Fic: Born of Blue, Cast in Black
His hands were pale as bones, the lettering on them vivid against knuckles and flesh, holding tight to the melodic silver piece of heaven, eyes shaded in black and downcast, and the night was rolling on, and he bent his head, lips touching the cool metal and blew.
Born of blue and cast in black.
And the song tore through the night, more words than he could ever conjure, because it was always all about the music. It was always about the music, it was always about their souls.
Jake’s hands were rosy and warm when they clasped Elwood’s shoulder.
* * *
It was like trying to imagine a world without blues.
Some part of him deluded himself into believing that he was still in prison. It was just easier to handle that idea than the thought of him-cold, alone, and-
It was like imagining his harmonica didn’t exist.
“My brother.” He couldn’t say it. Not Jake.
But his harp slipped from his fingers and hit the cement with a metallic clack, and Elwood dove for it. The dent in it reflected his image back at him, warped and hollow, the ghost of a reflection just behind him.
And Elwood broke.
* * *
He might have looked stoic, waiting there by-was that a police car?!-to anyone looking, but his brother knew better.
The gates slid open like knotted and popping jaws, illuminating Elwood and silhouetting himself-somehow appropriate, he thought with a smirk.
And then his brother was walking toward him, lanky and exactly the same, and he followed suit, and like always they met in the middle.
And Elwood actually let a smile creep onto his lips and before he could even react, Elwood’s shoulder pad was pushing against his face, and long arms circled around his back.
And Jake grinned.
* * *
It all came flooding back at once, Jake’s shit-eating grin and the way he had led Elwood down the stairs, nothing in his hands but Elwood’s admiration and a guitar string that was Elmore James’ supposedly, and before Elwood could even flinch at the pain he’d stabbed Elwood’s finger and drug the string, doing the same to his own-wet, hot and red spilling over their palms and dripping and Jake smacked their hands together.
“Blood brothers now, Elwood.” He was all too excited.
“We’re the Blues Brothers now.”
A rare smile quirked its way onto Elwood’s lips years later.
* * *
Born of blue and cast in black.
And the song tore through the night, more words than he could ever conjure, because it was always all about the music. It was always about the music, it was always about their souls.
Jake’s hands were rosy and warm when they clasped Elwood’s shoulder.
* * *
It was like trying to imagine a world without blues.
Some part of him deluded himself into believing that he was still in prison. It was just easier to handle that idea than the thought of him-cold, alone, and-
It was like imagining his harmonica didn’t exist.
“My brother.” He couldn’t say it. Not Jake.
But his harp slipped from his fingers and hit the cement with a metallic clack, and Elwood dove for it. The dent in it reflected his image back at him, warped and hollow, the ghost of a reflection just behind him.
And Elwood broke.
* * *
He might have looked stoic, waiting there by-was that a police car?!-to anyone looking, but his brother knew better.
The gates slid open like knotted and popping jaws, illuminating Elwood and silhouetting himself-somehow appropriate, he thought with a smirk.
And then his brother was walking toward him, lanky and exactly the same, and he followed suit, and like always they met in the middle.
And Elwood actually let a smile creep onto his lips and before he could even react, Elwood’s shoulder pad was pushing against his face, and long arms circled around his back.
And Jake grinned.
* * *
It all came flooding back at once, Jake’s shit-eating grin and the way he had led Elwood down the stairs, nothing in his hands but Elwood’s admiration and a guitar string that was Elmore James’ supposedly, and before Elwood could even flinch at the pain he’d stabbed Elwood’s finger and drug the string, doing the same to his own-wet, hot and red spilling over their palms and dripping and Jake smacked their hands together.
“Blood brothers now, Elwood.” He was all too excited.
“We’re the Blues Brothers now.”
A rare smile quirked its way onto Elwood’s lips years later.
* * *