#and then ended up w some white suburban mom shit anyway fjskrhjd

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writing prompt~ two characters talkin about destiny? how much they hate it or like it or wish it stopped annoying them? (sorry im mildly obsessed with the idea of ~destiny~ dsjfgs)

Curled beneath the heavy blanket and surrounded by the sounds of the midnight forest, muffled by the thin fabric of the shabby tent, it should have been easy for Charlie to drift off to sleep. She buried her head in the pillow and let her mind wander to somewhere safe. Back home. Memories of her own bed, listening to the steady rain, knowing times were certain and tomorrow would be the same as tonight. The repetition had been boring at the time, but she would give anything to be sure of her future now. Still, the memory was enough to comfort her.

The only thing that pulled her mind back to the real world was Rowan's constant shifting beside her. Rolling over, turning his pillow, pulling and kicking his thinner blanket, rolling over again. The movement canvas of the tent was amplified in the near silence, and Charlie felt the discomfort radiating off of him.

"Can't sleep?" she mumbled with her eyes still closed.

The movement stopped, and for a precious half minute they were both silent. The chirping of crickets seemed louder, but it was welcome. A cloud drifted away to let the moon shine down brighter upon their small clearing.

Rowan sighed. "Of course not. You can?"

"Not anymore." Her voice was honest and blunt, but understanding. She paused. "Tell me what's on your mind. Maybe you'll be able to rest then."

The longest pause yet. Charlie entertained the idea that he had finally fallen asleep, and then--

"What are we doing here? We've decided we're so special that we're meant to be doing this, we left everything and everyone behind, and now what? We're taking a break from hiking through the woods alone towards god knows what to sleep in a tent on the forest ground? This is insane, Charlie, there's no way this is right--"

"Slow down," she said calmly, and he did. She waited for his breathing to even out before speaking again, slowly and softly. "First of all, we set out because no one else was going to, remember? We may not be the best candidates, but at least we're doing something about it. We're stepping up. Second, we're taking a break because we need to, okay? And we've been doing fine here so far, think of this as a normal camping trip if that helps."

His last point was more complicated, and she mulled over it for a moment, during which Rowan filled the silence again, though less frantic than before.

"I don't think this is right. I don't think we're supposed to be doing this, Charlie. I think we should be back home." He took a breath, and his voice shook a little. "I want to be back home."

"I know. So do I," she admitted softly, a little ashamed. "But there's no way the 'right' thing to do was to sit back and watch them ruin everything important. Watch them draw closer. Like it or not, this is where we're meant to be. You can't change destiny. I'm sorry." The genuine empathy was clear in her voice.

"...Are you sure?" He half-laughed as he spoke, but it was a sad, nervous laugh with no real warmth.

"I'm sure," Charlie said.

Rowan sat up and pressed his head into his hands, then looked up and spoke. "What if we turned around and went home? What if we--"

"You wouldn't. And we won't."

He was silent again. She was right. As much as he wanted to return to safety, he would know it was temporary, and he would know he was sitting back while everything fell apart. It was selfish, and he knew that.

"I just-- it feels like everything we have to do is set in stone now. And we have no say in our lives anymore."

"We have a say. There's just a right and a wrong option. You can still choose the wrong one if you like." Her voice was growing more distant, and Rowan yawned.

Charlie offered one last idea of peace for him to consider. "This isn't the end, okay? We'll be back home soon. And safe. And everything will be how it was a month ago. That's destiny, too."

And she was right, Rowan thought as he finally drifted off, lost in his mind. Maybe he was destined for a life of safety and peace after this. Maybe.

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ty for the prompt!! :D sorry im shit at dialogue and never have any real context for scenes gjskfjdh