FIC: Bending Bikes and Melting Chocolate (1/1)
Title: Bending Bikes and Melting Chocolate
Private Practice, Cooper/Violet, pg
i.
A mumbled ‘I have a headache’ leaked out of the curled up ball on the sofa. Cooper, sitting next to it, did not even feel an ‘I told you so’ was necessary. He was pretty sure the ball was already feeling very sorry for itself.
‘Cooooper,’ the voice came again.
A moment later a hand was taking the ball’s hand and carefully placing some painkillers in it.
‘Water,’ it came again. A glass of water, already obtained, was gently placed in the other.
‘’Thank you.’ Another mutter. And a decidedly pathetic one at that. Placing a blanket over her, careful to tuck it round the edges and keep it from her face, Cooper sat down beside Violet; his arm resting on her curled up knees (so she knew she was safe, he told himself), and watched the near-muted television until she woke up.
x
The sound that came from Violet as she woke and stretched really belonged to a small, squeaky animal, Cooper decided. She had the decency to look embarrassed, and he had the control not to tell her it was the most adorable thing in the world.
‘Are you going to let me check you out now?’ About to nod her head in the affirmative, he gently reminded her, ‘I’d speak rather than move your head if I were you.’
She took that advice on board and barely moved at all. His hands weaved their way through her now messy curls, quietly asking where about she hit her head; a growing bump had taken up residence at the back and she shrieked a little when his fingers skimmed over it. (He was not thinking about how soft her hair was, or how he’d like to run his fingers through it until he’d smoothed it all out.)
‘I’m fine, Cooper,’ she insisted, as he made her eyes follow his finger.
‘You can never be too sure.’
‘Do I get a lollypop at the end of all this?’
Finishing his examination, he smirked at her and removed a bright red lollypop from his shirt pocket, brandishing it with a flourish.
‘Strawberry. Your favorite.’
She laughed, surprised, taking it from him eagerly while leaning back in to the sofa, tearing off the wrapper and popping it in her mouth; ‘mmm’ and ‘thank you’ following.
He watched her regress to a happy, child-like place, content to be a part of it.
x
‘So Addison’s staying.’ It was rather late in the evening by now and semi-rational thought had returned.
Cooper turned to look at her. ‘I guess so.’
‘What do you think about it?’
‘I don’t mind. She seems nice. Plus, she helps reduce the wacky in Naomi. Plus, she’s hot.’
‘But… But she’s a whole new person and we’re a small group and we all know each other but we don’t know her and we don’t know that she’ll fit in we didn’t even interview her we know nothing about her this could all go very wrong.’
‘Breathe, Vi.’ Cooper was glad that he could keep up with Violet’s tendency to speed-speak, in times like these.
‘Sorry. I’m sure it’ll be fine. It will be. I just had to get it out, you know?’
He nodded, patting her gently on the head in a place that wasn’t bumpy. ‘I know.’
x
‘Can I get you anything?’ A while later.
‘Ice cream?’ She looked so young and hopeful looking up at him standing behind the sofa that he could hardly resist. Returning from the freezer with Chocolate Fudge Brownie and two spoons, he jumped over the back of the sofa (a habit that he knew she hated) landing rather gracefully beside her.
‘I hate it when you do that,’ she glared at him.
‘Hey, I just got you ice cream. Pick your battles.’
‘But…’
‘And, I very kindly bought you some flip-flops and a by then melted ice pack earlier, because I’m just that good a friend.’
She pondered this a while, before conceding and delving in to the ice cream. ‘That’s true.’
Moments passed in comfortable silence as both were lost in their thoughts.
‘You did a good job today, Violet,’ Cooper said, breaking the silence.
x
At two in the morning the credits were rolling on a classic Hollywood musical (because Violet likes them when she’s feeling needy and Cooper likes Violet liking things; plus they’re singing and dancing and generally very happy in those films so what’s not to like) and the tub of ice cream is empty and lying on the floor. The occupants of the sofa are fast asleep, one acting as a pillow. Cooper cracks an eye open, the lack of voices having woken him, and reaches gently for the remote to darken the tv screen. All he can see of Violet is a ball shape, yet again, and a lot of curly hair, a small hand sleepily extended across his chest (which he can more feel than see) and her feet poking out of the end of the blanket, clad toastily in slipper socks. This, he thinks, he is just fine with.
Until the morning comes and none of his clothes are here (but he wishes they were) and he’ll have to hurry Violet (because he won’t let her drive yet, just in case) which is always a difficult task, before he bundles her in to his car and speeds to his own apartment where she’ll yell at him to hurry up in the shower when she knows and he knows that he already takes a fraction of the time she does. But, he thinks again, he’s rather looking forward to that, too.
ii.
‘How are you doing?’ Violet asked, wanting to change the subject.
‘Me? I’m fine.’
‘Seriously, Cooper. I know this baby case got to you.’
‘I just…’ he paused, unsure of what else he could say. She already knew how he felt about the situation and she was going through a harder time, so right now he wanted to help her. ‘Come on,’ he said, getting up, ‘let’s go put this in front of your car.’
He held out his hands to her and pulled her up when she accepted them. But she didn’t let go. ‘It’s not your fault, Cooper.’
She looked in to his eyes, and slowly saw him accept the truth in her words. Squeezing her hands gently, he smiled, before letting go to pick up her bike and march towards the front door.
‘Come on! We’ve got some metal to be a’grindin’!’
Grinning, she nearly skipped out after him.
x
‘A little bit more to me!’ Cooper shouted.
Violet poked her head out of the driver’s window while reversing, wanting to witness the wheel snap the bike in two.
The first time it had merely pushed it along. They’d changed the angle. This time, it was going to work.
A few minutes later, they stood over it together, looking down with puzzled expressions on their faces.
‘It’s barely even… dented.’ Violet couldn’t comprehend how a stupid, metal bike could stand up to the weight of a car rolling over it.
‘It did cost you $6000. I would think it’s reinforced in every way possible. You know, just in case people decided they wanted to run them over and then use them again.’ Off her glare he looked sheepish. ‘Sorry.’
‘There should be an option to un-inforce it if need be.’
Cooper smirked. ‘Un-inforce it?’
‘You know what I mean.’
Taking in her slouched shoulders and her head lowered in defeat, he offered, ‘come on. Let’s give it one more go.’
‘You should’ve let me have the alcohol before we did this. I’m sure I’d be much better at it, lowered inhibitions and all. I’d be much more willing to speed at it and send it flying,’ she accused him, making her way back to the car.
‘Vi, I told you. You could have the alcohol or the fun bike destruction, but not both at once, and only in one order. I don’t think anyone wants to get hit by a flying bike this late at night.’
Another glare was sent his way.
x
The dent was significantly larger after both had taken it in turns to run over it. They’d been forwards and backwards and received strange looks from passers by (not to mention Violet’s neighbors, but they were somewhat used to her strange behavior and her constant company in the form of Cooper) and you could even say it was somewhat bent now.
Nursing a glass of the alcohol she was now allowed, Violet stared at it sitting on her coffee table and muttered, ‘you should’ve just taken the damn bike.’
‘I told you, I don’t want a sad…’
‘It’s not a sad-Alan-y-cats-in-the-cradle-bike, Cooper!’
And then they both burst out laughing, because really it was. And, actually, they (she) could laugh about it now.
It would go out with the rubbish the next day and Violet would feel fine about it. Because now when she remembered it she would not think of Alan’s sob story; instead she would think of her best friend jumping up and down on top of it in the middle of the road, bending the frame just a little, but, as always, when Cooper rescued her, just enough.
iii.
They liked to dip in to Cooper’s office chocolate stash (that was supposedly for patients) on days like today.
‘I had some blue children today,’ Cooper announced while chewing on something very chocolaty and very chewy.
Violet snorted.
‘No, I’m serious.’
She looked up to meet his eyes. ‘Oh, I know. Fairy boy.’
‘Dell told?!’
‘Dell told,’ Violet nodded, triumphantly.
‘Did you dance around singing I’m a Little Teapot, too?’
‘No, no I did not. Give me that,’ he replied, snatching her chocolate bar away from her.
‘Hey!’
‘Mockers don’t deserve chocolate.’
There was silence for a while as Violet found herself a comfortable position on the sofa so that she could see Cooper properly next to her.
‘If it helped you figure out what was wrong with them, then I’m glad you did dress up as a fairy,’ she appeased, finally.
She looked sincere, he thought. ‘Thank you,’ he said, returning her chocolate to her.
Munching on it happily, ‘I just wish someone had taken a photo! Now that would be a sight. We’d put it up behind reception, tell everybody about it…’
She giggled, and he didn’t have it in him to punish her beyond the tickle attack he’d just launched upon her.
‘Okay, okay! Enough!’ she surrendered. ‘You melted my chocolate,’ she complained, after she found herself sitting on it.
‘Technically, you melted your chocolate.’
‘Only because you tickled me and so I moved.’
‘Never mind, I’m sure you’d prefer Dell’s cake to my crummy chocolate anyway.’
Something in his voice made her refrain from responding with a joke. ‘Nah. Dell’s cake is all Naomi’s. I’m happy with what I’ve got.’
She smiled, and he smiled back, before helping her scrape the melted chocolate off of his sofa.
iv.
‘She’s a little bit crazy,’ Violet murmured, swishing her beer around in its bottle. She and Cooper had retreated to the cosy sofa indoors, but the patio doors were still wide open and they were enjoying watching their colleagues.
‘Addison?’
‘Mmhmm.’
‘Yeah. She is a little.’
‘I like her.’
‘Me too.’
They watched silently as Pete made a joke and the others all laughed. They watched the small glances shared between Sam and Naomi and wondered, for the millionth time, what had gone so wrong and why it couldn’t be fixed.
‘I found the boy,’ Cooper spoke, quietly. ‘He was on top of a roof. You were right.’
Violet sighed. ‘But you found him in time. That’s good.’
‘Yeah. But he’s heartbroken. It’s going to take him some time to get over it, you know? He laid his heart on the line and it got trampled on.’
‘He’ll learn from it,’ she replied, taking a swig.
‘I suppose so. So do you think you can lay the Cami thing to rest now?’
The light of the fire down by the beach managed to cast faint flickering shadows around them, and he could only just make out the detail of her profile. ‘I hope so.’ It was the honest answer, the painful answer, and the only one she had for now.
‘Good.’ He placed an arm around her shoulders and clinked their bottles together. ‘To the future.’
She looked up at him, her eyes shimmering slightly, but maybe it was just the light. ‘The future,’ she responded in kind.
v.
‘Why didn’t you check on me?’
Unfamiliar uneasiness hung between them that neither knew what to do with as Violet made her way to the couch, curling herself in to one end as Cooper took up residence in the other. She watched him; watched his hands play patterns on his trousers, his breath a little speedy and his eyes unable to concentrate. She could see the thoughts circling round in his head and wondered just what it was that he was thinking. That he’d meant it when he’d said that he was ‘done’ with it all, with her, was her greatest fear.
‘I did,’ he said, quietly.
‘What?’ she asked, her breath hitching, her mind still on the waking nightmare that had been plaguing her since their argument.
‘I did check on you,’ he explained, ever so softly.
Her lungs remembered how to breathe, her heart how to beat, and she could feel the tiniest prickling of tears of relief in the corners of her eyes.
She met his eyes. ‘You were in Sam’s office.’
She lowered her eyes then, the loose thread of her jumper suddenly interesting. ‘I was looking for you.’
‘I know.’
‘I couldn’t find you,’ she whispered, sadly.
‘I stood…’ he cleared his throat, ‘for a while.’ He wasn’t sure how to go on or what else to say, so he said nothing.
Violet’s eyes remained on her jumper, the sheer knowledge that Cooper had checked on her more of a relief than she was expecting.
Cooper had been right, but she’d needed to learn it for herself. She’d needed to make that mistake to fully get past it, and while Cooper’s words had stung, she had known the truth in them. They wouldn’t have hurt if they hadn’t been truthful. This man was her best friend, and in the end, even after a fight, you can always turn to your best friend. He’d never not open the door to her.
‘I’m sorry,’ she whispered, eventually.
His hand stilled as he finally turned to look at her. His shoulders sagged and he blew out a breath as he met her sad eyes. Sad, he hoped, for him rather than Alan this time. Then he lifted his arm to her and she snuggled right in to it, resting her head on his chest.
‘I’m sorry, too,’ he whispered against her head, planting a gentle kiss on her forehead.
There was a time for further conversation, but this wasn’t it, as Cooper once again (though maybe for a different reason this time) held Violet in his arms as she cried quiet tears that pooled damply on his t-shirt.
vi.
Violet didn’t get herself that third Margherita. She was quite happy to be on Cooper-watch that night, and instead grabbed herself a large glass of water. She watched her best friend joking with Sam and Pete, glad that all rifts had been mended and all disagreements forgotten. After all, that’s what she herself had done with Cooper not that long ago.
‘Come on,’ she instructed him a few hours later, ‘let’s get a cab.’
‘Violet, are you taking me home?’
She laughed, but she was almost embarrassed. ‘Yes, yes I am Cooper. Now get moving.’ She’d decided to play along.
x
Five minutes beforehand she’d pushed Cooper in to her bathroom having stolen some sweats from Sam for him to borrow before they left.
‘I don’t like wearing another man’s clothing, Vi!’ a shout came from inside.
‘They’re clean, Cooper, get over it. You can’t sleep in your suit - that would just be uncomfortable.’
He emerged, sleepy-eyed and happily inebriated, a few moments later. Violet couldn’t help but smile. ‘Come on you, off to bed.’
‘Ay ay, captain,’ he replied with a waggle of his eyebrows.
x
The guest room, Cooper decided, was not very exciting. Not that he’d expected anything different, but a man could dream.
Something special happened, though. Violet tucked him in. She really must think he was drunk. In actual fact, Cooper was sober enough to think that it was a semi-good idea to go through with his plan (and remember the outcome in the morning), and drunk enough to have the courage to do so.
‘How’s your head?’ Violet asked softly, the light of the soft lamp beside the bed making her glow.
‘It’s fine,’ he whispered.
‘Good.’ A pause. ‘I’m glad you managed to help Tess. And I’m glad that Sam has seen the error of his ways. Everybody gets misguided every now and again.’
Cooper nodded, rolling his head around on the pillow and trying to keep his eyes open. ‘Thank you,’ he whispered again, ‘for looking after me.’
‘I’d do it anytime, and you know it.’ She smiled, and he smiled, and he realised that this was a very common occurrence.
She got up to leave but he snaked an arm out from under the covers and grabbed her wrist, waiting for her to turn to face him. ‘I love my tie. I don’t know where it is right now but I know I put it in a safe place and I’ll remember where that place is tomorrow.’
‘I’m glad,’ she smiled and laughed at him.
Here goes, he thought. ‘I love you, too,’ he whispered, all mostly-inebriated yet sincere, still holding on to her arm.
She stilled, looking at him, before sliding her arm slowly through his hand until her hand was in his, holding it. ‘I love you, too, too.’
And there was something, just something, in her tone, in the breath that hitched in her throat, in the way she looked at him, in her slow footsteps and the look he knew she gave him as she closed the door behind her, that made him believe it.
Now all he had to do was get up the courage to do it sober; when she’d believe him, too. But, in reality, she’d write it off as a friendly ‘I love you’ and he’d go along with it, because she’s still not ready to know he loves her not only as a friend, but as a lot more. And she’s not ready to even think about questioning why there was something more in her heart and in her voice when she gave him a friendly ‘I love you’ back.
A couple of seconds later, a completely unrelated thought came to him and he shot up in bed (which was not the best idea, in hindsight).
‘Violet! Violet!!’
He heard her run back. ‘What?!’ she sounded panicked as she opened the door.
‘Did Addison kiss Pete?’
Violet laughed in relief, nodding and closing the door as she spoke. ‘Work’s going to be interesting tomorrow!’
That was one word for it, Cooper thought. But maybe Violet would make him another bagel in the morning and yell at him to hurry in the shower, accuse him of not hanging up the towel properly and leave him thinking that, really, they weren’t far off the situations he imagines in his dreams as he falls asleep. He smiled into the pillow.
Fin
Originally posted here.
Private Practice, Cooper/Violet, pg
i.
A mumbled ‘I have a headache’ leaked out of the curled up ball on the sofa. Cooper, sitting next to it, did not even feel an ‘I told you so’ was necessary. He was pretty sure the ball was already feeling very sorry for itself.
‘Cooooper,’ the voice came again.
A moment later a hand was taking the ball’s hand and carefully placing some painkillers in it.
‘Water,’ it came again. A glass of water, already obtained, was gently placed in the other.
‘’Thank you.’ Another mutter. And a decidedly pathetic one at that. Placing a blanket over her, careful to tuck it round the edges and keep it from her face, Cooper sat down beside Violet; his arm resting on her curled up knees (so she knew she was safe, he told himself), and watched the near-muted television until she woke up.
x
The sound that came from Violet as she woke and stretched really belonged to a small, squeaky animal, Cooper decided. She had the decency to look embarrassed, and he had the control not to tell her it was the most adorable thing in the world.
‘Are you going to let me check you out now?’ About to nod her head in the affirmative, he gently reminded her, ‘I’d speak rather than move your head if I were you.’
She took that advice on board and barely moved at all. His hands weaved their way through her now messy curls, quietly asking where about she hit her head; a growing bump had taken up residence at the back and she shrieked a little when his fingers skimmed over it. (He was not thinking about how soft her hair was, or how he’d like to run his fingers through it until he’d smoothed it all out.)
‘I’m fine, Cooper,’ she insisted, as he made her eyes follow his finger.
‘You can never be too sure.’
‘Do I get a lollypop at the end of all this?’
Finishing his examination, he smirked at her and removed a bright red lollypop from his shirt pocket, brandishing it with a flourish.
‘Strawberry. Your favorite.’
She laughed, surprised, taking it from him eagerly while leaning back in to the sofa, tearing off the wrapper and popping it in her mouth; ‘mmm’ and ‘thank you’ following.
He watched her regress to a happy, child-like place, content to be a part of it.
x
‘So Addison’s staying.’ It was rather late in the evening by now and semi-rational thought had returned.
Cooper turned to look at her. ‘I guess so.’
‘What do you think about it?’
‘I don’t mind. She seems nice. Plus, she helps reduce the wacky in Naomi. Plus, she’s hot.’
‘But… But she’s a whole new person and we’re a small group and we all know each other but we don’t know her and we don’t know that she’ll fit in we didn’t even interview her we know nothing about her this could all go very wrong.’
‘Breathe, Vi.’ Cooper was glad that he could keep up with Violet’s tendency to speed-speak, in times like these.
‘Sorry. I’m sure it’ll be fine. It will be. I just had to get it out, you know?’
He nodded, patting her gently on the head in a place that wasn’t bumpy. ‘I know.’
x
‘Can I get you anything?’ A while later.
‘Ice cream?’ She looked so young and hopeful looking up at him standing behind the sofa that he could hardly resist. Returning from the freezer with Chocolate Fudge Brownie and two spoons, he jumped over the back of the sofa (a habit that he knew she hated) landing rather gracefully beside her.
‘I hate it when you do that,’ she glared at him.
‘Hey, I just got you ice cream. Pick your battles.’
‘But…’
‘And, I very kindly bought you some flip-flops and a by then melted ice pack earlier, because I’m just that good a friend.’
She pondered this a while, before conceding and delving in to the ice cream. ‘That’s true.’
Moments passed in comfortable silence as both were lost in their thoughts.
‘You did a good job today, Violet,’ Cooper said, breaking the silence.
x
At two in the morning the credits were rolling on a classic Hollywood musical (because Violet likes them when she’s feeling needy and Cooper likes Violet liking things; plus they’re singing and dancing and generally very happy in those films so what’s not to like) and the tub of ice cream is empty and lying on the floor. The occupants of the sofa are fast asleep, one acting as a pillow. Cooper cracks an eye open, the lack of voices having woken him, and reaches gently for the remote to darken the tv screen. All he can see of Violet is a ball shape, yet again, and a lot of curly hair, a small hand sleepily extended across his chest (which he can more feel than see) and her feet poking out of the end of the blanket, clad toastily in slipper socks. This, he thinks, he is just fine with.
Until the morning comes and none of his clothes are here (but he wishes they were) and he’ll have to hurry Violet (because he won’t let her drive yet, just in case) which is always a difficult task, before he bundles her in to his car and speeds to his own apartment where she’ll yell at him to hurry up in the shower when she knows and he knows that he already takes a fraction of the time she does. But, he thinks again, he’s rather looking forward to that, too.
ii.
‘How are you doing?’ Violet asked, wanting to change the subject.
‘Me? I’m fine.’
‘Seriously, Cooper. I know this baby case got to you.’
‘I just…’ he paused, unsure of what else he could say. She already knew how he felt about the situation and she was going through a harder time, so right now he wanted to help her. ‘Come on,’ he said, getting up, ‘let’s go put this in front of your car.’
He held out his hands to her and pulled her up when she accepted them. But she didn’t let go. ‘It’s not your fault, Cooper.’
She looked in to his eyes, and slowly saw him accept the truth in her words. Squeezing her hands gently, he smiled, before letting go to pick up her bike and march towards the front door.
‘Come on! We’ve got some metal to be a’grindin’!’
Grinning, she nearly skipped out after him.
x
‘A little bit more to me!’ Cooper shouted.
Violet poked her head out of the driver’s window while reversing, wanting to witness the wheel snap the bike in two.
The first time it had merely pushed it along. They’d changed the angle. This time, it was going to work.
A few minutes later, they stood over it together, looking down with puzzled expressions on their faces.
‘It’s barely even… dented.’ Violet couldn’t comprehend how a stupid, metal bike could stand up to the weight of a car rolling over it.
‘It did cost you $6000. I would think it’s reinforced in every way possible. You know, just in case people decided they wanted to run them over and then use them again.’ Off her glare he looked sheepish. ‘Sorry.’
‘There should be an option to un-inforce it if need be.’
Cooper smirked. ‘Un-inforce it?’
‘You know what I mean.’
Taking in her slouched shoulders and her head lowered in defeat, he offered, ‘come on. Let’s give it one more go.’
‘You should’ve let me have the alcohol before we did this. I’m sure I’d be much better at it, lowered inhibitions and all. I’d be much more willing to speed at it and send it flying,’ she accused him, making her way back to the car.
‘Vi, I told you. You could have the alcohol or the fun bike destruction, but not both at once, and only in one order. I don’t think anyone wants to get hit by a flying bike this late at night.’
Another glare was sent his way.
x
The dent was significantly larger after both had taken it in turns to run over it. They’d been forwards and backwards and received strange looks from passers by (not to mention Violet’s neighbors, but they were somewhat used to her strange behavior and her constant company in the form of Cooper) and you could even say it was somewhat bent now.
Nursing a glass of the alcohol she was now allowed, Violet stared at it sitting on her coffee table and muttered, ‘you should’ve just taken the damn bike.’
‘I told you, I don’t want a sad…’
‘It’s not a sad-Alan-y-cats-in-the-cradle-bike, Cooper!’
And then they both burst out laughing, because really it was. And, actually, they (she) could laugh about it now.
It would go out with the rubbish the next day and Violet would feel fine about it. Because now when she remembered it she would not think of Alan’s sob story; instead she would think of her best friend jumping up and down on top of it in the middle of the road, bending the frame just a little, but, as always, when Cooper rescued her, just enough.
iii.
They liked to dip in to Cooper’s office chocolate stash (that was supposedly for patients) on days like today.
‘I had some blue children today,’ Cooper announced while chewing on something very chocolaty and very chewy.
Violet snorted.
‘No, I’m serious.’
She looked up to meet his eyes. ‘Oh, I know. Fairy boy.’
‘Dell told?!’
‘Dell told,’ Violet nodded, triumphantly.
‘Did you dance around singing I’m a Little Teapot, too?’
‘No, no I did not. Give me that,’ he replied, snatching her chocolate bar away from her.
‘Hey!’
‘Mockers don’t deserve chocolate.’
There was silence for a while as Violet found herself a comfortable position on the sofa so that she could see Cooper properly next to her.
‘If it helped you figure out what was wrong with them, then I’m glad you did dress up as a fairy,’ she appeased, finally.
She looked sincere, he thought. ‘Thank you,’ he said, returning her chocolate to her.
Munching on it happily, ‘I just wish someone had taken a photo! Now that would be a sight. We’d put it up behind reception, tell everybody about it…’
She giggled, and he didn’t have it in him to punish her beyond the tickle attack he’d just launched upon her.
‘Okay, okay! Enough!’ she surrendered. ‘You melted my chocolate,’ she complained, after she found herself sitting on it.
‘Technically, you melted your chocolate.’
‘Only because you tickled me and so I moved.’
‘Never mind, I’m sure you’d prefer Dell’s cake to my crummy chocolate anyway.’
Something in his voice made her refrain from responding with a joke. ‘Nah. Dell’s cake is all Naomi’s. I’m happy with what I’ve got.’
She smiled, and he smiled back, before helping her scrape the melted chocolate off of his sofa.
iv.
‘She’s a little bit crazy,’ Violet murmured, swishing her beer around in its bottle. She and Cooper had retreated to the cosy sofa indoors, but the patio doors were still wide open and they were enjoying watching their colleagues.
‘Addison?’
‘Mmhmm.’
‘Yeah. She is a little.’
‘I like her.’
‘Me too.’
They watched silently as Pete made a joke and the others all laughed. They watched the small glances shared between Sam and Naomi and wondered, for the millionth time, what had gone so wrong and why it couldn’t be fixed.
‘I found the boy,’ Cooper spoke, quietly. ‘He was on top of a roof. You were right.’
Violet sighed. ‘But you found him in time. That’s good.’
‘Yeah. But he’s heartbroken. It’s going to take him some time to get over it, you know? He laid his heart on the line and it got trampled on.’
‘He’ll learn from it,’ she replied, taking a swig.
‘I suppose so. So do you think you can lay the Cami thing to rest now?’
The light of the fire down by the beach managed to cast faint flickering shadows around them, and he could only just make out the detail of her profile. ‘I hope so.’ It was the honest answer, the painful answer, and the only one she had for now.
‘Good.’ He placed an arm around her shoulders and clinked their bottles together. ‘To the future.’
She looked up at him, her eyes shimmering slightly, but maybe it was just the light. ‘The future,’ she responded in kind.
v.
‘Why didn’t you check on me?’
Unfamiliar uneasiness hung between them that neither knew what to do with as Violet made her way to the couch, curling herself in to one end as Cooper took up residence in the other. She watched him; watched his hands play patterns on his trousers, his breath a little speedy and his eyes unable to concentrate. She could see the thoughts circling round in his head and wondered just what it was that he was thinking. That he’d meant it when he’d said that he was ‘done’ with it all, with her, was her greatest fear.
‘I did,’ he said, quietly.
‘What?’ she asked, her breath hitching, her mind still on the waking nightmare that had been plaguing her since their argument.
‘I did check on you,’ he explained, ever so softly.
Her lungs remembered how to breathe, her heart how to beat, and she could feel the tiniest prickling of tears of relief in the corners of her eyes.
She met his eyes. ‘You were in Sam’s office.’
She lowered her eyes then, the loose thread of her jumper suddenly interesting. ‘I was looking for you.’
‘I know.’
‘I couldn’t find you,’ she whispered, sadly.
‘I stood…’ he cleared his throat, ‘for a while.’ He wasn’t sure how to go on or what else to say, so he said nothing.
Violet’s eyes remained on her jumper, the sheer knowledge that Cooper had checked on her more of a relief than she was expecting.
Cooper had been right, but she’d needed to learn it for herself. She’d needed to make that mistake to fully get past it, and while Cooper’s words had stung, she had known the truth in them. They wouldn’t have hurt if they hadn’t been truthful. This man was her best friend, and in the end, even after a fight, you can always turn to your best friend. He’d never not open the door to her.
‘I’m sorry,’ she whispered, eventually.
His hand stilled as he finally turned to look at her. His shoulders sagged and he blew out a breath as he met her sad eyes. Sad, he hoped, for him rather than Alan this time. Then he lifted his arm to her and she snuggled right in to it, resting her head on his chest.
‘I’m sorry, too,’ he whispered against her head, planting a gentle kiss on her forehead.
There was a time for further conversation, but this wasn’t it, as Cooper once again (though maybe for a different reason this time) held Violet in his arms as she cried quiet tears that pooled damply on his t-shirt.
vi.
Violet didn’t get herself that third Margherita. She was quite happy to be on Cooper-watch that night, and instead grabbed herself a large glass of water. She watched her best friend joking with Sam and Pete, glad that all rifts had been mended and all disagreements forgotten. After all, that’s what she herself had done with Cooper not that long ago.
‘Come on,’ she instructed him a few hours later, ‘let’s get a cab.’
‘Violet, are you taking me home?’
She laughed, but she was almost embarrassed. ‘Yes, yes I am Cooper. Now get moving.’ She’d decided to play along.
x
Five minutes beforehand she’d pushed Cooper in to her bathroom having stolen some sweats from Sam for him to borrow before they left.
‘I don’t like wearing another man’s clothing, Vi!’ a shout came from inside.
‘They’re clean, Cooper, get over it. You can’t sleep in your suit - that would just be uncomfortable.’
He emerged, sleepy-eyed and happily inebriated, a few moments later. Violet couldn’t help but smile. ‘Come on you, off to bed.’
‘Ay ay, captain,’ he replied with a waggle of his eyebrows.
x
The guest room, Cooper decided, was not very exciting. Not that he’d expected anything different, but a man could dream.
Something special happened, though. Violet tucked him in. She really must think he was drunk. In actual fact, Cooper was sober enough to think that it was a semi-good idea to go through with his plan (and remember the outcome in the morning), and drunk enough to have the courage to do so.
‘How’s your head?’ Violet asked softly, the light of the soft lamp beside the bed making her glow.
‘It’s fine,’ he whispered.
‘Good.’ A pause. ‘I’m glad you managed to help Tess. And I’m glad that Sam has seen the error of his ways. Everybody gets misguided every now and again.’
Cooper nodded, rolling his head around on the pillow and trying to keep his eyes open. ‘Thank you,’ he whispered again, ‘for looking after me.’
‘I’d do it anytime, and you know it.’ She smiled, and he smiled, and he realised that this was a very common occurrence.
She got up to leave but he snaked an arm out from under the covers and grabbed her wrist, waiting for her to turn to face him. ‘I love my tie. I don’t know where it is right now but I know I put it in a safe place and I’ll remember where that place is tomorrow.’
‘I’m glad,’ she smiled and laughed at him.
Here goes, he thought. ‘I love you, too,’ he whispered, all mostly-inebriated yet sincere, still holding on to her arm.
She stilled, looking at him, before sliding her arm slowly through his hand until her hand was in his, holding it. ‘I love you, too, too.’
And there was something, just something, in her tone, in the breath that hitched in her throat, in the way she looked at him, in her slow footsteps and the look he knew she gave him as she closed the door behind her, that made him believe it.
Now all he had to do was get up the courage to do it sober; when she’d believe him, too. But, in reality, she’d write it off as a friendly ‘I love you’ and he’d go along with it, because she’s still not ready to know he loves her not only as a friend, but as a lot more. And she’s not ready to even think about questioning why there was something more in her heart and in her voice when she gave him a friendly ‘I love you’ back.
A couple of seconds later, a completely unrelated thought came to him and he shot up in bed (which was not the best idea, in hindsight).
‘Violet! Violet!!’
He heard her run back. ‘What?!’ she sounded panicked as she opened the door.
‘Did Addison kiss Pete?’
Violet laughed in relief, nodding and closing the door as she spoke. ‘Work’s going to be interesting tomorrow!’
That was one word for it, Cooper thought. But maybe Violet would make him another bagel in the morning and yell at him to hurry in the shower, accuse him of not hanging up the towel properly and leave him thinking that, really, they weren’t far off the situations he imagines in his dreams as he falls asleep. He smiled into the pillow.
Fin
Originally posted here.