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FIC: Overcoming Barriers (Lily/Wes, Ian/Wanda)
Title: Overcoming Barriers
Author: shiiki
Rating: PG
Characters/Pairings: Lily/Wes, Ian O'Shea/Wanderer
Fandom: The Host
Word Count: 634
Summary: Lily has a discussion with Wes about Ian and Wanda, which makes her realize several things.
Notes: Written for willow_wand, who requested Ian/Wanda from another perspective, with the prompt, 'melting'.
When we returned from Walter's funeral, Jeb sent Wes and me to check on the bathing room. After Wanda and Kyle's near-fatal accident there, he wanted to make sure the floor was steady and the danger areas were roped off.
'Hey, Lily, stay back, okay?' said Wes. 'It's pretty bad on this side.' He hit the ground with a hoe, testing the rock's strength. It crumbled, pieces falling off and landing with a plop into the stream below. Steam rose from the river, reminding us just how hot it was down there. I shuddered, imagining falling in, the boiling water melting skin away ... it really didn't bear thinking about.
'I don't believe Kyle,' muttered Wes. 'How could he ... how could anyone try to kill someone this way?'
'Kyle-?' The rest of the question died on my lips. Wes was right -- the very words didn't even bear speaking.
Wes nodded. 'I carried him in. She saved his damned life and the first words out of his mouth were a complaint that she didn't fall in.'
'No!'
'I'm afraid so.' Wes grimaced. 'Have you seen the state of her? He beat her up pretty bad. Ian and Jared are calling for a tribunal tomorrow morning.'
'Jared?' Ian I could understand. He seemed inseparable from Wanda these days. I was certain that he'd developed a soft spot for her. But Jared had always been on the other camp -- the group we couldn't seem to convince that Wanda was harmless.
Wes shrugged. 'She'll need as many of us on her side as we can get. Especially as she doesn't seem to want to stick up for herself.'
'Why doesn't that surprise me?' I sighed. 'How are we having a tribunal if Wanda won't speak out?'
'I imagine Ian will have enough to say. He's leading the accusations.'
'Wow. He really does like Wanda, doesn't he?' It wasn't really a question. Everyone with eyes could see that Ian was quickly becoming smitten with Wanda. He'd arranged the chore schedule such that he was always working near her; he followed her around even in his free hours; his eyes would alight on her sometimes with a look of overwhelming tenderness. I wondered at how Wanda seemed to miss all that, when it was so obvious to the rest of us.
Maybe this would be the clincher: Ian standing up to Kyle for her. Would this finally open Wanda's eyes?
'Is it strange to say I hope it works out for them?'
I looked at Wes, not so much in surprise at the sentiments behind his words -- I quite agreed with them -- but at the fact that he actually thought so. Most people in our community felt only disgust at the thought of a couple as strange as Ian and Wanda. But then Wes had been extremely receptive to Wanda ... it was quite impressive. He had certainly been showing a greater level of maturity than some adults here ten years his senior.
'I mean,' continued Wes, looking away from me, his cheeks slightly pink, 'Wanda's really quite decent. And I guess the idea that the two of them could work out in spite of how ... unconventional they are, well, it makes me think love can conquer all barriers. That's pretty inspiring.'
'Why, Wes,' I said. 'You're a closet romantic.'
He scratched his head sheepishly. 'Just hopeful.' His eyes flicked briefly to meet mine, and then away again. I felt my breath catch unexpectedly in my throat. Abruptly, he changed the subject. 'I think the floor is safe from this line onwards. Let's rope it off and get back to the main caves.'
'Okay.' Our conversation died as we finished off our work. However, my mind was racing. Wes had given me a lot to think about.
Author: shiiki
Rating: PG
Characters/Pairings: Lily/Wes, Ian O'Shea/Wanderer
Fandom: The Host
Word Count: 634
Summary: Lily has a discussion with Wes about Ian and Wanda, which makes her realize several things.
Notes: Written for willow_wand, who requested Ian/Wanda from another perspective, with the prompt, 'melting'.
When we returned from Walter's funeral, Jeb sent Wes and me to check on the bathing room. After Wanda and Kyle's near-fatal accident there, he wanted to make sure the floor was steady and the danger areas were roped off.
'Hey, Lily, stay back, okay?' said Wes. 'It's pretty bad on this side.' He hit the ground with a hoe, testing the rock's strength. It crumbled, pieces falling off and landing with a plop into the stream below. Steam rose from the river, reminding us just how hot it was down there. I shuddered, imagining falling in, the boiling water melting skin away ... it really didn't bear thinking about.
'I don't believe Kyle,' muttered Wes. 'How could he ... how could anyone try to kill someone this way?'
'Kyle-?' The rest of the question died on my lips. Wes was right -- the very words didn't even bear speaking.
Wes nodded. 'I carried him in. She saved his damned life and the first words out of his mouth were a complaint that she didn't fall in.'
'No!'
'I'm afraid so.' Wes grimaced. 'Have you seen the state of her? He beat her up pretty bad. Ian and Jared are calling for a tribunal tomorrow morning.'
'Jared?' Ian I could understand. He seemed inseparable from Wanda these days. I was certain that he'd developed a soft spot for her. But Jared had always been on the other camp -- the group we couldn't seem to convince that Wanda was harmless.
Wes shrugged. 'She'll need as many of us on her side as we can get. Especially as she doesn't seem to want to stick up for herself.'
'Why doesn't that surprise me?' I sighed. 'How are we having a tribunal if Wanda won't speak out?'
'I imagine Ian will have enough to say. He's leading the accusations.'
'Wow. He really does like Wanda, doesn't he?' It wasn't really a question. Everyone with eyes could see that Ian was quickly becoming smitten with Wanda. He'd arranged the chore schedule such that he was always working near her; he followed her around even in his free hours; his eyes would alight on her sometimes with a look of overwhelming tenderness. I wondered at how Wanda seemed to miss all that, when it was so obvious to the rest of us.
Maybe this would be the clincher: Ian standing up to Kyle for her. Would this finally open Wanda's eyes?
'Is it strange to say I hope it works out for them?'
I looked at Wes, not so much in surprise at the sentiments behind his words -- I quite agreed with them -- but at the fact that he actually thought so. Most people in our community felt only disgust at the thought of a couple as strange as Ian and Wanda. But then Wes had been extremely receptive to Wanda ... it was quite impressive. He had certainly been showing a greater level of maturity than some adults here ten years his senior.
'I mean,' continued Wes, looking away from me, his cheeks slightly pink, 'Wanda's really quite decent. And I guess the idea that the two of them could work out in spite of how ... unconventional they are, well, it makes me think love can conquer all barriers. That's pretty inspiring.'
'Why, Wes,' I said. 'You're a closet romantic.'
He scratched his head sheepishly. 'Just hopeful.' His eyes flicked briefly to meet mine, and then away again. I felt my breath catch unexpectedly in my throat. Abruptly, he changed the subject. 'I think the floor is safe from this line onwards. Let's rope it off and get back to the main caves.'
'Okay.' Our conversation died as we finished off our work. However, my mind was racing. Wes had given me a lot to think about.