Stronger Together (bxb) ✔

Chapter 35 - Chase

Chase's POV

"I saved space for my M&Ms! May I have them, please?" I ask excitedly at the same time that Diego says, "I have something for you, little lamb."

I giggle and look at him expectantly and he chuckles and gets up from the picnic bench in Bryan's backyard. From what little I've seen of the house Jesse did an amazing job decorating it. Everything is aesthetic yet very homey. I'm always amazed by how good Jesse is at his job.

"Close your eyes," Diego orders. His gentle voice caresses my ears and without missing a beat, I close them. I hear Diego shuffling around and then silence. I'm tempted to open my eyes but they remain firmly closed. "Okay, open them!"

I squeal excitedly when I see a bouquet of M&Ms; the ones with peanuts and the plain milk ones are beautifully arranged, interspersed with decorative paper. I look up at Diego who is wearing a warm, happy smile that perfectly matches my own. "Thank you! This is the cutest thing ever! I have to take a photo!"

Diego chuckles and my heart flutters at how absolutely magical it sounds. "Adorable bumblebee, do you want me to take your photo?" Diego asks.

I giggle looking down at my checkered black and yellow flannel; if I'm a bumblebee then he must be nectar because I'm definitely drawn to him! I'm about to nod when I notice that he still hasn't sat back down and is holding his hands behind his back. I tilt my head curiously. "What do you have behind your back?"

"I have a proposition," Diego says, moving hands to the front, revealing a large gift bag causing me to release a high pitched squeal. I clasp my hand over my mouth, completely embarrassed by the unusual sound that I just produced. "How are you so adorable! You amaze me every time!" Diego grins and sits across from me on the bench.

"I remember you said you liked running and exercising," Diego continues. He phrases it a little like a question so I hum a response while fiddling with the hem of my shorts.

During one of our phone conversations, Diego and I talked about how much we both loved running and he also said that he does a lot of marathons in his free time. Our love for frequenting the gym was another thing that we have in common and I really wanted to ask if he would be my workout buddy or if maybe he'd go for a run with me but I chickened out.

I used to workout alone before everything happened but now I don't feel comfortable going to the gym by myself. Running on the streets alone is somehow worse. I tried it a few days ago but wasn't able to make it past our driveway. I really miss working out, especially running but Jesse hates any form of exercise so I don't want to ask him, and Shawn works out enough as a choreographer. I have two left feet when it comes to dancing so that's not really my thing.

"My proposition is that if you can catch me then you can have this gift, if not then I'll keep it." I can hear the challenge in Diego's voice and see the teasing glint in eyes. He thinks he's faster than I am! No way! I ran track all through high school and college and I used to go for runs at least once every two week.

I open my mouth to accept his challenge when fear grips me. Catching him might involve me touching him. What if I was wrong and it does trigger a panic attack? What if the fleeting brush of our fingers in the hospital is the full extent of physical contact that I'll ever be able to have? What if another panic attack scares him away? What if-

"Chase!" Diego's concerned voice interrupts my spiraling thoughts. "If this is about the gift, I'll give you the gift either way! I just thought it would be fun to run around! You sounded like you missed running on the phone!"

I need to ensure that Diego knows I'm alright. I somehow manage to produce a small smile and this seems to quell the alarm on his face. I try to take a few deep breaths, gripping the edge of the bench for support.