forum Next Steps [Private RP — Closed]

Started January 16, 2019 by @Imperfect_Autumn group

tune

Eden’s POV:

It had been a while since Sterling and I spent our time like this. Moving had consumed too much of our time, and once college started, we’d been bombarded with work after work. So in this moment, being wrapped around him and kissing him like this… it felt like nothing else in the world even mattered. It was just me and him.

Another sound leaked from my mouth when he bit down on my lip, teasing me, asking for permission and I complied as I tightened my hold on him. I knew he wouldn’t go too far—I trusted him. He wouldn’t do it unless I told him directly, so I didn’t fear anything.

Gray’s POV:

I walked into my class, spotting the girl I saved that day. My mouth formed an ‘o’. What was she doing here? I didn’t remember sharing that class with her. She looked up and waved at me.

“Gray!” She waved, smiling brightly, walking up to me. “I never got to thank you for that day. Are you okay now?”

I nodded, giving her a smile.

“I’m all right, of course,” I answered. “You look okay now, much better than before. I’m glad. Don’t let anyone bring you down, all right?”

“I won’t, I promise,” she said. “Thank you again, Gray. That was the first time someone stood up for me like that… I’ll never forget it.”

I shook my head.

“Hey, I did what I should have,” I shrugged. “Anyway, you should head back to your class.”

She nodded, thanked me and walked away. I looked around the room, catching Violeta before shrugging and opting to sit at the back. I won’t go against my promises. No bothering her for today.

Sterling’s POV:

I smirked a bit, pleased at how I could make her do this. Don’t ask me why it pleased me as much as it did because I honestly couldn’t answer you. Not that I really cared why it did, anyway. I was perfectly content in just being happy about it.

This… This was perfect… If we could spend the entire day like this, I would be incredibly pleased. In fact, I would be more than just pleased… I would be in complete ecstasy. A day of making out with my girlfriend? That sounded like heaven to me…

Eden’s POV:

I pulled away, panting heavily, resting my head on his shoulder as I tried to catch my breath.

“I love you,” my words shook along with my body. “Sterling, I love you so much…”

Spending little moments with Sterling like this made me extremely happy, even if they were small. Every second spent with him were important to me. I wish we’d live like this forever—I wanted to treasure him and the moments we spend together for the rest of my life.

Sterling’s POV:

I smiled as I rested my forehead against hers. “I love you, too, sweetheart…” I breathed, running a gentle finger down the side of her face. “More than you could ever know.”

Eden’s POV:

I closed my eyes, breathing deeply, leaning into his touch unconsciously.

And that’s how we spent our hour, tangled up in bed, talking. Sometimes we’d make out, but other times we just talked and joked around. It felt great, being like this. I felt peaceful. I wanted him to know just how much he meant to me—I wanted him to know losing him would break me, but I didn’t know how. I didn’t know how I could tell him the impacts he’s had in my life, just how he changed me for the better, but also made me terribly addicted to him that even the thought of spending the day without him made me feel like I was dying. I never wanted to lose him, not when he had my entire self in the palm of his hand, not when him being in my life made it more colorful.

“I miss Lee and Luke…” I murmured, breaking the peaceful silence that had engulfed us. “I wonder how they’re doing…”

Sterling’s POV:

I shifted a little, pulling Eden higher up on my chest. Of course she missed them. Lucas was her brother, and Ashley was her best friend. It didn’t surprise me in the least.

“You could call them. I’m sure they’d want to talk to you, too,” I suggested, playing with her hair.

Eden’s POV:

I hummed, closing my eyes and breathing Sterling in deeply.

“I want to,” I said. “But I just can’t find the right time. We text each other, but our replies are always off.”

Sterling’s POV:

“You could call them now. I’m sure they wouldn’t be busy, since it’s so early in the morning,” I murmured, still twisting her hair around my finger. Why was this so mesmerizing?

Eden’s POV:

Why did this feel so great? I could fall asleep like this. I was on the verge of falling asleep. If he continued messing with my hair like that, I would lose it.

“They could be at school,” I reminded him. “I’ll call them over the weekend. I want to spend this hour like this with you.”

Sterling's POV:

I sighed and buried my hand in her hair. "All right… But I'll hold you to that. If you forget, I will remind you," I told her, firmly but gently.

(‘Buried my hand in her’ I’m sorry what)

Eden’s POV:

“I won’t forget, Sterling,” I rolled over so I was facing him but still lying on his chest. “I mean, I would, but like, that’s not the point.”

(Sorry, "her hair." I fixed it.)

I hummed and leaned forward to peck her on the lips quickly. "All right… That's good. I'm sure they'll be happy to have you call."

Eden’s POV:

“Of course they would be,” I raised an eyebrow, a silly smile on my features. “No question about it.”

Sterling's POV:

I chuckled at her smile and winked. "Unless, of course, they're busy when you call… In which case, they might not even answer…"

I was joking, of course. Honestly, I'd be surprised if that happened. Though… Also not? I mean, I guess I didn't really know where they were at in their relationship… I kind of assumed they'd be around the same point as Eden and I were.

Eden’s POV:

I fell silent, Sterling’s statement taking root in my mind. I mean, even if they were busy, they would still text me, right? Why would they just—oh. Oh. That’s what he meant.

My face exploded as I understood what he meant.

“What? Sterling, no! Come on, you can’t make statements like that regarding my brother and best friend!”

Sterling's POV:

I grinned at the look of utter shock and disgust that Eden's face broke into before I laughed. "Sorry, babe… It was just… too funny! And… your face!"

Eden’s POV:

“Sterling! It’s not funny!” I grabbed a pillow and whacked him with it, the thought still lingering in my mind. My brother and best friend doing… it… Oh, God. I was never going to forget this. Every time I would see them, I would remember this.

Sterling's POV:

I lifted my arms to cover myself, still snickering. Yeah, so maybe I shouldn't have joked about it, but I still think it was worth the look on her face when she realized what I meant.

"I mean, it was kinda funny… It'd be less funny if I was talking about is, though," I stated with a shrug.

Eden’s POV:

I froze, the pillow in the air. Us… as in, me and Sterling. My face turned even redder.

“Of… of course it would be less funny,” I tried my best, but my voice still came out in a whisper.
Of course I knew Sterling wanted it. I wanted it, too, but I wasn’t ready. I couldn’t unless I put that behind me. “I… I’m sorry, Sterling…”

Sterling's POV:

Oh, frick. Stupid… Look what you've done now.

"No, Eden, I– I didn't mean it that way. Well, I mean, I did, but…" I sighed and tore my hand through my hair, glancing away for a moment as I tried to sort out my thoughts. "I'm sorry. I didn't mean that I wanted to do that. I mean, I do, and I'm sure you know that I do, but I am more than willing to wait until you're ready for it. I don't ever want to do something that would make you uncomfortable, okay? What I said was completely uncalled for. And I'm very sorry about it. Please, don't ever feel bad about not being ready. There is nothing wrong with that."

Eden’s POV:

I chewed on my bottom lip, hugging the pillow to myself. It wasn’t fair that I was only limiting him to kisses. It wasn’t, and he never complained about it. He’d kept silent and was patient.

“Sterling, I… thank you…” I whispered. “I’m sorry. I—there are still things I need to sort out. I know it’s unfair. I’m thankful that you’re willing to wait for me. I’m thankful that you care so much about me. I just want you to know that I’m trying. I really am.”

Sterling's POV:

I reached out and caressed her face gently. She didn't deserve this. She deserved better than this…

"Eden, please… I love you, okay? And that is not all I care about. All I care about is you and making you happy. Like I said, I am more than willing to wait until you're ready for that. I don't want you to feel forced into it. Ever. Do you hear me? I never, ever want to force that on you. And, please, babe… Take all the time you need. I will wait forever and then some if necessary," I assured her softly.

Eden’s POV:

I leaned into his touch, placing my hand over his.

“I love you, too,” I whispered. I still couldn’t, to this day, figure out what I did to deserve this—to deserve Sterling. How could one be so selfless and patient? So understanding and compassionate? I didn’t understand. “I want to make you happy, too, Sterling… but all I know is that you’re the one doing all of that and I’m… doing nothing. I cling to you all day. You haven’t even made any friends because you don’t want me to be alone. You try to push me into being social and that’s not even working. How do you cope with this, Sterling?”

With him, it was completely different. He’d hang out with me whenever he wanted, came to me whenever he wanted. He didn’t care whether I was alone or not. He thought I could take care of myself because I ‘ruled the school’, so he didn’t bother with any of those.

But with Sterling, it was entirely different. He cared. He pushed me ahead of himself. He treated me like I was worth something, like I mattered more than anything else. I know I shouldn’t be comparing these two, but I couldn’t help it. They were so different. One felt like the unwanted cold and the other was the warmth I couldn’t live without. Yet, I didn’t know what was wrong with me. Why couldn’t I just leave the past? Why was I still hung up over it? I had Sterling. I loved him more than anything, and there shouldn’t be anything holding me back.

So why was there a chain around my legs, preventing me from taking the next important step?

Sterling's POV:

"Hey…" I started softly, taking her face in both my hands. "I am happy. You make me happy. Just being with you makes me happy, okay? It's not the physical intimacy but the intimacy that we have when we just sit and talk like this. That's what I love about us. I love how I can make you blush with a single word, but I love how I can make you smile from a single look more. I love you, not for what you can do for me, but what I can do to make you happy. Because when you're happy, I'm happy."

Eden’s POV:

I melted at his words. He really knew what to say to make me feel better. The words he spoke weren’t just words—they held such emotion in them that it startled me. They were for me. They weren’t just to make me feel better. They were to make me realize that no matter what, he’d always be here for me. He’d always love me, care for me and watch my back.

“I… it’s these things about you that make me happy,” I finally said. “The way you make me smile without even trying, the way even the smallest of contact with you makes me tremble. Even the thought of you alone fills me with such warmth. Sterling, you are amazing. No matter how many times I say it, it won’t be enough. There’s not even enough words, in every language there is, to tell you what you mean to me. You give me strength when I feel weak, you pick me up when I’m down. Even when I’m like this, you never hesitate, you never turn your back on me. You’re my king, Sterling, and without you, I’d just be an empty queen only in names.”