Hold On (Ianthony)

Part 14

Pre-Note: yo I didn't have school today and it's already cancelled for tomorrow so I had time to write a little something yay Midwest represent B) ps wow fourteen parts later something interesting finally happens

"Alright, I'll tell you, just... don't think I'm a freak."

I nodded a little. "Of course not."

He sighed a little and scooted out of my embrace. I frowned a little as he went to turn the lamp next to us on a higher setting. The clock next to it read 2:48, and I felt like I should be tired, but I wasn't. I was interested and concerned.

He sat across from me now, on top of the covers. His hair was ruffled and his face was still pale with the exception of the barely-visible tear streaks.

"Okay." He bit his lip and looked down. "Well... it's the same dream every time. For the most part."

I sat up a little and looked at him. He looked nervous.

"It's just... the accident. My dream, I mean. It starts off with me and Melanie, well, what I picture her like, and I'm driving, and I just lose control of the wheel." He paused for a moment and took a deep breath. "And the same car always comes straight towards us, a white Honda with dark windows. And I try to steer out of the way, to jump in front of her and make sure the car hits my side first, but I just can't. I'm... frozen."

He sniffled and when he spoke next, his voice shook.

"And I start screaming even though I know it's pointless, and in my dream, I can't look away. I just have to sit there and watch as the car hits us."

He sobbed, and I scooted closer to him, rubbing his back.

"Oh my god, Ian, I'm so s-"

"But, sometimes, it's not her in the car." He finally looked up at me. His eyes were red and his nose was running. "Sometimes, it's you."

Our eyes lingered on each others'. I didn't know what to say. The news shattered my heart, and I found it hard to breathe. I couldn't stand seeing my best friend like this. 

But at the same time, it seemed to give me a little hope. If he pictured me instead of her, did it mean he dreamed of us together?

And right then, I knew what I had to do.

I stood up, feeling Ian giving me a questioning look.

"Come with me," I instructed, walking towards the door.

"Where?" he asked, not moving.

I smirked a little. "Surprise."

///

The air was cool, but the kind of refreshing cool. It was dark with the exception of the streetlights scattered in front of us. It was quiet.

"We film stuff here all the time," I said, staring at a tree across the street.

We sat up on top of the playground equipment at the park down our street. I had no idea why we were here, honestly. I just needed somewhere better than Ian's bedroom to do what I was about to do, and something was telling me to come here.

"Then why are we here at three in the morning?" he asked, as if reading my mind.

I was quiet for a minute. I was nervous, but the kind of nervous where I didn't really care. Maybe it was confidence, or maybe it was pure stupidity.

Probably the latter.

"Ian, you know the night I left for Los Angeles? When I was about to tell you... something, and we were... interrupted?"

"Yeah, I remember," he said, quietly. "I've been thinking about it a lot, actually. What you were going to say."

I looked over at him, and he looked back at me. I couldn't look away.

"Would you like to know what I was gonna say?" I whispered.

He nodded.

I smiled a little at him. I felt like I should have been nervous, or felt something, really. But it was strange; I was about to do something huge, something I've wanted to do for years, and it felt like any normal conversation. I realized then it probably didn't seem like a big deal because Ian felt the same way.

"I was just going to tell you that I'm in love with you and always have been."

He just stared at me. For a long time, actually. And right then, I started to feel a little nervous. Maybe he didn't feel the same way. Maybe I just ruined everything.

But, I was wrong.

Because a moment later, he smiled.

"I think I love you too."

And I found myself smiling too. Because Ian loved me back. And right then, I realized maybe these weeks of hell would have a positive outcome after all.

"Can I kiss you?" I asked, my voice filled with joy.

He didn't answer. He only leaned in, pressing a hand against my cheek.

I flicked my eyes shut. I felt his breath against my lips, and a split second later, we were kissing. 

Everything about it was perfect. The thing I had been waiting for for years, that one kiss, was here. And it was even better than I pictured it.

It was three a.m., and I was sitting on top of a piece of playground equipment, kissing my best friend. And it wasn't a dream.

It wasn't a dream.