Golden - Harry Styles
Slow Burn - Kacey Musgrave

The Summer of 2004.

BPOV

For some reason, Renee had decided that for the summer, we would tag along with Phil as he travelled the country, training during the summer.

This is how I ended up in the middle of the Montana State Fair on a balmy evening in late July.

Considering the fact that I had to listen to my mother have her "nightly "me time" with Phil as she liked to call it, this trip wasn't actually that bad. We had already been to 5 different states in the last 4 weeks, we left Phoenix for New Mexico, then travelled on to Colorado, into Nebraska, Wyoming and Idaho. Our stop in Montana was ending tomorrow with us heading on to Oregon where I would be meeting up with Charlie for our annual trip to San Diego for the last two weeks of summer.

Sure there wasn't a whole lot I could go out and do while Renee and Phil were at his different training camps, but I spent most of the time just walking around whichever town we were in, just existing in that space. It was so nice just to exist without feeling the need to hide or put on an act, I could just be me, watching as the world turned around me.

Anyways, Renee wanted to go to the State Fair with Phil and I, she would not take no for an answer when she was practically forcing me out of the door. She never wanted to leave me behind, plus, it was kind of sweet the way she lit up whenever we went to the fair, so in the end, I had just given in.

When I was younger, any time there was a fair anywhere near us, my mother would pile me into the car and find some motel near the fairgrounds and we would have a mini-vacation, we would go play the games, and eat funnel cake or any of the other assorted deep-fried food that always filled the fairs. Sometimes Renee would forget how much those spinning death traps messed with her equilibrium and she'd end up on the floor laughing her ass off after the ride.

For the most part, my memories of fairs were always good. Though Renee was, and is, a bit of a scatterbrain, you could never say she wasn't a good mother. She had a childlike spirit and a love of the simple pleasures in life, even if it meant spending the next 20 minutes flat on her back trying to become 'un-dizzy'. Anyways, this time, it wasn't me who would have to sit on the ground next to a giggling Renee and the line of the tilt-a-whirl. That duty now fell on Phil.

I waved goodbye to Renee and Phil as we passed through admissions, agreeing to meet up again in a few hours.

I made my way through the fair, people watching, on the hunt for some funnel cake piled with strawberries and icing sugar. I watched as people made their way to what seemed like the last few events of the rodeo, or moved towards the rides that littered the large fairground. I could feel the beat of whichever band was currently playing on the main stage move through me as if the beat was physically shaking the ground under my feet. It was overwhelming and exhilarating all at once.

As I was coming up to the Farris wheel, I caught a flash of something shimmery out of the corner of my eye.

I turned to see what it was, scanning over the crowd. That was when I saw Him. He was with a beautiful blonde woman. She was short and looking at him with such adoration I could almost feel it, but he wasn't paying any attention to her. His eyes were scanning the crowd, much like I had been doing. He had a slight scowl on his face, but even from a distance, I could see the flash of something else, something joyous and mischievous, his prominent scowl did nothing to detract from his insanely good looks.

He too, like the smaller woman next to him was beautiful, he radiated this strange energy of openness and boisterous joy, but at the same time felt dangerous. Deadly, even. Our eyes locked across the crowd, and for the first time in my life, I felt an instant attraction. It felt important, like I just had to know him. That if I didn't, my life would be dull and without purpose.

Without even noticing, I had started making my way towards him. We met somewhere in the middle, surrounded by the bustling crowd of fairgoers, I could feel the blond woman's eyes burning into his back, trying to see through it to me, to the thing that had caught her mans attention. But my eyes never left his as he strode towards me, it was like the world just disappeared around us, and for a moment it had as he snaked his arm around my waist and pulled me to his chest causing my breath to hitch.

Up close, he was even more beautiful than I had thought. He had thick, messy golden hair with dark roots that fell around his face and stopped just above his shoulders. He smiled down at me and ran his fingers through his hair, messing it up even more. He had a prominent jaw that was covered in a small amount of stubble and high cheekbones that made me think of a different time and place. But didn't detract from the distinct masculine air about him. For a second I had the strangest urge to call him 'cowboy.' He had deep red-ish brown eyes, that screamed out to me, pulling me into their depths.

He was wearing a white shirt with a light coloured denim jacket and a pair of jeans with a pair of non-descript black sneakers. His chest was broad and even through the loose fit of his shirt, I could tell that he was well defined.

I took a deep breath as he moved his face closer to mine, he smelt of spring and rainfall mixed with spearmint and earth. It was a strange mix, but it suited him. As it took over my senses I felt a tingle in the pit of my stomach, a coiling feeling that sent a zing of electricity straight to my core and I swear he smirked at the way my body was reacting to him, but that was just silly.

He didn't hesitate as he pulled me closer to him and his lips crashed down onto mine. For a second, the cool touch of his lips shocked me into stillness, but as he lifted me up pressing our bodies together, I was pulled out of my inaction and melted into him.

My legs wrapped around his waist and held me to him as his tongue moved over my bottom lip. I moved my arms up around his shoulders and tangled my fingers in his hair as I parted my lips, allowing him access. His tongue slipped between my lips and I was hit with the distinct taste of mint, dark chocolate and for some strange reason worn leather. His tongue wrapped around mine and I swear I heard a soft growl come from him as I pressed myself closer to him.

I felt his hands slid down my thighs and over my ass, squeezing softly, pulling me tighter against his body, pressing his very noticeable erection against my core. I let out a soft moan, as I pulled back from his lips needing to catch my breath. His eyes were closed as I pulled away, his grip on my ass lessened slightly as I untangled myself from him, my breath coming out in pants. I could feel my body react to him the instant we touched, and the moment his hands left my skin, I felt a buzz running through me like I was putting out a low-grade current of power.

He had this lazy smile on his face as his eyes opened, finding mine once again. I knew I had something similar plastered across my face to match. It felt like my life had been missing him. Like the last 16 years, I was just biding my time, waiting for him.

"Peter," He said simply, a soft Texan twang slipping in around his name, taking my hand in his and squeezing it softly. His smile spreading into a grin as he watched me, knowing full well that my trademark blush was making its way across my face and down over my chest.

"Bella." I breathed, knowing somehow he would be able to hear me over the hum of the crowd, no matter how quiet I was.

But as I said my name his face changed slightly, his red-ish brown eyes which had been locked on me became unfocused. His grip on my hand tightened just slightly and his grin slowly sunk. By the time he focused back on me, he looked disappointed and a little annoyed. But before I could say anything else, he had let go of my hand and moved so quickly through the crowd I almost didn't catch it.

He was just gone. I blinked and looked around, trying to spot him in the crowd but he was nowhere to be found. The blond woman he was with still stood near the other end of the large area glaring at me for a moment longer, before she too, disappeared.

I couldn't believe it. They were there one second, gone the next.

The only real proof that they had been there, that he had been there was my swollen lips and the low hum of electricity that was running through me.

I spent the next few hours in a daze, walking through the fair unable to wrap my head around what had taken place until it was time to meet back up with Renee and Phil back at the entrance.

xxx

Renee looped her arm through mine as we were walking back to the car, and by the look on her face, she knew something had happened while I was off on my own. She gave me this look that said 'I know what your hiding!'

"So Bella, how was your night?" Phil asked as he led us through row after row of parked cars.

"Oh, you know, had some funnel cake, people watched. You know, the usual" I replied with an airy smile, finding it quite easy to spin this simple lie, he turned his head over his shoulder and gave me a warm smile.

"Well, your mom and I went and rode the tilt-a-whirl and she spent the next 20 minutes on the ground unable to stop laughing or get up... thanks for warning me by the way," He said in a mock angry voice which made me laugh and a soft blush creep across my face, I hadn't warned him of the outcome when Renee gets on that particular ride.

I smiled at him sheepishly "Sorry Phil, I thought you might need to experience that one first hand."

He laughed and nodded "Yeah your probably right, definitely a uniquely Renee experience," He said giving my mom a look filled with adoration and humour. "After that though, we took it easy, rode the Ferris wheel," He gave me a knowing look when he mentioned the Ferris wheel but continued, "got some corn dogs and chilli, caught the tail end of the hogtie. Overall, I'd say we had a very successful evening of fun."

As he finished speaking, I could finally see our car in the next row over. There was a slight prickle on the back of my neck as we continued towards the car. I heard the click of the car unlocking and unhooked my arm from my mom's as she moved towards the front seat. For some reason, it felt like someone was watching me.

I turned around looking out towards the edge of the parking lot where the gravel meet a clump of trees.

It was dark, and he stuck to the shadows, but there was no mistaking it, my mysterious man who had kissed the hell out of me earlier in the night was standing in the shadows on the edge of the tree line, watching me. I felt my cheeks heat up as our eyes locked on each other's once again, or at least that's what it felt like, I could have been looking at his forehead for all I knew. He was covered in shadows after all and I don't have superhuman sight. I stood there staring back at him, unable to move, to pull my eyes away from him, my beautiful stranger named Peter.

But after a moment longer, Renee honked the horn, getting my attention and I pulled my eyes away from him. I gave her a sheepish smile as I turned back to the car and climbed in. I didn't look back to where I knew Peter was standing hidden in shadow, still watching me, as we pulled out of the parking lot.

xxx

Once back at the motel and Phil was off doing whatever else he had to do before we left the next morning, Renee finally cornered me. She looked like a kid in a candy store.

"Bella!" she cried out excitedly, grabbing both my hands and pulling me down next to her on the bed. "are you going to tell me who that sexy man was that I saw you making out with in the middle of a crowd?"

I bit my bottom lip, looking over her at her. Another good thing about my mom, she is the least judgmental person, like ever. She has done so many things in her life that she said it was just unnecessary to judge others for their actions. And even though I have yet to become sexually active, Renee made sure to instil in me a very sex-positive view of things from a young age, always saying that "It's your choice, and if you find sex fun and you are being safe, who am I to judge."

Of course, telling a 4-year old that is a bit ridiculous, but that was just how Renee was, is. She always treated me as a little adult, and I for one, always appreciated it when she would give me all the facts and the right to choose.

"How did you know?" I asked, blushing as the memory of his hands squeezing my ass and his tongue wrapped around my own flitted through my head, causing the blush to creep down my neck towards my chest.

Renee just laughed, hitting my shoulder gently. "Phil and I were just about to get on the Ferris Wheel when I saw you moving through the crowd towards that man." She said with a wicked smile. "He looked 25 at the youngest. How in the hell did you end up wrapped around him?" She asked looking a little worried, I guess the mother part of her, even though it was small, was still worried about her little girl.

I shrugged "I'm honestly not too sure." I looked down at my hands which had begun twisting around each other. "I was just walking along, looking for funnel cake when I saw something out of the corner of my eye. When I turned to see what it was and our eyes met, it just kind of clicked." I said slowly, looking back up at my mom. " and before I knew it I was walking towards him. He just pulled me to him and kissed me, like it was the most natural thing in the world."

Renee looked at me with a bright, wide-eyed expression, like she had just won the Nobel prize for best mother and given birth to the next Christ all at once. "That is so ROMANTIC!" she cried out and grabbed one of my hands pulling it to her chest and squeezing it between both of hers.

"Did you get his name?" She asked. I nodded.

"His name is Peter." I said with a small smile gracing my lips, then I continued to tell her about what happened after and about seeing him again in the car park "… which is why I was staring off earlier" I finished with a small smile.

She frowned slightly, focusing her gaze on the bedspread, squeezing her hands around mine once more, as she thought. After a few minutes, she nodded slightly and looked back up at me. "I'm not too sure how he disappeared so quickly, but if you felt that instant connection there's no doubt in my mind that you will meet him again one day." She said nodding again, before letting my hand go and getting up off my motel bed.

Moving towards the door adjoining our motel rooms, she turned back to me "Maybe it just wasn't the right time for you to know each other yet" she said nodding again in agreeance with herself. She smiled brightly at me and opened the door and walked back into her room. "Fate and all that, Bella." She said as she turned to close the door, giving me a megawatt smile "Maybe you need to live a little to be ready for something like that, for a man that makes you feel like that."

xxx

For the majority of the night, I lay in the centre of my bed in the dark motel room, staring out the window into the dark night, thinking. We were leaving Montana in the morning, and the chance of me running into Peter again where slim to none.

I ran the pads of my index and middle fingers over my lips remembering the zing of electricity that ran through me at his touch. It was intense. It was mind-altering, life-altering.

Sometime around 1.30 in the morning, I had drifted off sleep, but I was plagued by strange dreams filled with red eyes and blood which kept jolting me awake only to be so tired that I'd fall back asleep pretty quickly.

The third time it happened I swear I saw Peter sitting on the window sill that I had left open to allow a cross breeze to flow through the hot motel room. But by the time I had realised what I thought I saw, he had disappeared once more. After my hallucination of Peter, my strange dreams faded and I was left for the rest of the night with peaceful dreamless sleep.

AN: So, here you go! My first fic in many years. I hope whoever is reading this enjoyed the first chapter of Golden. I have been recently reading any and all Peter x Bella fics that I can get my hands on and listening to the album Golden Hour by Kacey Musgraves on repeat which sparked this story. I suggest if you want to get an all-round experience with this, go listen to that album. Because even though this isn't a songfic, most chapters are inspired by either a song on Golden Hour or Harry Styles' new album Fine Line.

Each chapter I'll add the song that inspired the chapter or the feeling I was going for.
This chapter didn't really have a song attached to it, but Golden by HS was what finally sparked all the other ideas I had into a cohesive story of sorts and Slow Burn by KM is just an amazing song that started my idea for this fic.

I would love to hear what you all think of this so far.

Thanks for reading!