Post by westernsunset on May 27, 2018 3:44:55 GMT 10
Title: Walking Tough But Walking Blind
Rating: G
Prompt: Ties That Bind
Summary: George didn't think marriage would change his relationship with Alanna, but he has a lot to learn
George had been naive. He knew that now. He’d heard from so many people how marriage changes a relationship. Slice loved to regale people with the tale of how he’d fallen in love with a beautiful girl, only to marry her and watch her turn into her mother overnight. To hear him tell it, that was why he left Tusaine, why he used a fake name, why he never took the same girl twice. George had laughed then, and shook his head at his friend’s folly. Trust Slice to over-exaggerate, pick at small faults, eventually run away in fear.
He had truly thought that marriage meant nothing. That he and Alanna would make their union legal, find a nice house, go about the work they loved and nothing would change. They’d always had a love like friends, trusting each other deeply, never afraid to challenge each other or speak their mind. Why would a simple legal ceremony change that?
And yet. The shifts started gradually. One morning George woke up and was hit with the full realization that he’d be with Alanna forever. As long as he lived. Most of him was still happy with that thought, but some of him felt caged, desperate to get out. Small things that he didn’t even notice before started to appear. Alanna never shut doors when she left a room. She was shockingly loud when she got up in the middle of the night. When he made her laugh while they were eating, he’d be hit with a shower of crumbs more often than not. What if every year brought more habits he’d hate and have to just live with.
Worse still, Alanna started to pick at him. She was forever nagging him about leaving papers around. He’d be greeted in the morning with complaints that he’d hogged the blankets in the night. She was vocal about her dislike for his clothes.
One day, he couldn’t take it anymore.
“Oh George, really?” she asked, looking up from a letter when he came to the dining room. “Lord Imrah is coming for dinner and you can’t be bothered to change?”
George exploded. “CHANGE? Of course my sweet,” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Why don’t I just change into someone else and then you can live with him and stop nagging all the time?”
Alanna looked taken aback. “What are you talking about?” There was a bite in her voice.
George was seeing red, his heart pounding. “I’m talking about your constant complaints! The papers, my table manners, I talk too loud, I hog the covers, it’s like you’ll never be happy! And it’s not like I say anything about your faults because believe me, I could!”
“Oh, my faults?! Well please, enlighten me George, what are my faults because you’ve Gods blest never mentioned them before!”
“Well I didn’t think they’d be so cursed annoying! I didn’t think they’d ruin our marriage.”
At this, Alanna’s expression changed. Her face looked crushed, and she said quieter, “you think our marriage is ruined?”
George was puzzled. “Isn’t that what’s happening?”
“I didn’t think so,” she said. “I thought we were just having a fight.”
“We’re not supposed to fight. We never fought before,” said George, sitting heavily.
Enlightenment dawned on Alanna’s face. “Of course we didn’t,” she said, going to stand by her husband. “We didn’t have to share close quarters before. We didn’t see all the little things people do that drive another person crazy. That’s part of being marriage. We find the things we hate, and decide to stay together in spite of them.”
“I tell you when things bother me because I don’t want resentment to build up. I hate finding all your letters and notes around. But not enough to stop loving you. I thought if I brought it up we could find a compromise. Just like you can bring up the things I do that bother you, so we can work together to make a life we both can be happy with,” she said.
George sighed. “You’re right. I’m sorry for blowing up.”
Alanna laughed. “It’s probably because you’ve holding back all your complaints for months! It’s healthier to get them out in the open. Like right now. I don’t want you to wear that ratty tunic to dinner with our neighbor.”
George smiled. “At your wish, I will change. But if you feel the urge to laugh at dinner, please cover your mouth or you’ll shower us all in crumbs. It’s fair disgusting.”
“See! I didn’t even realize I did that! I’m thankful you told me. Now change,” said Alanna.
Holding up his hands in surrender, George went to leave. At the open doorway, he turned. “I love you Alanna.”
“I love you too George.”
“Stop leaving doors open when you leave the room.”
Rating: G
Prompt: Ties That Bind
Summary: George didn't think marriage would change his relationship with Alanna, but he has a lot to learn
George had been naive. He knew that now. He’d heard from so many people how marriage changes a relationship. Slice loved to regale people with the tale of how he’d fallen in love with a beautiful girl, only to marry her and watch her turn into her mother overnight. To hear him tell it, that was why he left Tusaine, why he used a fake name, why he never took the same girl twice. George had laughed then, and shook his head at his friend’s folly. Trust Slice to over-exaggerate, pick at small faults, eventually run away in fear.
He had truly thought that marriage meant nothing. That he and Alanna would make their union legal, find a nice house, go about the work they loved and nothing would change. They’d always had a love like friends, trusting each other deeply, never afraid to challenge each other or speak their mind. Why would a simple legal ceremony change that?
And yet. The shifts started gradually. One morning George woke up and was hit with the full realization that he’d be with Alanna forever. As long as he lived. Most of him was still happy with that thought, but some of him felt caged, desperate to get out. Small things that he didn’t even notice before started to appear. Alanna never shut doors when she left a room. She was shockingly loud when she got up in the middle of the night. When he made her laugh while they were eating, he’d be hit with a shower of crumbs more often than not. What if every year brought more habits he’d hate and have to just live with.
Worse still, Alanna started to pick at him. She was forever nagging him about leaving papers around. He’d be greeted in the morning with complaints that he’d hogged the blankets in the night. She was vocal about her dislike for his clothes.
One day, he couldn’t take it anymore.
“Oh George, really?” she asked, looking up from a letter when he came to the dining room. “Lord Imrah is coming for dinner and you can’t be bothered to change?”
George exploded. “CHANGE? Of course my sweet,” he said, his voice dripping with sarcasm. “Why don’t I just change into someone else and then you can live with him and stop nagging all the time?”
Alanna looked taken aback. “What are you talking about?” There was a bite in her voice.
George was seeing red, his heart pounding. “I’m talking about your constant complaints! The papers, my table manners, I talk too loud, I hog the covers, it’s like you’ll never be happy! And it’s not like I say anything about your faults because believe me, I could!”
“Oh, my faults?! Well please, enlighten me George, what are my faults because you’ve Gods blest never mentioned them before!”
“Well I didn’t think they’d be so cursed annoying! I didn’t think they’d ruin our marriage.”
At this, Alanna’s expression changed. Her face looked crushed, and she said quieter, “you think our marriage is ruined?”
George was puzzled. “Isn’t that what’s happening?”
“I didn’t think so,” she said. “I thought we were just having a fight.”
“We’re not supposed to fight. We never fought before,” said George, sitting heavily.
Enlightenment dawned on Alanna’s face. “Of course we didn’t,” she said, going to stand by her husband. “We didn’t have to share close quarters before. We didn’t see all the little things people do that drive another person crazy. That’s part of being marriage. We find the things we hate, and decide to stay together in spite of them.”
“I tell you when things bother me because I don’t want resentment to build up. I hate finding all your letters and notes around. But not enough to stop loving you. I thought if I brought it up we could find a compromise. Just like you can bring up the things I do that bother you, so we can work together to make a life we both can be happy with,” she said.
George sighed. “You’re right. I’m sorry for blowing up.”
Alanna laughed. “It’s probably because you’ve holding back all your complaints for months! It’s healthier to get them out in the open. Like right now. I don’t want you to wear that ratty tunic to dinner with our neighbor.”
George smiled. “At your wish, I will change. But if you feel the urge to laugh at dinner, please cover your mouth or you’ll shower us all in crumbs. It’s fair disgusting.”
“See! I didn’t even realize I did that! I’m thankful you told me. Now change,” said Alanna.
Holding up his hands in surrender, George went to leave. At the open doorway, he turned. “I love you Alanna.”
“I love you too George.”
“Stop leaving doors open when you leave the room.”
Maybe once we'd have seen it during Smackdown!