"Leslie I think I love you." Ann said with an unsure but kinda hopeful demeanour. Leslie beamed and looked up at her. They were sat in one of Leslie's favourite parks in Pawnee, it was a children's park on the non-racoon infested side. They sat in a 'giants' shoe and watched the kids playing outside. It wasn't exactly an ideal place to profess her love, but Ann figured if Leslie loved the place so much it might make things easier.
"Aw I love you too Ann, you beautiful but elusive runaway hot air balloon." Leslie replied with that smile that stretched all the way up to her eyes. It made Ann blush. Ann figured she would have to learn how to do that one day. Ann looked down to her hands very quickly trying to get the courage to really hit home the idea she was sharing. She loved Leslie's strange…but endearing compliments. She knew that Leslie would take it as a friendship love, and that's not what she meant. At least Ann thought that was what she meant. She wasn't sure, she had been Leslie's best friend for years now and there had always been something there that she couldn't simply put down as friendship. They had a connection. Ann wasn't sure if it was the 6 night shifts in a row or the huge amounts of red bull she had drank but she was pretty sure she needed to get this out in the open, like right now.
"That's not what I mean." Ann laughed to herself. Leslie had always had a naïve and simple outlook on life, Ann admired that. It was one of the many qualities she loved about Leslie, or at least she thought she might. Just as Ann was about to speak a few kids ran up to the entrance to the gaints shoe. Ann felt embarrassed, they were grown women sitting inside a children's play area talking. They made some remarks about being old and Leslie shut them down with some fumbling but strong willed words. Ann looked at Leslie as she spoke, even if Leslie messed up some of the words and had an even lamer retort back to the kids, Ann thought that she was still pretty wonderful. "I mean…" Ann was nervous now, she was about to really say it. "I think I am in love with you." Ann looked up to Leslie her eyes unsure, she wanted to look happy and loved but her expression showed the true worry of her words and the consequences they would bring. She didn't want to end their friendship, she wanted to…I don't know…make it better, Ann knew she sounded lame and wanted to take it back. Leslie just stared at her for a moment, a really long moment with that same huge smile. For a second Ann thought she saw fear in Leslie's eyes and moved a little closer her hands going out in some sort of beg for forgiveness. As if she had just said Leslie would be a bad first female president of the United States or something.
"Ann…" Leslie began, I was her voice that she used when she was going to say something awesome. But it was also the voice she used when she was about the state the impending doom of situations they always found themselves in. Ann gulped, she gave a smile but it didn't reach her eyes. Her heart was racing fast, way above the normal limit for a resting heartbeat. She tried to focus on the kids playing outside, their shouts and screams and laughs and anything but the words about the form in her blondes mouth. "That is the most awesome thing anyone has ever said to me." Ann laughed in relief, it wasn't what she was expecting to hear, good or bad, but it wasn't the worst thing. Leslie moved in closer and pulled Ann in for a tight hug. Ann opened her eyes and stared at the cobwebbed inside of the giants shoe wall. The way Leslie fit into her was so natural and nice, it was warm and it felt like home. But again she feared that Leslie didn't really understand what she was saying.
"Leslie I…" Ann took a deep breath and looked up to the blonde with a tilted head in questioning. "Do you understand what I am trying to get at? I…you know…like you, like you." Ann felt embarrassed again for saying the 'like you like you' phrase, it felt foreign on her mouth. But if that didn't get Leslie to realise what she was saying then nothing would. "Like more than a best friend…I love you." Ann had to add the next words just to make sure. Leslie looked at her and instead of fear she saw a glint in her eyes. Hope, there was hope there Ann was pretty sure of it. What came next Ann didn't expect. Leslie moved in even closer than before, she wrapped her arms around Ann's neck and pulled her in for a kiss. Ann didn't expect it, she didn't know what to feel. She was sharing her feelings in a kid's park and now she was kissing a grown women with at least 20 kids seeing them probably. Then Ann relaxed, she felt the way Leslie's lips were warm against her own, she felt the arms around her neck and how soft they were. She felt, nice, great even. And butter flies were forming in her stomach. She began to smile in to the kiss before Leslie pulled out a little too soon. The lack of warmth made Ann open her eyes and look out to the blonde in front of her, she was scared, of course she was scared. She was terrible with relationships and dating, none of them ever made her feel whole and now what she had said to Leslie even if it turned out to not be reciprocated made her feel complete.
"Ann Perkins of course I know what you are getting at. The moment I saw you at the meeting about the pit…that darn awful pit…" Leslie side tracked herself but brought herself back. Leslie could say anything right now and Ann would be happy, they were still connected still close, still hanging onto that kiss. "I saw a beautiful, if a little angry, women who I knew I would love. It's taken time. Years of beautiful best friendship but now here, in this old grubby giants shoe I want to say that I love you" Ann pulled her in a kissed her hard on the lips. She was so happy, she didn't want Leslie to continue, she heard enough. All she needed was to know she hadn't completely miss read every signal over the past years. Her hands came up to Leslie's face on that soft soft skin and held her there. She couldn't pull away now. She couldn't say any more long winded and strange compliments that would confuse and allure Ann. Leslie could only kiss and be kissed. It was what Ann had waited years to be able to do, not on a practice date, not on a 'quick let's practice making out' which she totally had slipped in a few times when they were drunk. It was nice and natural. Leslie tried to pull away again but Ann kept her there, their lips worked together. She didn't want to push it, so just lip kissing was fine for now. "Ann I don't mean to alarm you." Leslie managed to get out whilst kissing, her breath on Ann's face just made her more excited. "But there is a small army of mini children who look lethal staring at us right now." Ann pulled away, Leslie's arms falling to her lap. Ann blushed and bit her lip. She was so finally happy to have made it this far, she honestly didn't know whether she could have done it if she didn't do it right there and then.
"Right." Ann blushed again, she motioned for them to get up and let Leslie out of the tiny children entrance first, it gave Ann a second to secretly fist pump the air in achievement before exiting too. She looked forward to whatever was coming next.