Hi guys! This is my first foray into writing stories for Ranger's Apprentice. I recently finished the series (and completely LOVED it!) I hope these are okay. :)
This was written inspired the iPod Shuffle challenge: choose a pairing/fandom (in this case, Horace/Will whom I have lovingly named Hill), put your iPod on shuffle, and write a short story (for as long as the song lasts) about that particular pairing/fandom based on the song. It was a lot of fun to do, and I hope you have as much fun reading them as I did writing them. Thanks!
Heart - Pet Shop Boys
It was amazing.
Horace didn't remember when his heart started missing beats or his breathing got just a bit shaky whenever he saw his best friend, but it just seemed to start happening. Like a sequence of clockwork events, he could always expect that same exhilaration whenever Will was around.
Broken Hearts, Torn Up Letters, and the Story of a Lonely Girl – Lostprophets
It was an irrational feeling, he told himself. He felt jealous whenever he saw Horace and Evanlyn together, when he saw his friend talking and laughing with the pretty blonde princess.
Being jealous of Horace would make more sense, Will thought. The irrational part came in when it was Evanlyn he was jealous of. But it made him feel so...
He didn't know what it meant, why he suddenly had all these odd feelings he usually reserved for girls transferred over to his best friend.
His heart gave a desperate leap when he saw Horace enter the room. Will bit his lip, hoping that the luminescent blush that undoubtedly appeared on his cheeks would go unnoticed by the young warrior.
Breathe Me - Sia Furler
They'd been friends for so long—that was the problem.
Will longed to feel his arms around him, to hold him and warm him when it was cold, and never let him go.
But those arms belonged to Horace, his best friend. It wasn't right.
But he couldn't deny what he felt about him; it was too intense and felt too real to ignore.
He breathed out Horace's name, almost like a prayer, pushing the syllables past his lips.
Will sighed, closing his eyes. He had to tell him somehow.
Babylon - Angus & Julia Stone
Will leaned his head on the taller boy's shoulder, and Horace grinned to himself almost involuntarily. He didn't admit it, but he liked it when Will was close to him, especially like this. Missions often got lonely, and company was welcome. Especially Will's.
Will relaxed, resting against Horace's body. It felt wonderful, being with him, sitting in front of a blazing fire, mugs of hot coffee in their hands. He sighed contentedly, and was pleasantly surprised to feel the other boy encircling his waist with one arm.
Miracle! – Paramore
They broke apart, Will wide-eyed in shock, Horace grinning like a madman.
"Horace..." Will started, trailing off. "That was..."
"Amazing? I thought it was," he said brightly.
"I... you..." Will blinked. "Why?"
"I had my hopes up and decided to take a chance," he said. "It's a miracle I managed to get the nerve to do it."
Day Too Soon - Sia Furler
"It's so nice to finally be with you," Will said quietly. "It was so hard, trying to stay away for so long."
Horace looked at the smaller boy, his hair mussed and his skin flushed, and reached out across the bed to cup his jaw and pull him in for a kiss. He didn't really need to say much—after all, actions spoke louder than words.
"I feel like I've been running from something for all this time," Horace said after a moment's silence.
"Not anymore?" Will asked, grinning.
"No," Horace said, wrapping his arms around the smaller boy. "I feel... safe, I suppose. With you."
Bigger Than Big – Super Mal feat. Luciana
"I feel inadequate now," Will complained.
"What?" Horace asked uncomprehendingly. He followed the path of Will's eyes. "Oh." He looked over at the other boy.
"There's not really a big difference," Horace said.
"There is," Will replied.
"Come on, Will," he said. "It's not that small. Besides, it'll get bigger when you—"
"Shut up, Horace," Will said, interrupting him and turning his face away so Horace wouldn't see the blush creeping up his neck. Horace just raised his eyebrows, wondering what bothered Will so much about it.
He looked down. It didn't seem particularly impressive.
He looked at Will's. It didn't have any distinguishing features, either, aside from the fact that it was slightly smaller than his own.
An unbidden thought had crossed his mind—how long would it be, he wondered, if he had an—
Then Horace banished the thought. It wasn't something he should even be thinking about, much less about Will.
Need You Now – Lady Antebellum
These cold, lonely nights were always the worst, Will thought.
He was on a mission again, and this time he had been forced to pitch his tent early because an impending storm had made itself known.
Now he was huddled inside, listening to rain pound on the canvas covering, nursing a rapidly cooling mug of coffee, with a sputtering candle lamp at his feet. Everything was in a state of dampness, and he was cold and alone.
I wish Horace were here, Will thought.
Nescafe – Parokya ni Edgar
"Would you like some coffee?"
Horace looked up from the book he had been reading at the sound of Will's voice calling him from the kitchen. The boy's head peeked out from behind the counter.
"Yes please, thanks Will."
Will smiled and prepared another serving. It was always good to spend time with your loved ones, especially with coffee on rainy days like this one. Horace had visited Castle Seacliffe to instruct the Battleschool apprentices in some sword drills and afterwards, visited Will in his cabin. They spent the day recounting their experiences since they had last seen each other, walking and exploring until the light rainstorm forced them indoors.
They treasured days like this, since they were often burdened with work, and didn't have much opportunity to see each other. Relaxing with a cup of coffee always helped melt their troubles away.
Julius – Starfucker
Will cracked open his eyes when the first slants of sunlight shone through the windows.
The first sight that greeted him was Horace, still asleep, facing him. The sunlight shone in stripes across his face and body, and bleached his blond hair to an almost white colour.
Will slowly reached out and placed his hand on the other boy's muscular arm. He didn't seem to notice, so Will scooted closer, feeling the warmth radiating from his body.
Horace woke to find Will's head nestled snugly under his chin, his hands on his back, and he wrapped his arms around the smaller boy in a tender embrace.
"Good morning," Will whispered.
"Good morning," Horace replied. He pulled back to see Will's face.
Will knew he would never get tired of seeing those amazing blue eyes. He could just get himself lost in them, feeling like he was falling.
First Love – Adele
"Horace, I'm sorry."
"Will... why?"
Will looked up at him. The look on his face was a mix of utter confusion and despairing sadness.
"I... Horace," he tried. "I can't go on like this. It—it's not there anymore."
"Will, please don't." In a fit of desperation, he stepped closer to Will and brazenly pressed his lips to his. When he pulled away, he saw that Will's eyes glistened, unless of course he was trying to cheat himself into thinking that.
"I'm sorry, Horace," Will repeated quietly, and with downcast eyes, he walked away.
So there you go! Eleven short stories all about Horace/Will (Hill!) There isn't much about them on here... so I am adding my humble contribution right here. I'll probably be writing more of these, most likely still about Horace and Will, possibly individually as well. I'll see where it takes me. :)
But thank you, dear reader, for dropping and stopping by to read this! I really appreciate it. :)
Please don't favourite/alert without reviewing. (Because I want to know why you liked it so much!)
