Okay quick thing, just as a fair warning: there is a bit of profanity in this chapter. Not entirely sure how much the characters have cursed in this story(*sweats nervously*) but yeah.
XxYTTxX: So worth it.
ihazcookies: Oh dear GOODNESS WHAT HAVE I DONE
SingingCupcake: WAIT NO LONGER
Chelsea(Guest): No need to apologize!
PS: I don't even know if this qualifies as fluff or not.
Scene, sitting in her apartment at two in the morning wearing pajamas with hot tea and no Melvin, thinks back to everything that night. His driving her home, and a quick good night kiss. She sighs, missing him, despite thoughts that she knows she doesn't deserve him. He's too nice, too great, and she's just...her.
"I don't get the good things because I don't deserve them." She murmurs aloud, and fixes her eyes on the swirling pattern in her mug. "So why did I get Jeff?"
The lurking silence becomes too much, and she gets her laptop. Sipping her tea- which has been heavily flavored with sugar and milk -she goes as far deep as she can though files, finding a play list she made shortly after Jeff went to France. Despite the circumstances under which it was made, the music lets her softly forget about the present.
"I promise, I'll call you when I get to the apartment. I'm waiting for my taxi." He said with a laugh. She smiled at that; his laugh was one of the best things.
"Alright, I love you." She said, hanging up. She removed the smooth, pink, ring from her finger. Not an engagement ring; they had discussed marriage but never gone so far. No, this was a pink ring with a little bird design on it; he told her to always wear it; that way, she'd always have color around even when feeling the grayest.
That night, she lay on her bed. Her clock ticked at midnight and she had work in the morning; yet, she stayed awake. Hoping Jeff would soon call, text, anything. As of the moment, though, it didn't look good. So she reached over, clicked on the dim light, and picked up her phone. The first speed dial did the trick.
"Norma? What the hell, it's the middle of the- oh damn it." He reached the conclusion before she said anything. "I'm sorry, I got caught up in trying to unpack my dishes, and-"
"Jeff, it's fine." She said lightly. It was alright. He had never been good at remembering texts, calls, sweet things like that. But, maybe it just wasn't him.
After the memory surfaces, Scene breaks out of the reminisce just as a My Chemical Romance song starts playing. Tears form in her eyes, as everything is like she's three years in the past, only so much more damaged. And one other thing.
When she glances down at her hand to find the tan line completely disappeared, she sets her tea and laptop down, the music still playing, and goes into her closet. She digs through it until she finds a small shoe box hidden among everything else. She opens it, to find several things; a small card with "MCR loves Smooch" written on it in cursive, several dried rose petals scattered about, and the ring. She picks it up carefully, to find that it has not lost its soft pale color. She slips the ring on, and the looseness reminds her how much she's changed once again. But, with change comes a steadier mind, and she sorts things out from that day she wouldn't have been able to then.
Jeff was always forgetful. But- by the quickness of his realization despite the sleepiness in his voice -she could tell that this time, he hadn't forgotten. He had chosen not to call. That meant he had never planned on calling; just a pointless lie to get her off the phone.
The realization that he was avoiding her long before she thought he had sinks in, and she lets that one tear fall. She then laughs, because she recognizes what she hadn't before; Jeff was never any good. He was always just good at hiding that. So that's why.
She sighs at the cruel irony, and decides playing music of the now-ancient MCR isn't helping the nauseous feeling in her stomach. She walks back out of her room, clicks the music off, and sleepiness settles in. She falls asleep, curling her arm around the pillow on the couch, too tired to get up and move to her room.
Her doorbell is what gets Norma up in the morning. She drags herself off of the couch and walks over, not quite smiling at the sight of Melvin. His usual alertness and polished looks- with her in such a morning state -just bother her now.
"Sleep in?" He asks. She glares at him.
"Come in." She mutters, still exhausted. As she walks into the kitchen for some water and catches sight of the clock, she doesn't blame Melvin for teasing her about getting up at one in the afternoon.
"You alright?" He asks.
"Yeah, just tired!" She forces perk into her voice.
"Oh hey, that's cute." He says, motioning to her hand. She glances down, that jerks her hand to her chest upon catching sight of the ring.
"T-thanks." She says. She walks over to the couch with him, sliding the ring into her pocket as she does. "So, um, why are you here?"
"Just wanted to spend time with the person I love the most." He says. He wraps an arm around her shoulder but Scene doesn't respond, because he has no idea how much his comment means to her. She realizes she deserves his love because she loves him. Love is a two way street, that's what they say.
So she curls under his arm as they chat nonchalantly, as another first for her happens because of him. Her silent thankfulness for the love replaces the doubt, and she couldn't be happier.