"W-Waverly…if you don't stop looking at me like that I'll probably do something we're both going to regret."
"Like what?"
She breathes it out, barely audible. Her breath tickles my face we're so close.
"Why are you…why are you looking at me like that?"
I'm trying to give her an out. I desperately want to kiss the lips she has slightly pursed.
"Nicole, why did you leave your other school? Why are there no pictures of people from your old school? You're too great to not have had any friends."
She says the last bit so quietly I can barely hear it. Did I imagine it? I seem to feel I imagine most things she says. I chew nervously on the inside of my cheek. Should I tell her the truth? I've never been very good at lying, the guilt always eats at me until I blurt the truth out ten seconds after the lie I've tried to spin it. It's always a disaster.
"My friends pressured me into going to a dance with this guy. He tried to kiss me, I denied him. He spread a nasty rumour that I wasn't into guys and that's why I wouldn't kiss him. Everyone believed him, nobody cared to hear my side."
"Your side? Why didn't you just deny it?"
"I've never been good at lying."
I turn my face away from her's, terrified to see her reaction. I've known her one day and I've told her something I've never even said aloud to myself.
"You've never…"
The realization dawns on her, and her face shifts from confused to something I can't quite place. I'm holding my breath, so worried she's going to freak out. So worried she's going to leave me like all my other friends did.
"Nicole…"
Please, please, please don't leave me.
"Yes?"
"Have you ever met someone and immediately felt as if you've known them forever?"
My face screws in confusion. Sometimes Waverly's segues were hard to follow, but I would always try. Always.
"Y-yes…?"
"Plato once wrote in his Symposium that humans were born connected, two humans created one with four feet, four hands, one head and two faces. Zeus feared the power of humans. He concocted a plan to reduce their power. He decided that if he split them in two, they would be half as powerful. Thus, the humans would be forced to spend an eternity trying to find their other half, the missing piece that would make them whole. Whether that other half be romantic or platonic. That's how he described the existence of soulmates. Someone in your life you searched for because you were once connected to them. A…a spark. Someone you just…click with."
"Do you believe in Plato's theory, Waverly Earp?"
"I don't know, I've always enjoyed reading Plato. I've always loved Greek Mythology. Which can pretty much be summed up as all the gods telling Zeus to not have sex with this person, that person, that swan, etc…but Zeus always thinking it's a great idea...which…why? Why was it a great idea? He became King of the gods by killing his own father who became King by killing his father. Why, then, would Zeus want to create sons who could go on to usurp his power? It makes no sense…What a nymphomaniac. Except "nymphomaniac" is a term only used for women? How preposterous is that, honestly? Men should have a word, too because...
"Waverly."
"Uh, yes?"
"As endearing as I find your babbling, and believe me I do find it adorable, do you have a point with this?"
"Yes, I…I have a point. It's you. I think. I've never met anyone that I immediately thought "Oh, hey, I just met this person but I feel like I've known them for many lifetimes."
"Many lifetimes? Like a reincarnation thing?"
"Well, I am not sure I believe in that, entirely, but if it exists I know for certain I've known you in all my lifetimes."
She's looking at my lips again. My mind is totally derailed and when I finally manage to compose my thoughts enough to answer her, it is with a shaky voice.
"You…you do?"
"Yes, Nicole Haught, I'm certain of it. I actually had a dream about it last night."
"Oh?"
"Yeah…"
She drawls the word at far longer than it needs to be and a blush creeps across her cheeks. She bows her head ever so slightly, staring down at our joined bodies. I chuckle at how adorable she's being.
"Tell me?"
"Well, we lived in the Middle Ages. I was a princess and you were a knight. You had the shiniest armour but it was so weird because instead of a helmet you wore a white Stetson hat."
My chuckle escalates into a full blown laugh and a grin stretches from ear to ear.
"A Stetson hat…in the Middle Ages?"
"Shut up!"
She swats me gently before continuing to tell me about her dream.
"Yes, a Stetson. Now hush up and listen, you."
"My lips are sealed."
I make the gesture of sealing my lips and throwing away the key.
"Anyways, I was in danger. There was an undead attack on our lands and one kidnapped me. You were the captain of the knights in the land. And as I was in the cell busting my butt to try to get out of there I knew you'd come for me. Not because you'd didn't believe I could rescue myself, but because you would do anything to protect me. I was three fourths of the way to getting out of the cell when you showed up, just you. You explained that the rest of the knights went on another hunch, but you came to where I was. Only you. You were the only one who figured out where I was. As the doors to the dark dungeon opened, I saw your silhouette and I knew it was you automatically. Who else would it be? I sat in that dungeon thinking about all the lifetimes we'd been together in before, waiting for you. I think maybe I was always waiting for you. I guess that's kind of how it feels now, meeting you, especially after last night. I never thanked you for last night, for bringing me here, for not freaking out."
"Waverly..."
My voice is soft and, I hope, reassuring. I remove my hand from the small of her back to take her hand, giving it a gentle squeeze.
"Anytime and always."
She smiles at me, bowing her head a bit before she looks up a tad sheepishly.
"You're not totally weirded out by my dream?"
"Of course I'm not, because in a million lifetimes I'd always find a way to help you out. I know you don't need rescuing, you're too strong for that, but everyone needs someone to lean on sometimes. I'll always be happy to be that person for you, you know?"
"Nicole…"
Her voice is so breathy and soft it sends shivers straight down my spine. I'm struggling to figure out a way to diffuse the tension between us. I glance at the alarm clock.
"Uh, Waverly?
"Yeah?"
"We've kind of…missed school."
"Firetruck! Really?"
She tilts her head behind her to look at the clock.
"I thought you said your Mom would come up here with pots and pans and stuff to make sure we weren't late!"
Her eyes are showing a slight panic, missing school seems to be a big deal for Waverly.
"Wave, it's only one period. I can have you there by second period."
I gently rub thumb against the back of her hand. She seems to melt into the touch. When she speaks, the panic in her voice is lost.
"Missing Martin's class isn't too big of a deal, I mean, our paper is already done and it's not due yet so what could we miss, honestly?"
"Definitely not much, probably just more bandannas."
"Yeah, she looked a little ridiculous."
"A little?"
I smirk at Waverly's attempt to be kind.
"Okay, maybe a lot."
She returns my smile and before long I'm swallowing hard and trying not to stare down at her lips. All I want to do is kiss her. The idea is completely clouding my mind. I can't kiss her, though, I can't scare her away. With the way she's looking at me, though, I almost wonder if the same thoughts aren't running through her mind.
"Nicole…"
"Waverly?"
"What about if I tried to kiss you…would you deny me?"
The blush as stretched from her face down her neck, and a blush was suddenly burning hot on my own face.
"I…never. I would never deny you anything."
I knew in that moment, right there lying in my bed with her that I never meant words more than I meant those.
