Fic - Sunshine - Fred/Nick - FRT
Title: Sunshine
Author: gothicautumn03
Claim: Fred Burkle/Nick Stokes
Song Title Prompt: Brighter than Sunshine
Warnings/Spoilers: FRT. Pre-series.
Author’s Notes: For my claim at 15_song_titles (table can be found here
The warm blood trickled down his face as white hot pain shot through his body. This was it, Nick thought as he rested his head against the dashboard of his Tahoe. He was going to die - not by the hands of a criminal at a crime scene, but because of the rain and slippery roads. He hadn’t seen the curve in time and he was sure his massive SUV flipped over at least once.
He took to counting the beats of his heart, trying to will it to continue beating. His thoughts went to her and a painful smile crossed his face. His Fred. His love. He imagined her out in their backyard, a blue sundress clinging to her body. There was laughter and he turned his attention to the small children running around her.
His family.
Oh, god, he couldn’t leave them.
He wanted to teach his son how to play ball. He wanted to see his little girl grow up and break all the boys’ hearts. He needed to be with his wife. They had promised each other forever, and he didn’t want to leave her. If he was gone, then who would she share her pudding cups with when she became old and lived in a nursing home?
“Please,” he whispered when the sound of sirens filled his ears. “I’m right here.”
Nick had to survive this. He’d survived so much already and he couldn’t allow a wet road to be his demise.
There was a jerk and he heard the truck’s door open. “Fred,” he choked out as blood filled his mouth.
Then the world went black.
***
“Sunshine, you are my sunshine. You make me happy--.”
“Shhh! Daddy’s sleeping.”
The sound of his children’s voices filled his senses. He remembered the pain and waited for the taste of blood. There wasn’t any and the pain was almost gone. Was he in Heaven? Or, had they saved him?
“Fred,” he choked, his throat raw. “Fred?”
He felt a warm hand on his and he knew it was her.
“I’m right here, sweetie,” Fred whispered, the sound of her voice making him smile.
Pushing his eyes open, Nick looked at her. The light of the room was shining around her, making it look like she were an angel. “Am I dead?” he whispered as he closed his eyes again. The brightness of the room was too much.
“Not dead. Just hurt. Nothing we can’t fix,” she whispered, her fingers sliding through his hair. “Always together.”
Nick nodded and he pushed his eyes open again. Something wasn’t right and he needed to see all of them. His children and his wife. Standing there by his bedside, standing so close yet he couldn’t seem to touch them. “I love you,” was all he could say as he burned their imagines in his memory. “Always.”
***
The rain had started to pound against the window as Nick jerked out of his sleep. He’d been dreaming again of a future he’d never have. Everything Fred and he had built was slowly crumbling to the ground and every time he closed his eyes, he dreamed of different scenarios of them being pulled apart.
Car crashes. Death. Colorful holes that open up in libraries.
And each time he woke up feeling helpless.
He couldn’t make the love of his life stay with him.
She was going away to Los Angeles for school, while he was going to Las Vegas for work. They would still be close together but not as close as they were now. They wouldn’t be in the same city, or same bed. Nick knew it would happen sooner or later - Fred was smart and curious, she wasn’t going to stay in Texas her whole life.
He was losing his sunshine, the only bright spot in his life. Sure he was happy about going to Vegas, but it wouldn’t be the same without her. And, every time she mentioned Los Angeles, something gnawed at him, telling him to not let her go. But, Nick would never hold her back - it wasn’t in his nature.
Rolling over in his bed, he looked at the clock. Only a few hours left before Fred left to get the rest of her things from her parents’ farm. Then she would be off to her new life without him. And, it made Nick’s heart sink.
He was about to turn over and go back to sleep when there was a loud knock on his apartment door. His brow furrowed as he stood and walked out of his bedroom. He wasn’t expecting anyone and was pretty sure it was one of those annoying vacuums cleaner salespeople.
But, when Nick opened the door, there was a vacuum cleaner. Instead, Fred - a very wet Fred - was standing there. He looked at her for a moment, wondering if she was there to say goodbye already. They hadn’t spoken for almost two days. “Fred,” he started but stopped when she held out a piece of paper for him.
Nick took the wet paper from her hands and looked down at it. The first thing he noticed was the large UNLV logo on the top. He looked up at her and then down at the paper. The typed words had started to bleed into paper. He squinted his eyes and looked at her again.
“I can’t--.”
“I’m going to Las Vegas,” Fred blurted out. “Their history program is just as good as UCLA’s and I don’t want to be away from you, and--.”
Nick grabbed her and softly kissed her lips, knowing if she were allowed to continue, she’d be rambling for the rest of the night. Breaking the kiss, he leaned his forehead against hers. “I love you, Fred, but you don’t have to do this,” he whispered.
“But, I want to,” she answered before smiled. “‘Sides, someone has to make sure you stay out of trouble. Vegas is a dangerous place.”
He chuckled and wrapped his arms around her waist. Picking her up, he turned and kicked the door shut and carried her to his bed. And, later that night as he held her and drifted off to sleep, he didn’t dream of car crashes, death, or colorful holes. Instead, Nick dreamed of sunshine and his future with Fred.
Author: gothicautumn03
Claim: Fred Burkle/Nick Stokes
Song Title Prompt: Brighter than Sunshine
Warnings/Spoilers: FRT. Pre-series.
Author’s Notes: For my claim at 15_song_titles (table can be found here
The warm blood trickled down his face as white hot pain shot through his body. This was it, Nick thought as he rested his head against the dashboard of his Tahoe. He was going to die - not by the hands of a criminal at a crime scene, but because of the rain and slippery roads. He hadn’t seen the curve in time and he was sure his massive SUV flipped over at least once.
He took to counting the beats of his heart, trying to will it to continue beating. His thoughts went to her and a painful smile crossed his face. His Fred. His love. He imagined her out in their backyard, a blue sundress clinging to her body. There was laughter and he turned his attention to the small children running around her.
His family.
Oh, god, he couldn’t leave them.
He wanted to teach his son how to play ball. He wanted to see his little girl grow up and break all the boys’ hearts. He needed to be with his wife. They had promised each other forever, and he didn’t want to leave her. If he was gone, then who would she share her pudding cups with when she became old and lived in a nursing home?
“Please,” he whispered when the sound of sirens filled his ears. “I’m right here.”
Nick had to survive this. He’d survived so much already and he couldn’t allow a wet road to be his demise.
There was a jerk and he heard the truck’s door open. “Fred,” he choked out as blood filled his mouth.
Then the world went black.
***
“Sunshine, you are my sunshine. You make me happy--.”
“Shhh! Daddy’s sleeping.”
The sound of his children’s voices filled his senses. He remembered the pain and waited for the taste of blood. There wasn’t any and the pain was almost gone. Was he in Heaven? Or, had they saved him?
“Fred,” he choked, his throat raw. “Fred?”
He felt a warm hand on his and he knew it was her.
“I’m right here, sweetie,” Fred whispered, the sound of her voice making him smile.
Pushing his eyes open, Nick looked at her. The light of the room was shining around her, making it look like she were an angel. “Am I dead?” he whispered as he closed his eyes again. The brightness of the room was too much.
“Not dead. Just hurt. Nothing we can’t fix,” she whispered, her fingers sliding through his hair. “Always together.”
Nick nodded and he pushed his eyes open again. Something wasn’t right and he needed to see all of them. His children and his wife. Standing there by his bedside, standing so close yet he couldn’t seem to touch them. “I love you,” was all he could say as he burned their imagines in his memory. “Always.”
***
The rain had started to pound against the window as Nick jerked out of his sleep. He’d been dreaming again of a future he’d never have. Everything Fred and he had built was slowly crumbling to the ground and every time he closed his eyes, he dreamed of different scenarios of them being pulled apart.
Car crashes. Death. Colorful holes that open up in libraries.
And each time he woke up feeling helpless.
He couldn’t make the love of his life stay with him.
She was going away to Los Angeles for school, while he was going to Las Vegas for work. They would still be close together but not as close as they were now. They wouldn’t be in the same city, or same bed. Nick knew it would happen sooner or later - Fred was smart and curious, she wasn’t going to stay in Texas her whole life.
He was losing his sunshine, the only bright spot in his life. Sure he was happy about going to Vegas, but it wouldn’t be the same without her. And, every time she mentioned Los Angeles, something gnawed at him, telling him to not let her go. But, Nick would never hold her back - it wasn’t in his nature.
Rolling over in his bed, he looked at the clock. Only a few hours left before Fred left to get the rest of her things from her parents’ farm. Then she would be off to her new life without him. And, it made Nick’s heart sink.
He was about to turn over and go back to sleep when there was a loud knock on his apartment door. His brow furrowed as he stood and walked out of his bedroom. He wasn’t expecting anyone and was pretty sure it was one of those annoying vacuums cleaner salespeople.
But, when Nick opened the door, there was a vacuum cleaner. Instead, Fred - a very wet Fred - was standing there. He looked at her for a moment, wondering if she was there to say goodbye already. They hadn’t spoken for almost two days. “Fred,” he started but stopped when she held out a piece of paper for him.
Nick took the wet paper from her hands and looked down at it. The first thing he noticed was the large UNLV logo on the top. He looked up at her and then down at the paper. The typed words had started to bleed into paper. He squinted his eyes and looked at her again.
“I can’t--.”
“I’m going to Las Vegas,” Fred blurted out. “Their history program is just as good as UCLA’s and I don’t want to be away from you, and--.”
Nick grabbed her and softly kissed her lips, knowing if she were allowed to continue, she’d be rambling for the rest of the night. Breaking the kiss, he leaned his forehead against hers. “I love you, Fred, but you don’t have to do this,” he whispered.
“But, I want to,” she answered before smiled. “‘Sides, someone has to make sure you stay out of trouble. Vegas is a dangerous place.”
He chuckled and wrapped his arms around her waist. Picking her up, he turned and kicked the door shut and carried her to his bed. And, later that night as he held her and drifted off to sleep, he didn’t dream of car crashes, death, or colorful holes. Instead, Nick dreamed of sunshine and his future with Fred.