put your arms around somebody else,

[coppelganger]

WHO: Sarah and George, later Sarah and Ruby
WHERE: De Chima, Maurtia Falls
WHEN: January 9
WHAT: Awkward conversations
WARNINGS: n/a



for George; De Chima, mid-morning
[ It's mid-morning when Sarah arrives at the apartment complex in De Chima where George is living. She told him she could come see him, and she's going to try and stick to her word, but that doesn't stop her from pausing before she knocks on his front door. She shifts back and forth, nervous, and runs a hand through her perpetually messy hair, and more than once thinks about turning around and forgetting all about this. She can't do that, though. She wants to see him—needs to see him, maybe—and that outweighs the desire to run and not look back.

It doesn't matter if George would be better off without her. It doesn't matter if she's scared. She reaches out and knocks on the door. ]

for Ruby; Maurtia Falls, later
[ Maurtia Falls is cold and gray, with patches of old snow on the ground, reminding her of Toronto winters. It's good, she thinks. She doesn't feel like having this conversation on a beautiful, sunny day. It wouldn't be right. She doesn't even know what she's going to say, but she knows it won't be pleasant for either of them.

In lieu of knocking on the door and risking one of Ruby's housemates answering, she pulls out her communicator and shoots off a text: ] hey, i'm outside. are you around?

Comments

[puppydoctor]

[It was the truth, but he can't say that. Sarah doesn't take the roundabout, conservative version.

He clears his throat, and looks over at her.]

... I want to wake up next to you. I want to kiss you good morning, and watch TV together after work, and hear how your day went. I want to cook dinner next to you, and talk about the weather. I want to get a crappy car and take you to the beach and stay in bed the whole time. And I want to hold your hand for no reason, and watch you laugh, and hear your voice.

[His voice has gone softer and quieter, and his eyes are nervous, but he doesn't stop.]

I want all of that. All I meant was... if you don't, if you'd rather stay with Ruby, then don't feel guilty. What I don't want is for you to do anything out of pity, or obligation. 'Cause it'll hurt, yeah, but it won't kill me.

[coppelganger]

[ Sarah closes her eyes and reaches for his hand again. She squeezes it, hoping he realizes how scary and fucked up and weird for her this all is, but hoping he knows she means it, too. She wouldn't say it if she didn't. The words are hard—they've always been, always will be—but she has to say them. She didn't last time, and he was gone. She has to. ]

I want that, too. I love you, too.

[puppydoctor]

[He thinks for a moment that he might be in a dream. He's truly dead, and this is the endless fever dream of oblivion, and he's being tormented with something he can't have. But he can smell Sarah's shampoo, and her hand is warm in his, and it feels like waking up.]

What... What are we going to do?

[coppelganger]

I've gotta talk to Ruby. That's all.

[ She lifts her coffee mug to her lips, but suddenly the taste of it is far too strong, and she puts the mug back down without drinking. ]

[puppydoctor]

[He strokes her hand with his thumb, eyes fixed on the window.]

She's gonna hate me.

[coppelganger]

What do you care? Have you ever even met her?

[ Sarah, as usual, is more concerned with how much Ruby's going to hate her after this. ]

[puppydoctor]

[The discontent in his eyes falls flat, and he looks at her with something closer to worry.]

I'm sorry. I wish I'd come back sooner.

[coppelganger]

We can't change what happened.

[ She nudges his leg with her foot, lightly. ]

Don't look so worried.

[puppydoctor]

[Okay, okay, he can't help but smile a little.]

I like you as an optimist.

[coppelganger]

[ One side of her mouth curls up in a smile back at him. She still can't believe she's sitting here next to him again, after all these months. ]

Yeah?

[puppydoctor]

Yeah.

[The smile gets bigger. Look at these two dorks.]

Can I, um. Can I kiss you?

[coppelganger]

[ She's not used to being asked that particular question. Maybe that's a statement about the kind of people she usually dates, or the kind of person she is. Either way, the question makes her laugh, both charmed and slightly embarrassed. ]

You can.

[puppydoctor]

[He reaches up to touch her jaw, light and careful, and follows the motion with the gentlest kiss, not wanting to scare her off or make this more difficult. It's been days, and it's been months, and it's been an eternity, but they have their future back now, however fragile.

He's loves her so much, and she loves him back. It's the greatest thing he's ever been scared of losing, now that he knows how easy it is.]

[coppelganger]

[ She closes her eyes at the contact, light and gentle and so familiar. She's missed him so much, these months, hasn't let herself understand just how much until this moment when she has him back. ]

[puppydoctor]

[George doesn't kiss her fiercely or deeply - not yet, not with everything still in both their heads. He kisses her like a hello, like a welcome. Like there's something to look forward to, something to believe in. And after just a few sweet moments, he pulls back with a shy, flushed smile.]

... You know, I was planning to be very noble. Glad you shut me up.

[coppelganger]

Yeah, me too.

[ Still smiling, but now she sighs, sitting straighter and glancing toward the door. ] I'd better go. I need to talk to Ruby. [ She's not looking forward to it, but it has to be done if she wants to move forward with this and not hate herself for it. ]

[puppydoctor]

Yeah, you should do that.

[A little bit dazed. He hasn't even thought through the mechanics of this, but he knows he wants her back next to him as soon as possible.]

Um. Good luck?

[coppelganger]

Thank you.

[ She leans over and gives him a quick kiss on the corner of his mouth, before standing and moving to the door. ] I'll talk to you soon.