a bit. Love you. Bye.” He hung up directly after that, not giving her a chance to reply.

“Something fishy is going on here,” Sophie said, putting the phone back on the hook and glaring at Nicky. “And you know what it is.”

“No, I don’t.” Nicky laughed like this was a ridiculous idea. “Get yourself ready. I gotta get down there.”

Sophie stood up and started towards the bedroom. “Well, I have to shower, and find a dress and some shoes. And a bag. And my perfume, which I misplaced yesterday. Did you see it when you were looking under the sofa?”

“SOPHIE.”

She tossed a laugh over her shoulder. “Juuuuust kidding. Give me five minutes.”

She came out about five minutes later with a dress hanging over one arm and a bag in the other. “If you want to tell me anything, now would be the time.”

Nicky looked up from the magazine he’d been reading and gave her a curious glance. “Erm. I’ve got nothing.”

“Nix. I would be immensely grateful if you would tell me all you know. Just think of us as spies…and you and I are on one side, the good side, and Kian and Shane and Mark are on the BAD side.”

Nicky shrugged, setting the magazine down and standing up to stretch. “I don’t know anything, Soph, and if I did, I’d tell you. Which is exactly why they didn’t tell ME. They know we’re mates, and they know you can beat it out of me.”

“So, what did Shane say, then?” She asked, heading behind him towards the door.

“Not much,” Nicky replied blandly, closing the door behind her after they’d vacated.

“I love you, Nicky. You know that, right?”

Nicky grinned mischievously. “Sweet talking me isn’t going to do you any good, Soph.” He gave her a kiss on the temple. “But I love you, too. Now, let’s go before Shane sends out a S.W.A.T team.”

**

Sophie took a deep breath and followed Nicky into the recording studio, feeling very confused and lost and curious.

Nicky pointed down the hallway. “I think we’re supposed to be practicing a bunch of songs, since we did dancing this morning.”

“Okay, well, can I put my dress somewhere?”

Nicky stepped beside her and opened a coat closet, depositing the dress inside, on a hanger with a bunch of costly looking jackets.

“OI! LADS!” Nicky hollered suddenly, striding down the hallway to the last door of the corridor.

Shane, Mark and Kian spilled out of the doorway, all of them looking aggrieved. Most of all Kian, whose face softened a little when he spotted Sophie.

“Oh, good, you’re here,” Shane said, pulling on Nicky’s arm and dragging him into the room; Mark followed. “It’s about damn time.”

Kian flashed Sophie a weary smile. “Hey, Soph.”

“I would really like to hit you right now,” Sophie replied stoutly, glancing into the room; the boys were sitting on couches facing each other, looking over pieces of paper.

“I’m sure you would. Can it wait until later?” He pouted at her, hoping that his puppy dog eyes would not go unnoticed. Her weak spots, he knew well, and this was one of them. She could deny him nothing when he brought out the big guns…aka the puppy dog eyes coupled with a pout.

“I suppose so,” she answered, not looking at him. “I might go have some tea in the cafeteria whilst I wait.”

“That’s a good idea.” He grabbed her elbow gently as she started to walk away. “Hey. Why’re you so upset?”

Sophie raised an eyebrow. “Possibly because you scared the CRAP out of me when Nix came by and said you’d been missing for six hours. Where the hell WERE you?”

Kian let his arm drop to his side, but his eyes remained placid and blue, and trained on hers, which were fiery orbs of brown with an angry flash running through them.

“KI!” Mark bellowed, peeking his head round the doorframe. “Are ya gonna help us, or not? Sorry, Soph, but we need your boyfriend.”

Sophie shrugged her slender shoulders and stepped out of Kian’s reach, motioning him for him to go inside the room.

Once he turned around in defeat and collapsed angrily onto the sofa beside Shane, she took off down the hallway, in search of tea, and a quiet place where she could think.

**

“SOPHIE!” Kian called, checking in every studio door and coming up empty; the entire place was deserted, dark, and lifeless. He hadn’t realized he’d been practicing for so long, had to be three hours at the most. It was his own fault, he knew, because he’d left them hanging earlier, but still he was angry that it had taken so long. And now the reservations would be worthless. Not that she’d have gone with him anyway, he reasoned. He highly doubted she’d even speak to him. Or look at him, for that matter.

“D’ya think she went home?” Shane asked, shrugging into his leather jacket, and glancing around the dark corridor.

“I don’t think she would,” Nicky replied, digging into his pocket for his car keys.

“She might ‘ave,” Mark stated evenly, sticking his hands in his coat pockets and sighing. “She looked pretty buggered off.”

“I would be, too, if Kian refused to tell me where he’d been for six hours. Oh, wait. He already did that to me.” Nicky shot an angry glance Kian’s way, but he was busy checking in the vacant lady’s room.

“Oh, shut the fook up, Nicky,” Kian mumbled, ducking into the men’s room, and coming back out unsuccessful.

Shane took a mobile from his pocket and squinted at the screen, trying to see the numbers so he could dial; after a few moments, he was pressing the phone to his ear and listening intently.

Vaguely, the four of them heard the sound of a ring and Shane nodded, triumphant. “She’s still here. Just follow the ringing sound.” He pointed Kian off in the other direction, and he obeyed, for once without any lip.

“We’re leaving, Ki!” Mark shouted after him. “We’ll see ya tomorrow!”

Kian waved his hand back at them and continued on his search, listening carefully for the ringing of the mobile.

The ringing stopped eventually, and Kian couldn’t hear anything anymore since his band mates had already left. He assumed Shane had shut off his phone, and cursed him quietly in the dark.

“Why’s it so fooking dark in here?” He mumbled, reaching along the wall of the room he’d entered, hoping against all hope that there was a light switch somewhere.

He found one, rejoiced briefly as his eyes adjusted to the new light, and then spotted Sophie hunched across a table, an empty cup of tea sitting beside her, her golden brown hair spilling into it.

“Soph,” Kian whispered, walking towards her. “Sophie.”

When she didn’t move, he quickened his pace and leaned down beside her. “SOPHIE,” he stated rather loudly above her head. When she didn’t respond he tried again, much louder. “SOPHIE!”

She sprung out of her seat, getting into a stance to kick some arse (her self defense class had obviously paid off - she could easily ward off boyfriends, but maybe not murderers or rapists.) and breathed a heavily sigh of relief when her eyes took in Kian’s form a few steps away from her.

“You scared the hell out of me,” She mumbled, shaking her head and reaching to throw her empty cup into the trash.

“Sorry,” Kian replied, at a loss of how to begin the conversation.

“’Salright.” She turned around to him, a half smile playing on her lips. “You finally done?”

“Yeah, just finished. Didn’t know it would take so damn long.”

Sophie shrugged, a yawn escaping unexpectedly.

“Maybe I should take ya home?” Kian seemed sad in this suggestion, and Sophie immediately picked up on it, as she always did.

“I thought we had reservations---?” Her voice trailed off as she noticed the time on the clock on the opposite wall. “Oh. Never mind.”

“We could still have dinner,” Kian said hopefully. “Maybe not there, but…somewhere.”

“Take-out, maybe.” Sophie turned around and started to gather up her bag, the contents of which she’d strewn all over the table in an attempt to busy herself. She’d become rather bored of waiting after only an hour.

“You’re not still pissed at me?” Kian questioned, stepping up behind her and moving all her hair to one shoulder so he could kiss the base of her neck.

Sophie straightened up and turned to face him. “I am, but I figure you’ll tell me eventually. Hopefully sooner rather than later, because you know I hate waiting.”

“Yeah.” Kian grinned a little. “I know.”

After a beat, she said. “So. Now’s a good time.”

“What, here?”

Sophie raised an eyebrow in confusion. “Why not here?”

Kian shrugged and swallowed. “I was at the store.”

“The store,” Sophie repeated blankly. “And you couldn’t tell me this because…?”

“Because it wasn’t just any store.”

“Was it of the occult?”

Kian smirked. “No.”

Sophie nodded slowly. “I see. Well. If that’s all you’re giving up, Egan, I’m afraid I’ll have to go home without you.” She turned away from him, picking up her bag. “And go to bed without you, as well.”

“Are you telling me, indirectly, that you’re withholding sex? That’s cruel, baby.”

Sophie sighed. “There is no other way, I guess.”

She started towards the door, but Kian hooked his hand around her upper arm and pulled her back against him.

After kissing her rather fiercely, he gave her a sardonic grin. “I guess you don’t want to know what I was doing, then.”

“At this ‘not just any store’ store,” Sophie nodded.

“That’s right.” Kian replied, nipping at her neck.

She wriggled out of his grasp and went around to the other side of the table. “None of that funny business until I know what you’re doing.”

Kian smiled warmly at her. “Fine. I was picking out some jewelry.”

“For your girlfriend?”

“For one of them, yeah.”

“Kian Egan---”

“I’m just kidding!” He laughed and dodged her hand as she tried to swat him. He ducked and reached into the front pocket of his jeans, bringing out a little black velvet box. “I don’t know if you’ll want it, but---”

Sophie didn’t move. “You went to a jewelry store for six hours?”

“No, I was in the store for two. I spent the other four going over what I was going to say to you when I brought this out.”

Sophie’s lips relaxed into a smile. “You bastard.”

Kian grinned back at her, feeling elated. He stepped around the table so he could get down on one knee and hold her hand.

“What’d you come up with?” Sophie asked, one hand on her heart because she was afraid it’d beat right out of her chest.

“To say? It was all crap, so I figured I’d just wait and say what I felt.” He cleared his throat professionally. “I’m deeply in love with you, and I would be forever grateful if you’d marry me so that I could stop ‘chasing tail’ as Mark says, and ‘settle the fook down already’ as Shane says, and ‘make an honest woman out of you’ as Nicky says.”

Despite herself, Sophie felt tears stinging her eyes, and she blinked them back, laughing.

“You are joking, right?”

“No, they all said that,” Kian replied cheekily, opening the box and holding it out to her. Seriously, he said, “I do love you, Soph.”

“I love you, too,” she breathed, swallowing and hoping that she wouldn’t fall over and die right there.

“I was really hoping I could do this more romantically. Like in a nice restaurant, but this is better, actually. There’s no one around, and no one to take pictures of us. It’s just us, and I like it like that.”

Sophie smiled down at him as he slipped the ring on her finger. She didn’t even notice it, could only look at him, at his eyes, and how caring and loving they were.

“Will you marry me?”

“You ass,” she replied, shaking her head as tears fell down her cheeks. “Of course I will.”

He jumped up excitedly and kissed her feverously, engulfing her in a bone-crushing hug.

Into her hair, he grinned, and whispered. “Maybe we should christen this table, now?”

The only response he got was being shoved down onto the table and kissed into oblivion. Which, really, is a good a response as any.

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