Okay, so I NEVER write anything this short. Ever. To prove this point, I should tell you that the very first fic I ever posted- which I had intended to be a very short multi-chapter- is currently still in progress, now totalling almost 80,000 words.
Back when I was at school, word limits of less than 1000 words were my biggest challenge. So you can imagine that I was pretty surprised when I wrote this and found that I was happy with it, despite it coming to less than 500 words in total, a previously unheard-of amount in any of my writing.
So anyway, this little idea came to me during a yoga class (I've discovered that meditation is amazing for giving you fic ideas) and was inspired by the song that was playing, a cover of "The Only Exception" by Paramore.
I hope you enjoy it.
All his life, he'd had one rule.
No matter what, he would never give himself up completely to another person.
And for many years, that rule had remained unbroken.
He'd disobeyed guidelines, crossed boundaries, and even broken the law.
But never this.
His mother had never cared much for any rule, particularly those involving matters of the heart.
She had given herself completely to his father, only to be left, pregnant and alone, with a scar that nothing could heal, a scar that went far deeper than her flesh.
He'd spent his entire life watching her trying to fill that hole, to reclaim that part of herself that she'd lost on the night that his father had left her. He knew she'd never realised that some things, once lost, are lost forever.
As he grew older, he only grew more determined not to repeat her mistakes. He'd been careful to keep part of himself safely hidden away, protected deep down within himself.
A part buried so deep that eventually, not even he could find it.
And he had felt safe.
He'd had many relationships, and married young, realizing too late that relationships based on lust were always meant to end. And when it had, he'd been relieved.
When his daughter had been born, he had thought that she might be the one person who could possibly break his rule. But, though he loved her with all his heart, there was still a place deep inside him that he soon knew not even she could ever reach.
He'd married again, this time for a connection much stronger than simple lust. But time, as it always does, had shown that the connection was simply not strong enough.
He grew wiser. He no longer sought long-term commitment or thought of a girlfriend as a future wife. He looked for fun and excitement in a relationship, and when there no longer was any, he moved on.
And for a long time, he was content, never realising how predictable his life had become.
Until, one ordinary day, a woman had walked into his life.
A woman who was the complete opposite of ordinary.
Almost instantly, things had begun to change.
Parts of himself that he thought he'd hidden forever began rising to the surface, emerging from the secret depths of his being as if answering an unspoken call. And, no matter how hard he tried, he could not force them back down. Regardless, with wilful determination, he continued to try.
Until he began to realise just how much he wanted to change.
But, despite everything, he'd held on to his one rule.
For over a year he protected it, stubbornly ensuring that, no matter what, it remained unbroken.
Now, as he watched her walking toward him, a smile on her face and a coffee in either hand, he realised that he'd neglected to consider one extremely important fact.
For every rule, there was an exception.
And she was his.
As always, thanks so much for reading, and I'd absolutely love to hear your opinions- so feel free to review :)