//------------------------------// // All the Nice Things // Story: Tricks of the Heart // by Spyder27 //------------------------------// Chapter IV: All the Nice Things Holding her hand tightly, I guide her down the sidewalk path, bright lights giving the night a whole new life. The snow on the grass makes everything just a little more cheery and I can’t help but treasure this moment with her. I convinced Sunset to come walk with me in a park after finals week. What she didn’t know was that the park would be decorated with dozens of Christmas lights, making it seem so lively and beautiful. Despite the fact that it’s night, I can see all of Sunset’s expressions, her happy smiles and wide-eyed stares at light fixtures. Often, she points at lights that are in unique shapes, making us both laugh as we walk.  “Look! That one looks like an elf!” she excitedly exclaims, pointing at a light fixture on top of one of the trees. “Although, from this angle, it kind of looks like he’s sitting on the tree… That must be painful.” Both of us giggle at her joke, shaking my head slightly at the absurd placement of the light. “You’re right though~ This is the perfect way to destress after finals~” Her hand holds mine slightly tighter, a bright smile appearing on her face. It almost feels wrong of me to be here with her… I invited her here for what she thinks is the selfless reason to destress from school, but the real reason I brought us here is much more selfish…  I decided… Tonight is the night. No more sleepless nights and days of denial. Sunset is my best friend in the whole world, but I need to tell her this secret I’ve been keeping for far too long. No matter what happens, at least I will be able to get the secret off my chest. Even if she doesn’t accept it, then she will be able to go forward without a selfish friend like me… No more lies and smoke screens. She deserves the truth… Even if it ends up breaking our friendship… All of this pressure makes it a little hard to enjoy the lights. At least I’ll have this final moment with her…  Stopping in the middle of the sidewalk, Sunset comes to a halt and looks at me with a confused expression, slowly turning her body to me. “Is something wrong…?” she asks me quietly, her hand still holding onto mine. Almost every ounce of sadness she had from her breakup with Flash is entirely gone, her old self shining through the aftermath. I’m… so happy that it didn’t end up changing her. LIke it did with me…  “Listen, Sunset.” I slowly pull my hand away from hers, knowing how this might go. The bright lights reflect off the snow, making Sunset seem like she’s in wonderland… She’s so… beautiful. “I didn’t actually bring you here to destress… I… wanted to spend time with you.” The noise of water running from the fountain nearby makes me feel a little nervous… Like time itself is telling me to get on with it. To hurry up and ruin this friendship as quickly as possible. Every ounce of my body tells me to not say anything more, but I know I have to… I need to… “I missed being with you and… I needed to tell you something.” Sunset’s confused expression only grows, her eyes locked with mine. “The night you broke up with Flash… You got really drunk and you ended up kissing me.” Sunset’s eyes quickly widen and she opens her mouth as if to say something, only for me to hold my hand up to stop her. I still have more to say… “And ever since then, I haven’t been able to get it off my mind… Sunset, I know I can be kind of a jerk, always teasing you for anything you do.” Taking a step back onto the snow, I can’t help but look at the ground, avoiding her gaze. I’m barely able to summon the strength to take my next breath for my words. “But I can’t stop thinking about that night… I can’t stop wishing that maybe things could be different. Maybe we could hold each other again and maybe I could feel how I felt that night again… I realized that… my feelings are complicated.” Looking into Sunset’s eyes once more, I can feel the weight of the world bearing down on me as she stares at me. “Sunset, I… I want to be with you… I miss you when you’re not around. I can hardly sleep and I always want to see your happy smile. I’ve tried so hard to make my stupid brain stop thinking these things, but I can’t… I never want to see you heartbroken again and I…” A knot forms in my throat, my whole body seemingly sweating. I can’t help but feel dizzy even thinking about saying those words… Why did I have to fall in love with you…? Why does this have to be so confusing? I need to tell you and yet my body makes it so hard to do so… “I… I love you, Sunset… I just want you to be happy and I keep… wishing to be with you…” Tears slowly fall down my cheeks, my mind already anticipating the worst from her. I can’t imagine life without her as my friend… She’s done so much for me and she means the world to me in so little time. The thought of losing her completely breaks me… A siren who’s supposed to be strong, just wishing for a mortal woman to stay with her… I’m sorry… I needed to tell you…  Sunset’s eyes look towards the ground, turning away from me slightly as she tries to think of something to say. Conflict is written across her face, only making my mind run wild. “To be honest… I’ve felt a… similar way. Every time we’ve been around each other recently,” she tells me quietly, looking towards the fountain with a soft expression. “You’ve always been so kind and welcoming… You’re the only friend close enough that I can rely on.” Her eyes slowly look back towards me, a small smile coming to her lips. “How could I not feel… attached to you? You’re perfect in so many ways, Adagio…” The wind slowly blows her hair, making the lights shimmer off of it. “You were there for me after Flash… You helped me get back to my feet and realize what life is all about. Taking chances.” Holding her hand out in front of her, her smile only gets bigger. Her eyes lock with mine and I can see just how peaceful she feels. “Promise not to break my heart?” Looking down at her hand, I suddenly realize what exactly she means by her statement. What this whole gesture means… She didn’t hate my confession… She doesn’t hate me. Instantly, I can feel tears begin to form, taking her hand in my own as quickly as I can. Nodding, I feel the biggest smile come to me in my whole life, my heart pounding against my chest. “I promise~” Sunset’s arm quickly pulls me into a hug, holding me against her as tightly as she can. Within moments, both of us stain our shoulders with tears of joy, Sunset’s hands gripping onto me for dear life. She means so much to me… I would never want to break her heart. I only want to see her smile, as long as I can. “I love you too, Adagio~”