Dust to Dust
This is dedicated to poorsausage. She recommended the song but told me I could do whatever I wanted with it. I hope I don't disappoint.
They sat on the bench eating their fish and chips. He looked at her slyly. "Had you booked somewhere nice to stay?"
"Hmm, just a modern little country house hotel with its own grounds and a swimming pool, a gymnasium and a jogging trail. And just to stop you wondering, I booked two rooms."
"Of course." He smirked at her. "It would have been a damn sight more exciting than a quiz weekend though wouldn't it have been." She giggled. "What's the attraction about quizzes, why do people do it?"
She nodded her head, "Compulsive list makers. Clinically speaking they're obsessive neurotics."
Robbie looked around, "Here's a question. If you went on Mastermind, what would be your chosen specialist subject?"
"Hmm, well the thing I know most about is corpses."
Robbie laughed, "That would go down great, barrel of laughs."
Smiling at him, "What about your specialist subject?"
He thought for a moment, "Aside from work and the kids, I haven't got one."
She looked at him, her expression changing from laughter to something else. Something he couldn't quite place. "What about loneliness?"
He stared at her for a moment, tension filled the air. He didn't like the loss of their easy comfort. He smiled, trying to reassure her. He thought she knew it was why he'd asked her, "Passed."
He was surprised when she turned away from him, staring into the darkness. He turned away too, unsure of what had happened. They sat in silence, her question and his answer hanging in the air. As they stared into the night, Robbie thought about the look in her eyes when she'd asked. There had been a sadness he wasn't accustomed to seeing there.
He recognized it from having seen it in the mirror so often. But seeing it in Laura's eyes was somehow more painful. Had she always been sad and he'd never noticed? He wasn't sure why, but he always imagined she lived a full life.
"Laura, how is it possible for you to be here with me?"
"You asked me, that's how."
Her teasing didn't surprise him, she always did. Perhaps her teasing was a deflection. "I know I asked, but how is it you were available? Surely you have somewhere better to be, someone you would rather be with."
She laughed, "Well I would much rather be in modern, country hotel just returning from the opera."
"Maybe that's the better question, how were you available to go away?"
Turning to him, she smiled brightly, "Are you asking why I was available to go away? Or why I would go with you?"
"Either, both."
The sadness returned to her eyes. She tried to cover with a nonchalant shrug, "You asked, I didn't have anything better to do."
He spotted the lie the minute it left her lips. He could almost feel the walls going up, recognized the way she was distancing herself from the conversation. It was something he'd done all too many times.
Another person, someone less familiar with the aching pain of loneliness, would have missed it. He debated with himself, considered just letting it go. The memory of her question helped him make a decision.
Reaching across the bench he took her hand, felt her jerk with the unexpected contact. Twining their fingers together, he slid closer to her until their sides were touching. He lifted their joined hands resting them on his leg.
"Do you suppose we would have needed both rooms?" He felt, more than heard, her intake of breath. He waited, giving her an opportunity to speak. When she didn't, he continued. "I'm not lonely anymore because I have you. And I want you to know if you ever feel lonely, I'm here, always will be."
She raised her free hand, wiping a single tear from her cheek. "How..."
Still not looking at her, he squeezed her hand, "When you asked me, it was like looking in a mirror." He turned to her, "I'm sorry I've never noticed before. More importantly, I'm sorry if I've been the cause."
Tears fell from her eyes as she met his eyes, "I don't know what to say."
Wiping the tears from her cheeks, he smiled. "I'll have to mark this day on my calendar, Dr. Hobson at a loss for words." Relief filled him as she smiled. "You could answer my question."
A spark of mischief flared in her eyes, "On one condition." He nodded and she leaned closer, "Kiss me."
Cupping her cheek, he traced his thumb over her lips before lowering his head and pressing his lips to hers. His intended soft, tender kiss flared into something decidedly more heated in a flash.
Her free hand slipped beneath his jacket, molding to his side as she pulled closer to him. His hand tangled into her hair. They drank from each other. Years of loneliness and longing meeting and balancing into something new, restorative.
Breathless, they pulled apart slightly, foreheads resting against each other, breath mingling. Laura nuzzled against him slightly, sighing as she did, "No, we wouldn't have needed both rooms."
It's not your eyes
It's not what you say
It's not your laughter that gives you away
You're just lonely
You've been lonely, too long
All your actin'
Your thin disguise
All your perfectly delivered lies
They don't fool me
You've been lonely, too long
Chorus:
Let me in the wall, you've built around
And we can light a match and burn it down
Let me hold your hand and dance 'round and 'round the flame
In front of us
Dust to ...
You've held your head up
You've fought the fight
You bear the scars
You've done your time
Listen to me-
You've been lonely, too long
Chorus:
Let me in the wall, you've built around
And we can light a match and burn them down
And let me hold your hand and dance 'round and 'round the flames
In front of us
Dust to Dust...
You're like a mirror, reflecting me
Takes one to know one, so take it from me
You've been lonely
You've been lonely, too long
We've been lonely
We've been lonely, too long
Civil Wars - Dust to Dust