He Wishes For the Cloths of Heaven
by Kyizi
Disclaimer:
These characters belong to the WWE, the Title belongs to WB YeatsRating:
PG-13E-mail:
Category:
WWFDistribution:
If you want, ask, I'll likely say yesSpoilers:
NoneNotes: This is a sequel to my fic, "A Poet To His Beloved". It focuses mostly on Steph, Chris, Jeff and his mystery woman, but there are a lot of characters involved. Sorry I had to involve new people!
Please note, this isn't betad yet, so be kind to the grammar, spelling etc!
To the people who voted in my poll at the KarenFic list to tell me who you wanted the mystery woman to be, thank you…it was very close, so you'll have to wait and see! ;p And for the people who voted "Other", if you emailed me with the name, I'm sorry, your emails went missing :( I'm really sorry! Chances are, they were deleted by accident as I have my filter on Exclusive (I get so many junk emails) and may have missed them when looking in my junk mail folder. Again, sorry about that, hope you like whom I use anyway.
xxxxx
She smiled as she watched him; he really had no idea how beautiful he looked. His smile, his body, his eyes…most of all she loved his eyes. She could read them, the way one would read a book of poetry. You had to turn the pages slowly, read every detail and cherish it in order to understand its complexity.
Complex. That was definitely a word she'd use to describe him. There was nothing about him that didn't require further knowledge, further exploration and understanding. He kept himself so guarded, more so now than before.
She glanced across the room the where Lita and Edge were sparring, laughing as if they were the only two people on the face of the planet. She wanted that. She wanted that kind of unconditional and friendly love. The kind that made you gasp at the intensity and passion but still had the tenderness that made you want to cherish it; the kind of love that she had dreamed of all her life. She almost laughed at the childishness of it all, but it was her dream none the less.
She turned back to look at him, and smiled as he bit his lip and shook his head at his brothers antics. She loved to stare at him. She'd watch as he gracefully made his way through his moves as he practiced on a trampoline, or sparred with his brother as he was doing now. Occasionally he'd glance her way and she'd quickly avert her eyes, but when she looked back, he'd smile…he really had no idea. He had no idea how much she wanted him to be the one to give her that kind of love, that she dreamed about him every night, that she…
"Hey, wake up!"
She turned to her friends as they approached and she smiled. "Sorry, I was a million miles away."
"We noticed." Her friend laughed, her blonde hair cascading about her. "So, you ready to move?"
"Yeah, lets go."
"Hey guys, you headin'?" The girls turned as the Hardy brothers headed towards them and nodded.
"Hey, look, Jeff, it's the three Blonde Stooges." Matt laughed, ducking as Stacy, Torrie and Lillian aimed their bags at him.
Jeff laughed and shook his head, "We're hirin' a van if you guys want to join us. An' don't worry, after last time, I figured might be wise to keep Steph away from the wheel, Matt's drivin'."
"Thanks for volunteering me," his brother said sarcastically. "Come on, it'll be fun. Chris, Steph, Rob, Lita and Edge are comin' too, it'll be a blast. We can take turns drivin'…except Jeff 'course, considerin' we want to make it to the next arena in one piece."
"Funny, Matt, real funny."
"So, what's the verdict?" Lita asked as she and Edge approached the group.
"I can't believe you're willing to go again." Stacy smiled at the redhead.
"Hey, lightning never strikes twice."
"Well, you just jinxed it, Li." Chris sighed. "Guess we can't go."
Lita rolled her eyes and turned to her friends, "Well?"
The girls looked at each other and shrugged, "Sure, we'd love to."
xxxxx
"So you think you're improving?" Lita asked, smiling at Torrie.
"Definitely, although part of me hopes I don't end up with your storylines."
"What's that mean?" Lita asked incredulously and Jeff laughed, earning himself a glare. Edge was lucky…Lita couldn't see his face.
"Well, you do get beat up hell of a lot." Jeff sat back a little at Lita's look, "Sorry, Red, but it's true."
"This coming from a man who's in my entrance video more than his own." Rob smirked and even Jeff had to laugh along with the others. "Seven times, man, seven times."
Stacy smiled, "You counted?"
The man shrugged, "What can I say, I lead a sad life."
"The fact that he constantly feels the need to spell out his initials and wave his thumbs about didn't give that away?" Stephanie smirked, as Rob acted wounded.
Torrie laughed and shook her head before turning to look out of the window, smiling at the passing scenery. It was a rare occasion when she had the time to appreciate the beauty of the countryside, but now that they were passing it by, she only wished she could spend some time among it. Having grown up in the country, she missed the trees. It was almost laughable considering how much she had hated it at the time. But she really missed them. The fact that she was currently squashed into a small van with nine other people only added to her claustrophobia, making her wish she was in the open even more.
"Hey, Tor, you up for a game?"
Turning back to look at Jeff, she frowned. "A game of what?"
"Truth or Dare?"
"Oh, no! I remember what happened last time!" she looked over at Lillian. "This was your idea, wasn't it?"
"It was not!" The petite blonde cried. "It was Jericho's idea."
Torrie turned to look into the front mirror. "If you weren't driving, Jerky, I'd hit you."
"Hey, only I get to hit my man." Steph smiled from her seat next to Rob.
Torrie looked back at her. "Then I want you to hit him when Matt takes over the wheel."
"Sure, no problem."
"Hey, Princess," Chris looked at his girlfriend through the rear view mirror. "You're supposed to be on my side."
"But if I hit you, then I get to make it up to you."
"I think I like your thinkin', Miss Stephanie."
There was a unanimous groan through out the van and Stephanie winked at Rob as he rolled his eyes. Torrie smiled, glad to see that Steph was in a better mood than she had been earlier. She reached over the seat and pulled the cards from Jeff's hands as he sat shuffling them. His need to always be doing something was well known amongst the friends and Stacy had purchased a pack of cards for him before they left, just so that he'd have something to keep him occupied during the long drive.
"I have a better idea," Torrie said smiling, ignoring Jeff's outcry of; "Hey, give 'em back!""Hey Jeff, I'm sure if you insist on fingering something then…"
"Steph, please, I beg you not to finish that sentence. He's my kid brother, I've known him all his life, I beg you to stop."
The others laughed and Rob leaned over Stacy to stroke Jeff's arm, "But I was so looking forward to being his object of…"
"Stop it, man!" Matt cried, turning to look past Torrie and Lillian into the seats behind them.
"Okay, I'm with Matt on this one," Jeff stated, pulling his arm out of Rob's reach and placing it on the seat behind Stacy, using her as a shield against the laughing Van Dam.
xxxxx
Chris grimaced, "My God, that can not be comfortable!" he said, looking back into the middle seat.
"What?" Lillian asked as everyone turned to look at her in agreement with Chris, even Matt, who was now at the wheel, causing the car to swerve and Stacy to squeal.
"Sorry," he muttered with a blush and turned back to the road.
"Let me get this straight, you guys throw yourselves off cages and into tables for a living, but the lotus position looks uncomfortable?" Lillian asked incredulously.
"Okay, for a start," Chris said, looking slightly ill as he pointed at Matt. "Only his insane brother volunteers himself for those stunts and second, yes! That looks uncomfortable."
Lillian rolled her eyes and glanced back at her cards. She sighed and placed them on the seat. "I fold."
Rob smirked, "So we see."
xxxxx
"Watch it! You're squashing me." Lillian glared at Torrie and pulled at her skirt.
"Well, if the lovebirds weren't hogging all the room, I wouldn't be practically sitting on you."
"Hey, I'm almost sitting on Edge, here. We've got hardly any room either!" Lita retorted.
"Speaking of your current position, Li," Matt looked through the rear view at Edge and Lita. "As much as we enjoy the show, think you guys can leave it 'til you get a room? The smacking noises are making me nauseous."
Lita pulled away from her boyfriend and smiled a little too sweetly at Matt. "At least this is better than last time. Thank your lucky start you weren't with us then; we were stuck walking for miles along a deserted road. I think you can put up with it."
"I'm with Li, walking with her was no fun, man." Jeff shook his head. "She gets real pissy."
"Hey!" Lita turned round to swipe him, but considering she was at the opposite window in the seat in front, she missed. "I was not pissy. I'll have you know, I handled the situation very well."
Stacy watched the exchange with a bemused expression, "I thought this trip was supposed to be fun."
"What?" Jeff asked her with a smile, leaning in to whisper into her ear. "Watching everyone isn't amusing?"
Stacy giggled and raised her eyebrows. "I guess it has its advantages."
"Yeah," he smiled, "We now know how to save on air fares." At Stacy's frown he continued. "We can fold Lil up and put her in a suitcase. Ouch!" Jeff frowned as Lillian turned back to face the front. "Viper."
xxxxx
"I'm going to castrate you if you get within about three feet of me." Lita glared at the elder Hardy. "I can't believe this!"
Matt gulped, "I thought you didn' get pissy."
Lita glared at him, causing the elder Hardy to take a few steps back. "I have every right to be pissed off. The van is ruined!"
"So much for lightnin' never stikin' twice, huh?" Jeff shook his head, not missing the irony of the situation.
"Oh, shut up, Hardy."
Jeff smiled a little at her and Lita couldn't help herself, she eventually smiled back at him. Shaking her head, she leaned into her boyfriend a little, smiling as Jeff turned around to face the 'forward' direction they were walking in, rather than walking backwards and falling into potholes every now and again.
"I can't believe this is happening again." She groaned, leaning her head onto Edge's chest.
"Well," he smiled. "Just remember how well last time ended up."
"How could I forget," she said, smiling, sweetly up at him. "I've been waking up next to the consequences ever since."
"I think I'm insulted." He narrowed his eyes at her, but the grin on his face betrayed him.
"You mean you would be if you didn't love me so much."
"Oh, someone thinks very highly of herself," He smirked.
"What can I say, you're rubbing off on me."
"In more ways than one," he said, wagging his eyebrows.
She laughed and leaned up to kiss him. She couldn't help but remember the first time she had kissed him, perhaps it was the similar circumstances that they now found themselves in, or perhaps it was because every time he did kiss her, it was as sweet and intense as the first time. Every time she kissed him was a thrill, it was new, but it still held that same passion that it had the first time.
Thinking about that night, she wanted to smile at the tingling sensation it always sent through her, but there was always something else that weighed heavily on her mind, something else about that night that she always wished she could do something to change. There was always that memory of Jeff. The way he sat hunched up on the edge of the fence, staring at the sky. The poem he had whispered on the wind to her had been beautiful, but she had never had the courage to find out more about it, just as she had never had the courage to approach Jeff about that night, to ask him what it had meant, to ask in plain words how he felt about her. She just couldn't; she was afraid, no terrified of what he might say.
"Penny for them?"
She turned to Edge and smiled, shaking away her thoughts. "Sorry, I was just thinking. It's nothing."
He frowned but nodded slowly, accepting that she didn't want to speak about it. She'd tell him in her own time and it comforted her to know that he knew this. She only hoped that her words were true…that it was nothing.
xxxxx
Torrie squealed as Jeff placed her back on her feet and started to hit him. "That was not funny!" she smiled.
"Then why are you laughing?""Because you're an idiot and if you ever throw me over your shoulder again, I will beat you up!"
"He beats himself up, you won't need to lift a finger." Rob smirked.
"Well, if you guys would just stay put, I'd hurt you instead."
"Are you crazy?" Chris raised his eyebrows. "No one wants any part of any of your insane moves, rainbow boy."
"Welcome to my life," Matt said. "Who do you think had to practice with him all these years?"
"You're not much better." Stacy smiled.
"I think I resent that," Matt grinned back at her.
"Hey," Jeff interrupted. "I fight fine and they'd be perfectly executed moves if I could…well…"
"Execute them?" Lita supplied, smiling when he glared at her.
"Go take a flying leap."
"No thanks," she grinned. "I'll leave that to you."
xxxxx
Shaking her head, she tried to ignore the pain shooting up her thigh. She had hoped that she wouldn't have to mention that she'd injured herself during their last bout at the gym before they'd left. Unfortunately, due to fate's little trick, they were now walking in some random direction, hoping to find some sign of life.
Having fallen into a ditch, the van had managed to puncture both its front tyres, and only having one spare made it pretty useless. She glanced again at the road, annoyed to find that there was no traffic. She didn't understand how it happened that whenever one of them ended up broken down, it was always on some deserted road. It was as if someone up above was trying to tell them to slow down and spend some time enjoying life. She smiled at the thought.
"Smile, it might never happen."
She turned and raised her eyebrows at Rob. "I think it already did."
He inclined his head and smiled. "Well, at least it isn't any worse."
"Don't even say that!" They all stopped and turned to look at Lita who continued. "Whenever someone says that it always gets worse!" As if to reiterate her words, there was a clash of thunder. She glared at Rob who shrugged.
She couldn't help but smile. She'd never understand how Rob always seemed to be happy; it was as if nothing fazed him. He was a lot like Jeff, even when something was bothering the younger Hardy, he never let on. She could always tell, but he never let anyone see inside him. It was simply another thing that she loved about him, another thing she wanted to be with him for. But like every other thing, he'd never know.
xxxxx
"Watch it, Princess."
"Bite me."
"Yes, please."
"Chris!" Steph squealed as he leaned her back in his arms, pretending to bite at her neck. She laughed and swatted at him, which was rather futile considering the size difference and the fact that she didn't really want to hurt him.
"So, this as bad as last time?" he asked her as they fell back into step.
"I think it's worse for Lita." She smiled.Chris chuckled. "She's more of a princess than you when it comes to walking."
"And what exactly is that supposed to mean?" she asked huffily.
"Hey, baby, I was only joking." He frowned. "Are you sure you're all right?"
"I'm fine." She said irritably. "If there was something wrong, I'd like to think you'd notice."
"I just did."
"Oh, never mind." She stalked off in front and fell into step next to Lillian.
"What did I do?" he asked, raising his arms in defeat.
"Women, man, what can you do?" Matt placed an arm over his shoulder and he scowled. "Come on, think. The reason women never tell us what's wrong is 'cause they want us to figure it out ourselves. There has to be some clues."
"How am I supposed to figure it out when she won't tell me?"
Matt shook his head. "Catch 22 bro."
"Helpful, Hardy, real helpful."
"I aim to please."
"Is that what you say to Lillian?" Chris smirked.
Matt shook his head. "With the mood Steph's in, I think you might want to keep your mind on your own love life rather than mine."
"What's that about our love life, sweetie?" Lillian asked, turned to face them.
"Nothin'," Matt smirked. "Chris just wants a few pointers."
"Yeah, he wants you to teach Steph that lotus thing." Rob said laughing.
"Very funny, Rob." Steph snapped and walked ahead, leaving her confused friends behind her.
xxxxx
Jeff sighed; this was turning into another nightmare. Chris had run on ahead after Stephanie and the others were left in a subdued silence and to top it all off, it was starting to rain. He glanced sideways at Stacy and Torrie, watching them talk quietly amongst themselves.
He loved to watch her, he hadn't even noticed he had started doing it until Lillian had pointed it out, but he was and he loved doing it. He smiled as she wrung her hands together, it was a nervous habit she had, something she'd always done but he hadn't noticed it until he had really started paying attention to her.
He hadn't even noticed it had happened; that he was no longer hopelessly in love with Lita, until one day when he was watching her with Edge and he realised that he no longer felt that pang in his chest; that aching pain that had always accompanied the beat of his heart whenever Lita was with the Canadian.
He had always loved Lita, since the first moment that he had seen her, and he always would, but that love had changed. It had long since stopped being a romantic, passionate love and had slowly changed into something deeper but no longer romantic. It hadn't happened by choice, but more from necessity.
Watching her with Edge each day had reminded him that he wasn't the object of her affections and she had never really acknowledged that that was what he had wanted. He didn't blame her, sometimes it was better to live in ignorance. It had hurt a little that she wasn't willing to accept his love, not in the sense that she would return it, but at least in the sense that she knew it was there. But she had gone on treating him the same and as much as it had hurt, he had always known it was for the best.
A part of his heart would always be hers, that was something that no one could ever take away, something he hoped that no one would ever try to do. But his heart now belonged to someone else, someone he'd never have thought of.
He glanced over in her direction as she laughed. Lita had moved forward to talk to Torrie and Stacy and it was almost strange to watch her interact with the woman that he now loved. And he was almost positive that he did love her. She had wormed her way into his heart without him even realising it.
He often caught her watching him and that gave him a little hope. Hope that she might be able to love him, hope that she might grow to need him as much as he wanted and needed her. Sometimes he even thought that she already did love him, but after his experiences with Lita, he wasn't willing to let that hope grow. It was his dream to have her love him back, his hope that she would want to. He only hoped that she wouldn't step on those dreams and crush his heart. Because when Jeff Hardy fell in love, he fell the whole way and he wasn't sure his heart could take another rejection.
xxxxx
"Are you going to tell me what's wrong?" Chris asked, pulling her aside. There was a small grassy area leading to a field entrance that was shrouded by a small collection of bushes. He turned into it and pulled her to sit on the crumbling wall, dropping their bags as his feet as he heard their friends pass them by.
"There's nothing wrong. I'm just a little wound up. I guess all this walking is making me a bit cranky." She said with an unconvincing smile.
He took both her hands in his and crouched in front of her. "Not gonna fall for it, gorgeous."
"There's nothing wrong!" she said pulling her hands free and trying to stand, rubbing at her eyes a little as she did.
"Then why are you crying?" he demanded, standing in front of her.
"I'm not crying!" she yelled, bursting into tears. He pulled her into a hug as she clutched at him. He placed his coat around her shoulders and pulled her still tighter.
"Shh, let it out."
After a few minutes, her tears subsided. "I'm sorry," she sniffled, pulling back from his embrace a little, but his arms banded around her and held her fast.
"Anytime, princess," He smiled and kissed her forehead. "Now, you planning on telling me what's wrong?"
"I…I'm fine."
"Yeah," he said a little irritably. "Your fit of crying there, really showed that." She scowled and tried to pull away, but he wouldn't let go. "I'm sorry." He said, cursing himself. "I'm sorry, Steph, I shouldn't have said that. I just…I just want you to let me in. To tell me what's going on in that head of yours."
She sighed and looked up into his eyes. He was studying her seriously and she instantly felt guilty. Pulling his jacket on properly, she placed her hands into the pockets and opened her mouth to speak when she frowned. After a moment she pulled a small box from his pocket.
"What's this?" Chris was staring at her in horror as she opened the box and gasped. She looked up at him, tears in her eyes. "Is this what I think it is?"
"I-I, Steph…"
"Tell me," she whispered. He nodded, unable to speak and she burst into tears.
"I'm sorry, Steph, I'm sorry. I know you're not ready but I was only going to let you know that the offer was there for whenever you are. I…I didn't mean to upset you, I'm sor-"
"That's not why I'm crying," she said looking back up at him.
"Then why?"
"I…I thought you didn't love me anymore and-"
"What gave you that idea?" he asked incredulously.
"I…I don't know but…" she frowned. "You do love me, right?"
He laughed, "No, Steph, I'm asking you to marry me for the hell of it."
"Chris, can you please be serious for just a minute! How can you expect me to bring a child into this world if you can't even answer a simple-"
"What?" Stephanie stopped talking. She looked at his wide eyes and realised her mistake. His mouth opened a few times before he spoke. "Say that last part again."
"I-Chris, I didn't mean to tell you like this, I-"
"You're pregnant?"
Not trusting her voice, she nodded, tears beginning to fall again. "I'm sorry. I wanted to tell you, but I wasn't sure and then when I was everything seemed to be happening so fast and I-"
"I love you." She looked up at him and he smiled. "That's what you weren't sure about, right?" She nodded, embarrassment welling up along side her tears. "Stephanie McMahon, I love you, okay? I love everything about you and if you ever even feel the need to ask, then I must be doing something wrong."
"No, Chris, I was just feeling insecure. We talked about marriage, but we weren't ready and then I was and I didn't know if you were and then I found out about the baby and-"
He smiled. "We're really having a baby? I mean really?"
Steph grinned widely. "Really, really." She took his hand and placed it on her abdomen her grin widening even more at the look of wonder on Chris' face.
"Marry me." Her eyes widened and she stepped back a little. He stepped closer. "I was going to ask you anyway, you have the ring in your hands to prove that I'm not just asking because of the baby." Stephanie looked down, having forgotten about the sparkling ring in her hands. "I mean it. Granted, asking you in a field wasn't the way I had it planned, but…"
Steph laughed and smiled at him then took a deep breath. "You really love me?"
"Really, really."
xxxxx
Stacy glanced again at Steph. Since the two had caught up with the group, they had been grinning like Cheshire cats and Stacy took that to mean that Steph had told Chris she was pregnant. Steph hadn't told any of them, but Lita, Torrie, Lillian and herself had all pretty much figured it out, well she'd figured it out and relayed the information.
They had all agreed with her conclusion, but hadn't known how to broach the subject. They had planned to approach the woman later in the evening if she still seemed subdued. But it seemed like everything had been sorted and still Stacy felt there was something more…Suddenly she grinned.
"That's some rock you got there, Steph."
"I was just thinkin' that." Jeff smiled, as he and Torrie joined her in line.
"Oh my God!" Lillian had embraced Steph within the blink of an eye. "I can't believe you didn't tell me!" she exclaimed, admonishing the young billionaire. "I'm supposed to be your best friend and this is vital best friend material!"
"I'm sorry." Steph grinned, "I didn't want to just come out with it."
"Besides, it was more fun seeing how long it would take you to notice the ring." Chris smiled. "And," he looked at Steph, who nodded. "There's more. I'm going to be a father."
"Already figured that part out, man, but congrats." Jeff winked and leaned in to hug Steph.
"What?" Chris looked at them all wild-eyed.
"Sorry," Edge grinned. "Lita passed on the info."
"You guys all knew, and no one told me?"
"How did any of you know?" Steph asked, ignoring Chris' outburst.
"Wasn't that hard to figure out." Matt said smiling. A look from Jeff had him rolling his eyes. "Okay, so Jeff figured it out and told us."
"Stacy told us." Lillian smiled, then frowned. "Which is another best friend thing I should have been told."
"I wasn't going to tell you before I'd told Chris!"
Torrie smiled at the bewildered look that remained on Chris' face and congratulated the couple. Looking over Steph's shoulder, she frowned. "What is that?"
xxxxx
"Okay, so this is slightly better than last time." Jeff said. At Lita's sceptical look he shrugged his shoulders. "What? We got four rooms this time."
"We also got twice as many people, Jeffrey."
He swiped at his brother and scowled. "So, what? We need to bunk up, we figured that."
"I can't believe that there's a house this big that isn't being let out," Stacy frowned.
"It will be," Rob said, lying on the couch. "The new tenants move in next week."
"Well, that's…convenient." Lita said, frowning.
"Strange, but true." Edge smiled. "Now, if you lot don't mind, I'm taking this beautiful redhead to bed." Without waiting for an answer, he threw Lita over his shoulders, ignoring her squeals of protest as they dissolved into laughter.
"Not to be a copycat, but I have a pregnant fiancé who needs her sleep." Chris smiled, leading Steph up the stairs.
"Something tells me she ain't gonna get any sleep tonight." Jeff smirked.
"Speaking of, I'm gonna have to steal, Miss Lily." Matt smiled as he pulled his girlfriend from the couch.
Rob looked at Jeff then shook his head. He turned to Stacy and Torrie and winked. "What do you say, girls, threesome?"
Stacy giggled and Torrie rolled her eyes, pulling her friend from the couch. "I think we'll take the other room." Turning to Jeff she looked at him with pity in her eyes. "Sorry to leave you with this, Jeff."
"Now that was harsh." Rob said. He opened his arms and called out; "Are you sure?" Shaking his head, Rob lay back on the couch. "I think we gotta get ourselves some women, man. Everyone else seems to have paired up, you'd think the girls would be a little more receptive."
Jeff shook his head and laughed, seeing the twinkle in the other man's eyes. He knew as well as everyone else that Rob was never serious. He flirted non-stop, but there was nothing sleazy about the man, in fact, he was usually very shy in front of the women he liked. And Jeff knew that there was a lovely technician on the WWE crew that the man liked very much. So much, in fact, that he couldn't get near her without stuttering like a fool.
"I'm goin' for a walk." Jeff waved his hand at Rob and headed out the door.
xxxxx
Jeff stared at the stars, making the same wish as he always did. It had become a ritual since that night, to look at the same star and make the same wish. Only now his wish had a name, a face and a beautiful personality. It was a dream with a name and a star with a wish that all his hopes were lying on.
"Penny for them?"
He turned to look at her a little unsteadily and she laughed as she stopped him from falling off the gate. A few moments later he was standing beside her.
"Well, that was graceful," he muttered.
"You're always graceful," she said softly, almost shyly.
"Thank you," he smiled. "Walk with me?"
She nodded and they began to walk slowly over the damp grass. They walked in silence, only occasionally glancing at the other person, furiously turning away when their eyes met. After a moment she frowned, listening as he mumbled to himself.
"What is that?" she asked, seeming almost afraid of the answer.
He blushed. "It's nothing, just a poem."
"What poem?"
"My favourite."
"Read it to me?"
He took a deep breath, as if weighing up his options. After a moment he seemed to have made a decision and she saw that look in his eyes that he got whenever he went out into the crowd. It was a look of hope and determination that he always had when he wanted to make someone happy, the look he got when he was nervous. Only this time, when the look was being sent her way, it made her heart contract in hope and fear.
He turned to the sky and started to speak, almost so softly that, if she hadn't known it by heart, she wouldn't have known a word he spoke.
"Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half-light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams…"
"I have spread my dreams under your feet
Tread softly, because you tread on my dreams."
Jeff turned to look at her, wide eyed. "You know it?"
"Of course I do, it's Yeats. It's my favourite poem. It's just so beautiful, so filled with hope and trust. He's laying his hopes and his dreams before her and trusting her not to crush him, trusting her with all he has to offer, his dreams."
Jeff took a step closer to her, "Just like I'm trusting you now."
"What?" she whispered, almost unable to believe what he was saying.
Jeff took her hands in his and smiled softly. "I'm laying my dreams before you…I love you," He paused for a moment, taking in the shock on her face as it was lit by the moon. "My dreams are under you feet, Stacy," he whispered. "What will you do?"
She smiled as he wiped a tear from her eye. "I'll tread softly." With a smile he leaned towards her, noting that, without her heels, she was just a little smaller than him. "I love you, Jeff."
He looked into her eyes and smiled and without another thought, he kissed her. He kissed her with all the passion he had, revelling in the feel of holding her tightly in his arms. That was how he wanted to live, how he wanted to feel. With every beat of his heart there was a flutter and he smiled as she gasped.
She pulled back and looked at him, stared into his eyes as they both grasped for breath. She smiled and kissed him gently. "I love you with every beat of my heart, Jeff. Be careful," she smiled. "this is my dream, too. Tread softly."
"For eternity," he smiled at her, still unable to believe that she was real, that she was really in his arms, so he kissed her…just to make sure.
xxxxx
"I can't believe they finally got their act together," Torrie smiled, staring out the window.
"Tell me about it," Rob smiled then winked at her. "Looks like it's just you and me…"
She rolled her eyes. "In your dreams, Rob."
"Always, Torrie, my love, always."
She laughed and hit him lightly on the arm. "You're lucky I know you're not serious or I might have to try out some of the moves Li's been teaching me."
"If you promise to do the Litacinrana…Oomph!"
Torrie rolled her eyes again and rubbed her hand as Rob picked himself from the floor. She smiled out the window again, happy that her best friends had finally acknowledged their feelings for each other. She was close to them both and she knew how much they loved each other.
She had known of Stacy's love for a long time and had watched as Jeff's had grown. She had watched her own hopes fade as his love for Stacy had become clearer with ever day. This was the way things were meant to be. Jeff would finally be happy, happier than he had been in a long time. She had missed his smile, and if Stacy made him smile then that was all that mattered.
xxxxx
He wishes for the cloths of heaven
Had I the heavens' embroidered cloths,
Enwrought with golden and silver light,
The blue and the dim and the dark cloths
Of night and light and the half-light,
I would spread the cloths under your feet:
But I, being poor, have only my dreams;
I have spread my dreams under your feet;
Tread softly, because you tread on my dreams.
-- William Butler Yeats
I only quote this here at the end because it's my favourite poem and I just thought it should be here at the end, in full :)
I'm leaving the unknown POV's as a mystery; it's up to you to decide if each of them are Stacy of Torrie watching him, or a combination of both. (Cruel, aren't I?) I had originally planned on it being Lillian, until I paired her with Matt (he just reached in and grabbed her, I tell you!) and hadn't decided until near the end whether or not it would be Torrie or Stacy that ended up with him. Judging by the end, I think Torrie wanted Jeff too, though…oops!
I may do one last sequel just to round things up as I think there are a few loose ends to tie up. Especially with Lita and Jeff, but I haven't decided yet!
Feedback is a gift :)
There is a sequel to this called, "To His Heart, Bidding It Have No Fear" which is also posted here, at ff .net