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Fic: This Love is Difficult
Title: This Love is Difficult (01/?)
Author: Erin (erinm_4600)
Characters, Pairing: mystery!Princess, mystery!man, Raw and a few random OCs
Rating: PG
Summary: Neither knows how the affair began... just that it did.
Warnings: post-series *Written for the Fall/Winter Seasonal Challenge at tm_challenge. Inspired by Love Story by Taylor Swift and Can I Have This Dance? from High School Musical 3.
Prompts: Collusion, Movement, Cadence and Compliance
Disclaimer: The original characters belong to L. Frank Baum and their respective actors. The current characters belong to Sci-Fi, the movie folks and their respective actors.
This love is difficult | ...but it's real | Focus | Runaway Princess | The Queen's Plot
COLLUSION
She won't look at him when they pass in the hall. Or the conference room. Or the gardens.
It's nothing personal; he won't look at her either. Of course, they both know when the other is looking.
They agreed to this ignorance; makes it easier to get through the day.
Neither knows how the affair began... just that it did. And it's not like either of them are cheating on anyone. But it definitely would raise a few eyebrows.
The balls are the hardest for both of them. She wonders if they can share a dance without giving themselves away.
MOVEMENT
She moves around the room with the others, smiling and laughing and trying so very hard to not catch his eye. She knows where he is at all times, of course, and she knows that his eyes are on her, even when they aren't.
She's listening to a story about the Western Guild with actual interest when she happens to glance up and see him slipping out of the room, seemingly unnoticed. Her eyes move back to the older man speaking and she smiles as the story takes a humorous turn.
As the story draws to a close, she lays a hand on the man's arm and asks to be excused, which he gladly agrees and continues to tell another story to the rest of the group. As she moves through the crowd, not looking like she's trying to beeline for the door, she nods to guests, shakes their hands and smiles.
She manages to reach the door and gives a quick glance to the room, waiting for the right moment to slip out herself. Moving into the hall, a small grin creeps up her face and she looks both ways before heading down the hallway at a fast pace.
CADENCE
He's standing just inside the door of the parlor, leaning against the wall and staring at the floor. The party's fine, but it's not where he'd choose to be. He's alone in the room for a few minutes, and happy for the silence, which is odd.
His eyes move to the door seconds before she steps into the room and before she can turn his way, he is next to her; so close he might as well be on her other side. Her eyes close automatically and she fights the urge to put her hands on him.
He leans in to trace her profile with his nose, not actually touching her and her breath catches when his left hand takes her right and his right hand moves to her waist. "My turn, Princess," he whispers and her eyes open and lock on his.
Even in the dimly-lit room, her eyes are brilliant and, regardless of her actions at the party, for him alone. A moment later, they begin to move together, stepping with the music wafting down the hall from the ballroom.
She wonders if they will ever be able to dance together, in view of everyone else.
But she also adores these moments that are just theirs. When they are together, there are no painful memories; there are no hurt feelings; no hate, no regret... no blame. There is no Zone.
Only them.
They don't have much time; someone will be along shortly to usher them both back to the party - especially once her mother realizes she's missing - and they will have to go back to pretending.
Pretending that they haven't stared at each other over the dining room table or touched fingertips as they pass in the hallway or stolen kisses in the stable.
"Jeb. DG..."
COMPLIANCE
DG's eyes move away from Jeb's and his hand moves from her waist, but he doesn't let go of her hand. Instead, he pulls it up and presses a kiss.
He doesn't want to let go. He doesn't want to have to go back into that room. He doesn't even remember why they are hiding. Her mother knows; his father knows. Even Raw knows, for the Viewer is their accomplice.
Why are they acting like they are breaking some rule?
Forcing himself to let go of her, he also takes a step back, trying to put some distance between them.
the Big Damn Prompt table
Author: Erin (erinm_4600)
Characters, Pairing: mystery!Princess, mystery!man, Raw and a few random OCs
Rating: PG
Summary: Neither knows how the affair began... just that it did.
Warnings: post-series *Written for the Fall/Winter Seasonal Challenge at tm_challenge. Inspired by Love Story by Taylor Swift and Can I Have This Dance? from High School Musical 3.
Prompts: Collusion, Movement, Cadence and Compliance
Disclaimer: The original characters belong to L. Frank Baum and their respective actors. The current characters belong to Sci-Fi, the movie folks and their respective actors.
This love is difficult | ...but it's real | Focus | Runaway Princess | The Queen's Plot
COLLUSION
She won't look at him when they pass in the hall. Or the conference room. Or the gardens.
It's nothing personal; he won't look at her either. Of course, they both know when the other is looking.
They agreed to this ignorance; makes it easier to get through the day.
Neither knows how the affair began... just that it did. And it's not like either of them are cheating on anyone. But it definitely would raise a few eyebrows.
The balls are the hardest for both of them. She wonders if they can share a dance without giving themselves away.
MOVEMENT
She moves around the room with the others, smiling and laughing and trying so very hard to not catch his eye. She knows where he is at all times, of course, and she knows that his eyes are on her, even when they aren't.
She's listening to a story about the Western Guild with actual interest when she happens to glance up and see him slipping out of the room, seemingly unnoticed. Her eyes move back to the older man speaking and she smiles as the story takes a humorous turn.
As the story draws to a close, she lays a hand on the man's arm and asks to be excused, which he gladly agrees and continues to tell another story to the rest of the group. As she moves through the crowd, not looking like she's trying to beeline for the door, she nods to guests, shakes their hands and smiles.
She manages to reach the door and gives a quick glance to the room, waiting for the right moment to slip out herself. Moving into the hall, a small grin creeps up her face and she looks both ways before heading down the hallway at a fast pace.
CADENCE
He's standing just inside the door of the parlor, leaning against the wall and staring at the floor. The party's fine, but it's not where he'd choose to be. He's alone in the room for a few minutes, and happy for the silence, which is odd.
His eyes move to the door seconds before she steps into the room and before she can turn his way, he is next to her; so close he might as well be on her other side. Her eyes close automatically and she fights the urge to put her hands on him.
He leans in to trace her profile with his nose, not actually touching her and her breath catches when his left hand takes her right and his right hand moves to her waist. "My turn, Princess," he whispers and her eyes open and lock on his.
Even in the dimly-lit room, her eyes are brilliant and, regardless of her actions at the party, for him alone. A moment later, they begin to move together, stepping with the music wafting down the hall from the ballroom.
She wonders if they will ever be able to dance together, in view of everyone else.
But she also adores these moments that are just theirs. When they are together, there are no painful memories; there are no hurt feelings; no hate, no regret... no blame. There is no Zone.
Only them.
They don't have much time; someone will be along shortly to usher them both back to the party - especially once her mother realizes she's missing - and they will have to go back to pretending.
Pretending that they haven't stared at each other over the dining room table or touched fingertips as they pass in the hallway or stolen kisses in the stable.
"Jeb. DG..."
COMPLIANCE
DG's eyes move away from Jeb's and his hand moves from her waist, but he doesn't let go of her hand. Instead, he pulls it up and presses a kiss.
He doesn't want to let go. He doesn't want to have to go back into that room. He doesn't even remember why they are hiding. Her mother knows; his father knows. Even Raw knows, for the Viewer is their accomplice.
Why are they acting like they are breaking some rule?
Forcing himself to let go of her, he also takes a step back, trying to put some distance between them.
the Big Damn Prompt table