Magdalene
8th March 2005, 23:07
This is for Nonky, cause you wanted a happy shortfic. I hope it's happy enough, I tried. ^.~
Title: Friends
Rating: PG
Genre: Friendship/Angst
Disclaimer: I don't own Lex or Chloe.
Summary: Sequel to "The End." Two years after their breakup, Lex and Chloe meet again.
Heart, we will forget him!
You and I, tonight!
You may forget the warmth he gave,
I will forget the light.
~Emily Dickinson
She came to this park everyday on her lunch break. She’d sit against a tree, secluded, off to the side. But this spot was better than the bench surrounded by flowers or the grassy knoll by the man-made waterfall that most chose. It was more surreal. Its beauty existed in its simplicity. Like her, it didn’t need to stand out; it took a deeper look to truly appreciate its loveliness.
Sometimes she’d write, catch up on the articles for the paper, barely realizing how the time moved so quickly by her. Other times she just sit and watch the sky, or close her eyes and absorb the world. And then, some days, the days that gave him just another reason to hate himself… she’d cry. Those days happened less and less now.
Still, she hadn’t been in another serious relationship since theirs. Some dates, some new and close friendships to replace the ones she’d lost because of him, but nothing special. Nothing that required too much of her heart. He’d kept track of her from the moment she’d fled from him. At first to make sure she was okay, and later because it was the only way he could be with her, even if it was from a distance.
That was how he knew she’d be here, everyday at noon. He’d sit, in a shadow, off to the side, some place she wouldn’t notice or see. He’d watch her, as she grew beyond him, forgot him, recovered from what he just couldn’t seem to let go.
Not that he’d given up on them easily, not at first anyway. He’d called at first, after that night, tried to see her, tried talking to her, tried everything he could for the first month. Slowly though, he’d accepted that she didn’t want him anymore. He’d given up for good, a slow process that had begun the night she left him.
He pulled himself from his thoughts, glancing at where she now began to pull together her things. He was ready; it was time. One last try because he had no more to lose, and nothing left to give up. Not a plea for forgiveness, or even a request for acknowledgement. He just… wanted her to know he was there. If and when she ever needed anyone, god forbid she’d be left with only him to turn to, he wanted her to know he… he didn’t even know how to explain it to himself. Hell, it could be that this was just his way of getting closure, or something like that.
He stood and walked to where she sat, saying nothing until he was sitting beside her in the grass. Close enough to touch, but far enough away to give her space, to let her flee again, if that’s what she chose to do.
She didn’t flee though. She just sat there for a moment in silence, her blue eyes focused intently on the ground at her feet. He watched as finally she closed them, and breathed deeply, searching for strength, for life. She’d gotten along without him, hadn’t seen or talked to him, not since that night. Now though, when she finally opened her eyes again, there was none of the anger or hurt from before. Her eyes held only acceptance, and there was a small, sad, half smile on her perfect lips.
“Lex.”
It took him a moment before he finally spoke, hesitantly, almost as if he was afraid that she was merely an apparition sent to torture him. Chloe wouldn’t talk to him. Chloe despised him. How could this angel staring at him with such… understanding in her eyes be the Chloe he had once known? Nevertheless, it was she, and she was waiting for him to speak. “Chloe…”
He tried so hard to find the words, what he wanted to say next was there, he could feel it, but he couldn’t say it. She saved him, speaking when he would not.
“I figured I’d see you again eventually. It’s been a while.”
Had it? He couldn’t remember. Days without her seemed to blend together until they were just moments in a worthless life.
“Aren’t you going to say something? Or did you just come to sit?”
Lex shook his head. He’d finally gotten up the nerve to come to her and now he wasn’t even going to speak? This was ridiculous. He was a Luther. He was intelligent. He should have something to say.
“I… miss you.”
He was an idiot. The biggest idiot ever to grace the face of the Earth. Two years and the best he could come up with was ‘I miss you’. Sure, lets say something that will dredge up all those painful memories! That would make Chloe want to talk to him some more. Hell, he sounded like a sap, a wimpy, lovesick sap.
“I miss you, too.”
His eyes shot to her face, seeking out the truth in their depths. Had she really just said that? She missed him. Even that was enough to give him hope again. To allow himself to imagine that maybe, just maybe she’d-
“But that doesn’t matter” –never forgive him would she? Why not? Why couldn’t she give him another chance, a second chance with her heart?
“Why can’t it? We miss each other. Neither of us is in love with someone else. Why can’t you just forgive me, give me another chance, let me prove that I can love you?”
Chloe shook her head. “It’s not just a matter of forgiving you or giving you another chance. I can’t… I can’t love you the way I did. Not now, not yet at least. Maybe someday, but I don’t know.”
Lex lowered his eyes, miserably. “So is that it then. There’s nothing I can do?”
His heart gave a start when her hand slipped into his, and her tentative suggestion reached his ears. “You could be a friend.”
He let his fingers close around hers; the slight contact was heaven after so much time of not being able to touch her. He could wait. He could wait forever if he had to. Just the hope that someday she might love him again, the way she had once; it was enough to give him back some of the man he’d been before. He’d give her time, if it was time she needed. In the meantime, he’d be her friend. At least he’d be close to her, and for now, that was better than any alternatives.
“You’re right…” He smiled, the first genuine smile he’d shown anyone in a long time. “I can be a friend.”
Title: Friends
Rating: PG
Genre: Friendship/Angst
Disclaimer: I don't own Lex or Chloe.
Summary: Sequel to "The End." Two years after their breakup, Lex and Chloe meet again.
Heart, we will forget him!
You and I, tonight!
You may forget the warmth he gave,
I will forget the light.
~Emily Dickinson
She came to this park everyday on her lunch break. She’d sit against a tree, secluded, off to the side. But this spot was better than the bench surrounded by flowers or the grassy knoll by the man-made waterfall that most chose. It was more surreal. Its beauty existed in its simplicity. Like her, it didn’t need to stand out; it took a deeper look to truly appreciate its loveliness.
Sometimes she’d write, catch up on the articles for the paper, barely realizing how the time moved so quickly by her. Other times she just sit and watch the sky, or close her eyes and absorb the world. And then, some days, the days that gave him just another reason to hate himself… she’d cry. Those days happened less and less now.
Still, she hadn’t been in another serious relationship since theirs. Some dates, some new and close friendships to replace the ones she’d lost because of him, but nothing special. Nothing that required too much of her heart. He’d kept track of her from the moment she’d fled from him. At first to make sure she was okay, and later because it was the only way he could be with her, even if it was from a distance.
That was how he knew she’d be here, everyday at noon. He’d sit, in a shadow, off to the side, some place she wouldn’t notice or see. He’d watch her, as she grew beyond him, forgot him, recovered from what he just couldn’t seem to let go.
Not that he’d given up on them easily, not at first anyway. He’d called at first, after that night, tried to see her, tried talking to her, tried everything he could for the first month. Slowly though, he’d accepted that she didn’t want him anymore. He’d given up for good, a slow process that had begun the night she left him.
He pulled himself from his thoughts, glancing at where she now began to pull together her things. He was ready; it was time. One last try because he had no more to lose, and nothing left to give up. Not a plea for forgiveness, or even a request for acknowledgement. He just… wanted her to know he was there. If and when she ever needed anyone, god forbid she’d be left with only him to turn to, he wanted her to know he… he didn’t even know how to explain it to himself. Hell, it could be that this was just his way of getting closure, or something like that.
He stood and walked to where she sat, saying nothing until he was sitting beside her in the grass. Close enough to touch, but far enough away to give her space, to let her flee again, if that’s what she chose to do.
She didn’t flee though. She just sat there for a moment in silence, her blue eyes focused intently on the ground at her feet. He watched as finally she closed them, and breathed deeply, searching for strength, for life. She’d gotten along without him, hadn’t seen or talked to him, not since that night. Now though, when she finally opened her eyes again, there was none of the anger or hurt from before. Her eyes held only acceptance, and there was a small, sad, half smile on her perfect lips.
“Lex.”
It took him a moment before he finally spoke, hesitantly, almost as if he was afraid that she was merely an apparition sent to torture him. Chloe wouldn’t talk to him. Chloe despised him. How could this angel staring at him with such… understanding in her eyes be the Chloe he had once known? Nevertheless, it was she, and she was waiting for him to speak. “Chloe…”
He tried so hard to find the words, what he wanted to say next was there, he could feel it, but he couldn’t say it. She saved him, speaking when he would not.
“I figured I’d see you again eventually. It’s been a while.”
Had it? He couldn’t remember. Days without her seemed to blend together until they were just moments in a worthless life.
“Aren’t you going to say something? Or did you just come to sit?”
Lex shook his head. He’d finally gotten up the nerve to come to her and now he wasn’t even going to speak? This was ridiculous. He was a Luther. He was intelligent. He should have something to say.
“I… miss you.”
He was an idiot. The biggest idiot ever to grace the face of the Earth. Two years and the best he could come up with was ‘I miss you’. Sure, lets say something that will dredge up all those painful memories! That would make Chloe want to talk to him some more. Hell, he sounded like a sap, a wimpy, lovesick sap.
“I miss you, too.”
His eyes shot to her face, seeking out the truth in their depths. Had she really just said that? She missed him. Even that was enough to give him hope again. To allow himself to imagine that maybe, just maybe she’d-
“But that doesn’t matter” –never forgive him would she? Why not? Why couldn’t she give him another chance, a second chance with her heart?
“Why can’t it? We miss each other. Neither of us is in love with someone else. Why can’t you just forgive me, give me another chance, let me prove that I can love you?”
Chloe shook her head. “It’s not just a matter of forgiving you or giving you another chance. I can’t… I can’t love you the way I did. Not now, not yet at least. Maybe someday, but I don’t know.”
Lex lowered his eyes, miserably. “So is that it then. There’s nothing I can do?”
His heart gave a start when her hand slipped into his, and her tentative suggestion reached his ears. “You could be a friend.”
He let his fingers close around hers; the slight contact was heaven after so much time of not being able to touch her. He could wait. He could wait forever if he had to. Just the hope that someday she might love him again, the way she had once; it was enough to give him back some of the man he’d been before. He’d give her time, if it was time she needed. In the meantime, he’d be her friend. At least he’d be close to her, and for now, that was better than any alternatives.
“You’re right…” He smiled, the first genuine smile he’d shown anyone in a long time. “I can be a friend.”