Scarlett O'Hara Hamilton Kennedy Butler sat upon a small chair upon the balcony of the monstrosity she had once called a house. This house had once been warm and comforting, now it was nothing but a bitter wasteland of the past that now haunted her every breath. This was one the house she had brought up her deceased Bonnie Blue in and would have borne her second child. The velvet carpets, embroidered duvets, and elaborate portraits were nothing to her now that Rhett was gone.
Rhett was gone…
Scarlett had to shut her once sparkling green eyes to suppress the tears that threatened to fall. She had never realized how happy she truly was when she had Rhett and Bonnie by her side. They were her everything and now… Now Rhett had left her, his love dwindled away to nothing and Bonnie was gone. She had nothing. She had no one. She was the epitome of solidarity.
Scarlett's thin and frail arms wrapped themselves around her waist in an effort to quell the sadness in her eyes and the yearning in her heart. Laying her head against the back of her chair she clenched her eyes tighter and thought of a time when she was truly happy, truly in love but too daft to comprehend.
Share with me the blankets that you're wrapped in
Because it's cold outside cold outside its cold outside
Share with me the secrets that you kept in
Because it's cold inside cold inside its cold inside
It was the first year of their marriage and the mansion had not yet been finished and in the meantime, Rhett had purchased a quaint home on the edge of Georgia with lush green trees in and lovely scenery surrounding. It was a chilly night, one in which the two newlyweds had been sitting under an abnormally large weeping willow underneath the gorgeous spring stars.
With a heart brimming with love for the stunning beauty beside him, he wrapped a warm blanket around her as Scarlett leaned against him with his arm gently encircling her waist. "What are you thinking about my pet?" He asked quietly so as to not disrupt the serene peacefulness that enveloped them.
Scarlett sighed and leaned in closer to him, pulling the russet coverlet tighter around her as he tightened his hold upon her incredibly thin waist. "Nothing Rhett, it's just…look at the stars. They're so beautiful and…" Scarlett paused as tears began to trek down her magnolia white cheeks.
"Scarlett? Scarlett, what's the matter darling?" He turned her gently in his arms so that he could see her face clearly in the moonlight which shone down upon them. When he saw her though, he was quite puzzled. She was crying, yes, but she was smiling as well, her white teeth gleaming.
"Rhett," She whispered, nestling her head into the crook in his neck and curling her feet underneath her, the rustle of emerald grass blowing gently in the wind. "Rhett, I'm happy. For once in a long, long time, I am actually happy. I felt like I could not feel anything, but, you know how fond of you I am. I'm so happy…"
And your slowly shaking finger tips
Show that your scared like me so
Let pretend were alone
And I know you may be scared
And I know were unprepared
But I don't care
Rhett caught her chin between his thumb and index finger and in one swift motion, his soft lips were upon hers as he pulled her closer. Her arms traveled up his chest to claps around his neck, answering his crushing kiss with her own passion. How could she have been so daft not to realize that she had loved him then?
Her fingers began to tremble behind his neck. Breaking the kiss with much effort, she took her hands in his own, massaging them gently and kissing her forehead. He never would have expected her to accept these loving gestures so soon, but he was not complaining. For so long he had wanted to show her how he could love and now after all these years, she was giving in. She was, in turn, loved him as well without knowing.
Scarlett leaned forward, the coverlet forgotten in a heap beside her, laying her left cheek upon his broad, muscular chest- trembling. Rhett reached for the blanket and wrapped about both their shoulders, pulling her as close to him as possible. "Rhett… will you always be here for me? You're the only one that understands me and… I'm scared. If you leave, I don't know what… or who I'll talk to."
"Shhh dear." He whispered into her ebony hair, stroking her back with his calloused hands. "I won't leave you."
Tell me tell me
What makes you think that you are invincible
I can see it in your eyes that you're so sure
Please don't tell me that I am the only one that's vulnerable
Impossible
In those few precious moments between two lovers, they were both vulnerable as they opened their hearts to one another and poured their feelings out to each other. Their kisses were gentle as they held each other in the moonlight. These were rare times but they were so beautiful to them both.
"Rhett," Scarlett began again. Rhett smiled, he loved the way she pronounced his name. It was no like any other pronunciation, but when she whispered it under the stars it seemed exotic and lovely. "Do you feel as vulnerable as I do Rhett? You know everything about me, all my secrets, and yet you're here."
Rhett planted a kiss in her soft hair, caressing her long locks and entwining long strands between his fingers. "You and I both, my pet. You and I both."
The wind whipped her hair about her face making Scarlett look like a goddess from another universe. Her pale skin contrasted deeply with her shocking emerald eyes and dark ebony hair. Two rosy lips adorned her face that were so tempting that Rhett had to keep himself from again pressing his lips roughly against her in an passionate wanting that enveloped his whole body.
I was born to tell you I love you
It's that a song already
I get a B in originality
And its true I can't go on without you
Your smile makes me see clearer
If you could only see in the mirror what I see
Scarlett pulled herself from her reverie, her heart aching with such intensity that she had to clutch onto the arms of the chair. Tears poured from her eyes as the emptiness in her heart grew into a large gaping hole. She loved him. She loved him so much that it physically hurt. Why did she let him go? Why couldn't she have come to realize that Ashley Wilkes was just a security blanket to which she clutched on to remember her past.
Scarlett couldn't go on without Rhett, it was impossible. She needed to see his mocking smile and eyes full of merriment and love. Scarlett's hands reached up to her chest and dug her nails into the vicinity of where her heart would be if it hadn't been broken so many times by the one man who would never return.
Eight months. Eight months, four days, and seven hours since he walked out on her. She had begged and pleaded for him to stay. The day of Melanie's death was the day her past didn't matter any longer. The past was nothing to her because Rhett was her everything; her everything that slipped through her fingers.
The gossip on the grape-vine was that Rhett Butler was a current resident in a nearby hotel on some very important business matters having to deal with some of his Confederate Assets. Something that was no care of Scarlett's all she knew what that he was near and she needed to see him once more before she forced herself to give him up once and for all. He had not been back in 8 months and this would be the first time she could speak with him. She needed this chance.
Before she knew what she was doing, she was in her carriage, wringing her hands together until they were raw. She had to tell him. She had to tell him how much she adored him if she was every going to let him go. Maybe, just maybe if she was able to reach out to him and tell him something, anything, her heart would quell its incredible ache for him. She doubted it.
And your slowly shaking finger tips
Show that you're scared like me so
The man at the front desk was exceptionally kind considering he knew of her predicament; everyone knew of her predicament. It was only common knowledge that Rhett Butler wanted a divorce from his 'vixen of a wife' as he now called her to whoever would hear. A divorce was a disgrace to both beings and she didn't think she could take it.
His peaceful chocolate eyes, filled with pity for the torn apart creature before him, glanced toward the grand staircase as he informed her of the room number. 204. It pained her to hear that number for when they were Newlyweds in New Orleans he had specifically requested room 204 because it was the nicest in the hotel.
Scarlett stood before the large, oak-wood door, her hands trembling violently as the gathered her thoughts. I can't be frightened now she though, grabbing the brass knocker which lay idly against the glossy wood. I can't be frightened now. It's too late to turn back. I must tell him.She knocked.
Her breath caught in her chest as she heard slow, languorous steps toward the door and she momentarily considered fleeing but when he opened the door, she was instantly mesmerized by his ink-colored eyes. For one fleeting moment he looked almost happy to see her but as quickly as that moment came, it was gone and replaced by anger and impatience.
He flung open the door in irritation and turned to creep back into the black-hole which was his room. He refused to look at her and when he heard the door click gently behind Scarlett as she entered, he flinched unwilling to be in the same vicinity with her. "What do you want Scarlett?" he hissed.
Every word, every movement cut through her like a knife opening wounds that had not fully healed. "I…I…Rhett," She began unsure of how to begin. Everything she had rehearsed on the way up was lost into the abyss as she stood before him, a lame child who was frightened of a mother's stronghold over her young.
"I…I…what Scarlett? I haven't got all day," he spat angrily coming closer to her so she could see the intolerance he had for her. Why the hell was she here? Did she want to hurt him anymore than she already had? Couldn't she leave their shattered relationship alone and leave them with some dignity?
Let pretend were alone
And I know you may be scared
And I know were unprepared
But I don't care
Scarlett swallowed hard and looked at her raw, red hands, avoiding his furious gaze as best she could while also attempting to suppress her tears, failing miserably. He was hurting her and he could care less. He wanted to hurt her. She would have even hurt her if she was in her shoes. "Rhett. I'm sorry. I know sorry doesn't make up for what I've done, but… I'm so, so sorry."
She had to advert her eyes from his own and failed to see his face smooth out and sadness creep into his eyes. "But Rhett, it's not all my fault. I know I contributed to much of our downfall, but you played your part too. You never came to me with our problems, or yours for that matter, it was always to Belle. I wanted you to come to me so badly, but you never did which pushed me farther away.
Tell me tell me
What makes you think that you are invincible
I can see it in your eyes that you're so sure
Please don't tell me that I am the only one that's vulnerable
Impossible
"In a matter of speaking, you brainwashed me Rhett. You told me you didn't care about reputations. You told me you could do without them if you had enough courage and backbone. You knew I had both but I was too young to understand. Was it all just a ploy to make yourself look better? Was it to make your mother happy because there was another person who was on the wrong track as well?"
Anger filled her voice with the new realization. "You created my downfall, Rhett. I don't know how it began, but you did it. You would run away from your problems. Whenever something went slightly wrong, you were gone to 'find yourself'. You apparently had no backbone. Were you living through me?
"What did you want from me Rhett? One moment you told me that reputations were brainless excuses for social classes to entertain themselves with and the next it's my entire fault that Bonnie was somewhat shunned from high society. Was it really my fault Rhett, or did you want this is happen?"
She stood before him panting angrily while the tables turned. Realization hit Rhett harder than he would have expected. Her bitter words stung down to his core for he knew she was right. He was just as responsible for their shattered relationship as she was. He blinked as his heart, which had only resumed beating when she entered the door a few minutes prior, broke. What had he done?
"Rhett, say something!" She pleaded grabbing his arm which was suspended in mid air which was initially going to grab a pile of papers which was misconstrued all over the table-top and floor. "Rhett please." Tears began to pour from her eyes; she wasn't getting through.
Scarlett's hand fell limply to her side as the slow tears rapidly became quicker, her heart breaking in turn. "I wasn't expecting something to come out of this visit, but if anything has I hope it is that… even though you hurt me Rhett, I never stopped loving you. You may think I never loved you, but I always have. I never realized it, but I did. I never stopped."
She turned to leave, reaching her hand up to wipe her tears upon her sleeve. She could no longer stand here watching the one man she loved just stare at her while she became vulnerable before his eyes. "Goodbye, Rhett."
Slow down girl you're not going anywhere
Just wait around and see
Maybe I am much more you never know what lies ahead
I promise I can be anyone I can be anything
Just because you were hurt doesn't mean you shouldn't bleed
I can be anyone anything I promise I can be what you need
Scarlett managed to take a step frontward before Rhett grabbed her upper arm and turned her so that she was facing him. The pull was unintentionally hard and her head whipped around so fast that her shimmering ebony hair smacked her in the face so that it covered the right side of her face from view.
Before each other, their defenses slowly crumbled as their vulnerability peaked and they could only speak with their nostalgic eyes. No words were uttered. The two stood before each other, their eyes explaining everything. Scarlett's emerald orbs held so much misery and pain that they were difficult to witness and yet Rhett stared back, his ink colored eyes apologetic and so full of sadness and love that it was overpowering.
In one swift movement, Rhett pulled her into him with one arm securing Scarlett's body tightly to him while the other hand cupped her face, his lips crushing her own in a frenzied passion she had not witnessed in years. Scarlett's arms were pinned between their heated bodies, clutching onto his jacket as she answered his yearning kisses with as much desire, if not more than Rhett's.
Rhett's lips traveled from her swollen lips to her jaw caressing her skin with his lips the whole while. She clung to him, ecstasy running through her veins as she threw her head backwards a small moan erupting from her lips. Against her neck he whispered, "My darling, I'm sorry."
They thought the other incapable of susceptibility and yet, as they held each other, their kisses becoming more and more demanding, their invincibility weaned down to nothingness which didn't matter to either of them. Sometimes vulnerability could be stronger and withstand much more than being invincible.
A/N- Hello again everyone. I know, long time no write. I slowly want to get back into writing and I figured writing small one-shots would work and get me back and better.
I know this is quite horrid, but even so I pray it's somewhat enjoyable.
Please give feed back.