A/n: Once more, the lyrics are not mine.

Part 3/4

“I Can Love You Like That”

Clara grinned and spun in the dusky, autumn air. Her long, dark robe shimmered in the streetlights as the bell-cut sleeves spun around her. Her hood had fallen down and her pale skin was turning rosy in the chilly wind of fall twilight. Her oceanic eyes were alight with a fire of excitement and happiness, as her bronze hair blazed in the pale, yellowish glow of the light.

James Matthews observed all of this as she acted half her age. She spun around, trying to crunch as many leaves as possible. He leaned comfortably against an old tree in their neighborhood.

She was his best friend; had been since they were little kindergarteners. Thos years had changed them both. Him, from the little boy who was almost annoying; to the teenager, almost a man, who was as multicultural as small town New York State can allow. Her, from the shy, clingy little girl who said little; to the young woman who loved theater and was outspoken, opinionated and stubborn.

She spun towards him, losing her footing as she approached. ‘She’s still a klutz,’ he thought to himself as he stretched his arms out to catch her. No matter how old she got, she would always be the same silly, clumsy, kind-hearted best friend he’d always known. She smiled up at him sheepishly, her sea-like eyes looking as though the stars had been placed there so they would shine like such celestial beings as those.

It was Halloween night. For the first (and probably last) time, the pair were going trick-or-treating together. True, some would say they were too old, but they disagreed. She was dressed as a character from King Arthur. He was dressed up like a rap star. They looked like the oddest pair ever, but they didn’t care. They had fun running and laughing, even almost tripping over the young children. Now, they were slowing down, waling side by side and arm in arm. They had begun to pass one house where a party was apparently being held. A slow song was starting to play, loud enough to hear it out on the street. Turning to the ‘human lyrics search engine, as Clara was jokingly known, he inquired about the song.

She paused for a moment, closing her eyes in a blissful expression. After a second, she whispered her answer.

“All-4-One… I Can Love You Like That.” She opened her eyes and looked up at him as the lyrics began to play.

They read you Cinderella

You hoped it would come true

That one day your Prince Charming

Would come rescue you

You like romantic movies

You never will forget

The way you felt when

Romeo kissed Juliet

Her eyes, so interestingly colored, gazed up at him serenely. The girl this song described sounded so much like her, this enigma beside him. One moment, she would be claiming her annoyance with all male humans; the next, she’d be asking him to let her sleep on his shoulder, thanks to her nerves that had kept her up all night. She was tough, then soft; confident, then scared. He was one of the few who knew nearly all the sides of her multi-faceted personality.

And all this time that you’ve been waiting

You don’t have to wait no more

I can love you like that

I would make you my world

Move heaven and earth

If you were my girl

I would give you my heart

Be all that you need

Show you you’re everything

That’s precious to me

If you give me a chance

I can love you like that.

By unspoken agreement, they both set down their trick-or-treat bags. He took her hand in his and pressed his lips to it. He saw a blush grace her full face as his other hand found her waist. Hers landed softly on his shoulder. They danced slowly, in the middle of the sidewalk, not caring who should see them.

I never make a promise

I don’t intend to keep

So when I say forever

Forever’s what I mean

Now I’m no Casanova

But I swear this much is true

I’ll be holding nothing back

When it comes to you

You dream of love that’s everlasting

Well, baby, open up your eyes

James considered the lyrics as they plated. Both him and Clara had been hurt before. He knew that, right now, she was fighting love. She had been hurt so much and so deeply this time that he wasn’t sure she’d be able to trust a guy again. True, she could be independent, but she was also vulnerable on certain matters.

A multi-faceted personality, like a jewel. She certainly was a rare jewel, one that should be treated with respect and care. She shouldn’t be tossed around, or skipped only to drown in her own heartache. She was a diamond in the rough; a crystal hidden beneath a rocky outer coating.

I can love you like that

I would make you my world

Move heaven and earth

If you were my girl

I would give you my heart

Be all that you need

Show you you’re everything

That’s precious to me

If you give me a chance,

I can love you like that

He wondered if he was the one meant to see that. Would he be the one to treat her as such a rare gem should be treated? Was he the one she was waiting for? She was often saying how she didn’t care if a guy’s voice sounded good while he was singing, but she cared if the emotion behind it was real. Would he do that? Or would he, without intending to, hurt her again and, in the process, destroy a friendship almost as old as they were?

If you want tenderness

I’ve got tenderness

And I see through to the heart of you

He wasn’t sure if he should do this. He was always the cautious one between the two of them. She would’ve said something by now… but she was the one fighting love. She was the one who feared the damage love could do to her life. He decided to take a chance. He spun her out and began singing:

“If you want a man

Who will understand

You don’t have to look very far

I can love you, I can…

I can love you like that

I would give you my world

Move heaven and earth

If you were my girl,”

He spun her back in, positioning her with her back flush against his chest, before spinning her back out and around. Her eyes had focused on him as he had started singing. He pulled her in close and stopped the gentle movement of their dance as he continued singing:

“I would give you my heart

Be all that you need

Show you you’re everything

That’s precious to me,”

Then, he broke from the music, but never took his eyes off hers. He lifted her hand to his lips, as he sang slowly and kissed it softly.

“If you give me a chance…

I can love you like that,”

As the music continued to play, they looked at each other. The look in her eyes seemed fearful, and yet it wasn’t like it was him she was afraid of. ‘She’s probably afraid of her own heart,’ he thought. Yet, the thought cut off as she leaned forward slowly, almost imperceptibly. He didn’t realize his own motion towards her, declining his head so as to meet hers better. As if choreographed, they tilted their heads slightly and their lips met. Unlike any other kiss he’d ever had, James saw something as he kissed his best friend of thirteen years:

He saw fireworks.

They felt like they were going off inside him and filling him with color and light and sound such as he’d never sensed in the past. After what seemed like a lifetime, yet could only have been a second, they broke apart. As his eyes opened, they caught hers. They were still fearful.

She muttered something about a paper to finish, grabbed her bag, and ran off towards her house. He watched her run off, slightly hurt. Then he mentally kicked himself. He was an idiot! Of course she would run! She’s reeling from a heart broken so badly that some of the cracks might never heal, and suddenly her best friend; whom she has always counted on; up and kisses her.

He picked up his bag and began walking home. He prayed that he hadn’t completely ruined his longest friendship. He resolved himself not to act upon any feelings towards Clara unless she acted on his first move. With this in mind, James fell into a restless sleep that night, where dreams of Clara’s kiss and nightmares of her rejection filled his thoughts.