Summary : One childhood friend group. 2 potential lovers. One confession.
Warnings : nothing but fluff - WC : 2.9k
A/N : Another short story I want to share with you. Yeah here and there, I can do fluff too. I might not be a fluff girly at heart but I really enjoyed writing this one. I hope you guys enjoy it the same I enjoyed writing it. Thanks for the love and support.
Writing takes a lot of time, if you enjoyed, please reblog, comment and interact. Don't be shy. That's why the anon button exists. English is not my first language.
Afrohouse blasts in the back when her phone vibrates on the table. At first, she wants to ignore to fully focus on the current gossip and the orange-pink sky behind Mira, one of her closest friends. One name on her screen is all it takes to make her change her mind at a speed her brain can barely process. The grin on her face gives more information than what she would actually like to share.
Mira pauses her gossip session to wiggle her eyebrows. ”Yeah, go join your man.”
The entire table of five start to whistle loudly, clearly enjoying the reactions their tease caused. At this point, she was too tired to roll her eyes at their antics.
”I’ll be right back.” She announces to the group, merely leaving them any opportunity to comment as she walks away. Apparently her feet could not carry her fast enough as she hears, ”Hope you guys kiss this time!”
Keylan, the loudest in the group, makes the most about the situation. On multiple occasions he has expressed his support for their ”silent” romance. ”You’re part of the mini family. Things would be so much easier.” To which she rarely comments except to brush the idea off.
Maybe in another universe. For now, she will have to accept her reality. A childhood friendship. Nothing more. The package came with unique chemistry but also many inconveniences. Particularly hearing about his girlfriends, flings and dating life in general.
A few years ago, hearing him opening up about the subject did not do much. Years passed by and they both matured. The task became harder to accomplish with a fully developed brain. The first heart clench alerted her and worried her. With time, she learned how to build a solid shield to protect herself. Today, she made peace with the situation.
She will never be one of those girls he talks to or desires. Imagining anything else and blindly hoping were slow poison that would eventually kill her from the inside. The only remedy was to come to the conclusion that things were better that way.
The sand kisses her feet as she makes her way on the beach. Her eyes squint, fighting the small grain that wanted to force their way inside of her pupils. Djed sits there, his denim shorts ruined with a visible white stain. His hands behind him as he observes the sunset.
”Earth is calling you!” She jokes before sitting down by his side, carefully arranging her orange cotton dress. His favourite colour on her. Although she promised to stop. Her subconscious had a harder time accepting reality. Each gesture or choice to earn a compliment or an intense stare is worthy. Not to boost a self-confidence she steadily built over the years, but having additional images for her daydreams would not hurt anyone.
Those attempts would certainly not change his mind, but she enjoys his reactions nonetheless. Three days ago, the man showered her with compliments on her orange swimsuit.
”The swimsuit is clean!”
”Thanks, Djed. Could have done better with yours.” She mocked, poking her tongue out. The two of them ended up splashing one another, fuelling the speculation going around in their group of friends. Despite being a childhood group of friends, Djed and she stood apart, according to the rest of the group. The jokes no one else could understand, the never-ending conversations when everybody else was asleep, the random touches and knowing stares woke up some suspicions.
Djed turns around, eyes half closed. ”Missing me already?”
”May I remind you? You texted me, asking me to join.”
”And you did, so you missed me.”
She sighs deeply, ”If it can help you feel better.” She pauses, placing her hands on her knees. ”I joined to admire the sunset. The view is better here.”
He chuckles. Because I’m included in the view.”
”See? This is why you’re single.”
”Ouch. My heart is bleeding.” The fake heart attack annoyingly makes her laugh.
”It’s not the heart, it’s the ego.”
”Last time I checked, ego isn’t an organ.”
She gives him a warning stare before turning her head away. That man sometimes gets on her nerves with his comments. ”Oh, really? Oh my days… Djed taught me something new today.”
”Yeah, put some respect on my name.”
”Not really, but I’ll put some sand in those eyes if you keep acting like a fool.” They both chuckle again, sharing that familiar stare which feels like home. A silence follows, not the stressful type. The kind that brings peace, the non-judgemental, the light one. Both of their eyes are locked on the sky.
With a heavy heart, she decides to interrupt the silence. ”So how went your date last night?”
He sighs out loud. ”Nothing worth exploring.”
Last year, she would have interiorly cheered. Imagine that it meant a potential future for them. That bright hope that warmed her heart. Then she moved on to the next girl and the following one until she lost track of his long dating list. Clarity knocks at her door, and now she knows better. Him not liking a girl simply means he's ready for the next one.
”Okay, what was wrong this time?” Her tone portrays a kind of calmness she had ignored having until recently.
The opposite of him. Djed barely tries to hide his frustration. ”Don’t get me wrong. She’s bad, yeah… But she’s boring. No banter, no jokes, no real conversation. I don’t like that.”
”I thought you were only dating for fun. Why would you care about such things? Men with locs never beat the allegations.”
”It’s complicated, big head.” He stops mid-sentence, asking, ”Wait…What allegations?”
”You guys are trouble. Toxic and cheats.”
He grimaces before giggling, ”Where it’s even coming from? You need to stop scrolling, big head.”
She playfully pinches his arm, earning a laugh from him. ”I have a name, you know?”
”I prefer big head, sorry.”
The nickname that never left since elementary school. Not a mockery, simply an embarrassing memory, she would rather erase from her mind. Although he tried to distract her, she remained laser-focused. For God only knows how many times, Djed complains about his date. Beautiful brown and black women are gorgeous, yet he always seems to find reasons to cut them off.
”What is it that you are exactly looking for? I feel like you’re never satisfied. The perfect woman doesn’t exist, you know?”
”She may not be perfect for others, but for me, she is.”
”So there’s someone there you really like? Why are you dating other girls then?”
Her heart beats harder than usual. The moment she prepared for has finally come. Now, she has to hear how much he wants that woman so bad. Or what he could do to get her. That dynamic will never change. Being his childhood friend included a romantic confidant or coach role. One she has been carrying with a heavy heart for years now.
”She’s a bit unattainable, looks a bit romantically unavailable too. Why would I waste my time for?”
The images of an overconfident woman with a great body, face and hair flood her mind. She must have a good life. Unattainable? She must be travelling all over the world, having many hobbies, and just living her life to the fullest to care about men.
At this point, she does not care about Djed, she envies that woman. Not because of him, but her freedom. No man to worry about. No heart clenches every time her best friend shares a portion of his life with her.
She shakes her head before getting back to her role. ”Djed, come on! This isn’t the Djed I know. You should try. Imagine spending your days daydreaming about her when you can literally try and see what happens.”
The same rule could apply to her, but she is not willing to risk their friendship. Hypocritical? A bit. Still, necessary to maintain a balanced relationship with one of her closest friends.
”It’s more complicated than that, big head.”
”Explain to me then.”
His stare switches from the landscape to her eyes. She understands that he is not willing to share that secret yet. Another silence settles in. This one feels heavier for reasons she could not justify.
”Fine. I respect your privacy. Just understand that you’ll never know if she’s actually unavailable or unattainable if you never talk to her.”
”I dropped hints, but she ignored.”
Her mouth dries up. Maybe the woman had no desire to date him then. To avoid another uncomfortable silence, she asks, ”How about you tell me what you like about her?”
”Wow. The list is long, big head…” The smile on his face, the spark in his eyes silently break her heart but warm her soul. Djed might not be perfect, but he is a good man overall. Not the cliche of a good man. The type who really cares about others, listens to them, checks on them, protects them and encourages them.
The kind of partner anyone would love to have by their side. Generous with his energy and time, but only to those he really cares about. Otherwise, he will stay polite and keep it moving. She firmly believes he deserves love and joy in his romantic life. Even if it means muting her heart in the process.
”We’re on vacation. We have time. I’m listening.”
He rolls his eyes with a teasing grin. ”You never give up, do you? " To that, she simply shrugs. He knows her. Maybe a bit too much.
”The list is long…but it’s weird. I don’t really know how to describe her.“
”It’s between us. Whatever you feel like saying, Djed. I won’t judge you unless you say something silly or post those stupid penitentiary memes.”
He chuckles louder than before while shaking his head. ”Can’t a man hype himself up? What’s wrong with that?”
She rolls her eyes at him. ”Hype yourself up without corniness, thanks. Back to the topic, stop distracting me.”
A few seconds pass as he rubs the tip of his nose. "Humm…I think I love her as a person. It’s the personality…I mean, she’s fucking beautiful too, but…that intelligence, crazy side, fun side, carefreeness… We also have many things in common, you know? I learn from her every single day. She brings the best out of me. Zhe’s my personal sunset.”
The last sentence had her heart thumping inside of her chest. That love confession was even more beautiful than a bland I love you. Suddenly, she is back imagining that girl. Somewhere in the world with a solid career and full life, not knowing that Djed caught feelings for her. The irony. She gulps, her eyes looking at the sky.
”It’s beautiful, Djed… You should definitely give it a try. If it works, amazing, if not, I’m pretty sure you can find a great partner. You’re Djed-Hotep Spence after all.”
”Stop the gaslighting.”
They are back chuckling like teenagers again, their shoulders brushing, waking up that warmth inside of her chest.
”Okay, on a more serious note. What’s going on here? You’re usually super confident when it comes to girls. Why are you so scared of that one? The Djed I know cannot be scared of talking to a gyal.”
”I’m not scared. I told you it’s complicated… This one is really special, I’m telling you.”
She smiles, secretly hoping that one day someone will talk that highly about her.
”I’m still waiting for more. How she looks like? Short description. Her career, her hobbies. Tell me more. She seems so cool!” Her tone is genuine. She would actually love to meet her.
”I’m not making her dating profile. This is real life, big head. Not a movie.”
”Okay, cornball." She pokes her tongue out at him.
He warns her, his finger pointing at her. ”You’re being rude, big head. Careful.”
”Or what?”
”I’m throwing you into the water.”
”I fucking dare you, Djed. If you do that, we’re no longer friends. You’re not ruining my braids.” He playfully patted her head, which resulted in her slapping his hand away. Their laughter makes a few heads turn around, but they do not pay much attention.
”She’s amazing, but I don’t even think she realises how much.” Djed looks straight in front of him, eyes glued to the horizon. His voice slightly drops. She feels the subtle shift. That woman must be very special for him to behave like he is fourteen again.
”Reminds me of you and Sarah. Your first love.”
He groans, ”Please, not today. She’s not my first love…I was a stupid teen too.”
”Hum… All I know is that she had you writing long letters.”
”I was young. You’re lucky I don’t remember the guy you were hiding with to kiss in the park.”
She grimaces in disgust. ”Please don’t bring him. We’re having a good time. He was such a bad kisser too. Lord.” His hand slaps his knee as he bursts out of laughter.
”You’re heartless, big head.”
”No, I’m not. I don’t regret kissing his mate the following year. Great kisser but empty brain. Lord knows I hate a dumb man.”
Djed laughs even louder. ”You’re out of your mind for doing that. That boy was spiralling for weeks.”
”His business, not mine. Shouldn’t have lied and said that my breath stinks when I dumped him.”
”Yeah, he was wilding for that. That’s not even true tho. Otherwise, I would’ve stopped talking to you a long time ago.” She gives him a playful death stare before smacking his arm. Another silence follows. This one feels even heavier than the previous one. She feels some tensions coming from his side.
”So, about that girl? What are we doing next? You can’t fumble her like that.”
He leans closer to her, forcing their shoulders and hands to brush. She hardly moves, enjoying the small contact of his skin on hers. Suddenly his eyes fully lock on hers.
He whispers, ”I love playing chess with her. Orange is her colour. She rocks it like nobody else.” Her heart almost stops when she realises who that woman actually is. She gasps, checking if those words are not a fruit of her imagination.
”Djed…”
”Last night made me realise I only feel whatever I’m feeling with you. No one else. I’ve always found anyone else boring or lacking…Yesterday made me realise…It's just… They’re not you, big head. No one else can be you.”
Words stay stuck in her throat. She gulps, plunging her eyes into his, looking for any signs of playfulness.
”I understand if you don’t feel the same. No bad blood. At least, I won’t have any regrets.”
”Djed…Are…Is…”
”I’m dead serious right now. No jokes.”
She nervously giggles, ”Why are you saying I’m unattainable and unavailable? I don’t get it.”
He leans closer to her. ”Have you seen how you talk about your dates? You don’t seem to care about men… So I thought you'd treat me the same. You weren’t very reactive to my hints either.”
”What hints, Djed? You’re terrible at this, God. I was the one wearing orange to please you, doing your hair, and touching you more than I should, and you never noticed. I never touched Keyland or John that way.”
”Really? I thought orange became your favourite colour, nothing more.”
She rolls her eyes at him with a chuckle. ”Yeah, men. I’m still waiting for your hints, by the way.”
”I went to every store in London to find the shoes you really wanted last year. I’m always complimenting you –"
”Not always.”
His gaze intensifies, alternating between her eyes and lips.
”Can I finish talking?”
”No need. You know you were shy with your hints.”
”So that makes two of us.” He responds with a grin. The breeze whistles in their ears almost as encouragement. Djed closes the remaining distance between them until their noses touch. With one hand on her cheek, he brings her lips closer. Both of them fixating on one another as their lips tease.
When their lips finally seal, her chest warms up at the feeling of his soft lips against hers. Nothing else around them matters as they get lost in their kiss. What started as a shy display of affection becomes more passionate as seconds pass by. Her hands rest on his locs as she pushes him as close as possible.
The claps and whistles interrupt their moment, immediately forcing them to pull away like teens who just had been caught doing something bad. They both roll their eyes at their friends cheering behind them.
Keylan shouts, ”Finally! Shit, you guys took forever.”
To which Djed responds immediately, ”You’re embarrassing, man.” The group joins them to watch the sunset, completely ignoring the kiss they just had interrupted. Djed and she share a knowing smile as he wraps his arms around her shoulder, leaning to whisper into her ear, ”Don’t worry. We have all the time to kiss now.”
”I agree.”
They share a small peck, earning another comment from Mira, ”Lovebirds, we get it. Some of us are modest here.”
”Yeah, so modest. You were twerking on a club table last night.” She snaps back while giggling.
”Don’t you think I can’t beat your ass because you’re with Spence now?"
”Who said we’re together?” She teases.
”Well, I’m saying it now, big head.” He leans to kiss her cheek.
