4 Drabbles in 4 Days

[Autumn Buckland]

Drabble - A short portion of a story referring to a well established character. The portion should be clear enough to follow by itself, yet also slot in if a full story should be written.

It Started With A Bump
Elliot and Horus' Tale

He was tall, smart, and perfect. And he'd known him all of his life.

His hands were there to hold when times got hard, and his arms felt warm and soothing when they came around his body snugly. His voice was soft and intriguing, his smile warm and honest.

And Horus loved him.

He was only ten years old but he was certain this was exactly what love felt like. When he fell, Elliot was there to hold him, and when he cried, Elliot was there to wipe his tears, and it had been this way since he was 2 years old. Elliot was an extension of him, the person who levelled him out and stopped him hurting himself. He couldn't remember a time when the boy hadn't been there to keep him safe, or cheer him up, and he didn't really want to.

It started with a bump, as it always did. Horus, ever the eager boy, had been showing an older, more mature Elliot how he could do a backflip when he ran just so. Elliot had protested, but the determination in the little blonde's eyes had resigned him to watching as he hurtled full speed at the wall, running up it and twisting in the air as though he were flying with invisible wings. He'd show his Elli how cool and awesome he was, he'd thought as his legs came up over his head, and he began the descent.

But then. Nothing.

Elliot had shouted as the boy had sagged like a sack of potatoes and bashed into the ground, his eyes closed, as peaceful as a sleepwalker. And though Elliot shook him, said Horus' name over and over, there was no response. Just quiet breathing and a content sort of smile as the blonde dreamed of things impossible to be real. And they'd stayed there, like that, for half an hour, before Horus' blue eyes opened, and he smiled, looking up into the older boy's concerned face with nothing but dreamy respect and adoration.

"I'm okay." He'd said, with his voice low and slightly timid, his cheeks tainted with pink.

And that was how Horus fell in love, aged 10 and a half.

[Autumn Buckland]

The Suitcase
Anya's Story

She'd packed every box she could. There were china cats delicately swaddled in bubble wrap and polystyrene chips. Teapots, baking equipment, books from all the famous English authors, dresses, shoes, even the jewellery in the safe, it was all boxed away neatly. A suitcase leant against the wall in the hallway, and as the removal men lifted each box, packing it away for its long journey, she'd hesitated.

All her hopes had been set on this place.

Her marriage, her dream man. Everything had been rushed but perfect. It had seemed like she would get her happily ever after, but then it had been shattered, like a dropped plate on a concrete floor.

Kirill had made sure of that the second he'd sold her to the press.

Lifting the suitcase and moving over to the taxi, she felt a slight shiver as she stepped over the threshold that one last time. She had been carried over it once, and now she carried a bag. Anya was broken but not defeated, she wouldn't let him defeat her like that. The taxi closed as she slipped inside the passenger seat, watching the last of her boxes disappear out of the house, and the door banged closed. From where she sat, she could swear he was standing there, watching with grim satisfaction as his wife gave up on their utterly destroyed marriage.

"Goodbye." She mouthed, as the taxi rolled away and took her away from the prison of a house she had once loved, now hated. She would no longer tolerate this insecurity and misery, and in fact, she thought bitterly, she wouldn't tolerate being isolated.

It was time to go back to the Institute.

[Autumn Buckland]

It's Chemistry
Vincent and Moe's Story

Summer was Moe's favourite time of year. The smell of fresh grass, the birds singing their hearts out, and the lush green leaves in the trees.

His hand was tight around another, and his cheeks were flushed and pink, as the heat sank into his skin and made his breath heavy. But he never let go of the arm beside him, instead looking up with those almond shaped eyes and breaking into an easy smile. There was nothing he liked more than being like this, walking through the park with the man of his dreams.

Vincent had taken a while to settle into Japan. At first, the boy had felt uneasy and strange in a sea of people so different to himself. But Misato had persisted, promised him that it would get easier. And it had. The pair of them had bought a well appointed house near the park, and furnished it just how the blonde had always dreamed. There was enough space in the attic for Vincent to practice with chemicals and develop his skills for the company, and Moe often sat, dreamily, at the desk in the small study, moving through swatches and colour charts.

This was the dream, and they were living it.

Breathily, Moe settled down on the grass and pulled Vincent down beside him, resting his head on his shoulder, then reaching forward to lift the precious bundle out the pram the taller man had been pushing.

"Hey Sulphie~" Moe murmured, brushing his hand over the baby's forehead, his lips curled into a smile. The boy had been a struggle, through egg donors and pleading with agencies, but now, with Vincent's proud grin across his face, and Moe tucked up with contentment all over his face, the pair of them looked so unbelievably happy.

"He's got y'smile." Vincent added with the grin doubling in size, tickling the baby's stomach fondly. Moe lifted the boy up and looked in his eyes, tilting his head.

"He's ours."

The couple shared a smile.

[Autumn Buckland]

Absolution
Gabriel Underwood and His Demise

Jake.
You have to listen to me. They've caught me and there's a fucking power supresser in the other room blocking me out. You have to tell the others to get the fuck out of the headquarters, and take Plan Z into action.

Yes. I know.

No. There's nothing you can do.

Carry on. I'll see if I can find a way to get out of this mess. You and Jesse are in charge. You'll know what to do. Anyway, my call is nearly up. I'll see you on the other side.

...

I love you too.

***

Gabriel liked to go out with a sense of irony.

The last meal he'd requested was a perfect mirror of the meal he'd eaten after his first successful mission. Eggs benedict, simple but delicious, and he found it just as satisfying as he finished it this time. This last time.

He wasn't afraid to die. There was nothing to fear, as far as he was concerned, nothing to worry about as he settled down on the bench, the equipment glaring at him defiantly as he looked up into the glass booth, where he could see various MSAD faces, in disguises, peering out at him.

He sighed calmly as the needle pushed under his arm, and he focused more clearly on the faces of his two lovers. He smirked confidently, and leant his head back.

"Any last words?" The voice behind him asked cooly.

"I have no regrets." Gabriel said defiantly, stubborn to the very end, as the poison went down into his blood stream. He began to count down in his head, as everything began to swim slightly. This wasn't so bad. He continued to smirk, as his eyes gradually lost focus, and his mind moved back to Jesse and Jake.

Gabriel Underwood's last thought was an unselfish one.

I hope they'll be okay.

His body went limp.

[Autumn Buckland]

Absolution, Version 2
Gabriel Underwood and His Demise(?)

Jake.
You have to listen to me. They've caught me and there's a fucking power supresser in the other room blocking me out. You have to tell the others to get the fuck out of the headquarters, and take Plan Z into action.

Yes. I know.

Open file 403 on the laptop. It's detailed, but if you follow it right, you might be able to help me a little bit.

Time's nearly up, but I love you, Jake. I love Jesse too.

I'll see you soon.

***

Gabriel Underwood was not afraid of Death.

Other inmates on death row marvelled at his calmness and collection as he leant back and listened to the various sounds of the prison around him.

What they didn't know was Gabriel wasn't afraid of Death because he wasn't going to die.

The past week had been a busy one for the MSAD members, as plan 403 was initiated. Reese and Lala had done quite a few kidnappings and Jesse had been altering memories so regularly that the man was exhausted, bags under his eyes. Even Max had a prime role in this plan, and the replacement concoction for the injection had been a difficult one to find, but he'd done it.

Gabriel lay down on the bench and stared up at the familiar face of one Jacob Lawrence, swathed in a white coat, hair under a medics cap. It was a minor struggle to keep his face neutral, but he did it. Even as the fake solution pushed into his veins and he declared his last words with conviction, his acting never faltered.

Max was waiting in the back room with a body bag, and even Fifi had found the irony in this very Romeo and Juliet situation, as she scowled and fidgeted in her pencil skirt.

Plan 403 - Successful.

***

A man held a newspaper to his face as he leant back in his maserati, reading the headline with a confident smirk.

"Meta Underworld Leader Dead." Stated the bold font.

The man scrumpled the newspaper up and tossed it in the bin. You could never trust the papers these days anyway.