A/N I know that standard INS laws give you a few weeks, but there'd be no
drama in that, would there? ;)
She collapsed onto the sofa and he sat down next to her, before gently resting one arm behind her, cautiously, nervously. She didn't seem to mind. She turned towards him though, and he could see the wetness glistening in her eyes. He wrapped his good arm more tightly around her, and the tears that were shining in her eyes spilled through, she curled up against him, her tears soaking through his shirt, and he just sat there, rubbing her back gently, holding her close.
He felt the cold liquid of her tears as his shirt grew damp and the salty water hit his bare chest. "Shh, it's alright." He whispered to her. Like most men, he was never quite comfortable around crying women, but being a doctor, he'd seen more than his fair share of them. He knew how to comfort them; he knew what to do, what to say, and what not to do. He held her close, rubbing her back, calming her with his presence. "It's alright, we'll work through this. You can do it." he told her, and slowly the tears started to stop. He tucked her head underneath his chin, and just sat there, allowing her to cry things out.
She pulled back after a short while and looked up at him again with red- rimmed eyes. "Thank you." she said, quietly, meekly. He just smiled softly at her.
"Are you alright?" he asked, knowing the answer before he even said the words.
"No, but that's besides the point." He smiled at her, never removing his arm from its place around her shoulders. She smiled back, trying to be strong, acting as if she could keep things up on her own, but they both knew she needed someone to anchor her.
"Well then, glad to see you're holding up." She laughed, and relaxed. She knew that he was using his way of coping with things to help her deal. He was using his humor and sarcasm, not in a harsh way like he so often did at work, but in a light, almost cheerful way. She felt his hand lower, and with a tentative motion, he gently brushed a stray tear off of her cheek. The same motion that she had turned away from just months ago, she now allowed, enjoyed even.
She saw the fear that he had in his eyes fade away, as she allowed him the gentle gesture. She knew that all she had to do was ask him and he would be the first to spring to her aid. But she couldn't see herself with him, not for two years. He was stubborn, he could be cold and callous at times, and there were times that she thought him a wholly despicable person. But then there were times like this, when she saw his soft side, the side of him that could be loving. The side of him that bragged about the wonderful day he had come up with for his mother for mother's day, the side of him that made sure no patient went without care for longer than they had too, and that each patient was comfortably settled with their choices and their treatment.
She knew that he had a soul, he had a heart, that it was just hidden behind the shell he had built up around him. But that shell was too thick for her to think of him as someone to love. Mark had been so open about everything, he'd been so nice, so loving, so caring. She saw the same thing in Robert that she had in Peter, that cocky confidence, and she saw how his self- absorption had broken them apart. She didn't want to start anything with Robert for fear of it heading the same way as Peter, just to wind up with him for the next two years.
He turned his thumb to her other cheek, and gently brushed the tears away from there as well. She smiled slightly at him, but leaned back. She saw the fear and pain that had once again reappeared in his eyes, but leaned back on the couch, still next to him, but slightly distanced. No, no matter how hard she tried; Robert just wasn't the type that she could see herself with, not now, and certainly not knowing that she would have to be with him for two years. He was just two volatile, he was too cold, his skin was too thick, he loved her, she knew it, but she just couldn't bring herself to love him back.
She collapsed onto the sofa and he sat down next to her, before gently resting one arm behind her, cautiously, nervously. She didn't seem to mind. She turned towards him though, and he could see the wetness glistening in her eyes. He wrapped his good arm more tightly around her, and the tears that were shining in her eyes spilled through, she curled up against him, her tears soaking through his shirt, and he just sat there, rubbing her back gently, holding her close.
He felt the cold liquid of her tears as his shirt grew damp and the salty water hit his bare chest. "Shh, it's alright." He whispered to her. Like most men, he was never quite comfortable around crying women, but being a doctor, he'd seen more than his fair share of them. He knew how to comfort them; he knew what to do, what to say, and what not to do. He held her close, rubbing her back, calming her with his presence. "It's alright, we'll work through this. You can do it." he told her, and slowly the tears started to stop. He tucked her head underneath his chin, and just sat there, allowing her to cry things out.
She pulled back after a short while and looked up at him again with red- rimmed eyes. "Thank you." she said, quietly, meekly. He just smiled softly at her.
"Are you alright?" he asked, knowing the answer before he even said the words.
"No, but that's besides the point." He smiled at her, never removing his arm from its place around her shoulders. She smiled back, trying to be strong, acting as if she could keep things up on her own, but they both knew she needed someone to anchor her.
"Well then, glad to see you're holding up." She laughed, and relaxed. She knew that he was using his way of coping with things to help her deal. He was using his humor and sarcasm, not in a harsh way like he so often did at work, but in a light, almost cheerful way. She felt his hand lower, and with a tentative motion, he gently brushed a stray tear off of her cheek. The same motion that she had turned away from just months ago, she now allowed, enjoyed even.
She saw the fear that he had in his eyes fade away, as she allowed him the gentle gesture. She knew that all she had to do was ask him and he would be the first to spring to her aid. But she couldn't see herself with him, not for two years. He was stubborn, he could be cold and callous at times, and there were times that she thought him a wholly despicable person. But then there were times like this, when she saw his soft side, the side of him that could be loving. The side of him that bragged about the wonderful day he had come up with for his mother for mother's day, the side of him that made sure no patient went without care for longer than they had too, and that each patient was comfortably settled with their choices and their treatment.
She knew that he had a soul, he had a heart, that it was just hidden behind the shell he had built up around him. But that shell was too thick for her to think of him as someone to love. Mark had been so open about everything, he'd been so nice, so loving, so caring. She saw the same thing in Robert that she had in Peter, that cocky confidence, and she saw how his self- absorption had broken them apart. She didn't want to start anything with Robert for fear of it heading the same way as Peter, just to wind up with him for the next two years.
He turned his thumb to her other cheek, and gently brushed the tears away from there as well. She smiled slightly at him, but leaned back. She saw the fear and pain that had once again reappeared in his eyes, but leaned back on the couch, still next to him, but slightly distanced. No, no matter how hard she tried; Robert just wasn't the type that she could see herself with, not now, and certainly not knowing that she would have to be with him for two years. He was just two volatile, he was too cold, his skin was too thick, he loved her, she knew it, but she just couldn't bring herself to love him back.