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osprey_archerTitle: Freedom for Felicity
Fandom: American Girl - Felicity
Rating: G
Pairings: Felicity/Ben, Felicity/Elizabeth
Warnings: Unabashed Biblical allusions! The Book of Ruth is the very very best, you guys.
Felicity did not get a chance to talk to Elizabeth until after midnight. She sat the first watch at Polly’s bedside, watching Polly toss restlessly, and stumbled very tired to her room after.
“Elizabeth!” she said, when her candlelight illuminated Elizabeth’s face.
“How is Polly?” Elizabeth asked.
“She’s well enough. She’s not sleeping well because of the pain, but there seems to be no fever.” Felicity sat on the edge of the bed, taking Elizabeth’s hand. She realized only as she touched Elizabeth’s warm hand how cold her own had gotten. “Did you stay awake to ask me?” she asked, and felt a lump in her throat. Elizabeth was such a good friend. It would be unbearable if she went back to England again. “Elizabeth, you shouldn’t have.”
“I only just woke up,” Elizabeth assured her. She took Felicity’s hand in both of hers. “You’re so cold, Lissie! Undress quick and get under the covers.”
Felicity did as she was told. Elizabeth scooted over the cold side of the bed, and Felicity cocooned herself in the warm sheets. Elizabeth’s hair was escaping its braid, curling in little gold tendrils about her face. Felicity smiled to see how pretty she looked.
“I wish Humphrey could see you like that,” Felicity said.
“Oh, Lissie!” Elizabeth protested.
“I believe he’d ask to marry you in seconds,” Felicity said wickedly.
“I believe he’d have to ask me to marry him before he saw any such thing,” Elizabeth said. But she smiled, her cheeks flushed slightly. “Felicity? Did Ben…?”
“You – !” Felicity cried, laughing. The ropes under the mattress protested as she sat up and smacked Elizabeth with her pillow. “He showed me the letter you sent him, you wicked, scheming girl,” she said, pouncing on Elizabeth and tickling her. Elizabeth gave a muted shriek. “Why did you write to him?”
“It’s very well for you I did!” Elizabeth replied, grabbing Felicity’s hands.
“Well – yes,” Felicity admitted. She couldn’t help smiling. Elizabeth relaxed her grip, and Felicity pounced in again, tickling her ribs through her chemise. “But what if we hadn’t worked things out? What would be your excuse then?”
Elizabeth rolled off the bed. “Surely it would have been better to talk and be unable to work it out, than to not work it out simply because you never spoke again?” she said, chemise twisted around her legs.
Felicity considered it, hanging her head off the edge of the bed. “That’s so, I suppose,” she admitted. She reached down and tugged Elizabeth’s chemise down, so it didn’t expose quite so much thigh. Then she rolled back into her warm half of the bed, blankets pulled up to her nose.
Elizabeth blew out the candle as she got back into bed, and pulled the bed curtains close. Felicity stared up at the thin line of moonlight slicing across the canopy, listening to the ropes creak as Elizabeth settled into bed. She felt the lump in her throat again. She knew without Elizabeth she might never have worked things out with Ben: Elizabeth had done the right thing, even though writing Ben was hardly delicate.
Felicity had never in her heart really approved of delicacy.
“Will you marry Humphrey?” Felicity asked.
The ropes creaked again as Elizabeth sat up. “Lissie! I met him less than a week ago!”
“Engagements have been announced on less,” Felicity said wistfully.
“Only by very foolish people,” Elizabeth said, decidedly. “I do like him – very much – only don’t be so impatient, Lissie!”
Felicity sighed. “I am afraid I shall never learn to be patient,” she said, pressing her cheek into the pillow.
“Yes; but we love it in you,” said Elizabeth. “You make things happen, when the rest of us would stand and wait.” She reached across the coverlet, her hand colliding with Felicity’s breast before moving upward to caress her shoulder.
“It is only I am worried,” Felicity said. She grasped Elizabeth’s caressing hand, and pressed it to her cheek. “It is only I am worried that you’ll go back to England, and I shall never see you again, and just thinking of it makes me want to marry you off to the nearest fishmonger if only it will keep you in Virginia.”
“Felicity!” Elizabeth protested, laughing, and squeezed Felicity’s hand. “You can do better than a fishmonger for me, surely.”
“I wish I could marry you,” Felicity said. She kissed Elizabeth’s hand, and tugged Elizabeth’s arm till Elizabeth scooted closer, so they both lay on the same pillow. “It could have been settled as soon as you stepped off the boat, then.”
“On the pier?” said Elizabeth. The breath from her soft laugh brushed Felicity’s face. “What a lack of romance!”
“And without speaking to your father first, too,” said Felicity, mock-sorrowful. She brightened. “We could run away together, like the Ladies of Llangollen! That would be terribly romantic. We can climb out my window. The apple tree is really quite convenient.”
“Felicity!” Elizabeth said. “Why have you been climbing out your apple tree?” Before Felicity could admit to meeting Ben during their first courtship, Elizabeth added playfully, “You haven’t been meeting other girls, have you?”
“Never!” Felicity said. “I’ve been absolutely constant to you. Miss Smith last spring was most charming, I admit, and Miss Dearborn the year before that; and indeed, I seem to remember a Miss Tilbury, but…”
“Coquette,” Elizabeth said.
Felicity kissed her nose, or meant to, but it landed rather alarmingly right beneath Elizabeth’s eye. Elizabeth giggled. “And anyway, if we ran away you couldn’t marry Ben.”
Felicity sighed again. “Yes. Ben.” He seemed, for a moment, nothing but an impediment, as if she really could have married Elizabeth were it not for him. “If only we could both marry Ben, like Rachel and Leah married Jacob!” Felicity burst out.
“That’s a sorry precedent,” Elizabeth replied, and Felicity could not but agree.
“So we are back to Humphrey, then,” she said.
“Felicity,” Elizabeth complained. “Felicity, you must simply stop fretting. I won't go to England: you live in Virginia, so I will stay. Go to sleep or you’ll take ill.”
Felicity could not argue with that. Elizabeth snuggled into the pillow till her forehead rested against Felicity’s shoulder. Her eyelashes brushed Felicity’s collarbone. Felicity draped an arm around her friend.
“It doesn’t matter, anyway,” Felicity murmured.
“Hmm?”
“If you go back to England,” Felicity said. “Because whither thou goest, I will go.”
Elizabeth stirred. “But Ben?” she murmured, her breath warm against Felicity’s skin.
“Oh, he can come too,” Felicity said. “I am sure there is something that we must overthrow in England.”
Fandom: American Girl - Felicity
Rating: G
Pairings: Felicity/Ben, Felicity/Elizabeth
Warnings: Unabashed Biblical allusions! The Book of Ruth is the very very best, you guys.
Felicity did not get a chance to talk to Elizabeth until after midnight. She sat the first watch at Polly’s bedside, watching Polly toss restlessly, and stumbled very tired to her room after.
“Elizabeth!” she said, when her candlelight illuminated Elizabeth’s face.
“How is Polly?” Elizabeth asked.
“She’s well enough. She’s not sleeping well because of the pain, but there seems to be no fever.” Felicity sat on the edge of the bed, taking Elizabeth’s hand. She realized only as she touched Elizabeth’s warm hand how cold her own had gotten. “Did you stay awake to ask me?” she asked, and felt a lump in her throat. Elizabeth was such a good friend. It would be unbearable if she went back to England again. “Elizabeth, you shouldn’t have.”
“I only just woke up,” Elizabeth assured her. She took Felicity’s hand in both of hers. “You’re so cold, Lissie! Undress quick and get under the covers.”
Felicity did as she was told. Elizabeth scooted over the cold side of the bed, and Felicity cocooned herself in the warm sheets. Elizabeth’s hair was escaping its braid, curling in little gold tendrils about her face. Felicity smiled to see how pretty she looked.
“I wish Humphrey could see you like that,” Felicity said.
“Oh, Lissie!” Elizabeth protested.
“I believe he’d ask to marry you in seconds,” Felicity said wickedly.
“I believe he’d have to ask me to marry him before he saw any such thing,” Elizabeth said. But she smiled, her cheeks flushed slightly. “Felicity? Did Ben…?”
“You – !” Felicity cried, laughing. The ropes under the mattress protested as she sat up and smacked Elizabeth with her pillow. “He showed me the letter you sent him, you wicked, scheming girl,” she said, pouncing on Elizabeth and tickling her. Elizabeth gave a muted shriek. “Why did you write to him?”
“It’s very well for you I did!” Elizabeth replied, grabbing Felicity’s hands.
“Well – yes,” Felicity admitted. She couldn’t help smiling. Elizabeth relaxed her grip, and Felicity pounced in again, tickling her ribs through her chemise. “But what if we hadn’t worked things out? What would be your excuse then?”
Elizabeth rolled off the bed. “Surely it would have been better to talk and be unable to work it out, than to not work it out simply because you never spoke again?” she said, chemise twisted around her legs.
Felicity considered it, hanging her head off the edge of the bed. “That’s so, I suppose,” she admitted. She reached down and tugged Elizabeth’s chemise down, so it didn’t expose quite so much thigh. Then she rolled back into her warm half of the bed, blankets pulled up to her nose.
Elizabeth blew out the candle as she got back into bed, and pulled the bed curtains close. Felicity stared up at the thin line of moonlight slicing across the canopy, listening to the ropes creak as Elizabeth settled into bed. She felt the lump in her throat again. She knew without Elizabeth she might never have worked things out with Ben: Elizabeth had done the right thing, even though writing Ben was hardly delicate.
Felicity had never in her heart really approved of delicacy.
“Will you marry Humphrey?” Felicity asked.
The ropes creaked again as Elizabeth sat up. “Lissie! I met him less than a week ago!”
“Engagements have been announced on less,” Felicity said wistfully.
“Only by very foolish people,” Elizabeth said, decidedly. “I do like him – very much – only don’t be so impatient, Lissie!”
Felicity sighed. “I am afraid I shall never learn to be patient,” she said, pressing her cheek into the pillow.
“Yes; but we love it in you,” said Elizabeth. “You make things happen, when the rest of us would stand and wait.” She reached across the coverlet, her hand colliding with Felicity’s breast before moving upward to caress her shoulder.
“It is only I am worried,” Felicity said. She grasped Elizabeth’s caressing hand, and pressed it to her cheek. “It is only I am worried that you’ll go back to England, and I shall never see you again, and just thinking of it makes me want to marry you off to the nearest fishmonger if only it will keep you in Virginia.”
“Felicity!” Elizabeth protested, laughing, and squeezed Felicity’s hand. “You can do better than a fishmonger for me, surely.”
“I wish I could marry you,” Felicity said. She kissed Elizabeth’s hand, and tugged Elizabeth’s arm till Elizabeth scooted closer, so they both lay on the same pillow. “It could have been settled as soon as you stepped off the boat, then.”
“On the pier?” said Elizabeth. The breath from her soft laugh brushed Felicity’s face. “What a lack of romance!”
“And without speaking to your father first, too,” said Felicity, mock-sorrowful. She brightened. “We could run away together, like the Ladies of Llangollen! That would be terribly romantic. We can climb out my window. The apple tree is really quite convenient.”
“Felicity!” Elizabeth said. “Why have you been climbing out your apple tree?” Before Felicity could admit to meeting Ben during their first courtship, Elizabeth added playfully, “You haven’t been meeting other girls, have you?”
“Never!” Felicity said. “I’ve been absolutely constant to you. Miss Smith last spring was most charming, I admit, and Miss Dearborn the year before that; and indeed, I seem to remember a Miss Tilbury, but…”
“Coquette,” Elizabeth said.
Felicity kissed her nose, or meant to, but it landed rather alarmingly right beneath Elizabeth’s eye. Elizabeth giggled. “And anyway, if we ran away you couldn’t marry Ben.”
Felicity sighed again. “Yes. Ben.” He seemed, for a moment, nothing but an impediment, as if she really could have married Elizabeth were it not for him. “If only we could both marry Ben, like Rachel and Leah married Jacob!” Felicity burst out.
“That’s a sorry precedent,” Elizabeth replied, and Felicity could not but agree.
“So we are back to Humphrey, then,” she said.
“Felicity,” Elizabeth complained. “Felicity, you must simply stop fretting. I won't go to England: you live in Virginia, so I will stay. Go to sleep or you’ll take ill.”
Felicity could not argue with that. Elizabeth snuggled into the pillow till her forehead rested against Felicity’s shoulder. Her eyelashes brushed Felicity’s collarbone. Felicity draped an arm around her friend.
“It doesn’t matter, anyway,” Felicity murmured.
“Hmm?”
“If you go back to England,” Felicity said. “Because whither thou goest, I will go.”
Elizabeth stirred. “But Ben?” she murmured, her breath warm against Felicity’s skin.
“Oh, he can come too,” Felicity said. “I am sure there is something that we must overthrow in England.”
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no subject
Date: 2012-12-07 10:34 pm (UTC)Eeee! Such a perfect line to end it on! I love how complicated the Felicity/Ben angle is, and how steadfast (and adorable, it must be said) the Felicity/Elizabeth angle is. I admit, I'm kind of leaning towards Felicity's suggestion--OT3 all the way!
So glad I had a chance to catch up on this (one day later than hoped, but oh, well). It makes me wish (yet again) that I was more familiar with the fandoms you write for--your style is always such a treat to read. <3
no subject
Date: 2012-12-08 03:32 am (UTC)We ought to have more fandoms in common. How is this not so?
no subject
Date: 2012-12-08 05:06 pm (UTC)It does seem strange. I know we have a lot of similar interests, but not a lot of similar fandoms, it seems. One of these days (maybe even soon, since I'll have some free time around the holidays) I'll have to scour your fics to hopefully find something else I'm familiar with. I know you post to AO3--are all your fics there, or are they scattered about?
no subject
Date: 2012-12-08 09:12 pm (UTC)I should get around to moving all the fics I mean to move.
no subject
Date: 2013-01-01 02:42 pm (UTC)“I believe he’d have to ask me to marry him before he saw any such thing,”
And then for saying that surely Felicity could do better than a fishmonger for her ^_^
Their cuddling and conversation were so sweet <3
no subject
Date: 2013-01-28 10:37 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2013-01-29 03:52 am (UTC)