Fic: For A Moment - For Ipo!
Here is the story I promised Ipo! I hope this story makes you smile... even though that was forever ago that I told you I would write you this.
Title: For A Moment
Prompt: Coffee & Cold Comfort
Bonus? No
Word Count: 849
Rating: PG
Original/Fandom: Original - Streetlight People 'verse
Pairings (if any) none
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con etc): none
Summary: Set a little past where the story has been to date. Kilce goes looking for an escaped Tevan who has, once again, slipped past his guard. She expects to be the one offering the sane response but finds herself drawn to his scattered reasoning.
She approached him cautiously, aware that the slightest provocation would send him running across campus again. The outfit she picked this morning wasn't the sort that was made for running over the uneven ground of this swank place. Nor was it made for running over the uneven cobbles of Old City but she wasn't that girl any longer. It was sad how much she'd changed since coming to the Academy. Not long ago, she would have been able to run without worrying about proper shoes or skirts that got in the way, for that matter.
"You look cold, boy." Kilce used the term boy as Rika had told her but it felt wrong in her mouth. Nor did she want to use his given name for fear that would set him off. She felt wrong about this entire thing, as if she wasn't the person who should be doing this. "Perhaps we should go inside and get some coffee."
A cold wind tugged her hair out of the clip she'd used to keep it high up on top of her head so that a veil of blue kept obscuring her eyes. One minute, he was standing still, staring up at the bright aura of the full moon and the next, he was in front of her, so close that she felt his warm breath on her cheek. Knowing full well that he wasn't the same boy she'd met once before, Kilce felt a moment of panic.
"Not cold," he whispered as he reached up to wrap a hank of her hair around two of his fingers, his thumb smoothing it into place.
Kilce was glad that she couldn't see his eyes in the sudden shadow he cast over her as he loomed. Even though she'd been able to get herself away from boys twice is size without so much as a scratch, his closeness scared her. It wasn't even his addled mind that concerned her, even though that could prove to be a problem if he decided to go mental on her, cracking up before she could get him back to the people who knew how to handle him. It was the sanity that seemed to radiate from him. What if it was all an act? If it was, it was so finely done that only a psychopath could have gone this long without breaking from the character.
"Sure you are. I'm cold so you must be cold. Coffee sounds wonderful. And we can have as much sugar in it as we want. No one will be around to see us take a few extra spoonfuls."
"No coffee." The words came with a ragged edge as if he'd had to search for the exact phrasing and neither of them had come to his mind and out of his mouth easily.
"Sure. It's nice on-"
"No!" She jerked away at his exclamation, the movement tearing her hair out of his grasp to the detriment of several of her follicles. It stung for a moment but not nearly as bad as her conscious as she realized that she'd acted like any one of the prickly misses she had to deal with day in and day out at this school.
Not only was she offended by her actions but they'd done exactly what she'd been trying not to do. Instead of standing straight, Tevan was now hunched in on himself, his arms wrapped around his middle. Not to protect himself, she noticed she took a step back toward him with no change in his position or stature, so much as to have the feeling that someone was holding on to him.
Working on a hunch, she laid a tentative hand on his arm. "Tee?"
"It's so quiet," he whispered, these words having no problem coming out. She wondered if it was because he wasn't really talking to her, merely saying what was already in his head to say so that no real thought went into the phrase.
Since he hadn't jerked away, she put her other hand next to the first. "It is rather quiet for a nice evening such as this. Just a little nippy. Plenty of people should be out and about. Not many back here, though."
"Can you hear it?"
"Can I hear what?"
"The singing. So soft. Like... like a mother."
Emotion clogged Kilce's throat. "I don't know what a mother sounds like. I never had one."
He leaned forward so that his forehead rested on hers. "I'll share mine with you."
Without a moment's hesitation, she wrapped her arms around him. Even though Rika had told her the his story and so she knew full well his mother's spirit had long since fled this mortal coil, Kilce wanted very much to share his memories. If she tried very hard, she could hear a strain of something that might have been music. As Tevan began to hum in the back of his throat, it was as if she knew the song from a long forgotten memory of her own. It was a cold comfort but, for a moment, she was complete.
This entry was cross posted at dreamwidth - where the cool kids hang out.
Title: For A Moment
Prompt: Coffee & Cold Comfort
Bonus? No
Word Count: 849
Rating: PG
Original/Fandom: Original - Streetlight People 'verse
Pairings (if any) none
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con etc): none
Summary: Set a little past where the story has been to date. Kilce goes looking for an escaped Tevan who has, once again, slipped past his guard. She expects to be the one offering the sane response but finds herself drawn to his scattered reasoning.
She approached him cautiously, aware that the slightest provocation would send him running across campus again. The outfit she picked this morning wasn't the sort that was made for running over the uneven ground of this swank place. Nor was it made for running over the uneven cobbles of Old City but she wasn't that girl any longer. It was sad how much she'd changed since coming to the Academy. Not long ago, she would have been able to run without worrying about proper shoes or skirts that got in the way, for that matter.
"You look cold, boy." Kilce used the term boy as Rika had told her but it felt wrong in her mouth. Nor did she want to use his given name for fear that would set him off. She felt wrong about this entire thing, as if she wasn't the person who should be doing this. "Perhaps we should go inside and get some coffee."
A cold wind tugged her hair out of the clip she'd used to keep it high up on top of her head so that a veil of blue kept obscuring her eyes. One minute, he was standing still, staring up at the bright aura of the full moon and the next, he was in front of her, so close that she felt his warm breath on her cheek. Knowing full well that he wasn't the same boy she'd met once before, Kilce felt a moment of panic.
"Not cold," he whispered as he reached up to wrap a hank of her hair around two of his fingers, his thumb smoothing it into place.
Kilce was glad that she couldn't see his eyes in the sudden shadow he cast over her as he loomed. Even though she'd been able to get herself away from boys twice is size without so much as a scratch, his closeness scared her. It wasn't even his addled mind that concerned her, even though that could prove to be a problem if he decided to go mental on her, cracking up before she could get him back to the people who knew how to handle him. It was the sanity that seemed to radiate from him. What if it was all an act? If it was, it was so finely done that only a psychopath could have gone this long without breaking from the character.
"Sure you are. I'm cold so you must be cold. Coffee sounds wonderful. And we can have as much sugar in it as we want. No one will be around to see us take a few extra spoonfuls."
"No coffee." The words came with a ragged edge as if he'd had to search for the exact phrasing and neither of them had come to his mind and out of his mouth easily.
"Sure. It's nice on-"
"No!" She jerked away at his exclamation, the movement tearing her hair out of his grasp to the detriment of several of her follicles. It stung for a moment but not nearly as bad as her conscious as she realized that she'd acted like any one of the prickly misses she had to deal with day in and day out at this school.
Not only was she offended by her actions but they'd done exactly what she'd been trying not to do. Instead of standing straight, Tevan was now hunched in on himself, his arms wrapped around his middle. Not to protect himself, she noticed she took a step back toward him with no change in his position or stature, so much as to have the feeling that someone was holding on to him.
Working on a hunch, she laid a tentative hand on his arm. "Tee?"
"It's so quiet," he whispered, these words having no problem coming out. She wondered if it was because he wasn't really talking to her, merely saying what was already in his head to say so that no real thought went into the phrase.
Since he hadn't jerked away, she put her other hand next to the first. "It is rather quiet for a nice evening such as this. Just a little nippy. Plenty of people should be out and about. Not many back here, though."
"Can you hear it?"
"Can I hear what?"
"The singing. So soft. Like... like a mother."
Emotion clogged Kilce's throat. "I don't know what a mother sounds like. I never had one."
He leaned forward so that his forehead rested on hers. "I'll share mine with you."
Without a moment's hesitation, she wrapped her arms around him. Even though Rika had told her the his story and so she knew full well his mother's spirit had long since fled this mortal coil, Kilce wanted very much to share his memories. If she tried very hard, she could hear a strain of something that might have been music. As Tevan began to hum in the back of his throat, it was as if she knew the song from a long forgotten memory of her own. It was a cold comfort but, for a moment, she was complete.
This entry was cross posted at dreamwidth - where the cool kids hang out.