Disclaimer: Pfft, I don't own it. Why did you think I did, sillies?
Author's Note: Yeah, not much to say. Read this and please review, I'm curious to see as to how this turned out. It's more serious then what I've done before, so… enjoy.
Title: Love the Way You Lie
Synopsis: Nate adjusts to being let go, but it's hard when he has to watch her move on right before him. [ NATE-CENTRIC, ONE-SHOT ]
Rating: K
POV: Nate's
Genre: Angst/Romance
As my eyes adjusted, I watched the silhouette fumble around a bit before a flicker of light appeared, trembling with excitement at life and eagerly licking the night sky with its small birth of heat and light. The flickering light of the flame eagerly ate the wood it had been birthed on, deadly and gorgeous. As it neared the silhouette, I felt a cry choke in my throat at the idea of it burning her, but just as I was about to call out to her, she'd tossed the match into the lake, lighting another match before it had even hit the water. I could tell she hadn't noticed the way it cried out in agony as the eager lake consumed it, or the small, thin layer of smoke that slithered out, resenting her for letting it die.
She was too consumed by the next prettiest thing, and it broke my heart, watching her watch the new flame. In a way, what she was doing reminded me of what she'd done to me. I was the flame, so happy to be in her hand, so eager to just nip at her fingers, just wanted to dance in the darkness of the night, and just when I thought I had her, she proved that she was in charge and threw me in the lake.
And she was too distracted by the next prettiest thing to hear my cry for help, my cry for her to save me as I was swallowed, or see the small things that showed my resentment.
But maybe that's not fair of me – I should have seen it coming, but like the flame, I was too excited for this new feeling, of not being encased, but actually being put to use. She'd done it to so many before me… Dean, Riley, Mason; just to name a few. Who knew who else had been lured by her beauty, her smart remarks, her sweet face, her way of doing everything she did? I didn't.
The thing was, I was so sure it wouldn't end. It wouldn't happen to me. No, I was the player of hearts in the normal situation; I was the one who tossed the flame down without a second glance. In my situation, I was the one who everyone wanted to stay with. Perhaps, though, this was revenge for me doing the same thing to her earlier. What goes around comes back around, eh?
When we'd dated before, I'd tossed her into the lake before she'd barely had the chance to rejoice, lighting a new match I was positive I had loved, another old flame. But the light wasn't as bright, didn't dance as well, didn't satisfy me, didn't sing in the crackling way that fire did. The flame I thought I'd loved couldn't compare the old one, and I tried everything to get the old one back. I sat and tried to catch it on fire, but it was unwilling, not wanting to get hurt. And in the end, it tricked me. While I thought I was the bearer of the flame, I was wrong.
It was me licking and rejoicing at my "success" of getting the flame to light, completely unaware of the fact that I was now the flame. She'd turned the tables on me when I was looking the other way, and now I had the disadvantage. And even as I looked at my entirely new deck of cards, I didn't realize that it had changed until it was too late, because I'd gone starry-eyed over the prize.
My heart ached as I realized I'd been torn up, tossed to pieces, and brutally thrown to the threatening waters I'd been hanging over the whole time.
Fireflies began to buzz out, eager to see what the fuss was about, blinking their lights and dancing with each other, dancing around her. Half of me expected her to be lifted up in their light, like an angel, with her gorgeous smile and her dark hair flowing, but it was not so as she stayed put.
What was I doing here? I couldn't help but bitterly resent myself for making it worse, for not allowing the soft drift of the water to carry me away, but instead stare at her and her new flame. At times like this were the times I should've been writing songs, but instead I sat there, hidden in the darkness of the forest, staring at her like a crazy stalker.
Head still not quite thinking straight, though, I watched as she slid her feet into the water, causing ripples to disturb the previously peaceful lake. Closing my eyes as my heart continued to beat and bleed, I couldn't help but feel as if it was an earthquake, those ripples, her way of forcing me away from her, as if she knew I wasn't strong enough to leave. Turning my head up to the sky, I let out a soft groan, too soft for her to hear.
If I was honest, I'd admit I'd only come here to take pictures of beauty to try and take my mind off of hers. The reflection of the pines in the lake, the soft glow of the fireflies playing tag… I thought it would help, but it seemed a new, now single woman, had beat me here, and I only had the courage to watch, not to go up and talk to her. Sad as it was, I couldn't even bring myself to lie.
Stomach churning as I watched her continue with her slightly bizarre ritual, I nipped at my lower lip, wondering if she would just leave and put me out of my misery. As if on cue, a small crash of thunder banged, and I watched as she clumsily threw in her current match before reaching in. She seemed to hurry, but she didn't even light the new one that came out. The new one was thicker, bulkier, then the other ones, and as she tossed it in I saw it separate and become two.
Again, thunder rumbled in the distance, and she stood up, rushing off the pier. Taking a moment to assure myself that she was gone, I hurried out, rushing so that I wouldn't get hurt if lightning decided to strike. Sprinting within a moment, I rushed over the dock, peering over the edge where she'd been throwing matches.
There, floating easily in the lake, were all of the matches, each with two names on it: last and first, except for one. But my eyes were drawn to three specific matches: Nate Gray scribbled on one, next to a different match that said Alex Russo. And the third, at the end of the two matches… said forever. My heart ached as I saw our two names, and with my aching heart, the sky began to cry, and as it did so, the three matches slowly drew away from each other.
Just like our relationship.
Author's Note: I told you it was a bit more morbid then I usually did. /: Sorry to disappoint. Poor Natey. I huggle you, okay? It's just that everyone portrays it as Nate to be the heartbreaker, so I decided to switch it around and make Alex be the heartbreaker. And actually do something in Nate's POV. But I'm really proud of this, believe it or not.
STORY TIME! (Ignore the fact you just read a story, m'kay?) I was watching the "Round and Round" and in it, Miss Selly Gomez lights a match and at the end she blows it out. So I wanted to incorporate it, right? Basically, I decided that it should be at a dock and Nate would come and they'd be all cutesy and it'd be pure fluff. But then… I don't know, it just didn't come out that way and BAM, birth of the story.
Writing has its own mind, and it's aggravating, but just go with it, kay? It usually has a better idea then what you were going to do, anyway. So just go with the flow. - peek inside a writer's mind right there. So please review, I'm really proud of this for some reason and I'd like to see my work actually get paid off. Thanks guys, have an awesome summer.
