Frenzy
Notes: Modern AU! Part 3 of 3
Title: Heal
Song: Remember This by Cameron Mitchell
Mallory tiredly gets out of her car and walks the footpath leading to her front door. She hates this part, when she has to settle in her entirely-too-large house and pretend that the emptiness isn't killing her. It's been a year since Diaval left, and it hasn't gotten easier. Her mom always told her that wounds heal with time. This past year, she has learned that they don't. You only become number to the pain over time, but the wounds are still there, and sometimes the wounds throb and hurt and demand to be felt.
As she nears the front door of her house, she notices a figure sitting on the porch steps. Obsidian eyes look up at her, illuminated by the overhead light. Diaval.
"Hello." He greets her.
"I… what are you doing here?" She asks incredulously. A year of silence and suddenly he shows up?
"I wanted to see you. Can we talk?" He gives her a hopeful, lopsided smile. She's gone too long without seeing it.
"Why didn't you just let yourself in? I didn't change locks. You still have your key, don't you?" She walks past him, unlocking the front door.
"I figured it would be rude to barge into the home of someone you haven't spoken to for a year." He stands up, hands trying to shrug off the light dusting of snow on his body.
She lets him in, starts a fire, and turns the coffee machine on in the kitchen. She leaves him in the living room, needing some time alone to compose herself. When the coffee is done, she carries two mugs back to where Diaval is seated.
"Thank you", Diaval responds when she hands the steaming mug to him.
They sit in silence for a while, drinking their coffee. When she couldn't take the heavy atmosphere anymore, she tries the polite, detached approach: "So, what can I help you with, Diaval?"
Diaval winces, clearly hurt by her coolness. Still, it doesn't deter him from what he wants to say: "I want you back, Mal."
At first, she is surprised. But surprise quickly turns into frustration, anger and bitterness. He doesn't talk to her for a year, doesn't even give word regarding how he is, and he dares come back here and demand for things to go back the way they were? She's too conflicted to utter the right response- or any response at all, for that matter.
Diaval sighs and reaches out for her hand. Staring straight into his eyes, he begins explaining. "I understand if that upsets you. I know I've no right to come here and just say that. But I chose to risk it, risk your anger, because I love you. Even after all this time, I still love you. From the moment I broke up with you until today, I've regretted leaving you. I thought maybe if I stayed away for long enough I could forget you, but it's been a year and I'm still as in love with you as the day I left. I just… it wasn't fair for me to demand the same level of affection from you. You've been through a lot, and I should've been more patient. This time around, I promise I'll wait for you to be ready. For now, I can love you enough for the both of us. Please, give me another chance."
"You left me" she croaks out, throat constricted and eyes starting to gain moisture.
"And I hated every moment I was away from you." His grip on her tightens, supplication in his voice and in his touch.
She squeezes her eyes shut and forces the next sentences out. "I hated every moment I was away from you, too. I wanted to call you, wanted to stop you from leaving. But you broke up with me. You wanted out. Who was I to stop you? You were better off without me anyway." The first tears traced paths on her cheeks, and he cups her face, wiping the wetness with his thumbs.
"I've been stupid, Mal."
"So have I. This was my fault from the beginning. I just… I never took into account that I would meet someone like you." More tears fall.
"I never imagined I would meet someone like you too. But I have, and I've no intention of letting you go again. Take me back. Please." He whispers, forehead against hers.
Time doesn't heal wounds, that much she's realized. Love does, however. Love will. She knows they have so much to talk about, so much to weather through. For now, though, she closes the gap between their lips, letting his kiss be the balm to her wounds.
A/N: Next chapter will be movie-verse, but I do have another AU drabble that I will post maybe 4 chapters from now (but already up on tumblr!).
AU gives me room to maneuver, so I might go back to it from time to time.
Sorry I had to break my Ed Sheeran streak. And I also rushed through this. :(
Cheers!