Post by Praline on Jul 29, 2008 17:02:49 GMT 10
Sorry for the delay. I had to write it twice because it didn't work for me. But I promise next one will be up soon.
As usual, thank you Lady MacBeth for your amazing support. <3
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CHAPTER 4: “THE MAN, THE WOMAN”.
The universe faded around them as they recognized the magnitude of the circumstance. Standing a few steps away from each other, neither of them made a move as if unsure the other had recognized them.
But one thing was clear; they couldn’t deny that their faces showed shock and disbelief at an incomprehensible level.
He knew those eyes, fearful and hopeful at once, dark and filled with secrets, the eyes that he’d looked into and fallen into and fallen in love with. The curve of her lips, frowning slightly and inviting him to make them smile, inviting him to kiss them. She may have grown taller and older, but he’d recognize those eyes and those lips a thousand miles away.
She knew those eyes, bright and mysterious, more sadness in them than before, but still his, still filled with colors that she’d never seen anywhere else, colors that swirled around like watercolors and painted pictures of his thoughts. The curl of his lips as he gaped at her, the beginnings of a smile, and she knew he still loved her in some way, because that smile was the same on her daughter’s face.
After so many years…He was there, she was there. It was so simple and terrifying. Just when he was thinking the way of tracing her…and just when he appeared in her thoughts almost every day.
Destiny? Coincidence? Or mere Luck? A shudder ran through her spine as he gave a step forward.
Abruptly, a wave of panic took her over and before she knew, her legs betrayed her taking her out in a rush to the ambulance bay.
Luka stood there for a second but he didn’t have to guess what had happened. Even after so many years, he recalled her very well. Her reactions, her insecurities, her defensiveness under pressure. He smiled and went to follow her. She hadn’t changed much in that way, and he wondered how much she had changed in others.
Outside, Abby closed her eyes as she breathed in deeply the warm breeze. Her head was spinning with hundreds of questions without answers, all assaulting her at the same time. Trying to clear up her mind, she sat on the small bench close to the door. Now What? What to do? What was she supposed to say?
He appeared at the emergency’s door and their gazes met for a second. Daunted, she looked down to the ground, biting her lower lip as he approached her shyly. It was as if they were teens all over again. His legs froze, feet glued to the ground as he stood right in front of her. Uneasy, she looked up at him. What an awkward moment...
“I...” He tilted his head to one side, frowning. “I… swear that I’m not a pervert.” He smiled.
She looked at him for a second and then a soft chuckled escaped her lips.
“Can I sit?” He asked.
She closed her eyes, nodding. A smile still lingered on her face. “I’m sorry.” She said, turning to look at the man sitting next to her. “I didn’t...I...”
“It’s alright.” He shrugged. “I wouldn’t have paid more attention to you if you wouldn’t have said it.”
She pressed her lips together, her cheeks blushing deeply. “I never…” She avoided his gaze. How could he still make her feel this way? “I never thought I was going to see you again…Luka.” She gathered enough confidence to finally look at him.
He smiled. She recalled his name. “I had a little hope I would, Abby.”
Abby blushed again, her lips failing to hide the most evident smile.
Slowly and with a tender smile, his arms invited her into a hug. She was hesitant at first; she knew the boy but this man? He was a complete stranger…A stranger she missed, one that occupied her thoughts almost every day...Oh, the hell! She buried herself into his embrace, his arms folded protectively around her, her face buried in his chest. He held her tightly, like he hadn’t held her in years, his heart beating faster as he did. Oh God, how much he missed her... How hard it was for him to leave her that day…Softly, he delighted in the warmthness of her body, the scent of her hair, the same scent he remembered quite well.
It felt nice but strange at the same time...it felt just the same as that moment years ago when in each other’s arms they had to say goodbye, when she forced herself to be optimistic and when he was, like never before, doubting everything...
“Who knows? Maybe we’ll see each other again. When we’re older and I’m legal.”
He smiled. “Maybe.”
And she was right… “Strawberry.” He said, as he breathed in deeply the scent of her hair.
She frowned, pulling away a little to look at him.
“Your perfume…shampoo.” He said shyly. “It’s still the same.
Her frown disappeared. “How can you remember that?” She chuckled.
“I remember everything. I remember the scent of your hair, the tiny scar on your cheek…” He touched it gently with his thumb. “Every single part of you…your smile the best.” He felt kind of stupid for saying it. Like the first day they met, when he threw breadcrumbs at her feet, as if she was some kind of seagull. “I told you once that I never thought I would forget you, even if I tried.”
She smiled at him, completely touched and intimidated at the same time, not sure what to say… “So...” She raised her eyebrows. “Your last name was Kovac?” Good way of breaking the awkwardness of the moment. A smile appeared on her face.
He laughed quietly, recalling how that was the only thing he never asked her, her last name. “Yes it was and it still is...”
She nodded. “Good to know…”
“And you are...?”
“I would have been Wyzcenski when we first met. But I’m Lockhart now.”
“Now?” A little twist pinched his heart. She was married?
“HEY! DR. KOVAC!” Weaver appeared making dangerous motions with her crutch. “You are nine minutes late, make it ten and you’ll be having coffee with Immigration Services!”
He turned to look at Abby.
“Come on, I’m late too.” She started to walk back to the ER.
Could he dare to ask her? Yes, he could... “I think we should finish this conversation…”
“Couldn’t agree more.”
He smiled. “At what time are you off?”
The whole day, they watched each other, from the corner of their eyes, through the windows, down the hall, always trying to wake up from the dream. But it wasn’t. Clocks weren’t so awfully slow in dreams, now were they? Abby wondered as she peered at him through the fish tank, feeding them for a fifth time that day. He was even taller than before, and even more handsome. Would he still think she was beautiful? She looked down, frowning. She’d barely grown since she was fifteen, least of all in the places most men were interested in. Would it matter to him? She shook her head, clearing the thoughts away. She was getting too far ahead of herself. They hadn’t seen each other in thirteen years, and here she was, staring at him and thinking about things she definitely shouldn’t be. Or should she? She blushed as he noticed her, smiling like a complete fool, the way he had all those years ago. Maybe. Just maybe…
As usual, thank you Lady MacBeth for your amazing support. <3
________________________
CHAPTER 4: “THE MAN, THE WOMAN”.
The universe faded around them as they recognized the magnitude of the circumstance. Standing a few steps away from each other, neither of them made a move as if unsure the other had recognized them.
But one thing was clear; they couldn’t deny that their faces showed shock and disbelief at an incomprehensible level.
He knew those eyes, fearful and hopeful at once, dark and filled with secrets, the eyes that he’d looked into and fallen into and fallen in love with. The curve of her lips, frowning slightly and inviting him to make them smile, inviting him to kiss them. She may have grown taller and older, but he’d recognize those eyes and those lips a thousand miles away.
She knew those eyes, bright and mysterious, more sadness in them than before, but still his, still filled with colors that she’d never seen anywhere else, colors that swirled around like watercolors and painted pictures of his thoughts. The curl of his lips as he gaped at her, the beginnings of a smile, and she knew he still loved her in some way, because that smile was the same on her daughter’s face.
After so many years…He was there, she was there. It was so simple and terrifying. Just when he was thinking the way of tracing her…and just when he appeared in her thoughts almost every day.
Destiny? Coincidence? Or mere Luck? A shudder ran through her spine as he gave a step forward.
Abruptly, a wave of panic took her over and before she knew, her legs betrayed her taking her out in a rush to the ambulance bay.
Luka stood there for a second but he didn’t have to guess what had happened. Even after so many years, he recalled her very well. Her reactions, her insecurities, her defensiveness under pressure. He smiled and went to follow her. She hadn’t changed much in that way, and he wondered how much she had changed in others.
Outside, Abby closed her eyes as she breathed in deeply the warm breeze. Her head was spinning with hundreds of questions without answers, all assaulting her at the same time. Trying to clear up her mind, she sat on the small bench close to the door. Now What? What to do? What was she supposed to say?
He appeared at the emergency’s door and their gazes met for a second. Daunted, she looked down to the ground, biting her lower lip as he approached her shyly. It was as if they were teens all over again. His legs froze, feet glued to the ground as he stood right in front of her. Uneasy, she looked up at him. What an awkward moment...
“I...” He tilted his head to one side, frowning. “I… swear that I’m not a pervert.” He smiled.
She looked at him for a second and then a soft chuckled escaped her lips.
“Can I sit?” He asked.
She closed her eyes, nodding. A smile still lingered on her face. “I’m sorry.” She said, turning to look at the man sitting next to her. “I didn’t...I...”
“It’s alright.” He shrugged. “I wouldn’t have paid more attention to you if you wouldn’t have said it.”
She pressed her lips together, her cheeks blushing deeply. “I never…” She avoided his gaze. How could he still make her feel this way? “I never thought I was going to see you again…Luka.” She gathered enough confidence to finally look at him.
He smiled. She recalled his name. “I had a little hope I would, Abby.”
Abby blushed again, her lips failing to hide the most evident smile.
Slowly and with a tender smile, his arms invited her into a hug. She was hesitant at first; she knew the boy but this man? He was a complete stranger…A stranger she missed, one that occupied her thoughts almost every day...Oh, the hell! She buried herself into his embrace, his arms folded protectively around her, her face buried in his chest. He held her tightly, like he hadn’t held her in years, his heart beating faster as he did. Oh God, how much he missed her... How hard it was for him to leave her that day…Softly, he delighted in the warmthness of her body, the scent of her hair, the same scent he remembered quite well.
It felt nice but strange at the same time...it felt just the same as that moment years ago when in each other’s arms they had to say goodbye, when she forced herself to be optimistic and when he was, like never before, doubting everything...
“Who knows? Maybe we’ll see each other again. When we’re older and I’m legal.”
He smiled. “Maybe.”
And she was right… “Strawberry.” He said, as he breathed in deeply the scent of her hair.
She frowned, pulling away a little to look at him.
“Your perfume…shampoo.” He said shyly. “It’s still the same.
Her frown disappeared. “How can you remember that?” She chuckled.
“I remember everything. I remember the scent of your hair, the tiny scar on your cheek…” He touched it gently with his thumb. “Every single part of you…your smile the best.” He felt kind of stupid for saying it. Like the first day they met, when he threw breadcrumbs at her feet, as if she was some kind of seagull. “I told you once that I never thought I would forget you, even if I tried.”
She smiled at him, completely touched and intimidated at the same time, not sure what to say… “So...” She raised her eyebrows. “Your last name was Kovac?” Good way of breaking the awkwardness of the moment. A smile appeared on her face.
He laughed quietly, recalling how that was the only thing he never asked her, her last name. “Yes it was and it still is...”
She nodded. “Good to know…”
“And you are...?”
“I would have been Wyzcenski when we first met. But I’m Lockhart now.”
“Now?” A little twist pinched his heart. She was married?
“HEY! DR. KOVAC!” Weaver appeared making dangerous motions with her crutch. “You are nine minutes late, make it ten and you’ll be having coffee with Immigration Services!”
He turned to look at Abby.
“Come on, I’m late too.” She started to walk back to the ER.
Could he dare to ask her? Yes, he could... “I think we should finish this conversation…”
“Couldn’t agree more.”
He smiled. “At what time are you off?”
The whole day, they watched each other, from the corner of their eyes, through the windows, down the hall, always trying to wake up from the dream. But it wasn’t. Clocks weren’t so awfully slow in dreams, now were they? Abby wondered as she peered at him through the fish tank, feeding them for a fifth time that day. He was even taller than before, and even more handsome. Would he still think she was beautiful? She looked down, frowning. She’d barely grown since she was fifteen, least of all in the places most men were interested in. Would it matter to him? She shook her head, clearing the thoughts away. She was getting too far ahead of herself. They hadn’t seen each other in thirteen years, and here she was, staring at him and thinking about things she definitely shouldn’t be. Or should she? She blushed as he noticed her, smiling like a complete fool, the way he had all those years ago. Maybe. Just maybe…