Childhood sweethearts

@Eliza <3

“Oh shit,” he just exclaimed as he realized it actually was her, a bright smile spreading on his lips as he went to greet her. The hug felt a little awkward but then again what had happened had just changed so much. Though not the warm feelings he remembered so fondly. “Uhhh, that’s a broad question. And it’s so good to see you. Well I already told you that I moved here. And not much have changed,” he said as he scratched the back of his neck, feeling a little bit of butterflies, of course he still would. Totally leaving out the fact that a lot had in fact changed, because he had somehow managed to get himself a girlfriend! But that felt a little odd to mention to somone you were supposed to marry. “How about you? Werent you out traveling?” He then asked. Of course he had made sure to keep up with her life too, despite it all.

He looked up at a loose strand of hair in his face as she mentioned the length. “Yeah well, you used to cut it back then and I dont really trust just any hairdresser,” he chuckled but it was true. He had hated growing up and never getting the cut he wanted. The mention of jetlag made him chuckle. “It’s understandable, I would have been the exact same if I’m honest,” he admitted. He had missed her too but it would definitely be weird to just blurt out. But the way his smile was softened probably gave it away.
Her suggestion made him hum as he checked his phone. If he was lucky then Frankie would still be sleeping for a little while and he hadnt woken her up to say where he was going. “I could sit down for a cup, sure,” he said but it didnt really seem like a wise idea, not with their history and the fact that he was seeing someone. But with Eliza he felt like he was in a grey area. Not really friends, not really lovers, just the feeling of belonging and some sort of love.
After finding a table and placing their orders he breathed out in a calm manner. “So where did you go this time? I’ve only seen small teasers and hints, but I’m dumb as shit so I cant figure it out,”

“I might take you up on that offer,” he warned her before they went off to get their coffee. It was like the awkward feeling had either slowly dissolved or just buried itself for now. And it actually felt quite nice to be in her company once more.
But he did notice how different she was now. Not that it was a bad thing. He had always thought that she might have cared too much about whether people cared about the clothes she wore or not. But maybe pointing that out now would just feel like some off hand comment that wasnt really needed. It was better to start off from somewhere. “Argentina though? Shit, then it must feel like coming back to a solid winter here. I’m always freezing a lot whenever I come back here after visiting my parents,” he chuckled.
It was really not hard for Deacon to seem interested in everything that she had to say. Because he really wanted to know and hear whether things were well or not. They didnt communicate often other than a few texts and updates which he didnt feel quite as happy about.
“So you’re going back there again?” He asked, his smile growing a little as she seemed so proud. He was really happy for her. This was good. He hadnt even touched his coffee yet but he rarely put anything extra in it anyway. He watched her look out on the people. As she looked back he frowned a little at her words and scoffed as he was ready to object. But then she reached out and touched his face. There was a certain nostalgia in it and he felt like moving his face out of her reach just because he remembered how he’d do that and she’d reach out after him and they’d chuckle. But things were different now. He let her touch his face. “I remember the last try. It was all patchy and weird,” he chuckled, then frowning a bit. “Think I should give it another try?”

“A bum? You’re so rude!” He exclaimed in utter surprise but he was like that anytime the story was brought up. Frankly it had just been him so damned stubborn that he refused to remove it even after it hadnt turned out how he had wanted it. The mention of her brother made him chuckle though. They did get along quite well up until the betrorhal. Bet then again, how many brothers actually did feel comfortable with their friends being in love with their sister?
“Nah you’re right. I guess I’m just not meant for the bearded life,” he said with a sigh. He lifted his cup to take a sip, liking the bitter taste quite a lot. But as she suggested they’d go out for drinks, he felt a little tense but kept it cool. Like going out for a coffee was probably enough to make people raise their eyebrows if they knew Deacon, but drinks? However if there even was a chance that he could say no to her, it wasnt now. “Yeah sure, but I’m not sure Thomaz will be too thrilled to see me. We did get in a bit of a fight last time we met,” he then said as he tried to think about back then and what had happened for it to get like that.

Yeah the reminder wasnt really that nice. But on the other hand it was also very much needed because he thought of Frankie and looked down. He felt a little guilty because he was hanging out with the girl he had been supposed to marry; Someone he hadnt ever mentioned for his friends. It was just too sore of a topic and Mickey probably wouldnt have waited a second to dig in. And again, what would Frankie say?
He might have seemed a little too conflicted and her plea made him look up. “Alright alright,” he then said as he flashed a smile. Surely it could work out. Right? “I know a few people, you’ll be happy to meet them,” he assured her. But it was a disaster in the making wasnt it? Just that either they both knew it and chose it anyway or they were truly oblivious and naive from the feeling of nostalgia and home in one.

It seemed it was set in stone. Deacon didnt really see a problem with it at all, in fact he thought it could only go well. Nodding at her words, he got up too. “Most def,” he agreed. Her saying she liked seeing him just somehow made him so happy. “I’ve missed you too,” he admitted, trying to make it seem like some offhand last note rather than something as genuine as his words were. Once she had left, he stood for a bit and smiled to himself. But then he remembered that Frankie most definitely had woken up. Getting her a coffee and something for her to eat.
Coming back home, he called out for her before he went to see her in the kitchen. Handing her the coffee, he placed a quick soft kiss on her cheek. “Goodmorning pretty. Did you sleep well?” He asked, gently touching her arm, placing the bag with food on the counter. “Brought you something if you’re hungry.”

Her question caught him a little off guard but then he realized. Sighing he watched her walk off, drying his cheek off with the back of his hand before he followed her. “Frankie it’s nothing like that,” he said but he wasnt even sure how he was going to explain it to her. He wasnt sure if she was ignoring him or just getting far into her own head. How was he even going to bounce out of that if she was already overthinking the whole situation. “Talk to me, please,” he pleaded. He had never really pleaded for anything not like this.

Seeing her pace back and forth was fine, but he was worried what she was thinking right now. However her question, as confusing as it was didnt make him hesitate. “No I’m not seeing anyone but you,” he said truthfully. There was no lie in his words because he wasnt really seeing Eliza, not like anything more than an old friend with memories. “I do have doubts but it’s not about us or anything like that,” he then said reaching out to grab her hands and make her face him. “It’s a really complicated story. And I think if I tell you it now while you’re upset, it’s only going to get worse. But look at me. Do I look like I’m lying to you now?”

Hearing her say that he wasnt lying was calming him down and he hadnt even realized he had been getting upset either before he noticed the tears in her eyes. He felt bad because he felt like it was his fault, he had given her reason to doubt him. Shaking his head he wrapped his arms around her. He held her close and lifted a hand to place against the back of her head. He kissed the sie of her head a few times, listening to her faint words. “I get that Franks, I’m the same,” he assured her, pressing her a little closer. Once he was sure she had calmed down a little he seemed reluctant for a second but in the end he decided to do it. “I’ll tell you the complicated story. And then you can decide whether you’d... you’d rather dump me or stick around,” he said, trying not to sound hopeless. Then he sat down with her and told her the whole story. How he had met Eliza, how he had truly believed he wouldnt have to look for anyone else. The weird circumstances that had changed everything. How he had actually been saving himself for the marriage and then seemingly never been interested in it once the betrothal ended.

Maybe he had thought the story would scare her off because it did mean that there had been someone he once loved. While he still felt some sort of strong connection to Eliza, it just wasnt love and attraction like it had been back then. Her confession made him scoff and look at her. “I wouldnt really blame you if you had. It’s quite the baggage” he admitted too.
He just ran his thumbs over her hands, feeling happy that she wasnt drawing away from him and keeping a distance. That was a really good sign. He hummed as she mentioned Xalvador knowing some Eliza too. “The talks and updates I’ve had with her never mentioned anything like that, but on the other hand it would be weird if she did. And if she’s seeing someone, that would only make it easier on you, right?” He said as he looked at her.
But then her question came and he frowned a little at her. “No, why would I regret that? Franks, I was with you because I wanted to,” he said, letting go of her hand to lift his and cup her face. “Back then I was young and stupid. I’m still those now, but in a different way. I dont think either of us would have liked if I stopped what we did and said we couldnt go further till we had married, that shit would have made you think I’m even bigger of a dickhead than I am,”

“Well that’s good because Eliza wanted to meet my friends and introduce her own friends, I guess because her brother needed to meet some people or something like that,” he said but he might have twisted it in his mind to be for that reason exactly. It just made it make more sense in his mind after Eliza had said that her brother needed friends. As she said she only would have wanted him more if he stopped it, he raised an eyebrow at her, “That more determined on stealing away my virginity?” He chuckled.
But then she seemed to want something off her chest too and he nodded as she confessed to not being able to talk it through. “That’s fine, I’ll take whatever you wanna give,” he assured her. He did want to know more about her and her past because they had never really talked about it before.
It was only that he wasnt really happy with the story he was hearing. In fact it was quite a horrible story in reality. But he also understood more. It made sense that she had been so scared and held back all this time. Not that he was much better but it felt like her reasoning was far more valid than his. “I’m sorry your ex was such a turd. You shouldnt have gone through all that,” he said as he looked at her with a serious look in his eyes. Shaking his head he looked down and folded his lips for a bit. “I’m just so scared of disappointing you. That somehow, I’m going to end up being worse than ex MacTurd,” he then said now that they were seemingly opening up. “I’ve never really been in a relationship. With Eliza it was easy because we were kids. So I cant say if it’ll be flawed or flawless,”