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She waited for the duo on the other side to open the door for her as she pulled all of her weight from one leg to another, all in an attempt to distract her mind from the catastrophe within.
Timothée stood at her side, surely noticing of her movement. He smiled to himself at her innocent nervousness and squeezed her palm, all so she would look up at him and find reassurance.
"It's going to be okay" He muttered to her, right before they were overwhelmed by bear hugs of affection, ones that ultimately pulled the two apart.
No hug could compare to that one, except those she shared with the son of the parents that she had at long last, reunited with. All of her thoughts and frets wavered away as though they never existed, for as she stood there, blessed by their heavenous touch, she felt her heart ease, sink into the treasure she had stumbled across.
Timothée's parents hadn't changed much. Perhaps the hairs on their heads had taken a liking to the color grey, but the smiles on their faces remained as high as she had last seen them, the love flowing out of them graciously as it flowed out of their son.
It wasn't long before she was inside of their house, sitting down on a couch, overwhelmed with the excitement of her return. As opposed to what she thought to herself would happen, they didn't focus on where she was, or what they missed, but on what was happening now, and on the second chance they had all gotten. It brought comfort to her, making her realize, that perhaps, a fresh start was within her reach.
"I'm so glad to see you two together, you were made for each other" The caring mother congratulated Manon softly as she pulled her in for a side hug, a coffee table filled with her love for baking set in front of two perfectly, covered in creations that Anne-Marie had taught her the recipes for, the most honorable tribute she could think of.
"Thank you, I am too" Manon agreed as she averted her gaze to her side, tracking her boyfriend down as he conversed with his father, Marc, in the kitchen, perhaps catching up on the wonders of filming, or the adventures he had been on throughout his late travels. Whatever it was, Manon gazed at him longingly, a smile of pure joy making it across her features "I don't know what I'd do without him, he makes me really happy".
"I can see that" Nicole mumbled as she caressed Manon's cheek, having missed her far more than she wanted to admit "I know we promised not to speak of the past, but I can't help but wonder, dear, how did you manage all these years"? She queried, taking the girl back to her life after all of the havoc reigned over her.
As Manon thought of all of it, she felt the pain slither between the vulnerable fissures, those that have still not healed from the trauma of it all. There and then, she felt everything flood back in. All of the aches and sorrows, the regrets, and the trapped guilt. How did she manage all these years? She asked herself, and perhaps, the answer was clear. She pushed everything away, but as she sat there and looked at the woman who she had grown up with, the one who would bandage her cuts when she fell, who would sing her and Timothée songs before bed, who would congratulate her whenever she successfully hopped a rock across the lake, who she saw as a mother, she broke into dreadful tears, perhaps because she realized, she didn't have to hold onto anything anymore.
Nicole wrapped her arms around Manon, immediately pulling her into a warm, shielding hug. She could only imagine that after so many years alone, so much sorrow would overflow, and she knew she couldn't do much but be there for the girl, the one she had missed and loved so much, to the point where even she found herself bursting into tears, sharing Manon's ache.
The sudden commotion averted Timothée's attention to Manon's direction. He couldn't see much, only hear the sob of her tears, but as opposed to a sad reaction, to a show of concern, he found himself smiling, all because, he knew she was in good hands.
He knew of his family's ache, of the way they longed to see Manon again, to have her in their lives. She was their family, whether she wanted to admit so or not, and he hoped that by visiting them, she would realize, she was never alone, and there were always people who thought of her in their prayers, who spoke of the many stories she was in, who thought of her late at night.
He hoped she would realize that she had a home all along, and she didn't have to search for one anymore.
And he was right, for as Manon reciprocated the hug, as she felt everything fall apart, she also let everything go, and she didn't feel pain, she felt overjoyed. Overjoyed that she had a place she could call home, a place where no matter what, she would be loved and cared for.
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Wrapped in his arms, she felt cherished, and she could stay there forever, cradled in his arms as they watched whatever the television led them to watch. So long as she was with him, she didn't care what happened anywhere else, because so long as they were unified, she knew things would be alright.
Timothée drew symbols with his fingers across Manon's arm, relishing at the moment he was gifted. It wasn't so much as about watching what played on the screen anymore, but rather, letting the sun rays seep into their skin from the nearest window, the quiet synchronize their breathes and heartbeats. It was a fleeting moment they got to thank for what they had, one the boy broke by pinching the girl at her sides, watching her as she let a forced laugh out and pulled away, still remaining as ticklish as he once remembered, bringing a mischievous smile onto his face.
"Hey"! Manon giggled, though her brows formed into nothing but anguish "Don't mess with me"! She pointed her finger at her boyfriend, the one she knew for sure, was as sensitive as she was.
"Oh, really"? Timothée scooted closer to her, raising his brow mysteriously, no longer minding the movie that played mindlessly across the television. One as perceivable as Manon was confident he was to lean in for a kiss, but instead, he reached forward and tackled her.
"No, stop"! Manon shouted as he began tickling her stomach, all while trying to avoid her attempt to push him away "That's illegal! You didn't get my consent"! She continued, tears threatening to burst out of her as she fought to push him off. And to her success, she did, only instead of merely pushing him away, he landed on the floor, groaning at the sudden contact with the hardened ground of his apartment.
"Oh my god, Tim"! Manon blurted out as she attempted to catch her breath and looked over to his direction "Are you okay"?
"Yeah" He laughed, staring at her from below, her features everlastingly glowing beneath the sun that burst through the curtains "You look so beautiful".
"You can't escape out of this one using compliments" Manon remarked, before effortlessly sliding off of the couch, landing right on top of Timothée, who couldn't help but groan at the sudden impact "Stop! I'm not that fat"! She panicked, her hair dangling gracefully over him, masking anything but her face, just the way he wanted.
"No, I'm just too skinny" He chuckled as she found herself wanting to tickle him, but also shower him with love.
"No, you're perfect" She leaned in for a kiss, capturing his love in hers. He wrapped his arms around her, feeling her touch against his, no longer minding the cold floor much. But she had other plans, for she pinched his sides amidst the kiss, earning a forced laugh out of him "Payback is a bitch"!
"Oh my god, no" Timothée giggled, his childish giggles sending Manon back to their summers, where all they did was mess around, untouched by the severity of life and what it had to offer.
Although sometimes she still found herself missing it, with time, Manon began to realize, that her dream of returning to her childhood wasn't so much of a dream. Sure, she was an adult, with adult responsibilities, but in the moments of quiet, of solitude, those in which Timothée and her collided, she felt as though she never left France all along. He ignited the emotions within her, making her realize, there was a hope for a better future, a better future by his side.
Only life had other plans, and as a knock appeared on the flat's door, the girl perked her head up and moved her palms away from his touch, breaking into a joyful grin.
"Pizza's here"! She leaped to her feet, breaking Timothée free of his merciless capture "I'll go get it" She skipped her way towards the hall, earning a chuckle of admiration from her boyfriend.
Manon sauntered towards the door with much satisfaction, the bill of a tip held in hand, only as she opened the door, she felt the rush of adrenaline sink into her veins, pump her heart to the point all it could think of was explode. Caught off guard, she felt the thickening of her throat, the beads of sweat that trickled down her features. There and then, she stood facing her greatest fear. Everything she tried to escape, everything she thought she did, came right back.
"What the hell are you doing here"? She whispered in solitude, her voice breaking apart at the seams. She did not want to get Timothée involved, not whilst she still had control over the situation, though with each second that passed, she was aware she was losing any proof of ever being in control "How did you find me"?
"Manon, we want to speak with you" The honeyed voice that belonged to none other than her mother rang through her ears, completely disregarding her comment, resulting in Manon clenching her fists for stability until her knuckles drained of color, anything she could do to reign her anger in, to stop herself from making a mistake again.
"That's too fucking bad, I don't want to see your face here! Stay out of my life"! She whispered-shouted as dominantly as she could, while remaining as silent as a human underwater, radiating to the duo that stood in front of her the most threatening aura she could.
"Manon, you got the goods"?! Timothée raised his voice from the living room, wondering what was taking her so long. His voice startled her for a moment, sent shrills down her spine, all because, she never thought two worlds would ever collide, but here they were, doing nothing but what she feared so greatly.
"Uh, no, wrong apartment"! She called out, averting her attention from her parents for a single moment of stability "Have a nice day now" She faked a grin and spoke loud enough for her partner to hear, creating a charade to stop the worlds from colliding. In a swift moment, she closed the door, only her father had other plans, and held his hand out, pleading for her to endure them for longer.
"God, leave me alone"! She demanded with a clenched jaw as she inched closer to her father, feeling the impact of her choices weighing on her as the scent of his infamous cologne reached her senses "Please".
"Manon, what's taking you so long"? Timothée raised to his feet and ambled over, stumbling across the frantic girl, the one with mighty widened eyes he was sure she was attempting to obscure from him "What's going on? Do you know them"?
"They-uh-no" She stuttered, cursing herself in her mind for her foolish use of words, before hearing a disappointed, but definitely not surprised sigh escape her father's mouth. In the short instance of uncertainty, she found herself begging in her mind for him and her mother to turn around, to leave and never look back, pretend it was nothing but a naive mistake, but they weren't like that "We're her parents".
"Oh" Timothée's body suddenly sprung to life from his fatigued posture "I'm Timothée Chalamet" He uttered as she shared a handshake with her father, caught off-guard by the entire situations just as much as she was, all whilst she had her mouth open agape, as though betrayed by the sudden action "Do you want to come in"?
"I'm Charles Lévesque, it is nice to meet you, we'd love to come in" Her father uttered pleasantly while the blood within her veins boiled through her skin. She fought her sudden urge to speak and focused all of her efforts on remaining silent, on not saying a word she would regret.
"That would be wonderful, thank you, I'm Caroline" Her mother introduced herself as they walked into the apartment. Timothée lead them deeper into the safe haven as Manon shook her head in complete denial.
"Tim! What are you doing"? She grasped his palm, stopping him from joining her parents "You can't let them in"! Manon pleaded as she shared a glance with her partner.
"They've come all this way, I can't just kick them out"! Timothée panicked, knowing of the rocky relationship between the three, but not knowing what to do about the sight on his doorstep. He had a feeling he hadn't done the right move, but what else could he have done? Offended them?
"You can, I'll do it for you" Manon marched forward, that time, her boyfriend stopping her in her tracks. He could tell she was uncomfortable with the idea of them staying in the apartment, and he didn't want to go against her will, but he was no man of conflict "Let's just, hear them out, alright? What if they've got something important to say"?
"I-I can't believe you're siding with them"! She broke out of his grasp, finding offense in his words, faith broken in her soul "I told you things between us aren't good"!
"Told me what, exactly"? Timothée spread his arms out "I don't even know what happened. What am I supposed to do? Guess"? He entreated, not because he wanted to have the last word of victory, but because he truly wanted to understand, to know of what happened, to stop living in the darkness.
"So you don't trust me when I say it's bad"? Manon stumbled back with a head shake, hurt by the notion of it. She couldn't believe that after all the tears wasted on her parents, tears he surely witnessed, it still was not enough to convince him of how horribly things turned out.
"No! That's not what I meant"! He inched closer to her, not wanting them to be apart "I just-I want to understand"!
"You know what, fine? Let's hear them out" She compromised, knowing that her parents wouldn't go away on their own, before marching forward into the living room, meeting both souls with the most frauded grin she could muster.
"I apologize for taking so long" Timothée waltzed in "Would you like some tea, water"? He questioned reluctantly, gnawing on the inside of his cheek out of pure strain as Manon sat down in front of the notorious two with an unpleasant sigh.
"There's no need, thank you" Her mother responded, her accent thick through her words, proof of her living so far away from her homeland.
"It's a nice place you have here" Charles uttered nonchalantly, perhaps in an attempt to start a small talk, but Manon saw it as nothing but an attempt on his side to show distaste, for her parents were wealthy, used to the luxuries of it all, and sure, Timothée's apartment was perfect in her eyes, and no doubt, expensive to rent in a city as infamous as New York, she knew of her parents' standards, one mightier than hers and Timothée's combined. Even the mansion in France didn't satisfy them, seeing as they never bothered to pay it a visit.
"Any place is nice when you're not around" Manon blurted out, perhaps meant as a note to herself accidentally spoken aloud. She did not want to involve Timothée in her unnecessarily dramatic home life, but she couldn't hold it back, not after everything that happened "Just tell me what you came here for".
"We wanted to see you, Manon, that's all" Caroline smiled, and though there was a hint of sadness to her features, the daughter disregarded any of the emotions and simply rolled her eyes. She knew her parents better than anyone, spent her entire life silently observing them. She knew of their mannerisms, their ways of getting to her.
"As if. See me stay out of trouble, maybe, but I don't believe you" She scorned her parents, having a feeling that seeing them in front of her was the consequence of calling them, they wanted something in return "With you, there's always a motive" Timothée sat in his seat, his knee bouncing at the sudden tension that overtook his apartment. He felt paralyzed, as though there was truly nothing he could do.
"What do you do for a living, Timothée"? Her father questioned in an attempt to clear the air, as though he didn't know of his occupation, which Manon was sure he did, for there was no chance they had tracked her down without finding out who she was with.
"Uh, I act" Timothée responded shakily, as though unaware if the answer would impress the affluent parents that sat in front of him, the man adorned with a taut suit and the woman, adorned with a dress of richness, the two no doubt born to be businessmen.
"He's an incredible actor, even more of an incredible person" She felt the need to protect her boyfriend from the distaste of her parents "Can't say the same for you" Manon crossed her arms disdainfully, earning a groan from her father, one of sheer disappointment.
"We're not here to battle you, Manon. We're here to make things right" Her father stated calmly, not much emotion to his words, the way there never was.
"Couldn't you have just called? Sent a message"? Manon shook her head in dismay, the situation way too awkward to comprehend, especially with Timothée sitting at her side, unaware of what to say. She felt bad for ever letting him be in the situation, but she was not going to pretend everything was fine, she couldn't.
"And would you have replied"? Caroline interrupted, aggravated by her daughter's response, for she could easily anticipate what Manon would do, ignore them for as long as possible.
"No, but it's better than barging into my personal space"! Manon raised her voice and slammed her fist against the coffee table out of desperation. She was furious over their sudden appearance, it was clear. More inflamed than Timothée had ever seen her. It was a newfound type of anger, a new side to her he never thought he'd see "I'm sorry, I can't be here" Manon curled her palms into fists, before lifting herself and hurrying towards the front door, Timothée following in her footsteps immediately.
"Manon, where are you going"?! Timothée panicked as he watched her grab her coat and her most necessary belongings. He was more worried about her well-being rather than the fact he might have to deal with her parents on his own, all because, she had never been to New York before, and it was easy to get lost in.
"Anywhere but here"! She scoffed, hating the way things were turning out, but knowing she had to get away before things went south, for everyone's sake.
"You don't even know this city, you'll get lost"! Timothée pleaded for her to understand "Just please, wait, we can figure something out"!
"No, I can't. I'm sorry" She uttered apologetically, before slamming the door earthshakingly behind her, the tears spilling from within as she did her best to escape her past, all whilst knowing, it wasn't possible.
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