Marooned - Fred Weasley

Chapter 50bis: Always Almost

Bis of chapter 50: I thought about writing their almost kiss only from Fred's point of view, I'm curious of the reactions it'll get, so feel free to tell me if you hate it or love it or just like it, maybe for my next fanfiction I'll make it a habit of writing in dual pov

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Fred's POV

Fred sprang her up and fell face to face with her again. Good or bad luck, he didn't know what to call it, mostly because he always had to fight a greedy monster that wanted to bring her closer, and the images that creature depicted made his heart flutter, filled his stupid mind with hope.

His breath hitched, took every single bit of willpower he had to stay put, because she was obviously drunk, light-headed, she'll wake up the next morning wondering what happened tonight, and he didn't want that.

But he simply didn't stand a chance, with her delicate hold on him, her gaze right now, the shape of her beneath his fingertips, the prospect of her kiss. Her name flew out of his mouth, a desperate call for her to make a decision, to put him out of his misery one way or another, preferably by leaning in.

And that seemed to wake her from a daydream he hadn't realized she'd escaped into. Just like that it was over, she backed away. What would have happened if he'd kept his mouth shut? The eternal question, remaining unanswered because it would never happen. His hope crumbled down, it never should have been built in the first place, but he wasn't crazy, she did seem bothered by Alina, be it back in August or before. Didn't she?

"Your lip is bleeding," she pointed out.

"Is it?" he breathed out as he still stared wide-eyed at her face, in complete shock to have pulverized the moment before. Did he ruin it? Was he so gone that he believed she would have kissed him given he'd stayed silent for a few seconds? Sarah kissing him. That's a crazy thought right there. Nothing but a wild dream.

"I have something to fix it, come on up," she said, continuing her way up the stairs.

It took him a second to realize she had left and he quickly followed her. He almost laughed at himself because the one good thing coming out of this evening for him will be the fact she tended to his lip. Again. And he could play it on repeat afterwards, taking whatever she would give him. Making it enough.

She was stern and focused, getting into her flat, handing him a disinfectant, in the 'zone' whenever she does healing stuff. He loved that about her.

She left the room and he took to opportunity to cool down his face, it was ridiculous. The one he was in love with was healing his lip because someone else bit it while kissing him. That would make material for a great joke if he wasn't at the center of it.

When she came back she still didn't look at him, almost like she just wanted to get it over with and show him out, or so he thought before she got closer and for a split second he was her frown when she looked at his lip. Like she'd been reminded of what had caused it and just as soon pushed it down.

She still didn't look up, and he had a choice right now. He could thank her and leave. Or he could step forward and try to make sense of all this.

Before he could help himself, he caught her wrist just as she was moving away. He'd chosen the latter, then. Of course he did, common sense left his mind whenever she was around. "Sarah." Her name leaving his lips again and he had to admit, that altered his balance because it felt much more personal, powerful, he'd go as far as to say intimate, coming from him. And that much he knew it was reciprocated. Her eyes widened for a split second every time.

"What?" she asked him, still looking down.

He could have said it then, everything.

I'll tell you what. I've loved you for as long as I can remember, if there ever was a day where I didn't I don't remember it. And I went about it in all the wrong ways for years. I was mean, childish, a git, because I honestly had no idea what else to do. You have always been beautiful, intelligent, playful, Godric your sense of humor is what made me fall in love with you. Aside from George, you have been the only one to not only accept me, the way I am, but embrace it, cherish it. Every time you came along with George and I for a prank, I fell for you a little. I didn't realize it until it was already too late, until you started dating Wood and it crushed my heart.