Drunk
Syd sat peacefully at her kitchen table, eating a midnight snack. Well, more like a 2:00
AM chocolate sundae, but hey, whatever, she was happy. She had ice cream; life was
good. However, her peaceful snack was interrupted by a loud knocking at the door. Not
having any idea who it might be she looked out the peephole, only to find Gage standing
in the hallway.
Opening the door she said, "Hey Gage, what's up. What are you doing here?"
Bringing him into the apartment, she looked at him again and immediately thought he was
drunk. His gelled hair was everywhere, his shirt was wrinkled and untucked, his face was
tear-stained, and he wreaked of alcohol.
"I'm sorry Syd," he said in a voice, surprisingly not slurred. "I didn't mean to drop in like
this, but I was drinking at a bar near by, and I wanted to stop before...well... before I got
drunk. I couldn't drive home, so I was wondering if I could stay on your couch?"
"Yeah, sure. Why don't I make you some coffee, while you sit down on the couch. If you
feel sick, you know where the bathroom is okay?" she said as she went to the kitchen. "I'm
glad you had enough sense to stop before it went too far. Last time you got drunk, you
ended up over here at 4 AM and were having a very interesting conversation with 'Trixie
the Wonder Pillow.' Why were you drinking anyway?"
"It's the anniversary..."he said his voice trailing off as he lay down on the couch, and
closed his eyes to relieve the head ache, or maybe to stop the memories and the tears that
went with them.
"Oh, I understand," Syd said as she brought him a cup of strong coffee, and brought over
some pillows and sheets. "Bring over a chair from the kitchen, so I can make the sofa
bed."
Gage sat down and held his head in his hands while Syd unfolded the bed, and put the
sheets on it. Throwing on a pillow, and a blanket she remembered the other time Gage
slept over. It had also been the anniversary of his parents' deaths, only he had really been
drunk. He had been raving on to her pillow, who he dubbed Trixie the Wonder Pillow,
about how beautiful she was, but how he really loved Syd very much. The next morning
he didn't remember anything, but she had never forgotten his words, even if he was drunk.
It had been amusing, but she felt sorry for him. He never drank otherwise. Just once a
year. Luckily this time he had enough sense to stop. Finishing up with the bed she sat on
the edge while he went and lay down.
"Do you need anything else? A blanket, another cup of coffee, someone to talk to?" she
asked.
"You've done enough for me already, thanks. It's not like you're my nanny. I'm really
sorry I dropped in like this. You were probably sleeping already. Why don't you go back
to bed," he said lying on the bed with his eyes closed.
"I actually couldn't, or can't sleep. I was just having a little snack. If you want to go to bed
now, I'll turn off the lights," she said getting up, but was held back her partner.
"No, don't. If you can't sleep, and quite frankly neither can I, why don't you just stay here.
That is, if you want to" he said quickly.
"Sure. Do you want to talk about it? I mean the anniversary," she asked as he moved over
on the bed to make room for her. She put her feet up, but didn't lie down.
"I just can't get over it. I feel like such a baby. I'm a grown man and I still cry, and I go to
a bar, and get drunk, and then come and crash here. What kind of a mature adult does
that?" he said opening his eyes to look at her.
She looked at him a comforting way, "One who suffered through a lot of hardship when
he was little. It was difficult for you and Julie, and once a year you're reminded of that.
Why shouldn't you cry? I mean, I think it takes real courage to be able to cry, and just
because you're a man doesn't mean to shouldn't."
"Wait, is this coming from Sydney Cooke? Emotionless Sydney Cooke? You know this
could be turned around to fit you. It takes real courage to admit you're scared, or to show
emotion, and just because you're a woman Texas Ranger doesn't mean you shouldn't show
emotion. It's okay to have feelings," he said leaning on his arm, with a look of satisfaction
on his face.
"I...I....You know that if I cried or showed emotion people would think I was just a weak
woman, and my job would be at stake. You of all people should know that," she said.
"...and if I cry, people will think I'm weak. My reputation as a man would be at stake. You
of all people should know THAT," he said, "and showing emotion isn't a bad thing. I show
emotion, I just shouldn't cry. You showed emotion to that weirdo boyfriend you had. You
REALLY showed emotion to him!"
"GAGE! Why are you even bringing that up. He wasn't a weirdo, you just didn't like him
because...well I don't know why. I would show emotion to any guy that I was interested
in, not just him."
"Really. Well...there was the time in the hospital..."Gage said.
"Oh my god, you heard that?" Syd said, shocked.
"Every word. Every single word," he said moving closer, and smiling.
Backing away from him," Gage, I wasn't thinking. I was just upset about the whole
thing...you know. Don't," she said as he tried to put his arm around her, "you're just
drunk. Go to sleep, and you won't even remember this in the morning."
"I'm drunk alright. Drunk with love," he said kiddingly, "Syd, why would it be so bad?
Why can't you just let it happen? I love you. You said you felt the same way. You kissed
me, and now you won't let me reciprocate."
"Gage, don't you understand. We're friends. You're my BEST friend, and you're my
partner. It's got to be against protocol, and it would complicate things so much. All the
different feelings and everything..."
"But the feelings are already there. Neither of us can deny that now. We work well
together, both on and off the job and we trust each other. Just give me one chance..." he
said moving closer to her again.
"Gage...I," she started, but couldn't finish because Gage had reached up and kissed her.
Not just any kiss, but a KISS. So she did the natural thing: relaxed, and kissed back. Soon
enough they were making out like a pair of VERY anxious teenagers.
"Gage...I should go to bed...my bed..." she said in between kisses.
"No...stay...here...with me..."he said, continuing.
There was no more arguing.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Syd awoke to the sound of her cell phone ringing. Disentangling herself from Gage, she
reached over the arm of the sofa and answered.
"Hello, Ranger Cooke," she said.
"Syd?" said the voice on the line.
"Yeah Walker, hi," she said.
"Syd do you know what time it is? You're 20 minutes late for work. And this is Gage's cell
phone. You left yours here at the station," he said, hinting that he knew what going on.
"Well, um, you're right it is. Gage showed up here last night drunk, because it was the
anniversary of his parents' death, and he stayed on the couch, but he'll probably have a big
hangover, so I think you should give him a sick day so he can come back on the job alert,
and let me have one too, because I was up late last night taking care of him, and I don't
think I'd be totally alert either."
"OK, Syd. You two take care, and we'll see you tomorrow," he said.
Breathing a sigh of relief, because Walker seemed to buy the story, she lay back down.
That had been really close. Suddenly she felt two arms around her.
"Good morning. Very good morning actually. Good night too. Who were you talking to?"
Gage asked resting his chin on her shoulder.
"Walker called. I answered, but it was your cell phone," she said turning beet red," I got
us both a sick day."
"I don't feel very sick," he said moving closer, but suddenly shutting his eyes, and rubbing
his temples.
"Here, let me get you an Advil," Syd said, quickly grabbing a blanket to wrap around
herself. She returned, in a robe, with 2 Advil and a glass of water. Gage already had his
boxers on, and his shirt on, although it was unbuttoned, probably because of his headache.
"Take these. They should make you feel better. I'm going to go sleep a little longer in MY
room, so just knock if you need anything," she said moving away quickly.
"Syd, what's wrong? Why do you have these swings in your attitude? Was it me?" he
asked, prompted by her sudden wanting to get away from him.
"No Gage, it wasn't you. Well, it was, but it wasn't. What I mean is...it felt so right. It was
perfect. Like, we belong together, but we can't. I don't want to lose you as a friend, or as a
partner. I know that if I even just kiss you once more, I'll lose it, and then...well...what if it
doesn't work out? What if we aren't compatible, or what if it's too much? I don't want to
risk losing you."
"You won't, I promise. I'll never leave you. And if we aren't compatible, who is?? I
couldn't ever dream to find anyone better than you Sydney Cooke. Just believe me. Maybe
we could even get married someday," he said hopefully.
Syd's eyes started tearing up as she ran to him and buried her face in his chest.
"I love you. I love you so much, and if we got married it would be a dream come true. But
I'll only marry you if you're very good," she said teasingly.
"But I like to be bad," he said with a devilish grin on his face, shoving her back on the bed.
"I could live with that," she said, grinning back
Syd sat peacefully at her kitchen table, eating a midnight snack. Well, more like a 2:00
AM chocolate sundae, but hey, whatever, she was happy. She had ice cream; life was
good. However, her peaceful snack was interrupted by a loud knocking at the door. Not
having any idea who it might be she looked out the peephole, only to find Gage standing
in the hallway.
Opening the door she said, "Hey Gage, what's up. What are you doing here?"
Bringing him into the apartment, she looked at him again and immediately thought he was
drunk. His gelled hair was everywhere, his shirt was wrinkled and untucked, his face was
tear-stained, and he wreaked of alcohol.
"I'm sorry Syd," he said in a voice, surprisingly not slurred. "I didn't mean to drop in like
this, but I was drinking at a bar near by, and I wanted to stop before...well... before I got
drunk. I couldn't drive home, so I was wondering if I could stay on your couch?"
"Yeah, sure. Why don't I make you some coffee, while you sit down on the couch. If you
feel sick, you know where the bathroom is okay?" she said as she went to the kitchen. "I'm
glad you had enough sense to stop before it went too far. Last time you got drunk, you
ended up over here at 4 AM and were having a very interesting conversation with 'Trixie
the Wonder Pillow.' Why were you drinking anyway?"
"It's the anniversary..."he said his voice trailing off as he lay down on the couch, and
closed his eyes to relieve the head ache, or maybe to stop the memories and the tears that
went with them.
"Oh, I understand," Syd said as she brought him a cup of strong coffee, and brought over
some pillows and sheets. "Bring over a chair from the kitchen, so I can make the sofa
bed."
Gage sat down and held his head in his hands while Syd unfolded the bed, and put the
sheets on it. Throwing on a pillow, and a blanket she remembered the other time Gage
slept over. It had also been the anniversary of his parents' deaths, only he had really been
drunk. He had been raving on to her pillow, who he dubbed Trixie the Wonder Pillow,
about how beautiful she was, but how he really loved Syd very much. The next morning
he didn't remember anything, but she had never forgotten his words, even if he was drunk.
It had been amusing, but she felt sorry for him. He never drank otherwise. Just once a
year. Luckily this time he had enough sense to stop. Finishing up with the bed she sat on
the edge while he went and lay down.
"Do you need anything else? A blanket, another cup of coffee, someone to talk to?" she
asked.
"You've done enough for me already, thanks. It's not like you're my nanny. I'm really
sorry I dropped in like this. You were probably sleeping already. Why don't you go back
to bed," he said lying on the bed with his eyes closed.
"I actually couldn't, or can't sleep. I was just having a little snack. If you want to go to bed
now, I'll turn off the lights," she said getting up, but was held back her partner.
"No, don't. If you can't sleep, and quite frankly neither can I, why don't you just stay here.
That is, if you want to" he said quickly.
"Sure. Do you want to talk about it? I mean the anniversary," she asked as he moved over
on the bed to make room for her. She put her feet up, but didn't lie down.
"I just can't get over it. I feel like such a baby. I'm a grown man and I still cry, and I go to
a bar, and get drunk, and then come and crash here. What kind of a mature adult does
that?" he said opening his eyes to look at her.
She looked at him a comforting way, "One who suffered through a lot of hardship when
he was little. It was difficult for you and Julie, and once a year you're reminded of that.
Why shouldn't you cry? I mean, I think it takes real courage to be able to cry, and just
because you're a man doesn't mean to shouldn't."
"Wait, is this coming from Sydney Cooke? Emotionless Sydney Cooke? You know this
could be turned around to fit you. It takes real courage to admit you're scared, or to show
emotion, and just because you're a woman Texas Ranger doesn't mean you shouldn't show
emotion. It's okay to have feelings," he said leaning on his arm, with a look of satisfaction
on his face.
"I...I....You know that if I cried or showed emotion people would think I was just a weak
woman, and my job would be at stake. You of all people should know that," she said.
"...and if I cry, people will think I'm weak. My reputation as a man would be at stake. You
of all people should know THAT," he said, "and showing emotion isn't a bad thing. I show
emotion, I just shouldn't cry. You showed emotion to that weirdo boyfriend you had. You
REALLY showed emotion to him!"
"GAGE! Why are you even bringing that up. He wasn't a weirdo, you just didn't like him
because...well I don't know why. I would show emotion to any guy that I was interested
in, not just him."
"Really. Well...there was the time in the hospital..."Gage said.
"Oh my god, you heard that?" Syd said, shocked.
"Every word. Every single word," he said moving closer, and smiling.
Backing away from him," Gage, I wasn't thinking. I was just upset about the whole
thing...you know. Don't," she said as he tried to put his arm around her, "you're just
drunk. Go to sleep, and you won't even remember this in the morning."
"I'm drunk alright. Drunk with love," he said kiddingly, "Syd, why would it be so bad?
Why can't you just let it happen? I love you. You said you felt the same way. You kissed
me, and now you won't let me reciprocate."
"Gage, don't you understand. We're friends. You're my BEST friend, and you're my
partner. It's got to be against protocol, and it would complicate things so much. All the
different feelings and everything..."
"But the feelings are already there. Neither of us can deny that now. We work well
together, both on and off the job and we trust each other. Just give me one chance..." he
said moving closer to her again.
"Gage...I," she started, but couldn't finish because Gage had reached up and kissed her.
Not just any kiss, but a KISS. So she did the natural thing: relaxed, and kissed back. Soon
enough they were making out like a pair of VERY anxious teenagers.
"Gage...I should go to bed...my bed..." she said in between kisses.
"No...stay...here...with me..."he said, continuing.
There was no more arguing.
*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*~*
Syd awoke to the sound of her cell phone ringing. Disentangling herself from Gage, she
reached over the arm of the sofa and answered.
"Hello, Ranger Cooke," she said.
"Syd?" said the voice on the line.
"Yeah Walker, hi," she said.
"Syd do you know what time it is? You're 20 minutes late for work. And this is Gage's cell
phone. You left yours here at the station," he said, hinting that he knew what going on.
"Well, um, you're right it is. Gage showed up here last night drunk, because it was the
anniversary of his parents' death, and he stayed on the couch, but he'll probably have a big
hangover, so I think you should give him a sick day so he can come back on the job alert,
and let me have one too, because I was up late last night taking care of him, and I don't
think I'd be totally alert either."
"OK, Syd. You two take care, and we'll see you tomorrow," he said.
Breathing a sigh of relief, because Walker seemed to buy the story, she lay back down.
That had been really close. Suddenly she felt two arms around her.
"Good morning. Very good morning actually. Good night too. Who were you talking to?"
Gage asked resting his chin on her shoulder.
"Walker called. I answered, but it was your cell phone," she said turning beet red," I got
us both a sick day."
"I don't feel very sick," he said moving closer, but suddenly shutting his eyes, and rubbing
his temples.
"Here, let me get you an Advil," Syd said, quickly grabbing a blanket to wrap around
herself. She returned, in a robe, with 2 Advil and a glass of water. Gage already had his
boxers on, and his shirt on, although it was unbuttoned, probably because of his headache.
"Take these. They should make you feel better. I'm going to go sleep a little longer in MY
room, so just knock if you need anything," she said moving away quickly.
"Syd, what's wrong? Why do you have these swings in your attitude? Was it me?" he
asked, prompted by her sudden wanting to get away from him.
"No Gage, it wasn't you. Well, it was, but it wasn't. What I mean is...it felt so right. It was
perfect. Like, we belong together, but we can't. I don't want to lose you as a friend, or as a
partner. I know that if I even just kiss you once more, I'll lose it, and then...well...what if it
doesn't work out? What if we aren't compatible, or what if it's too much? I don't want to
risk losing you."
"You won't, I promise. I'll never leave you. And if we aren't compatible, who is?? I
couldn't ever dream to find anyone better than you Sydney Cooke. Just believe me. Maybe
we could even get married someday," he said hopefully.
Syd's eyes started tearing up as she ran to him and buried her face in his chest.
"I love you. I love you so much, and if we got married it would be a dream come true. But
I'll only marry you if you're very good," she said teasingly.
"But I like to be bad," he said with a devilish grin on his face, shoving her back on the bed.
"I could live with that," she said, grinning back