Prompt Response
Title: As You Lay Dying
Author: shinodabear
Fandom: Buffy, pre-series
Pairing: William/Cecily (Halfrek)
Disclaimer: That which is here, is not mine, but I like to delude myself.
Rating: PG
Summary: Cecily and William’s first kiss.
Notes: for the first prompt, “A Kiss”; something different from my usual.
As You Lay Dying
The ground was cold and damp, as it was bound to be this time of year. Her ankles were as wet as they would be if she were in the bath. Her dress hem was starting to sag. She was sure her hair would be in disarray by the time she arrived back home. But none of it mattered. She had heard what had happened. She had heard that Destiny had come to claim its child.
He had just been a boy.
She stopped to remove her shoes, and climbed up the hill of the cemetery. Her skirt hem was now muddy, as were her feet. But, again, it did not matter. She had heard what had happened. She had heard about the mysterious killings.
It was all her fault.
A woman was singing. It was a soft lullaby, something old. Something sad. A glint of light in the darkness, and a shovel came in to view. The woman was digging a grave. Cecily walked slowly towards her. She purposefully avoided looking to the left.
“You’ve come for goodbye, nasty old witch.” The dark figure with the shovel swayed nearer, “Escaped your claws, I set him free. My dear prince. He’ll be a great fire, burning, won’t he?”
She wanted to agree, wanted to think that something good had come out of that evening’s events. But she wouldn’t know for sure. All she knew was that he was needed. She hadn’t needed him. She had barely ever noticed him. But that was because she had a job to do. She had children to help, fathers to punish. Love was something she couldn’t stop to notice.
It was all his fault.
If he hadn’t have noticed her, he never would’ve died. He’d still be sitting on his mother’s lap scribbling out atrocious poetry. He’d still be smiling stupidly at the sunset, or gazing intently at the flowers. He’d still be that gentle soul. Now, he had nary a spark. He was cold and dead - a vampire. Of all the demons, it had to be a vampire.
She watched as his sire lifted him up off the ground, and cradled his body in her arms. “He’s such a pretty one, isn’t he?”
She found herself nodding, stepping closer, bare feet forgotten.
“Want to wish him luck, Justitia?”
“My name is Halfrek," she corrected her, "And I think I’d quite like to say goodbye.”
It felt strange, bending down to kiss a man. Even stranger when the man was being held in someone’s arms. His lips were cold and dry. She felt a chill run down her spine, then he was gone. The vampire was placing him into the ground. There was no coffin. He’d awake in the dirt. She felt a twinge in her heart for the boy, imagining the fear that would run through him. He didn’t deserve it. Not this.
He had just been a boy.
She turned and stepped into her shoes. In three days, he would rise and be among the living dead. If only she hadn’t laughed. If only she hadn’t said those words. As a vampire, he’d be ever more beneath her now. Couldn’t he have seen that?
Author: shinodabear
Fandom: Buffy, pre-series
Pairing: William/Cecily (Halfrek)
Disclaimer: That which is here, is not mine, but I like to delude myself.
Rating: PG
Summary: Cecily and William’s first kiss.
Notes: for the first prompt, “A Kiss”; something different from my usual.
As You Lay Dying
The ground was cold and damp, as it was bound to be this time of year. Her ankles were as wet as they would be if she were in the bath. Her dress hem was starting to sag. She was sure her hair would be in disarray by the time she arrived back home. But none of it mattered. She had heard what had happened. She had heard that Destiny had come to claim its child.
He had just been a boy.
She stopped to remove her shoes, and climbed up the hill of the cemetery. Her skirt hem was now muddy, as were her feet. But, again, it did not matter. She had heard what had happened. She had heard about the mysterious killings.
It was all her fault.
A woman was singing. It was a soft lullaby, something old. Something sad. A glint of light in the darkness, and a shovel came in to view. The woman was digging a grave. Cecily walked slowly towards her. She purposefully avoided looking to the left.
“You’ve come for goodbye, nasty old witch.” The dark figure with the shovel swayed nearer, “Escaped your claws, I set him free. My dear prince. He’ll be a great fire, burning, won’t he?”
She wanted to agree, wanted to think that something good had come out of that evening’s events. But she wouldn’t know for sure. All she knew was that he was needed. She hadn’t needed him. She had barely ever noticed him. But that was because she had a job to do. She had children to help, fathers to punish. Love was something she couldn’t stop to notice.
It was all his fault.
If he hadn’t have noticed her, he never would’ve died. He’d still be sitting on his mother’s lap scribbling out atrocious poetry. He’d still be smiling stupidly at the sunset, or gazing intently at the flowers. He’d still be that gentle soul. Now, he had nary a spark. He was cold and dead - a vampire. Of all the demons, it had to be a vampire.
She watched as his sire lifted him up off the ground, and cradled his body in her arms. “He’s such a pretty one, isn’t he?”
She found herself nodding, stepping closer, bare feet forgotten.
“Want to wish him luck, Justitia?”
“My name is Halfrek," she corrected her, "And I think I’d quite like to say goodbye.”
It felt strange, bending down to kiss a man. Even stranger when the man was being held in someone’s arms. His lips were cold and dry. She felt a chill run down her spine, then he was gone. The vampire was placing him into the ground. There was no coffin. He’d awake in the dirt. She felt a twinge in her heart for the boy, imagining the fear that would run through him. He didn’t deserve it. Not this.
He had just been a boy.
She turned and stepped into her shoes. In three days, he would rise and be among the living dead. If only she hadn’t laughed. If only she hadn’t said those words. As a vampire, he’d be ever more beneath her now. Couldn’t he have seen that?