Scratch

Thirty-One

"Becky!" Freen called out into the pouring night sky, frantically searching for the younger woman before she spotted her storming down the sidewalk, already drenched. Freen ran after her, suffering the same fate. "Beck, please wait!"

Becky paused when she heard the panic in Freen's voice and turned around, rain streaming down her face as she tried to shield her eyes from it. "What? How can we ever take the next..." She stopped herself and inhaled deeply with frustration as Freen approached her. "Move ahead with... this... Whatever this is, if you continue to look at me as some child?"

"Look, can we talk about this inside at least?" Freen found herself having to almost shout over the hard rain hitting them. She reached for Becky's hand, but it was quickly pulled from her reach.

"Say what you want now so that I can just get out of here." Becky growled threateningly. She was hurt and embarrassed, silently chastising herself for her own naivety.

"I don't see you as a child, Beck. I'm just... I'm scared, okay?" Freen sighed when she uttered those words in admittance, not sure whether they were loud enough for Becky to even hear.

Becky's expression changed as the words registered, though. Her features softened slightly, then twisted in confusion. "Scared? Of what?" She forced her resolve to remain strong.

"Scared of disappointing you." Freen's voice grew even lower as she stepped close enough to Becky to be able to make out the dark colour of her eyes. "You're the best thing to have happened to me...ever. I am so scared that if we go there... Maybe it's not what you want, or I'm not what you want." Freen lowered her head and leaned in closer, a little relieved when Becky allowed her to rest her forehead against Becky's. "Honestly... Beck... You're a fucking angel and I'm scared of getting my heart broken. And I'd never forgive myself if, somehow someway, I managed to hurt you."

Freen's revelation made Becky stop dead in her tracks, the smaller woman going dead silent as the words mulled around in her head, trying her best to understand them fully. She wasn't sure which part caught her off guard the most. "Your heart? That would mean..." She trailed off, looking up to search for the truth in Freen's eyes.

"Yeah..." Freen laughed and nodded, reaching for Becky's hands to hold her close. "That would mean I'm in love with you..."

Becky's heart fluttered at the confession that now seemed to slip from Freen so freely. Becky laced her fingers with Freen's and sniffled against the water still pouring down her face. "Then why would you hurt me?"

Freen slowly shook her head before leaning it against Becky's again. "By feeling I have nothing worthy to offer you, then tucking tail and running away."

"All I've ever wanted or asked for is you. Just you. Don't you know how crazy I am about you?" Becky scowled at Freen, but she didn't move and no longer had the urge to walk away. After hearing what Freen had to say she never wanted to be with her more.

Freen shrugged, feeling foolish now after everything, but knowing she still had some patching up to do. "Then... I think you should be my girlfriend... Officially." It was difficult to get the words out and once they were, Freen's heart was hammering wildly against her ribcage, feeling fear for the first time in her life.

She didn't have to feel it for long, however, as she soon felt Becky's hands wrap around her cheeks and her soft lips press into her own. Freen melted into the sweet kiss, the sweetest she had ever felt or tasted in her life, and wrapped her arms so tightly around the smaller woman that she feared she might squeeze the life out of her.

"That's all I wanted..." Becky nearly whispered against Freen's lips when they slowly broke apart slightly to come up for air, but she was happy to continue drowning in another embrace a few seconds later.

The water still came down in a harsh torrent all around them, but little did they care, their bodies heating up against one another providing enough warmth.

It was all either of them really wanted or needed. It was nothing but one another.