Watching her, he worries that he is being strange. She is so kind that he thinks she might not tell him if he was behaving strangely, so he tries to make sure that his adoration of her is not too plain and odd. Sometimes he thinks his chest will burst open and pour his scalding love over her and she will flinch away from the fire of his feelings. Fear of frightening her away keeps his tongue still, and if his heart beats heavy against his breastbone around her, well, he can live with that as long as she is near.
His older sister knows him too well to miss the way he keeps his face as gentle and carefully controlled around the girl he loves; when the girl he loves comes over as she usually does, his sister meets his eyes and he reads the disaster before it comes.
"Hey —"
"Don't!" he cries, but his sister pushes on anyway, her voice wearing its teasing layers as the girl he loves looks at him curiously.
"Are you guys an item yet?" He thinks he might die.
"No, not to my knowledge," says the girl he loves softly, still looking at him.
"Oh. Well, let me know when my brother finally gets up the nerve to ask you out." His sister smiles broadly, unaware that he thinks he'll perish where he stands.
"Who says he has to ask me out? Why can't I ask out him?" He blinks heavily, heart pounding, as he meets the eyes of the girl he loves. She leans into him and suddenly they are kissing. He can't believe his senses.
His sister laughs and steps out the door to give them privacy. "Finally."
AUTHOR'S NOTES
Woo, just got back from a family reunion in Williamsburg, VA. Fun fun fun. Okay, this one is a couple Neko-lily suggested, a couple I find to be very sweet. It's Julia and Elliot from Island of Happiness. Natalie, Elliot's older sister, makes a guest appearance here, too.