Leo's Gold

Eight | "Fuck, it's awkward now."

Leo didn't know if he had the courage to walk up to Sage and greet her. He didn't know if he was man enough to face his feelings and tell her how he feels. For a man that had only had a few relationships that weren't serious, he had no fucking idea what he was doing. In no way was he experienced in this ordeal with admitting his feelings. He didn't even know if Sage felt the same. She clearly had made her point that she wanted to be friends and hadn't suggested to be more than that. But at the same time, Leo knew he was somewhat responsible for being the one to put his feelings on the line rather than the girl. He just didn't want to get his feelings and ego crushed completely by the few words it would take - I don't feel the same - to send him straight into a six foot deep ditch to be buried in. He really wasn't ready for that.

But somehow he managed to get the words fuck it to go through his mind and walk up to Sage who was immediately shocked that she had saw the man she was thinking about moments before. And she wasn't just thinking about him in a friendly manner and or thinking about fun things they could do together as friends - she was thinking more in the region of dates and how good he would look with his hair messed up as she ran her hands through it. These thoughts terrified her to the bone. And when she saw Leo's face all those thought rose in her throat and she almost choked on the words she wanted to spill.

"Hey." Leo simply said, biting his lip nervously. Out of instinct he ran a hand through his light hair. Sage never noticed how much he did it, and now looking at him do it in front of her she couldn't handle the thoughts of running her hand through his soft hair and tugging on the ends that coursed through her mind.

Sage smiled weakly, "Hey, Leo." Both of their hearts were racing at an abnormal speed, their throats were both closing up and both had sweaty palms. Back when Sage was with Parker, she never felt this way. Maybe a little excitement as she rode on the back of his motorcycle but never like this. And to think, just a few days ago Sage resented the thought of Leo and "dating". But now, this is all she could think about.

"Seems to be fate that we both keep running into each other." Leo quietly chuckled under his breath but quickly stopped as Sage breathed out nervously and stood up. They both were very close, and Leo figured she could hear his obnoxious heartbeat that fluttered as she stood close to his body. He could smell coconut and strawberries on her, and inhaled deeply savoring the way she smelled naturally.

"Seems to be," she momentarily stopped her words as her eyebrows creased looking into his green eyes, "Fuck." She quickly looked away and closed her eyes. Sage couldn't help but melt into his eyes when he looked at her the way he did. She could tell he felt the same, and that she was the problem here. She couldn't bring herself to look back up at him and she simply bent over to grab her bag and pull it onto her shoulder. "I'm sorry, Leo. This is just.. fuck it's awkward now. I have to go."

Leo nodded, and watched her walk away slowly with her head down. No. He thought, not this time. "Wait, Sage." Sage hesitantly turned around on her heel and licked her lips. "Yeah?"

"Ever since I met you, no one else is worth thinking about. I-I know that was the stupidest fucking thing ever to say, but it's true. Ever since I saw you in that bar, I felt your pain and it hurt me to see you like that and I didn't even know you. And I still don't know you because you won't tell me anything and you won't let me in. But-but that's beside the point, the point of all this is-is... to say I like you, and I-I... I want to know you better Sage."

Sage stood dumbfounded; at a loss for words. No man had ever said any of those words before to her. No man had ever been brave enough to show his feelings for her no matter what the outcome might be. But Leo did.

"And I don't care if you don't like me back or you don't feel the same, I just want you to know I want to be so much more than fucking friends. I mean the friend zone really sucks and even though I can hang out with you and all I-"

Leo noticed how close Sage had gotten. So close that he could feel his chest heaving up and down and every time it would it would brush against her's. "Shut up." Sage said, breathing heavily beside him with very short breaths.

"Wha-"

In a split second Sage wrapped her arms around Leo's neck and drew him closer. "I said," she whispered against his neck, "shut up." Leo licked his lips and bit at his lower one and before his thought-filled mind could process it, Sage's lips were on his and he was kissing her back with everything he had in him.

And finally he was sure, that Sage felt the same.