Nothing much to say, except sorry for the slow update and i hope this makes up for it. I'd like to thank kamikaze-djali and my friends on Wattpad for your continual support, and don't worry, I think I've delivered. This is just a light, fluffy chapter that i had a lot of fun writing. Love y'all for reading :)

I like the way your hair falls in your face
You got the keys to me
I love each freckle on your face, oh
I've never been so wrapped up, honey
I like the way you're everything I ever wanted

I had time to think it all over
And all I can say is come closer
Take a deep breath then jump then fall into me
Cause Every time you smile, I smile
And every time you shine, I'll shine for you

Whoa, oh, I'm feeling you baby
Don't be afraid to
Jump then fall
Jump then fall into me
Be there, never gonna leave you
Say that you wanna be with me too
So I'mma stay through it all

So jump then fall.

Jump Then Fall- Taylor Swift.

My footsteps echoed through the empty hallway as I passed classroom after classroom full of students who were actually where they were supposed to be, trying not to look suspicious. A lone student wandering the hallways just after classes had started- not suspicious, nothing to worry about, just keep teaching, don't look over...

I somehow made it to the doors without anyone seeing me and let myself outside, wondering whether i should walk or run across the oval to the library. If i ran, i would get there faster, but i risked drawing more attention to myself. But then if i walked, there would be more time for someone to see me. Maybe if i just casually strolled like i was supposed to be there, no-one would think anything of it.

I was putting way to much thought into this, i knew, but my mind was a wreck and i hardly knew what i was doing anymore. My talk with Phoebus had gotten me out of the classroom, but my determination had quickly turned to jitters in the face of what i was (hopefully) about to do, and now my brain was working itself into a bowl of spagetti trying to figure out the best way to get to the library, let alone what i was going to actually say to him when i got there.

To say i was nervous would be the understatement of the century. Try terrified. I had never done this before, and the idea of opening my heart to the person i cared about the most was enough to set free cages and cages of butterflies, whether he felt the same way or not. Actually, scratch butterflies. At this point i was feeling the whole zoo.

But it had to be done. The happiness of both of us was hanging in the balance of my confessing. Though i would probably get over it in time, and we only had about 2 weeks left together if everything went well, i had a feeling i would be added to a long list of people who had deserted and/or rejected Quasi in his sad life if i turned back now, and that was something i just couldn't handle. Bad things could happen if Quasi was that unhappy for too long.

No, i had to do this. There was nothing else to it.

I scrunched my hands into fists and set out across the grounds in a beeline for the library.

It wasn't until i was at the door that i started to panic, really panic. I could feel my nails cutting into my palms and my heart beating hard enought to jump out of my chest, and i was halfway between suffocating and hyperventilating. Was i going to pass out? God i hope not. Lying here in front of the library would be a good look. I took a moment to breathe, wrapping my arms around myself and leaning against the cool brick wall, trying to calm down a bit and gather my thoughts together. This shouldn't be too hard, really. I just had to go in, apologise, and tell him the truth. That was all. Then we could both be happy and this horrible mess could be cleared up. Easy-peasy, right?

I took several deep breaths, swung my arms around to loosen up my tight shoulders, and tried to stay relaxed as i walked through the door. I can do this. I can do this.

"Shouldn't you be in class?" I froze as the librarian looked up suspiciously from her computer, then forced a calm smile.

"I was sent to find a book, The Gold Rush? Big thick one, red and gold cover. I have to bring it back to class," I lied easily, willing my hands not to fidgit and my feet to stay still.

The woman at the desk nodded briskly. "Do you need help finding it?"

"No, I can do it, thanks." I flashed her one more smile and quickly stepped away, wondering where exactly Quasi would be hiding. The library was pretty much a large open room with no hidey holes, only the bookshelves providing spaces out of sight. I slowly walked through the room and peeked around the first long corridor of books. The assistant librarian was rearranging books on the bottom shelf, but no Quasi. I looked around the next one. Nothing. I peeked around the next few corridors to find nothing but musty air and old books, and finally decided to just skip to the end. If i was hiding, i would try to be as far away from people as possible. It only went to follow...

And there he was.

Sitting at the very end of the corridor, leaning against the wall with his head in his hands, sat Quasimodo, looking every inch the miserable, dejected child Phoebus had said. I stepped into the corridor and walked slowly towards him, suddenly realising that i still didn't know what i was saying. I hadn't rehearsed this at all. But there was no going back now. I was nearly there.

Oh god. Here goes.

I sat down next to him and cleared my throat. He jumped about a foot and gasped at seeing me, eye wide.

"Hey." I smiled weakly, looking at his mouth instead of his eyes so i could focus on what i wanted to say. "Um, I'm sorry about what happened. This whole thing has been a giant misunderstanding."

He looked away, ears turning a lovely shade of pink. "Y-y-you d-don't have to ap-pologise. I understand. I-It was my fault."

"No, actually, it was my fault. I got it all wrong and i have to fix it now."

"You d-don't have to t-try and make me feel better. I'm f-fine. I respect your f-feelings and I'm s-sorry if I m-made you uncomfortable. I think i already knew what you were going to say, anyway, so don't worry ab-"

"Would you just listen for a minute?" I interrupted, the lump in my throat making it hard to talk. "I was scared, ok? I read the wrong part of the book and i was just so scared and i didn't know what to do..." I covered my face with my hands as tears pricked the edges of my vision, trying to keep it together. "I got it all wrong, I'm sorry, i never meant to hurt you..."

"W-what are you scared of?" His tone almost made me laugh, for it asked more than his question did. I was tough, protective, strong in his eyes. What could i possibly be scared of?

"Everything. I'm scared of everything." I gulped and squeezed my eyes shut, realising that it was now or never. "I'm scared of what I've seen, what I've done, who i am now. I'm scared of losing you. I'm scared because you mean more to me than any other person. And most of all, I'm scared of walking out of here and never feeling the rest of my whole life the way i feel when I'm with you." I slowly opened one eye and took a peek at his face, trying to gauge his reaction over the sound of the blood rushing in my ears. "Do you... Do you underatand what I'm trying to say?"

He looked so confused, the poor guy. He looked like he didn't know how to feel about this new development. "I-I don't... I-I mean... Y-you mean..."

I sighed and shook my head. "Well, I don't know how to make it any simpler than this." And then all premeditated thought went out the window as i leaned over, turned his face towards me and pressed my lips to his.

It was a chaste kiss, the only thing i knew due to my relatively complete inexperience with romance, but all the same it made my stomach flip and my toes tingle. Seconds felt like minutes, minutes felt like hours, hours felt like days and days felt like years, and when i pulled away i think my sense of time had flown out the window with the premeditated thought, because his gaze caught mine and we just stared into each others eyes for i don't know how long. My head was spinning and his eyes were so deep and green and I was just smiling, not saying anything because he finally understood and i was happier than i had been in a long time.

His face had now caught up with his ears and was nearly the colour of his hair, and as he let out a deep breath i realised he had stopped breathing sometime before. "Ah... Um..."

"So do you understand now?" I asked softly.

He nodded vigorously and though i could see his eyes were starting to shine with moisture, his lips were turned up in a shy little smile. "Would you... ah... Would you d-do that again?"

I giggled and pulled him closer again, all too happy to oblige. He turned to face me properly and flailed for a moment, not knowing what to do with his hands, until he settled them on my waist and we spent the next little while in blissful silence.

Eventually, the bell rang to signal end of class and we reluctantly decided it was time to reemerge into real life. We walked hand in hand past the confused librarian and across the oval, heading towards our lockers. I couldn't remember what class we had next, but when i opened my door i realised that i had left my bag in English, and unless i wanted to be late, i would have to just wing it.

"Where are we going now?" I asked, leaning up against my locker to watch Quasi get his stuff out.

"Um... I think it's music. What day is it?" He rumaged around in his bag and pulled out a crumpled piece of paper: his timetable. "Yeah, it's music. We better go."

"Thank god. I'll have to share with you. My stuff is... elsewhere."

He nodded and flashed me tiny grin, and i reached for his hand again, not caring what the people around us thought. I could already hear the whispers starting, but i just smiled and held my head high. Apparently we'd been dating for months anyway, so it shouldn't have come as much of a surprise to anyone. I wasn't afraid. I was going to enjoy this for as long as i could.

Sharing a computer in music, working on our last music assignment for the year, i could feel Miss Basso's eyes on us and self-consciously scooted closer to Quasi, who kept glancing at me when he thought i wouldn't notice. I caught him next time he did it, quirking an eyebrow at his embarrassed look, and he just blushed and looked away.

He walked with me all the way to English class after school to retrieve my bag and i waited for him at our lockers while he got ready to go, unwilling to leave yet. I felt like we still had so much to talk about, even though the most important things had been said. Hand in hand, we strolled slowly out to his little waiting area, trying to slow time down for just a little while longer, but finally, when I could see mum's car throught the trees, pulling into the carpark on the other side, I gave his hand a squeeze and reluctantly pulled away. "I have to go. See you tomorrow, huh?"

"Ok." He looked around and started to say something, but then stopped.

I took a few steps back and fiddled with my bag strap, heart speeding up again as i met his eyes. "I... I-I love you." Just being able to say those words gave me a thrill that i couldn't describe.

Quasi, for his part, looked so happy he could burst. In fact it reminded me of a line i had read in Pride and Prejudice once: 'Had Elizabeth been able to encounter his eye, she might have seen how well the expression of heartfelt delight, diffused over his face, became him...' I had always loved that passage, and now I could actually understand it, because just looking at Quasi and his reaction to my words made me realise how beautiful he really was.

"I, uh, I l-love you, too," he answered softly, eyes shining with barely-concealed glee. Despite his nervous posture, his words were deliberate and delivered with complete certainty. He loved me.

I wanted to stay there, forever losing myself in every little attractive quality i found in him, but mum was waiting and it was getting late, and Frollo might arrive any minute, so I skipped over and kissed his cheek, muttered a goodbye in his ear, and took off back inside, leaving him alone to reflect on what had happened.

Running through the building and out the doors towards the carpark, i felt like i was flying. Everything had turned out much better than i thought it ever could. He loved me. He really did. And i could finally admit that i loved him. Nothing in the world could bring me down now.

"So what did you actually tell him?" I asked Bex on ooVoo that evening. We had just figured out how to use the video call app, and all four of us were attempting to do our homework together. 'Attempting' being the key word. Currently, mine and Quasi's changed relatinship was the only thing anyone could talk about. "I saw you talking to him before- after i expressly told you not to, i might add. What did you think you were doing?"

"Oh, that..." Bex had the good grace to look ashamed, at least. "I'm sorry, i couldn't help myself. You just seemed so sad and i wanted to help you both. So, i asked him if he liked you."

"You what?!" I glared at the little windows where Dez and Em's faces could be seen. "Were you two in on this?"

"Well... I knew about it." Em shrugged. "She told me, and i let her. I figured nothing bad could come of it."

Dez put her hands up in mock defense. "I knew nothing."

"So what happened?"

"Well..." Bex grinned at the memory. "I managed to force the truth out of him at last, and i strongly suggested that he tell you. He didn't think you would reciprocate, and I didn't say anything about your feelings, but i did say he might be surprised at your reaction. And it turned out well in the end, right?"

"Yeah... Eventually." I had told them what had happened down to the letter, so they were now very well informed. "I guess i can thank you for that, then. All of you. I don't think any of this would've happened without your prompting."

"Yeah, well, what are friends for?"

"Getting each other boyfriends, apparently."

"Hmf." Em shook her head. "I'll get my own boyfriend, thank you very much. No offence, but your taste in guys and mine are very different."

I yawned and stretched, raising an eyebrow at the camera. "None taken. Trust me, it would take a lot more than any of you to ruin my good mood today."

"I'm glad." Dez leaned in, and i felt like she was studying me. "You really love him, don't you?"

I felt the grin spread across my face, unable to control it. "Yeah. I really do."

And that's all that needed to be said.

Bit of a short one today- short and sweet. I may or may not have blatantly stolen some lines from Dirty Dancing, so if something sounds familiar, that's probably it. Hope you guys liked it.

The last bit feels a bit tacked on to me, but i wanted to lengthen it and it was like 11 pm, so my writing isn't always the best. But whatever. Hope you liked all the fluff. I was actually fingerings a bit as i wrote it, cuz i think its that cutest thing i have ever written.

Oh, and if anyone is still reading the authors notes, i need some ideas. I want to write a confrontation scene between Mich and Frollo. Any suggestions?

What did you think? Drop me a line.