Fic Post: Every Word Rang True
Feb. 14th, 2011 08:10 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
harborshoreTitle: Every Word Rang True
Pairing(s): Z/Charlotte
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None.
Word count: 1020
Summary: Z didn't stop talking to Charlotte when she left the band. She couldn't. Slight AU (Z isn't dating Ryan).
A/NFor the Sex Is Not The Enemy Challenge. Prompt: this picture. This is the version of Z and Charlotte with less angst. (It's possible I'm also working on the other version.) The title is from "Tangled Up in Blue" by Bob Dylan and this is also partly for![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
redbrickrose, who wanted it first.
Contrary to popular belief, Z didn't stop talking to Charlotte when she left the band. She couldn't.
Oh, she didn't see her or anything, that would have been impossible, especially at first (as Tennessee put it, "I like it when you two aren't shouting vile things at each other, it makes my life less difficult"), but try as she may, she couldn't cut off contact.
She tried to explain it to Laena once, because Laena was the best out of all of them at figuring out emotions, but she couldn't think of anything to say but "She was always there? And now she's not? And, like, she's, I'm so mad at her, but at the same time I can't live without her." Which wasn't all that helpful, even if it was true.
Laena got a funny look on her face when Z finished talking and said something about how it was good that they were staying in touch.
So Z texted Charlotte. Every day, pretty much. Little things, like pictures of the perfect pair of cowboy boots in a store in Nashville, or stories that had nothing to do with the band and everything to do with the way Charlotte would smile when she read a text about the clown Z had seen when she went to the circus, who lost his nose in the middle of his act and then his composure, giggling until the rest of the audience was laughing along with him.
In return, Charlotte sent her quotes from things she was reading, anecdotes from her life with a band of boys (one of which Z eventually turned into "Walk of Shame," but only after texting Charlotte and asking if she could--she was working pretty hard on not being a bitch to Charlotte), and once, in the middle of the night, "I can't sleep without you."
The next morning Z had a text that said "never mind. was drunk." Z looked at it and bit her lip. They were getting into LA tonight, and, well. She had a plan.
The thing was, she still had a key to Charlotte's apartment. Or rather, Tennessee did. Z took a deep breath and went to find her best friend. The reststop was small; it didn't take her very long.
"So I need to borrow your key to Charlotte's tonight."
Tennessee choked on the sandwich she was eating, and Z had to pound on her back for a bit. She waited patiently until Tennessee had regained the use of her lungs and then looked at her, making her eyes as pleading as she could.
"What on earth for?" Tennessee managed, voice a bit hoarse.
Z bit her lip. "She says she can't sleep without me."
Tennessee blinked. "Are you two actually--" She took a deep breath. "Okay. But you're not to break anything or paint anything new on the walls or steal anything or--"
Shaking her head, Z held a finger to Tennessee's lips. "I won't, I promise. I just want to see if, you know."
"Right." Tennessee still looked a bit worried, but she fished out her keychain and wiggled off the one that had a Cadillac keyring. (Really, they ought to have understood Charlotte needed a band with a different aesthetic.)
--
Charlotte's apartment was still mostly the same. She had a new bass; Z touched it and grinned at the bright red. She was pretty sure Charlotte had a lipstick that matched it perfectly somewhere. Perhaps she would find it (Tennessee hadn't forbidden her from exploring, after all).
An hour later, Charlotte came home. Z turned when she heard her (she'd gotten to the kitchen) and meant to call out "Hi," but all that emerged was, "Did you know your cupboards are blue on the inside?" which, great, of course Charlotte knew that.
"Z?" came Charlotte's voice and Z heard her coming closer to the kitchen. She swallowed.
"Hi," she said, taking in every inch of Charlotte's appearance: her long, long hair had gotten longer, her lips were red (Z did a mental fistbump--she had totally been right about the lipstick) and her legs, shit. Z bit her lip.
"Hi," Charlotte said. "Tennessee gave you the key?"
"I had to promise not to wreak vengeance on your apartment," Z said, making sure to smile when she said it so Charlotte would know she was never going to do that.
"Huh. Why are you here, then, if not to be mean to me for quitting the band?"
Now or never, huh. Z swallowed. "You said you can't sleep without me. Was it true?"
Charlotte looked so fragile all of a sudden, then set her jaw. "Yes," she said.
Z took two steps and got very close to Charlotte, despite the fact that her legs were going a bit wobbly. "I'm not sleeping very well either," she said, which was technically a lie. Z always slept well, but she kept dreaming about chasing Charlotte through dream after dream, never getting her to stop.
"You could try it with me," Charlotte said, and Z was so glad she didn't have to be brave all by herself. Really, she should have known she wouldn't have to: Charlotte was the one who'd always stepped in when Z needed someone else to be sharp and feisty for a second.
She touched Charlotte's cheek. "I could," she agreed. "Can I kiss you first?"
--
They were right about the sleeping. Z didn't dream, or at least didn't remember it, and when she woke up, Charlotte was still asleep. Z watched her for a while, knowing she was probably sporting the sappiest smile in existence (Tennessee was going to make so much fun of them both) before she carefully shifted over so she was right next to Charlotte, putting her head on Charlotte's shoulder and her arm around her waist.
The sunrise was creeping closer, Z could tell by the light in the cracks of the blinds, but she closed her eyes again. Maybe she could sleep a little longer.
Pairing(s): Z/Charlotte
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None.
Word count: 1020
Summary: Z didn't stop talking to Charlotte when she left the band. She couldn't. Slight AU (Z isn't dating Ryan).
A/NFor the Sex Is Not The Enemy Challenge. Prompt: this picture. This is the version of Z and Charlotte with less angst. (It's possible I'm also working on the other version.) The title is from "Tangled Up in Blue" by Bob Dylan and this is also partly for
redbrickrose, who wanted it first.Contrary to popular belief, Z didn't stop talking to Charlotte when she left the band. She couldn't.
Oh, she didn't see her or anything, that would have been impossible, especially at first (as Tennessee put it, "I like it when you two aren't shouting vile things at each other, it makes my life less difficult"), but try as she may, she couldn't cut off contact.
She tried to explain it to Laena once, because Laena was the best out of all of them at figuring out emotions, but she couldn't think of anything to say but "She was always there? And now she's not? And, like, she's, I'm so mad at her, but at the same time I can't live without her." Which wasn't all that helpful, even if it was true.
Laena got a funny look on her face when Z finished talking and said something about how it was good that they were staying in touch.
So Z texted Charlotte. Every day, pretty much. Little things, like pictures of the perfect pair of cowboy boots in a store in Nashville, or stories that had nothing to do with the band and everything to do with the way Charlotte would smile when she read a text about the clown Z had seen when she went to the circus, who lost his nose in the middle of his act and then his composure, giggling until the rest of the audience was laughing along with him.
In return, Charlotte sent her quotes from things she was reading, anecdotes from her life with a band of boys (one of which Z eventually turned into "Walk of Shame," but only after texting Charlotte and asking if she could--she was working pretty hard on not being a bitch to Charlotte), and once, in the middle of the night, "I can't sleep without you."
The next morning Z had a text that said "never mind. was drunk." Z looked at it and bit her lip. They were getting into LA tonight, and, well. She had a plan.
The thing was, she still had a key to Charlotte's apartment. Or rather, Tennessee did. Z took a deep breath and went to find her best friend. The reststop was small; it didn't take her very long.
"So I need to borrow your key to Charlotte's tonight."
Tennessee choked on the sandwich she was eating, and Z had to pound on her back for a bit. She waited patiently until Tennessee had regained the use of her lungs and then looked at her, making her eyes as pleading as she could.
"What on earth for?" Tennessee managed, voice a bit hoarse.
Z bit her lip. "She says she can't sleep without me."
Tennessee blinked. "Are you two actually--" She took a deep breath. "Okay. But you're not to break anything or paint anything new on the walls or steal anything or--"
Shaking her head, Z held a finger to Tennessee's lips. "I won't, I promise. I just want to see if, you know."
"Right." Tennessee still looked a bit worried, but she fished out her keychain and wiggled off the one that had a Cadillac keyring. (Really, they ought to have understood Charlotte needed a band with a different aesthetic.)
--
Charlotte's apartment was still mostly the same. She had a new bass; Z touched it and grinned at the bright red. She was pretty sure Charlotte had a lipstick that matched it perfectly somewhere. Perhaps she would find it (Tennessee hadn't forbidden her from exploring, after all).
An hour later, Charlotte came home. Z turned when she heard her (she'd gotten to the kitchen) and meant to call out "Hi," but all that emerged was, "Did you know your cupboards are blue on the inside?" which, great, of course Charlotte knew that.
"Z?" came Charlotte's voice and Z heard her coming closer to the kitchen. She swallowed.
"Hi," she said, taking in every inch of Charlotte's appearance: her long, long hair had gotten longer, her lips were red (Z did a mental fistbump--she had totally been right about the lipstick) and her legs, shit. Z bit her lip.
"Hi," Charlotte said. "Tennessee gave you the key?"
"I had to promise not to wreak vengeance on your apartment," Z said, making sure to smile when she said it so Charlotte would know she was never going to do that.
"Huh. Why are you here, then, if not to be mean to me for quitting the band?"
Now or never, huh. Z swallowed. "You said you can't sleep without me. Was it true?"
Charlotte looked so fragile all of a sudden, then set her jaw. "Yes," she said.
Z took two steps and got very close to Charlotte, despite the fact that her legs were going a bit wobbly. "I'm not sleeping very well either," she said, which was technically a lie. Z always slept well, but she kept dreaming about chasing Charlotte through dream after dream, never getting her to stop.
"You could try it with me," Charlotte said, and Z was so glad she didn't have to be brave all by herself. Really, she should have known she wouldn't have to: Charlotte was the one who'd always stepped in when Z needed someone else to be sharp and feisty for a second.
She touched Charlotte's cheek. "I could," she agreed. "Can I kiss you first?"
--
They were right about the sleeping. Z didn't dream, or at least didn't remember it, and when she woke up, Charlotte was still asleep. Z watched her for a while, knowing she was probably sporting the sappiest smile in existence (Tennessee was going to make so much fun of them both) before she carefully shifted over so she was right next to Charlotte, putting her head on Charlotte's shoulder and her arm around her waist.
The sunrise was creeping closer, Z could tell by the light in the cracks of the blinds, but she closed her eyes again. Maybe she could sleep a little longer.
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
(no subject)
Date: 2011-02-14 11:43 am (UTC)Ohhh, this is lovely. ♥_♥
(no subject)
Date: 2011-02-20 10:37 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-02-14 01:26 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-02-20 10:38 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-02-14 03:45 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-02-20 10:38 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-02-15 03:16 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-02-20 10:39 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-02-15 06:08 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-02-20 10:39 am (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-02-15 11:26 pm (UTC)Oh, oh, oh, yes. I love this. I love all combinations of The Like, but something about Z and Charlotte always just gets me, and I love them here - the connection that Z can't bring herself to break. ♥
(no subject)
Date: 2011-02-26 12:03 pm (UTC)PS. Sorry it took me forever to respond! I've been a bit frantic about life and bad at comments as a result.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-02-16 04:43 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-02-26 12:04 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-02-18 10:52 am (UTC)Charlotte was the one who'd always stepped in when Z needed someone else to be sharp and feisty for a second.
Yes, mm, I do love them.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-02-26 12:04 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-02-26 12:04 pm (UTC)PS. Excellent icon.
(no subject)
Date: 2011-02-24 08:09 pm (UTC)(no subject)
Date: 2011-02-26 12:05 pm (UTC)