Lily was absolutely humiliated. This was her nightmare come true. She asked out James fucking Potter. And he rejected her.

Well, he didn't mean to. James, along with many other more endearing traits, was an absolute control freak. He planned how to ask Lily out down to the last breath. He didn't expect her to ask him out first.

He didn't even realize how it sounded when he yelled out "No!" until he watched Lily book it out of the great hall.

James sat there for a moment, frozen in time, not able to think about what to do next.

"Dude, you fucked up big time. Go chase her down, for Merlin's sake!" Peter yelled.

So he did.
-
This was the worst case scenario. She shot her shot, and he said no. Why? The kiss was perfect. It wasn't fake, it wasn't passionless, there was feeling and emotion and love. Why did he reject her? How would she recover?

The second James said no, Lily's fight or flight kicked in, and of course flight won. She ran from the great hall, eyes filling with tears, heart breaking more and more with every step.

She wanted to be alone, to completely disappear of the face of the Earth and never have to deal with the public humiliation of what just happened. And, she was alone, running through corridor after corridor. Well, at least until she heard someone follow her.

"Evans! Wait up!" She turned around at the sound of someone calling her. Not that she needed to see who it was, she recognized James's voice anywhere.

"Leave me alone, Potter." Lily said, trying to not let him hear the tears in her voice.

She called him Potter. As they grew closer, she began to say James every so often. All of that was down the drain.

"Lily, please." James knew she was hurt. He knew she was embarrassed. He knew it was all his fault. He just needed to talk to her.

"Don't you understand? You humiliated me in front of basically the entire school! I know you have your badass reputation that won't be tarnished from this but I do! I'm not a cool, hot popular prankster who can do whatever the hell he wants, break any girls heart, and still have fucking groupies." Lily explained, walking possibly even faster than before.

James hadn't thought of that. And it was bullshit. She was completely correct, but it shouldn't be. She was definitely hotter and cooler than him, James thought. Why can he do stupid shit and she can't? Oh wait, because he's a guy.

"That's bullshit! It's true, and i so wish it wasn't. Lily, I will embarrass myself every day if it makes you listen to me. I'll fail to twerk in front of our school, I'll purposefully lose a quidditch match. Whatever you want. Just please talk to me."

"We have nothing to talk about. Your answer was pretty clear."

"Except it wasn't true. It just slipped out, I didn't mean it."

"Oh great, let your intuition decide. Maybe your intuition is right. There's goes another girl who's fallen for the stupid and ridiculous charms of James F. Potter. Doesn't matter how she thinks."

"Lily I'm begging you, hear me out. I don't care if you look at me, care, or even listen. But please do, I need to explain this."

Lily ran away, down a corridor with a dead end. The end of the hall was curved, with at least 10 doors that opened into empty rooms, closets and uninhabited offices. She ran in the first one she saw, James not seeing where she went.

Instead of going in all of the rooms to check if Lily was there, he just stood out in front of all of them. He humiliated her in front of everyone, the least he can do is make a cheesy confession of love in an empty hall.

"Okay, I have no idea what room you're in, but I need to talk to you. It honestly might be easier to not see your face. It'll be more like all the times I've practiced this to my mirror or the shower wall. Granted, those were my wedding vows, but same difference." James began. He was already rambling, nerves kicking in. He knew there was a real chance she could just reject him again, especially after what happened 15 minutes prior. But the glimmer of hope, the part of his mind that reminded him that she asked him out, was enough to make him keep going.

"Lily, the last thing I wanted to say was no. It was the exact opposite of everything I wanted to say. I'm just a crazy control freak and I planned every last second of how I would ask you out when you could actually say yes and then you were ballsy as shit and asked me out and my brain completely jumbled and I got confused about my plan not working. Of course I want to go to Hogsmeade with you. I want to go any and everywhere with you. I'd go to the bottom of the black lake with you, for you. I want to be with you, every day, as much as I can. Of course I do, I have since we were 11, Lils. I fell in love with you when I was a dumb little kid, but now I'm a dumb teenage boy who still is embarrassingly in love with a girl way out of his league. I know you may not feel this about me anymore, and I really don't blame you, but I need you to know what I really really care for you, Lily Evans. I care for you so damn much." James basically yelled so she could hear him through the walls.

Behind the large oak door James was directly in front of, Lily let out a small laugh, accompanied by a hiccup of tears and a genuine smile. She stood up, hand hovering over the door handle before finally opening it. James was opposite Lily, eyes fused shut by tears.

"Whatever it takes to make you believe me, I'll do. Whatever it is. I need you to believe me, I need you to forgive me because I cannot lose you Lily Evans, even if you're just a friend. I can't-"

"James."

"Please don't let this stupid mistake ruin everything because i would never be able to forgive myself. I'm just so sorry."

"James."

"I'm so, so sorry." He finally looked up. Lily was impossibly close to him, breathing in his every breath. Her hands found their way to his cheeks, holding him like he would shatter if she ever let go. She never wanted to let go.

"I forgive you." She whispered.

Their mouths moved even closer, James's arms looped loosely around her waist.

"Lily Evans, may I kiss you?" James asked. He always imagined initiating their first kiss, so he had to make up for the fact that he didn't.

"Please."

And so he did, and it was just as perfect as the first time. No, it was better. It was better. The kiss was vulnerable. It was an open heart, reaching in and giving it to the other. It was knowing that this wasn't a one off. The kiss said they're all in. For the long run. Until the very end.

When they pulled apart, one of James's wet eyelashes had found it's way to Lily's cheek. With a featherlight touch, he picked the eyelash off between her love-drunk giggles. The dark black eyelash rested on the tip of his finger, waiting to be blown away.

"You have to make a wish." Lily smiled at the boy in front of her.

"I wish to go to Hogsmeade with Lily Evans this weekend." He smiled back before blowing the eyelash away forever.

"Well, you're actually not supposed to say your wish out loud, it means it won't come true." Lily said matter-of-factly.

"After all this, was that a rejection?" James laughed.

"Oh, we're definitely going to Hogsmeade together. But I needed to give you a taste of your own medicine, honey." Lily stood on her tiptoes and kissed his cheek.

a/n
about 30 seconds into dating and the pet names are strong. Short chapter of our favorite disasters getting together, about 1400 words, sorry it's so short. also,yes, i abandoned this book for 5 months. I've been lacking inspiration to write fanfics recently but i think it's creeping back up. also I was slightly preoccupied binge-watching heartstopper 4 times since it came out and then it subsequently taking over my entire life. If there are typos or anything I'm so so sorry I'll fix it in the morning. I would be asleep if it weren't for this love and cates brother (both fan fucking tastic go listen to them). All of this to say, I'm sorry for the hiatus. And I love you all. Good night!
~ brynlee