Ficlet
Title: Keeping Tradition
A/N: Quip and Iever belong to bookofnicodemus and myself (bone_fauna. We pretend they exist in the FFVII world, which belongs to Square Enix. This is for Books <3 <3
Iever sat crossed legged in the middle of the guest’s bed, grey hair running down his shoulders, spilling over his face like a wispy curtain. He toyed with the bed-sheet, staring solemnly off into space. The desk side lamp illuminated the room with a dim yellow light, more eerie than it was warm.
He was alone, and he didn’t like that very much.
Iever sighed and let the sheet go, raising his hand to rub at the crease between brow and nose, trying not to feel so stressed, so anxious.
It was a stupid tradition, really, he mused to himself. What ridiculous person had invented the notion that a bride and groom… or a groom and groom (… boyfriend and boyfriend?) should not see each other the night before their ‘wedding’? Hell, he thought sullenly, resting a delicate chin on his fist, he and Quip weren’t even getting married! They were just having a small gathering, to celebrate their vows to live together and love each other forever. As much as he loved Quip’s surrogate mother, he was seriously beginning to enjoy entertaining fantasies of smothering the dear woman with a pillow.
He couldn’t take this. He wanted Quip. Perhaps, once upon a time, Iever had been strong alone, he had lived by himself, for himself. But that had never been by choice; now he had Quip. He had become accustomed to living with Quip, especially as the past couple years had beaten into him a fear of being alone. Sure, he was improving, gaining back his courage, but it was a slow process. He loved Quip, and Iever felt at a loss without his friend and lover with him. He didn’t even have Rapunzel to keep him company, as Quip’s father was not overly fond of having a large mopey dog in his sterilized house-come-doctor’s office.
Iever tugged at his hair. This was So. Not. Fair.
Frustrated into action, Iever got off the bed and turned off the lamp. He waited patiently until his eyesight adjusted to the dark, and listened to ensure no one else was awake in the house. Then he opened the bedroom door, and crept down the hallway, as light and fey as a ghost.
~*~
Quip lay under the sheets of his old bed in a pair of shorts, staring up into the dark with his arms under his head. He was having trouble sleeping, more so than usual anyway, used to having a small, fluffy nymph to curl about, to tease and hold and press against in bed. More than that, the memory of his mum telling them they couldn't see each other the eve before their ‘wedding’ haunted him, the image of Iever’s shocked and worried expression burnt into his mind's eye.
Iever's expression was one that would normally have Quip open his arms to the small man and pet him consolingly, not force them to sleep in separate rooms. It went against everything Quip was used to doing in order to appease his shy, delicate boyfriend.
He really should have told his mother ‘no’, but Iever had insisted they try and do right by Quip’s parents. The Aberley’s had done so much for the young couple, and for Quip especially. Iever had wanted to make a good impression on them, and to repay some of their kindnesses, by respecting their traditions.
So having realised there was little he could do, Quip had allowed them to be separated. And here he was, in his old bedroom, trying not to fret over his lover.
Quip sighed and rolled onto his side, hugging the spare pillow, and finally managed to doze off for a short time.
When the door of his room pushed open, Quip came awake quickly, more from a sixth sense than from any noise made by the intrusion. He reached under the pillow for a knife, only to realize he hadn’t put one under there; he’d been too busy worrying over Iever.
Quip was cursing so harshly in his head that he almost missed the whispered, “Quip?”
Quip stopped panicking and sat up, reaching for the bedside lamp. “Boo?”
“Don’t turn the light on!” Iever whispered, silhouetted in the doorway.
Used to doing as Iever said, Quip let his hand drop from the neck of the lamp. He saw the sliver of light from the door disappear as Iever closed it behind him, and heard the ghosting of footsteps as the young man moved over to the bed. “Boo, ‘s somethin’ the matter?” Quip asked worriedly, trying to track Iever’s movements in the pitch black.
He felt the bed dip ever so slightly as Iever climbed on, and he helped pull the sheets over Iever him when he felt the young man fumble with them. Then Quip felt a warm, lithe body press to his side, and he lay back down, pulling Iever snugly against him.
“..Boo?”
Iever pressed his face to Quip’s neck. Quip felt things unconsciously relax and unwind within himself at the feel of Iever’s breath on his skin, the familiar smell of lemons from in the boy’s hair, and the feel of his body warmth against his skin. Iever was like a drug, and he was utterly, willingly addicted. When he had Iever, everything was alright.
“We can’t see each other, can we? So we’re not disobeying your mum’s rules,” Iever murmured, the hint of a smile in his voice.
The statement, and the discovery of Iever’s sneaky plan, surprised a soft laugh from Quip.
Iever clapped a hand over Quip’s mouth. “Shhh, you’ll wake them, Idiot!” He whispered, half laughing as he did so.
Quip grinned and pulled the hand away so he could squeeze Iever harder, burying his face in masses of liquid grey hair, and sigh happily.
“Love y’so goddamn much, Boo.”
Iever went still, and slowly, curled himself more completely against Quip’s body. “Love you too, Quip. Forever. I don’t ever want to be apart from you again, not even for a stupid tradition. Forever and always, I love you.” In the dark, his small hand reached out and fondly brushed back brown bangs from Quip’s face.
Quip squeezed his eyes closed, struggling with emotion, and let himself have the moment Iever provided him, enjoying the affectionate petting. “Y’wont never have t’worry ‘bout that,” he promised hoarsely.
For a long time they just held each other, until Iever stuck his tongue in Quip’s ear. Quip cried out indignantly, calling Iever some rather unpleasant names that the boy laughed off as Quip pounced on him, tickling and biting and kissing Iever senseless.
At the other end of the house, Dr Aberley sleepily reached into his draw to pull out a pair of ear plugs. “'Thought you said they had separate rooms?”
Mrs Aberley smiled to herself and didn’t respond to her husband, enjoying the sounds of laughter coming from down the hallway. She had a full house again.
A/N: Quip and Iever belong to bookofnicodemus and myself (bone_fauna. We pretend they exist in the FFVII world, which belongs to Square Enix. This is for Books <3 <3
Iever sat crossed legged in the middle of the guest’s bed, grey hair running down his shoulders, spilling over his face like a wispy curtain. He toyed with the bed-sheet, staring solemnly off into space. The desk side lamp illuminated the room with a dim yellow light, more eerie than it was warm.
He was alone, and he didn’t like that very much.
Iever sighed and let the sheet go, raising his hand to rub at the crease between brow and nose, trying not to feel so stressed, so anxious.
It was a stupid tradition, really, he mused to himself. What ridiculous person had invented the notion that a bride and groom… or a groom and groom (… boyfriend and boyfriend?) should not see each other the night before their ‘wedding’? Hell, he thought sullenly, resting a delicate chin on his fist, he and Quip weren’t even getting married! They were just having a small gathering, to celebrate their vows to live together and love each other forever. As much as he loved Quip’s surrogate mother, he was seriously beginning to enjoy entertaining fantasies of smothering the dear woman with a pillow.
He couldn’t take this. He wanted Quip. Perhaps, once upon a time, Iever had been strong alone, he had lived by himself, for himself. But that had never been by choice; now he had Quip. He had become accustomed to living with Quip, especially as the past couple years had beaten into him a fear of being alone. Sure, he was improving, gaining back his courage, but it was a slow process. He loved Quip, and Iever felt at a loss without his friend and lover with him. He didn’t even have Rapunzel to keep him company, as Quip’s father was not overly fond of having a large mopey dog in his sterilized house-come-doctor’s office.
Iever tugged at his hair. This was So. Not. Fair.
Frustrated into action, Iever got off the bed and turned off the lamp. He waited patiently until his eyesight adjusted to the dark, and listened to ensure no one else was awake in the house. Then he opened the bedroom door, and crept down the hallway, as light and fey as a ghost.
~*~
Quip lay under the sheets of his old bed in a pair of shorts, staring up into the dark with his arms under his head. He was having trouble sleeping, more so than usual anyway, used to having a small, fluffy nymph to curl about, to tease and hold and press against in bed. More than that, the memory of his mum telling them they couldn't see each other the eve before their ‘wedding’ haunted him, the image of Iever’s shocked and worried expression burnt into his mind's eye.
Iever's expression was one that would normally have Quip open his arms to the small man and pet him consolingly, not force them to sleep in separate rooms. It went against everything Quip was used to doing in order to appease his shy, delicate boyfriend.
He really should have told his mother ‘no’, but Iever had insisted they try and do right by Quip’s parents. The Aberley’s had done so much for the young couple, and for Quip especially. Iever had wanted to make a good impression on them, and to repay some of their kindnesses, by respecting their traditions.
So having realised there was little he could do, Quip had allowed them to be separated. And here he was, in his old bedroom, trying not to fret over his lover.
Quip sighed and rolled onto his side, hugging the spare pillow, and finally managed to doze off for a short time.
When the door of his room pushed open, Quip came awake quickly, more from a sixth sense than from any noise made by the intrusion. He reached under the pillow for a knife, only to realize he hadn’t put one under there; he’d been too busy worrying over Iever.
Quip was cursing so harshly in his head that he almost missed the whispered, “Quip?”
Quip stopped panicking and sat up, reaching for the bedside lamp. “Boo?”
“Don’t turn the light on!” Iever whispered, silhouetted in the doorway.
Used to doing as Iever said, Quip let his hand drop from the neck of the lamp. He saw the sliver of light from the door disappear as Iever closed it behind him, and heard the ghosting of footsteps as the young man moved over to the bed. “Boo, ‘s somethin’ the matter?” Quip asked worriedly, trying to track Iever’s movements in the pitch black.
He felt the bed dip ever so slightly as Iever climbed on, and he helped pull the sheets over Iever him when he felt the young man fumble with them. Then Quip felt a warm, lithe body press to his side, and he lay back down, pulling Iever snugly against him.
“..Boo?”
Iever pressed his face to Quip’s neck. Quip felt things unconsciously relax and unwind within himself at the feel of Iever’s breath on his skin, the familiar smell of lemons from in the boy’s hair, and the feel of his body warmth against his skin. Iever was like a drug, and he was utterly, willingly addicted. When he had Iever, everything was alright.
“We can’t see each other, can we? So we’re not disobeying your mum’s rules,” Iever murmured, the hint of a smile in his voice.
The statement, and the discovery of Iever’s sneaky plan, surprised a soft laugh from Quip.
Iever clapped a hand over Quip’s mouth. “Shhh, you’ll wake them, Idiot!” He whispered, half laughing as he did so.
Quip grinned and pulled the hand away so he could squeeze Iever harder, burying his face in masses of liquid grey hair, and sigh happily.
“Love y’so goddamn much, Boo.”
Iever went still, and slowly, curled himself more completely against Quip’s body. “Love you too, Quip. Forever. I don’t ever want to be apart from you again, not even for a stupid tradition. Forever and always, I love you.” In the dark, his small hand reached out and fondly brushed back brown bangs from Quip’s face.
Quip squeezed his eyes closed, struggling with emotion, and let himself have the moment Iever provided him, enjoying the affectionate petting. “Y’wont never have t’worry ‘bout that,” he promised hoarsely.
For a long time they just held each other, until Iever stuck his tongue in Quip’s ear. Quip cried out indignantly, calling Iever some rather unpleasant names that the boy laughed off as Quip pounced on him, tickling and biting and kissing Iever senseless.
At the other end of the house, Dr Aberley sleepily reached into his draw to pull out a pair of ear plugs. “'Thought you said they had separate rooms?”
Mrs Aberley smiled to herself and didn’t respond to her husband, enjoying the sounds of laughter coming from down the hallway. She had a full house again.