InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "No wai!"

Recon (reconstruct_you) wrote in x_aftermath_x,
@ 2008-10-01 01:16:00

Entry tags:

recon, sentient

Who: Recon; tag Sentient
When: Tuesday, October 14, 2008
Where: Outside Mansion
What: The life and times of the Healer and the Animator
Status: In Progress
Rating: PG

"That was when I knew I wanted to be a doctor. I wanted to know that even without my mutation, I would always have the power to help others through skill and knowledge. Plus, I would be working side-by-side with geniuses on a regular basis, which is another reason why I couldn’t pass it up, not to mention going to medical school for free. I'm happy here, I just…I don’t know. I just always feel like I could be happier you know."

Josiah had accompanied Conlan on his guard shift up in one of the make-shift towers. Joe sat with his back against the railing as Sentient stood a few feet from him facing towards the wooded area. Joe’s knees were hiked up near his chest as he fiddled with a dead leaf that was delivered to him by the breeze. The sun had set a few hours ago and the temperature was dropping at a steady pace making the wood beneath them dewy and the smell of dead leaves more pungent.

Their conversation had no limits; from family to friends, aspirations to failures, nothing seemed to escape their growing hunger to learn more about each other. It was like not seeing your best friend for twenty years and then boom, they’re here. They were spending more time together, more than they both had realized. The animator saw less of his recently infected brother and Joe saw less of the lab, almost to the point that his work suffered neglect. But time out of the dungeon proved beneficial to the young doctor, his mood improved exponentially.

“What about you? Are you happy here?” Joe asked while gazing upward toward the clouds that had drifted apart just enough to see a few stars peaking through.

-Recon

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sentient_
2008-10-01 04:18 am UTC (link)

There hadn't been as much of a need for their guard shifts and 'round the clock' security in the past few months. But no one at the X-Mansion was ready to take their guard down. Pockets of Darkseekers still lurked in the shadows and now a much different threat(?) seemed to be taking shape. The number of people being infected with the Upir Virus was growing and the effect this new strain of the 'cure virus' would have on the landscape of the new world was yet unseen. Lucky it seemed, partially thanks to the Professor, the new government was treating the mutant population well. Not that they had much of a choice as mutants now accounted for much larger chunk of the population. There were always rebels of course, like Magneto, but surprisingly (to Conlan) he was still behaving like a guest here at Xavier's. Maybe he knew something Sentient and the others didn't. But none of these thoughts were very pressing at the moment to Conny... they were pushed to the back of his mind like the broken figs to the back of his junk drawer, he was now focused almost completely on Joe.

Happy, of course he was happy here, he wasn't dead. But he knew that's not what Joe was getting at. "Before this place, I lived in the orphanage." Conlan was fifteen when Moria had showed up to take him away from the (kind but strict) nuns at St. Peters'. "Yeah, I love it here. I get to be with the brother I didn't know I had, and go to school. Even be on a superhero team." Conlan didn't consider himself a hero in any sense of the word. He'd grown up idolizing heroes like Batman and Superman, so to even be on a team like the X-Men was a huge honor for him. He thought about his brother for a moment. Conlan was still getting used to this 'new' Ronan that had returned to them a week ago. Those infected with the Upir Virus were all having some trouble fitting back in. But Conlan feared for Ronan the most. He wasn't exactly the most likable guy before the mission. But like the rest of his unpleasant thoughts, he forced those of his brother on the back burner.

"Hey Joe, thanks for coming out here with me." He'd said it already but he wanted to remind the healer how much it meant to him. It wasn't just because he could help pass the time, Conlan loved being around Joe. It just felt like he could be himself with Joe, which wasn't really clear to him, because he didn't think he was being someone else around other people. It was a complicated situation to Conlan. Sentient shifted his weight from foot to foot, he wanted to sit next to Joe but he knew he should stand and watch the forest. Hell, there were other people on towers tonight, what could happen? Conlan moved and sat down next to Recon. He tapped his chest twice and smiled. "Still tickin'," he referred to the watch that now rested in the breast pocket of his jacket. "I don't think I'm gonna fix it. Keeping it runnin' doesn't take that much thought. Just a little... It's just like I'm always thinkin' of you a little." Conlan turned beet red at the sentiment. 'Crap, that sounded stupid' he thought as he tried to avoid eye contact with Joe as if the healer wouldn't pick up on his embarrassment.

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reconstruct_you
2008-10-01 06:24 pm UTC (link)

"I couldn't imagine growing up in an orphanage. I was fortunate enough to have both of my parents growing up, although my brother seemed to get more of the attention. You're a lot stronger than me, that's for sure," he replied with an empathetic tone.

Conlan didn't seem to get the credit he deserved when it came to the hardships he endured early in life. A lot of the others, even ones with one parent had it made compared him. It was a godsend that his brother happened to be here. The mansion seemed to attract a good amount of the broken home kind, but it had a positive effect on the relationships within.

"Oh it's no problem," he replied to Sentient's thank you.

"I'm glad we could have the time to talk. It's kind of a pain in the ass trying to get any privacy around here. It's pretty sad that the only way you can get any is by being outside and practically in a tree."

When Conlan sat next to him, it was closer than two friends would sit but with still a little space left. Josiah wasn't sure if he felt warmer because they were now sharing body heat, or if it was from the sincere mentioning of the watch. Either way Joe smiled and noticed the blush that fell over Conny's face. Joe scooted a slight notch closer, small enough that only he would notice.

"You always struck me as the type who appreciated the smaller things in life, not materialistic but more majestic. I just think it's fun to imagine novel-size stories around certain antiques, like an Indiana Jones film or something. Now the story continues, but with you. Indiana Jones and the Lost Watch of New York, sounds real doesn't it?" Joe laughed.

-Recon

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sentient_
2008-10-05 08:16 pm UTC (link)

"It wasn't that bad," Conlan said in response to Joe's comment about the orphanage. He'd heard worse stories about orphanage life than his. "Squeaky wheel gets the grease." Conlan remembered Joe had mentioned his brother had gotten into trouble a lot.

"I know, it's like 'The Village' and shit out here." It was sad they had to go to this length to be alone, but the mansion was pretty crowded as of late. Plus, no one seemed to be able to stay out of each other's business. Everyone was probably just bored; nine months of cabin fever was probably to blame.

"Yeah, but instead of Nazis, it'll be flesh eating zombies. Oh, don't say that too loud, George Lucas is already working on it." Conlan couldn't help but laugh at his own joke. He unintentionally leaned into Joe as he laughed, he hadn't realized how close he was sitting to the healer. Conlan wasn't in any hurry to move off of Joe's shoulder.

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reconstruct_you
2008-10-07 02:00 am UTC (link)

It was like Zap came by and gave him a jolt. Conlan leaning into him gave the doctor a startling yet warm feeling in an instant. ‘Where is this going?’ ‘Are we becoming more than friends?’ The usual inner dialogue tried to make sense of the body language, but for once Joe tried to turn it off. He wasn’t able to do that with a lot of people, but Conny made him feel comfortable with his decisions. It was a laid back attitude that he wished he had more often.

“You’ve got a paper cut...”

What a lame excuse to hold his hand, but with that said Joe grasped Conlan’s hand and the small cut disappeared. Josiah didn’t let go and the amount of breath visible in the cold air increased. Joe stretched his legs out and with pure spontaneity, he turned his head and planted his lips on Conlan’s. His lips were cold, but hopefully his reaction wouldn’t be.

-Recon

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sentient_
2008-10-08 11:01 am UTC (link)

Yes, Conlan had a paper cut. But he could hardly care when his heart was racing like this. Sometime in the past few moments, their closeness had sunken in and Sentient had realized that something was going to happen between them. He thanked God when Joe took his hand. He hadn't even had to initiate - whoa. And then they were kissing. And saints preserve him, if it didn't feel good. He leaned into Joe's touch and angled his head in order to prolong the kiss. His newly-healed hand squeezed around Joe's, and his free hand moved to rest on the doctor's thigh, where his fingers grasped lightly at a handful of his jeans. The warmth of him ran through Sentient's slender frame and he decided that he didn't want the kiss to end. Conlan drew back for a moment (at least long enough to mutter "Jesus, Joe"). So the guy was an Atheist...

Before the animator had a chance to press his lips to Recon's again, he made the mistake of looking Joe right in the eye. In a hurried, spastic fashion, he added "I love you." Feck. Well he did, didn't he? Either way...

Conlan moved his shoulder, then returned his lips to where he wanted them most. On Joe.

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reconstruct_you
2008-10-09 03:55 am UTC (link)

Joe had an intense decision to make; either continue kissing this beautiful guy in front of him or unlock lips and react to what the Irishman had just said. Needless to say, he chose the latter and pulled his mouth away but remained face to face.

“I…..I….” He was at a complete loss for words. Did Conlan know what love entailed?

“Conlan, I don’t think you mean that,” he commented while pulling further away and putting his hands through his hair.

And out of pure insecurity and his typical over-sensitive-self, Joe continued with a frustrated demeanor.

“Conlan this isn’t some cartoon okay. Hearts aren’t going to pop in our eyes. This is real life. People get tricked, hurt, and lied to. People say one thing and mean another. They stay, then they leave when you least expect it.”

Joe became teary eyed. Love was a touchy topic, especially to someone that has been severely hurt in the past. He wasn’t expecting Conny to say something so extreme and it caught him off guard. It wasn’t like Recon to show his emotional side to someone he wasn’t already close to, so he was a bit embarrassed himself. He also realized the hurtful nature of what just came out of his mouth.

“I’m sorry, I have to go…” he said with haste and walked to the ladder. He muttered ’sorry’ again before climbing down the ladder and wiping tears from his face. Joe apparently had buttons and “Booger” apparently pushed one. Joe had already been romantically unsuccessful once at the mansion, and the idea of another venture was terrifying, but what Conlan didn't know was that he loved him too.

-Recon

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sentient_
2008-10-18 09:35 pm UTC (link)

When Joe pulled back, Conlan tensed - hard. He narrowed his gaze in the darkness with both concern and apprehension. By Joe's first words, he was rather confused, and found himself stuttering a contradiction. Of course he meant it! But Recon was already moving on.

What? Is that how Joe thought he saw the world? Like some dumb kid? He knew full well they weren't in a bloody cartoon. He knew all about real life - too well. Before he realized what was happening, the doctor was excusing himself and Conlan didn't protest. He blinked with hurt and confusion as the other man retreated down the ladder. Subconsciously, his limbs pulled themselves inward and he held his legs to him with his slender arms, temporarily forgoing his duties to the school and concentrating on holding himself together. Against everything he thought he should've been feeling or doing, he began to cry.

His head craned down to rest atop his knees and he attempted to figure out what had just happened between himself and his long-time crush. Joe had kissed him, right? Yes, of course. Then why had he rejected him that way? The harsh words the doctor had spoken to him still echoed through his brain. "Cartoon," "real life," "people say,"... So he hadn't been raised in a proper home... so he hadn't ever fucked around...

Why did Joe think that meant he was some childish orphan who didn't know what love was? Apparently, the older man was the person who needed things explained to him. And it wasn't going to be Conlan. He didn't even know if he could look Joe in the face again...

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