"I just want to be there to cheer for you at the invitational," he finally said. "For you. You're so talented and you're so special to me. And I love you so much and you deserve a perfect meet and a gold medal."
She froze staring at him, eyes flying open wide. Her heart began to beat in double time.
"What did you just say?" she asked him.
"What do you mean?"
"Repeat what you just said to me."
"What? You deserve a perfect meet?"
"No. Before that."
"And I lo-"
He stopped suddenly, realizing what he had spoken. She felt the beat of her heart in her ears looking down at the ground.
"Say it, Damon," she implored him.
He let out a shaky breath.
He whispered, "And I love you so much."
They were both quiet, letting the words echo in their ears. She lifted her head, and he stared down at her, his expression brighter than she had seen it all evening.
"You really love me?" she questioned softly.
The smile that lit up his face was breathtaking he rarely smiled that way it was not his usually smirk . She saw tears shine in his eyes as he brought his hand up to cup her face.
"Of course I do. Of course I love you."
Her lips automatically curved up into a grin to match his. She turned her head to kiss his palm before throwing her arms around his neck.
"Say it again," she whispered in his ear.
She felt him smirk against her cheek, and then he began to speak into her skin.
"I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you, I love you…"
He kept repeating those three words over and over again like a song, and she closed her eyes, breathing him in and listening. Each utterance made her feel lighter. Like she was floating. Like she was flying.
He stared directly into her eyes.
"I am in love with you, Emily."
He spoke to her soul. He used the hand in her hair to bring her face to his. Their noses were pressed together, their lips resting against the others'. Not kissing, just resting.
"I'm in love with you, too," she murmured.
He smiled against her, and then opened his mouth, taking her lips with his finally. She pulled away from him only for a second. His mouth moved to her neck.
"Also, even if I don't get the gold I still have you cheering for me, I don't think it's going to be the last invitational that you will be going to. I don't think it's going to be our last invitational together as a couple even if we have to date underground because of Sasha rules ."
That statement made his lips pause. He lifted his head, his smile shy, and a hopeful glint in his eyes.
"Oh?"
I plan on seeing you at several more meets, thank you very much."
He laughed, nuzzling her cheek.
"A hundred more," he told her.
"A thousand."
"Forever as long as you are competing."
His forever might've scared her. After all, she'd only known him a few months and this was crazy since they just got back to being a couple, honestly, and in only 5 days when the meet happens everything was going to change. They would have to work at this, diligently and wholly.
Instead, it warmed her. Forever rattled around in her brain and seeped into her heart and it felt right. Nothing had ever felt so right in her life before this moment.
"Forever," she repeated.
He kissed her again.