The Next Step A-Z One Shots 4

I Love You Too-Pinn

DESCRIPTION: Piper struggles to tell Finn how she feels. (Post S7)
WHAT TO READ: N/A
DATE PUBLISHED: 07/10/20

a/n Welcome back to another chapter! As always don't forget to comment what you want to see next and let me know what you think. I hope you guys enjoy!

Piper's POV

"I love you, I love you"

He told me he loved me before his song and dance, but I haven't built up enough courage to say it back.

I love him, I really do, but with everything going on at the moment with A-Troupe and B-Troupe, I'm better off shoving my feelings behind me so that we can fix this mess and hopefully get back on track for Nationals.

I'm sure he expects me to say it back, which is why I have been trying to avoid too much alone time with him - that and the stress of everything going on. I figure if we spend time alone together, he'll question me on my feelings for me and expect me to say it back. And I would, in a heartbeat, but the words are so muddled in my mouth that when I want to talk to him about it, I end up talking about something irrelevant - like yesterday, after rehearsals, when I ended up talking about my Aunt Kathy and Uncle Arthur's new-born baby. And while he did take an interest in that and anything else I ended up bringing up, I knew he was waiting for a reply - one that I couldn't get out, no matter how hard I tried.

Then he sits next to me in the locker room as I tie up my shoes and get ready to head to Studio A for rehearsals.

"Hey Pipes," he says before pulling me close and placing a kiss on my head. As much as I enjoy being affectionate with him, the thought of telling him what I want to tell him makes me tense up - and he notices. "What's wrong?" he asks pulling away from me so that we are two separate entities: although I wish he had stayed wrapped around me, it might've made it easier to get the words out.

"Nothing!" I'm quick to say before standing up and turning around so that I can close my locker.

"Pipes..."

"We've got training," I tell him before trying to walk out of the room. As much as I want to tell him, I'm scared - even though I know he feels the same way.

"Can you just tell me what's up?" he asks me standing up from the bench, and as I stand in the doorway, I can't help but think we've been here before - back before things were easier for us.

"Really? You can't seriously think there's something wrong," I tell him as I walk back into the locker room, and I can't help my pull down the sleeves of my jacket to cover my hands. This is the moment - he's going to persist and I'm probably going to give in. Just like last time.

"I know somethings up," he says before pointing down to my hands which are now burrowed into the sleeves of my jacket. "Why else would you be doing that?" He knows me too well. He knows my nervous habits and he always knows when something is wrong. My weakness.

"It's not important," I tell him before looking down at my feet. It was the most important thing that I was ever going to say to him, but I don't want him to overthink my nerves and worry.

"Just tell me what's up."

I know I have to tell him now...as long as I can figure out how to get the three words out before I turn into a mess of words and start talking about my family.

I take a couple of breaths in and out to prepare myself. And while it is only three words, they are ones I have been holding back for so long. He needs to know.

"I love you." He doesn't say anything, so I figure I better keep talking to fill in the silence. "I'm sorry for avoiding you, but I was afraid to say I love you, not because I was worried that you didn't feel the same way, but because you're the most important person to me and saying those words is so hard. But I do. I do love you."

A small smile shows on his face as if he knew how many times I had tried to say those three words. "I love you too," he tells me before walking up to me, grabbing both sides of my face with both of his hands and closing the gap between us. My hands can't help but wrap around his waist.

I had finally managed to get the words out, and the reward was definitely worth it. I love Finn, I have for a long time - but I just couldn't get the words out. It was as if I needed to know he was prepared to have the conversation as if I was looking for the perfect spot - which turned out to be the place where we shared our first kiss. I can finally remove all the negative thoughts from this room and replace them with this moment.

We finally pull apart and I smile up at him. "I love you," I tell him before we reconnect our lips.

The moment which I had feared more than anything had turned out to be one of the best moments of my life. Now I could focus on getting to Nationals with a clear mind, and a boyfriend I love by my side.