Escaping Grace

"She said take two of these," I said as I sat the bottle on the counter. "No alcohol."
"I heard what she said," he sighed, tossing the bag of stuff that had been retrieved from his car onto his couch. "Scouts honor I won't drink."
I doubted he was a scout.
We'd made it back to his apartment and CC was going to stay with him tonight. I was only escorting him back.
I stared at his bandaged arm, chewing my lip nervously. He could have been killed, the stupid idiot. I know it wasn't his fault, but I had been so scared.
I picked at my shirt, watching as he moved to the fridge. He started to lift out a beer, stopped, glanced at me, and then grabbed a Mountain Dew instead. Much better.
"Are you okay? " I asked, leaning against the bar. "Do you want me to get you anything? I can run to the store."
"Nah, I'm good," he shook his head. "You've done enough."
"I haven't done anything." I watched him as he left the fridge, chugging the soda and then crushing the can before tossing it in the trash.
"You kept me company while the doc pulled glass out of my arm," he shrugged at me. "And you got the guys back to see me. I would've liked to have seen you versus the nurse."
My lips twitched.
I stared at him a few moments more, looking at the cut on his face and his swelling nose. He could have died.
My lips trembled, and then I flung myself forward and wrapped my arms around him. I held him tightly, squeezing my eyes shut so I wouldn't cry.
"Wha--- Leah?" Andy held me, surprised. "Babe, I'm okay. Really." he rubbed my back with his uninjured hand.
"You could have died," I wept, I couldn't hold it in anymore. "I was so scared."
"I'm okay, shh," his grip tightened on me. "Don't cry."
"I thought I'd lost you," I sniveled. It was like the floodgates had opened.
"Babe, I'm okay. It wasn't that serious," Andy pressed a kiss into my hair.
"Wasn't serious?" I stared up at him. "Your car is totalled! Your brakes failed! You could have been paralyzed or had some kind of brain trauma or ---."
Andy pressed his finger over my lips again. "I think you need these pills more then me," he sighed, and then replaced his fingers with his lips. I didn't pull away, but kissed him back.
"Oh, Leah," he breathed, closing his eyes. "I don't deserve you."
I think it was the other way around. He'd saved me more times then he'd realized.
"You deserve better," I whispered, stroking my thumb across his cheek. "You need someone without so much baggage."
"Everyone has baggage." he muttered, and tried to pull off my jacket.
"No," I raised My hand, "I'm not doing this, Andy."
"Doing what?" his hands stilled. "I thought we were back to normal."
"Andy, I told you I can't, and I'm serious."
His brow furrowed. "Why not?"
"I... Let's not complicate this. You need rest."
"No, I need YOU."
I frowned up at him.
"Leah, honest, you don't have to tell me about anything you don't want too." he stared into my eyes. "Ever. But I don't want you to run away from me because of 'baggage.' I don't want you going anywhere. Except my bedroom. But ---," he said hastily at my look, "we don't have to. We can take it slow. As slow as you want. Whatever you want."
He made staying away from him and contemplating my life choices seem very unimportant with these speeches he was getting good at giving.
Problem was, I wanted exactly what he wanted. I wanted to sleep with him right now, keep our agreement in place, and pretend like Everything else didn't happen. But I couldn't.
"Why are you so nice to me like this?" I asked, studying him. "I don't understand."
"Because, we're friends."
"Are we?"
"I would like to think so, yeah."
"Because I don't think we can be in the same room with each other without tearing off each others clothes."
He grinned.
Then he frowned. "Where is this going?"
That was a good question. I wasn't sure where it was going.
"I don't know," I admitted.
Andy suddenly straightened. "I think I do."
He did? At least someone knew. He took my hand, and pressed a kiss to my knuckles.
"Be my girlfriend, Leah. It'll solve all this."
I stared at him. "what?"
"Date me. Official. With a title. No more awkwardness because we don't know what we are to each other."
Oh fuck.
"Like... Sleep with only each other no one else ever date you?" I eyed him.
He shuffled slightly. "Yes."
"Like everyone knows we're dating, even fans?"
"Yes."
"Like ---."
"Dammit, Leah, yes."
I grinned. "Okay."
I would do it. Gotta take a risk sometimes right? Besides, I knew if I thought about it I would say no and this would spiral down horribly and I would just continue on with my miserable life all alone when he'd shown me I didn't have to be. And when I'd thought something awful had happened to him today, I'd nearly had a heart attack.
But I was so scared.
"Really?" Andy blinked at me, and I nodded.
"Really."
"Holy shit, okay." he grinned. "I didn't think you would say yes."
"I almost didn't."
He ignored me, and kissed me, his lips eagerly conquering mine.
"Can we have makeup/official together sex now?" he murmured, "Or are we waiting until marriage?"
I chuckled, and wrapped my arms around his neck.
"You better call CC and tell him not to come over tonight."

Notes