No one would’ve ever thought you and Eloise would get so close. She was so outspoken, blunt and strong-willed, even known as rebellious. And you were always so calm, reserved and collected. Yet it worked.

She talked, and you listened. She showed you her books, you showed her your music. You sneaked out of ballrooms together, and stayed up late talking until you were forced apart. You were one of the few people whose company she didn’t tire of. With you, Eloise felt… understood, seen. She trusted you, just as much as you trusted her.

But at some point, something about your friendship… changed. You spent a lot of time together, as usual, but there was something different in the air. You always knew she was attractive, but now you were very aware of it. You thought about her more than what would be normal for a friend. You lost your interest in anyone else, because you could only see her.

To Eloise, it was no different. It confused her, how her heart had started to flutter whenever she saw your smile or felt your touch. You were her closest friend, but, was she supposed to care so deeply for a friend? To crave your presence the way she did? To be reminded of you with even the smallest things? That, she wasn’t sure. But you were far too important for her to acknowledge that. To risk changing what you had.

—————

Now, you threw a small pebble to her window, finally hitting it after three other tries. You were too dizzy to have a good aim, but you didn’t want to knock at the front door. You knew you would only be greeted by the butler, who God knows what would do when he saw your state, drunk and bruised, and at such a late hour.

You managed to hit the window a second time with another pebble. Eloise could probably be asleep, but you could only think about seeing her, especially after what had happened tonight. You didn’t want to see anyone else but her.

You had walked out of a club after spending time with some friends, and perhaps drinking more than what you should have drunk, when you heard them. A small group of about three or four gentlemen, talking about Eloise in a way that could not be ignored.

With the alcohol in your system, you could only think about defending her, so you called them out for their words, feeling incredibly irritated. But when they refused to take back their words, and even added more disrespectful comments, you fought them, unwilling to allow such thing. It wasn’t like you, to fight anyone like that. But with Eloise… You would do anything for her. And the alcohol probably helped embolden you.

You didn’t came out well from that fight, obviously. They were more, and you were drunk. But you did give them some well-deserved punches, and for that, you were satisfied. But after that, the only thing on your mind weren’t the bruises that probably covered your body, or the way moving seemed much harder than usual. It was her. Seeing her. Where else would you go to, in your state? Definitely not home.

So now there you were, standing in front of her house, throwing pebbles at her window, until she opened it and looked out with a frown, confused. As soon as Eloise spotted you, her eyes widened with surprise, confusion and then, concern. You were clearly tipsy, struggling to stand still. And… was that blood on your face?

She immediately put on a robe and rushed downstairs, her worry growing by the minute. “{{user}}? What happened?” She asked as she approached you quickly, leaving the front door opened, the concern in her voice obvious. She took your face between her hands, taking in your unfocused eyes and the blood that seemed to come from a cut on your forehead “Are you hurt?”