The Original Genius

33 - Truth

You're woken by the banging of the grand front doors to the mansion.

"EVIE. EVIE? EVELYN?!" You hear Howard scream, it was gut wrenching, it jolted you awake in a blind painc.

"Howard?!" You reply.

As you sit up you realise you're in yours and Howard's room, your tired body autopiloted you into your normal bedroom, instead of your stubborn protest into the spare room across the hall.

You hear his shoes barrelling down the marble hallway and swing the door open. Panic across his face, fear in his eyes and his forehead glistening from sweat.

"What's wrong? Is it Bucky? Steve? Are you hurt?" You ask puzzled. You pull the duvet off you, swing your legs over the edge of the bed, watching him closely.

Howard makes his way across the bedroom, fixed solely on you. As he reaches the bed, he grabs hold of your face and comes crashing down onto you.

The world fell away, your worries vanished, your doubts non-existent. All you could focus on was him.

The breathlessness was apparent, the wetness of his lips was warm against your own, the grip on your face was deathly, no one could pry him from you if they tried.

After a few minutes of an earth shattering kiss, Howard pulls away, but still holds onto you. The look in his eyes was heart-breaking, he was flooded with hurt and fear.

"Steve told you didn't he? He told you what I was fearing?" You breathe out, your eyes flooding.

"I'm sorry, I am so sorry that you had to find out that Howard, I er-"

Before you can continue he comes back down onto you, this time it was gentler, passionate and loving. Each time it had your stomach fluttering, your heart pounding and heat instantly rushed to your cheeks.

Your need for this man was evident in every inch of your body. You were his and he wanted you to remember that.

Once again, he pulls away and grazes his thumb against your bottom lip, his eyes watching as he did. Then you watched his deep, earthly, soulful eyes flick up and look right into yours.

"Evelyn, I want you to listen to me and do not interrupt or react until I've finished. You hear me?" Howard plainly says.

All you can muster is a nod, you were worried again. You didn't know why, after the kisses you knew you had nothing to worry about. But this was your mind. It overthought you overthinking.

"I understand why that was your first thought, given how the majority of our friendship has gone. But, you should also know that I've never loved anyone before you. In fact, I've never loved anyone but you. That will never waver, it will always be you." He strokes your cheek, you close your eyes and lean into the touch.

"Now, you did see a look that day. I had a plan. A ploy if you will and it was working. Until Steve told me what you said and nothing on this planet was worth you doubting my love for you. So here it is. I wanted to go to the visit with you but I knew you would never let me."

You furrow your brows, your eyes frantically looking into his, then to the ground trying to get your head around what he was saying.

"You're stubborn my sweet, you'd want to go alone, and deal with the pain and trauma alone. But I couldn't let that happen, so I thought if I could get you to fall out with me, you'd ignore me and then wouldn't ever think I'd follow you to the prison... so that way I could follow you undetected and be right there if you needed me. Without any protests, without any hesitation and prevent you figuring out how you could bottle it up on the drive home."

Howard allows a tear to fall, you could see this was hurting him, but you couldn't figure which part, the lies, the fallout, the doubts or the thought of you struggling.

"I just wanted to protect you Evelyn. I never wanted you to doubt me. To doubt us."

You're silent for a couple of minutes, digesting the information, the confession. You could feel Howard's eyes burning into you.

You look up and you see the fear still in his eyes so you remove his hands from your face and stand.

You look at him, seeing fresh tears subtly fall. Howard took a step back, giving you space to decide what you wanted to do with the information.

You look down, shake your head and walk towards the door, you hear Howard's breath catch, glancing over your shoulder you see his head dipped with his hands on his hips. He couldn't bare to watch.

With one hand, you place it on the door and close it. Still stood in the room, Howard raises his head and the shock on his face when he sees you're still there breaks you in two. He thought you'd leave.

He breathes a sigh of relief before marching to you and crashing back jnfo you, pushing flush against the back of the door. Your hands quickly finding their way into his hair, then on his jacket as you ripped it from him, with your leg wrapped around his thigh.

"Evie" Howard breaths out.

Your stomach was doing flips, your heart pounding, even if you wanted to, you could never be mad at this idiotic genius. Your love for him outweighed any other emotion.

You pull yourself away for a second and look closely at Howard, both of your chests rising and falling rapidly as the adrenaline coursed through you both.

"I understand why you did it." You say calmly, seeing Howard lean back, he knew there was something else to be said.

"But don't ever manipulate me into your will again Howard, you know me better than that. We are better than that. Just talk to me, please."

"Evie, if I'd of thought you'd of listened i-"

"I used to be stubborn. Not anymore. After seeing you that day in the tent on that camp, I'd never put you through that pain and turmoil again. You're more than my bestfriend and you know it. You're the love of my life Howard and I'd sooner open up against my better nature, than watch you crumble."

Tears fall from both of your eyes, he knew this was hard for you to admit and commit to, but that also confirmed the depth of your love for him.

Wiping a single tear from your cheek, he hoists you up by your ass and carries you to the bed, he delicately lies you down and positions himself between your legs.

He kisses you gently, but with love on your lips then your neck, chest, before coming back to your lips and devouring you like it was the last thing he'd ever do.

"Marry me."