( love is a strong word, for the way she might have felt about him, and yet no small part of him wants to believe it. maybe that's delirious grief, wanting to hold onto anything at all that will move his heart to skipping and twisting in a better way than sitting like an iron lump in the middle of his chest instead, making it hard to breathe and harder still to speak.
and yet
maya's face over his, the way she crouched beside him when he'd collapsed onto the pavement after letting his magic go, the mall echoing around them with the song of dying stars, her cheeks still red with embarrassment and frustration.
"you're impossible. you make me wish we met in another time, another life, another world. so tell me this again when we make that happen."
"do you like me back THEN, or will i have to wait until our next life to hear you say SO?"
"you have to wait until our next life."
the bed shakes a little, because he's shaking a little. it's either a laugh or a sob or it's both, but it's a sound that stutters out of his throat with him wanting it to. )
She didn't hate ME, ( he corrects, throat and voice thick; his cheeks feel wet and warm, and he wipes at them idly. they stay wet and warm. ) But she told me to confess to her again after graduation and a new LIFE, so at least she likes me enough to suffer through a third round of complete and total embarrassMENT.
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and yet
maya's face over his, the way she crouched beside him when he'd collapsed onto the pavement after letting his magic go, the mall echoing around them with the song of dying stars, her cheeks still red with embarrassment and frustration.
"you're impossible.
you make me wish we met in another time, another life, another world.
so tell me this again when we make that happen."
"do you like me back THEN, or will i have to wait until our next life to hear you say SO?"
"you have to wait until our next life."
the bed shakes a little, because he's shaking a little. it's either a laugh or a sob or it's both, but it's a sound that stutters out of his throat with him wanting it to. )
She didn't hate ME, ( he corrects, throat and voice thick; his cheeks feel wet and warm, and he wipes at them idly. they stay wet and warm. ) But she told me to confess to her again after graduation and a new LIFE, so at least she likes me enough to suffer through a third round of complete and total embarrassMENT.