John
"______?" The voice on the other side of the door asked, followed by more knocks.
"I-I'll be right there!" You called out, grabbing a sweatshirt from the floor of the nearby hallway. In this case, you suppose your lack of energy for house cleaning could be useful. You pull the sweatshirt on, slam your hand down on the keyboard to stop the music, and pull the door open. Before you stands John Egbert, goofball extrordinaire and your heart lurches to a standstill.
"W-What's up John?" You fumbled slightly with your words, around John and his little buck teeth you were never the smoothest.
"I heard from Rose you left the girl's day pretty quick. I wanted to check in on you." He finished with a slightly shy smile. "If you're not feeling too good, we can watch a movie or something!"
"I'm fine, really. You don't have to stay around here." Your hand rested on the side of the door, careful to hold the sleeve tight in your palm so it doesn't slip down.
"______?" He asked, bringing your gaze from the concrete back up to his deep blue eyes. "I really like hanging out with you, and I hope you don't mind me too much. Please?" His shoulders rose up, and his lips pouted pleadingly. With a sigh, you backed away from the door and let the windy boy in. John bounds in, and turned, that heart melting smile still on his face. "Hey! I can turn on Face-off!" He grinned, moving to grab your hand and tote you along. Instead though, his hand wraped around your wrist and you let out a slight whine and cringed.
His whole demeanor changed, shoulders slumping and face moving to a mix of worry and fear. "I'm sorry, are you hurt?" He asked, pulling back his arms.
You shake your head. Now isn't the time for this. Watch movie, John leaves, then everything can resume. The tears building up behind your façade beg to differ, as they slowly began to trickle down your cheeks, no matter how hard you rubbed them away.
"______?" He asked quietly, hands flat against his chest as he leaned down to try and meet your gaze.
"P-Please... Leave..." Your words had begun to fail you, and you felt your legs would next. "I don't want you to see me like this."
"______, I want to help." John replied. With a delicate grip, John moved to grab the sleeve of your hoodie. "I don't want to do anything that will make you uncomfortable, but I need to see what's wrong." His words were slow and precise, things you had never expected from the young man. He raised the fabric gently, seeing the scratches and half dried blood making his face darken. "Did you do this to yourself?" He asked, his voice nearly breaking on the last word.
You nodded.
In an unexpected motion, John threw his arms around you, pulling you tightly into his chest. The blue of his shirt quickly filled your vision, before you closed your eyes and clung to the young man. You hiccupped, cried, you just let it all out. He held you tightly, and if you could hear over your own embarrassing sounds, you would hear John's own sounds, much more muffled.
"Please. Please don't do this to yourself ______," His hands held your opposite sides tight, almost as if he let go, you would shatter to pieces. "You have to tell me you'll never do something like this again."
You honestly couldn't respond. The boy who had always seemed the item of everyone's admiration was suddenly clinging to you as if you were the most important thing in the world. "It's how I cope John." You replied, hands still clutching the balled up fabric of John's shirt. "I can't live without it."
"Yes, you can." He spoke, nearly cutting you off. "______, you're so strong, and kind, a-and I've had the biggest crush on you for the longest time," His words once again picked up that Egbert speed as he rambled, one hand moving to hold the back of your head. "And every time you smile it's like somebody let a bunch of butterflies loose in my stomach, And knowing that you feel like this is killing me." He words resonated within you, your hands shaking slightly. "I understand if you don't feel the same way, but please just promise you won't hurt yourself like this any more." His glasses were now tilted ridiculously, and as you pulled away to look up at the heir you pulled them down.
They were folded, and hung on the edge of your shirt, before your hands moved up to wipe his tears. Your own were slowing, but John's eyes, they moved you in a way you couldn't explain. "I promise." You said. You had no idea where the words had come from, and you weren't even sure you would be able to stop for sure, but the way John looked at you in that moment. You knew. With him by your side, you could do anything.
His sad smile made your own emerge, and his head moved to rest on your shoulder with his arms still holding you. He let out a loud sigh, before a question. "Maybe, if you'd like, you could be my girlfriend?"
"I'd really like that."