Post by Rowena on Sept 5, 2011 1:47:48 GMT 10
Title: A Talk Between Friends
Rating: PG
Word Count: 644
Card: Summer
Bingo: sun + discussions + summer + friends + riding
Summary: Lianne and Alan have a difficult conversation.
Riding was one of the few activities Lianne was allowed to do alone anymore, and usually she reveled in the solitude of it. Today, though, she was riding with Alan, and because her mother trusted Alan, she had let them go unchaperoned. (Thank goodness for small favors.)
It was unusually hot for early summer, the sun having made a dazzling comeback after the rainy spring months, but the path the rode twisted underneath several trees, which made the heat bearable. The sunlight did wonderful things to Alan’s hair, bringing out dozens of shades of crimson and pink and gold, and it made Lianne catch her breath and shake her head and remind herself that Alan was her oldest friend and it was decidedly rude of her to be having such thoughts about him when he didn’t even know.
They talked about nothing for a while, idle court gossip and the like, but then Alan made a silly remark about how all the eligible bachelors at the palace had started beating down her door, and Lianne flushed and looked down.
“Lia?” Alan questioned worriedly. “I didn’t mean to upset you –”
“No,” she interrupted firmly. “You didn’t.” She took a deep breath and made her choice – it was now or never. “Alan,” she began, “we’ve been friends for quite some time now, haven’t we?”
“Our whole lives,” he grinned.
She smiled back, reserved. “Yes,” she said. “But now that we’re older, did you ever think we might be something – more?”
“More?” he repeated dumbly.
“More than friends.” Lianne bit her lip, gauging his reaction. He looked rather dumbstruck, so she hurried on. “I mean, it’s just that they’ll be expecting us to get married soon – and – well, we’ve been friends for so long – I just thought maybe – you know – you might think it a good idea for us to get married…to each other.” She trailed off, her face falling at the shocked expression on Alan’s face.
“Never mind,” she muttered. “Please forget I said anything.”
“Lia,” Alan said. She urged her horse away from his, embarrassed, but he rode over to her and caught her hand in his. “Lia,” he repeated. “We’ve been friends for ages. I respect and admire you so much. I just – I don’t see you that way. It wouldn’t be fair to you.” He squeezed her hand. “No fight?” he asked, using the phrase he had coined when they were children, and used whenever they were on the cusp of an argument. Few were the times when one had yelled at the other instead of returning the words.
“No fight,” she whispered.
Alan smiled and pulled her into a one-armed hug, despite the difficulty of doing it from the saddle. He put his hand on her cheek as he drew away. “I love you, Lia. Just – not like that.”
She looked down, moving her face away from his hand and riding ahead of him in silence. Alan sighed. She would get over it soon, he hoped. He didn’t want to lose one of the few lasting friendships he had. As she rode away, Lianne was breathtakingly beautiful, her skin the definition of sun-kissed and the contrast of her hair against the lavender cloth of her light summer gown lovely. When she looked like that, Alan could almost push his newfound realizations to the back of his mind and say yes.
But he knew that if he let a split-second decision like that – Lia was very beautiful, and his best friend, and clearly interested, so he should marry her – override the decision he’d agonized over for months – he would never be in love with his wife, so better not to marry at all – he would regret it for the rest of his life.
He only hoped Lianne could understand, he thought as he urged his horse into movement and rode after her.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 644
Card: Summer
Bingo: sun + discussions + summer + friends + riding
Summary: Lianne and Alan have a difficult conversation.
Riding was one of the few activities Lianne was allowed to do alone anymore, and usually she reveled in the solitude of it. Today, though, she was riding with Alan, and because her mother trusted Alan, she had let them go unchaperoned. (Thank goodness for small favors.)
It was unusually hot for early summer, the sun having made a dazzling comeback after the rainy spring months, but the path the rode twisted underneath several trees, which made the heat bearable. The sunlight did wonderful things to Alan’s hair, bringing out dozens of shades of crimson and pink and gold, and it made Lianne catch her breath and shake her head and remind herself that Alan was her oldest friend and it was decidedly rude of her to be having such thoughts about him when he didn’t even know.
They talked about nothing for a while, idle court gossip and the like, but then Alan made a silly remark about how all the eligible bachelors at the palace had started beating down her door, and Lianne flushed and looked down.
“Lia?” Alan questioned worriedly. “I didn’t mean to upset you –”
“No,” she interrupted firmly. “You didn’t.” She took a deep breath and made her choice – it was now or never. “Alan,” she began, “we’ve been friends for quite some time now, haven’t we?”
“Our whole lives,” he grinned.
She smiled back, reserved. “Yes,” she said. “But now that we’re older, did you ever think we might be something – more?”
“More?” he repeated dumbly.
“More than friends.” Lianne bit her lip, gauging his reaction. He looked rather dumbstruck, so she hurried on. “I mean, it’s just that they’ll be expecting us to get married soon – and – well, we’ve been friends for so long – I just thought maybe – you know – you might think it a good idea for us to get married…to each other.” She trailed off, her face falling at the shocked expression on Alan’s face.
“Never mind,” she muttered. “Please forget I said anything.”
“Lia,” Alan said. She urged her horse away from his, embarrassed, but he rode over to her and caught her hand in his. “Lia,” he repeated. “We’ve been friends for ages. I respect and admire you so much. I just – I don’t see you that way. It wouldn’t be fair to you.” He squeezed her hand. “No fight?” he asked, using the phrase he had coined when they were children, and used whenever they were on the cusp of an argument. Few were the times when one had yelled at the other instead of returning the words.
“No fight,” she whispered.
Alan smiled and pulled her into a one-armed hug, despite the difficulty of doing it from the saddle. He put his hand on her cheek as he drew away. “I love you, Lia. Just – not like that.”
She looked down, moving her face away from his hand and riding ahead of him in silence. Alan sighed. She would get over it soon, he hoped. He didn’t want to lose one of the few lasting friendships he had. As she rode away, Lianne was breathtakingly beautiful, her skin the definition of sun-kissed and the contrast of her hair against the lavender cloth of her light summer gown lovely. When she looked like that, Alan could almost push his newfound realizations to the back of his mind and say yes.
But he knew that if he let a split-second decision like that – Lia was very beautiful, and his best friend, and clearly interested, so he should marry her – override the decision he’d agonized over for months – he would never be in love with his wife, so better not to marry at all – he would regret it for the rest of his life.
He only hoped Lianne could understand, he thought as he urged his horse into movement and rode after her.