Scorn and Devotion

Chapter 49

warnings - bad parent, unrequited love, confessions, mentions of injury, drinking the pain away, bad reputation, arguing with parents, smut, unprotected sex, friends with benefits, hatred, panic attack, mentions of alcohol, mentions of torture, idiots in love

Timothée's brows were knit together in confusion as he processed what I said.

"Don't get engaged tomorrow, and don't get married. Please, Timothée, I am in love with you."

"Oh," and he was chuckling, I felt my heart sink into my stomach. "I thought you were going to tell me you knew one of the girls was planning a coup or something."

I felt hurt mingle with anger, and then confusion as well.

"Timothée, did you hear what I said," I asked.

"Yeah, I am just waiting to wake up. Would you mind pinching me?" He offered up his arm and I pushed it away. My eyes were wide as I tried to make sense of his odd actions.

"What are you talking about Timothée? This isn't a dream. I just told you I am in love with you and this is your response?"

"I'm just, I think I am just reeling because if this isn't a dream, then it is the best damn day of my entire life."

"Wait?" I asked cautiously. "What? What do you mean by that?"

A wry smile graced his oh-so-perfect lips. He ran a hand distractedly through his curls and shook his head. All the while, anxious energy continued to rise inside of me.

"Are you making fun of me?" He finally asked.

"What? No, of course not!"

"Y/n I have been in love with you since I was sixteen! Probably before then," Timothée said earnestly. "I thought it was obvious, I thought it was part of the reason you hated me, because you were angry that I ruined our friendship."

"No, of course not. It wasn't obvious at all," I spoke quickly, in half-thoughts, not able to quite wrap my head around his profession. "Wait, sixteen? How? Why didn't you say something?"

Timothée looked at me as though I were insane. Then, he was chuckling again. There was a weight that had left his shoulders though, and I could see it in every move he made.

"You know, you usually got higher scores than me in Natalie's lessons, but for someone so smart you are asking very dumb questions."

"Timmy," I whined.

"You know I adore it when you call me that," he said, clasping my hands and kissing my cheek cheerfully.

"You're purposefully ignoring the subject," I scolded, but my cheeks were red with happiness and I didn't let go of his hands.

"Fine," he sighed. "I suppose I should tell you from the beginning, there are some things you deserve to know."

"Deserve to know?" I parroted back, the high-pitched tone of voice relaying my fear.

"Don't interrupt me now I've agreed to start," he chuckled pushing locks of hair behind my ear lovingly, and I couldn't get over the look of adoration in his eyes. "You seem like you'd like all the details, so you should get ready for a long story."

I made a show of pulling the blankets closer around me and readjusting the pillows. He laughed at this, but became somber after a moment. He ran a hand through his curls again and I wanted to do the same, but I didn't want to distract him from his story.

"It probably had been building and growing before then, but when I really remember it starting was at your fifteenth birthday party. I'd turned sixteen two months prior and the event had been a boring and tedious affair."