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riptide_asylumTitle: Four Times They Went Alone (& Once They Went Together)
Rating: R
"Whaddaya mean, you're leaving?" Nick stared in baffled anger. "We're partners. You can't just leave."
"No, Nick, we were partners." Cody turned a shoulder. "You know it's not you I'm leaving, right?"
"Sure feels like it." Nick looked away.
Cody raised a hand, then let it fall. "I'm not a soldier, Nick. If I've learned one thing, it's that."
Nick raised betrayed eyes to Cody's face. "If you're not a soldier, then what the hell are you?"
Cody turned away, unable to bear Nick's pain. Nick's voice followed him. "If you're not a soldier, then what the hell am I?"
*
Cody forced himself off the bed, away from Nick. He dragged his jeans on, looking at the worn motel carpet, the cracked paint. Anywhere but at the mirror, or at the man on the bed.
He left without a word and made it to the car before the dry, tearless sobs overwhelmed him.
Cody knew he should hate himself for what he did with Nick, but that wasn't why he cried. He cried because Nick's arms were the only place he wasn't afraid but he couldn't stay there - staying was still more frightening than the everyday pain he called life.
*
"It's junk. You've got nowhere to keep it, no time to--"
"I figured it all out. I'm outta here next week. I can rent space at this little airfield in Palmdale, work construction until I get her fixed up." Nick's eyes strayed toward the decommissioned chopper.
Cody couldn't tear his eyes from Nick. "You're outta here next week? What the hell does that even mean?"
"Contract's up," Nick cleared his throat. "I didn't renew."
"You're just leaving? Were you even gonna tell me?"
"Figured you'd talk me out of it."
Cody watched in shock as Nick turned and walked away.
*
"I'll come with you."
"No," Nick snarled, pulling away.
Cody drew back. "Whatever you need."
"I need some space." Nick jumped up. "Right now I can't be around anyone, okay? Not even you."
"I want to help."
"You can't." Nick shook his head, tears gleaming in his eyes. "I let Ma down so many times, and now she's gone and..."
"Let me come with you, Nick. I wont get in the way."
"Yes you will." Nick spoke harshly. "You're not part of this, Cody. Leave me the hell alone."
The door slammed and Cody sank his head in his hands.
*
She was the one. Cody fell for her the minute he saw her.
They'd talked about it, but Cody was pretty sure Nick wasn't ready. He only hoped Nick would understand. After all, it was damned hard with Nick away flying so much.
In the end Cody took Nick to see her on Nick's first day off. Nick said nothing.
That night, Nick turned to face the wall before he asked softly, "Cody, is this really what you want?"
"Yes."
Nick sighed. "What's her name, again?"
"The Riptide."
"I'll resign Monday." Nick rolled back. "How soon can we go aboard?"
Rating: R
"Whaddaya mean, you're leaving?" Nick stared in baffled anger. "We're partners. You can't just leave."
"No, Nick, we were partners." Cody turned a shoulder. "You know it's not you I'm leaving, right?"
"Sure feels like it." Nick looked away.
Cody raised a hand, then let it fall. "I'm not a soldier, Nick. If I've learned one thing, it's that."
Nick raised betrayed eyes to Cody's face. "If you're not a soldier, then what the hell are you?"
Cody turned away, unable to bear Nick's pain. Nick's voice followed him. "If you're not a soldier, then what the hell am I?"
*
Cody forced himself off the bed, away from Nick. He dragged his jeans on, looking at the worn motel carpet, the cracked paint. Anywhere but at the mirror, or at the man on the bed.
He left without a word and made it to the car before the dry, tearless sobs overwhelmed him.
Cody knew he should hate himself for what he did with Nick, but that wasn't why he cried. He cried because Nick's arms were the only place he wasn't afraid but he couldn't stay there - staying was still more frightening than the everyday pain he called life.
*
"It's junk. You've got nowhere to keep it, no time to--"
"I figured it all out. I'm outta here next week. I can rent space at this little airfield in Palmdale, work construction until I get her fixed up." Nick's eyes strayed toward the decommissioned chopper.
Cody couldn't tear his eyes from Nick. "You're outta here next week? What the hell does that even mean?"
"Contract's up," Nick cleared his throat. "I didn't renew."
"You're just leaving? Were you even gonna tell me?"
"Figured you'd talk me out of it."
Cody watched in shock as Nick turned and walked away.
*
"I'll come with you."
"No," Nick snarled, pulling away.
Cody drew back. "Whatever you need."
"I need some space." Nick jumped up. "Right now I can't be around anyone, okay? Not even you."
"I want to help."
"You can't." Nick shook his head, tears gleaming in his eyes. "I let Ma down so many times, and now she's gone and..."
"Let me come with you, Nick. I wont get in the way."
"Yes you will." Nick spoke harshly. "You're not part of this, Cody. Leave me the hell alone."
The door slammed and Cody sank his head in his hands.
*
She was the one. Cody fell for her the minute he saw her.
They'd talked about it, but Cody was pretty sure Nick wasn't ready. He only hoped Nick would understand. After all, it was damned hard with Nick away flying so much.
In the end Cody took Nick to see her on Nick's first day off. Nick said nothing.
That night, Nick turned to face the wall before he asked softly, "Cody, is this really what you want?"
"Yes."
Nick sighed. "What's her name, again?"
"The Riptide."
"I'll resign Monday." Nick rolled back. "How soon can we go aboard?"
