Embrace (Chas and Carl)

[roch]

This is just a mini-fic to tell you what happened after Chas and Carl had finished in the cafe in yesterday's episode (April 14th)...

---

Chas and Carl stood up from their bar stools at exactly the same moment, and their hands brushed together by accident. Chas felt a shadow of that old flutter that she used to feel whenever he touched her.

"Sorry," he said, almost too formally. But there was a smile in his eyes, and one that she could not help reciprocating. As they walked out, he held the door open for her.

"Don't forget you should be proud of leaving your brothers behind," she said, somewhat stiltingly. She had just been looking for something to say to keep the conversation going for a few more moments. It was strange to be so friendly with him again, but it felt nice.

He nodded. "Thanks for listening."

They were standing very close to each other now, because the path that led to the cafe door was so narrow. And yet it seemed as though there was an invisible barrier between them, a barrier erected by the pain they had caused each other, and strengthened by their distance over recent months.

Carl was about to give another smile and walk away, and Chas knew it. Unthinkingly, she launched herself into a full body embrace. Ostensibly it was a hug between friends, but they were both stirred by it and they both knew it.

Carl's arms tightened around her for a moment, but then he pulled away. To ease the tension, he rubbed his ribs, and said, "Ow."

"Oh God, I'm sorry!" Chas exclaimed, covering her mouth with her hands. She had been after a bit of tenderness, but she had gone and made a hash of it.

"It's alright," Carl whispered. "You never were gentle..." With that he turned away and left her standing there, wondering whether his final smile had been wistful for their lost feelings, or slightly mischievous with a reference to her stamina in bed, or only polite. She continued to wonder what the truth of it was all day.

As Carl walked away, he did feel wistful. The closeness they had once shared had been utterly perfect, for all that they had rowed and shouted while they were together, furious in their passion.

But that was the problem: they had been too close. They should have been able to treasure it forever, but after what Carl had done, he knew he could never risk getting close to her again. If he did, he would have to tell her that he was responsible for his father's death - but he could never do that, and she would never accept that it was an accident after all the lies he had told since. So they were destined to remain apart, and the only closeness Carl could ever allow himself to know would be meaningless sex with girls he could never fully care for.

[roch]

Thank you!

That's it - just a snippet of Carl/Chas psychology

[missking]

its great i think you should add more to it

[roch]

Thank you, missking!

Well, I suppose maybe more could follow in the future... Depending on what happens in near-future episodes, anyway!

[porlock2000]

Loved it! You should do more!

[roch]

This is starting to feel like an encore!

Thank you

[roch]

In response to people asking for more, here's another snippet from the life of Carl. The action takes place last night (i.e. after yesterday's episode).

---

The house was silent when Carl opened the door. Nothing but the hum of a security alarm to welcome him home.

He microwaved a ready meal for one, poured a single glass of wine, and sat on the sofa alone. He did not pay attention to the television, and switched it off. He could have gone to the pub, but would only have ended up drinking with Donald or nobody...

Or Chas. Chas might be there, in the pub. If they just had a drink together, just as friends, no commitment. No need to touch her hand, or kiss her goodnight...

But there would be a need. If he went, and she was there, and they drank together, then maybe he was too weak not to take it further. He could not take that chance. There was no point in risking hurting her all over again.

He went upstairs, and slipped into a cold, lonely bed.

[missking]

thats great thanks for posting more you should keep this up its really good

[porlock2000]

Aww! poor Carl! More more more!!

[rtzen01]

Wow, great both installmetns Hope you post more

[Sapphira]

Niiccceeee!!!

You're a really good writer, hope you post another snippet!!

[roch]

Thank you so much for all your lovely comments, everyone!

[roch]

Another instalment...

The next day, circumstances brought Chas and Carl together again as Chas went to warn him about Lexi's intentions. Just thinking about how that blonde slapper would screw him over, in more ways than one, made her blood boil. And just when it seemed as though that old connection had been rekindled...

But after she had seen Carl, posing as an interviewee, Chas was furious again. The closeness they had seemed to enjoy the previous day, when they drank coffee and laughed together, had disappeared. The laughter in his eyes now was aimed at her. And he seemed to want to toy with Lexi.

How could he do this to her? How could he be friendly one minute and then scathing the next? How could he be so insensitive to her feelings?

There were tears in Chas's eyes as she walked back to the village. She tried to blink them away, but they kept coming back, blurring her vision.

Well this was the last time he would hurt her. She vowed never ever to let her defences down again, and never to give him the satisfaction of knowing how much pain there was in her heart.

[Carl'sLittleAngel&HisP.A]

Brill! Please post more!

[missking]

aw thanks great post more soon please

[rtzen01]

Fab Please Please post more soon

[tomsgirl]

Fab story more please soon x

[roch]

Seeing as people have been so kind with their comments, I couldn't help doing a bit more...

The next morning, Chas thought she was doing a very good job of putting on a brave face. She dug out her brightest yellow top, painted her face, and practised a smile in the mirror. Nobody would notice that she was hurting inside. She tried her very best to breeze through the day carelessly, coping with Paddy's mood swings and even trying to be normal with Lexi.

But then Carl had to go and do it. She was at the bar with Lexi and heard footsteps near her, and when she intinctively turned at the sound of Carl's voice, she smiled. It was a smile she had not meant to give, but it came naturally. She thought he was speaking to her, being friendly, maybe even making up for yesterday...

No. He was talking to Lexi, not her. Chas was furious at being blanked like that, but her strongest emotion was the pain that stabbed at her heart. There he was, flirting with Lexi, giving her no thought at all.

Chas walked out without a word, no looking back. If she looked back, Carl would know she cared, and she would not allow him that satisfaction. It was time to repair her defences properly...

And yet all she could think about as she walked down the Woolpack steps was wringing Lexi's scrawny neck.

[roch]

And a bit more from Carl's POV!

---

Carl knew what he was doing with Lexi. Of course he did. She was a money-grabbing bimbo without the sense to hide her real motivation. How could that go wrong?

And she was willing enough to sleep with him when he wanted her to. She wasn't great in bed, but she was enthusiastic enough.

Best of all, she was nothing like Chas. Right now, what Carl needed was to force himself to stay away from Chas. Since he had split with his brothers, there was nothing his heart wanted more than to go back to that relationship, the one that his whole family had condemned at one time or another. Chas had been a true soulmate. Their discussion over a cup of coffee had told him that she still cared enough to support him in what he was doing now...

But he had to be strong, and stay away. However much he wanted to see her beautiful black hair splayed across his pillow, however much he wanted to feel her teeth against his skin, however much he wanted her to hold him, he had to remain strong. And then he could never hurt her again.

So, Lexi it was then. Carl forced himself be flirtatious with her, to take her to bed. He tried to force out all those memories of Chas by concentrating on Lexi. It would never completely work, but it would have to do.

Who says true love is for everybody?

[missking]

thats 2 great updates post more soon please its great love it x

[rtzen01]

Once again 2 great updates. Please post more soon. Loved it

[porlock2000]

More soon please!

[tomsgirl]

Wow more fab updates more soon please thanx. Keep up the good work.

[Carl'sLittleAngel&HisP.A]

Awww great updates! Please post more

[roch]

OK guys, here's more!

---

Chas's idea of defence was, and always had been, attack. She spent the next few days making snide comments to Carl and lashing out at Lexi. Until she could manage to stop thinking about him, there was nothing she could do but behave in that way.

Of course, it was difficult for anyone caught in the firing line, like that mopey girl in the pub that Paddy had evidently taken a shine to. But everyone who mattered was already used to Chas's temper and would know to avoid her.

Carl, meanwhile, was feeling utterly empty. He smiled and flirted and pretended he was having a jolly old time away from his brothers, but inside he felt numb. Lexi meant nothing to him, and if he was honest he was not sure that his new job meant much to him after all.

It was supposed to be his big break away. Get away from Matt and Jimmy - well, mostly from Matt - and get away from the house where he had done such a terrible thing. He had been wanting this for a long time, hadn't he?

Oh, but there it was again. The original reason he had wanted to get away from his family had always been Chas. Everything had been fine until she came into his life with a crash - he got on with his Dad and brothers well enough and did his bit and enjoyed life as well as could be expected. But when Chas came along, everything changed. She had been the catalyst for everything that he had now achieved, but fate meant that she could never share it with him.

When thoughts like this came into his head, Carl just had another drink, or persuaded Lexi to go upstairs. Anything but allow himself to seem miserable.

[missking]

aw bles carl & chas its great i love it post more soon x

[rtzen01]

Great update. This is fabby =] Please post more soon

[roch]

Oh, go on then, a bit more!

By the way, I think I should warn everyone that this has fairly adult content - nothing very explicit, but lots of references to sex. I hope everyone is OK with this![/img]

---

Carl snoozed peacefully enough in the afternoon. He and Lexi had taken half a day off to go over her typing skills - in bed, of course. Perhaps not the most effective of training sessions.

In fact, it wasn't the most effective of ses sessions either. The deed had been done, but it wasn't pleasurable. And now Carl was lying there, half aware that it was Lexi tucked under his arm with her head on his chest...

But in his mind, in his half-dreams, it was Chas. When Lexi moved against him, he imagined his raven-haired soulmate was doing it. He pictured Chas waking up slowly, and rubbing her eyes the way she always did in the morning. Then she would get out of bed, and put something round her to cover her nakedness. She always did that, no matter how much he told her she had a great body.

Just then, Lexi stirred. She yawned wide, and pushed him away a little. "What time is it?" she asked blearily.

Carl kept his eyes closed, trying to make the vision of Chas come back. But Lexi had disturbed it. "I don't know," he growled.

"Oh God, it's five o'clock. No wonder I'm starving. And we did work up quite an appetite..." She ran her hand over his chest.

Before she could work her hand over any other parts of his body, Carl took hold of her wrist with some force. He opened her eyes. "Let's go to the Woolie then," he said with a smile.

"But we're not supposed to be... I mean, nobody knows about us!"

Carl raised his eyebrows. "No, of course they don't. Besides, what is there to know?"

He pushed Lexi away, and she rolled out of bed. Then she stood there, stark naked, stretching to wake herself up. She thought that Carl was watching her out of a sense of desire.

What she did not realise was that, behind those flirtatious eyes, there was pain. Pain that it would never be Chas waking up with him again.

[Carl'sLittleAngel&HisP.A]

Great update! Post more up soon!

[missking]

its great i love it aw poor carl he really does love chas its great post more soon