Alriiiight! This is my first Uglies story! I've been literally itching to write a story for Tally and David (like literally. Every time I looked at my computer or the book my fingers would get this weird sensation and go, "WRITE WRITE WRITE WRITE WRIIIIIITE!") ever since he gave her the gloves in Ugliesthey are just so cute! Then I read Pretties, I threw the book at the wall until pages 325-330 (When they're on the hoverboard together and she keeps holding him tighter and tighter and tighter until he ruins it and mentions the $*%$%*&$ A.K.A. Zane) (Yes, I really hate Zane! :D), and then resumed throwing the book at the wall anytime she mentioned the name 'Zane'. Is it just me, or does anyone else hate him? -_-
But anyways, my story is not about Zane. It's completely David and Tally (: (but there is a tiny instance that I gagged while writing with Tally and Zane) I really wanted to make this so that Zane didn't even exist, then decided it'd be good for…something later ;). Rating is K+, no language is used, anddddd there's only like one kiss.
This is a one-shot sorry if anything seems OOC. If it does, please message me or write it in the reviews (If I even get any XD) so I can work on it if I decide to write anymore Uglies fics . Alright, I guess it's time for the disclaimer and get started on the story!
(I have no idea why I typed any of this above [Or below]. People don't read that anyways! XD)
Disclaimer: Blah blah blah I don't own Uglies, Pretties, Specials, or Extras in any way, shape, or form. If I did, Zane wouldn't exist. And if he did exist, he would have died when they kissed like if Chloe kisses a human in The Nine Lives of Chloe King. (Good show, I totally recommend it if you're into fantasy stuff . And since I mentioned it, I don't own that show either. Or the books. :P) My views of the characters and/or books do not reflect the views of my readers and/or the author and/or . Okay, we done here?
Oh. I should probably say where the story starts and stuff. Page 322 of Pretties, and if you're too lazy to check it out or don't own the book, it's when David and Tally first see each other again after she turns pretty. Pretty far into the end of the book. Mkies? Mkies. Let's get on with dis. Oh, last thing, I promise; pretend Tally is shorter than David. I'm sorry; it's just a pet peeve of mine to have the guy taller in stories. Like whenever I date a guy, he has to be at least six inches taller. End of story. So David is six inches taller than Tally.
OKAY! STORY TIME, KIDDIES!
"David?" she said softly. Memories jogged through her brain like lightning, in and out before she could grasp the entire concept. The gloves, Maddy and Az, the kisses, Shay accusing her of stealing David from her, riding together on the hoverboard, his arms wrapped around her waist, and when they broke into Special Circumstances together.
She told Shay she thought she loved him. Did she love him?
He walked closer and she could see the expression on his face: complete and utter confusion, sadness, and anger.
"David, it's me, Tally."
His voice surprised her; she was expecting him to just stay silent. She was expecting him to hate her. For Zane. For betraying the Smoke. For everything she did to him. "I know who you are, Tally. I just didn't expect you to look so…"
"Different?"
"That's one way to put it," he looked her up and down with an appalled look on his face.
"Where is everyone? I thought the New Smoke was in here."
"We're back in the wild, for right now. The runaways from your town showed up about two weeks ago. One in particular seemed exceptionally worried about you not showing up." David snickered. "He even almost gave up on thinking you made the fall."
"Really?" She tried to act nonchalant. "Who seemed worried?"
"The one with the headaches."
Zane. Zane had almost given up on her. He told her he loved her, then gave up. She was gone for two weeks, but in those two weeks she was always 100 percent sure that he would never let her go, he wouldn't let them give up on her. She'd have to talk to him about that later.
"Did you ever give up? On me coming back to the Smoke?"
David shook his head. "I knew even with your new face you were still the same old Tally. Especially when Zane told us all about when you found the pills." He wouldn't look her in the eye. "I knew you weren't…I mean, I couldn't…," he sighed, "I couldn't give up on you. What took you so long anyways?"
"My hoverboard drowned. I fell out of a hot air balloon, well technically jumped, and hit the river."
He snickered, "My point exactly; same old Tally."
"Just a different face. And everything else."
"Let's take you to go see him. I know you want to."
They arrived at the New Smoke. Before David lead her into the tent where Zane was staying in, Tally said, "How are his headaches?"
"Progressively worse."
"Well, is there anything your mom can do to reverse it?"
"She's doing everything she can for him, Tally." He sounded angry.
Tally stayed silent. She looked up at David to see his expression turned sour. Angry, sad, and envious. She really looked at his face; really looked at it for the first time after the operation. His too-wide nose, his non-pretty eyes. She started to wonder what he would look like pretty, but her mind stopped her before the transformation in her mind even began. She just couldn't imagine him pretty.
If it came straight down to looks, she would definitely take Zane. If it came straight down to personality, she wouldn't know. She decided it came down to this: David never gave up on her. Sure, he didn't send her the pills and he'd sent Croy in his place, but Zane gave up on her. David never did.
"Why didn't you come get me? Why did you send Croy instead of coming yourself?"
"I was in another city, Croy was my backup. He wouldn't have gone unless it was my only opinion, trust me, Tally."
"Maybe if you had come and gotten me things would be different."
"You think I wanted to practically force you into his arms?"
"I know you didn't-"
"Tally, for God's sake, I l-," he sighed, "I don't want anything bad to happen to you. I'm scared if you get any closer to Zane and something bad happens to him, I'm scared you'll give up."
"I think if anything happens to him it'll just give me the power to take the Specials down."
"What if it doesn't? What if it does exactly the opposite?"
"Then I'll get over it eventually. But nothing bad will happen to Zane, I know it."
David leaned towards her, slowly, almost closing all the space between them.
"Tally, listen, he's getting worse. We don't know what'll happen to him, or what you'll see when you get in there, but you have to know no matter what happens we tried everything to stop it."
She lost her breath in their closeness. She started to imagine herself putting her hands on his cheeks and just kissing him. Staring into his eyes made her forget Zane and everyone else.
David was leaning in closer, about to make her fantasy come alive, then she heard a dreadful noise from Zane's tent. It was groans, almost screams, of pain.
Tally ran into the tent and sat by Zane's bedside. "Zane!" she said. "Zane what's wrong?"
"Tally?" he groaned.
"Zane, it's okay," she grabbed his hand, "I made it. I'm here. You're gonna be fine."
"Tally…what happened?"
"My hoverboard sank to the bottom of the river, I made it though. I made it for…I made it."
David rushed in, "Here, man, take these." He handed Zane a small pill which Zane swallowed gratefully. His pain stopped.
David saw our joined hands and stalked out. "Da-" she started, but she let him walk out.
"I thought you were…Tally, I'm so glad you're okay." He took his free hand and placed it on her cheek, pulling her to his face.
"Zane," she said, stopping him. "David told me you almost gave up on me."
"Tally, you have to understand it from my point of view, you were missing for two weeks. I got here in a few days. If you were here and I was gone for two weeks, what would you do?"
"I wouldn't give up! I'd go out and find you until I found you. I thought you said you loved me, but if you meant it you wouldn't have even thought of giving up on me."
"I meant what I said, Tally. I do love you."
"You. Gave. Up."
"Tally, what will it make for you to believe I'm sorry?"
"Making me go back in time and never letting me become pretty. But that'll never happen."
She got up and walked toward the entrance of the tent, ignoring Zane when he called after her.
She turned and saw David standing next to the tent. "I take it you broke up with him?"
"Yeah. I guess I did."
"He really did love you, by the way."
She took a deep breath and just walked from the tent. It was nightfall, and safe to go out of the Smoke finally. Tally walked into the forest and David followed close behind her. There was a pasture clearing by just on the other side of the trees, and she stopped and sat down in the tall grass.
David sat down slowly beside her as they stared out at the moon.
"I know he loved me. But whenever you or I say 'love' in context with him, we're using past tense."
"And Shay does too. She's just scared."
"She just wants to remember. And when she did she got mad at me, because I stole you from her."
"You didn't steal me. I was never hers."
"I know. She just makes it seem that way."
"I know someone else that loves you." He stared into her pretty eyes, the gem moving counterclockwise to the minutes just like Shay's eyes.
Tally sighed, "Really? It seems like everyone hates me nowadays for some reason."
"Not everyone. Even if people get mad at you, it's not forever. Me for example. I don't hate you for betraying the Smoke, because I know you didn't want to."
"Not after I found out about the lesions."
"You know, you might be a pretty now, but you were more beautiful before."
"I wish I never became pretty. It's not everything I had imagined as a littlie or even as an ugly."
"Tally, I have to tell you something."
"What?" Her fantasy of taking his face in her hands and kissing him entered her mind again, the feeling stronger than it was before.
"I…I'm in love with you."
"I love you, too."
David cupped his hand under her chin and pulled her face towards him. Their lips met.
Tally forgot he was ugly at that moment, all she saw him as was her ugly prince from her dreams.
"I'll never give up on you, Tally," he whispered.