Four Brothers
Title: Gone 13/?
Author: veiledndarkness
Pairing: Future Bobby/Jack
Rating: R for violence, swearing, and mild slash
Disclaimer: Characters not mine, no harm intended.
Summary: AU. Jack's been taken, a pawn of Victor Sweet's game.
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xx
Bobby touched the flame of his lighter to the end of his cigarette, inhaling deeply when the tip glowed. He rubbed the side of his forehead tiredly. Jack had not spoken much to him since their dinner the night before. He glared up at the stars overhead, Jerry's voice carrying faintly throughout the house. He'd arrived the night before and stayed a day over, having shown up not long after they'd eaten and Bobby had felt the tentative peace thin out with his arrival. He and Jack had gone to the living room, leaving Bobby alone with the empty plates.
"Fuckin' bullshit," Bobby mumbled, flicking the tip of his cigarette. Holding Jack's hand in his own, saying the prayers that he'd learned so many years before...He sighed. For a brief moment, he'd felt some sense of peace, that Jack could forgive him for running the last time.
Bobby rested his arms on his knees, his cigarette hanging limply in one hand. Jack had clammed up once more after dinner, seemingly lost in his thoughts. Bobby had backed off, unwilling to force anything from Jack. He rubbed his forehead with two fingers, blinking back the prickle of unwanted tears. Jack had been his shadow when he was younger, and to be so damn far apart from him like this...
He inhaled again, blowing the thin stream of smoke back out slowly, listening to the sounds of the neighborhood around him. Bobby leaned back against the brick pillar on the front steps, shivering in the cold air. He eyed the snow with a grimace, realizing that he'd have to shovel the driveway again in the morning. He closed his eyes, the sound of footsteps crunching in the snow a mere whisper.
He blinked, startled when he heard the footsteps drawing closer. Bobby held still, his eyes narrowing as he looked around the front yard, his hand straying to the gun in his jeans waistband. He scanned the yard, waiting, watching. After several moments of silence, Bobby slowly stood up and pulled the gun from his jeans, the safety on.
"If someone's there, you'd best back up and fuck off 'fore you end up regretting it," Bobby said flatly, a gleam of malice in his eyes. A footstep at the far end made him smile, the faintest outline of a body by the telephone pole, hardly visible in the darkness. The person stepped forward, the nearest streetlamp illuminating them briefly, their face obscured by the light.
Bobby kept his arm steady, his thumb flicking the safety off, the click of it obscenely loud in the night. "No fuckin' joke. Leave now. I ain't got any problems addin' you to the count. Sweet's gone, so go find some other bitch to latch on t'."
The person stepped back, retreating into the shadows on the sidewalk. Bobby waited until the footsteps were gone before flicking the safety back on. He whirled around as a hand landed on his shoulder, Jerry's startled eyes widening further when Bobby pressed the gun to his neck on reflex.
"What the hell? Bobby, you put that away, God, if someone saw that and reported you," he started to say, flustered by the look on his face.
Bobby swore under his breath. "Shit, sorry Jerry," he said. He tucked the gun back in his jeans. "Don't be sneakin' up on me like that."
"I wasn't sneakin'," Jerry protested. "Have you lost your goddamn mind? Do I even wanna know why you're carryin'?"
"In case some of Sweet's bitches decide they wanna even the score," Bobby said. He glanced back at the empty sidewalk, frowning. "Can't put it past them, and there's no fuckin' way I'll let Jack outta my sight now."
Jerry hid a smile at the possessive sound in Bobby's voice. "Come on inside," he said. "Jack's insistin' on making popcorn."
Bobby groaned. "Why won't he jus' sit down and relax?" he grumbled as he went back inside with Jerry, locking the door securely behind him.
xx
Jack leaned against the grocery cart, sighing as he waited for Bobby to rejoin him. He ran one hand through his hair, letting it flop messily over his forehead. Bobby walked around the corner, a decent sized frozen turkey in his arms. "Sorry," he said. "Nearly lost my hat but I got one."
"What idiot decided to announce a ten minute only sale on turkeys?" Jack asked irritably.
"God only knows," Bobby said. He plunked the turkey down in the cart. "I'll stick 'im in the deep freezer till Christmas."
Jack pushed the cart carefully, his shoulder a dull ache. "Here, I'll push," Bobby said.
Jack glared at him. "I can do it," he said, tugging the cart closer.
"Alright, easy Cracker Jack," Bobby muttered. "Push the cart if you wanna so damn badly."
Jack bit the inside of his cheek to hold back his snappy response. He picked a few items off the shelves, following the list in his hand. Bobby hovered at his side, filling the cart slowly. "Slow down, Jack, you're movin' too fast," he said finally.
Jack gritted his teeth tightly through the rest of the shopping trip, staying silent until they reached the checkout line. He unloaded a few items before Bobby took the box from his hands. "Bobby, for the last time, I'm not a fucking weakling!" he hissed quietly.
"Will you stop bein' such a brat?" Bobby growled as he loaded the conveyor belt. "Not even three weeks outta the hospital and you're actin' like you're ready for a marathon."
"I'm not gonna break if you touch me," Jack said, his voice getting louder. "My arm isn't gonna fall off if I pick somethin' heavy up. Damn it, would you just stop babyin' me already!"
Bobby blinked rapidly, taken aback by Jack's anger. "The doctor said you shouldn't strain yourself," he said carefully, his neck warm when he realized how many people were staring.
"I don't give a fuck!" Jack shouted. "I'm not that fucking fragile! Stop treating me like I'm a kid!"
"You're sure as fuck actin' like one right now!" Bobby said, taking Jack by his good arm. "Go stand at the end and wait for me."
Jack yanked his arm loose and stalked away from Bobby, humiliated tears in his eyes. He banged the automatic door before it had a chance to open, trembling from the force of his sudden anger. "Fuck," he whispered, clutching his leather jacket closer, the wind chilling him to the bone as he walked out to the car.
He kicked at the ground in frustration, a rock tumbling away from him and skittering across the pavement. He stood beside Bobby's car, his body shaking. He coughed into his arm, realization sinking in. Bobby had the keys to the car. Jack groaned and leaned against the passenger side door, his eyes closed. "Shit..."
He fumbled with the cigarette package that he'd swiped from Bobby's jacket the other day, pulling a cigarette out. He lit it carefully, the cold making his shoulder ache worse. Jack leaned away from the wind, too stubborn to go back inside the grocery store.
He and Bobby...it was uneasy ground. He couldn't explain it, couldn't explain the rages that he felt, the urges that built up under his control. He wanted to grab Bobby and shake him, force him to say everything that he was holding back. Jack looked up at the grey clouds, blowing a puff of smoke out, his lungs burning. He coughed a little, forcing himself to finish the cigarette.
Bobby pushed the grocery cart across the parking lot, a scowl on his face. "You proud of that little tantrum?" he snapped when he got close enough to the car. "Jesus, Jack, if you ever pull that shit again, I swear t' God..."
"You'll what?" Jack drawled in a deliberately bratty voice. "Wash my mouth out? Spank me? Or lemme guess, a time out?"
"You fuckin' wish I would," Bobby snarled as he opened the trunk and began putting the bags inside. "Just shut up and get in the car."
"I can't," Jack said, gesturing to the door. "It's locked, Bobby."
Bobby glared at him. "Keep pushin', Jackie," he muttered as he opened the door for him.
Jack slid into the car, his hands shaking. He blew on them, wincing when Bobby slammed the door shut. He waited silently in the car until Bobby got in as well. Bobby glanced at him and then dug his gloves out of his coat wordlessly. He handed them to Jack and started the car.
Jack tugged the gloves on, smiling slightly. "Thanks," he mumbled.
Bobby grunted and flicked the radio station on, turning it to Jack's preferred station. Jack settled into the seat, rubbing his gloved hands together. After a long moment, Jack touched Bobby's arm. Bobby tensed, his eyes flitting over to Jack's briefly.
"I'm sorry," Jack offered. "Honest. I...I lose my temper too easily these days...and..."
"S'nothin'," Bobby said. He flicked his turn signal on, lazily cutting off another driver, the loud honk behind the car making his lips twitch with amusement. "You got a lot to learn about throwin' fits."
Jack let out a small laugh. "Yeah, guess I do," he said. "I never saw the point in flippin' out like you."
"Yeah, well you got seven fuckin' inches on me," Bobby said. He stopped at a red light and lit a cigarette. "Sometimes, you gotta be the loudest and angriest one in the group to stop bein' bullied."
"Seven inches..." Jack coughed softly, winking at Bobby.
Bobby rolled his eyes, inhaling quickly. "Uh huh, not where it matters, Jackie boy," he said. "You got the height. Try bein' one of the shortest guys in the class for a second and see how it feels. I never bullied no one, but no one picked one me after I broke the nose of the second grade bully. So I stood up and fought for everyone else who was too scared t'."
Jack moved his hand, loosely holding Bobby's fingers. "I heard all kinds of rumors when I got to school," he said. "All the teachers made me sit up in the front row so they could keep an eye on me; make sure I didn't follow you, or Angel."
"My illustrious schooling," Bobby snorted. He shrugged when Jack looked at him. "What? I dropped out, that doesn't make me stupid or somethin'."
Jack edged closer to him, letting Bobby's fingers go from his grip. "I never thought you were stupid," he said. "You remember how you used to read with me when I was younger, for my summer readin' lists?"
Bobby nodded. "Of course," he said. Jack inched over again, sighing contently when Bobby draped his arm over Jack's side, bringing him in close. "It was kinda nice."
Jack rested his head on Bobby's shoulder, breathing him in. "You're everythin' to me," he murmured.
Bobby sighed and held tighter to Jack. "I...I do love you, an' I want you to be ok, so that's why I'm probably henpeckin' you half to death," he said.
Jack closed his eyes when he saw the flakes of snow falling and melting on the windshield. "Why're you so afraid to say that to me?"
"I never been all that good about tellin' people stuff," Bobby said, flicking his cigarette out the window as he drove. "I could say it to you guys, and Ma, but more than that..."
"You don't hafta," Jack said. "I just...you lied to me. Me, Bobby, don't you know how much that hurt?"
Bobby stared out the windshield of his car for several minutes. "I never wanted to hurt you," he said finally. "I thought if I lied an' left, you'd be better off without someone like me."
"No," Jack said softly. "I wanted you. And you leavin'...it hurt so damn much."
"I left cause of how I felt about you," Bobby said. "I tried to stay away but I kept comin' back. Cause of you, I just...I tried so damn hard not to feel this way. And it didn't go away, got stronger the more I tried to push it all away."
"You never give a shit what anyone thinks about you normally," Jack countered, his hand resting on Bobby's sweater, feeling the hard muscle fluttering under his touch. "Lovin' me can't be that bad, can it?"
"No..." Bobby whispered sadly. "It's not your fault, Jackie. I fucked this up for us from day one, and look what happened." He clenched his teeth and turned the heat on for Jack.
Jack opened his eyes, peering up at Bobby. "It's not fucked up beyond repair, y'know," he said.
Bobby pulled the car off to the side of the road, his chest hitching. Jack nodded, meeting Bobby's eyes. "I...Jack..." Bobby stuttered, his voice fading.
Jack sat up, his hand moving up to press against Bobby's cheek, the stubble rustling against the worn leather of the gloves. Bobby stared at Jack, his eyes wide with uncertainty. Jack's lips quirked in a small smile as his thumb brushed over Bobby's cheek.
Bobby closed his eyes, the car silent but for the two of them breathing quietly. "Bobby," Jack whispered. "Look at me."
Bobby opened his eyes slowly and met Jack's. Jack nodded again and leaned in, their mouths meeting in a small, hesitant kiss. Jack felt dizzy, his heart pounding wildly as the kiss slowly deepened, Bobby's arms reaching and pulling him flush against his chest.
They parted reluctantly, resting their foreheads together. Jack licked his lower lip, breathing harder. "Bobby..."
Bobby looked at him and pulled him closer, capturing his lips in a fierce kiss, one that Jack went willingly into.
xx
Author: veiledndarkness
Pairing: Future Bobby/Jack
Rating: R for violence, swearing, and mild slash
Disclaimer: Characters not mine, no harm intended.
Summary: AU. Jack's been taken, a pawn of Victor Sweet's game.
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xx
Bobby touched the flame of his lighter to the end of his cigarette, inhaling deeply when the tip glowed. He rubbed the side of his forehead tiredly. Jack had not spoken much to him since their dinner the night before. He glared up at the stars overhead, Jerry's voice carrying faintly throughout the house. He'd arrived the night before and stayed a day over, having shown up not long after they'd eaten and Bobby had felt the tentative peace thin out with his arrival. He and Jack had gone to the living room, leaving Bobby alone with the empty plates.
"Fuckin' bullshit," Bobby mumbled, flicking the tip of his cigarette. Holding Jack's hand in his own, saying the prayers that he'd learned so many years before...He sighed. For a brief moment, he'd felt some sense of peace, that Jack could forgive him for running the last time.
Bobby rested his arms on his knees, his cigarette hanging limply in one hand. Jack had clammed up once more after dinner, seemingly lost in his thoughts. Bobby had backed off, unwilling to force anything from Jack. He rubbed his forehead with two fingers, blinking back the prickle of unwanted tears. Jack had been his shadow when he was younger, and to be so damn far apart from him like this...
He inhaled again, blowing the thin stream of smoke back out slowly, listening to the sounds of the neighborhood around him. Bobby leaned back against the brick pillar on the front steps, shivering in the cold air. He eyed the snow with a grimace, realizing that he'd have to shovel the driveway again in the morning. He closed his eyes, the sound of footsteps crunching in the snow a mere whisper.
He blinked, startled when he heard the footsteps drawing closer. Bobby held still, his eyes narrowing as he looked around the front yard, his hand straying to the gun in his jeans waistband. He scanned the yard, waiting, watching. After several moments of silence, Bobby slowly stood up and pulled the gun from his jeans, the safety on.
"If someone's there, you'd best back up and fuck off 'fore you end up regretting it," Bobby said flatly, a gleam of malice in his eyes. A footstep at the far end made him smile, the faintest outline of a body by the telephone pole, hardly visible in the darkness. The person stepped forward, the nearest streetlamp illuminating them briefly, their face obscured by the light.
Bobby kept his arm steady, his thumb flicking the safety off, the click of it obscenely loud in the night. "No fuckin' joke. Leave now. I ain't got any problems addin' you to the count. Sweet's gone, so go find some other bitch to latch on t'."
The person stepped back, retreating into the shadows on the sidewalk. Bobby waited until the footsteps were gone before flicking the safety back on. He whirled around as a hand landed on his shoulder, Jerry's startled eyes widening further when Bobby pressed the gun to his neck on reflex.
"What the hell? Bobby, you put that away, God, if someone saw that and reported you," he started to say, flustered by the look on his face.
Bobby swore under his breath. "Shit, sorry Jerry," he said. He tucked the gun back in his jeans. "Don't be sneakin' up on me like that."
"I wasn't sneakin'," Jerry protested. "Have you lost your goddamn mind? Do I even wanna know why you're carryin'?"
"In case some of Sweet's bitches decide they wanna even the score," Bobby said. He glanced back at the empty sidewalk, frowning. "Can't put it past them, and there's no fuckin' way I'll let Jack outta my sight now."
Jerry hid a smile at the possessive sound in Bobby's voice. "Come on inside," he said. "Jack's insistin' on making popcorn."
Bobby groaned. "Why won't he jus' sit down and relax?" he grumbled as he went back inside with Jerry, locking the door securely behind him.
xx
Jack leaned against the grocery cart, sighing as he waited for Bobby to rejoin him. He ran one hand through his hair, letting it flop messily over his forehead. Bobby walked around the corner, a decent sized frozen turkey in his arms. "Sorry," he said. "Nearly lost my hat but I got one."
"What idiot decided to announce a ten minute only sale on turkeys?" Jack asked irritably.
"God only knows," Bobby said. He plunked the turkey down in the cart. "I'll stick 'im in the deep freezer till Christmas."
Jack pushed the cart carefully, his shoulder a dull ache. "Here, I'll push," Bobby said.
Jack glared at him. "I can do it," he said, tugging the cart closer.
"Alright, easy Cracker Jack," Bobby muttered. "Push the cart if you wanna so damn badly."
Jack bit the inside of his cheek to hold back his snappy response. He picked a few items off the shelves, following the list in his hand. Bobby hovered at his side, filling the cart slowly. "Slow down, Jack, you're movin' too fast," he said finally.
Jack gritted his teeth tightly through the rest of the shopping trip, staying silent until they reached the checkout line. He unloaded a few items before Bobby took the box from his hands. "Bobby, for the last time, I'm not a fucking weakling!" he hissed quietly.
"Will you stop bein' such a brat?" Bobby growled as he loaded the conveyor belt. "Not even three weeks outta the hospital and you're actin' like you're ready for a marathon."
"I'm not gonna break if you touch me," Jack said, his voice getting louder. "My arm isn't gonna fall off if I pick somethin' heavy up. Damn it, would you just stop babyin' me already!"
Bobby blinked rapidly, taken aback by Jack's anger. "The doctor said you shouldn't strain yourself," he said carefully, his neck warm when he realized how many people were staring.
"I don't give a fuck!" Jack shouted. "I'm not that fucking fragile! Stop treating me like I'm a kid!"
"You're sure as fuck actin' like one right now!" Bobby said, taking Jack by his good arm. "Go stand at the end and wait for me."
Jack yanked his arm loose and stalked away from Bobby, humiliated tears in his eyes. He banged the automatic door before it had a chance to open, trembling from the force of his sudden anger. "Fuck," he whispered, clutching his leather jacket closer, the wind chilling him to the bone as he walked out to the car.
He kicked at the ground in frustration, a rock tumbling away from him and skittering across the pavement. He stood beside Bobby's car, his body shaking. He coughed into his arm, realization sinking in. Bobby had the keys to the car. Jack groaned and leaned against the passenger side door, his eyes closed. "Shit..."
He fumbled with the cigarette package that he'd swiped from Bobby's jacket the other day, pulling a cigarette out. He lit it carefully, the cold making his shoulder ache worse. Jack leaned away from the wind, too stubborn to go back inside the grocery store.
He and Bobby...it was uneasy ground. He couldn't explain it, couldn't explain the rages that he felt, the urges that built up under his control. He wanted to grab Bobby and shake him, force him to say everything that he was holding back. Jack looked up at the grey clouds, blowing a puff of smoke out, his lungs burning. He coughed a little, forcing himself to finish the cigarette.
Bobby pushed the grocery cart across the parking lot, a scowl on his face. "You proud of that little tantrum?" he snapped when he got close enough to the car. "Jesus, Jack, if you ever pull that shit again, I swear t' God..."
"You'll what?" Jack drawled in a deliberately bratty voice. "Wash my mouth out? Spank me? Or lemme guess, a time out?"
"You fuckin' wish I would," Bobby snarled as he opened the trunk and began putting the bags inside. "Just shut up and get in the car."
"I can't," Jack said, gesturing to the door. "It's locked, Bobby."
Bobby glared at him. "Keep pushin', Jackie," he muttered as he opened the door for him.
Jack slid into the car, his hands shaking. He blew on them, wincing when Bobby slammed the door shut. He waited silently in the car until Bobby got in as well. Bobby glanced at him and then dug his gloves out of his coat wordlessly. He handed them to Jack and started the car.
Jack tugged the gloves on, smiling slightly. "Thanks," he mumbled.
Bobby grunted and flicked the radio station on, turning it to Jack's preferred station. Jack settled into the seat, rubbing his gloved hands together. After a long moment, Jack touched Bobby's arm. Bobby tensed, his eyes flitting over to Jack's briefly.
"I'm sorry," Jack offered. "Honest. I...I lose my temper too easily these days...and..."
"S'nothin'," Bobby said. He flicked his turn signal on, lazily cutting off another driver, the loud honk behind the car making his lips twitch with amusement. "You got a lot to learn about throwin' fits."
Jack let out a small laugh. "Yeah, guess I do," he said. "I never saw the point in flippin' out like you."
"Yeah, well you got seven fuckin' inches on me," Bobby said. He stopped at a red light and lit a cigarette. "Sometimes, you gotta be the loudest and angriest one in the group to stop bein' bullied."
"Seven inches..." Jack coughed softly, winking at Bobby.
Bobby rolled his eyes, inhaling quickly. "Uh huh, not where it matters, Jackie boy," he said. "You got the height. Try bein' one of the shortest guys in the class for a second and see how it feels. I never bullied no one, but no one picked one me after I broke the nose of the second grade bully. So I stood up and fought for everyone else who was too scared t'."
Jack moved his hand, loosely holding Bobby's fingers. "I heard all kinds of rumors when I got to school," he said. "All the teachers made me sit up in the front row so they could keep an eye on me; make sure I didn't follow you, or Angel."
"My illustrious schooling," Bobby snorted. He shrugged when Jack looked at him. "What? I dropped out, that doesn't make me stupid or somethin'."
Jack edged closer to him, letting Bobby's fingers go from his grip. "I never thought you were stupid," he said. "You remember how you used to read with me when I was younger, for my summer readin' lists?"
Bobby nodded. "Of course," he said. Jack inched over again, sighing contently when Bobby draped his arm over Jack's side, bringing him in close. "It was kinda nice."
Jack rested his head on Bobby's shoulder, breathing him in. "You're everythin' to me," he murmured.
Bobby sighed and held tighter to Jack. "I...I do love you, an' I want you to be ok, so that's why I'm probably henpeckin' you half to death," he said.
Jack closed his eyes when he saw the flakes of snow falling and melting on the windshield. "Why're you so afraid to say that to me?"
"I never been all that good about tellin' people stuff," Bobby said, flicking his cigarette out the window as he drove. "I could say it to you guys, and Ma, but more than that..."
"You don't hafta," Jack said. "I just...you lied to me. Me, Bobby, don't you know how much that hurt?"
Bobby stared out the windshield of his car for several minutes. "I never wanted to hurt you," he said finally. "I thought if I lied an' left, you'd be better off without someone like me."
"No," Jack said softly. "I wanted you. And you leavin'...it hurt so damn much."
"I left cause of how I felt about you," Bobby said. "I tried to stay away but I kept comin' back. Cause of you, I just...I tried so damn hard not to feel this way. And it didn't go away, got stronger the more I tried to push it all away."
"You never give a shit what anyone thinks about you normally," Jack countered, his hand resting on Bobby's sweater, feeling the hard muscle fluttering under his touch. "Lovin' me can't be that bad, can it?"
"No..." Bobby whispered sadly. "It's not your fault, Jackie. I fucked this up for us from day one, and look what happened." He clenched his teeth and turned the heat on for Jack.
Jack opened his eyes, peering up at Bobby. "It's not fucked up beyond repair, y'know," he said.
Bobby pulled the car off to the side of the road, his chest hitching. Jack nodded, meeting Bobby's eyes. "I...Jack..." Bobby stuttered, his voice fading.
Jack sat up, his hand moving up to press against Bobby's cheek, the stubble rustling against the worn leather of the gloves. Bobby stared at Jack, his eyes wide with uncertainty. Jack's lips quirked in a small smile as his thumb brushed over Bobby's cheek.
Bobby closed his eyes, the car silent but for the two of them breathing quietly. "Bobby," Jack whispered. "Look at me."
Bobby opened his eyes slowly and met Jack's. Jack nodded again and leaned in, their mouths meeting in a small, hesitant kiss. Jack felt dizzy, his heart pounding wildly as the kiss slowly deepened, Bobby's arms reaching and pulling him flush against his chest.
They parted reluctantly, resting their foreheads together. Jack licked his lower lip, breathing harder. "Bobby..."
Bobby looked at him and pulled him closer, capturing his lips in a fierce kiss, one that Jack went willingly into.
xx