Author's Note: Hey everyone, hope you're well! Today's post isn't the same as usual and I'll explain why in a moment. This is simply a preview of the next chapter, not the full thing. I've posted the first full scene, polished and edited the way I always approach these chapters. But, this is all I have done to post for this week.

Between Thanksgiving and playing way too much of the new Pokemon game, I didn't get much writing done this week. But I've also felt pretty burnt out on writing these past few days. Now that doesn't mean I'm not finishing the story! I just needed a little time to recharge and unwind. I've managed 11 straight weeks of full-length chapters and I'm very proud of that! But I definitely needed a break, I think. And now that I've had some time away, I'm also very excited to keep writing the rest of the story going forward! This is about the halfway point number-wise as well, so there should be about 11 chapters left.

I figured I had three options. Don't post anything at all this week and leave people wondering if I had abandoned the story, half-ass a chapter that covers content I want to take my time with and make sure is well handled (and in doing so, disappoint everyone, including myself), or just post a small preview. So obviously I went with the third option! So while this is very short, know that this is the precursor to the real Chapter XII, coming at the usual time next Friday! I'll probably delete this entry sometime late next week and repost the real chapter so it doesn't throw off the numbering too.

Thanks for being patient and I hope you're all doing wonderfully! Take care and I'll see you all next week with the full chapter; count on it!

Chapter XII PREVIEW

The gentle lapping of waves echoed across the velvet night, the soft crunch of sand beneath feet breaking the calm ebb and flow. Sharpner was walking along the moonlit beach with Erasa at his side, his entire body tense with nerves. The longer they walked, the more anxious he became. He was approaching the point of no return with his good friend, arguably his best friend. Was he actually prepared to confess his feelings to her?

They had known each other for six years now. He had never really thought of her as anything more than a friend until recently. He hadn't been sure if this was a step he should really take. But when he had brought up his feelings and hesitations to Videl earlier that afternoon, she had been extremely supportive. She had assured him that Erasa was a kind and compassionate person – something he already knew, of course – and even if she didn't feel the same way she would never stop being his friend or make him feel bad about it. Videl had also conceded that she had no idea the blonde's thoughts on the matter; they had never discussed it, something he fully believed.

If she didn't like him, then so be it. But he had wrestled with these emotions for several weeks now. Since Videl had started dating Gohan, he and Erasa had started spending much more time together, just the two of them. And, slowly but surely, he had come to develop strong feelings for her. He had dated before, usually girls on the cheer squad or fans of his that came to his boxing tournaments, but he had never really felt much about any of these girls. They were nice enough, sure, but he was just in it for the fun of it, really. The experience of dating different types of people. But with her, things felt different.

"It's such a nice night Sharpie, I'm glad we came out here!" Erasa's sonorous voice rang out across the beach. She wasn't even being loud; it was just so silent around them that her voice carried effortlessly on the ocean breeze.

"Yeah, me too. I know we haven't really struggled to find time together these last few months, but it's nice to relax together here too."

"It really is! Who would've thought we'd need to clear out for those two," she teased, a sly grin spreading across her lips. Sharpner laughed lightly, feeling his heart leap. Of course, that wasn't the real reason they were out here. But Videl had let him use them as an excuse so he wouldn't betray his intentions too early. Not before he was fully prepared.

"Seriously," she continued, her eyes sparkling. "I was so surprised when you said that! I know I shouldn't tease her, but I've gotta get some details from Vi later!"

"Maybe we should just let 'em do their thing, you know?" Sharpner offered, his tone as casual as could be. He really didn't want to make things awkward for Videl and Gohan after they were helping him out so much.

"No way! Vi has been so into Gohan for so long; I have to know!" Sharpner swallowed hard and took a calming breath. It was now or never. He had nothing to lose and really didn't want to give Erasa the wrong idea any longer. She was clearly jumping to some conclusions he hadn't anticipated and wasn't likely to let them go…

"Actually E," he started, earning her curious gaze, "that wasn't the whole reason I wanted you to come out here tonight." His heart thundered in his chest and his hands grew clammy. Bit by bit he was closing in on the moment of truth.

"Wait, what do you mean? Did something happen?"

"Not exactly. Uh…hear me out for a minute, would you?" He was stammering now. Great. He never acted like this around people.

"Sure, what's up?" She stopped walking and turned to face him, her face set in a dazzling smile that nearly took his breath away.

"Um. So…I kinda used Videl and Gohan as an excuse to ask you to come out here with me. They didn't really ask us to clear out." Her face fell in disappointment.

"Aw! I thought there was something exciting going on back at the house!" Sharpner found himself laughing as she pouted. It was…really cute.

"Well, who knows, right? I'm sure she'll tell you someday if something does happen."

"Wait," she interrupted softly. "How come you wanted to come out here alone with me then? Is something wrong?" He felt his stomach flip and knew this was it. There was no going back or chickening out now. He owed it to her to be honest at this point. He owed it to himself, too.

"No, nothing's wrong. But I did want you to come here with me alone," he admitted. Erasa eyed him inquisitively but said nothing, sensing he was about to give her the answer she wanted. Swallowing as best he could with his extremely dry mouth, Sharpner finally took the plunge.

"I…I like you a lot, E," he managed at last. Her face lit up and that giant smile reappeared.

"I like you too! I'm glad we've been getting to hang more lately; it's been so much fun!" That had been way too casual. He hadn't been clear enough, had he?

"Uh, no, not like that," he mumbled. Erasa stopped and watched him closely, her misunderstand rapidly starting to clear up behind her eyes. "I meant…I like you…as more than a friend…"

Suddenly she was blushing, something very unlike her. She never got flustered; usually she was the one teasing others and making them bashful. But at least with a reaction like that, he knew she'd fully understood him.

"Oh…uh…" Words had entirely failed her. Maybe she was upset or put off by his confession. Immediately, he felt himself backpedal as quickly as possible.

"But hey, it's okay if you don't feel the same way. Videl told me she had no idea if you would or not, but it was my decision to tell you. So…if you're upset by that…I'm sorry…"

"No, no, I'm not upset at all," she assured him quickly, shaking her head. "I'm just…a little surprised, that's all. I didn't expect you to say that…"

"Well…it's kinda been on my mind for a while. Uh. We've just been spending a lot of time together and I started to realize…maybe I felt stronger about you than I realized."

"I…we have spent a lot of time together lately, huh?" she admitted, glancing away nervously, her eyes landing on the sand beneath their feet.

"Y-yeah. And…well, I've been thinking a lot about this. Me and you…and I decided that, even if the answer was no, I wanted to tell you. It's been eating me alive to feel this way and pretend I'm not. But…I'm sorry I kinda dropped this on you."

"Don't feel bad! Thanks for telling me. I'm not upset at all."

"Really?"

"Of course not! I just wasn't really ready for it, that's all. It's very sweet of you to say all that. And brave too, honestly."

Sharpner was a bit taken aback. He and Erasa had such an aggressive relationship that it was rare for them to share an honest, open moment like this. But it was nice too. She was taking everything to heart and seriously hearing him out. Even if it amounted to nothing more than that, he was glad he'd told her. At least he wouldn't have to spend years wondering what her answer was.

"You know, it's funny," he began, grinning lightly at her. "We never really have serious conversations like this, do we? Normally we're busting each other's chops." Erasa giggled and flashed that dazzling smile his way once more. God, did she have any idea how beautiful that smile was? How beautiful she was?

"You're right! But…this is kinda nice too, you know? I'm glad we're not such one-dimensional people that we can't have fun and have a real conversation too. And on that note…I owe you an answer to that confession you just gave me…" Sharpner quickly shook his head.

"You don't owe me anything, E. If you want to respond to it, I'd love to hear your answer, whatever it is. But if you'd rather just move on and pretend I never brought it up, I totally get that too."

"You're very sweet, Sharpie. But no, I don't want to pretend you never said anything; that would be really mean and insensitive of me. I want to be totally honest with you."

"…thanks. That really means a lot." Erasa took a slow breath before meeting his wavering gaze.

"I…don't know how I feel, to be entirely honest." Sharpner felt his face fall involuntarily. She hadn't outright rejected him but it sure stung like she had. Erasa, noticing this, shook her head quickly.

"Wait, wait! Don't get me wrong; I'm not saying I don't care about you like that! I'm honestly just not sure how I feel right now. I've never really considered it from any perspective but being your friend. But…" Erasa trailed off, a subtle blush dusting her pale cheeks. "I…kinda want to find out…if you do…"

Sharpner felt his heart all but stop in his chest. She…wanted to see if they could be more than friends? "You…do?"

"Y-yeah. We really have spent a lot of time together lately and I've had such a great time with you. That's why I'm not saying no. The absolute truth is I'm not sure if I feel the same way you do, but…if you're willing to go into things knowing that I'm still figuring it out…then I think I'd like to see where we can go."

"I…uh, I think that's totally fine," he stammered, still in disbelief. "That's what dating is anyway, right? We get to figure it out and see if we're right together. We can't all be as perfect right out of the gate like the two lovebirds back at the house, right?" Erasa laughed and grinned at him.

"Exactly! I think anyone comparing themselves to those two is just asking for an inferiority complex." Sharpner couldn't help but break out into laughter. She was absolutely right.

"Well…thanks for hearing me out, E. I won't ask too much of you, I promise. I'd…really like to take things slow and do this right. Really give us a chance to see where things can go."

"I'd really like that too, Sharpie. Honest."

A comfortable silence fell between them as they turned and gazed out to the dark ocean together. His heart was calmer than it had been for hours now. Perhaps days or weeks. He was still a little stunned too. It would probably be hours more before the full weight of her response hit him. But for now, he was happy to bask in the calm atmosphere with her. When she shivered from next to him though, he figured maybe it wasn't the best idea to stay out much longer.

"You wanna head back? You seem like you're cold."

"So observant," she teased. "Yeah, it's a little cold. But no, I don't think we should go back just yet."

"How come?"

"It's awfully early to head back when we've given Vi and Gohan the place to themselves, isn't it?" Sharpner scoffed and chuckled.

"Oh come on, you don't really think those two are doing anything right now, do you?"

"You might be surprised," Erasa sang, winking giddily at him.

"Seriously? You really think the honors students are doing the deed on our illicit summer getaway?"

"Maybe not exactly that. But those two aren't as innocent as you think."

"What, Vi told you something?"

"Not really. Let's just say I have good intuition and it's usually right. So we should probably stay out for at least another hour."

"I've got no problem staying out with you. I just don't want you to freeze out here and catch a cold," he admitted, earning a soft smile.

"That's so sweet! Well why don't we head into town and find a place to warm up? Maybe we can grab a bite to eat."

"Sure, that sounds great." The two started to step forward again, changing course away from the sea. Erasa stepped close and wrapped her arms tight around his, squeezing him close and pressing up against him. Sharpner fought hard to keep the blush that burned to life on his face from getting the better of him.

"And until then, I'll just stay warm like this!" her playful voice rang out, the mirth evident in her tone. Sharpner laughed and found himself settling into the position. It felt…extremely nice.

"Yeah. You're totally welcome to."

To be continued...

11/25/2022