A/N: Sorry that the chapter's so short, but I wanted to end on a little cliffhanger. I'm also sorry for the lack of S/V so far, but we'll get there eventually. Okay, I'd better stop apologizing and just let you read. Enjoy.
Talking and Walking
Placed in front of Vaughn was his favorite dish – vegetable lasagna – from his favorite restaurant, and all he was really doing was pushing it around the plate with his fork. His mind was too preoccupied with the pain he could feel emanating from his heart, overtaking every part of him.
Weiss noticed that Vaughn wasn’t eating anything and spoke up. “Mike, you’ve got to eat something.”
“I told you I wasn’t hungry,” he responded, irritated. “I’m just… tired.”
“Look, I know how hard this is for you; I was there for part of the last time until you disappeared. The only way you’re going to get through this is by first taking care of yourself. So, eat. Please.”
Vaughn hated to hear the pleading tone in Weiss’s voice. So, he relented and ate some of his food.
Weiss nodded and went back to his own meal. After a few minutes of silence between them, Vaughn glanced up and spoke softly. “I miss her already.”
Weiss look up at him sympathetically. “Yeah,” he said, waiting for Vaughn to continue.
“We’d come to places like this and order completely different meals, and then we’d split them. She’d always let me have more of her half than she’d take of mine. It’s those stupid little things that I’m always going to remember. It’s those things that will remind me of her wherever I am. And it’s killing me already.” He sighed and looked down.
Weiss gulped. He didn’t really know what to say to make Vaughn feel better, but he knew he had to try to say something uplifting. “Those things you remember, they don’t have to be negative now. They remind you of what you had, yes, but they also remind you of her. So, maybe she’ll always be with you.”
“I guess so. I’m just waiting for the pain that goes along with the thought of her to go away. I know and hate that it’s going to take a while.”
“It’s good that you know this is going to take time. Just know that I’m here for you anytime… Although, I’m not sure I’ll be much help at three in the morning, but I guess I can try, okay?”
“All right,” Vaughn smiled.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Weiss paid their check and they left the restaurant, opting to take a walk for a while instead of driving home. Vaughn said he needed some fresh air. The roads were mostly quiet, and a few stars could be seen despite the street lights. After a few minutes of walking quietly, Vaughn spoke up again.
“You know, we used to do this together, Lauren and I. Just after we were married, every night after work when we were in town together, we’d take a walk with Donovan. She loved walking under the stars with hardly anyone around but me and the dog. She used to say that this is what she wanted to do most when we both retired – take long walks at night together. It was romantic for her. I just loved being with her.”
“Yeah, I have the same type of thing with Allen. Although, I don’t have a beautiful wife to walk with, and I’m sure my dog enjoys the walks a whole lot more than I do.”
“Thanks, Eric,” Vaughn said, making no effort to hide the sarcasm in his voice.
“Uh… no problem. Look, I was just trying to relate, you know—“
“I know.” Vaughn stopped. “Let’s go back. It’s getting late.”
“All right. Hey, are you okay?” Weiss regarded him worriedly.
“I’m fine,” Vaughn said curtly.
Weiss could tell Vaughn was withdrawing, but he knew that by prodding him he’d only get his head chewed off, so he said nothing.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Home once more, Vaughn wasn’t sure what to do with himself. The last time he had had to do this, it was so easy for him to just to drink until he could forget the pain until it came back some other time. But, he knew he didn’t want to start that cycle again, seeing how hard it was to break that habit. He needed to talk to someone, someone other than Eric – someone who had really been through what he was going through now.
“Hi, it’s Vaughn. I was wondering if you could come to my place. I want to talk.”
He let out a deep breath and closed his eyes as he hung up the phone. All of the reaching out so soon was wearing on him. But he knew it was good for him; at least it was different from when he left everyone he knew behind, isolating himself with his grief.
Half an hour later, he opened his door to the one person he thought would understand his grief the best.
“Hi. Come on in.”
TBC
A/N: So, any guesses on whom Vaughn called? Let me know...
Talking and Walking
Placed in front of Vaughn was his favorite dish – vegetable lasagna – from his favorite restaurant, and all he was really doing was pushing it around the plate with his fork. His mind was too preoccupied with the pain he could feel emanating from his heart, overtaking every part of him.
Weiss noticed that Vaughn wasn’t eating anything and spoke up. “Mike, you’ve got to eat something.”
“I told you I wasn’t hungry,” he responded, irritated. “I’m just… tired.”
“Look, I know how hard this is for you; I was there for part of the last time until you disappeared. The only way you’re going to get through this is by first taking care of yourself. So, eat. Please.”
Vaughn hated to hear the pleading tone in Weiss’s voice. So, he relented and ate some of his food.
Weiss nodded and went back to his own meal. After a few minutes of silence between them, Vaughn glanced up and spoke softly. “I miss her already.”
Weiss look up at him sympathetically. “Yeah,” he said, waiting for Vaughn to continue.
“We’d come to places like this and order completely different meals, and then we’d split them. She’d always let me have more of her half than she’d take of mine. It’s those stupid little things that I’m always going to remember. It’s those things that will remind me of her wherever I am. And it’s killing me already.” He sighed and looked down.
Weiss gulped. He didn’t really know what to say to make Vaughn feel better, but he knew he had to try to say something uplifting. “Those things you remember, they don’t have to be negative now. They remind you of what you had, yes, but they also remind you of her. So, maybe she’ll always be with you.”
“I guess so. I’m just waiting for the pain that goes along with the thought of her to go away. I know and hate that it’s going to take a while.”
“It’s good that you know this is going to take time. Just know that I’m here for you anytime… Although, I’m not sure I’ll be much help at three in the morning, but I guess I can try, okay?”
“All right,” Vaughn smiled.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Weiss paid their check and they left the restaurant, opting to take a walk for a while instead of driving home. Vaughn said he needed some fresh air. The roads were mostly quiet, and a few stars could be seen despite the street lights. After a few minutes of walking quietly, Vaughn spoke up again.
“You know, we used to do this together, Lauren and I. Just after we were married, every night after work when we were in town together, we’d take a walk with Donovan. She loved walking under the stars with hardly anyone around but me and the dog. She used to say that this is what she wanted to do most when we both retired – take long walks at night together. It was romantic for her. I just loved being with her.”
“Yeah, I have the same type of thing with Allen. Although, I don’t have a beautiful wife to walk with, and I’m sure my dog enjoys the walks a whole lot more than I do.”
“Thanks, Eric,” Vaughn said, making no effort to hide the sarcasm in his voice.
“Uh… no problem. Look, I was just trying to relate, you know—“
“I know.” Vaughn stopped. “Let’s go back. It’s getting late.”
“All right. Hey, are you okay?” Weiss regarded him worriedly.
“I’m fine,” Vaughn said curtly.
Weiss could tell Vaughn was withdrawing, but he knew that by prodding him he’d only get his head chewed off, so he said nothing.
~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~ ~
Home once more, Vaughn wasn’t sure what to do with himself. The last time he had had to do this, it was so easy for him to just to drink until he could forget the pain until it came back some other time. But, he knew he didn’t want to start that cycle again, seeing how hard it was to break that habit. He needed to talk to someone, someone other than Eric – someone who had really been through what he was going through now.
“Hi, it’s Vaughn. I was wondering if you could come to my place. I want to talk.”
He let out a deep breath and closed his eyes as he hung up the phone. All of the reaching out so soon was wearing on him. But he knew it was good for him; at least it was different from when he left everyone he knew behind, isolating himself with his grief.
Half an hour later, he opened his door to the one person he thought would understand his grief the best.
“Hi. Come on in.”
TBC
A/N: So, any guesses on whom Vaughn called? Let me know...