Love Letter part 3
Title: Love Letter to Nobody
Author: Me, naturally
Summary: Amery has died, leaving his possessions behind. His little brother finds a letter from his favorite-and only-brother to a woman defined only as ‘eternal beloved’ and goes to find out who it is.
Notes: No that massive amount of italicized text is not a formatting error; it's a flashback. Lookie! I'm trying a new style!
The cafe was quiet, peaceful, just the break Balfour needed after the long morning he had had. The waitress was pleasant and pretty, like a painting on the wall to lighten a dark room He smiled and was friendly, but didn't flirt the way the rest of the Airmen would have, which was why he was taken by surprise when she sat down across from him, but her purpose was made clear immediately.
"You're Amery's little brother, aren't you!" she gushed, taking his hands. "Oh, I'd know those beautiful eyes anywhere! Do you remember me?"
"No, miss, I do not," Balfour said softly, ever polite.
"It's Amaria! Oh, but I suppose you wouldn't remember. You were small, it was a long time ago, and there were a lot of people. I don't blame you."
Balfour glanced at the list, but her name wasn't there. "How did you know him?" he asked, breaking out a pen and paper.
She laughed and teased him for a moment before sighing and beginning to speak in earnest.
"I met him through one of the other Airmen, Niall. I was...involved with him at the time and I had spent the evening at the Airman...
She had gotten hungry, so she had gone to the kitchens, only to find a very solemn man cooking. The first thing she had noticed had been his back, clearly muscular, even clothed as it had been, but not overly muscular like some of the men. His slender hips and very nice ass drew her eyes next, and she hadn't realized she had been staring until he had turned and cleared his throat.
"May I help you?" he asked curly, his voice lofty and proper, absent of the affected street accent that she had noticed on many of the Airmen.
She had explained that she was there on Niall's invitation and that she had gotten hungry, and he turned and silently cracked another egg in the pan. It was then that she had realized he had been wearing gloves, and that he hadn't gotten any egg on them at all.
After a few minutes, he had set the eggs on the table, having pushed one plate over to her without a word. She had eaten just as silently until someone else had joined them.
"Trying to steal my girl, Amery?" Niall had asked jokingly, having stolen Amery's plate and making his way through the rest of the egg under the other man's intense, chocolate gaze. It had sent a thrill through Amaria's body, watching this man all but glare at Niall, polite even in that.
Niall had continued teasing him, trying to get a rise out of him, and had failed badly. Amery had only responded with a very calm "Niall, you have yet to introduce the young lady."
Niall had laughed and introduced her, and it was only then that Amery had smiled, just a notch wider than a polite smile, his brown eyes warming as they had landed on her.
"Amaria," he had murmured. "What a beautiful name. Tell me, what possessed you to, ah, entertain this particular Airman?" And there it was, subtle as anything, his strike against Niall. She hadn't been able to think of anything other than desperation when they first met, but she didn't say that; she hadn't answered at all.
He had offered to take her out ot lunch later, "to make up for my comrade's crudeness," he had said. Naturally, she accepted, having felt a connection to him immediately...
"But that was as far as it went," she told Balfour sadly. "When we saw each other, we would speak, and he was always so kind, but after we had that lunch, he did not propose anything else. Pity. He was such a nice man."
Balfour sighed, disappointed. Amaria seemed so kind, too, and intelligent. Amery must have at least liked her.
"If you're wondering how we met, you were at the Airman, visiting Amery. Niall had had me over. I remember Amery had stolen Luvander's uniform so you could wear it. Oh the fit he threw! You wanted to be just like your brother...it was cute. I suppose you are like him, now, aren't you?"
After a couple more stories from her, he thanked her for her time and left, scratching her newly-added name off the list. He sighed again as he walked into the Airman, back at square one...only...it was too quiet there...
Author: Me, naturally
Summary: Amery has died, leaving his possessions behind. His little brother finds a letter from his favorite-and only-brother to a woman defined only as ‘eternal beloved’ and goes to find out who it is.
Notes: No that massive amount of italicized text is not a formatting error; it's a flashback. Lookie! I'm trying a new style!
The cafe was quiet, peaceful, just the break Balfour needed after the long morning he had had. The waitress was pleasant and pretty, like a painting on the wall to lighten a dark room He smiled and was friendly, but didn't flirt the way the rest of the Airmen would have, which was why he was taken by surprise when she sat down across from him, but her purpose was made clear immediately.
"You're Amery's little brother, aren't you!" she gushed, taking his hands. "Oh, I'd know those beautiful eyes anywhere! Do you remember me?"
"No, miss, I do not," Balfour said softly, ever polite.
"It's Amaria! Oh, but I suppose you wouldn't remember. You were small, it was a long time ago, and there were a lot of people. I don't blame you."
Balfour glanced at the list, but her name wasn't there. "How did you know him?" he asked, breaking out a pen and paper.
She laughed and teased him for a moment before sighing and beginning to speak in earnest.
"I met him through one of the other Airmen, Niall. I was...involved with him at the time and I had spent the evening at the Airman...
She had gotten hungry, so she had gone to the kitchens, only to find a very solemn man cooking. The first thing she had noticed had been his back, clearly muscular, even clothed as it had been, but not overly muscular like some of the men. His slender hips and very nice ass drew her eyes next, and she hadn't realized she had been staring until he had turned and cleared his throat.
"May I help you?" he asked curly, his voice lofty and proper, absent of the affected street accent that she had noticed on many of the Airmen.
She had explained that she was there on Niall's invitation and that she had gotten hungry, and he turned and silently cracked another egg in the pan. It was then that she had realized he had been wearing gloves, and that he hadn't gotten any egg on them at all.
After a few minutes, he had set the eggs on the table, having pushed one plate over to her without a word. She had eaten just as silently until someone else had joined them.
"Trying to steal my girl, Amery?" Niall had asked jokingly, having stolen Amery's plate and making his way through the rest of the egg under the other man's intense, chocolate gaze. It had sent a thrill through Amaria's body, watching this man all but glare at Niall, polite even in that.
Niall had continued teasing him, trying to get a rise out of him, and had failed badly. Amery had only responded with a very calm "Niall, you have yet to introduce the young lady."
Niall had laughed and introduced her, and it was only then that Amery had smiled, just a notch wider than a polite smile, his brown eyes warming as they had landed on her.
"Amaria," he had murmured. "What a beautiful name. Tell me, what possessed you to, ah, entertain this particular Airman?" And there it was, subtle as anything, his strike against Niall. She hadn't been able to think of anything other than desperation when they first met, but she didn't say that; she hadn't answered at all.
He had offered to take her out ot lunch later, "to make up for my comrade's crudeness," he had said. Naturally, she accepted, having felt a connection to him immediately...
"But that was as far as it went," she told Balfour sadly. "When we saw each other, we would speak, and he was always so kind, but after we had that lunch, he did not propose anything else. Pity. He was such a nice man."
Balfour sighed, disappointed. Amaria seemed so kind, too, and intelligent. Amery must have at least liked her.
"If you're wondering how we met, you were at the Airman, visiting Amery. Niall had had me over. I remember Amery had stolen Luvander's uniform so you could wear it. Oh the fit he threw! You wanted to be just like your brother...it was cute. I suppose you are like him, now, aren't you?"
After a couple more stories from her, he thanked her for her time and left, scratching her newly-added name off the list. He sighed again as he walked into the Airman, back at square one...only...it was too quiet there...