All Of The Ways We Differ

Part 12

Freds POV

Fred stood watching you talk with Ginny, feeling relief as you both laughed with one another. The buzz in the air of a successful grand opening still had his nervous system on high. He tried focusing on the ledger of sales, his attention continuing to pull back to you. He should be feeling proud, ecstatic even, yet anxiety riddled him. No success of this store meant anything to him if he couldn't share it with you. He would be lying if he said he wasn't terrified of losing you, he wished he could go back in time to convince George to talk to you sooner or told you himself.

He had sat on your front stoop all night, just on the off chance you had changed your mind and decided to talk to him. Only getting up to return to the burrow when the sun had risen over the hills, telling him he had to get home to get dressed for his first day. He would never admit to anyone that the reason he didn't sleep a wink that night was not because of pre-opening jitters, but because he refused to know waking up without you.

He still had no idea where your relationship stood, but you showed up today and that had to mean something right? Replaying the moment you came to fix his waist coat; he craved your skin to brush against his. His hands had been shaking so badly trying to get dressed, he was surprised he had not made more mistakes. When that jerk had been flirting with you at the counter, he could have burned a hole into the back of his head with how hard he was staring. Although, when he had asked "are they your boyfriends or something like that?" you had replied "something like that." Were you just trying to deter this guy? Or did you mean it? Fred would have given anything to have you come rest your head on his arm the way you do when you're both focusing on the same thing. Your embrace always saved him from himself, you were the lighthouse on the coast pulling him back to safety every day. Standing in this uncomfortable limbo, he was more lost than he cared to let himself understand.

"Are you even listening to me?" George's question dragged him back to the task at hand.

Fred pressed his palms into his eyes in attempts to force them to focus. "I'm sorry George, just tired. It's been a long day."

Reopening his eyes, he looked up to find you glancing over in his direction, butterflies filled his entire body as you gave him a small smile before looking back to Ginny. It was enough to nearly bring him to his knees. Seeing you talk to Ginny gave him hope, if you could talk it out with her, maybe you could talk it out with him and George.

"Why don't we pick this back up in the morning, day two has to be a little less crazy." George closed the book, putting it under his arm, his gaze now also shifting to you. "Has she said anything more to you?"

Fred shook his head, "not yet. I thought maybe after we closed, but I don't want to push her. I'm just grateful she was here at all."

The twins watched as you carried boxes of restock into the back with their sister. "I really am sorry Fred. I should have told her, or maybe we should have told her together. I don't know what came over me."

Fred couldn't find the words to respond, he wasn't mad at George, he wasn't mad at all, just devastated and confused. He shared a look with his brother, trusting he would know what it meant.

George nodded, "We will fix this, even if that means she never speaks to me again, you deserve to be happy, you both do."

If Fred was confident that he could have spoken his mind without breaking down in front of everyone, he would have told George that he was hoping that you would choose to be with both of them. You deserved more love than what one person could provide, who better to help give you the world but George? You loved so deeply, he sometimes felt unworthy of your praises, but he was thanking the stars that he got them.