*b*ENOUGH/IF YOU CAN'T SEE IT THAN WHY CAN I?*b*

TW: omembe posmehovanja, slabe samopodobe in preklinjanje
Osebe: Rose (main character), nonbinary other person, ki si sami lahko predstavljate kdo je/kako izgleda
Vsebuje: angst, fluff, happy ending, sarcasm, bonding

"I'm ugly," I stated, defeated. I looked around the room, taking in the details for the milionth time jut to avoid their gaze.
"Wha-" they were surprised and frustrated. I could tell from the way their eyes roamed my face and the way they were very obviously refrainging themselves from grabbing my shoulders and trying to shake some 'sense' into me when I glanced at them for a split milisecond.
"Who said this? Who *I*dared*I* say it to you?!" anger laced their tone.
"My reflection every time I look in the mirror," I answered nonchalantely trying to show them my brave facade and finally giving them my undivided attention. After I checked how my nails were doing.
"Oh really?" they sounded too sarcastic to not be suspicious. *i*No shit, Sherlock.*i*
"No one else?" they decided to raise an eyebrow. I think it was the left one but I wouldn't be surprised to have someone tell me it was actually the right one. I'm really bad at telling them apart.
I gave in. There was no point hiding it.
"And people at school and my parents," I admitted so quietly they wouldn't have heard me if it weren't for the dead silence in this damn room and them standing a feet (okoli 30 cm) away from me.
"And your *i*okay*i* with that?" they were shocked. That much I could tell from looking through tears the memories brought up with them like an old friend.
"You learn to live with it," I shrugged, like it wasn't a big deal. Tears - now streaming down my face - proved wrong but my sleave - damp from constant wiping - made sure they never saw the light.
"You. Are. Beautiful. Don't let anybody tell you differently." At this point they couldn't hold themselves back and tightly held my shoulders in place while they tirelessly stared into my eyes, their eyebrows crunched up together in pure care and worry. And I obviously couldn't face them by staring back with tears still on the edge so I dropped my head and took sudden interest in rug pattern.
"But I'm not een beautiful to begin with," I whispered, feeling their look burning into my skin. The material looked like ti was a crossover between wool and plastic but it could just be plastic. Who knows what rugs are made out of these days?
Suddenly the grip on my shoulders loosened and a sigh followed.
"You're right, you're right," they muttered. I thought winning would bring me happiness but this one seemed to just weigh me down. And I realised I didn't want to be right. I wanted to be assured I'm not.
"You're not beautiful to begin with because you're straight up drop dead goregous. And if you can't see it, then why can I? Why do I get to crush on this one amazing person that isn't capable of seeing how perfect they are, I don't know. But I do know that if anyone *i*does*i* deserve to be aware of it, then it's them."
"Like I'm supposed to know. I don't even know who you're talking about!"
"You sure? Didn't you hear anything I said?" From the corner of my eye I could see their head angling to take a look at my face - that was still intensely staring at the soft material on which I stood in my pink balloon patterned socks - from their (I think) left side.
Silence.
"If this guess isn't right, I do not know what I'll do."
"Kiss me already would be just fine," they nonchalantely spoke under their breath.
"Is it- wait, wait. Hooooooooold up." After getting half my sentence cut off, I finally lifted my confused head up and outstreched a hand with a stop sign to make it even more obvious what I wanted. I was worried they were going to notice but the urge to do what I did was too strong. "What did you just say?"
"I said," they straightened their back and shot out clearly nervous and covering it up: "'Kiss me already would be just fine. Jesus, woman, do you pay attention to a word I say?"
"So it's me?" my eyebrows jumped so high in shock I almost lost them but a smile still started growing despite my will saying: *i*Yeah, let's not do that.*I* "I genually thought you were into Cheryl."
"You wish," they rolled their eyes and scoffed, "But I'm afraid my mind is stuck on you, darling."
"You really mean that?" I didn't even give a shit if they saw how red my eyes were from crying before.
"No, I'm joking. Of course I'm serious!"
"And you think I'm pretty?" I doubted.
"You really don't listen to me, do you cupcake? I think you're the most extravagant, funny, amazing and goregous being on this planet. And for the record, I know you like me too," they smirked.
"Was it that obvious?" Embarassment filled my insides.
"Yes. But it did make it easier for me, so I guess I should say thank you," their hands we're behind their back, gripping each other with them leaning forward.
"You're welcome, sunshine," I reflectively brushed my nose up with my index finger.
"That's cute." Oh look, I never noticed the closet was that near the fireplace! (Yes, we are going to ignore the fact my cheeks turned crimson.) Their sweet laugh ringed around the room a second after their... observation on my doings.
"I'm sorry, I couldn't help it," they quickly apologised though they didn't sound very apologetic.
"It's okay, I'm just..." I searched for the right words to fill my sentence with.
"Not used to compliments?" they helped.
"Yeah." "Well then you've got to know, there's a lot of it in store for you in the future. I'm going to personally take it upon myself," they gently tapped the side on their chest where their heart lay swearing it like an oath. A giggle broke out from my aching-from-crying throat.
"No but really. You should never feel like you're not pretty enough or not enough in general. I'm really going to make sure it's not going to happen ever again. I promise," their words were as gentle as was their finger that lifted my chin so I really looked into their warm eyes.
I managed a weak 'you better' while being completely overwhelmed with good emotions for a change.
"So, if we try to forget the bad timing, Rose, would you go out with me? Sometime?" they awkwardly scratched the back of their neck. Never seen that before.
"Obviously," it was my turn to roll my eyes though it was less sarcastic than when they did it. I also smiled in the most open way possible the next beat, trying to get my happiness to radiate through it. The next thing I knew their confidence was back and they were pulling me to them by the small of my back.
"The do you give me permission to kiss you?"
"I do: *i*I*i* give *i*you my*i* permission," I joked with a serious face that didn't last long enough to cover my awkwardness.
"Phew, thank God for that," they dramatically wiped the nonexistent sweat from their forehead. I chuckled.
"Actually, thank me," I corrected and gently flicked the tip of their nose.
"Of course. Thank *i*you*i*, my evercharming sweetheart." I only had the chance to smile and automatically close my eyes before their soft lips touched mine and my heart and mind melted into a pudle. I didn't mind but was rather gratful for their hand, still holding me to them. It was like a bubble was wrapped around us and teleported us to the world, where just the two of us existed. They did seem to have brought a zoo with them though and it seemed to exist in my stomach. I leaned into them and sneaked my hands around their neck. Time stopped to look at us and then all too soon continued again when our lips broke apart. So as we stood there, both too stunned to speak in the comfortable silence I understood what they were trying to tell me before. There wasn't a single thing bad thing I could think about them (not like I didn't beofre but it was as clear as the blue sky). And if such an angel could like me this much, and were looking at me with so much care and love in their eyes, than maybe I am worth it. And I really hope they keep their promise, because I really do adore the feeling of being enough.

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Sup. Been a long time.