Double Drabble: Loyalty and Betrayal
Title: Loyalty and Betrayal
Fandom: Babylon 5
Pairing/Characters: Vir Cotto, Lennier
Rating: G
Warnings: None needed.
Summary: Sometimes sympathy isn't enough.
Word Count: 200
Notes: For the prompt "Vir and Lennier, commiserating."
"At least you're not in love with him," Lennier says woefully. He must be more drunk than usual; Vir holds his breath for a moment to see if the Minbari will realize what he's let slip, but Lennier simply stares at his empty glass as if into a void.
"Well, there's love and there's love," says Vir carefully.
"There's love and there's love," mutters Lennier in a mocking echo. The mockery seems to be aimed at himself more than Vir, though. Lennier never condescended to Vir, even when most people did.
Because of this, Vir feels he owes it to Lennier to be honest. "I often find it comforting to think how very unimportant I am, actually."
Lennier raises his head sharply and his eyes focus on Vir. "You, perhaps. But--" He seems to hear his own voice, and the pride and anger in his gaze gives way to shamed apology.
Vir waves it aside before he can speak and refills his glass. But in that one moment he's seen his friend's fate unfold into the future, lightning-clear, and his hearts ache. He drinks again himself, thinking of love and all its unthinking cruelty, of loyalty and of betrayal.
Fandom: Babylon 5
Pairing/Characters: Vir Cotto, Lennier
Rating: G
Warnings: None needed.
Summary: Sometimes sympathy isn't enough.
Word Count: 200
Notes: For the prompt "Vir and Lennier, commiserating."
"At least you're not in love with him," Lennier says woefully. He must be more drunk than usual; Vir holds his breath for a moment to see if the Minbari will realize what he's let slip, but Lennier simply stares at his empty glass as if into a void.
"Well, there's love and there's love," says Vir carefully.
"There's love and there's love," mutters Lennier in a mocking echo. The mockery seems to be aimed at himself more than Vir, though. Lennier never condescended to Vir, even when most people did.
Because of this, Vir feels he owes it to Lennier to be honest. "I often find it comforting to think how very unimportant I am, actually."
Lennier raises his head sharply and his eyes focus on Vir. "You, perhaps. But--" He seems to hear his own voice, and the pride and anger in his gaze gives way to shamed apology.
Vir waves it aside before he can speak and refills his glass. But in that one moment he's seen his friend's fate unfold into the future, lightning-clear, and his hearts ache. He drinks again himself, thinking of love and all its unthinking cruelty, of loyalty and of betrayal.