[January 4] [Watchmen] Angels
Title: Angels
Day/Theme: 4. Real strength never impairs beauty or harmony
Series: Watchmen
Character/Pairing: Rorschach, Nite Owl
Rating: PG
It was hard to look at Dan and not see him. Not to see the Daniel part of him.
As starved for beauty and goodness as Walter had always been, even Rorschach couldn’t help but notice. Behind the mask and armor, it was Nite Owl he could see. Hard edged and predatory, something that hunted the dark on wings of his own making.
The first time Nite Owl had unmasked in front of him, he had gone cold and prickling. He wasn’t supposed to see that. It would’ve taken every member of Crimebusters and then some to hold Rorschach down to get his mask off in front of anybody. He would’ve fought tooth and nail to keep anyone from seeing Walter underneath. But Nite Owl had become Daniel right there in front of him like it meant nothing to be exposed and seen.
Afterwards, he had tried to soothe his rattled nerves by flattering himself that Nite Owl had only done that out of trust. They were partners. Nite Owl could trust him not to reveal his identity and knew that. He had proven himself. That was good. He hadn’t stolen a peek. He had earned it. It would be all right.
But now it was hard to not see Daniel in Nite Owl. Rorschach tried to be disgusted by it, just on principle. He shouldn’t know about the warm eyes under the yellow lenses, or the soft-looking hair under the cowl. A crime fighter shouldn’t look like one of the paintings of angels in the books he had seen at Sunday school.
Then, he found himself doing what he could never have forgiven if Nite Owl had done it to him. He knew Nite Owl’s real face and pieced together what the other hero had said to him on patrols and missions to find where he lived. He followed Daniel on the street and about his daily errands. He knew it was a betrayal of sorts, so he always did it out of uniform, as if showing his own bare flesh would make it fair somehow.
Dan never saw him, or if he did, he never knew. Nothing of shabby, miserable Walter was visible in Rorschach. He hoped. He was able to see Nite Owl in Daniel too, he noticed. There was power there, under the plain tweed suit and sweater. There was steel under the softness. Angels were warriors, too.
Day/Theme: 4. Real strength never impairs beauty or harmony
Series: Watchmen
Character/Pairing: Rorschach, Nite Owl
Rating: PG
It was hard to look at Dan and not see him. Not to see the Daniel part of him.
As starved for beauty and goodness as Walter had always been, even Rorschach couldn’t help but notice. Behind the mask and armor, it was Nite Owl he could see. Hard edged and predatory, something that hunted the dark on wings of his own making.
The first time Nite Owl had unmasked in front of him, he had gone cold and prickling. He wasn’t supposed to see that. It would’ve taken every member of Crimebusters and then some to hold Rorschach down to get his mask off in front of anybody. He would’ve fought tooth and nail to keep anyone from seeing Walter underneath. But Nite Owl had become Daniel right there in front of him like it meant nothing to be exposed and seen.
Afterwards, he had tried to soothe his rattled nerves by flattering himself that Nite Owl had only done that out of trust. They were partners. Nite Owl could trust him not to reveal his identity and knew that. He had proven himself. That was good. He hadn’t stolen a peek. He had earned it. It would be all right.
But now it was hard to not see Daniel in Nite Owl. Rorschach tried to be disgusted by it, just on principle. He shouldn’t know about the warm eyes under the yellow lenses, or the soft-looking hair under the cowl. A crime fighter shouldn’t look like one of the paintings of angels in the books he had seen at Sunday school.
Then, he found himself doing what he could never have forgiven if Nite Owl had done it to him. He knew Nite Owl’s real face and pieced together what the other hero had said to him on patrols and missions to find where he lived. He followed Daniel on the street and about his daily errands. He knew it was a betrayal of sorts, so he always did it out of uniform, as if showing his own bare flesh would make it fair somehow.
Dan never saw him, or if he did, he never knew. Nothing of shabby, miserable Walter was visible in Rorschach. He hoped. He was able to see Nite Owl in Daniel too, he noticed. There was power there, under the plain tweed suit and sweater. There was steel under the softness. Angels were warriors, too.