[mar 24] [Last Unicorn] Something for Myself
Title: Something for Myself
Day/Theme: 24. Wealth and love inhabit different worlds
Series: Last Unicorn
Character/Pairing: Molly.Schmendrick
Rating: PG
“I have nothing to offer you,” he had said, very suddenly after a long silence.
“I am nothing worth offering for,” she had said back, and he had looked so shocked that she almost laughed as tears welled up.
“You know what I am,” she said. “Cully and the others didn’t keep me around to make soup and keep house. If you can want me at all, I won’t say no.”
“I have never had anything but the clothes on my back and for the last little while, an impossible quest,” he whispered. “The things I have always wanted aren’t the things I would have to pay for because even in dreams, I knew I would never have the money to pay.”
“I knew better than to expect to ever be rich or even not-poor,” she said. “You can’t buy what I want either.”
They were both quiet then, barely touching. The fire began to die down and the kitchen smells began to fade and the cat’s purring grumbled into nothing as it fell truly asleep.
“I want you to have seen true beauty,” Molly finally whispered, eyes on the unicorn carvings over the mantelpiece. “And still find reason to look at me.”
“I want you to have seen a true hero,” he answered. “And still want to be protected by me.”
Her tears still ran down her face, but she dared to lean her head on his shoulder. He dared to slide an arm around her.
“You saved the last unicorn in the world,” she said.
“You had poetry read to you by a prince,” he said.
“It wasn’t for me,” she said. “I didn’t want it to be.”
“I didn’t save her for myself,” he said. “I don’t have the magic, it has me.”
“Nothing has me,” she said. The silence stretched long and the coals went hot, baking their blushes into their skin.
“Can I try?” he asked. It was the bravest thing he had ever said, but she felt him tremble. She closed her eyes, but it didn’t stop the tears, so she reached up to kiss him.
Day/Theme: 24. Wealth and love inhabit different worlds
Series: Last Unicorn
Character/Pairing: Molly.Schmendrick
Rating: PG
“I have nothing to offer you,” he had said, very suddenly after a long silence.
“I am nothing worth offering for,” she had said back, and he had looked so shocked that she almost laughed as tears welled up.
“You know what I am,” she said. “Cully and the others didn’t keep me around to make soup and keep house. If you can want me at all, I won’t say no.”
“I have never had anything but the clothes on my back and for the last little while, an impossible quest,” he whispered. “The things I have always wanted aren’t the things I would have to pay for because even in dreams, I knew I would never have the money to pay.”
“I knew better than to expect to ever be rich or even not-poor,” she said. “You can’t buy what I want either.”
They were both quiet then, barely touching. The fire began to die down and the kitchen smells began to fade and the cat’s purring grumbled into nothing as it fell truly asleep.
“I want you to have seen true beauty,” Molly finally whispered, eyes on the unicorn carvings over the mantelpiece. “And still find reason to look at me.”
“I want you to have seen a true hero,” he answered. “And still want to be protected by me.”
Her tears still ran down her face, but she dared to lean her head on his shoulder. He dared to slide an arm around her.
“You saved the last unicorn in the world,” she said.
“You had poetry read to you by a prince,” he said.
“It wasn’t for me,” she said. “I didn’t want it to be.”
“I didn’t save her for myself,” he said. “I don’t have the magic, it has me.”
“Nothing has me,” she said. The silence stretched long and the coals went hot, baking their blushes into their skin.
“Can I try?” he asked. It was the bravest thing he had ever said, but she felt him tremble. She closed her eyes, but it didn’t stop the tears, so she reached up to kiss him.