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rainbowfic2012-02-01 10:09 pm
bookblather) wrote in rainbowfic2012-02-01 10:09 pm
Lust 15, Rust 13: Old Kit Bag
Author: Kat
Title: Old Kit Bag
Story: In The Heart
Colors: Lust 15 (dress up), rust 13 (old uniform) with Sara's paint-by-numbers (Nathan finds his, stirring memories.).
Supplies and Materials: Canvas, brush (heyday), oils (I will remember), stain (I tend to live in the past because most of my life is there. - Herb Caen).
Word Count: 1551.
Rating: PG for brief sexy talk.
Summary: Gail and Nathan pack up his apartment and talk about memories.
Warnings: none.
Notes: You know the song. Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag...
"How do you have so much stuff?" Gail asked, tying her hair back as she spoke. "I've lived in the city my whole life and I don't have this much stuff."
"Probably because you’ve lived in the city your whole life," Nathan replied absently, surveying the messy apartment with his hands on his hips and a certain resignation. "Aaron's responsible for his own room, so we don't have to worry about that."
She laughed. "It's a start," she said, and then added, "I can't wait until Ivy's old enough to be responsible for her own packing. Finding out which toys I was and wasn't allowed to box up was a battle and a half."
Nathan could imagine that. "Which ones did she keep?"
"All the dinosaurs," Gail said, "two plastic horses, and Roger the stuffed pig." She gave him a sidelong look. "I trust you won't throw the same kind of tantrum."
He smiled at her. "What, and risk losing my moving buddy? Not a chance." He slid an arm around her waist, pulled her snug against his side, and kissed her cheek. "Where should we start?"
For the next hour or so they were occupied packing up his personal library and the scattered miscellaneous souvenirs he'd picked up from years in the Navy. It wasn't terribly exciting, but having Gail around made the time pass faster; calling banter back and forth, or pausing on his way past her for a quick kiss or sneaky caress. She was just so easy to be around-- and all right, maybe that wasn't the kind of descriptor a woman dreamed of, but it meant a lot more to him than exciting. Marriage was hard enough work as it was. He was grateful for anything that made it easier. Besides, he liked that he knew her well enough to know what would make her laugh, what would make her sigh that exasperated, affectionate sigh, what would make her sigh and moan and clutch at his hair.
Gail was head and shoulders deep in the coat closet and ragging him about his boot collection when she stopped, suddenly, and said, "Hey, what's this?"
"Hmm?" Nathan finished taping his own box shut, wrote Books on the top, and went to bend over her shoulder. She'd unearthed a small trunk from beneath a heap of coats-- he and Aaron had a shortage of hangers and a dreadful habit of just dropping things on the floor-- and now pulled it out into the light. Dust lay over the top, and he experienced a sudden shiver in his midsection. "Oh... that was my father's. He brought it back from Vietnam." And when he died Nathan had gotten it-- he kept his father's old uniform in it, his old uniform, his wedding ring. Things he didn't want to throw away but didn't want to keep, things he hated to remember but refused to forget. "I haven't opened it in years."
"Really?" Gail ran her hands over it, dislodging the dust, sending a puff of motes to dance in the afternoon sunlight. "Why not?"
"It's..." He fell silent for a moment, trying to phrase it right. "There's memories in there that I don't like to revisit too often."
"Ah." She looked down at her hands and so did he-- so pale against the dark brown wood of the trunk, the silver of her engagement ring bright against the iron. One finger tapped restlessly for a moment before, without looking up, she asked, "Would you tell me about them?"
If anyone else had asked, he would have said no, but this was Gail, and he loved her, inside and out. She should have the same chance.
He didn't answer her aloud, but knelt beside her and flipped the latch up.
His wedding ring-- the first one, the one he'd never wear again-- was right on top, dull gold against the black of his uniform pants. He picked it up, held it in the palm of his hand. It felt heavy there. "I guess I don't have to explain this one."
"No." She was silent a moment, then asked, "Does it still hurt?"
Nathan shook his head. "A little, but it's more regret. I... was not the best husband I could have been." He closed his hand over the ring and looked up to smile ruefully into Gail's eyes. "I should not be telling you this right before you marry me."
"I'm not going to back out," Gail said. "It's going to take more than past mistakes to get rid of me."
He kissed her, warmly, then dropped his closed hand to his lap. "It's good to hear. And it wasn't all my fault. We just... we couldn't really talk to each other, Mel and I. I wasn’t surprised when she asked for a divorce."
"I know," she said, and when he looked at her with arched eyebrows, she elaborated, "Surprise divorces usually mean one or the other party was doing something underhanded. Or there was a lot of denial." She touched his shoulder gently, then slid her arm around him. "I don't see either in you. Never did."
Nathan pressed another kiss to her forehead. "Thank you. For everything you just said."
She reached out and stroked a finger over the uniform shirt still in the chest. "I think I know a way you could thank me. Is this your uniform?"
"Yes." He pulled that out too, and set it on the floor beside them. "I put it in there because... well, I miss the Navy. I know I'll never go back, and I don't know if I'd want to, but I miss it all the same."
"Hmm." Gail set her chin on his shoulder. "Is this your dress uniform?"
Nathan twisted to give her a Look, and then remembered she hadn't ever been in the military. "No. That is in a dress bag in my closet. You do not wrinkle your dress uniform or you will catch hell. This is just everyday shipboard uniform."
"Hmm," she said again. Her hand on his shoulder crept up to trace his ear. "You should wear it for me sometime. The dress uniform, I mean."
Ah. Hence the interest. "Should I?" he asked, just to tease her. "Why's that?"
"You know this teacher fetish you claim I gave you?" she asked, and he snorted, but nodded. "Right, well, I think I could very easily develop a fetish for men in uniform."
"I'll get right on that."
Gail smiled-- he heard it in her voice. "See that you do. What else is in here?"
Nathan, distracted, had to clear his throat and stare into the chest for a moment. "Ah. Right. Not much, really. A picture of Aaron when he was born--" Gail made a startled noise, and he added, "Just because I wasn't there, no other reason. Aaron I've never regretted."
"That did surprise me," she said, tracing his spine now. "I've seen how much you love him."
"He's my son," Nathan said, simply. "I've never regretted him. Anyway, there's my father's uniform too-- I was so broken up when he died I just wanted to put it away and not think about it. And my mother's copy of Firestarter." He touched the worn binding of the book, fought back a twinge of pain. "She loved Stephen King so much, and she never got to finish reading it. I hope there's a library in heaven."
"If there's no library in heaven," Gail said softly, "I don't want to go."
"Amen to that." He stared at the book and the uniform side by side, then sighed sharply and began putting things back in. "So that's it. I kept a few bad report cards and demerits in there for a while, but I took them out after they stopped hurting. That's not what this is for."
Her hand, which had gone on stroking up and down his back, came to rest between his shoulderblades. "No," she said, "I see that. This is... regrets."
He nodded, turned towards her, and slipped an arm around her waist. "Things I wish I'd done differently, yes." He managed a smile after a moment. "I'll try to make sure nothing of you ends up in here."
Gail snorted, and climbed into his lap. "Oh, don't worry, I won't let it. Besides..." She let her hand drift upwards, combing through his hair. "You're a better man for having lived through all of that. You'll always be a better man than you were yesterday." She leaned forward and dropped a quick kiss on his nose. "You're that kind of person. And I know you'll never... well, you may disappoint me, because you're human. But you won't make the same mistake twice."
"I appreciate the vote of confidence," Nathan said dryly, and indulged himself by copping a quick feel. "I appreciate everything about you, actually."
"Hmm," Gail said, and wriggled in his lap just a little, just enough to get his attention. "You know, we have two hours before we have to get the kids. I think we've packed enough for today, don't you?"
He laughed. "I think so, yes. Shall I go get my dress uniform?"
She smiled a smile that could only be called hungry. "I think that would be a good idea."
Title: Old Kit Bag
Story: In The Heart
Colors: Lust 15 (dress up), rust 13 (old uniform) with Sara's paint-by-numbers (Nathan finds his, stirring memories.).
Supplies and Materials: Canvas, brush (heyday), oils (I will remember), stain (I tend to live in the past because most of my life is there. - Herb Caen).
Word Count: 1551.
Rating: PG for brief sexy talk.
Summary: Gail and Nathan pack up his apartment and talk about memories.
Warnings: none.
Notes: You know the song. Pack up your troubles in your old kit bag...
"How do you have so much stuff?" Gail asked, tying her hair back as she spoke. "I've lived in the city my whole life and I don't have this much stuff."
"Probably because you’ve lived in the city your whole life," Nathan replied absently, surveying the messy apartment with his hands on his hips and a certain resignation. "Aaron's responsible for his own room, so we don't have to worry about that."
She laughed. "It's a start," she said, and then added, "I can't wait until Ivy's old enough to be responsible for her own packing. Finding out which toys I was and wasn't allowed to box up was a battle and a half."
Nathan could imagine that. "Which ones did she keep?"
"All the dinosaurs," Gail said, "two plastic horses, and Roger the stuffed pig." She gave him a sidelong look. "I trust you won't throw the same kind of tantrum."
He smiled at her. "What, and risk losing my moving buddy? Not a chance." He slid an arm around her waist, pulled her snug against his side, and kissed her cheek. "Where should we start?"
For the next hour or so they were occupied packing up his personal library and the scattered miscellaneous souvenirs he'd picked up from years in the Navy. It wasn't terribly exciting, but having Gail around made the time pass faster; calling banter back and forth, or pausing on his way past her for a quick kiss or sneaky caress. She was just so easy to be around-- and all right, maybe that wasn't the kind of descriptor a woman dreamed of, but it meant a lot more to him than exciting. Marriage was hard enough work as it was. He was grateful for anything that made it easier. Besides, he liked that he knew her well enough to know what would make her laugh, what would make her sigh that exasperated, affectionate sigh, what would make her sigh and moan and clutch at his hair.
Gail was head and shoulders deep in the coat closet and ragging him about his boot collection when she stopped, suddenly, and said, "Hey, what's this?"
"Hmm?" Nathan finished taping his own box shut, wrote Books on the top, and went to bend over her shoulder. She'd unearthed a small trunk from beneath a heap of coats-- he and Aaron had a shortage of hangers and a dreadful habit of just dropping things on the floor-- and now pulled it out into the light. Dust lay over the top, and he experienced a sudden shiver in his midsection. "Oh... that was my father's. He brought it back from Vietnam." And when he died Nathan had gotten it-- he kept his father's old uniform in it, his old uniform, his wedding ring. Things he didn't want to throw away but didn't want to keep, things he hated to remember but refused to forget. "I haven't opened it in years."
"Really?" Gail ran her hands over it, dislodging the dust, sending a puff of motes to dance in the afternoon sunlight. "Why not?"
"It's..." He fell silent for a moment, trying to phrase it right. "There's memories in there that I don't like to revisit too often."
"Ah." She looked down at her hands and so did he-- so pale against the dark brown wood of the trunk, the silver of her engagement ring bright against the iron. One finger tapped restlessly for a moment before, without looking up, she asked, "Would you tell me about them?"
If anyone else had asked, he would have said no, but this was Gail, and he loved her, inside and out. She should have the same chance.
He didn't answer her aloud, but knelt beside her and flipped the latch up.
His wedding ring-- the first one, the one he'd never wear again-- was right on top, dull gold against the black of his uniform pants. He picked it up, held it in the palm of his hand. It felt heavy there. "I guess I don't have to explain this one."
"No." She was silent a moment, then asked, "Does it still hurt?"
Nathan shook his head. "A little, but it's more regret. I... was not the best husband I could have been." He closed his hand over the ring and looked up to smile ruefully into Gail's eyes. "I should not be telling you this right before you marry me."
"I'm not going to back out," Gail said. "It's going to take more than past mistakes to get rid of me."
He kissed her, warmly, then dropped his closed hand to his lap. "It's good to hear. And it wasn't all my fault. We just... we couldn't really talk to each other, Mel and I. I wasn’t surprised when she asked for a divorce."
"I know," she said, and when he looked at her with arched eyebrows, she elaborated, "Surprise divorces usually mean one or the other party was doing something underhanded. Or there was a lot of denial." She touched his shoulder gently, then slid her arm around him. "I don't see either in you. Never did."
Nathan pressed another kiss to her forehead. "Thank you. For everything you just said."
She reached out and stroked a finger over the uniform shirt still in the chest. "I think I know a way you could thank me. Is this your uniform?"
"Yes." He pulled that out too, and set it on the floor beside them. "I put it in there because... well, I miss the Navy. I know I'll never go back, and I don't know if I'd want to, but I miss it all the same."
"Hmm." Gail set her chin on his shoulder. "Is this your dress uniform?"
Nathan twisted to give her a Look, and then remembered she hadn't ever been in the military. "No. That is in a dress bag in my closet. You do not wrinkle your dress uniform or you will catch hell. This is just everyday shipboard uniform."
"Hmm," she said again. Her hand on his shoulder crept up to trace his ear. "You should wear it for me sometime. The dress uniform, I mean."
Ah. Hence the interest. "Should I?" he asked, just to tease her. "Why's that?"
"You know this teacher fetish you claim I gave you?" she asked, and he snorted, but nodded. "Right, well, I think I could very easily develop a fetish for men in uniform."
"I'll get right on that."
Gail smiled-- he heard it in her voice. "See that you do. What else is in here?"
Nathan, distracted, had to clear his throat and stare into the chest for a moment. "Ah. Right. Not much, really. A picture of Aaron when he was born--" Gail made a startled noise, and he added, "Just because I wasn't there, no other reason. Aaron I've never regretted."
"That did surprise me," she said, tracing his spine now. "I've seen how much you love him."
"He's my son," Nathan said, simply. "I've never regretted him. Anyway, there's my father's uniform too-- I was so broken up when he died I just wanted to put it away and not think about it. And my mother's copy of Firestarter." He touched the worn binding of the book, fought back a twinge of pain. "She loved Stephen King so much, and she never got to finish reading it. I hope there's a library in heaven."
"If there's no library in heaven," Gail said softly, "I don't want to go."
"Amen to that." He stared at the book and the uniform side by side, then sighed sharply and began putting things back in. "So that's it. I kept a few bad report cards and demerits in there for a while, but I took them out after they stopped hurting. That's not what this is for."
Her hand, which had gone on stroking up and down his back, came to rest between his shoulderblades. "No," she said, "I see that. This is... regrets."
He nodded, turned towards her, and slipped an arm around her waist. "Things I wish I'd done differently, yes." He managed a smile after a moment. "I'll try to make sure nothing of you ends up in here."
Gail snorted, and climbed into his lap. "Oh, don't worry, I won't let it. Besides..." She let her hand drift upwards, combing through his hair. "You're a better man for having lived through all of that. You'll always be a better man than you were yesterday." She leaned forward and dropped a quick kiss on his nose. "You're that kind of person. And I know you'll never... well, you may disappoint me, because you're human. But you won't make the same mistake twice."
"I appreciate the vote of confidence," Nathan said dryly, and indulged himself by copping a quick feel. "I appreciate everything about you, actually."
"Hmm," Gail said, and wriggled in his lap just a little, just enough to get his attention. "You know, we have two hours before we have to get the kids. I think we've packed enough for today, don't you?"
He laughed. "I think so, yes. Shall I go get my dress uniform?"
She smiled a smile that could only be called hungry. "I think that would be a good idea."
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Nathan and Gail are so wonderful and sweet. <3 This is a heartwarming piece, but it's also sad. Very well done!
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Thank you!
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Thank you!
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Made me d'aww. And dinosaurs! I approve of the wee one's tastes.
And the conversation her parents have after. It's so sweet and moving and still full of chuckles. I like this family a lot. I like how they interact and I look forward to more.
Mm. Uniform fetish.
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Aww, thank you. There's lots of Nathan and Gail, don't worry.
(ikr? Who can blame her?)