fic: Left Behind
Title: Left Behind
Pairing: Julie/Landry
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Really light spoilers for 4.07 "In the Bag"
Summary: Julie feels a void and Landry steps in.
A/N: Five Acts Meme! for stainofmylove, UST and sharing!
It's pretty late at night when there's a knock on his door. His parents are out of town and nobody else is home, so he begrudgingly walks to his front door to see who could possibly be visiting this time of night.
As his hand twists the doorknob, his mind wonders if it just might be Tyra and his heartbeat speeds up ever so slightly. Then he shakes his head and chides himself for thinking something so foolish. He pulls the door towards him and though the momentary glimpse of blonde hair catches him off guard, he soon realizes it's not Tyra.
"Julie, what are you doing here?" He sees her red eyes and the tear streaked, what was that eye lash twisty thing...oh yeah, mascara, running down her face. He hasn't seen her since she ran off stage at the Academic Smackdown earlier that day and something told him he should give her space.
"Can I come in?"
He takes a step back, making room for her. "Oh yeah, sorry about that. Please, come in."
She steps into his house, blinking back hot tears that threaten to spill once again. She sniffles. "I'm sorry it's late and it's a school night and-"
He places a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Julie, it's okay. I wasn't asleep yet anyway." Gently, he steers her towards the living room and turns on a floor lamp. A soft glow of light fills the living room without making it overbearingly bright.
She sits down on the well worn couch, staring at her hands. "He called his mom. He called his grandmother. He didn't call me."
"Oh." He's a loss for words, something pretty out of the ordinary for him. "Well, maybe something came up. Or maybe he's too scared to call you. Or maybe his cell phone battery died, because you know those things. Batteries wear down quickly, especially those rechargeable ones because-"
"Landry, shut up."
"If it makes you feel better, he hasn't called me either. And I'm his best friend."
"Some best friend," she mutters, bitterness coloring every word. "How could he just..," her voice cracks and she looks up at Landry, a sad expression marring her face.
A sigh passes his lips. "I'm sure he has a good reason," though his own tone of voice doesn't even convince him. Awkwardly, he wraps an arm around her and lets her curl into him. He feels her body shudder and soon the feeling of something soaking through the cotton fabric of his t-shirt.
"Can I stay here tonight? I just...don't want to be alone right now." Her words come out muffled.
He freezes slightly at her words. "Um, I don't know Julie. Do your parents know you're here? Because the last thing I need would be for your parents to get mad at me. Especially your dad because see, I really like football and I like being on the team. And like, your dad already calls me Lance even though I think he knows my name isn't Lance and-"
After pushing herself up away from his body, Julie places her hand over his mouth, effectively shutting him up. "I told them I went to Devin's."
"Oh." He falls silent for a few minutes. "Yeah, sure. You can sleep in my room and I'll stay out here on the couch."
"No."
He looks at her, a picture perfect surprised expression on his face. "No?"
"We're adults, Landry. I think we can share a bed without any problems. And if I wanted someone in a different room than me, I would have just stayed home."
His mouth opens, but no words come out, and he just closes his mouth. Silently, he stands up and makes his way towards his room, beckoning Julie to follow him. He closes his bedroom door once they're both inside.
Wordlessly, they climb into bed, both trying to stay as far away as they can from the other. But all best laid plans go to waste, as soon enough, Landry finds Julie wrapping herself around his body with her head buried in the crook of his neck.
He's okay with this, doesn't mind his best friend's girlfriend, or is it ex now, curled up around him with one of his hands gently stroking her back. They know their boundaries, know that it's only platonic feelings between them, know that Matt's venture to Chicago left them both raw, know that-
"Whoa," he starts when he feels a hand traveling down his body. He reaches and catches her wrist and brings it back up. "I don't think that's a good idea."
Julie lifts her head from his shoulder and stares at him. "Why not?" She leans forward ever so slightly and her face is barely away from his.
His eyes look downward at her lips and unconsciously, he licks his own. She's so close that he could just kiss her. Kiss her and make her forget about what Matt's done, what Matt hasn't done, and whatnot. He drops her wrist to cup her face, his eyes back up on hers. Their faces are even closer now and-
"Sorry Julie, I can't," Landry pulls away, turning his head to not meet her gaze. "I don't want us to do anything we'd both regret. We both know this is about Matt-"
"It's not about him," she protests but with less conviction than she had a day or two before. She flops back down on the bed, away from him, her eyes closed. "Maybe this was a bad idea, coming over here."
"Look, it's been a rough deal. I see that. I get that. It's also late and we're both not running on all cylinders right now. So just stay here tonight and well, yeah." He takes her hand in his. "It'll be fine."
"Would you mind...holding me though?"
"Come here."
She sidles up next to him on her side, her head on his warm chest. He places an arm around her protectively and he feels her breathing slow as she drifts off to sleep. When he finally falls asleep later, he dreams that he hadn't pulled himself away from her. And in the morning, he feels a weird sense of loss when he wakes up and Julie's already gone.
Damn.
Pairing: Julie/Landry
Rating: PG-13
Spoilers: Really light spoilers for 4.07 "In the Bag"
Summary: Julie feels a void and Landry steps in.
A/N: Five Acts Meme! for stainofmylove, UST and sharing!
It's pretty late at night when there's a knock on his door. His parents are out of town and nobody else is home, so he begrudgingly walks to his front door to see who could possibly be visiting this time of night.
As his hand twists the doorknob, his mind wonders if it just might be Tyra and his heartbeat speeds up ever so slightly. Then he shakes his head and chides himself for thinking something so foolish. He pulls the door towards him and though the momentary glimpse of blonde hair catches him off guard, he soon realizes it's not Tyra.
"Julie, what are you doing here?" He sees her red eyes and the tear streaked, what was that eye lash twisty thing...oh yeah, mascara, running down her face. He hasn't seen her since she ran off stage at the Academic Smackdown earlier that day and something told him he should give her space.
"Can I come in?"
He takes a step back, making room for her. "Oh yeah, sorry about that. Please, come in."
She steps into his house, blinking back hot tears that threaten to spill once again. She sniffles. "I'm sorry it's late and it's a school night and-"
He places a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "Julie, it's okay. I wasn't asleep yet anyway." Gently, he steers her towards the living room and turns on a floor lamp. A soft glow of light fills the living room without making it overbearingly bright.
She sits down on the well worn couch, staring at her hands. "He called his mom. He called his grandmother. He didn't call me."
"Oh." He's a loss for words, something pretty out of the ordinary for him. "Well, maybe something came up. Or maybe he's too scared to call you. Or maybe his cell phone battery died, because you know those things. Batteries wear down quickly, especially those rechargeable ones because-"
"Landry, shut up."
"If it makes you feel better, he hasn't called me either. And I'm his best friend."
"Some best friend," she mutters, bitterness coloring every word. "How could he just..," her voice cracks and she looks up at Landry, a sad expression marring her face.
A sigh passes his lips. "I'm sure he has a good reason," though his own tone of voice doesn't even convince him. Awkwardly, he wraps an arm around her and lets her curl into him. He feels her body shudder and soon the feeling of something soaking through the cotton fabric of his t-shirt.
"Can I stay here tonight? I just...don't want to be alone right now." Her words come out muffled.
He freezes slightly at her words. "Um, I don't know Julie. Do your parents know you're here? Because the last thing I need would be for your parents to get mad at me. Especially your dad because see, I really like football and I like being on the team. And like, your dad already calls me Lance even though I think he knows my name isn't Lance and-"
After pushing herself up away from his body, Julie places her hand over his mouth, effectively shutting him up. "I told them I went to Devin's."
"Oh." He falls silent for a few minutes. "Yeah, sure. You can sleep in my room and I'll stay out here on the couch."
"No."
He looks at her, a picture perfect surprised expression on his face. "No?"
"We're adults, Landry. I think we can share a bed without any problems. And if I wanted someone in a different room than me, I would have just stayed home."
His mouth opens, but no words come out, and he just closes his mouth. Silently, he stands up and makes his way towards his room, beckoning Julie to follow him. He closes his bedroom door once they're both inside.
Wordlessly, they climb into bed, both trying to stay as far away as they can from the other. But all best laid plans go to waste, as soon enough, Landry finds Julie wrapping herself around his body with her head buried in the crook of his neck.
He's okay with this, doesn't mind his best friend's girlfriend, or is it ex now, curled up around him with one of his hands gently stroking her back. They know their boundaries, know that it's only platonic feelings between them, know that Matt's venture to Chicago left them both raw, know that-
"Whoa," he starts when he feels a hand traveling down his body. He reaches and catches her wrist and brings it back up. "I don't think that's a good idea."
Julie lifts her head from his shoulder and stares at him. "Why not?" She leans forward ever so slightly and her face is barely away from his.
His eyes look downward at her lips and unconsciously, he licks his own. She's so close that he could just kiss her. Kiss her and make her forget about what Matt's done, what Matt hasn't done, and whatnot. He drops her wrist to cup her face, his eyes back up on hers. Their faces are even closer now and-
"Sorry Julie, I can't," Landry pulls away, turning his head to not meet her gaze. "I don't want us to do anything we'd both regret. We both know this is about Matt-"
"It's not about him," she protests but with less conviction than she had a day or two before. She flops back down on the bed, away from him, her eyes closed. "Maybe this was a bad idea, coming over here."
"Look, it's been a rough deal. I see that. I get that. It's also late and we're both not running on all cylinders right now. So just stay here tonight and well, yeah." He takes her hand in his. "It'll be fine."
"Would you mind...holding me though?"
"Come here."
She sidles up next to him on her side, her head on his warm chest. He places an arm around her protectively and he feels her breathing slow as she drifts off to sleep. When he finally falls asleep later, he dreams that he hadn't pulled himself away from her. And in the morning, he feels a weird sense of loss when he wakes up and Julie's already gone.
Damn.