Author Note: So, this is my first fanfic ever for The Middle. It's been in my head for a while and I just had to finally get it out. I hope you enjoy it.
Hands and Night Sky
Sean Donahue needed air, he'd needed to escape the party ever since he looked up and saw Darrin talking to Sue Heck. He could see the way she would smile at him, the way Darrin gently touched her and he felt sick.
He didn't know when things had changed for him. He wasn't even sure it really was a change, just a realization of what was. Maybe he finally let himself stop seeing her as Axl's little sister and as Susie-Q, but she'd always been his Susie-Q, except that she wasn't his.
No, her heart had been stolen already by one of his best friends. He knew Darrin was a good guy, who would always be good to Sue, he would make sure that she had what she wanted, what she needed. He'd just been ready to give her all of that before she was ready.
Sean sat down on a lawn chair looking up at the night sky.
"It's beautiful, isn't it?" Sue's voice came from behind him.
Sean felt his heart skip a beat before he slowly turned to her a smile slipping across his lips, "Yeah, what are you doing outside?"
Sue shrugged, "It was too loud, I couldn't think in there. Darrin was, I don't know trying to flirt, it was awkward." She couldn't tell him why.
"Yeah, I bet your boyfriend probably wouldn't like that." Sean studied her, watching the way her shoulders sank.
"That didn't work out." She looked away to her fingers, the way she always seemed to when she was nervous.
Sean tried to fight the bubble of joy he felt at the news, "I'm sorry to hear that. What happened?"
Sue took a deep breath as she looked up at Sean, seeing something different in the way he was watching her, or maybe she just wanted to. "We wanted different things." That was the best way to describe it, wasn't it?
"One day Susie-Q," His hand dropped to hers, "you'll find the right guy."
Sue looked down feeling his hand wrap around hers. "Yeah, someday."
He knew he should let go but he couldn't, "So yeah like when you're done with school you and Darrin can give it another shot."
Sue wrinkled her nose and shook her head, "No, I don't think that would work."
"Really, why?"
Sue figured he was testing the waters for his friend, "Um, I think I want something, someone else."
"So, you met someone new?"
"No" She looked down as his thumb ran over her knuckles, "I just think maybe someone else is out in this world for me. It could be someone new, or it could be…"
Was it possible? Sean bit the inside of his cheek trying to will the hope away, but he had to know. "Could be what Sue?"
"Someone I already know." How were they still holding hands, why did it still feel so right? "Enough about me, when do you start medical school?"
"Next year." Sean was going to hold her hand as long as she let him, he was going to accept this moment, and hope that maybe one day she would see him as more than Axl's friend. "I'm going to live at home, study for the MCAT's, do some volunteer work."
"I bet your mom will be thrilled to have you back." Sue was trying to ignore the idea of seeing him more now that he was going to be in Orson.
"I hope she's not the only one."
"Axl and Darrin will be happy to have you back as well. You guys could get boss co going again or something." She looked away, afraid she would give it away.
He shifted closer, "What about you Sue?"
She smiled honestly, "Of course I will,"
"Good." He loved her smile. "We could maybe hang out sometime, you know when Axl is with Lexi, or something."
Sue felt a bubble of hope starting to inflate inside of her, "I would like that, we could go to a movie."
"Or we could go to dinner."
"That sounds like a date."
He looked down at their hands, "Maybe it should be."
If it was possible for her heart to do a flip flop Sue was sure hers just had, "Are you asking me out?"
He inhaled sharply, "Yes, Sue Heck, would you go to dinner with me?"
"Yes, I would like that very much."
"You would?" His eyes were wide, his smile large.
Sue nodded, "Yeah."
"So, it's a date then."
"Yeah, it is." Sue felt as if she might float away, Sean asked her on a date.
"Yo, Sue" Axl came out to the back yard, pausing when he saw his sister holding hands with his best friend, "Um, Lexi and I are going to head out. You coming with us, or…"
"I can give Sue a ride." Sean perked up, "If she wants to stick around that is."
"Yeah, that would be great Sean." She looked to her brother, "Go, don't worry about me."
Axl slowly nodded, "Okay, um just a, heads up, Darrin was looking for you."
"Thanks." She watched as Axl went back inside.
Sean gave her hand a gentle squeeze, "You want to just go for a drive?"
"Yeah, I would like that."
"We'll wait a minute and then go, enjoy the stars."
Sue smiled, "Sounds perfect."
Sean looked up just in time to catch a shooting star. He made a wish before looking back to Sue, neither spoke as they stood up, still holding hands as they walked back into the house. The music still loud as they moved through the crowd. They were at the door when he looked back to see Darrin watching them, a flash of guilt filled him before he looked back to Sue, and realized he could never feel guilty about being near her.
Once outside Sue stopped in the middle of the walkway as she saw the moon, bright above the trees. Sean's body slammed into hers and they almost fell over, but he caught her, his heart racing as he stared into her eyes before following instinct and kissing her.
Sue held onto him as they kissed, slowly but deeply. It was different than any other kiss she'd had the way she felt it throughout her entire body.
Sean knew in this moment she was his Susie-Q, she always had been, he'd just been waiting for the right night sky to make it happen.