Realization

'Nooooo!' Patricia thought as she looked at him, 'Not him, noooooo!' She groaned in her mind as she felt her eye twitch,' not this...this... it's.'

"Stupid. " she huffed.

Daniel turned to her, controller in his hand, peach in his mouth, left brow arched. Looking so confused. "Oom oyay, risha?" He asked in muffled concern.

Patricia didn't blush at the sight of Daniel...Danny. she saw this sight so many, many times. Her heart didn't suddenly quicken...nor did her palms sweat.

None of the cliché...but she did see him differently..or maybe more clearly.

Her cheeks didn't burn..but her smile grew.

Her heart didn't quicken or tighten..but it was warmer.

Her palms didn't sweat, but she was acutely aware of the sensation of his skin...his beard..the muscles in his cheeks against her rubbing hand.

How nice it felt...

How she would not mind waking up morning after morning with Danny. Patricia was surprised at how unsurprising the thought was to her.

The thought of his cooing snores in her ear and sleepy mumbles against her neck, the strong arms that would hold her through the night in a snuggling cuddle—the warmth of his front on her back.

Waking up to those browns and rubbing his cheek, rubbing his smile...Making him smile.

He does the same for her being his dorky, geeky self wrapped up in a cool exterior.

She tried not to chuckle at his surprised face when she took the peach from his mouth and bit into his bite. "Go ahead in play. I wanna see you win," She chuckled as she ghostly laid her head on his bicep.

Peach in her mouth like it was nothing, cause for them it was. They did things like this before. It was commonplace...The toes curling in her shoes were new, though...Same with the thought of his mouth being like a peach....at least it should have been or felt fresh, but it didn't.

She didn't feel any new sensation of affection..but she felt what she had more immensely.

Her toes and thoughts weren't curling because of the sweet and sour peach alone..she was aware of the warmth he placed by his mouth. Extensively aware and more so pleased by it. It added a woody flavoring that she was always aware of...but never so much.

Her eyes glanced at his face of concentration, determination...and didn't feel the whole 'I'm in love' romance feel...

Not Cupid's arrow piercing her, nor the strike of lightning of a eureka moment, or the fire of passion in her hormones.

No, all Patricia saw was Danny. Her Danny..and all his dorkiness...His expressions. Their history, their friendship, their bond. She saw her friend...Her best friend...

'The dorkiest, geekiest, most charming, loving, irreplaceable man in my life.'

A thought that should have made her a red mess... but all it did was make her move closer and squeeze his arms. She wasn't in love with Danny...No; she was way past being infatuated.

She loved him..as a best friend...as a life partner. She was content, happy, free... She was happiest when they were together—just doing things like this..even if they weren't involved yet.

" I love you, Danny." A simple thing.

An inreputible truth.

One said so many times between them, but this time it held a lot more implications than usual. Though that she wasn't surprised at his nonchalant response.

"Yeah, love you too, Tricia. " He sighed, looking as he waited for the stage to load. Turning his eyes to her, Patricia took another bite of their shared peach watching the screen.

Completely unaware of the bottomless adoration he was showering her in that one moment.