This is not a love story. Yes it is.

I had seen him around and admired him for a while but I never really got to know him. Around the end of 2010, I got my chance. We had a class, but at different times of the day. I wrote "shenanigans" on the board but he thought I spelled it wrong so he would correct it. I'd put it back how I had it the next day when I got to see it. I asked the teacher who was doing it, and she told me his name. I was kinda confused and someone noticed and asked me why I didn't know who he was. So she showed me a picture of him and my heart stopped for a second because it was him.

We talked on Facebook a while and eventually started texting each other and we would talk on Steam. Every time I got a message from him, my heart would jump. Every little thing he said, I would over analyze and I pretty much drove myself nuts. I really liked him. So I drew this up because I knew he'd be seeing my deviantART soon:


I addressed him as a friend there. Said he would be a good friend. That's all I expected. But I went to visit my mom for a while and when I was up in my room at her place, I had the lights off and I was texting him. So that November 26th, we decided to be a thing. I couldn't help but think about how we would skip lunch to hang out together and play Pokemon or just talk and how he'd act. He looked at the floor a lot and it was hard to get him to say much. I looked at him a lot, at his face, and I always noticed how lovely he was and it hit me hard in the heart every single time. I never let him leave without a hug. Every time I saw him, I'd hug him. He would always be kind of excited for that, I could tell. If he thought I was about to forget, he'd just.. stop and look at me. He wouldn't say anything. Trust me though, I never forgot. Not a chance in hell.

It snowed a lot that winter. I would text him and say "ruvz" because I was too shy and it was too soon to say I loved him. I sure felt like I did, though. I rented some movies on the snowy nights when school would get cancelled and I'd watch those and talk to him. I just kept falling for him harder and harder even if I never really said so. I remember how I'd hold his hand sometimes, but we were both too nervous to do that for long. We were in a shop one time when I did that, and I looked down and noticed all the freckles on his hand. I thought it was adorable. He let go and I was a little sad and I was too shy to do anything else the rest of the time.

It was all kind of rushed and in the end it didn't really work out. I tried to keep him, but I didn't know what to say or do. It hurt bad; I never fell for someone so hard and so fast. But that was okay; I kept the memory close to me.

A year later, we were both out of school on the same day. We ended up on Steam asking why we were home. He still had a movie of mine I had let him borrow and he wanted to bring it back, so he did. It was his excuse to come back and start talking to me again. I was kind of bitter and resentful but that died off so fast. So we talked more and more, eventually about our feelings. We decided to go into this slowly. That was October. We were a thing again on November 26th, 2011. Exactly a year later. Right before that, I drew this, like before:


I was so excited. We were both nervous and cautious again, but it was somehow alright. That December, he kissed me for the first time, right before I left for Kentucky for family functions. I gave him a fox plush for Christmas that day. He's slept with it every night since. I was nervous about giving him that because I didn't know if you're supposed to give a boy a stuffed animal but I did anyway. Good choice on my part heh. Anyway, he kissed me while Union of Knives played.. and it was kind of shocking. It felt good, since it was him. I was pretty happy. On Christmas, I told him I loved him for the first time. I was REALLY nervous about that but I wanted to make it special and memorable. I guess I did well. We fell asleep to Freelance Whales.

Since then, we've been building this. On July 4th, we watched fireworks together. For our anniversary this year we hung out at Opryland to see the lights. We dunno if we.. FOUND the lights but I had a really nice time just being with him.

I left out a lot so I'll come back and edit this sometime later. This was just meant to remember how we came to be.

To be another one of those pictures with the cute descriptions because this makes the third one. I'll make it a yearly thing. 3 years now I've done it.

So I guess here's a letter to him.

Bradley!
The third year with these wow. Lots of memories we have. I love them all. We're beautiful and I'm really proud of us. You make me really happy. I sometimes lay in my bed at night and just.. think about these things. It's been rough, sure, but we might just be stronger from it. Especially lately because we've really had to pull ourselves together for things. I'm glad we can. I'm glad we never gave up and that this is working. I love you just as much as I always have and I think that's great. We've sure been through a lot... but look at us now. We're really a thing and we're really special. I'm sure you saw the look in my eyes when I saw you today. Seeing you was what we needed to remember that everything's going to be okay. That this is worth it. That we're stronger than what certain people are trying to do to us. We've got what we've wanted for so long and we're not letting go. That means so much to me.

You as a person though... where do I start. You're incredible. Your love is really something. You have me addicted heheh. And you know I love your passion.. I think it's one of the strongest things in you. The fire in your heart never really goes out and I love and admire that. You're also just so gorgeous. I could stare at you for hours(let me). I feel so... lucky that I have this with you now. I've wanted this, with you, for a long time. I picked you because you have that "special something" and I see it. You always stood out to me, even before I knew your name. I guess I could just see it in your eyes when I glanced at you. Love at first sight? Maybe. I just... I love you. You are like nothing else. There's actually not another you. Anywhere. You are absolutely astounding and I'm so proud to call you mine. You're very much loved and you always will be. No matter what.

Ruvz,
Chev.

...now it's bedtime