THE HOODIE GIRL - ONE SHOT.

HOLY FIDDLESTICKS, I SAID IT.

Damn all hell for great best friends like Brody Knight. "So now that you've oh so kindly shown me the great dynamics of your new found bromance, care to let me in too?" Zack motions to the hug, "no," Brody and I say, and he frowns. We laugh, but Zack jumps on us and joins in anyway.

4 HOURS LATER

Wren Martin made me feel things no one could make me feel. She drove me absolutely insane. She messed my mind up, and I couldn't stop thinking about her. Everything about her drove me fucking insane. I had made my mind up.

Even if we'll eventually turn to dust and disappear, I want Wren Martin to be with me. I love her, in all ways humanly possible. And I sure as hell won't be able to survive "forever" without her. Wren Martin completes me, even if that sounds creepy and utterly stupid. Why do you do this to me, birdie, God.

It's funny how I was joking about it four hours back and obsessing now. Like, go home or go nothing type of obsessed.

Birdie, what have you done?

So since I asked (deeply convinced) Birdie to go out with me to give her a break, I also had something else in mind. I told her to bring her hoodie with her. The one she carries around everywhere, and claims to have protected her. I want Birdie to free herself from this thing she calls safety. She clings on to it like it's her life, and it's about time she let it go. She doesn't face her problems. She's taught me to face 'em, but she won't. Birdie is strong; she just refuses to accept it in simple ways. So, she needs someone to tell her that in a more elaborate way. I intend to do just that.

I drive her to the woods, nearby to her house. All the way her face is scrunched up in such an adorable way, and I restrain myself from kissing her. So hard to do, I tell you. Birdie was so beautiful, God.

As we reach, "If you're considering killing me now and disposing my body in the forest..." she starts, and I smile, knowing that she's excited and nervous at the same time.

Do you know that feeling where you literally want to jump up and scream of how much you love a person? That's how I feel, all the time. Birdie changed me in all the best ways possible.

The way her hands held mine as I told her about my dark past, to which she didn't judge, didn't run away, and supported me, stayed. The agony I felt when I saw her vulnerable during the attack and how still, she stirred on, never giving up. How she finally made me feel alive when she said yes, when she kissed me like I wanted to kiss her for so long.

She made me fall for her each passing day.

So, with all these emotions overflowing inside my brain, I lead her to a deeper area, a place with a campfire. It's time to end her misery.

"You planning to burn me alive?" she asks, "not quite," I reply, stoic of how she'll reply. "Okay," she says, getting serious. "What else then?" she questions, and I start, "People become attached to certain objects to satisfy certain emotional needs. Often, the threat of loss of that object tends to trigger anxiety because it threatens the loss of security it has earned," I say, almost robotically, and she raises her eyebrows, "What?" she asks, "You have an emotional attachment to that hoodie," I state, and she glances at it, "An emotional attachment? What're you trying to say?" she stutters, and I think, well, she's cooperating. "Think about it, when do you wear your hoodie?" I ask, pressing. "When I'm cold?" she answers, now clearly perplexed. Okay, maybe not. "Birdie," I say, and she frowns, "Asher what exactly are-" she starts, but I cut her off, "when your anxiety builds up or when you feel socially inept. I'm simply telling you to get rid off that hoodie. Now, getting rid of it won't exactly eradicate negative feelings, but it means you can't hide behind it anymore. It's okay to feel, birdie. It's human to feel." I say softly, "you're right maybe-" she says, and I say, "Burn it." She stares at me. She deliberates quite a bit, but eventually she says, "I can't Asher, don't make me do it," softly, "You can do it. It might seem completely insane, but it makes sense and maybe one day it will to you." I say, "No, you don't understand. This hoodie, it makes me feel safe. Protected. I can't destroy that." She mutters, "You don't need it to feel safe. You need to face problems, birdie. You can't keep running away. They will catch up with you. Confrontation is key." I firmly say, and she seems speechless. Ten points to Asher Reed for coming up with that.

"Burn it," I say again, and she puts her hoodie down after agreeing to take one of my hoodies in replacement of this one. I have a feeling she kind of wanted me to offer her my hoodie. God, she drove me crazy. The time has come. Oh fiddlesticks, it's here. Well let's not hover, shall we? Proceed, Asher Reed. Tell her how you feel. It has all come to this. Oh dear God, do you know when you want to squeeze someone and tell them how much you love them? I want to squeeze the life out of this girl, damn it. Breathe, Asher.

"I love you, Wren Martin." I say, finally, after so much waiting and so much deliberation. I don't wait for her to say anything. I just hope she knows how much I love her. "It's hard not to fall in love with you. It's inevitable. It's hard not to love your smile, your laugh and the twinkle in your eyes when you're happy. It's even harder to ignore the little things; like how you play with your necklace when you're nervous or how you frown when you concentrate or how when you don't tie your hair up, it falls onto your face. Sometimes I feel like looking at you forever, being with you forever." I pour my heart out to the beautiful girl in front of me. She means the world to me, goddamnit. She bites her lip, and for the love of all things holy, why did she have to do that? God, it's distracting me. "You're worth it, Wren. Every single piece of you." I've been wanting to say that since ages. "I know I can't promise you a forever, but I can promise you that I'll do whatever the hell I can to make sure that smile never falters when you're with me," I promise, also because Brody will have my head if I don't. "Birdie. When you're sad, I'm sad. When you're happy, I'm happy. If this isn't love, I'm not sure what is. All I know is that I love you, Wren Martin. It's taken me an awfully long to admit it, but I am in love with you." I say, and smile heartily.

Wren Martin is the hope I've prayed for. She gave me a forever that I didn't intend on having. She gave me happiness that I didn't plan on getting. She gave me love that I didn't plan on feeling.

I've never felt this strongly towards anyone ever before, and I'm glad I saved it for my Birdie.

Wren Martin was the death of me, it is certain. So since I've pretty much covered all things that scream cliché, sappy and romantic, let me say this one last line that will definitely earn eye rolling from Wren.

Cross my heart and hope to die, Birdie. I love you.

A/N: So, since it's because of Yuen that I finally got the courage to publish my work, I sincerely want to thank her for THG. It means so much to me you cannot imagine. So thank you, yuenwrites, for giving me this beautiful opportunity. I'm forever grateful.

Also, specific mention to my best friend and comprande, my baby, messerspadfoot for being there, throughout. It wouldn't have been possible without you, man. You made me believe in myself, so I love you. Thank you.

I cannot just leave without saying thanks to aksharashetty :') She's always been there. Always. I love you munchkin. Thanks for hitting me on the head and telling me "my English is on fleek." love you heaps.