This has got to be the cheesiest thing I've ever written. But cheesy is just the right word to describe my Russian boy, so it fits ;P


Frozen in shock, Alek watched as Tara's eyes trailed from his stunned expression to the diary in his hand. Alek scrambled for an explanation, but the words tripped over each other and fell off the ends of the Earth. He stayed still as she reached across the comforter and took the notebook from his open hands. The two sat in silence on either side of the bed, one staring helplessly at the other's back as she faced away.
"I... It wasn’t my intention... This isn't..." Alek tried to get the words out, to apologize for the treason. But the syllables slipped away, leaving ellipses in their wake. Tara made no move to interrupt his rambling. She portrayed no rage, asked for no explanation. Unsure of what to do with himself, the boy stood and turned away.
Coward, the truth slammed him in the chest, stopping him mid-stride. It was the first complete thought that had split the endless stream of the phrase running through his mind: He loves me! The elation put into it; as if it were the most impossible thing in the world. And you dolove her, idiot, his thoughts straightening themselves out. So fix this!
"I couldn't figure it out," Alek started slowly, uncertain, treading on thin ice. "I was mystified at how a girl like you would ever consider dating a..."
This was not going as he had hoped. Whoever had written the script he spoke hadn't the faintest clue what he wanted to say. But the truth was always the best, right? With that in mind, Alek cleared his throat, opened his mouth, paused, and shook his head with a snicker at the surreal situation. Tara glanced over her shoulder at the chuckle.
"Ten things. Ten? Tara, there are countless reasons I'm so madly, undeniably in love with you." The teenager sighed and retook his perch at the edge of the bed, studying the scars decorating his palms. "One such reason: your spirit. You're always on guard, prepared for the next attack. But behind it all is a whirlwind of emotions. You're so alive. You make me feel alive."
The words somehow come easier as he went on, making themselves heard seemingly of their own accord. "A second: your name. Tara, Tara, Tara. I can say it a hundred times and will never grow tired of its sound. I have said it countless times. When I'm away from you, or stuck in a tight place horrified out of my wits, I just whisper your name over and over, and the world seems ten times safer."
"Third? Your voice. Each twist and turn of the cadence reminds me of all you have heard, seen, felt, and yet every accent and ring is clear as the summer sky."
"Fourth of all, your smile. Not the one you show to ensure people believe you're alright, but the real one. The one that lights up the darkest sky and shames the brightest star."
"Five, your laugh. It's rare to hear, but it's the most wonderful sound."
"Six, you trust me. Whatever I do or say, you're to trust my words and my actions."
"Seven, you're trustworthy. I know that I can ensure you with anything and everything. And I do trust you. More than anyone."
"Eight, you're so smart. You know and understand so much without acting acting like a show-off."
Alek turned to find her gazing at him, brown eyes wide behind glass lens.
"A ninth: you're beautiful. There aren't enough words to describe how lovely you are, Tara."
He found himself only inches apart from her, but the distance was far too far.
"Ten, you understand me. You know me. And yet..."
Alek gently grasped her hand in his own. When she did not pull away, he raised her hand and pressed it to his chest, over his heart. His palm over hers, he could feel the racing thump-thump-thump beneath his t-shirt.
"You see all the good in me, Tara. Even when I’m acting like a total moron... I love you for you and everything about you. I love you, because you're... You're Tara. You're the girl that makes me feel like I belong in this world, even if it is simply to see your amazing smile. I apologize for reading something so private. I messed up. I don’t want you to think your trust in me is ill placed, because it isn’t. You’re the best thing that has ever happened to me, and I don’t want you to hate me.
"You know the last thing I want to do is hurt you, and nothing is truer than that.” He looked into her eyes, pleading with her to believe him. “Please know that. Please forgive me?”

Hm? Hmmmmm?