At The Edge of The Deep Green Sea
Title: At The Edge of The Deep Green Sea
Pairing: Josef/Mick
Rating: R
Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Summary: Mick finds understanding with Josef after Coraline's fiery death.
Author's Note: Written for the Last Author Standing competition, also written for 20_est_relships
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Mick closes his eyes, balls his fists against his temples. Josef is there with him, not that Mick notices; he’s too wrapped up in his own private menagerie of kerosene and flame. The smell of charcoaled flesh permeates his senses - bone turning to ash, tiny pieces of paper thin blackness floating on unseen winds.
Josef presses a glass of blood into Mick’s hands, and then kneels on the ground beside him, a hand resting on Mick’s shoulder.
“It’ll be ok.”
“Yeah?” Mick’s voice borders on incredulous, the words overlaid with hollow laughter. “I just burned my wife to death; how do you figure it’s going to be ‘okay’?”
“Haven’t you heard?” Josef arches his eyebrows, and tosses Mick a flippant smile, “I moonlight weekends as Karnak the magnificent; I have an answer for everything.”
Almost in spite of himself, Mick laughs. Josef cracking jokes is good; Josef cracking jokes brings a sense of normality - nothing’s changed, even if everything else has.
Melancholy returns; Mick scrubs the back of his hand across his eyes, wipes away the threat of more tears, his voice ringing out - insistent.
“I didn’t have a choice.”
Josef listens as Mick speaks of death and final endings - of punishment, and cowardice. A finger placed under Mick's chin, Josef directs Mick’s gaze towards his.
“Sometimes even to live is an act of courage, Mick.”
“What’s that, more wisdom from Karnak?” Mick raises a mirthless smile.
“No,” Josef shrugs noncommittally, “just wisdom for the ages. You reject eternity now, Mick, but you get used to it eventually; we all do.”
“And what if eternity doesn’t want me?”
“Then I do.”
Mick’s taken aback by Josef’s reply; only for an instant. They draw towards each other in silent, mutual consent. Mick smells the scent of blood all around them, the taste of it lingers from Josef’s mouth to his, and all throughout Mick is thinking - maybe, just maybe…
… Maybe I can survive.
Josef breaks the kiss; stands then, his hand outstretched. “Are you coming or not?”.
For a moment Mick considers parrying a sarcastic response. Instead he gets to his feet, and accepts Josef’s proffered hand in his.
“Just this once, alright?”.
“Of course,” Josef smiles as if he knows different - trails a laissez-faire hand through the air in front of him. “We’ll chalk it up to circumstance.”
They make their way upstairs - through doorways, along a series of winding corridors - leaving memories behind. Already Mick is convinced this is what he needs; right now, standing at the edge of the deep green sea ready to dive into oblivion - extinguish the image of Coraline, haloed in flames, if only for a few scant hours.
The promise of a fresh start is encapsulated in a single touch; as Josef lays him down, strips him bare. And all throughout Mick’s still thinking - maybe, just maybe…
… Maybe I can survive with him.
Pairing: Josef/Mick
Rating: R
Disclaimer: All publicly recognisable characters, settings, etc. are the property of their respective owners. The original characters and plot are the property of the author. The author is in no way associated with the owners, creators, or producers of any media franchise. No copyright infringement is intended.
Summary: Mick finds understanding with Josef after Coraline's fiery death.
Author's Note: Written for the Last Author Standing competition, also written for 20_est_relships
---------------------------------------------------------------------------
Mick closes his eyes, balls his fists against his temples. Josef is there with him, not that Mick notices; he’s too wrapped up in his own private menagerie of kerosene and flame. The smell of charcoaled flesh permeates his senses - bone turning to ash, tiny pieces of paper thin blackness floating on unseen winds.
Josef presses a glass of blood into Mick’s hands, and then kneels on the ground beside him, a hand resting on Mick’s shoulder.
“It’ll be ok.”
“Yeah?” Mick’s voice borders on incredulous, the words overlaid with hollow laughter. “I just burned my wife to death; how do you figure it’s going to be ‘okay’?”
“Haven’t you heard?” Josef arches his eyebrows, and tosses Mick a flippant smile, “I moonlight weekends as Karnak the magnificent; I have an answer for everything.”
Almost in spite of himself, Mick laughs. Josef cracking jokes is good; Josef cracking jokes brings a sense of normality - nothing’s changed, even if everything else has.
Melancholy returns; Mick scrubs the back of his hand across his eyes, wipes away the threat of more tears, his voice ringing out - insistent.
“I didn’t have a choice.”
Josef listens as Mick speaks of death and final endings - of punishment, and cowardice. A finger placed under Mick's chin, Josef directs Mick’s gaze towards his.
“Sometimes even to live is an act of courage, Mick.”
“What’s that, more wisdom from Karnak?” Mick raises a mirthless smile.
“No,” Josef shrugs noncommittally, “just wisdom for the ages. You reject eternity now, Mick, but you get used to it eventually; we all do.”
“And what if eternity doesn’t want me?”
“Then I do.”
Mick’s taken aback by Josef’s reply; only for an instant. They draw towards each other in silent, mutual consent. Mick smells the scent of blood all around them, the taste of it lingers from Josef’s mouth to his, and all throughout Mick is thinking - maybe, just maybe…
… Maybe I can survive.
Josef breaks the kiss; stands then, his hand outstretched. “Are you coming or not?”.
For a moment Mick considers parrying a sarcastic response. Instead he gets to his feet, and accepts Josef’s proffered hand in his.
“Just this once, alright?”.
“Of course,” Josef smiles as if he knows different - trails a laissez-faire hand through the air in front of him. “We’ll chalk it up to circumstance.”
They make their way upstairs - through doorways, along a series of winding corridors - leaving memories behind. Already Mick is convinced this is what he needs; right now, standing at the edge of the deep green sea ready to dive into oblivion - extinguish the image of Coraline, haloed in flames, if only for a few scant hours.
The promise of a fresh start is encapsulated in a single touch; as Josef lays him down, strips him bare. And all throughout Mick’s still thinking - maybe, just maybe…
… Maybe I can survive with him.