Like so many love stories theirs started with a kiss, but unlike those many others their's was not one of passion or rather passion they shared for each other, at least at first.
When it began, he hadn't seen her smile for so long. They had been friends for years, it was as if there wasn't a time before he knew her.
His day at work had been much longer than he could have imagined, and he was looking forward to much needed sleep even if it was only five in the evening. His knee was killing him as he walked across the lot to his car, and there she was sitting on the hood of his car, smiling exactly how he remembered her. She was waiting for him, and with that thought he could smile back at her even after he day he had. He walked right up to her until they were toe to toe He felt her happiness as she threw her arms around his neck, picking her up he spun her around making her laugh. God, how he loved that laugh, it really was carefree.
"I've missed you." She whispered in his ear just before he set her down. He felt her smile against his ear as she said it.
"I've missed you too." He replied as he fought at the emotions he prayed had died. "How'd you get here?"
"I walked silly." He chuckled. He missed how simple she made her complicated life, for her there was only today. There was right and there was wrong. She didn't always do what was right but she never really tried to justify her actions. But most of all she loved as she pleased, if ever she said I love you, one could count on her to mean it, always. She said it a lot but it never diminished the meaning of the words. She did love you.
"Have you eaten yet?" She shook her head and he chuckled again softly. "Alright neither have I. How does pizza sound?"
"Sounds good, as long as I get to have one to myself." She said laughing at her own joke, although she hadn't been kidding at the whole pizza he knew all too well that she could eat that much and did on a daily business. That she had such a high metabolism just wasn't fair. It was just like old times as they got into his car.
He looked over at her and saw her smiling at him, again he smiled back at her, as he tried to remember how to start the car. After a second of feeling like he was back in middle school he manage to turn the key. He was grateful she pretended to be oblivious, just as she always did whenever she remembered his crush on her. He knew she didn't return that particular feeling, but there was an undercurrent that was more than affection, he also knew that she needed him. She needed the friendship they shared, being simply friends. There was no one else like him in her life and he knew it.
" Hey my parents aren't home, they're in Michigan visiting my sister. Do you mind?"
"No, of course not. I trust you. Your parents won't mind?"
"They love you."
"That doesn't answer the question, but that's good."
"Okay they trust you more than they trust me so yeah they'll be okay with it."
"They trust me? Wow. Haven't heard that in awhile." As they drove on he though of why he loved her, how he missed how she didn't feel the need to prattle on endlessly just to fill the silence. How they loved the same music and books. How she just understood. She took him for what he was and didn't hold it against him.
"What kind of pizza do you want?"
"Did you really just ask that?"
"Meat lovers then?"
"Of course!"If nothing else they were friends because of their mutual love of food. Not that you could tell that by looking at either of them.
"Okay." He said laughing some more. " I'm gonna change and then I'll call in our order." He siad as they pulled into his driveway, he opened his front door and was glad that his parents left that morning. Since he had worked all day the house was still clean. Then he heard her phone ring.
"Hey, I have to take this." With a smile she slipped out the back door, she waved at him as the glass door slid shut before turning to face the pool. He smiled weakly back at her before he turned to race up the stairs grabbing the handset as he went.
It didn't take him long to change into clothes he could only assume were clean,and call their favourite pizza place for two large meat lovers. Bounding down the stairs, he was glad to see she was still on the phone. He watched as she paced back and forth out of habit and how she talked with her only free hand. He watched her laugh and make faces at whoever she was talking to. Smiling to herself she hung up and headed to the door. It was then that she noticed him.He opened the door with a smile.
"Thanks. How long were you standing there?" She asked as the door clicked shut behind her.
"Only a few seconds. I can't believe you still talk with your hands." He was surprised to see her blush, before he recalled how self conscious she was.
"Yeah. I do..." She said with a shy smile.
"You up for a game of Halo?"
"You'll win."
"Just like old times then." He replied as she playfully punched him. Well it was playfully light to her, but it would leave a bruise. He never understood how a girl as little as her could punch so hard. Jumping over the back of his couch he feigned impatience as she walked around grabbing the controllers as she went. Gently she tossed on to him as she sank down into the cushions. It was in moments like that, that he was reminded of just how small she really was. She always seemed bigger, her personality filled the entire room.In a way it made it impossible for him to describe her as fragile but she was perhaps more so than he had ever imagined.
As he navigated them through the matches the distance that had separated them and all those years spent apart disappeared. It was as if nothing had happened at all. But then again he saw everything that had changed. She was more subdued when she lost, she wouldn't throw a pillow at him, she didn't yell at her controller as loud or as often as she had done in the past. But she was just as ridiculously competitive if not more so. She didn't die nearly as much as she used to and she had more kills in the end than he did which was almost a hit to his ego.
When the doorbell rang they both forgot their game and raced the the door. Grabbing her waist right as they got to the front hall he picked her up and held her feet off the ground, laughing she opened the door taking the pizza as he gave the pizza guy the money. They shut the door laughing so hard they were just a bout crying.
"Will you put me down?" Her tone was no longer laughing, something was on her mind, but he knew better than to ask. Once upon a time she had been taller than him, now he was almost a foot taller than her 5'3". She set the boxes down on the counter as he set her feet back down on the floor. Before he knew what had happened she wrapped her arms around him it was just like what it used to be yet so much more. There was something new, it was as if she didn't want to let go. He hugged her back, holding her close.
" I really missed you." She said into his shirt, her nose buried into the cotton, he smelled good, so good.
"I really missed you too." She smiled into his shirt, she loved the way she could feel the rumble of his voice. She adored how deep it had become. She looked up at him and her smile only grew.
Impulse took over, before he could stop himself he kissed her. On her toes she stretched up to meet him. She'd known that this would happen and even though she knew the consequences she didn't dare stop nor did she want to. I don't want to hurt him, she thought, I love him too much.She smiled, and at the smile he felt on her lips he deepened the kiss and she felt her mind slip away as she relaxed into his arms.
He picked her up again but this time he sat her down on the counter, she hooked an ankle around his knee and ran her fingers through his hair.
She pulled away to look at him in the eyes. "I think the pizza can wait."
"Really?"
"Yeah, I like where this is going." He just stared at her, he couldn't believe his ears. He could have sworn his mind was playing tricks on him. But his mind wouldn't be kissing his neck. "Unless you're hungry."
"Not anymore." She smiled as he picked her up and carried her to the couch. He sat down and held her in his lap. She looked embarrassed, and he remembered how old fashioned she could be at the worst and weirdest of times, but the look only lasted a second before it was gone.
Curiosity of what could happen tool over her mind, she had always lobed him but never in a romantic way. Could this change that? Had it already? She knew it hadn't, nor could it. He was a conquest, a lovable conquest. Did she really want to ruin what they had? Would doing this ruin it? She loved everything about him but she wasn't in love with him. They could be happy together, but they were missing one crucial thing sheer physical attraction.
Why was she here? Why was she doing this? In the past she had made it perfectly clear that they were just friends.Whispering against her skin he broke the silence between them. "Why are you here with me?"
"Because I want to be." Her voice was clear he knew she had no doubts but he still did.
"There are a lot of other guys you could be with. Guys you have been with, and you can honestly say that you'd rather be here with me?"
"Yes, there are other guys I could be with right now. But I don't want to be with them, or even drink tea with them at the moment. Okay? When they see me I am nothing more than a game, and they are little more than that to me. They want nothing more than some one to get between the sheets, and not have a relationship beyond that. When you see me I am a friend, and equal, I am a person to you. I have feelings and thoughts and you see that. I'm not a toy to you. You know I can break. I mean something to you. That's why I'm here." She crawled off his lap to the other side of the couch. He reached for her, to pull her back. "Dammit don't touch me." He pulled her back anyway and she let him. "I don't want to take advantage of you." She wouldn't look at him. He knew if he let her think anymore this moment would be over and she'd never give him another chance. Gently he turned her head and kissed her softly and then her mind succumbed. She gave in and the night ended in his bed with his arms around her and a new beginning for them both. The perfect man for her was the one who was there all along. Who would have thought he was the perfect man for her?
