R5 Imagine Journal

Riker Imagine - Ice Cream

"You know this might be the best flavor of ice cream I have ever had."
"Really?" Riker responded, putting more ice cream onto the pink spoon, and shoving it into his mouth contemplating how fond he was of the newest ice cream flavor he was trying. You nodded your head. "Goat Milk Honey Rosemary. Huh..." Riker licked the top portion of his lip where some flavor remained, and shrugged.
"Yea, its so unique." You awed. This was probably your favorite thing in the world to do. Hang out with your best friend Riker, and celebrate your time-old tradition. You did it once a month, every month. One of you would pick an ice cream shop, and you both had to try a flavor you had never had before. This month it was your turn to pick.
There was a new indie coffee shop, and you couldn't resist. You loved the adventure in it, it might've just been ice cream but to you, and him it meant a lot more. Your friendship was built on this tradition.
You met in an ice cream shop right when Riker had moved to California. It was a rustic Greek shop named Pagoto. You bumped into him, and almost made him drop his cone on the ground. He stumbled, managed to save the cone, and both of you laughed. You realized both of you had the same flavor. Being such close friends for so long, you knew the two of you couldn't be more different in taste. You loved the exotic unique flavors that weren't afraid to take risks. Unique, and creativeness, while he loved the simple flavors. He thought "if it can wow me without all the extras, it is a true winner." But at that store, in your first meeting you had chosen the same flavor. You had been best friends ever since.
"Its definitely different." Riker muttered. You chuckled.
"That's what I love about it! Its unique, it fresh, its creative. Who every came up with it had talent you have to give them that. When you think of goat milk, and rosemary its not very appealing so they also had to have guts to produce something so unique, and expect to get a hit out of it." Riker rolled his eyes, and you noticed. "What was that look for?" You defended.
"You pick away ice cream likes it's an exquisite painting or something." He suggested.
"It is art, its frozen art."
"You know I love that about you." Riker admitted as you continued to walk down the street path up to his car.
"What's that?"
"What you said, how you talk. You treat everything so delicately. Everything is art in your eyes, and its beautiful. I wish I had your kind of vision." You blushed. Lately there had been something else going on, something more. Riker has always just been your best friend in the world, you knew him for almost seven years now. He was just Riker but slowly that changed. You started to get butterflies from him, and sometimes you felt he was feeling the sparks, and even trying to light them on fire. You had one, or two close calls but nothing ever confirmed if it was a bud trying to grow, or just a figment of your imagination.
"I just try to look at things in the best ways." You spoke. Sometimes you would try to drop subtle things. And when you felt he was trying to drop those hints too, it made you extremely nervous. You were crazy to get your heart involved in some fantasy of you, and Riker and what maybe could be some day a thing, a real thing.
You had so much to loose. You, and him had the best friendship in the world. There was a bond between the two of you. You understood each other, you took care of each other. What would happen if you jeopardized that for some silly mislead feelings?
You arrived at Riker's car, and he took out his key to unlock it. You opened up the door and sat in the passengers' seat.
"You know this ice cream was pretty good, its unique I'll give it that, but it definitely isn't my favorite."
"Oh yea, and what was your favorite flavor we've ever tried?" You inquired. Riker put the key in ignition, and started the car. With a smirk he replied.
"I'll show you."
**
"Where are we even?" You asked as Riker's car pulled to a stop.
"Trust me." He smirked again. You followed him a short distance, and stopped in front of an old building. Windows were all foggy, and had minor cracks. The brick was crumbling, but was still in good enough shape to be a sturdy recognizable building.
"Pagoto" you whispered looking up, and down at the piece of old architecture. Riker's smile grew.
"You remember this place?" he asked.
"How could I forget." You sighed in brief disappointment. You knew it had shut down, but it was still sad to see it live in person. Pagoto the source of all your history with Riker was over. It was still a nice sentiment to see it. You hadn't been there since the day Riker, and you met.
"This was my favorite ice cream shop of all times."
"Yea?" you asked smiling.
"Yea." He contently agreed.
"Do you remember what we both got that day?"
"Of course. We both had strawberry waffle cones. I almost tripped you, but in the end we laughed. You're usually the one for the classics but I have to say this was probably one of my favorites."
"You know what I love most about this place. The ice cream was great but it's not about that."
"Then what is it?" Riker stepped around, and faced you instead of the old abandoned ice cream shop.
"You. I met you here. This place brought us together, and without you my life would be totally different." Riker looked into your eyes, deep into your eyes. You felt your heart race, it kept would beat faster every time he looked at you a certain way, and right now he was looking at you that way. Just the way he looked at you, it almost made it hard to breath. Then in a moment, all of the sudden it happened.
Before you could even think his lips were on yours. All the sparks, the hidden feelings you knew they were real. Your heart boomed. You pulled away. Riker looked at you again with wide eyes. You squeezed your eyes shut, and shook your head.
"Why not?" Riker's voice cracked.
"Riker, I don't think this is right..."
"I do." Riker cut you off. "I have feelings for you. Feelings that aren't going away. Don't tell me you don't feel them too."
"Riker we've been friends a long time. I love our relationship, and I don't want to risk that."
"I love our relationship, and I love you. There's something between us, and I want to explore it. I would rather regret something I did than something I never did."
"Riker the truth is, I think I'm in love with you, and I'm terrified." Riker's lips briefly crept into a smile.
"You don't think I'm scared?" He agreed.
"I don't know Riker." You were so confused, and nervous. There was so much in jeopardy.
"We've been friends for a long time, but this isn't going away. I am seriously in love with you no matter how terrifying it is." Thoughts of being more than friends with him were terrifying. You had never really had good luck with love, and you didn't want to ruin something that was already so amazing. He was right though, these feelings were real, and they weren't going away. "Don't you think-" Riker started; but before he could finish you cut him off.
Your lips were on his again, but this time it was by your actions. You were fully embracing it this time though, and he was fully into it as well. You reached up, and tangled your hand in his hair. There was such a huge spark between the two of you, and it couldn't be ignored. It was time to face your fears.
You pulled away again, but this time you smiled. You found it completely hot how Riker bit his lips, and smirked. You mumbled once again.
"Lets be scared together."