Perfectly Imperfect || C. Diggory

𝐂𝐡𝐚𝐩𝐭𝐞𝐫 𝐓𝐡𝐢𝐫𝐭𝐲-𝐍𝐢𝐧𝐞 || 𝐀𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐨𝐠𝐢𝐞𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐧𝐬𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐬 *

My head hurt. There was a pounding in my head, thumping against the ache under my eyelids. It was the first thing I noticed when my body came back to consciousness. I forced my eyes to open, and I gasped when I found myself in Cedric's dorm. He seriously didn't have the decency to bring me back to my own bed?

I sat up, still in my dress from last night, and looked around. Steve was in his bed, sleeping, and Cedric was nowhere to be found. Though, I suspected he was in his bathroom because the door was closed, and I might have heard the shower water running, but I wasn't sure.

I stood up, and sluggishly walked to the door to leave before Cedric could find me, but he caught me just as I was leaving. "Wait, darling, please! Please just let me talk to you." His voice was desperate, and urgent. I turned around to see him in nothing but sweatpants, a towel draped over his arm.

"You have five minutes. And if you can't give me a good enough to stay with you - then we're done." I huffed, closing the door behind me as I stepped back into Cedric's dorm.

Steve had awoken. He looked up, and stared at us for a moment. He stood up, and walked to the bathroom to give us privacy. Cedric sighed, sitting down on his bed.

"I don't know where to start," he said, dropping his head against the headboard, "I guess I should begin with an apology... I'm sorry, y/n, I- I never should have lied to you. You don't deserve that. You deserve complete transparency from me, and I apologize sincerely, for not holding myself up to expectation. I love you, and I'm sorry."

"You have four more minutes. Tell me why, explain to me why you lied to me. Tell me what happened."

"I... don't know. I regretted having lost it to her. I never loved her the way I love you. I don't think I- I ever loved her, really. And that lie, it just sort of slipped off my tongue like nothing. I couldn't just own up to it seconds later, right? That'd be... anyway, I just never worked up the nerve to tell you the truth. The longer I kept it a secret, the bigger of a hole I was digging myself into, and I promise, my love, it was never my intention to hurt you. I'm so sorry, I never should have lied."

"Why did you, then?" I said through gritted teeth. Although his apology was softening the harshness of my clenched jaw.

"I also didn't want to upset you. I had taken her to The Three Broomsticks just a few weeks prior to New Years... and when the question came up it was almost like instinct to say that lie. We had just nearly broken up over Georgina, and I didn't want to jeopardize our relationship any further because of her. And I know that actions are stronger than words but all I can do right now is tell you how sorry I am, and prove to you that nothing like that will ever happen again. If I could physically take back what I did, one being lie to you, and two being lose my virginity to her, I would. I want you. I love you. Please, forgive me, y/n."

I sighed, taking in his award-winning apology. He really did know the way to my heart, somehow even when I was going to break up with him. I knew that I didn't really want to, but I needed to raise the stakes, see how truly sorry he was.

"I can't just forgive you that easily." I said to him. He shoulders fell, and his gaze leveled with the bedpost beside me, avoiding eye contact.

"I know, and I'm sorry. I don't expect you to. I'll do anything to make it up to you. Anything. I can't lose you. I love you. I love you." He finally met my eyes, and I softly smiled.

"Ced, I love you, too. I'll never not love you." I spoke carefully, choosing my words wisely. "And, while you were talking I was thinking... I mean, virginity is just a label. I'm glad you took that label from me, even though the title isn't important to me. I'm fine with the fact you weren't a virgin when we started talking. And it's not that I'm upset you had sex with Georgina- but don't get me wrong, anyone who touches you besides me I'm automatically, um- jealous of... but I'm upset that you lied to me. Just promise me, no more lies. No more secrets."