Sorry for not updating sooner – have been caught up with deciding whether it was out of character or not, and have been to my mates house. Please comment; I personally think this isn't a great representation of the characters and the way that they would behave, so I might end up changing it.
Update timings may be slower now, as I'm going back to school, and have lots of exams coming up. Thanks, Woody2792 xx
The day at work had been tough for Linden, having performed two major operations and treated countless other patients. The nurses had been as good as useless except for gossip and the odd bits of cleaning. He was tired and could not wait to leave. Lola waved him away as he reached for his signing out board, leaving Linden leaning on the desk waiting for her permission to leave. Ten minutes later his request was granted, and he was out of the hospital, into his car and on the journey. Tonight he was meeting Maddy in a bar. Tonight was the night. However she reacted, Linden hoped it was not so bad that they could not be friends.
Maddy was rushing around her small house, finding her best-looking clothes and applying her prettiest make-up. She had thought about doing something with her hair but decided against it – it would only make it look worse. She stood by the door, counting down on her fingers to make sure that she had done everything she had meant to. Tonight she would be truthful to Linden about her feelings. Locking the front door, she got into her car and drove to the bar, unable to keep the smile off her face.
Linden was already waiting at the bar with two drinks when Maddy arrived. He suggested they move to a table, so they did, into a secluded, private part of the bar. They both began to talk at once, resulting in Maddy laughing and Linden joining in, if a little stiffly.
"Go on Linden, you go first."
"Thanks. Please don't take this the wrong way and please don't hate me if I've got our relationship wrong, but-"
"Sounds ominous…" Maddy was worried, the smile having disappeared from her face. This was following the same tracks as so many other conversations had, only for her to be dumped at the end of them.
"Ye-ah. Well. It's like this. I think what we have is amazing, and whatever the outcome at the end of this evening, I would like us to remain friends. Maddy, what I'm trying to say I-"
"I get it, okay? You thought this was something casual and now want out, right? No, don't interrupt. I've been dumped before in my life, enough for me to know the whole 'I'd like to stay friends' routine. It was nice going Linden, enjoyable while it lasted. Thanks for the drink-" she downed the last of it. "I guess I'll see you round at work sometime." Maddy got up, placed her glass on the bar and left. It was dark outside, but there was enough moonlight for her to be able to find her way to her car. Tears welled up in her eyes. She had really thought they had had something, but oh how wrong had she been? This was Dan all over again, but worse because she and Linden had actually started a relationship of sorts. But hey, she thought, there are always plenty more fish in the sea, or men to mess around and break her heart. Someone grabbed her shoulders tightly, not releasing her when she tried to wrench away. She found herself being turned to face the person behind her, Linden. Tenderly, he wiped a tear away from her cheek, letting his hand remain there longer than was necessary.
"Maddy, I'm sorry if I hurt you, but that wasn't what I was trying to say, far from it. I didn't know whether you felt the same way as I did. What I was trying to ask you, back in there, was whether you would consider moving in with me."
There was silence, as Linden waited for an answer, and as Maddy processed the question.
"You aren't just saying this for the sake of it, just to mess me around more?"
"Dr Young, do I seem like the sort of person who gets kicks from other people's discomfort and pain?"
"No, not really. I've just had too many people messing with my head. But yeah, I'd love to."
There was an awkward silence, neither of them sure of what to do; Linden moved to embrace Maddy and she pressed her lips to his. The tears were flowing freely down her face, the thought that she might have broken the endless cycle of bad men racing around her head. They were interrupted by a load of lads leaving the pub who wolf-whistled at the couple. They drove back to Linden's and had a mug of coffee before going into the lounge to watch one of the many films on Sky.