Three's a crowd, Chapter Eight
I was never good at chaptered fic. But I'm nearly there - it will be finished. Eventually.
This fic ties me in knots. It has taught me the very, very important concept that knowing what will happen, to whom it will happen, and how, are good to know BEFORE YOU ARE HALFWAY THROUGH THE STORY. Still, I have it worked out now, and I really quite like it. I hope you do too.
Three's a Crowd, Chapter 8
Kel and Lerant stood in each other’s arms on the dance floor, and the music began.
“So, are you going to tell me what you meant by all of that?” Lerant asked conversationally, as they began to circle. His voice was light, but his grip on Kel’s hands was tight and tense.
She looked at him for a second, as the dance demanded they part, clap, then reunite. She opened her mouth, but Lerant cut her off.
“Don’t say, ‘Nothing,’ with that blank look on your face,” he warned, “I know you too well, by now.”
And it was years, Kel realised, nearly seven years since they had first met. She shut her mouth and looked properly at him, really looked in those brown eyes.
“Is there any point?” she asked cautiously, “or am I just telling you what you already know?”
“And that would be?” Lerant twirled Kel under his arm, which gave Kel time to decide how to play her cards. All or nothing, she decided. Now or never.
“The truth,” she said, facing him again, hand clasped firmly back in his, “is that you won’t admit your feelings.”
He chuckled, despite himself. “Well, if anyone knows about that, you do.” His face lost some tension, and he flicked his head back, causing the light from the chandelier to catch in his golden hair, slide over his flushed skin. “Hiding things, huh?” He spun Kel again, and this time held her properly, fingers locking in her hand, other back on the small of her back. “What are you hiding, Kel?” Lerant stared Kel in the eye for half a second, before the music demanded her swing her away from him.
Kel wondered how the swirling, twirling dance was making so her dizzy, when she had drunk nothing but fruit juice all night.
“This concept that I am deceiving myself,” Kel finally commented, between claps, “is one to which you seem curiously attached.”
“You’re the one going on about the truth. So tell me,” Lerant leaned close to Kel’s ear and whispered, “what’s the truth?”
She paused and almost fell, as the dance carried her partner on. Kel tripped over Lerant’s feet, and as he easily caught her, she looked into his eyes and became aware that the truth could sometimes change. The music stopped.
She squeezed his hands, and stepped back into her surprisingly elegant curtsey. Kel was nothing if not composure under pressure, manners before all else. “Thank you for the dance, Lerant.”
Lerant scowled, an expression far more familiar than the knowing smile that had been plastered on his face, but he took Kel’s hand and followed her from the dance floor.
Wolset was still standing in his viewpoint, watching the dancing. “Very nice,” he commented as Kel and Lerant made their way back to him. “Lovely twirls.”
Lerant made a face, and was about to retort - no doubt something clever involving squirrels being more at home twirling through branches - when Kel cut in.
“Where’s Dom?”
Lerant nodded once, down and then up, a simple flick of the head, before he held himself still and took a stance very much resembling parade rest.
“He went to get a drink,” Wolset said.
“That sounds like a very good idea. A drink would be lovely. Lerant?”
“Yes, I think I’d like a drink, now, if you’re getting them.”
“That means I can keep Wolset company, if you don’t mind getting me a fruit juice, too.”
“Really?” Lerant’s face was an odd mix, unreadable. “I think Wolset is quite happy here; but I could do with an extra hand if I’m to get him a drink, too.”
“Oh, I’m fine…oof!”
“…so chivalrous of you to help, Kel,” Lerant continued, stepping smoothly away from Wolset. He indicated for Kel to lead the way.
Kel kept the displeasure from her face - barely - and started to walk. Lerant kept close behind her, close enough to whisper in her ear.
“Right, I thought I had it sorted, I thought I knew what was going on, and now I’m just as confused as before.” He put a firm hand on Kel’s shoulder, and steered her away from the drinks and seated area at the back of the hall, towards the curtained bay windows at the side of the great room.
“What sorted out?” Kel asked. She let her self be guided, wanting to get to find out what he meant. Lerant was usually frustrating and infuriating, but this was confusing, even by his standards. They stepped into a window bay, and were half hidden by the heavy velvet curtains.
Dom had been sitting unnoticed on a low sofa, busying his hands and his mouth with a wine goblet, and hoping he soon wouldn’t have to think too much. His eyes were still working upsettingly well, though, and they seemed to want to occupy themselves with Lerant, and thus Kel. He watched them begin to talk, as he had watched them walk past, had watched them dance. They had been getting physically closer all night, and now their heads were almost touching. Kel was explaining something, hands gesturing as she sought to shape her words. Dom saw Lerant start, golden head jerking up and eyes searching the room for a second. Dom sunk lower in his chair and buried his face in his wine goblet, but Kel had grasped Lerant’s arm and pulled him deeper into the alcove, lips moving fast. She paused, and spread her hands, palms up, in a gesture that seemed equally a question and an apology.
Lerant was standing very still, arms tightly folded. Dom fancied he could see the muscles in his cheek work as he chewed his lip, but that might have been his projection, because he knew the movement so well, had seen it so many times before. Eventually, Lerant leaned over, and murmured softly in Kel’s ear, just a few words. Dom’s imagination began to flash uncomfortably, with sensations of breath on necks and…he took another numbing gulp of wine.
When he lowered his goblet, Lerant was striding away, and Kel was watching him leave, her hand pressed to half parted lips.
This fic ties me in knots. It has taught me the very, very important concept that knowing what will happen, to whom it will happen, and how, are good to know BEFORE YOU ARE HALFWAY THROUGH THE STORY. Still, I have it worked out now, and I really quite like it. I hope you do too.
Three's a Crowd, Chapter 8
Kel and Lerant stood in each other’s arms on the dance floor, and the music began.
“So, are you going to tell me what you meant by all of that?” Lerant asked conversationally, as they began to circle. His voice was light, but his grip on Kel’s hands was tight and tense.
She looked at him for a second, as the dance demanded they part, clap, then reunite. She opened her mouth, but Lerant cut her off.
“Don’t say, ‘Nothing,’ with that blank look on your face,” he warned, “I know you too well, by now.”
And it was years, Kel realised, nearly seven years since they had first met. She shut her mouth and looked properly at him, really looked in those brown eyes.
“Is there any point?” she asked cautiously, “or am I just telling you what you already know?”
“And that would be?” Lerant twirled Kel under his arm, which gave Kel time to decide how to play her cards. All or nothing, she decided. Now or never.
“The truth,” she said, facing him again, hand clasped firmly back in his, “is that you won’t admit your feelings.”
He chuckled, despite himself. “Well, if anyone knows about that, you do.” His face lost some tension, and he flicked his head back, causing the light from the chandelier to catch in his golden hair, slide over his flushed skin. “Hiding things, huh?” He spun Kel again, and this time held her properly, fingers locking in her hand, other back on the small of her back. “What are you hiding, Kel?” Lerant stared Kel in the eye for half a second, before the music demanded her swing her away from him.
Kel wondered how the swirling, twirling dance was making so her dizzy, when she had drunk nothing but fruit juice all night.
“This concept that I am deceiving myself,” Kel finally commented, between claps, “is one to which you seem curiously attached.”
“You’re the one going on about the truth. So tell me,” Lerant leaned close to Kel’s ear and whispered, “what’s the truth?”
She paused and almost fell, as the dance carried her partner on. Kel tripped over Lerant’s feet, and as he easily caught her, she looked into his eyes and became aware that the truth could sometimes change. The music stopped.
She squeezed his hands, and stepped back into her surprisingly elegant curtsey. Kel was nothing if not composure under pressure, manners before all else. “Thank you for the dance, Lerant.”
Lerant scowled, an expression far more familiar than the knowing smile that had been plastered on his face, but he took Kel’s hand and followed her from the dance floor.
Wolset was still standing in his viewpoint, watching the dancing. “Very nice,” he commented as Kel and Lerant made their way back to him. “Lovely twirls.”
Lerant made a face, and was about to retort - no doubt something clever involving squirrels being more at home twirling through branches - when Kel cut in.
“Where’s Dom?”
Lerant nodded once, down and then up, a simple flick of the head, before he held himself still and took a stance very much resembling parade rest.
“He went to get a drink,” Wolset said.
“That sounds like a very good idea. A drink would be lovely. Lerant?”
“Yes, I think I’d like a drink, now, if you’re getting them.”
“That means I can keep Wolset company, if you don’t mind getting me a fruit juice, too.”
“Really?” Lerant’s face was an odd mix, unreadable. “I think Wolset is quite happy here; but I could do with an extra hand if I’m to get him a drink, too.”
“Oh, I’m fine…oof!”
“…so chivalrous of you to help, Kel,” Lerant continued, stepping smoothly away from Wolset. He indicated for Kel to lead the way.
Kel kept the displeasure from her face - barely - and started to walk. Lerant kept close behind her, close enough to whisper in her ear.
“Right, I thought I had it sorted, I thought I knew what was going on, and now I’m just as confused as before.” He put a firm hand on Kel’s shoulder, and steered her away from the drinks and seated area at the back of the hall, towards the curtained bay windows at the side of the great room.
“What sorted out?” Kel asked. She let her self be guided, wanting to get to find out what he meant. Lerant was usually frustrating and infuriating, but this was confusing, even by his standards. They stepped into a window bay, and were half hidden by the heavy velvet curtains.
Dom had been sitting unnoticed on a low sofa, busying his hands and his mouth with a wine goblet, and hoping he soon wouldn’t have to think too much. His eyes were still working upsettingly well, though, and they seemed to want to occupy themselves with Lerant, and thus Kel. He watched them begin to talk, as he had watched them walk past, had watched them dance. They had been getting physically closer all night, and now their heads were almost touching. Kel was explaining something, hands gesturing as she sought to shape her words. Dom saw Lerant start, golden head jerking up and eyes searching the room for a second. Dom sunk lower in his chair and buried his face in his wine goblet, but Kel had grasped Lerant’s arm and pulled him deeper into the alcove, lips moving fast. She paused, and spread her hands, palms up, in a gesture that seemed equally a question and an apology.
Lerant was standing very still, arms tightly folded. Dom fancied he could see the muscles in his cheek work as he chewed his lip, but that might have been his projection, because he knew the movement so well, had seen it so many times before. Eventually, Lerant leaned over, and murmured softly in Kel’s ear, just a few words. Dom’s imagination began to flash uncomfortably, with sensations of breath on necks and…he took another numbing gulp of wine.
When he lowered his goblet, Lerant was striding away, and Kel was watching him leave, her hand pressed to half parted lips.