Disclaimer: I own nothing.
Author's Note: Okay, any real cliffie's are resolved here but there's still an epilogue. If you have any questions that have not been answered leave them in a review and I'll answer them at the end of the story. Thanks, as always, to wonderful Mandi, for making this legibal.
Reprieve…
The hour was late when Tommy stumbled into the humble cottage, his hand leaving a bloody imprint on the doorknob. His feet had kept moving when he thought he would collapse and he knew if he had fallen he would have crawled to get here.
He was safe now. Safe. Even if he died tonight he would die with that knowledge. No Other could touch him any longer.
His mind was filled with thoughts of his beloved Jason. He prayed that his love still lived, that the guidance and strength he had leant during the battle had not been too much for him to give. He hoped his love had been able to keep his promise…
There was no sign of life upon entering the dimly lit room but no sign of death either. Jason lay on his side, breathing too shallowly for Tommy to see or not breathing at all. The cloths on his forehead and chest were drooping; signalling that at some point Jason had attempted to move but had had no strength to fix them.
Tommy stumbled toward the bed, his heart pounding so hard he could feel it throughout his body. He took in the sight of his love laying so still and so pale he looked like some fallen marble statue. It made him feel ill to witness it but he refused to look away, vowing if he received the chance he would do anything to prevent his beloved from repeating this horrid experience.
Tommy ghosted his hand over Jason's pale cheek. A tiny smile flickered across the tired, drawn face as a hacking cough broke the silence of the slightly parted lips. "...knew you'd...win..."
"I wouldn't have without you," Tommy whispered, keeping his voice quiet. Jason's world was one of utmost pain; he did not want to add to that.
"...we both...take from...an'...give't...each othe...er..." Jason murmured, opening his dark, fever bright eyes as much as he was able. "...my heart...would'e...dead with't...you..."
Tommy had to close his eyes against his tears and draw in a shaky breath. "I love you too. You are everything to me."
Jason's fingers moved in a slow, soft, brushing motion against the warm skin, against the side of the man that hovered over him. His body did not feel his own and every fibre of his being throbbed with pain dulled by the other pains in his body. He had pushed so much to redeem his love, give him strength, and had come close to losing himself in the process. Just a little more and he could sleep again, regain his own strength.
Tommy's gentle smile turned into an astonished expression when he felt tiny warm tingles around his wound. Jason's hand glowed softly as it reached weakly through the torn fabric of his shirt.
The wound was mending itself.
Tommy stared at his love for a moment before gently removing the helping hand. He saw the pain, the exhaustion, on Jason's already too pale face. He could not let his beloved give him anymore. Not at risk to himself.
"...no...gotta start...it..." Jason whispered. His fingers curled around the ones holding his hand away from the wound and, with the last of his strength, pushed both their hands against the jagged cut.
Tommy gasped in surprised pain at the contact but Jason held firm. Slowly, too slowly for Jason's liking, the glow spread over Tommy's hand as well, healing energy flowing from both of them to heal the cut. Satisfied the process had started, Jason let his hand fall away. He seemed to shrink further into the bed, utterly spent. He struggled to stay conscious, only managing to lift his eyelids a fraction so he could watch the look of bewildered ecstasy playing across his lover's face through tiny slits.
Tommy could not move as Jason fell back, collapsing onto the bed. His hand remained pressed over his wound; he could feel the muscles in his hand spasm as flesh and muscle began to repair themselves beneath his palm.
His hand felt hot and he knew if his eyes had not been clenched shut in concentration he would have seen it glowing dimly.
He gasped as the wound sealed, nothing left of it except a faint red mark on his skin that would fade within days. He opened his eyes, feeling slightly woozy and incredibly alive. He realized vaguely that his other wounds, the cuts left by the shadows, had also disappeared.
"...s'plain...lat..er..." Jason wheezed, seeing the astonishment and questions in Tommy's eyes.
Tommy nodded, hesitating for a moment. Something... more had happened when Jason redeemed him. He was not quite sure what yet but... maybe...
Tommy leaned over Jason, kissing his still feverish brow, and fed energy into him. It was as clumsy and awkward as a baby bird attempting to fly for the first time, but it was what Jason needed to stop him from teetering between everlasting sleep and a healing rest. He let Tommy use his shaky, newfound powers for a few moments; enough to jump start his own healing powers, and then weakly batted his hands away.
"...enough..." He whispered, his voice slightly, but noticeably, stronger. "...thanks... but ...you...need to...heal...too..."
"But..." Tommy began.
"...I'll...be fine...now..." Jason assured him. "...just...need...rest..."
"Okay," Tommy whispered, curling around Jason, keeping him as close as possible. "You rest. Everything's okay now."
Jason managed a weak grin as he sighed, letting his body settle against Tommy, trusting his love to take care of him. "...knew...it would...be..."
"Mmm." Tommy rested his cheek against the dark head as Jason drifted off, knowing, trusting, that they were safe.
Author's Note: Okay, any real cliffie's are resolved here but there's still an epilogue. If you have any questions that have not been answered leave them in a review and I'll answer them at the end of the story. Thanks, as always, to wonderful Mandi, for making this legibal.
Reprieve…
The hour was late when Tommy stumbled into the humble cottage, his hand leaving a bloody imprint on the doorknob. His feet had kept moving when he thought he would collapse and he knew if he had fallen he would have crawled to get here.
He was safe now. Safe. Even if he died tonight he would die with that knowledge. No Other could touch him any longer.
His mind was filled with thoughts of his beloved Jason. He prayed that his love still lived, that the guidance and strength he had leant during the battle had not been too much for him to give. He hoped his love had been able to keep his promise…
There was no sign of life upon entering the dimly lit room but no sign of death either. Jason lay on his side, breathing too shallowly for Tommy to see or not breathing at all. The cloths on his forehead and chest were drooping; signalling that at some point Jason had attempted to move but had had no strength to fix them.
Tommy stumbled toward the bed, his heart pounding so hard he could feel it throughout his body. He took in the sight of his love laying so still and so pale he looked like some fallen marble statue. It made him feel ill to witness it but he refused to look away, vowing if he received the chance he would do anything to prevent his beloved from repeating this horrid experience.
Tommy ghosted his hand over Jason's pale cheek. A tiny smile flickered across the tired, drawn face as a hacking cough broke the silence of the slightly parted lips. "...knew you'd...win..."
"I wouldn't have without you," Tommy whispered, keeping his voice quiet. Jason's world was one of utmost pain; he did not want to add to that.
"...we both...take from...an'...give't...each othe...er..." Jason murmured, opening his dark, fever bright eyes as much as he was able. "...my heart...would'e...dead with't...you..."
Tommy had to close his eyes against his tears and draw in a shaky breath. "I love you too. You are everything to me."
Jason's fingers moved in a slow, soft, brushing motion against the warm skin, against the side of the man that hovered over him. His body did not feel his own and every fibre of his being throbbed with pain dulled by the other pains in his body. He had pushed so much to redeem his love, give him strength, and had come close to losing himself in the process. Just a little more and he could sleep again, regain his own strength.
Tommy's gentle smile turned into an astonished expression when he felt tiny warm tingles around his wound. Jason's hand glowed softly as it reached weakly through the torn fabric of his shirt.
The wound was mending itself.
Tommy stared at his love for a moment before gently removing the helping hand. He saw the pain, the exhaustion, on Jason's already too pale face. He could not let his beloved give him anymore. Not at risk to himself.
"...no...gotta start...it..." Jason whispered. His fingers curled around the ones holding his hand away from the wound and, with the last of his strength, pushed both their hands against the jagged cut.
Tommy gasped in surprised pain at the contact but Jason held firm. Slowly, too slowly for Jason's liking, the glow spread over Tommy's hand as well, healing energy flowing from both of them to heal the cut. Satisfied the process had started, Jason let his hand fall away. He seemed to shrink further into the bed, utterly spent. He struggled to stay conscious, only managing to lift his eyelids a fraction so he could watch the look of bewildered ecstasy playing across his lover's face through tiny slits.
Tommy could not move as Jason fell back, collapsing onto the bed. His hand remained pressed over his wound; he could feel the muscles in his hand spasm as flesh and muscle began to repair themselves beneath his palm.
His hand felt hot and he knew if his eyes had not been clenched shut in concentration he would have seen it glowing dimly.
He gasped as the wound sealed, nothing left of it except a faint red mark on his skin that would fade within days. He opened his eyes, feeling slightly woozy and incredibly alive. He realized vaguely that his other wounds, the cuts left by the shadows, had also disappeared.
"...s'plain...lat..er..." Jason wheezed, seeing the astonishment and questions in Tommy's eyes.
Tommy nodded, hesitating for a moment. Something... more had happened when Jason redeemed him. He was not quite sure what yet but... maybe...
Tommy leaned over Jason, kissing his still feverish brow, and fed energy into him. It was as clumsy and awkward as a baby bird attempting to fly for the first time, but it was what Jason needed to stop him from teetering between everlasting sleep and a healing rest. He let Tommy use his shaky, newfound powers for a few moments; enough to jump start his own healing powers, and then weakly batted his hands away.
"...enough..." He whispered, his voice slightly, but noticeably, stronger. "...thanks... but ...you...need to...heal...too..."
"But..." Tommy began.
"...I'll...be fine...now..." Jason assured him. "...just...need...rest..."
"Okay," Tommy whispered, curling around Jason, keeping him as close as possible. "You rest. Everything's okay now."
Jason managed a weak grin as he sighed, letting his body settle against Tommy, trusting his love to take care of him. "...knew...it would...be..."
"Mmm." Tommy rested his cheek against the dark head as Jason drifted off, knowing, trusting, that they were safe.