Well, here's the next part. Hope you all like it! I kind of like it, keeping in mind that I'm trying to drag this fic out as long as possible. PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE REVIEW! That's the inspiration that I need!
Hesitating
I froze, immediately knowing that it was Vaughn at the door.
Of course it was Vaughn- risking security, risking everything to come to my home. He was being his normal, sensitive, concerned, and adorable self.
I didn't know what to do. I momentarily considered not answering- waiting until I could organize my thoughts and get my emotions back under some semblance of control.
But he was smarter than that. He knew I was here. He had talked to me not half an hour ago. That thought gave me pause, as I realized he must have driven about 80 miles an hour to get here in just thirty minutes. That was so like him. So Vaughn.
I rose from the couch. The butterflies in my stomach were suddenly back, with a vengeance.
In a surreal moment as I headed to my front door, I realized that the next few minutes could very well determine the rest of my life. It was a strange feeling.
I opened the door, not at all surprised to see Vaughn standing there. I was surprised, though, to see him dressed in a pair of loose black track pants and a plain white t-shirt.
Casual Vaughn was definitely not hard on the eyes.
I shook that thought away, though, as I noticed the pronounced wrinkles on his forehead. He was worried about something, though I had yet to find out what.
"Hey," I said, already feeling my cheeks begin to burn. My eyes darted away from his face, focusing on an invisible spot on the wall behind him.
"Hey," he replied softly. He stood silently before me, his eyes boring into me with the same intensity with which he had been thinking at the warehouse several nights ago. "Can I come in?" He asked finally. I glanced up at him, still avoiding his eyes. I laughed nervously.
"Sorry." I stepped away from the door, allowing him to step into my living room.
"This is a record," he said, his eyes inspecting the room once again.
"What?" I asked, confused.
"I've been to your house twice in the same week. That's more than I've been here the entire time I've known you." He chuckled as he turned to face me. The intensity in his gaze was still there, but his face was now strangely relaxed, considering the situation.
I found myself becoming almost jealous of his ability to keep his cool, when I felt like my heart and brain might explode at any minute.
"So, what are you doing here, Vaughn?" I asked, my words coming out more harshly than I had intended. He smiled.
"It's Michael, Sydney," he said softly. "And I think you know why I'm here." I bit my lip at his words and sighed.
"Yeah," I said, not knowing where to start.
Should I lie, buy myself some more time? Or should I just come right out with it, and put my feelings out in the open once and for all?
I had never been so terrified in my life.
He sensed my hesitation, and stepped over to stand in front of me.
"Sydney, it's OK. Whatever you need to say, you can tell me." I smiled up at him, touched by his words. But I knew what I had to say.
"It doesn't matter, Michael." I pretended to laugh, looking down at my feet. "It was just a stupid slip of the tongue."
There. I had said it. Not what I wanted to say so badly, but what was necessary until I was out of SD-6 and free to tell him whatever the Hell I felt like. I sighed deeply, surprised at the sadness that was already beginning to grow in my heart. This was all it could be for us right now. We were lucky to be standing in the same room together.
I saw his head fall from the corner of my eye, saw him turning away from me and walking over to the window. He didn't speak for several minutes, and I began to feel uncomfortable. I was about to say something when I heard his voice, low and sad at the window.
"I don't like it when you lie to me." He said, so softly that I could barely hear him.
"What?" I asked, taken aback by his words.
"I don't like it when you lie to me, Sydney," he repeated, turning to look at me. I was struck by the amount of sadness I saw in his eyes. I had hurt him.
"I don't know what you're talking about," I said, unable to look at him. I sensed, rather than saw him begin to walk back towards me.
"You do, Syd. You know exactly what I'm talking about." He stopped, a foot in front of me, eyes boring into my soul. "I work with you every day. I can see when you're happy. I can see when you're dying inside. And I can see when you're lying. Your eyes give you away, Sydney."
"I'm not-" I started, fighting his words for a reason I no longer remembered.
"You are," he said sharply, anticipating my words. "I know you, Sydney," he whispered, stressing the words. "I know you better than I've known anyone else in my life. Please. Tell me the truth. I need to know the truth."
I remained silent for several minutes, my mind still in conflict with my heart.
"What did you say on the phone?" He asked, this time with a hint of nervousness.
"I said that I loved you," I replied finally, in a whisper. I fixed my eyes on the floor.
"And did you mean it?" He asked, his voice catching slightly. I paused a moment, before realizing as I had several nights before, that we could get through anything if we were together. I took the plunge.
I nodded slightly, my voice barely perceptible. "Yes. I meant it." I continued now, slightly more confident, but my eyes still glued to the floor. "I just... wasn't ready. I didn't want to say it over the phone. And there are just too many-" I hesitated. "Issues. With everything." I shook my head. "I don't even know if you-"
I stopped talking as he moved closer to me, unbearably close, and grabbed my hand tightly in his. I risked a look up, surprised to see his eyes closed, and slightly damp. They opened as he sensed me looking at him, and he smiled.
"I do, Sydney." He said, his eyes glistening, completely serious. "Don't ever doubt that." I sighed at his words, feeling like a ton of bricks had been lifted from my shoulders. He felt the same way towards me.
I knew, though, that there were still problems that we needed to work out. My thoughts obviously showed in my eyes, and he nodded, understanding.
"I know." He said, still grasping my hand in his. "Tonight isn't the night." He hesitated, before looking directly into my eyes. "Can I call you tomorrow?" He asked softly, and my heart broke at the nervousness in his words.
"Yes, please," I said. I frowned at how dumb the words sounded, and he laughed. He grabbed my other hand as he spoke.
"I'll set something up. We can talk."
"No-" I interrupted. He paused, and I felt bad for the flash of fear I saw in his face. "Let me set something up." He looked relieved, and I grinned, already feeling at ease with him. "I owe you," I continued.
"No, you don't." He said softly. "But I'll go along with it anyways." He chuckled, but his face quickly fell. "I should probably go," he said, the sadness in his eyes unbearable. I nodded, unable to agree with him verbally. He brought my hand to his mouth, brushing his lips lightly over my knuckles, before slowly releasing my hand. I shivered, as my stomach dropped to my feet.
"I'll see you tomorrow?" I asked, not even embarrassed that my voice sounded almost desperate.
"Definitely," he replied, his eyes locking with mine as he stood by my front door.
"Bye, Sydney," he said softly, his brilliant smile sending a slight chill down my spine.
"Goodbye, Michael," I said, returning his smile full force.
He left without another word, his eyes never leaving mine until the door shut between us.
Well, I hope you guys liked this. I know I'm kind of dragging it out, but that's half the fun, right? Plus, I'm having a lot of fun writing it! Please REVIEW! At least once, ten times if you're feeling especially gracious. I'll update as soon as possible!
Also, I was rereading what I had written before, and gosh, I apologize for all the typos. I have one more final, and then I'm done with school FOREVER. I promise that I'll go back and fix all the goofy mistakes then!
Hesitating
I froze, immediately knowing that it was Vaughn at the door.
Of course it was Vaughn- risking security, risking everything to come to my home. He was being his normal, sensitive, concerned, and adorable self.
I didn't know what to do. I momentarily considered not answering- waiting until I could organize my thoughts and get my emotions back under some semblance of control.
But he was smarter than that. He knew I was here. He had talked to me not half an hour ago. That thought gave me pause, as I realized he must have driven about 80 miles an hour to get here in just thirty minutes. That was so like him. So Vaughn.
I rose from the couch. The butterflies in my stomach were suddenly back, with a vengeance.
In a surreal moment as I headed to my front door, I realized that the next few minutes could very well determine the rest of my life. It was a strange feeling.
I opened the door, not at all surprised to see Vaughn standing there. I was surprised, though, to see him dressed in a pair of loose black track pants and a plain white t-shirt.
Casual Vaughn was definitely not hard on the eyes.
I shook that thought away, though, as I noticed the pronounced wrinkles on his forehead. He was worried about something, though I had yet to find out what.
"Hey," I said, already feeling my cheeks begin to burn. My eyes darted away from his face, focusing on an invisible spot on the wall behind him.
"Hey," he replied softly. He stood silently before me, his eyes boring into me with the same intensity with which he had been thinking at the warehouse several nights ago. "Can I come in?" He asked finally. I glanced up at him, still avoiding his eyes. I laughed nervously.
"Sorry." I stepped away from the door, allowing him to step into my living room.
"This is a record," he said, his eyes inspecting the room once again.
"What?" I asked, confused.
"I've been to your house twice in the same week. That's more than I've been here the entire time I've known you." He chuckled as he turned to face me. The intensity in his gaze was still there, but his face was now strangely relaxed, considering the situation.
I found myself becoming almost jealous of his ability to keep his cool, when I felt like my heart and brain might explode at any minute.
"So, what are you doing here, Vaughn?" I asked, my words coming out more harshly than I had intended. He smiled.
"It's Michael, Sydney," he said softly. "And I think you know why I'm here." I bit my lip at his words and sighed.
"Yeah," I said, not knowing where to start.
Should I lie, buy myself some more time? Or should I just come right out with it, and put my feelings out in the open once and for all?
I had never been so terrified in my life.
He sensed my hesitation, and stepped over to stand in front of me.
"Sydney, it's OK. Whatever you need to say, you can tell me." I smiled up at him, touched by his words. But I knew what I had to say.
"It doesn't matter, Michael." I pretended to laugh, looking down at my feet. "It was just a stupid slip of the tongue."
There. I had said it. Not what I wanted to say so badly, but what was necessary until I was out of SD-6 and free to tell him whatever the Hell I felt like. I sighed deeply, surprised at the sadness that was already beginning to grow in my heart. This was all it could be for us right now. We were lucky to be standing in the same room together.
I saw his head fall from the corner of my eye, saw him turning away from me and walking over to the window. He didn't speak for several minutes, and I began to feel uncomfortable. I was about to say something when I heard his voice, low and sad at the window.
"I don't like it when you lie to me." He said, so softly that I could barely hear him.
"What?" I asked, taken aback by his words.
"I don't like it when you lie to me, Sydney," he repeated, turning to look at me. I was struck by the amount of sadness I saw in his eyes. I had hurt him.
"I don't know what you're talking about," I said, unable to look at him. I sensed, rather than saw him begin to walk back towards me.
"You do, Syd. You know exactly what I'm talking about." He stopped, a foot in front of me, eyes boring into my soul. "I work with you every day. I can see when you're happy. I can see when you're dying inside. And I can see when you're lying. Your eyes give you away, Sydney."
"I'm not-" I started, fighting his words for a reason I no longer remembered.
"You are," he said sharply, anticipating my words. "I know you, Sydney," he whispered, stressing the words. "I know you better than I've known anyone else in my life. Please. Tell me the truth. I need to know the truth."
I remained silent for several minutes, my mind still in conflict with my heart.
"What did you say on the phone?" He asked, this time with a hint of nervousness.
"I said that I loved you," I replied finally, in a whisper. I fixed my eyes on the floor.
"And did you mean it?" He asked, his voice catching slightly. I paused a moment, before realizing as I had several nights before, that we could get through anything if we were together. I took the plunge.
I nodded slightly, my voice barely perceptible. "Yes. I meant it." I continued now, slightly more confident, but my eyes still glued to the floor. "I just... wasn't ready. I didn't want to say it over the phone. And there are just too many-" I hesitated. "Issues. With everything." I shook my head. "I don't even know if you-"
I stopped talking as he moved closer to me, unbearably close, and grabbed my hand tightly in his. I risked a look up, surprised to see his eyes closed, and slightly damp. They opened as he sensed me looking at him, and he smiled.
"I do, Sydney." He said, his eyes glistening, completely serious. "Don't ever doubt that." I sighed at his words, feeling like a ton of bricks had been lifted from my shoulders. He felt the same way towards me.
I knew, though, that there were still problems that we needed to work out. My thoughts obviously showed in my eyes, and he nodded, understanding.
"I know." He said, still grasping my hand in his. "Tonight isn't the night." He hesitated, before looking directly into my eyes. "Can I call you tomorrow?" He asked softly, and my heart broke at the nervousness in his words.
"Yes, please," I said. I frowned at how dumb the words sounded, and he laughed. He grabbed my other hand as he spoke.
"I'll set something up. We can talk."
"No-" I interrupted. He paused, and I felt bad for the flash of fear I saw in his face. "Let me set something up." He looked relieved, and I grinned, already feeling at ease with him. "I owe you," I continued.
"No, you don't." He said softly. "But I'll go along with it anyways." He chuckled, but his face quickly fell. "I should probably go," he said, the sadness in his eyes unbearable. I nodded, unable to agree with him verbally. He brought my hand to his mouth, brushing his lips lightly over my knuckles, before slowly releasing my hand. I shivered, as my stomach dropped to my feet.
"I'll see you tomorrow?" I asked, not even embarrassed that my voice sounded almost desperate.
"Definitely," he replied, his eyes locking with mine as he stood by my front door.
"Bye, Sydney," he said softly, his brilliant smile sending a slight chill down my spine.
"Goodbye, Michael," I said, returning his smile full force.
He left without another word, his eyes never leaving mine until the door shut between us.
Well, I hope you guys liked this. I know I'm kind of dragging it out, but that's half the fun, right? Plus, I'm having a lot of fun writing it! Please REVIEW! At least once, ten times if you're feeling especially gracious. I'll update as soon as possible!
Also, I was rereading what I had written before, and gosh, I apologize for all the typos. I have one more final, and then I'm done with school FOREVER. I promise that I'll go back and fix all the goofy mistakes then!