A/N: I've really said goodbye to the SWAC fandom, though not directly. So tonight, I'm home alone and heartbroken and more stressed out than my sixteen year old self can take has lead me to start writing again. Anyways, this will probably be one of the last things I write for SWAC. This is why I'd like to make it a bit different. The poll results showed Tawni/Chad as the pairing, so here we go…
Title: Of Three Hundred and Sixty Five
Summary: They encounter one another on the same day every year. Of three hundred and sixty five days in the year, this day always seemed most significant. ONESHOT.
Genre: Tragedy/Romance
Pairing: Tawni Hart/Chad Dylan Cooper
Disclaimer: I didn't own SWAC when I last wrote, and I definitely don't now.
i. Year One
It had been exactly one year since the burial. Three hundred and sixty five days since he lost her. Fifty two weeks. In all honestly, Chad Dylan Cooper had never been an emotional man. He had been taught by his father that tears were a sign of weakness, that emotions were for the weak. He had been able to sit through the burial without batting an eyelash. He had distracted himself with work for the last year, though he would never admit it.
He dragged himself out of his car and walked silently towards her grave, one that he had not visited since the funeral. His footsteps echoed throughout the cemetery, the pitter patter of the rain echoing the beat in his heart. He had come to the cemetery early in hopes that he would not encounter anybody else. His hopes were quickly dashed as he saw the woman standing beside the tomb, tears freefalling down her face. He frowned as his heartbeat quickened at the sight of the young woman before him.
He stood still, not knowing what to do in the situation. He agreed that he'd wait until the lady was done her time with his love, it was only respectful. He stood awkwardly a few feet behind her, a simple white lily clutched in his hand. She seemed to notice his presence, as she turned slightly in his direction and gave him a small smile. His body tensed at the gesture, but his brain added a small nod towards her. The woman quickly wiped her eyes with the napkin in her hand and walked towards him, touched his shoulder, and silently left the cemetery.
Chad walked towards the tombstone, slowly and softly placing the lily beside the candle that was lit. He turned around and stared at the woman, who was driving away from the cemetery, before beginning what would become two hours of words dedicated to the young woman who once – still – had his heart.
"God… Sonny. You've missed so much."
ii. Year Two
Two years since that fateful day, though his heart still remembers like it was yesterday. It seemed unfair to him, that whatever powers that be had separated them so early. That she was up above, watching him, yet he could barely remember the sound of her voice – separate of the ear piercing scream of his own name before she flat-lined.
He decided after the last year that he would attempt to visit her gravestone more often. Of course, it was only added onto the list of things that he should have done. He also decided that he would try to create a friendship with the blonde that he saw the last time he was here… it would have been what she wanted after all.
Still in his MacKenzie Falls uniform, he held the yellow umbrella close to him, not noticing the eyes of the blond eyeing him from a distance. He stared at his destination point, his heartbeat quickening at the thought of the brunette that was still in his heart. He stood at the gravestone, for once not knowing what to say.
In the silence, he did not notice the still beautiful Tawni Hart beside him. He turned to her slightly before he sent a nod in her direction, and suddenly his hand unknowingly took her's, and surprisingly, she did not pull away.
Hand in hand, the two spent the next few hours in the rain, holding onto the one that slipped away. In her case, it was the best friend – the sister – that she never had. Somebody who had not judged her. A friend. In his case, it was the first love – the what if – that had disappeared too soon in life.
The pair left the cemetery hand in hand, with an odd feeling of hope that they had not felt since Sonny Munroe's death.
iii. Year Three
It was times like this when Chad felt that one year was much too long for visiting the cemetery. Two hours to update his lost love on his life was much too short. As he began the trek to her headstone, he silently wondered how exactly his life changed since the last time he was here. One thing had not changed; the rain seemed to purposely come out on the anniversary of his first love's death. He held the umbrella close to him, already rambling to Sonny on his plans for the future.
"God… Sonny. I love you. I will always love you. And I'll see you soon. I hope you're smiling at me, knowing what I'm going to do today".
He felt butterflies in his stomach when he noticed the blonde woman approach the tombstone. It had been exactly one year since their friendship had started, and eight months since the beginning of their relationship. It seemed so wrong, what he planned to do – at a cemetery. But if he wanted anybody to see him happy, truly happy… it would be the brown eyed girl whose future was taken away from her.
He swallowed his nerves and grabbed the small box while staring at the blonde woman before him. Tawni had changed him. She had put a reason to live in his life. She was his future now. Ignoring the butterflies in his stomach, he kissed her on the cheek before planting one of his knees on the ground.
"Tawni Hart… I love you. You may not be my first love, but you will always be my soul mate. You brought me up from the dark nights of my life. You are, and always will be, my reason to live. Always."
He cautiously glanced at her, tears already falling freely down her face. A strong gust of wind hit the pair of them. He smiled. Sonny.
"This is what she wanted. But more importantly, this is what I want. Tawni Dawn Hart, will you marry me?"
Death leaves a heartache no one can heal,
love leaves a memory no one can steal.