Are you hurting the one you love? (AU fanfic - Odette and Eric)

Eric wandered alone into the woods. He was lost, heart broken... His emotions were on the edge, but he was certain on only one thing. He couldn't go on with this... No matter what his father said, or his threats... He couldn't hurt her... Not anymore.

Odette made her way through the woods, not really paying attention to where she was going. Her mind kept switching as she thought about different things, her relationship with John and her odd thing with Michael. She rubbed her forehead and sighed, she hated having to think much.

His heart stammered into his chest when he saw her, and he froze his feet on the ground... He didn't care about the princess, or making his father proud... Once he realized his feelings for her, he couldn't think about anything else, all he did was going down into remorse of what he had done to her...

Odette looked up and froze when she saw him, she backed up, "What do you want?" She asked as she tried to put on a brave front and failed.

Eric blinked once when she noticed him... ''What do I want?'', he retorted and walked slowly towards her. His face was emotionless and when he was close enough to her, he knet on her feet and looked upon her... ''I don't want to hurt you anymore, Odette... I can't'', he said and a single tear ran down to his cheek.

She backed up until she hit a tree trunk, she stared down at him with an unsure look on her face. "Why now? What changed your mind?" She asked timidly as she studied him.

Eric wipped the tear... ''I realized I have feeling for you, Odette... I think I'm falling for you, and I don't want to hurt you anymore'', he said sincerely and looked at her face, trying to see her eyes from the distance she put between them.

She bit her lower lip, he seemed sincere..."You hurt me Eric...more then what I thought you were capable of." She said quietly, warching him.

''I know.... And I'm deeply sorry for that...'', he said quietly and looked down while he took a deep breath. ''I was blind, but now I can see clearly, Odette'', he whispered as he looked up to her again, meeting her gaze.

She pressed herself against the tree and sighed, "I...I, want to believe you Eric but how do I know that you won't hurt me again?" She asked quietly.

Eric sighed and lift himself... he couldn't say with words how were his feelings towards her, he walked towards her and hold her waist gently while he cupped her cheek with the other and then he placed a passionate and caring kiss on her lips.

She froze and her eyes widened when he kissed her, after a moment she timidly kissed him back before she pulled back. She kept her gaze lowered as she tried not to overthink how nice his hand on her waist felt, "Eric....I...I uh...I just need a minute." She said quietly.

''Of course...'', he said quietly and stepped back, taking his hands from her cheek and waist. His heart was bouncing faster into the chest, and he folded his arms on his back, as he looked down to the ground. He didn't know what she would think about this, but he confessed his feeling through that kiss...

She exhaled and then pressed herself against the tree again, "I...I am in a relationship Eric, and I...I just don't know who, I love yet." She admitted quietly.

''I don't care if you are or aren't into a relationship... All I care is about you, and how I'll never let Joseph hurt you again, or make me hurt you again'', he said softly and smiled shyly.

She took a shaky breath, "So you don't want to sleep with me?" She asked wth a raised eyebrow in disbelief.

''Yes, I want... but not like before... I love you, Odette'', he took a deep breath after he said those little three words, but that moved him deeply.

She took a shaky breath and looked away fighting down tears, "Do you love me enough to give me some time to decide?" She asked quietly, feeling overwhelmed at the moment.

''I can wait all the time of the world, Odette...'', he said softly with a small smile. His feelings towards Cinderella were nothing in comparisson with what he felt about Odette, and he would be patient if this could bring her to him.

Odette just nodded and then pushed herself away from the tree, "Ok...and thank you." She said quietly.

Eric looked at her with shy eyes... ''You must think that I'm crazy...'', he said quietly, with a small laugh.

Odette bit her lip, "You can't be as crazy as I am." She muttered and rubbed her arm absentmindedly.

''I bet I'm crazier than you...'' He said softly and rubbed the back of his neck. He knew Odette was messed too, but no one could ever been on a position like he was right now. Last week he was planning on hurt her again, but listening to his father's plans for her, and talking with Belle, put his world upside down and opened his eyes to things he was refusing to see early.

She laughed humorlessly, "That's impossible." She said quietly after all she was torn between four men now....all of whom were completely different from one another and two were related to each other. She had severe problems if she could possibly like four men at the same time.

''Wanna bet?'', he teased playful. Eric didn't know what was going on with him, he was feeling a bit shy towards her, and he wasn't certain but she felt his cheeks burning slightly, a sign he was blushing.