Title: One Year Anniversary
Author: Stress
First written: April 18, 2002-May 12, 2002
Edited and replaced: August 9, 2005
Summary: Part III of the Soul Mates Series; When Jack and Stress reach their first year anniversary, Stress tells a friend the story about how they almost didn't get together at all.
Central Park
It was supposed to be a glorious afternoon. After David had left Stress in Newsies Square with Stripes and Martini, he had gone home to prepare a picnic lunch for the two of them for the following afternoon. Now, though, as he sat in Central Park with Stress, he couldn't help but think that something was wrong. He just wasn't able to put his finger on it, though.
He glanced over at Stress. She was sitting right next to him but her mind was a million miles away from Central Park. She hadn't touched her food or said one word at all since she had finished selling her stack of papers. "Stress, is something wrong?"
She looked up at him and he could see sorrow written in her eyes. David knew at once that he didn't want to hear what she had to say.
"Naw...yeah. Actually there is," was all she said. She didn't know how to put it into words.
David's heart started to break in half as he realized what she might be trying to say. "Is it about me and you?" Slowly she nodded.
He took a deep breath. He knew this would be coming. He had had inkling that there was something going on between Stress and Jack; he had seen that at Tibby's, his house for supper the night they had met, even at the distribution center where they bought their papes in the morning. Yet he selfishly ignored his intuition so that he could have Stress all to himself. Though he knew in his heart that he was right, there was always the slight chance that he was the one that she loved. He had to make sure who it was, so he uttered the one word that would determine whether it was the beginning or the end of his relationship with Stress. "Jack?"
As she began to weep quietly, David knew that he was right. He put his arms around her and just let her cry.
When she had calmed herself, she looked into his blue eyes as tears stained her cheeks. "I'm so sorry Dave," she whispered, choking back more tears as she rested her head on his shoulder.
Though inside he was dying he knew that if it was truly how she felt then that's all that mattered. "Are ya sure?" he stopped when he felt he head nod into his chest. "Well, then I understand. I guess I've known all along but I didn't want to believe it. I know it don't mean much but I do care for you," he ended awkwardly.
"Oh, Dave, ya don't know what those words mean to me. And if this could happen any other way so that I could save ya from any hurt, then I would do it in a second. But I don't know what to do. I've been running from me feelings for too many years now and I just can't do it no longer. I would just end up hurting ya more if I pretended like I don't got feelings for Jack. And I don't ever wanna hurt you, but I just can't be with ya when me heart belongs to another guy-- even if he doesn't feel the same way. It just ain't fair to you."
David nodded as he understood what she was saying. As much as he didn't want to admit it, she was right. Stress sighed in relief when she saw him nod. His acceptance of the truth meant everything to her. As much as she told herself she should stay with David, the truth was that she wanted to be with Jack. She couldn't ever give herself to David if she was still in love with Jack.
"You were my first real boyfriend that actually cared for me and I'll never forget you," she whispered as she gave him a kiss on the cheek. She then swiftly got up and walked out of the clearing, leaving David all alone.
David looked at all the food he had so lovingly prepared as it lay out in front of him. Now that he didn't have Stress to share it with, he wasn't in the mood for it anymore. After cleaning up his mess he decided to go have a quick bite to eat at Tibby's, hoping to drown his sorrows in sarsaparillas.