The Big Damn List thought it had been forgotten. ...And after this probably wishes it had been.
Title: Left And Leaving
Fandom: Justice League
Characters: Booster/Beetle
Prompt: "Colourless." (fanfic100) and "Wish I didn't love you." (un_love_you)
Word Count: 522
Rating: PG-13
Author's Notes: If you came here for happy, turn right around and go find you some puppies, 'cause baby this here's a ride on the Angst Train, destination Pain. Booster and Ted break up, Countdown is the high point. (Title is from the The Weakerthans song "Left And Leaving.")
No beta.
Left And Leaving
Booster leaves because he doesn't really have any other options. And because leaving his problems behind has worked so well for him so far.
Ted doesn't want him anymore, he's made that abundantly clear, so Booster packs up his things one evening while Ted's working late and leaves. He makes it even clearer that he's had enough of Booster when he doesn't even call Booster's cell afterward, doesn't make an attempt to find out if this means they're over. It feels like being ignored out of relief, like the white elephant in the middle of the room snuck out while no one was looking. And Booster hates that the lack of concern or caring from the man he's called his best friend and more for over a decade now can hurt him so deeply, but it does.
So he spends his first night away from Ted laying on thin motel sheets, staring up at the ceiling until sunlight creeps over the broken ceiling fan. He tells himself that in this place and time, men his age don't cry because they got their stupid heart broken, but it's hard to focus with his eyes so blurry.
The next day he gets up, he gets dressed, he ignores the empty place in his life that aches with a Ted-shaped pain, and he goes out to get on with being Booster Gold.
On the way to see his agent, he stops an old lady from being hit by a car. He stays just long enough to make sure she's okay and hear a breathless "thank you" before taking to the air again.
His agent finds him a job. It's D-list actor stuff that doesn't pay well, but it's something.
He doesn't tell his agent about saving the old lady.
And somehow Booster Gold manages to survive without friends or family or self-respect or dignity. Again.
---------------
It's been a while, and all Booster can think when he lays eyes on Ted Kord again is that he wants to see the man smile.
Ted is understanding of his hardships and somehow it's like there's not a huge gaping nothing between them that started when Booster got tired of the fights and the cold and avoiding each other and went on his way. Like it hasn't been too long since they last saw each other and like their last conversation wasn't filled with accusations and hurt feelings.
So Booster goes with it. But he knows that if he stays too long he'll fall in love again, even though he never stopped, and the hurt from the first time has only just begun to ease. So he leaves.
He's on the plane before he realizes he can't.
So he finds Ted again and he resigns himself to a broken heart again.
They spend the rest of the day catching up, and then that night making up. It's enough that Booster can almost hope that they can make it work this time. Enough that the Ted-shaped hole in his heart seems like it may finally be filled again.
This time it's Ted who leaves. Unlike Booster, he doesn't come back.
Fandom: Justice League
Characters: Booster/Beetle
Prompt: "Colourless." (fanfic100) and "Wish I didn't love you." (un_love_you)
Word Count: 522
Rating: PG-13
Author's Notes: If you came here for happy, turn right around and go find you some puppies, 'cause baby this here's a ride on the Angst Train, destination Pain. Booster and Ted break up, Countdown is the high point. (Title is from the The Weakerthans song "Left And Leaving.")
No beta.
Left And Leaving
Booster leaves because he doesn't really have any other options. And because leaving his problems behind has worked so well for him so far.
Ted doesn't want him anymore, he's made that abundantly clear, so Booster packs up his things one evening while Ted's working late and leaves. He makes it even clearer that he's had enough of Booster when he doesn't even call Booster's cell afterward, doesn't make an attempt to find out if this means they're over. It feels like being ignored out of relief, like the white elephant in the middle of the room snuck out while no one was looking. And Booster hates that the lack of concern or caring from the man he's called his best friend and more for over a decade now can hurt him so deeply, but it does.
So he spends his first night away from Ted laying on thin motel sheets, staring up at the ceiling until sunlight creeps over the broken ceiling fan. He tells himself that in this place and time, men his age don't cry because they got their stupid heart broken, but it's hard to focus with his eyes so blurry.
The next day he gets up, he gets dressed, he ignores the empty place in his life that aches with a Ted-shaped pain, and he goes out to get on with being Booster Gold.
On the way to see his agent, he stops an old lady from being hit by a car. He stays just long enough to make sure she's okay and hear a breathless "thank you" before taking to the air again.
His agent finds him a job. It's D-list actor stuff that doesn't pay well, but it's something.
He doesn't tell his agent about saving the old lady.
And somehow Booster Gold manages to survive without friends or family or self-respect or dignity. Again.
---------------
It's been a while, and all Booster can think when he lays eyes on Ted Kord again is that he wants to see the man smile.
Ted is understanding of his hardships and somehow it's like there's not a huge gaping nothing between them that started when Booster got tired of the fights and the cold and avoiding each other and went on his way. Like it hasn't been too long since they last saw each other and like their last conversation wasn't filled with accusations and hurt feelings.
So Booster goes with it. But he knows that if he stays too long he'll fall in love again, even though he never stopped, and the hurt from the first time has only just begun to ease. So he leaves.
He's on the plane before he realizes he can't.
So he finds Ted again and he resigns himself to a broken heart again.
They spend the rest of the day catching up, and then that night making up. It's enough that Booster can almost hope that they can make it work this time. Enough that the Ted-shaped hole in his heart seems like it may finally be filled again.
This time it's Ted who leaves. Unlike Booster, he doesn't come back.