Love

One day, Edith musters up the courage to say it first.

“I love you.”

Three words.

Three syllables.

A fragile voice ringing in the air, frayed with a touch of anxiety. How unlike her, for someone who typically prefers to wear a grumpy and stiff demeanor.

The confession is whispered into the calm hush of Tori’s room, floating overhead and flying by like a ghost in the wind.

With a warm grin brightening her purple face, adding a visible sparkle to her delicate features, Tori just seizes hold of Edith’s hands before leaning in to take her breath away. The kiss is fueled with passion, not as chaste as most of the other kisses they’ve already exchanged before. Their mouths slot together, slick with a bit of tongue, and when Tori pulls away, a string of saliva can be seen stretching out between them.

Edith didn’t think too much about it for the rest of their time together, too dazed by the steamy mood of that kiss from earlier. At least, not until the next day approaches, when it dawns on her that Tori actually never said it back.

Every time Edith works her way up to saying those three special words later on, throughout the course of their relationship, Tori is always quick to approve and return the expression of love with an intimate gesture.

But she never says it back.

It bothers her, gnaws at her mind like an anxious tick, but it really shouldn’t. Tori doesn’t need to say it back, she already shows it.

It’d just be nice to hear it though...

Edith is visibly sad about this. Even London notices and tosses in a remark or two about her current state of mind.

One day, Tori questions, with her brows furrowed and her mouth spread out in this wobbly smile, “What’s wrong?”

Because of course, out of everyone that’s ever known Edith, she would notice the most.

And Edith is ashamed, though that’s nothing new. She’s ashamed that she feels this way, so she doesn’t know if she should ever say.

In a half-hearted attempt at concealing those thoughts away, she shakes her head, tries to dismiss the question, but Tori has a tight hold on her hands now, squeezing them, a pouty expression crossing her face and her lips pursed.

“What’s wrong?” she repeats, this time more firm, stern, unyielding. “Please?”

Tori tilts her head up to really look at her, her doe-like eyes doing that thing that makes Edith’s heart feel like tearing apart into crooked halves before melting like putty in her girlfriend’s furry little hands.

“You never say it back,” Edith admits, caving in.

She internally winces right after those words leave her lips. However, before she can brace herself for some emotional damage, she notices the confusion on Tori’s face.

“What do you mean?” She’s genuinely lost and that hurts just a bit more. “I don’t understand . . .”

Edith doesn’t know if she can tell her again. It’s already rendered her almost speechless with guilt the first time she did.

But she needs to try.

“I love you.”

Tori’s eyes widen, realization finally dawning on her.

“Oh.” It’s a soft sound of recognition. “Oh! Oh, Edith, of course I . . .” Her mouth is open, the rest of the reply sitting heavy on the tip of her tongue. “I-I lo—“ She cuts herself off, pausing at the wrong time. “I lo—“

Instead of finishing the rest of her sentence, she ends pulling Edith forward and, while standing on her tiptoes, drawing her in for a surprise kiss. Two of her arms are coiled around Edith’s neck, wrapping tight and snug around her as they linger in a loving embrace.

“I’m sorry,” comes Tori’s broken apology. “I don’t know why it’s so hard to say when it’s true. But I’ll be ready to say it back someday. I know it.”

A part of Edith still bears a few doubts from deep within. There’s a voice that tells her, questions to her, “What if she’s still ashamed of being with you?”

But another part of her, a part of her that’s known Tori and knows that she means what she promises, is already content enough with hearing this.

They’re still young, after all. They have time.

~*~*~

Tori is loud when she finally says it back.

Their high school graduation ceremony was this morning and there’s a party being thrown for the senior class later tonight. It’s being hosted at the valedictorian’s massive estate residence.

As she and Edith are surrounded by their peers and classmates alike, with cups of fruit punch in their hands, Tori can’t help but take one final swig from her drink before hoisting it up in the air, with some enthusiasm behind the gesture.

“I’m thankful!” Tori declares, because she is and maybe she’s also a bit sugar high from the copious amount of juice that‘s currently running in her bloodstream. She’ll definitely need to go to the restroom later, but right now she wants to be dramatic because she can, especially during such a memorable celebration. “I’m thankful for everyone, for helping my high school experiences be more tolerable!”

Because, like, to be honest, yeah. School was no walk in the park, that’s for sure.

“But also, I’d like to especially thank my girlfriend Edith!” At that, Edith turns to face Tori, just in time for Tori to throw herself at her in a side hug. “Because without her, I think I’d struggle a lot! And I’m always super appreciative of her support!”

Then, without any regards for anyone else that’s watching, as if it’s just the two of them in this party, Tori finds herself pressing against Edith even closer. She can feel Edith growing shy, can feel the back of her fur rising from the touch, and before she can ask what’s going on, Tori is already answering for her with a loud smooch on the lips.

A trail of giddy kisses are scattered across the rest of Edith’s pale face after that, followed by a final ultimate kiss on the lips once more.

“I love you.”

It’s as natural as breathing when Tori finally proclaims her love out loud, in those three special words for Edith to hear.

And the best part?

Nobody around them cares enough to notice, most of them off to tend to their own separate conversations. Or at least, the handful of people that do notice don’t really show any signs of making it to be a big deal. They’re rather used to Tori’s bold affections, after all.

And even if Edith struggles to not a heart attack for the rest of the evening after that, with how flustered she is from her first time being on the receiving end of a love confession, Tori continues to smother her, her hands often found resting in her girlfriend’s own hands or coasting down her neck and shoulders in hugs and more.

When they both leave the party and it’s time to retire for the night, Edith grasps at the chance to tell Tori something she’s been meaning to say for a while now.

“I love you too.”