Johnny, on the balcony
This is a sort-of drabble without a prompt. It's a piece of writing that may or may not make it's way into an upcoming story post, but I'm feeling excited about actually writing and so I felt like sharing it now. If you'd rather not know, it is a bit of a spoiler, but it covers some of the same ground as the previous JRO chapter. All that's new is a little glimpse of the scene between Johnny and Ripp that wasn't shown because Phi had stepped out to give them a moment.
Interested? I'd love a little feedback/speculation to help me get back in the writing groove.
Johnny sat on the balcony, thinking back to the time they'd spent in the cabin.
Lying there, in the dark bedroom, like a comforting womb. They'd been protected from the world. He remembered lying there, sensing the other two, feeling the heat of their bodies, smelling their smells, hearing their breathing. Their heartbeats.
It had been like a dream, outside of the real world. The real world wasn't like that, as much as they might want it to be. And now...
Now the reality had come back to strike him in the face.
His father would soon be dead. And not just him, but maybe all like him. There were people out there that wanted them removed from the planet in any way necessary. Why would they stop? Today it was the aliens, but tomorrow it might be the hybrids, too. It might be him.
Then what?
He couldn't let that happen. He had to go. He had to do something. None of them would be safe if he stayed.
Or maybe he was just running away. This was just another reason to run. Maybe he just couldn't deal with it.
He was scared.
He closed his eyes again, and returned to the cabin. Ophelia had just gotten up and gone to the kitchen. Ripp's face had looked the way he felt, a mixture of fear and excitement and unspoken longing.
"What are we doing?"
"I don't know."
A pause.
"I mean, we're doing something, aren't we?"
"We could be."
"Yeah. I know."
And then silence. What could they say? They simply looked at each other. For a long time, neither spoke.
"Johnny, I'm just going to lay it out there, okay?"
He nodded.
"I think you know what it is you want. I absolutely know what I want. I think it might even be the same thing."
"Yeah... maybe it is."
"You don't need to be afraid of this. There's nothing to fear here. I've said this before, but I want to make sure I'm being clear. I don't want to take Ophelia from you."
Johnny closed his eyes, and slowly nodded his head again. He got that. Both of them. And him too. It had taken some time, but he got that. He felt Ripp's hand cover his own.
"I want to take her with you."
He opened his eyes.
And he was on the balcony again. That's how it had been, and how it still was. He only had to say the word. He hadn't. Not that way, at least. He'd met him halfway. Together, all three in a bed, but still fairly innocent. He could have said the word. He could still say the word at any time. But then what?
Where could they go from there? What would they do when he was the one fearing for his life? Would the world tear them apart or would they do it themselves? Was it just a matter of time?
Ripp didn't understand. It wasn't that simple.
Nothing was ever that simple.
Interested? I'd love a little feedback/speculation to help me get back in the writing groove.
Johnny sat on the balcony, thinking back to the time they'd spent in the cabin.
Lying there, in the dark bedroom, like a comforting womb. They'd been protected from the world. He remembered lying there, sensing the other two, feeling the heat of their bodies, smelling their smells, hearing their breathing. Their heartbeats.
It had been like a dream, outside of the real world. The real world wasn't like that, as much as they might want it to be. And now...
Now the reality had come back to strike him in the face.
His father would soon be dead. And not just him, but maybe all like him. There were people out there that wanted them removed from the planet in any way necessary. Why would they stop? Today it was the aliens, but tomorrow it might be the hybrids, too. It might be him.
Then what?
He couldn't let that happen. He had to go. He had to do something. None of them would be safe if he stayed.
Or maybe he was just running away. This was just another reason to run. Maybe he just couldn't deal with it.
He was scared.
He closed his eyes again, and returned to the cabin. Ophelia had just gotten up and gone to the kitchen. Ripp's face had looked the way he felt, a mixture of fear and excitement and unspoken longing.
"What are we doing?"
"I don't know."
A pause.
"I mean, we're doing something, aren't we?"
"We could be."
"Yeah. I know."
And then silence. What could they say? They simply looked at each other. For a long time, neither spoke.
"Johnny, I'm just going to lay it out there, okay?"
He nodded.
"I think you know what it is you want. I absolutely know what I want. I think it might even be the same thing."
"Yeah... maybe it is."
"You don't need to be afraid of this. There's nothing to fear here. I've said this before, but I want to make sure I'm being clear. I don't want to take Ophelia from you."
Johnny closed his eyes, and slowly nodded his head again. He got that. Both of them. And him too. It had taken some time, but he got that. He felt Ripp's hand cover his own.
"I want to take her with you."
He opened his eyes.
And he was on the balcony again. That's how it had been, and how it still was. He only had to say the word. He hadn't. Not that way, at least. He'd met him halfway. Together, all three in a bed, but still fairly innocent. He could have said the word. He could still say the word at any time. But then what?
Where could they go from there? What would they do when he was the one fearing for his life? Would the world tear them apart or would they do it themselves? Was it just a matter of time?
Ripp didn't understand. It wasn't that simple.
Nothing was ever that simple.