The Short Stories of Miss.SunFlower

so sweet, I love happy endings :D :p

the one part at the end reminded me of the Princess Bride

Inigo: Fezzik, you did something right!
Fezzik: Don't worry, I won't let it go to my head
 
I's gonna go with Ry's first cause it's done. :)

White Flag

Ryan’s group mate Damian had summed it up pretty well. Breaking up is hard to do. It had been, it definitely had been. And looking back on it, it would remain an unhappy thought and memory for a good while yet.
He wasn’t entirely sure who officially ended the 2 year and 4 month relationship, or when, or why. There had been fights, of course. Ones they’d made up and resolved, ones they had not. But every couple fought, it just, well, it just happened. He had been able to look past the arguments they had, but eventually, it appeared Shannon had had enough.
She was warm, relaxed, loving, worrying, stubborn, and occasionally moody. At the same time she was always shy and hated to be in the spotlight. She had a complex with Ryan having a fair amount of female fans. She never got violently jealous, and rarely even spoke of it, but he knew she’d never liked it.
This was how many of their arguments began.
“It wouldn’t change anything if you told them about me.” She’d sigh if he brought up possibly making his relationship status public. As, as far as the fans knew, he was single. “They’d still ogle over you.” She tried to give a teasing smile.
He laughed. Knowing the fans he and the other members of Celtic Thunder had, it was pretty true. Still. “Okay it wouldn’t exactly tame any of them. But I think they ought to know about you... they’d like you.”
“I’m not looking for their approval of me Ryan.” She say softly, not angry, at least not verbally so. He could always tell when she wasn’t happy inside. “They would talk about me?”
“I can hardly see them saying anything bad.”
“But they’d still talk about me! Ryan, I’m not- I don’t want girls I never have even heard of, an ocean away, discussing our relationship!”
He shook his head, though she had a point, “Well, then there isn’t much to do. Nothing I say helps the jealousy and you won’t take the suge-“
“I’m not jealous!” She snapped, blushing.
“Shannon…” He raised his eyebrows.
She shook her head, “I’m not. I’m just-“ She trailed off.
“Jealous.”
The argument came so often it was nearly rehearsed. It could go on for almost half an hour, simple contradictions of Shannon’s internal jealousy, and it normally ended with them both in laughter, having come to grips with the silliness of it all.
But Shannon didn’t contradict this time, “Well, how can I help it? How can I, when you are more concerned about how the fans like me than anything? How can I not feel a little less important, then, Ryan?”
Ryan blinked at that. He’d not planned for the response, so he had no idea how he was to respond to that. How could she even think that? How could she ever think she was anything less than his whole world? He loved her and knew he always would – but he had no idea what to say.
She’d taken his silence in the worst way, and shook her head in irritated exasperation, “I need to get ready for work.” She mumbled.
“I love you.” He said automatically.
A little humorless laugh for that, and a sarcastic, “Mmmm-hmmm.” Was his only reply.
“Shan-non” He said meaningfully.
She turned back to him and sighed, smiling only the tiniest bit, “I love you too, Ry Ry. I’ll call after work.”
The phone conversation ended up less pleasant, as did a couple conversations after, as the earlier conversation wasn’t forgotten. He still loved her though, and even when she was furious he knew she loved him too.
But it got to the point where the stress on the two of them was too great, and with no real idea how it’d happened the relationship ended. Right before the beginning of his fall tour with the group.
That was about 8 months ago. 8 months without Shannon in his life any longer.
Paul was sitting with him in a pub one uneventful evening as these thoughts swirled in his head… again. Generally, the group didn’t hang out much when they weren’t touring. But Paul was often a comfort, or at least a distraction.
“This is getting pathetic.” His friend remarked, looking decidedly at the football match on the TV.
Ryan smirked, glancing at the score, which was, in fact, rather depressing. “Not their season I guess.”
“You know I’m not talking about the game, Ryan.”
He didn’t let that get to him, and ignored the implication, “Not sure what you’re referencing, then.”
Paul chuckled a bit, “Okay I guess pathetic is pretty harsh, I mean, you are still… you, I suppose. When ya first told me I thought you were going to lock yourself away and never talk again. You’re plenty good at recovering… but today… Ryan, you’re acting as bad as when you first told us. What’s up?”
There’s a pause and he takes a sip of his drink, still looking at the match, “Today would have been our 3 year anniversary.”
“Oh.”
He laughed a little at that reply, so rare for Paul of all people to be made speechless, “So… yeah.” He took another sip. He had been hoping not to get on this topic verbally, though it was all that was in his mind.
Paul didn’t take the hint, “Do you still talk to her?”
“What do you think?”
A pause, “You should.”
More laughter, “And what would I say? I think we’d both made it pretty clear in our final words that we wanted nothing to do with each other anymore.”
“And I’m pretty sure neither of you meant that.” He replied dryly.
“Oh I didn’t! But she- she was so mad. I’m not going to force myself back in her life if she doesn’t want me there.”
He rolled his eyes, catching the longing in his voice as he trailed off, “You want to know how she is though.”
“Of course I do.” He sighed, “But she doesn’t need to know that. I wish I could just see her… without her knowing, just so I knew she was alright.” God, he sounded ridiculous. He’d heard of girls getting so depressed and moody and foolish sounding when hurt and lonely, and that didn’t make him feel any better.
“And that’s how stalkers are made.”
The words made a smile crack his face, and he gave Paul a punch in the shoulder, “It was just a thought, I’m not going to!”
“So you say. I can all to easily see this.” He laughed.
“Oh, that’s terribly comforting, thank you.”
“It’s what I’m here for.”
Ryan openly grinned now, “Right, right, and you’re doing fantastic. Can we watch the game now?”
Paul shook his head in laughter, “Right, okay. But if you start moping on me again, I’ll- I’ll- I’ll tell you about my own misadventures in love. There aren’t too many stories, but one or two are pretty spectacular. You’ll be feeling better in no time.”
“God no! I’ll pass on that one.” He said, “But thank you, really.”
“Hey, it’s nothing. Just hate seeing you like this you know.” He grinned and they turned their attention back to the match. And Ryan took his mind off her, for the time.
 
Shannon was celebrating her would be 3rd Anniversary with the love of her life most appropriately. Drowning her sorrows in chocolate fudge ice cream and watching old Star Trek re-runs. If anyone saw her right now she knew she looked like an complete and utter wreck. But in this particular case she could not care any less.
Rain pounded rhythmically on the roof of the apartment, unable to be hidden over the TV yelling and over-dramatic sound effects. She sighed; that was Irish weather for you. The sound used to calm her, or even make her smile, but of course that had been when she’d be laying on Ryan’s shoulder watching a movie or what not to the added soundtrack of the storm. Or she was talking to him on the phone, or via webcam, and he’d laugh, and share the temperatures and weather surrounding them on whatever tour location he was at that day.
She’d never minded his touring. Sure, she missed her boyfriend terribly on the three to four months he was away from her, and that was natural. But this was his job – and she knew he loved it. He loved being able to go on stage every other night for a few months doing what he was absolutely amazing at, and why on earth shouldn’t he?
It had been stupid, to put it at the most mildest terms, saying that Ryan cared more about the fans than he did for her. Even THINKING that. Shannon HATED jealousy, positively could not stand the emotion, and could not stand her feeling it anymore. And, why shouldn’t he care about his fans? Without them he would not probably be the happy and carefree young man she’d fallen so madly in love with.
And he didn’t play personal concerts for his fans the way he did for her – inviting her over when he’d written something he wanted her to hear, songs that might not ever grace another person’s ear, though they were all lovely. He talk all about them when he came home, either, in fact, when he was with her Celtic Thunder appeared the farthest thing from his mind. She usually was the one who ended up bringing it into the conversation, and inadvertently causing an argument while fighting with her own idiotic bitterness.
How could she have been so angry, when he had done nothing? How could she have hurt him when she was the one at fault, always, for arguing with herself and in result, him? She’d told him things she’d never mean in a million years. She had, and she could never undo them.
“Shannon…” A voice echoes from the answering machine in another room. In her thoughts she didn’t even hear the phone ring.
“Shannon, I know you are home.” The voice belonged to a childhood to adult friend Carrissa. “You know I know you well enough, here. You’re sitting on your couch miserably eating mint chocolate chip ice cream out of the carton and watching black and white si-fi flicks.”
She groans and blows her dripping nose before grabbing the phone, “It’s chocolate fudge.”
“What?”
“The ice cream.” She says, trying to joke, and failing.
Carrissa sighed, “Hun, you’re crying? Come on, you were telling me you were going to be just fine! You were going to make it through this!”
“I’m trying, you know I am!”
“Well, I don’t know how hard your trying when I’m here giving you things to get your mind off and you don’t even show.”
Shannon blinked, “What?”
Now her friend laughed, “Oh dear, you really did forget then? I thought you just wanted to wallow in your own misery tonight.”
“What did I forget, Carrissa?” She stressed a little worried now. All duties slipped from her mind that night.
“Two words I had planned for ya. Blind. Date.”
Another groan. “Carri, you went THROUGH with that? I told you – I appreciate it but I don’t want it!”
“Shannie, I HATE seeing you like this!” She sounded genuinely concerned, “You know I do, it’s absolutely torturing. It doesn’t have to be serious but you just need to get out there – and at least remember that there are other guys out there!”
Shannon opened her mouth and then closed it before the words left her mouth. She knew there were other guys out there, but why did that make any difference? She didn’t want any of them.
“I know that.” Was all the reply she could muster.
Carrissa sighed again, “You should talk to him.”
“To him?” She knew whom Carrissa meant, and silently thanked her for not using his name. But surprise at her friends words startled her out of her own boundaries, “To Ryan?”
“Yes! For goodness sake, if you are this hurting about what happened between you two you could at least talk about it.” Another sigh, “ I mean, have you even spoken since… you know…?”
“Of course not.” What would she have said? She imagined seeing and speaking to him would only somehow end in another fight, again her fault. She didn’t want to put him through that.
“From what I hear you both were mad, furious at the time. You didn’t think about what you were saying. You didn’t mean any of it-“
“Of course I didn’t!”
“So tell him that!”
Shannon shook her head silently, “Carri, it’s been months. It’s been over a half a year. We can’t just suddenly step back into a relationship after the first one went up in flames.” She took a shaky breath, trying to hold back tears, “And just because I’m not off dating people you’ve lined up for me doesn’t mean- it doesn.”
“You think he’d move on so easily after you, Shannie.” Her friend tries to say lightly. “You aren’t a forgettable person.”
“He might- I mean, I did say- I did make it clear then that I wanted nothing to do with him…”
Carrissa sighed. The night was full of sighs, “Shannon. Oliva. Carrey. You are a silly woman, and I am coming over right now.”
“You don’t – Carrissa, don’t. I’m f-fine. I’ll be fine.”
“Nope, too late I’m already ready. We are getting your mind off of this, now, before I can’t recognize my best friend under all those tears.”
Shannon shook her head again, but this time she was smiling. What on earth would she do without that woman? “Right, fine, fine! You aren’t bringing this blind date with you by any chance?” She teased as well.
“Certainly not, my dear! This is just girls! We’re gonna forget about men for the night! About sadness and everything of the sort!”
She grinned letting the mood take her over. But as she hung up and looked back at the TV she had completely disregarded it so happened to be playing a commercial. A commercial for Celtic Thunder. For another show, another tour, a DVD they had left to film right after their break up.
She caught a glimpse of Ryan for a second and quickly shut the TV off. She wasn’t going to pay attention to it now, she wasn’t going to think about him now. She could stop thinking about him for a while, she knew. Especially when darling Carrissa was over.
But she couldn’t stop loving him. And she didn’t think she ever would.
 
cute, I can tell this is going to be one of those where we feel like yelling at the characters ;) :p
 
“So, going to order something or keep staring at me? It’s getting rather disturbing.”
Ryan blinked and tried to glance down from the tall brunette modelesque waitress before him and back at the menu, and failed. It was about a week after his miserable pub night with Paul and he just hadn’t felt like cooking.
The stunning woman waited, raising her eyebrows a tad. Finally he cleared his throat and spoke, but not to order, “Sorry, just surprised to see you working here, Carri, that’s all.” He tried to give her a casual smile.
Carrissa Allen shook her head, keeping her face in a mask of politeness. She had always appeared to like him, though she would like anyone that made her best friend as happy as he seemed to have made Shannon, in their time together. He could hardly imagine her liking him now, “Not full time, just helping a friend out. “
“A friend…?” He repeated slowly before he could stop himself. He shouldn’t be asking about her, she was none of his business anymore. But if she was here…? If she was working here, and- and he could see her…
Stupid thoughts. Stupid, stupid ideas. She wouldn’t be happy to see him again, why would she be after he’d hurt her? And he could think of nothing he could say to make her… oh he didn’t know what he’d even ask. But Ryan couldn’t help but feel his heart stop at the idea of seeing her again, after the 8 months of not.
She rolled her eyes, “I have other friends, Ryan Kelly. Now will you please order something. I’m still being paid for this and I’m not about to get in trouble for fraternizing with customers while on the job.”
He laughed awkwardly and agreed, but before she could turn and leave with it he stopped her quickly, “Have you talk- I mean-“
“I’ll be back in 5 minutes, tops. You can interrogate me about the well being of your EX girlfriend, then.” She said shortly, and he didn’t imagine the emphasis on the ‘ex’ part. Yep. She was not happy with him. Who would be, in her situation?
Why did he ever leave her? If it tortured him this much… why had he let the stress on them be too much? Ryan sighed waiting for Carrissa to return, suddenly not sure he wanted to hear everything from her. She’d be mad at him, mad that he’d made the sunny beautiful Shannon angry and moody and depressed.
If, in fact, that was how she was doing. For all he knew now, Shannon could have moved on completely. She was gorgeous, petite with straight soft blonde hair and the most stunning green-ish gold eyes he’d ever seen. She was a prize he’d so idiotically lost; who was to say someone else had not found her? Shannon hated being lonely, he knew, she’d be happy to be with another guy who showed her love and attention.
That thought wasn’t one he liked, but if she was happy, he’d survive better. Maybe he could move on as well. then. Ryan just needed to know, he hated think she’d be miserable the rest of her life because of him.
Carrissa’s ‘5 minutes’ felt like an excruciating eternity. But at last she returned, with one tray of food for him, but two drinks. She sat herself across from him, and when he looked confused she rolled her eyes again, “Taking my lunch break.” She explained.
“You don’t need to-“
“Don’t give yourself that much credit, I was planning to anyways – and your actually wasting it.”
“You don’t have to, then.” He repeated.
“You look like your dying here, Ryan. I can’t just leave ya like that. It’s like leaving an injured puppy in the rain.”
He raised his eyebrows, “Thanks…”
She shook her head, “Again, don’t let it go to your head. I’ll give ya one question about her.”
“One?”
“One.” She repeated, “And that’s generous, given my opinion on all of this.”
Ryan found he did not really want to ask about what Carrissa’s opinion on ‘all of this’ was. It would probably involve him being called some things he wasn’t quite in a position to deny.
But one question? ONE question about how Shannon was faring? He had dozens, millions of questions about her, and her life without him. He tried to think of the best one, he tried to think at all.
Is she okay?
Is she happy?
Does she think about me?
Does she miss me?
Is she with someone?
How is she doing?
His mind shuffled them wildly in his head and finally he just had to choose one at random. First one that came up.
“Does she want to talk to me?”
Carrissa took a deep breath and looked at him for a long moment, bracing herself for a reaction. “No.”
A sharp pain hit his heart and he looked away quickly, gazing out the window but focusing on nothing. He could have seen that coming, he should have seen that coming. He wished he could take the question back. Anything, any other would have been better than that.
But, before Ryan could nearly drown in his own sadness at that he thought about if the question was flipped. Paul had been asking him about wanting to talk to her earlier, and he’d said he didn’t want to, didn’t he? He wanted to see her, he wanted to know she was well – but he didn’t know if he was ready to actually talk to her, or if he ever would be.
Of all the stupid questions to ask…
Shannon’s friend sighed and pushed herself out of the seat. “Look, Ryan… I’m sorry. I don’t know much else to say.”
He shook his head, “Thanks, Carri… sorry I stole your lunch break.”
“You didn’t. I just didn’t want you to think I was doing anything out of kindness…” She laughed a little, “And I suppose that answer wasn’t kind so to speak. But- well, you know now.” She put her hand on his shoulder as she walked past, “It was nice seeing you.”
“You too,” He replied automatically, but after a second thought he turned to her retreating form, “Carrissa?”
She turned, confused, “Yes?”
“How is she, Carrissa? I mean, well, how is she doing, really?” He didn’t care if he wasn’t staying within the one question requirement. She’d shown that she didn’t really mean that anyways.
Her eyes softened the tiniest bit and a little sad smile touched her lips. He had an image in his head then, of the caring woman giving this same expression to a hurting Shannon not long ago.
“She’s surviving.”
 
Oh God… Oh God… Oh please let this be some kind of ridiculous nightmare, Shannon prayed, please let this NOT be happening. If nothing else, God, PLEASE don’t let him see her.
Of all the restaurants in Ireland…
Shannon stared at the profile of her ex boyfriend in the restaurant she would be working with Carrissa at, to help out another common friend. She was running a bit late from her own real job, but suddenly she wished she had not left at all – and debated leaving then. Carrissa would understand.
But she couldn’t move her feet for a moment, gaping at Ryan. She knew he could turn and look out the window that very second and – and she would have to face him. But she could not move, then. She just stood, feeling right then she was at the short end of some terribly cruel joke.
It him, it was definitely him. She knew it 100% although she had not seen him in nearly 9 months. If nothing else tipped her off it was his hair. Sure, she tried to think, he could not be the only Irishman with that stunning, thick, pure ebony hair… but he was the only one she knew, and she could identify her boyfriend on that alone.
Well, make that her EX boyfriend, she thought to herself, lest she forget she’d ruined that relationship.
He was alone. Or at least he was at the moment, though no food was waiting across from him as he absently picked at his own lunch. He was neither looking for something, nor AT something even, just kind of blankly looking ahead. Daydreaming, Shannon almost smiled. Ryan used to tease HER about daydreaming.
“You alive, there?” He’d ask, teasingly waving a hand in front of her eyes. She’d blink out of her trance to meet his grey eyes, silently laughing at her. Not cruel laughter though, Ryan would sooner be mean hearted than she would take up surfing. It just didn’t happen.
She shook her head, attempting to clear her thoughts from whatever daydream, as well from looking straight into his stunning eyes, unexpectedly, “I am indeed, just spaced out just then.”
“I could see that,” He grinned, “What were you thinking of?”
“Nothing special.” She’d say, smiling a little.
He laughed aloud. Even the littlest things she said seemed to make him smile, “Was I in your thoughts?”
She laughed, “Of course not.”
“Really?”
“Nope. I told you; I’m not thinking of anything special, remember?”
Ryan rolled his eyes a little but kept a gentle smile, “Well, someone knows how to say the right things.” he’d laugh, laying a soft kiss on her lips, “And, so you know, my thoughts are always of something special.” Another kiss and the topic would change.
Shannon shook her head, her face burning hot. Oh, why could she not even look at him from a distance, through a window, without hundreds of beautiful, beautiful memories returning to her, like a slideshow on hyper-speed? Feelings of warmth filling her and leaving her like a tide, leaving her cold after waking up from them. She could hardly imagine how terrible SPEAKING to him would be.
Of ALL the restaurants in Ireland!?
A car horn honked and she realized she’d stopped dead in the middle of the street, gaping. Face red, she ran behind it and made her way to the back door – a precaution. Her mind was working over drive trying to come up with excuses to tell her friends about why she’d have to slip out on this. She just could NOT be here. Not right now. Not in the same building. Not after all this time.
She saw Carrissa before she even was all the way in, head bent over her phone, not even seeing her enter, texting like mad. A second later Shannon felt her phone vibrate and smirking, she looked at the text.
“DON’T COME!!!”
She kept herself silent but was laughing almost hysterically on the inside. At least she wouldn’t have to worry about convincing Carrissa.
“Too late.” She murmured, causing her friend to look up, eyes wide.
“Shannon,” She said quickly, “He’s here, I mean, God this sounds weird. I mean, I figured you wouldn’t want to see him, you said you didn’t want to talk to him I-“
“Carri, love,” Shannon said softly, “I know, I saw him when I was walking in.”
“Y-You did?”
“He didn’t see ME, no. But I caught a glimpse of him… thought I might have lost my mind momentarily.”
She shook her head, “You didn’t. Was just as surprised, I must say. And I wanted to tell you the second I saw him but then I had to go, you know wait, and… I of course I’m assigned that side of the place and I can’t exactly ignor-“
“He saw you then- you had to wait on him?”
God, Shannon thought, they sounded like such idiots talking about him like they were. He was doing nothing wrong by being here, and she was over reacting, wasn’t she? She was always over reacting, wasn’t she?
Carrissa nodded solemnly, “He did, was surprised to see me as well. Told him I was only here to help a friend, didn’t mention you though… he was curious enough about you as was…” She rolled her eyes, mildly irritated.
She took a sharp breath, “He ASKED about me, Carrissa?” Did he miss her? Did he want her back? Did he want to talk to her, see her again?
Or was he just being polite, wanting to make sure she was alright? She could not put that past the nicest young man she’d ever known. Even if he had moved completely on, he WOULD still want to ask about her – make sure she was alright.
God curse his sensitivity, and it’s ability to soften her heart until it was nearly mush. She did NOT need that, then.
“What did he ask?” She added, softly.
“I didn’t think he had right to know every detail about how you’ve been since you’ve been apart, so I gave him one question.” She began.
“ONE question, Carri?”
“That’s generous, Shannie! Do you WANT him knowing all about how you rarely go out anymore, how it’s a good day if I can get one smile out of you?”
She blushed, imagining that that would hurt him probably as much as her yelling at him had, if not more. He didn’t need to know how hurt she was, he shouldn’t have to know. He could think she was fine.
This was why she didn’t want to see him.
Sighing, she asked again, “What did he ask?”
“’Do you want to talk to him?’”
Her heart stopped. Oh Lord. Oh sweet, sweet Lord… He DID want to talk to her? He was looking to see her again? Oh, why!?
“And…?”
“I told him what you told me.” Carrissa sighed, sounding like she was exhausted by the whole ordeal, “That no, no you did not want to talk to him. Was that right?”
Shannon sighed, “Yes, yes, thank you.” She wanted to ask his reply to that, but found she really didn’t want to know. This was better, she thought.
“And well-“ Her friend began softly. She wasn’t sure she heard.
“What?” She asked.
Carrissa shook her head, “Nothing. Anyways, you can go, I can hold it u-“
“Shannon!! You made it, too!! Oh, you’re an absolute Godsend!” Carrissa and Shannon’s other childhood friend, Will, took her by shoulders in a brotherly embrace. The restaurant was newly opened, but already busy. Busier than their best friend and owner had employees for. As his mates the two of them happily took the job to help out when they could.
She looked in his chocolate brown eyes, looking worried and worn down. She couldn’t leave… how could she? She sent Carrissa a look of surrender.
“What can I help with, Will?” She gave him her most convincing grin.
He beamed, “Carrissa’s on a lunch break, so you can clean up some of the tables by the front. Thank you so much for this, you have no idea.”
Shannon was already grabbing a towel and wrapping an apron around her, not looking at either friend’s face. “Not a problem ,Will. Be back in a bit.”
Not wanting to be out where she could possibly be seen, she tried to grab as many dirty plates as she could in one trip. She teetered at the weight but kept going, wanting to be done as soon as physically possible.
Finally, convinced she’d got enough for the first trip, she moved back to the kitchen. But before she’d made it a plate on top began to rock unsteadily, and before she knew it, she had hit the ground – plates and silverware falling around her to the gasps of other customers.
She blushed furiously, trying to gather the mess. Nothing had shattered though a few plates had cracks in them. She ignored people’s concerned questions and stared down at the scattered plating trying to gather them again.
Someone handed her a plate, as she continued and though the gesture only made her more mortified by her stupidity, she murmured a thank you to the unknown helper. Another plate and this time the person’s hand brushed underneath it. An all too familiar spark ran through her body and her head snapped up. Only to meet the suddenly equally shocked eyes of Ryan Kelly.
 
... I should update this tale... but I probably won't.

At the same time I have another fic I've been wanting to write to do with a favorite book of mine (which none of you have read, I'm pretty sure) all the same there is no place to put it on Fanfiction.net and so it'll probably end up here with explanation of what's happening in context so you don't have to read the book for it to make sense.
 
So here it is. It's two parts, one told by each main character, both about when one realized they were in love with the other during the course of the book.

(Overall story background! A wizard named Wayland North takes a young weaver girl,Sydelle, to be his assistant and help him stop a war in their land. She has a special kind of magic that draws other Wizards to her because her blood has power and stuff, but she doesn't know she has it and North won't tell her. He also has a curse her blood would cure.)

Part One:
(Background. Sydelle was poisoned and North has just saved her from it.)

Wayland North fell back against the wall with a sigh. He held Sydelle against him gently, as though she were glass. As though she could shatter and break away from him and leave him alone once more.
"That's my girl..." He whispered, resting his cheek against the top of her head. She'd been remarkably brave, he thought. She'd very nearly died. If he hadn't been able to... no. There was no use thinking in 'if's. She was safe. That was what counted in the end.
It was useless, impossible and utterly useless, trying to explain the strange protectiveness that came over him in regards to the redhead still shaking in his arms. Even trying to explain it to himself. He'd survived so many years on his own, with a handful of friends and allies he hardly saw anyways. And then he'd stolen her, Sydelle Mirabil, away from her home for want of her blood of all things, of all stupid, selfish things. And he'd lied.
And in all of that, he hadn't planned on her being, well, so human. She was a jinx after all; everything everyone had ever written or read was that Jinxes were out of control, like a rabid animal, they had to be put down before they caused destruction. But there she was, full of fear and hurt and concern and warmth and a fierce love for those who earned it. North certainly understood that, frustrating as it was. He hadn't planned on connecting with her. He hadn't planned on her becoming someone who's presence he would miss.
His plan on what to do with Sydelle had been changing with his emotions. It was a month into their journey when it had hit him that he could never take her blood. Hours ago, it had been that he would find a way to lock up her power, keep her from unintentionally harming anyone. After their mission was done, he'd take her where ever she wished to go and leave her there, content that the lock would keep other wizards from harming her. He may visit her if he ever came through that place again, as he did with his other friends. That would be that.
However, now, as he held her and stroked her hair and calmed her - and himself - from her brush with death, North discovered that, too, he couldn't do. Impossible; she would be perfectly safe, he would see to that. But that wasn't it. It was the idea of being without her, the brief piercing fear that had gripped him as he struggled to save her life... he never wanted to be without her. Not anymore. Useless. Impossible. In a month and a half of traveling he couldn't imagine his life without Sydelle in it.
Enough. The thoughts were only getting more and more troublesome and she was still shaking, no longer from pain but from fear. It was sinking in, what had nearly happened to her.
"Syd," He whispered. "It's okay, you're okay. You should sleep, though," He glanced around the dark room, the beds they'd been given were against the opposite wall. "Can you stand?" He asked.
There was a long pause and North wondered if she was in fact asleep. Then a quiet hoarse whisper, "...I can try."
So like her, it was, not to give up without trying. But North saw her expression twist in pain as she attempted, even in the little light, and shook his head. Wordlessly, he scooped the redhead into his arms and carried her to her bed. She was obviously too exhausted to protest, or else he knew she would have.
On a much softer surface and with a promise she was alright, Sydelle was asleep nearly instantly. He turned to his own bed, wondering idly if he would actually be able to sleep.
"North..."
Sydelle's sleepy murmur of his name made him jump. He looked back at her; eyes closed and expression peaceful there wasn't a chance she was awake. Still, tentatively he whispered, "Yes?"
A pause and she shifted a little, nestling her head against the cool pillow. Then, finally, "Thank... you.."
In that instant he loved her.
He sighed, mentally cursing the impossibility of it all. He waited a few minutes to see if Sydelle would speak again. When she didn't he shook his head, and brushed a curl off her face.
"Ah Syd," He whispered. "Why do you have to make everything so complicated?"
 
WOOT!! And I seldom say woot. We don't see nearly enough of you here, Magsie; this was a great way for you to re-appear on forum.

There is a sort of unwritten rule (pre-Harry Potter, at least) that sorceror-wiseman types are not allowed to experience romantic love, even if they're the good guy. We always remember that when Merlin in the Arthur legend ventured to have a romance, it ended very badly for him; Gandalf, being really an incarnated angel of God rather than a student of magic, simply wasn't interested; Sparrowhawk of Earthsea missed his chance with that priestess character; and Obi-Wan Kenobi was too devoted to his heroic duty to allow himself a personal life. Given this tradition, I was not prepared for Wayland himself to BE the man who falls in love; but being myself a man who's had love yanked out of his grasp, I wish Wayland well. You go for it, magic dude!
 
Thank you very much, all of you.

The second part is told from Sydelle's point of view, and further on in the story. The situation is incredibly similar though, which is fun. North just had his own brush with death and she's just witnessed the kind of suffering his curse - which until then she didn't know he had - gives him.
So now we have a sort of flip of part 1.

Part 2:

Confusing and irritable as her undefinable magic was, Sydelle had never been more thankful for it as she was watching North's expression smooth from the pained look it had minutes ago and helped him lie back against the bed. If she hadn't had whatever she had she wouldn't be able to make pain elixirs. "The strongest he'd ever had." He'd told her once. She smiled absently, despite not being at all happy.
He still held her hand, and though there were things to do, she couldn't bring herself to pull away. At least the hold wasn't as painful as it had been earlier - gripping it as though he was holding on for dear life as pain ripped through him. That had been, without a doubt, the most terrifying thing she'd ever witnessed. Watching him suffer like that. She had a few dozen questions for him now, but those could wait. She knew she had already seen more than he wanted her to.
Their hostess, North's old friend, had already shared what she knew of his curse when Sydelle had unwittingly discovered the blackened skin he hid under his gloves a few nights prior whilst he'd been asleep. But she hadn't known much either; The curse was passed from father to son, both North's father and grandfather had suffered and died an early death from it. And there was no known cure. Nothing, nothing at all Sydelle could do to ease this pain. She hated being helpless.
She lifted her free hand to brush his black hair out of his face, studying the dark circles under his ashen skin and the slight frown on his face, even resting. She sighed, thinking to herself what she wouldn't give to see that grin she'd once found so infuriating. To be rattled by the intensity of his dark eyes. That was the first thing she'd loved about him, from the first moment she'd met him. Knew nothing of who he was, or what he wanted, but she'd already fallen in love with those eyes.
And now, sitting at the edge of his bed, watching the way the firelight played across his features, she knew she'd fallen in love with all of him.
She let out a humorless laugh, when that thought reached her. It was completely true, of course; she loved him. But that didn't take the rueful humor away from it. She had hated him so much. He kept everything to himself, and it seemed the only joy he found was in teasing her. Their first weeks of traveling she'd spend evenings studying her small map figuring out just where she would have the wizard take her once she was free. That was all she wanted; rid of him.
Somewhere in their traveling that had changed. North grew kinder, told her more when she asked. She spoke more to him as well, realizing how often she, too, had locked herself away from him. His teasing never stopped, but even that Sydelle found some amusement in. Her hated shortening of her name to 'Syd' became something she would terribly miss if he ever stopped, as well as his habit to play with her curly red hair.
But, lovely as thinking about it was, realization that she loved him only made her feel worse knowing the pain and the fate his curse had for him. She tugged off his gloves and studied where the black began and ended. It had spread... considerably. The last three fingers of his right hand were taken and the color was spreading to his palm. His right hand, mercifully untouched at her last look, now had the smallest finger blackened with the one next to it tinged grey. Tears filled her eyes as she slid the gloves back on. How old had his father been? 35? It sounded so far away when North was only 18, but it was too close. Too soon.
When she looked up from his hand it was to meet his eyes. Surprised, she set his hands down. She hadn't expected, after everything, he'd still be awake.
"Are... Are you alright?" He asked her, his voice a scratchy whisper. She nearly laughed; all the pain and hurt he'd been through and he was asking her if she was alright.
"No," She answered truthfully.
That got a weak smile from him. "You should sleep, Syd."
"So should you."
"I will," He promised, obviously to ease her concern. "Not... sure what woke me up." He glanced at his hands, as if checking to make sure they were gloved. Well, Sydelle thought, when they were up to a full conversation she'd have to tell him he didn't need to hide this anymore, not from her. He raised a hand to her cheek suddenly, "You're crying." He accused, dark eyes deeply troubled by this.
She shook her head a little, "I'm fine, North. Get some rest, please."
He smiled ruefully, but closed his eyes as told, mumbling to himself, "I always manage to make you cry." More to himself, than her - she was losing him to sleep again. And while that was certainly the truth she found she had the strength to laugh a little.
"I don't mind." She replied softly, which was also the truth.
When it was clear North had fallen asleep she sighed, leaning down to press her lips lightly to his forehead. She stood and stretched, smiling once more at the man she loved before leaving the room to tell her hostess there would be some changes in their plans.
 
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