Chance Encounter

Finite

Loving can hurt, loving can hurt sometimes

But it's the only thing that I know

When it gets hard, you know it can get hard sometimes

It is the only thing that makes us feel alive

~*~

Sock's living room was a mess. Norris was not pleased being caged in all night. Even Cleo joined in some of the destruction. Sock let them out in the morning and they ran out, happy to be released. Making coffee Sock went to the bathroom to scrub himself clean. Today, there will be no more crying. Today, he would move on.

When he got back into the kitchen and reached for his cup Sock saw the blue one resting there innocuously. A wave of tears had him choking back the lump in his throat. Sock reached for it pulling the TARDIS cup between his hands. Tempted to chuck the cup to the wall and smash it Sock quickly hid it under the sink. Out of sight, out of mind.

Grabbing the Sherlock cup Sock poured his coffee and drank it quickly, he needed to get out of here before Lil ambushed him again.

*-*~*-*~*-*

Sock was looking for new apartments two days later when he heard Lil knocking on his door. Knowing he had postponed this meeting for as long as he could he got up from the table and hid the Rental Guide before going to the door to answer.

Lil's eyes looked determined and were surprised that Sock actually answered the door instead of ignoring it. The lapse was momentary as Lil pushed her shoulders back. "We need to talk."

Sock pressed his lips together saying, "I don't want to talk about it," while he opened the door for her to enter anyways.

"I don't care," Lil replied as she walked in and sat down on the sofa patting the seat next to her indicating for him to sit down. "I need to talk."

Sock, resigned, closed the door as he brushed his hair off to the side. He still needed to get a haircut and with his hair so messy, Sock had gotten to wearing at hat to cover up most of his crazy hair. Sitting down near Lil, Sock blinked those tired sad green eyes at her. He braced himself for the topic his been dreading. Jonathan Combs.

"I'm... I'm not excusing his actions," Lil sighed rubbing her right hand over her left arm as she glanced around the room. She took another long breath in trying to prepare herself for what she was going to say next. "I just wanted you to know why."

Sock had every intention to stop Lil right there, he didn't want to know anymore but the vulnerable look she gave him spoke volumes. He forgot for a second that she had also dated him, and it's in the past tense, that look could only be from the past. There is past hurt and guilt and for a moment Sock could see the young girl in the photograph, carefree and in love with the boy who couldn't commit.

"Jonathan..." she exhaled looking at her hands that were resting on her lap, "Back when I met him in high school he was quiet, reserved. It took a long time before he came out of his shell." She smiled at that remembering a time Sock wasn't there to see and how he longed to. "There was... this hope in his eyes, I never understood it. More than our peers had but I never could figure out why. It wasn't until we started dating that I found out.

"Jonathan never wanted to hang out at his place and at the time I thought it was normal. Maybe his parents were really strict and base on how I was dressed maybe wouldn't approve," Lil laughed before her face turned serious as she turned her eyes on Sock. "He didn't want me to meet his dad.

"That, that sick fucker," She shook her head in anger as her hands curled into fist. "Did you know he used to beat him? I... I fucking cried when I found out. And do you know how I found out Sock? Jonathan accidently exposed his bruises. I... I told him he should report his dad but he wouldn't budge."