Daria Followed Blake

Daria sat nervously in the waiting room, fidgeting with a pen and compulsively twirling it between her fingers. She knew exactly why she was sitting here, exactly why she had followed Blake. She had to fix things.

Her stomach somersaulted as time ticked on. How long had Blake been in there? Thirty minutes, an hour? She hadn't looked at the clock. She was missing her lecture right now, not that she cared. Even if she had attended, it wasn't as if she could focus. Her eyes flitted to the doorway, still no sign of him.

She had briefly toyed with the idea of going in, but had decided against it. For one, given Armeccitti's prior words to her she didn't wish to face the Dobermann and secondly, she didn't want to antagonize Blake any further by involving herself in a private conversation.

Why had she suggested that too him? Polygamy, really? Why had she even thought of that. She cursed herself over and over in her mind. As she thought back to a mere few days earlier, when she could barely speak to him. Then they had done it and... Her pulse raced just thinking about it. It had been amazing, it had felt so right. She was elated and then she had thrown it all away. Why? Why did she have to be so awkward, so stupid, so-

She heard the sound of hooves. Her ears pricked up, she could feel her hands trembling. This was it. She could barely bring herself to look in his direction, just about managing to resign herself to stare at his chest, her eyes lowered. She stood before him, shaking.

"I-..." She could barely get the words out, "I'm sorry." She finally said. She still couldn't look at him. She felt her insides twist, waiting for a response.

"What for?" Blake asked, a look of surprise on his face.

The Doe however, was blind to this and took the question as a demand. She took a few breaths before the words spilled out of her, "I'm sorry I asked you that. I didn't mean to scare you. I didn't mean I don't want to be with you. You don't need to do anything with Lexi. I'll tell her myself, I'll-"

She was interrupted as the Stallion tilted her head up to look him in the eye. She had initially flinched away expecting to see pain, sadness, bitterness or anger, but saw none of these. Instead, she saw sympathy, kindness, a warmth and understanding that was somehow much worse.

"You're... going to do it?" She asked, already knowing the answer, herr anxiety rapidly turning into disbelief.

He nodded, "Providing your sister's okay with it."

"But...But..." She stammered, once again struggling with her words, "You shouldn't! I made a mistake. I- I asked too much of you. I was selfish-"

"You asked for something for your sister. That isn't selfish."

The retort fell on deaf ears, "No! I still wanted you. I should have told you to go with Lexi, I knew you didn't want this-"

"I'd never considered it." He corrected her, "That's not the same thing. Also, I did choose you as well remember?"

She groaned, exasperated, "That's- That's- Arrgh!" She huffed.

Blake raised an eyebrow, a smug look creeping onto his face, "I'm right, so stop beating yourself up over it." Beneath the look, he felt rather less confident, but now was not the time to be showing that side of himself. "In any case, don't you have a lecture right now?"

"You can't just change the subject like that!" Daria frustratedly protested.

"I can and I will," Blake maintained his false air of confidence, "And I assume by your lack of answer, I'm right again?"

Daria's face twisted for a moment. Blake thought she might pass out as she held her breath before releasing it in a long, slow exhale. "Okay... You're right... But I want to to talk to you later."

"Of course, over dinner perhaps?"

"What?"

"You did ask me to take you out for a meal, somewhere around that time you kissed me." He grinned.

Daria cringed, blushing at her cumbersome attempt at flirting, "I didn't really-"

Blake placed a finger gently on her lips, "Just meet me later, I don't mind."

He went to move away, and the pair awkwardly stood for a minute, neither sure of how to properly saw goodbye. Eventually, he bent down gave Daria a quick hug, before heading back into the medical wing.

She felt her heart leap a little at the affectionate gesture and savoured the moment, remaining still. Then she set off, hurrying back to her lecture, ever so late.