you say i'm lucky, to love something that loved me
title: you say i’m lucky, to love something that loved me.
characters: jo, teddy
rating/word count: PG/648
“I’m a selfish girl,” Amy had said once.
Years later, Jo will open the door to her own home and not know quite where she is.
She never dreamed that saying no to Teddy meant giving him to Amy.
Amy, lovely little spoiled selfish Amy, who lost all the limes and burned Jo’s manuscript and stole Teddy right from under her flour-dusted nose.
Oh, she thinks later, I was not prepared for this.
The next morning, Amy makes excuses.
I wish you could have been there, Jo, really. But it all happened so fast and the best fashions always come out in the spring and - oh please, please forgive me.
Jo thinks back to a time when she didn’t grant Amy forgiveness.
Amy fell through the ice, and Teddy helped save her.
All Jo can say is, of course my darling sister.
In France, Teddy grabbed onto Amy and didn’t let go.
In Paris there was too much debauchery, too little morals, not enough March so he took what he could get without complaining.
In Boston, Amy is too little March and too much Paris.
Teddy shakes his head when Amy complains about her dress.
You look quite stunning like that, Laurie told Jo once upon a spring day.
There was sweat at her brow and a smudge of ash on the left side of her nose.
Jo laughed.
It has taken her years to realize what she didn’t recognize earlier:
She always loved Teddy in the same ways he loved her.
Christmas doesn’t feel the same without Beth.
Laurie plays the piano the best he can, technical precision and not quite as good as Beth.
Amy fawns over O Come Ye Merry Gentlemen, kisses him when he finishes.
I’ve always known that I belong to the March family, he lied to her in Paris.
Jo lurks in the corner and only kisses the Professor when she thinks no one is watching.
Teddy, please don’t ask me.
Young and foolish and stupid, she’d been. Too stubborn for her own good and her heart pays the price these days.
This could be a great story.
They are young and not that brave, eyes holding contact for only the appropriate amount of time, and Teddy is reaching a hand towards her.
Ah, but Jo, we already are.
He winks and pulls her up; she leaves first but looks back twice, failing to think of a clever enough response.
Teddy leaves letters in the mailbox still.
Jo collects them all.
Being a grown-up doesn’t mean acting differently, Jo learns.
She is pretending just as much now as she did before, traded the attic in for a kitchen and a society of men for one made up of housewives.
They are older and wiser but no less stubborn.
Jo, he whispers into the crown of her head, my Jo.
Her fingers find his and she rests her forehead on his shoulder for a moment too long. There are three of her hairs on his shirt.
I have loved you longer than anything else.
Jo wonders if everything else up to this has been rising action.
Oh Teddy, I have been such a fool is all she says but Laurie understands.
He always has.
You are quite the puzzle, Josephine March.
This was before.
And I am very proud of it.
Her hair was still long, back then, and she flipped it dramatically before staring him down.
I hardly meant to offend.
Oh Teddy, Jo sighed. I’m only pretending to be mad. If you ever want to act with us you must learn how to pretend better.
And this is something that you exceed at?
Exceptionally.
“I’m a selfish girl,” Amy had said once.
Jo couldn’t agree more.
characters: jo, teddy
rating/word count: PG/648
“I’m a selfish girl,” Amy had said once.
Years later, Jo will open the door to her own home and not know quite where she is.
She never dreamed that saying no to Teddy meant giving him to Amy.
Amy, lovely little spoiled selfish Amy, who lost all the limes and burned Jo’s manuscript and stole Teddy right from under her flour-dusted nose.
Oh, she thinks later, I was not prepared for this.
The next morning, Amy makes excuses.
I wish you could have been there, Jo, really. But it all happened so fast and the best fashions always come out in the spring and - oh please, please forgive me.
Jo thinks back to a time when she didn’t grant Amy forgiveness.
Amy fell through the ice, and Teddy helped save her.
All Jo can say is, of course my darling sister.
In France, Teddy grabbed onto Amy and didn’t let go.
In Paris there was too much debauchery, too little morals, not enough March so he took what he could get without complaining.
In Boston, Amy is too little March and too much Paris.
Teddy shakes his head when Amy complains about her dress.
You look quite stunning like that, Laurie told Jo once upon a spring day.
There was sweat at her brow and a smudge of ash on the left side of her nose.
Jo laughed.
It has taken her years to realize what she didn’t recognize earlier:
She always loved Teddy in the same ways he loved her.
Christmas doesn’t feel the same without Beth.
Laurie plays the piano the best he can, technical precision and not quite as good as Beth.
Amy fawns over O Come Ye Merry Gentlemen, kisses him when he finishes.
I’ve always known that I belong to the March family, he lied to her in Paris.
Jo lurks in the corner and only kisses the Professor when she thinks no one is watching.
Teddy, please don’t ask me.
Young and foolish and stupid, she’d been. Too stubborn for her own good and her heart pays the price these days.
This could be a great story.
They are young and not that brave, eyes holding contact for only the appropriate amount of time, and Teddy is reaching a hand towards her.
Ah, but Jo, we already are.
He winks and pulls her up; she leaves first but looks back twice, failing to think of a clever enough response.
Teddy leaves letters in the mailbox still.
Jo collects them all.
Being a grown-up doesn’t mean acting differently, Jo learns.
She is pretending just as much now as she did before, traded the attic in for a kitchen and a society of men for one made up of housewives.
They are older and wiser but no less stubborn.
Jo, he whispers into the crown of her head, my Jo.
Her fingers find his and she rests her forehead on his shoulder for a moment too long. There are three of her hairs on his shirt.
I have loved you longer than anything else.
Jo wonders if everything else up to this has been rising action.
Oh Teddy, I have been such a fool is all she says but Laurie understands.
He always has.
You are quite the puzzle, Josephine March.
This was before.
And I am very proud of it.
Her hair was still long, back then, and she flipped it dramatically before staring him down.
I hardly meant to offend.
Oh Teddy, Jo sighed. I’m only pretending to be mad. If you ever want to act with us you must learn how to pretend better.
And this is something that you exceed at?
Exceptionally.
“I’m a selfish girl,” Amy had said once.
Jo couldn’t agree more.