Drabble 118
"It's just so hard, you know?", Rose slurred, sipping her eighth beer for the night.
"It's not like I can totally understand where you're coming from, but I know what you mean.", Christian paused to sip his own beer, gesticulating vaguely. "Lissa's not exactly you know, gone. But…."
"We're supposed to be badasses, dammit!", Rose glared at her drink. "And here we are, wallowing like old geezers on a Saturday night, of all time. Damn it, how did this happen?"
"We fell in love, Rose.", Christian sighed wearily. "That's what happened. We let someone else in, and they twisted everything inside of us…..and now, we're empty."
Rose pondered over his words as her mind reviewed her current predicament. She'd had an accident in her after-school-training and had gone to the clinic and somehow ended up walking to Christian's dorm instead of her own or Lissa's. She blamed her loopiness on the pain meds the doctor had forced upon her.
Christian had been-pleasantly-surprised and they'd started talking. After copious amounts of Chinese food and alcohol, they'd loosened up just enough to talk about their messed-up love-lives.
"At least, Lissa's alive. And she's trying to mend things with you. Why won't you let her?", Rose asked Christian, now glaring at her wriggling toes.
"I need to think through things-", Christian started.
"Bullshit! What's this really about?", Rose asked, turning her glare on her friend now, making him squirm.
"I'm no good for her, okay?", Christian burst out. "She's the last-freaking-Dragomir. She's meant for the high life, and I'll just rain on her parade. I'm always bringing her down, I'm no good for her-and I won't let her be unhappy and unable to fulfill her dreams because of me."
"Nonsense, Chris.", Rose chuckled. She actually chuckled, Christian thought incredulously. "You, you're perfect for her. And I don't say that lightly…she loves you, sometimes I think more than she loves me. And she needs you. And you need her too. So go on, give in."
"I really don't wanna be having this conversation, especially when we're drunk", Christian muttered darkly.
"But-"
"Drop it, Rose. Please."
"Okay", Rose conceded, earning a reluctant chuckle from Christian when she added, "For now."
They lapsed into a comfortable silence, cracking into more beer, before Christian broke the quiet.
"Rose?"
"Hmm?"
"I'm sorry.", Christian said, with feeling.
"What for?", she asked, confused.
"About Beliko-"
"No, Chris!", Rose interrupted violently, too fiercely for someone-drunk-on-alcohol-and-half-baked-by-pain-medication. "Please, no."
"Okay, but I want you to know that I was rooting for you guys. You deserved each other.", Christian finished, appraising the pain that flashed through Rose's face at the mention of her former-mentor.
"Thank you.", she stated, a little misty-eyed, lapsing into silence again.
"I'd better get going, I got training with Alberta in 6 hours.", Rose sighed, getting up and stretching after awhile.
"No way, Hathaway. Hey that rhymed!", Christian said cheerfully, earning an eye-roll from Rose. "Anyways, I'm not letting you go when you're so looped up. How's your ankle, by the way?"
"Better. Thank god it isn't sprained! That would have seriously messed up training. And not that I don't appreciate your attempt at chivalry but I gotta sleep."
"You could sleep here. Here, you can even take the bed. I'll camp on the floor.", Christian volunteered, ready to fight tooth-and-nail to make her agree.
"Nah, you take the bed. If I sleep in it, I might end up smelling like you, and your toxicity just might off me.", Rose joked.
"You wanna die? You could always try acid.", Christian shot back, removing his camping-bag from under the bed.
"So could you. Or you could try rat poison, snakes or my cooking", Rose suggested, fluffing up her pillow, settling in. "G'night Chris!"
"Night, Hathaway.", Christian yawned, turning on his side and shutting his eyes.
"Ozera?", Rose interrupted after awhile.
"Hmm?"
"Thanks. For listening…for understanding."
"You too, Rose. Although it may not be much, I'll be here for you…whatever you need. Now, before we hug, cry and get matching pedicures, let's just sleep."
"Agreed.", Rose smiled, closing her eyes. "By the way Chris, you might wanna invest in breath mints. Your toxic fumes almost knocked me out."
"Why do you think I ate garlic chicken?", Christian muttered, causing both friends to chuckle.
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