You'll Be Fine • {Remington Leith}

e-i-g-h-t

"Do you mind?" Remington asked, motioning to the empty space at the edge of her bunk. She shook her head and watched as he climbed in beside her. Everything about him looked so soft and sweet and she longed to touch him, to hold him close to her and never let him go. She didn't, of course, propping herself up on an elbow and watching as he did the same.

They watched each other in silence for a while, seemingly feeling each other out. She wasn't sure why he was there, what he could possibly have to say to her, but she knew what she had to say to him.

"I'm really sorry, Rem. I don't know why I'm like this - why I push away anyone who might give a shit about me. I'm sorry I've been a dick to you, I'm sorry I've pushed you away and treated you like you didn't matter, because you did. You always mattered, and now I've ruined that and it's my fault and I'm sorry," she told him, watching as his big brown eyes took her in.

"I was a dick too. I didn't want to get close either. I've had so many goddamn failed relationships, girls I swore I loved that just ended up fucking me over in the end. When I met you, I immediately knew something was different about you, and it scared me. Hell, I'm still fucking scared of you. That don't give a fuck, won't take any shit attitude of yours is so different than literally anything I've ever experienced before. I said last night that you're desperate to be the cool aloof girl, but you're not. You don't have to try, you just are the cool aloof girl and I can't fucking get enough of it," he told her, his voice low and laced with something she couldn't quite put her finger on.

She looked him over carefully, from the way his unstyled hair flopped messily about his head, to the way his big doe eyes looked at her with so much emotion in them, all the way down to the soft sweater and black sweatpants he was wearing. He was beautiful, a work of art, and suddenly she longed for him more than she'd ever longed for anyone in her entire life.

"What are you saying?" she asked, hoping the conclusion she'd brought herself to was the impression he'd actually meant to give.

"I'm saying that I pushed you away last night and said the things I did because I was a fucking idiot. I thought I could forget about you and that we'd both be better off if we just pushed it down and pretended we didn't have feelings for each other, but I can't do that. I can't ignore it or push it down," he told her, shrugging.

"I'm in love with you, Blake. I think I have been since the fucking day I met you. I love that you don't take shit from anyone but that you're still soft and sweet to the people you love. I love that you don't give a shit what you look like and because of it you're absolutely fucking gorgeous all the time. I love the way your eyes fix on me when you're mad like you're trying to burn me to the ground with them. I love everything about you and I refuse to spend another second pretending I don't," he told her, his words bringing tears to her eyes unexpectedly. He reached for her, concerned, and she shook her head as his hand landed on her cheek.

"I... I love you too," she managed, the simple words being all she could muster at the second. She swallowed hard, taking a deep breath. "I love you too," she said in a much stronger tone. "I love you so much, and I'm sorry I've been too stubborn to admit it to you or myself, but I don't know what to do with that information, Remy. I don't. I'm shit at relationships, I always fuck them up, and I don't know how to keep them safe and healthy," she told him, sniffling lightly. More tears fell from her eyes and Remington reached for her again, pulling her close to his chest in a hug.

"Listen to me," he said quietly, not loosening his grip on her even a little bit. Her face was pressed to the soft fabric of the sweater on his chest so she couldn't look at him, but his soft voice rumbled in his chest in a way that made her feel safe and at home. She nodded.

"I don't know how to do this shit either, B. I don't, but I'm so fucking willing to try and figure it out with you. I think we could figure it out together, I really do. I know you're scared, I'm scared too, but I love you and I want you. I want you to be mine and I want to be yours. I know we'll still argue, I know things might go to shit sometimes and be hard, but I'm willing to take all of it if it means I still have you sitting in front of me loving me," he said, bringing tears to her eyes again. She pulled away from him enough to look at him, studying his eyes intently.

"I love you," she whispered, smiling at him even though tears still fell steadily from her eyes.

"I love you too," he replied, wiping at her tears with his thumb and then pressing his lips to hers, pulling her into a sweet kiss.

"How the fuck are we going to tell everyone?" she asked, making him laugh into her lips.

"We could just pretend to still hate each other?" he questioned quietly, making her laugh with him.

"Your brothers know both of us well enough to see through that in a second."

He nodded.

"We're just gonna have to take the shit they put us through because of it. We're strong. We'll survive," he promised, laughing again as his lips reconnected with hers.