Colours of love
Rating T for some swearing.
Author's Note: The story and situation is loosely based off of Mirage comics City at War series. However I have taken some liberties. While I haven't felt like writing much the last few days, this story occurred to me when I heard a song I hadn't heard for many years. R
Disclaimer: I own not a single character within this story.
Casey glanced in the small bathroom mirror, and grimaced a bit at the reflection. Normally he hardly ever used the glass, other then to confirm that he looked more or less presentable. The glass was streaked and grimy, spattered with bits of tooth paste and who knows what, distorting the image it held ever so slightly. Casey reached up a hand and pulled at the collar of his shirt. 'Damn why am I doin' this? It ain't like I got betah thins to do?' he mused to himself, for a moment he had the tempting idea of ditching the jacket and throwing the whole thing out the window.
He strained his ears listening for a sound other then the TV in the living room, perhaps hoping to hear a small cry from the other room in his small apartment. He looked out in the hallway on a small stand that held the phone, and a wrapped bouquet of roses and a small jewelry box. He felt his insides twist and he turned to look at his ghost white face in the splotched glass. He turned on the faucet and ran cold water taking a handful of it and ducking his face into his hands.
'Am I ready for this again? Can I do this again?'
Back then what was it three, no almost four years now it had seemed so simple so easy. Maybe it was because he'd been with Gabe, and not with his current flame April. Gabe had made accepting responsibility an easy task course things were different then.
He had accidentally taken the life of a kid, he hadn't meant to do it. But he had. In trying to escape from the deed, in hopes of denying the fact that he had for once gone too far, he ended up leaving New York driving for miles. He ended up at a small truck stop, where some guys had ended up beating him up and stealing his car. The waitress Gabrielle had taken him back to her trailer nursed him back to health. He recalled falling in love with Gabe, making love with her and then learning she was pregnant. The child wasn't his, for she had been pregnant when they met the father was no where to be found. Casey knew at that time he loved Gabe, and somehow she had gotten him back on track, back to living and accepting his crime, accepting him.
Perhaps it had just been the events, playing out. Perhaps it was something more. Whatever it was Casey knew he truly loved Gabe. It was that simple, he hadn't asked her to marry him because he felt sorry for her, but because he truly did love her.
This time though it was different; this was April. Sure he'd known April for such a long time, they and their friends had been through so much together. Yes there had always been a sort of chemistry between him and April, a mutual attraction, combined with understanding but they still fought, and had their differences. Course when you got down to it April was pretty classy, she was smart, beautiful and he was...well, he wasn't the brightest penny in the bunch, even he knew that much. He sort of knew that by setting his sights on April that she was too good for him, and would most likely laugh in his face, deriding him for his audacity.
' How can I ever believe that I can make her happy? I mean I'm not her type.' Casey heaved a sigh of frustrated agitation. "Aw hell I'm going mess this up somehow. I know it" he growled at his image. For one brief fleeting moment he felt like punching the mirror into hundreds, if not thousand, tiny glass shards. It seemed he was defeated before he even began.
Then again this felt to him too much like the embarrassing school days of sitting in class, trying to catch a girls eye, and interest by what ever means it took.
He swallowed hard and caught a flash of green out the corner of his eye "Are you leaving sometime tonight Casey?" Mike demanded.
"Yeah I'm on my way. Mike Shadow, should sleep through the night and..."
"Don't worry Case-man I know the drill" Mike grinned, "If you don't get a move on you are going to be late." Mike informed his friend kindly grabbing Casey by the shoulders and steering him towards the front door, "Go have fun, relax. Have a good night." Mike insisted kindly, "It will work out."
"I dunno maybe it is too soon" Casey stammered.
"Your doing this for Shadow, she needs a mom and April likes you and Shadow both, now go before I get Raph over here to kick your ass Casey." Mike pointed out, as he tried to shove his friend out the front door, handing Casey the gifts, the adept ninja must have gotten off the table, though Casey wasn't quite sure when Mike had done it. Mike shut the door and locked Casey out and the human was quite sure his young, mutant friend would be quite willing to throw him out in the streets if he didn't go on his own.
With a heavy sigh, Casey walked out to the battered truck and got in driving to the antique shop that had become so familiar a place to be as of late.While he drove he thought about the night, and what he was about to commit himself too. He also thought of the three woman in his life. Gabe, who died in childbirth, leaving behind the shadow of herself, a little girl, whom Casey had vowed he would care for and raise. He named her Shadow, Shadow was almost three now. Of course April was the third woman in his life, and the one who had been such an important part of his life for so long.
Course the fact he had known April for so many years didn't make the task at hand any easier to take. If anything he could feel his palms getting sweaty against the steering wheel, and he felt far more nervous then he had when he had popped the question to Gabe.
He managed to make his way to the store, driving there on almost an automatic pilot way, not really aware of where he was going or what he was doing. He pulled over at the curb and got out slipping the box into a jacket pocket and grabbing the flowers in almost a strangle hold, as he jumped out of the truck and headed for the door. His feet tripped and stumbled a bit on the curb when he didn't pick them up quite enough and he had to struggle a bit to maintain his balance. He turned and shot a venomous look at the curb as if it had purposely grown in height when he wasn't looking.
He nervously rang the bell to April's apartment standing outside the door shuffling his feet and waiting until she opened the door, wearing a nice red dress that flattered her figure and enhanced her looks. April smiled as she saw him all dressed up not quite in a suit but close enough, his discomfort clear yet, looking good. She gave a warm tender smile at her friend, "Casey, so what have you got planned for us tonight tough guy?"
Casey coughed a bit "Well I uh brought you these Ape," he shoved the flowers at her, and uh maybe we can uh...I dunno go for a walk or...talk a bit." Casey muttered, feeling flustered.
April took the flowers into her hands and buried her nose in the fragrant blossoms "Let me put these in a vase and I'll be right with you." she assured him, "Come on in for a sec."
Casey complied as he watched her walk off, watching the alluring swing of her hips under the red dress. " Ooooh boy" he muttered under his breath.
Soon they were heading for a quiet stroll in Central Park, they held hands in silence and Casey waited for a while, before he broke the silence "April I have told you bout Gabe before right?" She inquired nervously.
April nodded, "When you came home with Shadow, your daughter" April replied. She recalled those days, she had felt a little jealous of how Casey had talked about Gabe, and how he doted on the baby. He of course had never asked her to marry him, though he was fully aware that Casey had loved her very much. Of course she had felt bad when she heard of how Gabe had died. "You promised to take care of Shadow, and you've done a great job of it so far Case."
"I loved Gabe April. I well...she reminded me a lot of you too. How she was so caring, even of big dumb idiots like myself, who end up in over their heads."
April chuckled softly, "Someone has to look out for the idiots Casey." She paused and reached out touching his cheek affectionately.
They wandered the park before heading up to the roof tops to gaze at what night sky they could see. There were a few feeble lights above their glow dimmed, by the flashing neon street signs and traffic lights below. A full moon, the second of that month hung in the sky. April leaned against the edge of the building "A lovely blue moon for the night." She murmured softly, before shivering a little.
Casey took off his jacket and placed it over her shoulders "Maybe I ought to get you home your getting cold." He declared, while he enjoyed the night thus far, he still hadn't managed to getting around to popping the question.
They returned to April's apartment, Casey started a fire in the small fire place while April went to get them a drink. He got the fire going and retrieved the ring box from his jacket pocket and tucked it away in a pant pocket while trying his best to screw up the nerve to ask for her hand in marriage. April returned with chilled wine and a platter of cheese from the fridge. Casey tried not to scowl, he would have much preferred a cold beer then any fruity wine.
Casey turned his head looking into the blazing orange, amber glow the way the flames flickered and leapt up a bit here only to settle down. He raised the wine glass to his lips taking a sip, hoping to sooth his dry lips and suddenly dry throat. No matter how much prepared he still wasn't ready for this, and yet he had decided it was best to get it over with now. So he reached in his pant's pockets for the small box, keeping it well hidden in his hands.
It was time to lay it on the line come clean, hope for the best. It was a big gamble, and his nervousness at the situation was causing his stomach to churn a little but he shoved those thoughts and feelings aside, even though it truly reminded him of being back in school, and called up front for some infraction.
He tried not to think about it as he reached out to April as he spoke, "April, I uh love you and I got to know how you feel for me cause well..." at a sudden loss for word, he opened his hand showing her the box. In his haste he hadn't opened it and now he could only sit and wait for a reply.
April gently removed the box from his palm, her finger tips lightly touching the roughened hand. She opened it and ducked her head, blushing a little and feeling her heart quicken it's pace.
True, Casey wasn't well educated, and he'd often displayed more immaturity then responsibility but he had changed since his time with Gabe, as if he had grown up a little. He had proven that he could be romantic and caring, even if that wasn't a side he normally showed to the world, or even her. Under it all though, the changes, their past, present; she knew that he was still very much Casey, and essentially a good guy. She found herself answering yes and being folded into his arms, as he hugged her close with relief.
The End