09:00- Praesidium
Series: Hunter's Path
Pairing: James/Claudia
Word Count: 596
24hour_themes prompt: Assistance for others, focusing on concrete matters
Chapters: Master List
Infitialis | Latere | Abeo | Obsidis | Videlicet | Praesidium | Transitus | Mutatio | Umbra | Terminare | Constantia | Autus | Salvus | Gubernatio | Spero | Animus | Consensio | Discrimen | Consilium | Veritas | Phoebus | Fortuna | Sensus | Victoria
James was still pissed, that was abundantly clear. She'd heard the door to his bedroom, two doors down from her own, slam authoritatively shut just after nine that morning, a full four hours earlier than he usually left for classes, and he'd yet to return. It wasn't well into the night yet, but the sun was definitely down. Oddly, she found herself with no real wish to try to patrol alone, nor do much much of anything, up to and including getting up to answer the door.
"Yeah?" she called in lieu of getting up off her bed or even checking to see who it might be.
Two seconds later, she felt a faint pang of regret as Gypsy slipped in, closing the door quietly behind her. "Do you have a moment? I need to talk to you."
She sat up, crossing her jeans-covered legs and pulling one of her pillows into her lap, doing her absolute best to hide the slight, odd disappointment she felt, both that she hadn't gotten out of the girl-talk after all and -- weirder still -- that it hadn't been James at the door. "I'm all ears."
The other girl smiled slightly, almost careful not to show teeth. Her friend could be self-conscious about that, she thought absently as she watched Gypsy settle on the far end of the bed from her, fiddling with the hem of her oversized shirt distractedly. Silence reigned for several hopelessly long moments as the other girl obviously gathered her thoughts. "I know you're not that much into long talks, Claudia," she began, "but I really need someone to listen to me on this. There's no one else I can go to."
"What about James or R- Montecchi?" She carefully avoided the subject of Gypsy's husband. Christian surely had many good points, but his ability to relate to his much younger wife was not among them. The very subject of the man tended to be a sore point among them.
Gypsy shook her head, the very motion seeming both tired and sad. "I haven't seen James around much lately -- at all so far tonight! -- and Montecchi..." She shifted nervously, fingers moving to pluck at the bedcovers. "Well, it sort of concerns him."
She did her best to push the chiming of alarm bells to the back of her mind. "How do you mean?"
"Well..." Oh, this was not going to be good. Finally, it all came out in a rush. "I think I might be in love with him."
Love... Yep, that was the diagnosis of that sinking feeling in her gut. "That's not exactly the best news, you know. I mean, you're married."
"I know, and not by any choice of mine!"
"Gypsy, are you sure?" she sighed.
"Of course I'm sure. I think about him all the time, I worry about every moment I'm not with him, he makes me smile, I enjoy being around him..."
Whatever else Gypsy was saying she lost as a horrible thought occurred to her. There was no way, just no way. She couldn't be... She wasn't even like Gypsy or Jean; why would she...
"I just love him." The first light pink wet globs of tears welled in the other's eyes. Without a lot of thought, she let the other climb across the bed and wrap pale arms around her. As much as she knew how, from when she was young and with Sean, she patted Gypsy's back lightly in a weak attempt to comfort her. "I love him, Claudia."
I've fallen in love with James...
Pairing: James/Claudia
Word Count: 596
24hour_themes prompt: Assistance for others, focusing on concrete matters
Chapters: Master List
Infitialis | Latere | Abeo | Obsidis | Videlicet | Praesidium | Transitus | Mutatio | Umbra | Terminare | Constantia | Autus | Salvus | Gubernatio | Spero | Animus | Consensio | Discrimen | Consilium | Veritas | Phoebus | Fortuna | Sensus | Victoria
James was still pissed, that was abundantly clear. She'd heard the door to his bedroom, two doors down from her own, slam authoritatively shut just after nine that morning, a full four hours earlier than he usually left for classes, and he'd yet to return. It wasn't well into the night yet, but the sun was definitely down. Oddly, she found herself with no real wish to try to patrol alone, nor do much much of anything, up to and including getting up to answer the door.
"Yeah?" she called in lieu of getting up off her bed or even checking to see who it might be.
Two seconds later, she felt a faint pang of regret as Gypsy slipped in, closing the door quietly behind her. "Do you have a moment? I need to talk to you."
She sat up, crossing her jeans-covered legs and pulling one of her pillows into her lap, doing her absolute best to hide the slight, odd disappointment she felt, both that she hadn't gotten out of the girl-talk after all and -- weirder still -- that it hadn't been James at the door. "I'm all ears."
The other girl smiled slightly, almost careful not to show teeth. Her friend could be self-conscious about that, she thought absently as she watched Gypsy settle on the far end of the bed from her, fiddling with the hem of her oversized shirt distractedly. Silence reigned for several hopelessly long moments as the other girl obviously gathered her thoughts. "I know you're not that much into long talks, Claudia," she began, "but I really need someone to listen to me on this. There's no one else I can go to."
"What about James or R- Montecchi?" She carefully avoided the subject of Gypsy's husband. Christian surely had many good points, but his ability to relate to his much younger wife was not among them. The very subject of the man tended to be a sore point among them.
Gypsy shook her head, the very motion seeming both tired and sad. "I haven't seen James around much lately -- at all so far tonight! -- and Montecchi..." She shifted nervously, fingers moving to pluck at the bedcovers. "Well, it sort of concerns him."
She did her best to push the chiming of alarm bells to the back of her mind. "How do you mean?"
"Well..." Oh, this was not going to be good. Finally, it all came out in a rush. "I think I might be in love with him."
Love... Yep, that was the diagnosis of that sinking feeling in her gut. "That's not exactly the best news, you know. I mean, you're married."
"I know, and not by any choice of mine!"
"Gypsy, are you sure?" she sighed.
"Of course I'm sure. I think about him all the time, I worry about every moment I'm not with him, he makes me smile, I enjoy being around him..."
Whatever else Gypsy was saying she lost as a horrible thought occurred to her. There was no way, just no way. She couldn't be... She wasn't even like Gypsy or Jean; why would she...
"I just love him." The first light pink wet globs of tears welled in the other's eyes. Without a lot of thought, she let the other climb across the bed and wrap pale arms around her. As much as she knew how, from when she was young and with Sean, she patted Gypsy's back lightly in a weak attempt to comfort her. "I love him, Claudia."
I've fallen in love with James...