marginalia: xiao zhan looking through movie camera (i am sure he is in the fleet)
yiling matriarch ([personal profile] marginalia) wrote2004-04-22 01:38 am

ficlet: salve. maturin/pullings

[salve] - maturin/pullings
wee birthday fic for [livejournal.com profile] kiltsandlollies. double drabble. there is no excuse for how late this is. no real spoilers, since we all know tom has a scar. and now the notes are longer than the story.


When Tom smiled, his eyes were bright, sparkling like Jack's. When he laughed, they disappeared almost completely, crinkling, his whole face alight. But when they went black and piercing, that was when Stephen had to step back, loosen the cloth around his neck, and remind himself that it was merely the dilation of the pupils at work.

That was all. Not desire. Certainly not promise.

He watched Tom mature in the service, climbing the ranks on merit and sheer determination, fighting circumstances with patience. He matured in other ways as well, strength of both body and character, a strength not daunted by trauma, wound and fever at the tip of a Turkish cutlass. Stephen sewed the slash across Tom's face with more than his usual care, sat by night after night as Tom shivered and burned, brushed the damp hair from Tom's face, and watched until the fever broke.

Daily, Stephen traced the angry wound with ointment, Tom's breath warm on his wrist. He feigned stoicism the evening when Tom reckoned he could dress it himself now and save the Doctor the bother.

Four hundred drops, and Stephen dreamed not of the sea nor of dark lashes and laughing eyes.

[identity profile] strawberryelfsp.livejournal.com 2004-04-22 06:01 am (UTC)(link)
the only thing better than stephen in doctor mode is stephen in doctor mode over a pretty, sweaty, feverish tom. scar omg. *bows down*

[identity profile] marginalia.livejournal.com 2004-04-22 10:48 pm (UTC)(link)
stay there, that's good, a little to the left

*ahem* i mean, thanks ;)

[identity profile] mellyflori.livejournal.com 2004-04-22 06:25 am (UTC)(link)
damn Jaci.. no fair killing me before coffee. *hearts*

[identity profile] marginalia.livejournal.com 2004-04-22 10:49 pm (UTC)(link)
dude. you are so not allowed to die. there are rules.

:)

[identity profile] kiltsandlollies.livejournal.com 2004-04-22 06:58 am (UTC)(link)
*ADORES*

That was so beautiful, and so sharp around the edges, just like Stephen, and soft in the center, just like Stephen.

Stephen sewed the slash across Tom's face with more than his usual care, sat by night after night as Tom shivered and burned, brushed the damp hair from Tom's face, and watched until the fever broke.

What a beautiful image. ♥

Four hundred drops, and Stephen dreamed not of the sea nor of dark lashes and laughing eyes.

Oh, ouch. And yet again so beautiful.

*loveslovesloves* Thank you. From me and from Tom. ♥♥♥

[identity profile] marginalia.livejournal.com 2004-04-22 10:51 pm (UTC)(link)
yay yay yay! am so glad you liked, even desperately late. and short :)

my favorite part is that the actions are canon, stephen all being fond of tom and treating him with special care. best. books. evah.

*beam* thank you, dear.
starfishchick: (Default)

[personal profile] starfishchick 2004-04-22 07:19 am (UTC)(link)
*adores*

This is beautiful, and tears my heart a bit.

Neck cloth! Feigned stoicism!

Oh, Stephen!

[identity profile] marginalia.livejournal.com 2004-04-22 10:52 pm (UTC)(link)
*patches up your heart* must write fluff, man, but stephen doesn't exactly make that easy. tricksy angsty doctors!

[identity profile] insidian.livejournal.com 2004-04-22 07:21 am (UTC)(link)
Wow. I love everything you do with Stephen, but especially how he rationalizes himself around his desires.

remind himself that it was merely the dilation of the pupils at work.

That's an utterly Stephen thing to do, as is the rest. Silent, devoted, tortured admiration is his M.O. and you've captured it exquisitely.

[identity profile] marginalia.livejournal.com 2004-04-22 11:22 pm (UTC)(link)
that is such a wonderful thing to hear anyway, but especially from someone much more familiar with the canon than i am. if that makes sense :) thank you!

[identity profile] bear.livejournal.com 2004-04-22 11:02 am (UTC)(link)
Oh. ::is breathless::

Lovely.

[identity profile] marginalia.livejournal.com 2004-04-22 11:22 pm (UTC)(link)
thank you!

[identity profile] dacro.livejournal.com 2004-04-22 11:42 am (UTC)(link)
Daily, Stephen traced the angry wound with ointment, Tom's breath warm on his wrist.

you and the images you create.
lovely.
*hugs*

[identity profile] marginalia.livejournal.com 2004-04-22 11:23 pm (UTC)(link)
aw, they're such nice boys, they create the images for me ;)

thank you!

[identity profile] dacro.livejournal.com 2004-04-22 11:29 pm (UTC)(link)
*nods*
yes, good boys.
:)

[identity profile] azewewish.livejournal.com 2004-04-23 03:09 pm (UTC)(link)
Eeeee!!

Pullings fic!! *wibbles*

[identity profile] marginalia.livejournal.com 2004-04-25 02:11 am (UTC)(link)
there should be more out there, i swear. thank you :)