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no_true_pairTitle: In the Dark
Fandom: Masters of the Air
Characters: Gale Cleven & Curtis Biddick but implied love triangle between Gale/Curtis/John
Rating: Gen
Content Notes/Warning: Spoilers for ep2
Word Count: 783
Prompt: March 30, Gale Cleven and Curtis Biddick with the title "In the Dark"
He should have known something was up when Buck didn’t want to come out drinking with the rest of the guys. He left Curt to deal with Egan all on his own, and that was fine except Curt clearly wasn’t going to get any sleep that night. He guessed that’s why Buck avoided the whole thing.
He walked back with John when the light from the morning light was just starting to peek through the clouds. Thorpe Abbotts glowed in with dark gray blue light. He made sure John made it into bed. At least the guy would be able to catch an hour or two.
Curt went back outside to enjoy the last bit of darkness. He loved moments like this, when a base constantly buzzing with energy was, if not quiet, at least subdued.
“Curt,” He heard a voice hail him from the dark shadows behind the building.
“‘Lo?” Curt called back.
It was Buck. He slowly made his way over to sit next to Curt.
“You’re up early,” he said.
“More like I never went to sleep,” Curt admitted.
“Ah,” Buck hummed as he picked at a blade of grass. “You guys have a good night then?”
“Yeah, it was okay. I think Egan’s hurting, though. He got real hammered.”
Buck nodded and looked out into the distance.
“He needed me to punch him.”
That made Buck snort, although it might not have been from amusement.
“Sounds like him,” Buck said quietly.
Sometimes he was so hard to read. Such a contrast from Bucky, who always put everything out there with his words and with his body language. That man was terrible at keeping a secret. Which is why his infatuation with Buck was not a secret to Curt, even if Bucky never explicitly said it.
“Do you need anything?” Buck asked as he bumped a shoulder into Curt.
Curt thought about being truthful for a moment. He wondered what Buck would say to him if he told him what he was really thinking. Of how he was so worried about Bucky, but he didn’t know how to help. How he wanted to reach out and <>touch, but Bucky was never going to ask and Curt was never going to offer.
Buck didn’t seem like the fighting-unprovoked type, but some things were better left unsaid. He shouldn’t forget that Buck out-ranked him, and he also shouldn’t forget that Buck cared more for John than just about anyone. Curt would do well not to get in the middle of them. He decided to choose his words carefully.
“There are things I want that ‘m not gonna get.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure.”
Curt looked over to see Buck quietly watching him. He’d reached out his hand and put it on Curt’s knee. He gave it a squeeze, but then didn’t move it.
“Sometimes we have to comfort each other. No shame in that,” Buck whispered with his gaze on his own hand.
Curt swallowed.
“Is that what you tell John?” Curt couldn’t help but blurt out. He was feeling protective of Bucky, and like he shouldn’t take advantage of the situation when Bucky would undoubtedly be angry with him.
Buck shook his head. “John doesn’t… he says he’s not interested in my comfort.”
That gave Curt pause. He thought he had them all figured out. It’s always the quiet ones, Curt thought. Of course Buck would be better at keeping secrets.
“Then you’re dumber than you look,” Curt said with a huff of laughter.
“Hey now,” Buck said as he withdrew his hand from Curt’s leg.
“John’s crazy about you, Buck. He’s not just gonna be able to do something casual with you,” Curt continued, annoyed. Buck must be trying to bury his head in the sand about the whole thing and that would not be fair to John.
Buck sighed. “You don’t know that.”
Curt rolled his eyes. “Sure I don’t. Anyway, you’re gonna make him jealous being out here with me. Is that what you want?”
Buck had the decency to look affronted as he spoke through gritted teeth.
“I’m not trying to use you, Curt.”
Curt shook his head, and blew out a breath. He was pushing Buck too hard.
“We’re all a mess,” Curt groused. “You wanna just hold me until the sun comes up?”
“Sure, Curt,” Buck agreed easily, his voice gentler again. He put an arm around Curt’s shoulder. He was warm and solid next to him. Curt laid his head on Buck’s shoulder, and breathed him in. He didn’t smell like John, but being close to Buck almost felt like being close to John too. Curt would take what he could get.
Fandom: Masters of the Air
Characters: Gale Cleven & Curtis Biddick but implied love triangle between Gale/Curtis/John
Rating: Gen
Content Notes/Warning: Spoilers for ep2
Word Count: 783
Prompt: March 30, Gale Cleven and Curtis Biddick with the title "In the Dark"
He should have known something was up when Buck didn’t want to come out drinking with the rest of the guys. He left Curt to deal with Egan all on his own, and that was fine except Curt clearly wasn’t going to get any sleep that night. He guessed that’s why Buck avoided the whole thing.
He walked back with John when the light from the morning light was just starting to peek through the clouds. Thorpe Abbotts glowed in with dark gray blue light. He made sure John made it into bed. At least the guy would be able to catch an hour or two.
Curt went back outside to enjoy the last bit of darkness. He loved moments like this, when a base constantly buzzing with energy was, if not quiet, at least subdued.
“Curt,” He heard a voice hail him from the dark shadows behind the building.
“‘Lo?” Curt called back.
It was Buck. He slowly made his way over to sit next to Curt.
“You’re up early,” he said.
“More like I never went to sleep,” Curt admitted.
“Ah,” Buck hummed as he picked at a blade of grass. “You guys have a good night then?”
“Yeah, it was okay. I think Egan’s hurting, though. He got real hammered.”
Buck nodded and looked out into the distance.
“He needed me to punch him.”
That made Buck snort, although it might not have been from amusement.
“Sounds like him,” Buck said quietly.
Sometimes he was so hard to read. Such a contrast from Bucky, who always put everything out there with his words and with his body language. That man was terrible at keeping a secret. Which is why his infatuation with Buck was not a secret to Curt, even if Bucky never explicitly said it.
“Do you need anything?” Buck asked as he bumped a shoulder into Curt.
Curt thought about being truthful for a moment. He wondered what Buck would say to him if he told him what he was really thinking. Of how he was so worried about Bucky, but he didn’t know how to help. How he wanted to reach out and <>touch, but Bucky was never going to ask and Curt was never going to offer.
Buck didn’t seem like the fighting-unprovoked type, but some things were better left unsaid. He shouldn’t forget that Buck out-ranked him, and he also shouldn’t forget that Buck cared more for John than just about anyone. Curt would do well not to get in the middle of them. He decided to choose his words carefully.
“There are things I want that ‘m not gonna get.”
“Oh, I wouldn’t be so sure.”
Curt looked over to see Buck quietly watching him. He’d reached out his hand and put it on Curt’s knee. He gave it a squeeze, but then didn’t move it.
“Sometimes we have to comfort each other. No shame in that,” Buck whispered with his gaze on his own hand.
Curt swallowed.
“Is that what you tell John?” Curt couldn’t help but blurt out. He was feeling protective of Bucky, and like he shouldn’t take advantage of the situation when Bucky would undoubtedly be angry with him.
Buck shook his head. “John doesn’t… he says he’s not interested in my comfort.”
That gave Curt pause. He thought he had them all figured out. It’s always the quiet ones, Curt thought. Of course Buck would be better at keeping secrets.
“Then you’re dumber than you look,” Curt said with a huff of laughter.
“Hey now,” Buck said as he withdrew his hand from Curt’s leg.
“John’s crazy about you, Buck. He’s not just gonna be able to do something casual with you,” Curt continued, annoyed. Buck must be trying to bury his head in the sand about the whole thing and that would not be fair to John.
Buck sighed. “You don’t know that.”
Curt rolled his eyes. “Sure I don’t. Anyway, you’re gonna make him jealous being out here with me. Is that what you want?”
Buck had the decency to look affronted as he spoke through gritted teeth.
“I’m not trying to use you, Curt.”
Curt shook his head, and blew out a breath. He was pushing Buck too hard.
“We’re all a mess,” Curt groused. “You wanna just hold me until the sun comes up?”
“Sure, Curt,” Buck agreed easily, his voice gentler again. He put an arm around Curt’s shoulder. He was warm and solid next to him. Curt laid his head on Buck’s shoulder, and breathed him in. He didn’t smell like John, but being close to Buck almost felt like being close to John too. Curt would take what he could get.