storypaint (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
storypaint) wrote2009-01-07 03:49 pm
storypaint) wrote2009-01-07 03:49 pm
Running Forward (Carmela/Nita)
Title: Running Forward
Day/Theme: Oct 14 // the girl in question
Series: Young Wizards
Character/Pairing: Nita, Carmela
Rating: n/a
Excerpt: It was this mindset that propelled Nita Callahan to Kit's doorstep on the first day of their last summer before college. She was wearing bright white cargo shorts and carrying the Manual under her arm, and she got all the way to the door before she remembered: Kit wasn't here.
Summer was their season, the months in which the light was long and the days were waiting to be filled with wizardry. Invariably, summer meant a new project, new excitement, new friends, new spells.
It was this mindset that propelled Nita Callahan to Kit's doorstep on the first day of their last summer before college. She was wearing bright white cargo shorts and carrying the Manual under her arm, and she got all the way to the door before she remembered: Kit wasn't here.
He was in Egypt on an archaelogical dig, pursuing a wonderful opportunity to learn about history, and on the side to study the old wizardries of the ancient civilization. He'd been talking about it for months beforehand and she felt oddly guilty to have forgotten. They'd mind-spoke for a while last night, in fact, after his plane had touched down, and she'd dreamed of shifting sands and old scrolls.
She paused, lifting her hand to the door, but it opened anyway. Carmela stood there, long and lean and the same as ever. She grinned to see Nita.
"I thought you wouldn't come see us until my brother came back," she declared, hugging Nita tightly.
Laughing, Nita lifted the Manual, and Carmela laughed too.
"Well, since whatever plans you had for today have been canceled, you want to run with me?" she offered.
Nita considered as Carmela shifted from foot to foot, but the summer sun was too much to resist. She nodded, tucking the Manual away in her otherspace pocket, and the two of them began jogging down the road.
*
Carmela had just completed her sophomore year of college, and Nita hadn't actually seen her since spring break. A little wheedling had gotten Kit to connect her room to her favorite chat channels, though maneuvering around her unsuspecting roommate was a little difficult.
"I can't tell her that the Speech is Arabic because her boyfriend is from the Mideast, and of course I can't use the video cam," Carmela told her, breathing evenly as they ran.
"Maybe next year you and I can room together," Nita began to suggest, surprising even herself with the offer. Carmela squealed with her characteristic joy-- 20 years old or not, she was as boisterous as ever.
It would make sense to room with Carmela, Nita supposed, rather than deal with a roommate she'd have to sneak around. She'd gotten spoiled living with Dairine and their father. But a wizard works with words, and there was some strange potential in the way her simple words had just folded together. Nita was musing on that when Carmela spoke again.
"You're not going to be making out with Kit all the time, are you?" she said, mischief in her eyes.
Nita sighed. "We're just partners, Carmela, you know that."
"But you went to prom together. Mama showed me the pictures twice."
"Yeah, well, we went as friends," Nita replied, shrugging and trying to concentrate on her breathing. She hadn't been running in a while, and though working at her dad's florist shop wasn't a sedentary job, it didn't involve a lot of activity either.
"Mama thinks the two of you are going to get married," Carmela said, and Nita choked and stopped running altogether. Carmela circled back and waited for Nita to catch her breath where she stood with her hands on her knees.
"Well, I didn't think he was that bad, but..." Carmela began innocently.
"Carmela," Nita said, still breathing hard, "it wouldn't work. I'm..."
She looked up from her leaning position and met Carmela's eyes for a moment.
Hesitating, she continued, "I'm gay."
Carmela's eyes widened and her mouth opened in a perfect O. She was still only a moment before she was hugging and then holding Nita. She kissed the younger girl fiercely and after a second of confusion, Nita responded.
When the kiss ended, they pulled back into a partial embrace. Both realizing at the same time that they were still standing in the street, they separated enough to move onto the sidewalk, not quite looking at each other. Nita stared at the pavement, trying to reconcile herself with the feelings she'd been trying to avoid, but it was Carmela who recovered herself first. She reached out and took Nita's hand, squeezing it, and though Nita's face burned, she didn't let go of Carmela.
After a moment they moved off down the still-empty sidewalk, hand in hand, and summer began again.
Day/Theme: Oct 14 // the girl in question
Series: Young Wizards
Character/Pairing: Nita, Carmela
Rating: n/a
Excerpt: It was this mindset that propelled Nita Callahan to Kit's doorstep on the first day of their last summer before college. She was wearing bright white cargo shorts and carrying the Manual under her arm, and she got all the way to the door before she remembered: Kit wasn't here.
Summer was their season, the months in which the light was long and the days were waiting to be filled with wizardry. Invariably, summer meant a new project, new excitement, new friends, new spells.
It was this mindset that propelled Nita Callahan to Kit's doorstep on the first day of their last summer before college. She was wearing bright white cargo shorts and carrying the Manual under her arm, and she got all the way to the door before she remembered: Kit wasn't here.
He was in Egypt on an archaelogical dig, pursuing a wonderful opportunity to learn about history, and on the side to study the old wizardries of the ancient civilization. He'd been talking about it for months beforehand and she felt oddly guilty to have forgotten. They'd mind-spoke for a while last night, in fact, after his plane had touched down, and she'd dreamed of shifting sands and old scrolls.
She paused, lifting her hand to the door, but it opened anyway. Carmela stood there, long and lean and the same as ever. She grinned to see Nita.
"I thought you wouldn't come see us until my brother came back," she declared, hugging Nita tightly.
Laughing, Nita lifted the Manual, and Carmela laughed too.
"Well, since whatever plans you had for today have been canceled, you want to run with me?" she offered.
Nita considered as Carmela shifted from foot to foot, but the summer sun was too much to resist. She nodded, tucking the Manual away in her otherspace pocket, and the two of them began jogging down the road.
*
Carmela had just completed her sophomore year of college, and Nita hadn't actually seen her since spring break. A little wheedling had gotten Kit to connect her room to her favorite chat channels, though maneuvering around her unsuspecting roommate was a little difficult.
"I can't tell her that the Speech is Arabic because her boyfriend is from the Mideast, and of course I can't use the video cam," Carmela told her, breathing evenly as they ran.
"Maybe next year you and I can room together," Nita began to suggest, surprising even herself with the offer. Carmela squealed with her characteristic joy-- 20 years old or not, she was as boisterous as ever.
It would make sense to room with Carmela, Nita supposed, rather than deal with a roommate she'd have to sneak around. She'd gotten spoiled living with Dairine and their father. But a wizard works with words, and there was some strange potential in the way her simple words had just folded together. Nita was musing on that when Carmela spoke again.
"You're not going to be making out with Kit all the time, are you?" she said, mischief in her eyes.
Nita sighed. "We're just partners, Carmela, you know that."
"But you went to prom together. Mama showed me the pictures twice."
"Yeah, well, we went as friends," Nita replied, shrugging and trying to concentrate on her breathing. She hadn't been running in a while, and though working at her dad's florist shop wasn't a sedentary job, it didn't involve a lot of activity either.
"Mama thinks the two of you are going to get married," Carmela said, and Nita choked and stopped running altogether. Carmela circled back and waited for Nita to catch her breath where she stood with her hands on her knees.
"Well, I didn't think he was that bad, but..." Carmela began innocently.
"Carmela," Nita said, still breathing hard, "it wouldn't work. I'm..."
She looked up from her leaning position and met Carmela's eyes for a moment.
Hesitating, she continued, "I'm gay."
Carmela's eyes widened and her mouth opened in a perfect O. She was still only a moment before she was hugging and then holding Nita. She kissed the younger girl fiercely and after a second of confusion, Nita responded.
When the kiss ended, they pulled back into a partial embrace. Both realizing at the same time that they were still standing in the street, they separated enough to move onto the sidewalk, not quite looking at each other. Nita stared at the pavement, trying to reconcile herself with the feelings she'd been trying to avoid, but it was Carmela who recovered herself first. She reached out and took Nita's hand, squeezing it, and though Nita's face burned, she didn't let go of Carmela.
After a moment they moved off down the still-empty sidewalk, hand in hand, and summer began again.