(no subject)
Title: Familiar Realm
Author: atrocious_x
Pairing: Matt//Zacky
Rating: NC17
Summary: [AU]. `They say every time the bell sounds, an angel gets their wings...`
Disclaimer: About as real as The Neverending Story.
00|01|02|03|04|05
Sorry about the wait guys, I've been busy with other things, and all that jazz. Writer's block always seems to strike at the most inoppurtune moments. But I'm back, and let me tell you, I have no idea where I'm going with this -- like I do, but I don't. Soo, yeah. Bear with me.
Familiar Realm
Chapter 06
When I woke, I was alone and still naked. The thoughts from the night before came back, and I blushed just slightly to myself, sitting up and leaning over the cot to find my clothes. When I'd gotten dressed, I quickly left the room. Out in the main room, the man, Michael, was gone; I obviously didn't know if he'd chosen to stay or not. I couldn't say I cared too much though. Off down the other hallway; the one I hadn't been down yet, I could hear the sounds of machines -- the kinds of sounds you heard in shop class at school. Besides that, the whole building seemed completely empty.
Taking a chance, I went down that hallway. I passed a make-shift kitchen, a few empty rooms, another bathroom, and finally at the end of the hall was a garage. Or at least it'd been turned into a garage -- it was the size of two rooms, and it was obvious a wall had been torn down. A shirtless Jimmy was leaning into an old rusty, muscle car; it looked like he was completely stripping the vehicle. There was a radio on the table against one of the walls, and Bush's 'Glycerine' was playing softly.
Jimmy straightened, singing along to the radio, and he got ready to bend and lean into the car again when he caught sight of me.
"Hey." he said.
"Hi." I replied shortly, suddenly shy. "Where is everyone?"
"Johnny's still sleeping," he answered, pulling a cloth from his back pocket, and wiping his forehead free of sweat. "And Matt's out -- walking."
"What does he do?" I asked curiously. "Just walk around?"
Johnny nodded, leaning against the car. "It's only because he needs to do something," he said. "We all have our habits to get our minds off...you know."
I nodded quickly. "So he walks?" I asked -- thank you Captain Obvious.
Jimmy nodded, crossing his skinny arms over his bare chest. "And works out."
I nodded. "And you work on cars?"
This time, he nodded. "And Johnny gambles...and drinks...a lot." he said as if it were nothing.
I pushed my hands into my pockets, and glanced down awkwardly. He studied me for a moment, before he uncrossed his arms to put the cloth back into his pocket.
"Wanna give me a hand?" he offered.
I gave a meek shrug. "I'm no good at cars or anything." I said.
He smirked and gestured for me to come further into the room. "Well I can make you good." he said. "There's nothing to stripping a Chevy."
Jimmy and I spent the next hour removing the seats from the car -- it took so long because he sure did like to talk, it seemed that cars were his passion, and he knew more about them then I knew about living on the streets. He also liked to brag about how much this Chevy was going to kick ass once he gave it a makeover.
"It's gonna be black." he told me, as we carried one of the seats a ways away from the car itself. "But not just black, I was thinking of giving it a really good paint job, so that from different angles, it'll look dark purple, but then close up, be black."
"Like Vin Diesel," I replied as we set the seat down on a tarp on the ground. "In 'XXX'."
"Exactly." he replied. "Johnny and Matt still haven't seen that movie, so they have no idea what I'm talking about."
I smirked and put my hands on my hips, as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. I'd ended up taking my shirt off like him, because it got damned hot in that makeshift garage, and I'd grown pretty comfortable around Jimmy in that hour.
"This car is automatic." he said suddenly, words slurred from the cigarette in his mouth. "It's systematic. It's hydromatic. Why it's Greased Lightning."
I laughed, not at the fact that he was quoting 'Grease', but at the fact that he wasn't singing, just speaking the words. He grinned at me, and pulled the cigarette from his mouth to exhale smoke.
"Thought you'd like that." he said.
Still smirking, I shook my head. "Now I'm gonna have that song stuck in my head all day." I said.
Before he could respond though, there was the sound of the front door opening, and Matt calling Jimmy's name.
"Garage!" he called back.
A few moments later, Matt appeared in the doorway. His hazel eyes took a sweep of the room, taking in Greased Lightning, and then me. I'd forgotten I was shirtless until his gaze devoured me, and I felt my cheeks heat up. I quickly looked down.
"I have to talk to you." Matt said to Jimmy, nearing the taller man.
Matt pulled him away slightly, and I strained to eavesdrop.
"Guess who I ran into." Matt replied; but then his tone continued to rise and fall so that I only managed to catch a few words. "...says he's been trying...told him I knew..."
As if on cue, the both of them turned and looked at me. I knew by the way they averted their eyes quickly that I wasn't going to like what they'd been talking about.
"You're serious?" Jimmy asked.
"Yeah." Matt said softly, then he glanced at me. "Zack, come here." he said, starting for the door and gesturing for me to follow.
On my way out, I grabbed my shirt from the table with the radio, and as I stepped out of the room, Matt turned me so that I was backed against the wall. He stood so close to me that our chests touched, but he stared at my shoulder when he started talking to me.
"Zack." he said. "I made a mistake."
My jaw dropped, and inside the garage, I heard Jimmy turn the Smashing Pumpkins up a little louder. I searched my brain quickly for something to say, but I was only able to manage a 'what'.
"It was wrong." he replied in a low tone. "And I shouldn't have done it." he paused, and it looked like it pained him to continue. "You can't stay here."
"Why not?" I demanded.
He sighed, and looked down the hallway like he was afraid someone was listening to him. "Babe." he said in a whisper. "I'm not allowed...you're...a mortal."
I was left to think that even though he'd been banned from Heaven, he wasn't allowed to enjoy himself. I wanted to fight that with the fact that Jimmy and Johnny were together, but they were both angels as well. He was right, I was mortal. I studied him for a moment, and he still wouldn't meet my eyes.
"Who'd you run into today?" I asked quietly.
He took a deep breath, and looked up at the wall above my shoulder. His jaw muscles were set, and he took a moment before he answered.
"You need to go." he said. "Brian's waiting for you outside."
Sorry if this is getting cheesy...
Familiar Realm
Chapter 07
"When were you planning on telling me?!"
I had my back against the passenger door so that I could stare, open-mouthed at Brian as he pulled away from the warehouse. I hadn't even said 'bye' to Matt, I'd just been too furious. Brian shook his head, jaw clenched like Matt's -- as if he were angry too.
"You weren't supposed to find out." he said, tone so low that I almost didn't hear him.
I just glared at him for a moment, then I shook my head. "But I've seen your back -- you don't --"
"I haven't earned my wings yet." he interrupted. "I'm not a fallen angel."
I gaped at him, dumbfounded, and he glanced at me. His expression was unreadable though. I was suddenly struck with another wave of anger.
"So that's why you've been trying to take care of me?" I demanded. "To get your wings?"
"No!" he said, then he shook his head. "Well, sort of -- it's more complicated than that, Zack -- that's only part of the reason."
I opened my mouth, closed it again, and then let it hang open. I was too pissed off to be able to form words, so I quickly reached for the door handle. I heard Brian lock all the doors, and I cursed the inventor of electric locks and windows.
"Let me out." I said pulling at the handle.
"Zack, listen to me." he said, ignoring my command. "I care about you."
He said this slowly, as if he were trying to hammer it into my head. I wanted to respond, but I couldn't find it in me.
"Just come live with me." he said. "I hate seeing you out on the streets with no one to turn to --"
"So then it's pity?" I asked. "That's what you're giving me? Charity?!" I bellowed the last word.
"No!" he said quickly, turning to me again. "Of course not!"
"Jesus," I said in a growl, throwing myself back in the seat as tears involuntarily brimmed my eyes. "In twenty-four hours my life has done a complete U-turn for the worst." I spat this word at him as though it were his fault.
"Zack, Matt can't give you what you need," he said. "You can't depend on someone like him for that -- and you weren't even supposed to meet him."
"I can't believe you." I said, "I feel like my life is being fucking staged -- Truman Show style."
He rolled his eyes. "Zacky," he said. "You don't understand."
"You're right I god damned don't!" I exclaimed. "Even if I had a family who cared about me, Matt still would've been the only person I could turn to -- Matt understands me!"
"He understands everyone," Brian said. "You're missing the fact that he once was an angel. Everyone feels comfortable around him because of that -- you can't depend on someone like him."
"We have something!" I insisted.
"Zack -- this can only end in even more pain." he said. "So just drop it, drop everything about Matt."
"What the fuck am I supposed to do?!" I yelled, sitting back up again, unable to stay still.
"Fine, you want to know the fucking blueprints?" he asked. "I was supposed to turn your life around, I was supposed to change who you are -- but you were too damn stubborn for something like that -- and then Matt rears his fucking head, and ruins everything."
I stared at him for a second, the only sound was my heart thudding in my chest. I was so angry I couldn't see straight.
"Matt didn't ruin anything." I said.
"And there you go getting stubborn again." he said. "You weren't supposed to meet Matt. You weren't supposed to know of our existence."
"Like I said," I replied angrily. "My whole life from the time I met you has been staged. Let me out of the god damned car."
I pulled at the door handle again, yanking so harshly that I was surprised I didn't break it.
"Stop being such a little bitch about this." Brian ordered, and I glanced at him. His features softened when he saw that tears were still streaming down my face -- I hated crying, but I couldn't help it, I was so angry. "Zack...I'm here to help you; I'm here because you need me --"
I didn't hear the last words, before I happened to glance ahead of us and see a stopped car -- someone had broken down in the middle of the road.
"Brian!" I exclaimed suddenly.
He looked ahead of him, and quickly swerved -- we missed the car by a hair. He messed around with the rear-view mirror, looking at it behind us, as he took quick breaths from our escape. Then he turned to me, suddenly looking weary.
"Just drop it, alright?" he said. "Forget about Matt."
~x~
Three days passed and in those three days, I'd done absolutely nothing. I sat down on Brian's couch when he took me to his place, and I only moved to go to the bathroom. But this seemed good enough for Brian, because hey -- at least I hadn't left yet.
I was flipping through channels one night -- he'd gone out with Michelle. Though I'd told him I'd stopped thinking about Matt, that, most obviously was not the case -- I couldn't get him off my mind. I stopped briefly on a channel, and felt myself perk up slightly.
"You know that I ain't braggin', she's a real pussywagon -- Greased Lightning."
'Grease' was on VH1 -- it was a 'Movies That Rock' special, and my lips dared to curl upwards into a smirk as I thought about Jimmy's Chevy. I watched the movie until that song was over, and when it went to commercial, I turned the TV off -- not wanting to watch it any longer.
Deciding to take a shower, I went into the bathroom, after grabbing some clothes that Brian had given me -- I tried to ignore the fact that I felt so much like a charity case. I don't know how long I was in the shower, but I know that the water had run icy cold by the time I turned it off.
I stood behind the shower curtain for a moment, just listening to the water fall from my hair and hit the floor of the tub. After a second or two of thinking about how fucked up my life was, I yanked the curtain open, feeling my heart stop as I caught someone standing in the corner of the bathroom, waiting for me.
It was Matt.
Author: atrocious_x
Pairing: Matt//Zacky
Rating: NC17
Summary: [AU]. `They say every time the bell sounds, an angel gets their wings...`
Disclaimer: About as real as The Neverending Story.
00|01|02|03|04|05
Sorry about the wait guys, I've been busy with other things, and all that jazz. Writer's block always seems to strike at the most inoppurtune moments. But I'm back, and let me tell you, I have no idea where I'm going with this -- like I do, but I don't. Soo, yeah. Bear with me.
Familiar Realm
Chapter 06
When I woke, I was alone and still naked. The thoughts from the night before came back, and I blushed just slightly to myself, sitting up and leaning over the cot to find my clothes. When I'd gotten dressed, I quickly left the room. Out in the main room, the man, Michael, was gone; I obviously didn't know if he'd chosen to stay or not. I couldn't say I cared too much though. Off down the other hallway; the one I hadn't been down yet, I could hear the sounds of machines -- the kinds of sounds you heard in shop class at school. Besides that, the whole building seemed completely empty.
Taking a chance, I went down that hallway. I passed a make-shift kitchen, a few empty rooms, another bathroom, and finally at the end of the hall was a garage. Or at least it'd been turned into a garage -- it was the size of two rooms, and it was obvious a wall had been torn down. A shirtless Jimmy was leaning into an old rusty, muscle car; it looked like he was completely stripping the vehicle. There was a radio on the table against one of the walls, and Bush's 'Glycerine' was playing softly.
Jimmy straightened, singing along to the radio, and he got ready to bend and lean into the car again when he caught sight of me.
"Hey." he said.
"Hi." I replied shortly, suddenly shy. "Where is everyone?"
"Johnny's still sleeping," he answered, pulling a cloth from his back pocket, and wiping his forehead free of sweat. "And Matt's out -- walking."
"What does he do?" I asked curiously. "Just walk around?"
Johnny nodded, leaning against the car. "It's only because he needs to do something," he said. "We all have our habits to get our minds off...you know."
I nodded quickly. "So he walks?" I asked -- thank you Captain Obvious.
Jimmy nodded, crossing his skinny arms over his bare chest. "And works out."
I nodded. "And you work on cars?"
This time, he nodded. "And Johnny gambles...and drinks...a lot." he said as if it were nothing.
I pushed my hands into my pockets, and glanced down awkwardly. He studied me for a moment, before he uncrossed his arms to put the cloth back into his pocket.
"Wanna give me a hand?" he offered.
I gave a meek shrug. "I'm no good at cars or anything." I said.
He smirked and gestured for me to come further into the room. "Well I can make you good." he said. "There's nothing to stripping a Chevy."
Jimmy and I spent the next hour removing the seats from the car -- it took so long because he sure did like to talk, it seemed that cars were his passion, and he knew more about them then I knew about living on the streets. He also liked to brag about how much this Chevy was going to kick ass once he gave it a makeover.
"It's gonna be black." he told me, as we carried one of the seats a ways away from the car itself. "But not just black, I was thinking of giving it a really good paint job, so that from different angles, it'll look dark purple, but then close up, be black."
"Like Vin Diesel," I replied as we set the seat down on a tarp on the ground. "In 'XXX'."
"Exactly." he replied. "Johnny and Matt still haven't seen that movie, so they have no idea what I'm talking about."
I smirked and put my hands on my hips, as he reached into his pocket and pulled out a pack of cigarettes. I'd ended up taking my shirt off like him, because it got damned hot in that makeshift garage, and I'd grown pretty comfortable around Jimmy in that hour.
"This car is automatic." he said suddenly, words slurred from the cigarette in his mouth. "It's systematic. It's hydromatic. Why it's Greased Lightning."
I laughed, not at the fact that he was quoting 'Grease', but at the fact that he wasn't singing, just speaking the words. He grinned at me, and pulled the cigarette from his mouth to exhale smoke.
"Thought you'd like that." he said.
Still smirking, I shook my head. "Now I'm gonna have that song stuck in my head all day." I said.
Before he could respond though, there was the sound of the front door opening, and Matt calling Jimmy's name.
"Garage!" he called back.
A few moments later, Matt appeared in the doorway. His hazel eyes took a sweep of the room, taking in Greased Lightning, and then me. I'd forgotten I was shirtless until his gaze devoured me, and I felt my cheeks heat up. I quickly looked down.
"I have to talk to you." Matt said to Jimmy, nearing the taller man.
Matt pulled him away slightly, and I strained to eavesdrop.
"Guess who I ran into." Matt replied; but then his tone continued to rise and fall so that I only managed to catch a few words. "...says he's been trying...told him I knew..."
As if on cue, the both of them turned and looked at me. I knew by the way they averted their eyes quickly that I wasn't going to like what they'd been talking about.
"You're serious?" Jimmy asked.
"Yeah." Matt said softly, then he glanced at me. "Zack, come here." he said, starting for the door and gesturing for me to follow.
On my way out, I grabbed my shirt from the table with the radio, and as I stepped out of the room, Matt turned me so that I was backed against the wall. He stood so close to me that our chests touched, but he stared at my shoulder when he started talking to me.
"Zack." he said. "I made a mistake."
My jaw dropped, and inside the garage, I heard Jimmy turn the Smashing Pumpkins up a little louder. I searched my brain quickly for something to say, but I was only able to manage a 'what'.
"It was wrong." he replied in a low tone. "And I shouldn't have done it." he paused, and it looked like it pained him to continue. "You can't stay here."
"Why not?" I demanded.
He sighed, and looked down the hallway like he was afraid someone was listening to him. "Babe." he said in a whisper. "I'm not allowed...you're...a mortal."
I was left to think that even though he'd been banned from Heaven, he wasn't allowed to enjoy himself. I wanted to fight that with the fact that Jimmy and Johnny were together, but they were both angels as well. He was right, I was mortal. I studied him for a moment, and he still wouldn't meet my eyes.
"Who'd you run into today?" I asked quietly.
He took a deep breath, and looked up at the wall above my shoulder. His jaw muscles were set, and he took a moment before he answered.
"You need to go." he said. "Brian's waiting for you outside."
Sorry if this is getting cheesy...
Familiar Realm
Chapter 07
"When were you planning on telling me?!"
I had my back against the passenger door so that I could stare, open-mouthed at Brian as he pulled away from the warehouse. I hadn't even said 'bye' to Matt, I'd just been too furious. Brian shook his head, jaw clenched like Matt's -- as if he were angry too.
"You weren't supposed to find out." he said, tone so low that I almost didn't hear him.
I just glared at him for a moment, then I shook my head. "But I've seen your back -- you don't --"
"I haven't earned my wings yet." he interrupted. "I'm not a fallen angel."
I gaped at him, dumbfounded, and he glanced at me. His expression was unreadable though. I was suddenly struck with another wave of anger.
"So that's why you've been trying to take care of me?" I demanded. "To get your wings?"
"No!" he said, then he shook his head. "Well, sort of -- it's more complicated than that, Zack -- that's only part of the reason."
I opened my mouth, closed it again, and then let it hang open. I was too pissed off to be able to form words, so I quickly reached for the door handle. I heard Brian lock all the doors, and I cursed the inventor of electric locks and windows.
"Let me out." I said pulling at the handle.
"Zack, listen to me." he said, ignoring my command. "I care about you."
He said this slowly, as if he were trying to hammer it into my head. I wanted to respond, but I couldn't find it in me.
"Just come live with me." he said. "I hate seeing you out on the streets with no one to turn to --"
"So then it's pity?" I asked. "That's what you're giving me? Charity?!" I bellowed the last word.
"No!" he said quickly, turning to me again. "Of course not!"
"Jesus," I said in a growl, throwing myself back in the seat as tears involuntarily brimmed my eyes. "In twenty-four hours my life has done a complete U-turn for the worst." I spat this word at him as though it were his fault.
"Zack, Matt can't give you what you need," he said. "You can't depend on someone like him for that -- and you weren't even supposed to meet him."
"I can't believe you." I said, "I feel like my life is being fucking staged -- Truman Show style."
He rolled his eyes. "Zacky," he said. "You don't understand."
"You're right I god damned don't!" I exclaimed. "Even if I had a family who cared about me, Matt still would've been the only person I could turn to -- Matt understands me!"
"He understands everyone," Brian said. "You're missing the fact that he once was an angel. Everyone feels comfortable around him because of that -- you can't depend on someone like him."
"We have something!" I insisted.
"Zack -- this can only end in even more pain." he said. "So just drop it, drop everything about Matt."
"What the fuck am I supposed to do?!" I yelled, sitting back up again, unable to stay still.
"Fine, you want to know the fucking blueprints?" he asked. "I was supposed to turn your life around, I was supposed to change who you are -- but you were too damn stubborn for something like that -- and then Matt rears his fucking head, and ruins everything."
I stared at him for a second, the only sound was my heart thudding in my chest. I was so angry I couldn't see straight.
"Matt didn't ruin anything." I said.
"And there you go getting stubborn again." he said. "You weren't supposed to meet Matt. You weren't supposed to know of our existence."
"Like I said," I replied angrily. "My whole life from the time I met you has been staged. Let me out of the god damned car."
I pulled at the door handle again, yanking so harshly that I was surprised I didn't break it.
"Stop being such a little bitch about this." Brian ordered, and I glanced at him. His features softened when he saw that tears were still streaming down my face -- I hated crying, but I couldn't help it, I was so angry. "Zack...I'm here to help you; I'm here because you need me --"
I didn't hear the last words, before I happened to glance ahead of us and see a stopped car -- someone had broken down in the middle of the road.
"Brian!" I exclaimed suddenly.
He looked ahead of him, and quickly swerved -- we missed the car by a hair. He messed around with the rear-view mirror, looking at it behind us, as he took quick breaths from our escape. Then he turned to me, suddenly looking weary.
"Just drop it, alright?" he said. "Forget about Matt."
~x~
Three days passed and in those three days, I'd done absolutely nothing. I sat down on Brian's couch when he took me to his place, and I only moved to go to the bathroom. But this seemed good enough for Brian, because hey -- at least I hadn't left yet.
I was flipping through channels one night -- he'd gone out with Michelle. Though I'd told him I'd stopped thinking about Matt, that, most obviously was not the case -- I couldn't get him off my mind. I stopped briefly on a channel, and felt myself perk up slightly.
"You know that I ain't braggin', she's a real pussywagon -- Greased Lightning."
'Grease' was on VH1 -- it was a 'Movies That Rock' special, and my lips dared to curl upwards into a smirk as I thought about Jimmy's Chevy. I watched the movie until that song was over, and when it went to commercial, I turned the TV off -- not wanting to watch it any longer.
Deciding to take a shower, I went into the bathroom, after grabbing some clothes that Brian had given me -- I tried to ignore the fact that I felt so much like a charity case. I don't know how long I was in the shower, but I know that the water had run icy cold by the time I turned it off.
I stood behind the shower curtain for a moment, just listening to the water fall from my hair and hit the floor of the tub. After a second or two of thinking about how fucked up my life was, I yanked the curtain open, feeling my heart stop as I caught someone standing in the corner of the bathroom, waiting for me.
It was Matt.