METANOIA | Eddie Munson

Papa, Part 9

3rd Person's POV

Since she had played so well, Eddie decided to confront her as a reward.

Gently, of course. He'd have to ease her into it or it just wasn't going to happen.

Earlier during their conversation he noticed just how nervous she was before quickly deflecting the topic using his uncle, and he allowed it.

Until now.

So he laid himself down on the floor, with his head nestled comfortably on Valerie's lap.

Valerie raised her eyebrows and peered down at him, "What?"

"Do you only remember me from the talent show?"

"Well, yeah. We weren't exactly friends. That was the only time we talked."

Eddie shook his head, a guilty smile appearing on his face, "It wasn't the only time."

"What do you mean?" Valerie wracked through all her years of middle school, but nothing came to mind.

"The whole following you around while you were crying was clearly a bust-"

"Go figure." Valerie scoffed.

"-but I like to think that was just you being embarrassed because of how miserably you messed up on stage, and not my failed efforts at making you feel better."

"I remember wanting to be left alone." Valerie nodded.

"And I wouldn't leave, so you kind of hated my guts at the end of the day."

"That I remember."

"Of course you do." He mumbled, "Well I just wanted you to like me. But I didn't know how, you used to be so cool and just out of my league-"

He cut his rambling short when he noticed the teasing smile on Valerie's face.

"Anyways, I thought long and hard all week and finally mustered up the courage to ask you to play D&D with me."

He saw the confusion written on her features.

"You said no."

Her mouth formed an 'O', and an apologetic expression quickly replaced it.

"Don't worry, twelve year old me's ego was definitely bruised, but his spirits remained undefeated."

"Just continue the story, will you?"

"I failed at making you do a me thing. So I thought why don't I do a you thing?"

"A what?"

"Skateboarding. I thought I could impress you if I learned to skateboard like you."

"Aw, you wanted to be cool for me?" Valerie cooed.

"Shut up, will you?" His cheeks grew pink, "I missed two damn months of school because I broke my kneecap in the process."

Valerie was deep in thought when she absentmindedly began to play with his curls, "That's right, I remember the teachers asking why you stopped coming to school."

"Do you know the worst part?"

Valerie brushed strands of hair away from his forehead and motioned for him to continue.

"Even after I came back to school and you didn't even sign my damn cast, and crushed my heart and soul in doing so, really, that was the final blow- even then, I was so in love with you."

Valerie's breath hitched in her throat, the hand that was messing with his hair froze against his cheek.

She didn't think she heard him say that right.

"You, your tiny legs, your short little braids, how you skateboarded into school every morning, and how all the guys were always too scared to ask you out. And your laugh. I swear, one time I tripped in front of our whole class on purpose just so you'd laugh." He lets out a chuckle, "You didn't, but that's besides the point-"

"Eddie..." Her voice barely came out as a whisper.

"Valerie."

The way he said her name made her turn away from his eyes.

He was looking at her like that again, gaze so intense it made her feel like all her thoughts were exposed, slipping through the cracks before she could even attempt to compose them for herself.

Eddie sat up and cupped her cheek, waiting for her to meet his eyes.

When she finally did, he spoke, "I don't expect you to say it back. I don't expect you to say anything, really."

"I..." Valerie wanted to say something. Anything. But her mouth had never felt drier.

"You don't have to, it's alright." He smiled in attempts to make her feel at ease.

"No, I... I just-"

"Val," He leaned forward to rest his forehead against hers, "I've waited five years for this, for something I was so sure would never even happen. I just wanted you to know, that's all."

Valerie closed her eyes, as a sigh escaped her lips and hit his.

Love. She'd been in love before, once. Only for it to end like it did.

But Eddie was a completely different boy and there was no denying it. He was the kind of person who'd worship the ground she walked on. He was the kind to love her hopelessly. The kind who had confessed selflessly.

But she wanted to return it so bad.

She could do it so easily, and she wouldn't even be lying.

She knew her answer, she felt it all over.

She simply erased the gap between them and captured his lips in a soft kiss, hoping he'd understand what she couldn't yet directly spell out for him.

The gesture stilled Eddie's racing heart, as he wrapped his arms around her waist and lifted her on to his lap.

Valerie pulled back just enough, breathless, speaking out against his lips, "I really, really fucking like you. Like, a lot-"

"Really? You didn't make it obvious at all." Eddie tried to ease the tension, but couldn't help the huge relieved smile that took over his face.

Valerie smiled herself, shoving a fist against his chest, but then shook her head, "But you don't understand." She ran a hand through her hair, "It's just... scary."

"It doesn't have to be." Eddie whispered.

"You don't know what happened with Josh." She swallowed thickly, "No one does, no one except my friends."

[A/N: This one's a bit short but the next one's double the size so I guess we're even.

Anyways, 15k. Insane.]