Work Text:
Dedication
by Pirate Turner
"You know, Syd, I'm not an idiot," he started, glancing over to her as he drove down the streets.
Her head jerked up, and she turned to look at him in surprise. "I never said you were." Her guarded eyes carefully studied his handsome face.
"You act like I am," he insisted.
"Excuse me?" she bit off. "What in the Hell are you talking about, Francis Gage?" she demanded, her brown eyes flashing dangerously.
Knowing he was making her mad, he hid a smile. "There's no way you didn't feel anything in that kiss."
She groaned and rolled her eyes. "Not this again!" she exclaimed, shaking her head.
"Just hear me out," Gage pleaded gently as he led her car around a corner. "You haven't wanted to talk about it at all. Any talking that's been done has been because I insisted on it, and any true admittings about it have all been my doing. I finally understand why you've been acting the way you have, though, Syd." He shrugged and concealed his grin as he said simply, "You're scared."
"And you're full of bull," she spit out.
"Okay," he said with another shrug and a slight tilt to one side of his head. "Maybe I am."
He fell silent again, but she continued to examine him suspiciously. His abrupt silence bothered her more than anything he could have possibly said. He never gave up on anything, especially not them, that easily. Her eyes narrowed as she examined him carefully for any sign of what he had up his sleeve.
His eyes flicked to her radio's clock. "Let me drive you back to the station?" he asked.
Her lips barely moved as she answered, "Sure." He said nothing as he turned the radio on. Never once did she take her eyes off of him or even so much as blink until a new song started and he began to sing.
I know there're times
You've been tormented by
The questions in your mind
Will our love last
Or simply fade away
As time begins to pass
She knew this song very well . . . too well, in fact. She listened to it every night when she went home after a long day's hard work. She liked her job, but it could be grueling at times. Yet there was now something in her life that bothered her even more than the worst cases. That something was the same man that now sat across from her, singing in his rich, deep voice a song that held more importance to her than he had any way to know. Despite her knowledge that he couldn't possibly know how well that song fit her and how desperately she wished that her partner would do something to believe that those words were true in their situation, Sydney's heart still hammered increasingly, its speed and loudness picking up with each new syllable that left Gage's lips. Finally, out of sheer desperation to keep him from suspecting that he might be having such an effect on her, Syd turned her head and looked out at the Dallas nightlife as they passed it by.
You're a complicated lady that's for sure
With a need for someone unafraid
To make you feel secure
And if you wonder if I'm strong enough
To be your man
Yes I am, yes I am
Sydney tried desperately to occupy her mind with work, chores that she would have to face when she got home, and simply anything other than Gage and the song. However, no matter how hard she tried, nothing worked. She simply could not ignore his husky voice singing those words. Her heart hammered so hard that she began to fear he might hear it. It was then that she saw headquarters begin to come into sight. {As soon as we park,} she told herself, {I'm out of here.}
Don't let yourself imagine it's a lie
I'm not the kind to turn and say good-bye
Even though you test my soul
And make yourself so hard to hold
I'm gonna make you understand
I'm strong enough to be your man
He slid her car to a stop even as she unbuckled her seatbelt. She reached for the door handle and tried to open her door only to find it somehow locked. The thought that he might have locked it never crossed her mind as she unlocked it and again grasped the handle.
"Syd, wait!" Gage called out, finally pausing his singing for just a brief moment. "I just want to hear the rest of the song. It's not that bad."
Sydney bit back a sigh. If she left now, he might suspect something. She was just going to have to wait it out, ignore the effects his sexy voice was having on her body and heart, and pray he didn't notice. Folding her arms over her chest, she reluctantly leaned back in her seat and mumbled only, "I guess it's not if you like that mushy, sentimental stuff."
"Sometimes I do," he replied, his eyes twinkling as he gazed adoringly upon his beloved though annoyed partner. He continued to look straight at her, willing her to look his way, as he killed the engine and freed himself from his seatbelt's restraint.
Do you believe
When I look in your eyes
I swear I'll never leave
What will it take
To make you know
That what we have is here to stay
Slowly, she turned her head back to look at him and instantly regretted it when she did. He was gazing at her with a look so adoring that it instantly began to melt her. She fought frantically to tear her eyes away from him, but they seemed glued to his handsome face. She struggled to stop her foolish, wishful hoping that he might actually mean those words for her, but the thought that it was only a song did not help even one bit. "Gage?" she managed to speak, succeeding in keeping her tone normal, but he seemed to ignore her.
Yes I know that you've been loved and left before
It was then that he reached out for her. She tried to brace herself for his embrace and then attempted to pull him away from him when his hand lovingly caressed her cheek, but she seemed frozen to the spot. "Gage," she spoke his name again, her voice shaky. She didn't know how he couldn't hear her thunderous heartbeat nor why she could not seem to move away from his gentle touch.
{Damn it, Syd, move!} she exclaimed inwardly, silently pleading with herself. {You've got to move or everything is going to be screwed! You can't let him know how you feel! You can't let yourself feel this way!} If she couldn't let herself feel this way, why were her lips begging to taste of his?
Gage leaned closer to his love, his eyes searching hers in a desperate seeking of some sign that one of his plans might have actually finally worked. He could find none, however, other than her shaky voice and the simple fact that she had yet to pull away from him. He continued to sing softly, his eyes never moving from hers, as he tenderly stroked her cheek.
But I promise you won't ever see me
Walking out the door
And if you wonder if I'm strong enough
To be your man
Yes I am, yes I am
Yes I am, yes I am
He meant the words just as he loved her -- with every single beat of his heart. She tried desperately to pull away or to at least say something to shatter the mood, but she was frozen to the spot and could not force any words out from around the huge, tight lump in her throat.
I know there're times
You've been tormented by
The questions in your mind
"That was a very special song -- Travis Tritt's Strong Enough to be Your Man -- that goes out to a very special lady: Sydney Cooke. That song was to you, with love, from Gage. Give him a shot to prove his case!" the radio announcer pleaded on Gage's behalf. "Hope it works, buddy!" Anything else that the announcer might have said went unnoticed by both.
Sydney finally managed to move her lips but Gage spoke before she could, "Syd, I know what you're going to try to say. It's just a song, right? Maybe it is to you, but somehow I don't think so. I've been trying so hard to get you to listen to me, and this is what I've been wanting so desperately to tell you. I love you, Syd, and you can fight it all you want, but nothing can change that. Call me crazy, but I think you must feel the same way. A kiss like what we were lucky enough to share that one time just can't be one-sided. Tell me I'm wrong, Syd, if you can, and I'll shut up. Look me in the eyes," he said, gazing straight into her beautiful eyes, "and I'll get out, leave this car, go about my business, and never speak another word about the kiss or about us. But you've got to mean it."
Though his words had completely stolen her breath away and she had to remind her heart, which had just beaten so fiercely seconds before that she had thought it would certainly burst, to beat after all he had just said, she knew what she had to do. She couldn't admit her feelings to him. To admit such would be to open up to him in a brand new way, but it wasn't that that scared her. If they were to take that step and cross the thin bridge between partners and friends to lovers, there would be no turning back. If anything happened to shatter their love, it would also shatter their friendship and partnership. She would have given her very soul to protect their special bond, but she could not bring herself to speak the words that she knew were a complete and utter lie that would shatter his heart just as completely. Instead, she managed to pull her lips up in a one-sided, teasing grin and say, "How many times did you go over that speech?"
"Syd," he pleaded softly to which she sighed and hung her head.
"I can't, Gage. I can't look you in the eyes and tell you that. I can't hurt you that way, but . . . " She trailed off. Why, after all the denials, was it now so damn hard to say this? "I can't love you."
"Give me one good reason why not," he demanded, his heart thundering with the realization that she had not said that she didn't love him.
"I can give you plenty of reasons why!" she exclaimed hotly, picking her head up to look at him with tears brimming in her deep, brown eyes. "Do you have any ideal what would happen if we were to get in a relationship that didn't work out?"
"I knew it! You are afraid. Syd, I might not have wrote those words, but I still meant them with every beat of my heart. I love you, and there is nothing in Heaven or in Hell except for Death itself that could pull me away from you. I know you're afraid. I know you've been hurt. We all have. But if you'll just give me a chance, you'll see. I'll never walk out on you. I'll never do anything that I know or even think will hurt you. I love you too much for that."
"Gage, I . . . "
"Please," he pleaded softly, leaning over her and staring deep into her eyes. "They say that the eyes are the window to the soul. Look into mine, Syd, and know that I'm not lieing to you. I really do love you, and I'll never leave you."
She stared into his eyes, her heart and body frozen. She found herself drowning in his orbs, but for the first time, she didn't want to be saved. The realization she found there was startling, terrifying, and yet also a dream come true. She reached up with a trembling hand to caress his cheek before gently whispering as a single tear dropped and rolled down her cheek, "I love you too, Gage." Even as indescribable joy filled his heart, she leaned forward, and their lips met in a passionate kiss filled with heat hotter than any Dallas had ever before seen in anything.
The End