Disclaimer: All publicly recognizable characters and settings are the property of their respective owners. Original characters and plot are the property of the author. No money is being made from this work. No copyright infringement is intended.
A/N : Whoah.. It's been way long since I last wrote. Life got in the way.. Guess Life just sucks like that.. *Sigh.. But anyhoo, got this idea for LaPaige's 101Prompt Challenge and it wouldn't go away so... I wrote it out.. Lol! Anyway, read, enjoy, and review please.. This author is not in favor of silent readers.. .
Sound.
"So things are good between us? Right? I mean we're good right?" the firecracker brunette asked as she sifted through a hand full of cd's before tossing some few into a small box next to her.
Nathaniel James looked up at the brunette.
"So what are you saying?" he asked.
"It's just.. I like the way my life is right now, I do, but I wanna take chances, you know, I wanna take the future head on and let myself be surprised with the outcome, whatever that is,"
"And where does that leave us?" he asked stoically, not angry, or outraged, or bittier, heart breaking as he sees her determination strong and unwavering.
"I don't know, okay, Nate, I don't know, I just know I have to do this,"
"I love you, oka-"
"Nate, don't, please,"
"I do, okay, I love you, I don't know what else to say,"
"I have to go," she whispered, on the verge of tears, walking away from him.
"Caitlyn, if you go, there won't be surprises for our future," he stated, issuing an.
"Nate.." she turned around.
"If you go, we're not going to make it through this,"
There was a pregnant pause. And then a shrug and "I'm sorry," she hispered.
Their break up/farewell had been less that impeccable with her just walking away straight to the far side of the world all the way to London, so bumping into each other at a Christmas party, albeit years later, without a doubt had provided for them an awkwardly rocky start. But somehow they'd ended up in his place for her to pick up the things she left behind.
"Define good," he asked.
"I don't know, the ability to co-exist harmoniously? Being friends?"
After a moment's deliberation,"Yeah, we're definitely, definitely good,"
"Great," she said smiling.
"Great,"
"Great," she repeated after him and went back to tossing things into the small brown box next to her.
"You know I'm actually seeing someone now," he said after a pregnant pause.
"Oh, really? Who?" she asked, absent mindedly，not seeming to pay attention at all.
"Yeah, it's been a couple of weeks now, me and Tess, but I don't think it's gonna work,"
"Oh, why?" she asked, again, barely listening, absorbed in a particular cd she was holding.
"You know why,"
And that had finally caught her attention. Her grip on the cd tightened and she turned to look at him. He dropped his gaze.
She dropped the cd into the box, "Let's not do this, okay, Nate,"
"What?" he asked.
"This!" she gestured with her hands at the space between them, "I really don't want us to be anymore pathetic than we already are, okay,"
"Pathetic? You think I'm pathetic? I told you I love you!"
"Oh yeah, let's talk about that, we were friends with each other for what, like ever? And a year after we started dating, I get an offer to work in the best music company in London and you just blurt out 'I love you' when I made it clear I was taking it up?"
"I was telling you how I felt," he defended himself.
"No, you said it out of insecurity, you said it to make me stay, you tainted those words because you were afraid you were going to lose me," she almost yelled back. She never understood why he said it, they'd been friends for the longest time and never said it, they'd dated for a year and never said it, and right then on the verge of her leaving to London, he'd just blurted it out. He blurted out the 3 words and tainted them forever. Because she'd never know if it was motivated by the fear of losing her or genuine feelings for her. He had said those 8 letters and confused the hell out of her.
"Oh, that's what you think? That's just great, Caitlyn, just great, and fyi, when someone tells you they love you, you don't say too bad but I've decided to move away to London to pursue my career," he snapped, "When someone says I love you," he continued, voice building momentum as he went, "You don't call them insecure and accuse them of saying it just to keep you, when someone says I love you, you're supposed to say it back and not run thousands of miles away and then come back years later and call them pathetic," and at the precise moment where he finished his mini rant the lights went out.
After they both stood in the dark for a moment, the silence was broken by Caitlyn, "You know what, I'm gonna take that as a sign that I should go,"
"Sounds good to me," she heard him mutter as she grabbed the brown cardboard box an headed towards the door.
Alone in he dark, he ran his hand through his hair and sighed.
And then a small frustrated voice interrupted him,"It's locked,"
"What?" he asked, turning to face the brunette as his eyes began to focus in the darkness.
"Your door, it's locked," she repeated, sighing.
"It's a door, Caitlyn, UN-lock it,"
"It's a blackout, Nate," she retorted using the same tone as he did, "And your doors are electronically abled, so I'm thinking, we're kinda stuck in here，"
"Great. That's just great," he muttered.
"Oh, what? You think this is my fault? You're the one who has to chase after every effing technological advancement that there is, I mean geez Nate! Electronic doors? What was wrong with the old fashioned dead bolts, huh?" she snapped back at him losing her temper.
"Did you just insult my doors?" he asked incredulously.
"So what if I did?" she challenged, dropping the box and placing her hands on her hips.
"They're electrical doors, how can you find anything to offset that degree of cool-ness?"
"Uh, I think I just did, they don't work in black outs!"
"Geez, no wonder our boy friend cheated on you, you're as disagreeable as you were 3 years ago!"
"That was low Nate, even for you,"
"Caitlyn wait, I didn't mean it like that, I'm sorry, okay, let's not argue, please, I didn't mean it,"
"Then why did you say it, Nate?" she questioned, sighing, talking to him was just as frustrating as 3 years ago.
"It was just the heat of the moment. I was angry you called my doors stupid and it just slipped out,"
"Heh, that sounds like you, taking every small thing personally,"
"We haven't changed much, have we?" he asked making out her form in the darkness, noticing her shiver slightly.
"Hard to believe it's been three years since we've seen each other, scary how easy we can go back to being the way we were, huh?"
"Yeah, it is.. Hey you know what, come here, I'll get you something to wear, okay, take it as a peace offering, you must be freezing," he referred to her green cocktail dress in the currently non heater environment.
"Fine," she sighed and followed him into the bedroom where he handed her a pair of his blue flannel pajamas.
"I'll be in the kitchen," he said leaving her alone as he made his way out of the room, leaving her in the dark.
A moment later, Caitlyn Gellar entered the kitchen where she found Nathaniel James digging into a tub of ice cream with several candles lit around the area. As it was winter and the heater was out, she figured he was probably taking the opportunity to finish it before it melted in the black out so she went to the drawer where he used to keep the spoons and grabbed one to help him.
"Good to know we still fit each other's clothes," she commented as she sat on the high stool next to him on the kitchen counter and he chuckled.
"Can I ask you something?" she asked, taking a scoop from the tub.
"You just did, but I'll allow another one," he replied smug. He used to do that all the time and she smiled.
"Why'd you get so agitated?" she asked after swallowing the mouthful, "When I didn't care that you were seeing someone else?"
"I wasn't agitated.. I just.. Why do you care anyway?"
"Oh, that's great Nate, and that's after you making the bold statement that you don't want us to argue, you're telling me you don't care that I don't care when you were clearly irritated that I didn't care,"
"That's not it," he defended himself.
"Then what exactly is it?" she questioned.
"Because maybe I wanted you to care, okay?" he snapped, "I wanted you to care,"
"Um. Okay.. I'll bite; What?" she asked, exasperated.
"I want you to care," he took a breathe, before realizing he shouldn't have said it and began formulating a lie, "We're friends right? You said we were good, and if we really were, we'd be friends, like before we got together and broke up, and if we were such good friends, why would there be any sort of awkwardness between us?"
"Cause not too long ago, we were more than just good friends," Caitlyn stated in a matter of factly tone.
"Yeah, but we're not more than just good friends anymore," he stated, gauging her reaction to that statement.
"Doesn't matter," she stated, digging for another mouthful.
"Why?"
"Because..." she said in a softer but still stubborn tone,"Maybe I didn't like the way you were just checking me out in your pajamas," she said innocently looking directly at him and he looked away distractedly wondering how she'd seen it. "You know I don't mind, I mean, it's flattering that someone as beautiful as you would check me out," she teased, "But, you're sort of seeing someone else now, and I know that we both agreed that we're good, but thing is we're not good, not when you expect me to get jealous when you tell me you're seeing someone else and then get angry when I pretend not to be,"
"First of all, I wasn't expecting you to be jealous," he lied impeccably yet couldn't help but grin, "And secondly, you pretended you didn't care?" he accused, hoping to sound outraged enough.
"Well, yeah.. But." the brunette replied, shrugging.
She placed down the spoon on the counter and their elbows were almost touching and Nate kicked himself as his thoughts flickered away from her voice and teetered on the edge of concentrating on something else.
"We're friends," she continued "And I wanna care that you're seeing someone else, I really do, but at the same time I don't wanna sound like the jealous and overbearing ex when I hear you talk about it so I pretended not to care, okay, and that's just that, so can we please drop it?" she sighed turning to face him and he couldn't help it, his lips were on hers before and it took a moment for her to register what was going on before placing her hand on his cheek, pulling him close.
"What was that?" she asked when he pulled away, thoroughly out of breathe. He did that to her. After 3 years, he could still take her breath away after just the slightest touch, send her heart racing with just a look.
"I don't know," he answered truthfully, "But... You remember how you said you were willing to be surprised by the future?"
"Yeah..？" she replied, unsure at where he was getting at.
"Surprise!"
"How come you don't seem surprised?"
"Well... Maybe because there's been this voice in my head telling me to kiss you ever since I saw you in that outfit,"
She raised her eyebrow and looked down at his flannel pajamas as Nate panicked, "No. Um... not that outfit. The one that... uh...The other- well, I mean-" he stuttered before she cut him off.
"Whoa. Wait, wait. Wait. You.. You've been wanting to kiss me all night?"
"Yeah," he answered with a small voice, his chocolate gaze locking with hers.
"Even when you were yelling at me?" she prompted.
"Especially when I was yelling at you，"
"So... Is this... Some sort of a recent new development in your life?"
"Wanting to kiss you? Nah. It's sort of always there... Like... White noise.. Or... The secret service, or the threat of nuclear war. Just a nagging, you know, the sound at the back of your head. Something you get used to，" he explained.
"And what's that nagging telling you to do now?"
"That I should kiss again," he whispered, face drawing dangerously close to hers again.
"I like the sound of that," she replied, closing what small gap there was between their faces.
End.