Never • t.s.

prologue

A small cluster of wagons sat atop a hill, nestled in it's neat grass. A stream ran past the base of the hill, and rich greenery sprung up on either bank. Three boys sat idle near the crest of the hill. Two of them appeared to be brothers, and the third some variation of one. His hair was lighter, his eyes darker, more thoughtful. The curves and angles of his face differed from the other two, but he wasn't alone in his differences. Some distance away, his sister lay with her feet dangling in the water, her head perched on a much younger girls lap.

The evening was hot, and a general sense of laziness hung in the air. Summer was at its peak.

"Would you look at that," the older brother, Arthur, said. He had been whittling away at a piece of wood for quite some time, and now held it up proudly. "It looks exactly like you, James," Arthur closed one eye and held it up next to the light haired boys head. The handiwork was rough and uneven, but a protruding nose, uneven eyes and bulbous lips could be discerned. 

James snatched it out of Arthurs hand, his eyebrows furrowing as he examined the rough hewn face. "Now what the hell is this supposed to be?" he asked, "Your mother?"

"I just said it was you didn't I?" Arthur retorted, "give me that back, you thick fuck." He reached forward to snatch it back but James yanked his hand away. 

"You know who else is a thick, lousy fuck?" James asked, one corner of his mouth quirking up, "your-" Arthur grabbed him by the collar before he could finish and yanked him forward. 

"Finish that sentence and I'll shove horseshit down your throat," He grunted, tussling with James. The pair rolled in the grass, roughing each other up. Arthur grabbed James's shoulder and drove it into the ground, then pulled his other arm behind his back and twisted. 

"Alright!" James conceded, trying to wrangle his arm put of Arthur's grip. Arthur let go, smug, and they both sat back, breathing heavily. "I'm gonna beat your scrawny ass one day," James promised, rubbing his arm. 

Arthur ignored him, and nudged Tommy with his foot. "What's up with you, eh?" he asked, prodding Tommy's arm. 

"It's hot," Tommy replied simply. He was looking past Arthur, a slight downward turn in his lips. Arthur followed his gaze down the hill and his eyes landed upon the two girls by the stream. 

"You still sore about Florence?" He asked incredulously, returning his gaze to his brother. 

"What do you mean sore about Florence?" James asked sharply, his eyes darting from Arthur to Tommy, "what did you do to her?" 

"It's not what he did to her, it's what she did to him," Arthur began smartly. He slung his arm around Tommy's neck, giving him a good shake. "See Tommy here is suffering from a broken heart," he poked Tommy in the chest for emphasis and was violently shaken off. 

"I'm not suffering from anything," Tommy snapped, pulling his eyes away from her. He glanced quickly at James, who was frozen in a silent laugh. His shoulders started to shake, and tears pooled in his eyes. A roaring laugh came from his mouth and Tommy rubbed his temple. 

"You-" James managed, before succumbing to more laughter, "your in love with my sister?" Tommy opened his mouth but whatever new thought James must have had sent him into another fit, "and she doesn't even care!" 

"She doesn't know yet," Tommy corrected, frowning. The evening had taken a turn that he wasn't quite enjoying. 

"Well it's time she found out," Arthur said, and before Tommy could argue, he called out for her. "Oi Florence!" she turned in the direction of his voice and he beckoned her over, "Tommy wants to-" His sentence didn't make it out before Tommy tackled him, pressing both hands against his brothers mouth. He was too late, Florence had already gotten up, a confused look on her face, and had started picking a path up the hill.

"I swear to god, Arthur," he said through gritted teeth, "I'm gonna kill you." Arthur suddenly stopped struggling. He slipped a hand out of Tommy's grip and waved. 

"What did you call me over for?" Florence asked. She was appraising the two boys with an unimpressed frown. She completely ignored her brother, who was sprawled on the grass, watching the events unfold with his chin tucked into his palm.

Tommy let go of his brother and scrambled to his feet. "Tommy wanted to tell you something," Arthur said, squinting against the setting sun, a smirk fixed on his lips. 

"And that is?" Florence asked, tilting her head. 

"He's in l-" Arthur began, but he was quickly interrupted by Tommy. 

"I wanted to ask you if you would accompany me on a walk," he said quickly, wincing at the words as they left his mouth. Florence nodded slowly, raising her eyebrow. 

"Ok," she said finally, "a walk, sure." She turned around and started leading a path down the hill, not bothering to wait for him. Tommy furiously turned around and silently cursed at both James and Arthur.

"I'm gonna fucking kill you both," he whispered furiously, watching them suppress laughter. 

"Better get walking, boy, you've got a romantic stroll ahead of you," Arthur said, nodding in Florence's direction.

"Go follow my sister around like the little pussy you are," James ordered, his mouth split in an open smile. 

Tommy glared at them both before jogging to catch up to Florence. He fell into step with her and shoved his hands in his pockets. His eyes flicked in her direction every few seconds, but she didn't seem to notice. 

"Lovely walk," he said after a moment, staring at her out of the corner of his eye. She sighed and pulled him into the beginnings of the forest. They were completely alone now, out of sight and earshot of the others. 

"What is this about?" she asked impatiently, crossing her arms. She didn't stop, but her steps slowed to a lazy wander, deeper into the density of trees. 

"Nothing," Tommy said immediately, attempting a casual shrug, "I like walking."

Florence stopped, turned, and raised her eyebrows. "You like walking." she repeated, taking slow, meandering steps towards him. His lips parted slightly, but he was too caught up in her slow approach to elaborate. She stopped here inches away from him, head slightly tilted to meet his gaze. "Your a funny boy, Thomas," she said, fitting her palm against his cheek. His face tingled where she touched it and he found himself incapable of adequate speech.

"I know the way you look at me," she said softly, "and Arthur isn't very good at keeping secrets." Her thumb grazed the hollow under his cheekbone, then his lips. She could almost feel the electricity crackling under his skin. He slipped his hand around her waist and tugged her closer, but she was careful to maintain some space between them. 

"I want to kiss you," he said hoarsely, still trapped under the sensation of her touch. She smiled, and he could almost see the thoughts behind her eyes, considering his statement. 

"Then kiss me."

His hand found it's place at the back of her neck, and she placed her other arm around his shoulder. When his lips met hers a thousand constellations bloomed against the darkness of his eyelids. His gentle kiss turned needy, and she slid her hand down to his chest, pulling away just for a moment. 

"Tommy," she whispered, the tip of her nose bumping against his, "I'm going to break your heart."

He shook his head, eyes still closed, "I don't care." His lips found hers again, gently tugging them back into a kiss. She tried to resist but quickly gave in, pressing her body against his, her fingers curling in his hair. Caught up in this moment, in his arms, she was vaguely aware of the conflict raging between her senses and her heart. His hand slid down her back, and she wondered how many other women he had touched in this same way. 

"I will never love him," she silently promised to herself, sinking farther into his touch.

I LOVE FEEDBACK HINT HINT NUDGE NUDE.