Hearing the word "love" roll off of Sal's tongue was bittersweet. It was like taking a cold shower on a hot day. So relieving, so fulfilling, and yet so painful at the same time. This bold statement was enough to ease Violet of the worries that had been looming over her head for the past week, that was for sure. But, it also pained her to hear it. She truly didn't know if she could say it back. Sal was going to be crushed.

Violet had virtually no experience with dating. With the stress of being the "perfect student" for most of her life, she had no time for things like crushes and boyfriends. Although she'd asked Ash for advice, she still wasn't sure if her feelings toward Sal counted as a crush, let alone being in love with him.

She didn't realize how long she'd gone without responding until he finally spoke again.

"I-I'm sorry, I shouldn't have said that. That was stupid," he mumbled, releasing her hands and rubbing the back of his neck.

"No, no, it's not you. It's just...I don't know about this stuff, I guess."

"What do you mean?"

"I've never had a boyfriend or anything. I don't know what my feelings mean, let alone yours."

"Would it help you if I explained my feelings?"

"Y-Yeah, that would be nice."

Sal pulled his legs onto the bed and crossed them so that he was facing her. He reached for her waist and gave it a gentle turn to encourage her to mimick his actions, which she shakily did. Now, the teens sat face-to-face with watery eyes and their hearts beating alarmingly fast. 2 massive waves of both comfort and anxiety washed over them as they gazed at one another.

Sal knew the ball was in his court.

He took in a breath as he reached for Violet's hands again, lacing his fingers with her's. "Vi, I knew you were something special the moment I met you. You were the first person to look straight past the prosthetic and see me as just another guy. I know that doesn't seem like much to you but...shit, that felt so good."

A smile tugged at the corners of Violet's lips as she recalled her first encounter with Sal. She always thought his blue hair stood out more than anything about him. It became even more fascinating when she learned that it was his natural color and not a product of cheap box dye from the drugstore. At the time, his prosthetic was nothing more to her than a form of self-expression that she didn't understand yet. She had no reason to interrogate him about it, although she was rather tempted to at times.

"You never question me," he went on. "You never pry. You stood by my side, even when I was being an absolute douche bag to you. And to top it all off, you are the smartest, sweetest, and most beautiful girl I've ever met. You have it all, Vi. It'd be a damn crime not to love you."

Violet glanced down at their hands as she felt his grip tightening on her. So, this was love. Someone appreciating every positive quality she had and telling her she was beautiful even though her nose was a crooked, bloody, bandaged mess. All while he squeezed her hands.

Did this mean she was in love as well? She could fill a book with the things she liked about Sal by now. She liked his voice, the smooth texture of his skin, his hair, the way he smelled, and so much more. Admittedly, she also found him to be quite attractive. She liked that he didn't tower over her like Larry did, but was still taller than her. He wasn't too skinny nor too overweight. Sometimes, she could feel his muscles if she touched his arms. Not too shredded, but not too thin either. Everything about Sal was just right in her eyes. And yes, this included his prosthetic. It was a part of him. Any part of Sal Fisher was something worth admiring in her eyes.

When she looked back up at him, he offered a small smile. She'd gotten rather good at detecting one of Sal's smiles from behind his prosthetic. His eyes scrunched up just the smallest bit while the prosthetic shifted upwards on his face.

"Does this mean I'm your girlfriend now?" She blurted out, desperate to break the silence before it grew uncomfortable and ruined the moment. Although, she quickly realized that she ended up doing so with her ridiculous question.

Sal laughed and pulled her into a tight hug. "Not until I take you on at least one date."

"Like dinner and a movie?"

"Maybe."

Violet let herself lean onto his shoulder, barely able to take in his cinnamon smell through the gauze in her nose. She hadn't realized just how much she missed moments like this until now. It amazed her that she'd gone so long without it. That familiar warm, fuzzy feeling filled her body as she nuzzled her cheek into the crook of his neck, cautiously avoiding bumping her nose. She grasped the material of his shirt in her hands and squeezed as Sal began slowly swaying back and forth to an imaginary tune.

The girl's mind flashed back to the night of Larry's Halloween party. Sal rocked her just like this on the front steps. This was before he helped her up and danced with her until the ballots for the costume contest were counted. Sal was the first boy she'd ever danced with. He was her first everything. With the way things were going, he just might become her first boyfriend as well. Her heart fluttered at the very thought of it.

After a few minutes, Sal lowered his hands to her waist and slowly pulled away from her. She sighed in protest but obliged anyway. He cupped her face, staring into the depths of her soul with a gentle look in his eyes. The warmth of his hands on his cheeks made her want feel sleepy. She could fall asleep right now if she really wanted to.

"Hey," he said, his voice soft and soothing, "don't feel pressured to say anything you're not ready to, okay?"

Violet smiled as she leaned into one of his hands. "Okay, Sally."

"You wanna stay until my dad gets home?"

"Yes, please."