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31_days2010-04-01 06:15 pm
bane-6.livejournal.com) wrote in 31_days2010-04-01 06:15 pm
[Apr 1] [Biker story] Morning After
Title: Morning After
Day/Theme: pink ribbon scars that never forget
Series: Original
Characters/pairing: The Biker, Josh
Rating: PG for awkward hero worship
Josh didn’t remember ever catching the Biker asleep before, especially not like this. He was slumped in his chair, shirtless which was a shock all by itself, and with wet hair, in a bright square of sunlight by the window. The scars from the accident, usually only visible on his forearms and jaw, stood out like neon in the warm light. The glass and metal scars were thin and white. The road rash scars wrapped around him in stripes a shade pinker than his skin. The worst one, the one that had snapped his back, was only barely visible above the waistband of the tattered jeans. He was even barefoot, feet that hadn’t held his weight in three years set primly against the floor.
Josh stood frozen on the threshold, uncertain of whether to go in or go away, but pretty sure the Biker didn’t want to be seen this way. The room was warm, baking in the early noon sun, and his stomach was full of hot needles. He wasn’t supposed to be seeing this. Seeing the scars felt like seeing him naked. The Biker had always had his guard up, his armor on. Seeing him exposed, asleep, and vulnerable felt like the time Josh had heard his father crying. It was wrong, it meant that the old certainties were gone, and the world was suddenly much scarier. It was also meant that he had been let in on a secret, that others hadn’t seen.
There wasn’t supposed to be a human under the black clothes and the bristling aura of aggression, and now Josh had seen it. He was torn. Should he go in and prove himself worthy of being trusted with this revelation, or respect that he wasn’t supposed to see it, slink off, and come back later? He seriously considered both. He could go in noisily enough to wake the Biker and try to act like seeing him this way hadn’t yanked a knot in his thought processes. He could walk down to the main road and buy some Dr Peppers at the roadside stand and be back in maybe an hour and hopefully the Biker would be up by then.
“…that you..?” the Biker mumbled suddenly, and the graceful option vanished.
“Yeah,” Josh winced, well aware that he was blushing. “Sorry.”
“S’all right,” the Biker said, leaning back so his hair fell away from his face. He looked rough, despite being clean. “Get in here.”
Josh did, sitting on the edge of the unused bed. He still prickled, was still hot with embarrassment, but was glad to be so readily welcomed.
“Bad night?” he asked sassily, even if he really did want to know. The Biker’s tired eyes flared a bit. He nodded.
“The Dog?” Josh asked.
“Oh, it made an appearance,” the Biker said. There was a something in his tone that sent all new unease rippling down Josh’s spine.
“All right,” he said. “I’ll bite. What happened?”
“Something tried to eat the new guy upstairs,” the Biker said. Josh blinked. “Chased him down here. It tried to come in after us, but the Dog held it off. “
“…ok…” Josh focused on the scar where the Biker’s shattered collarbone had jabbed through the skin. “What was it?”
“Looked like a woman,” the Biker said. “It wasn’t.” Josh processed that so quietly that he grumbled a little and tried to explain.
“On the road,” he said. “You meet a lot of people doing their damnedest to be bigger and badder than they really are. But you can see through it. Under the tattoos and the spikes and the sneers, you can see the scared little nobodies hoping they’ll fool enough people to get out alive. This was the other way around. This was a viper, a saltwater crocodile, pretending to be soft and cute, but it showed through the seams and under the eyes. I don‘t know what it wanted from me or the new guy, but I doubt we would‘ve survived it.”
“And your Dog protected you?” Josh said. The Biker made such an explosive exhale that he was afraid he had gone too far. He dropped his eyes, submission behavior, and noticed that the Biker even had a scar across his foot, a little strip of flesh pared away under his ankle.
“Must not like to share,” the Biker grumbled. It was entirely too warm in there now. Josh felt a little dozy himself.
“All right,” he said. “I’m gonna have to think that over. I’ll walk down to the stand and get us some drinks and I’ll back in awhile.” The Biker just grunted and Josh got up. He could feel the eyes on him, tired, but wary, and could feel the layers of armor shifting back into place. “I’ll ask Beth to bring her book up too. See if we can tell what your visitor was.”
“Tell her to leave it by the door,” the Biker said, a touch quicker than usual. “Bring it in with you.”
Josh nodded and stepped out, trying not to be pleased with the thought that he really was the only one allowed to see the Biker sans a few layers of badassery. The heat wasn’t as intensified outside, but it was still a long dusty walk, and gave him time to think.
Day/Theme: pink ribbon scars that never forget
Series: Original
Characters/pairing: The Biker, Josh
Rating: PG for awkward hero worship
Josh didn’t remember ever catching the Biker asleep before, especially not like this. He was slumped in his chair, shirtless which was a shock all by itself, and with wet hair, in a bright square of sunlight by the window. The scars from the accident, usually only visible on his forearms and jaw, stood out like neon in the warm light. The glass and metal scars were thin and white. The road rash scars wrapped around him in stripes a shade pinker than his skin. The worst one, the one that had snapped his back, was only barely visible above the waistband of the tattered jeans. He was even barefoot, feet that hadn’t held his weight in three years set primly against the floor.
Josh stood frozen on the threshold, uncertain of whether to go in or go away, but pretty sure the Biker didn’t want to be seen this way. The room was warm, baking in the early noon sun, and his stomach was full of hot needles. He wasn’t supposed to be seeing this. Seeing the scars felt like seeing him naked. The Biker had always had his guard up, his armor on. Seeing him exposed, asleep, and vulnerable felt like the time Josh had heard his father crying. It was wrong, it meant that the old certainties were gone, and the world was suddenly much scarier. It was also meant that he had been let in on a secret, that others hadn’t seen.
There wasn’t supposed to be a human under the black clothes and the bristling aura of aggression, and now Josh had seen it. He was torn. Should he go in and prove himself worthy of being trusted with this revelation, or respect that he wasn’t supposed to see it, slink off, and come back later? He seriously considered both. He could go in noisily enough to wake the Biker and try to act like seeing him this way hadn’t yanked a knot in his thought processes. He could walk down to the main road and buy some Dr Peppers at the roadside stand and be back in maybe an hour and hopefully the Biker would be up by then.
“…that you..?” the Biker mumbled suddenly, and the graceful option vanished.
“Yeah,” Josh winced, well aware that he was blushing. “Sorry.”
“S’all right,” the Biker said, leaning back so his hair fell away from his face. He looked rough, despite being clean. “Get in here.”
Josh did, sitting on the edge of the unused bed. He still prickled, was still hot with embarrassment, but was glad to be so readily welcomed.
“Bad night?” he asked sassily, even if he really did want to know. The Biker’s tired eyes flared a bit. He nodded.
“The Dog?” Josh asked.
“Oh, it made an appearance,” the Biker said. There was a something in his tone that sent all new unease rippling down Josh’s spine.
“All right,” he said. “I’ll bite. What happened?”
“Something tried to eat the new guy upstairs,” the Biker said. Josh blinked. “Chased him down here. It tried to come in after us, but the Dog held it off. “
“…ok…” Josh focused on the scar where the Biker’s shattered collarbone had jabbed through the skin. “What was it?”
“Looked like a woman,” the Biker said. “It wasn’t.” Josh processed that so quietly that he grumbled a little and tried to explain.
“On the road,” he said. “You meet a lot of people doing their damnedest to be bigger and badder than they really are. But you can see through it. Under the tattoos and the spikes and the sneers, you can see the scared little nobodies hoping they’ll fool enough people to get out alive. This was the other way around. This was a viper, a saltwater crocodile, pretending to be soft and cute, but it showed through the seams and under the eyes. I don‘t know what it wanted from me or the new guy, but I doubt we would‘ve survived it.”
“And your Dog protected you?” Josh said. The Biker made such an explosive exhale that he was afraid he had gone too far. He dropped his eyes, submission behavior, and noticed that the Biker even had a scar across his foot, a little strip of flesh pared away under his ankle.
“Must not like to share,” the Biker grumbled. It was entirely too warm in there now. Josh felt a little dozy himself.
“All right,” he said. “I’m gonna have to think that over. I’ll walk down to the stand and get us some drinks and I’ll back in awhile.” The Biker just grunted and Josh got up. He could feel the eyes on him, tired, but wary, and could feel the layers of armor shifting back into place. “I’ll ask Beth to bring her book up too. See if we can tell what your visitor was.”
“Tell her to leave it by the door,” the Biker said, a touch quicker than usual. “Bring it in with you.”
Josh nodded and stepped out, trying not to be pleased with the thought that he really was the only one allowed to see the Biker sans a few layers of badassery. The heat wasn’t as intensified outside, but it was still a long dusty walk, and gave him time to think.