Our time together is the steady fall of windrattled leaves.
Title: "Tourniquet"
Fandom: Boardwalk Empire
Pairing/Characters: Richard, Emily, Jimmy. Jimmy/Richard.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,126
Disclaimer: I own nothing Boardwalk Empire wise
Warnings: None
Notes: I blame la_petite_singe who gave me the idea of Richard and Emily bonding over their injuries. Contains spoilers for Season 2, episode 10: "Georgia Peaches".
Summary: Richard is reunited with Emily.
Richard sees struggles all around him. He tries to help while still struggling himself.
"Your tin woodsman has come again."
Tourniquet
The rusty gate swings closed behind him with a loud groan. The grass squishes underneath his boots and water drips down around him from high branches. Morning sunlight streams in through the gaps in the trees and Richard inhales deeply the fresh smell the rain the night before has brought.
A spider web is balanced precariously between two stems in the nearly flooded flower bed. When Richard looks at it at just the right angle it becomes a dazzling rainbow of colors. Richard watches the iridescent strands struggle in the slight breeze, clinging on and just trying to make it. He cocks his head and steps forward to take a closer look when raised voices from the yard pull him up short and remind him of his errand.
Jimmy had sent him to deliver a message to Mr. Thompson as Jimmy is tied up with his mother preparing Angela’s funeral. A sudden shift in wind cuts across the good half of Richard’s face-unexpected and eye opening much like most things swirling around in his life. The wind’s mark is cold much like the absence Angela leaves behind and he doesn’t like how lost Jimmy’s eyes have become.
Richard propels himself forward, shaking himself of further thoughts of his partner as it would only make him turn around and drive back to the Commodore’s former home to comfort his friend who is a husk of his former self, the pain swallowing him up. Richard wants to be there if only to listen since Jimmy has taken to getting stumbling drunk, pulling Richard close by his shirtsleeve and telling him the more humorous stories of the war that Richard has heard a few times before but doesn’t complain. Jimmy will deposit himself in the armchair by the fireplace when his tongue can’t catch up with him anymore, his eyes glassed over and a million miles away, clinging on and just trying to make it like the very world is out to get him.
When Richard rounds the corner to the spacious back yard he spies the housekeeper standing a short distance away encouraging the girl, Emily, Richard remembers from him living with Mr. Thompson and Mrs. Schroeder for a time, who struggles to walk towards her with crutches dug hard under her armpits, a look of pure bewilderment radiating from her small features.
Richard had heard whispers of the girl’s brush with polio but with their struggles to move their product and then trying to keep Jimmy’s head above water after everything that had happened he hadn’t heard much else about the girl.
The girl releases a noise of frustration, her frail arms trembling under the strain of the crutches. The housekeeper clasps her hands together and with a strained voice yells out encouragements to her trying to coax her forward.
Without thinking Richard moves towards them quickly until the woman hears Richard’s approach and turns around lightning quick, hands over her heart.
The confusion and fright is evident in her voice and eyes and she calls out for the other hired help to see if Mr. Thompson is not engaged. She scolds Richard for sneaking up on her, for not going to the front door and assuming Mr. Thompson is free because he is a busy man. It’s hard for her to make direct eye contact with Richard but not the girl. The girl’s big tear stained eyes had not left Richard’s since the moment he approached them.
Richard ignores the woman who is still cowering and babbling. He removes his cap, smoothes down his hair and gets down on one knee so he’s eye level with the girl. He extends his hand slowly and takes hers that’s still gripping the crutch tightly.
“Your tin woodsman has come again.” Upon the old nickname from when Richard feels is a lifetime ago her eyes widen and she seems to visibly relax.
“Teddy! Teddy, do not run! The grass is much too slippery! What do you have in your hands?” The housekeeper throws a wary yet somewhat apologetic look to Richard before she takes off and runs after the boy.
Richard turns his attention back to the girl and musters the biggest smile he can with only half a mouth. Emily peers at him curiously but without fear or reproach. Her cheeks are flushed from exertion and her weak legs shake slightly from the effort of standing. She is taller than the last time he had seen her, her face a little less round but frailer and paler as well.
The wind whips through her curls and she clings to her crutches, holds on and just tries to make it. The wind subsides and the braces on her legs make a distinct creak sound like a hinge on a door as she takes a small hesitant step forward.
Richard touches her shoulder gently and feather light almost like he’s hovering above her. He imagines the fragile bones in her body no wider than his finger shifting and moving beneath her skin.
“We didn’t ask for this. Hmph,” Richard touches at the mask that covers half of his face and gestures towards the braces on her legs.
The girl only blinks up at him, confusion fading into a small smile.
“I’m like you now, tin woodsman,” her voice is faint on the new gust of wind and she takes another small step forward.
Richard hears wind chimes in the distance and leaves rustling and struggling to cling on and to just make it. He moves out of the way and watches as the girl very slowly takes a few more small labored steps never once looking behind her. Richard watches on and thinks someone else should be seeing this but as the morning sun glints off the metal around her legs, the small crutches sink slightly into the soppy ground, and a fierce look of determination etches into her features he realizes he is the only one that should be seeing this.
___
Richard take’s the back of Jimmy’s sweat slicked neck and relaxes his face down to his lap. Richard strokes Jimmy’s greasy strands, the days old stubble on his face scratchy beneath his fingers, his cheeks much more angled and hollow. Richard holds him until his trembling stops.
Richard draws him closer to him after a time, clings to him in the dark and just wants them to make it. Wind rattles the pane and Richard watches dark shadows of branches scratch and claw across it like they are trying to get in. Jimmy stirs in his sleep, releasing a stifled cry from some nightmare he’s trapped in. Richard holds him close and smoothes a lock of hair back from his forehead.
“We didn’t ask for this.”
Fandom: Boardwalk Empire
Pairing/Characters: Richard, Emily, Jimmy. Jimmy/Richard.
Rating: PG
Word Count: 1,126
Disclaimer: I own nothing Boardwalk Empire wise
Warnings: None
Notes: I blame la_petite_singe who gave me the idea of Richard and Emily bonding over their injuries. Contains spoilers for Season 2, episode 10: "Georgia Peaches".
Summary: Richard is reunited with Emily.
Richard sees struggles all around him. He tries to help while still struggling himself.
"Your tin woodsman has come again."
Tourniquet
The rusty gate swings closed behind him with a loud groan. The grass squishes underneath his boots and water drips down around him from high branches. Morning sunlight streams in through the gaps in the trees and Richard inhales deeply the fresh smell the rain the night before has brought.
A spider web is balanced precariously between two stems in the nearly flooded flower bed. When Richard looks at it at just the right angle it becomes a dazzling rainbow of colors. Richard watches the iridescent strands struggle in the slight breeze, clinging on and just trying to make it. He cocks his head and steps forward to take a closer look when raised voices from the yard pull him up short and remind him of his errand.
Jimmy had sent him to deliver a message to Mr. Thompson as Jimmy is tied up with his mother preparing Angela’s funeral. A sudden shift in wind cuts across the good half of Richard’s face-unexpected and eye opening much like most things swirling around in his life. The wind’s mark is cold much like the absence Angela leaves behind and he doesn’t like how lost Jimmy’s eyes have become.
Richard propels himself forward, shaking himself of further thoughts of his partner as it would only make him turn around and drive back to the Commodore’s former home to comfort his friend who is a husk of his former self, the pain swallowing him up. Richard wants to be there if only to listen since Jimmy has taken to getting stumbling drunk, pulling Richard close by his shirtsleeve and telling him the more humorous stories of the war that Richard has heard a few times before but doesn’t complain. Jimmy will deposit himself in the armchair by the fireplace when his tongue can’t catch up with him anymore, his eyes glassed over and a million miles away, clinging on and just trying to make it like the very world is out to get him.
When Richard rounds the corner to the spacious back yard he spies the housekeeper standing a short distance away encouraging the girl, Emily, Richard remembers from him living with Mr. Thompson and Mrs. Schroeder for a time, who struggles to walk towards her with crutches dug hard under her armpits, a look of pure bewilderment radiating from her small features.
Richard had heard whispers of the girl’s brush with polio but with their struggles to move their product and then trying to keep Jimmy’s head above water after everything that had happened he hadn’t heard much else about the girl.
The girl releases a noise of frustration, her frail arms trembling under the strain of the crutches. The housekeeper clasps her hands together and with a strained voice yells out encouragements to her trying to coax her forward.
Without thinking Richard moves towards them quickly until the woman hears Richard’s approach and turns around lightning quick, hands over her heart.
The confusion and fright is evident in her voice and eyes and she calls out for the other hired help to see if Mr. Thompson is not engaged. She scolds Richard for sneaking up on her, for not going to the front door and assuming Mr. Thompson is free because he is a busy man. It’s hard for her to make direct eye contact with Richard but not the girl. The girl’s big tear stained eyes had not left Richard’s since the moment he approached them.
Richard ignores the woman who is still cowering and babbling. He removes his cap, smoothes down his hair and gets down on one knee so he’s eye level with the girl. He extends his hand slowly and takes hers that’s still gripping the crutch tightly.
“Your tin woodsman has come again.” Upon the old nickname from when Richard feels is a lifetime ago her eyes widen and she seems to visibly relax.
“Teddy! Teddy, do not run! The grass is much too slippery! What do you have in your hands?” The housekeeper throws a wary yet somewhat apologetic look to Richard before she takes off and runs after the boy.
Richard turns his attention back to the girl and musters the biggest smile he can with only half a mouth. Emily peers at him curiously but without fear or reproach. Her cheeks are flushed from exertion and her weak legs shake slightly from the effort of standing. She is taller than the last time he had seen her, her face a little less round but frailer and paler as well.
The wind whips through her curls and she clings to her crutches, holds on and just tries to make it. The wind subsides and the braces on her legs make a distinct creak sound like a hinge on a door as she takes a small hesitant step forward.
Richard touches her shoulder gently and feather light almost like he’s hovering above her. He imagines the fragile bones in her body no wider than his finger shifting and moving beneath her skin.
“We didn’t ask for this. Hmph,” Richard touches at the mask that covers half of his face and gestures towards the braces on her legs.
The girl only blinks up at him, confusion fading into a small smile.
“I’m like you now, tin woodsman,” her voice is faint on the new gust of wind and she takes another small step forward.
Richard hears wind chimes in the distance and leaves rustling and struggling to cling on and to just make it. He moves out of the way and watches as the girl very slowly takes a few more small labored steps never once looking behind her. Richard watches on and thinks someone else should be seeing this but as the morning sun glints off the metal around her legs, the small crutches sink slightly into the soppy ground, and a fierce look of determination etches into her features he realizes he is the only one that should be seeing this.
___
Richard take’s the back of Jimmy’s sweat slicked neck and relaxes his face down to his lap. Richard strokes Jimmy’s greasy strands, the days old stubble on his face scratchy beneath his fingers, his cheeks much more angled and hollow. Richard holds him until his trembling stops.
Richard draws him closer to him after a time, clings to him in the dark and just wants them to make it. Wind rattles the pane and Richard watches dark shadows of branches scratch and claw across it like they are trying to get in. Jimmy stirs in his sleep, releasing a stifled cry from some nightmare he’s trapped in. Richard holds him close and smoothes a lock of hair back from his forehead.
“We didn’t ask for this.”