A few weeks had passed since Atlas had last seen (Y/n)... Well, 'seen' was probably the wrong word to use since he couldn't go five minutes without seeing her. A few weeks had passed since Atlas had last spoken to (Y/n).
His stalking habits had only grown worse in this time... Or better depending on how you look at it, but either way (Y/n) had become the epicenter of his life. He had fulfilled the task of setting up discrete cameras about the rooms in her apartment which offered him a live feed of (Y/n)'s home at any given moment from every possible angle. Though he was gentlemanly enough to always avert his eyes whenever she was changing or showering. This action alone absolved him of any guilt in Atlas's head.
This introduction of watching her over cameras hadn't prevented from him watching her in person too, if anything he much preferred the latter. It was just so much nicer to see (Y/n) in person instead of as pixels on a screen. Given, they were the most amazing pixels he'd ever seen.
'My flower...' Atlas thought in a lovestruck daze as he dreamily watched (Y/n) sleep during the afternoon. 'Flower' was the term of endearment (Y/n) had ended up with, he thought it suited her well- naturally beautiful, delicate, brings joy and a gift to the world.
He took a screenshot of his laptop screen and saved the image to print out later. Atlas had an ever growing collection of photos that he was piling into the shoe box that contained the now long rotten daisy chain and receipt from their first meeting. Some of the photos were printed out screenshots from the live feed in her home and some were pictures that Atlas had taken himself.
That afternoon he was soaking up the most (Y/n) as he could before he had to go to his parents' house for tea. He hardly went out anymore unless it was to see (Y/n) because he couldn't go too long without her so Atlas knew that this would likely be difficult for him.
The drive was a good forty five minutes but eventually Atlas reached his parents' home far out of the city.
It was a large carriage house, the same one Atlas and Indigo grew up in. He was half dreading speaking with his parents, they were always talking about Indigo and where she could possibly be and while Atlas used to wholeheartedly take part in these conversations he frankly didn't care much anymore.
Indigo was so far from where she used to be in his psyche, she had to be out of the way to make room for (Y/n).
He pushed the doorbell and waited patiently for the door to be answered. Atlas fiddled with his fingers in the meanwhile, it had been so long since he had gone so much time without involving himself with (Y/n) in someway. He reached into his phone and glanced at his home screen, it was his favorite picture in the whole world: the one (Y/n) had taken of the two of them in the gardens.
He had gotten her to send him the picture because before he even saw it he knew it was perfect. And it was.
A small smile slipped onto his face and his desire was sated for the time being.
A middle aged woman with thick blonde hair answered the door with a pleasant smile, Daria Bellamy gazed at her son warmly. "Hello, dear." She went to embrace him tightly. "Your dad's inside."
"Hi, mom." Atlas pulled away. "How are you?"
"I'm quite well, you haven't heard anything from your sister, have you? I invited her to this but I don't suspect she'll show." Daria was always quick to get the topic of conversation onto Indigo, it wasn't that she cared for her children unequally but when one child is a no-show for five years then questions do come up.
"Not since she asked me to go to that convenience store." Atlas had told his parents when he recieved the message from Indigo months ago and then followed up with her absence but hadn't indulged them in much more of the story.
Daria clicked her tongue and just led Atlas through to the drawing room where Nino Bellamy was flicking through a newspaper. "Ah, Atlas, how are you doing?"
"I'm g-good."
"Well."
"... Excuse me?"
"You're not good, you're well."
Atlas momentarily opened his mouth but then shut it again, there was no point squabbling with his pedantic father.
"Nino, you must tell Atlas the news while I get some water boiling." Daria said excitedly.
Nino nodded and Daria left as Atlas sat down opposite his father.
"It's mine and your mother's thirtieth wedding anniversary in just over four months as you know, we're going to hold an event for family and friends here on the night but in a month's time we're having a rehearsal for it, so not all the guests will be there just our immediate relatives and anyone they wish to bring." Nino said. "You are quite obviously invited to both the main event and rehearsal."
"Oh, um, yes, I think I'd be able to make that." Atlas mumbled, his words were only just auidible to Nino.
"Is there anyone you want to bring with you? A date of some sort?" The older man raised his eyebrow, Atlas's parents were always trying to get him to date. They were married quite young and wanted similar lives for both of their children, with Indigo being the loose cannon she was they placed their hope in Atlas.
"I-I-"
"You must be seeing women at your age, Atlas." Nino huffed, his son was yet to have a girlfriend of any kind. "Is there something you want to tell us?"
"N-no.."
"Are you sure? It doesn't have to be a girlfriend per se. Your mother and I will always support you and-"
"Dad, I'm not gay." Atlas stated as a mumble. "I-I... I actually have a girlfriend." He perked up.
"You do?"
Atlas nodded and turned his phone on, he held the lock screen out to his dad. "Her name's (Y/n)." His voice softened.
Nino smiled at the picture and then at his son. "You must bring her to meet us at the rehearsal."
Atlas's blue eyes enlarged. "R-really? We haven't been t-together long.. it might be too soon..." In his lie, he was now realising that it possibly wasn't the wisest impulse.
"Nonsense. Daria will be very happy to hear about this." He stood up to go to the kitchen and tell his wife the good news while Atlas stayed sat down with his mouth hanging open slightly.
He'd fucked up.