fell short of breath | lark

[ASHTON CAMDEN RALEIGH]

Though they'd been together for quite some time, Ashton still got nervous whenever anticipating Lark's arrival for a date or any other sort of occasion. There was that fluttering in his stomach as he fussed with his hair, did his best to straighten his shirt, hoped that he didn't look too dishevelled. He was a people-pleaser by nature and so of course he'd want to please her, as well.

"Get away from the mirror, Ash, y'look fine," advised his little brother with a roll of his eyes. Cameron was standing in the door with his small arms crossed and his eyebrows raised. "Mom says you need to head down and help her with the table." Not looking away from his reflection, the Earth elemental nodded absently. "Yeah, yeah, in a sec, Cam." He heard the long sigh from the direction of the door. "Not my fault if she bites your head off." There was the sound of footsteps retreating. Gnawing at his lip, Ashton tugged his shirt down one last time before abandoning the ritual and heading for the stairs. This dinner was in celebration of his snowboarding victory in a provincial competition, suggested proudly by his father, and so naturally Lark had been invited.

His mother, less enthusiastic about the whole thing, was frowning as she busied herself about the kitchen. Ashton was quiet as he took direction and helped her set the table, guessing absently that he'd be able to cut the tension with the knife she used to chop the last of the fresh vegetables. He was on edge enough that he flinched when the door went, nearly dropping the cup he held in his hand. Catching it before it slipped completely from his grasp, he cast a glance over to his mother. Phew. She hadn't seen. He didn't want to give her an excuse to let loose her bottled irritations. "That'll be her." He went to the door, pulling it open with a smile that betrayed none of his inward concerns.

"Lark," he said fondly, pulling her into his arms for a hug and then giving her a kiss by way of greeting. "Come on in, we were just getting ready to eat. You've got good timing!" He took her hand for much-needed comfort and led the way to the kitchen slash dining room, where his family were waiting. Cameron, outgrowing his cute child phase and heading into the aloof phase where he pretended that family didn't matter, spared her a smile and a, "Hey." It might have lacked enthusiasm but hey, Ashton was lucky if the kid acknowledged him sometimes! Dustin was loud and grinning as he approached the two and gave her a hug, not asking for permission but meaning well, at least. He clapped Ashton on the shoulder before sitting down and allowing the couple to take their places at the table. Analynn, setting the last dish on the table, was colder than even her youngest son. "Lark," she said curtly. "It's good to see you." Ashton could see through her words, could his girlfriend? Mom, he thought, casting the woman a pleading glance. Not now?

[LARK MARIE HARPER]

Lark normally would have stopped for a few minutes to put on a little make-up or change into something nicer for the dinner with Ashton and his family, but as it was work got in the way. Instead, she changed her shirt into something that did not sport the music store's logo and into something decent, and took a glance in the rear view mirror to adjust her hair after that. She then smiled at herself to double-check her teeth for any random food from lunch. All clear. Content with her half-assed attempt at looking nice, Lark took off down the road towards Ashton's house.

The occasion was an exciting one; her boyfriend had managed to win one of his competitions and they decided to celebrate with a good, old fashioned dinner. She looked forward to seeing Cameron and Dustin, but his mother...not so much. While the woman was Ashton's mother, Lark did not hold a high level of respect for her. She could not understand why there was no support for her son's endeavors and the things he loved; it was not her life and thus not her business what he did and how much he made. His happiness should be the most important. By this point, Lark did not even realize that she had exchanged her content smile with a discomforted frown that border lined irritation and anger.

Music.

Quickly she cranked up the music and allowed it to soothe her. When she reached the Raleigh residence Lark felt calmer and could manage a smile, which only turned real when she saw Ashton's face in the doorway when he answered. "Hey," She greeted with a smile as she returned his hug and kiss happily. "I'm glad I managed to get here on time. Work held me until the last minute." Oh, work was great--it made her happy--but there were times she wished that they would be a bit more lenient on days like these. She accepted his hand willingly and followed him into the kitchen, smiling at his little brother and giving him a nod in greeting with a small lift of the hand following after. The hug from Dustin was unexpected; Lark nearly stepped back out of his way when he approached but refrained and returned the hug as best she could. This had to be where Ash got most of his personality. After the pleasantries, she went to take a seat next to her boyfriend before catching Analynn's greeting. The tension nearly slapped her in the face, and she drew her head back.

Lark told herself to bite her tongue and refrain from expressing her distaste about his mother's lack of enthusiasm, but she was never one to take someone's attitude like a dog that showed its belly at any sign of possible confrontation. Thus, the smile became thin as she recovered from the greeting and sat down."Yeah, it sounds like it," She said, voice wary and hesitant and simultaneously unhappy. She glanced over to her boyfriend, then back to Analynn with a frown. "...am I missing something here?" Dinner smelled delicious and she was hungry--she would definitely be glad to have his mother say nothing was wrong and allow the night to go as planned. However, she was no optimist and instead sat there and waited to see what the response would be.

[ASHTON CAMDEN RALEIGH]

Though he had always been a cheerful person, there was something about Lark that made him smile a bit wider. Nodding his acceptance of her words, he asked, "Oh, work—how was it?" So scatter-brained was he that he'd forgotten she had other things to attend to before meeting him at the house. His mind was on several things at once, especially since his mother hadn't made the evening easy for him thus far. He was glad that Lark was here so he no longer had to be alone with his family. It may have been a selfish relief but he was not immune to such things.

Optimism would dictate that the night would be just fine now that Lark had graced them with her presence. As he always tried to look on the bright side, Ashton hoped that his mother would put on her best face in front of their guest and make her feel welcomed. No such luck. He suppressed a groan as mild discomfort turned into glaring tension and he cast a desperate glance toward his father. Dustin seemed at a loss for what to do and when Lark met Ashton's eyes, he felt a similar uncertainty. How did he handle this? Was his mother really going to ruin the night for all of them? "What do you mean?" he said too quickly, eager to bury the situation. "Everything's fine, nothing to worry about!" He flashed her the best smile he could muster and then looked to his mother. Don't! his gaze begged. Not now. Analynn eyed him coldly but said no more.

Dustin, obviously just as desperate to move on from the chilled beginnings, clapped his hands together and gave a broad grin. "Well, let's not forget why we're all here!" He looked to Cameron, who had his gaze directed under the table and seemed to be paying little attention. "Put the phone away, Cam," his father insisted sternly. "Now's not the time for it." The young boy frowned and rolled his eyes, but complied with his father's wishes. "Congratulations, Ash," his father went on. "Provincials! We all knew you could do it, eh?" The Earth ducked his head with a sheepish smile. "It was really difficult. I didn't think I'd even qualify." He wasn't the most self-critical guy on the planet but neither was he the most confident.

"You should have been in school," Analynn piped up. Just like that, the tension was back like a chill wind sweeping over the dinner table. Ashton nibbled at the inside of his lip and avoided her gaze. His mother persisted. "Your education is more important than these silly games." Feeling defensive, Ashton looked up. "They're not games," he protested softly, awkwardly. "This is a serious thing for me, Mom, this is what I want to do, I—"

"It's not always about what you want. I want a future for you. You need to cut the crap and go back to school." Ashton froze. How did he break the news to his mother that he wasn't ever going back? He cast a side-glance at Lark. Did they really have to have this fight when his girlfriend was over for dinner?

[LARK MARIE HARPER]

"It was work," She replied with a brief shrug, not really intent on going into full detail on her day. "Got a few more people in for lessons so my boss was happy." There was no commission or extra pay from the store for gaining more lessons, but it certainly made the managers more appreciative of their workers if they could bring a few in during the week. She prided herself on selling up the lessons offered there.

Where Ashton was optimistic Lark always anticipated for shit to hit the fan, especially when the tension rose up so quickly. The room went from decently welcoming to deathly silent in a few moments flat and, despite her predominantly quiet demeanor, the girl wasn't fond of it. There was a difference between comfortable silence and strained silence and this was leaning toward the latter. She blinked and inclined her head towards her boyfriend, reading his facial expression before giving a small nod. "Alright, if you're sure." She conceded after passing yet another brief glance towards his mother. It was not in her nature to press for information. Maybe it was for the best tonight since the focus was on Ashton's accomplishments. She was glad for Dustin's earnest attempts at moving onward towards the congratulations. It was difficult to refrain from smiling now, the pride overflowing. The awkwardness seemed to pass after that and she finally relaxed. She refrained from chuckling when Cameron was scolded for playing on his phone; would Carter be the same way when he got older? That was an interesting thought. "You're a very skilled snowboarder," Lark chimed in after Dustin's complements and Ashton's humble reply. "I had no doubt you'd get in. You worked hard to get that win."

Then as quickly as the air cleared, it once again grew thick with that same familiar tension from earlier. She didn't even have time to put food on her plate by this point. What the hell? Analynn had never been approving of Ashton's endeavors, but did she have to make a comment about it right now? At a family dinner? She frowned and listened to the banter for a moment, grip on the fork tightening. To tell yourself not to enter into the argument when you had the protective instincts of a guard dog was difficult. Her cheek ached; it took Lark a moment to realize she had been biting at the inside of her mouth to keep from saying anything.

Of course that changed with Ashton passed her a glance.

Lark leaned forward to get a good look at his mother. Her eyebrows were tight knit, lips formed into a disapproving scowl. "So let me get this straight: It's not about what he wants for his life, it's about what you want for his life?" Her anger was building up; it was difficult to refrain from standing up throwing something, or leaving a string of profanities after every word. She reminded herself that Cameron was present. Part of her subconscious told her to stop, that this was not going to help anything, but what was she going to do? Allow the woman to tell Ashton that his dreams were stupid or irrelevant for the sake of school? No. "You were able to go into writing and do what you wanted, so why the hell is he not allowed to go for something he wants? Seems a bit hypocritical to me." Her shoulders were rigid at this point, voice low and cold. The woman was stepping on toes and Lark did not appreciate that. Not one bit. Analynn might have been fortunate in the fact that she was Ashton's mother, otherwise the response would be entirely different.

[ASHTON CAMDEN RALEIGH]

As someone who loved carrying on conversations and being unintentionally nosy, Ashton had to stop himself from bombarding his girlfriend with questions about her day. It had taken him a couple months to adjust to the fact that she wasn’t as much of a talker but as they’d been together a long time now, it was simple enough for him to curb the barrage of words. Instead he smiled. ”Course you did! Who wouldn’t want to take lessons from you?” He was biased but also spoke from experience, having asked her to teach him a thing or two about the guitar when they’d first started dating. He was nowhere near proficient but he could play a few songs and he had Lark to thank for that.

Ashton felt his face heat up with a pleasant blush, ducking his head at the compliment. He was good at recognising talent in others but accepting praise still made him feel shy, bashful. He was appreciative, however, and showed this by lifting his head and beaming at his girlfriend. ”I’m just lucky I’ve got awesome fans,” he joked, referring to Lark and his father. His brother was fairly proud of him, too, though he took great care to avoid showing it. Analynn? The icy silence said it all. He tried to ignore the fact that his mother was not taking part in the conversation, savouring the taste of the food and the glow of pride that had flooded him at Lark’s words. The Fire elemental had always been able to keep him true to his cheerful personality under times of stress. He didn’t deal well with negative emotions, being an all-around positive guy, and so situations like this were rough on him.

Especially since his mother didn’t stop there.

The glance he’d shot his girlfriend had been more out of uncertainty than anything else. He hadn’t been expecting her to say anything, blinking in surprise and averting his gaze from the table when she did. The tension was so thick he swore he could feel it in the air, like a cloud of thick fog or dense cobwebs. The Earth didn’t know how to feel. Should he be glad that she was sticking up for him or upset that things were turning from bad to worse? He looked at his father. Dustin appeared to be on edge, hand braced against the table as if he was about to stand, though he did not move. Looking back to the two women, he put his hand on Lark’s arm. ”Lark,” he said pleadingly, worried that Analynn might do something drastic. It was too late. His mother’s eyes were cold and narrowed, completely ignoring her son’s distress as she glared down their guest.

”And you know what’s best for him, do you?” Her voice was edging on shrill, one hand gripping a fork so tight that she began to shake. ”I’m his mother and you want to tell me how to talk to my son?” Cameron’s attention had left his phone completely now, the younger boy staring at his brother and looking concerned but uncertain of what to do. Ashton felt like a child himself, wanting to curl up into a ball and wrap his arms around his head, plug his ears so he wouldn’t have to listen. His father came to his aid then. ”Ana,” he said gently, ”not now. Ashton’s made his choice, he knows what he’s doing.” Do I really? Self-doubt began to rear its ugly head. What if she’s right? What if I’m not good enough? ”This is my house!” his mother snapped. ”I refuse to be told what to do!” Though she sounded like a stubborn toddler, she was right. She owned the house, she had the final say. Feeling the need for affection, Ashton gripped Lark’s hand in his own and bit his lip. What should he say? What should he do? He felt lost and confused.

[LARK MARIE HARPER]

The room went from chill, to warm, to chill again. Watching her boyfriend beam at her, his happiness evident, was so encouraging. She only wished that some people would refrain from offering their own selfish, ridiculous opinions. Could Analynn not see what her words were doing? They were harmful, painful. She knew what it was like to be told you weren't meant to follow your dreams, that she wouldn't be good enough for them. Those were from the lips of a drunken man, mind, but they were hurtful none the less. This only fueled her anger more. Her hand gripped her leg. The pain was a dull thud but not enough to draw her away from the woman's cold stare. Lark rarely backed down from anything.

The only thing that broke concentration was Ashton's voice and the touch to her arm, which she instinctively flinched away from without a word. Don't. Just don't. She thought, feeling like she were being treated like a child for her reaction. Her eyes were hard as flint as they shifted away from Ashton and towards Analynn again. She inhaled.

"No, I don't." Lark deadpanned without a hint of emotion. Her anger was an eerie calm. "But he does." Her finger lifted just above the edge of the table to point at the Earth graduate without even looking in his direction, feeling like a wild animal staring down its rival. "He's an adult and is capable of making his own decisions. I can't believe you'd openly doubt your own son and his capabilities in front of him and the rest of the family. That's a great confidence booster! You just gonna write him off as a failure because he's following his dream?" Her hand hit the table now; she could care less if anyone else chose to stand in her corner. This was the final straw. No one treated Ashton liked that, not even his own mother, without her having something to say. Time and time again he mentioned Analynn and how she never did approve of his choices. Dustin chimed in and tried to reason with his wife but it only seemed to make matters worse. The worst thing anyone could do was corner a lioness and make her feel vulnerable. Lark didn't care at this point. Someone definitely wasn't getting mother of the year. "Do whatever you want," She replied, locking her jaw. "But like you, I love Ashton and I want to see him be who he wants to be, not what you expect him to be. Why would you force him to do something that makes him miserable just so you can be happy?"

She prepared to stand up but her focus shifted once again when Ashton grabbed her hand. This time she allowed herself to take a steady breath and offer a squeeze. Her knuckles were white and the pain in her leg was noticeable now. She released the grip, fingers tingling from lack of blood flow. The other hand held his hand tight, part for her own reassurance that he was there and part to try and calm down for his sake. He didn't need this. None of them did. Dinner would have been peaceful and delicious if Analynn would have kept her damn mouth shut. Feeling her agitation rise again, Lark released Ashton's hand, pushed the chair back, and walked out onto the front porch after muttering something akin to 'if you'll excuse me'. She needed fresh air and some space away from his mother before anything more was said.