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charlie_cochraneHave posted this here in full as people can't always get into the community.
Title: Once you wouldn't have talked like that
Challenge: Mix the Six
Author: Charlie Cochrane
Book(s): The Charioteer
Pairing(s): Ralph Lanyon/Laurie Odell, Laurie Odell/Andrew Raynes
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I don’t own these characters and make no profit from them.
Oxford, Saturday afternoon, the Randolph Hotel. Not a Ralph weekend.
Lunch with mother had been pleasant, full of gossip and little of it about Straike. Laurie saw her—still glowing from two glasses of wine—into the car, then went back inside, annoyed at having left his umbrella in the restaurant.
“Laurie?”
That voice, over his shoulder, unmistakable. A voice he’d tried to forget, yet still kept wrapped deep within his heart, lest it should ever be lost entirely.
“Andrew!” He replied, spinning on his heels so fast he had to steady himself on a chair back. “What are you doing here?” Not the question Laurie might have chosen to ask, had he time to think about it.
“I’m visiting a friend.” Andrew smiled—the open, still stunning smile in a face which had gone from youthful beauty to mature radiance. He’d not had this glowing confidence five years ago. “You?”
“Studying. Coming up to finals.”
“Like Alex. Do you know him?”
Laurie’s mind turned to hospitals and attic rooms, confusion reigning. Like he’d turned over an exam paper and the questions had made no sense. “I...”
“Are you all right? You look awful.”
“Thank you for the reassurance,” Laurie said, drily.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean...” The beaten dog look—Laurie hadn’t forgotten that, either.
“I know you didn’t. My fault. I was just...rather shocked. I didn’t expect to see you.” The “ever again” remained unspoken.
“I’m so pleased we ran into each other. Have you time for a drink?” Whoever Alex was, he didn’t seem to be in the offing. Perhaps he’d been packed off already, as mother had been.
“I could manage the one.” That was the minimum required to be sociable. And it would give time to think about the suitability of any more. “My round.”
“No, let me treat you. In gratitude for all you did for me.”
“I did nothing,” Laurie said, surprised at his own forcefulness. Wasn’t it the contrary case? Hadn’t he ruined everything?
“Oh, but you did. Maybe without realising it. You helped me see who I was.” Andrew leaned forward, cupping Laurie’s face with his hands. “Thank you.”
The kiss, following hard on the grateful words, came as no surprise. Another hidden memory brought out of the store.
“Are you all right?”
“Sorry?” Laurie realised that all the last scene had played out only in his own head, as a dream which seems to last hours takes merely seconds. “Just the leg playing up. Nothing to worry about.”
“Here’s Alex!” Andrew welcomed a fresh faced young man, not as old as he’d been when first they’d met. The mutual look of delight, laden with meaning and quickly hidden, was unmistakable.
Ralph’s words, spoken years ago, came like a punch to the stomach. “He’ll come back in a year or two and tell you all about his boyfriend.”
Title: Once you wouldn't have talked like that
Challenge: Mix the Six
Author: Charlie Cochrane
Book(s): The Charioteer
Pairing(s): Ralph Lanyon/Laurie Odell, Laurie Odell/Andrew Raynes
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: I don’t own these characters and make no profit from them.
Oxford, Saturday afternoon, the Randolph Hotel. Not a Ralph weekend.
Lunch with mother had been pleasant, full of gossip and little of it about Straike. Laurie saw her—still glowing from two glasses of wine—into the car, then went back inside, annoyed at having left his umbrella in the restaurant.
“Laurie?”
That voice, over his shoulder, unmistakable. A voice he’d tried to forget, yet still kept wrapped deep within his heart, lest it should ever be lost entirely.
“Andrew!” He replied, spinning on his heels so fast he had to steady himself on a chair back. “What are you doing here?” Not the question Laurie might have chosen to ask, had he time to think about it.
“I’m visiting a friend.” Andrew smiled—the open, still stunning smile in a face which had gone from youthful beauty to mature radiance. He’d not had this glowing confidence five years ago. “You?”
“Studying. Coming up to finals.”
“Like Alex. Do you know him?”
Laurie’s mind turned to hospitals and attic rooms, confusion reigning. Like he’d turned over an exam paper and the questions had made no sense. “I...”
“Are you all right? You look awful.”
“Thank you for the reassurance,” Laurie said, drily.
“Sorry, I didn’t mean...” The beaten dog look—Laurie hadn’t forgotten that, either.
“I know you didn’t. My fault. I was just...rather shocked. I didn’t expect to see you.” The “ever again” remained unspoken.
“I’m so pleased we ran into each other. Have you time for a drink?” Whoever Alex was, he didn’t seem to be in the offing. Perhaps he’d been packed off already, as mother had been.
“I could manage the one.” That was the minimum required to be sociable. And it would give time to think about the suitability of any more. “My round.”
“No, let me treat you. In gratitude for all you did for me.”
“I did nothing,” Laurie said, surprised at his own forcefulness. Wasn’t it the contrary case? Hadn’t he ruined everything?
“Oh, but you did. Maybe without realising it. You helped me see who I was.” Andrew leaned forward, cupping Laurie’s face with his hands. “Thank you.”
The kiss, following hard on the grateful words, came as no surprise. Another hidden memory brought out of the store.
“Are you all right?”
“Sorry?” Laurie realised that all the last scene had played out only in his own head, as a dream which seems to last hours takes merely seconds. “Just the leg playing up. Nothing to worry about.”
“Here’s Alex!” Andrew welcomed a fresh faced young man, not as old as he’d been when first they’d met. The mutual look of delight, laden with meaning and quickly hidden, was unmistakable.
Ralph’s words, spoken years ago, came like a punch to the stomach. “He’ll come back in a year or two and tell you all about his boyfriend.”
