A/N: I'm so sorry for the late update—I really am. For those of you who have waited all night, I'm really sorry :'( This is for all of you. And I still can't look at my 200k reads because I think I'll cry when I look at it X'D. Enjoy.

Chapter 21: What matters, and Something awaited.

[Chip]

When I heard the crushing sound that shook my anxiety, I felt my eyes widen in fear; and my heart stopped altogether.

"Xander?"

"Xander—"

"What the hell was that crack about?"

The referee was blowing his whistle at Blake's signal for time out. There was this unknown force that seemed to propel me towards Xander, and the desperation to hear his voice and confirm that everything was okay heightened to a maximum.

Everyone was directing their curses at the other participant of Ashton High. I couldn't see much (short), but I knew that everyone's attention wasn't really on the right person.

Breaking through the crowd, my legs carried themselves towards the only person I seemed to see. The voices and sounds were blurred—as if I was in a dream.

I crashed into the sand beside Xander, who was sitting up.

"Xander? Are you—" My fingers passed his hand gently but he winced from the small touch.

"No, don't worry. I'm fine; just a...dislocation."

Blake, Xander's team mate, was ordering the medics over. I glanced around anxiously, searching for water.

A-A dislocated finger...? That's bad—that would mean he can't practice for weeks and...and with his competitions and all, he would be really upset.

"Xander, you're going to be okay right?" I asked unintelligently. Of course he wasn't going to be okay, his face showed signs of distress, and he had the back of his uninjured hand over his eyes, shielding the sunlight.

His teeth were sunk deep in his lips, as if trying to force down the pain. "I'm fine," He smiled shortly.

My heart wrung like a wet towel, and my chest ached so badly.

"I'm fine," He repeated, trying to give the usual smirk he always had.

The beat of my heart stopped for the second time of the day when I felt something warm encase my hand.

Tearing my gaze away from Xander's face, I registered another hand grasping mine.

It was firm, but strangely gentle.

Xander's fingers moved to fill the spaces between mine, and he squeezed.

The whole scene was in chaos, with several of the Ashton High supporters backing up their team. In the background, I heard shouts, shrieks, profanities, orders, the blasting of the speakers as the announcer tried to stop everyone—but that was the background.

For everything really didn't seem to matter anymore.

I never believed it when fairy tales said that love was foolish, stupid, blind, that it would actually matter most to people.

But really.

The spaces between my fingers are right where his fit perfectly.

And that was all that mattered.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

The medics arrived quickly, and they escorted Xander to the first-aid tent for further treatment.

My hands fell by my sides—slightly empty.

"Hey, Chip right?" A voice sounded beside me. I turned around and raised my gaze to find Blake.

It took me a while to realize that I had not responded.

"Y-Yes?" I said dazedly.

"I'll be checking in on Xander—they'll allow me into the tent because I'm a teammate. Want me to convey a message or anything?" Blake asked, concerned.

"U-Um...it's fine, I...I just want to see him. Will it be okay?" I looked up at Xander's teammate—who practically towered over me just like Xander did.

Blake's gaze adverted mine, and he glanced around awkwardly. "Um...I'm not sure 'bout that. I'll try."

I smiled, and thanked him with a small bow.

Blake returned the smile and jogged towards the tent—leaving behind a messy situation.

No one seemed to be listening to the announcements made, and even the match between the two other schools next to us stopped—and stared.

It was a complicated moment whereby no one knew exactly what they should be doing or how they should continue. I spotted Kim among the crowd, flipping a middle finger at another Ashton High student.

Jack was up in the stands, looking bored.

I stood in the middle of the court, thinking about Xander.

And only Xander.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

After the competition committee finally got everyone to settle down (including the players), they announced that the entire final round was to be cancelled due to 'disruptions'. Which meant that there were two winners—Ashton High and Rivendell.

Though there were complaints by the Coach of our opponents (saying that they could very well find a substitute and forget about the intentional injury), the committee seemed very much decided about it.

The atmosphere was filled with fierce tension, and everyone accepted the victory with clenched teeth and balled fists. The majority of our school had their attention on the Ashton participant who had appeared to be rather miffed about the results.

He seemed to be arguing and reasoning with the referee that Xander's injury wasn't a big deal and that even he could play with a broken finger.

W-Wait, wasn't that...the guy who was with Vicky just now?

"Yeah right, I'll give him one." Kim hissed beside me. Jack sighed.

I bit my lip, forcing down my disappointment—and strangely, slight anger.

It was an unusual feeling to be angry.

Your chest gets all hot and tight, and your head pounds with fire—but it's never a good feeling.

That's why I didn't like to get angry.

But then again, Vicky made me feel all of that once so...

I pushed her out of my mind, and back to the benches, where the referee was.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw someone wearing an Ashton High varsity jacket make his way over.

He went up to the referee and began to talk softly.

Ace?

His teammate frowned suddenly, and then he was shoving Ace away.

"Fuck off!" He snarled strangely; somewhat with a nervous disposition, thrusting Ace to the ground in front of the referee.

A murmur swept the stands, and several people frowned in confusion.

Ace's face was contorted briefly, then composed.

In the next moment, he propelled himself off the ground and drew his arm back—

My eyes squeezed shut automatically, only hearing the firm impact of his fist connecting.

"You deserved it!" Ace spat, and when I opened my eyes, his chest was heaving—fist still drawn back for another punch.

All at once, it escalated into a full-grown fist-fight.

Vicky's friend roared, and I almost jumped. His fist landed square in Ace's face.

My hand instantly flew to my mouth as I felt something rise from my throat at the sight of blood trickling out of Ace's lip.

His blood spattered, mixing with grains of sand as the referee finally got between the two, shoving them far apart.

"You," He pointed to Ace, "to the first-aid room."

"You—with me!"

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

I sat on the benches outside the first-aid tent, waiting for Blake.

Alone.

Kim told me that she was going to give the Ashton participant a lesson—and Jack went to help the other guys prepare the barbeque for the beach after-party.

Which was supposed to be a celebration for their victory.

Then again—with Xander's injury and Blake's worry—what was there to celebrate?

Perhaps they really wanted to have a party, win or lose.

Or maybe they just wanted to have a chance to talk to Xander.

Haa, I really think too much. I placed my head in my hands, feeling tired already.

.

Hearing the rustling of the tent flap, and my head snapped up instantly—a smile coming along. But the edges of my lips ceased its movement when I saw that it wasn't the person I was hoping to see.

"Hey..." Ace started, smiling when he saw me.

I sighed, cheerful demeanor faltering quickly.

"Hi..."

Vicky's brother chuckled, "Sorry if I wasn't the one you wanted to see." He smiled sadly.

Shaking my head, I glanced up at him and returned the smile. "I-It's not like that..."

He shrugged, and took a seat beside me. "Nah, I understand how you feel. Besides, my teammate was being an asshole," Ace's head lowered, "I didn't know he was going to do that."

My chest clenched tightly in guilt.

"U-Um...it's not your fault Ace," I placed a tentative hand on his back, trying to comfort him.

"It was. It was. I agreed. I said that we should change positions when I knew...I knew that he's that sort of person—"

A man in the committee uniform approached us and motioned for Ace to follow him.

It must have something to do with the cancellation of the match...

The blonde beside me sighed. "I'll be right back."

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

Blake finally emerged from the first-aid tent a few minutes after Ace left, and I stood up immediately, going straight to him to ask about Xander.

"Don't worry lil' guy, he's fine. Just a couple of bandages so far—but he still has difficulty breathing so he can't talk too much."

I nodded. "I-Is he going to recover soon?"

"Yup. No worries, like I said. Though I think the defeat got him worse," Blake laughed.

My head tilted to the side. "What do you mean?"

Xander's teammate sighed. "The referee deemed it null. Though we were obviously winning, he counted it as a draw. Our hard work was for nothing."

I felt my shoulders droop in disappointment and my face must have shown my disbelief because Blake smiled and slapped me on the back.

I stumbled forward a little from the impact.

"Don't worry. It's fine. Really..."

"Look, I'll go tell Xander you're here. I think he's okay to move about just a little," Blake added, holding open the tent flap.

"R-Really? Thank you so much!!" I grinned breathlessly, sprits soaring.

"No prob," Blake's words turned into a soft mumble, "You're all he's been talking about anyway."

My face burned fiercely.

.

"Hey! I'm back," A voice called out from behind.

Oh! It's Ace again...

"Hi! Um...welcome back?"

Ace laughed.

"So how did you find that game? Did you see..."

I wasn't very sure what he said after that—because my mind wasn't anywhere near the conversation.

Probably swept by the sea breeze, underneath the ocean, again—lost in the sea.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

[Xander]

The bandage and support I had over my finger was fucking annoying—and so was the pounding headache I had. The twisting ache in the muscle connected to my finger felt positively weird.

A bitter aftertaste of half-defeat left me dissatisfied; not to mention the moment when one of the medics performed several stretches and pulls on my hands that made it crack several time—including my finger made it all worse.

In contrast, my captain sauntered back into the tent with a mocking smirk on his face.

"Dude, cutie pie's waiting for you outside," He jerked a thumb towards the entrance of the tent.

I raised an eyebrow.

"Cutie pie? Who said you could call him that?"

Blake rolled his eyes. "Just get your annoying ass there. He's been waiting for you for like—more than an hour."

"Be right back," I said instantly—chest swelling at the thought.

Throwing on my shoes and the varsity jacket, I crossed the tent in a couple of strides without a waste of time. I just really wanted to see my angel.

"Take your time, but watch that hand!"

I lifted the flap eagerly, exiting the first-aid tent.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"Hey Angel—"

My words were stuck in my throat.

My smile disappeared completely.

What the fuck is that guy doing? Why is he talking to Chip?

The Ashton kid was sitting on a bench beside Chip, and he was telling him something—almost whispering into his ear.

He actually looked shy.

But Chip had a strange expression on his face. He looked surprised, disappointed, and confused at the same time.

When the bastard finally straightened up and stopped his whispering, he smiled hopefully—as if begging for acceptance.

My angel's eyes lost focus, and then he lowered his head.

What did he tell him?

Ah, fuck this.

I crossed the distance between the tent and the bench, gaze burning the Ashton kid. When I approached, the pair's heads jerked up at the sudden presence, and I swear, I saw that guy blush!

He fucking blushed!

I tried to contain my pent up rage and annoyance at the flea beside my angel, directing my gaze to Chip.

"Hey, you were waiting for me?" It wasn't a question—I just wanted to make Ace feel it; jealousy.

"U-Un!" My angel stood up immediately, going over to my side. The flea had a look in his eyes which I saw too often, and honestly, it annoyed the hell out of me.

"Xander? Are you sure you shouldn't be in a cast or something?" Chip asked softly, examining the splint on my finger with a concerned look that made him cuter.

Running my other hand through his soft hair, I told him that it was simply just a finger dislocation and a torn ligament. "I'll be fine. Just a couple of visits to the hospital in the near future," I laughed to indicate that it was no big deal.

His eyes softened. "Okay, b-but you should get some ice at least—"

I didn't wait for him to finish, turning towards the sea as the rush of an urge took hold of my mind.

"Come walk with me," I smirked, gently taking Chip's hand in mine as I led him away from Vicky's brother.

"E-Eh? But—"

"No buts," I winked, and we made our way to the shoreline in comfortable silence; with Chip occasionally checking my injured hand like the worrier he was.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

"The sky's really pretty, it's kinda like...lavender!" My angel smiled to no one in particular—and I wondered whether it was simply just the sound of the ocean lapping against the shore; the faint gulls in the distance; or really just his voice that made the moment seem surreal.

"Yeah."

Chip's gaze wandered to our interlocked fingers, and his face lit up in a bright shade of coral red—resembling the sky's tinge.

And then he looked away shyly.

"What did that guy say to you?"

Chip turned to me—expression somewhat in fear.

"U-Um...it's nothing much...really," His fingers played with the hem of his shirt nervously.

I leaned down to catch his attention; and he tilted his head up tentatively so that our gazes matched.

"Just tell me."

My angel shook his head, biting his lip anxiously. "H-He said he'll tell you soon."

I frowned, and then raised a brow.

"He said that?"

"Um, yeah..."

"I don't like it," I admitted with a low growl, "but if you say so."

The waves rolled gently across our bare feet, and Chip bent down occasionally to pick up a seashell or two—beaming at the sight of them littered across the shore.

"Chip?"

"Y-Yes?"

I think it was hard to see my expression, especially because my back was facing the sunset. But what caught me was the fact that I myself—couldn't identify the warm and fuzzy feeling in my chest.

But then again, that's always the case, isn't it?

Happy? Nervous? Excited? Longing? Sadness? Frustration—for this emotion; a beautiful monster that seemed to threaten to burst out of my very being in pained joy—

"Do you like me?"

My angel blushed hard, and it was clear as day—because at the angle he was looking up at me, I could see everything.

"W-What? Of...of course I like you...everyone likes—"

"You know what I mean."

Chip was silent. And for that moment, I couldn't seem to hear the crashing of the waves on the shore; or the birds above; or the faint house music coming from the after-party.

Just the abnormal beating of my heart.

Loud. Calling.

Chip's head lowered, and the words flowed softly out of his parted lips. "I think...maybe...I might...you know...love...? I think...I-I...just...kind of...like you...more than a friend...? I think..."

I face-palmed internally, couldn't help but think how cute he was.

What's this?

A hurtful, soaring feeling;

Almost like nostalgia—

But stronger than any other feeling I've ever experienced.

"Then do you think I like you?"

My angel seemed startled by the question as he was before, and he glanced up at me—then at our interlocked fingers.

"I-I...well...yes...? Um wait no...I-I think so...? Never mind I don't know..." His cheeks heated adorably and he couldn't bring himself to look me in the eye.

I felt the sides of my lips turn up in a playful smirk.

"After all those hints? Come on...you know the answer."

Chip's eyes widened when he finally realized what I meant.

"H-Huh? So...eh? You?" His finger pointed at me, and then at him. "X-Xander? Likes...me?"

"Took you long enough," I laughed.

His lips parted in awe or shock—I didn't know, but he blushed all he same.

"No way," He whispered.

I felt like laughing and scolding him at the same time.

What? He didn't even have a clue for these past, like—4 months??

Releasing the lock on our fingers, I grabbed his shoulders, turning him to face me.

His big blue orbs were wide, and he looked just as beautiful close up.

Leaning in, I kissed him on the forehead.

"Yes way?" I chuckled.

*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*

A/N: I wonder if confessions still go like this nowadays XD Kind of delusional, don't you think so? Or maybe it's just the fact that Love is really blind anyway.

How did you like the new chapters so far? :D I hope it's better than the previous one. The next new chapter has some "action" fufu so get yourself ready!

I also have no idea how to thank every single one of you for going with me on this journey—if you were here from the start (where there was nothing between Xander and Chip), and you're still here, know that you have really moved my heart. Like it literally. Moved.

So thank you, and I will be doing an extra chapter for you fans. Though I would like you guys to decide on what to read. I did have some feedback that I should continue the Valentine's Special (you know the one with the bunny and the wolf ;D) or that maybe I should just make one chapter about how Vicky gets cut up into tiny pieces. Up to you :) please comment on your preferred choices!

-Cuppiecake.

I really, really, think that I love you guys—because every time I see 1 read, 1 vote, 1 comment, 1 message—anything—I'll have this warm, fuzzy feeling in my chest. Like literally—I'm in love.