(no subject)
Pear #29. Here & Now
Story : knights
Rating : PG
Timeframe : 1259
Word Count : 1290
So, I suppose this needs a little context. You may have seen Lyssa's scar across the ribs in a few pieces. Haven't gotten to the fight in which she got it yet, but this is a short while after that.
"Shouldn't you be sleeping?"
The figure huddled on the stoop looked up, with a wince and a hand to her side as her weight shifted.
"There's this flower," Lyssa said. Her eyes narrowed as Rune’s settled on the bulge of bandage under her dress, but she turned back to the garden and went on as if she hadn't noticed. "Only blooms for an hour or so. Closes back up before dawn." She patted the slab beside her. "You should come watch with me."
"Lyssa..." With a sigh, he lowered himself to the stoop, legs jutting out before him, hands dangling between the peaks of his knees as he settled on the stone to peer with her into the darkness.
Her nose crinkled with a short sniff. "I've spent nearly a week in bed. Isn't that enough? See, there's one right there." She pointed and Rune followed her finger to squint into the shadowy undergrowth where a fat, white bud presented itself on a long, spindly tendril. "Look at the size of that thing. Bet it opens tonight. They're beautiful, you know."
“Lyss, I planted the garden.”
“Yeah, but sometimes you need a little reminder of what's right there in front of you. You know? Otherwise it's just there, in the middle of the night, and you'd never see it at all.”
She was pale, her eyes sunken, lips trembling just a bit. Every now and then she’d lift a hand as if to press it to her wound and stop herself just as quickly. Rune shook his head. “So you've been sitting here all night,” he said, “waiting for one flower to bloom?”
“Yeah. I mean, well, not just sitting. I've been thinking.”
“About what?”
She finally looked his way. Her jaw hung open a moment before she snapped it shut and a frown took over her features. “You know,” she said. Something flickered in the depths of her eyes as she snatched his hand from between his knees. “I don't want to just sit here any longer. I want to dance.”
“Dance?” said Rune as she jerked him to his feet.
Lyssa glared at him. His hand still clutched in her own, she tugged him along. “Something wrong with that?”
“Lyss, I don't think-” He pulled away as she steered the other hand toward her waist.
“Please.” Lyssa let the hand drop with a frown and a hasty gulp. “I'm not the porcelain doll you've been treating me as the past week. Take me off the shelf and play a bit. I won't break.”
“But-“ He slid his hand beneath her hair, let it fall down over her cheek. “But you did.”
She raised her hand and cupped it over his, looking up at him with eyes wide and lips parted. “And you fixed me,” she said. “Like you always do.”
“Lyssa.” He eyed the protrusion in her dress, where gauze wound over her ribs. She was shaking, on legs unaccustomed to standing.
Her hand tightened over his. “Please?”
Rune brought down his hand, let it hang in the air a moment beside her waist, and realized he was staring at every wrinkle in her dress, trying to reason where the bandages ended. He dropped it further and let it rest on her thigh.
Her hand closed over his shoulder, her head slumped against his chest. Slowly, shakily, she set her body swaying against him to an unheard beat. Rune sighed, shook his head, and set his chin in her hair. He breathed her in, and she nestled closer as he matched her rhythm, shifting slowly from foot to foot, never leaving the ground.
“I love you.,” she said, after long moments of silent rocking.
Rune lifted his chin, peered down at the woman still shifting in his arms. “Is this another one of those things you think I need to be reminded of?” Fingers wound between her own, he gave her hand a squeeze. “I know you love me, Lyss.”
“Can't ever say it too much, you know.”
“I love you too. You know,” he added, settling his head back against her hair, “I think this wound has gone to your head.”
Lyssa stiffened. “Why not? It's gone to yours.” Rune pulled back, tried to catch her eye, but she held too close. “If this is going to change us, I'd rather it be for the better.”
“Who says this is going to change us?”
Now Lyssa pulled back, bringing the dance to an abrupt halt, to give him a stern look. Rune opened his mouth, unsure how to proceed when, across the garden, soft white petals unfurled. He took his hand from her leg to point.
“Lyss, look, it's opening.”
She whipped her head around and winced, her knees buckling. Rune threw an arm behind to steady her as her weight dragged on the hand she still held. She staggered one step and another and barely avoided a collision between her injured side and his arm as she found her balance.
“I told you you shouldn't exert-”
“Spare me,” said Lyssa, swatting his hand away. Another shaky, stumbling step and she lowered herself back to the stoop.
Rune settled beside her, careful to keep his hands to himself and avoid the compulsion to help hold her up as she slumped against herself.. “At least tell me once you've gotten a good look at the flower you'll go back to bed.”
Clutching her own knees, barely upright on the slab, Lyssa turned on him with a grin that must have taken all her energy. “You coming with me?” Rune sighed. “What I thought,” she said, the look fading. “I know better than to try anything. Promise.”
“I'm sure I've heard that one before.” He put a hand behind him, shifting to make room as she edged closer. Her head settled against his chest, her uninjured side against his, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
They sat together in silence as another set of petals and another curled open to bask in the fading moonlight. Lyssa shuddered and nestled closer. Rune gave her shoulder a squeeze.
He planted a kiss on top of her head. “Thank you,” he said.
“For?”
“For reminding me this was here. It is beautiful, isn't it?”
“Should be.” Lyssa pressed closer still. Her arm slid around his back.
Rune looked up, his nose half buried in her hair. “Hmmm?”
“All it gets is one measly hour in the middle of the night and then it's got to shut itself back up. Might as well throw all it's got into that hour, make it something worth staying up to see.”
“Lyss…”
She cocked her head to look up at him. “So, you coming to bed with me or not?”
“Like I said, why should things change?” There was the faintest hint of a devious grin from Lyssa. “You'll keep off of me if you want me to stay, though.”
The grin faded to a weak smile. “I think I can manage.”
Rune slid his hand down her arm and offered it to her as he pushed himself to his feet. “Lyss,” he said.
“Mmm?” She laid her hand over his and he pulled her up. She flinched and scowled and threw a hand to her side as she found her feet. Rune swung an arm behind her and drew her close.
“You’ve got more than an hour, you know. A lot more.” He looked to the bulge at her side and frowned. “Or at least you could.”
“I know,” said Lyssa into his shoulder. She tilted her head up and caught his eye. “Bed?” she said.
With a nod, Rune pulled his arm up across her shoulders and steered her towards the door.
Story : knights
Rating : PG
Timeframe : 1259
Word Count : 1290
So, I suppose this needs a little context. You may have seen Lyssa's scar across the ribs in a few pieces. Haven't gotten to the fight in which she got it yet, but this is a short while after that.
"Shouldn't you be sleeping?"
The figure huddled on the stoop looked up, with a wince and a hand to her side as her weight shifted.
"There's this flower," Lyssa said. Her eyes narrowed as Rune’s settled on the bulge of bandage under her dress, but she turned back to the garden and went on as if she hadn't noticed. "Only blooms for an hour or so. Closes back up before dawn." She patted the slab beside her. "You should come watch with me."
"Lyssa..." With a sigh, he lowered himself to the stoop, legs jutting out before him, hands dangling between the peaks of his knees as he settled on the stone to peer with her into the darkness.
Her nose crinkled with a short sniff. "I've spent nearly a week in bed. Isn't that enough? See, there's one right there." She pointed and Rune followed her finger to squint into the shadowy undergrowth where a fat, white bud presented itself on a long, spindly tendril. "Look at the size of that thing. Bet it opens tonight. They're beautiful, you know."
“Lyss, I planted the garden.”
“Yeah, but sometimes you need a little reminder of what's right there in front of you. You know? Otherwise it's just there, in the middle of the night, and you'd never see it at all.”
She was pale, her eyes sunken, lips trembling just a bit. Every now and then she’d lift a hand as if to press it to her wound and stop herself just as quickly. Rune shook his head. “So you've been sitting here all night,” he said, “waiting for one flower to bloom?”
“Yeah. I mean, well, not just sitting. I've been thinking.”
“About what?”
She finally looked his way. Her jaw hung open a moment before she snapped it shut and a frown took over her features. “You know,” she said. Something flickered in the depths of her eyes as she snatched his hand from between his knees. “I don't want to just sit here any longer. I want to dance.”
“Dance?” said Rune as she jerked him to his feet.
Lyssa glared at him. His hand still clutched in her own, she tugged him along. “Something wrong with that?”
“Lyss, I don't think-” He pulled away as she steered the other hand toward her waist.
“Please.” Lyssa let the hand drop with a frown and a hasty gulp. “I'm not the porcelain doll you've been treating me as the past week. Take me off the shelf and play a bit. I won't break.”
“But-“ He slid his hand beneath her hair, let it fall down over her cheek. “But you did.”
She raised her hand and cupped it over his, looking up at him with eyes wide and lips parted. “And you fixed me,” she said. “Like you always do.”
“Lyssa.” He eyed the protrusion in her dress, where gauze wound over her ribs. She was shaking, on legs unaccustomed to standing.
Her hand tightened over his. “Please?”
Rune brought down his hand, let it hang in the air a moment beside her waist, and realized he was staring at every wrinkle in her dress, trying to reason where the bandages ended. He dropped it further and let it rest on her thigh.
Her hand closed over his shoulder, her head slumped against his chest. Slowly, shakily, she set her body swaying against him to an unheard beat. Rune sighed, shook his head, and set his chin in her hair. He breathed her in, and she nestled closer as he matched her rhythm, shifting slowly from foot to foot, never leaving the ground.
“I love you.,” she said, after long moments of silent rocking.
Rune lifted his chin, peered down at the woman still shifting in his arms. “Is this another one of those things you think I need to be reminded of?” Fingers wound between her own, he gave her hand a squeeze. “I know you love me, Lyss.”
“Can't ever say it too much, you know.”
“I love you too. You know,” he added, settling his head back against her hair, “I think this wound has gone to your head.”
Lyssa stiffened. “Why not? It's gone to yours.” Rune pulled back, tried to catch her eye, but she held too close. “If this is going to change us, I'd rather it be for the better.”
“Who says this is going to change us?”
Now Lyssa pulled back, bringing the dance to an abrupt halt, to give him a stern look. Rune opened his mouth, unsure how to proceed when, across the garden, soft white petals unfurled. He took his hand from her leg to point.
“Lyss, look, it's opening.”
She whipped her head around and winced, her knees buckling. Rune threw an arm behind to steady her as her weight dragged on the hand she still held. She staggered one step and another and barely avoided a collision between her injured side and his arm as she found her balance.
“I told you you shouldn't exert-”
“Spare me,” said Lyssa, swatting his hand away. Another shaky, stumbling step and she lowered herself back to the stoop.
Rune settled beside her, careful to keep his hands to himself and avoid the compulsion to help hold her up as she slumped against herself.. “At least tell me once you've gotten a good look at the flower you'll go back to bed.”
Clutching her own knees, barely upright on the slab, Lyssa turned on him with a grin that must have taken all her energy. “You coming with me?” Rune sighed. “What I thought,” she said, the look fading. “I know better than to try anything. Promise.”
“I'm sure I've heard that one before.” He put a hand behind him, shifting to make room as she edged closer. Her head settled against his chest, her uninjured side against his, and he wrapped an arm around her shoulders.
They sat together in silence as another set of petals and another curled open to bask in the fading moonlight. Lyssa shuddered and nestled closer. Rune gave her shoulder a squeeze.
He planted a kiss on top of her head. “Thank you,” he said.
“For?”
“For reminding me this was here. It is beautiful, isn't it?”
“Should be.” Lyssa pressed closer still. Her arm slid around his back.
Rune looked up, his nose half buried in her hair. “Hmmm?”
“All it gets is one measly hour in the middle of the night and then it's got to shut itself back up. Might as well throw all it's got into that hour, make it something worth staying up to see.”
“Lyss…”
She cocked her head to look up at him. “So, you coming to bed with me or not?”
“Like I said, why should things change?” There was the faintest hint of a devious grin from Lyssa. “You'll keep off of me if you want me to stay, though.”
The grin faded to a weak smile. “I think I can manage.”
Rune slid his hand down her arm and offered it to her as he pushed himself to his feet. “Lyss,” he said.
“Mmm?” She laid her hand over his and he pulled her up. She flinched and scowled and threw a hand to her side as she found her feet. Rune swung an arm behind her and drew her close.
“You’ve got more than an hour, you know. A lot more.” He looked to the bulge at her side and frowned. “Or at least you could.”
“I know,” said Lyssa into his shoulder. She tilted her head up and caught his eye. “Bed?” she said.
With a nod, Rune pulled his arm up across her shoulders and steered her towards the door.