Title: Life Goes On (But I'm Gone)
Author: [livejournal.com profile] sophie_448
Rating: PG
Pairing: Cookleta
Word Count: 429
Warnings: Angst
Summary: They end with a whimper, not a bang.
Notes: Unbeta'd, Inspired by "Without You" from Rent.



They end with a whimper, not a bang. There’s no screaming fight or throwing things or bitter recriminations. Cook just says, “I don’t think we should do this anymore,” sounding wrecked. And David doesn’t disagree with him.

It feels like the earth should stop spinning, the sun should fall out of the sky, everything should just stop. But it doesn’t. Life just keeps going on around David, and he supposes that makes sense. If the world came to a halt every time someone’s heart was broken it would never move again. It’s different when it’s his life, though. When they first hear the news, his sisters hug him tight and buy him ice cream, and he’s never been sure why that’s supposed to help, but it’s nice of them. Brooke and Carly make sympathetic noises over the phone and offer to fly out to see him. He declines, saying he’ll be fine, but he’s grateful all the same.

Pretty soon, though, everyone moves on with their own lives, and David still feels hollowed out inside. He keeps doing what he’s supposed to do. He writes songs—actually, that’s not so hard, but they’re pretty depressing—and he goes out on stage and performs for his fans. But what used to mean the world to him is now empty. It turns out his life pretty much sucks without the scruffy rocker who’s too old for him, but still owns his heart anyway.

~*~


“What’s with you, man?”

David shakes himself out of yet another daydream about Archie and looks at Neal. “What? Nothing.”

Neal shakes his head. “Pull that crap with someone who hasn’t known you as long as me. You used to love this. The touring, the performing, now it’s like you’re just phoning it in.”

David shrugs. “I’ll get over it.”

“Get over him, you mean?”

“Whatever.” He looks down at his phone. Archie’s the first one listed in his contacts. His thumb hovers over the send button for long seconds before he throws the phone down on his bunk. “Let’s do this.”

Neal eyes him, and David’s sorry about making his friend worry, but he doesn’t have the energy to do any more than what he’s doing. He has to get through the next show and the next and the one after that because he might feel dead inside, but the world keeps spinning and he has to move with it. He steps off the bus and heads for the stage.

~*~


And nothing’s ever quite as good or beautiful again, but the world keeps turning just the same.

Tags:

From: [identity profile] shipmateee.livejournal.com


That last line made my heart leap into my throat leaving this horrible lump :(

Gosh, this has kind of broken me a little. Gorgeously written.

From: [identity profile] asweetdownfall.livejournal.com


Ohhh, boys. :( This is absolutely gorgeous and I love how you say so much with so few words. ♥

From: [identity profile] soco63.livejournal.com


I have such a love/hate relationship with fics where Cook and Archie break up. :( But this was beautiful all the same.

From: [identity profile] sophie-448.livejournal.com


right? i don't even know where this came from, but it ... didn't want to be fixed. ty bb! <3
ext_382387: (Default)

From: [identity profile] http://users.livejournal.com/___set_thespark/


IF YOU WOULD PLEASE REFRAIN FROM TRYING TO GIVE ME A FATAL HEART ATTACK FROM ALL THE SAD, THAT WOULD BE AWESOME

DDD:

From: [identity profile] james-padfoot.livejournal.com


*sighs* i used to wonder how this could happen... two people who love each other, its so obvious they should be together forever... but they arent. out of their own voilation sometimes. its so mind boggling because... everything is there, so whats the problem, right?

then i stepped into the world and. yeah. i sort of got it. i dont agree with it, but i got it.

so this... obviously its... painful, you know? and you can't but hope that they realize teir folly and are like screw whatever, i cant live without him. y'know?

lol, tl;dr, this was fantastically written.

From: [identity profile] sophie-448.livejournal.com


thank you so much. this is a beautiful comment. i totally agree with what you said here. i almost always write happy endings to my stories, but every once in a while, one of these shows up. i think it's kind of real, you know? because sometimes love isn't enough and other things get in the way and ... um, stuff. anyways, thank you! <3

(and you should totally pretend they work it out. i'll join you!)

From: [identity profile] rajkumari905.livejournal.com


This was so sad, but very well done. But heartbreaking! And the 'Hollow Men' reference was fantastic :D

From: [identity profile] sophie-448.livejournal.com


aww, thank you darling! i WISH the T.S. Elliot reference was on purpose, but it totally wasn't. That is a gorgeous poem, though, now that I've educated myself :-)
ext_37235: (Default)

From: [identity profile] celtic-cookie.livejournal.com


I hate you.

Entirely.

WHEN COOK AND NEAL ARE OUR BOYFRIENDS, I WILL GIVE YOU THE COLD SHOULDER. JUST FOR THIS.

(j/k j/k. but you knew that.)

From: [identity profile] sophie-448.livejournal.com


I'M SOOOOORRY! IT DIDN'T WANT TO BE FIXED! DON'T SHUN MEEEE!

ilu. <3

From: [identity profile] lire-casander.livejournal.com


Wow. Poignant angst. I'm crying here.

And nothing’s ever quite as good or beautiful again, but the world keeps turning just the same.

Break my heart, won't you?

From: [identity profile] mitsurudemon.livejournal.com


;___________________;


i think you just broke me <3

From: [identity profile] therealesther.livejournal.com


this is completely heart-breaking. i really wish i didn't read it, but i'm also glad i did...

i wish you could make it all better, but that would ruin the awesomeness of the angst. argh.

excellent writing. *goes off to find healing fluff!fic*
.

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