Cinderella Man [boyxboy love story]

Cinderella Man [boyxboy love story] Chapter Twenty-Two

        I stared at him and nodded.  I didn't know what really to do at the moment, I was caught in between confronting him and ignoring it.  I was stuck in my inner battle, that I let an awkward silence grow and grow between us.  Then he took a long breath, "Um, yeah..."

        I coughed.  It came out louder than intended.  It made Damian jump at the sudden loud noise, before turning redder and redder.  His embarrassment only made it worse for me, I coughed feel my palms sweat.

            "Okay!" I said.  He jumped and stared at me, his ears red, "Do you need something?"

            "I think we should talk," he said softly.

            "I don't," I told him, directly before turning around quickly and feeling my legs shake as I began to walk away.

            "Wait, wait, wait!" he ordered quickly and fell in rhythm next to me, "Look, it took a lot out of me to come up to you.  Can I just explain what happened in your room?"

            "You kissed me," I stated, but half whispered it just in case anyone was near me.  Then stopped and stared at him, "Just don't come near me, let's just pretend it never happened."

            He choked on his own air, leaving me enough silence to look away and take a step away.  Then I heard, "What if I don't want to pretend?"

            I froze and then grabbed the scruff of his shirt before forcing him to take two steps back and his back clunk against the wall behind him.  He gasped and I forced him to make eye-contact with me, "Damian, no.  Please, just don't."

            "I like you more than I should.  And I get that you're with Owen.  But you don't seem happy, I mean; am I just not your type or...?" he trailed off when he saw my glare, "I will back off if you tell me why not."

            I stared at him for a long time and then felt the blood drain from my face.  He was serious.  I've never seen Damian serious about anything.  He only had the same look on his face when I saw him singing, something so quiet and somber about it.  Something so... earnest.  His handsome face was stone, his eyes...

            "I just can't, Damian," I told him.

            He stared at me, "Why?"

            I was about to leave again, but he grabbed my arm and forced me to look at him again.  He pulled me closer and I felt his hot breath on my face, "Just tell me why."

            "Because I'm terrible," I said.

            "Liar," he said, "You're the most magnificent person I have ever met."  His face was so grave, and I could tell he solemnly believed what he just said.

            The words were so profound, so consequential, but I felt every word hit me like a arrow shot from an invisible enemy... I could speak and I could feel it.  My mouth went slack and I gulped and then looked down, "You don't know who I am or what I've done."

            "Then tell me who you are, what you've done," he leaned his head against mine.

            It was quiet.  The most genuine words I've ever heard came out of... this idiot.  I felt my mouth go dry and my words couldn't compile, couldn't process.  I stared at him and felt my spine become stone as he closed the distance between us, pressing his soft lips against mine for a solid second before I leapt backwards.

            His face fell, becoming miserable.  His hand levitated where my shoulder once was and he leaned his head back, "I don't even know what I'm doing anymore."