Daiane was used to pretending, used to faking smiles when in truth she felt anything but happy. She was used to being the shoulder, the comfort, and in all honesty, she preferred it that way. She was not used to this, to public tears, to tearful confessions, to standing emotionally bare in front of someone without running in the opposite direction… Dai felt exposed, like a private part of her was being shown, and she wanted nothing more than to wrap herself up and hide. It was exhausting, this was, and she couldn’t… she couldn’t see how their relationship could much improve after. She had to wonder: was it worth it?
A new added weight to her hand refocused her attention, and Dai glanced down to see Embry’s soft hand placed on top of her own. She’d almost forgotten how much she had missed this familiar feeling of its presence. But this surprise was nothing compared to what she felt at Embry’s next words. Her heart skipped a beat and Dai looked up sharply, eyes wide. “What?” She breathed. “What do you- oh.” Friend. She wasn’t sure if she would really be okay with just being Embry’s friend, but… if that was what Embry wanted, she would accommodate, she would be a friend; maybe it would be painstaking to listen to her talk about girls she liked, or to help her get ready for dates, or even be in her presence without pulling her close, holding her or kissing her but she’d manage. Because Embry as a friend was better than no Embry at all. So… “Sure,” she said, forcing a small smile. “We can… we can be friends, if that’s what you want. I’d…” Daiane flipped her hand over, catching Embry’s so that she could give it a small squeeze. “I’d like that.”
The longer her words held in the air between them, the more Dai began to second guess them. Even as they faded into silence, they still rang loudly in her mind and she wanted nothing more than to pull them back from wherever words went after they were spoken. 'Cause why why why had she even for a moment thought that would be a good thing to say—the regret was displayed clearly across her face, and amplified through the rambling apologies pouring from her mouth. She was contemplating running away (maybe that was a better option than having to stand here and bask in humiliation) before Embry’s “yes” cut through the frantic noise of her thoughts. Daiane stilled, her eyes rising in surprise to meet Embry’s reassuring expression. “Okay,” she whispered after a momentary pause. Dai shortened the distance between them, a hand reaching up to cup Embry’s cheek, before she leaned in, pressing her lips to hers.
The regrets faded away with the kiss, and Dai was left with the total certainty that this wasn’t a mistake at all. It felt… right. Did she have ulterior motives? Maybe. But kissing Embry was something she did want to do, had wanted to do from the moment they’d broken up. In the back of her mind, she knew that this kiss didn’t mean they’d get back together—likely the complete opposite as she’d labelled it as their last—but, hell, was it easy to get lost in her, to forget all of that and pretend, even for just a moment. But that’s all it was, really, a couple of moments of bliss, before Dai gently pulled back, not wanting to make the kiss longer than Embry was comfortable with. She gazed at her silently, not sure what to say or do, a soft smile curving her lips.
@Caticorn
