We'll Meet Again ~Pre-War!Cooper Howard X Reader~

XIII

I lay in my bed for the first time in a long time, staring at the ceiling, I sighed as I rolled over onto my side, my head was swimming with what-ifs, and a ton of things that could and would go back if I dated Cooper. There was a soft knock on the bed and I sat up on my bottom with my legs crossed. "C'mon in Dad," I said as he opened the door and walked in. "I don't...know what's going on between Mr. Howard and you..." he started as he looked at me, "but as long as he treats you right and you love one another...I don't care. All I care about is your happiness," he told me as I played with my fingers, "he...asked me to be his girlfriend," I told him as he sat down across from me with his legs crossed. "And?" he asked as I sighed, "I...didn't give him an answer", "Why not?" he asked as I sighed and ran my fingers through my hair, "too many what-ifs...I wouldn't be able to get over him the way I was able with the others...not him..." I told him as he shook his head. 

"You're my daughter, the what-ifs aren't the reason you didn't answer him" he spoke as I sighed, "I-I'm scared Dad..." I said with tears in my eyes, "of what honey?" he asked, "I'm scared that if I date him, Barb...your boss, his ex-wife...is gonna fuck up your career" I told him as he shook his head, "sweetie, you're a grown woman who can handle herself, just as I am a grown man who can handle himself." he told me as I wiped away the tear that escaped my eyes, I looked down at my hands, he played his finger under my chin and I looked at him. "Do you love him? I mean really love him" he asked as I nodded, "he makes me feel alive Dad...he's better than I could ever ask for..." I told him, "Then you have your answer...go see him," he told me as I shook my head, "no, no...bad idea...I'd like to be alone right now" I said as he sighed, "all right...but he has a right to know you love him," he told me as he got up, kissed the top of my head, and left me in my room. I looked at the phone on the bedside table. 

I picked it up and set it in front of me, it rang a few times, and Dad answered from the kitchen and told me it was Cooper checking on me. I picked it up and dialed his number, it rang twice before I slammed it onto the receiver, "bad idea" I whispered to myself, then the phone rang, "that's not for me! You should talk to him!" my dad shouted from somewhere in the house. I chewed on the inside of my mouth as I picked it up. "Hello?" I asked, "Hey..." Cooper's voice rang out from the other line, "Hey..." I whispered, "How are you?" he asked as I smiled a little, "I...don't know...how's Janey?" I asked as he chuckled softly, "asleep on the couch, she thinks she did something wrong and ran you off...she was waitin' on you to come back..." he told me, I felt my heart hurt, "she didn't do anything wrong...please let her know that...I'm just...strugglin' right now" I whispered, "you wanna talk about it?" he asked as I sighed, "not with you...you're part of the reason I'm strugglin'..." I told him, "I understand, I kind of sprung that question on you, out of nowhere..." he said as I sighed, "have you given it some thought?" he asked as I chuckled a little, "uhm, not yet...you asked at a shitty time..." I told him, "How so?" he asked as I sighed and leaned back against my headboard. 

"I could feel myself growing closer to a bout of depression...it's around that time of year for me..." I told him, "Is there anything I can do to help?" he asked, "Fraid' not...it just happens, you can blame my mother for it," I told him, "your mother?" he asked, "yeah, she fucking bailed on dad and me when I was a month old..." I told him, I could hear someone else let out a soft sigh and I groaned, "Dad get off the line!" I shouted, and then there was a click. "Sorry about him...he...found out," I told him, "you tell him?" he asked, "only when he asked me about it...said that he doesn't know what's going on between us, but so long as you treat me right and make me happy...he doesn't care," I told him. "Do I?" he asked as I grew quiet, "yeah..." I whispered and I could practically hear his smile form, "then what's the problem darlin'?" he asked as I sighed and ran my hand over my face, "I'm scared..." I told him, "of?", "of this...of what will happen, scared that you're gonna bail...if that happens, I can't just get over you like the previous guys I've gotten over...your movies are my comfort movies, I only watch them when I'm heartbroken," I told him, "nah...I don't think that's it...what's the real reason Y/n?" he asked. 

"I'm scared of the way you make me feel," I told him breaking the long silence between the two of us. Now it was his turn to grow quiet. "Come campin' with me next weekend," he said as I sighed, "I can't..." I started, "I ran into Isabele" he spoke, "Of course you did..." I mumbled as he chuckled, "I mentioned what was going on since you had already told her about...well the first time" he said as I smiled a little, "and...crazy thing happened when I mentioned your boxing match this weekend, she grew confused and told me..." he trailed off, "that there was no match...yeah, I know because..." I sighed, "You lied...which I understand, I'm not upset about it...okay I'm a little upset but I can get over it pretty quick...if you say yes...if you tell me no again...then I'll have my answer to my question from earlier" he said as I remained silent. "And if I decide to go?" I asked, "then I'll know you want to give this a shot..." he said as I sighed.