"This Time is Different" (Out of the Dark, 2008)

[riptide_asylum]

Title:This Time Is Different
Rating: R
Summary: It's New Years, and Nick and Cody are at a party on the boat.



8:17.

After they fuck--and it is fucking, Nick grunting against his back, hot and rough like they were both much younger--after they fuck, they lie together, sweaty and satisfied and... If you were to pin Cody down, he'd say "safe". The two of them naked in bed in the dark, far from any of the crowds.

Nick's been to three New Year's parties that Cody knows of. Two of them ended in jail and one ended in a different state, three timezones away. In jail. But tonight it's just them, warm and tired, curled against each other in the dark stateroom. The television flickers and words crawl across the screen, no sound necessaryfor the two of them, not now.

Nick traces circles on Cody's stomach, just his fingertips, for what feels like forever. The parties, the crowds, are all safely locked away from them on the flat screen. The circles slow, then stop finally, even Nick's hand at rest.

9:30.

Cody turns and kisses Nick's shoulder, big muscles close to the skin, waking Nick from his half-doze. He doesn't want him to miss this. Nick's eyes are still deep enough to lose himself in, like cool waters untouched by time, as if time itself loses meaning the longer Cody stares. As if time falls away, irrelevant.

And the longer he watches, the happier Nick seems.

10:49.

Onscreen, the crowd surges, moving like a living organism, tendrils and an open maw, driven by a single champagne-addled brain, and Cody shifts, uncomfortable. He thinks of Nick in crowds and sees many different jail cells: King Harbor, Vallejo, the Yucatan, Baltimore. Suddenly it's not enough, just being next to him here. Cody buries his head against Nick's neck, tightening his arms around him, trying to sink beneath Nick's skin. Then Nick's warm smell fills Cody's senses, quelling his panic.

2008, 2009...1972, 73, 84, 85...they all run together as Cody watches behind closed eyes, then Nick's hand is on the back of his head, soothing and gentle. Cody leans up to claim a kiss, the festivities forgotten.

Comments

Damn, that made my eyes tear up

[mcsheplovers.livejournal.com]

I was just about to go read a book when this popped up on my LJ notifications.
Wow. Ya know....it's hard to explain how this made me hurt a little inside.....particularly this:

Suddenly it's not enough, just being next to him here. Cody buries his head against Nick's neck, tightening his arms around him, trying to sink beneath Nick's skin. Then Nick's warm smell fills Cody's senses, quelling his panic. 2008, 2009...1972, 73, 84, 85...they all run together as Cody watches behind closed eyes, then Nick's hand is on the back of his head, soothing and gentle.

I can't get enough of how much these two need each other. I will never tire of it. Cody would crawl up underneath Nick's skin if he could in this scene....I love that Nick senses this and tries to soothe him----because you know that Nick has felt this way too and he knows what Cody feels like.
Seriously, this unquenchable thirst that they have for each other is why I continue to come back again and again and again to this show, these stories and this fandom.


Oh, and you had me at "After they fuck----and it is fucking....." Slow and gentle or fast and hard---its always loving, desperate and a little heartbreaking---I'm addicted to them.

Just wonderful. Thanks.

Beth

Re: Damn, that made my eyes tear up

[oddmonster.livejournal.com]

Oh no! I didn't mean to make you cry, honest. I swear I didn't. But I cried a little too, while I was writing this.

And you've definitely pegged what I see as the heart of them. They're desperate for each other, addicted to each other. They can't bear not to touch, most of the time. It's painful not to be touching, for these two.

And yes, if Cody could crawl up underneath Nick's skin, he'd never leave. Nick would never let him.

Oh I'm so excited you liked this story! Thank you so much for reading!

[valis2.livejournal.com]

Oh, this is totally delicious and fantastic. Love love love. Nick soothing Cody--absolutely wonderful. And their incredible shared history...just imagining where these guys have been and what they've done is enough to make my brain 'splody.

Cody buries his head against Nick's neck, tightening his arms around him, trying to sink beneath Nick's skin. Then Nick's warm smell fills Cody's senses, quelling his panic.

Mmm, so absolutely wonderful. Wonderful.

Thank you so much for sharing this!

[oddmonster.livejournal.com]

Squee! I'm so glad you like it! It really called to me, this piece. And yeah, the amount of history between them, the things they've made it through, the things they've suffered through together always amazes me. In a weak-kneed, bowled over by romance way.

I'm glad you like it!

[romankate.livejournal.com]

I have just rediscovered Riptide thanks to your lovely stories on writers_choice. Thanks so much! I so enjoyed this.

I hope to read many more soon!

[oddmonster.livejournal.com]

Oh excellent! Thanks for the comment! And welcome!

*bounce*

[seraphina_snape]

That was great. I love the "in jail" bits - it's certainly canon that Nick and Cody spend a lot of time behind bars (for whatever reasons; I believe that a large portion of them are barfights and, you know, getting it on in public).

~ sera

[oddmonster.livejournal.com]

Heh. It's certainly canon that they're in public thinking about getting it on a lot. Pretty much any cap of them in Straightaways, I'm guessing they cleared the table and caused a commotion.

Thanks for reading this! I'm glad you liked it!