Thread: pure i m a g i n a t i o n [fics & stuff]

size-2With a broken wrist and just a few cuts and bruises along his temple, Brady would have considered this a success. Going undercover wasn't anything out of the ordinary for him. No, a part of him firmly believed that he was born to do the things otherwise deemed unfit for someone of his stature and curious disposition. When the plan had gone awry, Brady had been forced to think on his feet which often worked in his favour, but he'd been dealing with a man who didn't see patience as a virtue. He was, at the end of the day, a raging sociopath. They were hardest to read of all and when the situation had turned to his being a hostage for what seemed like the millionth time, Brady had not repeated the same mistakes. He was no longer a kid and somehow, someway, he had gotten out alive. He couldn't say the same for Franklin who had been gunned down the second Gabe had had a clear shot. Gabe . It had been Gabe all along. For the past three months Brady had resigned himself to accept the fact that he was dating again. The days had been breezy and mostly painless. In spite of the fact that Gabe had initially been a startling reminder of all that he had lost, he had soon discovered that there were several layers he had needed to peel away to find the real Gabriel Newark. He was a strapping man who stood at an even 6'5 with short brown hair and light blue eyes that always shined when he smiled, and what a smile it was. He was a man who more or less had his life together but Brady being Brady had discovered that like any other human being in their Godforsaken world, the detective had some unresolved issues of his own. He was generous and kind and could even be fussy at times which was easily the last thing Brady needed considering all the nannies he already had in his life but it was charming all the same. Gabe had that innate desire to take care of someone and while Brady had been reluctant at first, he had let his guard down little by little. They still had ways to go but it was a comforting thought when he realised he usually had someone to see during the week. Someone who in turn wanted to see him and just be with him. That was a relationship, right? It was funny how these near-death incidents really opened up the doors for some substantial thoughts. For the past three months, Brady had allowed himself to get comfortable with the idea that he wasn't alone anymore. Slowly and with the greatest of care, Gabe was somehow relieving him of the misery Danny's departure had left behind. It was a collective effort. Gabe's gentle kisses and the way he would always reach for him when Brady showed even the barest sign of ankle-induced fatigue were a part of it. He made him tea when he sniffled. He brushed the hair out of his face when it got particularly windy outside. He always reached over and squeezed his knee when they came to a stoplight. Gabe was being the boyfriend Brady wanted him to be, needed him to be and it was touching to know that all of these traits were inherent. Gabe could be downright scary when he wanted to be but at the core, he was a sweet man who wanted to love and be loved. It was what anyone ever wanted. All of these thoughts ran through his somewhat muddled brain. He could still feel the razor sharp edge of Franklin's switchblade against his throat though it had fallen right along with its wielder the moment the bullet pierced his skull. He still hated that sound. He would always hate that sound. He stood a few feet away from a dead body that had ceased convulsing and now simply lay still and bled out. Sunlight was pooling through the cracks in the boarded up windows of the abandoned building where he had been forcibly taken several hours before. Officers and paramedics were moving all around him, voices chattering away at a disagreeably loud volume. Through the blur of faces, Brady only saw Gabe who had lowered his gun and was fixing him with a guilty look and he almost wanted to smack him for it. This isn't your fault, he wanted to say, it was never your fault. Instead, he kept his silence and watched the tall man approach him. He could tell that Gabe wanted to reach for him by the way he just barely lifted his hands and promptly lowered them, clenching his fists. The guilt only intensified when mingled with worry in those blue, blue eyes. Brady regarded him in a thoughtful silence, knowing he had to be the one to break it. Nice shot, detective, he commented in a relatively calm voice despite the intense beating of his heart. He had been afraid. He would have been stupid not to. You saved my life. The pain in his wrist was intense but he had broken it before and somehow, he was bearing it in favour of organizing the sudden onslaught of frantic thoughts. Gabe was eyeing the cuts and bruises on his face, he knew, and then his eyes were dropping down to the swollen wrist. His deep guilt was punctuated by a visible wince as he struggled with himself. He wanted to say something but instead he signaled for the paramedics to come over and attend to 'Fitzgerald'. Brady blinked and appeared to grow paler than ever. That single word had awoken the fears he had tried so desperately to bury but in a situation like this where death was waiting at his door and the world stood by to judge him, he couldn't do anything but accept the naked truth. Fitzgerald . It was so... detached. One of the few things Brady had noticed about Gabe right off the bat was his desire to keep things on a first-name basis. Oh sure, he would throw in an affectionate kid every now and then but he had always been Brady. Until now... All at once he was reminded of Danny. How they had despised each other from the start. And then that mutual dislike had grown into something strong. Brady had allowed himself to think that he would spend the rest of his life with the man who had given and taken the best two and a half years of his life. Danny had saved him and loved him and cared for him... but in the end... his career had taken precedence over the love. Brady had understood that on an objective level but it had hurt so bad to be second place. He was never good enough. Not for his father. Not for his mother. Not for Danny. But Gabe... Brady needed to know. There had once been a time where Brady had thought that he would never come out of his heartache-induced depression but Gabe had thrown him a lifeline and coaxed him out of his protective shell with his kindness and willingness to accept who he was. But was he willing to take everything that came with him? Ignoring the gentle hands of the paramedics who wished to guide him away, Brady took shaky steps towards Gabe until he stood only a few inches apart. He wasn't a short man by any means but Gabe dwarfed the best of them. He was looking at Brady with a level of alarm that was kind of adorable. You should let them help you, he urged softly, You're hurt. Brady heard all of it and none of it. He kept his arms lowered at his sides and wordlessly leaned up until his lips touched Gabe's and held them there. It wasn't hard. He had kissed Gabe plenty of times and enjoyed the familiarity of the gesture but this was different. Like Danny before him, they had unconsciously decided to keep a certain level of discretion and decorum when in the presence of their colleagues. Like Danny, Gabe was fiercely in love with his job and would have given it his all. Brady just wanted to know if the similarities between the two would make them or break them. Was Gabe the one? Or would he fade into nothing more than a fond but bitter memory. The initial resistance had been felt and Brady had held his breath and his place. He didn't release Gabe from the kiss until he was satisfied. It had taken a few seconds but what he had felt then was a definite response. It was the way in which his boyfriend applied the gentlest of pressure against his mouth and tenderly mouthed at his lower lip as if he were fearful of hurting him. The kiss had lasted no more than 20 seconds which would seem a lifetime with everyone watching. He pulled away and held his breath. When he studied Gabe, he was afraid of finding anger or disappointment or disapproval - everything Danny would have shown if Brady had kissed him in plain sight of his co-workers. Brady knew he was being selfish and he knew that this could potentially alienate Gabe from the male officers and detectives but he had to know. He couldn't continue on if he knew he was fighting a battle he would never win. It wasn't a fight he was ready for. He never would be. The pause was making his heart hammer painfully in his chest and for a moment, Brady lost the ability to read anything and all he saw was what his fears allowed him to see. But then Gabe's face was softening and the detective reached out and pulled him forwards. His hand was gentle and soon enough Brady was engulfed by the familiar warmth and solidity of his boyfriend's body. He could feel Gabe's steady fingers rubbing soothing circles into his tense back and then he pressed a kiss to his forehead and Brady knew. He knew. He looked up into the detective's eyes and found that he was smiling a tired but utterly beautiful smile. He put his strong arm around Brady's slender shoulders and carefully spun him around. Come on. Let's get you looked at. And Brady agreed. size