Bruised

Disclaimer: I dun own the book series, and I dun own the song that gave the idea for the story.

Summary: Please. Just give me a minute. Just let me have this one selfish moment. MurtaghErgaon, one-sided... sorta. SLASH.

Author's note: It's sad and short, and not nearly as good as I wanted it, but it's my Valentine's Day fic. I wrote it in under two hours.
It was originally going to be a song fic to the song "Bruised" sung by Ben Folds... But I said forget it and took out the lyrics.
There is a possible Companion fic to this, but I want feedback before any companions will be posted.
Also, the time line is a little different... Please, fi you're confused, see the bottom of the page.

It was so cold, infinitely, devastatingly cold! Then again, that was to be expected. It was a freaking blizzard, after all. But there was no real reason why he had to be trapped inside the condemning cave of doom.

The blonde-haired sighed and glanced into the wall opposite him where the brooding shape of his riding companion sat, impatiently rubbing his armor where a smudge of something - probably blood - had sunk into the metal. Beside him, a blade of dulled red lay in the floor's dust.

The boy sighed, rubbing his hands briskly to retain the bare warmth they'd managed to accumulate. Which, honestly, wasn't much to begin with.

And it didn't help that there was the painful emptiness where his dragon, his beloved dragon, had disappeared from. She'd never been separated so totally from his conscious like that. Then again... She was probably dead or under the manipulative control of Galbatorix. And the boy rather preferred that she was dead rather than serve that madman of a king.

And that was also what brought him to the idea that love was really just a pain in the... Erm, in the ass, though it pained him to think of it like that at first. And only two things - two people - could get him to admit otherwise. One was gone, the other a frozen block of uninteresting personality.

Honestly, the world would probably just keep freezing and freezing until something, or someone, broke. And the boy wondered who, exactly, would make that first last mistake that would be the catalyst of everything.

"Eragon?"

Eragon's head snapped up violently, blue eyes locking with hazel, "Yeah?"

It had stunned him when his brother had spoken first. They'd had another fight, this time about Saphira's current whereabouts, and it had ended in shrieks of incoherent anger and fury and heaving breaths of freezing air. That, and Eragon's shameful tears for his missing dragon.

Murtagh, his brother, had been stunned into silence at the sudden onslaught of weakness. And he'd probably pondered on the fact that if he had a dragon like Eragon did, he'd be feeling the devastating loneliness, too.

"I'm sorry. Let's... Let's just go to bed. We can head back to Urû'baen tomorrow to see if Saphira really is there."

Eragon shook his head firmly. "No-" His voice faltered, and the blond paused, collecting the correct words. "If Saphira was able, she'd have returned. As of now, she has either been forced into Galbatorix's control, or she is dead. Either way, it wouldn't help our case if we went back."

Murtagh nodded suspicious, hazel eyes never leaving the blond's abruptly frail-seeming form. The silence was deafening, and yes... It managed to speak volumes.

Eragon attempted to make eye contact, to assure the older male that yes, he was deathly serious, but shuddered at the thought of being in close contact with the stoic boy. No! Just no!! The Rider mentally smacked himself, brain slow enough with the chill as it was.

His thoughts had been viciously filled with images of a much too-passionate hug with the older teen.

Eragon stood shakily, eyeing the other male with cautions eyes.

Murtagh watched him dispassionately, but his eyes showed the sudden nervousness, as if he understood the blond's gaping urge to bolt and never look back. He stood, slowly, very, very slowly, and took a step forward.

Eragon froze, blue eyes wide. Should he run? Could he run? Would he be caught?

There were too many uncertainties, so Eragon stayed where he was until his brother was a mere foot away. Eragon could smell his brother, the homely smell that just was them. Saphira had been sunlight and ice, a lovely mix, but Murtagh was blood and smoke... But mainly the smoke.

Murtagh was smoke.

"Eragon," the boy said calmly, hazel eyes sincere. "Please, sit down. Calm down. There's no need to go out in the cold. Wait until morning, and then we'll figure out something to do."

Eragon couldn't even shake his head in refusal. He just stood, stock still, eyes uncannily wide.

Murtagh bit his lip then wrapped his arms around the younger teen, hugging the blond tight against his chest, "Look, Eragon. I'm sorry, alright? I understand that you miss Saphira. And I understand it hurts. But that's why you need to talk about it, get it off your chest! You're not the only one who can deal with it."

Eragon blushed slightly, automatically inhaling the acrid scent that was his brother, "It's okay."

"Yeah. Really?"

"Yeah, but Murtagh..."

"Mhmm."

"Don't move. Just-" Eragon's voice cracked with emotion. "Just give me a minute."

Murtagh grunted, attempting to pull away and glance at the boy, just to see why he was so sad and emotional. Eragon yanked him back into place.

"Please, Murtagh. Just give me a minute. Just let me have this one selfish moment."

Murtagh sighed, but he obligingly held the younger teen closer, tighter, and carefully. It was as if they were finely stained glass, able to shatter at a mere breath of air.

And yet, as night passed, the two stayed embraced, the storm howling out it's final testament around them. But neither had the urge to care.

They were both bruised, but love does sometimes work in mysterious ways.

Author's Note: If you liked this, please tell me. I plan on writing more MurEra slasha nd postign it eventually. Any defects would greatly help in my continued works!
Also... I know that in Eldest, Murtagh gains Thorn, but this takes place as an alternate ending after the Varden fight. Murtagh was not captured, did not recieve Thorn, and Saphira was captured.

Ergaon: So... You killed Saphira?
Silver: Actually, I left that up to the reader's imagination.
Murtagh: Interesting.
Silver: Mhmmm. Anyways, C'mon you two. We're got another story to work on - the vamp one.
Eragon: Am I in it?
Silver: No.
Murtagh: Then we don't have to do it.
Silver: -:sniffles:- I spent two hours working ona story for you two! -:cries:- Snowkit!
Snowkit: O.o o.O Ye-es?
Silver: They're bein' mean! Make 'em go to Starclan!
Snowkit: Why not make Crowfeather do it?
Silver: He's with Leafpool - but shhh!
Snowkit: Cinderpelt?
Silver: Dead. She's Cinderkit and Cinderpaw now.
Snowkit: Sootfur?
Silver: -:cries:- He died, too!
Snowkit: -:rolls his eyes... even though he's deaf.. and is a cat... and shouldn't know what I'm saying...:- Fine!
Silver: YAY!
Snowkit: RAWR! I AM GHOSTKITTY!
Murtagh: ARGH!! A dead, floating cat-thing! GHOST! RUNNN!
Both boys: -:run:-
Silver: Snowy, I luff you!! Happy Valentine's Day. Let's go have some cookies!
Snowkit: YAY! SUGAR!

"Agent Silver, signing off!"
February 15, 2008 2:13 AM
3 pages / 1262 words