The "Oldies"

He responded quickly, though he was saying nothing really. She stared at him, the optimism that this might turn around slipping from her almost immediately.

"Missus," a house elf was saying, tugging at her elbow, but Dom was staring intently at Declan, unable to pay attention to the little creatures which were timidly scurrying about her. Knobby little hands pressed a plate into her hands. Dom flicked her wrist in agitation but grimaced as politely as she could at the little elf. She set the plate of chips aside, promising herself that she was going to get to the plate of food eventually. She was certain of it.

That wasn't going to help.

He began to speak and she opened her mouth, trying to jump in, trying to assert herself. "Yes, but-... Okay, yeah... Declan, I-" but how could she even begin arguing with his story.

Her eyes were shining with hurt and indignation. Why was she being blamed for someone else being cruel to him? Why hadn't he told her all of this before she thought he could handle a one night thing?

"Declan, why don't you understand me?" Dom said, her voice straining. "I'm not saying I regret it, I'm just saying that we don't need to take it so seriously - and I just mean that I wasn't ready to go from shagging to shacking up, you know? I like you as my friend and that's what... that's what I wanted. That's what I do, you know? Why are you treating me like I'm the worst thing ever? This is what I know. This is all I know. What do you want me to say? That life is nicer than people who cheat and one night stands? That's about as good as it gets."

"This isn't about not understanding you," Declan informed her after a slight pause. "I understand what you're saying Dom. But I don't understand why you believe it. It isn't sensible. You say that sex is sometimes just sex, but it sounds like you think it can never be anything else. Have you never cared for anyone beyond thinking they might be attractive? You must know that someone has felt something for you before."

Declan paused, his lips thinning into a line for a moment as he considered whether or not he really wanted to say the words that were poised on his lips. Finally, he decided there was no point in keeping it back. No matter what she responded with, the words would still be true. So when the question finally escaped, it was hardly audible.

"How could they not?"

He knew that what he wanted to do next was wrong. And he knew she would hate him or feel hurt because of him all the more, the point of his gesture completely turned around on him and let loose to haunt him. But he had to. Yes, he was angry and worked up and miserable to think he had caused the rift between them. But damnit, Declan cared for her. He liked her. So he decided to forgo all sense. Declan sat forward, reached out to cradle Dom's cheeks in his hands, and gave her something like a forgive-me kiss, meant to portray the words he couldn't say. How terrible he felt.

When he pulled back, Declan let one of his thumbs brush over her lower lip before he stood and let his hands fall to his sides. "I don't understand you?" he asked slowly. "More like I don't understand why you won't allow yourself to be cared for."

And without any further plans up his sleeve (not, however, that he had really intended any of that), Declan frowned and shook his head. He walked over to the door and pulled it open, half hoping she would stop him, but entirely convinced she wouldn't want to.

"I think it is," she challenged, but he pressed forward, much to her agitation. It was driving her nuts to know that he just... didn't get it. Didn't understand the world she had gotten to know. This was not normal. It was normal to treat their night together as though it was something that just happened, because the less importance you gave to things, the less you hurt, the less pain you suffered. That was just the way things worked.

Why didn't he get it?

His questions were hard. Her mouth tipped open and mouthed wordlessly at his question, trying to find the answers. No. No... Wow. Not since she had become actually invested in a love life had there been one person that had been emotions first before physicality. Not of her own choosing, of course. Her Hogwarts boyfriends... she had liked the few of them there had been. But that had never lasted long, and certainly not after they had sex for the first time. Then there had been Dominic, and Q, and Spike - the first guys she met on the party scene. All beautiful. All artists. All kept it just at sex. So she took Roxi's advice, and Roxi had been so right. When she left feelings out of it and just focused on the sex, it hurt a lot less.

Nico had been the exception. Dom might have loved Nico if she let herself. And then he left, and it hurt the most, because she had felt the most for him. But he left, because he couldn't deal with the way she viewed love. Just like Declan.

Merlin, he was going to leave too.

His words stung, even though she knew they weren't supposed to. But Declan cared for her like Nico had, and she knew that meant it wasn't going to work out. That she would lose another friend. She was never meant to have friends, she supposed. Not really.

He leaned in and she squeezed her eyes shut, her heart falling. He cared too much. She was going to break him, and it would break her. Her lips trembled against his, and her head tipped. He pulled away and she stared at him, devastation filling her blue pools of eyes. He left and she could not do anything to stop him. She had no right.

She couldn't say anything to him. He wouldn't understand.