Written: July 1st, 2008
Title: So Close
Author: aumentare
Paring: Tracy/Link
Warnings/Spoilers: None
Disclaimers: I don't own Tracy or Link, I just throw them together once in a while.
Summary: Link comes close to losing it all.
Ch. 1
Oh heavens, she was already late, and it wasn't even a school day. Tracy Turnblad rushed through her make up, knowing she would regret it later. He never notices anyway, she thought to herself. Link seems to see right past my powder mask every time. She gave her face one last pat, satisfied for the moment. Tracy tried to hide a small smile as she turned away from the mirror. Today was just going to be one of those days.
The date was remembered by many, but celebrated by few. It was exactly a year since that memorable kiss on daytime television. Was it really that long ago? Link though to himself. It seems like only yesterday, really. Link turned his attention back towards Tracy, who at the moment looked rather bored. Her left hand was pushed into her rosy cheek, seemingly covering half her face. Her eyes were downcast, listlessly watching her right hand endlessly torture spaghetti with a fork. If she didn't look so upset, Link would've laughed out loud. Link reached across the formica table with his left hand and laid it on her busy right. "Tracy, what's wrong? And don't tell me 'nothing'. I know you better." She let out long, slow sigh, finally looking at him with those large brown eyes. "I can't stand it, Link", she said quietly. "I can't stand how Negroes are treated so different than us. It makes me sick to even think about it." Tracy went back to attacking her spaghetti, not caring that it was beginning to become unrecognizable as food.
Link suppressed a smile at her outrage. Since meeting Tracy, he'd learned so much from her. Not just about her, but about the people around him. She was such an open person, always trying to do what was right, not just what was easy. The Civil Rights movement was in full swing, and he knew it ate her up that she wasn't able to go to Washington D.C. for the march. Link tried to console her. "Darlin', I know you want to change the way people think about our friends, but it can't happen overnight. You know it can't. It's gonna take some time." She looked up, and he looked right into her eyes now. "Tracy, I want prejudice to end almost as much as you do, but we have to trust that there are other people who think just like us who are in a better position to make it happen. One day, we'll get our chance." Tracy made a small sound, struck slightly speechless by Link's revelation. How she wished there wasn't a table between them right now.
He raised an eyebrow at the myriad of reactions that had flitted across her face in only a few seconds. Tracy suddenly looked down at her lap, and she barely made audible her request. "I think I'd like to go now", she said. Link suddenly felt a little embarrassed, thinking he'd just made a fool out of himself in front of her and a dozen other people sitting around them. Why can't I just keep my idiot mouth shut? Next time, try to talk about something a little less political, okay? He continued to mentally berate himself as he paid for dinner, tipped the waitress, and escorted Tracy out of the diner. He was still thinking about ways to make up his mistake to her when they'd reached his car. He began walking to the passenger side of the car, hoping he'd think of something quick. Suddenly, he felt one of Tracy's hands grab the back of his shirt, while the other found the middle of his chest and pushed him against the window of his car. His only thoughts were please God, don't let me die and damn! she's angrier than i thought! But it turned out that he wasn't going to die, and Tracy wasn't angry.