Post by wordy on Aug 15, 2011 21:00:51 GMT 10
Title: Time
Rating: G
Word Count: 318
Summary (and any Warnings): A fork in the road.
Notes: This is Isha's fault.Enough subtext for you?
"I can't believe you're seriously considering it," said Raoul.
Gary glanced up, a corner of a smile, then returned his attention to the letter in front of him. The paper was nothing like the coarse stuff he'd been using for the last few years. No mud splatters, no chance of it tearing underneath a too-earnest stroke of the pen. He rubbed the paper between his fingers, feeling the grain of it.
"I could do it, you know," he said, voice quiet. He rubbed it between his thumb and finger again, his eyes travelling over the neat, precise script. Nothing flowery for Jonathan. Not for this.
Raoul rubbed his chin with his hand, but kept silent. His body blocked out most of the light from the lamp, but Gary could still make out the silver on his tunic, shiny and new. Already, the king's colours looked like they had always been meant for his strong shoulders and broad chest.
"Are you sure?" asked Raoul finally. He crossed his arms, and if Gary didn't know him at all he wouldn't have recognised it for the nervous gesture that it was. "It's not what we talked about. You'd be a glorified desk knight -"
"I'm sure." And he was. They had all had dreams of what knighthood would be like. For some, like Alanna, they came true. For others, they never would. Perhaps there was something better, though. It was time to grow up.
"I'm sure," he said again. He looked up at Raoul, his brown eyes hopeful.
Raoul sighed, and then grinned. Something in Gary's chest released, and he felt like he could breathe again. In the dim light of the room, he could almost pretend that there was no tightness around his friend's eyes, no space between them as Raoul remained by the door.
Gary looked down at the letter in his hands. It was time to grow up.
Rating: G
Word Count: 318
Summary (and any Warnings): A fork in the road.
Notes: This is Isha's fault.
"I can't believe you're seriously considering it," said Raoul.
Gary glanced up, a corner of a smile, then returned his attention to the letter in front of him. The paper was nothing like the coarse stuff he'd been using for the last few years. No mud splatters, no chance of it tearing underneath a too-earnest stroke of the pen. He rubbed the paper between his fingers, feeling the grain of it.
"I could do it, you know," he said, voice quiet. He rubbed it between his thumb and finger again, his eyes travelling over the neat, precise script. Nothing flowery for Jonathan. Not for this.
Raoul rubbed his chin with his hand, but kept silent. His body blocked out most of the light from the lamp, but Gary could still make out the silver on his tunic, shiny and new. Already, the king's colours looked like they had always been meant for his strong shoulders and broad chest.
"Are you sure?" asked Raoul finally. He crossed his arms, and if Gary didn't know him at all he wouldn't have recognised it for the nervous gesture that it was. "It's not what we talked about. You'd be a glorified desk knight -"
"I'm sure." And he was. They had all had dreams of what knighthood would be like. For some, like Alanna, they came true. For others, they never would. Perhaps there was something better, though. It was time to grow up.
"I'm sure," he said again. He looked up at Raoul, his brown eyes hopeful.
Raoul sighed, and then grinned. Something in Gary's chest released, and he felt like he could breathe again. In the dim light of the room, he could almost pretend that there was no tightness around his friend's eyes, no space between them as Raoul remained by the door.
Gary looked down at the letter in his hands. It was time to grow up.