sixwordstories | (no subject)

It definitely wasn't wise for Harlan to return to the San Fernando Valley these days, but he made a point to make the trip back every now and then to pay his respects for what he believed to be his fallen lover. It was a matter of duty to him, and like clockwork, every anniversary following the day at the beach he'd returned.

Today Harlan had a small bundle of wildflowers dangling from the arm carrying his guitar case, and worn-out bag slung over his opposite shoulder. He looked tired, dirty and was a couple days unshaven.

When he approached the tree he was shocked to see Tobe standing there. Stopping dead in his tracks, he nearly dropped his guitar case.

"Tobe?" he questioned, after a moment's hesitation. "Sweet pea?"

Every fiber of him wanted to believe it was true.

Edited 2008-06-19 21:51 (UTC)

Tobe jumped as the all too familiar voice reached her. It was the voice she heard in a thousand dreams, and nightmares. She spun around, the notebook she'd been writing in earlier clenched firmly in her hand.

It couldn't possibly be, could it? There he stood, looking almost exactly as she'd last seen him. Her first instinct was to go to him. Wrap her arms around him. Breathe in his scent once more. But as the memory of what had happened the last time they spoke washed over her, her free hand moved up, resting flat on her stomach. Over where she knew the scar to be.

"Harlan?"

Harlan, however, didn't hesitate for even a second. Dropping the flowers, his bag, and the guitar case he moved to Tobe and held her tightly.

"Lord almighty.." Harlan said almost breathlessly, quickly growing emotional. "I've missed you so much. I..I- can't even begin to say.." He added, as he gently touched the back of her head-feeling the warmth of the sun in her hair. Harlan closed his eyes and for the first time in months, felt happy.

For just a moment, as his arms went around her, Tobe's entire body stiffened up. She didn't think he would hurt her, but she never had before either. Still, the familiar weight of his arms was almost comforting.

After a moment, she moved her hands to his chest, gently pushing him away. She couldn't see the gun, but she was certain he had at least one with him, and upsetting him again wasn't something she wanted to do. Who knew how long it would take someone to find her out here?

"Harlan, how are you..." She pushed her hair back out of her face, an excuse to stop looking at him if only for a second. She willed the tears not to come. "You were dead."

Harlan watched Tobe with an expression of budding confusion as she nudged him away. But it quickly wiped from his face and was replaced with a small smile; he'd quickly misjudged her discomfort as uncertainty.

"Nope," he said softly as he tucked his hands into his pockets, "I ain't never been more alive." A short silence passed, and then Harlan continued. "Tobe ... Ive been away for a long time, I know that, and I also know that things have probably changed a whole lot with you back home." He shrugged idly as he spoke. "All I'm tryin' to say is I just want you to know that that's okay. I don't mind it. Hell, I'm just glad you're still alive... I never thought we'd meet again, outside of a little old daydream."

He paused again, and the silence suddenly became a little tense, but not angry. "You ain't still livin' with your Pa... are you? And Lonnie?"

Edited 2008-06-21 05:21 (UTC)

"Harlan, that's not what I..." She paused for a moment, taking a deep breath. How did you tell somebody that you'd scattered their ashes in this very place? Somebody who'd shot you no less. If it weren't for the fact that he'd touched her, she'd probably think this was little more than a daydream, like he'd mentioned.

Choosing to let it go for a moment, taking the easy way out yet again, she shook her head in answer to his question. "I moved out. Not that long ago. And Lonnie...he moved back with mom. He couldn't live with dad after he..." She stopped herself just shy of saying 'After he killed you.' "After he shot you."

In the silence that followed, she studied his face. That little smile made this entire thing that much more painful. It was part of the reason she'd fallen in love with him in the first place. There was something so innocent and childlike about it.

"Where've you been?" She finally asked. Not really curious, but needing to break the silence somehow.

He nodded solemnly. It was just as well that the two children were out of their old house, after what Harlan had committed to mind as Tobe's father attacking his own children. "You got your own spread, that's good," he parroted, hands pulling from his pockets to cross conversationally over his chest. He felt comfortable again. Seeing Tobe and hearing this had assuaged the one fear he'd had when he'd first seen Tobe - that she was still living with her father, and unhappy.

Harlan sighed deeply at Tobe's question. "Better question to ask is where I ain't been," he joked mildly. "I've been here 'n there, takin' work where I can- I've been lookin' at this great little spread up in Oregon - talkin' to the ranch head up there to see if he'd take on a new hand. It looks promisin' - real promisin'. " Harlan trailed off, and looked at Tobe again. "What've you been up to? You been goin' to school, and all that?"

Edited 2008-06-21 05:48 (UTC)

"It's...just a small place." She said, showing a hint of a smile. The first since they'd started talking. "But it's just me so..." She shifted where she stood, careful not to move closer to him when she did it.

She did manage to smile at his statement about Oregon. Despite everything, she couldn't help but be happy for him. "That's really great Harlan. Congratulations."

Tobe nodded in response to his question, one arm creeping around her stomach to cover the spot where the bullet had entered her, while she rubbed at the back of her neck with the other. "Yeah. I actually graduated this year. I wasn't the valedictorian or anything, but I did pretty good."

He watched her with a sympathetic expression as she detailed how she was on her own. Presumably this meant she was working, now, or heading off to college. First and foremost, he felt happy for her, and relieved.

Harlan very clearly wasn't picking up on the distance that she kept between them as a negative reaction in reference to himself.

"You're really makin' something of yourself then-- bein' whoever you want to be," he commented, warmly. "Your spirit really hasn't changed at all, Tobe, even after these few hard months."

Tobe stood where she was, wanting to step closer to him, but unable to make herself move. She studied his shabby appearance. Despite the obvious fact that he hadn't shaved in a few days, probably hadn't showered in as many, he looked good. He looked happy.

Something about his statement bothered her and, eyes lowering, she kicked angrily at a clod of dirt. "But a lot has changed, Harlan. I mean...you shot me." It wasn meant to be accusing. More a statement of fact, but when she looked back up at him, the betrayal was clearly evident in her eyes. "And then Wade...dad..." Her voice trailed off. She'd loved him, of course she had. Even after he'd very nearly killed him. Hearing he was dead was one of the most painful moments of her life and now here he was, forcing her to relive everything.

Harlan let out a soft, irritated huff of air. His crossed his arms over his chest, and he glanced briefly to the tree before returning his gaze to Tobe again. "Tobe, did Wade tell you that? That I shot you?" He paused. "Because it ain't true. I would never do anything to hurt you, swear on my life." Harlan watched her and for a moment he grew quiet. "You're ..my girl, October. I love you. I would never, ever do anythin' like that- and you know that."

Tobe's mouth fell open in surprise, and it was all she could not to start yelling. She could see he was getting angry, and knew it wouldn't do to make it worse, but it was like to him lay the blame on somebody else. For everything bad her father had ever done to her, he didn't deserve the blame for one of the few things he hadn't.

"Harlan," She began. Speaking slowly, trying to be as calming as she could. "I was there, when it happened. Dad was at work. You and I were the only ones in the house."

Finally, the rest of what he'd said sinking in, she turned from him. Looking out over the field, arms hugging herself once more. "I loved you too, Harlan." She whispered.

In the months following his having shot Tobe back in the house, Harlan had slowly disassociated the action away and disconnected it from himself. It was a memory that his psyche hadn't been able to bear taking on.

When he looked at Tobe now, he was starting to see rejection instead.

"You ..don't love me?" he asked, obviously not having believed her insinuation. Harlan shook his head after a moment. "Tobe you're..." he trailed off and just watched her, his expression growing desperate as it was all finally sinking in.

Edited 2008-06-24 21:36 (UTC)

She could see it in his face. Written in his eyes. She saw him begin to crumble. Finally she allowed herself to step towards him, pulling him into her arms. No longer worrying about herself as much as she did about him.

"I do, Harlan. But you have to understand. After everything that's happened...can it really be the same?" She pulled back slightly, just enough so she could look into his eyes. At this point, she wasn't even sure what she hoped to see there, but she needed to look.

"I haven't been the same since that day."

He allowed himself to be held, reciprocating the embrace after a moment. When she pulled back, Harlan watched her face closely. Being this close again brought back fond memories and for just a moment he hesitated, caught in them. He wanted to reach to her cheek and move the strands of red hair that draped there gently in the way he used to-- to touch the soft contours of her jawline.

At her question, the pain slowly melted from his face. He wasn't reassured by her confusion as much as so passionately hopeful as to believe it could work again. And he did, truly, believe it.

"I know it can, Tobe," he said. "Time heals all wounds, even the wounds of the heart. Some can take longer than others to patch up, but with love, and a little help- anything is possible." Harlan looked into her eyes, hoping to find the acceptance of years past looking back.

Tobe wanted to believe his words more than anything, but knowing what he did...what had happened...it was hard to believe love and time could heal all of that.

Slowly, she pulled back from him all the way and reached down. Her hand shook minutely as she reached down and raised the bottom of her white tank top up. Just enough so he could see the scar she still bore.

"Time's not going to heal that, Harlan." She said, her voice soft. She was just thankful she could still speak. She could feel tears welling up in her eyes, and her throat constricted. "Love's not going to heal that."

Harlan stared at the scar for a long time. Then his eyes flicked back up to Tobe's, from behind the evening shadow that stretched across his face from under his cowboy hat.

"I would never want to hurt you, ever!" he said, quickly growing upset again. "Why won't you believe me?"

"I want to believe you." She blurted out quickly, letting her shirt drop back down as she reached up. She laid her hand gently on his neck, her thumb rubbing back and forth against his cheek.

"It's just....something like this happens once and it's...hard to trust. Anybody. Not just you." She felt the tears beginning to spill over and she swiped them away angrily with her free hand.

"I do love you, though. I don't think I ever stopped."

His features softened as he noticed her wiping tears away.

"Tobe.." Harlan said softly, but just trailed off. The past few months had taken a toll on her that hadn't even begun to release, or so it seemed. It troubled him to see her in pain.

Once she was finished speaking, he reached and gently took the hand that had wiped away her tears. Harlan pressed her hand back to her cheek, his laid over hers. His fingertips just barely brushed her skin. They stood like that in a moment of silence, before Harlan spoke.

"It's all right, that was all I needed to hear." He studied her face. "We don't have to keep talkin' about it right away, if it hurts. We've got a whole mess of time now to work everything out again. I promise, with all my heart, I ain't going anywhere this time."

Tobe closed her eyes, leaning into his slight touch. Her breathing slowed, returning to normal, when she finally opened her eyes again.

Despite herself, she was glad he hadn't changed. She'd been afraid before, that her memories of him were fading. Growing dimmer with every day that passed. It calmed her slightly to know that what she had remembered was exactly right.

She knew she shouldn't, but she took a step towards him. Stretching up until her lips were mere inches from his. "Thank you." She whispered, eyes locked on his, as she pressed her lips gently against his own.

And it was like the past few months had drained away until they were absolutely nothing at all.

Harlan closed his eyes as they kissed, his other hand moving to rest lightly upon the lowest part of her ribcage. It'd been so long since he'd felt her breathing against him.

When they separated, he looked down at her with a smile that was difficult to read, but filled with emotion. He pressed a last soft kiss to her forehead, before speaking.

"I love you, Tobe, and I always will," he gazed meaningfully into her eyes, "Everything's going to be all right, even if it's doesn't look that way right now. I know, just as long as we stick together, it'll all ride out in the end."

And then he held her again. "I just know it will."

Edited 2008-06-25 05:11 (UTC)

Tobe knew better than to hope for a happy ending. Those only ever happened in fairy tales and cheesy movies. Nothing was ever wrapped up simple and clean. But what did she have to lose? Lonnie was living with their grandmother, and she hadn't seen him since he moved out. Wade simply hadn't spoken to her, other than a few idle threats, since she'd moved out.

She looked up into his eyes when they seperated and could see that, for him, nothing had changed. Now that they were together again, he seemed to think things would just go back to the way they used to be, no problem at all. She nodded slowly, before laying her head against his chest. She had to admit, it was nice to hear his heart beating.

"I hope you're right."

Sounds good to me.

Ohhhh Lonnie! That would be so much fun. I've always loved how protective Tobe is of him. And she won't like the fact that he was with Harlan when everything happened.

No problem. It was a lot of fun. I got so used to the whole "Six Words" thing I almost forgot how to write actual paragraphs. lol

I did like that, too. She's a good kid, really. <3 She deserves someone that's kind, supportive ~~and not relatively batshit :/~~. But I'm still interested to see where Tobe and Harlan go from here (seeing as he's still kind of, uh, in hiding.)

And I actually prefer paragraphs. But the sixwords is a good way to entice people into it. ~~Lolz saying that makes me feel a bit like some kind of lion ant of a roleplayer.~~

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