Fic - "An Abnormal Request" - Lost in Austen - Darcy/Amanda
Title: "An Abnormal Request"
Author: radiotardislive
Fandom: Lost in Austen
Rating: K+
Pairing: Darcy/Amanda
Words: 832
Summary: What happened between Amanda's request and Darcy leaping out of the lake. What would he say? Yes, alright, basically just another gratuitous wet shirt!Darcy excuse. :D Please review.
“Will you do something for me?” She asked him, her breath hitching as she wondered if she really dared to do it.
“Anything, dearest Amanda,” Darcy swore, releasing her arms to seize her hands in either of his, holding them up in front of her and rubbing her knuckles gently with his fingers. “Simply name the deed and it shall be done.”
She bit her lip, and wondered exactly how to phrase it. Then, as it usually did, her tongue raced ahead of her mind, and she rushed, “Will you get in the lake and climb out again for me?”
His hands froze on hers, and for one awful moment, Amanda thought she’d blown it, had lost her chance of happiness with the man she now realised that she had always loved.
His eyes were wide, and she could hear his voice inside her head as clearly as if it were her own: you want me to do what!?? Then, he smiled slightly, something she had barely seen him do before, and she realised with a thud of her heart how well a look of happiness suited him.
“Of course I will oblige,” he said politely, “but may I ask why you desire me to immerse myself?”
“Well, um,” she tried, thinking hastily of an excuse, “to, err, see if you can swim?” Her tone rose as she spoke, and her whole awkward body posture betrayed the lie in what she said. However, Darcy did not question her any further, simply smiling secretly to himself, as if guessing what her real intentions were.
Pressing her hands once more, he released them, and reached for the buttons on his greatcoat. He had begun to slip his arms out of the coat, when he paused, and looked up at her, through the fringe of his dark hair that had fallen over his eyes. “I presume you do not wish me to enter the water fully clothed?”
“Oh no,” she piped up, her voice several octaves higher than its usual pitch. “Just your shirt.”
Darcy nodded, and shrugged his greatcoat off quickly, dropping it to the floor. Then his fingers went to his cravat, and he made light work of the silken knot, pulling it off with ease, as Amanda watched on, hardly daring to believe what was happening. Mr Darcy was undressing. In front of her. And he was smiling!
Next, he started on his waistcoat, slipping the small buttons through their holes. Amanda found herself blushing as she watched his hands, and looked up at his face, to find that he was watching her intently, the smile now gone from his face. He was looking at her earnestly, his gaze firm and his eyes dark and hooded, and she found this even more disconcerting. He rolled his shoulders, pulling the waistcoat off, discarding it onto the top of the pile of clothes by his feet, and Amanda averted her eyes once again, focussing on the still, calm waters of the lake, that would be disturbed in only a few moments.
Darcy spread his arms wide, as if silently asking her if he would do. Amanda found that she could do nothing but nod her head jerkily, biting her lip. He quirked his lips once again, appearing to be feeling much more confident than she was, but in reality, his insides were churning as he turned to the lake, descended the steps, and taking a breath, placed one booted foot into the water.
He waded out, aware with a burning sensation on the nape of his neck of her eyes on him. Amanda stood on the bank, her hands pressed into some gesture of prayer, resting against her lips, her eyes unblinking and focussed. She couldn’t believe this; she must surely be in a dream. She felt sure that the moment he resurfaced from the lake, the world around her would melt away and she would lose everything. She started to shiver.
Setting his teeth and praying fervently, Darcy turned around to face her, and looking directly at Amanda, through the sunlight, he raised his chin, and then ducked down under the water. He allowed the water to rise to his neck, just wetting the dark curls at the back of his head so that they stuck to his skin, and he allowed his hot body to enjoy the coolness of the water for a second, before standing up once again, water dripping from him, feeling his shirt billow around him and then cling to his chest as he rose, the damp fabric tight against his flesh. He milled his hands about in the water, feeling foolish, and wondering what she was thinking.
Amanda gasped, a smile slipping across her face. Sorry, Colin Firth, she thought, but no chance, as she admired the sight before her, quite unable to believe that she had managed to get the sensible, serious Fitzwilliam Darcy to jump into the lake for her.
It was definitely not a dream.
Author: radiotardislive
Fandom: Lost in Austen
Rating: K+
Pairing: Darcy/Amanda
Words: 832
Summary: What happened between Amanda's request and Darcy leaping out of the lake. What would he say? Yes, alright, basically just another gratuitous wet shirt!Darcy excuse. :D Please review.
“Will you do something for me?” She asked him, her breath hitching as she wondered if she really dared to do it.
“Anything, dearest Amanda,” Darcy swore, releasing her arms to seize her hands in either of his, holding them up in front of her and rubbing her knuckles gently with his fingers. “Simply name the deed and it shall be done.”
She bit her lip, and wondered exactly how to phrase it. Then, as it usually did, her tongue raced ahead of her mind, and she rushed, “Will you get in the lake and climb out again for me?”
His hands froze on hers, and for one awful moment, Amanda thought she’d blown it, had lost her chance of happiness with the man she now realised that she had always loved.
His eyes were wide, and she could hear his voice inside her head as clearly as if it were her own: you want me to do what!?? Then, he smiled slightly, something she had barely seen him do before, and she realised with a thud of her heart how well a look of happiness suited him.
“Of course I will oblige,” he said politely, “but may I ask why you desire me to immerse myself?”
“Well, um,” she tried, thinking hastily of an excuse, “to, err, see if you can swim?” Her tone rose as she spoke, and her whole awkward body posture betrayed the lie in what she said. However, Darcy did not question her any further, simply smiling secretly to himself, as if guessing what her real intentions were.
Pressing her hands once more, he released them, and reached for the buttons on his greatcoat. He had begun to slip his arms out of the coat, when he paused, and looked up at her, through the fringe of his dark hair that had fallen over his eyes. “I presume you do not wish me to enter the water fully clothed?”
“Oh no,” she piped up, her voice several octaves higher than its usual pitch. “Just your shirt.”
Darcy nodded, and shrugged his greatcoat off quickly, dropping it to the floor. Then his fingers went to his cravat, and he made light work of the silken knot, pulling it off with ease, as Amanda watched on, hardly daring to believe what was happening. Mr Darcy was undressing. In front of her. And he was smiling!
Next, he started on his waistcoat, slipping the small buttons through their holes. Amanda found herself blushing as she watched his hands, and looked up at his face, to find that he was watching her intently, the smile now gone from his face. He was looking at her earnestly, his gaze firm and his eyes dark and hooded, and she found this even more disconcerting. He rolled his shoulders, pulling the waistcoat off, discarding it onto the top of the pile of clothes by his feet, and Amanda averted her eyes once again, focussing on the still, calm waters of the lake, that would be disturbed in only a few moments.
Darcy spread his arms wide, as if silently asking her if he would do. Amanda found that she could do nothing but nod her head jerkily, biting her lip. He quirked his lips once again, appearing to be feeling much more confident than she was, but in reality, his insides were churning as he turned to the lake, descended the steps, and taking a breath, placed one booted foot into the water.
He waded out, aware with a burning sensation on the nape of his neck of her eyes on him. Amanda stood on the bank, her hands pressed into some gesture of prayer, resting against her lips, her eyes unblinking and focussed. She couldn’t believe this; she must surely be in a dream. She felt sure that the moment he resurfaced from the lake, the world around her would melt away and she would lose everything. She started to shiver.
Setting his teeth and praying fervently, Darcy turned around to face her, and looking directly at Amanda, through the sunlight, he raised his chin, and then ducked down under the water. He allowed the water to rise to his neck, just wetting the dark curls at the back of his head so that they stuck to his skin, and he allowed his hot body to enjoy the coolness of the water for a second, before standing up once again, water dripping from him, feeling his shirt billow around him and then cling to his chest as he rose, the damp fabric tight against his flesh. He milled his hands about in the water, feeling foolish, and wondering what she was thinking.
Amanda gasped, a smile slipping across her face. Sorry, Colin Firth, she thought, but no chance, as she admired the sight before her, quite unable to believe that she had managed to get the sensible, serious Fitzwilliam Darcy to jump into the lake for her.
It was definitely not a dream.