I Wish...continued! (Updated 5-13)

[mellie]

Sweet chapter. I will wait patiently for the next chapter to be typed up.

[Mars]

Work and anticipatory butterflies made the days fly by. It was definitely getting warmer. When I woke up on Wednesday morning the first thing I noticed was the sun shining. The birds were silent, except for a squawking gull here and here. I didn’t care.
Nothing could kill my good mood. I worked, sipped an iced cappuchino, and whistled. I was busier than usual, but it didn’t really matter.
Before I went home, I received an email from my mother. On an ordinary day I would have sulked. Today, though, I settled for being mildly irritated, pushing it to the back of my mind after typing up a quick response. Then I sighed. Why did she always have this effect on me?
Oh well, I thought. At least it was Wednesday. At least I would see Apolo soon, so I refused to complain.
It was still clear, still warmer, and I didn’t have to work later.
Always a silver lining, right? Right!
Later that night I was cuddled next to him, sipping a shake and contemplating the sky. His fingers stroked over my hair, every bit as sweet as a hug.
“Are you sure there’s nothing you want to talk about?”
“No. I’m not sure. Something’s been bothering me, even though I’ve been trying not to think about it.” Our eyes me, and I knew that telling him everything was a smart move. He listened without much commentary aside from understanding nods. “…I keep telling myself that I could never be like her, but sometimes…” I sighed, taking a deep breath. “Sometimes I wonder if maybe, just maybe, I’m wrong.”
“You’re not.” As he spoke his hands shifted to my shoulders. “I don’t know her, but I know you. You don’t have anything to worry about, okay?”
“Gotcha. Thanks for listening, Apolo.”
“No problem.” He held me close, and the subject was officially closed. “Hey, you know who Allison Baver is, don’t you?”
“She’s..one of your best friends, right?” I decided to not mention the “ex-girlfriend” issue.
“Right. She and her boyfriend are on this big road trip. They’re supposed to be in town sometime Saturday afternoon, and Allison asked me if we could all meet somewhere. Kind of like a double date, I guess.”
“I’m…she invited me?” Understandably, I was just a little incredulous about that.
“Well, yeah.” He poked my nose and grinned. “Who else would I take on a date?”
“You know what? I want to go. I might be a little nervous, but I’ll get over it.”
“That’s great. I’m glad you’re so psyched about this.”
Some things hadn’t changed. His presence still gave me mad butterflies, the touch of his hand against mine was still wonderfully warm, and on top of that every word he said, everything he did, was still refreshingly sincere.
Privately, I doubted that would ever change.
---

[mellie]

I hope that they don't get into an argument or she doesn't get jealous when Allison is around. More please.

[Mars]

Saturday morning I woke up in a state of total panic. What the HELL had I gotten myself into?!
Oo-kay, I told myself, chill out. Take a deep breath. That’s better.
This wasn’t some popularity contest. It was a date. Just like all the others we had been on. No reason to act like tonight’s going to be different…even though it technically was. Oh well. It wouldn’t be that different.
Soon the fateful hour had arrived. I opened the door and was immediately handed a bouquet of roses.
“ Wow, Apolo, these are really pretty, but…what’s the occasion?”
“None. They’re just for the hell of it.” The smile on his face was sweet, almost shy. Almost. “I’m glad you like them, Marlise.”
I stammered something about putting the flowers in water. He nodded and gestured for me to go ahead.
In less than ten minutes we were on the road. He drove with the same at-ease confidence he always showed. The only change this time was that his free hand cradled mine in a completely unmistakable effort to make me relax. And smile. Can’t forget that.
The first thing I saw when we reached our destination was a newer-looking car with Pennsylvania license plates. After he parked he looked over at me.
“Ready to go?”
“Kind of. Do I look okay? My hair’s not a mess, is it?”
“You look great and your hair’s definitely not a mess.” To emphasize this he stroked a stray lock out of my face then kissed my cheek. “You’ll be fine. We’ll be fine. Now, let’s go have a blast.”
As usual his cheery enthusiasm was contagious. Screw nervousness. Even if something did manage to go wrong, it probably wouldn’t ruin the night. Probably…
---
Allison was beautiful. Vibrant, even. Her hair was pinned into a neat ponytail, allowing only a few whisps to escape and frame her face. She walked towards us, arm in arm with a guy who would have looked at home on the beach. When we finally got together her eyes instantly brightened, her smile widened, and she waved.
“Hi, stranger. How’s life?” No prizes for guessing who that question was directed at.
“I can’t complain. It’s been pretty good.” I felt his hand squeeze my waist then switch to a gentle yet still protective hold. The message in that gesture was clear: Relax, there’s nothing to worry about, you’re doing fine…

[mellie]

I still hope nothing goes wrong on this date. More please.

[Mars]

Gotcha! Sorry for cutting in the middle (again .. yikes!), but I wanted to post and figured this would be a good place to stop before the weekend.
--
Despite his confidence I still felt a little uncertain. Not nervous. No way. Definitely unsure, though. That lovely little-fish-big-bowl feeling had returned in full force whether I liked it or not. Then Apolo and Brett-The-Surfer-Dude went to grab drinks, and those two feelings collided and intensified.
Oh, crap...
“It’s..Marlise, isn’t it? Am I pronouncing it right?”
“Ye..Yeah. That’s right.” I forced myself to stop fidgeting with a nearby coaster and sort-of smiled. This had to be as awkward for Allison as it was for me. HAD to be…yet she didn’t let so much as a nervous blink penetrate her calm exterior.
“He’s told me a lot about you.” A casual gesture in the general direction of the bar. “I’ll admit at first I was skeptical. I thought maybe your age would be an issue.”
“You thought I was too young, too immature, for him?”
“Yes. At first.” Allison looked pointedly at me, placing a lot of emphasis on those two words. “I’m not trying to start a fight. I’m only saying what I thought. You understand, don’t you?”
“Yeah. Please, go on.”
“I changed my mind the first time I saw you with him. The next time Apolo smiles at you, take a good look at his eyes. You’ll see what I mean.”
I knew she wasn’t trying to be hostile or anything, but I thought there was something lurking beneath the last sentence. Envy, maybe, or more rationally, wistful nostalgia. I couldn’t ask her about it. I mean, it wasn’t any of my business.
“Okay. I’ll remember that.”
“Could I ask you something, though?”
“Um….depends on what it is.”
“Would you mind if I danced with him? You know, for old time’s sake.”
“Sure, I guess. Why not?”
“Great. Thanks. And don’t worry,” For the first time Allison gave me a genuine smile, with none of the awkwardness from earlier. “I don’t think I could come between you and Apolo even if I wanted to.”
Wow. I definitely hadn’t expected that. The conversation took a complete turn, and my cautious opinion towards her had followed. I was privately musing over that when the guys came back.
“Hey, Apolo, want to dance with an old friend?”
It took about a second for shock to register on his face, yet he still managed to smile.
“That sounds like fun. You don’t mind, do you, Marlise?”
“Nope. Not at all. Go ahead.” I reached over and squeezed his hand gently, lingering long enough to prove that I meant it. “I call the next dance, though.”
“Deal.” Apolo flashed me one of his ‘sweet’ looks and kissed my hand before turning to the dance floor. Right then I knew that there wasn’t going to be a problem.
Allison was a woman of her word.

[Mars]

At first, I was still a little anxious, but I kept watching. The dance was cute, fun…and completely platonic. Only a complete idiot would have thought otherwise.
The way he squeezed my shoulder when they came back, though, was anything but platonic. In the space of a few seconds Allison had kidnapped Brett and headed back to dance with him. I was about to say something…anything…when an intensely nervous-looking girl approached us.
“Hey, um, you’re Apolo, right? The speedskater?” She was shaking like a leaf as she introduced herself. For a moment I thought I was looking into a mirror. I definitely knew how she felt. “Will you sign this for me?”
“Sure. Wait, do you have a pen?” Before the girl had a chance to reply I grabbed a sharpie and passed it to him. “That’ll work. What did you say your name was?” He listened for a moment, signed, and then wrote something underneath his signature. When he handed the photo back, complete with a smile, the girl looked like she was about to jump for joy.”
“Oh my gosh! Thanks, Apolo! Thank you so much!”
“No problem. Nice to meet you.” A small nod and a polite smile as the girl walked off. After that he turned his attention back to me. “..Shall we?” He held out his hand, and I realized that he hadn’t forgotten about our deal. I nodded, took his hand, and couldn’t help smiling. As we walked I noticed two specific details. A slow song was playing, and on top of that, everybody on the floor seemed to be lost in their own little world. In other words he was saving me from total embarrassment and definitely knew it.
So we danced. I focused on not tripping over my own feet while at the same time savoring the feel of his heartbeat under my fingers.
“Apolo?”
“Yeah?”
“Could you stay with me? I don’t want to be alone tonight.”
“Sure, no problem. Is something wrong?”
“No. Not at all. I just want some company, that’s all.”
“I get what you mean, Marlise. It’s not a problem at all. For now, though, let’s just enjoy the evening, alright?”
“Gotcha.” He smiled at me, and I finally saw what Allison had been talking about. Mixed in with the intense hazel I saw a new, distinctly different sparkle.
This was real, this was right, and if that glimmer was any indication, he felt exactly the same.
But he was right. This wasn’t the time to wonder or think. If this date was all about enjoying the night and the company, that was fine with me.

[Mars]

(Note: Sorry for the delay, been working on research papers and haven't had much time to pull together much for "Wish." )

[mellie]

Just caught up with the last two installments that you posted, and I understand about being busy with school. Take your time because I will patiently wait for your next post. By the way, great chapters.

[Mars]

When the night finally would down I was completely worn out for the first time in what seemed like forever. At long last I was back home, still awake but only to the extent of laying with my head gently propped on Apolo’s shoulder. We talked for a while, sharing sleepy discussion until I dozed off.
The next morning I woke up and immediately realized that it was still pretty early for a Sunday. I also realized that by some miracle he was still asleep. So I yawned, re-settled my head on his chest, and closed my eyes. No point in waking up early for no reason, right?
I didn’t even acknowledge his arms shifting at first, thinking it was just a reflex or something similar. At least, I didn’t until he started tickling me in the ribs.
“Cut it out. I’m trying to sleep.”
“No you’re not. You’re wide awake.” I tried rolling away to escape, but he just kept ticking me. Unfortunately, I rolled too far and the next thing I knew my pajama-clad butt was on the floor.
“I’m okay!” Even as I spoke I was snickering. Ever the gentleman, he helped me off the floor, and I couldn’t help noticing his amused smile….and to be honest, I couldn’t blame him. The whole thing was pretty funny. “So, um, want to do anything today besides tickle me into submission?”
“You said you wanted to draw me again, and today feels like a good day for it. After that we could skate around town, grab something to eat, then go see a movie. As usual, no interruptions. What do you think?”
He knew what I thought. I didn’t even have to say anything. Instead, I cheered and hugged him.
--
Months ago we started to bond over lunch and casual sketching. Now, once again, I was gazing intently at him, pencil scraping on paper. Each glance, each casual intake of breath made me remember just how complex this man was. Amazing. Absolutely-freaking-wonderful. Now THAT was the real Apolo.
From time to time I lifted my free hand to his cheek, on the basis of getting some angle right, but mostly because I wanted to. He didn’t complain or question, just smiled as though he understood.
Some time later the drawing was finished. I put the pencil down, blew away eraser dust, and sighed happily. At the same time he grinned in approval and stretched out.
“Not bad, huh?”
“No. Not at all.”No. Not at all.” I was a little surprised when he kissed my hand, first fingers then palm, but it was far from unpleasant. It slipped me into a satisfied little haze, at least until his voice brought me back to reality.
“Grab your skates.”
-

[mellie]

Glad that everything went okay with the date, and Apolo stayed with her. More please.

[Mars]

Phew! Finally! An update! Yay!
---
At first he zoomed ahead as usual, stopping occasionally so I could catch up. Later on, though, we just took our time. We enjoyed the day, the sights of the city, and one another’s company. No tripping, no falling. Just relaxing and casual gliding.
That afternoon we had a surprisingly deep conversation. Goals, dreams, plans, hopes for the future, and even my silly little random ideas were discussed. His hand covered mine, and every so often I felt a gentle, reassuring squeeze. Then he would hand me some new type of roll, and the grin on his face was just enough to convince me to give whatever-it-was a try.
“Do you want to know a secret?”
“Uh, sure. Promise I won’t tell anyone.” I did a quick lock-and-key gesture that made him smile and lean closer to me.
“Okay. The other day I wasn’t being completely honest.” Quickly his smile became a smug, d**n-near-sneaky grin.
“Okayyyy..How so?” That grin made me think it couldn’t be bad, whatever ‘it’ happened to be.
“Well…the interview I had wasn’t for a magazine. It was for a book.”
“Oh! I get it. You’re writing again. Cool.”
“Yeah. I figure one more celebrity memoir won’t totally ruin the book market.” Teasing, clearly, as he reached over and poked my nose. “What do you think?”
“Honestly? If the right people find out, it should fly off the shelves. I could be wrong, though.” A noncommittal shrug. If he could kid around, so could I. “It could end up being the worst selling book in history.” I tried keeping a straight face, but in five seconds flat I was fighting the temptation to giggle.
“Suuure! Like you’re not going to rush out and buy fifty copies!”
“Nope. Sixty.” That did it! I pressed my hand to my mouth and giggled. “Apolo, you are such a friggin’ goof!”
“I know. That’s why you love me.” A cheesy grin, one that I couldn’t help returning.
“That’s one reason, anyway..” A smile played my lips, and my hand grazed gently over his. “One of about a million.” The cheesy grin morphed into a soft little smile.
“C’mere.” I leaned closer, as ordered, close enough for him to stroke my cheek and kiss my cheekbone.
“Wha…what was that for?” The soft smile remained as he shook his head and closed the subject. Irrelevant, really.
“Y’know, last night had to have been one of the best nights of my life.”
“Even though we didn’t –?” He put a finger to my lips and effectively stopped me mid-sentence.
“That doesn’t matter. We have something stronger, more..I don’t know, lasting, than just sex. It’s deeper, more intelligent, I guess. It’s like there’s a strong bond between us, and I don’t want to break it any time soon.” Here there was a pause, and he smiled at me. “D’you remember the last thing you said to me before you fell asleep last night?”
“No..sorry.”
“Understandable, since you were like, almost completely asleep. You put your head right here,” a quick gesture towards his collar bone, “closed your eyes, and whispered ‘I love you.’ I thought that was pretty sweet.”
I smiled at that, absently weaving a napkin around my fingers and trying to think of something smart to say.
“Everything about this is pretty sweet. Us, I mean. Sometimes it still feels like a dream, but I know it can’t be. It’s too…real. Too right, I guess. That makes sense, doesn’t it?”
“Completely. Even if it didn’t it wouldn’t really matter. We both know love doesn’t have to make sense. Right, Marlise?” I grinned and nodded in agreement, and he squeezed my hand again. “That’s the spirit. Ready for a movie?”
“You bet. Let’s go.”
I took his hand as we walked, and he didn’t seem to mind. After that, the rest of the day seemed to fly by. That night, before he went home, he hugged me a little closer, kissed me for a little longer, and made everything seem just a little bit brighter.
I could really get used to this. In fact, I was pretty sure I already was…
---
(Not sure when the next update's gonna be, but I figured this was a great stopping place for now. )

[mellie]

Thanks for the update. He is a sweetheart, and I will wait for an update whenever you have one ready.

[Mars]

One's coming soon! gotta type up the crapload i wrote over the summer just for a heads-up: the story skips ahead a month or so, but it's still as sweet as ever