Looking down at the head that was gently pressed against his chest, Joe's first reaction was worry. He put all his strength into that strike, and she hasn't had more than a minute or two to recover. "If the pain is still too much then I can carry you to the bench or we can stay here until it subsides."
His words were filled with his genuine concern for her wellbeing and were met with an even tighter grip on his uniform before he felt his face being pulled downward. With his eyes stretched as far as they could open, he was met with the soft sensation of Clara's lips. Despite the initial shock, his arm remained around her waist. Aside from the look on his face, his body didn't allow for any other visible reaction.
After half a minute, Clara withdrew her lips and returned her head to his chest. Even she was unsure as to why she had kissed him, but no regret could be found within her. Her hand relaxed before opening and laying flatly just over his heart. Through her touch, she could feel that his heartrate had peaked just as hers had.
Joe was the first to break the increasingly awkward silence that had surrounded them.
"What was that for? You sort of caught me off guard."
His voice was soft and held no indication of anger.
"I don't know. I just did it without thinking. Does that upset you?"
"Why would it upset me? May upset some of our classmates if they were to hear about it but not me."
"Let's go to the benches so we can talk a bit." Having made it known that she didn't simply want to leave it as a random event and wanted to talk to him about the kiss they had just shared, Clara turned away and began to make her way to the bench he was bringing her towards initially.
Now that the situation had calmed itself, Joe found his mind a mess. What is it that she is going to want to talk about? Does she have feelings for me? What will I do if she does? How do I feel about her? These kinds of thoughts flooded him mind and tore apart his usual calmness.
Once they had both made their ways to the bench, Clara was the first to sit. Without a word, Joe found himself sitting directly next to her despite the near foot of space on the other side of him. Joe's mind was racing with a plethora of outcomes once they begin talking so he remained silent. He was ripped from his thoughts when he felt a light pressure on the side of his shoulder.
Looking towards the pressure, he was meet by the top of Clara's head once more. The pressure he felt was her leaning up against his arm. Although he could barely see any bit of her face, there was a noteworthy red tint present on the areas he could see.
"I've never been close to anybody before I came here. Not even my father paid much attention to me growing up. Those that did try to get close to me only did so in the hopes to get close to my father. Over time, I ended up being cold to those around me and wouldn't allow anyone in. Then you came along..."
As her face turned to meet his gaze, the first thing Joe noticed was the smile that had bloomed across her face and filled it was a mesmerizing glow. He decided he would hear out all she had to say before he decided. That way, he could have some control over the outcome.
"Like I said, people only ever tried to get close to me because of my father. With you, I had that worry initially but after all the time that we've ended up spending together every day I know you didn't approach me like they had.
At first, I was just waiting for you to show your true intentions. Before I knew it, I was praying that I was wrong for once. Even though we're always training or practicing when we're alone together, I feel at ease when I'm around you. I started looking forward to the times we'd be together, and I couldn't figure out why.
You're thick headed and come off as egotistical but once I got to know you better, I realized you're gentle and caring. I saw what you did with your squad firsthand and now I see you doing it with mine and Ari's. Everything you have us do is ultimately for our benefit. Your concern for all of our wellbeing is always on your face when you're watching us train."
Clara decided to take a break in letting her thoughts flow out so she could admire the attentive eyes before her. Eyes that showed without restraint that she had his undivided attention. The same eyes that would maintain a certain gentleness even when he knew he was pushing the squads to their limits.
"Something has been bothering me for a couple days now. Whenever I'm around you I get slightly nervous. Yet, when I'm not around you, I want to be near you more. When I heard what you said about my father, my chest tightened in anticipation. For the first time, I fully believed someone when they said they didn't care about him.
Although I told you to put me down, I was basking in the warmth coming from your body. When you put me down, I didn't want to separate from you. Before even I knew what I was doing, my body moved on its own and I had the answer to all my questions. I don't know when it happened but I'm certain I'm in love with you, Joe."