Just Like A Match

February 2, 2019

Kasumii's POV

I can't believe it's been over an year already. Over an year since I met my crazy, loving boyfriend and best friend. At least to me, it seems like no time at all has passed since we met, but we've been dating since February of last year. The fact that anyone could love someone like me is absolutely beyond me. Ever since I "turned emo" in my freshman year of high school, no one has ever looked at me the same. Ha. Honestly, that was the year I actually gained some maturity.

Learning to live with yourself and stay sane and strong completely friendless was a challenge I had to overcome. Or tried to overcome. I didn't handle it so well. I kept telling myself that things would change, that someone would come along and be my friend. I wasn't even being unfriendly and aloof. I would smile at people, and try to engage them in conversations about themselves, people's favorite subject. Even with my efforts at socialization, I failed and eventually gave up on talking to people. I began to think of myself as a social failure, someone stupid and unlovable.

Night after night the voices would haunt me, replaying memories of hurtful words or inventing new insults to torment me. And I listened. I started to believe those voices, the ones that told me that I was worthless, that nobody cared that I existed. I started to believe them because they were the only entities that would talk to me. How's that for having inner demons for friends? At any rate, I was losing the battle against hopelessness, and losing fast. There were times that I wasn't sure if I could hold on any longer.

All that changed when I met Jakob. No, it wasn't a sudden fairy tale change, where someone waved a wand and all sorrows came undone. It was a long change, it was a hard change, it was a struggle. But he helped me through it. Someone cared enough to ask me about my day. Someone dared to tell me that I'm not okay. It wasn't a stereotypical girl-meets-guy-they-hit-it-up sort of relationship. Oh, no, absolutely not. Despite his friendliness, I was rather cautious. When I arrived home, I looked up his number before texting him to read reports and make sure he wasn't dangerous. After finally texting him, I refused to tell him my last name until we were dating two months.

I'm a very cautious person. He was patient with me the whole time and never became angry when I didn't expound on a subject. Sure, there were times when he seemed a bit frustrated that I didn't trust him even though we had been dating over six months, but they were mild and never lasted. Our first date was amazing though; he took me to see Black Veil Brides, an amazing band we both liked. That in and of itself was enough to soften me up a bit. I think he knew that.

As amazing as our first date was, it pales compared to our first kiss. Okay, not really, it's hard to belittle a Black Veil Brides concert. But our first kiss was... anything but sweet and romantic. I was sitting next to him on his bed on Halloween, listening to Twenty One Pilots and drinking some water. We were planning to go out in costume, as we figured we'd better do it at least one last time before becoming adults.

So I was drinking water, and being all chill, when out of nowhere he playfully tackled me spilled my water all over me. I guess he didn't see I had it. And then his kissing skills were... interesting to say the least. I started off my Halloween soaked and embarrassed. Great. However, despite the rough start, we have become not only boyfriend and girlfriend, but also the best of friends. I couldn't ask for a better support and companion.

Jakob's POV

More than an year has gone by since I first saw my now-girlfriend in the park. And I still fail to understand how all this happened. I was just walking home after quite the argument with my only friend. Obviously quite dejected, I wasn't paying much attention to my surroundings. If I had kept going like that, I probably would have been hit by a car as I was walking. Thankfully, she popped into my life just minutes after I left my friend's house.

First off, I noticed we had a similar interest... My Chemical Romance! Then she looked up... I swear I saw an angel. I know she'd kill me if I said that in front of her; she's very modest. I wanted so badly to talk to her, but I'm socially awkward so I wasn't quite sure how to start. I finally decided that a compliment was probably the safe way to go. It took all of my courage not to run away screaming then and there, which I sheepishly confessed to her later on. Surprisingly, she found it endearing and not wimpy. Wow.

At any rate, I've found that Kasumii is quite the character. The first time I met her in person after our initial meeting was in August. We had been texting about a month before then. I still remember that she was wearing the same clothes she had when we first met. It was pretty funny, like she'd completely forgotton me. She seemed to keep a fair distance and would look away often. I was perplexed. What was I doing wrong? Later, she explained to me that sometimes girls react that way when they don't know what else to do. Go figure.

Along the way I learned a fair amount about her, her little quirks and habits. She can be scary and grumpy, and two seconds later be cute as a kitten. It's something I'll never understand, but I love it about her. I'm not without my faults, I must say. Often I struggle with the same doubts and fears she expressed to me. I struggle with understanding my worth and purpose too. Those late nights we spent talking about difficult subjects have brought us closer as a couple and stronger as a team.

Even though I'm not cool or interesting, she's my biggest fan and most enthusiastic cheerleader. For that, I will forever be grateful. I just have to say it; I love our relationship. Often she's strong when I am broken. She doesn't expect me to always be her protector, though I'd love to be. I really love my girl.