It's been awhile since I've written a one-shot, so I'm making this. I'm using this song called Crush by David Archuleta. I wonder if anyone has used this on COTT fanfiction... I didn't see anyone use it, and it suits the romance factor for COTT so well! I'm going to write a different person's point of view for every few lines, but some of the scenarios are linked. Just so it'll be easier, I will stick to conventional JxT, AxA. Play the song in the background too if you can(:
Disclaimer: I don't own COTT (or a lawyer, for that matter) but I wish I did. I don't own Crush, it belongs to David Archuleta. Lucky guy, ;D
Crush
I hung up the phone tonight
Something happened for the first time
Deep inside
It was a rush, what a rush
"Atlanta... I love you."
The smile she had on her face frozen in its place. They had just been joking around just now, so how had these three words slipped into their conversation?
She felt confused. Did he really say what he did? She claimed to know what 'love' was... But maybe she didn't really. What was she supposed to do now? She never knew he felt that way. Maybe he meant it as them being friends?
A rush of warmth hit her cheeks. She let out an unintelligible murmur, and the silence on the other end reflected Archie's shock over his confession.
"Atlanta..." he begun softly over the line, seeming not to know what to say.
Her mind shorted out, and she bit her lip nervously. Then she plunked down the phone and turned away from it, breathing hard, eyes wide.
Something happened for the first time... What was that feeling called? It had been awakened and she felt it moving within her strongly, like an ache at the bottom of her stomach.
Was it...
Cause the possibility
That you would ever feel the same way
About me
It's just too much, just too much
On the other line, Archie winced inwardly.
"Atlanta..." he tried in a low tone, and realised he didn't know what to say next.
What now? He thought, panicked.
Then he heard an audible 'click'. He blinked in surprise; next, the line went dead. He sighed - did that mean she didn't feel the same way?
He swallowed. It came to him all of a sudden - could it be that she was confused? Atlanta wasn't the type to comprehend 'love' easily, especially since Pan had skewed all those meanings for her.
Maybe she did love him? The possibility excited him. Glancing at the phone hopefully, he realised he couldn't wait anymore. He had to know...
Why do I keep running from the truth
All I ever think about is you
You got me hypnotized, so mesmerized
And I just got to know
"Hey! Theresa!"
She slowed down and turned, raising her brow at him. A soft smile graced her features, one that made him gulp for relatively no apparent reason at all. "Yes, Jay?" she asked him.
Jay chewed his bottom lip in a little bit of nervousness, though for what he had no idea. "Would you like to go sailing with me tomorrow?" he questioned, and inside he was surprised to find himself praying hope she'd say 'yes'.
The smile she had on grew wider, one that mesmerised him. "Yeah, sure, of course!" she replied in an upbeat manner, and Jay smiled back rather goofily. She looked at her watch quickly and grimaced. "Sorry, but Persephone wanted to see me now, so I need to go."
As she walked away briskly, he found himself staring after her, basking in her the shadow of the memory of his victory. To him, it was great that she had agreed to go with him - as a friend, no less. He didn't think anything more than that... Or did he?
The way she got him so hypnotised by her sparkling green eyes, and the way he always thought of her...
Had he just been runnning away from the truth?
Do you ever think
When you're all alone
All that we can be
Where this thing could go
Am I crazy or falling in love
Is it real or just another crush
She heard her footsteps patter on the floor, and she smiled to herself. It seemed that Jay was staring after her, though she didn't want to watch him do it - no, that would be way too obvious.
Turning down the corner, Theresa heard the echoes of his invitation ring in her ear repeatedly like music. She hugged her books tight to her chest happily.
She was alone now. She could see it now - the cool breeze wafting through her long, wavy hair, the sunlight bearing down on the both of them, the slight jerk in the boat as it moved through the calm waters. She would enjoy himself, and he would... he would probably talk about Cronus.
She let out a sigh. She always wondered if he thought all that they could be together, where that thing could go... He always gave her mixed clues. At times, he blushed furiously, and at others, he would be blatantly ignorant of any of her flirting.
Whether he liked her or not, she was just sure of one thing. To her, Jay was never just another crush.
Do you catch your breath
When I look at you
Are you holding back
Like the way I do
Theresa breathed in the salty air. There was something calming and peaceful about it, and she glanced over at Jay. To her surprise, he hadn't even talked about Cronus at all. He was just all silent, but not with a troubled expression on his face. He just seemed like he was finally relaxing.
Then it happened. He glanced at her too, and their gazes met.
She saw him briefly catch his breath, colour a little and look away. She smiled, then she somehow unconsciously reached out for his hand, touching it lightly.
She felt him flinch. He turned to look at her. There was something serious about him this time, with his eyebrows furrowed a tiny bit. He almost looked like he wanted to say something but was restraining himself. The intensity about him caused the atmosphere to hang with slight tension.
Her mind begged him silently to stop holding back anymore.
Cause I'm trying, trying to walk away
But I know this crush aint going away, going away
"Theresa, I..."
The boat jerked unexpectedly, and he saw Theresa's mouth open in a small, silent 'o' as she almost fell out of the boat. He used the word 'almost', because he managed to catch her at that split second where she was falling.
She was in his arms, staring up at him. The connection was electrifying.
Their faces moved closer, so very close this time. Closing up the distance between them... And then the image of Cronus popped up in his mind, and him using Theresa to get to him...
The spell was broken. He reached out and took her into his arms in a gentle hug instead.
He saw her surprise, her evident disappointment and he felt her hurt. But here he was trying to walk away...
Just then, as they parted, she slipped her hand into his and gave it a little squeeze. Almost as if... As if she knew about his dilemma.
And right then, he was reminded that even if he fought against his feelings, they weren't going away anytime soon.
Has it ever crossed your mind
When were hangin, spending time, girl,
Are we just friends
Is there more, is there more
Atlanta watched with a smile as Theresa and Jay sailed off. She felt happy that her friend could have some alone time with the guy she loved.
'Love'... There was that word again. What was it? She had never known, and maybe she never would.
She felt the waves lap up on her feet and she waddled in. The immediate surge of water all around her made her exclaim in delight - it was so frosty cold and inviting.
"Archie, come over!" she yelled aloud, already knowing his answer.
Her purple-haired dork - uh, the purple-haired dork, she meant - approached, but halted directly in front where the waves just barely reached. "What is it, Atlanta?"
"Come in!" she insisted, going up closer to shore. "The water's nice."
She could hear him grumbling under his breath, muttering this and that. Distracted as he was, this was her time, her opening, to strike.
Grabbing him, she yanked him into the water with her. It was the shallow part of the sea, and so near shore that it wouldn't have posed as any danger. Still, he let out an outraged, strangled yell as though he'd just been killed. Arms flailing - his arms, not hers, she watched, giggling all the while, as he fell into the water with a loud splash that could have been heard from Jay's boat (which happened to be extremely far away).
"Atlanta!" He emerged, spitting out water from his mouth ungraciously.
It was that picture of a red-faced Archie that made her lose it. She fell over onto her side, face above the water, and burst out laughing.
That pout of his was classic.
Then, he leaned down. With his face almost touching hers, he glared at her menacingly.
At that second, she felt the little butterflies of her stomach burst forward in a rush of silver wings. What was that awkward feeling again? It almost felt like her heart was fluttering.
Words inexplicably found themselves into her head: 'more than friends...'
See it's a chance we've gotta take
Cause I believe that we can make this into
Something that will last, last forever,
And ever
Archie saw her pause and shake her head, like she was trying to clear her head of something.
He realised what he was doing, and, embarrassed, he moved his face away and looked away. She hadn't given him an answer yet, and all she had done was pretend that moment hadn't come to be. Doubt was starting to plague him mercilessly. He wanted to believe there was something more than friendship that lurked beneath that relationship. Was he just forcing his dreams onto her?
Later, as they walked down the beach in the glaring lights of the sunset, there was an unclear silence.
He had to speak, say something; he needed to know!
"Atlanta... About yesterday... Do you, do you..." Archie stopped. Something like this was always hard to say.
Atlanta was quiet. Instead she gestured up at the dimming lights. The sky was coloured a pale, surreal amber, something like the colour of Theresa's bright, flaming hair, or her own. The clouds were stained a beautiful, melancholy pink. "Isn't it beautiful?" she commented in a low tone.
He winced; she was avoiding the topic.
Finally, he let it out. It came out so abrupt, so sudden, that it confused him too.
"Atlanta, I need to know. I need to know whether - whether you love me, too." There was this subtle hint of desperation that tinged the overall message. Perhaps she didn't hear it.
She looked stricken. "I... I don't know..." she murmured softly, unable to give an answer. This question was, to her, of no answer. She hadn't the ability to answer it. Oh, she just... She just didn't know.
But he wanted this. He wanted her. He wanted her love so badly.
Somehow, somewhere deep down in his heart, he believed. He believed in all they were, he believed that they could make something out of this. Something so everlasting that people would stop to wonder, stop to admire, stop to envy. But would she give him the chance to love her, give them the chance to try?
This time, judging from her expression, he could tell that she wouldn't.
Do you ever think
When you're all alone
All that we can be
Where this thing can go
Am I crazy or falling in love
Is it real or just another crush
Theresa bounced on Atlanta's bed excitedly. "He told you that he loved you?"
Atlanta nodded mutely. A pained look was clear on her face. For once, the hyperactive Atlanta looked subdued.
Theresa grinned and pumped her fist into the air. "Finally!"
Atlanta's eyes widened visibly, and she gasped. "You mean you knew all along? Why didn't you tell me?!" The indignant cry rose from her throat, and she frowned at her best friend in annoyance.
Theresa laughed cheerfully. "It's been so obvious, Atlanta, that I didn't need to tell you. Of course, of all the people who didn't get it just had to be you, didn't it? You didn't know?"
Atlanta gave Theresa a glare that could melt metal. "Well..." She wrenched her blanket in her hands. "Anyway, I don't know how to reply! You've got to tell me what I should say!"
"What's there for me to tell you what to say?" Theresa said in return, a weird look directed at her best girl friend. "You have to answer from your heart."
"But... But...!" Atlanta sputtered, looking all the more confused. "I... I don't know what to say! What if I don't feel the same way? It would totally destroy our friendship! What if I do? Then it would change everything! And I don't want that to happen either."
"Then what do you want to happen?" Theresa asked patiently, folding her arms from her perch on Atlanta's bed.
Atlanta remained silent, trying to think it out.
Theresa rolled her eyes, then reached out to pat Atlanta's shoulder. "Look, here's some questions to help you. Do you ever think, when you're all alone, all that you both can be, where this thing can go? Do you ever ask yourself if this is real or just a crush, or whether you're crazy or falling in love?" She paused, waiting for a reaction, but getting none. "Well?"
"I... I..." Atlanta murmured. It was all she said.
Theresa sighed. "Atlanta, you have to decide for yourself." She yawned briefly and stretched. "It's late, and tomorrow there's school. I'll leave you to think this over; I'll go back to my room."
With that, she left, but her absence was hardly noticed. For Atlanta, she was already starting to understand what her answer was... Bits and pieces of it were coming together like a puzzle, fitting together...
Maybe, just maybe, there was something behind all the twinges, the jumpiness she was feeling, everything.
"Do you catch your breath
When I look at you
Are you holding back
Like the way I do?"
Theresa felt the words slip from her mouth as she was listening to the song. The words had a bitter taste behind it, though; they reminded her of her situation.
"Yeah."
That word made her world stop spinning for a moment. Eyes big from the shock, she whirled around. Jay stood in the hall, right beside her door. She realised she had forgotten to close her door, and she blushed in embarrassment.
Suddenly, she comprehended the intensity of what he had just said. Her blood froze in her body, everything stopped functioning straight, and she blinked. "What - what did you say?" she stammered lightly.
"'Do you catch your breath, when I look at you? Are you holding back, like the way I do?'" Jay mimicked - on a side note, she noted that he wasn't a bad singer at all - and leaned in the doorway; the smile that could light up darkness was on his face. "And I said yeah."
Cause I'm trying, trying to walk away
But I know this crush aint going away, going away
Why did he just say that?
He had really no idea. But he was tired of trying to walk away. It had been two long years, and he wasn't going to wait anymore. He didn't care if she was going to continue waiting for him anymore, this time it was his turn. He would forget about Cronus; they were both willing to take this chance, he knew.
Theresa was still staring at him, a look of shock firmly displayed on her beautiful, delicate features. He walked over to her and for the second time in the day, took her in his arms. It felt like the most natural thing in the world for him to do, and she fit so perfectly in his arms. She hugged him back, nestling in his snug yellow-striped-with-purple sweater, taking comfort in his presence.
"I love you," he whispered in her ear.
They spent the rest of the night up on the roof, gazing up at the stars together, whispering sweet nothings.
They were right when they said this crush wasn't ever going away -
- And it wasn't even just a crush to begin with.
Why do I keep running from the truth
All I ever think about is you
You got me hypnotized, so mesmerized
And I just got to know
Atlanta paused right outside Archie's door. Hesitation pulled her away from the door as she was about to knock.
Did she actually dare to do this? She knew what her answer was now, but it seemed so unusual to tell him like this. And it was already so late at night...
She couldn't believe herself. She was supposed to be the brave, daring huntress, not the chicken of the group. This was much easier than fighting giants, wasn't it? She only needed to say a couple of words... And have their friendship changed forever.
Who was she kidding? It was one of the toughest things she had ever done. This was going to warp everything, and it took at least some bravery to face up to it. She just hoped she wouldn't have ruined everything.
Stop running from the truth! Atlanta's mind screamed inwardly.
This was long overdue. He needed her answer, and she had to give it to him.
Do you ever think
When you're all alone
All that we can be
Where this thing can go
Am I crazy or falling in love
Is it real or just another crush
Do you catch your breath
When I look at you
Are you holding back
Like the way I do
Cause I'm trying, trying to walk away
But I know this crush aint going away
This crush aint going away
Going away
Going away
Going away
Going away
Going away
His door swung open unexpectedly as he stepped out. He stopped short when he saw her, looking surprised.
"Hey, what's up?" Archie questioned. He hadn't expected her to, well, talk to him so soon. No, he had thought she would avoid him for possibly the rest of his life.
Maybe this was important.
Atlanta bit her lip. There were the butterflies in her stomach again. It drove her mad! They made her feel so weak and nervous...
"I love you too!" she suddenly blurted out, a blush immediately following right after.
This was it. Everything was going to change. And she wasn't sure she liked the idea completely.
Archie looked so shell-shocked. Yeah, she had literally shocked him into silence. She began to worry. What if she had gotten his question wrong in the first place? And -
"Atlanta..."
She choked. "Are we still going to be friends? Will we still go for runs, enjoy ourselves? I don't want anything to change at all just because we love each other." She didn't have any idea what in the world she was talking about. It was all coming out in a jumbled mess, and suddenly she felt abashed. She probably sounded like a total freako now, with all her confusing speech.
Archie's face softened. So this was what she was worried about?
"'Lanta, we'll still be best friends, we'll still play with each other. It's always been this way - nothing will change. We loved each other before, but we didn't fully understand it. Now, the only difference is we do - we do understand it now. There's no change, Atlanta." Archie smiled at the realisation.
Atlanta's face brightened. "Really?"
"Really." His heart soared - this seemed so surreal. He had been dreaming for this day for so long and had learnt to doubt its existence.
But she loved him, and he loved her.
And really, that was all that mattered.
I'm not too sure how that went, I get the feeling it didn't flow very well. This time I wrote more AxA than JxT, haha. Please do review and let me know what you think! Thanks.