A Few Things
Firstly, a very happy 36th birthday to a Mr. Howard Dorough!
Have a picture, a mighty fine picture if I may say, of the man who does not age:
Happy birthday, Howie!
Secondly, a new ficlet to present.
Title: untitled
Pairing: Brian/Nick
Rating: G
Summary: Way back in the days of touring Europe. Nick and Brian set out on a late-night quest. I guess I've been in a Brian/Nick mood.
*****
The night air was cold as they stepped out into the dark streets of Berlin. Brian was glad he had had enough presence of mind to grab a hat on the way out. Nick must have been freezing in his thin sweater, but if he was he didn’t show it. The adrenaline was probably keeping him warm. Brian curled his fingers into the long sleeves of his sweatshirt. When they were several feet away from the hotel, Nick erupted in breathless laughter.
“Oh my god, I can’t believe we made it!” His cheeks were already a rosy pink, either from cold or from the red neon light of the shop signs above. His smile was radiant. Brian couldn’t help grinning back.
“Barely. I can’t believe you almost elbowed Kev in the face!”
“I couldn’t see!” Nick’s eyes widened in feigned disbelief. “It was dark, and you were no help at all!”
Brian just shook his head, still smiling, and watched his breath form a cloud in front of his face. “Alright, so where are we going now? This was your idea.”
Nick didn’t say anything, just stared ahead at the row of neon signs with strange glowing letters, as they left their hotel in the shadows. The streets were nearly empty, save for the few men in long coats who brushed past. They seemed more drawn to pictures than neon letters. Brian crossed his arms in front of him. None of them seemed to notice two teenage boys in their nightclothes though.
Sneaking out of the hotel for a late night snack in a strange city probably hadn’t been the best idea, or even one of the better ideas Nick had come up with, but Brian wasn’t about to refuse. When Nick had poked him gently as they lay in bed earlier that night, there hadn’t been time to debate the merits of late-night adventuring. As Brian stared up at the ceiling, still waiting for sleep, Nick’s whisper was small next to his ear.
“Are you still awake?” He turned his head, and Brian could just make out the outline of his sharp chin where the moonlight glinted off it. The sound of a car’s motor on the street below drifted up through the window.
“Yeah. Why?” he whispered back. He saw the dark lines that were Nick’s mouth curve up.
“Come with me.” Nick’s shape crawled off the edge of the bed, not quite slowly enough to avoid the creaking of springs. There was a suspenseful pause, but Howie’s snores went on undisturbed. Brian sat up carefully; the floor was cool under his feet. His hat was still on the bedside table where he had left it earlier, and he grabbed it before following Nick through the darkness.
“Hm, I can’t read anything. Did you bring a dictionary?”
Brian made an indignant noise. “Are you kiddin’ me? You drag me out here in the middle of the night and then ask me if I brought a dictionary?” Nick is already laughing loudly before Brian can even finish the sentence, large white clouds forming in front of his open mouth. He stumbles against Brian, gripping his upper arm lightly in bony fingers. Brian feels a little bit warmer.
“I want something salty.” Nick hugs Brian’s arm closer to him, slowing his steps. He stops in front of a green awning, large red letters posted on a white sign below. The man behind the counter is wearing a white paper cap along with his brown overcoat. Nick lets go of Brian’s arm to dig out a paper note from his pants pocket. He steps up to the counter and says something in German. Brian watches the couple across the street, smoking outside of what must have been a dance club. He watches the woman lean in, clinging to the man’s arm as she exhales.
Nick appears at his side again, holding a bratwurst in a paper napkin. He peers up at Brian’s face, an inquisitive smile playing on his lips. The hand that isn’t holding the bratwurst comes up to rest against Brian’s cheek, and Brian can feel the stinging heat.
“Your face is all red.” Nick’s touch is just this side of a caress before it’s gone, and he offers up his find.
“You can have the first bite,” he says, eagerness in his voice and in his eyes, eagerness to share something good with his friend. Brian really isn’t a fan of bratwurst, or all of the relish that Germans seem so fond of, but he takes a bite anyway. It’s salty and tangy, and full of foreign flavors that his tongue just hasn’t gotten used to. He misses the straightforward flavors of home, and his mother’s buttered mashed potatoes, but it wouldn’t do any good to mention that now. Brian doesn’t usually complain, at least not about things like food, or things that he has no control over anyway. He just considers it part of the whole experience. Anyway, Nick’s excitement makes it worth it.
They wait a few moments more, watching the couple across the street. When the bratwurst is gone Nick throws the napkin into a garbage can and they turn around to retrace their course down the street back to the hotel. Nick shivers just a little in the cold now, the effects of adrenaline gone. Brian puts an arm around his shoulders, hugging just a little, and Nick’s smile is even more radiant.
When they reach the door of the hotel, Nick hangs back as Brian goes to push open the door. He looks back and Nick’s face is down, strands of blonde casting shadows over his eyes and hands shoved in his pockets. When he looks up there’s something different in his face. His lips are dark red from cold, or because he’s been chewing on them. Brian’s about to ask him what’s wrong when Nick steps forward, into Brian’s personal space, and puts thin hands on Brian’s chest.
“Ich liebe dich,” he says breathlessly before he pushes his mouth against Brian’s. His lips are hot, stinging heat, and they’re gone before Brian can even register the sensation. Nick darts through the door like a puppy that knows it’s done something wrong, leaving Brian alone in the dark, warmth evaporating from his lips.
*****
Have a picture, a mighty fine picture if I may say, of the man who does not age:
Happy birthday, Howie!
Secondly, a new ficlet to present.
Title: untitled
Pairing: Brian/Nick
Rating: G
Summary: Way back in the days of touring Europe. Nick and Brian set out on a late-night quest. I guess I've been in a Brian/Nick mood.
*****
The night air was cold as they stepped out into the dark streets of Berlin. Brian was glad he had had enough presence of mind to grab a hat on the way out. Nick must have been freezing in his thin sweater, but if he was he didn’t show it. The adrenaline was probably keeping him warm. Brian curled his fingers into the long sleeves of his sweatshirt. When they were several feet away from the hotel, Nick erupted in breathless laughter.
“Oh my god, I can’t believe we made it!” His cheeks were already a rosy pink, either from cold or from the red neon light of the shop signs above. His smile was radiant. Brian couldn’t help grinning back.
“Barely. I can’t believe you almost elbowed Kev in the face!”
“I couldn’t see!” Nick’s eyes widened in feigned disbelief. “It was dark, and you were no help at all!”
Brian just shook his head, still smiling, and watched his breath form a cloud in front of his face. “Alright, so where are we going now? This was your idea.”
Nick didn’t say anything, just stared ahead at the row of neon signs with strange glowing letters, as they left their hotel in the shadows. The streets were nearly empty, save for the few men in long coats who brushed past. They seemed more drawn to pictures than neon letters. Brian crossed his arms in front of him. None of them seemed to notice two teenage boys in their nightclothes though.
Sneaking out of the hotel for a late night snack in a strange city probably hadn’t been the best idea, or even one of the better ideas Nick had come up with, but Brian wasn’t about to refuse. When Nick had poked him gently as they lay in bed earlier that night, there hadn’t been time to debate the merits of late-night adventuring. As Brian stared up at the ceiling, still waiting for sleep, Nick’s whisper was small next to his ear.
“Are you still awake?” He turned his head, and Brian could just make out the outline of his sharp chin where the moonlight glinted off it. The sound of a car’s motor on the street below drifted up through the window.
“Yeah. Why?” he whispered back. He saw the dark lines that were Nick’s mouth curve up.
“Come with me.” Nick’s shape crawled off the edge of the bed, not quite slowly enough to avoid the creaking of springs. There was a suspenseful pause, but Howie’s snores went on undisturbed. Brian sat up carefully; the floor was cool under his feet. His hat was still on the bedside table where he had left it earlier, and he grabbed it before following Nick through the darkness.
“Hm, I can’t read anything. Did you bring a dictionary?”
Brian made an indignant noise. “Are you kiddin’ me? You drag me out here in the middle of the night and then ask me if I brought a dictionary?” Nick is already laughing loudly before Brian can even finish the sentence, large white clouds forming in front of his open mouth. He stumbles against Brian, gripping his upper arm lightly in bony fingers. Brian feels a little bit warmer.
“I want something salty.” Nick hugs Brian’s arm closer to him, slowing his steps. He stops in front of a green awning, large red letters posted on a white sign below. The man behind the counter is wearing a white paper cap along with his brown overcoat. Nick lets go of Brian’s arm to dig out a paper note from his pants pocket. He steps up to the counter and says something in German. Brian watches the couple across the street, smoking outside of what must have been a dance club. He watches the woman lean in, clinging to the man’s arm as she exhales.
Nick appears at his side again, holding a bratwurst in a paper napkin. He peers up at Brian’s face, an inquisitive smile playing on his lips. The hand that isn’t holding the bratwurst comes up to rest against Brian’s cheek, and Brian can feel the stinging heat.
“Your face is all red.” Nick’s touch is just this side of a caress before it’s gone, and he offers up his find.
“You can have the first bite,” he says, eagerness in his voice and in his eyes, eagerness to share something good with his friend. Brian really isn’t a fan of bratwurst, or all of the relish that Germans seem so fond of, but he takes a bite anyway. It’s salty and tangy, and full of foreign flavors that his tongue just hasn’t gotten used to. He misses the straightforward flavors of home, and his mother’s buttered mashed potatoes, but it wouldn’t do any good to mention that now. Brian doesn’t usually complain, at least not about things like food, or things that he has no control over anyway. He just considers it part of the whole experience. Anyway, Nick’s excitement makes it worth it.
They wait a few moments more, watching the couple across the street. When the bratwurst is gone Nick throws the napkin into a garbage can and they turn around to retrace their course down the street back to the hotel. Nick shivers just a little in the cold now, the effects of adrenaline gone. Brian puts an arm around his shoulders, hugging just a little, and Nick’s smile is even more radiant.
When they reach the door of the hotel, Nick hangs back as Brian goes to push open the door. He looks back and Nick’s face is down, strands of blonde casting shadows over his eyes and hands shoved in his pockets. When he looks up there’s something different in his face. His lips are dark red from cold, or because he’s been chewing on them. Brian’s about to ask him what’s wrong when Nick steps forward, into Brian’s personal space, and puts thin hands on Brian’s chest.
“Ich liebe dich,” he says breathlessly before he pushes his mouth against Brian’s. His lips are hot, stinging heat, and they’re gone before Brian can even register the sensation. Nick darts through the door like a puppy that knows it’s done something wrong, leaving Brian alone in the dark, warmth evaporating from his lips.
*****