Fanfic: Unrequited
Number 7 for the 10 quotes challenge.
Title: Unrequited
Rating: G
Fandom: Princess Diaries
Movie/Quote: The Sound of Music (#40)
“Well, uh, nothing was the same when you were away and it'll be all wrong again after you leave. And I just thought perhaps you might, uh ... change your mind?”
Summary: He shouldn't stay, but he can not leave.
Disclaimer: Princess Diaries belongs to Meg Cabot & Disney. No infringement is intended.
~*~*~*~
It had to be the after-effects of the anesthesia. Joseph had been floating in a beautiful dream where he and Clarisse were finally able to admit their love for each other and be together. That had to be why she was standing by his bedside- she was part of his dream. Because if she was really standing there, as soon as he got out of this hospital bed, there was going to be hell to pay.
“Hello, Joseph.”
As if her voice wasn't enough proof, he felt her hand gently stroke his cheek. He wanted desperately to press into her soft touch, but he forced himself to lie still under her ministrations. She was his employer, nothing more, and he couldn't allow the disorienting effects of the anesthesia to allow him to forget that important fact.
On the heels of that resolution came another. Shades was a dead man, he thought. As soon as I can walk again, I'll kill him. What could he have been thinking, to allow the Queen of Genovia into a public hospital?
“Don't be upset with Scott,” she pleaded softly, reading his mind, “this was Rupert's idea.”
Rupert's idea. That was the other problem with his fantasy. She was married. To the King of all people! Too bad the anesthetic couldn't numb the pain in his heart like it had numbed the pain in his body.
From the mists came another realization; he had quit. Technically, he supposed, he was still considered to be on medical leave. His lungs had been badly damaged by the fire and he had been in the hospital for several weeks healing them before they felt he was well enough to undergo the knee replacement. But he had tendered his resignation after being told by his doctors there was no guarantee he would recover fully enough to be able to continue his work. So what could she be doing here? he wondered.
He tried swallowing several times in rapid succession, but he couldn't seem to get enough moisture in his mouth to be able to speak normally.
“Please sit, your Majesty,” he rasped.
“Oh, Joseph,” she sighed.
He didn't want her pity and he couldn't hope she'd give him her love. It was bad enough that she had inadvertently spoiled all of his plans. The accident had given him the perfect excuse to make a clean break from her, but now she was here. He needed her to say what she had come to say and leave before he could get any further attached to her.
“How may I serve you, your Majesty?”
“You've been missed at the palace, Joseph. We hadn't expected you would be gone so long. But I suppose you didn't expect...” she trailed off, realizing he wouldn't appreciate a rehashing of the events he'd lived through. “Rupert asked me to come. He wanted me to convey our wishes for a speedy recovery.”
“Thank you, your Majesty.”
“I also need to ask you something...”
The look in her pleading blue eyes told him everything. He took a deep breath, trying to stave off the moment when she would rip his still beating heart from his chest. Unfortunately, his healing lungs couldn't adjust to his rapid shift in breathing, sending him into a coughing spasm.
Clarisse looked frantically around the room, finally spying the small pitcher of water and the cup and straw. She hurriedly poured him some and held the cup so he could sip some. The spasms silenced, he turned his head away, signaling to her that he'd had enough.
The uncomfortable silence grew between them; she had somehow figured out that he didn't want her to ask her question, but then she always could read his mind. Her duty to her husband wouldn't let her leave without asking, so she sat, shifting uncomfortably in the chair by his bedside, waiting for a signal from him to tell her what to do.
“Just ask it, Clarisse.” he said, finally losing his patience with the whole gigantic mess.
“Well, uh, nothing was the same when you were away and it'll be all wrong again after you leave. And I just thought perhaps you might, uh ... change your mind?”
He couldn't remember the last time he'd heard her be so inarticulate. He started to laugh, only to be wracked with coughing again. He held up his hand, signaling that he didn't want more water, and just let the spasm work its way through his system.
It hurt to speak, and his voice was so hoarse, he wasn't sure she could understand it, but he tried his best to ask the question preying on his mind. “Is this an order from my King?”
“No,” she said quietly, “just the wish of a friend. I want you to stay. I ask you to stay.”
He closed his eyes, willing himself to be strong enough to let her go, knowing it was hopeless. The battle was over before it had begun, but he couldn't admit it to her just yet.
“I'll think about it.”
She released a sigh, hearing his unspoken words. “Thank you, Joseph.” She stood, leaned over the bed to brush a kiss to his cheek, then straightened regally and walked out the door.
The monitor next to the bed kept beeping a steady rhythm, but he knew there was something wrong with its electronics. His heart had walked out the door with her.
Title: Unrequited
Rating: G
Fandom: Princess Diaries
Movie/Quote: The Sound of Music (#40)
“Well, uh, nothing was the same when you were away and it'll be all wrong again after you leave. And I just thought perhaps you might, uh ... change your mind?”
Summary: He shouldn't stay, but he can not leave.
Disclaimer: Princess Diaries belongs to Meg Cabot & Disney. No infringement is intended.
~*~*~*~
It had to be the after-effects of the anesthesia. Joseph had been floating in a beautiful dream where he and Clarisse were finally able to admit their love for each other and be together. That had to be why she was standing by his bedside- she was part of his dream. Because if she was really standing there, as soon as he got out of this hospital bed, there was going to be hell to pay.
“Hello, Joseph.”
As if her voice wasn't enough proof, he felt her hand gently stroke his cheek. He wanted desperately to press into her soft touch, but he forced himself to lie still under her ministrations. She was his employer, nothing more, and he couldn't allow the disorienting effects of the anesthesia to allow him to forget that important fact.
On the heels of that resolution came another. Shades was a dead man, he thought. As soon as I can walk again, I'll kill him. What could he have been thinking, to allow the Queen of Genovia into a public hospital?
“Don't be upset with Scott,” she pleaded softly, reading his mind, “this was Rupert's idea.”
Rupert's idea. That was the other problem with his fantasy. She was married. To the King of all people! Too bad the anesthetic couldn't numb the pain in his heart like it had numbed the pain in his body.
From the mists came another realization; he had quit. Technically, he supposed, he was still considered to be on medical leave. His lungs had been badly damaged by the fire and he had been in the hospital for several weeks healing them before they felt he was well enough to undergo the knee replacement. But he had tendered his resignation after being told by his doctors there was no guarantee he would recover fully enough to be able to continue his work. So what could she be doing here? he wondered.
He tried swallowing several times in rapid succession, but he couldn't seem to get enough moisture in his mouth to be able to speak normally.
“Please sit, your Majesty,” he rasped.
“Oh, Joseph,” she sighed.
He didn't want her pity and he couldn't hope she'd give him her love. It was bad enough that she had inadvertently spoiled all of his plans. The accident had given him the perfect excuse to make a clean break from her, but now she was here. He needed her to say what she had come to say and leave before he could get any further attached to her.
“How may I serve you, your Majesty?”
“You've been missed at the palace, Joseph. We hadn't expected you would be gone so long. But I suppose you didn't expect...” she trailed off, realizing he wouldn't appreciate a rehashing of the events he'd lived through. “Rupert asked me to come. He wanted me to convey our wishes for a speedy recovery.”
“Thank you, your Majesty.”
“I also need to ask you something...”
The look in her pleading blue eyes told him everything. He took a deep breath, trying to stave off the moment when she would rip his still beating heart from his chest. Unfortunately, his healing lungs couldn't adjust to his rapid shift in breathing, sending him into a coughing spasm.
Clarisse looked frantically around the room, finally spying the small pitcher of water and the cup and straw. She hurriedly poured him some and held the cup so he could sip some. The spasms silenced, he turned his head away, signaling to her that he'd had enough.
The uncomfortable silence grew between them; she had somehow figured out that he didn't want her to ask her question, but then she always could read his mind. Her duty to her husband wouldn't let her leave without asking, so she sat, shifting uncomfortably in the chair by his bedside, waiting for a signal from him to tell her what to do.
“Just ask it, Clarisse.” he said, finally losing his patience with the whole gigantic mess.
“Well, uh, nothing was the same when you were away and it'll be all wrong again after you leave. And I just thought perhaps you might, uh ... change your mind?”
He couldn't remember the last time he'd heard her be so inarticulate. He started to laugh, only to be wracked with coughing again. He held up his hand, signaling that he didn't want more water, and just let the spasm work its way through his system.
It hurt to speak, and his voice was so hoarse, he wasn't sure she could understand it, but he tried his best to ask the question preying on his mind. “Is this an order from my King?”
“No,” she said quietly, “just the wish of a friend. I want you to stay. I ask you to stay.”
He closed his eyes, willing himself to be strong enough to let her go, knowing it was hopeless. The battle was over before it had begun, but he couldn't admit it to her just yet.
“I'll think about it.”
She released a sigh, hearing his unspoken words. “Thank you, Joseph.” She stood, leaned over the bed to brush a kiss to his cheek, then straightened regally and walked out the door.
The monitor next to the bed kept beeping a steady rhythm, but he knew there was something wrong with its electronics. His heart had walked out the door with her.