73. those who love
muse_playground prompt:
73. 'Time is too slow for those who wait,
too swift for those who fear,
too long for those who grieve,
too short for those who rejoice,
but for those who love, time is eternity'. -Henry Van Dyke
The evening air was cool and comfortable on the balcony of the hotel suite. Below, the city kept moving, cars passing by, lights from windows dotting the streets, off into the horizon. The Eiffel Tower stood, silhouetted in the dusk.
"So," said John, parting the sheer curtains as he stepped onto the balcony. "Everything you expected it to be?"
Blythe turned back to look at him and smiled. "It's wonderful, John. Thank you."
He smiled back at her, coming up behind her and resting his hand against her back. "Happy Anniversary," he said, leaning down to kiss her lightly.
He pulled away, eyes twinkling, and joined her in leaning against the balcony rail. For a few minutes, they stood without speaking, taking in the view. John turned to observe her, tilting his head slightly. Her eyes seemed sad and miles and miles away.
"Something on your mind?" John asked finally.
She smiled slightly and shook her head, a dismissal more than a denial.
John sighed. "It's Greg, isn't it?"
Blythe glanced at him, then sighed as well, and looked away again. She seemed to consider her words before she spoke.
"I'm glad we got to see him today," she said.
John didn't say that they almost didn't because Greg had almost refused, and Blythe didn't say that the reason for that was John.
He simply nodded, and she added, "I just wish he could be happy."
"You've done all you can for him." He looked at her seriously. "He's not a little boy, anymore, Blythe."
"Don't I know it," she said, smiling wryly. She blinked a few times and her smile turned wistful. "But remember when he was?" She turned to him. "Remember, when he was two or three, how you used to lie on your back and lift him up with your legs, and he'd hold out his arms and pretend to be an airplane?"
John snorted. That felt like a different lifetime. "Too bad he couldn't stay that small," he muttered.
Blythe's face fell slightly and he glanced away.
"Sorry." He chewed the inside of his mouth thoughtfully for a moment. "A lot of things didn't go the way we imagined they would," he said then. "But I can't tell you how glad I am to have lived all of it with you."
She looked surprised for a moment, then smiled and shook her head at him fondly. "Oh, John."
"I mean it," he pressed. "Marrying you was one of the best things I ever did."
"Aren't you romantic," she teased gently.
"Well, we are in the City of Love," he said, grinning and bringing his hands to her waist. "Speaking of which, what's first on the itinerary tomorrow?"
"Let's go to the Louvre," Blythe answered. "I've been looking forward to seeing that."
"Alright," he said. "The Louvre, it is. It's starting to get cold out here, though. You ready for bed?"
She nodded, and then paused for a moment, slipping her hand in his. "I'm glad too," she said then. John smiled, and together they headed back inside.
Muse: John House
Fandom: House, M.D.
Words: 511
73. 'Time is too slow for those who wait,
too swift for those who fear,
too long for those who grieve,
too short for those who rejoice,
but for those who love, time is eternity'. -Henry Van Dyke
The evening air was cool and comfortable on the balcony of the hotel suite. Below, the city kept moving, cars passing by, lights from windows dotting the streets, off into the horizon. The Eiffel Tower stood, silhouetted in the dusk.
"So," said John, parting the sheer curtains as he stepped onto the balcony. "Everything you expected it to be?"
Blythe turned back to look at him and smiled. "It's wonderful, John. Thank you."
He smiled back at her, coming up behind her and resting his hand against her back. "Happy Anniversary," he said, leaning down to kiss her lightly.
He pulled away, eyes twinkling, and joined her in leaning against the balcony rail. For a few minutes, they stood without speaking, taking in the view. John turned to observe her, tilting his head slightly. Her eyes seemed sad and miles and miles away.
"Something on your mind?" John asked finally.
She smiled slightly and shook her head, a dismissal more than a denial.
John sighed. "It's Greg, isn't it?"
Blythe glanced at him, then sighed as well, and looked away again. She seemed to consider her words before she spoke.
"I'm glad we got to see him today," she said.
John didn't say that they almost didn't because Greg had almost refused, and Blythe didn't say that the reason for that was John.
He simply nodded, and she added, "I just wish he could be happy."
"You've done all you can for him." He looked at her seriously. "He's not a little boy, anymore, Blythe."
"Don't I know it," she said, smiling wryly. She blinked a few times and her smile turned wistful. "But remember when he was?" She turned to him. "Remember, when he was two or three, how you used to lie on your back and lift him up with your legs, and he'd hold out his arms and pretend to be an airplane?"
John snorted. That felt like a different lifetime. "Too bad he couldn't stay that small," he muttered.
Blythe's face fell slightly and he glanced away.
"Sorry." He chewed the inside of his mouth thoughtfully for a moment. "A lot of things didn't go the way we imagined they would," he said then. "But I can't tell you how glad I am to have lived all of it with you."
She looked surprised for a moment, then smiled and shook her head at him fondly. "Oh, John."
"I mean it," he pressed. "Marrying you was one of the best things I ever did."
"Aren't you romantic," she teased gently.
"Well, we are in the City of Love," he said, grinning and bringing his hands to her waist. "Speaking of which, what's first on the itinerary tomorrow?"
"Let's go to the Louvre," Blythe answered. "I've been looking forward to seeing that."
"Alright," he said. "The Louvre, it is. It's starting to get cold out here, though. You ready for bed?"
She nodded, and then paused for a moment, slipping her hand in his. "I'm glad too," she said then. John smiled, and together they headed back inside.
Muse: John House
Fandom: House, M.D.
Words: 511