comic shop || nataly & e.j. [relationship au]
‘He’s so swee—
And then, blind panic.
‘—what the fuck—’
Nataly immediately pulled away — so sudden and dramatic that her back and head hit the wall of the reading nook with a loud ‘thud!’ “Ow, motherfucker!”
It was absolutely mortifying, that being her reaction. Internally, she was kicking the shit out of her own brain. “Fuck, I’m sorry, I—” She stood, running her hands through bright orange locks and backing away, cringing at how crazy she probably seemed. “Listen, you—you take care of whatever you’re gonna buy and I’m—” ‘SHIT HE DROVE YOU HERE NATALY SHIT SHIT SHIT— “—going to go…wait in the car.”
Nataly all but ran out of the store, dumbfounded as to her own stupidity while simultaneously being angry as shit at Eric for dropping such a truth bomb. His car was locked, actually, as it should have been, but Nataly was in such a hurry to leave that she didn’t grab his keys. So, she sat on the curb, head in her hands, lamenting the last few minutes of her life so hard.
Did she love him?!?! Consciously, she didn’t think she’d ever thought about it before. Falling in love seemed like something untouchable for her, unreachable, as her parents had (quite literally) beaten the idea into her head that she wouldn’t ever have someone as wholly good as Eric.
‘You’re overthinking this,’ she thought, knees pulled tight to her chest. ‘Just say it back when he gets out here, just say it back.’
“Nat--”
Interrupted by the shooting pain travelling down his leg from his knee, Eric stood up almost as soon as she did shaking out his leg. Wating to soothe her recently bumped head, but her hands beat him to it.
“No you don’t--” Okay getting a word in was not looking completely possible, but he tried again. “Nat please I just--” Yeah, no not happening.
Before his body was remotely ready to respond to the idea of moving, he saw a Flash like blur moving through the store and exiting.
“That went so much worse then I could have ever imagined.”
“Don’t know about that dude, you coulda gotten slapped and called a greasy perv in cut off.” Turning around EJ was met with the familiar face of Emporium employee, Miles something-or-other.
Taking in a breath, Eric opened his mouth just to close it as fast, and instead just screwed his face up in confusion. After a few seconds, eyebrows raised and a slight nod, “True.” Slapping the comics against Miles’ chest, EJ starting making his way to the door. “Put that in my box, alright? I’ll be back in a few to get it.”
Practically jogging outside it didn’t take long to spot what might have been the brightest thing in the parking lot, Nat’s hair. “Hey, umm-- keys, if you still wanna sit in there, but just like don’t say anything please. Well not yet.. Just let me-- shit sorry, keys right, and door, umm yeah.” Unlocking his car door, he sidestepped her so she could sit inside if she wanted. Even if it didn’t make any logical sense.
“I--I-- you need--I-- fuck, sorry. Umm, I didn’t mean to say that... yet.” Inhale. “I had a plan, I was gonna-- well I guess that doesn’t matter, the point is I didn’t-- I wouldn’t say that with any, i don’t know... expectations. You don’t-- you don’t have to say it.”
Moving toward her again, he reached out to touch her before trying to play it off as some more than awkward arm movement. Putting his head down, Eric took a deep breath.
“I’m scared i fucked up and i can’t fix this because i can’t take it back and i can’t take it back because it’s the truth, and I don’t--” sliding down the side of his car, EJ looked up at her.
