When I Awoken
This story is inspired by a still from Joshua Jackson's film One Week. It takes place over the weekend, Peter is used with permission and love.
Wherever you go, there you are.
He was watching the sun set when she found him. Not the sunset. There's a difference.
"I want to go home."
"Okay." He spoke quietly, still watching the sky.
"You don't want to know why?"
"No."
"Why?"
He shrugged. "Okay, I want to know why, but I don't need to know why."
"What do you need to know?"
A long silent moment went by; finally Peter turned to look at her.
"Where did you go today."
--
She'd woken in his arms, content and calm, and it crossed her mind she wanted to wake every day in his arms. At the thought she instantly and inexplicably needed to get away.
"I don't understand, where are you going to go?"
"Just somewhere. Nowhere. I don't know."
"But by yourself."
"Yeah." She crossed her arms, shrugging, and she looked smaller than he'd ever seen her. He wanted to pull her into his arms but every sense was telling him not to.
"Why?"
"I don't know."
"Oh."
It wasn't anything to do with him. She tried to say and he tried to believe her. It was unclear how successful either of them were. She issn't used to constants. Possibly because when they show up she runs away but is now the time to dwell on that? She's in the middle of running away.
"I'll be back before dark."
"Ok." She was paused at the door; he sat on the bed, not watching her.
"Before sunset."
"Ok."
"I'm fast." She hadn't moved and neither had he; he looked up at the note of quiet pleading in her voice.
"I know."
"Take the day, do whatever. Have fun."
"Ok." She waited for his smile but it didn't come.
--
He was watching the sun set when she found him. Down the road from the motel, or up as it was a hill. Too far to walk, it's a long road...he could do it, of course, much easier than most, but that's not the point. He'd found a perfect place to watch the sun set, elevated yet hidden, the road and its unlit streetlamps the only sign of civilization for as far as the eye can see.
...A long silent moment went by; finally Peter turned to look at her.
"Where did you go today."
She chewed her lip. It wasn't a question, really, the way he said it. It was an answer. Carol shook her head, tried to force her thoughts in order, tried to come up with some way to explain. He was watching, waiting with a patience that scared her; she forced her mouth open but all that came out was a sob. She was clutched tight in his arms, her face smashed against his chest, before she fully realized she was crying.
"I'm sorry. You don't have to tell me."
His heart was pounding in her ear as she shook her head. "I didn't go anywhere." Maybe it was her heart. "There wasn't anywhere to go."
"It's okay."
"It's not."
He pulled back just enough to take her face in his hands and force her to meet his eyes. "We'll make it okay." She swallowed, his hands were warm against her cheeks. "We'll make it okay."
Carol took a deep breath and nodded. Her tears dried up and she straightened her shoulders, transforming before his eyes. "That's my girl." She made a face. "Woman." She laughed quietly.
"I'm my own woman."
"You can't be both?"
She leaned into his chest again. "Maybe."
"You're my sunshine."
"Your only sunshine?"
"No." He shifted until she was facing the horizon but still tucked up against him.
"I didn't miss it." He kissed the top of her head. They watched together as the sun slipped away. She took another deep breath and whispered into the wind. "You're my home."
"I'm glad."
Wherever you go, there you are.
He was watching the sun set when she found him. Not the sunset. There's a difference.
"I want to go home."
"Okay." He spoke quietly, still watching the sky.
"You don't want to know why?"
"No."
"Why?"
He shrugged. "Okay, I want to know why, but I don't need to know why."
"What do you need to know?"
A long silent moment went by; finally Peter turned to look at her.
"Where did you go today."
--
She'd woken in his arms, content and calm, and it crossed her mind she wanted to wake every day in his arms. At the thought she instantly and inexplicably needed to get away.
"I don't understand, where are you going to go?"
"Just somewhere. Nowhere. I don't know."
"But by yourself."
"Yeah." She crossed her arms, shrugging, and she looked smaller than he'd ever seen her. He wanted to pull her into his arms but every sense was telling him not to.
"Why?"
"I don't know."
"Oh."
It wasn't anything to do with him. She tried to say and he tried to believe her. It was unclear how successful either of them were. She issn't used to constants. Possibly because when they show up she runs away but is now the time to dwell on that? She's in the middle of running away.
"I'll be back before dark."
"Ok." She was paused at the door; he sat on the bed, not watching her.
"Before sunset."
"Ok."
"I'm fast." She hadn't moved and neither had he; he looked up at the note of quiet pleading in her voice.
"I know."
"Take the day, do whatever. Have fun."
"Ok." She waited for his smile but it didn't come.
--
He was watching the sun set when she found him. Down the road from the motel, or up as it was a hill. Too far to walk, it's a long road...he could do it, of course, much easier than most, but that's not the point. He'd found a perfect place to watch the sun set, elevated yet hidden, the road and its unlit streetlamps the only sign of civilization for as far as the eye can see.
...A long silent moment went by; finally Peter turned to look at her.
"Where did you go today."
She chewed her lip. It wasn't a question, really, the way he said it. It was an answer. Carol shook her head, tried to force her thoughts in order, tried to come up with some way to explain. He was watching, waiting with a patience that scared her; she forced her mouth open but all that came out was a sob. She was clutched tight in his arms, her face smashed against his chest, before she fully realized she was crying.
"I'm sorry. You don't have to tell me."
His heart was pounding in her ear as she shook her head. "I didn't go anywhere." Maybe it was her heart. "There wasn't anywhere to go."
"It's okay."
"It's not."
He pulled back just enough to take her face in his hands and force her to meet his eyes. "We'll make it okay." She swallowed, his hands were warm against her cheeks. "We'll make it okay."
Carol took a deep breath and nodded. Her tears dried up and she straightened her shoulders, transforming before his eyes. "That's my girl." She made a face. "Woman." She laughed quietly.
"I'm my own woman."
"You can't be both?"
She leaned into his chest again. "Maybe."
"You're my sunshine."
"Your only sunshine?"
"No." He shifted until she was facing the horizon but still tucked up against him.
"I didn't miss it." He kissed the top of her head. They watched together as the sun slipped away. She took another deep breath and whispered into the wind. "You're my home."
"I'm glad."