Many Happy Returns (May 2997) - [Ceolmund]
Mar 7, 2018 19:45:59 GMT -5
Post by Ceolmund on Mar 7, 2018 19:45:59 GMT -5
Ceolmund was drinking heavily of the water, trying to cool the heat of his insides. His face and hair were wet from splashing it about, and he was not calming as quickly as he had hoped. With only a glance behind to Runa, still sitting in the grass, he groaned again. Her hair in the sunlight was beautiful. He wanted to slip his fingers into it, and pull her lips to him. Pull her whole body to him. Build a nest with her, and finish their wrestling indoors, doing all the thing he had heard the married men speak on when they sat by the campfire missing their wives back home.
He looked away from her again, and for a moment he considered actually seating himself in the freezing stream. He needed to gain control. Their nest was a good two years off, and he needed to be able to handle himself with her until then, no matter how tempting. If he could just kiss her... a little, without throwing the both of them into a place too far gone. They could manage two years. Runa was good at helping him to help make a plan and carry it through. They only needed some time alone to sit and talk.
“No, I…it’s not like that.”
“He is your brother, Runi.”
Ceolmund paused, the words feeling as a hammer to the chest and he waited for the relief to come to him. He waited to hear Runa deny it... to say anything; give some hint that she did not wish to be a sister to him still. But there was nothing.
He was crouching, looking down at the waters and contemplating what he would say next to her, when Beorhtric approached him from behind.
“Ceol? Thank gods Runi didn’t catch that—what in the shadows of Meduseld were you doing? You're her brother.”
The young man sighed in relief that she had not noticed. Beorhtric had at least noticed; though he supposed his friend was far more observant than he could be at times. His face contorted and he stood up, still watching the silver stream ripple past. “But I love her,” Ceolmund whispered, his voice strained, and face crestfallen.
What had he been doing? Thinking on her as he had, when she had simply been sparring with him.
“I came back for her. I thought she had changed her mind...” he glanced quickly toward Runa, and then back to Beorhtric.
He looked away from her again, and for a moment he considered actually seating himself in the freezing stream. He needed to gain control. Their nest was a good two years off, and he needed to be able to handle himself with her until then, no matter how tempting. If he could just kiss her... a little, without throwing the both of them into a place too far gone. They could manage two years. Runa was good at helping him to help make a plan and carry it through. They only needed some time alone to sit and talk.
“No, I…it’s not like that.”
“He is your brother, Runi.”
Ceolmund paused, the words feeling as a hammer to the chest and he waited for the relief to come to him. He waited to hear Runa deny it... to say anything; give some hint that she did not wish to be a sister to him still. But there was nothing.
He was crouching, looking down at the waters and contemplating what he would say next to her, when Beorhtric approached him from behind.
“Ceol? Thank gods Runi didn’t catch that—what in the shadows of Meduseld were you doing? You're her brother.”
The young man sighed in relief that she had not noticed. Beorhtric had at least noticed; though he supposed his friend was far more observant than he could be at times. His face contorted and he stood up, still watching the silver stream ripple past. “But I love her,” Ceolmund whispered, his voice strained, and face crestfallen.
What had he been doing? Thinking on her as he had, when she had simply been sparring with him.
“I came back for her. I thought she had changed her mind...” he glanced quickly toward Runa, and then back to Beorhtric.