hidden in plain sight

[dolly weathers]

"I've always been, you were just too focused on pretending I was some tabloid version of myself.” behind the gate she feels protected, not exposed to vulnerability. She can read the hurt behind his face and her heart feels like it's being squeezed. It's too much of a day and she wants to bury her face in a pillow and take a pill to help her fall asleep. "I really don't care that you're living with a girl or that you're not a douchebag billionaire. I just can't deal with hot roomie cuddle time and really, it wasn't fun for you seeing me with a fake boyfriend. Like that's equally terrible, isn't it? Why would you want to be involved?”

[theo lovett]

The fake boyfriend had wounded him, that was true. Theo wasn't the type to get jealous, feeling secure in himself and what he had to offer as a partner. But it had been embarrassing, he'd had to field questions from his friends and colleagues, and the whole thing felt like a 'fuck you' to what he and Dolly had. Or, what he'd thought they had. It had probably encouraged him to cross invisible lines. "I tried to get to know the real you, but you didn't make it easy." He sighs, running a hand through his recently shorn hair. If he was honest with himself he had crossed a line, had lingered too close to Elyse as they cooked together in their cramped kitchen, even fallen asleep in her bed. His resolve crumbles, and he finally concedes. "I wish you would have said something, I could have pulled back from her. But you're right, and I'm sorry. I didn't think of your feelings and I should have, you shouldn't have had to ask."

[dolly weathers]

Dolly had felt like she could have loved Theo. Or maybe she even did. But there always seemed to be something in the way. Her family, who never failed to put her down for dating someone normal. Which she truly didn't care about, but it made her feel like she wasn't doing something right. Then the roommate. Who Dolly didn't mind at first, but then became more worried about as people reminded her of how unnatural it was. There always seemed reason to not give in all the way and this fault was on her. "I'm not a good communicator, I should have tried harder. I just didn't know how.” She follows his softness, her hands opening from a tight fist and relaxing. "You were unexpected. I think I just went into it to have fun and you were more. Maybe if we'd met later I would have been more ready for someone like you.”

[theo lovett]

If he had the proximity to do so he would have pulled her in for a hug. Looking at her now, she wasn't the Dolly Weathers he had known. She wasn't intimidating, wasn't so guarded. If they had met now things might have been different, but then, maybe they wouldn't, maybe this wouldn't have ever happened. Theo's heart is heavy with regret and bruised by betrayal, but he nods. "We were both pretty young. And stupid," he adds, giving her a half smile. "At least you'll have that sweater to remember me by."

[dolly weathers]

She smiles back, looking down at the sweater, "I think I can get it out.” At that she presses the keypad again, allowing the gate to shift and the space to open between them. Dolly feels emptier now. Which isn't a better feeling than anxious. Within weeks she'd watch as everyone in her life seemed to disappear and to seemingly choose sides. She'd always known her friendships to be superficial, but it was strange to have proof of it. "I'm sorry I literally ran away from you,” she shrugs sheepishly, "I literally feel like I'm in war with everyone right now. Did you ever get a Game of Thrones vibe from my family? I'm so sure someone is going to break in and cut my tongue out.”

[theo lovett]

Theo breathes a sigh of relief as she opens the gate, unable to handle the distance anymore. As soon as it creaks open he closes the distance between them, wrapping his arms around her and pulling her in for a tight squeeze. He releases her, looking down at her pretty face, so neatly framed by her new haircut. "I'm sorry I wasn't the guy I should have been." Looking at her, he can see how tired she is. It's not a physical tiredness but an emotional one, and he wants to scoop her up, to run her a bath, to try and get her to take a load off. But she's not his girlfriend, so he just nods. "I'd never felt lucky to be orphaned before I met you," he grins. "You've got to try and take care of yourself, don't let all this get on top of you."

[dolly weathers]

She hugs back, her arms holding him tightly, the smell of his uniform musty and familiar. It makes her incredibly sad rather than comforted and her face turns from pale to flushed as her throat tightens and the threat of tears overcome her. She quickly steps away and clears her throat. "Oh, what a feeling,” she forces a laugh and shakes her head, "I really am and will be fine. It's just rich people bullshit.”

[theo lovett]

"Dolly," Theo says, watching her closely as she tried to contain herself. It hard to see her like this, hard to imagine how they got from him pumping her stomach in an ambulance to this moment, her life crumbling around her. "Are none of your brothers backing you up? Is anyone?" He knew as well as most that the Weathers machine was an almighty one, and he was starting to doubt that her father would have any qualms in turning it on her. "I'm still here, ok? I'm still on your side and I always will be."

[dolly weathers]

She looks up when he says her name and shakes her head when he asks of her brothers. The truth of it was that the Weathers family was more a corporation than a family. There were rules and regulations, she'd always known this. Christmas was black tie and so were birthdays, loyalty and ordered very much mattered. "No, really. It's fine,” but hot tears give her away and she finds herself pushing them off her round face. "God, ew,” she laughs, "so embarrassing.”

[theo lovett]

She can hardly push her tears away before Theo has pulled her in for another hug, squeezing her against his chest, doing his best to squeeze all the sadness right out of her. "Oh Dolly," he repeats, only starting to comprehend the mammoth decision she'd made. Half pulling away from her, he takes the sweater from her arm and starts to mop at her cheeks, brushing tears away with the soft fabric. "Sorry, I probably smell terrible," he grins, giving his armpit a sniff and wincing. "Mind if I take a shower at yours? I've got a change of clothes in my car, then I can make you some lunch. Have you got anything in?"

[dolly weathers]

She sighs heavily into his chest, the immediate ache of stress dissipating as the cruelness of time seems non existent. She laughs softly as he pats away salty tears with coffee stained fabric. "No, you don't,” she disagrees. She looks back at her front door and thinks about his question. "I let go of my housekeeper,” she shrivels her nose, "I'm not saying I'm naturally messy. I tried to run the dishwasher but I think I put too much soap in it and my kitchen...” She covers her eyes with her hands, "there's just bubbles everywhere. I don't even know where the pantry is.”

[theo lovett]

"Lucky you, I'm a domestic god. Let's go see the damage," Theo says, slipping easily into fixer mode. Suddenly having two teenage boys in her two-bed apartment had hit his aunt hard almost ten years ago, and it had taken all three of them increasing their domestic workload to keep on top of it, especially when Ollie had been incapacitated. As a result Theo was more self-reliant than most, and certainly moreso than a girl who'd been used to a lifetime of hired help. "You know my cooking's ok, but my cleaning, well, be prepared to be blown away."

[dolly weathers]

"If you're sure,” she bites her lip and leads him up the curvy driveway to her door. She punches in yet another code and holds her finger to the pad to scan. A more recent security measure she'd requested during a nighttime paranoia. "It could possibly double as a bubble bath,” she says, stepping into the house. The smell of detergent hits her nose immediately and as she she leads him through the house she spots the cloud of bubbles falling out of the dishwasher. "On a level of one to Kendall Jenner not knowing how to cut a cucumber. How bad?”

[theo lovett]

The house feels just as familiar, even if there was a quieter, unoccupied vibe to it without her housekeeper pottering around. The smell of detergent was strong from the second the door was opened and Theo can't help but laugh. "Did you put shampoo in there?" he asks, crouching down to inspect the damage. He pulls open the door, soapy water pooling around his boots. "There we go, that'll make cleaning the floor easier." He presses a button to reset the wash, letting it run through without any additional soap, hopefully allowing it to rinse out. "Where's your mop?"

[dolly weathers]

She grimaces and blushes, all too embarrassed of herself. "Dish soap! For dishes! That!” she points a finger at a bottle of Dawn on the counter top. His next question stumps her and she looks around like she's a stranger in her own home, "oh, uhm.” She wanders around and pulls doors open, finding the mop on the fourth door. "Is there anything else you might need?” she holds out the mop and laughs. "Maybe another coffee? Or a water?”