Tin Man Fic
Title: The Crown of Ozma
Fandom: Tin Man
Character(s)/Pairing(s): DG & Cain
Prompt: Homesickness
Rating: PG13/T
Genre: Hurt/Comfort
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: I do not own anything or anyone that belongs to Tin Man...except the DVDs.
Word Count: 797
Summary: Sometimes the smallest things spark homesickness. Just a short little scene (H/C Bingo fill)
“Mister Cain?”
The soft voice brought his attention around to the doorway. Azkadelia stood there, her haunted eyes fixed on him. A slight frown crossed his face as the people in the room stepped back. The tightening of her lips indicated she had seen them, but she did not react further. He moved towards her, and her face lightened a bit.
“Did you need something, your Highness?”
“Yes,” she replied. “DG…feels sad, but she’s not letting me find her. She can block me when she wants to.”
He frowned.
“Did something happen?” he asked.
“No, I don’t think so. I’m not sure why she’s upset. Nothing unusual or strange happened today.”
“All right,” answered Cain. “Let me see what I can find out. You go on back to bed.”
She gave him a grateful smile and left. He gathered his hat and strode out of the room, headed for her favorite escape spot.
Sure enough, he found her in the garden, stretched out and staring up at the stars. Her large blue eyes flit from one point of light to another. She seemed to be looking for something. He glanced up, but did not see anything unusual. Striding forward, he took a seat next to her.
“Looking for something, Princess?”
She sniffed.
“I wish you’d quit calling me that.”
“That didn’t answer my question,” he said, not letting her change the subject.
Taking a deep breath, she pulled herself into a sitting position. Folding her knees up, she wrapped her arms around them and rested her chin on them. He shifted so he could see her face more clearly, frowning as he spotted the tears pooling in those sapphire depths.
“Princess?”
“I…I was looking for constellations, but…I don’t know these stars. They’re not mine.”
He did not say anything, just shifted himself closer to her, his arm barely touching hers. As the warmth of his body seeped into her, she allowed herself to sag slightly sideways to lean against him. Resting her head on the edge of his shoulder, she gave a watery chuckle.
“Do you know I used to love climbing up on the roof of my house and picking out the various stars and constellations? Polaris, the North Star; Andromeda; Cygnus, the swan; Hercules; I knew all of the stories and myths surrounding them. I could just stay there for hours on end. Of all things to miss…to…”
Now she leaned even more heavily against him and a single tear spilled over her lashes to track down her cheek. Reaching up, he wiped it away with his thumb. He shifted to put an arm around her shoulders, tucking her firmly into his side. She buried her face in his shoulder and let the tears fall in silence. He waited, letting her grieve and collect herself.
As the tears tapered off, he looked up and peered at the stars above them. With a quirk of a smile, he pulled her back until they lay side by side, her head pillowed on his shoulder and his arm still tight around her shoulders. He pointed to one particularly bright star.
“That’s our North Star. Do you see the smaller stars that form a line below it? And the two that help create a triangle?”
She concentrated for a long moment. The shape came clear.
“Yes,” she replied. “I see it.”
“We call it the Crown of Ozma. She was the rightful Queen of Oz that your ancestor helped put back on the throne. Ozma was the last of the full-blooded fairy queens, but she did not live as long as she should have. When her best friend, Dorothy Gale, passed on, she put her house in order and surrendered rule to her daughter before disappearing into the North. Only a few days later, the Crown appeared in the sky. The people knew that Ozma had joined her friend in death. The city shut down in mourning, but eventually life went on. The Crown still stands in its place, the main guidance for overnight travelers.”
He continued pointing out the stars and telling their stories as she snuggled into his side. As her breathing evened out into sleep, he let his voice soften and then disappear completely. Glancing at the bit of her face he could see from this angle, his face softened into a fond smile. Now he had to figure out how to get her back in the palace without waking her up. He snorted and looked back up to the points of light flickering in velvet darkness. The North Star twinkled even more brightly, almost laughing at him. He rolled his eyes.
“You just keep your opinion to yourself,” he whispered.
He would never tell anyone about the two girlish giggles he heard at that moment.
Reviews always welcomed!
Fandom: Tin Man
Character(s)/Pairing(s): DG & Cain
Prompt: Homesickness
Rating: PG13/T
Genre: Hurt/Comfort
Warnings: None
Disclaimer: I do not own anything or anyone that belongs to Tin Man...except the DVDs.
Word Count: 797
Summary: Sometimes the smallest things spark homesickness. Just a short little scene (H/C Bingo fill)
“Mister Cain?”
The soft voice brought his attention around to the doorway. Azkadelia stood there, her haunted eyes fixed on him. A slight frown crossed his face as the people in the room stepped back. The tightening of her lips indicated she had seen them, but she did not react further. He moved towards her, and her face lightened a bit.
“Did you need something, your Highness?”
“Yes,” she replied. “DG…feels sad, but she’s not letting me find her. She can block me when she wants to.”
He frowned.
“Did something happen?” he asked.
“No, I don’t think so. I’m not sure why she’s upset. Nothing unusual or strange happened today.”
“All right,” answered Cain. “Let me see what I can find out. You go on back to bed.”
She gave him a grateful smile and left. He gathered his hat and strode out of the room, headed for her favorite escape spot.
Sure enough, he found her in the garden, stretched out and staring up at the stars. Her large blue eyes flit from one point of light to another. She seemed to be looking for something. He glanced up, but did not see anything unusual. Striding forward, he took a seat next to her.
“Looking for something, Princess?”
She sniffed.
“I wish you’d quit calling me that.”
“That didn’t answer my question,” he said, not letting her change the subject.
Taking a deep breath, she pulled herself into a sitting position. Folding her knees up, she wrapped her arms around them and rested her chin on them. He shifted so he could see her face more clearly, frowning as he spotted the tears pooling in those sapphire depths.
“Princess?”
“I…I was looking for constellations, but…I don’t know these stars. They’re not mine.”
He did not say anything, just shifted himself closer to her, his arm barely touching hers. As the warmth of his body seeped into her, she allowed herself to sag slightly sideways to lean against him. Resting her head on the edge of his shoulder, she gave a watery chuckle.
“Do you know I used to love climbing up on the roof of my house and picking out the various stars and constellations? Polaris, the North Star; Andromeda; Cygnus, the swan; Hercules; I knew all of the stories and myths surrounding them. I could just stay there for hours on end. Of all things to miss…to…”
Now she leaned even more heavily against him and a single tear spilled over her lashes to track down her cheek. Reaching up, he wiped it away with his thumb. He shifted to put an arm around her shoulders, tucking her firmly into his side. She buried her face in his shoulder and let the tears fall in silence. He waited, letting her grieve and collect herself.
As the tears tapered off, he looked up and peered at the stars above them. With a quirk of a smile, he pulled her back until they lay side by side, her head pillowed on his shoulder and his arm still tight around her shoulders. He pointed to one particularly bright star.
“That’s our North Star. Do you see the smaller stars that form a line below it? And the two that help create a triangle?”
She concentrated for a long moment. The shape came clear.
“Yes,” she replied. “I see it.”
“We call it the Crown of Ozma. She was the rightful Queen of Oz that your ancestor helped put back on the throne. Ozma was the last of the full-blooded fairy queens, but she did not live as long as she should have. When her best friend, Dorothy Gale, passed on, she put her house in order and surrendered rule to her daughter before disappearing into the North. Only a few days later, the Crown appeared in the sky. The people knew that Ozma had joined her friend in death. The city shut down in mourning, but eventually life went on. The Crown still stands in its place, the main guidance for overnight travelers.”
He continued pointing out the stars and telling their stories as she snuggled into his side. As her breathing evened out into sleep, he let his voice soften and then disappear completely. Glancing at the bit of her face he could see from this angle, his face softened into a fond smile. Now he had to figure out how to get her back in the palace without waking her up. He snorted and looked back up to the points of light flickering in velvet darkness. The North Star twinkled even more brightly, almost laughing at him. He rolled his eyes.
“You just keep your opinion to yourself,” he whispered.
He would never tell anyone about the two girlish giggles he heard at that moment.
Reviews always welcomed!