Feel You Now (Oneshots)

Killing Me Softly (K)

AN: I wonder who'll remember this one ;) . Previously called Show Me Off

Emma sat on her bed in pure darkness. The only dim light visible was coming from her laptop screen.
Exhaustion and resignation swirling  through her teary blue eyes.

Her glasses were barely hanging on her nose. The tears had made them slowly slip. Unkempt hair was thrown into a monstrous, tangled bun.

She sat there and wallowed. Scrolling through her pintrest board and deleting every single relationship picture she had saved. She wouldn't  be needing them. Not anymore.

She always imagined what it would be like to be in a relationship. Taking corny kisssing pictures, obligated hand holding, and calling each other puke worthy nicknames.

Her imagination didn't measure up to reality.

There was nothing puke worthy about Ethan calling her Emmo early in the morning. His voice vibrating like  beautiful melodies in a symphony. Innocently calling her awake and snuggling his sleepy body against hers. Reluctant to say goodbye.

Being affectionate came naturally to them. Finding great satisfaction in just having their skin brush up against one another. The calm serenity their touch left behind making them ache for more. Quickly making it an addiction.

Despite how beautiful their love burgeoned, the petals on their delicate flower began to wither. The seasons changed and something changed inside them with it.

What I think hurts the most isnt that our story has ended. Emma quietly thought to herself. 

She always thought relationships were like milk without a clear expiration date. You knew deep down it would rot and turn sour, but the mystery was enticing. Drew them both in like moths to a flame. Hovering around the light they secreted. Burning extremly bright that they had to be careful not to be burned by their own creation.

Emma and Ethan flew too close. It was nothing they did that caused the break up. If anything it was what they didn't do.

Instead of extinguishing the anguish budding in their lives they let it grow.

They grew apart.

Emma and Ethan didn't fight for their love. They became spectators to their own demise.

Ethan began pushing Emma away. They would go days without seeing each other. Passing it off as normal. Everyone eventually transitioned out of the honeymoon faze, and thats what they believed it was.

Emma no longer insisted on taking pictures. She wanted to mirror the ones on her pintrest board, but Ethan never did. Arguing how dangerous it was to be caught in public by themselves. He didnt want to add any fuel to the rumors.

Even if they were true.

Emma would secretly take candid pics of them. She wanted to make a album and give it to him for his birthday.
The book sits on her closet floor. Collecting dust under a grand pile of dirty clothes.

She's cried all the tears, but now all that remains is the feeling of emptiness.

Where does this new freedom leave?

Break ups were suppose to be messy.
There was no bitterness between them always love. I guess it's harder to move on when your ex boyfriend didnt do anything "wrong".
He never cheated on her, never degraded her, or mistreated her.

She internally sighed at how complicated love truely was.

Emma stood up and walked to her closet. She was done being pathetic, she was a strong woman who could get through anything. In fact, she was going to go to to a party to prove it. Amanda had texted her early and she had initially declined, but she didnt have anything to lose.

She ransacked her closet to find the perfect outfit. A shimmery silver top was calling her name. Emma tugged the fabric to pull it off the hanger, but it was stuck. She yanked harder and she was sent tumbling to the floor.

Brushing herself off she reached for the now wrinkly shirt on the floor.  Instead of meeting soft fabric, she felt something hard. Under the pile of clothes she saw the album. She tentaively picked it up as if it would wither away.

A look of determination struck her face. It was now or never.

. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .

Emma knock on the familiar brown door thats shes opened probably a thousand times. Soft footsteps made their way to the door. Ethan looked shocked when he saw her standing there.

"I dont want to make this awkward considering everything, but I have something to give you." Emma said.

She handed him the album.

"I planned to give this to you for your birthday but... I thought now seems like the most appropriate time." Emma said.

"Thanks." Ethan said.

He was nervous to say the wrong thing.

"Look I- I dont know where our futures lead us but I dont want to forget anything thats in there. What we had was beautiful and it should remain that way. I want that album to not be a bittersweet reminder. I need this closure." Emma pleaded.

" I do too. I thought you hated me." Ethans voice cracked as he admitted his self doubts.

"I could never hate you." Emma reassured him. 

"Friends?" Ethan asked.

"Friends." Emma said. Smiling through her heartbreak.

She knew it was for the best.

"I have to head out, but don't be a stranger Ethan Dolan." She teased.

"Right back atcha." He said.

He shut the door and it was the perfect irony. It was like shutting the door to a chapter in their lives.

Ethan went to his room and opened the album. His fingers stroked the pages as he relived each and every memory. Smiling and crying at their young love. He mourned their relationship, but something told him this wasnt the end. It was quite literally just the beginning.

AN: a huge thank you to @ch4rmluv for the idea for the ending a few months back :)