[fic - Veritas]
May. 7th, 2007 09:44 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
raynedanserwritesVeritas / Calvin/Nikko / What It Takes To Heal ~ 777 words
(Takes place post- The Name of God)
Many thanks to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
mickeym for the quite n dirty beta and msktrnanny for the title help!
It was the first chance he'd had to be alone since it had happened. Every muscle in his body was on fire, every joint ached in a way he didn’t know was possible. His eyes felt like someone had scraped them with sandpaper and - He was exhausted. It felt like days had gone by when it had really only been a couple of hours. This was the first time since they’d left the hospital that he’d been left alone. Until just a few minutes ago, everyone had been hovering and rightthere making sure he didn’t need anything and was ok.
In the dim light of his room, Nikko pulled his ruined sweater over his head and stared at his reflection in the mirror. He looked just as tired as he felt. His skin was pale and there were dark circles under his eyes. Next he pulled his undershirt off, and then kicked the ruined pile of clothes away. He stared at his reflection in the mirror, at the injury that had already started to heal. By this time tomorrow, it would be nearly healed and all that would remain would be the sharp memory of the painnumbterror as he felt himself growing weaker.
His bedroom door opened slowly and then Calvin peeked around its edge. "Can I come in?" he asked quietly, and then came in anyway, without waiting for Nikko's answer.
"Sometimes I think I can feel as it heals," Nikko whispered as he touched his fingertip lightly to the wound. The skin there was bright red, hot to the touch, a sharp contrast to the cold he’d felt earlier laying on the pavement, surrounded by a dozen panicked faces.
Calvin nodded. "You were lucky Esther was there."
Nikko blinked and looked at Calvin as though noticing him for the first time. "Thought I'd locked it," he commented.
Calvin grinned crookedly and held up his hand. A chain with a single silver key dangled from his fingers. "Had your dad's key. Wanted to see how you were doing," he confessed. He took a hesitant step closer to Nikko. "You're going to give me a heart attack one of these days." Nikko stood still as long fingers reached out and touched sensitive skin. "Getting thrown in a Tibetan jail, getting shot and nearly dying - what am I going to do with you?"
Nikko snorted. "Like you'd notice."
Calvin winced and cleared his throat. "Yeah, I'd notice. You don’t give me much choice."
Nikko finally turned away from the mirror and pulled a worn tee shirt from a drawer in his dresser. He held it in his hand, staring dumbly at the faded, balled up material.
"Hey," Calvin said quietly. He gently shook Nikko's shoulder and Nikko gasped and pulled away as though Calvin’s touch had burned him. "Jesus, Nikko. You're ice cold.” Calvin gently took the tee shirt and tossed it on the bed, then steered Nikko towards the bathroom. He started a shower, as hot as he thought Nikko could stand it, and then helped him undress. Down to his boxers, Calvin cleared his throat. “I’ll, uh, get some coffee for you and be back in a few minutes.”
In the shower, Nikko tipped his face up, letting the water splash over his face, splash some life back into him. He stood like that, letting the water run over his body, the steam swell up around him until the water started to run cold. He still didn’t get out, wanting to numb himself, the cold water prickling his skin.
When the water shut off and Calvin snapped the curtain back, Nikko let himself be dried off and changed into the dry clothes that were handed to him.
”Jesus, you’re still freezing,” Calvin hissed. He steered Nikko towards the bed and pulled the covers back. A heavy quilt had appeared and Nikko knew it was the one Calvin’s grandmother had sent him two Christmases ago.
Light pressure at his shoulders and Nikko was being pushed down onto the bed. He folded up and curled into himself, still cold and trying to hold in what little heat he had. He faintly heard a soft curse from Calvin, a light rustle of material and then the bed dipped as Calvin climbed in with him. Long arms folded around him, legs curled behind him, Calvin’s heat bleeding into his body, warming him up slowly.
As he slipped into sleep, he could hear Calvin talking to him softly, gentle words meant to reassure him mingled with threats if he “ever scared him like that again.” Nikko chuckled and let himself slide into sleep, feeling safe at last.
(Takes place post- The Name of God)
Many thanks to
mickeym for the quite n dirty beta and msktrnanny for the title help!It was the first chance he'd had to be alone since it had happened. Every muscle in his body was on fire, every joint ached in a way he didn’t know was possible. His eyes felt like someone had scraped them with sandpaper and - He was exhausted. It felt like days had gone by when it had really only been a couple of hours. This was the first time since they’d left the hospital that he’d been left alone. Until just a few minutes ago, everyone had been hovering and rightthere making sure he didn’t need anything and was ok.
In the dim light of his room, Nikko pulled his ruined sweater over his head and stared at his reflection in the mirror. He looked just as tired as he felt. His skin was pale and there were dark circles under his eyes. Next he pulled his undershirt off, and then kicked the ruined pile of clothes away. He stared at his reflection in the mirror, at the injury that had already started to heal. By this time tomorrow, it would be nearly healed and all that would remain would be the sharp memory of the painnumbterror as he felt himself growing weaker.
His bedroom door opened slowly and then Calvin peeked around its edge. "Can I come in?" he asked quietly, and then came in anyway, without waiting for Nikko's answer.
"Sometimes I think I can feel as it heals," Nikko whispered as he touched his fingertip lightly to the wound. The skin there was bright red, hot to the touch, a sharp contrast to the cold he’d felt earlier laying on the pavement, surrounded by a dozen panicked faces.
Calvin nodded. "You were lucky Esther was there."
Nikko blinked and looked at Calvin as though noticing him for the first time. "Thought I'd locked it," he commented.
Calvin grinned crookedly and held up his hand. A chain with a single silver key dangled from his fingers. "Had your dad's key. Wanted to see how you were doing," he confessed. He took a hesitant step closer to Nikko. "You're going to give me a heart attack one of these days." Nikko stood still as long fingers reached out and touched sensitive skin. "Getting thrown in a Tibetan jail, getting shot and nearly dying - what am I going to do with you?"
Nikko snorted. "Like you'd notice."
Calvin winced and cleared his throat. "Yeah, I'd notice. You don’t give me much choice."
Nikko finally turned away from the mirror and pulled a worn tee shirt from a drawer in his dresser. He held it in his hand, staring dumbly at the faded, balled up material.
"Hey," Calvin said quietly. He gently shook Nikko's shoulder and Nikko gasped and pulled away as though Calvin’s touch had burned him. "Jesus, Nikko. You're ice cold.” Calvin gently took the tee shirt and tossed it on the bed, then steered Nikko towards the bathroom. He started a shower, as hot as he thought Nikko could stand it, and then helped him undress. Down to his boxers, Calvin cleared his throat. “I’ll, uh, get some coffee for you and be back in a few minutes.”
In the shower, Nikko tipped his face up, letting the water splash over his face, splash some life back into him. He stood like that, letting the water run over his body, the steam swell up around him until the water started to run cold. He still didn’t get out, wanting to numb himself, the cold water prickling his skin.
When the water shut off and Calvin snapped the curtain back, Nikko let himself be dried off and changed into the dry clothes that were handed to him.
”Jesus, you’re still freezing,” Calvin hissed. He steered Nikko towards the bed and pulled the covers back. A heavy quilt had appeared and Nikko knew it was the one Calvin’s grandmother had sent him two Christmases ago.
Light pressure at his shoulders and Nikko was being pushed down onto the bed. He folded up and curled into himself, still cold and trying to hold in what little heat he had. He faintly heard a soft curse from Calvin, a light rustle of material and then the bed dipped as Calvin climbed in with him. Long arms folded around him, legs curled behind him, Calvin’s heat bleeding into his body, warming him up slowly.
As he slipped into sleep, he could hear Calvin talking to him softly, gentle words meant to reassure him mingled with threats if he “ever scared him like that again.” Nikko chuckled and let himself slide into sleep, feeling safe at last.
no subject
Date: 2007-05-08 06:17 am (UTC)sleepy cuddles! I love sleepy cuddles.
Poor Nikko, but really, sleepy cuddles will help. I love Cal taking care of him.
no subject
Date: 2007-05-08 12:16 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-10 05:45 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2007-05-10 10:25 am (UTC)I'm just glad that it (apparently) worked! Thank you SO much.