Geena (
geena) wrote in
rainbowfic2012-02-29 08:32 pm
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Alice Blue 10
Author:
geena
Color: Alice Blue 10. life, what is it but a dream?
Supplies and Styles: Oils (darkest fantasies), stain ("About the time we think we can make ends meet, somebody moves the ends." -- Herbert Hoover), fabric, and modeling clay (Battle).
Rating: G
Word Count: 633
Story: Polyfaceted (Index~Timeline); the title of this story is Under a Spell.
Summary: For most of his live, Gino struggles with a secret. These are three of those times.
Notes: This takes place in 2010, 2014, 2027.
***
There’s no predicting when Gino will be hit by one of his spells.
Ever since he was ten he’s had some mornings where it’s just hard to get out of bed. He can’t explain why, but he knows that there’s no use in trying to go about his day-- the only thing he can do is feign illness and hide under the covers.
“Aww, sweetheart,” his mother coos, leaning over him to press a hand to his forehead one morning when he’s fifteen. “Is it your stomach?”
All he can do is shrug.
“I’ll make you some soup, would you like that?”
“I’m not hungry.” Gino rolls over, facing the wall. His eyes are glued to a small chip in the paint, his focus on the presence of his mother behind him.
“If you’re sure,” she finally says as she rises to her feet. “I’ll call the school.” In the doorway, she hesitates for a few seconds. “Do you want me to send Vito in?”
“No. I--I just want to sleep.” It’s true enough.
“Okay, baby. I’ll check in on you later.”
Gino’s heart clenches as his mother firmly closes the door behind him. He hates when he makes her worry. But he just needs to rest for a day or two and everything will be fine. He’s positive, it has to be. Everything will be fine.
He repeats this to himself, over and over.
***
It never fully goes away. Some days are worse than others-- some days, Gino finds that tears prickle his eyes for know reason. He gets used to the heavy, sinking feeling in his chest. By the time he’s nineteen, he even learns to tolerate the thoughts that simultaneously scare and relieve him. Maybe, just maybe, if he had the courage to--
No. He can’t keep circling around that.
It’s easy enough to plaster that now-familiar smile on his face as he heads to his office. If Gino’s lucky, Vito is off some where, busy with work, and he’ll be able to catch a few minutes alone. A few minutes to clear his head before this thing-- this feeling-- swallows him whole.
“Gino?” Nicoletta’s brows are knitted as she crosses the corridor, blocking his path. “You okay?”
He smiles brighter. “I’m fine. Just tired. I was up late last night, playing this new game with Vito. You know, we found that there’s this hidden street with all sorts of energy packs and--”
“Uh-huh.” She peers into his face. “You look like shit.”
Gino allows himself a few deep breaths. “Like I said. Tired.”
Nicoletta bites a lip, watching him for a few more moments. “If you say so. Anything you need, though...”
As he manages a soft, dismissive chuckle, Gino allows himself a flash of pride. “Yeah, all right. Sure. Hey, if you’re not busy for lunch--”
A wide grin is his reward. “Count on it.”
She passes him and he sighs. He can do this.
***
“Honey?” Zara suddenly breaks in, exchanging a glance with him over her plate of eggs. “Is everything okay?”
Gino mentally winces. “Okay? Yeah, it’s fine. I’m fine.” He focuses all his attention on his fork.
“You’re lying.”
His heart hammers against his ribcage, his breathing turning shallow. “Ly-lying?”
Zara exhales and reaches for his hand, the lightest press of her fingers against his searing him to the bone. “We’ve been married four years, you don’t think I can tell when you’re not being honest?”
“It’s nothing.” He doesn’t dare meet her gaze. “I’ll be fine.”
“You know that you can tell me anything.”
It’s ripping him apart. Gino blinks quickly, swallowing around the lump in his throat. “I know.” He can’t. He can never tell anyone.
Maybe if he fights hard enough the darkness will cease to consume him. He has to hope.
***
![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
Color: Alice Blue 10. life, what is it but a dream?
Supplies and Styles: Oils (darkest fantasies), stain ("About the time we think we can make ends meet, somebody moves the ends." -- Herbert Hoover), fabric, and modeling clay (Battle).
Rating: G
Word Count: 633
Story: Polyfaceted (Index~Timeline); the title of this story is Under a Spell.
Summary: For most of his live, Gino struggles with a secret. These are three of those times.
Notes: This takes place in 2010, 2014, 2027.
***
2010
There’s no predicting when Gino will be hit by one of his spells.
Ever since he was ten he’s had some mornings where it’s just hard to get out of bed. He can’t explain why, but he knows that there’s no use in trying to go about his day-- the only thing he can do is feign illness and hide under the covers.
“Aww, sweetheart,” his mother coos, leaning over him to press a hand to his forehead one morning when he’s fifteen. “Is it your stomach?”
All he can do is shrug.
“I’ll make you some soup, would you like that?”
“I’m not hungry.” Gino rolls over, facing the wall. His eyes are glued to a small chip in the paint, his focus on the presence of his mother behind him.
“If you’re sure,” she finally says as she rises to her feet. “I’ll call the school.” In the doorway, she hesitates for a few seconds. “Do you want me to send Vito in?”
“No. I--I just want to sleep.” It’s true enough.
“Okay, baby. I’ll check in on you later.”
Gino’s heart clenches as his mother firmly closes the door behind him. He hates when he makes her worry. But he just needs to rest for a day or two and everything will be fine. He’s positive, it has to be. Everything will be fine.
He repeats this to himself, over and over.
***
2014
It never fully goes away. Some days are worse than others-- some days, Gino finds that tears prickle his eyes for know reason. He gets used to the heavy, sinking feeling in his chest. By the time he’s nineteen, he even learns to tolerate the thoughts that simultaneously scare and relieve him. Maybe, just maybe, if he had the courage to--
No. He can’t keep circling around that.
It’s easy enough to plaster that now-familiar smile on his face as he heads to his office. If Gino’s lucky, Vito is off some where, busy with work, and he’ll be able to catch a few minutes alone. A few minutes to clear his head before this thing-- this feeling-- swallows him whole.
“Gino?” Nicoletta’s brows are knitted as she crosses the corridor, blocking his path. “You okay?”
He smiles brighter. “I’m fine. Just tired. I was up late last night, playing this new game with Vito. You know, we found that there’s this hidden street with all sorts of energy packs and--”
“Uh-huh.” She peers into his face. “You look like shit.”
Gino allows himself a few deep breaths. “Like I said. Tired.”
Nicoletta bites a lip, watching him for a few more moments. “If you say so. Anything you need, though...”
As he manages a soft, dismissive chuckle, Gino allows himself a flash of pride. “Yeah, all right. Sure. Hey, if you’re not busy for lunch--”
A wide grin is his reward. “Count on it.”
She passes him and he sighs. He can do this.
***
2027
“Honey?” Zara suddenly breaks in, exchanging a glance with him over her plate of eggs. “Is everything okay?”
Gino mentally winces. “Okay? Yeah, it’s fine. I’m fine.” He focuses all his attention on his fork.
“You’re lying.”
His heart hammers against his ribcage, his breathing turning shallow. “Ly-lying?”
Zara exhales and reaches for his hand, the lightest press of her fingers against his searing him to the bone. “We’ve been married four years, you don’t think I can tell when you’re not being honest?”
“It’s nothing.” He doesn’t dare meet her gaze. “I’ll be fine.”
“You know that you can tell me anything.”
It’s ripping him apart. Gino blinks quickly, swallowing around the lump in his throat. “I know.” He can’t. He can never tell anyone.
Maybe if he fights hard enough the darkness will cease to consume him. He has to hope.
***
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