Author's Note: I guess I'm writing this as a *bonus* update chapter or whatever, since I'm desperate to finish this story before I leave for Atlanta. Hate to keep you guys hanging, you know? Okay, here goes. Sorry last chapter was so slow. Hoping to speed things up.
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They stayed at the restaurant a long time, eating pizza and talking and laughing about old times. The events of that night, or the last few weeks, were not mentioned once.
Over an hour later, they finally asked for their bill and left the restaurant. The guys insisted on paying for it. "Come on," Tommy complained, "let us be knights on white horses every once in a while."
Amy finally consented, and they rode back to the parking lot for Tommy to pick up his car. Amy left her car to pick up the next morning, feeling too tired and overwhelmed by the day's events to drive, and Raven gave her a ride back to the hotel.
They didn't say much as he walked her up to her room. They simply strode the narrow halls very close to each other, and when Amy felt his fingers brush against hers, she took his hand willingly.
They walked hand-in-hand through the lobby. When Scott headed toward the elevators, Amy tugged him softly in the other direction, and he quietly consented. They walked a few flights up the stairs before Amy stopped and looked at him. "We need to talk, don't we?" he asked quietly, and she nodded.
They sat down side-by-side on the steps. Amy leaned her head over on Scott's shoulder, and he let out a shaky sigh. "Do you want to start, or am I?" he asked.
"You," she whispered.
He folded his hands in front of him, and stared at them for a minute, trying to find his words. In the end, he just decided to wing it.
"Amy, we've been friends for a long time. In fact, I'd probably call you my best friend. But some time ago, I realized you meant more to be than that. And I felt like it hurt too much to just be your friend anymore." He sighed and shook his head. "So I took the easy way out. I ran away. I abandoned you and everyone else. It was selfish, and I'm sorry. And I just want to be your friend again."
He turned to look at her, their faces inches apart. "My turn?" Amy asked, keeping her voice quiet and even. Scott nodded, and she hesitantly began.
"I figured it out a while back that I cared about you as more than my best friend. But then, all of a sudden," Amy's voice broke, and tears streamed down her face. "You left, and I didn't even have a best friend anymore. And now you're here, and I'm just terrified you're going to somehow leave again."
Scott's heart broke to see her cry. His large, rough hands gently wiped her tears from her cheek, and his strong arms held her softly. She leaned into him, continuing to cry, the months of stress finally taking its toll. Finally, doing the only thing he could think to do to make her sobs stop, Scott kissed her.
It was a soft, gentle, careful kiss, brief and sweet. Lita's eyes stared into his, and never breaking gaze, he kissed the places where her tears had fallen on her cheeks softly. He closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against hers. Taking a deep shaky breath, he whispered, "I love you."
She smiled through her tears, and kissed him once, quickly. "I love you."
He laughed, crying a little, and asked, "So is this conversation through then?", and she giggled with him. "I guess so." She paused, and nibbled her lower lip, still keeping her forehead touching his. "Stay with me tonight." She interrupted him when he opened his mouth to protest. "To sleep," she corrected. "I doubt you've even found I room yet, I know you don't have reservations, and..." She shrugged, breaking eye contact with him for a second. "I don't want to be alone tonight."
He nodded slowly, thinking about what the last few weeks must have been like for her. "Of course I will. You know I'd love to."
He stood up, and helped her to her feet. "Lead the way, m'lady."
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They stayed at the restaurant a long time, eating pizza and talking and laughing about old times. The events of that night, or the last few weeks, were not mentioned once.
Over an hour later, they finally asked for their bill and left the restaurant. The guys insisted on paying for it. "Come on," Tommy complained, "let us be knights on white horses every once in a while."
Amy finally consented, and they rode back to the parking lot for Tommy to pick up his car. Amy left her car to pick up the next morning, feeling too tired and overwhelmed by the day's events to drive, and Raven gave her a ride back to the hotel.
They didn't say much as he walked her up to her room. They simply strode the narrow halls very close to each other, and when Amy felt his fingers brush against hers, she took his hand willingly.
They walked hand-in-hand through the lobby. When Scott headed toward the elevators, Amy tugged him softly in the other direction, and he quietly consented. They walked a few flights up the stairs before Amy stopped and looked at him. "We need to talk, don't we?" he asked quietly, and she nodded.
They sat down side-by-side on the steps. Amy leaned her head over on Scott's shoulder, and he let out a shaky sigh. "Do you want to start, or am I?" he asked.
"You," she whispered.
He folded his hands in front of him, and stared at them for a minute, trying to find his words. In the end, he just decided to wing it.
"Amy, we've been friends for a long time. In fact, I'd probably call you my best friend. But some time ago, I realized you meant more to be than that. And I felt like it hurt too much to just be your friend anymore." He sighed and shook his head. "So I took the easy way out. I ran away. I abandoned you and everyone else. It was selfish, and I'm sorry. And I just want to be your friend again."
He turned to look at her, their faces inches apart. "My turn?" Amy asked, keeping her voice quiet and even. Scott nodded, and she hesitantly began.
"I figured it out a while back that I cared about you as more than my best friend. But then, all of a sudden," Amy's voice broke, and tears streamed down her face. "You left, and I didn't even have a best friend anymore. And now you're here, and I'm just terrified you're going to somehow leave again."
Scott's heart broke to see her cry. His large, rough hands gently wiped her tears from her cheek, and his strong arms held her softly. She leaned into him, continuing to cry, the months of stress finally taking its toll. Finally, doing the only thing he could think to do to make her sobs stop, Scott kissed her.
It was a soft, gentle, careful kiss, brief and sweet. Lita's eyes stared into his, and never breaking gaze, he kissed the places where her tears had fallen on her cheeks softly. He closed his eyes and leaned his forehead against hers. Taking a deep shaky breath, he whispered, "I love you."
She smiled through her tears, and kissed him once, quickly. "I love you."
He laughed, crying a little, and asked, "So is this conversation through then?", and she giggled with him. "I guess so." She paused, and nibbled her lower lip, still keeping her forehead touching his. "Stay with me tonight." She interrupted him when he opened his mouth to protest. "To sleep," she corrected. "I doubt you've even found I room yet, I know you don't have reservations, and..." She shrugged, breaking eye contact with him for a second. "I don't want to be alone tonight."
He nodded slowly, thinking about what the last few weeks must have been like for her. "Of course I will. You know I'd love to."
He stood up, and helped her to her feet. "Lead the way, m'lady."