Photographs (another fanfic)

Hmm I'm not sure whether to be satisfied with that or not..... :D

Update Maggie I can't stand suspense anymore! :p
 
Aye aye cap'n!!!

LAUREN

Keith knew. The moment Lauren and her mom came over, he knew what had happened.
He laughed and hugged her first. Lifting her off the ground and spinning her around. She laughed as well, hugging him back. Oh, how wonderful it would be to live near her brother again. She felt whole again. Well, mostly whole. She tried not to think about that other part right then.
"This is great!" He said happily, setting her down.
She rolled her eyes, still hugging him, "Great is a grand understatement, Keith-y."
"True. True."
"I'll visit you often." Now, that they lived so close.
He grinned, "I can teach you to surf."
"Oh that would be fantastic!!" She giggled, "Isn't it cold here, though?"
Keith only laughed.
Keith made her mom and herself some tea, and he talked to her mom for a little while. Lauren paid the conversation no mind at all.
Her mind was 100% on Damian. She felt stupid and mad and pathetic and embarrassed all at once. She'd actually said it. Actually told him that she loved him. Part of her had felt so happy to let it out. Actually all of her did, for a moment.
Then the questions came; What if he didn't love her back? What had she just done? She thought of Aaron, and his friendship with her. How those three words practically dissolved their friendship. Had she just done the same? Would her friendship with Damian, her closest friend in the entire world, be over? She couldn't bear that. She could never be able to live with that.
So she lied. Though it hurt her to do it, and her heart screamed at every word, she lied. If he was just her friend everything was fine, if he was only her friend everything... was... fine.
While he seemed confused by her frantic explanation, he didn't ask any awkward questions. He just told her he'd be there, like he always did. And he would be, so much more now that she could see him everyday.
See him everyday. See him, and think and hope and fear. Always have the question hanging in between them; what if she told him she really did love him?
She wasn't sure she'd be able to deal with that, either.
"Lar baby, " Keith's voice came into her thoughts. She smiled absently at her pet name. "You alright? Mum just asked you something."
She blushed, "Sorry, what?"
Her mom laughed, "I have a job interview in town in a few, do you want to stay here?"
Lauren grinned at her brother, "Sure thing."
"I'll be back later, 'kay?"
"'kay! Later mum!"
For how talkative the two siblings were they were content with saying nothing for sometime. Lauren moved to a couch in a very Keith-looking living room. Everything about it fit her brother to a T. She smiled. She laid across the couch and stared at the ceiling.
"Keith-y, do you know what my least favorite word is?" She sighed, at last.
He chuckled softly, "No, what?"
"Friends."
More laughter, "Friends? What's wrong with that word?"
"It's complicated," She sighed, sounding like a little girl trying to be serious, "especially when it's not enough. 'Cause your in love. Scratch that my least favorite word is love."
"You would know this, wouldn't you?" He said, knowingly.
"Eh!?" She sat up fast, blushing.
"Oh, don't act all surprised, Lauren. It was pre-tty obvious you loved him."
She sighed and laid back again, "It obviously wasn't obvious to him."
"Did you tell him?"
"On accident, yeah."
Keith seemed confused, "Than what's wrong."
"Well aside from the obvious, that he doesn't like me back. I freaked and told him that I didn't mean it and we were just friends." Tears came to her eyes, "So I've probably killed all chance of him ever liking me."
"Why did you freak." Keith had moved over to sit at the edge of the couch.
More tears, "Be-be-because I thought we couldn't be friends anymore. Everything would change, and I'd lost my best friend."
"You can be friends and in love at the same time."
"But if he didn't love me!" She said in exasperation, "Like I didn't love Aaron! That ruined that friendship and I don't want it to ruin ours!"
Keith moved over to hug his sister. She was so glad he was there. This would have been so much harder to get through without him.
"Damian wouldn't let that ruin anything, Lar." He told her softly. "And besides, what makes you so certain he DOESN'T like you back?"
She thought about it. She thought about the hugs and smiles he gave her. The delight in his voice, his eyes, his words whenever she was around. Did that mean? It couldn’t, he couldn’t possibly. At least, not anymore.
There was a pause, then Keith said, louder, “Damian?”
Lauren blinked. Confused. That was completely random. There was more silence.
“Damian, I think that was your cue.”
WHAT?
The sound of nervous laughter echoed in the room. It took Lauren a shocked second before she placed its origins; a phone sitting on the table they'd ate at. It was on speaker.
Lauren stared, aghast, between Keith and the phone, the phone and Keith. Piecing together what was going on. And everything she'd just said. She gasped loudly, and fell back against the couch, mortified and scared. She'd just re-confessed her love for Damian, and he'd been LISTENING! Oh GOD!
"Keith, is she okay?" Damian's voice said awkwardly.
"She might go into shock, but aside from that, I think she's handling it okay." He replied, grinning.
There was a pause, then Damian sighed, "Well, if she's already shocked no harm in adding to it. Lauren?"
She gulped, "Y-Yes?"
He laughed gently, and her heart hammered against her. "Lauren, I love you, too.”


Epilogue later...
 
EPILOGUE

DAMIAN

Lauren's house/apartment-warming party took place on her 16th Birthday. And his 17th. So, in most ways, it was a house-warming-birthday party. A lot of people came. All the guys, and whatever family they had. George brought his wife and daughter, who baked cookies. Keith, well, his sister was the reason of the party. Paul and Rachel, as well as Ryan and, for once, Amy. Damian was surprised that the two weren't actually related, they looked and acted so similar. It appeared the only person close to their hearts that was missing was Vanessa.
Rachel told everyone she was rather sure Vanessa had gone back to New York. A depressing thought as her and Paul's wedding was only days away. Ryan looked guilty. Damian wasn't sure he even wanted to know what was going on with them. He wished Vanessa was there too, though. This was a grand occasion.
Out of all the happiness in the entire household during that party, no one glowed so much as Lauren. She practically danced throughout the rooms, talking to whoever she could. He smiled, watching her, feeling quite bubbly himself.
That awkward phone-speaker-conversation Keith had set up was months behind them. Damian was more than happy about the happy ending of it. She, of course, had freaked at first. Thankfully, she never denied what she had said. She explained, again, how scared she'd been about loosing their friendship. He repeated again and again, that wouldn't happen, especially because he loved her too. Once she got in her head they were talking like nothing had changed, though everything had. But it was good change, fantastic change, the best change Damian could have ever had.
"Damian," Lauren's bright green eyes were before him. She was beaming, holding a tray of sandwiches. "Want one?"
He laughed, she'd become more of a hostess that her mom. "Sure." He picked one up and pretended to look nervous. "Did you make them?"
"Hush. Yes, yes I did." She stuck her tongue out at him.
He made a face back, but smiled, "Then I'm sure there fine."
Her eyes softened as she smiled at him, "Thank you."
"Anytime, Lauren."
It was times like that when one might catch there was something else there. Something a tiny bit closer than friendship, but just as natural, between the two. So small and easy the change was that only if you really looked could you see it.
Like Keith had said, they truly could be best friends and in love. It was great.
LAUREN

She had to admit more than a slight disappointment in Vanessa not being there. This had all begun with her really. She'd had played such a large part in Lauren finally making it back to her home, she wanted her to be part of it. What confused her more is that no one said why Vanessa had returned to New York, days before her sisters wedding. It seemed no one really knew, or was willing to say. She hoped whatever was going on, that it would be okay.
That semi-depressing topic out of her head she concentrated on her guests. And her 16th birthday. This was, in all ways, the best day of her life. And she wanted to celebrate it as such.
She was glad Damian was there, as it was his birthday too. This was the first double party they'd had since he'd turned 8 and her 7. So much had changed since then, in all the best ways.
They didn't talk much for the beginning of the party. She caught him staring at her more than once, as she flitted around talking to friends. He was smiling at her though, so sweet she blushed. The look hadn't changed from months ago, but she had never understood it then. Now she did.
Later, when most of her friends were eating or conversing among each other, Lauren moved to talk to him again.
"You know what I hate?" She told him, standing beside him.
He laughed gently, "I can hardly imagine you hating anything right about now."
True, he had a point, "Good answer. I hate that it's your birthday."
"Why?" He blinked at her, surprised, but amused. Like he was awaiting the punch line.
"Because I didn't get you anything." She hung her head.
He laughed, tossing his arm around her and giving her a squeeze, "You didn't need to get me anything. You, being here, that's present enough."
She blushed a hot red, but smiled. God, he was so sweet. And he loved her. It was an amazing thing to think; that this wonderful amazing guy loved HER. Her smile brightened.
"I love you, Damian McGinty."
He colored slightly, but still smiling replied, "I love you too, Lauren Hider."
"Harkin." She cut in, with a wink.
Her parents’ relationship had been growing fast. Lauren had a rather reasonable hope that she could be Lauren Harkin again within a year. It was a wonderful thing to think.
Her friend, her family, her home. Lauren felt whole again.

[continues...]
 
Epilogue [continued...]


DAMIAN

"You didn't!?" Lauren squeaked, "You shouldn't have!!"
Damian laughed at how surprised she sounded. They had reached birthday gift giving stage at the party, and her brother had surprised her by saying he bought something for his baby sis.
Keith laughed too, "I guess I shouldn't have, but nonetheless I did, Lar. So c'mon."
She sighed, and tore at the brightly colored paper. She squeaked at opening a small box. Damian gazed over her shoulder; a sparkling Claddagh ring was there.
"Oh, how pretty!" Rachel said behind them. Her voice was slightly tight though, like she was holding back something. All she said however was; "I didn't think that was a family sort of gift..."
Ryan looked pretty uncomfortable too. There was really something those two weren't sharing with the class. He sighed, there would be interrogations later. Now, was defiantly not the time.
Keith shrugged, "I don't know. I think it works fine in this situation. Lar and I are close enough, I hope." He added teasingly.
She shoved him, grinning, "OF COURSE we are!"
Damian hardly remembered any of his presents, though he knew he'd loved all of them. Before he knew it, he was awkwardly holding another gift to Lauren.
"You too!?" She laughed in exasperation. She was beaming at him with such happiness he knew she wasn't upset in the slightest.
"This is your 16th." He teased, "I kind of think it calls for gifts."
"Now I feel even worse!"
"Just open it, love."
The pet name had slipped, but it was enough. Blushing prettily she turned her attention to the gift.
"Ah!" She squealed as the paper fell away. He blushed almost as much as she did as they both looked at a small picture frame. Two slots were there for two pictures. The first one was filled. It was the picture from when she'd told him she was leaving. The one his mom had taken so many years ago.
Lauren gazed up at him, her eyes glistening with tears and the largest grin on her face. "Thank you." She whispered.
He smiled, then gazed back at the frame and then back at her, "We'll have to get another picture."

LAUREN

It was THE best birthday to date. From Claddagh rings to Photographs. Not to mention all sorts of beautiful presents from everyone else there. Lauren was positively ecstatic.
Damian stood next to her, looking at the small photograph of the two of them. She turned her smile to him.
He laughed, then his bright blue eyes lit up.
"What?" She asked.
His smile grew to a grin, "Do you know what I want to do?" The party was dying down slightly, and the two teenagers were kind of left out from most conversation.
She gulped, "Um... what?"
"Football."
Her face lit up as well. Soccer! They hadn't done that in ages either! She laughed and, still holding his hand ran to grab the ball.
It was amazing, while they had no real yard. That was the fun with the game; you could play it just about anywhere. She was surprised at how good he'd gotten over the past years. She had to remind herself it had been 8 years. In some ways she didn't feel like she'd left. The sun was setting and Lauren wondered if people would be going soon. They both wound down, and moved to sit on the porch of the apartment.
"God, I missed that." She sighed, then laughed.
"Me too." He replied, "You have no idea."
She rolled her eyes and leaned her head on him, "I'm rather sure I do."
CLICK! FLASH!
The two turned behind them to stare directly into the lens of a camera. A camera being held by a wickedly grinning Keith.
"KEITH HARKIN! What do you think you are doing!?" Lauren blushed furiously, standing quickly to move to chase after her brother. He laughed, holding the camera up.
"Just let it develop, Lar!' He chuckled. It was another old camera, like the one her and Damian's older picture was taken from. She watched in horror as from black came, a rather high quality, picture. Her blush deepened.
Damian looked at it over her shoulder, blushing as well. "Well that turned out nice." He said awkwardly.
"I guess we don't need another photograph," She replied, her smile growing. She grabbed the frame and put it aside the other. It was a wonderful image; two best friends for so long. Two best friends forever. Two best friends in love.
She smiled at Damian again, and he at her.

DAMIAN AND LAUREN
The more things change, the more they stay the same.

THE END
 
He laughed gently, and her heart hammered against her. "Lauren, I love you, too.”
Click to expand...

*sighs and dances around happily* :D

How cute, I'm ready for the next one ;)
 
Aww.. I just finished re-reading this one (again). I woke up this morning and all I could think of was this story so I sat down and read through it and it was even better than I remembered it. Who knew that was possible? :p :D I'll have to read through the rest now but this one just needed read. So many cute scenes ^.^
 
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