"Blake! Blake, wait up!" Tori called after him as she tried to catch up
to his retreating form. Blake stopped. He couldn't bring himself to face
her at the moment, but he knew walking away wasn't the correct way to go.
Tori finally caught up to him and stood there for a bit. "Why did you run
out?" She asked. Blake sighed.
"I'm just really beginning to hate Truth or Dare." He said, still not facing her. Tori sighed and grabbed his shoulder, gently turning him to face her.
"Did you mean what you said just now?" She asked. Blake looked down.
"What, about hating Truth or Dare?" He joked bitterly.
"No, before that. What you said inside." Tori said seriously.
"It doesn't matter, forget it." He turned to leave. Tori grabbed his arm and walked over to be in front of him.
"It does matter, and I am not going to forget it. Now, answer my question. Did you mean it?" She asked. Blake sighed.
"Of course I did." He said. He looked into her eyes. "When we were all on that Island and I had gotten out of Lothor's mind warp thing but Hunter hadn't, you asked me what got me to remember and I told you I had a little help remembering who my friends were, I wasn't kidding or anything." He sighed. "Before I met you and Hunter and I were just observing you guys, I thought you seemed pretty cool and everything, and was kind of interested in you.." He blushed a bit at admitting that. "And then, after Dustin introduced you and Shane to us, and I started to sort of get to know you, I really fell for you, but I kept telling myself I couldn't because you guys were our enemies. But, after the whole finding out the truth thing happened and Hunter and I left for a while, I got to do a lot of thinking. And that's when I stopped holding myself back from feeling anything for you, and that's when I found out that.." His voice trailed off a bit.
"That you love me." Tori concluded. Blake nodded.
"Yeah." He said softly. "Look, I know it was totally out of the blue and you are probably major ticked about me saying it and really freaked and-" Blake's rambling was cut off by Tori pressing her lips to his. Blake was surprised by this, but kissed her back. After a while, they broke apart.
"I am ticked." She said. Blake looked at her.
"Oh.." He said.
"Ticked that it took a Truth or Dare game for you to tell me." Tori smiled. Blake couldn't help give a hesitant smile, his heart going a little at ease, but he sensed the comings of a 'but' just around the bend. He scratched the back of his head nervously a bit.
"So....Do you...I mean..."
"Do I feel the same?" She asked, giving the words for him. Blake nodded.
"Uh, yeah." He said. He looked at Tori. Tori could see the fear of rejection and abandonment in his eyes. She took his hand and sat down on the front lawn of Sonny's house, indicating for him do so as well. He did.
"Blake, I like you, a lot." She said. Blake looked down, feeling his heart breaking.
"Oh." Was all he could manage to say. He sighed. "I'm sorry for putting this pressure on you. If you want to end things between us, I'll totally understand." 'That's a lie.' He thought. 'If you want to end things between us, I'll fall to bits, but, pretend to understand for you.'
"What part of 'I like you a lot' gives you the idea I want to end things?" Tori said. Blake's head snapped up, a little surprised by her saying that.
"But..I...I thought that me saying I love you would be too weird and everything and you'd want to end thing and such.." Tori giggled a bit at the blank and confused look on his face.
"Sorry Blake, can't get rid of me that easily." She smiled. She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze and leaned her head against his shoulder a bit. "I like you a lot. I don't know if it is love or whatever, but I know I've never felt this way about someone before." She lifted her head and smiled at him. "I'd be willing to stick around and find out if it is though." She said. Blake couldn't help laugh a bit in the relief of not loosing her.
"I can live with that." He smiled.
"Good." Tori said. She leaned over and kissed him softly. "We better get back inside, Dustin's probably having a heart attack from the fear that you're going to kill him." Tori smiled. The two stood up.
"Who says I won't?" Blake smiled, putting an arm around her shoulders. Tori laughed and put an arm around his waist.
"Now, now now, we can't be down a ranger." She said lowly. Blake shrugged.
"Let Cybercam fill is place." Blake joked. Tori laughed again.
"Then who would watch over the tech stuff in Opts?" Tori asked.
"Teach Sensei how to use computers?" He suggested. Tori bursted out laughing at the mental image of Sensei working at the computer keyboard with his little paws.
"I don't think Cam would like him anywhere near the tech stuff." Tori pointed out. Blake smiled. He loved her laugh, well, loved everything about her. If she needed time to figure out her own feelings, he was willing to give her all the time in the world. He was just glad they could still be together while she took her time.
"I'm just really beginning to hate Truth or Dare." He said, still not facing her. Tori sighed and grabbed his shoulder, gently turning him to face her.
"Did you mean what you said just now?" She asked. Blake looked down.
"What, about hating Truth or Dare?" He joked bitterly.
"No, before that. What you said inside." Tori said seriously.
"It doesn't matter, forget it." He turned to leave. Tori grabbed his arm and walked over to be in front of him.
"It does matter, and I am not going to forget it. Now, answer my question. Did you mean it?" She asked. Blake sighed.
"Of course I did." He said. He looked into her eyes. "When we were all on that Island and I had gotten out of Lothor's mind warp thing but Hunter hadn't, you asked me what got me to remember and I told you I had a little help remembering who my friends were, I wasn't kidding or anything." He sighed. "Before I met you and Hunter and I were just observing you guys, I thought you seemed pretty cool and everything, and was kind of interested in you.." He blushed a bit at admitting that. "And then, after Dustin introduced you and Shane to us, and I started to sort of get to know you, I really fell for you, but I kept telling myself I couldn't because you guys were our enemies. But, after the whole finding out the truth thing happened and Hunter and I left for a while, I got to do a lot of thinking. And that's when I stopped holding myself back from feeling anything for you, and that's when I found out that.." His voice trailed off a bit.
"That you love me." Tori concluded. Blake nodded.
"Yeah." He said softly. "Look, I know it was totally out of the blue and you are probably major ticked about me saying it and really freaked and-" Blake's rambling was cut off by Tori pressing her lips to his. Blake was surprised by this, but kissed her back. After a while, they broke apart.
"I am ticked." She said. Blake looked at her.
"Oh.." He said.
"Ticked that it took a Truth or Dare game for you to tell me." Tori smiled. Blake couldn't help give a hesitant smile, his heart going a little at ease, but he sensed the comings of a 'but' just around the bend. He scratched the back of his head nervously a bit.
"So....Do you...I mean..."
"Do I feel the same?" She asked, giving the words for him. Blake nodded.
"Uh, yeah." He said. He looked at Tori. Tori could see the fear of rejection and abandonment in his eyes. She took his hand and sat down on the front lawn of Sonny's house, indicating for him do so as well. He did.
"Blake, I like you, a lot." She said. Blake looked down, feeling his heart breaking.
"Oh." Was all he could manage to say. He sighed. "I'm sorry for putting this pressure on you. If you want to end things between us, I'll totally understand." 'That's a lie.' He thought. 'If you want to end things between us, I'll fall to bits, but, pretend to understand for you.'
"What part of 'I like you a lot' gives you the idea I want to end things?" Tori said. Blake's head snapped up, a little surprised by her saying that.
"But..I...I thought that me saying I love you would be too weird and everything and you'd want to end thing and such.." Tori giggled a bit at the blank and confused look on his face.
"Sorry Blake, can't get rid of me that easily." She smiled. She gave his hand a reassuring squeeze and leaned her head against his shoulder a bit. "I like you a lot. I don't know if it is love or whatever, but I know I've never felt this way about someone before." She lifted her head and smiled at him. "I'd be willing to stick around and find out if it is though." She said. Blake couldn't help laugh a bit in the relief of not loosing her.
"I can live with that." He smiled.
"Good." Tori said. She leaned over and kissed him softly. "We better get back inside, Dustin's probably having a heart attack from the fear that you're going to kill him." Tori smiled. The two stood up.
"Who says I won't?" Blake smiled, putting an arm around her shoulders. Tori laughed and put an arm around his waist.
"Now, now now, we can't be down a ranger." She said lowly. Blake shrugged.
"Let Cybercam fill is place." Blake joked. Tori laughed again.
"Then who would watch over the tech stuff in Opts?" Tori asked.
"Teach Sensei how to use computers?" He suggested. Tori bursted out laughing at the mental image of Sensei working at the computer keyboard with his little paws.
"I don't think Cam would like him anywhere near the tech stuff." Tori pointed out. Blake smiled. He loved her laugh, well, loved everything about her. If she needed time to figure out her own feelings, he was willing to give her all the time in the world. He was just glad they could still be together while she took her time.