Chapter 18: I Just Want You To Know Who I Am…
Author's Note: Put on an extremely romantic, squishy song. You'll thank me later…
I didn't like the feeling that was welling up in the pit of my stomach. It was guilt. Heavy and potent, laced with anguish. I didn't want to die; I didn't want Clu to die.
"Fine," I said dully, "I'll help you. Whatever you need me to do, I'll do. Just don't kill anyone."
"Splendid," said Calendrica, a leer on her face and a gleam in her eyes. She advanced towards Clu when a whining noise came from the wall. Sighing heavily, she walked briskly over to the wall and pressed the stone which would bring up the control panel. She hastily punched buttons and stared at the screen.
"Damn," she said, turning towards Clu and me.
"I have to go. Since I am the person in charge of this event, I'm expected to show up every now and then. I'm going on stage. I'll be back in a half hour. And don't try to leave darlings, because when I leave, I'm taking the only key with me. Seeing as how there's nowhere for you to go and nothing for you to do, I'll graciously release your bindings."
With those words she walked over to my chair and undid the locks. I rubbed my sore wrists, glaring at Calendrica as she ran out of the room, locking the door behind her.
I stood up, twisting myself around to regain the feeling in my arms and legs. I then walked over to the door and pulled on it.
"It's no use; the whole place is magically sealed shut."
I turned. In all my excitement and fear I had forgotten that Clu was still chained. I ran over to him, desperately tugging on the bindings. I looked up into Clu's eyes. Big mistake. His eyes were soft and cloudy blue and he was clearly wrecked emotionally. Without thinking, I reached my hand up to stroke at his face. He pulled away slightly and I realized that my gesture must be similar to Calendrica's. Or else he was repulsed by my touch.
"Clu…I…"
"Stop," he said, "Look, Fi, if we don't get out of this, I just want you to know one thing. I love you. I've always loved you. And a fight won't change that. I don't know what possessed me to act like such a royal fuck-up, but I'm sorry. I would never want to do anything that would damage our friendship. I love you too much for that to ever happen. I…I understand if you don't feel the same way about me, but if what you told Calendrica is true…well, then…I just had to say that in case the worst happens."
I felt a warm tear trickle down the side of my face. How could I have ever thought that my feelings for Clu were strictly platonic? I loved him. He's right up there with oxygen. Staring into his unresponsive eyes, I took a deep breath.
"Clu? I'm…I'm…I'm so sorry."
I felt my resolve slowly crumbling away as I continued.
"I didn't mean it. It was all a mistake. I love you, I'd never want to hurt you. Well, I guess it's too late for that, but…I'll never hurt you again. I promise."
Clu looked into my eyes and I looked back. Blue met brown in a swirl of emotion and honesty. Tearing myself away from his gaze I looked down at his shackles, and with strength that seemed to literally come out of nowhere I ripped at the bindings on his wrists, causing them to fly off across the room. Being unbalanced now, Clu fell into me. I gasped in surprise as he practically fainted in my arms. He had been through so much. It wasn't fair to ask him to be strong or brave. It just wasn't. Wanting to free him completely, I began furiously kicking at the bindings on his ankles with my heels. They broke easily and with Clu's full weight bearing down on me, we fell to the floor heavily. I felt no pain as Clu looked into my eyes, deep longing clouding his clear blue eyes.
"Can I...I mean…I've wanted…for so long…"
I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him close to me. Our lips met cautiously, then seemed to meld perfectly together as we shared our first mutual kiss. It seemed as if nothing else mattered. Our world was literally ending, and all we wanted to do was lose ourselves in each other and forget that all of our problems didn't exist. To feel that the simple act of being together was enough to overcome all of our problems.
Years of longing, years of waiting, ending in one simple, blissful moment.
Author's Note: Put on an extremely romantic, squishy song. You'll thank me later…
I didn't like the feeling that was welling up in the pit of my stomach. It was guilt. Heavy and potent, laced with anguish. I didn't want to die; I didn't want Clu to die.
"Fine," I said dully, "I'll help you. Whatever you need me to do, I'll do. Just don't kill anyone."
"Splendid," said Calendrica, a leer on her face and a gleam in her eyes. She advanced towards Clu when a whining noise came from the wall. Sighing heavily, she walked briskly over to the wall and pressed the stone which would bring up the control panel. She hastily punched buttons and stared at the screen.
"Damn," she said, turning towards Clu and me.
"I have to go. Since I am the person in charge of this event, I'm expected to show up every now and then. I'm going on stage. I'll be back in a half hour. And don't try to leave darlings, because when I leave, I'm taking the only key with me. Seeing as how there's nowhere for you to go and nothing for you to do, I'll graciously release your bindings."
With those words she walked over to my chair and undid the locks. I rubbed my sore wrists, glaring at Calendrica as she ran out of the room, locking the door behind her.
I stood up, twisting myself around to regain the feeling in my arms and legs. I then walked over to the door and pulled on it.
"It's no use; the whole place is magically sealed shut."
I turned. In all my excitement and fear I had forgotten that Clu was still chained. I ran over to him, desperately tugging on the bindings. I looked up into Clu's eyes. Big mistake. His eyes were soft and cloudy blue and he was clearly wrecked emotionally. Without thinking, I reached my hand up to stroke at his face. He pulled away slightly and I realized that my gesture must be similar to Calendrica's. Or else he was repulsed by my touch.
"Clu…I…"
"Stop," he said, "Look, Fi, if we don't get out of this, I just want you to know one thing. I love you. I've always loved you. And a fight won't change that. I don't know what possessed me to act like such a royal fuck-up, but I'm sorry. I would never want to do anything that would damage our friendship. I love you too much for that to ever happen. I…I understand if you don't feel the same way about me, but if what you told Calendrica is true…well, then…I just had to say that in case the worst happens."
I felt a warm tear trickle down the side of my face. How could I have ever thought that my feelings for Clu were strictly platonic? I loved him. He's right up there with oxygen. Staring into his unresponsive eyes, I took a deep breath.
"Clu? I'm…I'm…I'm so sorry."
I felt my resolve slowly crumbling away as I continued.
"I didn't mean it. It was all a mistake. I love you, I'd never want to hurt you. Well, I guess it's too late for that, but…I'll never hurt you again. I promise."
Clu looked into my eyes and I looked back. Blue met brown in a swirl of emotion and honesty. Tearing myself away from his gaze I looked down at his shackles, and with strength that seemed to literally come out of nowhere I ripped at the bindings on his wrists, causing them to fly off across the room. Being unbalanced now, Clu fell into me. I gasped in surprise as he practically fainted in my arms. He had been through so much. It wasn't fair to ask him to be strong or brave. It just wasn't. Wanting to free him completely, I began furiously kicking at the bindings on his ankles with my heels. They broke easily and with Clu's full weight bearing down on me, we fell to the floor heavily. I felt no pain as Clu looked into my eyes, deep longing clouding his clear blue eyes.
"Can I...I mean…I've wanted…for so long…"
I wrapped my arms around him, pulling him close to me. Our lips met cautiously, then seemed to meld perfectly together as we shared our first mutual kiss. It seemed as if nothing else mattered. Our world was literally ending, and all we wanted to do was lose ourselves in each other and forget that all of our problems didn't exist. To feel that the simple act of being together was enough to overcome all of our problems.
Years of longing, years of waiting, ending in one simple, blissful moment.
