FICLET: Nine Of Swords
Title: Nine Of Swords
Author: vensre
Starring: Jamie/Geoff
Rating: G
Disclaimer: The way I can imagine is not the true Way.
Notes: Beta by ali_jayne.
The nine of swords is a tarot card, the meaning of which can be found here.
There is a sequel to this story ~ Six Of Cups.
~:
I was conscious, suddenly, and it was awful. Geoff had been leaving ― Geoff had been gone, and I was too slow to catch him. Too clumsy to ever keep him.
Now my hair dripped sweat back onto my forehead, and the one I had been crying out for was with me, pushing my fringe back from my face, outlined in light from the hall. I took hold of his arm and couldn't release. I curled down into a soggy lump against him and tried to sort his soothing speech into words I could take meaning from.
"Been so long since you've had one of your terrors, I thought you must be awake. What a sound you make. I wonder when I've ever been so scared. Nothing to what it'd feel like from the inside, I expect. But it was just a dream. Just a dream."
Over the course of this last, I had been concentrating on relaxing my death grip on his arm. It wasn't easy going; I couldn't force myself to let go entirely by any means.
"You okay? That sounded like a bad one."
"A bad one," I agreed. God, god. How to stop quivering like a Chihuahua in February?
"You did it before," Geoff seemed to be trying to explain himself, as though I'd object to his offered comfort. "I've heard you before, but. This is the first time I've heard you saying my name." His fingers combed through the hair behind my ear, far too soothing for what it was.
"I wish," I began, then ran out of safe words. I tried again; "I don't like..." Another dead end. I opted for simplicity at last, saying softly, "Don't go."
"I won't," he replied.
To tell the truth, his easy positive answer made me far more nervous than if he had said, 'You know I have to,' or something equally disappointing.
"How can you say you won't? You will go, won't you? What about at the end of the school year?" I may be contrary, but it's really only that I prefer my heartbreak upfront.
However, Geoff might be even more contrary. "If you'd be willing to stick with me when the lease is up, I'd be happy to stick with you. You're not some random person." He lowered his voice, smiling like he was telling me a secret. "Think I like my life better with you in it."
"Ah. Then," I said, a bit lamely in the face of beautiful words, "don't go."
"I won't," he repeated, and it sounded like a promise.
:~:
Author: vensre
Starring: Jamie/Geoff
Rating: G
Disclaimer: The way I can imagine is not the true Way.
Notes: Beta by ali_jayne.
The nine of swords is a tarot card, the meaning of which can be found here.
There is a sequel to this story ~ Six Of Cups.
~:
I was conscious, suddenly, and it was awful. Geoff had been leaving ― Geoff had been gone, and I was too slow to catch him. Too clumsy to ever keep him.
Now my hair dripped sweat back onto my forehead, and the one I had been crying out for was with me, pushing my fringe back from my face, outlined in light from the hall. I took hold of his arm and couldn't release. I curled down into a soggy lump against him and tried to sort his soothing speech into words I could take meaning from.
"Been so long since you've had one of your terrors, I thought you must be awake. What a sound you make. I wonder when I've ever been so scared. Nothing to what it'd feel like from the inside, I expect. But it was just a dream. Just a dream."
Over the course of this last, I had been concentrating on relaxing my death grip on his arm. It wasn't easy going; I couldn't force myself to let go entirely by any means.
"You okay? That sounded like a bad one."
"A bad one," I agreed. God, god. How to stop quivering like a Chihuahua in February?
"You did it before," Geoff seemed to be trying to explain himself, as though I'd object to his offered comfort. "I've heard you before, but. This is the first time I've heard you saying my name." His fingers combed through the hair behind my ear, far too soothing for what it was.
"I wish," I began, then ran out of safe words. I tried again; "I don't like..." Another dead end. I opted for simplicity at last, saying softly, "Don't go."
"I won't," he replied.
To tell the truth, his easy positive answer made me far more nervous than if he had said, 'You know I have to,' or something equally disappointing.
"How can you say you won't? You will go, won't you? What about at the end of the school year?" I may be contrary, but it's really only that I prefer my heartbreak upfront.
However, Geoff might be even more contrary. "If you'd be willing to stick with me when the lease is up, I'd be happy to stick with you. You're not some random person." He lowered his voice, smiling like he was telling me a secret. "Think I like my life better with you in it."
"Ah. Then," I said, a bit lamely in the face of beautiful words, "don't go."
"I won't," he repeated, and it sounded like a promise.
:~: