< couples_therapy - "I Love You" >
Nadine Lewis
Batman (OC)
(gothams_dent, arkhams_dr)
553 words
“I love you.”
A very simple sentence in theory. Nadine Lewis knew that. Still, the words were loaded, at least when used in a romantic sense. She'd said them to Jonathan, and he hadn't even blinked. He hadn't paused, merely continued on. He'd done that twice. Nadine consoled herself with inward assurances that he simply knew how she felt, so hearing it said had not surprised him. He'd known she'd say it when she was ready, and he knew it was for the best not to make a big deal out of it. Nadine would have liked some acknowledgment of the gravity of what she'd said, but he was the doctor. He knew best. She was sure it meant a lot to him. He just didn't want to make her uncomfortable by drawing attention to it. That was all.
She could say it to Jonathan. She should say it to Jonathan. However, what concerned her was how close she'd come, both the previous night and that very morning, to saying it to Harvey.
Not that it wasn't true. She wouldn't admit even that much to Jonathan, but it was true. She'd been in love with Harvey for... Well, for months now. He'd come to see her in the hospital at the end of September, and it wasn't quite Thanksgiving yet. It had been almost three months since then, and she'd been in love with him ever since.
Even with that in mind, telling Harvey that she loved him was out of the question. It always had been. Then, he'd been in love with Rachel, set on marrying her. Any attraction he'd had for her? Well, Nadine knew it wouldn't last. She'd been... What had she been? His dirty little secret, in a way. He'd been so confined, expected to be perfect. He'd had to let that image fail somewhere, and he'd chosen a quiet, personal failing that stayed behind closed doors. She'd always had the sense to keep her mouth shut, to expect nothing but a temporary infatuation. Well, at least from him. Privately, she liked to pretend to stood a chance.
Rachel was dead. Once December came around, it would be a month since she died. Harvey was grieving, was still deeply in love with her. Nadine knew he would always be in love with her.
It would only have complicated an already delicate situation to have told him she loved him. Especially when he was holding her, assuring her that there was no reason to be afraid. Especially when she had someone else. Especially when he was still mourning the loss of his fiancee.
Besides, she knew it would have been selfish. She would have been saying it to him to get the reaction Jonathan hadn't given her. She would have wanted him to respond, whether he was angry or cold or passionate. The latter wouldn't happen. Nadine knew that. Still, she liked to pretend it might. It would have been cruel to have told Harvey anything, though, and she couldn't do that to him. She couldn't intentionally say or do something that would upset him or hurt him, especially not to satisfy her own desire for something Jonathan had not given her.
After all, as far as Nadine was concerned, that wasn't what you did to someone you loved.
Batman (OC)
(gothams_dent, arkhams_dr)
553 words
“I love you.”
A very simple sentence in theory. Nadine Lewis knew that. Still, the words were loaded, at least when used in a romantic sense. She'd said them to Jonathan, and he hadn't even blinked. He hadn't paused, merely continued on. He'd done that twice. Nadine consoled herself with inward assurances that he simply knew how she felt, so hearing it said had not surprised him. He'd known she'd say it when she was ready, and he knew it was for the best not to make a big deal out of it. Nadine would have liked some acknowledgment of the gravity of what she'd said, but he was the doctor. He knew best. She was sure it meant a lot to him. He just didn't want to make her uncomfortable by drawing attention to it. That was all.
She could say it to Jonathan. She should say it to Jonathan. However, what concerned her was how close she'd come, both the previous night and that very morning, to saying it to Harvey.
Not that it wasn't true. She wouldn't admit even that much to Jonathan, but it was true. She'd been in love with Harvey for... Well, for months now. He'd come to see her in the hospital at the end of September, and it wasn't quite Thanksgiving yet. It had been almost three months since then, and she'd been in love with him ever since.
Even with that in mind, telling Harvey that she loved him was out of the question. It always had been. Then, he'd been in love with Rachel, set on marrying her. Any attraction he'd had for her? Well, Nadine knew it wouldn't last. She'd been... What had she been? His dirty little secret, in a way. He'd been so confined, expected to be perfect. He'd had to let that image fail somewhere, and he'd chosen a quiet, personal failing that stayed behind closed doors. She'd always had the sense to keep her mouth shut, to expect nothing but a temporary infatuation. Well, at least from him. Privately, she liked to pretend to stood a chance.
Rachel was dead. Once December came around, it would be a month since she died. Harvey was grieving, was still deeply in love with her. Nadine knew he would always be in love with her.
It would only have complicated an already delicate situation to have told him she loved him. Especially when he was holding her, assuring her that there was no reason to be afraid. Especially when she had someone else. Especially when he was still mourning the loss of his fiancee.
Besides, she knew it would have been selfish. She would have been saying it to him to get the reaction Jonathan hadn't given her. She would have wanted him to respond, whether he was angry or cold or passionate. The latter wouldn't happen. Nadine knew that. Still, she liked to pretend it might. It would have been cruel to have told Harvey anything, though, and she couldn't do that to him. She couldn't intentionally say or do something that would upset him or hurt him, especially not to satisfy her own desire for something Jonathan had not given her.
After all, as far as Nadine was concerned, that wasn't what you did to someone you loved.