#rostoria

[fancyphoenix]

NEW CHAPTER WITHOUT VOLDEMORT.

So if you didn’t know I’m doing a Harry Potter Fanfic, thats it’s about after the war, here’s the link and the description.

https://www.fanfiction.net/s/13849334/2/WITHOUT-VOLDEMORT

Description:

¿What happened to everyone after the war? ¿How do you overcome your biggest trauma? What happens when there's nothing left to fight for?

[wandlores]

Dystopia

Pairing: Ron Weasley x Astoria Greengrass Words: 1,277 You can also read this on AO3.  This is dedicated to the anon who requested I write about a fight and makeup sex for this pairing over a year ago. I’m sorry it took so long to do, but I hope you enjoy it. x

All Astoria could hear was Ron's heavy breathing and the hammering of her heart in her chest. Her world around her was up in flames, and she was the reason why. She had created her own dystopia, and there was no one else to blame. She had her reasons. The words her parents spoke about them had sliced through Astoria's heart like a hot knife; she was burned. She was so burned that she knew she could not bring Ron down with her. But he didn't seem to understand, not when all he did his whole life was fight to be heard. To be the hero of the story, and to put out the flames.

"I don't care what they said!" Ron yelled, "It doesn't mean shit!"

She had never seen him this angry, but she couldn't blame him. She knew if she were him, she would be too.

"I-I can't let you ruin your life for me because of what they said," she reasoned, "This just wouldn't work. It was a nice fantasy but-"

Ron punched the wall, and Astoria heard his knuckles crack. He seemed to ignore the pain as he ran his other hand through his hair.

"I won't allow them to do this to us. I have been fighting against this pureblood bullshit my entire life."

"They don't care," she explained, "My parents.. they still believe in the old ways."

"But you don't! Why don't you fight back?"

She took a deep breath, "I'm not as brave as you Ron, you know that."

"Bullshit."

He took the seat across from her and put his head in his hands. She watched as he tried to compose himself.

"Astoria, you're one of the bravest people I know. You have fought against your family's customs your whole life, why does it make a difference now? Do you-"

His voice faltered, and he avoided looking in her direction. He stood up again and muttered under his breath, "I see."

"What?" She asked.

"You-you don't love me," he whispered, more to himself than her, "That's why it isn't worth the fight."

Astoria's breath quickened, "Ron! That's not it," she protested, "You must know that."

"Then why not fight for me?" His voice broke, and she watched as tears filled up in his eyes.

Astoria stood up and made her way towards him, but he pulled away from her attempt to comfort him.

"Don't," he snapped, "I can't deal with pity. Not from you."

"I'm not pitying you, I'm trying to show you that I love you."

"If you really loved me, then none of this would even matter."

She opened her mouth to speak, but before she could say a word, he apparated on the spot.

Two weeks had gone by since that night, and Astoria had barely slept since. She had always dealt with insomnia, but this was different. She realized she had no way of falling asleep until Ron was back in her arms. She needed to hear his quiet snores in her ear and feel the way his legs would wrap around her's in the middle of the night. She needed him to ground her, and she knew he was right all along. It wasn't up to her family if she married him or not. It was up to her. She always talked about creating her own future; Ron had given her the chance, and she had turned it down after overthinking and ridiculous contemplation. It would be the biggest mistake of her life if she didn't fix it. Her life was not a Muggle dystopia; it was her own.

She mustered up the courage Ron claimed she had and apparated to his flat that he shared with George above the joke shop. She knew George was out of town with Hermione for the month, so she could still catch Ron while he was alone. She hoped he was home, and if he wasn't, she would wait. He was worth it. He was worth everything.

She knocked on his front door and clasped her hands behind her back. She twiddled her thumbs like she always did when she was nervous. Her breath caught in her throat when she heard his footsteps come toward the door.

Astoria read the expression on Ron's face as the door opened; she watched as he contemplated slamming it in her face, but he didn't. Instead, he took a side-step and offered for her to come in silently. She took up his offer and made her way over to his couch. He sat down next to her, but he avoided looking her in the eye.

"So, is this your final goodbye?" He asked her sarcastically, "Or are you here to rub it in a little more that I am unlovable and that it makes sense that my best friend would leave me for my brother rather than marry me?"

She ignored the jab and knew he was just upset. Ron had been over Hermione for years, but the rejection still hurt him. He had felt rejected his whole life; Astoria was familiar with that feeling, until she met Ron.

"I need you to forgive me," she told him quietly, "I was wrong."

She watched as shock spread across his face and he looked up into her eyes, but it was quickly replaced with anger once again.

"You-you just want me to forgive you?" He spat, "After-after all that you said and reasoned? Astoria, life doesn't work that way. I can't just pick up the broken pieces and glue them back together. It takes time."

"I-I know," Astoria fumbled, she felt like she was going to cry, "But I do love you, Ron, and I never should have let what my parent's said impact our engagement. When you proposed.. I-I was the happiest I had ever been. I ruined that. I understand. I ruin everything I touch. I always have."

He surprised her by taking her hands, "Stori-"

But she didn't let him finish, because when she looked into his eyes, she knew his anger was quickly dissolved and she was forgiven. He understood her; he understood her in a way most people didn't. They were used to being second-rate, but not in each other's eyes; they were always first. There was no need to be afraid or insecure. So she kissed him; she kissed him like it was the first time. Taken aback, he moaned, and before she knew it, she was straddling his hips as he unbuttoned her blouse.

"Is make-up sex really going to be a thing right now?" Ron joked. He was breathless, but she watched as his pupils dilated when her top fell off her shoulders.

"I guess so," she replied, "Because I honestly don't have the words to show you how sorry I am, or how much I love you."

A relieved smile spread across his face as she leaned down and kissed him. His hands cupped her cheeks gently, and once again, Astoria felt whole. Ron was always the hero in her story. And as he picked her up to carry her into his bedroom he asked, "So does that mean we are saying 'fuck the world' and we are getting married?"

Astoria couldn't help but laugh; it had been that easy. She was forgiven, and deep down, she knew she would be for her ridiculous fears.

"Only on two conditions," she told him.

"Anything."

"We don't invite my parents and I get to wear a dress that is not white. I hate that tradition. As you know, I hate most traditions."

His smile was beaming as he replied, "Anything for you."

[slytherdornet]

Your laughing offers some h o n e s t conversation Catch me in the cracks between your crooked s m i l e

[hprarepairnet]

get to know our members challenge: favorite rare-pairs - ron weasley & astoria greengrass (6/?) - zelle 

“you deserve it all, stori. you deserve the world.”  

[wandlores]

aaa im curious. is it ok to ask why you like each one in your top 10 ships?

Hey! Sorry this took me awhile to get to. I had work and was busy! But I would love to tell you why each ship is my in my top 10 favorite rare-pairs.

1. Harry x Pansy - Other than Hinny, they are my OTP of all HP OTPs. I just think they have SO much potential after the war. With how I headcanon Pansy, I see them being pretty similar when it comes to personal struggles and insecurities that they deal with. I also think they would challenge each other a lot to forgive and accept others for what happened throughout the war. I also think they would have amazing sexual chemistry. They are able to be sensitive together, vulnerable, funny, etc. etc. I could go on and on. But they are my children. They make me cry real tears.2. Fred x Hermione - THEY ARE THE DEFINITION OF FIRST LOVES. They would have been forever if Fred didn’t die, but even in my headcanoned world for them, Fred does die. I think it teaches Hermione so much about herself and what she wants from love. They also learned how to love with each other, and they were best friends. Fred was able to really make Hermione lighten up, and Hermione really challenged Fred in a way others didn’t. They had a really playful and sensitive relationship. I just think they’re great and ship them for their fluffiness but also their angst that Fred’s death causes. 3. Hermione x Cormac - After Fred dies, Hermione ends up marrying Cormac McLaggen. They have a beautiful bickering relationship that is full of coping and acceptance. Cormac is able to make Hermione laugh, and Hermione is able to really dig deep down and see Cormac for who he truly is. He is very much an intellectual equal as well. They challenge each other so much and have wicked sexual chemistry. I ship them because to me, they symbolize hope and that first impressions aren’t always correct.4. Ron x Astoria - I ship them together because they symbolize a relationship that brings the best out in each other. In my eyes, they were both the forgotten siblings with amazing talents. They appreciate each other when others don’t, and they bond over being the ones that are overlooked. They meet during Ron’s “eighth” year at Hogwarts in my headcanon view. They become fast friends that quickly turn into lovers. They are very fluffy and emotionally passionate and hardly ever fight. The definition of strangers to friends to lovers trope. 5. Blaise x Ginny - THEY HAVE SUCH A SEXY CHEMISTRY. Listen, they have the best sex out of all my ships. Let’s be real. They bicker SO much, but they both become so vulnerable around each other at certain times in a way they don’t with other people. To others, they show this flirtatious side, but they can be so serious and have intellectual discussions that last forever. Their relationship is a constant challenge. I ship them because I think their chemistry is just so undeniable. Especially after the war when they have so much pent up aggression. They are the DEFINITION of fire and ice. 6. George x Daphne - @lunellys came up with the possibility of this ship for me, and I went down the rabbit hole so fast. Listen, they meet through Ron and Astoria. George is so lost and alone after Fred’s death, and I think Daphne (along with Astoria, though Astoria was estranged from her family way before this) lost everything after the war because her parents disowned her for not being “their perfect daughter” with their very specific views. Daphne tried for so many years to be what they wanted and even believed in all the bad things, but her eyes opened after she lost everything. I just see them really bonding over their own kind of losses and being a friend for each other when they need it. They bicker constantly, but they are very fluffy when they’re alone and cuddle a lot and spend a ton of late nights eating take-out in the joke shop. I ship them because they also symbolize second chances and how important it is to have a friend during hard times. 7. Draco x Luna - LUNA IS THE DEFINITION OF BEING DRACO’S LIGHT THROUGH THE DARKNESS. She makes him feel so much hope and sees him for who he TRULY is after the war (and even during at times) and makes him feel accepted. Because she accepts him, he starts to accept himself for who he is. The good and the bad. They represent hope and acceptance SO MUCH. I also see Draco being a secret mega-nerd and loving her super theoretical conversations. Their relationship is very emotionally intense, but not necessarily the most physical. And that I find beautiful.8. Regulus x Petunia - They are both the forgotten siblings, and the angst Regulus’s death causes after Petunia finally learns to trust magic is HEARTBREAKING and changes Petunia in a way that could even fit canon. I just see a lot of similarities between them (wanting to impress their parents, bitter against their siblings, etc). I also see Regulus being fascinated with Petunia and making her feel special, and Petunia would be Regulus’s escape from all that is to come and his family’s expectations to be who he truly is for awhile. I think Regulus teaches Petunia to forgive, and that is so important. Petunia also teaches Regulus that everything is not what it seems to be, especially with people and values. 9. Blaise x Theo - They date throughout Hogwarts and eventually break up after the war, but their strong foundation is everything during and after their relationship. There is so much trust there and witty banter. It also helps them accept their bisexuality. I feel like they were there for each other when no one else was, and they can bond over having absent parents in whatever the sense is. They are the definition of an intellectual couple and are always playing devil’s advocate with each other. I also think they’d have hot physical chemistry.10. Marlene x Dorcas - They are the DEFINITION of a power couple. They are both intense fighters and meet life head-on. I see them helping each other accept their sexuality, and they also give each other something to really fight for. They were also dueling partners when it came to fighting in the war, and their goal was to become partners as Aurors. They fell in love throughout years of friendship. In the afterlife, they found each other again and realized life wasn’t truly over. They would always have each other. I ship them because I think they’re so powerful together and are great at making statements, and showing that love doesn’t die even after death. 

[wandlores]

cheerleader!astoria × ron

this is for the @hprarepairnet and @slytherdornet tropes challenge! this is for the trope “literally loving thy neighbor” from this list. 

ron had been in love with astoria greengrass for as long as he could remember - or he knew he wanted to be in love with her. 

but it didn’t matter, because she would never be interested in someone like him. his brothers told him that multiple times a day.

in a joking manner, of course. but ron knew there was truth to it.

it didn’t matter that they had lived next door to each other their whole lives, because she still didn’t notice him. she didn’t even make an attempt.

or so it seemed.

every morning as he lit a joint in his car before school, he would watch her walk down her driveway to her red slug bug.. and she would be wearing her cheerleading uniform for her early morning practice. 

her legs were long and toned, and watching her walk made him feel like he was perv.

but he couldn’t help himself. she was the personification of perfection.

but one morning after he made sure his parents had left for work, it was different. 

he lit his joint and cracked open the window of his car.

he took a long drag and watched as the smoke left his mouth and went through the crack of his window. he closed his eyes to try and relax as the drug came into effect, but his plan was suddenly altered when he heard someone clearing their throat.

he jumped at the sound and nearly dropped his burning joint onto his floor mat. he cursed at himself as he rolled down the window to see who it was.

when he made eye contact with astoria greengrass and realized her eyes were the color of literal honey, he couldn’t think of what to say.

“i see you smoking out here every morning,” she commented, “would you care if i joined you?”

he blinked a few times to compose his thoughts, but nothing was coming out of his mouth. 

she watched him process her words, and he watched as her face showed deflation.

“i-i get if you don’t want me to disturb you, forget it,” she said.

she was about to walk away when ron finally spoke up.

“wait, don’t go. you can join me, i don’t mind.”

he watched her take in his words and smile. then she rounded his beat up honda and opened the passenger side door. 

she took initiative and grabbed the joint from between his fingers. 

their fingers slightly touched, and ron swore he could feel an electric current buzz between them. astoria’s eyes widened, and ron wondered if she had felt it, too.

but that couldn’t be. she hardly knew he existed.

she took a drag before she spoke again.

“i have always wanted to join you,” she commented, “but i was too afraid you’d think it was weird, but i see you watch me every morning. you’re just so confusing. i have never been able to figure you out.”

he was surprised by her blunt honesty, and she looked flustered after her confession. he watched her take another drag.

she handed it back to him once she was done but didn’t dare look him in the eye.

“i have always wanted you to join me,” ron admitted bravely, “but i didn’t think you knew i existed.”

“i would be stupid not to notice you. i have noticed you for years i-”

but she didn’t finish her statement.

she didn’t need to.

ron finally understood. 

“you wear your uniform to school every morning on purpose, don’t you?”

she blushed slightly, but he watched as her lips formed into a smirk.

“it’s a possibility. anything is possible, right?”

“yeah. yeah, i suppose it is,” ron replied, and for once, he knew those words were the truth.

[wandlores]

@quidditchleaguenet october event: favorite ships - ravenclaw team - ron weasley & astoria greengrass

“it was stupid, and it was lame. she had no idea why it really came to mind. but she knew ron would do it, because that’s the kind of person ron was. he was loyal to his own detriment, and he was silly enough to take any idea on that astoria proposed. they were best friends before anything, and astoria hoped it would always be that way.” (source) 

[wandlores]

Home

Pairing: Ron Weasley x Astoria Greengrass Words: 3,194 This is for the @slytherdornet and @hprarepairnet Summer Vacation Challenge! You can also read this on AO3.

It should have been an easy choice for Astoria to go to college. She had the grades for it, and she had the talent to succeed in graphic design. She won the scholarship of her dreams, and it was a way to escape her vengeful family. But it was realistically the hardest choice of her life. It meant that she had to leave her best friend behind.

Ron decided quickly that college was not for him. His life was dedicated to farming, much like the rest of his family. Astoria respected that, but she would be lying if she said she hadn’t hoped he would change his mind and come with her. Maybe the city life would do him good, but she knew that was just selfish thinking.

The goodbye was rough; it was full of sobs and hugs so tight she swore she couldn’t breathe. Before she stepped into her old beat up pick-up truck, he did something he had never done before. He kissed her on the forehead and said he would miss her more. Astoria remembered how her face flushed and how that was that moment she realized she was in love with him after all these years. She examined the tears welling up in his eyes that he didn’t dare let escape, and she saw that it was as painful for her as it was for him.

Maybe he was in love with her, too. Or maybe she was just seeing what she wanted to see.

Before she drove away that day, she told him, “I’ll see you at Christmas.”

He nodded and smiled, and he waved along with his brother George as she drove away and down his gravel driveway. As she turned onto the highway, she had to stop herself from crying so her vision wouldn’t cloud. The only thing that made her get through the drive was thinking of Ron’s last smile.

She didn’t see him at Christmas, but it wasn’t either of their faults. Her family forced her on a family vacation that ultimately ended in her finally getting disowned, and there was no way she was able to escape it to find her way back to the Weasley farm. Ron understood, but she swore she heard his voice crack on the other end of the phone as she told him the news. She promised she would see him during Spring Break.

But she had no idea that that wouldn’t happen either, because an internship opportunity came her way and she would have been stupid to turn it down.

Things started pulling them apart, but a day didn’t go by she didn’t think of Ron, or the way he gently held her head as he kissed her forehead goodbye.

She replayed that moment in her head every day before bed; it didn’t matter how many joints she smoked or how drunk she was from the frat party that night.

Ron was always the last thing on her mind; he always had been, she had just been too stupid to realize it. Maybe she realized it too late.

It was finally time for Astoria to see Ron again. She hadn’t seen him since the end of last summer. Her knees bounced against her worn leather seats in anticipation, and she tapped her fingers against her steering wheel. She was nervous, and she had never been nervous around Ron before.

Maybe it was because now there were so many things left unsaid, or maybe it was because she feared he had changed as much as she had. Astoria realized that the city life was something she could grow accustomed to permanently, though nothing would ever replace Ron’s farm.

Dust billowed around her truck as she made her way down Ron’s driveway. She watched as the Weasley’s front door opened, and she saw them all run out in excitement.

That’s when she caught sight of him.

Ron was the last to exit his home. He had grown taller since she had last seen him, and she didn’t think that was possible. He was more muscular, and she realized that had to be from all the work he had been doing on the farm. He was doing it full-time now; it was his life.

She swallowed nervously as she put her car in park. She took a quick deep breath, but her door was opened by Fred and George. George threw her over his shoulder and Fred attempted to give her a noogie.

Astoria laughed freely as they set her down.

“We missed you so much, Greengrass!” The twins said at the same time.

A smile spread across her face, and Ginny ran up to her and threw her arms around her.

“I’m sorry I missed your graduation,” Astoria apologized to her, “I just couldn’t get away before I was done with finals.”

Ginny pulled away from her and playfully huffed.

“I totally understand, Stori. You don’t need to explain.”

Astoria smiled gratefully as the rest of the Weasleys approached her. Many hugs and relieved laughs filled the air, but everything seemed to stop in time as she made eye contact with Ron.

She pulled away from Percy slowly and took Ron in again. He was tanner than she would have ever expected, and her eyes were drawn to his newly formed muscles against his white t-shirt for a second time. Her mouth felt dry, but she was able to get one word out.

“Ron.”

His eyes were startlingly blue; she felt like she was going to drown.

He looked at her as though he couldn’t believe it was her, but once he realized he wasn’t dreaming, he ran toward her and hug her so hard that she was lifted up from the ground.

She buried her head in his neck and sighed. He smelled like freshly mowed grass and mint. She closed her eyes and prayed he wouldn’t let go.

“I missed you,” he whispered in her ear, “I missed you more than you could have missed me.”

She chuckled to herself as he put her down, but she didn’t dare look away from him as she said, “That’s very doubtful.”

After spending a week on the farm, Astoria’s skin started to sport a familiar golden tan, and she hadn’t felt so relaxed in months.

An evening after milking the cows, Ron joined her on his back porch. The rest of his family had gone out to a movie; Astoria swore George offered the idea just so she could get alone time with Ron. She would have to thank him for that later.

She watched as Ron wiped sweat from his brow and casually took off his shirt from the heat. She looked away quickly and swore she felt herself blush, and she hoped he didn’t see her reaction. Astoria noticed in her peripheral vision he raised his brow, but he didn’t say anything. He might have even smirked.

“Is it weird being back home?” He asked her casually.

Astoria kept her eyes straight ahead and shrugged.

“Not really, it feels like I never left.”

“I guess that’s good then.”

“Yeah,” she agreed, “It is.”

An awkward silence ensued. Astoria wasn’t used to this with Ron, and she wasn’t sure why it was happening. Or she didn’t want to think about why it was happening. Her feelings were ruining everything.

Her idea blurted out of her mouth before she thought it through, “We should go on a road trip. I should show you where I’m living.”

She turned her head slowly towards Ron to take in his reaction, but he surprised her by smiling.

“I would love that. You and me on the road, it will be just like old times.”

She exhaled a breath she didn’t know she was holding, “Yeah, it will be.”

But Astoria knew that was a lie, nothing would ever be the same between them again. Not with everything she had realized over the past year.

They decided to leave two days later. They threw their suitcases in the backseat of Astoria’s pick-up truck and left early in the morning. Ron was still half asleep, but Astoria made sure to stop by their local coffee drive-thru hut to get him his favorite vanilla latte. It was a guilty pleasure he hardly told anyone about.

“You still remember my order,” he commented as she paid for their drinks.

“Of course I do,” Astoria told him, “It’s hard to forget. You put so much sugar in it.”

She loved teasing him, and he loved it too. He just grinned as he emptied four sugar packets into his latte.

“Since when do you drink black coffee, though?” He asked.

Astoria forgot this was something she picked up in the city. For some reason, she felt guilty. She shrugged.

“After I had to pull all-nighters for exams, I suppose.”

“College sounds like it sucks.”

“It’s actually pretty great,” she explained, “I have met a lot of really cool people, and I have learned so much. I also have a ton of new experiences I can tell you about.”

She expected Ron to make a comment saying he was excited to hear about everything, but instead, he stayed silent and took a sip of his latte.

After a few moments, he finally replied, “That’s cool.”

Astoria didn’t know what to say for the next few hours, so she turned up the radio and tried to calm the nerves in her stomach.

The first three days on the road were awkward, until they got a room at a Motel 6. She just couldn’t stand it anymore.

“Why are you being so quiet?” She asked him, “What did I do wrong?”

He set down their bags at the end of the first bed and rubbed the back of his neck and sighed.

“You’ve done nothing wrong, Stori. I just don’t know what to say.”

“Why?”

He groaned, “Can I at least piss first before we talk about this? I have been holding it for the last two hours.”

She knew he was just avoiding answering her question, but she didn’t protest. She gestured for him to use the bathroom and laid back on the bed dramatically to wait for him. She made sure the bed squeaked loudly so he got the message.

Once he was finally out of the bathroom, she sat back up and noticed he came out shirtless again.

He was trying to kill her.

“Why are you doing that so much?” She asked, “I-I mean, never mind.”

He raised his brow as he opened a bag of chips.

“Doing what?”

“Nothing, forget it.”

He didn’t push her, and she listened to him as the potato chips crunched in his mouth. She hated food noises, so she offered to do the first thing that came to her mind. She knew it sounded shallow, but maybe it would help them both relax a bit.

“Want to smoke a joint?”

He choked on a chip and started coughing, but he mustered his voice enough to croak out, “What? Since when do you smoke?”

“College, I guess.”

“A lot of things have changed since you went to college.”

“I guess that’s what happens.”

It came out sharper than she intended. She wasn’t even sure why she was mad. She was the one with the feelings; she was the one making it worse. She was just mad at herself.

“I’ve never smoked a joint, but I’ll give it a try.”

She knew they should go back out to her truck to smoke, but instead, she cracked open a window and told him to come and sit by it. She then lit the joint and brought it to her lips. Astoria could feel Ron watching her, and she could have sworn his eyes were lingering on her lips for a little too long before she handed it to him.

“I know you’ve smoked a cigarette,” she told him, “It’s the same thing. Just try to hold it in longer.”

He nodded as he took a drag. He started coughing as he held it in, but he did it long enough that she knew he would feel it if he took a few more hits.

“I can’t believe you’re into this stuff, Stori. You would never even try cigarettes with me in high school. What brought this on?”

“Parties, I suppose,” she told him, “It isn’t like I do it all the time or anything. I just brought some home with me cause I figured you’d want to try it. You like to try new things.”

“That’s true, but not like you now it seems.”

She wasn’t sure if she should be offended by his comment or not, so she let it slide.

After they finished the joint, Astoria grabbed Ron’s bag of chips from earlier, but he stayed in place and watched her.

“Did you date while you were away?” He asked her, “Like, did you go to any frat parties?”

“I went to frat parties, but I didn’t date.”

“Why not?”

Because of you. She wanted to say, but she didn’t. Instead, she just shrugged.

“No one in the city caught my eye.”

They were two hours away from her campus when Ron suddenly asked her to pull over.

She pulled off the highway and they stopped at an old deserted gas station. Ron hopped out and started pacing the parking lot.

“What’s going on?” She asked him. She decided to follow him as he paced, but he didn’t look back at her.

“I can’t take it anymore!” He suddenly shouted, “I can’t just keep going on like everything is okay.”

Astoria stopped in her tracks.

“Wha-what do you mean?”

He stopped pacing and approached her abruptly. He was at least a head taller than her, and the look in his eyes was so serious that she didn’t even know how to react. Ron never looked like this.

“I was in love with you and you just left! Then you never came back. Do you know how hard that was for me?”

Astoria blinked a few times, but he didn’t give her a chance to respond. He kept on ranting.

“I thought you knew. Or maybe you did and you didn’t care. These thoughts have been haunting me for months. All I could think about while you were gone was if you were sleeping with some guy at a frat party, or at least making a new best friend and forgetting about me. My life is nothing without you, Stori. I would never stop you from pursuing your dreams, but I don’t know how to deal with this. I can’t not be with you, even if it just means I’m just your best friend. I’m in love with you, I’m so in love with you that it keeps me awake at night, but you’re still the only thing that helps me fall asleep. It’s so contradictory. I don’t know how to cope!”

She wanted to think of the right words to comfort him; she wanted to tell him how about the agony she was going through while she was away from him, too. But she couldn’t think of the words. Instead, she wrapped her arms around his neck and brought his lips down to her's.

Ron was surprised at first. His lips didn’t move against her's at all, until they suddenly did. It happened so quickly. Astoria’s lips were on fire, and her hair tangled in Ron’s waves. She would never get enough of this. This was what she had been missing. This was why she was homesick.

As soon as she pulled away she told him, “I’m in love you, too. I always have been, I just was too stupid to see it. I wanted you to come with me, I’m so sorry I left. But I can’t expect you to pick up and leave your family’s legacy behind for me. That’s selfish, and I love you too much to be selfish.”

She watched as he closed his eyes and put their foreheads together. She felt his breathing slow down, and she closed her eyes, too.

“I would have gone if you asked,” he told her, “I would have followed you anywhere.”

“But farm-“

“I don’t love it that much,” he reassured her, “Trust me. It will be good for me to get away.”

“What are you saying?”

“I’m saying I’m never going to allow myself to be away from you ever again. I’m saying I’m going with you when you leave at the end of the summer, but only if you still want me to.”

Breathless, she replied, “Of course I do. I will always want you to.”

Ron kissed her again in response. They stayed liked that for a while, until a random cop pulled into the gas station parking lot and told them they had to leave and stop loitering. They laughed as they ran back to her truck; she didn’t care that they were almost written up. She would do it all over again if it guaranteed the same outcome.

The last two hours of the drive to her campus felt like old times. It surprised Astoria how things were exactly the same even after the truth came out. The only difference was that Ron was now casually placing his hand on her bare knee, and he would tuck a strand of her hair behind her ear as it fell in her face as she drove.

Once they reached her campus and she walked around her truck to his side, Ron grabbed her hand. She took a moment to look down at their linked fingers.

“What is it?” He asked her.

She looked up and out towards her campus grounds and gave his hand a squeeze.

“Now everything’s complete,” she told him truthfully, “All I needed here to feel at home was you.”

She watched as a smile spread across his face and as his cheeks turned red. Embarrassed Ron had always been her favorite; it reminded her of when they were in middle school.

They stood in silence for a bit, until she suddenly said, “Carry me bridal style around campus, I feel like it is fitting for this moment. It will be like a movie.”

It was stupid, and it was lame. She had no idea why it really came to mind. But she knew Ron would do it, because that’s the kind of person Ron was. He was loyal to his own detriment, and he was silly enough to take any idea on that Astoria proposed. They were best friends before anything, and Astoria hoped it would always be that way.

“Well, I guess I can do that,” Ron said in a fake exasperated tone.

She giggled as he picked her up in his arms and soon he was running around her campus as she squealed. He didn’t drop her once, and that’s when she remembered that Ron was always there for support. He made her feel safe.

The reason Astoria was apprehensive to go to college wasn’t because she was in love with Ron; it was because Ron had been her home all along.