Fic: Made to be broken
Title: Made to be broken
Author: joans23
Genre: Gen Kill AU
Pairing: Brad/Nate
Rating: PG
Words: 1K
Summary: Being part of the heavenly host is all that it's cracked up to be.
Notes: Fuck, I hate summaries. My first attempt at Gen Kill fic. I'm so nervous I could puke. Big, big, HUGE thanks to my beta, oxoniensis for being so lovely and generous! Title and cut from the Goo Goo Dolls, because I can.
"Ever think about getting out?" Nate asks.
He runs his sword through another demon and watches as holy fire spreads out from the entry point, consuming it until only ashes are left. They drift down, adding to the growing pile of cinders at their feet.
Brad doesn't answer, pivots and thrusts, running through three at once. The horde is thinning, so Nate can take a moment to watch him. Brad is all icy precision, his weapon like an extension of him. Nate watches the stretch and pull of muscle playing under his golden skin, the clear sky-blue of his eyes, the perfect arch of his left foot. He wants to say fuck it, drop his weapon and reach out to touch him. Feel him.
Yeah, Nate may have been thinking about it a lot lately.
Brad stalks off as soon as they're done. A ray of sunlight catches and dances across the blade strapped to Brad's back before he fades from the rooftop between one step and the next. When Nate closes his eyes, he can still see the reflection painted behind his lids.
"He was going to fall, once," Ray suddenly says next to him. Ray has a way of sneaking up.
"What happened?" Nate asks without meaning to. It's Brad's business. If he wanted Nate to know, he would have told him. He wants to take it back, but Walt's already stepping up. He's got the same glint in his eye he always gets whenever he thinks he knows something no one else does. Nate should have known; Walt's never far from Ray these days. Nate saw them earlier, fighting back to back. They make a good team.
"She married someone else."
"Oh," Nate says, feeling stupid.
"Yeah. Life's a bitch," Ray says. Nate waits for the rest, but for once, Ray doesn't expand.
They stay with him, watching the sun set over Downtown L.A. Nate closes his eyes, feels the wind ruffling through his wings and misses Brad.
He thinks about falling.
†††
It's been two weeks since he's seen any sign of Brad.
Nate's with Mike up on the eightieth floor, treading air a thousand feet above ground as they hold the hands of two construction workers.
It's Bill's daughter's due date. His little girl's about to have her own little girl and the asshole that knocked her up is three states away. He doesn't know how they're going to manage to feed another mouth. He's running the figures over and over in his head, but keeps coming up short. He doesn't see the wrench Pete left behind on the narrow walkway. Nate closes his eyes and touches Bill's shoulder.
At the last moment Bill looks down, sees it and manages to lengthen his step over it without losing his balance.
"Jesus," he breathes and the corner of Mike's mouth quirks up.
"So," Nate says once they've got the guys safely back on solid ground.
"Pulling voluntary escort duty." Mike answers the question before Nate even has to ask. "Think he's over at the Locker Center today."
Escorting the recently departed over to the other side is one of Nate's favorite jobs, but Brad hates it. Point him towards something bad that needs killing and he's a ray of fucking sunshine. But ask him to guide one little eight year old into the light and he balks.
For a moment Nate contemplates going after him and apologizing for what he said. Anything to make it right. Only for a moment though, because what good would it do to have him back and still not be able to have him? After nodding his thanks at Mike, Nate turns on his heel and walks away from the skyscraper.
†††
Nate returns after the sun's set. He climbs the ladders, inches across the beams; scales the unfinished walls like the mere mortal he longs to be. The moon's full and the stars are too bright.
Nate can't remember the exact moment he fell in love with Brad. Sometimes when he's alone like this, he'll think about it, the feeling always there. What he does remember is finding out there's more.
A few years ago, Nate was trying to lead an old man over to the other side. He didn't want to go; begged and pleaded with Nate to let him touch her one last time. They all knew they didn't experience things the way people did - hunger, cold, pain. It never bothered Nate before, but that all changed listening to the man trying to explain what a simple kiss felt like.
Nate closes his eyes. It feels good to rest them for awhile.
Suddenly Brad slams into him, tumbling him over onto his side. He's got his sword drawn and as soon as Nate's clear, he's attacking the demon that was sneaking up on Nate. It doesn't take long for Brad to deal with it. As soon as he's done, he throws the weapon down and launches himself at Nate. Nate is so busy staring at the discarded sword, he's not even aware of Brad's hands on his shoulders at first. Brad's shaking him with enough force to rattle his teeth though and gradually the words spilling from his mouth become clear.
"What the fuck's wrong with you? What are you doing up here? What would I have done if ..."
Brad stops as Nate's lips close over his, stealing the words from his tongue and swallowing them whole. Nate kisses Brad the way he's seen couples do in the park, in the last row of the movies, at the altar. Brad kisses him back and Nate wishes he could feel it. Feel it against his skin and coursing through his veins like he does the burning in his heart.
When they finally break apart, Brad stays beside him, curling his arm around Nate's shoulder.
"I think about it," he admits and takes a step forward to peer down over the edge of the building.
~End.
Author: joans23
Genre: Gen Kill AU
Pairing: Brad/Nate
Rating: PG
Words: 1K
Summary: Being part of the heavenly host is all that it's cracked up to be.
Notes: Fuck, I hate summaries. My first attempt at Gen Kill fic. I'm so nervous I could puke. Big, big, HUGE thanks to my beta, oxoniensis for being so lovely and generous! Title and cut from the Goo Goo Dolls, because I can.
"Ever think about getting out?" Nate asks.
He runs his sword through another demon and watches as holy fire spreads out from the entry point, consuming it until only ashes are left. They drift down, adding to the growing pile of cinders at their feet.
Brad doesn't answer, pivots and thrusts, running through three at once. The horde is thinning, so Nate can take a moment to watch him. Brad is all icy precision, his weapon like an extension of him. Nate watches the stretch and pull of muscle playing under his golden skin, the clear sky-blue of his eyes, the perfect arch of his left foot. He wants to say fuck it, drop his weapon and reach out to touch him. Feel him.
Yeah, Nate may have been thinking about it a lot lately.
Brad stalks off as soon as they're done. A ray of sunlight catches and dances across the blade strapped to Brad's back before he fades from the rooftop between one step and the next. When Nate closes his eyes, he can still see the reflection painted behind his lids.
"He was going to fall, once," Ray suddenly says next to him. Ray has a way of sneaking up.
"What happened?" Nate asks without meaning to. It's Brad's business. If he wanted Nate to know, he would have told him. He wants to take it back, but Walt's already stepping up. He's got the same glint in his eye he always gets whenever he thinks he knows something no one else does. Nate should have known; Walt's never far from Ray these days. Nate saw them earlier, fighting back to back. They make a good team.
"She married someone else."
"Oh," Nate says, feeling stupid.
"Yeah. Life's a bitch," Ray says. Nate waits for the rest, but for once, Ray doesn't expand.
They stay with him, watching the sun set over Downtown L.A. Nate closes his eyes, feels the wind ruffling through his wings and misses Brad.
He thinks about falling.
†††
It's been two weeks since he's seen any sign of Brad.
Nate's with Mike up on the eightieth floor, treading air a thousand feet above ground as they hold the hands of two construction workers.
It's Bill's daughter's due date. His little girl's about to have her own little girl and the asshole that knocked her up is three states away. He doesn't know how they're going to manage to feed another mouth. He's running the figures over and over in his head, but keeps coming up short. He doesn't see the wrench Pete left behind on the narrow walkway. Nate closes his eyes and touches Bill's shoulder.
At the last moment Bill looks down, sees it and manages to lengthen his step over it without losing his balance.
"Jesus," he breathes and the corner of Mike's mouth quirks up.
"So," Nate says once they've got the guys safely back on solid ground.
"Pulling voluntary escort duty." Mike answers the question before Nate even has to ask. "Think he's over at the Locker Center today."
Escorting the recently departed over to the other side is one of Nate's favorite jobs, but Brad hates it. Point him towards something bad that needs killing and he's a ray of fucking sunshine. But ask him to guide one little eight year old into the light and he balks.
For a moment Nate contemplates going after him and apologizing for what he said. Anything to make it right. Only for a moment though, because what good would it do to have him back and still not be able to have him? After nodding his thanks at Mike, Nate turns on his heel and walks away from the skyscraper.
†††
Nate returns after the sun's set. He climbs the ladders, inches across the beams; scales the unfinished walls like the mere mortal he longs to be. The moon's full and the stars are too bright.
Nate can't remember the exact moment he fell in love with Brad. Sometimes when he's alone like this, he'll think about it, the feeling always there. What he does remember is finding out there's more.
A few years ago, Nate was trying to lead an old man over to the other side. He didn't want to go; begged and pleaded with Nate to let him touch her one last time. They all knew they didn't experience things the way people did - hunger, cold, pain. It never bothered Nate before, but that all changed listening to the man trying to explain what a simple kiss felt like.
Nate closes his eyes. It feels good to rest them for awhile.
Suddenly Brad slams into him, tumbling him over onto his side. He's got his sword drawn and as soon as Nate's clear, he's attacking the demon that was sneaking up on Nate. It doesn't take long for Brad to deal with it. As soon as he's done, he throws the weapon down and launches himself at Nate. Nate is so busy staring at the discarded sword, he's not even aware of Brad's hands on his shoulders at first. Brad's shaking him with enough force to rattle his teeth though and gradually the words spilling from his mouth become clear.
"What the fuck's wrong with you? What are you doing up here? What would I have done if ..."
Brad stops as Nate's lips close over his, stealing the words from his tongue and swallowing them whole. Nate kisses Brad the way he's seen couples do in the park, in the last row of the movies, at the altar. Brad kisses him back and Nate wishes he could feel it. Feel it against his skin and coursing through his veins like he does the burning in his heart.
When they finally break apart, Brad stays beside him, curling his arm around Nate's shoulder.
"I think about it," he admits and takes a step forward to peer down over the edge of the building.
~End.