meridian_rose

Title: Nothing But Blue Skies
Fandom: Original fic
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 758
Prompt: for the 30 days of fiction meme prompt #30: write a scene saying “good bye”
Summary: A beginning, the signs of an ending; some people are harder to say goodbye to than others.
Warnings/Content: Mild verbal domestic quarrelling over one character's perceived 'unwarranted' behaviour.
Notes: Too long for the meme but I don't care :P This is the start of another novel I'll probably never finish. I started writing it as non-descript/Pan-American probably because most of my fandoms are American, but then I thought better of it, and wrote it as set in England, hence the mugs of tea :D



Tamara opened her eyes and sat up. "Doorbell."

Alongside her, Miles grunted. "I didn't hear the -"

The chime of the doorbell sounded. Miles rolled over and glared at her. "You know I hate it when you do that."

Tamara shrugged and looked down at the duvet. Miles clambered out of bed, grabbing his cotton robe to throw on over his blue striped boxers. She waited a moment, listening to him go downstairs, studying the backs of her hands. Long, delicate fingers, skin gently tanned from gardening over the weekend, slim gold band on her left ring finger. She slid the ring off, held it a moment in her right fist.

She heard Miles talking to someone downstairs and strained to recognise the voice over the sound of the kettle boiling - Johnny. Tamara smiled. She put the ring back on and slid out of bed, pulling on her own towelled robe over her negligee. She padded barefoot down the smooth wooden stairs and along the narrow hallway to the kitchen, bathed in early morning sunlight.

"Johnny," she called.

Johnny grinned at her, lifting a mug in greeting. "Tamara. Good morning. Sorry to wake you."

"I was awake," she said, truthfully. She could feel Miles's eyes boring into her back and glanced over her shoulder at him. He was leaning against the sink, his own mug clutched between his two hands.

"I'll get the paperwork for you," Miles told Johnny and pushed past them. Tamara watched him leave the kitchen and felt a sudden chill.

"I should have picked them up last night," Johnny said apologetically. "Forgot I needed them for the meeting this morning."

Dimly, Tamara was aware he was still talking about why he was there so early. Her mind was mostly occupied with something else though. She grabbed at it, trying to see, to understand –

Johnny was clearly surprised when she threw her arms around him, hugging him tightly.

"It's all right," she said urgently. "I promise. It's okay."

"Tammy?" Johnny asked uncertainly. Miles came back into the kitchen, brandishing a sheaf of paperwork.

"You should have said something," Tamara insisted. "We're your friends."

Johnny frowned. His phone began shrilling from inside his jacket pocket.

"Get that," Tamara said. "It's okay."

Johnny took up his phone, glanced at the display. "Excuse me," he said. He pointed out towards the study and Miles nodded; sure. Johnny ducked out of the kitchen. Miles dropped the papers onto the nearest marble countertop and glared at her.

"What are you doing?"

"I can't help it," Tamara said. "I didn't ask for this."

"We agreed you'd keep it under control," Miles said in a low voice. "You haven't done it for weeks. Months."

Tamara shrugged and went to the nearest cupboard, taking out her favourite mug and taking it over to the kettle. "Sometimes it just happens."

"Hey." She turned to see Johnny standing in the doorway. "That was – look, I don't know…"

"Tamara sometimes sticks her nose into other people's business," Miles said tightly.

Tamara swallowed, turned back to her tea making. "I'm sorry, Johnny."

"No. No, you were right. It's okay." He hesitated, but then his phone rang again. "Excuse me."

Tamara poured boiling water over the teabag and stirred the tea vigorously while Johnny spoke to the caller.

"Look, I've got to go, the meeting's been moved up," he said.

"Sure," Miles said. "Don't forget the papers."

"Right." Distracted, Johnny gathered them up and stuffed them into his briefcase.

Tamara walked over and hugged him again. "Goodbye, Johnny."

He held her gaze a moment. "Tammy –"

"I'll see you again," she said, willing her voice not to shake, but with little success. "But it won't be for a while."

"Tamara," Miles began.

"I have to go," Johnny repeated. He opened his mouth as if to say something else then shook his head and left. When the front door closed behind him, Tamara closed her eyes and tried hard not to cry.

"What the hell did you say to him?" Miles asked.

"Doesn't matter." Tamara went upstairs, leaving the unfinished mug of tea behind. "I need to shower."

She was almost at the top of the stairs when Miles yelled after her, "I won't put up with this. I told you that."

Tamara ignored him and went the bathroom, locking the door behind her. She switched on the shower and shut herself into the cubicle, only then giving free rein to her tears, knowing that her sobs were drowned out by the soothing sound of the running water.

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