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not beta'd

storyline - Malicious

prompt - deluge

I'm reheating leftovers when I hear your knock at the door.

When was the last time you came to my house? Tenth grade? Ninth? For my birthday – a barbeque, I think. You and I were sort of friends back then.

I watch you for a moment through the window. Your hands are in your pockets and you look so nervous. I can't believe I do this to you. No wonder you hated me: liking me must have been torturous.

Well, this must be payback then, because the deluge of emotions I've been feeling for the past few days has been nothing short of overwhelming. I open the door.

"Hi."

"Hi."

I bring you inside, smiling all goofy.

We stand there for a minute, and then you come closer. You're still hesitant sometimes, so I close the gap and tiptoe to kiss you. I'm going for the cheek again, because it's safer, but by now you know my style so you catch my lips instead.

The microwave beeps from kitchen.

"Want some lasagna?"

"I'm okay, I ate."

"Okay."

You follow me in to the kitchen and lean against the counter, staring at me as I grate parmesan over my plate. "You sure you're not hungry? You're eyeing this like it's the apocalypse and this the last meal in sight."

"It's not the food I'm hungry for, smartass."

"Mm, flirting and insulting rolled in to one," I say, nodding. "I like it. It fits us."

"Doesn't it though?"

We banter and joke this way while I eat, and then I start the dishwasher and turn the lights off downstairs. You get brownie points for helping me clean up the kitchen, but I'll never tell you that.

"So," you say, sweeping my bedroom door shut. "You planning on swimming in college?"

"Of course. Most of the scholarships I'm hoping for depend on it." I kick a pair of sneakers in to my closet. "I know you'll be."

"For sure. Can't imagine a world without water."

"And yet, you almost gave up." I pick at a hole in my jeans. "For a while, anyways."

You sit beside me on the bed, chewing on your inner cheek. "I don't know how long that would've lasted. I mean, I was freaked out but… not swimming felt weird. It was frustrating."

"Yeah… like you're not doing what you're supposed to be doing."

"Well, that but physically, too. My muscles wanted it."

I nodded, knowing. "I was still a little surprised that day I got there and you'd already started."

"Me too. It was kind of like… I realized the worst thing that could've happened, happened. I don't know. I didn't want…"

"What?"

You look up at me almost shyly. "I didn't want you to think I was that pathetic."

I frown. "I never thought you were pathetic."

"Whatever. I just didn't need you looking at me like I was a loser who'd given up the one thing he was good at."

"Now you're being melodramatic," I say, pulling you down so we're lying side by side. "You're good at plenty of things, including driving me up the wall, and I knew it was a matter of time before you got back in the water. I just pushed you to do it faster because you were wasting time."

"That's what I love about you."

My heart stutters. "Oh, yeah?"

"Yeah. That and your butt." You give it a squeeze for good measure.

I flick your ear and you catch my hand, using it to drag me so that I'm on top of you.

"So you like to be dominated," I say, holding both your hands over your head.

"Not in the pool. Just in bed."

"Good to know."

You try to pull me down to kiss me but I resist until you tickle my sides and wrestle me down. At which point you flip us over so you're on top, negating what you just said about dominance.

"Liar," I breathe.

"Tease."

You lower down and kiss me.

"So what else do you love about me?" I ask.

I never thought I'd meet someone who blushed as much as me. I'm amazed I was able to overlook your gorgeous face for so long – meaning before the Year We Hated Each Other. Why didn't I see you? Where was my head at?

"You really are a tease," you say, rolling to my side.

I sit up a little, balancing on my elbow. "What? Why?"

"Do you realize…?" You shake your head. "Bella, I don't love things about you…I love you. I've thought about this forever."

"Why didn't you tell me? Before the time we kissed?" I ask, whispering because I think I might cry.

"Would you tell someone you loved them if you were pretty sure they didn't feel the same?"

Slowly, I shake my head. "No, but… maybe I would've taken a chance. Maybe. I don't know."

"You're braver than me."

"Stop saying that," I say. "When you get this self deprecating I don't know if I want to hug you or slap you."

You smirk, resting your hand on my hip.

We lie there awhile, looking in to each other's eyes, which is actually harder than it sounds. All that talk about the eyes being the windows to our souls might just be poetic foolishness, but it sure feels true. The vulnerability, secrets and realness we try to keep concealed – it's all right there.

"You've got really nice eyes," I finally say, touching your eyelashes just to watch them flutter.

"So do you."

I smile, and when we start kissing this time, we don't stop for hours.

In fact, it's not until midnight when I look over at my bedside clock. "My Dad's probably gonna be home soon."

"Mm."

I scratch my nails gently over your back. "Don't your parents wonder where you are?"

"They know I'm here."

"At midnight?"

They know I'm keeping you company 'til your dad gets home."

"Come on," I say, eyeing your smooth, tan chest. "No parent is that naïve."

"They're not naïve," you agree, pulling my tank top aside so you can kiss my nipple. You're stretching out the material, but I gave up telling you to stop about an hour ago. "They know how I feel. They've always known."

"Aw." I'm so happy right now it's ridiculous. I pull your face up so I can kiss it.

yes, i know i know, she didn't say it back. give a sistah a chance to catch up!

meanwhile, shirtless edward-in-the-bed. yeah. swimmerboys like him have great v-lines. i'd know. i married one. in fact, where is he...

ps sometimes i tweet pics of tiny tyrant. yes, really. also of cookies i bake, and nice skies, and other things that tickle my fancy. my twittername is roglows. i follow back if you actually talk to me. talk to me!

xoxo