POC plus size reader who’s in love with Colin after knowing him her whole life but is scared to tell him because of her size and he finds out
Collin has been your best friend longer than Miles. You can’t say you love them all the same because you’ve been in love with Collin since high school. Miles knew from day one that you two were meant to be.
You two stayed close until you left for college. It sucked being away from home. You had to choose a school on the east coast. Collin surprises you with a visit during the dead of winter.
He’s not pleased.
He came with a windbreaker.
For most of the trip, you two sat close to each other wrapped in a blanket watching movies. In that moment, you wanted to tell him how you felt, but deep down you had an idea of how it would go down. Knowing Collin, he would lovingly tell you that you weren’t his type and you knew it was because of your weight.
Collin spent most of the trip staring at you when you weren’t looking. He didn’t know how to tell you how beautiful he thought you were without sounding like he was head over heels (which he was).
When he left, all you could think about were the times you spent together and how comfortable you were around him. The time you were putting braids in your hair and you asked Collin to dip the ends in boiling water. He burned his fingers. You don’t even want to bring up what happened to his favorite shirt when you asked him to seal the ends of your braids with a lighter.
All the times you returned the favor to braid his hair just to see that sweet smile again as he pulled you into a hug.
It all came to head over the summer.
Miles threw a pool party and some woman spent the better half of the evening flirting (and failing) with Collin. You envied her and her stupid bikini. You were ready to go home, sick to your stomach.
Collin found you as you were putting on your shorts. You couldn’t help but feel bad when you saw his pout.
You: I don’t belong here
Collin: There isn’t a place in Oakland where you don’t belong
You: Like where
Miles: *as he walks by* He wants to say in his heart so bad
You laughter dies down when you see how serious Collin is. He drives you home and stops in front of your house. Collin is ready to tell you goodbye when he blurts out his feelings for you. You sit there in silence, shocked and worried that this is all a trick.
Collin starts to regret his words until he heard you utter the same words.
Collin: So we’ve liked each other all these years and never said a thing? I thought I might be ruining a friendship
You: *nervous laughter* I thought you wouldn’t like me because of my weight
You grow weary as he refuses to take his eyes off of you. Collin takes your hand and finally tells you how beautiful thinks you are.
Most mornings he spends his time under the covers kissing every curve and stretch mark. When he’s finished, he always pulls you in for a kiss.
Throughout your relationship, you start your own journey of self love and loving your body the way it is. You spent so long thinking your body was holding you back when it was really about how you felt everyone else saw you. Once you stopped caring, things began to change.
You knew Collin couldn’t be the sole reason you start loving your body, but he definitely played a role in it.