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— OUT OF EVERY response she thought she could've gotten, him saying he was in love with her, was not in fact, one of them that had crossed through her mind. it was the last one, really. and for a moment, she didn't believe it. for a moment, she remembered no one had ever said that. sure, her parents and friends had said they loved her, but in the most obvious way, nobody had said they were in love with her. even if they did, it wouldn't be like how he said it.
well, anything that came out of his mouth was better in his voice than hearing it from someone else. she just liked seeing his lips move, listening to his voice reach her ears. listen to him tell her he was in love with her, something she didn't expect.
she blinked. like she always did. and blinked again, trying to find something to say. "for how long?" she questioned him, sliding her hands away from the swing and placing them on her thighs, curling them up together to stop from reaching out at him and either punching his horrifyingly gorgeous face, or, kissing him.
raelynn didn't really know which was best . . . probably the kiss would be best if she were to reach out to him. if she grew the confidence up to do it, that is. his lips pursed, fingers messing with the metal on the swing, his head turning downwards to avoid making eye contact. was it always this awkward to confess your love for a girl you've known for little over a month?
perhaps. in a way, all tristian could hope was that she could love him back, like the love they saw in movies. an innocent and pure love that didn't have an expiration date on it. "i-i don't know." he sniffled, wanting to take a rock and smash his head with it. it was getting too awkward too quickly, and he began to ponder on if she was really in love with him like he was in love with her.
"since i've met you, i think. i've felt this- this uh.." his hand moved to his chest, feeling around where his heart would be, then moving in an up and down pattern. "this thumping. it gets louder and quicker around you. like i can't control it or anything that goes on in my chest and stomach." tristan attempts to explain, and her eyes soften at the description of how he feels around her. she knew that feeling because she felt it around him too. she felt the butterflies in her stomach, swarming up into her ribcage as her heart pounded against her skin.
it was a feeling she knew all too well. the want to kiss him overthrew her other conscious thoughts that would try to talk her out of doing something stupid. rae's lips lifted upwards, a small scoff erupting from her, one he started to panic over. he began to question if she was mad, if she hated him, every bad thought was filling his mind to the brim by the second. and then she grinned again, her hand reaching out to his. she held onto his pointer finger, letting it go after a moment.
he was so silly to her, it made her want to roar with laughter. "no, yeah that's- that's being in love, tris." raelynn finally said, pushing herself up off the swing and walking in front of him. her hands curled into his, quietly pushing him up with her, and then they slid up to his cheeks, gently cupping his face. "i like you, too." and he smiled back.
the boy smiled back so hard, his cheeks began to ache in the palms of her hands. tristan's fingers wrapped around her wrists, and he leaned into her touch, looking at her with a dopey smile etching his lips. they were two stupid teenagers in love, and he thanked God repeatedly in his head it was shared, not just one sided.
before he could part his lips to even reply back to her comment, she pressed her lips against his, her eyes fluttering shut, and his hands removed themselves from her wrists until they were at her waist, pulling her closer. just to make sure it was real and not some evil dream that he was trapped in. a repeating dream he had had so many times, only to wake up right before she kissed him and smiled against his mouth.
it was real this time. that's what he liked. it's what brought him back to reality. eventually, he kissed her back, leaning his head forward like he wanted to consume the kiss, while she leaned back, giggling a bit and pulling back, her ring cladded finger pressing against his lips.
"so.. are we together now?" she asks, letting the silence linger. it took her a moment to realize that was probably too soon, considering they had just kissed for the first time and she was already asking him if they were boyfriend and girlfriend. which, in hindsight, he didn't mind, not at all. he had literally constantly dreamed of making her his girlfriend, the one girl that he would want to spend the rest of his life with.
and not feel weird about it or uncomfortable after a good amount of years.
he hesitated for a second, the realization kicking into his veins again. instead of his bones aching and groaning from the weight of feeling empty for so long without having someone by his side, he now instead, felt them groan with the weight of love weighing on him.
"i uhm.. i think so?"
ruru speaks! 🌞 i fought for my life to get as many words as i did but it's whatever!!! working on the next 3 final chapters :3
