Summary: Orphen and Cleao have a bit of fling, and both learn more about themselves from it. Some OxC Death Cab for Cutie Songfic!
A/N: This fic is based on the Death Cab For Cutie song "Someday You Will Be Loved," the lyrics at the end belong to them, and the Characters belong to ADV... more at the end. Hope y'all like it:D
Someday You Will Be Loved
Phase 1: Summertime
It all started with just some beach, just some clear day, some humid air, some nice sunlight reflecting off some brilliant cerulean eyes.
Those eyes of course belonged to Cleao, who looked quite stunning in her yellow and baby blue bikini. "Well what are you waiting for guys!?" She called in an exuberant tone, carried to her companions in a gentle summer breeze.
Yes, on this fine June 24th, Cleao, Orphen, Majic, Mirabella, and many others were taking advantage of the lovely summertime weather, casting long shadows across a white sandy beach the gang followed the enthusiastic blond to set up umbrellas and towels on a clear stretch of sand.
Of course Cleao didn't participate in setting anything up, it was mostly done by the ever abused, Majic. Orphen would have helped but his eyes were glued to the familiar blond, he was drawn to her image perched on a sandbar in the water, smiling and laughing. He didn't even mind the hot sand searing the soles of his feet, he was just focused on slowly getting to where she was. She doesn't look like such a immature brat in that bikini, he smirked feeling slightly guilty for having such thoughts. But all sentiments of guilt were pardoned when she threw her arms around his neck, nearly knocking him over, "Isn't this beach just amazing!? Didn't I say everyone would love it!? It's so perfect!" She cheered happily.
Orphen smiled and peeled the excited girl off himself, "Yes, Cleao, you found a great spot." He rewarded her with a small nooggie, at which she giggled irrepressibly. A strange emotion washed over the Sorcerer, am I... flirting with Cleao? She's usually such a stupid pain in the ass... I should be careful this is going down a bad road. He had never had any romantic interest in Cleao, even now it was just a twinge of lust and mixed with a long friendship, accentuated greatly by the obvious crush she had on him. Forcing himself away from these thoughts, Orphen looked around Cleao's beach of choice. It had an overgrown rainforest-like mess behind it, that met with sharp rocks—long carved out by the sea—which housed tide pools and small creatures. Those rocks then met a stretch of dunes, that faded into the white sandy beach on which their friends stood. The ocean kissed the beach with gentle waves, and in the middle of it all overlooking the whole scene with three long sandbars that ran parallel with the beach. It was on one of these sandbars where Orphen and Cleao stood now admiring everything.
"Come on," a cute but alluring smile plays across her lips, and together the took on the waters together.
Hours later it was Majic who suggested a walk down the beach at sunset. "Oh Majic, you pansy! Why the hell would you want to take a 'stroll' down the beach at sunset! Seriously! Is there one masculine bone in your body!" Orphen yelled in his usual annoyed tone, kicking some sand at Majic as he spoke.
"I-I dunno... I just though it would be nice! Come on Master! How often do you stop and watch a sunset?" Majic looked at the ground, disheartened and annoyed, although had been expecting this treatment, Orphen would rarely let up on the abuse he dealt his apprentice.
"I think it's a great idea!" Cleao interjected loudly.
Orphen glared at the blond. "You... can't be serious... You actually agree with him!?"
She glared back and loudly began bantering about what an "anti-social prick" he was, she was angry, but Orphen had always regarded her anger as somewhat comedic, although it was annoying, "And just why won't you come? That's it! You're going to go on this walk and that's final!" She bellowed. He sighed, knowing better then to further engage in some pointless bantering argument with Cleao.
He was frustrated with himself when he found himself plodding down the shoreline with his friends. He supposed that it was best just to grin and bear it. His pace slowed, as he began to lag behind the group more and more, hoping to slip away unnoticed, though, of course, Cleao would have none of that.
Promptly, the blond turned on her heel and jogged the 20 peaceful feet that separated Orphen from everyone else. The sun was just beginning to set. "What do you want?" He quipped, expecting to get yelled at for attempting to get out of this "bonding time" with his friends.
"Oh nothing... Just to see how you're doing. If that's alright with you." It took him a while to decide if she was making poor use of sarcasm, or if she actually cared. His pondering was interrupted by Cleao waving her hand in front of his face to grab his attention, "Is something wrong?" she inquired. This time her sincerity was far clearer.
For a brief moment he considered shooting some sort of insult at her, but decided against it, "No nothing at all." He smiled slightly to show that he appreciated her concern—not something he did much. A long but comfortable silence hung between the pair, until the sun painted the sky a full on gold, drenching Cleao in bright light. Orphen couldn't resist but to comment, "Cleao..." come on, "...you look..." resist the urge to be mean, "beautiful."
Her eyes widened a little bit, and she tensed, "Thank you, Orphen." The silence continued and she started out at the sunset until the sun had turned a deep blood red. She then shifted her gaze back at Orphen, the rust-like eyes appeared bright like the sun, a more innocent looking red. And very innocently she remarked upon it, which brought on a rush of more innocent smiles, and one of those rare serious conversations that innocently pulled them further along the beach, and deep into the night.
The sorcerer smiled at Cleao he'd never looked at her seriously before. For some reason now, she had made it onto a list of his possible love interests, and thus a plan began to form in his head. He planned to use tonight as a test, to know for sure weather or not he and Cleao would work as a couple. If so, wonderful, if not, then at least they wouldn't spend their whole lives wondering. She wanted him anyways, and even if he'd opted not to follow his plan he wouldn't have been able to resist her, he'd gotten lost in the purity of her eyes a long time ago, and was already fully committed to it.
He supposed that he was drawn to the possibility of a relationship with her because it was thus far not mark with any chilling dark spots, there was nothing wrong or messed up about it, nothing wrong or messed up with her, it was just normal—or at least, more normal then usual.
And it was these thoughts that provoked him to say, "Hey, do you... wanna get out of here and go do something on our own?"
Three hours later in the Old Totakanta Inn that he slept with her. He regarded it as more enjoyable then any other time when he'd done it with random girls because this was far more loving and he'd never been loved in that way before. Although there was something painful about it, too, because he didn't return her feelings, he just couldn't. As much as he appreciated her innocence, and getting to show his child-like side when they talked, it was too much. Fact of the matter was even though there was a little kid inside him, it wasn't who he was, and it wasn't meant to be brought out like this. He knew that when she found out that he wasn't as innocent as he acted around her, she'd fear him. When she found out that inside his mind was still dark and tormented over the loss of his chance with Azalie, Cleao would shy away, she wouldn't understand. Even if she did, it wouldn't be good for her. She deserves better, he decided.
Afterward, Orphen did not sleep. He watched her sleep for a period of time, and then rose, and began pacing the room in deep thought, toying with ideas of just how to handle the situation. Though he already knew what he had to do.
Phase 2: End meet beginning
An image was stuck in my mind. This image, one which I would normally find quite pleasant, but at the moment is only succeeded in perplexing me. Cleao's bright azure eyes had fiercely engrained themselves into my thought pattern. Her eyes were magnificent like summer, easily comparable to a things like the ocean or a sunny sky, untouched by clouds, though as lovely as they were, just not my cup of tea.
My own eyes, are fittingly, the color of rust: Coarse, wild, and unrefined like my personality. Evidently, not what she needed in a man. I know she loves me and wants to be with me, and I love her too, but only in the friendly sense. I don't think I'd ever really be able to return her feelings. It'd be wrong of me to stay. She's just going through her bad boy phase, she thinks she knows my sins, and she thinks she doesn't care. But if she were to really understand me, she would fear me, I know it. If she knew the extent of insanity, she'd just be afraid. Best to just cut things off before she steps any closer to the fire. Before that poor girl gets herself burnt.
—I'm leaving her because I care about her. —
Although I have to admit I'd be lying if I said that I want to be with her myself, that I'm just doing this for her sake. She's going to have a broken heart, and it will be my fault, but someday she'll understand, someday when she finds a man who's right for her, she'll thank me.
Knowing her, she'll spend every night in bed crying, lonely, missing the life she had, but when Mr. Right shows up at her door, she'll forget all about me. She'll think that the end of the world is upon her and that her life will never regain the happiness that it once knew. But it will. Cleao is a child yet, when she grows up, I'll go from being the source of all her pain to just an old bad dream, fleeting from mind. I'll slowly eject myself from her thoughts just like all the other passing childhood memories that she'll ever forget... Just a passing fantasy of a hope that's long exhausted.
Through my leaving her, I free us both to search for a love that will truly suite us, and leaving now makes it as painless as possible. Of course some may think it would have been more benevolent for me to leave earlier, before things went this far, but if I had then it would leave us wondering forever if it could have worked. I'm sure I picked the perfect time.
Phase 3: Someday You Will Be Loved
Orphen penned just the right words onto a sheet of paper from the complimentary pad, which sported the inn's name at the top of each individual sheet. He put some effort into making his usually quite sloppy handwriting legible, although the effort wasn't much, for he was beginning to worry that Cleao would awaken.
He read the note over several times, until he had it memorized. For, his words had to be perfect: a balance of absolute and optimistic. When he was satisfied he stealthily removed himself from the room, stealing one last kiss from the sleeping girl before leaving.
He paused as he left, to watch the sunrise out the window at the end of the hallway. To no one in particular he murmured, "It's a shame that things can't work out. I just can't love you like that Cleao. I'm sorry, I know you'll thank me someday."
When he exited the inn, he was bathed in the new sunlight, he felt like a new man, reborn, resurrected. He felt free and more sure of himself then he ever had before, he followed the road toward the east, to where the sun rises. Stopping only to watch a street performer play guitar.
Back in the Inn room where the short-lived romance had taken place the previous night, Cleao was just waking up. "Orphen..." she murmured, rolling over to face the empty stop where he had been. "Orphen?" Startled, she instantly shook off her grogginess and leapt out of bed. Only to find the note folded on the table with her name sloppily penned on the front. "Oh god..." was all she could bear to whisper, by just the first line she was already crying.
She darted to the end of the hallway to the window where light was streaming though; the sunrise had passed not very long ago, in the direction where a long road extended. Orphen was nowhere to be seen. On autopilot she dragged herself back to the bed and sobbed.
Phase 4: Autumn Awakes
When I read the note, my cracked world, commenced to shatter. I cried for hours locking myself in that stupid room of that stupid inn and cursing the day he came into my life.
My god, my life is over... How dare he say those things to me! How could he be so sure of himself that I'll forget him! I'll never forget the one who ruined my life! What will people think...? What will I do? Could I pretend that it wasn't what I wanted and convince people that it was rape and press charges? Who'd be laughing then, huh!? No... I don't think I could bring myself to do that... I just...
God, no...
Why...?
What...
...Did I do...
...to deserve this...?
It's not fair! I hate him! I hate him! I hate him! Who the hell does that stupid arrogant Sorcerer think he IS!? He's messed with the wrong girl! I'll kill him! I'll. I'll—!
Oh, who the hell am I kidding... I'm only getting so mad because I love him. I know, I love him. Rooted within the deepest realms of my subconscious that will always be true. But an irrational sect of my mind is telling me that I must keep telling myself that I hate him. And I can't fight it... So I'll keep plodding along in sadness, hopelessly trying to convince myself that the man who stole years of my life, and my virginity with it, deserves to be hated.
How can he be so sure of himself? How can he think he knows? Am I really this insecure? I suppose so. But how will I ever fight it? How will I fight anything without him by my side? Is this all part of some plan of his?
— Or do I just have to fend for myself now? —
I spent the next two days in the inn's bed, sobbing my eyes out and trying to make sense of his words. I figured out that I loved him because I admired him. I admire his strength and maturity. And now I face the world, puzzling where to go from there? But I still can't stop crying over that stupid jerk.
Phase 5: Winter's bed
Now 36 years old, the former Sorcerer had turned to music as his form of self-expression, his personal therapy. In music he found child-like wonder, he found himself as a little boy still, but also he found himself in his far later years, he found who he would be on his death bed. And he believed that in his songs, he was whole. His guitar became a key to a world of his own, his personal heaven, his peace.
And that was how he met her.
Another blond, how could he resist?
He first stumbled across her when he played his one of his earlier shows in a small bar, only two years after he'd left Cleao. She had fought to the front of the crowd and not taken her eyes off him though the entire performance. He saw her at every single one of his performances to follow. It took a year for him to muster the courage to talk to her, and even then, it was a no more then "You come here often? Let me buy you a drink." She accepted readily. For an hour or two they had awkwardly started into their drinks, making minimal attempts at small talk. Finally Orphen drove the conversation onto music. Which is where it stayed into the early hours of the morning. She played piano, she was just as fucked up as he was, and her eyes were grey, absent, dismal, but with just enough hope to hold his interest.
A year later they were married, and haven't played a show alone since that night.
Orphen causally leaned in the doorway, clutching an abused-looking paper in his hand. "Hey, I got a new song, wanna give it a try." He sounded excited beyond belief, the woman to which he spoke smiled affectionately. It was the boyish grin that plastered his face when he thought of music, that she lived for.
"Of course! What's it about?" She enquired, voice humming with a singsong lovingness to it. She sat at the bench of her ebony piano, beaming up at him.
He froze up a bit, hesitating, before releasing a playful exhale, "Promise you're not going to laugh?" Slumping onto the edge of the piano he inclined towards her.
"Have I ever?" Also inclining toward him their soft gazes met.
Orphen chuckled lightly, "Just some girl I used to know." He bestowed a quick kiss on her lips before picking up his guitar to begin tuning, "Follow my lead."
"Ohhh! A first love, perhaps? Or lost affection from those angsty teenaged years? Hm? That's so cute!" His wife teased. Fortunately, the couple was comfortable with themselves, and each other to not be subject to jealously. They had both accepted that each other had problems, and that is what united them.
"Something like that..." The former sorcerer rubbed the back of his neck embarrassedly and then, composing himself, strummed the first few notes. As instructed his beloved pianist followed. Getting past the lump in his throat he began to sing the lyrics in his smooth even tone: "I once knew a girl in the years of my youth/With eyes like the summer, all beauty and truth/But in the morning I fled, and left a note and it read/'Someday you will be loved...'"
Phase 6: Summer blossoms
Cleao indeed had believed her life was over and gone through all the typical phases of teenaged drama and angst. Feeling nothing but contempt of the man who stole many of her teen years and her virginity, too. She believed she would never move on, that there was no one more perfect for her then Orphen. Though she told herself that she hated him, that had just been code for the fact that she still loved him... Although said denial was apparent to her, even back then.
Slowly she moved on, and she forgot, he was all but absent from her mind. Orphen had become just a haze to her; she couldn't even remember his face very clearly. Even after all of her crying and loneliness as he had predicted, she moved on.
Now a days, she was dating another man. This man was a respectable gentleman, from a family much like her own. She had literally bumped into him while walking one day, her mind had been elsewhere and she causally ran into him. The impact caused her to drop the shopping bags she had been carrying. Out of the kindness of his heart, picked them up for her, and as an apology for careless colliding with her—which he blamed himself for—he offered to buy her coffee at the café which they both agreed was the best in town. He admitted to seeing her there before, and finding her beautiful. She wasn't at all taken-a-back by the fact that he had watched her. She in fact, found it cute. Thus began a tradition of meeting up for coffee at the same time every Tuesday. Which in turn led to dinner dates on Thursdays, and more and more causal bumping into each other—though now not literally.
At this point, they had been dating for well over three years, and possibilities of marriage flitted though the 28-year-old Cleao's mind.
"Cleao?" He spoke her name nervously, a deep blush spreading across his face.
Cleao herself, wasn't even facing the man. "Yes dear?" She was quite preoccupied with picking out a pastry to order from the plentiful display behind the café's counter.
Swallowing hard he stammered, "I-I was thinking, th-that maybe today we should skip coffee and go somewhere different."
"That's fine... but... What do you have in mind?" She faced him now, pulling her intent gaze away from the pastry display an focusing it on him. She securitized his emerald eyes, and blushing face. "Are you alright?"
"Y-yes, of course... The heat is just getting to me, and—er, let me, let me j-just surprise you with where we go." The blush deepened, and Cleao laughed. His nervousness reminded her of how he was when they met, he had been so nervous, so awkward, so adorable!
Cleao's laughter calmed him; he relished the sound of her beautiful, clear laughter. He sighed triumphantly, and led her back to the street on which they met. The top of the cobblestone street, was home to a fountain which Cleao had previously remarked at as beautiful. Spires of marble spilled water across a Grecian design, the perfect spot.
The emerald-eyed man gathered his composure. "Close your eyes," he calmly requested of his lover. She did so, as he lowered himself to one knee. "My love, please open your eyes,"
In his hands she was started to a small black box, propped open like an oyster exposing it's pearl, to show it's own treasure: a single diamond ring. Cleao's heart skipped a beat, and her summer-blue eyes lit up graciously. "My dear, I've loved you since the day I first laid eyes on you, w-will you marry me?" Tears spilled down Cleao's affectionately posed features.
"I've been fantasizing about this moment for years... I will!"
Phase 7: End of the matter
A 31-year-old Cleao wandered though the halls of her oversized home, for the most part, she was happy and content with her life. But something still seemed incomplete, untied. Though she simply couldn't place her finger on it. What ends had she left untied? She passed by the room of her daughter Odette. Odette was the source of her hope, her light her happiness. She smiled fondly, and then continued down the hall.
As she wandered she became progressively more restless. Until she found herself running through the halls of her own home. Something, or perhaps, someone, was nagging at the back of her mind. But what could it be? She leaned back against the cool white walls of the corridor starring at the sunset out the window at the end of the hallway. When suddenly her restlessness pulled her outdoors. As if possessed by forces greater then herself she ran down to the Old Totakanta Inn—or rather, the tavern that had been built in over the rubble of the shabby building, after it's collapse. There was music coming from inside, though it wasn't the music that pulled her inside, it was voice singing it.
There was something so oddly familiar about the voice... The memories flooded back all at once, Orphen, their night at the Inn, the note... That voice... It was so familiar to her... She couldn't bring herself to enter the inn, to look the singer in the eyes, not until the current song was over...
Even then, when she did steal a glance into the crowded room, the pale azure met dark rust for the first time in years. Their eyes kept locked in contact, as he spoke into the mic at the front of the stage, "Hey guys, I got one more song for all of you. This is my first time playing it in public, and I really hope you'll stick around and hear it. This one's... kinda personal. It's dedicated to a girl who I used to know, a good old friend—for her sake and mine—never anything more. Here goes..."
It was as if he was speaking directly to Cleao alone. Which made sense, because that song... was the exact words of the note he left her all those years ago. She mouthed a quick "Thank you" to him, whilst the song commenced, and he nodded. That was all the closure she'd ever need from him. He was right along anyways...
"I once knew a girl
In the years of my youth
With eyes like the summer
All beauty and truth
In the morning I fled
Left a note and it read
Someday you will be loved.
I cannot pretend that I felt any regret
Cause each broken heart will eventually mend
As the blood runs red down the needle and thread
Someday you will be loved
You'll be loved you'll be loved
Like you never have known
The memories of me
Will seem more like bad dreams
Just a series of blurs
Like I never occurred
Someday you will be loved
You may feel alone when you're falling asleep
And every time tears roll down your cheeks
But I know your heart belongs to someone you've yet to meet
Someday you will be loved
You'll be loved you'll be loved
Like you never have known
The memories of me
Will seem more like bad dreams
Just a series of blurs
Like I never occurred
Someday you will be loved
You'll be loved you'll be loved
Like you never have known
The memories of me
Will seem more like bad dreams
Just a series of blurs
Like I never occurred
Someday you will be loved
Someday you will be loved"
A/N: I don't think Orphen and Cleao are a good couple. I don't like them together... I know that's very untypical of fans of the series but I think he'd be better off taking another shot at winning Azalie's affections. XD Don't shoot me. I brought them both to a perfect happy ending, didn't I!? Besides... I think there are only about 15 fanfics TOTAL that AREN'T Orphen x Cleao, so... Let's add to the count then, huh? Be original! Write a different paring! ...No flames please, constructive criticism is loved beyond all reason! And... yeah... I hope you all enjoyed it.
