I just thoroughly enjoyed this! I could envision this superhuman Stephen and all the vulnerability is so sweet without being gratuitously sloshy because these men don't do that, in many ways the are so much alike in the way they express themselves and for Cutter to then throw back at Stephen that he now knows how he feels because he experienced it directly was downright logical!
Fave Parts:
But she looked at him fully. “Well,” she said primly. “I suppose I owe you a thank you.”
Stephen flinched. “Sorry?”
“They say you saved Nick’s life,” she said. “Got the raptor off him before it had a chance to do any real damage.”
Stephen stared, trying to remember.
“He’ll be upset that you got hurt in the process,” she said. “He’s always after you to be more careful.”
Stephen still couldn’t think of anything to say.
Claudia’s expression wavered, her eyes softening. “And he’s right,” she said. “But I can’t say I’m not glad you ignored him this time.”
“He got hurt backing me up,” Stephen blurted.
She frowned, giving him a funny look. “Nick Cutter doesn’t back anyone up,” she said. “He’s got his own mind and he uses it. You’re part of a team; you work together. If he was backing you up, then you returned the favor tenfold.”
She said it so simply. Like it was true.
Because she believed it to be true.
Cutter was hurt, and she didn’t blame him. She didn’t blame anyone.
-I LOVE Claudia and always missed her when she was "replaced".
The one who had found him. The one who had brought him back. The one who had stuck with him through everything. Cutter had been Stephen’s friend, even when Stephen had hardly known what that meant. He had been there for Stephen, every step of the way.
How many times had Cutter wanted to fight him? How many times had he wanted to run in the other direction?
He hadn’t, though. Because that was what friends did.
Even when it was hard.
Especially then.
With a shuddering breath, Stephen forced his body to still, denying his instincts.
He would stay. No matter what: Stephen would see this through.
-- LOVED this bromancy moment!
That was all a secondary concern, however. Now that his mind was made up, Stephen dedicated himself wholly to the bedside vigil. He studied the machines, memorized their patterns. He listened for the steady synchronization of Cutter’s heart rate, noting the smallest fluctuation with alarm.
Then he watched the man himself. Watched as his fingers curled slightly and his eyes jerked beneath the lids. He was due to wake up, Stephen had been told, and he knew from studying Cutter’s chart that the sedatives were being reduced and that there was no sign of complication.
Stephen was so keenly aware of every nuance, that he knew Cutter was waking up five minutes before the man cracked an eyelid. He noted first the upswing in his heart rate. Not just a normal fluctuation, but a sustained increase in rhythm. Then, the fine motor movements, small and inarticulate, unconsciously stimulated by the wearing off of any drugs. And his eyes moved more consistently, then his eyelids fluttered, and he was awake.
-- THIS IS SO GREAT! Instincts, honing in on Cutter's rhythms, friendship almost on an atomic level!
“You’re right,” Stephen said. “I’m not a superhero. And neither are you. What you did was stupid.”
Cutter’s face scrunched up in pain. He shifted, grimacing, smacking his lips together in futility. “You’re welcome,” he croaked.
Stephen frowned. “I didn’t say thank you.”
Cutter gave a small chuff of laughter. “You’re here, aren’t you?”
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timeasmymeasure
So lovely! Again, you do bromance so well
Date: 2012-12-21 12:01 am (UTC)Fave Parts:
But she looked at him fully. “Well,” she said primly. “I suppose I owe you a thank you.”
Stephen flinched. “Sorry?”
“They say you saved Nick’s life,” she said. “Got the raptor off him before it had a chance to do any real damage.”
Stephen stared, trying to remember.
“He’ll be upset that you got hurt in the process,” she said. “He’s always after you to be more careful.”
Stephen still couldn’t think of anything to say.
Claudia’s expression wavered, her eyes softening. “And he’s right,” she said. “But I can’t say I’m not glad you ignored him this time.”
“He got hurt backing me up,” Stephen blurted.
She frowned, giving him a funny look. “Nick Cutter doesn’t back anyone up,” she said. “He’s got his own mind and he uses it. You’re part of a team; you work together. If he was backing you up, then you returned the favor tenfold.”
She said it so simply. Like it was true.
Because she believed it to be true.
Cutter was hurt, and she didn’t blame him. She didn’t blame anyone.
-I LOVE Claudia and always missed her when she was "replaced".
The one who had found him. The one who had brought him back. The one who had stuck with him through everything. Cutter had been Stephen’s friend, even when Stephen had hardly known what that meant. He had been there for Stephen, every step of the way.
How many times had Cutter wanted to fight him? How many times had he wanted to run in the other direction?
He hadn’t, though. Because that was what friends did.
Even when it was hard.
Especially then.
With a shuddering breath, Stephen forced his body to still, denying his instincts.
He would stay. No matter what: Stephen would see this through.
-- LOVED this bromancy moment!
That was all a secondary concern, however. Now that his mind was made up, Stephen dedicated himself wholly to the bedside vigil. He studied the machines, memorized their patterns. He listened for the steady synchronization of Cutter’s heart rate, noting the smallest fluctuation with alarm.
Then he watched the man himself. Watched as his fingers curled slightly and his eyes jerked beneath the lids. He was due to wake up, Stephen had been told, and he knew from studying Cutter’s chart that the sedatives were being reduced and that there was no sign of complication.
Stephen was so keenly aware of every nuance, that he knew Cutter was waking up five minutes before the man cracked an eyelid. He noted first the upswing in his heart rate. Not just a normal fluctuation, but a sustained increase in rhythm. Then, the fine motor movements, small and inarticulate, unconsciously stimulated by the wearing off of any drugs. And his eyes moved more consistently, then his eyelids fluttered, and he was awake.
-- THIS IS SO GREAT! Instincts, honing in on Cutter's rhythms, friendship almost on an atomic level!
“You’re right,” Stephen said. “I’m not a superhero. And neither are you. What you did was stupid.”
Cutter’s face scrunched up in pain. He shifted, grimacing, smacking his lips together in futility. “You’re welcome,” he croaked.
Stephen frowned. “I didn’t say thank you.”
Cutter gave a small chuff of laughter. “You’re here, aren’t you?”
And somehow that said everything.
-- DELIGHTFUL! Mushy without the gooey sentiment!