DRABBLE PROMPT: CONDOM
A/N: This is an old drabble prompt from way back on Livejournal. As a way to ease back into writing (and not to mention making videos is a pain in the butt, haha) I think I’m going to start doing some drabbles.
This particular drabble takes place between Vidcund Curious and Circe Salamis during their third or fourth year at college.
Trigger warning: discussion of abortion.
"Well," Circe began, then stopped, unsure of how to tell Vidcund what she needed to tell him.
She hated feeling this way. She'd always been direct and to the point, so much that it seemed harsh at times. She'd never had any patience with people who beat around the bush, and here she was doing the same thing.
She lifted her chin and stared into Vidcund's confused face with narrowed eyes. "Well. Vidcund, you should know, I'm pregnant."
Vidcund's blue eyes flew open in shock, and he gasped sharply. "Are you sure?"
"I'm a medical student, Vidcund!" Circe snapped, crossing her arms. "Yes, I'm sure. I'm pregnant. Eight weeks."
Vidcund was astonished, and the only sound he could hear was the thudding of his own heart in his ears. His mind whirled, thoughts tumbling over each other... Circe was pregnant? He could count on one hand the number of times they'd had sex, and he thought he'd been careful. He'd used a condom, every time. But then, he remembered... the first time, the very first time... he'd been so nervous. His hands had been shaking so badly... maybe he'd done something wrong. Maybe he hadn't put it on right. Maybe he'd torn a hole in it while getting it out of the wrapper... anything was possible, wasn't it?
He looked at Circe fearfully. What should he do? What should happen now? Should he ask Circe to marry him? Was that the right thing to do? Something told him it was... but why did she look so angry?
He took a tentative step toward her and she backed away. "Don't," she said. "I don't want it. I'm going to have an abortion the day after tomorrow. I wasn't even going to tell you I was pregnant, but I need money. I shouldn't have to come up with all the money for the abortion myself!"
"You're... you're going to have... what did you say...?" Vidcund's voice was weak. He knew exactly what she'd said, but he couldn't wrap his mind around it.
An abortion?
"An abortion, Vidcund," she spat sarcastically. You know, where they put a vacuum up my cunt, turn it on, and suck your leavings out of me."
Circe was deliberately being vulgar, and cruel. She wanted to hurt him. If she was honest with herself, that was the reason she decided to tell him about the pregnancy, not the money. She wanted him to hurt.
Vidcund winced. "Circe, don't you think we should talk about this?" His voice was shaking. Once again he reached out to her. "I don't want you to rush into anything. There's still time to..."
"No," Circe snapped, taking a step back. "The sooner it's out of me, the better."
Vidcund held his arms out helplessly. "Circe, I..."
"I'll need three hundred dollars by tomorrow evening," Circe interrupted briskly. "That should be about half of the total costs. The abortion itself is five hundred, but I'll have to pay for transportation there and back, plus there will be a follow-up visit in two weeks to make sure the pregnancy was completely terminated."
Wordlessly, Vidcund met her harsh gaze. The last rays of the setting sun slanted across her eyes, turning them from brown to greenish hazel. He found himself wondering if his child would have had those eyes.
Sadness overcame him as he realized he would never find out.
He wished she hadn't told him. He wished she'd just made up some other reason she needed money. He would have given her everything he could, gladly, and not asked any questions. But now... now, he felt if he gave her any money at all, it would be the same as agreeing to this... and he didn't agree! Not yet! He hadn't had a chance to think about it yet.
The day after tomorrow?
Damn it, why did she have to tell me?
Vidcund realized it didn't matter if he agreed or not. He had no right to disagree. What he wanted couldn't happen unless Circe wanted it too, and she didn't. For whatever reason, she didn't. She didn't want his baby, and she didn't want him. She'd already made that clear, even before tonight.
The least he could do was give her the only thing she was asking him to give.
He reached behind him and pulled his wallet out of his back pocket. His face was impassive as he opened it, counted out four fifty dollar bills and five twenties, and reached to hand them to Circe. His student loan had posted just a few days before, and due to a last-minute merit scholarship, he'd ended up with several hundred dollars extra that the college had refunded to him in cash.
He hadn't been sure what he would do with that money, but he certainly hadn't visualized this.
Circe took the money, folded it matter-of-factly, and tucked it into the front pocket of her jeans.
Vidcund found he couldn't look at her any longer. He couldn't bear to see the features his child might have had. A potential child that he didn't even know existed until fifteen minutes ago, but that he knew he'd never forget for the rest of his life.
"I'm so sorry," he whispered brokenly.
He turned and quickly walked away.
This particular drabble takes place between Vidcund Curious and Circe Salamis during their third or fourth year at college.
Trigger warning: discussion of abortion.
"Well," Circe began, then stopped, unsure of how to tell Vidcund what she needed to tell him.
She hated feeling this way. She'd always been direct and to the point, so much that it seemed harsh at times. She'd never had any patience with people who beat around the bush, and here she was doing the same thing.
She lifted her chin and stared into Vidcund's confused face with narrowed eyes. "Well. Vidcund, you should know, I'm pregnant."
Vidcund's blue eyes flew open in shock, and he gasped sharply. "Are you sure?"
"I'm a medical student, Vidcund!" Circe snapped, crossing her arms. "Yes, I'm sure. I'm pregnant. Eight weeks."
Vidcund was astonished, and the only sound he could hear was the thudding of his own heart in his ears. His mind whirled, thoughts tumbling over each other... Circe was pregnant? He could count on one hand the number of times they'd had sex, and he thought he'd been careful. He'd used a condom, every time. But then, he remembered... the first time, the very first time... he'd been so nervous. His hands had been shaking so badly... maybe he'd done something wrong. Maybe he hadn't put it on right. Maybe he'd torn a hole in it while getting it out of the wrapper... anything was possible, wasn't it?
He looked at Circe fearfully. What should he do? What should happen now? Should he ask Circe to marry him? Was that the right thing to do? Something told him it was... but why did she look so angry?
He took a tentative step toward her and she backed away. "Don't," she said. "I don't want it. I'm going to have an abortion the day after tomorrow. I wasn't even going to tell you I was pregnant, but I need money. I shouldn't have to come up with all the money for the abortion myself!"
"You're... you're going to have... what did you say...?" Vidcund's voice was weak. He knew exactly what she'd said, but he couldn't wrap his mind around it.
An abortion?
"An abortion, Vidcund," she spat sarcastically. You know, where they put a vacuum up my cunt, turn it on, and suck your leavings out of me."
Circe was deliberately being vulgar, and cruel. She wanted to hurt him. If she was honest with herself, that was the reason she decided to tell him about the pregnancy, not the money. She wanted him to hurt.
Vidcund winced. "Circe, don't you think we should talk about this?" His voice was shaking. Once again he reached out to her. "I don't want you to rush into anything. There's still time to..."
"No," Circe snapped, taking a step back. "The sooner it's out of me, the better."
Vidcund held his arms out helplessly. "Circe, I..."
"I'll need three hundred dollars by tomorrow evening," Circe interrupted briskly. "That should be about half of the total costs. The abortion itself is five hundred, but I'll have to pay for transportation there and back, plus there will be a follow-up visit in two weeks to make sure the pregnancy was completely terminated."
Wordlessly, Vidcund met her harsh gaze. The last rays of the setting sun slanted across her eyes, turning them from brown to greenish hazel. He found himself wondering if his child would have had those eyes.
Sadness overcame him as he realized he would never find out.
He wished she hadn't told him. He wished she'd just made up some other reason she needed money. He would have given her everything he could, gladly, and not asked any questions. But now... now, he felt if he gave her any money at all, it would be the same as agreeing to this... and he didn't agree! Not yet! He hadn't had a chance to think about it yet.
The day after tomorrow?
Damn it, why did she have to tell me?
Vidcund realized it didn't matter if he agreed or not. He had no right to disagree. What he wanted couldn't happen unless Circe wanted it too, and she didn't. For whatever reason, she didn't. She didn't want his baby, and she didn't want him. She'd already made that clear, even before tonight.
The least he could do was give her the only thing she was asking him to give.
He reached behind him and pulled his wallet out of his back pocket. His face was impassive as he opened it, counted out four fifty dollar bills and five twenties, and reached to hand them to Circe. His student loan had posted just a few days before, and due to a last-minute merit scholarship, he'd ended up with several hundred dollars extra that the college had refunded to him in cash.
He hadn't been sure what he would do with that money, but he certainly hadn't visualized this.
Circe took the money, folded it matter-of-factly, and tucked it into the front pocket of her jeans.
Vidcund found he couldn't look at her any longer. He couldn't bear to see the features his child might have had. A potential child that he didn't even know existed until fifteen minutes ago, but that he knew he'd never forget for the rest of his life.
"I'm so sorry," he whispered brokenly.
He turned and quickly walked away.