In the time it took her to clean herself up — and it was the least graceful thing she’d done that evening, tossing the sheets aside with a crinkling of her nose — he had registered her surprise.
She wasn’t quite sure she’d registered it, either. How he’d said it, and how she was horrified — but..happy, somehow, at the same time. She didn’t know whether she accepted it, returned it. Chell had not been heavily learned in the field of affection: whenever she’d loved, she’d lost.
Perhaps that was why she had been so apprehensive about what he’d just said. Apparently, though, she returned the affection: because her throat constricted when she noticed that he was— frantic.
Frantically apologizing, frightened he’d did something wrong. Leaning on her hands, she watched him with wide eyes and a slightly ajar mouth, unsure of what to say. How to say it. When they’d been moving together, it had been on the tip of her tongue. I love you, Wheatley, but she hadn’t let it leave her lips.
When he scooted away from her and ducked his face into his knees, ashamed of himself, she raised her hands — working her jaw for something to say. Maybe she did care, maybe she did love him, maybe she—
She drew in, close, resting her hands on his forearms. “Wheatley,” She started, voice weak and quiet. “I didn’t—mean it like that, you didn’t do anything,” Here, she hesitated, going to cup his face in her hand.
“You were perfect, a-and— me, too,” She confessed, feeling particularly vulnerable. More so than moments before.
“…I love you, too,”
All he could hear was his own hitched breaths, fighting back tears to the point where he was chomping down on his tongue now. Chell was being too silent for his liking, and his terror was continuously increasing as the seconds passed by. Deep down he almost felt like there should be no reason for him to be this scared, because he knew that his girlfriend was very understanding and always saw the good in him— but his brain was telling him that this was the final straw, that he had pushed too far and broke the limit on how close they were right now. It had only been a little over a month, and he all ready droppeed the words on her. He felt horrible, knowing how Chell felt about this kind of thing, how she was scared of love because of her past.
He was shaking his head in his knees, mostly to himself and his own thoughts. How could he have been so stupid!! But, just then, he felt a warmth grow closer to him, and fingers curl over his cheeks, cupping his face. Chell was right against him now, and he looked up, still resting against those gentle digits that always played with his hair and ears. His vision was foggy from the tears that refused to fall- but he could still see her face. See that she was indeed understanding in this moment, and that she was beginning to talk to him.
Wheatley took in every word the other spoke to him, and some thing in his chest felt like it hiccupped and flipped. She was quiet, and her words were laced with affection that he hadn’t heard in such a long time. But… then she said it too. She told him that she loved him, just as he had told her not five minutes prior. His crystal blue eyes widened, lips parting slightly as his stress suddenly melted away into nothingness. It all felt so clear now— so calm, so warm and relaxing.
“L-luv… I- I just…” he stumbled over his words, his mouth almost feeling dry. The fact that she had said it back forced so many emotions to surge through him that he almost wasn’t sure how to handle it. Suddenly he had thrown his arms around her, and burried his face into her neck, losing himself amongst the tangles of chocolate-brown locks.
“I love you, s-so much..!” His body shook with tears once again, but of a completely opposite emotion.
She could see the terror in his eyes flee when she returned the sentiment — and she felt a wave of relief wash over her, one that calmed the trembling fingers that roamed his face.
The fear, it was gone. It was replaced by something else; something like surprise mixed in with relief, mixed in with everything else. It reflected in his gaze and was multiplied by his words when he stuttered. “Whea—” She started, but was promptly cut off by how he threw his arms around her, shoving himself as close as possible.
Her words were left to hang in the air when he confessed he loved her - so much. Stomach knotting, she went to duck her head into his shoulder as well, absentmindedly kissing at the bare skin. “I love you, too,” Arms knitting around him, she sighed contentedly. “Calm down, though. I’m right here. Not leaving, alright…?”
