"Hello! Coast clear?" Daine nodded, chewing on her lip, arms wrapped around
her knees. Jon came into the room, looked into the hallway and shut the
door.
Maybe if he hadn't done that, if he hadn't reminded her of what they were doing, she wouldn't have begun her sentence. "Jon, we should break up. Now."
He sat next to her, and hugged her tightly. "As soon as it goes wrong," he promised.
"No. That's not enough. Now."
He looked into her eyes, and paled when he realised she meant it. After all that had happened with Alanna and Thayet, he hadn't expected this from her as well. "Why?"
"This is wrong."
"Why?"
"You're married."
He glanced away. "I can fix that."
"No, Jon! Don't make empty promises! We don't belong together! You belong to Thayet, and I-"
He shook his head slightly, clearing it. It sounded like an echo from before. "Sorry?" he asked tightly.
She looked mildly surprised, but repeated it nonetheless. "You belong to-"
He cut her off. "You've been talking to Alanna, haven't you? Haven't you?" he added firmly, when she tried to brush the question aside.
"Well, not so much talking as-"
"But you did have a conversation, about us? Exchanged words?" he prodded.
"And insults. Why?"
"This isn't you talking, is it? It's Alanna! Mithros, I should have guessed!" He threw his hands in the air. Typical. How very typical of Alanna.
"Why?" Daine's eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Don't you think I'm clever enough to come up with those words by myself?"
"She gets into everything!" He was speaking as if she wasn't there; as if she was a minor inconvenience. Temporary.
"Only because you weren't listening to me!" snarled Daine.
"Daine, listen to me!"
"I want you to listen to me!"
"I've listened! You're just going to repeat yourself and what Alanna's already said! Look, Daine, I don't want to lose you! I've given Thayet the throne. Well, not officially, but I won't be King any more. Or her husband."
Daine, about to speak, stopped, her mouth dropping open in wonder. "What?"
"Come with me!"
"Where?"
"Wherever I go! Please, I can't do this alone."
Maybe she was caught up in the heat of the moment, maybe she knew what she was doing, but for whatever reason, Daine found herself agreeing enthusiastically. "Of course I will!" She was crying now, the conversation had made her that happy.
"Are you sure? I don't want to pressure you, or anything."
"I'm sure." She smiled at the expression on his face. He kissed her, laughing with joy.
He sobered up slightly. "Let's tell Alanna."
Remembering the last time she had spoken to the Lioness made Daine say, "I'll hide behind you, then."
He laughed, and pulled her up into another kiss.
"Are you sure you want to go with me?"
"Positive."
Curious, she asked the question that had burnt inside her since their first kiss in the library. "Why?"
His answer came with a smile. "Because I love you."
*
(prequel to 'love or lust')
Maybe if he hadn't done that, if he hadn't reminded her of what they were doing, she wouldn't have begun her sentence. "Jon, we should break up. Now."
He sat next to her, and hugged her tightly. "As soon as it goes wrong," he promised.
"No. That's not enough. Now."
He looked into her eyes, and paled when he realised she meant it. After all that had happened with Alanna and Thayet, he hadn't expected this from her as well. "Why?"
"This is wrong."
"Why?"
"You're married."
He glanced away. "I can fix that."
"No, Jon! Don't make empty promises! We don't belong together! You belong to Thayet, and I-"
He shook his head slightly, clearing it. It sounded like an echo from before. "Sorry?" he asked tightly.
She looked mildly surprised, but repeated it nonetheless. "You belong to-"
He cut her off. "You've been talking to Alanna, haven't you? Haven't you?" he added firmly, when she tried to brush the question aside.
"Well, not so much talking as-"
"But you did have a conversation, about us? Exchanged words?" he prodded.
"And insults. Why?"
"This isn't you talking, is it? It's Alanna! Mithros, I should have guessed!" He threw his hands in the air. Typical. How very typical of Alanna.
"Why?" Daine's eyes narrowed with suspicion. "Don't you think I'm clever enough to come up with those words by myself?"
"She gets into everything!" He was speaking as if she wasn't there; as if she was a minor inconvenience. Temporary.
"Only because you weren't listening to me!" snarled Daine.
"Daine, listen to me!"
"I want you to listen to me!"
"I've listened! You're just going to repeat yourself and what Alanna's already said! Look, Daine, I don't want to lose you! I've given Thayet the throne. Well, not officially, but I won't be King any more. Or her husband."
Daine, about to speak, stopped, her mouth dropping open in wonder. "What?"
"Come with me!"
"Where?"
"Wherever I go! Please, I can't do this alone."
Maybe she was caught up in the heat of the moment, maybe she knew what she was doing, but for whatever reason, Daine found herself agreeing enthusiastically. "Of course I will!" She was crying now, the conversation had made her that happy.
"Are you sure? I don't want to pressure you, or anything."
"I'm sure." She smiled at the expression on his face. He kissed her, laughing with joy.
He sobered up slightly. "Let's tell Alanna."
Remembering the last time she had spoken to the Lioness made Daine say, "I'll hide behind you, then."
He laughed, and pulled her up into another kiss.
"Are you sure you want to go with me?"
"Positive."
Curious, she asked the question that had burnt inside her since their first kiss in the library. "Why?"
His answer came with a smile. "Because I love you."
*
(prequel to 'love or lust')