"So," Will mutters after a while of tense silence between us in the kitchen, preparing breakfast together. "Nora and you... for how long have you known each other?"

"Nora and I?" I ask back, surprised that he'd inquire about that and with such serious expression instead of his usual teasing one. "Hmm almost all our lives. I mean, since I moved here with my parents."

"No wonder you're best friends," he comments next, too focused on setting the table properly. "You're really close."

"Well, she's the only real friend I have. It's not like I'm asocial and can't make more friends, but I don't trust people easily. Since I was young, kids approached me because I had a big house, the best toys and such. Even parents told their kids to befriend me out of convenience, so I knew they weren't being honest," I tell him, finding easy to share with him such things instead of just battling with the tension and anxiety between us.

"That must've been sad."

I shrug, still helping to set the table. "I guess, not sure. Having Nora always helped me not to mind the other kids. I played with them and had fun, but at the end of the day I always knew I only had Nora."

I look up and meet his eyes that watch me so carefully.

"When you grow up like me, knowing one day such big company will be under your care, you learn that everyone is a potential foe. Your misery is someone else's gain, so you can't expose your back for them to stab you. You ought to be careful of everyone. Having someone you fully trust is such a blessing and when you find someone, you can never let them go."

"That's Nora to you," he guesses and I nod my head, smiling.

"She's that person who puts me first and will always hold my hand when times are rough. We have each other and if I hadn't had her when my father passed away, I'm sure I wouldn't have made it through."

"What kind of man was your father?" he asks next and I can't battle my own smile.

"He was the best. Sure, he had his flaws but they were heavily outweighed by his virtues from my point of view. He loved me the best and always wanted me to be happy, but he always kept me with my feet on the ground, reminding me that what we had was his hard work. Once, he had nothing and because he never gave up he could now give me everything." My chest feels tight and my heart heavy at the memories, because even if I'm okay, that doesn't mean I don't miss him. "He always worked hard and was honest, because success means nothing if you don't earn it fairly. That's what he always told me. He always showed me his love and how important I was for him. He taught me everything he knew, saying he believed I was the only one who could look after what he created."

"Sounds like a good man, indeed," he agrees and his smile is honest.

"He was. I miss him a lot and it's such a shame he left me so soon... his leave means a hole in my chest that'll never be whole again." I look up at him, his eyes look troubled and I remember that he doesn't have parents, they gave him up and he is an orphan like every other kid in the Dream House. He lost parents he never even got to met. That breaks my heart for him

"What about your mum?" he asks then, and I can notice the inflection in his voice is different, as if the words were hard for him to utter.

"After the divorce we grew distant. I saw her once a year and we talk occasionally, but I guess she chose her own happiness away from us. I understand her and don't blame her, don't get me wrong, I mean if you don't look after yourself who else will? Still, she made a choice that put an ocean between us, literally, so it's no surprise we're not close."

"How are they doing about this current situation?" he asks next and I look down, my body tense because guilt is such a heavy and bitter feeling.

"I don't know. I am not allowed to contact them and Nora doesn't want to tell me, because I'm sure Louise has told her about them." I play with the tableware in my hands, focusing all my attention on them to keep me from being knocked over by my own emotions. "I know they keep me from doing that to protect myself and them, if I contact them it's too dangerous and it means involving even more people in this whole charade. I feel already terribly for involving you all."

"Blanca," he calls and I only notice he moved when he's standing next to me, his hand on my shoulder, gently coaxing me to turn and look at him. "We're helping because we want to, nevertheless, I'm sorry you can't contact your family and you're alone here."

"I have Nora," I remind me, swallowing the lump in my throat. "If I didn't have her I would've lost my mind, I'm sure of it." I try to smile, lightening the mood but he doesn't look at ease, just more worried. "Imagine how annoying it would've been for you dealing with me when I was a total looney?"

He chuckles this time, his other hand on my other shoulder, sliding to my arms in a comforting gesture.

"It would've been hard, I bet," he agrees, smiling faintly.

"You can thank Nora for keeping me sane, then," I add, smiling brighter.

"You two are like a married couple."

I step back at that, looking at him as if he lost his mind. "Eiii!" I exclaim. "That's incest. Ew! Nora and I are like sisters. She's family to me. How can you even suggest it? Ew!"

He looks a bit taken aback as if my reaction surprised him when, come on, it's the only natural thing considering our relationship.

"I mean, you two are just... like for instance this morning when I went to wake you up. It's like you two gravitate around each other and are just so natural, as you two belonged together," he mumbles and... is Will blushing? He even casts his gaze away, embarrassed.

Oh. My. God.

"That's because we've known each other forever! We lean on each other and know the other best. Of course it's natural, we've grown up together and are really like family. I think our blood will mutate and make us actually blood related. If it weren't like that it'd be so weird! Being close doesn't make you romantically involved or interested in each other, that's so narrow minded!" I laugh, I can't help it and that makes him blush even harder. "Don't tell me you're jealous," I tease him, finally understanding why he enjoys pushing me so much. It is fun to see how he blushes even more and looks at me with wide eyes for being caught. It's thrilling.

"What? Me?" I keep nodding, bitting my lips together not to grin too widely. "Of Nora?"

"No, of Heidi," I roll my eyes. "Of course of Nora."

"I— um..." he mumbles, looking away, letting his hands fall free at his sides. I step closer, invading his personal space, looking for his eyes. He leans back, trying to keep distance but I don't allow it.

"Guillermo, I totally caught you," I mumble, wanting to laugh but holding it in.

"So? It's not a crime to be jealous. You two are just too close and it's like no one can approach you when you're together. So what if I'm jealous?"

I give him a break and step back, giving him his personal space back, but my grin doesn't fade.

"Nothing, it's just funny that you're jealous of her. I guess you like me a lot more than you should."

I turn around, feeling smug for having the upper hand this time and be the one teasing him. It feels nice that I'm not always the one being the victim.

"Is that wrong?" he asks softly. "What if I like you a lot?"

I freeze then because his voice is different, serious, determined. I don't move, as if I were waiting for the moment he says he's joking or just teasing me, but that never comes so I turn slowly to look at him over my shoulder. His expression is as serious as his voice sounds, his eyes intent.

"Are you asking that for real or is it a rhetoric question?" I mumble, and he nods his head.

"I'm asking you for real," he states and I have to swallow the lump in my throat.

"I guess... I guess it would just be ironic, considering we're basically enemies," I remind him. "Do you want to make a remake of Romeo and Juliet? No offence, but I don't like the idea of dying because of fleeting feelings. I have enough of clichés with the whole evil stepmother thing."

"We don't have to be enemies," he reminds me. "We can work together and understand each other."

"You hate my kind," I tell him, just a fact I've known before I even met him.

"I don't have to hate your kind. Hatred comes from ignorance and misunderstanding, because you don't know the other and fail at accepting them."

I can't refute that, most of the problems today come from that ignorance and misunderstanding. Hatred between people, fights, wars... they are all due to people who can't solve their differences with words and refuse to accept and acknowledge the other's value. Being enemies is a choice, and as a choice, it can be changed. Will is right.

"Can't you teach me and make me understand your world? You say I see the world in black and white, so why don't you teach me about the grey pallet of colours?" he asks. "I can teach you about my side. If we understand each other, if we work together, isn't that better for both of us?"

I watch him, stunned and moved at the same time.

If we work together, if I manage to understand what's important to him and he understands what's important to me, if we find middle ground, could that really help us both? I've said before that as he's the one who wants me to change, he's the one who should approach. But even if he does his best, if I don't want to change then everything will stay the same. I need to be willing to, I need to also take a step towards change and realise that although I'm doing my best, maybe there's an even better way.

"You think we can do that?" I ask him. I see a smile turning at the corners of his mouth, his eyes also soften as he steps closer, standing in front of me.

"Of course," he replies. "I want to understand you better, know you better so I can accept you as you are. Will you do the same for me?"

I keep staring at him, my emotions an overwhelming tornado inside. I more than once said he was just a guy filled with white guilt, still plagued with his coloniser attitude, wanting to make others copy his way, colonising all over again like the people before him did to people of colour like us, because in their eyes other's people's ways are wrong and theirs are better. I realise it's not just like that. Even if he's white and he can't get rid of his coloniser attitude, he is trying this time. Not to change me, but to understand me and my world, what's important to me. He wants to accept me and is asking the same from me. Just like Nora and I have embraced and accepted each other's cultures, he's proposing the same with our worlds and values.

I can't help thinking of how many conflicts would be solved if people stopped trying to make the other be like them and just accepted we are all different and are equally valuable because of it. If everyone tried to understand the other instead of judging them... it's not about copying, adopting, appropriating, forcing... it's about understanding and accepting the other as they are.

This is a precious chance, his attitude touches my heart and makes me feel so proud of him. As I watch him staring at me, a bit fearful but hopeful at the same time, taking such a big step to stop fighting and working together, not just imposing his views but wanting to see and comprehend my side and also letting me decide what to do, I realise this is the moment I start falling for him.

"You've got yourself a deal," I accept, smiling with a racing heart, finally seeing full force the potential of the man in front of me. Surely, he has a lot to learn and many flaws, but so do I and just like he said once, it just takes realising one's wrongdoings to change. I have to accept I'm as flawed and wrong as he is, if I want to improve.

He smiles, his shoulders relaxing as he lets go of the breath he was holding. I hold up my hand for a handshake. He looks at it for a second before smiling and grabbing it in his larger one, shaking it firmly and confidently.

"I look forward to getting to know you better," he whispers then.

"Likewise," I reply, smiling the same way, still holding his hand and getting just a bit lost in his eyes.

We have so much to learn from each other and I guess, inevitably, we'll get closer. I also really look forward to that.

❅ ❅ ❅

gif of G Dragon (from Big Bang) 'cos that smirk reminds me of Will... and his invasion of personal space, hehehe. Anyhow, I hope you enjoyed this chapter. I've always wanted to include this book in the Talk The POC but I have no idea how to do it. Well, I guess it does't matter, as long as someone is reading it and enjoying it.

Dedication to greenfourclover

Bel, xx
Remember you can follow me on twitter @BelWatson

~updates every Monday and Friday~
however, next week I'll be in the wilderness so I'm not sure I'll be able to update