Work Text:
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The Mountie never touched her.
-x-
“Guys like him don’t marry girls like you,” Ray says.
She wants to scream, wants to grab him around the neck and bang his head through the concrete wall. She doesn’t understand how someone so smart could be so stupid.
“And girls like you get hurt and guys like him don’t even know it.”
She wants to scream, wants to grab him by his lapels and shake him until he understands. Because though her brother’s words are cutting – the wounds are superficial. They’d hurt more if she didn’t know what she knew.
But she knows what she knows.
-x-
The Mountie never touched her – had stuttered his way through an apology with averted eyes, only looking up when she finally shouted: “Why?!”
“Because,” he said.
-x-
“You are so afraid to dream,” she says, desperate to get her point across. “You are so afraid to reach out for something that you really want. You know what happens to people like you?”
Her brother flinches, draws back – but the words spill from her throat and she couldn’t stop herself even if she tried.
“They get old, they get alone, and they die,” she says, her brother starts shaking his head. “And they never know.”
-x-
“Because,” the Mountie said, “because I love your brother.”
-x-
“Did you sleep with him?” Ray asks.
“Would it matter to you if I did?” she asks.
“Of course,” he says, “you’re my sister.”
She smiles then, because while that may be a reason – it’s not the reason.
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“You should tell him,” she said.
The Mountie smiled, sad and resigned, and said: “I don’t think that would be wise.”
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“Will you tell anyone?” he asked.
She pretends to think about it. “No,” she said, smiling softly. “Your secret’s safe with me.”
-x-
“Remember what I said,” she whispers, still holding her brother tight. “I don’t want you to be alone – I want you to be happy.”
Ray doesn’t say anything, but she feels him nod against her shoulder.
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“Thank you,” the Mountie says – and she knows by the look on his face and that he’s been listening.
“You’re welcome,” she says.
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End.