notes. No spider was harmed in the making of this gift!oneshot.
summary. I was scared, scared of falling in love, but I should've known that he'd be there to catch me. He always had been, especially when I woke him up in the middle of the night to kill spiders. ONESHOT.
Overcoming Fears
For: KariandTK, a friend and loyal reviewer
by; toffeecakesxox.
-xx-
-x-
"Austin. You need to come here. There is a spider on my room, and I want you to kill it." I was trying to be calm, really I was, but the sight of spiders, with their eight, freakishly spindle-like legs and numerous eyes scared me, spooked me, and the only person I knew who was brave enough to conquer the evil arachnids was Austin, my very best friend.
He sighed, used to 'kill the spider!' wake-up calls at 2 o' clock in the morning. I curled into a tighter ball in my hiding spot: the linen closet. Linen is safe.
What can I say, my apartment was arachnid-infested. Why did I have to rent this place anyway?
Maybe I could move in with Austin—lucky guy had a spider-free flat, and he wasn't afraid of them, but I was, so why did he have the safe living place? No justice in this world.
"I'll be there in a second, Char."
"Thanks," I whispered, for fear of the spider hearing me, and coming to attack. Could spiders even hear?
I didn't think about that answer, instead waiting for Austin to come and save me. Like he always does.
And what seemed like forever later, there was a knock on the door. Ugh. Why did he have to knock? I'd left the door unlocked… hadn't I? Uh-oh.
With a deep breath, I stood up slowly, painstakingly slowly, and walked to the door, keeping my eyes everywhere I could look. If only I had more than two…
"Sorry," I breathed, opening the locked door. I had forgotten to unlock it. Darn.
"It's fine. Are you OK, Charl?"
"Yes. At least, I think so."
"Okay. So, where's the little bugger?"
"In my walk-in closet."
"Oh. OK." Since he already knew the entire layout of this apartment, he marched into my room, also grabbing a stray slipper on the way in.
Super calmly, I shrieked, "KILL IT!"
"OK!" he called back, a not-so-subtle hint of amusement in his tone. "Of course, I can always leave it in your closet, and pretend like I've killed it, when, in reality, I didn't."
"Shut up and just KILL IT!"
He only laughed, and the resounding sound of a smack was soon heard. I breathed a sigh of relief, running into my room in the process.
"Thank you, O Great Spider-Killer!" I gushed, wrapping my arms around his neck in the form of a hug.
"No problem. It's what I do for you, Charlie." He smiled at me once I released him, his emerald green eyes sparkling.
I was rendered speechless, to tell you the truth. Even though he was my best friend, his eyes, always such a warm emerald green seemed very… welcoming, as if I were the only person that he could ever see.
"Austin…" I began hesitantly. What I was about to ask wasn't exactly familiar territory. "Why do you always look at me like that?"
His eyes betrayed an emotion I couldn't decipher. But his words were perfectly clear. "What do you mean, Char?"
"I-I mean… Nevermind."
He was insistent now, an odd sparkle in his eyes as he asked, "No, no, go on. What were you going to say?"
I sighed. He was my best friend; what couldn't I ask him? "I mean… why do you look at me as if I'm the only person in front of you?"
"Because you are the only person in front of me. I—" he was nervous, I noticed, "—I don't think about anyone but you." He'd said the last part so quietly I could hardly hear him.
"Er—what?"
He smiled slightly. "I don't think about anyone but you, Charl. Don't you get it? I love you."
I should've squeaked or something like that, to at least indicate that I was still breathing, but suddenly I was staring slack-jawed at the man who had just taken a leap and free-falled into the unknown.
I should've said something, but, when I didn't, Austin's face was prominent in my mind. Hurt, he looked away from me. "I better go home. You know, to get some sleep before you call me t-to kill another spider."
"Au—Austin," I stuttered out, and he turned to look at me with a hopeful expression on his face. "I-I'm sorry. I'm scared," I confessed, sounding so much like a child, I nearly crumbled into a child-like ball right then and there.
His face morphed into his normal expression. A hint of concern flashed across his features, and, oh so very gently, he asked, "What are you afraid of, baby?"
I was so amazed that he'd called me baby that I was brave enough to meet his eyes.
"I'm scared of falling in love. Especially with you. You're my freaking best friend, for goodness sake. What would happen if… if—" I couldn't say it.
His eyes softened, turning into an emerald pile of jewels, sparkles dancing behind his eyes. "You shouldn't be. I'd never hurt you. You should know that."
I was relieved, to say the least, when he took it into himself to take me into his lap. I felt so safe, right there in the warm circle of his arms, that I snuggled even deeper into him. It was then, probably, that I knew he would never hurt me. If anything, he'd hurt himself if he hurt me, and maybe that was why I turned to him to say, "I love you too."
His face lit up so… so quickly at the four simple words I'd just uttered to him that I placed my hands on his chest to convey how happy I felt at his reaction, surprised at the firm, hard muscle under my fingertips. Maybe all that spider killing had built up his muscles, I mused.
I barely had time to think about how spider killing really can help make your man well muscled, before his lips were on mine, moving hesitantly as if I didn't want to kiss him. How could he even think such a thing?
"Austin…" I breathed softly into his mouth, pulling away briefly to catch his gaze. "God."
He chuckled softly, his warm breath caressing my face, and then it was my turn to start kissing him senseless, right there on the floor of my closet.
Catching the sight of black, 8, and dark beady eyes, I paused, tore my lips from his (to the sadness of the two of us), and, frightened, jumped up, screaming,
"KILL IT!"
...on my way out. I heard the low chuckle of my best friend-turned-boyfriend as I hid beneath the sheets.
I wasn't worried; he was here to protect me.
-x-
-x-
notes. *laughs and grins*, love that ending. XD
Please R&R. Love to know what you think!