Hi ho! I'm baack!
Disclaimer: I don't own Holly, Root, Foaly, or anyone else. They all belong to Eion Colfer. Lucky him.
Chapter Four
Confession
'There is no way I can do this,' Julius thought. 'No way whatsoever.'
This was so early. So rash. Did he have to do this now?
It was either now or never. And he didn't want to lose Holly Short.
No three-hour counsel with Foaly last night could have prepared him for the way he felt now. He was terrified, bottom line. Part of him wanted to just forget about it and go back to being the old Commander Root. To be normal again.
But he knew that he couldn't.
As Foaly had said last night, "No, she hasn't changed, Julius. It's you who's changed. And from here on out, you'll never be the same." And Foaly had gone away smiling and smirking to himself. Damn donkey.
That ring was burning a hole in his pocket.
~*~
He and Foaly both seemed to be losing their concentration. In his office, what had started as a discussion over papers and files had somehow turned to an obscure conversation about Holly's hair that Root really couldn't keep up with.
"I used to have long hair." Holly's voice came to him as he was lost in his newest train of thought.
"What happened to it?" Root asked vaguely, rubbing his head.
Holly pointed to Foaly. "He hacked it off," she said, grinning.
"I did not 'hack it off'," Foaly said defensively. "I cut your hair, and I think I did a damn good job too."
The centaur looked meaningfully at Root as Holly, still smiling, continued with her paperwork. Root glared back at Foaly. He needed to be able to do this in his own time.
But would his own time ever come? With the fresh fear that was in his heart, he knew that, left alone, he'd never ask Holly. Like it or not, he needed prodding along.
~*~
The day was almost over. Time was running out. He needed to confront Holly.
He could have asked her a thousand times that day. They had been left alone so often. But he couldn't. This was not the place for that kind of question.
Holly's shift was done. As she was leaving the Recon building, Root walked up to her and said, "I need to discuss something with you. At your home." Holly looked at him strangely but said, "Ok."
Doubts began to run through his mind again as he walked with Holly towards her house. He pushed them away. This time he was not going to let fear stop him from doing this.
But what if Holly... said no?
He didn't need to think about that now. He'd deal with it if the situation arose.
They reached her small tenant house. Holly turned around and said, "What was it you needed to talk about?"
Root took a deep breath. He was... ready.
He grabbed Holly's hands and held them. They were slender, callused, and warm. His were sweating like crazy.
She pulled away uncomfortably. What the hell...?
"Holly...," he began. He looked into Holly's beautiful eyes and tried to find the courage to continue.
"What?" she whispered, her voice trembling.
"I LOVE YOU, HOLLY SHORT!" Good Lord, had he just shouted?
She stood stock still. Great, now she thought him mad.
Julius took her hands again and dropped one knee. Crap, that hurt. He got down on both and attempted to find his voice. Craaap, it wouldn't come. Ok, breathe. Take deep breaths...
"Will you?" he managed to choke out.
"Will I what?" she asked softly.
"You know."
"No, I don't know."
D'arvit, she did know, she was doing this just to torture him into proposing properly.
With shaking hands, he drew the ring out and said, "Holly... will you marry me?"
She stared at him for a minute, biting her lip to keep her eyes from misting. It wasn't working very well. 'Damn it,' she thought. 'I haven't cried for seven years, and now...'
She suddenly smiled through damp eyes, grasped his hand, and nodded. So much for not getting emotional.
He stood up, held her, and wept into her shoulder.
~*~
Yay... another mushy chapter complete...
FINALLY I've finished the chapter. Just one more to go... I can do it... I had trouble completing this one for some reason. Oh vell. Please review!! People who have reviewed so far: Thanks! Me latest reviewers: Tazmoon (salute!), Mage Kitty (Thanks so much!) Kelsey (ease up on the questions there... ^_^) Alex (dank ishan! ((German, yeah.)) Ssenkard Tnelis (Thanks! Tell Sara 'hey' for me) and if there's others that I've missed, I'm sorry! You're loved too ^_^. My laptop doesn't have the Internet and so I'd have to check on my sister's computer but I don't wanna get off my lazy ass and yup, the redhead's making excuses.... Anyway. ~* Chumani *~
Disclaimer: I don't own Holly, Root, Foaly, or anyone else. They all belong to Eion Colfer. Lucky him.
Chapter Four
Confession
'There is no way I can do this,' Julius thought. 'No way whatsoever.'
This was so early. So rash. Did he have to do this now?
It was either now or never. And he didn't want to lose Holly Short.
No three-hour counsel with Foaly last night could have prepared him for the way he felt now. He was terrified, bottom line. Part of him wanted to just forget about it and go back to being the old Commander Root. To be normal again.
But he knew that he couldn't.
As Foaly had said last night, "No, she hasn't changed, Julius. It's you who's changed. And from here on out, you'll never be the same." And Foaly had gone away smiling and smirking to himself. Damn donkey.
That ring was burning a hole in his pocket.
~*~
He and Foaly both seemed to be losing their concentration. In his office, what had started as a discussion over papers and files had somehow turned to an obscure conversation about Holly's hair that Root really couldn't keep up with.
"I used to have long hair." Holly's voice came to him as he was lost in his newest train of thought.
"What happened to it?" Root asked vaguely, rubbing his head.
Holly pointed to Foaly. "He hacked it off," she said, grinning.
"I did not 'hack it off'," Foaly said defensively. "I cut your hair, and I think I did a damn good job too."
The centaur looked meaningfully at Root as Holly, still smiling, continued with her paperwork. Root glared back at Foaly. He needed to be able to do this in his own time.
But would his own time ever come? With the fresh fear that was in his heart, he knew that, left alone, he'd never ask Holly. Like it or not, he needed prodding along.
~*~
The day was almost over. Time was running out. He needed to confront Holly.
He could have asked her a thousand times that day. They had been left alone so often. But he couldn't. This was not the place for that kind of question.
Holly's shift was done. As she was leaving the Recon building, Root walked up to her and said, "I need to discuss something with you. At your home." Holly looked at him strangely but said, "Ok."
Doubts began to run through his mind again as he walked with Holly towards her house. He pushed them away. This time he was not going to let fear stop him from doing this.
But what if Holly... said no?
He didn't need to think about that now. He'd deal with it if the situation arose.
They reached her small tenant house. Holly turned around and said, "What was it you needed to talk about?"
Root took a deep breath. He was... ready.
He grabbed Holly's hands and held them. They were slender, callused, and warm. His were sweating like crazy.
She pulled away uncomfortably. What the hell...?
"Holly...," he began. He looked into Holly's beautiful eyes and tried to find the courage to continue.
"What?" she whispered, her voice trembling.
"I LOVE YOU, HOLLY SHORT!" Good Lord, had he just shouted?
She stood stock still. Great, now she thought him mad.
Julius took her hands again and dropped one knee. Crap, that hurt. He got down on both and attempted to find his voice. Craaap, it wouldn't come. Ok, breathe. Take deep breaths...
"Will you?" he managed to choke out.
"Will I what?" she asked softly.
"You know."
"No, I don't know."
D'arvit, she did know, she was doing this just to torture him into proposing properly.
With shaking hands, he drew the ring out and said, "Holly... will you marry me?"
She stared at him for a minute, biting her lip to keep her eyes from misting. It wasn't working very well. 'Damn it,' she thought. 'I haven't cried for seven years, and now...'
She suddenly smiled through damp eyes, grasped his hand, and nodded. So much for not getting emotional.
He stood up, held her, and wept into her shoulder.
~*~
Yay... another mushy chapter complete...
FINALLY I've finished the chapter. Just one more to go... I can do it... I had trouble completing this one for some reason. Oh vell. Please review!! People who have reviewed so far: Thanks! Me latest reviewers: Tazmoon (salute!), Mage Kitty (Thanks so much!) Kelsey (ease up on the questions there... ^_^) Alex (dank ishan! ((German, yeah.)) Ssenkard Tnelis (Thanks! Tell Sara 'hey' for me) and if there's others that I've missed, I'm sorry! You're loved too ^_^. My laptop doesn't have the Internet and so I'd have to check on my sister's computer but I don't wanna get off my lazy ass and yup, the redhead's making excuses.... Anyway. ~* Chumani *~