Acquainted With The Night
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Disclaimer: Don't own, don't sue.
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A/N: This is an artsy little diddy that was used to break writer's block. It's so fun to write in this style, but,
unfortunately, it's not a very practical way to write. Also, there is a poem dripped throughout the fic. It's meant for symbolic and implication purposes. It's just not thrown in there randomly. Promise. Lastly, THIS FIC TAKES PLACE YEARS IN THE FUTURE! Sorry that's in caps, but it's important, b/c you might be confused otherwise.
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{I have been acquainted with the night
I have walked out in the rain-- and back in rain
I have outwalked the farthest city light}

"Travis?"

"Yes, Lily?"

"Are you in love with Audrey?"

"Mmm. . ."

"Does that mean that you are?"

"I don't know what it means, Lily."

"You don't seem to know what you're talking about, Travis. What are you talking about?"

Water fell on the roof above their heads. It was like bullets on a tin roof. They will be stuck at the library for a long time.

A page turns in front of Travis' face. He reads a while before managing a look over the rim of his book. His eyes rest on Lily, who is staring at him inquiringly.

He shakes his head. "I don't know a lot of things, Lily."

"You used to, Travis. You used to know many things. Many, many things."

"I did, didn't I? Or maybe I thought I did. . . yes, that's it. I thought I knew many things."

A page turns.

"I know nothing now. Nothing is clear, Lily."

Lily is staring at him with some kind of expression that Travis cannot put his finger on. Something is alight in her eyes; beautiful, haunting, and moving. Something stirs in his throat.

Travis swallows. He turns another page. He is now on a new chapter.

There is a long pause. There would be only the haunting sound of silence except for the pounding rain.

They will be a here a very long time. Or maybe they will leave soon. Maybe-- that is a foreign word. Everything is so clear now. Yet things are so completely foggy and complicated.

{I have looked down the saddest city lane
I have passed by the watchman on his beat
And dropped my eyes, unwilling to explain}

"Travis?"

"Yes, Lily?"

"Audrey says she loves you. . . she wants to marry you."

When Lily says this, a shiver escapes Travis' body and makes itself evident. It is like an electric current because
Travis can see Lily shiver almost immediately after him.

A copper wire runs between them. Travis knows this because he has seen it when neither of them is seeking it. It blurs on the side of their vision so that each one thinks that they are crazy. It hurts to see it because it then becomes so clear. Everything is so clear.

Travis shakes his head; his brain is so foggy and his thoughts are so uncollected.

"Lily?"

"Yes, Travis?"

"Do you think I should marry Audrey?"

There is a long pause before: "No. No, Travis, I do not think you should marry Audrey."

{I have stood still and stopped the sound of feet
When far away an interrupted cry
Came over houses from another street}

Travis could flip his page but he doesn't. Instead, he stares at the same sentence over and over again. He did not expect that answer from Lily. Lily is not blunt. She does not usually look at him this way. Sometimes she does, but it is done furtively and in glimpses when she think he can't see her. But he does. And Travis glimpses at Lily before pretending that he does not. He pretends that Lily does not notice. But she does.

"Lily?"

"Yes, Travis?"

"Why shouldn't I marry Audrey?"

She sits there for a long while, pulling on a strand of hair before cocking her head to the side. Then something flickers on her face that Travis has never seen before. Lily's face conveys an emotion that contains an element of exposure, of assurance, of. . . knowing. Travis becomes unnerved by her expression. And by his reaction to her stare. There becomes an almost primal instinct within his being to learn over the divide between them and press his lips to hers. He wanted to feel her warmth again, like he had before.

But Travis doesn't do this. Instead, he restates his question.

"Lily, why shouldn't I marry Audrey?"

"You know some things, Travis."

"Yes. . . perhaps. Some."

"I know some things too, Travis."

"Yes, Lily. . . you know many things. Many more things than me."

Lily shakes her head and a thin, cynical grin spreads across her face. Then, with eyes heavy and beautiful, she leans herself closer to Travis.

"Travis?"

"Yes, Lily?"

"You don't love Audrey."

Travis grits his teeth. Things are becoming clear again. His eyes are boring into the page he is reading so that he can unfocus on the pain. The unbearable pain of clarity.

"But I do love Audrey, Lily."

"No you don't." A brief pause. "You used to, Travis. You used to love her very much."

A thin sigh escapes Travis' lips before he looks back up Lily. She is staring at him intensely now.

"I used to know many things, Lily."

"You did, Travis. You still do," The lights in the room catches the odd highlights of her hair as she nods,
"You forget them though, Travis. You forget very easily. You forget very clear things."

Her warmth radiates off him as she walks over to him and peers at the book that he is reading. Travis wishes he could touch her, but he does not. Instead, he grips his book harder so that his fingers become so white they are almost transparent. Almost completely clear.

"Travis?"

"Yes, Lily?

"Don't you know that everything I am and know comes from you?" She pauses at the brief stunned
silence before speaking again, "You know many things, Travis Strong. If nothing else, you know the
night. You know we've both been aquatinted with the night."

Travis stares hard at his book, trying hard not to think. He tries to empty his mind. But, he can not. All he can focus on is the odd brush of Lily's hair on his neck, the way her lips are grazing the tips of his ears as she peers over his shoulder, the way her breath tickles his cheeks and eyelashes when she asks him another question.

"Travis?"

He is silent now. Travis is afraid that if he opens his mouth all will be ruined. Everything will become clear. Lily asks him a question anyway.

"Travis, do you even believe in fate anymore?"

"I don't know, Lily. Yes. Maybe. " He closes his eyes, trying to refocus himself. However, Travis cannot do anything but listen to Lily breathing.

"Lily?"

"Yes, Travis?"

"Ask me another question. Something that I know. Please."

Her lips are so close to his ear right now Travis wonders if Lily's intent is to drive him slowly insane.

Breathing slowly, she asks, "Travis?"

"Yes, Lily?"

"Why are you reading that line over and over again?"

She points to a line that states: We love the things we love for what they are

Travis feels his gut slowly arise in his throat. He slowly turns towards Lily so that their faces are so close that one could count the number of eyelashes each one had.

Travis examines Lily's face, his eyes brushing over her features slowly. He knows that she is physically beautiful; he knows he would be either idiotic or blind not to think so. But, Travis understands the depths of her eyes so well that he shivers.

Lily shivers too.

Her lips barely part. . .

"Trav. . ."

Before Lily can say anything, Travis has covered his mouth in hers. Her warmth sweeps through him like a
nauseating blend of melancholy and bitter-sweetness. They both sparkle in an alarming amount of clarity.

But, for once, Travis does not care. All he ponders is Lily's warmth, her overwhelming understanding. An
understanding that surpasses no one.

Especially Audrey.

They break apart at last, Lily looking very breathless. Her eyes flutter open after a few seconds and a nonchalant glance tells Travis what he wanted to understand.

"Lily?"

"Yes, Travis?"

"Why do we hate clarity?"

"You know why, Travis."

"Yes. Yes, I suppose I do."

"You forgot again. We will always forget. . ." Lily sighs.

{But not to call me back or say good-by;
And further still at an unearthly height,
One luminary clock against the sky}

Travis nods weakly before biting his lip. Glancing up at Lily again, Travis sighs too.

He wouldn't marry Audrey. But, he wouldn't kiss Lily again for a long time. He would not kiss her again until his mind couldn't stand the loss of clarity any more.

Lily would not kiss him either. They would sit and look and laugh before they came back to the library and faced the pain.

The pain of clarity.

Clarity hurt few people; it hurt the people acquainted with the night.

Lily and Travis were acquainted with the night.

Travis did not know when this had happened. It just had. It had happened slowly and painfully.

Travis turns another page.

"Travis?"

"Yes, Lily?"

"Are you in love with Audrey?"

Travis suddenly stops reading and stares blankly at the book. He suddenly feels very light-headed.

"Sometimes, Lily. Sometimes I am in love. . . but never with Audrey. Never."

The rain stops quite quickly, as if in accordance in his words.

Travis looks up at Lily who is staring at him with complete understanding. The moonlight falls across her face as if it is a part of her. And perhaps it is. Things are so unbearably clear now that some things are not clear. Or perhaps they are clear but do not seem clear when viewed from a normal perspective. Travis does not know.

"Lily?"

"Yes, Travis?"

"I suppose I know some things."

"Of course you do. You know many things, Travis Strong."

"Mmm. . ."

"What does that mean, Travis?"

Lily asks this question with a tone that implies she already knows the answer. Travis stares up at her and offers his brand of a smile. Lily smiles back; not in a cynical way, but it way that conveys layers of conversation.

And they say nothing more. But they do gaze at each other and understand. And that is all that is needed.

{Proclaimed the time was neither wrong nor right.
I have been one acquainted with the night}
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More A/N (Aren't you glad?):Yes, I know that the story was weird. I just had this uncanny urge to write something strange and obscure. I also felt the need to express that Lily and Travis DO have a connection despite what the last episode said. And the poem was written by Robert Frost, so I give him credit for his poem. Would you guys mind reviewing? I'd love you forever if you did. Constructive criticism and praise will be glomped. . . flames will be used to light my big bonfire party next week. Thanks a bunch guys!