The Hanes Enigma

Chapter Fourteen - Rouse and Run

Euclea Hecklby

I fiddle with the bracelet on my wrist as I glare at the unconscious dryad. 

"A watched pot never boils..." Nova sinks into the chair next to me. "Did you even sleep last night?"

"I'm surprised you did, what with Tae gone." I frown.

"They said he's off on an errand for Jungkook or something." She shrugs, but I see the tell-tale worrying at her lip.

"So you didn't sleep?" I raise my eyebrows.

"Not at all. If that were true, why didn't he tell me? We'd only just made up, he wouldn't leave without saying goodbye. He told me off for that before and he's anything but a hypocrite." She sighs, pulling gently at her hair.

"You really trust them all this much? You know they're lying to you... You trust them to keep him safe?" I have known Nova for our entire lives and she never trusts this easily, so, of course, I'm concerned.

"I... I guess I do... I know I want to be here with Hollis. And I know that they can take care of themselves. They've proved that countless times, now. Yes. I trust them." She nods slowly as if only just coming to the conclusion herself. "But, I'm still very worried."

"And rightly so, you love him..." I look back at Hollis and Nova smiles at me in my peripheral vision.

"You should tell her, you know. When she wakes up." 

"You know I can't..." I sigh, shaking my head. I don't want to have this conversation again. It's always the same.

"You should try..." A croaky voice shocks us both into a panic, Nova running for an angel while I run to Hollis.

"Holly!" I grin and squeeze her hand tightly in two of my own.

"Hey, Lea.. Miss me?" She giggles slightly. It doesn't sound like it normally would. It's weak and feeble and cracked and jagged, but it's still a laugh.

"So much it hurt." I look into her eyes and I see something staring back at me. Something sad.

"Holly?.." I frown. Is she in pain? The angel had said she wouldn't be in pain when she woke.

"Why didn't you just stop me?..." Tears begin to fall and I rush to wipe them off her tanned skin.

"W-What?? What did I do?!" 

"That's what I kept thinking... When they were-.. I couldn't work out why you didn't just tell me." I give up, fresh tears only replacing the ones I wipe away.

"Tell you what?"

"That you love me..." She sniffs and blinks up at me.

I freeze. How does she-

"When they were hurting you, you were sobbing, but I could just about make it out. You kept saying to let me go. That you'd do anything if they let me go. Even they could see it but I was so fucking dense!"

Hoseok runs in and pushes me away from Hollis, attempting to calm her and saying something about unnecessary stress when her body is trying to heal.

"I-..." My words won't come out. I can't believe she knows. I don't know what to say.

Nova looks at me worriedly and I just blink. "I'll get you guys some tea..." She gives me a sympathetic smile and backs out of the room.

"I'I don't know who you are. Thank you for helping me, but I really need to talk to her.." Hollis attempts to push the angel away.

Eventually, he sighs and nods. "Just don't push too hard. You need to rest."

He leaves too and I am left staring at the girl I have been in love with since before I turned double digits like a deer in front of a steam train.

"Lea?..."

"Yes..."

"It's true, isn't it? You love me..."

"Yes..." My shoulders relax. I let out a breath I'd apparently been holding for over a decade. "Do you hate me?"

"No... I don't know what to feel, though."

"That's okay. I understand if you don't-"

"I might! I don't know..." She looks down at her fingers and picks at them with her blunt nails.

I place my hand over hers and gently rub them until they still.

Her eyes well up and she runs her thumb over my bracelet. "You really didn't take it off?"

"I promised, didn't I?" I chuckle sadly and lift my hands from hers. I immediatley hate myself for doing that, her hands felt so soft... But, "What about that guy?"

"Hmm?" She frowns, pouting and reaching out for my hands again.

"You fiance? Canescens?" I raise my eyebrows, slightly amused.

"Oh.. I broke up with him a while ago..." She shrugs.

I frown, letting my hands back into her grabby fingers. "What?.. Why?"

"I didn't love him." She looks up at me and I gulp. "I started thinking about what I wanted for once, instead of what was expected of me."

"A-And what do you.. want...?" I lick my lips nervously, not meeting her gaze.

"I'm still working that one out... But, I know something I want to try."

I don't have a chance to react. She pulls me down by my shirt and slips a hand into the bird's nest on my head, lips meeting mine and pausing there. I don't dare breathe.

Hollis leans away and blinks.

I gulp, trying not to seem too giddy at her actions. "Well..?"

"It was nice..."

It's my turn to blink. "Nice?.."

"I don't know.. I don't know how you're supposed to feel when you do that..." She blushes and looks away.

"Did you kiss the Capi-whatsit guy?" I scowl slightly but my expression goes blank as she shakes her head.

"I never let him..." She shrugs and looks up expectantly. "Can we try again?"

"Was that your first kiss?"

"Maybe... Answer my question. Can I do it again?"

"Definitely."

I attempt to lessen my grin as she pulls me closer again, my hands finding a place on her warm cheeks. I kiss back this time, a little more used to the thought. My stomach is doing somersaults around my intestines and I can only hope that she has a similar feeling.

A cough behind me make me jump away and awkwardly straighten my jacket.

"Sorry to interrupt... Do either of you know where Nova went?" The angel asks, smiling knowingly at us.

"Uh, to get tea..." I blush and Hollis giggles. It sounds more natural now. More like the Hollis I know and love.

"I thought so too, but she wasn't in the kitchen." Hoseok frowns.

My stomach sinks from its trapeze act. Of course, something has to ruin the moment.

"Shit."

~~~~~~

OMG THEY'RE SO CUTE WTF!

I hope you guys enjoyed that little scene. We needed some cute to break the angst for a second.