Something Short Of Paradise
Date: Tuesday, November 19, 2002
From: Roz Bertier <lifesanstd@touchmyinfection.com>

Ok, another one of my song fics...it's a real sappy fic i wrote cause i needed to get a bit of melodrama out of my system. do enjoy, the song is Something Short Of Paradise by Tim Curry, and if you can find it, it's on his Fearless album!

Roz


********

She looked at him, trying to figure out what he was up to. He'd just gone over to the DJ, and was talking to him. When he came back, she gave him her most inquisitive glance, but he just grinned that lopsided grin of his. It wasn't until a few minutes later, and they heard the first few strains of a slower song, that he came up to her.

He gently twirled her around the dance floor, and she let the lyrics sink into her. He had this funny half grin on his face as they danced. He'd requested this song for a reason. It had always been one of his favorites, and he'd been waiting for the perfect chance to use it. The soft voice with a bit of a rough edge began the ballad.

I'm giving up, this restless life
My wayward friends
The bad advice they give
I'm settling down to keep you company

I'm starting over
One more time
A change of heart
I've crossed that line-again
It took me all this time to see

What we've got is
Something short of paradise
A little bit less than we might like
I know this ain't heaven,
It's good enough for me
I know this ain't heaven
It's closer than I'll ever be

It won't be easy
Changing style
The shape I'm in
It just might take a while
But in the end
I know you're going to see

What we've got is
Something short of paradise
A little bit less than we might like
I know this ain't heaven
It's good enough for me
I know this ain't heaven
It's close as I'll ever be

He joined in with the song softly, crooning it into her ear, making sure that she knew that he had picked out this song for a reason. It fit them so perfectly. Because he'd followed the song exactly. Exactly.

As she was twirled around by his expert form, she let the lyrics really sink into her. and she felt a lump in her throat grow as he started singing. What they had was truly something short of paradise. And he'd really reformed, no matter how hard it was, how hard he had to work for it, he was changing, for her.

The song ended, and he gently led her off the dance floor of the elegant restaurant. He led her back to the elegant bar, which was almost void of people. He ordered them drinks, and they sat in almost silence for five minutes, until he got up.

"Laura?"

"Mhumm?" she said, trying to figure out what he was going to do.

"I don't quite know how to say this-but," She was confused. What was he trying to say? He circled around her, looking at her from all angles.

"But what?" she asked, trying to draw an answer from him. He gently dropped to one knee, and took her hand in his. She could feel her eyes water and her jaw drop.

"Will you marry me?" he said, producing a ring box. He gently opened it, and revealed a beautiful diamond ring, flanked with alternating baguettes of diamonds and a purple stone that looked all too familiar.

"Yes." She said. What they had was truly something short of paradise.
 
The End

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