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An awkward silence descended between them as they both sat and glared at whatever was on the telly. Neither of them was paying attention to the content of the show –likely nonsense at this time of night— it was not the source of the anger simmering just below the surface of the couple sitting in front of it.
“You’re an asshole,” Addie hissed, settling further into her side of the couch, not caring that she was wrinkling her only nice dress.
“Yeah, well, tell me something I don’t know,” Chuck sighed, pulling off his tie and throwing it behind the couch just a touch more vehemently than the task called for.
“You’re an idiot who can’t tell the difference between a friendly kiss on the cheek from, I repeat, a FRIEND, and a jilted ex trying to woo me back to him. Thereby causing a drunken scene in front of every single person I went to secondary school with, giving them the impression that I am in an abusive relationship with an overbearing, and jealous man.” She spat back without looking at him. It hadn’t helped that she had a wrist-cast again. Another mishap to lay at Kyle’s feet, thank goodness he was finally back at school.
“I was not drunk.”
“That’s the only piece you took from that?! Really?!” She finally looked at him, fury etched into every line of her face. The sight of him leaning nonchalantly back into the couch was almost enough to throw her over the edge.
But she knew the signs of Chuck’s agitation too well by now. She could see the subtle fidgeting, the near constant clenching, and unclenching of his jaw. If he was mad at her he would have yelled back, Chuck did righteous indignation very well. This was Chuck when he knew he was in the wrong but didn’t know how to admit it. She almost pitied him.
“And he was your ex.” Any sense of pity left her.
“He was my boyfriend for a week! And it was only so I would help him pass his physics final! We never even kissed!” She was standing now, fists clenched at her sides, angry tears welling in her eyes, though she hardly noticed.
“You blushed for him, Phryne.” He half-mumbled back, still resolutely facing the TV screen. The emotion behind the words, and the use of her first name gave Addie pause. She really looked at Chuck’s face now, and she saw his eyes were focused down and away from the screen.
“I flush easily, Chuck, especially when I’ve had something to drink. You of all people know that.” She was still mad, but the fury was dying down at seeing him so upset with himself.
“But it’s the only thing I can do right. It’s the one thing I have done, our whole lives, that I- That I ca-” Chuck scrubbed his hands over his face, and leaned forward, elbows on his knees, face still in his hands.
“I’m a jealous bastard, Addie!” He whipped his head up. “Is that what you want from me?! To admit it?” He stood up and paced to the other side of the couch, seeming to need the barrier. “To admit that I am terrified that you will realize that I am a complete asshole, with anger management problems, who can barely even say the words ‘I love you’ let alone say them to you?! That you will realize that, and leave and - and-”
“So you thought the best way to go about keeping me was to be more all of that? Grow up, Chuck!”
“I wasn’t thinking at all!”
“No, you weren’t! ‘Cause if you had been, you would have remembered that the only person I have loved, my whole life , has been you , you prick! Even when all you would do was snipe at me in the halls of the Shatterdome. When I was scared out of my wits that you and Uncle Herc would die, every time you got into Striker Eureka. Even when we were kids and you picked on me, it’s always been just you !”
Addie’s shoulders were heaving, and a tear was rolling down the side of her face. She didn’t bother wiping it. Chuck had a white-knuckled grip on the back of the couch, his head down in what Addie hoped was shame. After a little while, Chuck stepped back from the couch.
“I need to go for a run.” Addie opened her mouth to ask, but Chuck waved a hand. “You know the counselor said I should find an ‘appropriate outlet,’ for the- the energy.”
Addie nodded, knowing she needed time to cool off as well. She sat back down on the couch while he went into their room to change. Hugging a pillow to her chest and taking deep breaths, Addie slowly sank into the cushions, realizing how tired she was as the anger drained from her. She barely heard their front door open and close.
When Chuck unlocked their door an hour later, he had not expected to see Addie on the couch, curled up with a pillow. She was in the exact same position she had been in when he left. If he didn’t feel like a piece of shit, it would have been funny or cute.
Any other time, he might have just left her there and taken their bed for himself, covering her with a blanket. But now, the thought just made him feel more guilty.
He kneeled down in front of her, gently shook her shoulder and called her name. Receiving no response other than a shift of her head, Chuck decided on another course of action. Slipping his arms around her shoulders and under her knees, he carefully scooped Addie up, pillow and all. Cradling her against his chest, he felt her sigh and turn her head into him. Guilty as he felt--and was--something unwound in him at that, and his shoulders dropped a fraction.
Taking care in the hallway not to knock her into anything, he carried Addie into their room. Gently laying her on her side of the bed, Chuck felt a pull on his shirt. Her hand had shifted its grip from the pillow to his shirt collar.
“Chuck?” He knelt down, taking hold of her wrist. Her eyes were still closed.
“Yeah, Phryne. It’s me.” He pulled the sheets up over her, tucking her in. “I’m going to take the couch tonight.”
“No, you’re too tall for it.” She opened an eye to glare at him. “You’ll have a problem with your back all week if you do that. Just get in bed, or I’ll be up worrying about you.” He chuckled half-heartedly, nodding and swallowing back the sigh of relief.
“Let me rinse off first?” He stood, shifting his hold to her hand. Addie nodded.
“I should get out of this dress myself. As it is, I’m already gonna have to take it to the dry-cleaners to have it pressed.” She sat up and yawned.
Less than ten minutes later, they were lying in bed. Chuck was wrapped around Addie from behind, their hands laced together over her stomach. It felt like the first night they had slept in the same bed, before Operation Pitfall. That though reminded him of truly how much she had done for him
“I am sorry, Addie.” Chuck said quietly, into her hair.
“I know you are, Chuck.” She stroked his arm with her free hand, and settled more firmly into his embrace.
“But next time, how’s a little less marking your territory like an aggressive bulldog, and a little more casual PDA? I’m more likely to be receptive to that, not to mention flush as bright as a tomato for you.”