Burn Notice Fanfic - How It Always Went
Title: How It Always Went
Characters / Shippings: Michael, Nate
Rating: PG
Words: 616
Nate had learned how to deal with physical pain a long, long time ago. The nights his father came home drunk, the days the bullies needed someone small and weak to pound, the times he had found himself in someone’s debt-again. The trick was to close everything off. Shrink inside yourself, hide from the outside world, just focus on anything else.
He stared at the pavement, rubbing his sore jaw. Damn, but that had been a good punch…he wished he could do something like that. It always seemed like he lost all the fights he got into. Maybe he could ask Mike to teach him a few things.
The curb was hard beneath him, the metal of the warehouse cold behind him. He was alone, the skies darkening with rainclouds, and there was no one to help him. The street was completely empty. He could hear faint thunder in the distance. And he had no way of getting home.
He thought of calling his brother. Michael would give him a ride, surely. But Michael had been on his ass lately about getting his act together, paying off his debts. He wouldn’t react well to seeing him like this, sitting by the side of the street like a homeless man, bleeding and bruised.
5 minutes later, it turned out that didn’t matter anyway.
“Nate.” There was exasperation, frustration, and just a little bit of concern in that tone. He stood, hands in the air as his brother got out of the car and slammed the door.
“Look, Mike, I know what it looks like-”
“Sit.”
He sat back down.
Michael crouched down in front of him with a sigh, taking off his sunglasses. He looked up cautiously-there was something unreadable in his brother’s face, something he barely recognized.
He gestured to Nate’s face. “What happened to the money I gave you?”
Nate looked away, guilt beginning to gather in his stomach. “Lost it,” he muttered.
Michael plopped down onto the pavement, folding his legs like a kindergartener. Nate didn’t dare look at him; he didn’t want to see that disapproving expression, the disappointment gathering in his eyes. He was always above him, it seemed. He was always the better brother, the more accomplished brother, the brother who did everything right. And he could never live up to that brother’s expectations.
“Nate, look at me.” Thunder rumbled in the distance; Nate obeyed reluctantly. There was that something again. That something that he couldn’t interpret, laced throughout Michael’s face and voice. He seemed almost sad, in a way. “I can’t keep bailing you out.”
“Yeah, I know…” Lord, did he know. He glanced up then, feeling the effects of desperation. “Hey look, don’t tell mom, okay?”
And this was how it always went. He’d get into trouble, Michael would bail him out, and Nate would ask him, unfailingly, ‘don’t tell mom’. And Michael would answer, unfailingly, ‘fine’. There was never any change.
“Fine.”
You see?
Michael took him by the arm, helping him to his feet. “You got a place to stay?” he asked, as the first drops of rain began to fall.
“Not anymore,” Nate said quietly. Michael turned his gaze skyward with a small sigh.
“Then you can stay at my place. We’ll get you cleaned up until you can go to mom’s.”
And this was how it always went.
“Thanks, bro.”
Michael didn’t reply. He simply got in his car, closed the door, and started it. They drove the entire way without another word between them.
Michael had learned long ago that ‘thanks’ was all he was ever going to get. But he had accepted that fact. It was really all he needed.
Characters / Shippings: Michael, Nate
Rating: PG
Words: 616
Nate had learned how to deal with physical pain a long, long time ago. The nights his father came home drunk, the days the bullies needed someone small and weak to pound, the times he had found himself in someone’s debt-again. The trick was to close everything off. Shrink inside yourself, hide from the outside world, just focus on anything else.
He stared at the pavement, rubbing his sore jaw. Damn, but that had been a good punch…he wished he could do something like that. It always seemed like he lost all the fights he got into. Maybe he could ask Mike to teach him a few things.
The curb was hard beneath him, the metal of the warehouse cold behind him. He was alone, the skies darkening with rainclouds, and there was no one to help him. The street was completely empty. He could hear faint thunder in the distance. And he had no way of getting home.
He thought of calling his brother. Michael would give him a ride, surely. But Michael had been on his ass lately about getting his act together, paying off his debts. He wouldn’t react well to seeing him like this, sitting by the side of the street like a homeless man, bleeding and bruised.
5 minutes later, it turned out that didn’t matter anyway.
“Nate.” There was exasperation, frustration, and just a little bit of concern in that tone. He stood, hands in the air as his brother got out of the car and slammed the door.
“Look, Mike, I know what it looks like-”
“Sit.”
He sat back down.
Michael crouched down in front of him with a sigh, taking off his sunglasses. He looked up cautiously-there was something unreadable in his brother’s face, something he barely recognized.
He gestured to Nate’s face. “What happened to the money I gave you?”
Nate looked away, guilt beginning to gather in his stomach. “Lost it,” he muttered.
Michael plopped down onto the pavement, folding his legs like a kindergartener. Nate didn’t dare look at him; he didn’t want to see that disapproving expression, the disappointment gathering in his eyes. He was always above him, it seemed. He was always the better brother, the more accomplished brother, the brother who did everything right. And he could never live up to that brother’s expectations.
“Nate, look at me.” Thunder rumbled in the distance; Nate obeyed reluctantly. There was that something again. That something that he couldn’t interpret, laced throughout Michael’s face and voice. He seemed almost sad, in a way. “I can’t keep bailing you out.”
“Yeah, I know…” Lord, did he know. He glanced up then, feeling the effects of desperation. “Hey look, don’t tell mom, okay?”
And this was how it always went. He’d get into trouble, Michael would bail him out, and Nate would ask him, unfailingly, ‘don’t tell mom’. And Michael would answer, unfailingly, ‘fine’. There was never any change.
“Fine.”
You see?
Michael took him by the arm, helping him to his feet. “You got a place to stay?” he asked, as the first drops of rain began to fall.
“Not anymore,” Nate said quietly. Michael turned his gaze skyward with a small sigh.
“Then you can stay at my place. We’ll get you cleaned up until you can go to mom’s.”
And this was how it always went.
“Thanks, bro.”
Michael didn’t reply. He simply got in his car, closed the door, and started it. They drove the entire way without another word between them.
Michael had learned long ago that ‘thanks’ was all he was ever going to get. But he had accepted that fact. It was really all he needed.