Author's Note: Originally part of a collection; final drabble to be published. The prompt for this one was 'these inconvenient fireworks'. Beware some sexual themes and general bad behavior.
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Defiance
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During their short, windswept affair in his father's beach house, Silver knows that something is bothering Blue.
Most things are completely normal. When the days are sunny, they go to the beach and build sandcastles like the little children they never really were. When the days are rainy, he reads on the couch while she sits on the front porch and hums.
But then there are the things that are just a bit off.
Sometimes when they eat dinner together, Blue doesn't say a single word and instead pokes at her food with her fork, instead of babbling on and on about some new idea. Sometimes when they kiss, she doesn't close her eyes, and he catches the hint of guilt when she turns away and says that she needs a moment to clean herself up before bedtime.
Sometimes when they make love, he falls asleep in her arms, only to find her still awake hours later, watching the ceiling fan go round and round. He pretends not to have even woken.
Silver doesn't ask what it is. If she wants to tell him, she will.
On the day she plans to leave, Silver hugs her tight and asks her, "Stay a little longer." He takes one hand off her hip to wave it at the plush furniture. "My father won't mind."
Blue flinches away from him, gently lifting the single hand from her waist. "I can't." She wanders to the window and stares out at the crashing waves. She stays silent for several minutes, and she looks like a ghost with all the blood drained from her face. And when she finally speaks, the words have never hurt so bad (even when he's known the truth the whole fucking time).
"I'm marrying Green in three days."
After she's gone, Silver sinks into the sofa. Then, with the room completely silent, he barks out a sudden spurt of insane laughter.
Her departure… her marriage… It should be tragic. It should be terrible. It should be heartbreaking.
Instead, it's merely…
…inconvenient.
Silver was not raised to give up so easily.