Tied

A/N: I realize that not everyone is a fan of the idea of Mary dating anyone besides Bash (or maybe Francis) but let's be realistic.. she's beautiful, she's smart, she's in college.. it would be a little naïve to think that she'd never have any other romantic encounters while she's single. So with that in mind, and the fact this story is one for the long haul so there won't be any instant gratification, I'm back with chapter ten.

Disclaimer: Reign doesn't belong to me.

Chapter 10: Dinner and a Movie

Mary's POV

It wasn't a bad thing to have Simon in her life. In fact it served to be quite exciting and even a tad bit convenient. He was completely in agreement that they should move slowly so he never rushed her to go beyond kissing, although she could tell that he would have enjoyed more. Mary looked forward to their dates and studying with him was becoming less and less of a possibility because he was a distraction.

Just a few short weeks after she and Simon had first kissed Mary received a call from Francis. It was time for his autumn visit. They had fallen into the habit of him visiting her at least once in the fall and once in the spring semesters. They would take some pictures together and catch up like old friends. Appropriately, Francis would be able to then send pictures home to his parents as evidence of their relationship and Mary would do the same.

Francis planned on visiting for a whole weekend this time.

"I just thought it would be nice to stay the night and then drive back the following day. You and I get along well now and I'm actually really looking forward to spending some time together." His voice sounded hopeful.

Mary cleared her throat nervously and was suddenly aware of the fact that her heart had been racing since she had heard his first hello. "I truly am looking forward to seeing you Francis but I don't know that it would be a good idea for you to stay here. I just…" she trailed off nervously.

"Are you afraid I'm going to try to seduce you?" Francis laughed. "Don't you think that would complicate our situation? We're finally at a point of friendship Mary, I'm not planning on ruining that at this time." She breathed a little sigh of relief but she knew that she was going to have to be honest with him.

"Alright Francis, I'm sure the girls won't mind if you use Kenna's room. There is something you should know though. I've been seeing someone." She paused quietly to see if he would object but when he didn't say anything she continued. "His name is Simon. He is a really great guy and we've been dating for over a month now."

The seconds that followed her confession seemed to last for hours but in reality Francis responded fairly quickly. "Oh. I see. So you're thinking that if I stayed it would upset him?"

"Oh no! He knows about my arrangement with you and I'm sure he'll be supportive but I just wanted you to know." She was starting to relax a bit. "I guess I just wanted transparency."

"I appreciate it Mary, and I am glad to know in advance. Can I meet this Simon or would that be too awkward for you?" There was a smile in his voice when he asked.

"I suppose that would be fine. I'll have to talk it over with him though." She wondered about Simon's reaction, and as they eventually ended their conversation she began to get nervous at the idea of telling him.

She didn't have long to wait though, because she had a coffee date with him that afternoon. As she settled into an overstuffed chair to wait for him at the coffee house she realized that she wasn't going to be able to focus on anything because of her nerves so she cast aside the book she had brought along. When Simon walked in she had been staring at an arrangement of muffins in the dessert case, deep in thought and worry.

"Would you like me to leave you and that muffin alone so you can keep undressing it with your eyes Mary?" Simon joked as he disturbed her from her thoughts. He leaned in and kissed her cheek before settling down across from her with an oversized mug of his own.

"I guess I was deep in thought, I didn't even noticed that you had arrived!" She exclaimed. "I'm so sorry, how rude of me."

"What's on your mind beautiful girl?" He asked with equal parts concern and admiration.

She took a deep breath. She had to just come out with it.

"Francis is coming this weekend. He's going to stay at the apartment in Kenna's room since she's been basically living at her newest boyfriend's house, and it's purely a friendly visit for the sake of appearances, but I wanted you to know." She paused for breath.

She watched him take a sip of his coffee and when he spoke she could tell that he wasn't upset but she did notice his eyes narrow slightly.

"If you're asking if I'm uncomfortable with it, I'm not. I trust you. But I'm not necessarily happy about it either. I know we don't talk about him often but I don't appreciate the pressures that his family has put on you." He spoke quietly and carefully.

"Simon I promise you, those pressures are equally applied towards him. He doesn't like the situation any more than I do. In fact, when I told him about you he asked if he could meet you. He seems very supportive of whatever I choose to do." She stopped and added "But of course you don't have to meet him if you think it's not a good idea."

He chuckled a bit darkly. "I suppose it would be good to meet him. It might shed some light on the whole situation for me, and at least put a face to the name."

She leaned forward and reached for his hand, taking it in hers. "Thank you for being so understanding. I really appreciate it. I know that my situation is anything but normal and I also know that even being remotely exposed to my life would send a guy running far, far away from me. But you haven't, and I appreciate that so much."

Simon put down his mug and took her hand in both of his, leaning in to brush his lips against hers. "You are worth it Mary."

X o xxxooo o xx x X xx o

When Francis arrived that Friday it hadn't really worried her since the initial talk with Simon had subdued her fears. She met him at the door, they exchanged a friendly embrace and then they settled on the sofa to chat.

"So pray tell, how are you?" She smiled at him genuinely while he gathered his thoughts and reclined back against the arm of the sofa. He had always seemed so confident and at ease. That never ceased to amaze her. His hair was a bit shorter than usual but the messy blonde curls were still full of chaos, and his smiling blue eyes really did seem happy to see her.

"I'm actually doing really well. Academically things are great and socially.. well let's just say I'm a free man!" He winked at her but she rolled her eyes.

"I'm sure that won't last for long, the ladies are already clamoring for your attention I imagine." She teased. "Francis DeMedici will always be a catch."

"Well that's no matter, I'm taking some time off from dating." He stretched his arm over the back of the couch, fidgeting with a loose thread in the fabric. "It gets a little tiring after a while."

She tried not to act surprised as she processed the idea that Francis wasn't seeing anyone. "I can understand that. I imagine that it's hard when girls find out about us also. I'm sorry for that burden." She spoke quietly.

His laugh interrupted her guilt though. "Honestly Mary I really haven't dated many who I've shared our situation with. There haven't been any that I considered a long term option and many just seemed to be unworthy of all the personal details. It's hard to find anyone who would understand my life, or appreciate how difficult my family is to deal with." He paused briefly before continuing. "Sometimes it's nice to catch up with you simply because you understand where I come from. I know that's selfish of me considering what my family has put you through, but it's the truth."

She looked down at her hands for a moment and cleared her throat. "I do understand Francis. I don't have many people in my life that I can truly be open with either."

He seemed to hesitate for a minute, weighing his words but finally spoke. "Hey, you know Bash says hello. I talked to him while I was driving here. He's doing well."

She felt sick to her stomach at the mention of his name, and from Francis' lips of all things.

"Really? Well I'm glad. He deserves the best." She was at a loss. Her mind was screaming at Francis. Why would you bring him up? It must be nice to have him in your life still, even though you know I can't. She was much too rational to speak any of those emotions out loud though, and she knew that Francis wasn't trying to cause her pain from it. She wanted them to be brothers again, even friends.

"I know you miss him." Francis spoke in a low voice. "You don't have to pretend. I understand that you would feel that vacancy of friendship, probably even more so than the attraction or whatever the two of you shared. I don't mean to be cruel but I don't want to avoid the topic of him. He's my brother and we have been working through our differences, and since he's my brother he will eventually be your family as well."

She sighed and shook her head. "I do still miss him. I won't lie to you. I don't know how all that will ever work out but I appreciate that you're attempting to ease things."

She shifted on the couch and Francis must have sensed her change in body language because he quickly put a hand on her knee. "I'm not asking for anything now Mary, I just think we both need to acknowledge him and that this will eventually be something that we will end up confronting. He's going to be at functions with us."

"I know Francis." She sighed again. "I honestly didn't expect intense conversation to come from this visit. You're going to emotionally exhaust me" She laughed weakly.

He gave her knee a squeeze before letting go. "I'm sorry. I guess I've just been thinking about all this stuff lately. I know it's a lot to spring on you." He leaned back again before continuing. "So tell me more about Simon. He's a good guy?"

She nodded. "He's a great guy. He's a gentleman and he has led a really fascinating life. A very different life than you or I. He comes from a real family." She smiled at the thought of it.

"You mean a family where people like each other?" Francis laughed at the thought. "What must that be like?"

"It's amazing to hear him talk about it. They were barely middle class too. He actually worked construction for years until he had earned enough to pay for college. It's just such an amazing other world to me." She shook her head in disbelief as she thought about it.

"That is admirable. I can see how you would find that sort of work ethic valuable." He said. "So he must be quite a bit older than you then?"

Mary thought she heard a hint of some emotion there but she couldn't quite distinguish what it was.

"He's 25, so not very old. He took a year off after high school to travel the world, then worked for a few years and now he's a junior with a major in history." She glanced at the clock. "Speaking of which, we should get moving if we're going to be on time for dinner. He's going to meet us at the restaurant. I hope you don't mind but I asked Greer to meet us as well. She said she'd be there by 6:00." As she spoke she rose and headed towards her bedroom to freshen up.

"Kenna's room is the last one on the right; please make yourself at home while I get ready!" She called back over her shoulder as she left.

About twenty minutes later she came out wearing a salmon colored wrap dress and she went to Kenna's door to borrow brown scarf that she knew would match perfectly. The door was partially closed so she knocked gently before entering. "I just need to grab a scarf from the closet and I'll be out of your way." She said, trying not to interrupt him in case he was still getting ready.

"I'm all set anyway." He answered as he stood up from the bed where he'd been fidgeting with his phone but he stopped short. "You look incredible!" His observation made her a little uneasy and it must have been obvious because after she murmured her thanks he gathered his wits and stopped staring. "I mean it though, that dress looks great on you. Shall we go my queen?" And he playfully offered his arm.

"We shall!" she laughed as she tucked her hand through his elbow.

Xx xxxx x oo xx ooooo X

The restaurant wasn't overly busy so it was easy to make introductions when they arrived. Greer was a few minutes late since she had come straight from her last class, but the other three were seated at their table without her. As Francis was introducing himself to Simon Mary could sense a change in both of their demeanor. It seemed cliché but she felt like there was some sort of silent challenge made between them.

Nothing but pleasantries were shared but there was more to both of their attitudes than what they were voicing and by the time Greer was seated with them Mary was grateful that she had thought to invite a fourth person to their party.

As they were deciding what to order Simon leaned over and whispered in her ear. "That dress is more tempting than anything on this menu." And gently kissed her neck where it had flushed with color. He returned to his own menu laughing to himself.

Mary was smiling but entirely embarrassed. She didn't know why it was so uncomfortable to her. She would have relished Simon's affections in any other environment but this one. She glanced up and saw that Francis had not missed the display of affection. He didn't look upset, instead he seemed startled by it.

She realized that since she had known Francis he had never seen her with anyone else. This was a new experience for him. She had always either belonged to him or been reserved for his future.

The thought made her both sympathetic to him and also a bit smug. She had on several occasions witnessed his relationships with other girls and now he was getting a taste of his own medicine. Discomfort would be good for young Mr. DeMedici.

She felt a firm squeeze high on her thigh and she realized that Simon too had seen Francis' reaction and it would appear he was reaffirming his claim on her. He wasn't looking at her but she could tell by the intensity and intimacy of his hand on her leg. It was in direct response to Francis. Simon had never been quite that forward before and she felt the heat flock to her skin under her dress where his hand was.

She was ever so grateful for the waiter when he came and she and Greer managed to shift the conversation to music. When the topic turned to concerts Francis managed to counter Simon's claim by talking about some of their shared experiences.

"We saw that band! Remember when your mom got us backstage passes for their San Francisco show? We took the jet across the country and we made it home in time for school the next day?" Frances laughed. "What a great trip that was. Hard to believe that was 3 years ago now."

Mary started to narrow her eyes but she knew it would do no good so she continued to change the subject again. About halfway through dinner Simon was telling Greer about how he had volunteered in an orphanage in Russia and Mary glanced at Francis to see that he was listening with what she could only guess was respectful eyes.

After dinner they all walked out together, with Simon at her side. "It was good to meet you Francis. I hope the rest of your visit goes well." He said as he shook his hand. "Mary can I talk you into riding home with me? I have my jeep instead of the bike."

She looked in the general direction of Francis and Greer quickly stepped in. "I'm sure that will be fine, I need a ride home and Francis is always a perfect escort." She smiled at him. "Simon, goodnight! Mary, we'll see you at home."

And with that it was decided. Mary climbed into Simon's jeep and watched as he crossed to his side of the car. The dinner hadn't gone nearly as bad as it might have, but it still wasn't your average dinner with friends. That was understandable.

The first few minutes passed in silence, until he finally cleared his throat.

"I have some things I need to say. I know that you're in an.. well an unusual situation with Francis. I honestly thought that I could handle that. I'm not sure I can though. I realized tonight that I have been passing these last few weeks in surety that you would eventually decide that I am worth being with. That we are worth giving up whatever power your family has over you. That money would be no competition for our love and that he would give up interest in you the way rich kids do."

She interrupted him. "Oh Simon!.."

"Please let me finish." He pleaded with her. "Then I met him, and I saw his reaction to you. It wasn't what I expected. He intends to marry you Mary. He knows that you don't want him right now, and I believe that too, but he still wants you. He will not give up. So it comes down to me deciding how much time I want to commit to a girl who could decide she wants to marry the guy who has known her longer than anyone else. The guy who was her first love. The guy who will make her family happy. I'm not sure it's a wise investment for me to trick myself into thinking that I can compete with that."

He stopped, and took a deep breath before turning onto her street.

"What are you saying Simon?"

"I want to stop seeing you. I need to be honest with both of us." He pulled up in front of her apartment, and turned to face her. "What kind of man would I be if I stayed Mary? Things will progress physically with us and to what end? Just to have you regret them later as a married woman? To have me fall in love with you and then not spend my life with you?"

She nodded with slightly wet eyes. "I understand. I can't ask any of that of you, and I can't promise that I would choose another path for myself."

He leaned in and kissed her gently, wiping a tear that had escaped.

"Simon I want you to know that you're an amazing person. The kind of good man that any girl would be lucky to have. I have such respect for you." She sniffled a little as he squeezed her hand as a thank you. "Thank you for getting to know me."

She took a deep breath and said goodbye as she stepped out of his jeep. "You'll forgive me if I don't walk you to the door?" He asked

"Of course. Goodbye Simon." And she shut the door behind her. The walk up her sidewalk was a slow one as she gathered her wits about her and tried to dry her eyes. She couldn't find her key so she rang the bell and Greer opened the door for her.

She knew immediately that something was wrong. "What happened?!" she asked a little too loud. Mary immediately shushed her and gestured that she didn't want to talk about it until after Francis was gone. She couldn't have explained why, but she didn't want to admit a break up with him there, especially since his presence had triggered it.

She ducked down the hall to wash her face and when she emerged she was in pajama shorts and a tank top with her hair tied up in a messy bun. She had every intention of saying goodnight and then retreating.

She found Francis with remote in hand waiting for her. "Movie? I'll even let you pick something sappy."

She paused for a minute. "Okay, but let's go for something funny instead. I feel more like funny."

As they scanned down through the channels she found herself staring at him. It didn't take him long to feel her gaze on him.

"What's the matter? My manly good looks too tempting for you?" He winked at her and she immediately laughed at him.

"So what did you think of Simon?" She asked.

He chuckled. "He seems like a great guy, just like you said. Although he was a bit handsy for my taste."

She laughed. "I sensed your disapproval. Jealousy doesn't suit you."

"I wasn't jealous! I was just.. shocked. This is new for me. I'm not used to being the third wheel to you. And the idea of someone being WITH you… I just…" He trailed off. "It isn't anything that I had really considered or prepared for. You having sex with other people wasn't on my radar."

She laughed again. "We didn't have sex tonight."

He narrowed his eyes at her. "Don't tease me; you know I just mean you having sex with anyone in general."

She looked at him as he played with the remote. Finally she decided that she'd put him out of his misery. "Simon and I haven't had sex. If that helps."

He looked up at her, as if searching for an answer to some unasked question. Finally he relaxed. "It does actually help. But he certainly knows how to lay his claim. If he had been a dog he probably would have urinated on your leg." He was smirking.

"Francis!" she scolded him.

He just laughed. They settled on to opposite ends of the couch to watch the movie.

A/N: Review if you liked it.. and I suppose if you didn't. I have to say none of my college break ups have ever went that smoothly but hey.. good for Mary. ;-)