Quiet e.d

06

Ethan's POV

We pull up into my driveway and get out the car. I unlock the door, leading her into my house for the first time: she seems to like it as she quickly jumps on the couch.

E: "aww baby are you tired?"

she nods whilst opening her arms, meaning she wants to cuddle. I sit on the couch and let her rest into my arms, but I want to talk to her, therefore I pull her into my lap to then lay down with her on top of me. She gets comfortable in the new position, with the side of her face pressed up against my chest. I gently try to get her attention by squeezing my arms around her a little bit tighter, making her open her eyes and rest her chin on my chest instead.

E: "so, not only are you an amazing artist, but you're also incredible at singing... are there any more hidden talents that you want me to know about?"

I playfully poke her side a little, making her giggle.

W: "You know that I don't consider myself as any of the two so no, I don't have any hidden talents.

E: "Yeah yeah whatever"

we stay silent for a moment, but I'm interested to know more about her life.

E: "princess?"
W: "Yeah?"
E: "do you mind if we talk more about you?"

W: "um... no, why do you want to ask me something?"
E: "I do but... I-I don't wanna make you uncomfortable"

W: "Oh no baby it's ok, you can ask me anything"

E: "Ok um... when did you first find out that you had a condition?"

she sighs before sitting on my stomach, kind of straddling me but it wasn't sexual in any way.

W: "Well my mom waited until I was 7 to tell me, and I didn't really understand why I had it. I used to ask my mom if I had been a bad girl and if that was my punishment, also usually followed by a permission to be grounded instead. I don't really feel like I lived my teenage years fully, as the constant reminder of not being 'normal' I guess always stuck with me: I also got bullied for my hearing in school... you know when you're taking notes and the teacher calls on you to answer the question, I could barely even hear her calling my name, and obviously my classmates would call me deaf and all that stupid stuff. For being only 10 years old, it was kind of hard to live with such a mindset. When I said that I didn't live my teenage years fully, I meant by looking out the window at kids my age meeting up with their friends before school, and just wishing it would be that simple. Crying myself to sleep every night at 15... I felt alone, you know?"
E: "I'm sorry baby I shouldn't have asked-"

W: "No Eth, it's ok, I've been meaning to get that off my chest... it's been bottled up inside me for 10 years. Do you have something else you wanna ask me?"

E: "I do but if you don't want-"

W: "Ask away babe don't be afraid"
E: "How do you feel when you talk but can't hear your own voice?"

W: "Pretty weird actually: I can feel that little vibration in my throat and my lips moving, but no sound comes out."
She keeps drawing shapes on my chest, she's been doing that since she started talking, but every now and again looking back at me to see if I'm talking: I take the opportunity once she looks up again to ask another question.

E: "How long have you been drawing for?"

W: "since not long after my 16th birthday. It's very therapeutic for me, it helps me calm down whenever I'm a little stressed, although sometimes it doesn't work."

E: "Is that why you're drawing shapes on my chest now?"

she chuckles.

W: "Yes, even though I'm pretty calm right now, I like to do little drawings anywhere, and right now, your chest is the only flat surface available."

I laugh but keep on talking.

E: "What do you usually like to draw?"
W: "Well it depends on my mood: if I'm sad, the drawing will be sad, like someone crying or stuff like that, if I'm happy, it'll probably be a landscape of some sort, or the usual sunset where you would come and interrupt me-"

E: "Hey!"

she laughs but finishes her sentence.

W: "Butttt, when I realise I love something and feel butterflies in my stomach, my go to is hearts."

She gives me a look that I can't quite read, but then realise her finger keeps on tracing hearts on my chest... wait-

E: "wait wait wait, you love me?"
W: "took you long enough to realise buddy, only 10 seconds."

E: "for real?"
I'm now sitting up as she's directly in front of my face, minimal distance between us.

W: "for real. I mean if you're this shocked it means that you don't love me back but that's ok-"

E: "princess I love you too, I just thought that you needed more time to fall in love with me, that's all"

W: "Ethan, throughout the entire day today, you've showed me that you are willing to listen to me, you haven't stopped complimenting me, which I hate you for cuz I haven't blushed this much in a day ever, and you want to take care for me... it's kind of hard to not love you"

E: "oh please, you're the most interesting person i've ever met. I'm not gonna judge you for something you can't control, and I won't be that douchebag that tries to be all perfect so I can get your body in return and leave, that's not me. When I met you, I knew that I would've fallen for you, and here we are."

W: "I love you Ethan"

E: "I love you too"

she gives me a hug whilst resting her head in the crook of my neck, giving it sweet little pecks every now and again. I hold her very tight, but not too tight to hurt her: I was right this morning when I said it was love, I just didn't want to admit it in case she didn't feel the same way, but now that the feeling is mutual, I can actually say that every time we hug or kiss, love can be felt between us.