TITLE: Somebody That I Used To Know
AUTHOR: bolly69
Disclaimer: I don't own any of the characters or concept; they belong to the BBC/Ashley/Matthew, etc.
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This IS an M rating, please do not read on if you're easily offended by sex and/or strong language.
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Chapter 7
Gene wandered for a while, taking in this bright modern world, before heading back to the flat; he hoped Alex had managed to get some rest; poor love needed it badly. He'd made a few choice purchases on his travels, new pale blue shirt, a pair of Levi's costing the neck end of £100, and a few pairs of boxer shorts, just to be on the safe side. He'd also found a bakery where he bought fresh pastries, and had managed to scoff a bacon butty on the way back. Not too bad a morning.
Quietly unlocking the door to the flat with the key Alex had given him, he stepped in and listened; he heard nothing, Alex was still asleep. Placing the bakery bag quietly in the kitchen he headed to the bathroom for a much needed hot shower, allowing the hot water to cascade over him; an attempt to cleanse him of all the shit that had gone before, to finally feel unburdened, free. Dressing in his new clothes, he checked in the mirror so see that he looked good; he did. Back in the hallway he spotted an open door and peeked in; Molly's room, all bright and girly, and glancing around the flat he realised there were bits of Alex and Molly everywhere, notes, pictures, bags, jewellery. They had a full life here, what was he thinking coming here to disrupt it all? He sighed and flopped on to the sofa, feeling more burdened than ever, and turned to the newspapers he had bought to try to stop thinking, feeling; filled with stories of the banking crisis, European financial meltdown, corrupt journalists and coppers and politicians. Some things in this world never change.
But could he get used to living here? Could he stay in this time? Learn all this new technology and deal with this instant information age? He shook his head, pushing the thoughts of remaining here away, Nelson would be coming for him soon; his time was up, this was only ever a temporary arrangement and sooner or later he would have to make sure Alex understood that. And that would break both their hearts. Again.
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He heard movement from Alex's bedroom and the bathroom door close; he hoped he hadn't disturbed her. After a few minutes of listening to the shower running he went to the kitchen and filled the kettle, he couldn't figure out how to work the buggering poncey thing that he assumed must be a coffee machine, as he found the word 'coffee' amongst all its knobs and lights, and he put the pastries onto a plate, after searching through most of the cupboards for one.
He was just pouring the boiling water into two mugs when she came into the kitchen, dressed casually in jeans and a loose fitting grey top; she looked like she did back then, her damp hair loose around her makeup less face, looking refreshed and scrubbed, she seemed so much younger somehow; stunning.
"Hey you," she smiled at him, an odd dreamy smile that confused him, and her eyes raked over him, "new clothes! Wow! You look… good…"
"er, yeah, thanks Bolls. Thought my suit was about to walk off on its own," he hesitated, "I got pastry things, thought you'd like them. Ready for a cuppa?"
"Oh, I'd love one, thank you" she smiled that dazzling smile of hers, and he caught his breath.
She carried the plate over to the table and sat down, unable to take her eyes off him; Christ his arse was gorgeous in those jeans; and he was barefoot; that shouldn't have turned her on as much as it did.
"Hope you don't mind love, I had a shower, had to use your fancy smellies in there though…"
"It's fine Gene, you can make yourself at home here. You do smell wonderful…"
"I smell like a bloody poof!"
She laughed, out loud and throaty, "No, you don't"
He sat opposite her and gazed at her face, tongue poking out of her plump lips as she sawed at a pastry with her knife, lifted it up to take a bite, and then slowly sucked on each sticky finger in turn; apparently oblivious to the effect she was having on him. Gene's felt his mouth fall open and his tummy flip, the stirring in his new jeans had him shuffling on his chair, and swiftly running images of Barbara Woodhouse and Mrs T through his head.
"I left a new toothbrush out for you, did you get it?" her gaze lifted to meet his, startling him in his present state.
"Yeah, thanks. Do you often have visitors in need of a toothbrush stay over?" he was half joking but the words seemed more harsh than he intended.
She looked at him quizzically, "No, I always keep a couple spare for me and Molly"
"Sorry love, didn't mean anything" he stared down into his mug and took a gulp of too hot tea.
She placed her hand over his, "Gene, it's okay. Please stop apologising and thinking you're walking on eggshells around me"
"Okay… Alex…" he paused before confronting the one thing they had skirted around, "you know I asked to come here, and I'd give anything to stay love, anything, "his eyes caught and held hers, "but Nelson is waiting for me; I don't know when, how long I have left here, but I will have to go into the pub. This was only ever borrowed time, you understand that don't you?"
She nodded sadly, the sorrow in his eyes tugging at her heart, "I know. You may not think it but you have helped me Gene, to find the rest of me, the part I'd lost; the part that found you…" her eyes turned glassy, "oh, look at me being silly again, cry at the drop of a hat…"
Reaching out across the table he took her hand in his, fixed her with his piercing blue eyes and leaned towards her; she was momentarily confused but then realised what he was instigating and slowly moved to him, hazel crashing into blue, breaths held in anticipation, the air thick around them, as they inched closer until their noses were almost touching... an odd buzzing noise came from the nearby worktop, cutting the atmosphere, breaking them both out of their spell.
"Shit, my phone" Alex groaned and jumped up to grab it, looking at the screen, "It's Molly!" she smiled and answered, but looked apologetically at Gene. He smiled back and nodded, enthralled, watching her laughing and joking with her daughter; she was glowing.
Ending the call she sat back at the table and scrolled through her phone and frowned. She spoke quietly, "I have texts from David, asking if I'm okay" she looked up at Gene, "I have to tell him we're finished; never really started if truth be told"
He took her hand again, serious, "Alex, are you sure love? You know I can't stay; your nights will be lonely, empty…"
She gripped his fingers, "More sure than I have been for a long time" she needed to tell him, but her cheeks flushed pink, "We didn't… sleep together very often; it wasn't great. He was just… there, convenient I suppose. And then he wasn't 'there' much, or for very long; he wasn't very exciting or terribly satisfying…"
"Oh" Gene hung his head, his pout back with a vengeance; too much information.
"Gene, look at me…" a stray tear rolled slowly down her cheek, eyes glistening at him, "I always knew he wasn't right for me, but I didn't know why. Now I do..." She wiped the tear away and gazed into his eyes, "He wasn't you…"
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Thanks for reading! ;-)
Thanks to Ash & Matt for giving us fantastic characters to play with, to whatever ends…
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