Don't Hold Your Breath
A/N: Inspired by 'Don't Hold Your Breath' by Nicole Scherzinger. Listen to that while reading if you feel like it. Read on, and enjoy a little bit of rare Chip
Warning: No swearing. But still, mild yaoi.
Disclaimer: I don't own the characters here, or the song.
=X=
Pip buried his face in his hands and slumped down in his seat.
I've done it. I've left, and I'm not going back, ever. He'll never see me again. I'll never see him again.
"Etes-vous bien, Pip?" the rugged brunette teen in the driver's seat asked, glancing quickly over to the blonde before he returned his attention to the road ahead as he drove, much faster than the legal limit. Pip didn't reply; just sat perfectly still, face still covered by his hands. The brunette left the silence hanging, unwilling to disturb the boy next to him.
Eventually, Pip sat up and rubbed his face; a few stray tears had managed to find their way from his eyes to rolling down his cheeks. He inhaled deeply and exhaled slowly to calm himself. He turned to the driver.
"Christophe, where's the bag of clothes?" he asked tiredly.
"Backseat." Christophe replied in his heavy French accent. Pip nodded and crawled carefully back from the passenger to the spacious backseats of Christophe's car. He quickly slipped from his ripped trousers and dirt-stained white shirt into dark jeans and a loose dark green t-shirt, and clambered back into the front of the car. Christophe glanced over at him again, watching as he tucked his long blonde hair under a cap the same colour as the t-shirt.
"Rassurez-vous, Pip. Il est derrière toi, maintenant. Vous ne serez jamais, jamais avoir à traiter avec lui à nouveau. Tout ira bien. Je vous le promets." He said quietly, taking one hand off the wheel to place it gently on Pip's lap. The Brit flinched away, and Christophe immediately withdrew his hand. It was still too soon.
"D...Don't Christophe." Pip muttered, shuffling away from the French teen and staring out of the window. Christophe nodded, even though Pip couldn't see it, and continued to speed as far away from where they had just come as possible in complete silence.
~::.::~
"Pip... Pip, mon ange, we are 'ere."
Pip blinked his eyes slowly open. Eventually the dark blurs came into focus, and he saw Christophe leaning over him and gently shaking his shoulder to wake him up. He yawned and stretched himself out before wobbling to his feet.
"Are you sure you want to be left alone?" Christophe's accented voice asked him quietly. Pip nodded. Before he could walk away, a strong hand grabbed his arm and pulled him back. Despite the obvious strength, Christophe wasn't hurting him, but the familiar action made the blonde panic momentarily. When he'd calmed he looked up into the dark, forest green eyes of the boy who had helped him with his escape from hell.
"Avez-vous l'aimez toujours?"
Dark green eyes searched light brown. Pip broke the gaze by closing his eyes and shaking his head.
"Non, Christophe."
Pip gently pulled his arm from Christophe's grip, and walked into his apartment.
~::.::~
Pip stared at himself in the mirror as he waited for the porcelain sink to fill. He dragged a hand through his messy hair and rubbed his eyes and the dark bags underneath them.
He jolted when, for a moment, he could see the dark silhouette stood behind him, two red orbs glaring at him. But as soon as he blinked the vision disappeared and it was just him in his bathroom.
He'd been hurt and betrayed and lied to so many times. He'd been the subject of twisted mind-games, lied to over and over and over again, held in a trap and exploited.
I really thought he could change. I loved him so much; I wanted to believe he could change. But I know now. Someone like him will never change.
Pip had wanted to escape for a long time; but every time he lured him back with more false promises. He'd had his possessions broken, his money stolen, given everything he could with nothing in return, and still he couldn't help but keep going back. He had been so desperate to stay, he'd lied to himself; he can change, he'll change, he will.
No. No he wasn't. He was a monster, and he'd never be able to change. It had taken Pip too long to figure it out.
All his love, all his care and worry, all of his being hadn't been enough for that demon. Nothing was enough, nothing was ever enough; nothing was ever going to BE enough. The smallest thing caused a jealous rage, the smallest interaction with a friend, a platonic hug, a happy smile, a simple spoken compliment. It was crazy.
But now it didn't matter. Pip was free. He wasn't chained down anymore; he was free to stretch his wings, unrestricted as to what he could do, who he could see: the world was a place of open opportunity again.
Pip's reflection smiled up at him as he finally shed his dark, heavy cloak of oppression.
~::.::~
It had been a few weeks. Pip had moved out of his short-term apartment, into a larger one with Christophe. He looked down at the caller ID when his phone rang, then answered.
"Why are you calling me, now?"
"Please come back to me Pip. I didn't realise how much you meant to me. I need you. Please, come back home." The familiar voice pleaded from the other end of the call. "I promise, I won't hurt you again. I'll be better, I'll change, for you, I promise..."
The same old lies, over and over again.
"Not this time. I'm not coming back."
"Please Pip; come back home, to me."
"I am home. I don't love you anymore, I don't need you, and I don't want you. We're over; I can't forgive and forget, not after what you've done to me. Not this time."
"If you don't come back, I'll –"
"You can't touch me now. I'm gone. You won't be able to get to me ever again. I don't feel anything for you. I'm not coming back." Pip cut in.
"You'll come crawling back to me. You always do." The voice growled, now enraged. "You'll be coming back."
"Don't hold your breath, Damien." Pip said quietly. Then he hung up the phone and dropped it over the bridge he was stood on, into the river below.
Pip smiled triumphantly, and turned away. He walked over to Christophe, who wrapped an arm around his waist and together they walked off.
~::.::~
You can't touch me now, there's no feeling left
If you think I'm coming back, don't hold your breath.
What you did to me, boy, I can't forget,
If you think I'm coming back, don't hold your breath...
=X=
A/N: Why?
Because this song was just screaming 'WRITE SOMETHING' at me, and the lyrics gave me inspiration. So here is some... Chip. Dude, I'm starting to like this pairing even more. Dunno why. But hey.
I think it turned out okay.
Remember, reviews appreciated a lot! Thank you, goodnight *bow*