I haven't posted anything in 2 years. I'm honestly not happy with my lack of writing, but life just doesn't stop.
Read my rant about chess on my about me page- I love this musical. These characters are based off the performance by Adam Pascal, Idina Menzel and Josh Groban. I'm at least 95% convinced that Florence and Freddie got back together at the end of the musical (hence this fanfic). The remaining 5% is stuck on the idea of Florence and Svetlana getting together... Be on the look out for that fic.
I don't own anything.
Freddie knocked on her hotel room door and waited with his hands stuffed in his pockets. Walter had told him everything. Between Anatoly leaving her to go back to Russia with his wife and her father suddenly being unable to be found, Freddie felt bad for his ex-partner.
He hadn't lost anything in all this mess besides a title and some dignity. She was left with nothing.
"Yes?" she answered the door, looking unsurprised to see him. Maybe he was acting predictably but she needed him. No matter how much she didn't want to admit it.
"Come on, we're going to dinner." Freddie moved to the side to allow her to pass (theoretically).
She didn't budge. "I would rather not, Freddie."
"Florence," He sighed. "I know you're not having the best time of your life-"
"I am perfectly-"
He scoffed. "Don't lie to me. Your Red left you and you've got nothing and no one." Her face fell at his truth. "Except for me."
She laughed harshly, "Lucky me!"
Freddie grinned. "I mean it Florence, I'm always here for you."
"I appreciate the sentiment," She sighed. Florence didn't mean it the way he wanted her to.
"So are we ordering room service instead of going out?"
She hardened again, "I just want to be alone…"
"But I need to talk to you." Freddie saw her take the slightest step away from the door. He took the invitation and invaded her space to bodily pass her.
She shut the door behind them.
He admired the view from her hotel room window. Bangkok actually wasn't too bad of a city. He was glad to have finally looked up from the board... Not to say he wouldn't go back to how it used to be in a heartbeat…
He didn't have to turn around to know she had taken a seat on the edge of the bed. A squeak confirmed it anyway. He sighed lowly, so she wouldn't hear.
"I'm sorry." He started.
"I'm sorry too."
That made him turn around. He cocked an eyebrow. "I was the ass, Florence. I helped Sergievsky win."
She rolled her eyes. "I knew he would win. I didn't even doubt he'd leave me after the victory either."
"You knew?" Freddie crossed the room to be closer.
She shrugged, "I know him so well." Her voice made her sound like she wanted to laugh or cry or both. "I knew it wouldn't last. But I was so focused on his win that I didn't see Walter's lie."
He sat down on the bed beside her. Putting a hand on her thigh, he shook his head. "Those bastards lied to me too. Even knowing about the possibility of freeing your father, I still helped him."
"After I was so cold to you, I don't blame you."
Freddie chuckled, "But I'm still sorry."
"You are." Florence knocked her shoulder against his playfully.
"And for last year too." He frowned as she cringed.
The last thing she wanted to do was talk about their last fight. "Freddie…"
"I knew you were tired of me." He shrugged. "So I was angry at seeing you get along with the Red."
Florence sucked in a breath as he continued.
"I said a lot to drive you away." He rubbed his hand up and down her thigh, trying to soothe her. "I've changed though, Florence, really."
"I don't want to talk about this." Florence begged.
She blinked rapidly, not only an attempt to hold back tears threatening to fall but also to ground herself to this moment. Her mind was whirling with the past and Freddie and Anatoly and all the bullshit of both of them. She turned her head to look at the wall, her body folding up.
"Florence?"
For almost a month after leaving Freddie, she had lied awake knowing she had made a mistake, knowing she would have to eventually crawl back to him. Now that Anatoly had gone, for good, she saw all those regrets resurfacing. She remembered how her heart had broken to leave him, in spite of being furious with him. At the time, she had welcomed the relief of being away from Freddie, their break had been heaven sent. Back then he had been so abusive…
"Hey, Florence."
But now he was back to pick up all the pieces and play the nice guy and make her wonder why she had ever left him. Would he eventually go back to how he was? And she'd be back to praying for another escape.
He pulled her head up to face him with a gentle hand at her chin. He looked as distressed as she felt.
"I've known you for 10 years and I've never seen you like this." He tried to smile, "Normally you're yelling or pacing or-"
She impulsively wanted to kiss him, but knew it was too soon. Florence was still caught up in her thoughts but said, "I missed you."
He blew out a breath like he'd been punched in the gut.
"Anatoly and I had one of the purest loves I could ever conceive, but every day I missed you."
His eyes searched hers. She was so vulnerable, something rare for her. As much as he put his walls up to protect himself, hers were constructed just as skillfully. At this point, she was probably much more guarded than he.
"I meant it, at the meeting." Freddie chewed at his lip, still holding her cheek in his hand. He would say it again if she needed to hear it.
She shook her head, hand coming up to remove his hand. But she kept a firm hold on him. Their hands rested on her lap. "I don't want to go back to how it was."
He looked confused so she continued.
"We were falling apart, Freddie. You were too focused, too cold, too…" She couldn't find the right words to describe the abuse. He didn't know any better. He probably had no idea how much he had been hurting her, "And, I resented you for it."
"And I hated that we weren't working out." He squeezed her hand. "It was that damn game."
"Chess was our life." She smiled.
"I'm retired now though."
"Not from Global."
Freddie scoffed, "I wouldn't stay with Global after what Walter did."
"What else is there for you?" Florence sounded stressed, "Chess is what makes you happy, what makes me happy."
He pulled his hand from her grasp to put his arms around her. They hugged, Freddie rubbing her back as she sighed into the crook of his neck. He had been thinking of his backup plan for a while.
"I can finish my teaching degree. Teach some little high school shits how to play and win."
Florence smiled. "I'm glad you never gave up on that dream."
"I'd love to have you there with me, beside me."
"I'm sure you would," She pulled back, "Do your homework, grade those kids' homework-"
"I just want to be with you again." Freddie stopped her.
She melted.
He smirked, "I can't promise that I'm always gonna be the nice guy, it's just not my style… But I'll do my best to give you what you want and make some of your dreams come true."
"Okay, you win." Florence felt lighter, excited for the future for the first time in months.
"I love you too." He pressed a kiss to her forehead.
In the end, they would be alright. With time and plenty of late night chess matches against each other, they would heal and be better than ever.