Whatever She Needs: Surrender (6/?) - Degrassi, PG-13

The school day was markedly unusual, however, because Darcy wasn’t there. Her empty desk and unfilled plastic chair were cruel aberrations, mocking him all day. It was almost laughable how Darcy could distract him so easily even when she wasn’t actually there. Of course, part of the issue was that he didn’t know where she was. Snake had assumed that she would take the next bus home, but now it was abundantly clear that she hadn’t done so. He didn’t even know what excuse she had given her parents regarding her whereabouts. Had she bothered to give one at all?

It was impossible to concentrate.

When he went home that evening and Spike proudly proclaimed that she would heat up his dinner from the night before, Snake stared at her, dumbfounded, and blurted, “Joey’s in Calgary.”

She glanced up and raised an eyebrow in confusion. A small laugh escaped her. “Okay. So he got back all right?”

Snake stared blankly, as if he were unable to process what was going on, and Spike’s eyes bore into his more urgently, the laughter fading, the suspicion rising, as it always did. “No,” he said bluntly, without emotion. “No, I mean… he’s been in Calgary. He never left.”

She dropped his plate on the table then, the sound startling them both. “Who did you see last night, Archie?” He didn’t answer. Instead he shook his head and fought to hide the smile creeping to his lips, because he shouldn’t have been smiling in the first place, and none of this should have been happening to begin with, but the fact was that it was and he saw no reason to stop it anymore. “Who did you see?” she demanded again, screaming now.

Snake realized that he could have said anything. He could have lied, could have said he was alone, that he just needed a night away. She might have believed it. Instead—inexplicably—he chose to exaggerate the truth. “I was with another woman.”

“You—oh my God.” Rage. Pure rage. Snake noted that it was the most impassioned she had been in months. “Get out. Get out, get out, get out!” she shrieked.

Within a span of about ten minutes, Snake collected a small portion of his belongings, packed them into his overnight suitcase, and got out. Joey’s couch wasn’t option this time, so he went to a hotel and paid for the cheapest room and allowed sleep and relief to wash over him as his head fell upon the unfamiliar pillow. He slept soundly that night and awoke with fleeting, disorganized thoughts of Darcy. She had such an intoxicating effect on him, he might as well have been high: drunk and high and free, finally free.

And best of all, there was no reason to hide it anymore, to hide anything. There was no need to feel ashamed. He marched into the school early that morning with a newfound confidence in his step; it was exhilarating, he felt on top of the world. He knew the feeling would pass; something would happen, he’d see Emma and it’d all come crashing down. He’d have to go back to the house and gather the rest of his things. But for now this was it, this was his reality, and he grinned widely, fearlessly, even flirtatiously when he walked into his classroom to find Darcy sitting at his desk, shifting anxiously in his chair.

“Okay, so, I know you probably don’t want to see me—” she stopped short, clearly confused. “Wow. You look happy.”

Snake’s smile filled his whole face. “I am happy.”

Darcy glanced down shyly before lifting her eyes to meet his steady gaze. “Happy to see me?” she asked, somewhat desperately, her cheeks tinged slightly pink.

Snake let his bag fall from his shoulder and sat on the edge of the desk, studying her face, wondering if he could read what lay embedded there, pick apart the damaged pieces. “Yes,” he said, his blue eyes locking with her deep brown ones. In them, he could see the heartache and vulnerability, and he saw her, he saw Darcy, but there was something else there, too—he didn’t recognize it at first; it had been so long. Then it dawned on him: she saw him, too.

He bit his bottom lip and said, “I left my wife last night. For good.”

“Whoa,” Darcy said, jumping suddenly out of the chair. “That’s… wow. Are you okay? Do you want to talk about it?” Her words spilled out nervously, and she added, as if she were looking for a confirmation, “That’s some non sequitur.” She waited, her eyes beseeching his.

“It wasn’t really a non sequitur at all,” Snake said softly. It was the answer she wanted, and she blushed harder still. “Darcy,” he whispered, “I want you to know that I was an idiot yesterday. I never should have said what I said before I left. I didn’t mean it. And for that I’m really, truly sorry.”

She inched closer to him; he could hardly stand it. “So I can take this… literally?” she asked hesitantly.

“Yes,” Snake breathed.

She moved in closer, and said nothing for several moments. Finally she let the forbidden words escape her. “You left your wife… because of me?”

Snake could no longer meet her intense gaze, so he closed his eyes; it was too much for him now. After a long pause, he looked up and nodded slowly. He opened his mouth to speak, but at that moment Darcy captured his lips in hers, wrapping her small, soft fingers delicately around the back of his neck, pressing harder with wanton desire. He didn’t want to move, unwilling to reciprocate but unwilling to pull away, his heart imploring his mind: Give in. Surrender.

And he did. Parting his lips to deepen the kiss, his senses heightened; he was overwhelmingly aware of her soft tongue massaging his own and the tips of her fingers lightly brushing against his skin, tracing circles just below his hairline. It was strange, this sensation of falling while soaring higher, yet acutely conscious of the inevitable crash to come.