In That Moment
You can't bring yourself to lift your head and look at his face, into those dark brown eyes because you're afraid of what you might see. But that doesn't stop the many possibilities from flooding into your mind, and you imagine a sharp flinch of disgust, a blank stare, or even worse, his face mirroring yours. The tears run hot from your eyes, searing them shut, and you bury them into his chest, his shirt soaking up all the emptiness, guilt and disappointment they represent. It's hard to be this vulnerable, especially in front of him, a young man you've known since you were little, a person who knows you inside and out, better than anyone else. But you know him too - empathy and comfort have never been his strong suits, but there's no where else to go, and regrettably, there's no one else to turn.
But in the midst of all the agony and the cold shaking your body, you feel him draw closer, in a way you've never experienced before. But it isn't the way he lets you cry near him or the way he holds you, it's how warm you never quite remembered him being as he gently cradles you, and just by saying absolutely nothing can he make everything so much more better. He knows how much you appreciate his silence because he's ruined tender moments like this before, with an underhanded comment, a tasteless joke or an ill timed, out of context statement just to stop himself from feeling awkward. But there's nothing in the air. Nothing can take this away.
In a blink of an eye, you're reminded how wonderful this boy really is, with all his perfection, and all his imperfection, how he's always taken care of you, through childhood journeys and perilous battles. He's a smart kid, with a nagging tendency to run ahead of himself, but you still find it adorable. His diligence in training earns him great respect, and you can't help but take a little credit for his development along the way. And the funniest part is, he never asks for anything in return but to be his friend, and to stop by every so often.
His arms are like towers, a large shield, strong against your frame, and it's in that moment you realize how he feels about you. It's been a constant struggle knowing if he ever did, and you didn't come to him to find out in the first place, but you know now. The once painful memories of the day disappear into nothing, and you smile softly as you hug him tighter, like you'll never let him go again.
You thank every Legendary alive you have such a wonderful person in your life, a boy who cares about you more than he cares for himself, and it doesn't matter if he's disappointed you in the past, how he still drives you crazy now or how he'll mess up in the future. It doesn't matter, none of it does, because in this feeling, in this moment in time, he's the one you need, and you're so happy you're the one he needs too.