TDIR: Something To Tell

[edenbound]

Fandom: The Dark Is Rising
Pairing: Will/Bran
Warnings: None
Rating: G
Summary: Stephen and Will spent the day together. For fic_on_demand.


"It's a nice day," he'd said, smiling at Will. "What shall we do with ourselves?"

Will had shrugged, and suggested a walk, and a picnic. It was something so very normal, so like the days before he went to the navy, that Stephen agreed without even thinking. He packed a book, of course. Will wasn't a kid anymore to need constant watching, and even if Will was his favourite brother, he wasn't the liveliest.

"It's too hot to think," Will declared, edging further into the shade of the large tree they'd chosen to have their meal under.

Stephen laughed. "Try Africa. This is a frosty morning in comparison."

"I don't believe you."

"You don't have to. It's true. Look it up."

"You're exaggerating."

He raised an eyebrow. "And you know so much more than me?"

At that, Will smiled. It was a sad smile, a solemn one, and Stephen didn't know what it was doing on his littlest brother's face. He fumbled for something to say -- a joke, some teasing thing, just something to smooth that sad look way. It had no place on the face of a young, cheerful English boy who had anything he could ever need and almost anything he could ever want. It was the kind of smile he'd seen on a kid's face only a few times before -- kids younger than Will, yeah, but hungry kids, kids without parents, kids who'd had to grow up fast. Too fast.

"So... you're sixteen, these days, and yet I haven't heard anything about a girlfriend..." He was clutching at straws. Will's face didn't clear much. In fact, he started nibbling on his lip and looking awkward.

"No girlfriend," he said, after a moment.

"Fair enough," Stephen said, shrugging, and groped for something else to say. "What about James?"

"Oh, he's got a girlfriend," Will said, vaguely. Then he sat up straight. "There's something I want to tell you."

"Go on," he said, wondering about the seriousness that seemed to have descended on the whole occassion. It wasn't the way he'd imagined the last few days of his leave would be spent. But then, if there was something Will wanted to say, he wanted to hear it.

Will took a deep breath. Closed his eyes. Opened them again. Then he nodded firmly, and, not looking at Stephen, finally spat it out. "I'm gay. I have a boyfriend. Bran Davies. He's the boy who lives at Clywd Farm. You know, the farm Aunt Jen lives on."

"Can't be easy, with him living so far away," Stephen said, deliberately lightly. Will looked up at him, startled.

"Don't you -- "

"It happens," Stephen said, shrugging slightly. "Even in the navy. Doesn't make you different in any way other than who you want to kiss. And, well, do other things with I suppose, but..."

He was half-surprised when Will hugged him tightly, face pressed into his shoulder. He smiled, wrapped his arms around Will, and hugged him back as tightly as he could.

Comments

[lil-1337.livejournal.com]

Lovely piece. I really like how matter of fact Stephen is.

[darthanne.livejournal.com]

I really like this, especially the relationship between Will and Stephen. I always thought Stephen would just take Will being gay in his stride.

I'm friending this LJ so I can keep an eye on your writing as I really like your DiR stuff. Hope that's okay.

[edenbound.livejournal.com]

Thank you. :) Stephen seems the tolerant type to me, particularly the way he reacts to the racism in Silver On The Tree.

And that's fine! :)