• I Love You is Hard to Admit...2


    Apeku stared at Alyssa. Alyssa stared back.
    "Well? Admit it." Alyssa grinned. Her bright reddish brown hair began to flow in the breeze that came down from the mountain side.
    "I don't spy on you." Apeku grunted.
    "Then how do you know this stuff?"
    "It's not that hard to figure out!"
    "Oh please don't fight you two. It makes me nervous." Shadow complained as he lay back down on the soft grass.
    The three sat in silence, waiting for something to break the silence.
    "It's quiet in Aladar today." Alyssa said. Maybe they could have a decent conversation without fighting.
    "It is." Apeku stretched out and leaned against a large rock. Silence.
    "Apeku, I know that I don't realize, or notice, a lot of things... but I... I just noticed that whenever we end up in battle against someone, or something, you're always there..."
    "You're complaining?" Apeku asked.
    "No, no. I'm not complaining... I'm just stating a fact. I just want to know how you always manage to come help me at just the right time." Alyssa said. "I always wondered how you did it, but I never really thought about it till now." Shadow perked up his ears, this was something that caught his intrest.
    Apeku sat up, crossing his legs and leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "The reason is, that your brothers aren't going to get to you fast enough and... ... I thought we already talked about this."
    "No, I don't think we did."
    "No, I told you exactly why..."
    "I'm not asking why I'm asking how."
    "How? I use the lightning... you know that."
    "Not like that... HOW do you know that I'm in trouble?" Alyssa asked. "Do you watch me fight?" Apeku knew he couldn't avoid this, but it couldn't hurt to try. He just staid quiet. "Come on Apeku, you can tell me. " Alyssa smiled, teasing.
    "Hmph."
    "It's just a simple yes or no question." Alyssa whined.
    "Yes! I watch you fight!" Apeku broke under the pressure.
    "And?" Alyssa urged, she knew there was more than that.
    "Yes, I care about you. I hate to see you get hurt!"
    "It sounds like you love me." Alyssa grinned leaning back against Shadow's warm body.
    "I DO!" Apeku shouted as he jerked up and turned away from Alyssa. "I tried to avoid it but it's just so hard!" Alyssa started laughing, she got her answers. Apeku turned back around angry that she was laughing at him.
    "I love you too." Alyssa smiled when she stopped laughing. Apeku suddenly blushed; he looked down, making his hair hide his face. It became quiet. Alyssa wasn't sure if Apeku was going to talk to her anymore today.
    "R-really?" He says finally. "Even after all the crap I've put you through?" Apeku slowly looked back at her.
    "I shouldn't." Alyssa said crossing her arms. "But I do. When you first saved me from Damien's ambush... that's when I first realized that I had a crush on you. It only grew from there."
    "That was YEARS ago. " Apeku was surprised.
    "I know."
    "But... still, all those years of me pushing you away. It never crossed your mind that I just might not be the one for you?" It was Apeku's turn to roll out the questions.
    "No." Alyssa shook her head. "I saw it as a challenge. I knew somewhere, hidden in that bad boy mask, that you loved me."
    "Why didn't you say something?" Apeku was really surprised. He thought he knew everything about Alyssa. But he was learning more and more every minute that passed by.
    "It would've ruined my fun." Alyssa giggled.
    "Hey Alyssa!" Alyssa and Shadow turned around to see Alyssa's younger brother Kane. "Reno says you're gonna be late for your class."
    "What class?" Apeku was baffled that there was a lot more to Alyssa than he thought.
    "Ballet or some other dancing class I signed up for. It's hard telling." Alyssa sighed. "Are we gonna talk more tomorrow? Or are we going back to "I-hate-you-get-away-from-me." game?"
    "Uh..." Apeku couldn't think, now that he finally told her he loved her, he found it harder to comunicate with her. He was afraid of saying the wrong thing to her now.
    "Come on Alyssa!" Kane motioned her to hurry.
    "I'll see you tomorrow." Alyssa said and mounted Shadow as Shadow stood up. Apeku watched her leave as Shadow took to the city. Kane was suddenly standing beside Apeku.
    "Charity wants to know if you talked to her."
    "What did it look like?" Apeku snapped.
    "I mean a decent conversation." Kane corrected himself.
    "Yes I had a ..."
    "You have to tell Charity yourself you know I can't tell her." Kane interupted.
    "Yeah, yeah. She'll just send you back after me to tell me that." Apeku sighed. "I'll go tell her. Where is she?"
    "I don't know last I saw her she was leaving the coffee shop." Kane made a twisted face. "I don't see how anyone can drink that stuff." He muttered as he took off. Apeku just chuckled silently to himself.
    ~~
    The next day Apeku had left early for Aladar. He made it to his favorite spot and stared at the streets, just like he did yesterday. He was really pondering about yesterday. He couldn't believe that Alyssa was everything he thought... and then some.
    "Apeku!" Skinny arms wrapped around him. Apeku found himself struggling to keep his balance without falling off the edge of the building. "Good morning." Alyssa chimed.
    "Good morning to you to." Apeku was completely caught off guard.
    "You're loosing your touch. I actually got to hug you today." Alyssa giggled as she let go.
    "That's what I was afraid of." Apeku murmured to himself. Alyssa leaned forward to see his face.
    "What do you mean?"
    "I was always told that love is a weakness..."
    "But you love Terra..."
    "Terra is my sister and I know that Charity and Reno can watch out for her if she needs it. I don't have to worry about Terra." Apeku turned to face Alyssa. "You, on the other hand, are a different story."
    "I know that." Alyssa scowled. "I know I'm not the best fighter but that's only because you guys won't let me fight my own battles."
    "You're not experienced enough to fight your own battles."
    "NO ONE WILL TEACH ME!" Alyssa snapped. "What little things I do know are self taught! I can't find a teacher and you know for a fact you guys aren't going to be much help."
    "What's that supposed to mean?"
    "If Charity had my fighting level, would you teach her to fight till she was able to take on one of Damien's best fighters?"
    "No."
    "Then there you go. That's why I can't fight as well as you guys because you all won't let me!"
    "Listen to us we're doing it again." Apeku changed the subject. Alyssa blinked. Completely clueless to what he meant.
    "Oh." It finally dawned on her. "Well, maybe if you hadn't started this routine in the first place it wouldn't become a habit." She said crossing her arms.
    "Blaming me for it?"
    "Am I the one to blame?"
    "No, no you're right. I did start this."
    Silence. Both of them just stared at each other.
    "Do you think we can change this and get along from now on?" Alyssa asked finally.
    "I don't know." Apeku looked away from her.
    "You're not going to blow me off again are you?"
    "No! No I'm... I... I just..." Apeku couldn't get his thoughts straight.
    "Apeku. Calm down." Alyssa giggled. "Think about what you're trying to say then say it."
    "I don't know what I want to say anymore." Apeku muttered.
    "It's my fault." Alyssa hugged herself and looked away from Apeku. "I don't know why but I always had that affect on guys."
    "Well, I don't like it." Apeku crossed his arms. "This is what I mean about love being a weakness. I can't think clearly, I can't focus on anything..."
    "I don't want a list. "
    "I didn't want you to know my true feelings about you, but no one gets what they want."
    "We're gonna end up fighting again." Alyssa pointed out.
    "Maybe we shouldn't spring on conversations on ourselves like this." Apeku hesitantly hugged Alyssa. "If we do it right, we can overcome this constant bickering habit we've created." Alyssa gently hugged him back. Maybe, now that they know more about the other, things will turn out for the better for them.