Secret Identity (completed)

Soooo....

Senna's POV

Be cool Senna, be cool, I think as we walk hand in hand along the gravel path just outside the hall. 

She points to a clearing just up ahead. "The pond is just over there."

We take a seat on the bench by the water and sit in silence. It is cold but there is a stillness in the air with a distinct lack of wind making the temperature bearable. The only noise apart from the water lapping gently at the pond's edges is the distant thump of music from the fundraiser and the rhythmic sound of Harri breathing. 

I am not sure if she is breathing loudly or if I am just acutely aware that she is sitting next to me in the flesh. The thought alone is enough to make me smile.

"Soooo," she says breaking through the quiet.

I let out a chuckle, "soooo."

She bites the inside of her lip, nervously. "Did you mean it?"

"Mean what?" I question.

"What you said in there?" she stammers, "you know about being my boyfriend?"

I rub the back of my neck, which is something I often do when I am nervous. Am I nervous now? Judging by my sweaty palms I guess I am. 

Funny how I can perform to millions of people without a problem yet some girl sitting on a park bench with no one else around has the ability to make me weak at the knees. "Oh, that," I reply.

"It's okay,  you can say you didn't. I won't be offended," her words say one thing but her disappointed tone says another.

I turn slightly so that I am looking straight at her. My arm draped over the back of the bench, coming to rest in line with her shoulder. I pause thinking about the best way to word this."You know I'm not good at this whole relationship thing," I start. 

She takes a deep breath, "oh." 

Shiitake. Clearly, that wasn't it. 

"No, what I mean is. I've never been good at this relationship thing, but I've also never met someone who makes me feel the way that you do," I explain, verbalising my true feelings.

She smiles cautiously, "oh."

"When you said you bought a date tonight I was hurt," I admit.

She opens her mouth to speak but no words come out. I watch as she looks down disappointment is written across her face. 

Shiitake, I am really not good at this. 

"You don't get it, Harri. I was hurt even though I had no right to be. I mean you didn't owe to me to come alone."

She looks back up at me in confusion, the sparkle I've come to expect to see in her eyes is barely visible, "spit it out already, SJ. What are you saying?" she chokes out.

I place my hand under her chin and lifting it up, forcing her to look directly into my eyes. "Harri, what I am saying is that it was then that I realised that I didn't want anyone else to be your date. That I wanted to be your date. And not just for tonight, for as long as you'll have me," I profess nervously.

She snorts, which my ego hopes is a sign of nerves on her side, rather than the fact that she finds my admission funny. 

"So that's yes then? You did mean it?" she clarifies, her lips turning up tentatively at the edges. 

"Yeah, I did." I concede sheepishly.

She laughs, "you couldn't have just said that? Instead, you made me panic!"