Generation Kill – The Same Things As Everyone (Colbert/Fick, PG)

[hackthis_archive]

This started as comment fic in alethialia's journal for this photo and then I cleaned it up (and expanded it) a bit (a lot bit) because, well, I really like it. I don't tend to write from Brad's POV. I should do more work on this exercise.

Generation Kill
Brad/Nate
Rated PG-13 (language)

The Same Things As Everyone





"Hey."

Brad's spine stiffens. It's not the only thing. He plasters on his most innocuous smile. "Hey," he says, glancing up at Nate. Brad feels perfectly calm, except for his sky rocketing heart rate. He always did like Nate in his navy pinstripe suit.

He can see why nobody bothered to tell him about this.

Him being Brad and nobody meaning every last ball-licking, goat-fucking, special Ed retard in his goddamn platoon. If someone had told him that attending Wynn's anniversary party would've required him to see Nate again...

No wonder Person was so fucking insistent that he come. Ray is definitely going to hear about this shit later. At length.

Judging by the way both Ray and Walt have suddenly disappeared from the Austin Marriott ballroom, they know this.

They should be afraid. Very fucking afraid.

Brad can feel Nate's eyes on him. Feel them sweeping over his face, his neck, the collar of his white shirt, the lapels of his gray suit.

Fuck -- if Brad wasn't already sitting down he might actually have to. His legs feel strange, numb. This never happens to him in theater.

His head is swimming where moments before his only thoughts were 'beer' and 'more needed'.

It's been months.

He wants to look away, but he can't. Nate's eyes always do that to him: make him look even when he doesn't want to. In Iraq, Nate's voice made him focus on long eyelashes casting shadows on sunburned skin even when he was subsisting on one meal a day and pumped full of his daily vitamins of Ripped Fuel and Skoal dip. Even when Brad didn't have the fucking energy to waste thinking about Nate's skin under his cracked hands.

Especially then.

Nate's tongue darts out, slicks over his top lip. "This seat taken?" he says, gesturing to the seat beside Brad.

Brad shrugs. "No."

The seat isn't as close to Brad as Nate makes it. Before there had to be two feet between Brad and said chair, now it's more like 20 inches instead of 24.

Nate sucks on his lower lip, which makes Brad's cock twitch. Everything about Nate makes Brad's cock twitch. Fucking Pavlovian response.

There are all kinds of break-ups in the world. Messy. Amicable. The ones that are so long in coming that it's a relief when they're finally over. The ones that are such a shock that people walk around in a daze for weeks... months... years later.

And then there are the break-ups that don't quite fall under the heading of 'break-up' because there was nothing to break up anyway. Nothing verbally confirmed to end in the first place. Or something so secretive and hidden that even the parties involved didn't realize it was over until it was too late to fix what broke.

Brad's always believed that you can't fix what's been destroyed. You can go back to the same place, but you can't go back to the same time. You can't go back and fix what's been done; you can only try to repair the damage from the first time around. Or the second time. Or the third.

This holds true for Becca and Sam. It holds true for Iraq. It should hold true for Nate -- but there's always the exception that makes the rule pointless.

Brad focuses on something halfway across the room: the mirrorball casting shadows on the eggshell paint. The couples holding tight and swaying to sappy 80s music. The way Tanya laughs when Wynn whispers in her ear. The way their daughter clutches at their waists, red patent leather Mary Janes firmly planted on her parents' feet.

They sit there in silence for hours… days. At least that's the way it feels. It can't be more than a minute or two before Nate clears his throat. "You," is all he gets out, before Brad stands up and walks out.

Brad moves by instinct. Not fleeing, just going. Out of the ballroom exit doors. Through the door marked Employees Only. Down a hall, down another hall, through one set of doors and then another until he's emptied into the Austin twlight. Cornered in a fence-enclosed area full of garbage dumpsters.

He has no idea why he's surprised that Nate's right on his heels when he turns around. Brad's eyes sweep over him once. It's all he needs to take in the shirt unbuttoned at the collar. The wide green eyes and hint of dark circles. The hands in Nate's pockets.

He can feel own skin is heating up, his hormonal response completely overriding his head. His neck is started to itch, and there's a patch behind his ear that's going hot. Supernova, someone just spent half an hour carefully marking that area of skin hot.

Nate did that to him once, pinned Brad down even though Brad was perfectly willing, and held him there as Nate worked him over. Nate's fingers laced through his own, Brad's head turned to the side as Nate bit at his earlobe, nuzzled his neck, soft lips brushing the column of his throat, teeth grazing his skin as Nate's cock left wet smears on his stomach and his own cock slid between the cheeks of Nate's ass.

As he willingly submitted to something much greater than him.

"No," Brad says, taking a step back. There's no shame in tactical retreat.

Nate purses his lips. "I didn't say anything yet."

"I don't have anything to say to you," Brad insists stubbornly. He gets this from his mom apparently --the ability to carry on a conversation and finish it before anybody's even said anything.

"You stopped taking my calls," Nate persists, jaw set. "Why?"

Brad turns away. It smells like shit out here, and he knows exactly what shit smells like. He's expecting something forceful, a hand on the arm, a blow to the face; he's not expecting a finger under his chin turning him in Nate's direction.

It slays him faster than any other sword Nate could weld.

"Why?" Nate repeats. It's plaintive. Honest.

Like he actually cares. That's what Brad was afraid of before.

"You like Harvard?" Brad asks with real curiosity. "You like the liberal dick smokers who think that what I do – what you did – is on par with genocide, killing baby seals and blowing up towers?"

Nate's forehead furrows. "What the hell –- did somebody say something to you the last time you were in Cambridge? Is that what this is about?"

Brad can see the fury building behind Nate's eyes. The fury he honestly wasn't sure he would get if he said something. He didn't want to rock the boat. That's not his world. Except he didn't say anything and look where that's gotten them.

He shrugs because it almost seems stupid now. But it's not.

"And you listened to them?" Nate says incredulously. "Since when do you give a shit what some fat hippy fuck who couldn't fire off a 203 with laminated instructions and a X on the trigger thinks?" he snaps, the finger on Brad's chin becoming the fist wrapped in the collar of his shirt, pulling him near, keeping him close.

He just blinks down at Nate.

"Don't you dare give me the stoic face, Brad!" Nate rails. "You have more brains than 99.9% of that school. What the hell made you think something so stupid?"

Brad swallows, disentangles Nate's fingers from his shirt but can't seem to shake Nate's fingers tangling with his own. "Just 99.9%? I think I've been insulted," he mocks.

"Well, you're clearly not as smart as I am," Nate says mulishly, "because I know better than to listen to that shit."

Brad narrows his eyes. "Excuse me if I thought you wouldn't want me around fucking up the future career of the next President of the United States."

The anger in Nate's face dissipates just as quickly as it appeared, and Brad's now faced with Nate's forehead on his shoulder and a crown of glossy, sandy brown hair that hasn't seen regulation length in a year. "You are a fucking idiot," Nate says to Brad's bicep.

Brad tenses up. "I'm an idiot, because I want what's best for you and your future?"

Nate lifts his head, licks his lips. "No, you're an idiot if you think I want a future without you in it."

Brad stares. Knows he's staring, but can't help it. There's something in his stomach, a sinking sensation followed by this indescribable warmth. It's what happens to him when he gets to do water recon. When he gets to do something he loves, understands. When things seem to fall into place.

Nate doesn't kiss Brad as much as he yanks Brad down to his level and mashes their mouths together. Frankly, Nate's a much better kisser than this, but it's clear that he's not going for finesse here.

This is about intent.

Brad's hand cups the back of Nate's head, fingers sliding through his hair. "Can't believe you," Nate breathes against Brad's mouth. "Why – why would you think I would ever be like that?"

"You're surrounded by liberal, tofu-eating, wheatgrass smoking communists," Brad says. "Shit like that is contagious."

"Athlete's foot is contagious," Nate corrects, "that's just. I know better. You know I know better."

"People change their minds."

Nate pulls back, smoothes out the wrinkles in Brad's shirt with his palm. "Not about this."

Brad swallows. "This what?"

There's a clatter at the door behind them and two guys in Marriott uniforms clamber out laughing, cigarettes in their mouths. They give Brad and Nate a brief curious glance before lighting up and going back to their conversation.

Brad exhales through his nose. Civilian timing is shit.

Nate gives them a dismissive look, nods back towards the hotel. "You coming?" he says, tone perfectly mild as he walks off.

Brad follows because that's what he does.

Soon enough they're in the hallway outside the ballroom. Cut-glass chandeliers overhead and fake Persian carpeting lining the way. Brad's hand is on the door, but he's stopped by Nate's fingers on his wrist. A muscle in Brad's forearm twitches as Nate strokes the inside of his wrist.

"Brad," Nate says his namely softly. The way he did when he wanted Brad to wake up, because he'd fallen asleep drooling on Nate chest and nearly crushed his lungs again.

Brad looks from their hands, along Nate's arm and back up. He's missed this.

"I don't need you to be a martyr for me," Nate says. "I've made my choice."

"Yeah?" Brad's voice is raspy in his throat. He knows what happens when people make choices concerning him: they marry his best friend.

Nate's hand clamps down hard, his fingernails digging into the thin skin of Brad's wrist. They break the skin, but the pain is fleeting, nothing compared to the heat in Nate's eyes, the color in his face when he turns Brad to face him. "I choose you," he says roughly. "You're just going to have to deal with it."

"What if I don’t want you to choose me?" Brad presses.

"Too fucking bad – the decision's already been made."

"Nate."

"I'm not going to run off with your best friend – just because one person fucks up doesn't mean we all do. I'm shocked the Corps didn't teach you better than that."

"Sir, I'm appalled -- are you insinuating that the Marine Corps makes mistakes?"

Nate's eyes crinkle at the corners when he smiles, his grip on Brad's hand loosening until they're just standing there, the backs of their hands pressed together. "If Harvard is full of narrow-minded hippie fucknuts, I'm sure even the Corps has got a retard or two."

"The Ivy League isn't perfect?" Brad says in horror. "I'm shocked."

"I admit the Ivy League has its faults, but it's good at teaching about depraved sexual acts under the guise of Greek and Latin classics."

"Really?"

Nate nods. "We should go up to my room so I can show you," he says, walking away.

Brad's already thinking about Nate naked, but he takes a moment to look at Nate's ass as he walks away. "You think Gunny'll mind us running out?" he says as they wait for the elevator.

"Since when do you care about other people's anniversaries?" Nate is all disbelief.

"I don’t" Brad says, smiling toothily as he puts his lips near Nate's ear. "I'm just making conversation, unless you really want everyone in the lobby to hear about my plans to tie you to the bed and rim your ass until you're sobbing for me to fuck you into the mattress."

The elevator dings, the doors opening on a family of five with twin girls. They stand to the side to allow the family to exit, two perfectly harmless Marine Corps killers in suits sans ties.

Nate grins up at Brad as the family passes by. "Don't worry about what anybody else says," he says, "you fit the depraved Ivy League mould just fine."



-end-

For A.

Also, for all of those not following the tomricks feed I set up, please take a few minutes to read this story as well.

Comments

[soul_cake_duck]

*sigh*

My comment stalking skillz have let me down this time - I cant believe I missed all this going on!

In conclusion: I love Nate. And Brad. I love them in suits. I love that they're at Gunny's anniversary!

Heh. And I bet that despite the fact that he & Nate did get back together, he'll still make Ray & Walt suffer for tricking him into going :D

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

Heh. And I bet that despite the fact that he & Nate did get back together, he'll still make Ray & Walt suffer for tricking him into going :D

Of course!

[amberlynne.livejournal.com]

Awww. BRAD!! He breaks my heaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaart. Thank goodness Nate is there to set him straight. Er. You know what I mean. Brad's voice is perfectly cynical and believable heartbroken. That's hard to do, so of course you did it. Just lovely.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you think I did Brad some justice. :)

[lazulus]

Oh, Brad. You are such a twit!

*hearts*

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

Do you know I actually just went back and re-wrote this story? Actually, re-wrote's not really the right phrase. Let's say I re-ordered it. The words are all the same, I just think they flow better now. Instant access is awesome!

[aboutademongirl.livejournal.com]

Just read the article. Very eloquent and well-put, that. I admire the man and his point of view.

He gets this from his mom apparently --the ability to carry on a conversation and finish it before anybody's even said anything.

Let me just say this: awww. Yes, awww. I adore how you kind of inserted Brad's mother into this fic. It's weird, but I love it. It makes Brad so... dynamic.

"And you listened to them?" Nate says incredulously. "Since when do you give a shit what some fat hippy fuck who couldn't fire off a 203 with a goddamn map and a X on the trigger thinks?" he snaps, the finger on Brad's chin becoming the fist wrapped in the collar of his shirt, pulling him near, keeping him close.

He just blinks down at Nate.

"Don't you dare give me the stoic face, Brad!" Nate rails. "You have more brains than 99.9% of that school. What the hell made you think something so stupid?"

I adore how Nate just turned around and went all yes-I'm-a-damn-Marine-or-was-but-whatever-I-am-fully-aware-of-where-I-am-in-life, Brad, damn it. And this just shows how well Nate knows Brad. And it's adorable. In this vicious kind of way.


The anger in Nate's face dissipates just as quickly as it appeared, and Brad's now faced with Nate's forehead on his shoulder and a crown of glossy, sandy brown hair that hasn't seen regulation length in a year. "You are a fucking idiot," Nate says to Brad's bicep.

Brad tenses up. "I'm an idiot, because I want what's best for you and your future?"

Nate lifts his head, licks his lips. "No, you're an idiot if you think I want a future without you in it."

Brad stares. Knows he's staring, but can't help it. There's something in his stomach, a sinking sensation followed by this indescribable warmth. It's what happens to him when he gets to do water recon. When he gets to do something he loves, understands. When things seem to fall into place.


You know what? The mental imagery of Brad looking down to see Nate's forehead leaning against him? It killed me. It's... it makes me as warm and fuzzy inside as Brad's new knowledge does him. Okay, a little less, since, y'know, I'm feelin' second-hand feelings, but STILL.

Nate doesn't kiss Brad as much as he yanks Brad down to his level and mashes their mouths together. Frankly, Nate's a much better kisser than this, but it's clear that he's not going for finesse here.

This? I HEART IT.

Brad follows because that's what he does.

Which is a gorgeous line. So simplistic, so... true.

Brad's hand is on the door, but he's stopped by Nate's fingers on his wrist. A muscle in Brad's forearm twitches as Nate strokes the inside of his wrist.

Again. Imagery. Your impressionistic powers slay me.

"Brad," Nate says his namely softly. The way he did when he wanted Brad to wake up, because he'd fallen asleep drooling on Nate chest and nearly crushed his lungs again.

Trufax: "memories" like this, in Brad/Nate-verse? Yes, they are the bomb.

He knows what happens when people make choices concerning him: they marry his best friend.

She was a good-for-nothing, whiskey-trash, rotten MRE, Brad! This is Nate!

"I admit the Ivy League has its faults, but it's good at teaching about depraved sexual acts under the guise of Greek and Latin classics."

"Really?"

Nate nods. "We should go up to my room so I can show you," he says, walking away.

Yes. The Greeks certainly were a bunch of horny motherfuckers. And I love how Nate totally uses it as a pick-up line.

"I'm just making conversation, unless you really want everyone in the lobby to hear about my plans to tie you to the bed and rim your ass until you're sobbing for me to fuck you into the mattress."

Brad is back.





Just so you know, I was prepared for some heartbreaking lil' fic that was going to absolutely split me in two, but you went and one-upped me. You made this even better than any sort of angst could be, because it's angsty fluff. Angsty fluff wins. All the damn time.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

I adore how Nate just turned around and went all yes-I'm-a-damn-Marine-or-was-but-whatever-I-am-fully-aware-of-where-I-am-in-life, Brad, damn it. And this just shows how well Nate knows Brad. And it's adorable. In this vicious kind of way.

One of the multitude of things I love about Nate is that for the most part he is very much an easy sort of guy. He wants to do right by his men, and he wants to do right by the Iraqi people, it takes a lot to get him upset, but when it happens? It's like "everybody take cover!" It's hot.

You know what? The mental imagery of Brad looking down to see Nate's forehead leaning against him? It killed me. It's... it makes me as warm and fuzzy inside as Brad's new knowledge does him. Okay, a little less, since, y'know, I'm feelin' second-hand feelings, but STILL.

If anything I write makes you feel anything at all second-hand or not, that's plenty awesome for me.

[redheadaholic.livejournal.com]

Brad moves by instinct. Not fleeing, just going. Out of the ballroom exit doors. Through the door marked Employees Only. Down a hall, down another hall, through one set of doors and then another until he's emptied into the Austin twlight. Cornered in a fence-enclosed area full of garbage dumpsters.

Man, this whole thing is so intense, but the part above just killed me. Brad running away. Unbearably painful. Seriously, completely dead here and writing this from hell (internet connection is awesome!)

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

Dude, the internet in hell is awesome and should never be underestimated or mocked. How do you think I get all this done. *nods*

[kaneko.livejournal.com]

Oh, that was awesome to wake up to.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

I actually ended up going back and reworking the story. All the contents are the same, the first half just flows different. I like it better this way. *nods*

[linaerys.livejournal.com]

I am reading the Tom Ricks feed you set up, and thank you.

And thank you for this as well. They could never stay broken up for ever.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

Tom Ricks is absolutely amazing. Informative and heart-breaking and upsetting, but amazing. Much like Generation Kill.

[booboolin87.livejournal.com]

I absolutely love this. Breaks my heart in the beginning a little. But beautiful as always! Good job! Your GK writing is amazing. You definitely have the voice down.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[shoshannagold.livejournal.com]

There are all kinds of break-ups in the world. Messy. Amicable. The ones that are so long in coming that it's a relief when they're finally over. The ones that are such a shock that people walk around in a daze for weeks... months... years later. This line has been echoing in my head since I read it in A's lj a few days ago - so gorgeous and so true.

I'm so pleased that you played some more with this idea, it's such a good one. And this story is lovely, the way Nate calls Brad on his shit, the way he sees through him to know that Brad really does want this, he just needs to have his martyr complex, ahem, beat out of him.

...I sense a spate of break-up fic coming our way.

As for the story that you linked to - God, I didn't know they could do that to officers. I somehow thought they were exempt from being recalled, unlike enlisted soldiers. And, okay, I feel like a fandom cliche, linking all things back to GK, but that's a seriously interesting story idea.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

I'm so pleased that you played some more with this idea, it's such a good one. And this story is lovely, the way Nate calls Brad on his shit, the way he sees through him to know that Brad really does want this, he just needs to have his martyr complex, ahem, beat out of him.

A and I discussed this briefly the other day, the fact that Brad seems so goddamn determined to sacrifice for Nate when Nate doesn't want him too and would never ask in the first place. I understand why he does it, if you ask for something people might say no, or run off with your BFF, but you know, they might also say yes. Then again, Brad clearly hasn't had much of the 'yes' part and needs Nate to disabuse him of this notion as often as possible.

As for Matt's story, I kind of lost my shit when I read that. To get it from all sides, the Army, the supposedly open-minded liberal elite school that he thought would be better -- and to then have to go the hell back. Oh, there goes my blood pressure again.

[ladyseraph-756.livejournal.com]

I really like this story. Glad to see you posted it as I'd seen snippets of it on A's journal which I occasionally stalk.

I also read the story at the end and I really felt for Matt and his experiences back home especially in Journalism College. I'd like to say as an ex-journalism grad that I'm surprised at the negativity he got from his professors, but sadly I'm not.
I need to follow that Tom Ricks feed I think.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

I have to admit I was pretty upset by Matt's story, all sides of it. Oh, and Tom Ricks is the man. Not to be confused with The Man.

[veryshortlist.livejournal.com]

Awww, I love people who are bad at emotions try to have important conversations. And the fact that the guys revert to teasing right away. So realistic!

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

I love people who are bad at emotions try to have important conversations

LOL! Quite.

[maurheti.livejournal.com]

Loved this when I read it originally, love it even more reordered and expanded! Oh, BRAD. And Nate being a badass and laying down the law is the awesomest.

Also awesomest? Tom Ricks. And Matt's story... Jesus fucking Christ. Makes me want to smack people upside the head. Again.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

Oh, god, Matt. I want to bring him home and give him beer and sex and hide him from the insanity. He might go for that. Uncle Sam not so much so.

[demicus.livejournal.com]

Thank heaven's for sneaky, matchmaking Ray (& Walt, by association).

I think that the depth of one's love for his/her lover is inversely related to the amount of fear one has of not being good enough, of losing his/her loved one to another who is somehow better suited. At face value, Brad's avoidance of Nate appears to be due to Brad's fear of defiling Nate's good name by association (fueled by a stranger's negative comment about what people do to protect others while on active duty in the Corps). While I can see where this alone would provoke an adverse response from Brad, I like the fact that you include other contributing factors. It's believable & tragic that Brad's stubborn, self-imposed isolation from Nate is a defense mechanism that Brad uses to protect himself from the chance that Nate will come to prefer a partner of a different social class, or gender, in keeping with both Brad's idea of socially acceptable conduct for someone pursuing a political career, & the need to avoid reprising his role as jilted lover.

I must like angst since one of the lines that I like the most is Brad's passive-agressive, "What if I don’t want you to choose me?" Still, I must like happy endings too because the line that makes me happiest is Nate's take-charge, I am taking prisoners, answer, "Too fucking bad – the decision's already been made."

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

Yes, what you said! *laughs* I'm very glad you liked the story, thanks!

[romanticalgirl.livejournal.com]

You know I love this, and not just because it starts with PRIME me-level angst. Mostly I love that their misunderstandings are so stupid and boy-like, but so real all the same. Brad's so convinced that Nate couldn't choose him over all the other things Brad *thinks* Nate should want and have and get that he entirely misses the fact that none of those things actually *matter* if he can't have Brad to share them with.

::hearts them::

[alethialia.livejournal.com]

not just because it starts with PRIME me-level angst.

::snorts::

Brad's so convinced that Nate couldn't choose him over all the other things Brad *thinks* Nate should want and have and get that he entirely misses the fact that none of those things actually *matter* if he can't have Brad to share them with.

YES! That.

[alethialia.livejournal.com]

I had opened this earlier in the day, so I read the original version. And then I reloaded the page and read the reordered version. ::hearts madly::

His head is swimming where moments before his only thoughts were 'beer' and 'more needed'.

Heh. Hehehehehe!

The way their daughter clutches at their waists, red patent leather Mary Janes firmly planted on her parents' feet.

OMG SO CUTE! (Yes, I pick out the kid. No idea what's wrong with me.)

Brad narrows his eyes. "Excuse me if I thought you wouldn't want me around fucking up the future career of the next President of the United States."

::sniffs:: Yeah, that.

Brad stares. Knows he's staring, but can't help it. There's something in his stomach, a sinking sensation followed by this indescribable warmth. It's what happens to him when he gets to do water recon. When he gets to do something he loves, understands. When things seem to fall into place.

I melted a little.

"I choose you," he says roughly. "You're just going to have to deal with it."

And badass!Nate appears! LOVE.

"Sir, I'm appalled -- are you insinuating that the Marine Corps makes mistakes?"

AHAHAHAHAHA!

"I'm just making conversation, unless you really want everyone in the lobby to hear about my plans to tie you to the bed and rim your ass until you're sobbing for me to fuck you into the mattress."

...ummm, yes, please.

For A.

::hearts you::

I do so love this. As you know. And I very much liked Brad's voice. Brad can be FUN. I mean, maybe less so when he's being a stupid boy...but maybe even then. And when he's being punchy, he's pretty much the best thing ever.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

I had opened this earlier in the day, so I read the original version. And then I reloaded the page and read the reordered version. ::hearts madly::

LOL. It was posted and then I was reading a comment someone left, and my brain was glancing at the story, like, wait, move this here -- which I do all the time. Add a sentence here or there. Change the wording. Expand one thing or another. But I can honestly say this is the first time after I wrote something that my brain went completely 'reorder the puzzle like this.' Normally I do that with physical things, not so much with my stories.

OMG SO CUTE! (Yes, I pick out the kid. No idea what's wrong with me.)

Do your ovaries twinge too?

I do so love this. As you know. And I very much liked Brad's voice. Brad can be FUN. I mean, maybe less so when he's being a stupid boy...but maybe even then. And when he's being punchy, he's pretty much the best thing ever.

I like Brad. We need to play more. I mean, we play plenty, but this... yeah, we gotta collaborate more.

[sparky77.livejournal.com]

They make me so happy sometimes it's a bit scary. This just makes me smile so much.

And also want to consider Brad as First Husband. What would the secret service code name for him be? How would the secret service deal with him? Could the world handle that much awesome in the white house?

[alethialia.livejournal.com]

Iceman, baybee. Of course, they like to have the same first letters of codenames for all family members, so Nate would need to be something starting with an 'i'...

The Service would fucking LOVE him. He'd know what the hell they were considering/talking about/dealing with. He'd be the easiest protectee ever.

[puckling.livejournal.com]

You know, I really enjoyed this when you posted the link to the comment fic version, and it only made me happier seeing the extended/polished version.

"I choose you," he says roughly. "You're just going to have to deal with it."

\o/

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[persian-freak.livejournal.com]

Ahhhhh... that was so good!
It was so cute!
And that is just sooo Brad; making decisions for Nate because he thinks it's better for him...

Thank you so much for sharing :D

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

Thank you for reading and commenting!

[mlyn.livejournal.com]

I seem to have a weakness for an argumentative, physical Nate who wants what he wants, and gets it. *sits down carefully*

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

Bitchy, angry Nate is hot. It's okay to succumb, really.

[joans23.livejournal.com]

"No," Brad says, taking a step back. There's no shame in tactical retreat. Oh, you made my heart just break for them. Brilliant writing!

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

Thanks!

[engenda.livejournal.com]

I really enjoyed this. The angst and doubt was really well done. It's nice to see Brad suffering doubt. Or you know, suffering. He does it so prettily.

I like Nate having strength, sometimes he's portrayed as very...I don't know, less maybe? But he went through BRC too. So he's not wuss.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

Nate is many things... a pussy is not one of them. He may have less surface tension shall we call it, but he will totally kick somebody's ass. I think forgetting that is a mistake.

[tikiaceae.livejournal.com]

two perfectly harmless Marine Corps killers in suits sans ties.

I heart this so much and I don't even know why. Brad and Nate in suits... just awesome. \o/

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

Thank you!

[iwwfw.livejournal.com]

I'd say practice makes perfect, but I see no fault in your Brad voice. This aches beautifully and I love that we get Brad's physical response as much as his internal conflict. It's subtle and restrained and colors the fic. Well done.

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad that you enjoyed reading this, thank you!

[atticlibrarian.livejournal.com]

*sigh*

I have a nice warm and gooey feeling inside now. :D

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

YAY!

[dragondie.livejournal.com]

Oh boys, they are just so well suited to each other! <3

[hackthis.livejournal.com]

I agree.