This is my attempt at making up for the crazy long wait between the last two chapters. This chapter is, hopefully, much more fun (perhaps insightful as well), and gives a deeper look in to Eric's life that we never really got from the show. All of these details were the product of much chatting between Nalana and myself, and I promise, Eric's "world" will be included, in depth, in the future.
Also, this chapter isn't as long as they have been in the past, but I wanted this to be a stand-alone chapter in that the focus be entirely on this one scene and nothing else. This chapter is very special to me in that it has a lot of personal meanings that I added for authenticities sake. And the next chapter brings more of the drama, so yay! In fact, the next chapter is pretty much finished, and is already at 11 pages, so hopefully it will make up for this chapter being shorter. Let me know what you think, and don't hesitate to ask any questions!
As always, a million thanks and HUGS to Nalana for the many late night chats and rants and gushing (Me: KISH – You: Hockey hehe) you are the BEST ever and are far too good to me!
Evelyn
PS: Check out the story Life Unexpectedly, Interrupted by AddaSalvatore, it is an awesome new story, with a really unique premise, that as of right now is a one-shot, but I am HOPING will become a chaptered story if persuaded properly, lol!
[O][O][O][O]
"Explain to me again why we are climbing up the fire escape of an abandoned building in the middle of February." Eric asked as they reached the third landing, continuing their ascent to the top.
"Haven't you ever seen pretty woman?"
"Well, you my dear, are no hooker with a heart of gold."
"And you, sir, are no Richard Gere." Without being able to see her face, Eric could hear her smile, he could imagine the way the corner of her mouth would curl up as she tried to remain indifferent in tone. "No seriously, you took me ice skating not to mention you surrendered your kitchen to me, only to have me freak out on you. So I wanted to do something for you that I am hoping you will like."
After all of the intense emotions that had been shed the week before, after her admission to her screwed up past, Lux needed to lighten the mood between her and Eric. After she had admitted to the dark-seeded past she had tried to put behind her, Lux feared that it would all prove to be too much in the end and Eric would leave her. But so far he hadn't. He had remained by her side when she told Tasha about the cutting and the abuse, held her up when she felt like she was falling, and he assured her that everything would be ok when Tasha left without saying a word when Lux had finished. Watching the pain in Tasha's eyes as she shook her head in disbelief before walking out of the apartment was one of the toughest things Lux had ever done.
That is not what tonight is about, though. She had promised herself that she wouldn't dwell on the fact that Tasha hadn't returned any of her phone calls since that day. She was going to take one night to enjoy herself with Eric, and to pretend like nothing else was wrong.
She was determined to make this work.
Lux had showed up at Eric's apartment an hour before, and once she made sure he was free for the night, Lux had told him to put on something warm while she grabbed a few provisions, handing him the duffle bag she packed on their way out the door. Directing him to their destination, Eric was confused when they managed to drift in to one of the more rough parts of town before coming to a stop at the end of a long neglected back alleyway.
"I feel like I am in a bad production of Rent or something."
Stepping on to the final platform, four stories up, Lux fidgeted. She was really nervous.
Eric felt there was a deeper meaning, and he really didn't want to disappoint her with his lack of reaction, but as he looked around the decaying building with the severely weathered brick that looked to barely be holding the structure upright; he simply couldn't piece the puzzle together.
Laughing when she noticed his confusion, Lux replied softly. "Turn around."
Holding her gaze for a moment, Eric slowly turned on his heels as he took in the sight before him. On the other side of the tall privacy fence that had blocked their view from the alley, was one of those old drive-in theaters with the 60s style speakers for each car, the kind you only saw in reruns of Happy Days or something. Complete with a large white screen that seemed to stand as tall as the building in which they stood. Though the movie played diligently on the screen, you could still see through the image to where the white wood it was projected on was cracked from the weather; from years of neglect.
It was quite possibly the most amazing things he had ever seen.
"It's the only one in Portland, and only one of the few left in all of Oregon. It had been abandoned for years until some local guy, with money to spare, took it on as a pet project and started showing old movies every Friday night." Lux stated as she leaned over the railing, looking back to him out of the corner of his eyes, trying to judge his reaction.
"This is amazing! How did you ever find it?" If Eric knew how to stop himself from smiling like a fool, now would be the best time to implement that knowledge.
"Tash and I ended up in the same foster home for a little over a year once, not too far from here. Anyways, we couldn't afford admission, plus we didn't have a car to even get in with so we would come up here every Friday night…of course, you can't hear what they are saying, but we would make up our own story. I hadn't actually thought about this place in years, but I remembered it when I thought about what you might like. I know its kind of cliché, and for all I know, you might not even like old movies…or drive-ins for that matter…" Lux trailed off as she suddenly started doubting her reasons for bringing him here. Why did she just assume that he would like this? Just because he was an English teacher didn't mean he was automatically programed to love the classics and fawn over drive-ins.
"Lux, stop…just hold on ok." Eric laughed as he waved his hand in front of her face, forcing her out of her thoughts. "I love it! Really…ok! This is beyond great." Searching her eyes, he waited until the uncertainty faded before he pulled her against his chest.
Lux shook her head, eyes beaming as she reached up and gave him a quick kiss. "I'm really not sure what's playing, though. They never advertise, you just show up and hope you like what's on."
Eric knew, however, what movie it was.
Eric knew the second he looked at the screen, without seeing any of the actors; the title long since revealed…he knew what movie it was by the way it played on his senses and pulled him back to his childhood.
Laughing to himself, Eric pulled the duffle bag from around his shoulder, digging out one of the blankets Lux had packed. Laying it out on the metal floor of the fire escape, he helped Lux sit down before following suit.
"Jane Eyre."
"Huh?" Lux asked as she leaned forward, wrapping her arms around the rusty bar that held up the railing; her legs dangling over the edge.
"The movie that's playing, it's called Jane Eyre."
"How did you know that so quickly?"
"It's probably my mom's favorite film of all time. Being the first born, I got stuck watching it with her way more then my younger brother and sister. But I think in the end, it's what brought me to teaching, so I can't fault her too much."
"I didn't know you had a younger sister. You mentioned your brother once, but not your sister. It's weird because I feel like you know literally everything there is to know about me, every horrid detail, but I don't really know anything about you." Nudging him in his side, she waited to see if he would open up.
Maybe he didn't want to talk about his family. Maybe he didn't want her to know…
Eric shrugged, his eyes never moving from the screen that brought memories hurtling from his past. "It's no big deal, really. Pretty boring if you think about it; mom was a housewife taking care of us kids, dad was a lawyer, not really around much, but he still managed to be present in our lives for the most part."
"What's their names?" Lux asked, leaning her cheek against the railing, focusing all her attention on Eric. "You're brother and sister…what's their names?"
"Clark and Kylah. Clark is 19, a freshman at UofM and Kylah is 15; she just started her freshman year of high school. It's crazy how quickly time seems to go by when you leave." Tugging at the corner of his mouth, Lux noticed the way his mood shifted instantly.
Not pressing the issue any further, the air settled comfortably between them as they both watched the silent movie. Eric pulled Lux to his side, her head resting on his shoulder as she took in the movie. If Tasha had been here, they would have already had an entire backstory built up around the poor girl who seemed lost at all times.
Tasha would probably suggest her parents had sold her off to fund her father's drinking habit and her mother's crazy doll collection and they would be giggling uncontrollably as they watched the people in the various cars below them.
But it was different being here with Eric. She found herself looking deeper in to the movie to figure out what was going on instead of simply joking around because it was their only chance to have a little fun.
That old life; her old life, seemed to be fading…or melding with her new life.
Without even knowing what was going on, Lux found herself very emotional watching the young girl struggle through life. She felt a kinship with the girl that she couldn't shake. "Is she at some kind of boarding school or something?"
"Sort of. It's a school for girls to teach them how to be proper young women when they get older. Subscribes very much to the woman's place theory of in the kitchen, teaching a class, or rearing children."
Though she tried to hide it, Eric noticed Lux's lips shivering as she took a ragged breathe. Pulling her up with him, Eric positioned the blanket against the wall and pulled another blanket out of the duffle bag. Sitting back down, he wrapped the blanket around himself and held it open for her. Curling up beside him, Lux burrowed as deep in to him as possible.
Leaning back against the frosty building, they let their combined body heat envelope them as they watched the movie. Eric's legs lay out in front of them, crossed at the ankles; Lux's legs were curled up under the blanket.
"At the risk of sounding like I'm 80, there really is something to be said for these old black and white movies. The lack of color and distractions really makes you focus on the actor's facial expressions and their movements. Makes you see their emotions more clearly."
"Yea, but the guy does get a little dramatic at times, though, I mean come on." Lux laughed as she motioned towards the screen.
Eric laughed at her quick, unbiased assessment of the iconic film legend.
"Orson Welles was known for being dramatic, that's for sure. I guess at times he gets a little touch of the soap acting going on. Though my mom would kill me for ever saying that about him."
"Hey, don't knock soap acting. It's good in its own right."
"I never pegged you for watching soaps." Eric asked incredulously as he sat forward, looking down to Lux, surprised.
"Cate got me in to watching this one soap whenever I was home sick, so now she records in on the DVR every day and we usually spend one night catching up. It's not something I would freely admit to the public but they are actually really addicting."
"My mom used to watch soaps when I was little. I remember her crying when a couple got married; apparently it was a pretty big deal at the time."
"Cate cries often, even yells at the TV."
"Oh and I bet you've never cried once while watching the show?" Eric accused playfully as he nudged her side, causing her to jump slightly.
"Ok, fine. I cried once, but it was totally justified." Lux declared as she held her hands out, as if to prove her point.
"I'm sure it was."
"Totally." Lux exclaimed as she pushed away from Eric to sit up; facing him, she started explaining, her hands flailing for dramatic affect. "There was this one couple, who were like perfect, but Cate found out through some PR junk through the station that the show fired the actors because the viewers complained because the couple they played was gay and they couldn't handle it. Completely ridiculous! So yea, I might have cried on their last day. But that was the only time."
"You never cease to amaze me." Eric smiled softly as Lux triumphantly returned the grin.
"Ok, so what's going on in the movie now?" Resting her head on his shoulder, Lux settled back in.
"Jane is older now and has been hired to basically be a nanny for this little girl. The girls father, Mr. Rochester, the guy you said overacts, is never around but once he meets Jane, he finds himself unable to stay away from her." As he neared the end of his brief summary, Eric's voice was barely above a whisper. "Even though every nerve in his body, and every voice in his head, tells him to run away, he can't help but keep going back to her."
The parallels between the two couples would have been laughable if they weren't so hideously ironic.
Lux didn't speak as she fell deeper in to the movie. Eric could almost feel himself being pulled back in time, hearing the words as if they played right by his ear.
The words poured out from his lips as if out of control.
I sometimes have a queer feeling with regard to you-especially when you are near me, as now: it is as if I had a string somewhere under my left ribs, tightly and inextricably knotted to a similar string situated in the corresponding quarter of your little frame. And if that boisterous channel, and two hundred miles or so of land come broad between us, I am afraid that cord of communion will be snapt; and then I've a nervous notion I should take to bleeding inwardly. As for you-you'd forget me.
Lux didn't look up, didn't speak as she let the words sink in.
Of course she understood the deeper meaning behind the words he spoke. The words were so alarmingly intimate, so achingly raw; Lux could feel the wetness creeping in to the corner of her eyes…
"So I bet your mom was happy when you decided to teach English, huh?" Lux sniffled as she tightened her grip around his waist, pulling her closer to him.
Deflection. Lux often shrunk away when emotions and feelings entered in to the mix.
"She was pleased, sure, but she honestly would have been fine with me becoming a bus driver if it made me happy. As sickeningly sweet as that sounds. We don't have to talk about my family, though. Have you been keeping up with the movie? Mr. Rochester and Jane were going to get married but she found out that he already had a wife, she had gone insane and lived in what amounted to be their attic, and then Jane left him." Now who was deflecting?
It was like he was taking a page right out of her book. But he couldn't help it, it felt…wrong…talking about his family with Lux. By all accounts, he had the typical Norman Rockwell childhood, and knowing what Lux had gone through, and was still going through; it made him feel like every happy memory he shared was a slap in the face to her.
"I've gathered that much." Lux said as she sat up and turned to Eric, her face scrunching up as she looked him over, her eyes narrowing. "You're dodging…why can't we talk about your family? It's not like they could even compare to mine in the "freak show" category."
"First of all, you were dodging first. Secondly, my family is just not that interesting; in fact they are pretty boring."
Lux's glare sharpened before she shrugged it off. "Whatever, but this conversation is not over. Not by a long shot."
As the movie came to an end nothing else was said between the two as they lost themselves in the final act. Lux was surprised at how completely she could feel the emotions from the film, having no idea what was being said. Her heart beat wildly in her chest when the finale scene came to its climax before the screen went black.
As the credits began to play, Lux and Eric remained still. Curled in to each other beneath the thin blanket that fought to keep them warm; watching the cars file, one by one, out of the over-grown parking lot.
When Lux made to stand up, Eric held her tight. "We probably should get going. It might be kind of hard to explain how I got frostbite on my nose because I can barely feel it." Lux sputtered as she searched Eric's eyes, fully aware for the first time, that they were completely alone, complete exposed; vulnerable.
Before she could speak any further, Eric brushed his lips over hers. Lips freezing from the bitter air, warmed instantly under the languid, yet determined movements. Paying close attention, Eric softly nipped on her bottom lip as she rewarded him with a low groan. One of his favorite responses from her.
Pulling away slightly; his forehead resting against hers, their lips barely separated as he spoke.
May you never feel what I then felt? May your eyes never shed such stormy, scalding, heart-wrung tears as poured from mine. May you never appeal to Heaven in prayers so hopeless and so agonized as in that hour left my lips; for never may you, like me, dread to be the instrument of evil to what you wholly love.
[O][O][O][O]
A/N Ok, so I am a huge fan of Jane Eyre, and the movie they watched in this chapter was the 1943 version with Joan Fontaine, Orson Welles, Agnes Moorehead, and a very young Elizabeth Taylor. It is one of my all-time favorite movies and I recommend it completely if you have never seen it. Remember, nothing is an accident in this story. Always keep that in mind.
Bonus points to anyone who got the soap references I slipped in! There were two references, can anyone name them?
