Fic: Only the Dead
Title: Only the dead
Author: cat_13145
Fandom: Marvel Comic: The Invaders
Pairing/characters: Union Jack (Brian Falsworth)/Destroyer (Roger Audrey),Miss America, Bucky/Toro (hinted), Human Torch (Jim Hammod), John Steele, Human Top, Sunfire girl, hints of John Steel/Citizen V (I)/Citizen (II)
Rating: PG 13
Written for queer_fest rompt: Marvel: (Invaders + All Winners)The reaction of different Queer characters (canon or not, up to author) to finding out that Union Jack and the Destroyer were a couple. (if they didn't all find out at the same time, or even in the same decade, all the better)
Warnings: Historic homophobia, including language and attitudes, Historic racism, unbetaed and I apologise to the prompter if it's not what she had in mind.
Summary: Four times someone found out about Union Jack and Destroyer
1941
Whatever Toro might claim, Bucky’s not snooping.
He’s not.
It’s just it’s the first time that they’ve being in Destroyer’s family home, first time they’ve being anywhere in England other than London and Dover, and he’s just looking around. Plus there’s something strange about this Destroyer guy and Bucky means to get the bottom of it.
The house is a huge Victorian thing, sitting on top of the hill, surrounded by others that are almost identical, right down to the turrets. You could see the port from the top windows, even if the port wasn’t blazing.
Steve wants them to all go to the Anderson shelter in the garden, but Destroyer said house has being unoccupied for nearly 3 years and he’s not even sure if they have a shelter, certainly not one that’s habitable. Plus it’s pretty rare for the bombs to fall this far from the port.
Spitfire suggested that they should down into the port and help with the rescue effort, but Command overruled that.
Too risky to have the Invaders down there.
Destroyer wasn’t happy about that. Bucky can hear him and Brian are arguing in the hall. He crept closer to listen.
“Let me go Brian!”
“Orders said_”
“Orders be dammed!” Destroyer glanced around, dropping his voice. “Are you honestly going to tell me that if it was Falsworth, that you wouldn’t be out there right this minute?”
Crouching behind the banister, Bucky listened as Brian sighed. “No, I can’t deny that.” As the Destroyer made to move, Brian shot out a hand, capturing him. “But I can remind you that there are very good reasons for Destroyer not being here.”
“I know.” Destroyer said, running his fingers through his hair. It’s blond, like Steve’s but it’s longer, less well cut. “But Roger Audrey… he can be down there, helping to protect his home.” There was a sigh. “They already think I’m a Nazi, Bri, I can’t have them thinking that I’m a coward as well.”
Brain stood still for a moment, chewing at his lip.
“Just…” he shrugged, looking helpless for a moment. “Be careful.”
Destroyer flung his head back laughing. “You’re the one whose going off to fight Nazi’s with the circus.” He reached out, putting one hand on Brian’s shoulder. “I’ll be careful. Promise.”
Bucky snuck away before either of them realised he was watching. He thought about slipping back upstairs to join Toro, but decided against it. The thing with Brian and Destroy-Roger- was making him think about other stuff. Like the way Brian had looked at Roger was almost identical to the looks Toro kept throwing at him when he thought Bucky wasn’t looking. The whole thing needed careful consideration.
1944
“You’re drunk.”
“I’m not.” Gwenny’s feet slipped out from under her and she almost fell down. “Alright, I’m drunk. After today, I think I’ve earned it, don’t you?”
Davey reached out to steady her, automatically glancing around as he did so. He didn’t need another beating to add to the bruises already forming beneath his costume.
But the alley was deserted. Everyone with any sense was already back at base now that the blackout was in force, as they should be. It was all very well Bucky persuading them that no one was going to mind them being out after dark, but it was different for him.
He was white. And Davey and Gwenny weren’t.
“He doesn’t even notice me. Do you have any idea what that feels like?”
A fair one, Davey thought, steering Gwenny back onto the pavement, seeing as you won’t even look at me when they’re in the room.
He didn’t say anything, because he was concentrating on looking around.
The blackout made navigating hard, but they’d also removed all the road signs, apparently to confuse any enemy parachutists. Davey chuckled to himself.
So far, they’d confused invaders all right, but most of them were friendly.
He paused, straining his eyes to try and read the shop signs, but it was hopeless. He couldn’t even tell if they had gone anywhere, they might have being walking around in circles for all he knew.
Then he had a brainwave.
If they could find a tube station, they could say that they’d heard the siren and being unable to leave. Alright, it was highly unlikely that Cap, or anyone else for that matter, would believe them, but couldn’t prove it and that was important.
Especially as he wasn’t sure how long Gwenny was going to be up right.
He looked around.
Union Jack and Spitfire had made a point of taking them around the city in the early evening, pointing out all the tube stations. “If you hear the sirens, just get to them.” Union Jack had said. “And stay there until the all clear sounds. Half of London is doing it.”
He looked around, trying to see anything that looked vaguely like a tube station. But all he could see were shops or bars or something, with chinks of light just showing through the blackout curtains. It reminds him of a joke Bucky told them earlier in the evening.
Next to him, Gwenny groaned. “Davey I don’t feel so good.”
Terrific.
Grabbing Gwenny’s hand, he tried dragging her towards one of the Alley ways which seem to litter this city. He can hear sounds like a party from the building. Maybe if he knocks at the door, admits that they’re lost, someone will point them in the right way.
He snorted. Or they’ll call the police and they’ll find their way home that way.
In America he’d be certain which one it would be. Here it could go either way.
Glancing down at Gwenny, who’s trying really hard to get rid of the spam hash she ate earlier, he couldn’t decide which was the better option.
The alley way was suddenly bathed in light as a door is thrown open.
Two men staggered out, their arms wrapped around each other. They looked drunk, but happy drunk and Davey was just about to wander up, doing his Poor-Lost-GI-Act when Gwenny grabs his hand. “It’s Union Jack. And Destroyer”
Davey didn’t think. Just grabbed Gwen’s arm and pulled her further, deeper into the alleyway. Because if Cap’ll lecture them, then Union Jack is worse. The man just shook his head solemnly and it reminded Davey too much of his grandmother for him to wander up and admit that they’ve snuck off base and are now lost. He’d rather spend the night on the streets and take Cap’s lecture in the morning.
Thankfully, neither man seemed to have noticed, almost skipping down the alley, tripping over their feet and laughing, in that strange way the Brits had when they were drunk.
Union Jack had said something and Destroyer smiled up at him. Then suddenly they weren’t just smiling.
“They’re kissing.” Gwenny hissed.
Davey resisted the desire to point out he could see that for himself. “Come on. Let’s go while they’re busy.”
“But they’re kissing.”
“And I’d like to be away before they do anything more.”
He grabbed Gwenny’s hand and began pulling her back on to the street, thankfully spotting a shop sign that had Chinese characters, almost invisible on the door sign.
That probably meant they were in Gerrad Street, at least if they were in Soho and based on what he’d seen that was a good chance. So the nearest underground would be Leicester Square, east of here.
He dug in his bag for a compass.
“But…” Gwenny thankfully seemed to have sobered up. She shook her head, glancing at him, her face suddenly serious. “You know what they were going to get up to, don’t you?”
He’s a Harlem boy, miles from home, crushing on a girl who barely notices that he exists. And even in England where segregation isn’t enforced, there still aren’t too many girls brave enough to be seen with “one of them.” So he’s taken some comfort with other soldiers, taking a big risk he knows that. But for a few moments afterwards, before they both adjust their uniform and vanish into the night, he doesn’t feel so alone.
“Underground this way.” He muttered, glancing down at the compass and guiding Gwenny into the night.
1950
“Well, I personally say good riddance to bad rubbish.” Madeline, Miss America, was tidying around the room. Jim felt...resentful of her doing so, though he could not understand why.
It was just...that was Jackie’s job. Miss America was doing Jackie’s work, which of course she was perfectly entitled too, after the announcement that she and the Whizzer would be remaining as members of the “All Winner’s Squad”, while Union Jack, the Destroyer and Spitfire would be returning to the UK.
But...Jackie was the one who tidied up the common areas. And Madeline was doing it wrong, putting things back in the wrong places. He frowned at her.
“Well the way they carry on, together, like it’s normal. Like it’s alright.”
“You refer to Brian and Roger’s relationship.” He had heard similar sentiments expressed by members of command, though normally in considerable more hushed tones than this.
“If that’s what you want to call it.” Madeline gave a sniff. “It’s not natural. The way they behave.”
Jim ran through his data banks, what he had learned about relationships between persons from Professor Horton. “I do not see how.”
Madeline turned as though speaking to a child. “Jim, men and women should do...those sort of things together, not men and men.”
“You mean engage in sexual intercourse.” Madeline blushed.
“If that’s the way you want to put it, then yes.” She continued to tidy the room, moving a pile of papers to the left. Jackie had always put them on the right. Jim continued to review his data banks.
“Sex with members of the same gender or homosexuality has being observed in the animal kingdom for many years.”
“But we’re not animals.” She had picked up some books that had being left on the table by Toro, rubbing a duster too vigorously along them. “Any way it’s against the law.”
“Then the law is wrong.” He could not understand why it had taken him so long to come to this conclusion. He had never considered Brian and Roger engaging in sexual behaviour before , but now that he did, he discovered he did not disapprove. The law said that for Brian and Roger to engage in copulation was wrong, but Brian and Roger were good men. Therefore the law must be wrong.
“Beyond that,” He continued before Madeline had a chance to formulate a response. “What about to feel no sexual attraction to either sex. Is that also unnatural?”
Madeline flushed again. “Well, yes, but Jim, you’re not human.”
A sudden rush of anger flew through Jim at her arrogant assumption. She was correct that he had not experienced sexual desire, not even towards Jackie, whom he felt a deep romantic attachment for, but to say that it was natural because he was not human, when he was human in so many other ways made him very angry. He got to his feet, slamming his book shut.
“And that is the difference between them and you.” He held up his hand as he had done in his days as a police officer when he needed quiet. “Brian and Roger may be breaking the law, but they have always viewed and treated me as human, where as you have not.” He turned and walked out the door. “Oh,” he added. “And those books stay on the table. Toro will collect them before he does to bed. Good night.”
He marched up stairs, his blood pounding in his ears.
2012
“You and Union Jack.” John Steele stood in the middle of the living room, staring at the photos on the side table. “I didn’t know.”
“Seeing as it took you six months to figure out that Brian and I had exchanged costumes, I can’t say I’m surprised.” Roger Audrey adjusted himself in his chair, watching the Super solider sulk around. “Is there some reason you’re here, John, or should I expect the good captain to break down the door?”
“We’ve sorted that out.”
“And yet you instantly know what I’m talking about.”
John snapped, his hand hitting into the wall. “Dam it, Roger I don’t remember you being such a hard ass.”
“And I don’t remember you being an ass period. So I guess we’ve both changed.” The other man’s calmness seemed to reach him. John grinned.
“Guess so.” He said, sounding like the American soldier that Roger remembered. He glanced at the photos again. “You and Union Jack though. I’d never have believed it.”
“I never would have believed that ménage a tois you had going with Citizen V and Paulette, but…” Roger shrugged.
John glanced at him. “Thanks. For taking care of them. Of Paulette and…” He swallowed.
“I just did what anyone would have done.”
“But they didn’t.”
Roger turned away. “Why are you here, John?”
John shrugged. “Just wanted to talk to someone who…would understand.”
“Understand being in suspended animation for nearly 60 years?” Roger shook his head. “I’m afraid that’s more the good Captain’s department. Or Bucky’s, if the lad has finally stopped pretending to be dead. Toro might be able to offer some advice, too, or even Jim. I’ve just lived.” He looked suddenly rueful.
“You’ve lived without him though.”
Roger nodded, softly.
“Does…” John looked around desperately. “Does it get easier?”
Roger laughed, a sudden bitter sound. “If you want easy, then you’re in the wrong place. Death is always easier than life, but…” He shrugged. “The War’s still on.”
“War’s being over for 60 years.” John glanced at Roger, concerned.
Roger snorted, shaking his head sadly. “Only the dead have truly seen the end of war.”