fade to black | james hetfield [1]

thirty nine

chapter thirty nine: wishing well

As time passed and they became accustomed to their new way of living, a sudden realization hit James, seemingly out of nowhere. 

He and Iris were living together now. That was obvious, but what wasn't so obvious? The status of his and Iris's relationship.

He never asked Iris to be his girlfriend before, never even took her on a real date, but he did love her.

She had to realize that they were more than just friends, right? He confessed his love to her, and she reciprocated, that was a telltale sign that the "friend zone" disappeared a long time ago. 

James didn't know why he was panicking about this right now. Iris wasn't even home, she was currently at work, getting training at her new job.

He shook his head, trying to rid of the thought and focus on something else. Grabbing his guitar nearby, he began to strum some notes, hoping to get some inspiration to do something else than overthink.

Even though James was able to distract himself for a bit, it was no use once Iris came back home from work. When he lifted his head to see her walking through the door, all of that went out the window.

She smiled as she came through the door, looking at James. "Hey, I'm home." She announced, throwing her sweater on the coat hanger as she set her things down. 

James didn't respond, simply watching her from his spot on the couch. He truly loved her with his whole heart, and he couldn't go on with knowing she was just a "love interest." 

He was ready to be there for her, through the tender moments and the difficult ones. He never wanted to go a day without seeing her laugh or smile. Even though music was important to him, so was Iris. 

Iris immediately took notice of his lack of a response, raising an eyebrow. "Is everything okay?" She asked, her voice laced with concern as she looked at him. 

James blinked and nodded, getting torn away from his thoughts again. "Yeah, everything's fine." He replied, looking back down at his guitar.

"Alright then," She chuckled, a bit worried, but deciding to leave it alone. "Wanna get something to eat later?" She asked, watching him play his guitar. 

"Yeah, sure." James replied, plucking at the strings mindlessly, waiting for her to leave. Iris could tell that he needed some alone time, assuming he wanted to focus on his music, so she left the room shortly after.

He felt bad that he wasn't being completely honest with her, the last thing he wanted to do was keep his emotions hidden. But he had no idea how to go about asking the "big question" without making a fool of himself.

James groaned, shaking his head and going back to trying to make some music on the guitar for the hell of it. He was making this out to be much bigger than it needed to be, it wasn't like he was asking her to get married. 

Iris ordered takeout later on that night, looking forward to spending another night in with James. She was still concerned about James, he was a bit quieter than usual, but she didn't want to pressure him to talk.

While they ate, he asked her about her day. He loved listening to her talk, especially when it came to something she was passionate about. It also gave him enough time to build up his confidence.

As silence fell between them, he decided it would be best to just go out and say it. They made it this far and there was no reason why she would say no. 

"Iris, will you be my girlfriend?" He suddenly blurts out. Iris turned to him with wide eyes, clearly taken back by his sudden question.

The longer the silence went on, the more James started to regret even saying anything in the first place. It felt like all the air had been sucked out of the room.

He sighed, preparing to hear the inevitable response of rejection. "Look Iris, just forget I said anything." He said, sitting back on the couch and keeping his eyes glued to the ground.

"You don't need to ask me to be your girlfriend." Iris spoke up. She had always seen James to be more than just a friend, long before they even shared their first kiss.

James lifted his head to look at her, feeling his heartbeat quicken at what she said. For someone who had a hard time with his feelings, it was crazy to think she was starting to have this effect on him. 

"I know, but..." He shrugs and thinks it over. "...You're so special to me, you deserve to be asked properly." He admits, slightly blushing as he waits for her response. 

Iris couldn't help but laugh as she listened to his reasoning. "What? You don't really think I'm going to say no, do you?" She teased.

James couldn't help but laugh along with her, now feeling foolish when she put it that way. "I hope not." He smirked, a hopeful glint in his eye as he looked at her. 

It was crazy to think that this was where they were now. For someone who wanted nothing to do with James when she first met him, she seemingly had him wrapped around her finger. 

Deciding not to prolong the silence any further, Iris answered. "I'll be your girlfriend, James." She smiles, leaning over to press a kiss onto his cheek. James took her hand gently, his fingers intertwining with hers. 

That night would mark the start of a new beginning.