COMPLETED // i don't want to hurt anymore - enoch o'connor x reader

Chapter 16 - Final

(Y/N)'s P.O.V

That evening, or early morning, should I say, I stood in front of the bathroom mirror, attempting to make myself presentable, or at least trying to drill some confidence into myself before the talk with Enoch. To be honest with you, I didn't even know if he'd turn up. I hoped he would, of course, but with Enoch... Who can tell?
I made my way downstairs and out into the garden, careful to not make any sound. We were all still grounded, and although we were allowed out into the garden, we weren't permitted to be out at night. I didn't want to get caught and blow possibly my only chance with Enoch.
No-one was standing under the willow tree, and I felt my heart sink slightly as the fear of a no-show from Mr O'Connor deepened in my mind. Nevertheless, I crunched my way through the leaves and the grass and waited, ahem, 'patiently' (it's not like I was stamping my foot, pulling my hair and silently screaming or anything). Before long, I began to give up hope. I was just starting to walk back to the house when I heard quiet footsteps approach my place under the tree. I held my breath and waited for the familiar cockney accent to greet me.
"(Y/N)."
"Enoch."
His pale face and dark curls loomed into my vision, and I couldn't help but notice how sharp his jawline was, or how his nose was ever so slightly upturned at the tip, or how his dark eyes seemed to swallow me, but in a good way... "Snap out of it," I hissed quietly to myself.
For a couple of moments, we stood in silence, before Enoch cleared his throat.
"So. You wanted to talk to me?"
"Yes. The note was from me, by the way. Did you like the placement?" I joked.
He squinted at me in the darkness. "Um... I suppose? Look, (Y/N), I'm quite tired and I'd rather like to get to bed soon. Could you maybe just cut to the chase?"
I cursed silently. "Of course. Enoch... I'm sorry. For not telling you my peculiarity. No, it's more than that. I'm sorry for that night in Cairnholm when you almost got killed. I'm sorry for everybody else's behaviour. I'm sorry that, the morning after, I didn't handle the situation well. I'm sorry that I came here and made your life hell because I can tell that you were all better off without me."
Silence. I was a bit hurt, to be honest. I'd expected him to say, "Oh no, of course not, (Y/N). We love you!" or something along those lines. But instead he just took a pace closer to me and looked me dead in the eye, before, surprisingly, grabbing my hand.
"(Y/N), none of us think that. Nothing that you just stated there was your fault. I mean, yeah, I was a bit upset with you for not talking about your peculiarity and clamming up, but only because I'd told you things that no-one else knows. I opened up to you. And that's what worried me. I've been lied to before. I've been manipulated before. I vowed to never let anyone in, but there I was, talking to you and opening my heart for a girl I'd known for just a couple of weeks. I was just scared."
I let this sink into my confused brain for a moment. So... Enoch didn't hate me? He just let me in further than anyone else, and that made him uncomfortable and insecure. I knew that feeling.
"Hey, you're not alone. I've felt the same way too, before."
I lifted my head and stared into his eyes. His hand was still holding my increasingly more sweaty hand, and we were inches away from each other.

And then it happened, so quickly, in a flash. It felt as if you could blink and miss it, but I knew that couldn't be the case.
Enoch ducked his dark head down closer to mine, so our noses were almost touching. Then his lips were close, ever so close to mine, and I noticed, for the second time since meeting him, how soft they were, and then I didn't have to notice, because they were on mine. His lips were on my lips.
I watched him close his eyes, and, unsure of what to do in this alien situation, I did the same. I felt his mouth move underneath mine, warm and lingering. He released my hand and placed one of his around my waist, and the other rested under my jaw, propping up my head. I felt my hands move of their own accord, wrapping around his dark curls and caressing his face. He pulled me closer into him, still kissing me passionately.

After what felt like seconds, but what must have been minutes, we pulled apart, breathing hard. I stared at him, his eyes burning with... Was that compassion? I hope so. It was better then the usual anger anyway.
He looked like a deer caught in headlights, unsure what to do. I felt the same. However, only he acted upon it. He gave me one last glance before fleeing back to the house.