 Posted: Mon Apr 02, 2012 6:51 pm
"Vate?" I brought dinner. Your favorite," Thali no longer bothered to knock. She was over so often, Vate had told her the house was as much hers as it was his. He hadn't expected her to take it literally. "Thought it might help you feel better." As she sat the still warm turkey melts on the table, Vate caught her eye. He saw nothing but genuine concern for his well being. It was unfortunate, he felt. He was unable to read her plan. "I thought since Drystan has Leyla..."
Ah, there it was, Vate thought. She was about to prank him. To suggest a candlelit dinner, even if he was too ill to leave the house. She would suggest bringing it to him. Perhaps she would leave to go get candles and a bottle of wine--and return in the morning, explaining that it was a joke. "I thought we could talk," she finished hesitantly. She seemed to notice Vate's surprised expression, and blushed. "About things."
"What things?" Vate was puzzled. Was this part of the prank she was undoubtedly about to pull on him? She seemed nervous. Did she know he suspected her? If she did, there was no other sign of it. "You wanted to talk?" he prompted when she remained silent.
Thali hesitated again. She sat down at the table, legs to one side of her chair. Pushing Vate's meal closer to him. "Eat," she said, "It'll help. You look like death's ghost warmed over." She lifted her fork, though her plate remained untouched.
"Thali, you're stalling. Do you want to talk, or not?" Vate was becoming impatient. Irritated, he stabbed the piece of turkey on his plate with his fork. "We can always talk about something that doesn't bother you as much."
His companion had proceeded to cut her dinner into bitesize pieces, but otherwise did not seem interested in eating. "I've been thinking a lot lately," she said at last, moving to cut each piece of cheese-covered turkey even smaller. Vate stopped her, smirking.
"Make them much smaller, and you won't be able to see them," he teased. "What about?"
"Us."
There it was. That had to be the prank. Thali had made it clear in the past that there was no "them"; no "us". She'd made it undeniably clear for over one hundred years. She was teasing him. Pranking him. A few hours of bliss, and then she would mock him for falling for it. Still, knowing that she was pranking him, knowing that he would only end up hurt by the end of the night did not keep him from choking out, "Us?"
"Well," Thali began, studying his expression. "Yes. See, Vate. I suppose my coming here daily for over a year--goodness. I should have told Drystan about your being sick long months ago. Anyway, my coming here to help you, to take care of you and Leyla--I've gotten to know you better. And--"
Certainly a prank. Thali had known him for one hundred thirty nine years. How could she claim to have gotten to know him better over the course of one year? Still, he was interested to know what she had to say. "And?" he prompted.
"And," Thali repeated, "I think the person I've been running from all this time has been my perception of you. Not--you, you." The elf looked down at her fork and sighed. "Rose was right," she said. "She told me I was seeing only what I was afraid I would see if I really looked.
Vate wasn't sure what to say. He wasn't sure this what this was, but it certainly wasn't Thali's typical prank. "And have you looked?" he asked.
He didn't get a verbal response. Instead, Thali moved from her seat, and placed a kiss on Vate's lips. The stunned dark elf stared for a long moment, putting two fingers to his lips as if to confirm that it had, indeed happened. "I'll take that as a yes," he muttered against her lips.
And even if it was a prank--it was the best April Fools Day Vate had ever had.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
