Fic: to put away childish things (2/3) [The Covenant, OT4]
Title: to put away childish things (2/3)
Author: Mickey Sixx
Fandom: The Covenant
Pairing: Pogue Parry/Tyler Simms, Caleb Danvers/Reid Garwin, Caleb Danvers/Pogue Parry/Reid Garwin/Tyler Simms
Rating: FRAO/NC-17/M (overall)
Disclaimer: Characters are not mine. I do not own them!
Summary: The transision from childhood to adulthood is rarely painless
A/N: Fluff and snark.
Self-beta'd so all remaining mistakes are mine.
Reid - February 22, 1989
Caleb loved his brothers. Always had. Growing up, the four of them had been inseparable, had lived out of each other's pockets summer after summer - even before they were let in on the family secret - and he’d always thought of them as blood kin more than just his friends.
But sometimes he felt like wrapping both hands around their necks and shaking until their teeth rattled.
Even when one currently looked like death warmed over.
Reid gave him the stink eye, “Thought I told you all to fuck off already.”
“Thought I told you to get some rest,” Caleb retorted, “Gonna let me in?”
The blond narrowed his stare, stepped aside to let him pass, “Well if some asshole hadn’t made me answer the freaking door, I would be.”
Caleb took a deep breath and prayed for patience. The blond shuffled passed him as he shrugged out of his coat and threw it over the newel post at the bottom of the stairs. Caleb followed the blond back to the kitchen, mentally cataloguing his physical state. He was moving like an old man; hunched over and tired, almost dragging himself around by force of will alone. Normally pale skin was sickly white, making his blue eyes luminous and the circles under them darker. In reality he knew that he was no worse than when Caleb had seen him that morning but without Pogue and Tyler there it was different. It felt worse.
Reid reached into the refrigerator and pulled out a carton of orange juice. “Well? You didn’t come over here just to watch me do shit, so spill.”
The eldest grabbed a clean glass from the sink and handed it to Reid before he could get one himself, earning him another glare as he accepted it less than graciously. Caleb tried to ignore the way his hand shook as he began to pour.
“I think you should stay with me for a while.”
Reid lifted the glass to his lips and drank, never once taking his eyes from Caleb. When he was done, he answered with one word, “No.”
“Reid-”
“I don’t need you mothering me, Dickwad, I swear-”
“I’m not mothering you, I just think it would be easier if you-”
“Keep an eye on me?” He snorted bitterly, “Think I’m gonna be six feet under a week, huh?”
A sharp pain tore through his heart at the thought, “That’s not what I meant. I want to make sure you’re ok and I can’t do that while you’re here, so-”
“Jesus, Caleb, I’m not a fucking kid anymore. I’m fine, I can take care of myself.”
“Don’t fight me on this, Reid.”
“What, don’t I have a choice now?!” Reid shot back, “This Bond shit doesn’t give you the right to do what you want with us-”
Caleb bristled, “I never said that-”
“Then stop acting like…”
The glass shattered against the tile, orange juice spreading in a messy puddle around their feet. Reid reached out blindly with both hands as his body swayed dangerously and Caleb reacted instantly; moving closer, catching him before he fell.
“Reid!?”
Shaky fingers caught in his t-shirt and with eyes shut, breathing shallow, Reid let Caleb take his weight. “Ok,” he said, voice deceptively light for someone who was a hairs breadth away from collapsing, “Not fine.”
“No shit,” Caleb grumbled, already switching his grip on the blond’s body. When he lifted Reid into his arms, the younger boy groaned and hid his face in his neck.
“Fuck, no, don’t carry me like I’m your fucking bride, man. Leave me some dignity.”
“Sure, I’ll just let you cut your feet open on all that glass out there. I hear blood red goes really well with orange.”
Reid huffed a laugh against his shoulder, “Fuck you.”
Caleb didn’t bother to comment. In fact, he didn’t say a word until they were both stretched out on the couch, Reid’s cheek against his chest and his bare feet stuffed between the couch cushions. His fingers pushed through damp blond hair on autopilot, nails scratching his scalp lightly to get Reid to react, and Caleb didn’t relax until one hand curved around his bicep to anchor on his sleeve. Only then did his stomach muscles unclench and his worry slide down a notch.
“Better?” Reid nodded slowly, rubbing his cheek against Caleb’s t-shirt. “Ok. Don’t scare me like that again.”
“Sorry mom.”
Caleb snorted, “Shut up.”
Reid didn’t rise to it like he normally would have. The fact that he was here at all, letting Caleb coddle him like this, was a testament to how really not fine he was.
“Didn’t mean what I said. About being six feet under.” Reid’s fingers flexed on his bicep, “This freaks me out too, you know? I’m a week off Ascending and I feel like I’ve been pounded on by Mike Tyson. How much worse is it gonna be on the actual night?”
Caleb really didn’t want to think about that. Because if he thought about it, he’d chase it down in his mind until he’d run himself into the ground. His own Ascending wasn’t a walk in the park and he’d been fit and healthy when he’d received his Power that night. Ok, sure, fighting with Chase didn’t do him any favours, but he was still better off than Reid was right now.
He pushed the worry away and shook his head, “It’s gonna be ok.”
“Liar.”
“I can’t think about the alternative, so… don’t. Ok? Just don’t.” he said tightly, his hands fisting into the back of Reid’s borrowed hoodie.
Reid sighed - a hot whoosh of air through the fabric of his t-shirt - and shifted enough to press his lips to the hollow of Caleb’s throat. “‘m sorry.”
The eldest relaxed slowly, went back to petting the boy in his arms, “Two apologies in one day, Garwin? Stop the presses.”
“Don’t push it, Danvers.”
Caleb chuckled and wrapped his legs tighter around the blond in response. They were quiet for a while after that, listening to the soft ticking of the clock on the wall.
“Love you.”
The words were barely audible, half mumbled into his chest, but Caleb heard them anyway. His hands stopped. Part of him wasn’t sure he’d heard right, but Reid’s body felt like rock in his arms; tensed as though he hadn’t meant to let the words slip. And words failed him. Because the last thing he’d expected from Reid was this. He knew it was true, could feel it was true, but saying it meant something different. Saying it meant he acknowledged it.
And as far as he knew Reid had said it to only one person before.
The Power warmed inside him, flowing out of him in a gentle wave. Reid gasped, fingers curling tight into his t-shirt, gripping as the Power washed through him. Time stopped. Then all at once the tension drained out of Reid; his body boneless and pliant and warm. Caleb shivered and wrapped his arms around the blond, held him close. Reid chuckled weakly and pressed his hot face into Caleb’s neck.
“Shut up,” he muttered, embarrassed.
He didn’t bother to reply. Instead he let himself relax and listened to Reid breathe. In a couple of hours Reid’s mom would be home and the boys would start blowing up his cell, demanding to know where he was and if Reid was ok. But right now it was peaceful. It wouldn’t last long but for now it was all they had.
Author: Mickey Sixx
Fandom: The Covenant
Pairing: Pogue Parry/Tyler Simms, Caleb Danvers/Reid Garwin, Caleb Danvers/Pogue Parry/Reid Garwin/Tyler Simms
Rating: FRAO/NC-17/M (overall)
Disclaimer: Characters are not mine. I do not own them!
Summary: The transision from childhood to adulthood is rarely painless
A/N: Fluff and snark.
Self-beta'd so all remaining mistakes are mine.
Reid - February 22, 1989
Caleb loved his brothers. Always had. Growing up, the four of them had been inseparable, had lived out of each other's pockets summer after summer - even before they were let in on the family secret - and he’d always thought of them as blood kin more than just his friends.
But sometimes he felt like wrapping both hands around their necks and shaking until their teeth rattled.
Even when one currently looked like death warmed over.
Reid gave him the stink eye, “Thought I told you all to fuck off already.”
“Thought I told you to get some rest,” Caleb retorted, “Gonna let me in?”
The blond narrowed his stare, stepped aside to let him pass, “Well if some asshole hadn’t made me answer the freaking door, I would be.”
Caleb took a deep breath and prayed for patience. The blond shuffled passed him as he shrugged out of his coat and threw it over the newel post at the bottom of the stairs. Caleb followed the blond back to the kitchen, mentally cataloguing his physical state. He was moving like an old man; hunched over and tired, almost dragging himself around by force of will alone. Normally pale skin was sickly white, making his blue eyes luminous and the circles under them darker. In reality he knew that he was no worse than when Caleb had seen him that morning but without Pogue and Tyler there it was different. It felt worse.
Reid reached into the refrigerator and pulled out a carton of orange juice. “Well? You didn’t come over here just to watch me do shit, so spill.”
The eldest grabbed a clean glass from the sink and handed it to Reid before he could get one himself, earning him another glare as he accepted it less than graciously. Caleb tried to ignore the way his hand shook as he began to pour.
“I think you should stay with me for a while.”
Reid lifted the glass to his lips and drank, never once taking his eyes from Caleb. When he was done, he answered with one word, “No.”
“Reid-”
“I don’t need you mothering me, Dickwad, I swear-”
“I’m not mothering you, I just think it would be easier if you-”
“Keep an eye on me?” He snorted bitterly, “Think I’m gonna be six feet under a week, huh?”
A sharp pain tore through his heart at the thought, “That’s not what I meant. I want to make sure you’re ok and I can’t do that while you’re here, so-”
“Jesus, Caleb, I’m not a fucking kid anymore. I’m fine, I can take care of myself.”
“Don’t fight me on this, Reid.”
“What, don’t I have a choice now?!” Reid shot back, “This Bond shit doesn’t give you the right to do what you want with us-”
Caleb bristled, “I never said that-”
“Then stop acting like…”
The glass shattered against the tile, orange juice spreading in a messy puddle around their feet. Reid reached out blindly with both hands as his body swayed dangerously and Caleb reacted instantly; moving closer, catching him before he fell.
“Reid!?”
Shaky fingers caught in his t-shirt and with eyes shut, breathing shallow, Reid let Caleb take his weight. “Ok,” he said, voice deceptively light for someone who was a hairs breadth away from collapsing, “Not fine.”
“No shit,” Caleb grumbled, already switching his grip on the blond’s body. When he lifted Reid into his arms, the younger boy groaned and hid his face in his neck.
“Fuck, no, don’t carry me like I’m your fucking bride, man. Leave me some dignity.”
“Sure, I’ll just let you cut your feet open on all that glass out there. I hear blood red goes really well with orange.”
Reid huffed a laugh against his shoulder, “Fuck you.”
Caleb didn’t bother to comment. In fact, he didn’t say a word until they were both stretched out on the couch, Reid’s cheek against his chest and his bare feet stuffed between the couch cushions. His fingers pushed through damp blond hair on autopilot, nails scratching his scalp lightly to get Reid to react, and Caleb didn’t relax until one hand curved around his bicep to anchor on his sleeve. Only then did his stomach muscles unclench and his worry slide down a notch.
“Better?” Reid nodded slowly, rubbing his cheek against Caleb’s t-shirt. “Ok. Don’t scare me like that again.”
“Sorry mom.”
Caleb snorted, “Shut up.”
Reid didn’t rise to it like he normally would have. The fact that he was here at all, letting Caleb coddle him like this, was a testament to how really not fine he was.
“Didn’t mean what I said. About being six feet under.” Reid’s fingers flexed on his bicep, “This freaks me out too, you know? I’m a week off Ascending and I feel like I’ve been pounded on by Mike Tyson. How much worse is it gonna be on the actual night?”
Caleb really didn’t want to think about that. Because if he thought about it, he’d chase it down in his mind until he’d run himself into the ground. His own Ascending wasn’t a walk in the park and he’d been fit and healthy when he’d received his Power that night. Ok, sure, fighting with Chase didn’t do him any favours, but he was still better off than Reid was right now.
He pushed the worry away and shook his head, “It’s gonna be ok.”
“Liar.”
“I can’t think about the alternative, so… don’t. Ok? Just don’t.” he said tightly, his hands fisting into the back of Reid’s borrowed hoodie.
Reid sighed - a hot whoosh of air through the fabric of his t-shirt - and shifted enough to press his lips to the hollow of Caleb’s throat. “‘m sorry.”
The eldest relaxed slowly, went back to petting the boy in his arms, “Two apologies in one day, Garwin? Stop the presses.”
“Don’t push it, Danvers.”
Caleb chuckled and wrapped his legs tighter around the blond in response. They were quiet for a while after that, listening to the soft ticking of the clock on the wall.
“Love you.”
The words were barely audible, half mumbled into his chest, but Caleb heard them anyway. His hands stopped. Part of him wasn’t sure he’d heard right, but Reid’s body felt like rock in his arms; tensed as though he hadn’t meant to let the words slip. And words failed him. Because the last thing he’d expected from Reid was this. He knew it was true, could feel it was true, but saying it meant something different. Saying it meant he acknowledged it.
And as far as he knew Reid had said it to only one person before.
The Power warmed inside him, flowing out of him in a gentle wave. Reid gasped, fingers curling tight into his t-shirt, gripping as the Power washed through him. Time stopped. Then all at once the tension drained out of Reid; his body boneless and pliant and warm. Caleb shivered and wrapped his arms around the blond, held him close. Reid chuckled weakly and pressed his hot face into Caleb’s neck.
“Shut up,” he muttered, embarrassed.
He didn’t bother to reply. Instead he let himself relax and listened to Reid breathe. In a couple of hours Reid’s mom would be home and the boys would start blowing up his cell, demanding to know where he was and if Reid was ok. But right now it was peaceful. It wouldn’t last long but for now it was all they had.