Eden and Bea (LGBT+)

🌳 x 24

At long last, someone came to find us to help us out of the maze. We never did make it to the middle, but it didn't really matter, we had something better. 

As I thought on it, I turned to look at Eden and, sensing my gaze, she glanced towards me, with a kind smile upon her face. 

Mr. King then told us that we had the rest of the day to ourselves, so Eden and I made our way back towards our tent. 

The two of us had a lot to discuss, but aside from that, the sky above us was beginning to turn startling silver with the indication that it was going to rain soon. 

"My parents want me to go to a university in the city," Eden told me, as she sat down on my sleeping bag. 

"And what do you want to do?" I returned. 

The corner of Eden's mouth quirked up a little at the question. 

"Not that," she admitted. "At least, not right now. There's so much else that I want to do and see before I go to university," she explained. "Plus, someone has to actually spend some time around the house- my parents always seem to be confined to their offices or studies," she told me. 

"Do you think you would want to go to university one day, though, in the city?" I asked. 

She smiled. 

"It's an interesting concept. Besides, it would make a nice change from living out here in this village, in seemingly the middle of nowhere," she said. "Maybe I'll get a pet hamster for my university room, when I go. My parents are kind of strict about the whole pets thing." 

"I have a pet," I told her, then. 

Her eyes brightened. 

"I need to meet your pet," she said. 

"A cat, called Butterball," I replied, with a small smile. 

She chuckled. 

"I'd love to meet Butterball," she said. "My dad is so busy working for the institute now that he barely has time to spend with me. My mother, on the other hand, is always getting into my business." 

"That's rude of her," I said. "It's your business." 

"Right? Exactly," Eden said. 

"I say this because I care about you, Eden, you shouldn't have to do things just because they want you to. This is your life. You should do and say and be the things that make you feel happiest," I said. "I will always care about you. I'll always look out for you. I know things haven't been that way in a long time and change can be scary but- that's what I want to do." 

Eden's eyes flickered with appreciation, but her expression became more serious as she spoke again. 

"You don't need to look out for me, Bea. You should look out for yourself. I think we both realise by now that being friends with me usually only leads to disappointments," she said. 

"Eden..." I started to say. I wasn't sure of what to say. 

"And if you stick around with me, I'd probably be holding you back. You're so intelligent. You should never doubt yourself. I know that you're going to pass these exams because you're incredible. I want you to be able to see that for yourself, too," she said. 

I could understand that she was pushing me back again, not because she wanted to, but probably because she felt that she had to. The acknowledgement of that fact alone made my heart ache within my chest and I had to accept the fact that perhaps there was more behind my feelings for Eden than the simple desire for a friendship with her. 

"Eden, you make me happy. I've been waiting for us to be close for ages. You should know that you could never hold me back. You could never make me unhappy or-" I cut off. 

Eden exhaled with some nervousness. 

"Bea...maybe I couldn't, but my mother certainly could. I pushed you away for so long, tried to hate you for so long, because I felt things for you that I knew that I should never feel. At least, things that my mother would never, ever, wish for me to feel." 

I felt my breath hitch, after she had told me that. Recognition dawned on my face. 

"I changed so much about myself to convince her that I was what she wanted me to be. I changed myself, too, so that I could drive you away," she said. Her eyes glanced up at me then and they were positively dreamy. 

The haze of realisation washed over me. 

"I don't want to do that anymore, Bea, and I shouldn't have to," she said. She then moved a little closer and smiled a little nervously, as she tucked some hair behind my ear. She then held my gaze again. "I totally understand if you don't feel the same way and I get if this is a shock. I can be especially subtle with how I feel, when I want to be, at least." 

She could say that much again. 

I couldn't take my eyes off her, not even for a moment. Everything that she was saying to me seemed almost impossible, yet it was happening. 

"We have each other. That's the only reason why I feel that I can tell you any of this," she said. 

I reached out to take her hand in mine, then and pressed my other hand on top of it. 

"You've taught me that I deserve to be listened to...and that I can do things that I never thought possible- feel things that I have shut down for so long. There was a time that I would do anything to make you cry, but I hated it. I just want to do whatever I can to make you happy, now, Bea, because you matter to me and I'm sorry that there was ever a time that I made you feel as though you didn't." 

She then sighed and her cool breath was felt against my skin, making it wish for more. Eden moved a little closer and pressed her lips gently against my forehead, as though a feather was being pressed there. 

After that, I held my hands out to take hers in mine again, and moved to meet her gaze. 

"You do make me happy, Eden," I said. 

"I thought that I could. I'm usually right," she said, with a soft laugh. 

I released a gentle laugh, too, and then gently moved her hair out of her face, as I tilted my head upwards to press my lips against hers.