A Reunion, Witnessed -- Rictor&Shatterstar fic.
Title: A Reunion, Witnessed
Author's notes: This is an outsider pov fic -- someone else's view on the guys -- and it's written in present tense because I felt like trying that out. I know either of these things occasionally drives people batty, so I figured I'd give some warning. I suppose this is hurt/comfort; Marvel hurts them and I give them to opportunity to comfort one another. Post M-day. Feedback welcome!
Domino thumps Shatterstar's arm lightly.
"Go. Wash, eat, rest. We might not get this opportunity again anytime soon." He nods and turns towards the room she has indicated to him, and she calls after him, "I mean it, kid. If I catch you training when I said sleep, I'll ground you."
He flicks a glance back but does not reply. She hears the shower soon after, but of course the grooming part isn't what she figures he'll skip. The walls in here fall not too far short of soundproof, unusual for the city but not for paranoid mutants. She's used to listening, though. She finishes her own washing up first, and gives him a few minutes after the shower has stopped to get dressed before heading over to harass him about food.
But when she steps into the hall, someone else is slipping into Shatterstar's room. She doesn't recognize the clothes, doesn't spot a single piece of jewelry or hint of green, and the hair is shorter than she remembers -- but she knows him. Even the long coat can't hide the familiar way he moves, and the glimpse of his hand pulling the door shut is all she needs for a positive ID.
She makes sure the door doesn't close all the way, moving swift and silent to catch it. She eavesdrops without shame, and spies, too -- after all, nothing has been able to pry Shatterstar's tongue loose on the subject of Rictor. She has no idea what kind of terms they were on when they parted, or what changes the world's recent craziness may have wrought. And damn it, she's nosy. She trained these two, she'd thought they had a shot at hanging onto what little happiness they found. She wants to know what happened.
Shatterstar whirls to face the door when it opens, guard up, then relaxes with a comically surprised expression on his face.
"Julio!"
" 'Star," Rictor replies tersely. He looks like his spine has been replaces with a steel rod, his back is so stiff. When Shatterstar lays down his weapons, crosses the space between them in a couple of long strides, Rictor doesn't object to the hug. In fact, his arms come up and grip tightly, crossing high on 'Star's back, hands digging in. They stay like that for a long moment.
"I missed you," Shatterstar murmurs, and Julio pushes them apart almost violently.
"Then maybe you shouldn't have left me," he says through clenched teeth.
Thankfully years of practice keep Domino from giving away her surprise. She would never have guessed that Shatterstar might have been the one to split; not after having seen what he was like when Rictor left, back in their X-Force days. She knows Shatterstar has come a long way from the confused and sometimes childlike alien warrior she first met, but this brings it home.
Meanwhile, Shatterstar crosses his arms and narrows his eyes, calmly pointing out, "You have left me, before."
"But I always came back!" Rictor fires back, and his voice is loud and strained. She has only heard him sound quite like this once before, when he'd been prepared to break open a whole planet if it meant saving the very person he is now glaring at. He doesn't even give 'Star a chance to reply before flinging out a hand and an accusation.
"You could have found me, 'Star. Any time. I left messages! I made it easy!" He follows this up with something in what she assumes is Cadre, since she can't understand a word of it.
"You went to Sam," Shatterstar replies, "and Theresa." Rictor starts to pace in the close confines of the room, running his hands through his hair. Shatterstar doesn't budge. "You used your power to try to make good changes," he says, a touch earnestly. "I have heard you now work with Theresa in Madrox's company, so I assume you still try --"
Rictor's laugh interrupts him. It's a horrible sound, and Shatterstar's mouth actually hangs open for a few seconds.
"You haven't heard?" Ric demands incredulously, face an equal mix of pain and amusement. "I thought m-maybe that w-was w-why --" He stutters and trembles, and Shatterstar moves, stepping forward with hands already extending towards Rictor, making soothing gestures before he even touches him.
"Julio --"
Rictor tries to evade him, but it's a small room and Shatterstar is both bigger and faster. Rictor keeps trying anyway.
"Don't --"
Finally, Ric grabs Shatterstar by the forearms and gives him a rough shake.
"I'm not! I'm not, okay? I can't."
Shatterstar stops, shock written in every line of him, and Rictor gives him another frustrated shake, gripping so tight that his knuckles stand out pale in his hands.
"I can't," he repeats. "And I thought --"
"No, Julio --" Shatterstar protests softly. He lifts his hands to cup Rictor's face, and Rictor lets him. "No. I did not know. Are you --?"
This time Rictor's bubble of laughter is a sob in disguise, and Shatterstar steps in, pulls him into a protective hug. Again, Rictor lets him.
"Of course not," he says, hiding is face against Shatterstar. "I had no family, I had no you, and then --" He clutches as another not-laugh rocks him. "And I can't --"
Domino withdraws as Rictor surrenders to painful, wracking sobs, at least as uncomfortable to witness it as she thinks he'd be to have it seen. She nudges the door closed as gently as she can, her last sight that of Shatterstar's hands moving in soothing strokes, his voice murmuring comfort and promises she deliberately doesn't listen to.
He might not get much of that rest she ordered, she thinks as she heads to her own room, but hopefully this will fix that hollowness she's been sensing in him, feeling it drive him as it sometimes drives her. And that can only be a good thing.
Crossposted to ricstar
Author's notes: This is an outsider pov fic -- someone else's view on the guys -- and it's written in present tense because I felt like trying that out. I know either of these things occasionally drives people batty, so I figured I'd give some warning. I suppose this is hurt/comfort; Marvel hurts them and I give them to opportunity to comfort one another. Post M-day. Feedback welcome!
Domino thumps Shatterstar's arm lightly.
"Go. Wash, eat, rest. We might not get this opportunity again anytime soon." He nods and turns towards the room she has indicated to him, and she calls after him, "I mean it, kid. If I catch you training when I said sleep, I'll ground you."
He flicks a glance back but does not reply. She hears the shower soon after, but of course the grooming part isn't what she figures he'll skip. The walls in here fall not too far short of soundproof, unusual for the city but not for paranoid mutants. She's used to listening, though. She finishes her own washing up first, and gives him a few minutes after the shower has stopped to get dressed before heading over to harass him about food.
But when she steps into the hall, someone else is slipping into Shatterstar's room. She doesn't recognize the clothes, doesn't spot a single piece of jewelry or hint of green, and the hair is shorter than she remembers -- but she knows him. Even the long coat can't hide the familiar way he moves, and the glimpse of his hand pulling the door shut is all she needs for a positive ID.
She makes sure the door doesn't close all the way, moving swift and silent to catch it. She eavesdrops without shame, and spies, too -- after all, nothing has been able to pry Shatterstar's tongue loose on the subject of Rictor. She has no idea what kind of terms they were on when they parted, or what changes the world's recent craziness may have wrought. And damn it, she's nosy. She trained these two, she'd thought they had a shot at hanging onto what little happiness they found. She wants to know what happened.
Shatterstar whirls to face the door when it opens, guard up, then relaxes with a comically surprised expression on his face.
"Julio!"
" 'Star," Rictor replies tersely. He looks like his spine has been replaces with a steel rod, his back is so stiff. When Shatterstar lays down his weapons, crosses the space between them in a couple of long strides, Rictor doesn't object to the hug. In fact, his arms come up and grip tightly, crossing high on 'Star's back, hands digging in. They stay like that for a long moment.
"I missed you," Shatterstar murmurs, and Julio pushes them apart almost violently.
"Then maybe you shouldn't have left me," he says through clenched teeth.
Thankfully years of practice keep Domino from giving away her surprise. She would never have guessed that Shatterstar might have been the one to split; not after having seen what he was like when Rictor left, back in their X-Force days. She knows Shatterstar has come a long way from the confused and sometimes childlike alien warrior she first met, but this brings it home.
Meanwhile, Shatterstar crosses his arms and narrows his eyes, calmly pointing out, "You have left me, before."
"But I always came back!" Rictor fires back, and his voice is loud and strained. She has only heard him sound quite like this once before, when he'd been prepared to break open a whole planet if it meant saving the very person he is now glaring at. He doesn't even give 'Star a chance to reply before flinging out a hand and an accusation.
"You could have found me, 'Star. Any time. I left messages! I made it easy!" He follows this up with something in what she assumes is Cadre, since she can't understand a word of it.
"You went to Sam," Shatterstar replies, "and Theresa." Rictor starts to pace in the close confines of the room, running his hands through his hair. Shatterstar doesn't budge. "You used your power to try to make good changes," he says, a touch earnestly. "I have heard you now work with Theresa in Madrox's company, so I assume you still try --"
Rictor's laugh interrupts him. It's a horrible sound, and Shatterstar's mouth actually hangs open for a few seconds.
"You haven't heard?" Ric demands incredulously, face an equal mix of pain and amusement. "I thought m-maybe that w-was w-why --" He stutters and trembles, and Shatterstar moves, stepping forward with hands already extending towards Rictor, making soothing gestures before he even touches him.
"Julio --"
Rictor tries to evade him, but it's a small room and Shatterstar is both bigger and faster. Rictor keeps trying anyway.
"Don't --"
Finally, Ric grabs Shatterstar by the forearms and gives him a rough shake.
"I'm not! I'm not, okay? I can't."
Shatterstar stops, shock written in every line of him, and Rictor gives him another frustrated shake, gripping so tight that his knuckles stand out pale in his hands.
"I can't," he repeats. "And I thought --"
"No, Julio --" Shatterstar protests softly. He lifts his hands to cup Rictor's face, and Rictor lets him. "No. I did not know. Are you --?"
This time Rictor's bubble of laughter is a sob in disguise, and Shatterstar steps in, pulls him into a protective hug. Again, Rictor lets him.
"Of course not," he says, hiding is face against Shatterstar. "I had no family, I had no you, and then --" He clutches as another not-laugh rocks him. "And I can't --"
Domino withdraws as Rictor surrenders to painful, wracking sobs, at least as uncomfortable to witness it as she thinks he'd be to have it seen. She nudges the door closed as gently as she can, her last sight that of Shatterstar's hands moving in soothing strokes, his voice murmuring comfort and promises she deliberately doesn't listen to.
He might not get much of that rest she ordered, she thinks as she heads to her own room, but hopefully this will fix that hollowness she's been sensing in him, feeling it drive him as it sometimes drives her. And that can only be a good thing.
Crossposted to ricstar