Fic: Three Sides, 1/1, Rated PG-13
Title: Three Sides
Author: courts
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1589
Pairing: Josh/Aidan
Disclaimer: Being Human belongs to a bunch of people who aren't me. I'm just borrowing their creations and I promise to put them back where I found them as soon as I'm done.
Summary: Post Ep for "I See Your True Colors . . . And That's Why I Hate You"; Josh and Aidan's relationship from three different perspectives.
Notes: I haven't written fanfic that wasn't RPS in quite a long time and I have obviously never written anything for Being Human before. Feedback is always welcome :)
Thanks: To tarattack for flailing with me about the show tonight via Twitter and making me want to write these characters so much! And for the feedback, of course. I tweaked it a little so hopefully the changes make it a bit easier to follow ;)
-=-=-=-=-=-
three sides
one. josh.
Josh wasn't actually sure what excuse he fumbled out for his family, something about Chamomile, which they probably got anyway from the tray he was holding. He gave some lame explanation, at any rate, before turning to sprint up the stairs. He couldn't bring himself to care, actually. All that he cared about was getting to Aidan, helping him. The china on the tray rattled noisily as he burst back into the bathroom, only to clink even louder as he stopped dead at the sight before him.
There was Aidan, perched on the edge of the filling tub. Josh vaguely heard his own voice saying something about nakedness in the middle of dinner, but even that seemed distant all of the sudden. He could barely hear anything above the sound of the blood whooshing in his ears as his eyes raked over what seemed like miles of pale, flawless skin. Josh felt himself blush at the sight, wondered in the back of his mind if Aidan's own skin would have colored under the scrutiny, if it still possessed the capacity. Or maybe it did . . . Josh was still more than a little confused about the minutia of his own supernatural existence, much less Aidan's.
Their eyes met and for a moment Josh thought about what it would feel like for Aidan to push him savagely against the bathroom wall, to strip his clothes off in shreds and just take from Josh everything that he wanted, everything that Josh had. He wondered how he could still hear the blood rushing through his head when it felt like every ounce of it had suddenly pooled south.
Josh knew that he would let Aidan do whatever he wanted, whatever he asked. In fact, he'd known it for a while. Telling Ray to leave had been less an act of self preservation as it had been of protection . . . protection for the only person that Josh dared let get really close to him anymore. He wouldn't even bother denying that he would lay down his own life for Aidan, if it ever came to that.
They were still standing there, Aidan naked and feral and watching Josh with curious eyes as he stood holding the tea service and battling with himself about his next move.
But then Aidan moved, said something that Josh couldn't quite grasp, but which broke him from his trance. He shoved the tray at Aidan and quickly left the room. He might be willing to give every piece of himself to Aidan, but the hall bathroom in his parent's house during his first dinner home in two years was certainly not the place. Whatever feelings were churning within Josh, they would just have to wait . . . to wait until he and Aidan were back home.
He turned to head back down the stairs to rejoin his family for dinner . . . just as the doorbell rang. Josh felt the hairs rise on the back of his neck, his body sensing danger even before his mind had become aware of it. He turned the corner at the top of the stairs and looked down. As soon as his eyes took in the figure standing before his father in the threshold, Josh instantly began to run.
two. aidan.
Aidan heard the door slam at almost the same moment that Josh's voice reached him through the floral-scented water. His eyes sprang open and his senses were all on full alert as he bolted from the tub and threw on his clothes with a speed that no human could have matched. Josh needed him. Nothing else mattered.
He was in the backyard before he could blink, face to face with that slime Marcus. Aidan had always hated him, but not for the reasons that Marcus thought. There may have been a time, too many years ago now, when Bishop's opinion of him mattered to Aidan, but any lingering sense of that was now buried beneath decades of betrayal and bad deeds. Aidan had grown to hate the man, the one who had turned him into the monster that still lived all too vivid in his nightmares. He didn't want to be Bishop's "boy" anymore, he just wanted to be done with the whole lot of them. Marcus couldn't see that, couldn't fathom a vampire who didn't thrive on taking life from others. He just thought that Aidan wanted to reclaim his position in the ranks.
They circled one another, both seething and tensed. A part of Aidan wanted to rip out Marcus's throat just for coming there tonight, for messing with what belonged to Aidan, but another part of him, the part that he hoped was stronger, prayed that Josh wouldn't have to see yet again what a true monster he really was.
The two vampires exchanged blows, each taking hits that would have killed most any other being, but barely caused a twinge for them. Marcus mocked him ceaselessly for his defense of Josh and his family, scoffing at why anyone would choose to lay their life on the line for a filthy animal.
The words enraged Aidan, more than some of the much harsher things that Marcus had thrown at him in the past. It was one thing for him to attack Aidan; it was quite another for him to turn that assault on Josh. That was more than Aidan was willing to stand.
He summoned all of his anger and channeled it into beating Marcus back, telling him in no uncertain terms that Josh and his family were off-limits. If this thing between them wasn't over then so be it; but they could settle it without dragging anyone else down.
Marcus left, eventually, but not without slinging a few more barbs that had Aidan nearly shaking in his attempts to ignore them. He finally returned to the house once he was satisfied that Marcus was truly gone. Still, he knew this wasn't over, not by a long shot. It now seemed to be common knowledge that Josh was most definitely Aidan's weakness. He didn't expect anyone to forget that anytime soon.
three. sally.
Sally didn't know who either of them thought that they were fooling. Okay, sure, they rightfully assumed that she was pretty wrapped up in her own shit and not paying as much attention to their drama as she might normally have, but still. It wasn't like the freaking angst wasn't pouring off of those two in waves or anything. She rolled her eyes and thought, "So, what else is new?"
They had both come in and, separately, told her their version of the previous night's events, each leaving out key details that Sally didn't need either of them to tell her anyway. She might be preoccupied with the asshole who had murdered her and her complete idiot of a best friend who seemed intent on martyring herself instead of heeding Sally's very real warnings, but that didn't make her an idiot, for God's sake.
Maybe it had something to do with her unfortunate state in the world, or maybe it was just regular old woman's intuition, but Sally had seen Aidan and Josh's mutual feelings for one another from the first day that she had met them. It was pathetic that the two of them were taking so long to admit it to themselves.
Josh headed upstairs, muttering something about a bath and refusing to make eye contact with Aidan and Sally rolled her eyes again. She was left on the porch with Aidan, wondering if ghosts could actually bite their tongues and calculating how much longer she was going to be able to hold off before she finally told them both that they were complete morons.
"I already know that I'm screwed," Aidan said, breaking her thoughts. "I don't need the lecture."
"What is that, some kind of vampire mind-reading skill that you forgot to mention?" she asked.
"Sally, don't take this as a derogatory slur on your, um, kind . . . but has anyone ever told you that you're kind of transparent?" He smirked at her, though the expression held little humor. With a heavy sigh, he shrugged and said, "Let's just say that you're not the only one who has picked up on it. It's just that some things are so . . . complicated . . . sometimes it just seems better to ignore them and hope that they'll go away on their own.
Sally looked at him pointedly and said, "You know this isn't one of those things that is going to go away, though, right?"
He sighed again and answered, "Yeah, I'm beginning to realize that."
They were both silent for a long time after that. Then, finally, in a much softer tone, Sally offered, "You need to talk to him, you know. Soon."
Aidan nodded, his voice barely audible as he replied, "Yeah, I know. I'm just . . . I'm trying to find the words, I guess."
Sally wished then, more than she had since she had known him, that he could have felt her touch. She knew that he could have used it. She gave him a sad smile and said, "Take it from me, Aidan, it's not always the words that are important. It's the feelings and the actions behind them that really matter when it's all said and done."
He didn't respond, but he leaned a little closer into her space. And that, she figured, was answer enough.
-=-=-=-=-=-
The End
February 28, 2011
-=-=-=-=-=-
Author: courts
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1589
Pairing: Josh/Aidan
Disclaimer: Being Human belongs to a bunch of people who aren't me. I'm just borrowing their creations and I promise to put them back where I found them as soon as I'm done.
Summary: Post Ep for "I See Your True Colors . . . And That's Why I Hate You"; Josh and Aidan's relationship from three different perspectives.
Notes: I haven't written fanfic that wasn't RPS in quite a long time and I have obviously never written anything for Being Human before. Feedback is always welcome :)
Thanks: To tarattack for flailing with me about the show tonight via Twitter and making me want to write these characters so much! And for the feedback, of course. I tweaked it a little so hopefully the changes make it a bit easier to follow ;)
-=-=-=-=-=-
three sides
one. josh.
Josh wasn't actually sure what excuse he fumbled out for his family, something about Chamomile, which they probably got anyway from the tray he was holding. He gave some lame explanation, at any rate, before turning to sprint up the stairs. He couldn't bring himself to care, actually. All that he cared about was getting to Aidan, helping him. The china on the tray rattled noisily as he burst back into the bathroom, only to clink even louder as he stopped dead at the sight before him.
There was Aidan, perched on the edge of the filling tub. Josh vaguely heard his own voice saying something about nakedness in the middle of dinner, but even that seemed distant all of the sudden. He could barely hear anything above the sound of the blood whooshing in his ears as his eyes raked over what seemed like miles of pale, flawless skin. Josh felt himself blush at the sight, wondered in the back of his mind if Aidan's own skin would have colored under the scrutiny, if it still possessed the capacity. Or maybe it did . . . Josh was still more than a little confused about the minutia of his own supernatural existence, much less Aidan's.
Their eyes met and for a moment Josh thought about what it would feel like for Aidan to push him savagely against the bathroom wall, to strip his clothes off in shreds and just take from Josh everything that he wanted, everything that Josh had. He wondered how he could still hear the blood rushing through his head when it felt like every ounce of it had suddenly pooled south.
Josh knew that he would let Aidan do whatever he wanted, whatever he asked. In fact, he'd known it for a while. Telling Ray to leave had been less an act of self preservation as it had been of protection . . . protection for the only person that Josh dared let get really close to him anymore. He wouldn't even bother denying that he would lay down his own life for Aidan, if it ever came to that.
They were still standing there, Aidan naked and feral and watching Josh with curious eyes as he stood holding the tea service and battling with himself about his next move.
But then Aidan moved, said something that Josh couldn't quite grasp, but which broke him from his trance. He shoved the tray at Aidan and quickly left the room. He might be willing to give every piece of himself to Aidan, but the hall bathroom in his parent's house during his first dinner home in two years was certainly not the place. Whatever feelings were churning within Josh, they would just have to wait . . . to wait until he and Aidan were back home.
He turned to head back down the stairs to rejoin his family for dinner . . . just as the doorbell rang. Josh felt the hairs rise on the back of his neck, his body sensing danger even before his mind had become aware of it. He turned the corner at the top of the stairs and looked down. As soon as his eyes took in the figure standing before his father in the threshold, Josh instantly began to run.
two. aidan.
Aidan heard the door slam at almost the same moment that Josh's voice reached him through the floral-scented water. His eyes sprang open and his senses were all on full alert as he bolted from the tub and threw on his clothes with a speed that no human could have matched. Josh needed him. Nothing else mattered.
He was in the backyard before he could blink, face to face with that slime Marcus. Aidan had always hated him, but not for the reasons that Marcus thought. There may have been a time, too many years ago now, when Bishop's opinion of him mattered to Aidan, but any lingering sense of that was now buried beneath decades of betrayal and bad deeds. Aidan had grown to hate the man, the one who had turned him into the monster that still lived all too vivid in his nightmares. He didn't want to be Bishop's "boy" anymore, he just wanted to be done with the whole lot of them. Marcus couldn't see that, couldn't fathom a vampire who didn't thrive on taking life from others. He just thought that Aidan wanted to reclaim his position in the ranks.
They circled one another, both seething and tensed. A part of Aidan wanted to rip out Marcus's throat just for coming there tonight, for messing with what belonged to Aidan, but another part of him, the part that he hoped was stronger, prayed that Josh wouldn't have to see yet again what a true monster he really was.
The two vampires exchanged blows, each taking hits that would have killed most any other being, but barely caused a twinge for them. Marcus mocked him ceaselessly for his defense of Josh and his family, scoffing at why anyone would choose to lay their life on the line for a filthy animal.
The words enraged Aidan, more than some of the much harsher things that Marcus had thrown at him in the past. It was one thing for him to attack Aidan; it was quite another for him to turn that assault on Josh. That was more than Aidan was willing to stand.
He summoned all of his anger and channeled it into beating Marcus back, telling him in no uncertain terms that Josh and his family were off-limits. If this thing between them wasn't over then so be it; but they could settle it without dragging anyone else down.
Marcus left, eventually, but not without slinging a few more barbs that had Aidan nearly shaking in his attempts to ignore them. He finally returned to the house once he was satisfied that Marcus was truly gone. Still, he knew this wasn't over, not by a long shot. It now seemed to be common knowledge that Josh was most definitely Aidan's weakness. He didn't expect anyone to forget that anytime soon.
three. sally.
Sally didn't know who either of them thought that they were fooling. Okay, sure, they rightfully assumed that she was pretty wrapped up in her own shit and not paying as much attention to their drama as she might normally have, but still. It wasn't like the freaking angst wasn't pouring off of those two in waves or anything. She rolled her eyes and thought, "So, what else is new?"
They had both come in and, separately, told her their version of the previous night's events, each leaving out key details that Sally didn't need either of them to tell her anyway. She might be preoccupied with the asshole who had murdered her and her complete idiot of a best friend who seemed intent on martyring herself instead of heeding Sally's very real warnings, but that didn't make her an idiot, for God's sake.
Maybe it had something to do with her unfortunate state in the world, or maybe it was just regular old woman's intuition, but Sally had seen Aidan and Josh's mutual feelings for one another from the first day that she had met them. It was pathetic that the two of them were taking so long to admit it to themselves.
Josh headed upstairs, muttering something about a bath and refusing to make eye contact with Aidan and Sally rolled her eyes again. She was left on the porch with Aidan, wondering if ghosts could actually bite their tongues and calculating how much longer she was going to be able to hold off before she finally told them both that they were complete morons.
"I already know that I'm screwed," Aidan said, breaking her thoughts. "I don't need the lecture."
"What is that, some kind of vampire mind-reading skill that you forgot to mention?" she asked.
"Sally, don't take this as a derogatory slur on your, um, kind . . . but has anyone ever told you that you're kind of transparent?" He smirked at her, though the expression held little humor. With a heavy sigh, he shrugged and said, "Let's just say that you're not the only one who has picked up on it. It's just that some things are so . . . complicated . . . sometimes it just seems better to ignore them and hope that they'll go away on their own.
Sally looked at him pointedly and said, "You know this isn't one of those things that is going to go away, though, right?"
He sighed again and answered, "Yeah, I'm beginning to realize that."
They were both silent for a long time after that. Then, finally, in a much softer tone, Sally offered, "You need to talk to him, you know. Soon."
Aidan nodded, his voice barely audible as he replied, "Yeah, I know. I'm just . . . I'm trying to find the words, I guess."
Sally wished then, more than she had since she had known him, that he could have felt her touch. She knew that he could have used it. She gave him a sad smile and said, "Take it from me, Aidan, it's not always the words that are important. It's the feelings and the actions behind them that really matter when it's all said and done."
He didn't respond, but he leaned a little closer into her space. And that, she figured, was answer enough.
-=-=-=-=-=-
The End
February 28, 2011
-=-=-=-=-=-