Title: Darling Be Home Soon
Author: ControlledChaos
Rating: T to be safe
Disclaimer: The characters (which ever ones you decide they are) in this fic are not mine and I do not intend to profit from my use of them. The lyrics to the song belong to John Sebastian. All mistakes are mine.
Summary: "There were several elephants sitting in every corner of every room they were ever in." This fic was inspired by the song Darling Be Home Soon. It's been performed by many people, the particular version that I like is by Jules Shear.
Timeline: No particular timeline. I wouldn't quite call it AU, but it's purposely vague.
Ship: Well, that's really up to you. It could apply to several different ships, and I don't want to spoil your own creative interpretation of it, so make of it what you will.
Come
And talk of all the things we did today
Here
And laugh about our funny little ways
While we have a few minutes to breathe
Then I know that it's time you must leave
It was pouring rain.
She didn't care. Even if she got completely drenched standing outside his door, it didn't matter. All that mattered was seeing him before she left.
She rang the doorbell and heard footsteps approaching. Then they stopped.
And started again--going in the other direction. Thunder roared in the distance. She shivered. It didn't matter if she got drenched.
But she was really cold. Doorbell, again. No footsteps this time.
It didn't matter if she got drenched. She would wait. And wait.
And wait.
Finally the footsteps returned. The door didn't open, but she didn't hear the footsteps retreating either.
"Please let me in. I want to talk to you."
The lock clicked. By the time she pushed the door open, he was no where in sight. She shed her rain-soaked coat and hung it on the banister, kicking her shoes off by the stairs.
Then she saw him. Standing in the doorway of the kitchen.
Holding a towel.
But darling be home soon
I couldn't bear to wait an extra minute if you dawdled
My darling be home soon
It's not just these few hours but I've been waiting since I toddled
For the great relief of having you to talk to
"I'm sorry," she murmured as he wrapped her dripping body in a towel.
"I know. Me too."
He led her to the couch and sat her down. A fire was roaring in the fireplace. She much preferred that sound to the thunder.
His living room was warm. Warmer than she expected.
He was warmer than she expected.
He brought her wine. Red. Her favorite.
"So, you wanted to talk."
And now
A quarter of my life is almost past
I think I've come to see myself at last
And I see that the time spent confused
Was the time that I spent without you
And I feel myself in bloom
They talked. For hours. And then she left.
There was no avoiding it, really. She had no choice. But she felt like she was abandoning him again.
He asked her not to go. It was foolish of him; he knew she'd never stay. She was much too responsible.
She had places to be, people to see.
And he couldn't stop her.
He tried to convince himself that he didn't want her to stay, anyway.
Absence makes the heart grow fonder.
Doesn't it?
So darling be home soon
I couldn't bear to wait an extra minute if you dawdled
My darling be home soon
It's not just these few hours but I've been waiting since I toddled
For the great relief of having you to talk to
She was the only one he'd ever been able to talk to.
If, god forbid, she didn't come back, he would never speak again.
He hadn't meant to fight with her. Not when he knew she was leaving the next day.
But she had made him so angry—suggesting that he didn't really love her.
Of course he loved her. Sure, he'd made some mistakes.
Yes, they had been on opposite ends of a gun barrel before. But neither of them meant that.
It was all an act. Their lives were one big charade and neither of them believed half the words that came out of their own mouths anymore.
But he loved her.
That was the only thing in the world that he was certain of.
Go
And beat your crazy head against the sky
Try
And see beyond the houses and your eyes
It's ok to shoot the moon
She missed him.
Not a great revelation, to be sure. Of course she missed him.
She didn't know what she would do without him.
Sure, he made her life a little more complicated. There were several elephants sitting in every corner of every room they were ever in.
Betrayal. Her parents. His parents. Marriage. Children. Prophecies. They could fill a zoo.
Yes, many would say that their relationship wasn't worth the hardships they both suffered.
There was enough conflict in their lives to last them, well... a lifetime.
But she loved him.
That was the only thing in the world that she was certain of.
So darling
My darling be home soon
I couldn't bear to wait an extra minute if you dawdled
My darling be home soon
It's not just these few hours but I've been waiting since I toddled
For the great relief of having you to talk to
A/N (1): When I originally started writing this fic, I intended it to be 100 S/V, as I tend to be an S/V shipper. However, this fic had a mind of its own and morphed it into something else. I tried to bring it back, but it just didn't cooperate. So after I wrote it, I went back and I decided that this could be SV, Sarkney, or any other ship you want it to be. I'm curious to know how you interpreted it. .
A/N (2): I don't usually do songfics, so this was an experiment for me. Reviews are welcome.