Fic - Shelter - A Second Look
May. 19th, 2008 12:37 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
raynedanserwrites450 words of Shaun and Gabe
Shaun walked slowly back into the noisy, well lit house. Behind him, he could hear Zach as he ground through the gears of his Blazer, a sure sign he was upset. Shaun closed the door and went to the kitchen to find a beer. He kept walking through the house, painfully aware that Gabe was hot on his heels as he climbed the stairs slowly. He dragged his hand lightly along the iron railing, trying not to remember that first night not so long ago.
His room was quieter than downstairs had been, but even with the door closed, he could still hear the noise. He sat on his bed and took a long pull off the beer bottle before placing it carefully on the floor.
“Not now, Gabe,” he growled as he flopped back onto his unmade bed. Gabe stood, arms crossed over his chest, eyes wary, watchful. Seeing so much more than Shaun wanted him to see.
When the bed gave a little under Gabe's weight as he sat down at the foot, Shaun winced, waiting for one of Gabe's smart ass comments. What came out instead surprised him.
“He got you good, huh?” Gabe asked quietly, any trace of the wise ass that Shaun had come to expect gone.
Shaun sat up and picked his beer up from the floor. He didn't drink it, but picked at the paper label. Somehow, it was easier not to answer Gabe just then. He looked up and scowled when Gabe toed the bottom of his foot with his own.
“Dude. What happened?” Gabe pressed.
Shaun flicked a bit of paper. “Zach happened,” he finally admitted.
“You do love him.”
“It doesn't matter now,” Shaun answered after a long moment. “It's over.” When Gabe didn't say anything, just made a rude noise, Shaun looked at him sharply. “What?” he demanded.
Gabe leaned back on his elbows and watched his older brother. “It doesn't look over from where I'm sitting. I could talk to him, you know.”
“Jesus. Gabe. No.”
“Shaun. Yes.” Decision made, Gabe got up and made for Shaun's door. “I'm talking to him. You guys need to fix this. Just Shaun?”
Shaun looked up from the beer bottle he was still picking naked. “What?”
“No more secrets, yeah?” Gabe said just before the door closed.
Shaun couldn't help but smile at that. At Gabe's easy acceptance of what was and what may be. At how he'd read him like a book and knew when to push and when to back off. People were always taking Gabe at face value – the tits and ass party guy, but there were moments when intelligence won out. This was one of those moments.
Shaun walked slowly back into the noisy, well lit house. Behind him, he could hear Zach as he ground through the gears of his Blazer, a sure sign he was upset. Shaun closed the door and went to the kitchen to find a beer. He kept walking through the house, painfully aware that Gabe was hot on his heels as he climbed the stairs slowly. He dragged his hand lightly along the iron railing, trying not to remember that first night not so long ago.
His room was quieter than downstairs had been, but even with the door closed, he could still hear the noise. He sat on his bed and took a long pull off the beer bottle before placing it carefully on the floor.
“Not now, Gabe,” he growled as he flopped back onto his unmade bed. Gabe stood, arms crossed over his chest, eyes wary, watchful. Seeing so much more than Shaun wanted him to see.
When the bed gave a little under Gabe's weight as he sat down at the foot, Shaun winced, waiting for one of Gabe's smart ass comments. What came out instead surprised him.
“He got you good, huh?” Gabe asked quietly, any trace of the wise ass that Shaun had come to expect gone.
Shaun sat up and picked his beer up from the floor. He didn't drink it, but picked at the paper label. Somehow, it was easier not to answer Gabe just then. He looked up and scowled when Gabe toed the bottom of his foot with his own.
“Dude. What happened?” Gabe pressed.
Shaun flicked a bit of paper. “Zach happened,” he finally admitted.
“You do love him.”
“It doesn't matter now,” Shaun answered after a long moment. “It's over.” When Gabe didn't say anything, just made a rude noise, Shaun looked at him sharply. “What?” he demanded.
Gabe leaned back on his elbows and watched his older brother. “It doesn't look over from where I'm sitting. I could talk to him, you know.”
“Jesus. Gabe. No.”
“Shaun. Yes.” Decision made, Gabe got up and made for Shaun's door. “I'm talking to him. You guys need to fix this. Just Shaun?”
Shaun looked up from the beer bottle he was still picking naked. “What?”
“No more secrets, yeah?” Gabe said just before the door closed.
Shaun couldn't help but smile at that. At Gabe's easy acceptance of what was and what may be. At how he'd read him like a book and knew when to push and when to back off. People were always taking Gabe at face value – the tits and ass party guy, but there were moments when intelligence won out. This was one of those moments.
