one missed call

one hundred - twelve

"leo." north is standing in front of him yet her voice is so distant, he barely catches what she says.

he stares at her as if she's translucent until she grips his hand and he snaps back.

"how did we get here?"

she looks around at the rooftop of the hospital and shrugs. "you ran from the room and i chased you here."

"that's not what i meant."

"then what did you mean?"

"why did we stop being friends?"

she looks down at her toes, "because we thought nathan died."

"but it wasn't our fault."

she looks up, "it wasn't and it isn't since it turns out he isn't... dead."

"that still doesn't answer my question."

tears begin pouring out of her eyes, "we stopped being friends because i thought that you'd hate me if i told you i... that i couldn't love you back then, til now."

"because you always loved nathan." he finished and her silence confirmed it.

he shrugs his shoulders and a tear betrays him as it falls down, "it's not that hard to love you even still."

she lets go of his hand and shakes her head. "why do you do this?"

"do what?"

"y-you, you just... you're so amazing, leo. you're a great guy and any girl would be lucky to be loved by you because you care so much and i just don't get why you'd stick around with someone like me when i do absolutely nothing but push you away and hurt you and leave like i do with everyone else."

he shrugs, "i guess it's just love. look, i sure as shit don't know what love is. i mean, how does anyone know? for all we know it's just a word but with you, it just seems right to call it that. fits perfectly, you know?"

"fits perfectly..." she takes his hand back into hers "you're quite the puzzle, leo"

he smiles.