Years Of Love

Truths

The party was still in full swing, but somehow, I felt like I was standing outside of it, watching everything happen around me. The laughter, the music, the people—it all blurred together as I walked back inside with Azzi by my side. My chest still buzzed from the rush of the dance-off, and even though I was trying to play it cool, my mind kept drifting back to the way Azzi had been looking at me all night.

We made our way to the living room, where people were gathered in small groups, chatting and sipping their drinks. The lights were dim, casting soft shadows over everyone's faces, and the music from the backyard faintly hummed in the background.

"Need a break?" Azzi asked, raising an eyebrow as she took a seat on the arm of the couch.

I nodded, letting out a breath I didn't realize I'd been holding. "Yeah, definitely. I didn't expect Kk to throw me into the middle of that."

Azzi smiled, her eyes flickering with amusement. "You did good, though. Better than I expected."

"Gee, thanks," I said, rolling my eyes but unable to stop myself from smiling back. "I didn't make a total fool of myself?"

"Not at all," she replied softly, her gaze lingering on mine for a second longer than necessary. It was like she was trying to say something without saying it.

I shifted awkwardly, glancing around the room. Ice and Kk were by the windows, both deep in conversation with a group of girls from the volleyball team. Nika had disappeared somewhere—probably off doing her own thing like always. The house was packed, the energy buzzing, but somehow, standing next to Azzi felt different. Everything else faded away, and I was hyper-aware of her presence, of the warmth between us.

"Want to go somewhere quieter?" Azzi asked suddenly, her voice low.

I blinked, caught off guard. "Uh, sure."

She hopped off the arm of the couch and motioned for me to follow her. I trailed behind her, weaving through the crowd until we found a small, empty room near the back of the house. It was quieter here, the music muffled and distant, the voices from the party just a soft hum in the background.

Azzi closed the door behind us, and suddenly, it felt like the air shifted. The room was dimly lit by a small lamp in the corner, casting a warm, golden glow over everything. We stood there for a moment, neither of us saying anything, the silence stretching between us.

"So..." I started, my voice sounding too loud in the small space. "What's up?"

Azzi leaned against the wall, crossing her arms over her chest. Her expression was unreadable, but her eyes... her eyes were searching mine, like she was trying to figure out what to say.

"I don't know," she said quietly. "I just... I feel like we haven't really talked. Like, really talked. You know?"

I nodded slowly, unsure of where she was going with this. "Yeah, I guess. I mean, we've been busy with practice, and Kk always has us running around doing something crazy..."

"That's not what I mean," she interrupted softly. Her voice was barely above a whisper, and the way she said it made my heart skip a beat. She looked down at the floor, almost like she was too nervous to meet my gaze.

I swallowed, my throat suddenly dry. "Then what do you mean?"

She hesitated for a moment, biting her lip before finally looking up at me. "I feel like... like something's been different between us lately. And I don't know if it's just me, but... I don't want to keep pretending like I don't notice it."

I froze, my heart pounding in my chest. My mind was racing, trying to process what she was saying, but all I could focus on was the way her eyes were locked on mine, her gaze intense and vulnerable at the same time.

"Azzi, I—" I started, but she cut me off.

"No, let me just... let me finish," she said quickly, taking a step closer to me. "I've been trying to figure this out for a while now, and it's been driving me crazy because I don't know what to do about it. But every time I'm around you, it feels like there's something... more. And I don't know if you feel it too, but I can't keep pretending like I don't."

Her words hung in the air, heavy and loaded with meaning. My heart was racing, and I couldn't seem to catch my breath. I wanted to say something, anything, but my mind was a mess, a jumble of emotions that I didn't know how to untangle.

Azzi took another step closer, and now we were standing so close I could feel the warmth radiating off her. Her eyes searched mine, her expression both nervous and hopeful, like she was waiting for me to say something that would make everything make sense.

And in that moment, I realized that I did feel it. I had been feeling it for a while now, but I'd been too scared to acknowledge it. Too scared of what it might mean. But standing here, with her so close, looking at me like that... I couldn't deny it anymore.

"I feel it too," I whispered, my voice barely audible.

Azzi's eyes widened slightly, and for a second, I thought she didn't hear me. But then her expression softened, and a small, relieved smile tugged at the corners of her lips.

"You do?" she asked, her voice quiet but filled with hope.

I nodded, my throat tight with emotion. "Yeah. I do."

For a moment, we just stood there, the air between us charged with something electric. I could feel my heart pounding in my chest, and I was suddenly hyper-aware of everything—the way her breath hitched slightly, the way her fingers brushed against mine as they hung by her sides, the way her eyes seemed to see right through me.

And then, before I could think about it, before I could second-guess myself, I closed the distance between us and kissed her.

It was soft at first, tentative, like we were both testing the waters. But then she kissed me back, and suddenly, everything felt right. All the tension, all the uncertainty, melted away, replaced by a warmth that spread through me like wildfire.

When we finally pulled away, we were both breathless, our foreheads resting against each other's as we tried to catch our breath. Neither of us said anything for a long moment, the silence speaking louder than any words could.

Finally, Azzi smiled, her eyes twinkling in the dim light. "I've been waiting for that."

I laughed softly, my chest still buzzing with the aftermath of the kiss. "Yeah... me too."

We stood there for a moment longer, the world outside the room feeling miles away. Everything else—Kk, Ice, the party, the noise—it all faded into the background. All that mattered was us, standing there in that quiet room, figuring out what came next.

And for the first time in a long time, I wasn't scared of what that might be.