Lean On Me (DiR one-shot)

[dk323]

Title: Lean On Me
Author: dk323
Pairing: hints of Will/Jane & Bran/Jane
Rating: PG
Disclaimer: All characters and anything else in The Dark Is Rising book series is property of Susan Cooper. I am only playing in the sandbox she created. :)
Summary: A few days after the events of Silver on the Tree, Will prepares to leave.

 

Will Stanton knew in the near future he would have to leave his family to go about his duties without distractions. And then there would come a time when he would join Merriman outside of Time. Sometimes, Will yearned for the chance to care about Time -- to care about living each moment as if it were your last. He was still just a boy, youngest of the Old Ones, and feeling so very alone at the moment. Why couldn’t Merriman have stayed? He missed him terribly.

 

“Will you have to leave soon?” Jane asked quietly as she settled down beside him on the grass.

 

“Looks like Jane got bored in the house,” Will thought. She had rolled her eyes at the boys as they set about getting ready to spend the day in exploration. She had told them that she preferred not getting dirty and sweaty climbing mountains. So she had stayed with Will’s aunt Jen, keeping her company. Will himself declined because he didn’t want to be around Bran this soon. He still needed time for the full impact of Bran’s decision to hit – Will was truly alone now.

 

Will continued to look straight ahead, almost enchanted by the breathless view of the Welsh countryside.

 

“Yes, my family misses me. I think it would be cruel to stay away too long.”

 

Jane sighed, scooting closer to Will so that their bodies were touching, “How unfortunate. It only feels like the summer has just begun. You know I’ll miss you, won’t you?”

 

Will looked at her; a kind expression on his face, “Yes, of course. I’ll miss you as well.”

 

Jane stared at him, but then quickly looked away as if she were nervous about something.

 

“What is it, Jane?”

 

“This may sound silly…and Simon will probably never let me hear the end of it, but I – I…”

 

Will waited patiently for what she had to say.

 

“Sorry -- I was tongue-tied for a moment. The thing is, Will, I think I fancy you. I don’t know how it happened . . . but there it is.”

 

Will didn’t know what to say. A relationship would never work, but he did not wish to be the one to tell her. And false comforts were just that, false and cruel in a way.

 

“Maybe it’s only a fleeting crush.”

 

Jane shook her head, “No, it can’t be. You can’t say that, Will. Everything deserves a chance.”

 

“Bran fancies you, he told me so. It wouldn’t be right for me to keep you from him.”

 

Jane stared hard at him, grabbing his chin so he would face her, “I will not have others dictate my life. It is mine, and I say I want to have a chance with you.”

 

Will gently took hold of the hand on his chin, and said, “Let go. It’s no good. I don’t feel the same way.”

 

Jane ripped her hand out of his grasp, “I think you’re being less than truthful, Will Stanton. Maybe in a few years’ time…? Time changes things, you know.”

 

Will smiled wistfully at her, “Time will move on without me.”

 

“What do you mean?”

 

Will said nothing, just gazed out at the view before them.

 

“I will be gone the day after tomorrow.” He said suddenly, startling Jane after the long moments of silence.

 

Jane strengthened her resolve. She could not believe she was about to do this. She was a bit afraid of Will’s reaction. But no, she would go through with this. Why couldn’t she do something spontaneous verging on impulsive for once?

 

So as Will looked at her, Jane leaned into him, and kissed him on the lips.

 

When she pulled back, Will had a dazed expression on his face. She lightly touched his cheek, and said, “I hope we see each other again.”

 

Will smiled, although the smile didn’t reach his eyes. They held a sadness to them that shouldn’t be in the eyes of a twelve year-old boy.

 

“I hope so,” He said, sounding a bit lost for a moment as if he didn’t know what to say.

 

Jane half-smiled at him, and said softly, “Let’s stay here for a bit.”

 

She locked her arm with his, and laid her head on his shoulder.

 

Will was silent. He only thought of Time – how different it felt to mortal men. They were born, they lived, and they died. Time did not matter much to immortal souls, he mused, and not even love of another could make the desolate, lonely feeling go away forever.