Trees ||𝐶.𝐴.𝐷.

Chapter 12: "Love isn't a choice"

⚠️This chapter contains mentions of blood and death⚠️

Cedric's POV:

"Which one is it?"

Which one is it?

Which one is it?

"I-"

"Diggory, if the girl of your dreams were to kiss you right here. Right now. How would you react?"

I hesitate.

Shit got personal god damn

"I'd kiss her back. The girl of my dreams wouldn't regret being with me. The girl of my dreams would love me no matter what. If she were to kiss me out of nowhere, I would never let her go, even if I knew that she would never run away. Even if I knew that I would never scare her away," I reply, hoping to answer her question.

"So you're afraid of scaring the ones you love away? And that you know that having a fear like that will only increase the chance that you push them away, and you hate that?"

I nod. "Yeah, pretty much."

"And you're also saying I just won another point?"

"I- well, yes."

She smirked leaning back in her seat.

"You caught me off guard!"

"Last time I checked there was no rule about the questions. I could've asked when the last time you had sex was, but I decided to be more of a decent person. Either way, it wouldn't be against the rules that we never made."

"So I'm guessing if I asked when the last time you had sex-"

"I wouldn't answer because we never made rules, meaning that I could gladly decline the job of answering."

"Well then you're lucky that I wasn't going to ask that."

"I guess I am, Diggory."

I look at her, shaking my head playfully. She has a smirk playing on her lips, her emerald eyes looking me up and down as we sit in a silence.

Beautiful. I don't even need some deep, fancy metaphor to describe how breathtaking she can be. All you really need to know is that in this moment, Aphrodite would be idolizing Juniper in a way no one has before.

Diggory you idiot...what happened to "she's just a friend?"

She is just a friend. She has been and will be a friend until we declare our nonexistent undying love for each other. Until that moment, she will always be just a friend. No questions needed.

She's a beautiful friend to have.

Juniper's POV:

"Ok, my turn at an attempt to ask a super personal question," he almost whispers, breaking the silence as we stare at each other. The pitch of his voice sends a shiver down my neck.

"What scares you most about love?"

I refuse to break my gaze from his eyes.

"Why love specifically?"

"I thought I was the one asking the question?" He smirks.

I roll my eyes, thinking of how to answer.

I'm scared that no one will ever love me the same way I love them. I'm scared that I'll be someone's distraction that they'll use to get over another person, only to run back into their arms and leave me stranded on the curb. I'm scared that I'll never be good enough for the one I love. I'm scared that the other person won't be nearly as happy as I am. I'm scared that I'll just be a burden. I'm scared of not being appreciated. I'm scared of being alone until the day I die.