[100_tales] Untitled
Title: Untitled
Author: defy_n_gravity
Prompt: 100_tales: 039. Hours
Characters: Parker, Sophie Devereaux
Rating: T
Words: 610
Disclaimer: I have no claim on Leverage or it's characters, just using for fun.
Warning: Slight spoilers for 407: The Grave Danger Job
Author's Notes: An AU from canon. More follows this world where Sophie and Nate aren't together and neither are Parker and Hardison. Not really sure where it came from, I just...saw the ending end a little differently and wanted to write it.
Summary: “We never really hate the people we love. We just...love until it hurts.”
She was so happy to see him. She wanted to run to him and throw her arms around him, so why did she turn and walk away? She doesn't know, but it's what she did. She met his eyes, she saw that he was waiting for her to run over, and she walked away.
She could hear them behind her. He called for her, Sophie called for her, but she kept going. Everything hurt and she couldn't breathe. Happiness was mixed in there somewhere, but it was all too much at once.
And then it was two hours later and she was still walking. She was circling the same blocks, ignoring her cell phone, and letting her feet take her wherever they were going.
She wanted to go find him and tell him how glad she was that he was alive, but she couldn't. She didn't know how. How could she put into words how much she needed him but didn't want him all at the same time? How did she tell him that he mattered more to her than anyone ever had, but that she didn't love him the right way? She didn't know if there really was a right way to love or not, but she knew she wasn't doing it. She couldn't.
She walked.
She walked all night long.
And eventually that walking ended with her at Sophie's door. Her reason, her wisdom, her answer to everything. Her hand came up, but paused. Sophie probably thought she was ready to be with Hardison. That she had changed her mind. The woman certainly made it sound that way when they had spoken in the gazebo. But she hadn't. If anything, Parker was convinced more than ever that it wasn't right. That she couldn't do it. Could she so easily say that to Sophie? Would Sophie hate her for being this confusing? Her eyes closed and she breathed slowly, debating if she was going to knock or not.
She did.
The door opened and Parker took a deep breath again before opening her eyes to look at Sophie.
“Parker! We've all been worried sick about you! What happened?”
The girl shook her head and wrapped her arms around herself tightly. She held the gaze Sophie had on her, but she could still feel herself slipping away. Somewhere. “I'm not ready to fall,” she whispered.
“Oh Parker,” Sophie sighed. She reached out a hand to the blond's arm. “Nothing says you have to be ready yet.”
“What if...what if I never am?”
“You will be. One day you will be.”
“What if he hates me?”
“He won't.”
“How do you know?”
Sophie paused, then pulled on Parker's arm to pull her through the door. Parker went, but only just. She stood on the other side of the threshold, waiting for her answer. Sophie's head shook and she still watched her friend.
“We never really hate the people we love. We just...love until it hurts.”
Parker's head shook quickly, as the tears that had been threatening her all night began to fall. “I don't want to love at all.”
“Don't say that.” Sophie pulled Parker into her arms. Parker wanted to pull back from it, but instead she went stiffly, not giving in to it. Sophie only held her tighter. “Don't ever say that,” Sophie whispered. It took several moments, but then Parker started to melt into the embrace. All Sophie could do was rub her back, and whisper into her ear soothingly. “We'll figure it out one day, Parker. We'll both figure it out one day.”
Author: defy_n_gravity
Prompt: 100_tales: 039. Hours
Characters: Parker, Sophie Devereaux
Rating: T
Words: 610
Disclaimer: I have no claim on Leverage or it's characters, just using for fun.
Warning: Slight spoilers for 407: The Grave Danger Job
Author's Notes: An AU from canon. More follows this world where Sophie and Nate aren't together and neither are Parker and Hardison. Not really sure where it came from, I just...saw the ending end a little differently and wanted to write it.
Summary: “We never really hate the people we love. We just...love until it hurts.”
She was so happy to see him. She wanted to run to him and throw her arms around him, so why did she turn and walk away? She doesn't know, but it's what she did. She met his eyes, she saw that he was waiting for her to run over, and she walked away.
She could hear them behind her. He called for her, Sophie called for her, but she kept going. Everything hurt and she couldn't breathe. Happiness was mixed in there somewhere, but it was all too much at once.
And then it was two hours later and she was still walking. She was circling the same blocks, ignoring her cell phone, and letting her feet take her wherever they were going.
She wanted to go find him and tell him how glad she was that he was alive, but she couldn't. She didn't know how. How could she put into words how much she needed him but didn't want him all at the same time? How did she tell him that he mattered more to her than anyone ever had, but that she didn't love him the right way? She didn't know if there really was a right way to love or not, but she knew she wasn't doing it. She couldn't.
She walked.
She walked all night long.
And eventually that walking ended with her at Sophie's door. Her reason, her wisdom, her answer to everything. Her hand came up, but paused. Sophie probably thought she was ready to be with Hardison. That she had changed her mind. The woman certainly made it sound that way when they had spoken in the gazebo. But she hadn't. If anything, Parker was convinced more than ever that it wasn't right. That she couldn't do it. Could she so easily say that to Sophie? Would Sophie hate her for being this confusing? Her eyes closed and she breathed slowly, debating if she was going to knock or not.
She did.
The door opened and Parker took a deep breath again before opening her eyes to look at Sophie.
“Parker! We've all been worried sick about you! What happened?”
The girl shook her head and wrapped her arms around herself tightly. She held the gaze Sophie had on her, but she could still feel herself slipping away. Somewhere. “I'm not ready to fall,” she whispered.
“Oh Parker,” Sophie sighed. She reached out a hand to the blond's arm. “Nothing says you have to be ready yet.”
“What if...what if I never am?”
“You will be. One day you will be.”
“What if he hates me?”
“He won't.”
“How do you know?”
Sophie paused, then pulled on Parker's arm to pull her through the door. Parker went, but only just. She stood on the other side of the threshold, waiting for her answer. Sophie's head shook and she still watched her friend.
“We never really hate the people we love. We just...love until it hurts.”
Parker's head shook quickly, as the tears that had been threatening her all night began to fall. “I don't want to love at all.”
“Don't say that.” Sophie pulled Parker into her arms. Parker wanted to pull back from it, but instead she went stiffly, not giving in to it. Sophie only held her tighter. “Don't ever say that,” Sophie whispered. It took several moments, but then Parker started to melt into the embrace. All Sophie could do was rub her back, and whisper into her ear soothingly. “We'll figure it out one day, Parker. We'll both figure it out one day.”