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Snippets - the end
There are times that their playful bantering turns into a full blown fight. Neither is bound to back down, pride being the only barrier to a compromise or a resolution. She's far too stubborn and he's far too unforgiving. She, however, has a soft spot for him; she'd jump off the cliff if he asked her to. She'll never admit this but she would if he asks.
"Why do you stay with me?" She turned to face him. If he were looking, he can see how broken she is.
"That's a good question." He said under his breath.
"Why do you then?" her voice trembled. She truly wants to know but fears the response she believes she already knows.
"Stop it." he said through gritted teeth.
"Not until you tell me."
"You always get what you want! Didn't you ever consider what I wanted? Why must everything be about what you want?" He shouted, face red with the exertion of effort and rage.
"If I always get what I want then we wouldn't be fighting right now. If I always get what I want then I'd have you."
He looked at her, gaping like a fish out of water. She took that expression in and walked away. He almost followed her but somehow couldn't command his body to do so. He felt sick and ebullient all at once.
"Why do you stay with me?" She turned to face him. If he were looking, he can see how broken she is.
"That's a good question." He said under his breath.
"Why do you then?" her voice trembled. She truly wants to know but fears the response she believes she already knows.
"Stop it." he said through gritted teeth.
"Not until you tell me."
"You always get what you want! Didn't you ever consider what I wanted? Why must everything be about what you want?" He shouted, face red with the exertion of effort and rage.
"If I always get what I want then we wouldn't be fighting right now. If I always get what I want then I'd have you."
He looked at her, gaping like a fish out of water. She took that expression in and walked away. He almost followed her but somehow couldn't command his body to do so. He felt sick and ebullient all at once.
***
It was weeks before they made contact; more specifically, before he made contact. He stared at the SMS he was about to send, took a deep breath to gather his courage and pressed the send button.
-beep- That was fast. He read the screen, hands shaking a bit as he did.
"Hu is dis?" He frowned a furrowed his brows. She's baiting him, he knows.
"You know better than to use text language. It's degrading and insulting to both our intelligence."
Send. Wait. Tap foot on floor.
-beep- "i dnt nid 2 insult ur intelligence. u dnt hve any 4 me 2 insult."
He choked a laugh. He hoped it would be this easy, just like their previous arguments, but that would be wishing for too much. "Takes one to know one."
Send. Wait. Bite nails.
-beep- "wat do u want?"
He sighed. Nope, it wasn't going to be easy. She'll punish him thoroughly and this time, he'll gladly take it.
"I want you." He thought twice before he pressed the button. He deleted the last two words and replaced it with 'miss you' instead.
Send. Wait. Fidget.
-beep- He closed his eyes and breathed deeply before he opened the message.
"Fuck you. I'm done with being your fucking convenience. You said I was selfish and now you also assume that I can be bought with a simple 'I miss you'? Asshole. I'm not cheap, easy or stupid. You hurt me. This isn't a movie and you sure aren't Jerry McfuckingGuire. I require more than a fucking 'I miss you'. If you weren't so busy being a bumfuck then you'd be thinking about some fucking grandiose action that would express how fucking apologetic you are, rather than that insipid 'I miss you' statement. You big, stupid, misogynistic fucker."
He laughed, a loud laugh that filled his entire being. In their weird language, that message actually meant 'I forgive you and I'm giving you one more chance so don't screw it up.' He smiled and texted back
"That's what I thought you'd say. I'll get right on it."
Send.
He slipped the phone back in his pocket, knowing that she won't text back, while thoughts of grandiose apologetic actions filled his head.
-beep- That was fast. He read the screen, hands shaking a bit as he did.
"Hu is dis?" He frowned a furrowed his brows. She's baiting him, he knows.
"You know better than to use text language. It's degrading and insulting to both our intelligence."
Send. Wait. Tap foot on floor.
-beep- "i dnt nid 2 insult ur intelligence. u dnt hve any 4 me 2 insult."
He choked a laugh. He hoped it would be this easy, just like their previous arguments, but that would be wishing for too much. "Takes one to know one."
Send. Wait. Bite nails.
-beep- "wat do u want?"
He sighed. Nope, it wasn't going to be easy. She'll punish him thoroughly and this time, he'll gladly take it.
"I want you." He thought twice before he pressed the button. He deleted the last two words and replaced it with 'miss you' instead.
Send. Wait. Fidget.
-beep- He closed his eyes and breathed deeply before he opened the message.
"Fuck you. I'm done with being your fucking convenience. You said I was selfish and now you also assume that I can be bought with a simple 'I miss you'? Asshole. I'm not cheap, easy or stupid. You hurt me. This isn't a movie and you sure aren't Jerry McfuckingGuire. I require more than a fucking 'I miss you'. If you weren't so busy being a bumfuck then you'd be thinking about some fucking grandiose action that would express how fucking apologetic you are, rather than that insipid 'I miss you' statement. You big, stupid, misogynistic fucker."
He laughed, a loud laugh that filled his entire being. In their weird language, that message actually meant 'I forgive you and I'm giving you one more chance so don't screw it up.' He smiled and texted back
"That's what I thought you'd say. I'll get right on it."
Send.
He slipped the phone back in his pocket, knowing that she won't text back, while thoughts of grandiose apologetic actions filled his head.
***
They looked at the carnage behind them. The street was filled with crushed flowers and two car fender bender was prominently stationed in the middle. It makes for a really hideous and hilarious tableau.
They cocked their heads to the side at the same time to inspect the massacre. "Hah." They both said.
"You know, grandiose doesn't equate to an attempt to murder me." She said.
"Hey, you wanted big so I gave you fucking big." He smirked.
"Yeah, a fucking big bouquet in the middle of my fucking street. Come to think of it, that monstrosity isn't a bouquet, it's a fucking float from the fucking Rose Bowl!"
"Hey!" He said, protesting and defending his grandiose act. "I spent a lot of money on that monstrosity!"
"Well, you'll be spending more to repair my bumper and replace my tail lights!" She screamed.
"If you had been watching the road like the way normal people should when they're driving then you'd see the flowers and stop to inspect them not run over them like they were roadkill!"
"If you hadn't texted me and made me look at my phone, I'd be watching the road instead of reading another 'I miss you' statement from you!"
He opened and closed his mouth noiselessly. She took this opportunity to jump at him and take his lips with her own. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he held her waist as she deepened the kiss. She finally broke the kiss after a minute and breathlessly she whispered:
"That was a fucking grandiose act. You are off the hook. You still owe me tail lights and yes, I miss you too."
-fin-
They cocked their heads to the side at the same time to inspect the massacre. "Hah." They both said.
"You know, grandiose doesn't equate to an attempt to murder me." She said.
"Hey, you wanted big so I gave you fucking big." He smirked.
"Yeah, a fucking big bouquet in the middle of my fucking street. Come to think of it, that monstrosity isn't a bouquet, it's a fucking float from the fucking Rose Bowl!"
"Hey!" He said, protesting and defending his grandiose act. "I spent a lot of money on that monstrosity!"
"Well, you'll be spending more to repair my bumper and replace my tail lights!" She screamed.
"If you had been watching the road like the way normal people should when they're driving then you'd see the flowers and stop to inspect them not run over them like they were roadkill!"
"If you hadn't texted me and made me look at my phone, I'd be watching the road instead of reading another 'I miss you' statement from you!"
He opened and closed his mouth noiselessly. She took this opportunity to jump at him and take his lips with her own. She wrapped her arms around his neck and he held her waist as she deepened the kiss. She finally broke the kiss after a minute and breathlessly she whispered:
"That was a fucking grandiose act. You are off the hook. You still owe me tail lights and yes, I miss you too."
-fin-
