Written for Element Flash
Title: The Lazy Days of Summer
Genre: Sapphire and Steel
Word count: 1260
Prompt Mistaken for gay
My thanks to my Beta, sparky955 and to kittenmommy. Nice try!
Steel drummed his fingers against his thigh as he plowed through the long grass. His step was heavy and deliberate, as if daring anything to try and stand in his way. Insects hurried to escape and any animals that might have taken refuge in the grasses and weeds slunk away to safety. The sun beat down, but failed to warm his mood. Just to be contrary, he dropped his inner core another degree. Let the sun do its worst, he would not be bested.
Where are we going, Sapphire?
“You’ll see.” Sapphire was the opposite. She walked slowly, letting her hands glide over the tips to the grass, tickling her palms. She smiled at the sensation and welcomed the heat of the day on her skin. The world was alive around them. Because of them, really, although no one knew or would know. It was not their place to be recognized for their actions. It was merely enough for all the wonder around them to continue.
What is our mission?
“Steel, you have vocal cords. You can talk.”
“And if I don’t want to?” he snapped. He hesitated for moment. He should apologize for it wasn’t Sapphire’s fault they’d been sent to this forsaken place. The drone of insects got under his skin, an itch that defied scratching.
If Sapphire was offended, she didn’t show it. She started to hum, her eyes partially closed. She breathed the fragrant air and let it renew her spirit. “Our primary goal is just ahead.”
Steel strode on, the ground fairly shaking beneath each step. The ground, which had been hilly, leveled out. There was a long tree, black against a sea of yellow. Without instruction, he knew their destination was ahead. His fingers and feet sped up.
He arrived at the tree a good three minutes before Sapphire. She had paused to pick some wildflowers and held them close to her face, relishing their scent and feel. On the ground was a blanket, red and green plaid and in the center of it was a basket. Instantly he was on alert. Obviously, their enemy had taken this form. It wouldn’t be the first that Time had commandeered such an innocuous shape.
Steel froze and stared at the basket. It was tied with ribbons, colorful and cheerful, against the bent wicker.
“What is it, Sapphire?” he asked as soon as he’d sensed she was near.
Sapphire laughed and knelt beside it. “It’s called a picnic basket, Steel.” At his scowl, she laughed again. “As Freud once said, “At times, a cigar is merely a cigar.” She began to pull out food. “Have something to eat.”
“I do not need to eat.” He stared at the landscape as if trying to will it to change.
“Nor do you need to breathe, but you do that.” She offered him a plate. “Here.”
He took it and finally sat down on the blanket. He could feel the grass giving way beneath him. For some reason the snapping of the dried stalks filled him with regret. “Why are we here?”
“Consider it therapy.”
“What would They say?”
“They are the ones who encouraged this. You have been placing yourself under great strain. They felt it was necessary for you to release it. When was the last time you slept?”
“I don’t need-“
“I know, but that’s not what I asked.” Sapphire’s clothes changed to something more suitable, a light blouse and cotton skirt. She wiggled her toes in the sandals she’d picked.
“There’s too much to be done.” Steel took a few paces back along their path.
“Steel, we are but two of many agents. Let some of the others shoulder the burden.”
He returned to her. “And let them end up like we did?”
“Is that what all of this is about? Our capture? We were freed.”
“We should have never been taken in the first place. I should have seen where it was headed hours before we did and by then it was too late. If I’d been more focused…” He set the plate aside and frowned as the wind tossed his hair. “More in control.”
“Steel, if you were any more in control, you would pop. No one would even mistake you for gay.”
His head snapped around. “I beg your pardon?”
Sapphire laughed and again offered him the filled plate. “Gay as in happy or carefree. Try the chicken. Lead tells me it’s very good.”
“He should know.”
“Steel, do you blame Lead for what happened?”
“Of course not, but had he not been delayed -“
“Silver wouldn’t have replaced him. It was Silver who eventually freed us. Lead wouldn’t have had that skill.” Sapphire took a delicate bite of the drumstick and chewed. “Hmm, this is quite good.”
“Again, we never --”
“Steel, eat.” Her voice became firm and he begrudgingly picked up the plate and sampled the potato salad.
For a few moments, they sat, both eating while the world moved around them. Birds sang and insects went about their business. Steel took another piece of chicken and ate it while he watched the clouds race by, all seemingly intent upon some secret mission. He took off his suit jacket and set it aside. His tie and vest followed almost immediately.
“This is why we are here,” Sapphire said, quietly as she moved to sit beside him. “For this. It’s not just the humans we protect, but all of this. That has to be worthy something, even to someone like you.”
“Too much so, I fear,” Steel murmured, his knees drawn up and his arms resting on them. “I can’t help but think if I let my guard down for just a moment, all of this will be gone.”
“It wouldn’t be. It continued when we weren’t here.”
“Exactly. Nothing we do makes a difference, not really.”
“Yes, it does. Everything we do is important. We might not know how or to what means, but it is. We are all connected, each to the other, each as vital as the other. When one of us falters, the others step in. You don’t need to shoulder the burden alone, Steel.”
Sapphire stretched out on the blanket. “Have you ever watched the clouds, Steel, and looked for shapes in them?”
“No, of course not. Why would I?”
“Because it’s nice, it's pointless and it serves no purpose at all.” She looked up at him and patted the blanket “Give it a try.”
With a half-smile, half-smirk, Steel laid down and began to study the sky. “They are just clouds.”
“Yes, but there’s more, so much more.” She pointed. “See? That one looks like a bird and to the left of it, something that looks vaguely like Florida or a bit naughty, depending upon your point of view.” She rolled her head to one side. “You try.”
“I see… clouds.”
“Steel.”
“Sapphire, I am pragmatic. I see things as they are.”
“You shouldn’t confuse being pragmatic with being stubborn. What about that one?”
Steel sighed. “I won’t get any peace until I do, will I?” Sapphire shook her head. “All right, that cloud reminds me of the energy pulse left by Radium. The cloud beside it looks like Pele just before she took me…”
Sapphire glanced over at Steel. His eyes were closed and his breathing measured. Finally she thought.
I can still hear you.
Good, then rest. Tomorrow you can return to what you are. Today be what you will.
And the grass danced, the clouds swirled and the world continued on.
Genre: Sapphire and Steel
Word count: 1260
Prompt Mistaken for gay
My thanks to my Beta, sparky955 and to kittenmommy. Nice try!
Steel drummed his fingers against his thigh as he plowed through the long grass. His step was heavy and deliberate, as if daring anything to try and stand in his way. Insects hurried to escape and any animals that might have taken refuge in the grasses and weeds slunk away to safety. The sun beat down, but failed to warm his mood. Just to be contrary, he dropped his inner core another degree. Let the sun do its worst, he would not be bested.
Where are we going, Sapphire?
“You’ll see.” Sapphire was the opposite. She walked slowly, letting her hands glide over the tips to the grass, tickling her palms. She smiled at the sensation and welcomed the heat of the day on her skin. The world was alive around them. Because of them, really, although no one knew or would know. It was not their place to be recognized for their actions. It was merely enough for all the wonder around them to continue.
What is our mission?
“Steel, you have vocal cords. You can talk.”
“And if I don’t want to?” he snapped. He hesitated for moment. He should apologize for it wasn’t Sapphire’s fault they’d been sent to this forsaken place. The drone of insects got under his skin, an itch that defied scratching.
If Sapphire was offended, she didn’t show it. She started to hum, her eyes partially closed. She breathed the fragrant air and let it renew her spirit. “Our primary goal is just ahead.”
Steel strode on, the ground fairly shaking beneath each step. The ground, which had been hilly, leveled out. There was a long tree, black against a sea of yellow. Without instruction, he knew their destination was ahead. His fingers and feet sped up.
He arrived at the tree a good three minutes before Sapphire. She had paused to pick some wildflowers and held them close to her face, relishing their scent and feel. On the ground was a blanket, red and green plaid and in the center of it was a basket. Instantly he was on alert. Obviously, their enemy had taken this form. It wouldn’t be the first that Time had commandeered such an innocuous shape.
Steel froze and stared at the basket. It was tied with ribbons, colorful and cheerful, against the bent wicker.
“What is it, Sapphire?” he asked as soon as he’d sensed she was near.
Sapphire laughed and knelt beside it. “It’s called a picnic basket, Steel.” At his scowl, she laughed again. “As Freud once said, “At times, a cigar is merely a cigar.” She began to pull out food. “Have something to eat.”
“I do not need to eat.” He stared at the landscape as if trying to will it to change.
“Nor do you need to breathe, but you do that.” She offered him a plate. “Here.”
He took it and finally sat down on the blanket. He could feel the grass giving way beneath him. For some reason the snapping of the dried stalks filled him with regret. “Why are we here?”
“Consider it therapy.”
“What would They say?”
“They are the ones who encouraged this. You have been placing yourself under great strain. They felt it was necessary for you to release it. When was the last time you slept?”
“I don’t need-“
“I know, but that’s not what I asked.” Sapphire’s clothes changed to something more suitable, a light blouse and cotton skirt. She wiggled her toes in the sandals she’d picked.
“There’s too much to be done.” Steel took a few paces back along their path.
“Steel, we are but two of many agents. Let some of the others shoulder the burden.”
He returned to her. “And let them end up like we did?”
“Is that what all of this is about? Our capture? We were freed.”
“We should have never been taken in the first place. I should have seen where it was headed hours before we did and by then it was too late. If I’d been more focused…” He set the plate aside and frowned as the wind tossed his hair. “More in control.”
“Steel, if you were any more in control, you would pop. No one would even mistake you for gay.”
His head snapped around. “I beg your pardon?”
Sapphire laughed and again offered him the filled plate. “Gay as in happy or carefree. Try the chicken. Lead tells me it’s very good.”
“He should know.”
“Steel, do you blame Lead for what happened?”
“Of course not, but had he not been delayed -“
“Silver wouldn’t have replaced him. It was Silver who eventually freed us. Lead wouldn’t have had that skill.” Sapphire took a delicate bite of the drumstick and chewed. “Hmm, this is quite good.”
“Again, we never --”
“Steel, eat.” Her voice became firm and he begrudgingly picked up the plate and sampled the potato salad.
For a few moments, they sat, both eating while the world moved around them. Birds sang and insects went about their business. Steel took another piece of chicken and ate it while he watched the clouds race by, all seemingly intent upon some secret mission. He took off his suit jacket and set it aside. His tie and vest followed almost immediately.
“This is why we are here,” Sapphire said, quietly as she moved to sit beside him. “For this. It’s not just the humans we protect, but all of this. That has to be worthy something, even to someone like you.”
“Too much so, I fear,” Steel murmured, his knees drawn up and his arms resting on them. “I can’t help but think if I let my guard down for just a moment, all of this will be gone.”
“It wouldn’t be. It continued when we weren’t here.”
“Exactly. Nothing we do makes a difference, not really.”
“Yes, it does. Everything we do is important. We might not know how or to what means, but it is. We are all connected, each to the other, each as vital as the other. When one of us falters, the others step in. You don’t need to shoulder the burden alone, Steel.”
Sapphire stretched out on the blanket. “Have you ever watched the clouds, Steel, and looked for shapes in them?”
“No, of course not. Why would I?”
“Because it’s nice, it's pointless and it serves no purpose at all.” She looked up at him and patted the blanket “Give it a try.”
With a half-smile, half-smirk, Steel laid down and began to study the sky. “They are just clouds.”
“Yes, but there’s more, so much more.” She pointed. “See? That one looks like a bird and to the left of it, something that looks vaguely like Florida or a bit naughty, depending upon your point of view.” She rolled her head to one side. “You try.”
“I see… clouds.”
“Steel.”
“Sapphire, I am pragmatic. I see things as they are.”
“You shouldn’t confuse being pragmatic with being stubborn. What about that one?”
Steel sighed. “I won’t get any peace until I do, will I?” Sapphire shook her head. “All right, that cloud reminds me of the energy pulse left by Radium. The cloud beside it looks like Pele just before she took me…”
Sapphire glanced over at Steel. His eyes were closed and his breathing measured. Finally she thought.
I can still hear you.
Good, then rest. Tomorrow you can return to what you are. Today be what you will.
And the grass danced, the clouds swirled and the world continued on.