(X-Men, Alex/Darwin) you thought you were a ghost
Title: you thought you were a ghost
Author: littledust
Fandom: X-Men: First Class
Pairing: Alex/Darwin
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 379
Summary: Darwin comes back.
Author's Notes: Originally posted here.
He is atoms scattered on the wind, particles of impulse, beyond anything more than a vague urge to coalesce. Smoke. Stardust.
Darwin is reborn amidst the rubble in a gathering of self, every molecule of his being on fire. His first breath burns inside new lungs, and he chokes as he exhales, palms splayed against the broken concrete to brace himself. Minutes pass, or perhaps hours, where he kneels naked and trembling and being, being within his own body.
Eventually, Darwin rises. Dawn is breaking in shattered pink light. There are bodies on the ground, the flash of red sirens in the distance. He walks toward the light, stumbling on new legs until his soles harden. As he draws near the lights, he can make out the silhouettes of his friends, huddled together as if in protection from the cold. A CIA agent is smoking nearby, head bowed.
"Oh my God," Sean says. The tear stains on his face are visible even from several feet away.
Darwin raises a hand in greeting, still distrusting his lungs to do anything more than breathe. The rest of them turn to look at him, Raven and Angel and Hank, and their eyes are so red, like they've been crying for years instead of hours. "Where's Alex?" Darwin croaks, finding his tongue at last, and then arms circle him from behind.
"Jesus fuck," and Alex's hot face is pressed between his shoulder blades, "Jesus fuck, don't you ever fucking do that again, you were dead, Jesus fuck, Darwin--"
So Darwin yanks Alex around to the other side, rough but gentle, making reassuring nonsense sounds as Alex clutches him hard enough to bruise. The others make their way over, Raven beaming hard enough to soften the sunshine, Hank smiling yet nervous about interrupting their moment, and Angel--Angel looking haunted, looking hunted.
"Why would you do that for me?" she whispers.
"Because you're asking that question," Darwin says. Then: "Man, I could really go for some pants."
That breaks the tension. Raven laughs, dragging Hank and Angel off on a quest for clothing, and then it's just Darwin and Alex.
"Hate you," Alex mumbles, and presses a kiss to Darwin's jaw.
"Yeah, well." Darwin's first smile threatens to crack his face. "The feeling is mutual."
Author: littledust
Fandom: X-Men: First Class
Pairing: Alex/Darwin
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 379
Summary: Darwin comes back.
Author's Notes: Originally posted here.
He is atoms scattered on the wind, particles of impulse, beyond anything more than a vague urge to coalesce. Smoke. Stardust.
Darwin is reborn amidst the rubble in a gathering of self, every molecule of his being on fire. His first breath burns inside new lungs, and he chokes as he exhales, palms splayed against the broken concrete to brace himself. Minutes pass, or perhaps hours, where he kneels naked and trembling and being, being within his own body.
Eventually, Darwin rises. Dawn is breaking in shattered pink light. There are bodies on the ground, the flash of red sirens in the distance. He walks toward the light, stumbling on new legs until his soles harden. As he draws near the lights, he can make out the silhouettes of his friends, huddled together as if in protection from the cold. A CIA agent is smoking nearby, head bowed.
"Oh my God," Sean says. The tear stains on his face are visible even from several feet away.
Darwin raises a hand in greeting, still distrusting his lungs to do anything more than breathe. The rest of them turn to look at him, Raven and Angel and Hank, and their eyes are so red, like they've been crying for years instead of hours. "Where's Alex?" Darwin croaks, finding his tongue at last, and then arms circle him from behind.
"Jesus fuck," and Alex's hot face is pressed between his shoulder blades, "Jesus fuck, don't you ever fucking do that again, you were dead, Jesus fuck, Darwin--"
So Darwin yanks Alex around to the other side, rough but gentle, making reassuring nonsense sounds as Alex clutches him hard enough to bruise. The others make their way over, Raven beaming hard enough to soften the sunshine, Hank smiling yet nervous about interrupting their moment, and Angel--Angel looking haunted, looking hunted.
"Why would you do that for me?" she whispers.
"Because you're asking that question," Darwin says. Then: "Man, I could really go for some pants."
That breaks the tension. Raven laughs, dragging Hank and Angel off on a quest for clothing, and then it's just Darwin and Alex.
"Hate you," Alex mumbles, and presses a kiss to Darwin's jaw.
"Yeah, well." Darwin's first smile threatens to crack his face. "The feeling is mutual."