Thing-A-Day Creativity Project: October 31 (I DID IT! WOO!)
Title: Fade Away
Fandom: DC comics
Characters: Ted Kord/Booster Gold, Rip Hunter
Prompt: "Shade" (fanfic100), "This is my desperation in action" (un_love_you).
Word Count: 1135
Rating: PG-13
Author's Notes: Booster is being haunted. Warning: Written for Halloween, might be disturbing to some.
Fade Away
The smile in the mirror isn't his and he almost chokes on toothpaste foam. The toothbrush clatters into the sink as he's coughing, and the smile silently laughs at him as it fades away.
Booster stares at the mirror warily before washing up the foam and rinsing his mouth and toothbrush.
-----
The smile appears again as Booster is eating a hurried lunch. The vague, ghostly impression of a body accompanies it, lounging carelessly in one of the kitchen chairs. Booster's own chair topples to the floor as he stumbles to his feet, backing away from it.
This time he can hear the echoed whisper of a laugh before it fades away, leaving no evidence of its existence save for the pounding of Booster's heart.
Booster shakily rights his chair and finishes his lunch.
-----
When the soft chuckle warms his ear as he's cleaning out one of the storage closets, he almost expects it. The phantom touch of fingers on his shoulder not as much.
When he whirls around to confront the ghostly presence, he takes a step back in surprise. Inches away he can see that same pale smile, but this time it is accompanied by amused blue eyes.
Booster thinks he almost recognizes it this time and reaches out, but it's already fading away, that half-familiar laugh echoing maddeningly in his ears.
-----
It isn't until he's almost home from a trip to the past that he realizes why this smiling, laughing ghost seems so familiar. He realizes it because it appears to him again, sitting beside him in the time sphere. It looks more solid than it has previously, and he suddenly recognizes the transparent features.
"Ted?" he whispers.
The smile becomes a grin before the man's mouth moves and he can hear, as if from a great distance, "Hey, Booster-buddy."
He arrives back in the time bunker and Ted has just enough time to wink at him before fading away. Booster stares at the empty seat until Rip comes to ask him if he had any problems with the mission.
-----
He doesn't see Ted again until the next time he sets out in the time sphere a few days later. A ghostly outline appears as soon as he sets out, slowly solidifying as he travels further into the time stream. Ted smiles at him again, but there's a tightness to it, a tension around his eyes.
"It's good to see you," the man says, voice hollow and distorted.
"You're looking good for a dead man," Booster replies, feeling heartsick at the sight of him.
Ted smirks. "I always look good."
"Unless you're dressing yourself."
Ted laughs and Booster feels lighter than he has in a while. The heaviness returns a moment later when he realizes Ted is fading away again. Ted seems to notice as well, because he glances down at himself and then back at Booster with an urgent look on his face.
"Booster, I'm not dead."
"Wh--"
"I'm not dead," Ted repeats, rushed and leaning in. "I'm just stuck."
Booster opens his mouth to ask for an explanation, but he's arrived at his destination and Ted has vanished.
-----
Throughout the mission, Booster is edgy and distracted, and it almost costs him an eye. Luck smiles on him, though, and he manages to make it back to the time sphere in one piece. This time he's expecting Ted, but he's not expecting the wide-eyed specter looming over him.
Booster can feel Ted's fingers digging into his shoulders as the man leans in, more solid with every second. "I need your help, Booster. I'm stuck."
"In the sphere?" Booster asks stupidly, reeling from the sudden certainty that this is his best friend and not a very persistent hallucination.
Ted gives him an unimpressed look. "In time. Or space. I'm not sure where I am, exactly. I just know I'm between where you are and...somewhere else."
"Where?"
A haunted look crosses Ted's fading face and the sensation of hands on his shoulders is sliding away. "I don't know," he says, voice barely audible. "I just know I don't want to go there...."
When Booster arrives home a moment later, pale and shaken, Rip asks him what's wrong. Booster can't bring himself to explain it to the man, so brushes it off as the close call with his eye.
-----
He's ready next time. As soon as he enters the time stream and Ted begins fading into view, Booster asks, "How do I get you out of there?"
Ted gives him an assessing look. "It won't be easy," he murmurs. "You'd have to give up so much to help me."
"That doesn't answer my question," Booster says, narrowing his eyes. "How?"
Smiling again, Ted meets his gaze. "You have to be sure, my friend."
Holding out a hand to him, Booster says, "More sure than I've ever been, if it gets you back."
Ted grasps his hand and squeezes it before he begins fading away again. "You're a true friend, Booster."
-----
"Are you ready, Booster?"
The time stream flickers around them and as Ted fades into view, Booster says, "As I'll ever be."
Ted rises from the other seat and comes to stand in front of him. There's regret on his face, and fear. He reaches forward and Booster feels a chill as the man's hand passes through him.
"Ted, what--?"
"I lied," Ted murmurs, moving closer.
"What? But if you're not stuck, why do you need my help?"
Ted smiles sadly. "Not about that. I am stuck, and if you knew what was lurking here, you'd forgive me." His smile slips away. "I hope you can forgive me."
"...Ted?"
Warm breath spills over his ear as Ted whispers, "I lied about being alive."
It hits him in an icy moment of clarity, why Ted told him he would have to give so much up if he agreed to help. Tears prick his eyes as he stares at the specter of his best friend. "Will I survive?" he asks quietly.
Ted's hands cup his cheeks, his expression mournful. "I don't know. I hope so."
Reaching up with a hand he can barely feel anymore, Booster places it over the man's heart. He can't feel it beating. "Ted...you know I love you."
As their lips meet, Booster feels himself falling. Ted's voice chases him down and he is enveloped by warmth.
"I always knew, Booster."
-----
When Booster arrives back in the time lab, he's whistling a jaunty tune that makes Rip look up from his notes.
"Glad to see you're in a better mood," Rip tells him.
"Why not?" Booster asks cheerfully. "I'm alive, and the world is full of possibility."
As the man leaves, Rip shrugs and turns back to his notes. He has a point, and it's good to see Booster smiling again.
Want to suggest something for my thing-a-day creativity project? Too bad, it's finished! :D
Fandom: DC comics
Characters: Ted Kord/Booster Gold, Rip Hunter
Prompt: "Shade" (fanfic100), "This is my desperation in action" (un_love_you).
Word Count: 1135
Rating: PG-13
Author's Notes: Booster is being haunted. Warning: Written for Halloween, might be disturbing to some.
Fade Away
The smile in the mirror isn't his and he almost chokes on toothpaste foam. The toothbrush clatters into the sink as he's coughing, and the smile silently laughs at him as it fades away.
Booster stares at the mirror warily before washing up the foam and rinsing his mouth and toothbrush.
-----
The smile appears again as Booster is eating a hurried lunch. The vague, ghostly impression of a body accompanies it, lounging carelessly in one of the kitchen chairs. Booster's own chair topples to the floor as he stumbles to his feet, backing away from it.
This time he can hear the echoed whisper of a laugh before it fades away, leaving no evidence of its existence save for the pounding of Booster's heart.
Booster shakily rights his chair and finishes his lunch.
-----
When the soft chuckle warms his ear as he's cleaning out one of the storage closets, he almost expects it. The phantom touch of fingers on his shoulder not as much.
When he whirls around to confront the ghostly presence, he takes a step back in surprise. Inches away he can see that same pale smile, but this time it is accompanied by amused blue eyes.
Booster thinks he almost recognizes it this time and reaches out, but it's already fading away, that half-familiar laugh echoing maddeningly in his ears.
-----
It isn't until he's almost home from a trip to the past that he realizes why this smiling, laughing ghost seems so familiar. He realizes it because it appears to him again, sitting beside him in the time sphere. It looks more solid than it has previously, and he suddenly recognizes the transparent features.
"Ted?" he whispers.
The smile becomes a grin before the man's mouth moves and he can hear, as if from a great distance, "Hey, Booster-buddy."
He arrives back in the time bunker and Ted has just enough time to wink at him before fading away. Booster stares at the empty seat until Rip comes to ask him if he had any problems with the mission.
-----
He doesn't see Ted again until the next time he sets out in the time sphere a few days later. A ghostly outline appears as soon as he sets out, slowly solidifying as he travels further into the time stream. Ted smiles at him again, but there's a tightness to it, a tension around his eyes.
"It's good to see you," the man says, voice hollow and distorted.
"You're looking good for a dead man," Booster replies, feeling heartsick at the sight of him.
Ted smirks. "I always look good."
"Unless you're dressing yourself."
Ted laughs and Booster feels lighter than he has in a while. The heaviness returns a moment later when he realizes Ted is fading away again. Ted seems to notice as well, because he glances down at himself and then back at Booster with an urgent look on his face.
"Booster, I'm not dead."
"Wh--"
"I'm not dead," Ted repeats, rushed and leaning in. "I'm just stuck."
Booster opens his mouth to ask for an explanation, but he's arrived at his destination and Ted has vanished.
-----
Throughout the mission, Booster is edgy and distracted, and it almost costs him an eye. Luck smiles on him, though, and he manages to make it back to the time sphere in one piece. This time he's expecting Ted, but he's not expecting the wide-eyed specter looming over him.
Booster can feel Ted's fingers digging into his shoulders as the man leans in, more solid with every second. "I need your help, Booster. I'm stuck."
"In the sphere?" Booster asks stupidly, reeling from the sudden certainty that this is his best friend and not a very persistent hallucination.
Ted gives him an unimpressed look. "In time. Or space. I'm not sure where I am, exactly. I just know I'm between where you are and...somewhere else."
"Where?"
A haunted look crosses Ted's fading face and the sensation of hands on his shoulders is sliding away. "I don't know," he says, voice barely audible. "I just know I don't want to go there...."
When Booster arrives home a moment later, pale and shaken, Rip asks him what's wrong. Booster can't bring himself to explain it to the man, so brushes it off as the close call with his eye.
-----
He's ready next time. As soon as he enters the time stream and Ted begins fading into view, Booster asks, "How do I get you out of there?"
Ted gives him an assessing look. "It won't be easy," he murmurs. "You'd have to give up so much to help me."
"That doesn't answer my question," Booster says, narrowing his eyes. "How?"
Smiling again, Ted meets his gaze. "You have to be sure, my friend."
Holding out a hand to him, Booster says, "More sure than I've ever been, if it gets you back."
Ted grasps his hand and squeezes it before he begins fading away again. "You're a true friend, Booster."
-----
"Are you ready, Booster?"
The time stream flickers around them and as Ted fades into view, Booster says, "As I'll ever be."
Ted rises from the other seat and comes to stand in front of him. There's regret on his face, and fear. He reaches forward and Booster feels a chill as the man's hand passes through him.
"Ted, what--?"
"I lied," Ted murmurs, moving closer.
"What? But if you're not stuck, why do you need my help?"
Ted smiles sadly. "Not about that. I am stuck, and if you knew what was lurking here, you'd forgive me." His smile slips away. "I hope you can forgive me."
"...Ted?"
Warm breath spills over his ear as Ted whispers, "I lied about being alive."
It hits him in an icy moment of clarity, why Ted told him he would have to give so much up if he agreed to help. Tears prick his eyes as he stares at the specter of his best friend. "Will I survive?" he asks quietly.
Ted's hands cup his cheeks, his expression mournful. "I don't know. I hope so."
Reaching up with a hand he can barely feel anymore, Booster places it over the man's heart. He can't feel it beating. "Ted...you know I love you."
As their lips meet, Booster feels himself falling. Ted's voice chases him down and he is enveloped by warmth.
"I always knew, Booster."
-----
When Booster arrives back in the time lab, he's whistling a jaunty tune that makes Rip look up from his notes.
"Glad to see you're in a better mood," Rip tells him.
"Why not?" Booster asks cheerfully. "I'm alive, and the world is full of possibility."
As the man leaves, Rip shrugs and turns back to his notes. He has a point, and it's good to see Booster smiling again.
Want to suggest something for my thing-a-day creativity project? Too bad, it's finished! :D