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Dec. 26th, 2001 11:42 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
kuangning"I can't believe you're here." Lyssa hadn't stopped smiling since dinner. She was currently seated on the living room floor in front of one of the overstuffed chairs, her head tilted back to see Kyle, who was on the sofa opposite her. He, too, was smiling, more than a hint of mischief in his eyes.
"Well, what did you expect?" he asked teasingly. "I only went away to school, I didn't die. Of course I'd visit my Allie." She gave a mock shudder and an exaggeratedly long-suffering sigh. "Must you call me that?" He was unrepentant, however, and simply laughed, so she gave up, completing the familiar formula. "You're hopeless." "Nah, just more stubborn than you. Not my fault you give up so soon." The teasing continued for a few minutes, then Kyle stretched lazily, and grew marginally more serious. "So, are you going to tell me?" She raised an eyebrow. "Tell you what?" He wasn't dissuaded, however, as she knew he wouldn't be. "Tell me where you were when I was looking for you on the dunes."
She shook her head, tossing her hair out of her eyes. "I was around. In the woods down the hill." "Mm. What were you doing there?" Lyssa shrugged. "Just wanted some time to myself." Abruptly, then, she got to her feet, holding out her hand to him. "I'm going down to the beach. Want to go with me, or stay here?" He made a face. "I'll stay here, I think. That water's going to be really cold." "Coward," she accused unheatedly. "If I can stand it, I know you could, if you wanted to." "If I wanted to," he agreed cheerfully. "I don't want to, though." She chuckled, then, and waved as she headed out the door. In a way, she preferred to be without any company, even his; she really did want time to herself.
The sand was warm and damp beneath her feet, and the wind was scented with salt. A look up the path showed her the lights of the house through the windows, far enough away to not threaten to enclose her, close enough to reassure. She undressed, and walked slowly into the water, forcing herself not to hurry it, to experience every small sensation. Once she was in up to her neck, she lay back, shivering only a little as her hair grew suddenly heavy and her scalp was submerged, and then she ducked under, the water closing around her. She stayed under until the goosebumps subsided and surfaced, swimming out with a smooth backstroke and then simply floating, letting the water rock her. The stars were bright, the moon full and rising, and she sighed softly, sudden tears stinging her eyes. What had it been like before?
"Silliness," she scolded herself out loud. "What's gone is gone, and at least I could do something, even if it isn't as good as what there was." She wondered wryly if her predecessor had had these doubts; perhaps He had had a predecessor too. In any case, worrying was doing her no good. She chose a tree on the side of the hill that was a good distance away, and, turning, swam parallel to the beach until she was opposite it, and then swam back, quieting her mind by tiring herself.
She swam laps that way for almost an hour, then relaxed, floating, for awhile longer. She felt weightless and boneless and curiously reluctant to move, and procrastinated that way until the moon was noticeably higher overhead, and she recalled that Kyle would be anxious. She swam in to shore slowly, and walked out of the water, feeling as if her body were too heavy for her to wear. She dressed herself carelessly, dragging the clothes over her skin as if they, too, were too heavy to be borne, and then started up the dunes, shuffling listlessly. It was on the dunes that Kyle and Sion found her, some hours later, her skin burning hot and her eyes closed in a dead faint.
Kyle reached her first, and knelt beside her, feeling for a pulse. He almost pulled his hand away, giving a small exclamation as Sion hurried up beside him. They looked at each other, then back at the slight body lying on the sand. It was Sion who lifted her in his arms and carried her home, dark hair spilling over his shoulder. Kyle walked beside him, the strange silence broken only by their breathing and occasional small sounds from Lyssa. Once Sion stumbled, and she moaned softly, but her eyes did not open, and the hope that momentarily lit both men's faces gave way to worry once more.
"Well, what did you expect?" he asked teasingly. "I only went away to school, I didn't die. Of course I'd visit my Allie." She gave a mock shudder and an exaggeratedly long-suffering sigh. "Must you call me that?" He was unrepentant, however, and simply laughed, so she gave up, completing the familiar formula. "You're hopeless." "Nah, just more stubborn than you. Not my fault you give up so soon." The teasing continued for a few minutes, then Kyle stretched lazily, and grew marginally more serious. "So, are you going to tell me?" She raised an eyebrow. "Tell you what?" He wasn't dissuaded, however, as she knew he wouldn't be. "Tell me where you were when I was looking for you on the dunes."
She shook her head, tossing her hair out of her eyes. "I was around. In the woods down the hill." "Mm. What were you doing there?" Lyssa shrugged. "Just wanted some time to myself." Abruptly, then, she got to her feet, holding out her hand to him. "I'm going down to the beach. Want to go with me, or stay here?" He made a face. "I'll stay here, I think. That water's going to be really cold." "Coward," she accused unheatedly. "If I can stand it, I know you could, if you wanted to." "If I wanted to," he agreed cheerfully. "I don't want to, though." She chuckled, then, and waved as she headed out the door. In a way, she preferred to be without any company, even his; she really did want time to herself.
The sand was warm and damp beneath her feet, and the wind was scented with salt. A look up the path showed her the lights of the house through the windows, far enough away to not threaten to enclose her, close enough to reassure. She undressed, and walked slowly into the water, forcing herself not to hurry it, to experience every small sensation. Once she was in up to her neck, she lay back, shivering only a little as her hair grew suddenly heavy and her scalp was submerged, and then she ducked under, the water closing around her. She stayed under until the goosebumps subsided and surfaced, swimming out with a smooth backstroke and then simply floating, letting the water rock her. The stars were bright, the moon full and rising, and she sighed softly, sudden tears stinging her eyes. What had it been like before?
"Silliness," she scolded herself out loud. "What's gone is gone, and at least I could do something, even if it isn't as good as what there was." She wondered wryly if her predecessor had had these doubts; perhaps He had had a predecessor too. In any case, worrying was doing her no good. She chose a tree on the side of the hill that was a good distance away, and, turning, swam parallel to the beach until she was opposite it, and then swam back, quieting her mind by tiring herself.
She swam laps that way for almost an hour, then relaxed, floating, for awhile longer. She felt weightless and boneless and curiously reluctant to move, and procrastinated that way until the moon was noticeably higher overhead, and she recalled that Kyle would be anxious. She swam in to shore slowly, and walked out of the water, feeling as if her body were too heavy for her to wear. She dressed herself carelessly, dragging the clothes over her skin as if they, too, were too heavy to be borne, and then started up the dunes, shuffling listlessly. It was on the dunes that Kyle and Sion found her, some hours later, her skin burning hot and her eyes closed in a dead faint.
Kyle reached her first, and knelt beside her, feeling for a pulse. He almost pulled his hand away, giving a small exclamation as Sion hurried up beside him. They looked at each other, then back at the slight body lying on the sand. It was Sion who lifted her in his arms and carried her home, dark hair spilling over his shoulder. Kyle walked beside him, the strange silence broken only by their breathing and occasional small sounds from Lyssa. Once Sion stumbled, and she moaned softly, but her eyes did not open, and the hope that momentarily lit both men's faces gave way to worry once more.
