|
|
|
last online May 1, 2024 10:00:00 GMT -7
|
|
|
Jul 18, 2017 20:22:46 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2017 20:22:46 GMT -7
Ethans' frown came back, but a little more dramatic, and his eyes widened, "nuuu," he said with a sad whine. Then she said he had some convincing to do and he laughed, "okay, okay! Let me think on it," he said softly. Really, though, he was planning to think of something he could do for her.
He was still facing the lake as he waited for her to say something, and then she she did he immediately turned toward her, one of his hands dropping to the ground slightly behind her so he was leaning over just a little. "I think I do," he said firmly, and then was immediately surprised that he had said it. "I mean... I didn't really realize it until she ended things, but then I was trying to rack my brain on who it could be and... well, the answer was pretty obvious. So, I've been thinking on it the last few days," he admitted softly. slowly starting to bring his hand back. But then he noticed her pulling out the grass between them, and he smiled, looking back up at her again. "Dom, do you.. do you think you might want to go on a date with me? A real one? Like, the way people do who want to be..." he paused.
@dominique
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online May 1, 2024 10:00:00 GMT -7
|
|
|
Jul 18, 2017 21:41:30 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jul 18, 2017 21:41:30 GMT -7
He was frowning again and Dom knew she got his attention. He whined at her and she smirked. She liked this idea. She definitely might have to use it against him when he was being a punk. He told her to let him think on it and Dom lifted her right hand, pointing at him. "Alright, but if you forget you're going to regret it," she promised, wagging her finger at him. She was almost positive he wouldn't forget.
When she asked her question Ethan turned to look at her, leaning so he was closer and Dom froze (except for her hands, that is). Then he said he thought he did like someone else, and she held her breath, feeling her heart break. He did like someone else. Again. Great. She took half a second to grieve and then forced a small smile, hoping he wouldn't see through the facade to her true feelings. She'd hid them for years, hopefully she'd be able to continue. His voice got softer as he explained more, telling her he didn't realize it immediately, but then it became obvious. How was it obvious?! Dom's mind raced as she tried to figure it out. Who was he thinking about for the last few days as he hid away from the world and his best friend?
He got distracted, smiling as he looked down at her hands and Dom realized she was playing with the grass. Oops. She dropped it and looked up again when he started by saying her name. Then, a question. Dom's mouth opened as she froze. He- what? Wanted to go on a date with ...? But it didn't make sense. He said he just realized that he wanted to be with someone else and he was asking her ... oh. Dom's eyes were wide with surprise as she stared into his, frozen. She couldn't breathe, couldn't think. "Yes," she breathed impulsively, her hand moving to reach for one of his in her excitement. Was he really asking her out? "Of course I do, Ethan." She paused for a moment, thinking. "The way people do who want to be ... what?" She asked, wanting him to finish that statement. Then a thought occurred to her and she- being her impulsive, crazy Dom self- couldn't help but speak her thoughts, letting them fall out in a mixed-up jumble. "Y-you're not teasing me, right?" She asked, her voice growing stronger as she started to ramble, not looking at him anymore, she was so lost in her thoughts. "I mean, you want to go on a date with me? Dom? Impulsive Dom who is always a mess and bosses you around and plays Quidditch with you and runs around having crazy adventures and is your best friend? You actually want to ... are you sure? That you want to go out with me and not someone more ... normal?" she was rambling, asking questions without waiting for the answers that she wasn't even sure she wanted, so nervous and yet so close to being deliriously happy. Then it clicked that he might think she didn't want to date him because of her rambling and she froze again. "You've been thinking about me for the last few days?" A small smile covered her face at the thought and she focused on him again, hoping she didn't make him change his mind.
@ghostethan
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online May 1, 2024 10:00:00 GMT -7
|
|
|
Jul 20, 2017 10:20:04 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jul 20, 2017 10:20:04 GMT -7
Doms mouth opened and she froze, and Ethan immediately went over all of the reasons why this was a bad idea. She was his best friend, what if this ruined all of that? She probably didn't even feel for him that way, even though he knew that he had always liked her, somewhere under his wanting Cordie all those years. But Dom... Dom was so out of his league. She was funny, smart, brave, kind, talented, beautiful and... she was just so much better than him in thousands of ways. Every move she made was an example of how he didn't deserve her. Dominique could get anyway in this world, and she wouldn't choose him. He knew that -
Finally, his mind stopped running after what seemed like an eternity, when she spoke. Yes, she said. YES. He didn't realize he wasn't breathing until then and he let out a shaky breath/laugh sort of thing. Of course, she said. She then questioned his unfinished sentence and he looked back at her hands for a moment, clearing his throat. Before he could answer she spoke again. Teasing her? Of course not! She seemed to be just as unbelieving about all this as he was, listing all of the 'reasons' why he wouldn't want to be with her. That he would want someone normal, and not her. He laughed under his breath, especially as she repeated that he had been thinking about her the last few days, as if she had just come to the realization.
He looked up at her, seeing that small smile form on her face. "Let me make something clear to you, Dom," he said, his voice firm but a smile in place. "I want to be with you," he paused, "and that's because you're impulsive and a mess," he chuckled, "because you play Quidditch, and force me on adventures, and because you always listen to me," he moved one of his hands over to hers and gently touched the back of her hand with his fingertips, "and because you are the person I trust the most in the world, and that you've never let me down, and if you did I'd forgive you," he chuckled, "in less than a heartbeat I'd forgive you. Because, and I should have realized this sooner," he paused again, this time longer in order to take a breath, "because I've been thinking about you for almost half my life, and I never realized that when I do it's when I'm the most happy. Well, second most. I'm the most happy when I'm with you," he admitted, "and yes, these last few days I've thought of almost nothing else, because I realized that I've been stupid... and I think somewhere along the line you realized you love me too," wait, did he say love? he paused, clearing his throat. "I just mean you realized before I did that we should try this. And I've been stupid and blind," he finally took her hand in his and his brow furrowed, "I'm talking to much."
@dominique
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online May 1, 2024 10:00:00 GMT -7
|
|
|
Jul 20, 2017 11:04:47 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jul 20, 2017 11:04:47 GMT -7
Almost a second after she finished talking, the realization of everything she just said clicked. She said she wasn't good enough for Ethan- which was true- and how he couldn't want her out of everyone. Basically ... she realized that without coming outright and saying it, she just confessed her feelings for him and she was sure that Ethan would get that. He was too smart to miss it and she was terrified that she just overwhelmed him after he just asked her on a date.
But ... when he looked up at her, he was smiling too. Her breath caught when he said it outright, that he wanted to be with her. He continued to explain that all the things she'd seen as negative were reasons that he wanted to be with her. Her smiled widened when he touched her hand, telling her that he trusted her more than anyone else. Was this really happening? Could Ethan Johnson, the only guy she really cared about for years, really return the feelings that he had for her? He explained that he was the happiest when with her or thinking about her and that ... he knew she loved him? Dom felt a cold stab of fear initially, but it left almost immediately. He said "too", which had to mean that he loved her back. Dom felt her confidence starting to come back as he said that he'd been stupid and blind, taking her hand as he finished.
She couldn't help but grin and squeeze his hand back, hardly believing what was happening, but knowing that it was. This was Ethan. He wasn't playing around, he wanted to be with her and was going to do it. "Ethan," she breathed, finally releasing her true feelings. She hid them for too long and now he knew and felt the same way and she didn't know how to react. Dom felt speechless, which was something that never happened to her before. She always just said whatever came into her mind first, but right now she wasn't thinking anything. All that was going through her mind were repeats of what he just said to her. "You're my best friend too and I always want to be with you." Dom gave a soft laugh. "I always have. You're the one person I tell everything and I feel completely comfortable with and I-" where was she going with this. "I just want you to be happy," she lowered her eyes for a second, "That's what I've always wanted. Whether it's with me or not." She paused, then looked back up and narrowed her eyes at him teasingly, "And you're not stupid and blind, Ethan Johnson. You are one of the smartest people I know, you've just been focused on other things, which happens to everyone. That doesn't make you blind at all. Besides, I decided a while ago that you're worth waiting for, no matter how long-" Oops. Uhh ... she definitely didn't mean to actually tell him that, but her mouth ran away with her, as it often did with Ethan. She felt her cheeks get warm and muttered, "I guess that makes two of us that are talking too much."
@ghostethan
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online May 1, 2024 10:00:00 GMT -7
|
|
|
Jul 20, 2017 11:18:43 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jul 20, 2017 11:18:43 GMT -7
She said his name, after what seemed like an eternal silence. This whole moment seemed longer than it really was. Then she spoke that she... always wanted to be with him? No matter how long? She just wanted him to be happy. Wait... "Dom... how long have you known? That you... felt that way?" he asked slowly. He had thought maybe it had been a few months, but she made it sound much longer than that. She was waiting for him, in a way? She was saying things that he wanted to hear, of course, that she wanted to be with him and wanted him to be happy, but she had no idea that she had been waiting. He felt terrible, all of the sudden, that he hadn't noticed her sooner. In that way. Had he just been torturing her for years by ignoring it? No, no. Dom was happy. She loved him as a best friend, too, and that was the most important thing.
But again, he wondered, how long?
@dominique (short but that's why he really wants to know XD)
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online May 1, 2024 10:00:00 GMT -7
|
|
|
Jul 20, 2017 11:28:01 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jul 20, 2017 11:28:01 GMT -7
Dom didn't have to wait long for Ethan to react to what she said, but she was taken by surprise at his question. How long did she know that she cared for him that way? It felt like forever. She looked at him, her mind racing as she tried to decide what to tell him. She noticed a flash of ... something in his eyes. Regret? Guilt? Could she really tell him the truth? "It doesn't matter, Ethan. I'm fine. I've always been happy and fine so don't worry about it." She started. She wanted to just leave it there, but she knew deep down that this wasn't something Ethan would let her get away with. She bit her lip for a second. "If you want to know so bad, you're going to have to guess." She told him, her smile brightening. Hopefully making it into a guessing game would make it less tense. She didn't want him to feel sad on her behalf.
@ghostethan
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online May 1, 2024 10:00:00 GMT -7
|
|
|
Jul 20, 2017 11:38:48 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jul 20, 2017 11:38:48 GMT -7
She said it didn't matter and that just made him need to know even more. He furrowed his eyebrows together even more and leaned forward, as if to survey her eyes for any hint. She said he would have to guess and he grinned. "Oh, I can do that. Six months?" that was a long time, right? But also not too long that he would feel so terrible about it... but also longer then he originally thought. He thought it was maybe since he started dating Cord, only four months ago but... she made it sound longer than that.
Either way, this would be a fun game, right? Trying to guess how long he had been such a moron for. What a way to build up self esteem! Well, it kind of was. Since he was guessing how long this beautiful girl had loved him.
@dominique
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online May 1, 2024 10:00:00 GMT -7
|
|
|
Jul 20, 2017 11:48:01 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jul 20, 2017 11:48:01 GMT -7
She still saw it there, a little bit of guilt in her eyes and Dom was desperately trying to think of something to make him stop it. She eached over and touched his cheek to get his attention. "I mean it Ethan. You can guess all you want and I'm sure you'll figure it out, but I don't want you feeling bad, no matter how long or short of a time it was. My feelings for you haven't held me back or weighed me down and I need to know you're not going to beat yourself up over this ... or I'm not going to be able to tell you." He could know how long she loved him, she didn't mind that at all, unless he was going to beat himself up about it. He watched her closely and Dom cocked her head to the side curiously. What was he trying to do, watching her so closely? He accepted her idea to make it a game and then guessed six months. "Nope!" She said with an easy smile. "Try again."
@ghostethan
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online May 1, 2024 10:00:00 GMT -7
|
|
|
Jul 20, 2017 11:55:00 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jul 20, 2017 11:55:00 GMT -7
She said that she didn't want him feeling bad and he rolled his eyes. The rest of her words made sense, though... that it didn't hold her back or anything. "I promise I won't beat myself up... in front of you," then he laughed and shook his head, "no, no, really, I promise I won't!" He would really, really try not to. He would focus on the positive, that they had such an amazing friendship for so long. She said his guess was wrong and he frowned, pouting his lips a little in thought. "Um... okay, okay. 2 years?" he guessed again, wincing a little at that one. Dang, that was a really long time. No, no, he promised he wouldn't feel bad about it.
But she was so beautiful and amazing and his best friend and he was a dummy. Positives! Think of the positives...
@dominique
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online May 1, 2024 10:00:00 GMT -7
|
|
|
Jul 20, 2017 12:01:10 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jul 20, 2017 12:01:10 GMT -7
Ethan said he wouldn't beat himself up about it in front of her and Dom glared at him. She was about to say something when he laughed and then promised that he wouldn't. Her expression relaxed, though she wasn't entirely sure if she believed him. Ethan was pretty hard on himself sometimes. Then again, weren't most people. She couldn't help but smile when he pouted a bit. He was so cute. She shook her head again, lifting a teasing eyebrow at him and shrugging. "You'll have to try again, my friend," she answered in a solemn tone, teasing him. She didn't miss his wince, but chose to ignore it. He already promised so she was going to trust him on that. She hoped this wasn't going to be super drawn out.
@ghostethan
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online May 1, 2024 10:00:00 GMT -7
|
|
|
Jul 20, 2017 13:43:47 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jul 20, 2017 13:43:47 GMT -7
Two years wasn't right? He shook his head, "you are... adorable, and annoying," he said with a little sigh. Then he made a guess he wished it was, "one year? No," he knew that was just wishful thinking. He swallowed, "four...?" he said slowly taking his hand from his in order to scoot a little closer, before taking her hand again and leaning toward her even more. He just wanted to be close to her, that was all... and he wanted to see her eyes closer so that he could read what was going on in them. Normally he liked to let people just tell him how they were feeling but... he needed to know what was going on in that head of hers. That annoying, adorable head of hers.
@dominique
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online May 1, 2024 10:00:00 GMT -7
|
|
|
Jul 20, 2017 14:01:15 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jul 20, 2017 14:01:15 GMT -7
Ethan called her adorable and Dom's smile widened, but then he called her annoying. She knew he was teasing, probably, but she let her jaw drop in fake surprise and shock. "Annoying!?" she exclaimed, pretending to be offended. "Fine. If you want me to be annoying, then I will." Ooh, this was going to be fun. "No, neither of those are it," she said airliy with a wave of her hand, pausing when he let go of her hand and moving closer, taking it again. Her heart fluttered a little bit, but she kept her expression the way it was. "You have two more guesses and if you don't get it right with those, I don't think I'm going to tell you," she informed him with a shrug. Granted, she was sure that if he did guess wrong, he'd get it out of her somehow, but she was going to have fun pressuring him. A part of her hoped that he wouldn't guess it. She didn't want him to feel bad and she didn't want to admit to how long she had strong feelings for him. It was too ... embarrassing. It was like having a schoolgirl crush on a celebrity. Except ... the celebrity knew her, and was her best friend, and she needed to stop thinking about this.
@ghostethan
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online May 1, 2024 10:00:00 GMT -7
|
|
|
Jul 21, 2017 19:22:36 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jul 21, 2017 19:22:36 GMT -7
He couldn't help but laugh as her jaw dropped when he called her annoying. Then she was really taking this annoying thing to heart, waving off his guesses and telling him that he only had two more, or his time was up and she wasn't going to tell him! "I bet I could convince you," he challenged, narrowing his eyes. He leaned closer and studied her eyes even more, as if the big clue to some hidden mystery of the universe was in them. "Okay. I'm going with... Five years, three months, two days, and six hours?" now he was basically just messing with her. How long had they known each other? Six and a half years? He was sure it wasn't THAT long. Not like a love at first sight thing...
@dominique
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online May 1, 2024 10:00:00 GMT -7
|
|
|
Jul 21, 2017 22:28:29 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jul 21, 2017 22:28:29 GMT -7
Ethan laughed at her reaction to him calling her annoying, much as Dom expected him to. He really knew her much too well to fall for something like that. Still, she couldn't help but tease him and mess around. That was just who she was and he knew that. He said he bet he could convince her, leaning closer and Dom's breathing hitched for a moment. Then she lifted an eyebrow at him, giving him a skeptical look. "Oh really? And what would you do to convince me?" she asked, fully aware that she was egging him on. She wanted to see what he would come up with. He was watching her eyes so carefully and Dom couldn't help but return his gaze. At his next guess she laughed. He was definitely messing with her now and she absolutely loved it. "You know, you're not very good at this," she teased, though they both knew that his last guess was ridiculous. "Do you give up?" she whispered after another moment. Technically he did have one more guess left, but she was starting to hope that he wouldn't guess right.
@ghostethan
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
last online May 1, 2024 10:00:00 GMT -7
|
|
|
Jul 23, 2017 10:38:02 GMT -7
Post by Deleted on Jul 23, 2017 10:38:02 GMT -7
She asked what he would do to convince her and he shrugged casually, "oh, you know..." he leaned a little closer, "threaten you with beetles in your bed or jello hair or something," he said, lowering his voice so those things actually sounded like they were flirting, which he thought was pretty funny. Then she said she wasn't good at guessing and he pouted. She asked if he gave up. "No! Ethan Johnson never gives up. I'll die first," he joked. Well, he almost did what with that whole Elaine debacle... but, anyway.
"Okay. My last guess is... four and a half years," he said, raising an eyebrow at her, his eyes pleading for her to tell him even if he got it wrong. He would go insane if he didn't know!
@dominique
|
|
|
|