`This chapter goes really fast and I'm not really proud of the ending. Hopefully, you'll like it better than I do.
"Wh-what?" Eduard's brain shut down and he needed to make sure he had heard the other correctly.
"I said I like you. I've liked you for a long time, I just didn't want to freak you out by talking to you, ya know? And then all this came up and I saw my chance. I got to hang out with you, but I still couldn't tell you because you'd be all weirded out and we couldn't even be friends anymore."
"You...like me? As in like-like me?"
"Well, I don't know anyone who's said it like that since fourth grade, but yeah." Eduard turned red at that.
"But you can't!"
"Why not?" Alfred asked. "If it's the whole gay thing, I-"
"It's not that. I don't care about that."
"Then why can't I like you?"
"Because I like you!"
"You do? That's awesome!"
"No, it's not!"
"Why not?"
"Because that's not the way it works!" Eduard exclaimed. Seeing the confused look on Alfred's face, he went on. "I'm supposed to have a crazy, impossible crush on the most popular, most handsome boy through out all of high school, but he's not supposed to know who I am and then I go off to collage and maybe eventually meet someone on my social level and settle down with them or else die alone. And you're supposed to be really popular and everyone loves you and wants to date you and you have your pick of the lot so you choose the hottest girl or guy or whatever and you date them for a while before breaking up with them and moving on to someone new. Or else you two stay together and win awards senior year and go on to collage together and eventually get married. Either way, no where in here do you start to like me or even see me! That against the natural order of things!"
Al just stared at him for a minute. Then the American started to laugh. "What? Where would you get an idea like that?"
"Nowhere! It just is how it is! I didn't get it from anywhere because it's everywhere!"
"Well then, let's say that is the case and my life has to play out like that. There's one flaw with your logic."
"And what's that?"
"You're the hottest boy in school. Or at least the cutest and nicest and smartest."
"No I'm not." Eduard said and looked at the ground in hopes of hiding his blush.
"You are to me. Besides, you said I have the pick of the lot. I pick you." Alfred stepped forward and forced the blonde to look him in the eyes.
The Estonian boy sighed. "You're not going to give this up, are you?"
"Nope!" Alfred laughed, then suddenly he was serious again. "Now, Eduard, will you forget about all these stupid social standing things and just go out with me?"
Feeling defeated, he sighed and said, "Fine."
"Yay!" The American exclaimed and pulled him into a tight, happy hug.
Great, more hugging. Eduard thought. But this one was different. It was better. And this time, he hugged back.
