Chapter Text
It hadn't quite left my mind, the thought of it drifted and came and went, but I remembered even after all these years. The heart racing pact Derek made with me when we were only thirteen; it always made me nervous. Does he remember it too? Is it on his mind like it is mine? I knew I'd have to actually ask him to get the answers, but I never really made the move to. Although that didn't mean the urge to hadn't grown over time.
Halting the consecutive tapping of my fingers, I glance at the soggy, half-eaten cereal in front of me. "Why must I wither and wallow?" I spoke with an exaggerated accent, both in an attempt to make myself laugh and to will myself to stand from the stool. Luckily, I managed both. "Pfft, for the sake of drama, of course." Quoting Lee, I scoot off my chair with a small smile. I slide the hand painted dish to the edge of the counter before taking it in my hands and bringing it to the sink to dump its contents down the drain. "Sorry for not finishing you, sweet cereal- you will be missed." If I hadn't wasted so much time in my head, perhaps I could've finished it. But with a certain hangout approaching I wasn't able to dally at home for long.
Patting my hands dry with a towel I kept within the kitchen, I carried myself back to where I had been seated moments before to grab my drawstring bag. I slide the rope over my right shoulder, soon followed by my left after I check the hour on my phone. "..hm...fifteen minutes.." Stepping toward the entryway, I kept my gaze on the screen until it shut off, "I should be able to make it with a couple minutes to spare if I walk.." I quickly stash my phone in my back pocket as I slipped my feet into my shoes. "A walk it is!" Straightening my back, I tug the door open, pausing to take a deep breath before crossing the threshold.
The sun was warm against my skin, more like a soft blanket than a humid canopy. There was even a light breeze that raced up my arms and danced with my clothes. This was definitely one of the better summer days - one where you could set the ac low and still have a cool room. Having a fan in the window was still a no go until nightfall though.
The smell of salty water was subtle at first, but the closer I got the stronger it got. And, as I drifted from the sidewalk to the sand, I was able to smell the food from the shopping street near the beach. That wasn't where I was going, though, for now at least. For there were the most important and goofy people in my life to meet.
To my surprise, I wasn't the only one who thought to be early.
His brown hair was still pushed back, short and a little spikey. He regularly checked his phone, most likely making sure he hadn't messed up the time and was in the right place. It was comforting to see that despite all the changes that came with becoming an adult, some things remained the same. "Derek!" I called his name after I began jogging to him. He jumped and looked over his shoulder with wide eyes, "Oh- hey, (Y/n)!" The grin that pulled at his lips made my heart leap into my throat. "We had the same idea, huh?" I hummed once I got closer, "Mhm, you looked a little lost though." He rubbed his neck at my tease, pulling a short laugh from my chest. "Haha, yeah! I would've thought we'd meet at the park or your mom's place."
"True, those were our usual spots." It was obvious we wished to speak more, but the lack of topics were just as obvious. The silence wasn't awkward though - if anything it was relaxing. Maybe...I could ask him? "Hey, Derek?" He brought his eyes to my own, "Yeah?" After a quick breath, the words began tumbling from my lips, "Do you remember the pac-"
"Hey, buddies!" The shout was followed by a familiar giggling. "Hi, Terry and Miranda!" Turning around I found myself captured within Miranda's arms, soon Terry's as well. "Haha, hi!" Derek was brought into the hug seconds after with a reach, "Cove didn't come with you?" Shaking my head, I shift my weight to the side, "Nope - he was too busy to meet up beforehand." Terry sighed playfully, "A shame! He's missed out on some prime teasing."
"I'm sure he's happy about dodging it." A laugh bubbled from my chest.
Cove, thankfully, showed up minutes later and we were able to get our hang out started. Strolling and skipping on the beach to the food vendors on the street. The group got smoothies and hot pretzels and even little aquatic key chains - we all matched despite our different creatures. As we chatted on about work and our daily lives the sun fell closer to the horizon, the air softening in turn. The salt of the sea wasn't as strong and a light dew settled on the water. And, slowly, the group began quieting down, falling in line with the closing shops. It wasn't unusual for us to have moments of silence whilst we walked, they never really stayed long either way. One of us would always pipe up with a random thought before even a minute passed.
It had to have been fifteen minutes of this before Cove checked his phone, announcing how it was getting late. Hums of acknowledgement and heavy, exaggerated sighs were passed around in earnest at it. And even though we were reluctant to depart, our group began dispersing - sharing hugs and simple back pats.
"..want to walk a little longer?" The words fell from my mouth simply, my eyes watching the gentle waves wash the shore before I looked to Derek. He had been checking his phone again, trying to figure out when the next bus would show, when I let the longing question slip. "Yeah." His lips lifted into a lopsided smile, "The next bus isn't for another twenty minutes." Pursing my lips, I squint playfully, "Not because you want to be with me?" His face changed faster than Cove's ever had; his brows raising to a furrow, eyes widening, and his lips parting with a quick quiver. "I'm just messing with you- don't worry." A breath left him at that, "I know, but-" I watched as he shook his head, a smile adorning his features once more, "I always want to spend time with you."
"Well-" The words almost got stuck within my throat, "I feel the same about you." Abrutly, I turned, beginning our walk stiffly, "Let's walk now." A few huffed laughs reached my ears before he caught up with me. "What were you saying earlier by the way?" I held my breath. "You never got to finish." It felt as though my mind was racing but my head felt empty, nothing quite coming up. "Oh, uh.." A quiet sigh fell from my lips as I fiddled with the string of my bag, "I was going to ask about the pact." He made a sound, "Pact? You mean-" I nodded, "The one from middle school."
"I didn't think either of us would remember." Our feet slowed to a stop, a few laughs bubbling from our chests - some more nervous than others. "I was worried you didn't." I tucked my bottom lip underneath my teeth, "I mean, I really...well, you know.." Releasing my lip, I exhale, "I like you." It took me a moment, but I was able to lift my gaze to his face. He was smiling, smiling softer than I had ever seen and it was breathtaking. "I-" His words caught in his throat and his eyes glazed ever so slightly. "I can't-" He reached forward, pulling me to his chest, "I can't believe it." I could feel his body shake against mine - from laughter or smothered sobs, I couldn't quite tell. "..I lov- I like you too, still."
"Still?"
"Yeah, I- haha, I've always really thought of you day to day." He leaned away, but stayed close as he spoke, "I got a smoothie with Jorge and Nico last weekend and I remembered our mall trip." His eyes closed while he shook his head, reopening them alongside his lips, "And all I could think about was your smile when you got your smoothie back then.."
Our eyes met fully for the first time today, searching yet soothed. Ten long years of loving openly yet also in secret. I was aware that would never stop, we would always steal glances and think of one another even with oceans between us. But now we could share our sweetest smiles, loudest laughs, and loving embraces.