#solopara3

Although Alex and Tess had been watching a movie together, another one of her choices, he hadn’t really been paying much attention. Instead, he’d been thinking about his conversation with Levi and whether or not seeing where things could go with Tess would be a good idea. Tess had ended up resting her head on his shoulder halfway through the movie and it had felt nice. Familiar. Everything was slowly getting back to how it used to be between them, and that just made his idea of asking her out make even more sense.

Not that it hadn’t made sense before because it had. They’d spent a full two years in a will they/won’t they scenario before everything with Clara had happened. Even though Alex had wanted to be with Clara and realized he was in love with her, she’d now moved onto Tess’s uncle and he knew he needed to do the same thing. Alex had been stuck between the two girls but he’d only actually dated Clara. It made sense to see if there was something there with Tess after all of that.

It was also what Clara had wanted, and her words kept swimming around his head. That he should give Tess a chance. That they should get to have a proper try. That she thought they could be happy together. Although Alex had been against it at the time, he couldn’t deny that it made some sense. He needed to know all these things.

“Hey, can I ask you something?” Alex asked once the movie had ended, and he continued once she’d nodded. “I know everything’s been kinda crazy with us lately, but I was just wonderin’ if you maybe wanted to go on a date with me sometime?” He paused for a brief moment, and then quickly spoke again, not sure what her reaction would be. “It’s cool if you don’t. I’d get it and we can forget I just said it.”

Tess sat up and looked at him, surprised. "I thought that you weren't choosing? When Clara backed out, you said you should have taken yourself out of the situation before..."

“I didn’t want to. I didn’t want to hurt you guys. But now it’s all over with and Clara’s with your uncle...” Alex trailed off, not really wanting to think about him at the moment. “I’ve just been thinking ‘bout us lately. We never managed to get anywhere.”

"We were a kind of thing for two years and it never felt like the right time. Do you think now is the right time?" Tess asked.

That was a good question, and one Alex wasn’t sure about. His opinions on their relationship had changed so many times over the past months. “I think stuff’s different now, and it could be the right time,” he slowly said. “I’d like to find out.”

Tess fell silent for a while and just fiddled with the gummy worms Alex had brought her. As the seconds drew on, he began to wonder if he’d done the wrong thing. They’d only just started getting back on track, and he didn’t want to ruin their friendship already. Just as Alex began to wonder if he should just leave, Tess finally spoke. "I'd like that too. I always wanted it to be you and me. I always hoped it would be."

Alex felt bad that he couldn’t agree with that since he had chosen Clara, but it was still good news. “Yeah?” he asked with a smile.

"Yeah. I always thought that you were my very own Prince Charming. I pictured us having movie dates... You'd bring me chocolates and we'd hold hands. Can we hold hands?" Tess asked.

“Uh, yeah. Sure.” Alex was thrown for a brief moment, not expecting her to ask that but he held his hand out, and Tess slotted her fingers between his. They hadn’t held hands in a long time and he’d become used to holding Clara’s hand, but it still felt good. Familiar. With his spare hand, Alex rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “So we’ve already been watchin’ movies and we’re holdin’ hands... That mean next time you want me to bring chocolate instead of gummy worms?”

"Gummy worms seem like an appropriate movie date candy,” Tess said, shifting in her seat, closer to Alex. “I guess I was more thinking about how romantic it would be that you were thinking about me even before the date."

“That’s why I brought them. ‘Cause I know you like them and you wanted them last time,” Alex said. He hadn’t really meant the gesture as a romantic one, instead more of a considerate one, but perhaps it was a sign. A sign that they were on the same page again finally, and maybe things could work out between them. Maybe Clara was right.

"You're always so thoughtful. I look forward to seeing where this goes and to holding your hand,” Tess said, smiling at Alex.