muses_w_remotes | 6.7. Dawson's Creek quote
6.7. "There are certain people who are not meant to fit in your life, no matter how much you want them to."
| Dawson's Creek
Co-written with notskywalker
[Follows THIS and THIS]
Aiden pushed his hand through his hair as he stepped aside and let Luke into his hotel room. “Shouldn’t you be looking after Tab?” he pointed out tiredly.
“She’s with Riley. Riley’s girlfriend is there. I’m good at multitasking,” Luke said with a shrug. He went to the mini bar and took out two cans of Coke, handing one to his friend. “I figured you’d be over here brooding. You’re staying in Princeton, so either Pat gave a little or he gave nothing and you’re going back to give it another shot in the morning.”
With a roll of his eyes, Aiden took the can and snapped it open. He dropped down onto the end of the bed with a heavy sigh. “Genius,” he muttered sarcastically. “I wasn’t going to just fuck off and leave him in hospital. Especially not after…”
“After he told you,” Luke finished.
Aiden’s face fell again. “Yeah. I mean, fuck. Just fuck.” His fingers threaded through his hair again and he stared at his feet, the barrage of thoughts swirling in his mind again.
Luke gave Aiden a moment with his thoughts while he sipped his drink. The turmoil was evident in his friend’s eyes and tone of voice, not to mention his blond hair sticking up every which way from all the distracted finger-threading. “How do you feel about it?” he asked quietly. “He actually lives with Tab’s brother because it’s too much of a risk to live on his own. His last attack, he sliced the palm of his hand on a knife and didn’t feel it because his hand was numb. Another time before that, he passed out in the shower after a shift at work and was out cold for hours before someone found him to get him to the hospital. Can you see why we couldn’t tell you about it? That it was something he needed to trust you enough to reveal himself?”
Aiden flicked at the ring on the can, closing his eyes briefly as he listened to the trauma Pat had to go through. A handful of many, most likely. “Yeah, I see it.” He looked up at Luke. “I told him I’d visit him again tomorrow.”
“You’re having second thoughts?” Luke asked hesitantly.
“No,” Aiden said immediately. “I’m not, and that’s what’s worrying me. I still… I still want a chance with him, despite the illness. But what if I can’t do this? What if I let him down? He’s so fragile and scared to let himself be what he should be. He’s letting this sickness drown his chances of being happy because he thinks no one is going to want to deal with it with him… for him. And I want to. I just don’t know if I’m strong enough to pull it off, Luke. What am I suppose to do here?” he asked pleadingly.
Luke put the drink down so Aiden would have his undivided attention. “There’s something you need to remember here, mate. Pat is very loved. He has a lot of people around him who care for him and love him, and who will always want to protect him. Pat knows this and he knows he can trust his family and friends to care for him when the going gets tough. But you’re an unknown quantity. It’s going to take some time for him to know your heart is in the right place and the only way he’s going to learn that is what you can give him. But remember, you’re not going to be alone in it. When Pat is sick, his family and friends are always going to be there too because that is just how their group works. You don’t need to come in and be Superman, and I doubt Pat wants that in a boyfriend. You just need to come in and be someone he knows he can lean on and trust. Someone who understands. Someone who can be there with everyone else when things aren’t so easy. Maybe even someone who can just help him and give him a hug when he’s feeling bad. The only question is, are you strong enough to handle a partner who has an illness and needs to be taken care of as well as needs to be loved despite it? Is that something that can fit into your life?”
Aiden rubbed his hands over his face and looked at Luke through his fingers. He soon leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees with his hands hanging to the floor. “I think so?” he said helplessly. “How am I supposed to know something like that until I try? Hell, I can’t even remember the last time I fucking stepped into a hospital, let alone taken care of any sick people. But I like him, Luke. I really fucking like him and I want to be what he needs, but I… I…”
“Then just take each day,” Luke cut in gently. “Get to know him and let him get to know you. There is nothing else you can do, Aiden. You just have to show him now you’re worth laying his protected heart on the line and that you’re worth the risk of getting hurt.”
“What if I’m not?” Aiden mumbled.
“You are, mate.” Luke smiled faintly at his friend. “You’re here and this is eating you up inside. Trust me when I say that you are worth it.”
Aiden gave a tiny nod and looked over at the mini bar while he chewed his lip. “I’m going to do this. He’s… I…” He frowned slightly in realisation. “He’s worth it for me.”
All characters referenced with permission
Word Count | 941
| Dawson's Creek
Co-written with notskywalker
[Follows THIS and THIS]
Aiden pushed his hand through his hair as he stepped aside and let Luke into his hotel room. “Shouldn’t you be looking after Tab?” he pointed out tiredly.
“She’s with Riley. Riley’s girlfriend is there. I’m good at multitasking,” Luke said with a shrug. He went to the mini bar and took out two cans of Coke, handing one to his friend. “I figured you’d be over here brooding. You’re staying in Princeton, so either Pat gave a little or he gave nothing and you’re going back to give it another shot in the morning.”
With a roll of his eyes, Aiden took the can and snapped it open. He dropped down onto the end of the bed with a heavy sigh. “Genius,” he muttered sarcastically. “I wasn’t going to just fuck off and leave him in hospital. Especially not after…”
“After he told you,” Luke finished.
Aiden’s face fell again. “Yeah. I mean, fuck. Just fuck.” His fingers threaded through his hair again and he stared at his feet, the barrage of thoughts swirling in his mind again.
Luke gave Aiden a moment with his thoughts while he sipped his drink. The turmoil was evident in his friend’s eyes and tone of voice, not to mention his blond hair sticking up every which way from all the distracted finger-threading. “How do you feel about it?” he asked quietly. “He actually lives with Tab’s brother because it’s too much of a risk to live on his own. His last attack, he sliced the palm of his hand on a knife and didn’t feel it because his hand was numb. Another time before that, he passed out in the shower after a shift at work and was out cold for hours before someone found him to get him to the hospital. Can you see why we couldn’t tell you about it? That it was something he needed to trust you enough to reveal himself?”
Aiden flicked at the ring on the can, closing his eyes briefly as he listened to the trauma Pat had to go through. A handful of many, most likely. “Yeah, I see it.” He looked up at Luke. “I told him I’d visit him again tomorrow.”
“You’re having second thoughts?” Luke asked hesitantly.
“No,” Aiden said immediately. “I’m not, and that’s what’s worrying me. I still… I still want a chance with him, despite the illness. But what if I can’t do this? What if I let him down? He’s so fragile and scared to let himself be what he should be. He’s letting this sickness drown his chances of being happy because he thinks no one is going to want to deal with it with him… for him. And I want to. I just don’t know if I’m strong enough to pull it off, Luke. What am I suppose to do here?” he asked pleadingly.
Luke put the drink down so Aiden would have his undivided attention. “There’s something you need to remember here, mate. Pat is very loved. He has a lot of people around him who care for him and love him, and who will always want to protect him. Pat knows this and he knows he can trust his family and friends to care for him when the going gets tough. But you’re an unknown quantity. It’s going to take some time for him to know your heart is in the right place and the only way he’s going to learn that is what you can give him. But remember, you’re not going to be alone in it. When Pat is sick, his family and friends are always going to be there too because that is just how their group works. You don’t need to come in and be Superman, and I doubt Pat wants that in a boyfriend. You just need to come in and be someone he knows he can lean on and trust. Someone who understands. Someone who can be there with everyone else when things aren’t so easy. Maybe even someone who can just help him and give him a hug when he’s feeling bad. The only question is, are you strong enough to handle a partner who has an illness and needs to be taken care of as well as needs to be loved despite it? Is that something that can fit into your life?”
Aiden rubbed his hands over his face and looked at Luke through his fingers. He soon leaned forward and rested his elbows on his knees with his hands hanging to the floor. “I think so?” he said helplessly. “How am I supposed to know something like that until I try? Hell, I can’t even remember the last time I fucking stepped into a hospital, let alone taken care of any sick people. But I like him, Luke. I really fucking like him and I want to be what he needs, but I… I…”
“Then just take each day,” Luke cut in gently. “Get to know him and let him get to know you. There is nothing else you can do, Aiden. You just have to show him now you’re worth laying his protected heart on the line and that you’re worth the risk of getting hurt.”
“What if I’m not?” Aiden mumbled.
“You are, mate.” Luke smiled faintly at his friend. “You’re here and this is eating you up inside. Trust me when I say that you are worth it.”
Aiden gave a tiny nod and looked over at the mini bar while he chewed his lip. “I’m going to do this. He’s… I…” He frowned slightly in realisation. “He’s worth it for me.”
All characters referenced with permission
Word Count | 941