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April knows when she messes up. Even from a young age her moral compass was deeply rooted in her. Sometimes it was in the form of a bible, but most times it was in punishment. So there was no justification for the way that her heart broke when she saw the pain that she caused Sterling at the lock-in.
There was no justification for the way that Sterling knocked her off her feet in every way possible. For the way she felt dizzy every time they were close to each other. For the way that she craved to know every single part of her. It’s the type of infatuation that she used to scoff at in the theaters.
April Stevens doesn’t know much anymore. But what she does know in the moment she found out her father left her and her mother, is that the only thing she wanted was a hug from Sterling. So she leaves with a change of clothes and drives towards the Wesley household in hopes that the twins hadn’t left for school yet.
Blair is the one who opens the door.
April stands awkwardly, her desperation seeping through her. She wraps her arms around herself as if making herself smaller would save her from Blair’s judgement.
“I need to see Sterling now,” She chokes out, tears falling freely now. She sees the way that Blair glares at her, moving to slam the door in her face. Maybe she deserved it, all of it.
Maybe this was the universe’s way of getting back at her for being such a closed off bitch.
But then Sterling appears from behind Blair and props the door open with her hand. April forgets to breathe for a mere moment before she meets her gaze.
April notes that she’s been crying, she’s still wearing her sweatshirt from last night and her hair's a mess. But she looks so warm, so inviting. She’s about to open her mouth to say something when Sterling surges forward and pulls her closer, wrapping her arms tightly around April’s waist and burying her face in the crook of her neck.
She closes her eyes, allowing her other senses to rise.
The way Sterling breathes against her, the way she smells of peaches and a hint of lavender. All she can bring herself to do is to whisper sweet nothings as if it would somehow sooth the pain that she had caused.
And when they pull away from each other, she watches as Sterling and Blair share a second of attentiveness before Blair pushes past them to get to her car.
It was only after April allowed herself to be led up to Sterling’s room when the blonde allowed herself to break.
It all comes out at once in screaming colors. In a mix of Sterling crying and explaining the past year, April can’t help but feel so naive. She had been so selfish towards Sterling when there was so much going on in her life too.
So she sits there and watches Sterling cry. Her own threaten to fall but she holds them back because she feels so selfish.
She doesn’t blame Sterling for bringing her father in. If it wasn’t her it would’ve been someone else. Each time he had an outburst there was so much hatred in his eyes, but so much remorse after. April always forgave him because what else would she do other than pray for his salvation under the eyes of the lord.
April hands ache to hold Sterling when she explains everything that happened to her on the night of the lock-in. Turns out Team Wesley wasn’t perfect either.
“I’m sorry,” She finds herself whispering over and over again.
They sit in silence at the foot of the bed. Ellen’s probably wondering what happened to them by now. It was rare that both of the top fellowship students would skip the same day.
She tries not to think about the rumors that are probably running rampant about both of their families through the halls of Willingham.
She finds her courage again eventually, caressing Sterling’s cheek and gently tracing her face.
“I will never make you feel unwanted again Sterling Wesley,”
Sterling looks at her, tears threatening to spill. April’s gaze doesn’t falter, she just leans closer and rests her head on the blonde’s shoulder. She feels Sterling relax into her and sigh.
“Please don’t hurt me again,” She hears Sterling say after a moment of silence. And April feels like maybe she can breathe again.
They stay there for a while. Sterling’s fingers gently stroking April’s hair and April memorizing the way that her cheeks feel against Sterling’s collarbone.
When April looks up eventually she melts at how soft Sterling looks. She reaches out and traces her jaw, stopping at her lips. Her eyes flicker down and she can’t help but remember the way they felt against her own.
“April,” She hears and feels her name coming from Sterling’s lips.
April hums in acknowledgement as her gaze flickers upwards. Sterling moves into her space very intoxicatingly and leans in until their foreheads are resting against each other.
“Thank you,” Sterling breaths out in barely a whisper.
“For what?” April replies, her voice husky.
Sterling pauses for a moment as if she was trying to find the word. April just gently leans in and kisses her warm lips. She pulls away shakily and Sterling smiles at her softly, reaching over and tucking a strand of hair behind her ears.
“My parents won’t be back for a few days, they’re clearing up the mess that my aunt, my biological mom left behind,”
April nod, “Can I stay here, I think my mom’s staying with my grandparents right now,”
Sterling leaned in and kissed her again, “Yes please,”
Somehow April convinces Sterling to watch the Empire Strikes Back even though neither of them are even remotely paying attention to the television.
“This movie is so dumb.” Sterling whines for the sixth time. April laughs because she knows that the blonde is enjoying it. She just doesn’t want to admit that April was right.
“I guess you just aren’t sophisticated enough Sterl,” April teases. She wraps her arms around Sterling’s torso and hugs her close.
“We should take a nap instead,” Sterling mumbles into her shoulder.
And just as the coldness of the room creeps under Sterling’s shirt, April’s hands move around her middle, warm and inviting. Their bodies mold together and April forgets why she was cold in the first place.
“I bet you’re tired,” April murmurs when Sterling’s head lolls onto her shoulder.
“You’re just warm,” She replies with a sigh.
And maybe April finds herself smiling as they drift off into a peaceful slumber.
If we burn it down and it takes all night, it's a slow burn.