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tenminutesaday2022-05-09 12:57 am
shivver) wrote in tenminutesaday2022-05-09 12:57 am
Entry tags:
Fill: Challenge #41 (DW AU)
This is a David and Will story and it's about half-done, most of it written years ago. It's mostly about Will's family, and it's not an adventure, so I'm not particularly optimistic about how it will come out - I'm not good at these entirely mundane stories. So, I got stuck at a part that seems rather stupid. The problem is that there's another story that follows this one and needs all of this backstory to make sense, and I really want to write that story, so I keep poking at this one.
I thought I might use the WIP Weekend to force myself to write the next few paragraphs that I've been avoiding, but instead I ended up revising an existing scene - something near the end of the story, long after the place I got stuck.
Things to know: Sarah is Will's mother, and she and his dad are divorced. Ritchie and Beth are Will's siblings. In this story, David meets Will's family for the first time, when they go down to London for the Christmas holidays. Because of the packed house, David and Will had to share a room. The family does not know David is an alien.
Closing his eyes to avoid that inevitable conclusion, Will scrubbed at his forehead. “Yeah. I know. But I don’t know. I’m getting the sweats just thinking about it.”
“Take your time, Williebear.” Sarah’s voice was soft and soothing. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to, but nothing will change if you don’t.”
“Yeah.” Will reached over and squeezed Sarah’s hand. “Thanks, Mum. I really needed this. I needed to know that you knew, and you understood.”
“I do, you know.” She glanced down at their hands and sniffled. “I might not have paid the best attention when you were growing up, but the divorce taught me I had to. Ritchie’s his father’s son, and I’m not letting you three go that way. I’ve been ready to step in if I have to, but I think you’ve got this, even if you don’t think so.”
Will grinned. “You’ll know by tonight, if I’m slinking around the house with my tail between my legs.” Sliding his chair back, he stood and reached to collect their tea things.
“One more thing, if you don’t mind, Will?”
“Yeah?” He placed his cup and saucer on the tray and sat back down.
Sarah took a deep breath, delaying something that obviously made her uncomfortable for just a bit more. “If you’re… if you… I mean, your friend, David, if you and he…" She paused and swallowed hard. "Well, I wanted to say that it’s okay. You don’t have to hide it from me.”
Will’s jaw dropped and he stared at his mother dumbfounded for a few seconds. “Who told you that?" he finally blurted. "Did Ritchie -?”
“No, no!” Sarah cut him off. “It was Beth let it drop. A slip of the tongue, she’d insist, but you know she’s just like Ritchie in her way, anything to edge herself over her brothers.”
Shaking his head, Will sighed. “Mum, let me just set the record straight. I’m not queer, not a whit. David and I are just mates, and we’d both sooner not share a room at night, much less a bed.”
“Are you sure? Because it’s okay if you two are, you know…”
“Yes, Mum," he repeated, his head bobbing to assure her. "I’m still looking for the right woman. But…” Will hesitated to ask. “But if I were, you’d approve?”
Sarah sucked in her breath and pursed her lips. “No, I can’t honestly say I’d approve, but that’s not my decision, is it? It’s your life and your choice. I wouldn’t risk losing my son over something like that.”
Will gaped, losing his words for a second. “So if I did bring a bloke home, you’d welcome him?”
Sarah nodded firmly, though the constriction of her throat and her defiant expression betrayed that she’d had to force herself. “I would. Any partner of yours is welcome here. Especially if he were a sweetheart like your friend. He’ll make some lucky woman a fine husband someday, and an excellent father.”
Will couldn’t help but laugh. “I don’t know about that. I don’t think he intends any of that. But if you don’t mind, I’m going to tell him you said it. I think he’d be rather chuffed, actually.”
I thought I might use the WIP Weekend to force myself to write the next few paragraphs that I've been avoiding, but instead I ended up revising an existing scene - something near the end of the story, long after the place I got stuck.
Things to know: Sarah is Will's mother, and she and his dad are divorced. Ritchie and Beth are Will's siblings. In this story, David meets Will's family for the first time, when they go down to London for the Christmas holidays. Because of the packed house, David and Will had to share a room. The family does not know David is an alien.
Closing his eyes to avoid that inevitable conclusion, Will scrubbed at his forehead. “Yeah. I know. But I don’t know. I’m getting the sweats just thinking about it.”
“Take your time, Williebear.” Sarah’s voice was soft and soothing. “You don’t have to do anything you don’t want to, but nothing will change if you don’t.”
“Yeah.” Will reached over and squeezed Sarah’s hand. “Thanks, Mum. I really needed this. I needed to know that you knew, and you understood.”
“I do, you know.” She glanced down at their hands and sniffled. “I might not have paid the best attention when you were growing up, but the divorce taught me I had to. Ritchie’s his father’s son, and I’m not letting you three go that way. I’ve been ready to step in if I have to, but I think you’ve got this, even if you don’t think so.”
Will grinned. “You’ll know by tonight, if I’m slinking around the house with my tail between my legs.” Sliding his chair back, he stood and reached to collect their tea things.
“One more thing, if you don’t mind, Will?”
“Yeah?” He placed his cup and saucer on the tray and sat back down.
Sarah took a deep breath, delaying something that obviously made her uncomfortable for just a bit more. “If you’re… if you… I mean, your friend, David, if you and he…" She paused and swallowed hard. "Well, I wanted to say that it’s okay. You don’t have to hide it from me.”
Will’s jaw dropped and he stared at his mother dumbfounded for a few seconds. “Who told you that?" he finally blurted. "Did Ritchie -?”
“No, no!” Sarah cut him off. “It was Beth let it drop. A slip of the tongue, she’d insist, but you know she’s just like Ritchie in her way, anything to edge herself over her brothers.”
Shaking his head, Will sighed. “Mum, let me just set the record straight. I’m not queer, not a whit. David and I are just mates, and we’d both sooner not share a room at night, much less a bed.”
“Are you sure? Because it’s okay if you two are, you know…”
“Yes, Mum," he repeated, his head bobbing to assure her. "I’m still looking for the right woman. But…” Will hesitated to ask. “But if I were, you’d approve?”
Sarah sucked in her breath and pursed her lips. “No, I can’t honestly say I’d approve, but that’s not my decision, is it? It’s your life and your choice. I wouldn’t risk losing my son over something like that.”
Will gaped, losing his words for a second. “So if I did bring a bloke home, you’d welcome him?”
Sarah nodded firmly, though the constriction of her throat and her defiant expression betrayed that she’d had to force herself. “I would. Any partner of yours is welcome here. Especially if he were a sweetheart like your friend. He’ll make some lucky woman a fine husband someday, and an excellent father.”
Will couldn’t help but laugh. “I don’t know about that. I don’t think he intends any of that. But if you don’t mind, I’m going to tell him you said it. I think he’d be rather chuffed, actually.”