![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
ajremixTitle: Loss in Triptych
Fandom: DCU
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1332
Characters: Ronny, Booster, Ted
Summary: Ronny wants company, Booster isn’t jealous and Ted thinks about the things he misses.
It started with almost pure intentions. Ronny liked going out for a drink, the problem was he was a social drinker and considering who his teammates were, that drastically narrowed down his drinking-buddy options. He also thought Ted worked way too hard and way too much for someone that was a good drinking buddy, narrowed options or not, so at least that part was purely intentioned.
It took some pestering to get Ted to go out. Not just pestering Ted himself, but Nathan and Maxima because annoying those two meant they passed him off to the first person they saw (or knew where to find) and given Maxima’s interest in Will that meant Ronny had a 50-50 chance of being dropped off on Ted. And if Ronny was really ambitious with his pestering, Nathan would tell Ted to get Ronny out of the base for a bit (because apparently Ronny needed a chaperone, but whatever- it got him what he wanted).
Ronny did enjoy Ted’s company, drinking or not. He was smart- probably smarter than Professor Stein was -but he wasn’t anything like the brainy, responsible types Ronny knew. Ted was funny and sarcastic and once they were away from base he was up for just about anything Ronny suggested. Which was great because what Ronny wanted was to push Ted against a wall and just touch him all over- for reason he couldn’t really articulate, if he were to be honest.
Maybe it was the way that Ted talked to him- not as a kid who didn’t know what he was doing or as if Ronny was less of a man because he was a model or thought because he overcame leukemia, he couldn’t take care of himself. Instead he just laughed, slapping Ronny on the back, trying to get him to snort beer out of his nose with bad jokes and never held it over Ronny’s head when he drank a little bit more than he should’ve.
Ted was strong and dependable and Ronny would bet his mouth would be as hot and pliable as the arm he’d steady around Ronny’s waist and his hands as carelessly sure around his dick as they were draped on his shoulder.
All Ronny needed was another drink or two to steel up his nerves, to reach out and slide a hand up Ted’s thigh, to lean in and feel Ted’s breath against his lips before Ronny closed the distance and let everything else happen...
~*~*~*~
Booster absolutely and emphatically did not stay anywhere where he could look at the monitors set up around the base’s perimeter. He certainly didn’t stay up until all hours of the night, waiting for the telltale sign of a car coming into the mountain and the security confirmed that it was Ted driving. Just as assuredly, Booster did not watch the cameras hawkishly as the car stopped and Ted clamored out a little unsteadily and pulled a far less steady Ronny out of the back. His jaw didn’t clench at the sight of Ronny practically draped across Ted to be carried down the hall and his fists didn’t tremble as he fought the nonexistent urge to zoom in to make sure Ronny was keeping his lips to himself.
Booster wasn’t doing any of this, but that didn’t mean he was blind. Not like Ted was, apparently. Honestly, how could he not see the way Ronny was throwing himself at him? If he were any more blatant, he’d be humping Ted’s leg!
Not unless Ted did know. Did he? Could he? No- Ted was notoriously bad at noticing when someone was coming on to him. He never realized when Bea flirted with him and Booster had to straight out tell Ted he about his own attempts and Ted still missed it half the time. So unless Ronny said something, Ted wouldn’t realize it.
But if Ronny said something... what then? What would Ted do? Was he saying it now when he was pressing his nose just under Ted’s ear, lips forming words that the camera couldn’t pick up? Or when he stroked a hand across Ted’s stomach in a poor attempt at needing to hang on to something? Or when he tangled their legs together, tripping Ted into a wall with Ronny pressed up tight against him, an intoxicated grin too uncomfortably close to Ted’s lips as they parted to say something that could’ve been ‘careful’ or ‘yes’-
Booster didn’t stand at the monitors, counting heartbeats and breaths and seconds between the time Ted and Ronny disappeared into Ronny’s room to the moment Ted came out alone. Just like he didn’t let out a relieved breath, just three seconds away from heartbroken, every time Ted reappeared. He didn’t feel angry and frustrated and humiliated those nights, waiting for Ted to return to their room and fall asleep.
Those nights the only thing Booster actually didn’t do even though he really wanted to was hold Ted tightly and say how much he didn’t want to loose him.
~*~*~*~
In the morning, Ted really needed to talk to Nathan about Ronny’s drinking. Okay- so Ted told himself that every night they went out and the next day was always inevitably filled with one crisis after another and really, Ted himself was in a better position to actually do something about it, but Nathan should know. Probably.
But... if he were honest with himself, Ted liked going out with Ronny. He liked going out with Ronny because it reminded him of going out with Booster and that was something Ted missed sorely. Drinking, talking about nothing, forgetting about their responsibilities until the sun was beginning to rise again. It wasn’t fair to Ronny that Ted was using him like that. That whenever they hung out, Ted couldn’t stop remembering times spent with Booster, going from one bar to the next, leaning on each other as they staggered back home, then falling into bed with hands and mouths on skin. It wasn’t fair to Ronny or Booster, but Ted couldn’t help himself. Ronny was persuasive when he wanted to be and, well, Ted didn’t take much persuading to do certain things.
But there were certain other things Ted wouldn’t do at all.
He let Ronny hang off of him, pressing against him and Ted missed having another body against his own. It was nice and comforting and not at all like the armor Booster was stuck in. But no matter how much Ted liked the feel of heat and skin, of a weight in his arms and someone’s pulse counterpoint to his own, every time Ronny tried to kiss him, Ted pulled back.
He smiled benevolently at Ronny, pushing his shoulders down until he lay in bed and told Ronny he was too drunk to be fooling around and he wouldn’t remember it in the morning anyway. Ronny would scowl and fight, but Ted just kept him in bed, massaging his fingers against Ronny’s scalp until he fell asleep.
Ted never mentioned those moments to anyone. It would only mortify Ronny for either acting that way or getting turned down and it would only hurt Booster that Ronny tried to kiss him when Booster couldn’t. Booster was already beginning to give up on getting out of that armor as it was, there was no need to give him possible idea that Ted might leave him for someone with an intact body.
So Ted kept that to himself and the guilt he felt for letting himself get distracted from what he needed to do now by memories of what he wanted to get back, Ted locked himself in his lab, even when all he wanted to do was curl up against Booster- armor or not -and sleep.
There would be time for that later, when Booster could live on his own again, when he was warm and flesh and they could remake all those wonderful, tortuous memories again. Until then, Ted’s needs could wait.
Fandom: DCU
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 1332
Characters: Ronny, Booster, Ted
Summary: Ronny wants company, Booster isn’t jealous and Ted thinks about the things he misses.
It started with almost pure intentions. Ronny liked going out for a drink, the problem was he was a social drinker and considering who his teammates were, that drastically narrowed down his drinking-buddy options. He also thought Ted worked way too hard and way too much for someone that was a good drinking buddy, narrowed options or not, so at least that part was purely intentioned.
It took some pestering to get Ted to go out. Not just pestering Ted himself, but Nathan and Maxima because annoying those two meant they passed him off to the first person they saw (or knew where to find) and given Maxima’s interest in Will that meant Ronny had a 50-50 chance of being dropped off on Ted. And if Ronny was really ambitious with his pestering, Nathan would tell Ted to get Ronny out of the base for a bit (because apparently Ronny needed a chaperone, but whatever- it got him what he wanted).
Ronny did enjoy Ted’s company, drinking or not. He was smart- probably smarter than Professor Stein was -but he wasn’t anything like the brainy, responsible types Ronny knew. Ted was funny and sarcastic and once they were away from base he was up for just about anything Ronny suggested. Which was great because what Ronny wanted was to push Ted against a wall and just touch him all over- for reason he couldn’t really articulate, if he were to be honest.
Maybe it was the way that Ted talked to him- not as a kid who didn’t know what he was doing or as if Ronny was less of a man because he was a model or thought because he overcame leukemia, he couldn’t take care of himself. Instead he just laughed, slapping Ronny on the back, trying to get him to snort beer out of his nose with bad jokes and never held it over Ronny’s head when he drank a little bit more than he should’ve.
Ted was strong and dependable and Ronny would bet his mouth would be as hot and pliable as the arm he’d steady around Ronny’s waist and his hands as carelessly sure around his dick as they were draped on his shoulder.
All Ronny needed was another drink or two to steel up his nerves, to reach out and slide a hand up Ted’s thigh, to lean in and feel Ted’s breath against his lips before Ronny closed the distance and let everything else happen...
~*~*~*~
Booster absolutely and emphatically did not stay anywhere where he could look at the monitors set up around the base’s perimeter. He certainly didn’t stay up until all hours of the night, waiting for the telltale sign of a car coming into the mountain and the security confirmed that it was Ted driving. Just as assuredly, Booster did not watch the cameras hawkishly as the car stopped and Ted clamored out a little unsteadily and pulled a far less steady Ronny out of the back. His jaw didn’t clench at the sight of Ronny practically draped across Ted to be carried down the hall and his fists didn’t tremble as he fought the nonexistent urge to zoom in to make sure Ronny was keeping his lips to himself.
Booster wasn’t doing any of this, but that didn’t mean he was blind. Not like Ted was, apparently. Honestly, how could he not see the way Ronny was throwing himself at him? If he were any more blatant, he’d be humping Ted’s leg!
Not unless Ted did know. Did he? Could he? No- Ted was notoriously bad at noticing when someone was coming on to him. He never realized when Bea flirted with him and Booster had to straight out tell Ted he about his own attempts and Ted still missed it half the time. So unless Ronny said something, Ted wouldn’t realize it.
But if Ronny said something... what then? What would Ted do? Was he saying it now when he was pressing his nose just under Ted’s ear, lips forming words that the camera couldn’t pick up? Or when he stroked a hand across Ted’s stomach in a poor attempt at needing to hang on to something? Or when he tangled their legs together, tripping Ted into a wall with Ronny pressed up tight against him, an intoxicated grin too uncomfortably close to Ted’s lips as they parted to say something that could’ve been ‘careful’ or ‘yes’-
Booster didn’t stand at the monitors, counting heartbeats and breaths and seconds between the time Ted and Ronny disappeared into Ronny’s room to the moment Ted came out alone. Just like he didn’t let out a relieved breath, just three seconds away from heartbroken, every time Ted reappeared. He didn’t feel angry and frustrated and humiliated those nights, waiting for Ted to return to their room and fall asleep.
Those nights the only thing Booster actually didn’t do even though he really wanted to was hold Ted tightly and say how much he didn’t want to loose him.
~*~*~*~
In the morning, Ted really needed to talk to Nathan about Ronny’s drinking. Okay- so Ted told himself that every night they went out and the next day was always inevitably filled with one crisis after another and really, Ted himself was in a better position to actually do something about it, but Nathan should know. Probably.
But... if he were honest with himself, Ted liked going out with Ronny. He liked going out with Ronny because it reminded him of going out with Booster and that was something Ted missed sorely. Drinking, talking about nothing, forgetting about their responsibilities until the sun was beginning to rise again. It wasn’t fair to Ronny that Ted was using him like that. That whenever they hung out, Ted couldn’t stop remembering times spent with Booster, going from one bar to the next, leaning on each other as they staggered back home, then falling into bed with hands and mouths on skin. It wasn’t fair to Ronny or Booster, but Ted couldn’t help himself. Ronny was persuasive when he wanted to be and, well, Ted didn’t take much persuading to do certain things.
But there were certain other things Ted wouldn’t do at all.
He let Ronny hang off of him, pressing against him and Ted missed having another body against his own. It was nice and comforting and not at all like the armor Booster was stuck in. But no matter how much Ted liked the feel of heat and skin, of a weight in his arms and someone’s pulse counterpoint to his own, every time Ronny tried to kiss him, Ted pulled back.
He smiled benevolently at Ronny, pushing his shoulders down until he lay in bed and told Ronny he was too drunk to be fooling around and he wouldn’t remember it in the morning anyway. Ronny would scowl and fight, but Ted just kept him in bed, massaging his fingers against Ronny’s scalp until he fell asleep.
Ted never mentioned those moments to anyone. It would only mortify Ronny for either acting that way or getting turned down and it would only hurt Booster that Ronny tried to kiss him when Booster couldn’t. Booster was already beginning to give up on getting out of that armor as it was, there was no need to give him possible idea that Ted might leave him for someone with an intact body.
So Ted kept that to himself and the guilt he felt for letting himself get distracted from what he needed to do now by memories of what he wanted to get back, Ted locked himself in his lab, even when all he wanted to do was curl up against Booster- armor or not -and sleep.
There would be time for that later, when Booster could live on his own again, when he was warm and flesh and they could remake all those wonderful, tortuous memories again. Until then, Ted’s needs could wait.
