Disclaimer: I don't own Veronica Mars.
"I was hoping it would be you," She says, and opens the door wider, so that he can stagger into the apartment. His eyes are bloodshot, his face haggard. Her heart wrenches, but she smiles anyway, sitting on the bed and motioning for him to sit next to her.
"I love you." He says, dropping to his knees, and her mouth forms a perfect little 'o', her eyes widening.
"I think you need a little rest. If you don't want to go home, you know you can stay here." She smiles again, and brushes away the lock of hair that has fallen in her eyes. He sighs, but comes closer, placing his hands on her knees.
"Veronica, did you hear me?" He asks. "I love you. Even after everything, I love you. Doesn't that mean anything to you?" She feels the frustrated tears building behind her eyes, and the air seems to leave the room. He leans up and cradles her face in his hands. She tries not to flinch. It isn't supposed to feel like this, she thinks as he kisses her.
"I care a lot about you, too. You know that." She whispers when he finally lets her go. His eyes harden, and he moves to stand.
"This is about him, isn't it?" He asks, his tone hard as ice. She swallows slowly, and looks away. "I can't believe that this is about him. Was it always about him, Veronica?" She looks up shocked, as if he'd slapped her. She starts to stand, tries to go near him, but with a look he pushes her away.
"I don't want to talk about him. You're here. He's…not." She turns away, so he can't see the pain in her eyes.
"So are you saying we can be together?" His voice is hopeful, and her heart wrenches again. Do I want this? She asks herself. One look in his eyes, tells her that he won't hurt her. She shrugs her shoulders delicately, and the smile that brightens his face is enough. He comes to her and takes her in his arms. She tries not to picture his face.
Author's Note: Well that was my first foray into the world of VM fan fiction. I hope you liked it. I'm thinking of making this a one shot, but then you'll never know who's there, and who she's missing, and that would be sad, so I don't know. I tried to make it as ambiguous as possible, but maybe you figured it out.