storypaint (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
storypaint) wrote2009-04-08 01:26 pm
storypaint) wrote2009-04-08 01:26 pm
Coming Back (Jake/Tobias)
Title: Coming Back
Length: 755 words
Prompt:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
comment_fic: Animorphs, Jake/Tobias, rain
Pairing: Jake/Tobias; past Tobias/Rachel
Other: post-war fic
Excerpt: The first time he goes, he thinks that Tobias might attack him. He doesn't wear his spandex underneath his clothes as an absurd kind of faith.
Jake knows that Tobias doesn't want to talk to him anymore, but he still treks into the forest a few times a year. It's a burden he can't give up; he's simply incapable of letting go. The war had changed him-- shackled him into the decision-maker, the weigher of plans, and the murderer.
The first time he goes, he thinks that Tobias might attack him. He doesn't wear his spandex underneath his clothes as an absurd kind of faith. He knows that if Tobias wanted to hurt him as a human, he could do it before Jake could morph anyway.
The first time, Tobias doesn't appear at all.
*
He visits steadily, about three times a year, through his twenties. The only year he misses the visits is the year that he spends in space, rescuing Ax; that next year he visits with a limp in his step that can only be psychosomatic-- the DNA is perfect, after all.
He sits down heavily on a tree stump and raises an arm to shade his eyes. He isn't even sure that this is Tobias's territory anymore, but he's here, for what it's worth. He's here, when he couldn't be there for Tobias in the past, when it would have been useful.
He stays there, motionless, for nearly an hour, talking to the trees in hopes that a red-tail is there. He tells Tobias about the mission, as much of it as he can piece together, and about Rachel's little sister getting married last month. He thought Tobias might like to know that.
He knows this is useless, that he does it half to make himself feel better rather than making Tobias feel better, and he knows he probably shouldn't come back.
There's a rustle in the trees, a movement of feathers, and as he limps off, he smiles, just a little.
*
When he comes back, it's raining, and there's a boy sitting on his usual tree stump, soaked to the bone. At first, Jake doesn't recognize him.
"Jake."
It's been... years since Jake has seen Tobias in human morph. Were they ever actually that young? Had they really fought, that young?
"Tobias!" is the only thing Jake can think to say.
"I heard you coming."
His tone is flat and Jake can't interpret it. He supposes that Tobias being human is a sign of interest. He leans heavily on one leg for a moment, the phantom pain striking, and before he can say anything else, Tobias is up and off of the tree stump, his movements a little jerky. Tobias leans with his back against a tree across the clearing, and gestures to the stump.
Jake sits down. He's soaked as well, water everywhere because it's been raining for three days straight. He's been in his tent, hoping it would stop so he could visit before his vacation time was over, but no luck. He decided to go anyway.
Tobias shuts his eyes and brushes hair out of his eyes which flattens back to the same position.
"Why do you come here?" he asks. The rain patters.
Jake shrugs. "I want to know you're okay."
"I'm fine. Plenty of prey and few interlopers." He looks down at his fingernails and preens them a second against his shirt, forgetting himself. His movements are awkward, sharp, bird-like.
"Good," Jake says, but he doesn't leave, studying Tobias across the clearing like he wants to memorize him.
"Well, what's going on?" Tobias asks after a moment, and under the soft sound of rain, Jake tells him. His facial expressions are somewhat awkward as well, but Jake is pleased to see him smile a little.
It's not much; it's an hour. Tobias won't morph for longer than that. Jake turns away when his friend begins to change and watches the hawk take off from the ground, watches the sky until the bird disappears.
He smiles.
*
The next time, it isn't raining, and Tobias's dry lips on Jake's cheek come as an utter surprise.
"I forgive you," he says.
Jake doesn't feel he's earned forgiveness, and he says so. Tobias shrugs.
"It's not something you earn. It's something someone gives."
His face is flushed and he's a bit skittish, waiting for Jake to say something about the kiss or about Rachel or about how ridiculous this all was.
"Thank you," Jake says, looking thoughtful, and he's nearly all the way back to his campsite when he notices that his limp has almost gone away.
*
The next time after that, he kisses him back.
Length: 755 words
Prompt:
comment_fic: Animorphs, Jake/Tobias, rainPairing: Jake/Tobias; past Tobias/Rachel
Other: post-war fic
Excerpt: The first time he goes, he thinks that Tobias might attack him. He doesn't wear his spandex underneath his clothes as an absurd kind of faith.
Jake knows that Tobias doesn't want to talk to him anymore, but he still treks into the forest a few times a year. It's a burden he can't give up; he's simply incapable of letting go. The war had changed him-- shackled him into the decision-maker, the weigher of plans, and the murderer.
The first time he goes, he thinks that Tobias might attack him. He doesn't wear his spandex underneath his clothes as an absurd kind of faith. He knows that if Tobias wanted to hurt him as a human, he could do it before Jake could morph anyway.
The first time, Tobias doesn't appear at all.
*
He visits steadily, about three times a year, through his twenties. The only year he misses the visits is the year that he spends in space, rescuing Ax; that next year he visits with a limp in his step that can only be psychosomatic-- the DNA is perfect, after all.
He sits down heavily on a tree stump and raises an arm to shade his eyes. He isn't even sure that this is Tobias's territory anymore, but he's here, for what it's worth. He's here, when he couldn't be there for Tobias in the past, when it would have been useful.
He stays there, motionless, for nearly an hour, talking to the trees in hopes that a red-tail is there. He tells Tobias about the mission, as much of it as he can piece together, and about Rachel's little sister getting married last month. He thought Tobias might like to know that.
He knows this is useless, that he does it half to make himself feel better rather than making Tobias feel better, and he knows he probably shouldn't come back.
There's a rustle in the trees, a movement of feathers, and as he limps off, he smiles, just a little.
*
When he comes back, it's raining, and there's a boy sitting on his usual tree stump, soaked to the bone. At first, Jake doesn't recognize him.
"Jake."
It's been... years since Jake has seen Tobias in human morph. Were they ever actually that young? Had they really fought, that young?
"Tobias!" is the only thing Jake can think to say.
"I heard you coming."
His tone is flat and Jake can't interpret it. He supposes that Tobias being human is a sign of interest. He leans heavily on one leg for a moment, the phantom pain striking, and before he can say anything else, Tobias is up and off of the tree stump, his movements a little jerky. Tobias leans with his back against a tree across the clearing, and gestures to the stump.
Jake sits down. He's soaked as well, water everywhere because it's been raining for three days straight. He's been in his tent, hoping it would stop so he could visit before his vacation time was over, but no luck. He decided to go anyway.
Tobias shuts his eyes and brushes hair out of his eyes which flattens back to the same position.
"Why do you come here?" he asks. The rain patters.
Jake shrugs. "I want to know you're okay."
"I'm fine. Plenty of prey and few interlopers." He looks down at his fingernails and preens them a second against his shirt, forgetting himself. His movements are awkward, sharp, bird-like.
"Good," Jake says, but he doesn't leave, studying Tobias across the clearing like he wants to memorize him.
"Well, what's going on?" Tobias asks after a moment, and under the soft sound of rain, Jake tells him. His facial expressions are somewhat awkward as well, but Jake is pleased to see him smile a little.
It's not much; it's an hour. Tobias won't morph for longer than that. Jake turns away when his friend begins to change and watches the hawk take off from the ground, watches the sky until the bird disappears.
He smiles.
*
The next time, it isn't raining, and Tobias's dry lips on Jake's cheek come as an utter surprise.
"I forgive you," he says.
Jake doesn't feel he's earned forgiveness, and he says so. Tobias shrugs.
"It's not something you earn. It's something someone gives."
His face is flushed and he's a bit skittish, waiting for Jake to say something about the kiss or about Rachel or about how ridiculous this all was.
"Thank you," Jake says, looking thoughtful, and he's nearly all the way back to his campsite when he notices that his limp has almost gone away.
*
The next time after that, he kisses him back.
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