It's Nice To Have A Friend

51) You Are The Best Thing That Ever Happened To Me

Alice simply stared at FP for a little while, as he was deeply concentrated on a sketch for work. He didn't seem to notice she was looking, until her hand softly touched his.

"Hey... I need to talk to you." She said softly. FP looked up with innocent eyes, that quickly turned into worry.

"You're kind of scaring me with those words." He said, a little hesitant.

"No, honey, it's not bad." She promised, as she took his hand to gesture him to sit on the couch with her. He did, but his worry wasn't gone.

"It's about our future." Alice started carefully, answering the question in his eyes.

"Everything has been going so fast since we've been together..." She looked down at her hands, nervously.

"Isn't that nice?" FP wondered, not seeing the harm in it.

"I know we'll be together forever, FP... but before we move in together I need one thing." She took a deep breath, as her eyes linked directly with his.

"What is that?" He asked her, gently.

"You're constantly telling me to stop apologizing for the past, but I cannot leave it behind when I feel like you haven't said everything to me." She tightened their hand hold as something in his eyes changed.

"I don't want you to bottle up anything because you thinks it's for the best." Alice's twinkled sadly.

She knew they would make it, she knew that they had a bright future. However, for her to really leave everything behind she needed to know he hadn't been holding back. She wanted to know it all, even the painful parts.

"So, what I need you to do is tell me everything you've been angry about." She said determinedly, not backing out even when the thought of hearing how he had felt made her anxious.

"I don't want that, Al. We're good, really." FP said softly, giving her that sweet and assuring smile that made her feel oh so safe.

"If we're good, then how can I still see the same hurt in your eyes?" She asked quietly, her own lashing fluttering as her eyes filled with tears, only thinking about how devastated he had been.

FP looked down at their entwined fingers and swallowed. She saw right through him, always. It was no use fighting it, nor did he want to.

"You're right, sometimes it does still hurt." His lashes fluttered as he tried to keep his emotions at bay.

FP was used to bury everything that's ever hurt deep down. She wouldn't let him and while it was confronting, he believed for that to be a good thing.

"When I am alone at night, and I think about the few months after you left, I can feel that pain again." He said lowly, being scared to look at her, scared that he would hurt her if he would admit how much he had hurt.

"I barely slept, Alice. All I could see when I closed my eyes was you with someone else." FP shook his head confused as if he was trying to shake the image away.

"I've thought some horrible things. For so long I wished for you to hurt the same way I did, so could feel what you did to me." He finally looked up at her and couldn't do anything else but focus on her slightly trembling bottom lip.

"But now I know what you went through, and I feel like I called this upon you." He reached with his fingers for her lip to softly caress the delicate skin, hoping to still it.

"I don't want you to hurt, Alice. Never again. I will do anything in my power to protect you." FP took her face into his hands and looked at her with so much adoration that still made Alice question if she deserved it.