Ok so I'm absolutely NOT a writer but I've had this drabble living rent free in my head ever since I saw this ask from @queenlilithprime on the official @homecomingvn blog and I had to make it a thing, so please enjoy my romantic little brain child:
[Homecoming Vn: Lyra x MC]
“I love you.”
I froze. My entire body flushed a bright crimson red. What the hell Dani?! There's no way I actually just let those words slip out of my mouth freely. I internally cursed myself. Stupid! Stupid! Stupid!
Honestly, I should've expected this to happen eventually. I admit, throughout our years of friendship, Lyra and I had always been close, practically inseparable. I’d thought it’d been completely platonic… That was until we started junior high together. It was as if suddenly, through the powers of puberty and one too many nights sneaking a peek at late night Cinemax, I saw her in an entirely different light. The way her flame red hair perfectly framed her gorgeous, chisled, goddess-like face. The way she would look at me, half-lidded and smoldering as she slowly purred my name, each syllable sounding as if they were dipped in a pool of molten amber. The way her touch alone sent an electric shock coursing throughout my entire body. It wasn’t hard to fall for Lyra after that. But one fear always kept me from acting on it... What if she didn’t feel the same way?
I was terrified at the prospect of losing our friendship, so I did what any sensible person who was in love with their best friend would do. I buried it. She meant too much to me to risk not having her in my life. Still, I wanted more than anything to tell her how I felt, to the point where it sometimes physically hurt to look at her, knowing that we would never be anything more than friends. I’d forced myself to believe that I was fine with that. So long as we were still friends, I could be content…. Aaand now I’d fucked all that up in a matter of three seconds.
My mind was reeling. I didn’t want to look at Lyra but despite my best efforts, I could still see her form in my peripheral vision. She was also still, almost statue-like in the blue glow of the tv set. As if those three little words turned her into stone. Panic immediately washed over me.
“I-I-I’m so sorry Lyra!” I stammered. “W-what I mean was that-”
Before I could finish my frantic, incoherent babbling, I heard the video tape she’d had in her hands clatter to the floor and felt her fingers brush against my cheek tenderly. I looked up at her in surprise. Lyra’s eyes were as wide as saucers and her brows tipped upward in a way that made her appear so completely desperate and vulnerable, it felt like one false move would shatter her into a million tiny pieces. A total juxtaposition to the eerily aloof and disinterested manner in which she usually carried herself.
Wait, w-was she… getting teary eyed?
“Do you really mean that?” Lyra asked, her voice wavering slightly. “Please tell me you mean it…”
I stared at her in disbelief. Her deep brown eyes were locked onto mine, searching for some evidence that I was making this all up… Or was it in hope that this was all real? Her fingers laced themselves between my own, bringing our hands up to her chest where she held them tightly.
“Please.” She whispered.
“I- Yeah, actually.” I croaked quietly, as if saying it too loud would wake me up from whatever dream this was. “I do. I love you Lyra.”
In an instant, her lips were pressed against mine. I let out a surprised squeak, tensing up for a second before allowing myself to melt into her. Her lips were warm and soft and her kiss was gentle for a moment, almost too gentle. She was definitely holding back, seemingly making sure this was what I really wanted before fully committing herself to the moment. In response, I kissed her harder, leaning my body into hers. I released my hands from her own before sliding them up her shoulders, looping them behind her neck. Her hands slowly slid down my waist before taking up residence on my hips, her fingers tucked underneath my shirt. I shivered at the feeling of her hands on my bare skin. Heat raced throughout my entire body, deep into my core as her tongue traced itself along my lips. I wanted her, and I wanted her badly.
Just as soon as I was starting to feel like nothing in this world, not even air, would be able to separate our bodies, Lyra slowly pulled away. I immediately wanted to whine in protest. She smiled at me- not the elusive little smirk I’d seen when she felt accomplished or found something amusing. This was a teary smile of relief. Of the feeling you get when an enormous weight has been lifted off your shoulders and the one thing you so desperately wanted to have in this world finally became your own. I’d never seen her look so completely, unapologetically happy before.
“I love you too, sweetheart.” she finally said, her voice low and buttery. “I always have.”
“A-always?” I stammered, taken aback. My heart swelled and felt as if it would burst out of my chest. Lyra had always loved me? Since when?! My head was buzzing as I made a feeble attempt to process that information.
“Mhmm, since we were little in fact.”
I shook my head in disbelief. “Why didn’t you say anything?”
She shrugged. “To be fair, I was never entirely subtle about it but…” Her eyes flickered with sadness for the briefest moment. “I honestly didn’t think you felt the same way. I always assumed I was getting my hopes up over some stupid pipe dream that would never come true. But truthfully I couldn’t let it go… I couldn’t let you go.”
I ran my thumb across her cheek, feeling her tilt her head against my palm. All this time Lyra had been in love with me and I’d been completely blind to it. Suddenly every little missed detail came flashing through my mind. All those times I’d caught her staring at me, the way she’d rush to be by my side whenever I was upset, her subtly flirty little comments that I'd always taken to be jokes- I’d thought they’d all been platonic. I knew she cared for me but I couldn’t fathom the idea of her actually loving me. Clearly I was the biggest moron to grace this planet. Whatever. That didn’t matter right now. All that mattered is that Lyra felt the same way I did and finally… I got to be hers.
“Lyra, kiss me again. Please?”
Lyra’s eyes darkened, half-lidded and filled with a desire I’d only otherwise seen in my dreams. Her perfectly full lips curved up into a subtle, devious smile. “Sweetheart, I thought you’d never ask.”