(A/N): I'm a die-hard Murdockian; why on earth did I decide to write this!? This fic was inspired (yes, I know) by the stunning piano piece called 'For My Love'. Here's the link: watch?v=tgb9Hk26eAI.
Thank you SO much to MommieJen for the ending idea. If you haven't all ready, go and check out some of her awesome work!
Also, while I'm writing this (very long) author's note, I might as well add; I would love some prompts from you guys. I'll accept anything except things that involve that dreadful Tawnia. YUCK! Send me your ideas through PM right away! I don't judge! Anyway, on with the story...
Disclaimer: I don't own anything you recognise except for Murdock's lousy girlfriend.
FOR MY LOVE
Murdock loved roses. They were his favourite flower, so bright and beautiful. He'd bought a dozen of them in all different colours. All for her. His soul mate, his other, the missing piece to his confusing, crazy puzzle. He'd been searching for that piece all his life, and he'd finally found it. Or so he'd thought...
He had been waltzing down the street, grinning like the Cheshire Cat, to meet up with that special one he called his 'Girlfriend' (he loved the fact he could say he had one) and present the big bouquet of glorious flowers to her, when he saw the heart-breaking sight. He skidded to a halt, as annoyed civilians bumped into him because of his sudden stop, and was shoved to one side. But he didn't notice.
His girlfriend was in the middle of a passionate embrace with another man.
The Pilot's face fell. His grip tightened on the roses and he clutched it against himself, while little chunks of his emotions began to slowly die away. It was like time had frozen, and in those horrifying few moments of realisation, he felt his heart pounding in his ears, his chest tighten and the world around him fading into a dull, sickening black.
"Oh," he whispered.
He lowered his head, turned around slowly and began the long walk back to Face's house.
The Lieutenant always kept a spare key under the doormat of every property they would scam, just in case one of the Team needed to get in during an emergency, so Murdock let himself in.
Straight away he went to the bedroom he shared with Face and collapsed onto the mattress. He knew he couldn't let something as silly as a bad relationship effect him this much; he had been a Pilot in Viet-freaking-nam for God's sake! He had been through much worse than this. But at the same time, he knew that he wouldn't- no- couldn't brush this off because, well...
He loved her.
He didn't know the proper, true, meaning of the word "love" until he met her. He just thought of it as one of those words that people use way too much and said it like it didn't mean anything. He loved his Grandparents and his mother, even though they had left this earth years ago. He loved his Team; they were his replacement family, in a way. But this type of love was different. It was pure, selfless, real. He'd known her for over a year now, so it was a serious relationship. He kept his end of the deal; helped her through the tough times, looked after her, comforted her, offered her his shoulder to cry on and was always there for her. What had she done for him? Used him? Forgot about him? Broke his heart?
He sighed heavily and buried his head deep into his pillow. The roses were left on the desk beside the windowsill, abandoned and alone.
Peck busied himself with collecting groceries, since B.A had raided there fridge earlier that day. As he shuffled down the sidewalk, large, brown paper bags tucked under each arm, he noticed something out of the corner of his eye. He saw a young woman, incredibly similar-looking to Murdock's girlfriend, hand-in-hand with a short, black-haired fellow. They looked a little too attached to each other to be just friends. He looked closer closer still; dark brown pixi cut, hazel eyes, curvy figure- it definitely was her! (He couldn't forget a woman like that.)
He chided himself at that thought.
The Conman wanted to go over there and say something, did Murdock even know? As he thought about it, more frustrated street-dwellers bumped into him and pushed past him as they walked by. He decided to leave the matter for now and he swiftly made his way to the parked up 'Vette across the road.
It had been an hour since Murdock had moved. He wasn't asleep, more than awake; alert, just like back in 'Nam, but he hadn't even twitched a limb since he first settled onto the bed.
How long had she been cheating on him? Was he not good enough for her? What did the other guy have that he didn't?
The image of the woman kissing the stranger sent shivers down his spin involuntarily. He grumbled and grunted and muttered curses into his pillow, smashing his fists down on the mattress with an almighty thump.
Hearing the noise of a car engine outside, Murdock suddenly shot up and scrambled off the bed and into the on-suite bathroom. He quickly locked the door and turned on the shower, but didn't undress as he stepped under the spray of scalding hot water.
Face walked towards the house, while holding the grocery bags, and noticed something as he neared the front door; it was slightly open. He immediately dropped the bags and pulled out his hand gun from his holster, just to be safe, as he entered the house.
After checking the downstairs rooms, the Conman quietly made his way to the second floor. The first thing he heard was the shower running from the on-suite so he made his way into the bedroom. On the desk by the windowsill was a bouquet of different coloured roses and the house key. Relief flooded through him instantly; Murdock was home.
'Wasn't Murdock supposed to meet up with Penny today?' He thought, putting his gun away and eyeing the flowers inquiringly. He remembered seeing the woman with the strange man and squirmed. Was Penny really cheating on his best friend? They'd been together for a very long time, in his opinion (he'd never stayed in a relationship too long.) So had Murdock found out?
He went over to the bathroom and gently knocked on the door. "Murdock, buddy, it's me, Face. You all right in there?"
No reply.
Maybe the Pilot just hadn't heard him. He tried again. "Murdock?" He called.
He pressed his ear to the door and listened intently. He could he the faint, but unmistakable, noise of crying and whimpering. He'd heard that sound too many times from his friend. He didn't bother going back for the abandoned groceries outside the front door, now, just aimed on getting into the bathroom.
"I'm coming in, Murdock." Said Face, his voice edging into desperation. He tried the handle; it wouldn't budge. Again, and again he pulled and pushed and rammed against the wood, but couldn't get through. He grabbed a pin and tried picking the lock, but his fingers were sweaty and shaking from nervousness. He even tried using one of his many credit cards (which snapped). Finally, as a last resort, he lifted his leg up and kicked just below the handle and the door went crashing open.
His sight was hindered from the steam that clogged up the bathroom. He felt his way towards the shower and reached inside. Yelping in pain, he pulled back his burnt hand from the piping hot water. "Murdock!" He yelled as he saw the Pilot crouched in the corner of the bathtub, skin red-raw from the searing temperature of spray he was sitting under. His clothes, cap and shoes were drenched and his eyes were sleepy-looking and unfocused. Face quickly grabbed the Captain's arms and heaved him out of the tub, guiding him over to the bed and grabbing a couple of towels with him.
"Murdock, were you trying to boil yourself? You're not a lobster, you know." The Lieutenant tried to brighten up the situation, but the other man wasn't even listening to him.
He was staring at the wall and the Conman tried to gain his attention by snapping his fingers, whistling, waving his hand in front of his face, just to get him to look a bit more aware of his surroundings. After no reaction, Face started to remove the soaked clothes from the Pilot, being careful not to cause any more damage to his roasting skin.
Suddenly, he kicked into soldier-mode and went to find ice packs and cold towels to decrease Murdock's body temperature. He thought of sticking his friend under a cold shower this time, but the Pilot might be anxious to get back under the spray. Quickly, he grabbed anything that could be used to cool Murdock down from the freezer, and jogged back up the stairs to find the Captain gazing longingly at the roses by the windowsill. Peck started to press the freezing items down onto the bare Pilot's body, still bright red, and looked into his eyes.
They seemed distant, as if they were in another place or time, though they flickered with a sense of recognition and hurt. Luckily, he hadn't been sitting in the shower too long. Psychical pain first, emotional pain second, he reminded himself, as he rested a bag of peas on Murdock's neck.
That got a reaction.
Suddenly, as if being awoken from a trance, the Captain's eyes brightened slightly and he winced in pain where Face was holding the frozen items onto him. He swiveled his head around and looked up to the Conman, brown orbs meeting blue.
"She... she..." He stuttered.
"I know, buddy." The Lieutenant spoke. He kept on pressing the cold items on the Pilot, but due to his friends obvious displeasure, he stopped and sat down next to him on the bed. He passed over one of the ice packs to Murdock and the Pilot began to lightly dab it on his body.
"She never loved me, did she?" Asked the Captain sadly.
Face remained in quiet thought. He didn't know what to say. Did he agree with the Pilot or disagree? "She was crazy to do what she did; bad crazy." He told Murdock in a gentle, reassuring voice.
"But was she? I loved her. Am I not good enough for anyone?"
"Murdock, you're the nicest, funniest, most genuine guy I've ever known. Girls go so nuts over you sometimes, that I have to sing and dance just for them to notice me."
"Then why did she cheat on me?" The Pilot inquired.
"...I don't know why, Murdock. She was just a lousy girl; you don't need her to be happy." He assured, and suddenly, a light bulb went off in his head. "In fact, I've got an idea...
The Pilot was fully dressed and next to him, being buckled into the carriage. Face glanced at his friend; he was looking better, better than before, anyway. His smile was still a little small to be normal, but at least it was there. He hated seeing Murdock in the state like he was when he'd first found him. It scared him; what if he hadn't come home when he did, what would have happened to the Captain? He chose to forget the 'what if''s and focus on the future. Murdock would be all right, he knew it, but there would be plenty more hardships to come. He just had to role with the punches, bare it, and be there to comfort his friend.
They were climbing higher and higher, and Face felt his chest tighten. "Why did I agree to do this?" He muttered under his breath and the roller coaster stopped at the top of the track. He took one last look at Murdock and his heart sang; the Pilot was grinning like the madman he plummeted down the huge hill at lightening speed, Murdock's hysterical laughter like music to the screaming Peck's ears.
He was back, and Face couldn't have been happier.