I'll Love You For A Lifetime [Heartstopper, Tara x Darcy]

Growing up: part 1

George's pov

I pressed the upward arrow of the elevator, the number indicating the level showed 5 in red. While I was waiting for the elevator to arrive at my floor, I looked down at my outfit, quietly hoping it was not too obvious that the trousers of my suit were a little too long. Rolling the bouquet in my hands, I moved the note screaming "CONGRATULATIONS" away from me.

I had been a bit sick during Tara and Darcy's wedding, and could not attend the entire event, so I reckoned I should pay the newly weds a visit once, considering that Darcy was my only family left now.

I knocked at the door of their apartment. I had been here once before, when Tara had just moved in with Darcy, so I knew which one it was. As soon as the door opened, I was almost thrown backwards by Darcy's signature forcibly-knocking-air-out-of-lungs hug. My heart twisted painfully as we held on for a few moments.

"George, oh my god," she said, finally stepping back to take a look at me, "Oh god, I did not just murder the flowers did I?"

"I hope not," I said. "Congratulations," I said, and somehow, despite the fact that I had been on testosterone for over a year now, my voice managed to crack in the most embarrassing way possible, making Darcy giggle.

"Who is it, wifey?" Tara called out. Darcy rolled her eyes at the wifey but she was smiling. She walked inside and beckoned me to follow. "It's George," she said peeking into a room. Tara was on the couch, petting a cat in her lap as the tv blared on the screen in front of her.

"Oh my god," she said, standing up and startling the poor cat as it fell to the floor. "Oh, sorry Shabby," she said to the cat and then waved at me. I waved back.

"Boy, you should have let us know you are coming, we look terribly underdressed," Tara said and I felt confidence surge through me. "He brought flowers for us," Darcy said waving the bouquet in her hands.

"Careful," Tara said, taking the flowers in her hand, and looking at them, "They are gorgeous...thank you." I did a little mock curtsy.

Darcy clapped her hands, "Should I bring in some snacks?"

"Sure," I said.

"She is practising working in the kitchen for when..." Tara started, but Darcy cut her, "Shh. It's a secret."

I squinted my eyes at Tara and she shrugged, "It's a secret."

Darcy walked away to the kitchen and I sighed and took a seat beside Tara. She was like my sister at this point. Well, she was my sister-in-law now.

Shabby jumped into my lap and I petted its head absentmindedly, "How is she doing?" Immediately, Tara knew who I was talking about.

"Loads better than the first time I saw her," Tara said, the smile suddenly dropping from her face. "She is clean for now, but I am terrified she will relapse again. There are times she is just so...dark."

"Man, I could kill that Vanora girl," I said, leaned back against the couch a little too forcefully, "She took away a part of her when she came into her life."

Tara looked at her lap and I regretted saying anything at all.

"I mean she is okay now, so it's fine," I said quickly, "How is cohabitation experience going?"

Tara rolled her eyes, "We have been living together for a year now."

"But you weren't married," I said.

Tara went silent again.

"Something you wanna say?" I asked, peeking at the door to check Darcy was well out of earshot.

"Sometimes," Tara said, her throat choking up, "sometimes I feel like it's my fault. I left. I should have stayed. I should have said a proper goodbye. She thought she had lost me forever."

"Listen," I said, "None of this is your fault. Your dad could not do anything. I could not do anything. She was not gonna listen until the right time arrived."

"Until I arrived," Tara said, looking at me with bloodshot eyes. I could not think of anything to comfort her.

"The darkness is a part of her," Tara said, "I had secretly hoped it would go away, but it's gonna stay forever. I just have to learn to live with it."

I squeezed a hand on her shoulder, "She is healing. Don't worry about it."

Tara shook her head and Darcy called from outside, "Hot tea on its way!"

"At least you two have each other," I said quietly, "I have no one who is willing to stay."

"Don't say that," Tara said, but Darcy had walked in with a proud little smile on her face. "Try it and tell me how it is," she said, blissfully unaware that we had been talking about...her.

***

After Tara left for University six years back, everything went into a turmoil. Our parents died in some sort of freak accident and overnight, Vicky, Darcy and I, we were kicked out of our own home. We were too young to understand the legal aspects of things so we spent weeks on the streets until one day, Vicky ran away with a junkie and the responsibility was thrown on Darcy's shoulders.

"I can't study anymore," she said one chilly evening, "But you will go to university. You will study. You have always been the brightest of us three."

With that, she went from shop to shop, begging for work. She jumped around on some odd jobs until a car garage owner taught her how to do mechanic work and she started working there for a decent income. She rented an apartment and we lived there for a while and I went to school. Until that stupid cunt Vanora popped in our life. I have no idea how they met, but Darcy started dating her and she moved in. That was the downfall of Darcy Olsson.

They started getting high every night. It started with harmless drinking and smoking, but eventually Victoria started bringing in drugs. It got so bad, I had to leave and I crashed at Kay's place almost every night. And that was the fall of George Olsson.

It did not take Kay long to realize that I had a thing for her(they had started using she/they pronouns by then) and she started playing around with me, never making it official and never letting me go.

This continued for months until one day I realized I needed a break. I ran to Tara's dad and I cried for hours and hours. I told him everything about Darcy, Kay and Vicky and everything else in between. He gave me a place to stay and he helped me grow. I started taking studies seriously again and eventually, started attending a local uni. I was completely cut off from Darcy at this point.

Four year later, Tara came back. I greeted her at the door. She looked so much more grown up now, so much more mature.

"You are living here?" she asked in a pleasant voice, "How is Darcy and the rest of your family?"

I pressed my lips together, "I don't know."

Tara frowned at me like she could not process anything at all. "What happened after I left?"

That night her dad and I told her everything that has happened and Tara listened while anxiously turned a thin silver ring in her finger over and over again.

She stood up. "Why didn't you tell me anything before?" She looked at her father with cold accusing eyes.

"I thought it would be best for you," he said simply.

"WHY ARE YOU TELLING ME NOW THEN?" she shouted, finally loosing her cool. "I would have come back for her! I would have saved her!"

"I knew you would," he said. "It wasn't going to do either of you any good."

"I HATE YOU," she exclaimed and ran upstairs.

At that moment, I hated him too, but today, as I see Tara and Darcy living together comfortably, with a home and enough money to sustain both of them and a cat, I realize he had been right.

The dots didn't connect while moving forward, but they did while moving backwards. I hoped mine would too.