#129 - Chipped Stone (Fantastic Four Movieverse, Ben/Reed, G)
Title: Chipped Stone
Fandom: Fantastic Four (2015 Movieverse)
Pairing: Ben/Reed
Rating: G
Word count: 494
Warnings: Spoilers for Fantastic Four.
Challenge: #129 Friend Or Foe
They’ve never really fought before.
Sure, they’ve bickered, although that’s mostly been characterised by Ben’s silent frowns and Reed talking himself in circles. It always ends the same, with Reed looking frustrated, because he can find the words easily when it comes to scientific miracles but it’s harder for him when it comes to emotions. And Ben’s never been good with words about anything, so he gets Reed’s struggle all too well. So Ben’ll nudge Reed with his shoulder, and Reed will sigh and shove a hand through his hair, and the argument’s forgotten, because it was never a big deal in the first place.
But this isn’t bickering.
This is so much more than that.
This is betrayal and rage, and a long year of being pointed in any given direction and tearing forward like a living, breathing wrecking ball. This is Ben’s life now, where his hands creak with the sound of rocks grinding together whenever he curls his fingers into fists.
This is a promise broken, and the feeling of Reed slumping in his arms.
He hit Reed. He actually hit him, and Ben didn’t feel a damn thing. Because that was the mission, and the missions are the only things that make sense anymore.
Reed’s not his friend, he’s a target, and Ben always takes down his target.
And now Reed’s sat in that cell, plane taking them both back to headquarters. It’s the first time they’ve been this close in a year, and Reed won’t even look at him.
Their first fight, and look at the scale of it. But Ben shouldn’t be surprised. When it comes to Reed, nothing is small, nothing is insignificant. Life is all about the firsts, the discoveries.
Like the first time Ben made Reed laugh. The first time Reed made him laugh right back. The first time Reed accidentally set Ben’s sneakers on fire, the first time Ben stepped in and scared off the bullies looking to make Reed pay for being different.
The first time they kissed, soft and small and tentative and the sweetest thing Ben’s ever felt.
But Reed isn’t that person anymore. Now he’s the guy who made a stupid decision that ruined people’s lives, and who promised he’d fix it, only to disappear.
Maybe he’d never have come back, not if Ben hadn’t hurt him like that, knocked Reed out and taken away his chance to run again.
Reed’s a target, Reed’s his mission.
Reed’s not a friend.
But when Ben says he’s used to the pain, it’s a lie. Because his condition, yeah, that hurts all the time, and he is used to that.
The real pain, though, that’s the memory of that first kiss and the knowledge that Ben can never get that back. Reed’s not that person any longer.
And even if he was, Ben wouldn’t be able to feel that brush of his lips, not anymore.
That’s a pain he’ll never get used to.
Fandom: Fantastic Four (2015 Movieverse)
Pairing: Ben/Reed
Rating: G
Word count: 494
Warnings: Spoilers for Fantastic Four.
Challenge: #129 Friend Or Foe
They’ve never really fought before.
Sure, they’ve bickered, although that’s mostly been characterised by Ben’s silent frowns and Reed talking himself in circles. It always ends the same, with Reed looking frustrated, because he can find the words easily when it comes to scientific miracles but it’s harder for him when it comes to emotions. And Ben’s never been good with words about anything, so he gets Reed’s struggle all too well. So Ben’ll nudge Reed with his shoulder, and Reed will sigh and shove a hand through his hair, and the argument’s forgotten, because it was never a big deal in the first place.
But this isn’t bickering.
This is so much more than that.
This is betrayal and rage, and a long year of being pointed in any given direction and tearing forward like a living, breathing wrecking ball. This is Ben’s life now, where his hands creak with the sound of rocks grinding together whenever he curls his fingers into fists.
This is a promise broken, and the feeling of Reed slumping in his arms.
He hit Reed. He actually hit him, and Ben didn’t feel a damn thing. Because that was the mission, and the missions are the only things that make sense anymore.
Reed’s not his friend, he’s a target, and Ben always takes down his target.
And now Reed’s sat in that cell, plane taking them both back to headquarters. It’s the first time they’ve been this close in a year, and Reed won’t even look at him.
Their first fight, and look at the scale of it. But Ben shouldn’t be surprised. When it comes to Reed, nothing is small, nothing is insignificant. Life is all about the firsts, the discoveries.
Like the first time Ben made Reed laugh. The first time Reed made him laugh right back. The first time Reed accidentally set Ben’s sneakers on fire, the first time Ben stepped in and scared off the bullies looking to make Reed pay for being different.
The first time they kissed, soft and small and tentative and the sweetest thing Ben’s ever felt.
But Reed isn’t that person anymore. Now he’s the guy who made a stupid decision that ruined people’s lives, and who promised he’d fix it, only to disappear.
Maybe he’d never have come back, not if Ben hadn’t hurt him like that, knocked Reed out and taken away his chance to run again.
Reed’s a target, Reed’s his mission.
Reed’s not a friend.
But when Ben says he’s used to the pain, it’s a lie. Because his condition, yeah, that hurts all the time, and he is used to that.
The real pain, though, that’s the memory of that first kiss and the knowledge that Ben can never get that back. Reed’s not that person any longer.
And even if he was, Ben wouldn’t be able to feel that brush of his lips, not anymore.
That’s a pain he’ll never get used to.