Merry Christmas, Yellow! And happy New Year too! I hope that the wait for your Christmas gift was well worth it! I hope that you had a blessed Christmas and a blessed start to the New Year, and I really hope that this whole year as it flows from one day to next is full of new opportunities and blessings for you. I really hope that this story becomes one of those unexpected blessings for you. I wanted to write your OTP in whatever way that I could, so I wrote it this way. I hope that you like their long friendship and just how much they really care for each other beyond just that age old friendship. I really hope that you really enjoy reading this story of mine that I wrote for you, and that truly it does make you smile and make you really happy.
Rose hadn't set out to fall in love with her best friend, and she really doubted that anyone really tried to fall in love with theirs either. It just sort of happened though she'd insist it was the little things that made her fall, like when Julek would hold her hand tight, squeeze it, to comfort or encourage her, though he'd pull her into a tight hug as if he'd never let her go when she truly couldn't focus past the tears.
It was the little letters that they used to write and still sometimes did when they couldn't see each other for a while, 'Hey, Mom, can you give this to Rose? Or Daddy, I wrote a letter to Julek, can you give it to him?' It was a beloved tradition that they'd started shortly after they turned twelve. Phones weren't allowed and were often too expensive, but their parents often ran into each other, usually at the store. It didn't take much to share these letters that they sent with their parents to each other. Rose still often found herself writing letters to Julek on days when she was too sick to go to school or on vacation, even though sometimes it was easier to just call the other up.
There was the fact that Julek loved the same songs that she did, and that they'd often find themselves singing along together or sharing a new song when they discovered it. 'Did you hear Jagged Stone's newest song? Or this really old song by so-and-so?' It happened more times than she could count. It became as much of a tradition as sharing songs on the computer or their phones when they were together.
It was easy to fall when you'd watch all of your favorite movies together. They both loved action movies, but Julek loved horror just as much while Rose loved a good romance, especially a romantic comedy, where she could just be happy and laugh with Julek. it was just as familiar to snack on popcorn or candy or other sweets and have a movie marathon with Julek as it was to start to fall for him all over again.
Her mother would tell her that it all began when they met when they started up school together at five years old, and they'd come home raving about the other to their parents, with mutual kiddy crushes on each other. Those feelings had faded by the time they'd turned twelve, but Rose never would have insisted that her feelings now were a byproduct of their old ones.
Rose loved spending time over at Julek's whether for 'band practice,' a movie marathon, or just to hang out. Spending time at Julek's was the best when she could get away to just be near her best friend that she told everything to, from her crush on Prince Ali and beyond. Now, it was a little harder to share just what she felt in her heart than ever before as children mentioning their 'crushes' on each other, wasn't difficult, but now a lot more issues and complications seemed to arise.
They'd been friends so long, and sometimes romance complicated friendship, but yet, all that she wanted to do was just cuddle up against Julek's side like she always had and just be there. Really, not much had changed other than the kinds of hopes that she had for her future involved maybe one day marrying her best friend.
It was easier to say a weighted, 'I love you,' and trust that the other won't think more of it, even when your heart tugged and ached in your chest, than to sit there and plan a way to truly tell them beyond yourself. Rose doubted that ease even came into the equation. How could it be easy to say an 'I love you,' and know that the other will feel the full meaning of the words even when you sometimes work yourself up into doubting it.
'Love is an action as much as it is a feeling.' Rose stared at the lines that she'd been writing, trying for just a hint of those old letters, something simple-something sweet. It didn't feel simple or sweet to stare down at a letter and doubt that her feelings were clear. Weren't emotions better expressed in person and letters, cowardly? How then was the love letter one of the most acclaimed ways to show love? That was established, it had to be, where fear was a byproduct of nerves that was dealt with through assurance that the love was present.
Rose felt like a mess when the words seemed to draw a blank, 'I really love you, Julek... Like, or maybe you know...' A princess may fall for her knight from a friendship never soon to be forgotten, but how does a princess find words to tell him so?
She doubted that anything could fill the air as much as her heart was filled. How do words even appear when you need them the most?
"Rose?" Julek answered her, eyes partially closed in tiredness, and she realized that sometimes actions were rather bold and what if she was making a mistake coming here so soon?
"I couldn't sleep." The words were true, truer than she'd felt right up until now, for a while, actually.
"What's wrong?" His voice was soft as his hand on her shoulder guided her inside, "Be quiet. Mom won't like this if she sees you." But, he didn't make her leave, just sat down with her on his bed as the living room would likely have drawn his mother's attention. He turned on the bedside lamp and the room was lit by a faint glow.
"What are we?" Rose paused, hating those words, because she loved his friendship as much as she loved him, if not more, "I mean, sometimes it's easy to see that as we've gotten older something as changed. You mean more to me than I realize, until you comfort me or talk to me even when you're tired." She nudged herself against his side.
"What has changed?" Julek held her close, and she just felt so safe.
"Sometimes I think love isn't the passion that we see in those movies. It's what makes you feel safe and happy and loved." Rose paused, "And, you make me feel safe and happy and loved." It felt a lot like baring her soul and fighting back worried tears as she did so.
"I make you feel loved?" Even as he spoke, he wove soothing patterns against her shoulder, a familiar act, more of muscle memory that never failed to calm them both down, always, whenever he did so.
"Yeah, and happy. And safe. I love just being around you." Rose admitted. Maybe confessions weren't hard or that difficult, maybe the emotions that swirled in her belly sometimes as nerves bit her were or Julek's potential answer even though they'd always loved each other in some way, shape, or form.
"You know," Julek paused as he seemingly tried to find the words, though likely just the confidence needed, "You make me feel happy, loved, and safe too." It was soft, but Rose could hear it so clearly from where she'd ended up cuddled by his side.
"Oh." Rose murmured, unsure of where to take this rather unusual conversation from here.
"I love you." Finally, his words weren't whisper soft, but actually reached her ears confidently.
"I love you too, Julek." She breathed as she pressed just close enough that she could mistake his heartbeat at her side for her own. Rose pressed close and forgot how late it was, forgot that she'd have to get home before her parents worried, and forgot what it was like not to cuddle in a half hug. It didn't matter at the moment as Julek loved her too, and she loved him, and maybe one day, they'd get married and raise a family, but today, they can cuddle and just be present with each other. That's what mattered. Everything else would happen in due time.
Though dozing off on Julek's bed, a half an hour later, and being sent home by a tired Luka was enough for her to realize that sometimes you just had to go home. At least, as tired and concerned as Julek's older brother was, he hadn't condemned the impulsive visit or treated them as if they hadn't just cuddled, sitting up on Julek's bed, and passed out together.
Rose would wait, dutifully until marriage, besides she knew that rushing had never been a part of their friendship and had no place in it. She really just wanted to spend time with her best friend, maybe boyfriend now, and not worry about the physicality that it was easy to get caught up in nowadays. 'Love is patient,' anyway.