Strings of Fate

Aaron 7- Hints and hesitation | manage to arrive a few minutes early for Penelope’s performance. | approach my usual seat only to find that Penelope is already sitting there. | hesitate. She’s always the one to approach me, I've never approached her before. Maybe she doesn’t want to talk. | resist the desire to turn and run. I'm being an idiot. She talks toall the time, and she’s sitting in the sent | always take at approximately the t| always arrive. She wouldn't be doing that if she didn’t want to talk right? Not to mention I did chere with the intention of seeing her, maybe finding sway to ask if she would be willing to be my date for the Alpha’s wedding. I'm not good at asking for things. It would be nice if she would conveniently just bring up weddings and how much she loves to attend them. That would make my life a lot easier. | approach her and pause standing in front of her, not wanting to crowd her. She pats the couch beside her and | sit, relieved to have an invitation. | do my best to sit, leaving a similar amount of distance between us as she usually leaves when she sits beside me. Something | have kept careful track of. She originally left enough space for a whole person between us but now she leaves a noticeable gap but not enough that anyone could sit there.

“I was waiting for you to get here.” Penelope says with a nervous smile, pushing her white hair back behind her ears.

“I'm here.” | respond. See, | was right. She was waiting for me. The question is why. She laughs and elbowsin the side gently. | resist the desire to grab her arm and pull her closer.

“Yes | see that.” She says jokingly. She falls silent and looks like she is struggling to find the right thing to say which is very unlike her. Maybe | should help? Khu were you waiting?” | ask gently. Her eyes fly open and a smile crosses her face. Apparently she appreciated my poor attempt to continue the conversation. Maybe this isn’t hard as | thought. Instead of worrying about saying the right thing, maybe | should focus on just trying to talk at all, or encourage her to talk if | can’t do it myself. She takes a deep breath then lets it out slowly.

“I was waiting because | wanted to talk to you and since you haven't calledor event messaged me, this is the only way I can do it. It’s not like | can stop by your work or anything.” She says in a rush. | stare as | think over what she said. She wantedto call. She’s been waiting for it and | didn't. | feel like a jerk. I've been making her do all the work 1/5 Aaron 7- Hints and hesitation approaching me, but at the stI've made it nearly impossible for her to actually do anything. She can only seewhen | choose to show up at her work, I've given no chance for her to actually approachon her own. Yet somehow she has STILL been trying to talk to me. I'm starting to think that | have severely misinterpreted her actions. | should probably apologise. Now that | think about it | have been kind of an asshole.

I'm trying to figure out the best way to say I'm sorry when Penelope sighs and gets to her feet to leave. Shit, | took too long again, she’s leaving and she looks upset. | panic and grab her hand to stop her from leaving.

“Sorry.” | blurt out. She considerswith a sad look on her face before pulling her hand away from me.

“It's alright, | get it. You don’t have to talk toif you don’t want to. | have been the one forcing my company on you. I'll let you be.” She promises firmly. Shit, shit SHIT. | have screwed up. She completely misunderstood what | was apologising for. | was trying to say sorry for not making more of an effort and she thought | was saying I'm not interested? | need to fix this and | need to be clear. She's alread turning to leave...

“Wait.” | say, louder than I've said almost anything in a long time. Penelope freezes and half turns back to face me.

“I... 1 do want to talk to you. Very much. | just don’t know what it is you wantto say.” | admit. To my utter shock Penelope starts to laugh. I'm completely embarrassed and want to hide but she just beams atand her smile is so beautiful that | find myself smiling back instead of running away. If this is my reward for talking I'll have to do it more often.

“You know, I'm starting to think that maybe you aren’t as good at listening as | thought. I thought | was being obvious but | can wait for you to figure it out.” She winks atbefore turning and heading to the stage.

“So | know | don’t usually do this, I'll be dedicating this performance to a guy who needs to learn to take a hint.

Aaron, just to make myself clear, this is for you.” Penelope announces into the microphone with a cheeky grin and a bout of laughter runs through the room. I'm stunned and | can’t look away as she begins to sing. I've always loved her performances, but for the first time, | take the chance to listen to exactly what she’s singing.

I'm embarrassed to that since I've slept through so many of them | haven't really paid much attention to the say 2/5 Aaron 7- Hints and hesitation specific songs. I've just been enjoying her voice. With each new song it becomes increasingly clear tothat there is a definite thto the songs that Penelope is singing tonight. They’re all ‘girl meets boy’, ‘noticealready’, love songs... and she’s dedicated them to me. The realisation is enough forto realise that I've been lying to myself. I'm not just interested in Penelope, I'm damn near obsessed with her. | could ask Alpha Ryann to be sure but I think she’s my mate... and if she isn’t? Well | don’t care. I'll make her mine anyway, assuming she’ll have me. Now | just have to figure out HOW.

Penelope finishes her set and | launch myself out of my seat and meet her at the edge of the stage. Instead of going round to the stairs she just slips down to sit on the edge and without hesitation | take her gently by the waist and lift her down. Penelope stands in front of me, flushed and a little sweaty from her performance but looking absolutely beautiful.

“Did. you like it?” She asksexcitedly. | nod quickly not wanting her to think otherwise.

She beams at me.

“Do you have anything else you want to tellnow?” She asks with a pointed look. | open. my mouth to answer then realise that every set of eyes in this club are watching. I'm not shy, but | am not sure that | want to do this in front of so many people. Penelope might be used to the stage, but I'm not.

‘Can | walk you out?” | ask awkwardly. Her face falls a little but she doesn’t turndown. It offer her my arm and she links hers through it and letslead her to the exit, collecting her bag from behind the bar on the way.

| feel everyone’s eyes on us as we leave and the protective part ofwants to shield her from view and run out of here, or maybe fight them off. When we make it outside I let out a sigh of relief. We reach her car and she lets go of my arm, but before she can start digging through her bag for her keys | take her hand in mine and she turns to facewith a wary expression.

“I'm not very good at asking for what | want and I’m not great at communicating. But | want to try. If | work on talking to you, would you allowto court you?” | practically choke out the last few words as | wait for her response. After her performance | believe she will say yes, but there's always that little bit of fear.

“I thought you would never ask.” Penelope beams at me, joy shining in her eyes. Before | have tto so much as smile she reaches out, grabs the collar of my shirt, yanksdown and presses her lips against mine in a brief k*ss. Just as fast she letsgo and steps back.

3/5 Aaron 7- Hints and hesitation “Now that’s a reason for you to be stunned into silence.” She jokes. | can’t help but laugh. My heart is racing, my hands itching to touch her and my mind is pretty much blank.

“That was a yes, in case it wasn’t obvious enough.” Penelope jokes. Then unlocks her car and climbs in. | remember my manners and close the door behind her. She winds down her window.

“Call me, or text if it's easier. Ill be waiting.” She grins atand drives away.

Ryann Monday morning | wait eagerly for Aaron to arrive for work. As usual he turns up perfectly on time. His expression is as neutral as ever, but there's a bounce to his step that is new and occasionally out of the corner of my eye | see a hint of a smile. He's also checked his phone. more today than he has in the entire tI've known him. I knew he was acting strangely lately, | was getting worried right up until | saw his red thread the other night and realised what was going on. It seems like my pep talk worked because | haven't ever seen him so happy. I'm just sorting through my schedule and confirming what we have on for the day. when Aaron clears his throat behind me. Interesting. | turn and smile at him encouragingly.

“Yes?” | ask. He holds out a hand with a familiar card. | take the R.S.V.P. card for my, wedding and take a look.

“Attending and bringing a plus one.” | confirm out loud. Aaron’s blank expression slips again and a small smile escapes him. He nods firmly.

“I'm so happy for you. | can’t wait to meet her.” | gush and he just nods again.

“And I'm going to remind you again that you can totally take toff when you need it, and if you have plans or a date or anything just telland | can add it to my schedule to make sure that | don’t ask you to work. Okay?” He nods again and it seems like that smile is here to stay. Just a small hint of pleasure, something that | doubt anyone would even notice if they didn’t spend all day with him like | often do. He goes to leave the office, probably to get a coffee or something.

“Oh, one last thing. I'll need her name, you know, for the placecards.” | tell him. Aaron pauses. and without turning back toanswers. I've never heard anyone speak a single word with as 4/5 Aaron 7- Hints and hesitation much emotion as he does when he responds.

“Penelope.”