Three Weeks
[OOC: mrsarcastic003 and ihavettk used with love. OTC canon update, ho!]
"I laughed and said, life is easy. What I meant was, life is easy with you here, and when you leave, it will be hard again."
--Miranda July
Monday, January 18, 3:26 am:
"Ciss? Wake up, love."
Cissie blinked up at Tim blearily a few times before waking up enough to frown at him and find her voice. "Tim? What time is it?"
"Late," he said, smiling apologetically. He stroked her hair back off her face and leaned down to kiss her forehead. "I'm sorry. But I have to go. I wanted to say goodbye first."
She blinked at him again. "What?"
"I have to go," he repeated, giving her a sad smile. He continued running his fingers through her hair soothingly. "I'm sorry for waking you, but I didn't want to leave with just a note. I thought you might not appreciate that."
She shook her head and rubbed at her eyes. "I wouldn't. I'd be pissed." She frowned at him, still feeling fuzzy--she must have been sound asleep. "What time is it?"
"Late," he answered while she craned her neck to catch a glimpse of the time on the alarm clock. "Or early, I suppose."
Cissie stared at the clock for a few seconds before the time registered in her brain and she sat up, frowning deeply. "Have you slept at all tonight?" His hesitation told her the answer and she sighed. "Tim. Are you sure you're okay to go?"
"I've had less sleep," he said with a wry smile. "I'll be fine."
"That's not exactly a ringing endorsement."
"I know. I'm sorry." Tim tucked her hair behind her ear and played with a strand absently. "I'll be fine, though. Really. I'll sleep later."
Cissie reached up and covered his hand with hers, holding it tightly. "Do you have to go now?"
"I'm afraid so." He paused, frowning vaguely. "I don't know when I'll be back. Or--when I'll be able to contact you."
She drew in a deep breath and squeezed his hand. "Ra's?" she whispered.
He nodded. "Yeah."
She sat up and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. She bit back all the things she wanted to say--don't go, do you have to, are you sure about this--and instead said, "Be careful."
"Always," he breathed into her hair.
After he left, Cissie didn't fall asleep again until the sun was rising.
Wednesday, January 20
"I brought pie," Kon announced, holding a bag aloft as he entered the living room. Cissie looked up from her book and laughed. Then Kon was next to her, pulling her into a hug before she realized she had started crying. He rubbed her back. "It's okay, Ciss. This is why I gave him that signal watch, remember?"
She took a shaky breath and nodded. "I know. I know, I'm sorry. I just--you know how your mind just races sometimes? I keep thinking about..."
"Things you shouldn't be thinking about," Kon finished for her. "I think you need distracting. This calls for a Friends marathon. And I think I'd better stay here with you while Tim's gone."
Cissie laughed, pulling away and wiping her face. "You just don't want to go back to the dorms and have to deal with your roommate."
"Can you blame me?" he asked, grinning. He got up to find the dvds. "Let's watch the one where Monica gets stung by a jellyfish and Chandler has to pee on her leg!"
Friday, January 22
Cissie dropped her things on the couch with a sigh. She was tired, cranky and stressed, and coming home to a dark, cold, empty apartment was not exactly her idea of a good time. It had been a long and busy day, and she still had to figure out something to make if she wanted to eat tonight. Her shoulder was sore after practice today and she had slipped on the ice and twisted her ankle between classes.
And worst of all, there was still no word from Tim.
She went into the kitchen and grabbed a water bottle from the fridge. She spotted Grayson's water dish and took a minute to refill it. Leaving the kitchen, she started looking for him. He was such a spoiled cat, and he was usually never far when they came home. The apartment wasn't that big, and there were only so many places he could hide.
Cissie looked in every one of Grayson's favorite sleeping and hiding places, growing increasingly nervous. It wasn't bad enough that Tim was missing, but now she couldn't find his--their--cat either? After half an hour, she was starting to get really anxious. She considered calling Kon to have him use his hearing to find the damn cat, but that would be just silly. He had to be in the apartment. There was no way he could have gotten out. Was there?
No. Cissie told herself she was being silly, and that Grayson would come out when he was good and ready. She went to flop on the couch, but couldn't relax. She finally gave up and headed upstairs to Tim's Secret Lair. Maybe she could try figuring out where he had gone. Just because she hadn't figured it out yet didn't mean she wouldn't be able to ever.
She opened the door to the Secret Lair and nearly started crying. There--curled up on Tim's computer chair--was Grayson. Cissie crossed the room and picked him up. He yawned widely and blinked sleepily at her before starting to purr and snuggling against her chest. She sat in Tim's chair and cuddled his cat, pressing her face in his fur.
Thursday, January 28
Kon dropped the last grocery bag on the kitchen counter and grinned. "Now that I've done the manual labor, can I stay for dinner?"
Cissie smacked him with the new paper towel roll before putting it away. "You can help me put things away."
Kon gave her a mock salute and picked up a case of soda cans, heading for the fridge. "I think I can handle that." He opened the refrigerator and frowned inside. "Uh... Ciss?"
Cissie pulled the steaks out of the grocery bag. Three. In case Tim showed up and wanted dinner with them. She wondered vaguely if she should stop cooking food for him. There were already nine or ten leftover dinners in the fridge. Maybe she should send some with Kon, or have Bart over. She glanced over at Kon. "What?"
He scratched his neck and shrugged, holding up the case of Zesti in his hands. "Did you know you already have like ten cans in here? And an unopened case from last week?"
She blinked at him, and at the soda case in his hands and the one in the cupboard, and at the rows of soda inside the fridge. That was... thirty cans of grape Zesti. At least. She was so used to just picking up a case every week when she went shopping that it hadn't occurred to her that Tim wasn't even home to drink any of it.
Cissie took a deep breath. "Take them to school. Your roommate can have them. Or you can give them away." She didn't care.
She turned back to the steaks and picked one up, then carried it over and stuck it in the freezer.
Tuesday, February 9
Cissie sat on the floor in the living room, her homework spread out over the coffee table and around her on the floor and couch. The television was still on, but she had stopped paying it any attention after Lost finished, so it was just background noise. It was another procedural cop type show that Tim probably would have loved picking apart. Not that he would have been home at this time of night to do it even if he hadn't been missing for three weeks now.
Her back was killing her. She should probably be doing this somewhere else, but the rest of the apartment was too empty. She liked being in the living room. The fact that it was closest to the door should anyone come in was... well, totally relevant, but still beside the point. She shoved the table away and stretched, putting her hands up over her head and arching her back. A PSA on the television caught her eye.
"Every year, there over 1,000 bodies found that remain unidentified."
A knot formed in Cissie's stomach and the rest of the ad didn't register at all. She reached for the remote, flipping to a different channel.
"--missing woman found dead. She was reported missing--"
She changed the channel again, her throat closing up.
"--didn't hear from him for three days. I knew something was wrong--"
Another channel.
"--needed help to arrive soon, but no one knew he was hiking that day--"
"--search and rescue efforts were called off today. No survivors--"
Cissie punched the power button, turning the television off and casting the apartment into silence. She pulled her knees to her chest and covered her face with her hands, as if she could hold off the building panic attack by making herself small enough. Tim was all right. He was. Just because no one had heard from him in three weeks, and he was infiltrating the League of Assassins and if something happened to him, they might never, ever hear...
Making herself smaller didn't help after all.
"I laughed and said, life is easy. What I meant was, life is easy with you here, and when you leave, it will be hard again."
--Miranda July
Monday, January 18, 3:26 am:
"Ciss? Wake up, love."
Cissie blinked up at Tim blearily a few times before waking up enough to frown at him and find her voice. "Tim? What time is it?"
"Late," he said, smiling apologetically. He stroked her hair back off her face and leaned down to kiss her forehead. "I'm sorry. But I have to go. I wanted to say goodbye first."
She blinked at him again. "What?"
"I have to go," he repeated, giving her a sad smile. He continued running his fingers through her hair soothingly. "I'm sorry for waking you, but I didn't want to leave with just a note. I thought you might not appreciate that."
She shook her head and rubbed at her eyes. "I wouldn't. I'd be pissed." She frowned at him, still feeling fuzzy--she must have been sound asleep. "What time is it?"
"Late," he answered while she craned her neck to catch a glimpse of the time on the alarm clock. "Or early, I suppose."
Cissie stared at the clock for a few seconds before the time registered in her brain and she sat up, frowning deeply. "Have you slept at all tonight?" His hesitation told her the answer and she sighed. "Tim. Are you sure you're okay to go?"
"I've had less sleep," he said with a wry smile. "I'll be fine."
"That's not exactly a ringing endorsement."
"I know. I'm sorry." Tim tucked her hair behind her ear and played with a strand absently. "I'll be fine, though. Really. I'll sleep later."
Cissie reached up and covered his hand with hers, holding it tightly. "Do you have to go now?"
"I'm afraid so." He paused, frowning vaguely. "I don't know when I'll be back. Or--when I'll be able to contact you."
She drew in a deep breath and squeezed his hand. "Ra's?" she whispered.
He nodded. "Yeah."
She sat up and wrapped her arms around his neck, hugging him tightly. She bit back all the things she wanted to say--don't go, do you have to, are you sure about this--and instead said, "Be careful."
"Always," he breathed into her hair.
After he left, Cissie didn't fall asleep again until the sun was rising.
Wednesday, January 20
"I brought pie," Kon announced, holding a bag aloft as he entered the living room. Cissie looked up from her book and laughed. Then Kon was next to her, pulling her into a hug before she realized she had started crying. He rubbed her back. "It's okay, Ciss. This is why I gave him that signal watch, remember?"
She took a shaky breath and nodded. "I know. I know, I'm sorry. I just--you know how your mind just races sometimes? I keep thinking about..."
"Things you shouldn't be thinking about," Kon finished for her. "I think you need distracting. This calls for a Friends marathon. And I think I'd better stay here with you while Tim's gone."
Cissie laughed, pulling away and wiping her face. "You just don't want to go back to the dorms and have to deal with your roommate."
"Can you blame me?" he asked, grinning. He got up to find the dvds. "Let's watch the one where Monica gets stung by a jellyfish and Chandler has to pee on her leg!"
Friday, January 22
Cissie dropped her things on the couch with a sigh. She was tired, cranky and stressed, and coming home to a dark, cold, empty apartment was not exactly her idea of a good time. It had been a long and busy day, and she still had to figure out something to make if she wanted to eat tonight. Her shoulder was sore after practice today and she had slipped on the ice and twisted her ankle between classes.
And worst of all, there was still no word from Tim.
She went into the kitchen and grabbed a water bottle from the fridge. She spotted Grayson's water dish and took a minute to refill it. Leaving the kitchen, she started looking for him. He was such a spoiled cat, and he was usually never far when they came home. The apartment wasn't that big, and there were only so many places he could hide.
Cissie looked in every one of Grayson's favorite sleeping and hiding places, growing increasingly nervous. It wasn't bad enough that Tim was missing, but now she couldn't find his--their--cat either? After half an hour, she was starting to get really anxious. She considered calling Kon to have him use his hearing to find the damn cat, but that would be just silly. He had to be in the apartment. There was no way he could have gotten out. Was there?
No. Cissie told herself she was being silly, and that Grayson would come out when he was good and ready. She went to flop on the couch, but couldn't relax. She finally gave up and headed upstairs to Tim's Secret Lair. Maybe she could try figuring out where he had gone. Just because she hadn't figured it out yet didn't mean she wouldn't be able to ever.
She opened the door to the Secret Lair and nearly started crying. There--curled up on Tim's computer chair--was Grayson. Cissie crossed the room and picked him up. He yawned widely and blinked sleepily at her before starting to purr and snuggling against her chest. She sat in Tim's chair and cuddled his cat, pressing her face in his fur.
Thursday, January 28
Kon dropped the last grocery bag on the kitchen counter and grinned. "Now that I've done the manual labor, can I stay for dinner?"
Cissie smacked him with the new paper towel roll before putting it away. "You can help me put things away."
Kon gave her a mock salute and picked up a case of soda cans, heading for the fridge. "I think I can handle that." He opened the refrigerator and frowned inside. "Uh... Ciss?"
Cissie pulled the steaks out of the grocery bag. Three. In case Tim showed up and wanted dinner with them. She wondered vaguely if she should stop cooking food for him. There were already nine or ten leftover dinners in the fridge. Maybe she should send some with Kon, or have Bart over. She glanced over at Kon. "What?"
He scratched his neck and shrugged, holding up the case of Zesti in his hands. "Did you know you already have like ten cans in here? And an unopened case from last week?"
She blinked at him, and at the soda case in his hands and the one in the cupboard, and at the rows of soda inside the fridge. That was... thirty cans of grape Zesti. At least. She was so used to just picking up a case every week when she went shopping that it hadn't occurred to her that Tim wasn't even home to drink any of it.
Cissie took a deep breath. "Take them to school. Your roommate can have them. Or you can give them away." She didn't care.
She turned back to the steaks and picked one up, then carried it over and stuck it in the freezer.
Tuesday, February 9
Cissie sat on the floor in the living room, her homework spread out over the coffee table and around her on the floor and couch. The television was still on, but she had stopped paying it any attention after Lost finished, so it was just background noise. It was another procedural cop type show that Tim probably would have loved picking apart. Not that he would have been home at this time of night to do it even if he hadn't been missing for three weeks now.
Her back was killing her. She should probably be doing this somewhere else, but the rest of the apartment was too empty. She liked being in the living room. The fact that it was closest to the door should anyone come in was... well, totally relevant, but still beside the point. She shoved the table away and stretched, putting her hands up over her head and arching her back. A PSA on the television caught her eye.
"Every year, there over 1,000 bodies found that remain unidentified."
A knot formed in Cissie's stomach and the rest of the ad didn't register at all. She reached for the remote, flipping to a different channel.
"--missing woman found dead. She was reported missing--"
She changed the channel again, her throat closing up.
"--didn't hear from him for three days. I knew something was wrong--"
Another channel.
"--needed help to arrive soon, but no one knew he was hiking that day--"
"--search and rescue efforts were called off today. No survivors--"
Cissie punched the power button, turning the television off and casting the apartment into silence. She pulled her knees to her chest and covered her face with her hands, as if she could hold off the building panic attack by making herself small enough. Tim was all right. He was. Just because no one had heard from him in three weeks, and he was infiltrating the League of Assassins and if something happened to him, they might never, ever hear...
Making herself smaller didn't help after all.