"My my Uriah Jones you have certainly grown up." Margaret was looking at Uriah in awe.

He had really grown up.

Yes, in the last four years she occasionally saw him at the movies or ran into him at the supermarket. They lived in a relatively small town so it was bound to happen but those were merely run ins.

Now she had finally gotten a good look at him and understood why he caught people's eyes.

Especially her daughter's.

"I'm going to take that as a compliment Miss,"

"Martin, but you call me Margaret. And of course you're going to take that as a compliment honey. I'm sure you own a mirror."

A boyish smile formed Uriah's lips. "Thank you."

Margaret extends the door for Uriah to enter and he does so.

Putting her earring on, she looks at Uriah. "I'm sure you're here for Honor. I'm going out with some of my work friends. There's money on the counter if you order anything. I hope you're all in one piece when I return."

"Considering Honor and I like each other I doubt she'll do heavy damage."

Margaret gapes. "The girl did tell me you kissed her but honestly I had a hard time believing that it wasn't just a dream."

"Honor's that open huh?

"Oh she tells me everything. Had to after she got arrested, which is a story for another time and if I know my daughter I know we'll be seeing each other often." Margaret smiles and opens the door to exit.

"Have a nice night Maragret."

"Well aren't you just chirpy chatty with my mama."

As Uriah turns around to put a face to the voice heard in what he thought was the empty living room, he meets eyes with Honor.

"We need to talk." Uriah says.

"No shit."

"Yes shit, can you believe that?" Sarcasm drips in Uriah's tone.

Honor fakes excitement and slaps her forehead. "Oh the wonders of the world!"

"Truly magnificent." Uriah crosses his arms and raises both of his eyebrows.

Honor mirrors his actions.

"We really need to talk." She breaks the silence.

"No sh-"

"Yeah, we're not doing that again." She raises a finger. "You wanna talk? Talk." Honor plops down on the couch. "I'm here to listen because if I recall correctly, I've done enough talking, I think it's your turn."

"I over analyze situations because I'm scared of what will happen if I'm not prepared for it. I'm not a cookie cutter guy Honor. But walking in the wild side is not for me either. I hold in a lot. When I'm upset, I don't really like to tell anyone. Especially the person that made me feel that way. No matter how much someone asks, the answer will always be 'I'm fine'. Even if it's not true. I'm such a surface level person." Uriah shuts his eyes and licks his lips.

"What's going up here," He gently taps his fingers against his forehead. "Nobody really knows."

"And that is okay. But not when you should express feelings." Honor advises.

"All I want in life is find out what I fit into, what category I'm cut out for. What's my label." Uriah takes a seat on the couch but there is a lot of distance between them.

"Because in all honestly? Most of the time I don't know what I feel. I don't know how to say I feel broken without feeling needy. Or how I hate surprises because it makes me feel like I owe someone something. I don't know how to open up without feeling judged."

"It's fine if you feel broken because one day you will be okay."

"How do you know that?"

"Because nothing is temporary. The fact that you came all the way over here is just showing progress that you wanted to open up, to feel and show emotion."

"It sound easy coming from someone like you." Uriah bitterly comments and the words sting Honor.

"Why do you say that?" Honor tries to sound calm and cool.

"Because you have it all figured out. You're the girl who convinced her parents to come back. Convinced me that she changed. And actually convinced herself to change."

Honor takes a deep breath. "That does not mean I have it all figured out. We all have demons Uriah. I choose not to focus on them."

"Oh, so I'm an idiot for choosing to?"

"That is not what I meant and you know that."

"Do I really? How can you possibly be so sure you know that? That you know me? Are you sure you even like me? Or is this just another trick to make me life miserable?"

Honor knew how Uriah was when he chose to be mean and bitter, but she knew he did because he wanted to push people away.

"You can completely think that. Or you can trust me. Even my thirteen year old self wouldn't do that Uriah."

"I tried so hard to get better, to get over this feeling, to forget it all and move on and I thought I was getting to a point where I could say I was feeling happier. And you made me feel and think that. So that's the problem."

"What?"

"If I'm going to fight my demons, I have to do it by myself." Uriah jumps to his feet so he's standing in front of Honor. "And I want you by my side. I'm sorry Honor but if I want to be with another person I have to be my own person first. I just need and want to figure myself out before doing whatever it is we want to do."

Honor slowly stands up. Her brows are furrowed and her lip is wedged between her teeth.

She slides her arms up Uriah's shoulders so her fingers are locked behind his neck.

"And what excatly is this whatever we want to do?"

Holding her by the waist. "You know very well what it is. But it also means none of this." He gently pushes her away.

"You know my feelings for you and I'm sure you're going to use them to you advantage. But until that, no Honor. We're doing this the right way. So no stolen kisses or things like that. We're friends that are pushing  their feelings aside for a while."

"How long excatly?"

"You waited four years. Doesn't hurt to wait a little longer."

"Oh me? I can contain myself. Honestly just worried about you." Honor flips her hair.

Pressing their foreheads together, Uriah kisses the corner of her mouth, leaving a trail of sparks behind.

"How do you feel about pineapple pizza?"

And that's when the moment is ruined and Honor smacks his arm hard.

They we're going to be okay.

-

So happy with this chapter, you don't even know.