Drabble and a Half: 'Inch Away'

[dwgm]

Wow, we've been getting some great drabbles for the Inch theme this week. cmgacrux wrote this one and posted it this morning, which inspired a sequel plot bunny that she kindly encouraged me to chase. Many thanks to her, and to hereswith for wee-hours editing!!



~ Inch Away ~

She’d been drinking, or she’d never have said it, maudlin and needy in the face of fate. She’d never have come to him at all, but when he’d caught and cornered her in that shadowed alcove, her eyes pleading, her wet cheeks flushed with more than just loss, he knew he had her.

The air had never been cleared between them. Her guilt and his wounded pride were the weight that held them apart, though it shackled them together, too. Most of the time she was pirate enough to set it aside. Most of the time he was good man enough to pretend he didn’t enjoy her weaker moments.

He’d been drinking, as well. But not enough.

So that inch brushed by, and he breathed into her ear, “It’s the rum talking, Lizzie.” Then he held her, until she’d calmed, and the weight, somewhat lessened, settled in place once more.


~.~

Comments

[jessaminejill.livejournal.com]

the image you create is so life-like. amazing!

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm glad you thought it worked!

[compassrose7577.livejournal.com]

The mile an inch can be!

Very sultry, lass! How could any of us ever resist Jack in our ear?

And a nice tangent to the former drabble.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you! And no, I can't imagine any of us could resist.

And I got the new chapters! Will edit during lunch this week!

[compassrose7577.livejournal.com]

Of all the mysteries AWE left us with (I find calling them that makes life much more liveable), the air and the issues between Lizzie and Jack is the most glaring. This bit here just serves to tantalize us even more.

No worries on the hurries, just trying to get a head, as it were.

[djarum99.livejournal.com]

Great drabble - I love Jack when he's being a good man :-)

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Me too, but there always has to be that little hint that he could be a real bastard, if he was so inclined. *g*

Thank you for reading and commenting!

[komandant-krech.livejournal.com]

Lovely, and very much in character :) Fits great with the other drabble, too.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you! It's all so complicated between them.

[kseenaa.livejournal.com]

Wonderful! *cheers*

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[cmgacrux.livejournal.com]

Lovely drabble, m'dear. It fits nicely with the one I wrote, but also gives us some insight into their turbulent relationship. Brava!

I'm glad you chased those plot bunnies. :)

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

I could not resist the plot bunny -- I was home for lunch, and wrote this in about 15 minutes. Sometimes you just gotta write, you know?

I'm glad you thought it a good follow-up to yours. Thank you for letting me know you liked it.

[fried-flamingo.livejournal.com]

Love this. The idea of 'so close yet so far away'. And I love that Jack is the one who backs off and won't take advantage even though he knew he could.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Sometimes it's sexier when they don't kiss, you know?

I'm so glad you liked it -- thank you for letting me know!

[awickedwench.livejournal.com]

The air had never been cleared between them. Her guilt and his wounded pride were the weight that held them apart, though it shackled them together, too.

I love this! Just perfect; it so describes the nature of the tension between them.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

That tension really fascinates, doesn't it? When one is in the mood for angst, particularly.

I'm so happy you enjoyed it! Thank you for letting me know.

[salr323.livejournal.com]

Oh lovely! I adore this idea:

Her guilt and his wounded pride were the weight that held them apart, though it shackled them together, too.

That's it exactly, isn't it? That one event binds them together, yet keeps them always apart. A perfect summation of the situation, beautifully done.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I think intellectually Lizzie insists her actions were entirely justified and was the best course available in those terrible moments, but on an emotional level she cannot help feeling otherwise.

[sharklady35.livejournal.com]

Lovely capturing-the-moment piece! (I'd say more, but everyone else beat me to it.)

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you!!

[azure-horizon.livejournal.com]

Wow.

That was amazing. Thanks for sharing!

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you! I'm so happy you liked it.

[pearlseed.livejournal.com]

Miz geekmama, you got the touch coming, going, cruising or hotfooting--I'm hungry for words and I'm raiding everybody's pantry--you got some tasty ones I've not yet sampled--thanks.

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

Thank you for reading and commenting on this one, I'm so happy you liked it. One can easily see their relationship going in that direction, I think.

I need to write me some drabbles again, but I've been so obsessed with writing H&theP5 I haven't been keeping up with the challenges.

*Hugs*

[just-a-dram.livejournal.com]

This is a fantastic drabble. The emotions and what she said is so clear without being specific. Fantastic!

"He’d been drinking, as well. But not enough."

Jack's a good man ;)

[geekmama.livejournal.com]

This drabble is very full of the angst, of course, but their relationship is like that. I'm so glad you thought it well done.

I am squeeing over all these reviews you've been leaving me -- thank you so much!! Have to zoom to work now, but will reply further tonight.

[just-a-dram.livejournal.com]

Well, I like angst. Well done angst, that is, which this is.

I've been squeeing over your fics! I'm a little late to this party :) But, I watched a POTC marathon this summer and started to look for fic for the first time after enjoying the movies for years. Your fics are truly up there at the top of the heap. Not everyone gets their voices down so well, and I'm very impressed at your skill with it.

I might try my hand at writing some myself. Hopefully the fandom really gets going again with the upcoming movie!