End (White Pine Original Ficiton)
Jan. 2nd, 2021 06:43 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
asphaltcowgrrlAnother 100-in-100 fic. This prompt was end. I’m not sure how many more of these I’m going to do, so bear with me.
Travis leaned back in his chair and scratched at the stubble growing along his chin. He read the last two paragraphs for the sixth time and sighed. “It’s not right,” he muttered.
“What’s not right,” Ethan asked, sliding into the spare chair and rolling it over beside Travis. He rested his hand on the back of his husband’s neck, thumb rubbing absently through the thick, dark curls.
“This,” he said, waving a hand at the computer screen. “All of this.”
Ethan leaned in and read what was on the screen, realizing why Travis was so upset over his work in progress. Or rather what looked to be his finished novel. For the last six months, he’d been working on what was to be the last novel with the detective that had gotten him his first book deal. The series that had eventually made him famous.
Travis had a hard time letting go. Fictional characters were no different than real ones to him, especially when they were ones he’d created himself. The ones who had kept him company on those long, lonely nights he’d spent here, in his cabin, before Ethan had found his way into his life. Sometimes, Ethan worried that his fictional world was more real than his actual life.
“I think it’s amazing,” Ethan said, meaning it. He’d loved Travis’ novels long before they’d ever met and now, after getting to know their creator, he loved them even more. Loved Travis even more. “It’s a fitting way to send him off into the unknown.”
“You think so,” Travis asked, looking up at Ethan, pain and worry in his eyes.
“I know so,” Ethan said, cupping Travis’ face in his hand. “You’re an amazing writer and we both know you do this to yourself every time you finish a book.”
Travis reached up and gripped Ethan’s wrist, giving it a squeeze. “I know, and usually I’m fine in a day or two. But this time’s different.”
“Because it’s the last,” Ethan said.
“Because it’s the end,” Travis confirmed.
“I don’t know if this helps or not,” Ethan said, drawing Travis closer, rubbing his nose against Murphy’s. “But once you’ve sent this off to your editor, you can start on that series of erotic romances you were talking about.”
Travis snorted. “You only want me to start those so we can research together.” He made air quotes when he said the word ‘research’. “Not that I’m opposed or anything but…”
Ethan grinned. “But the sooner you send that manuscript off, the sooner we can start that research.”
“Wait, where’s the send button,” Travis laughed. Shaking his head, he kissed Ethan. “Thank you.”
“For what,” he asked, giving Travis a chaste kiss in return.
“For continually talking me off ledges,” he said. “Even if it means you’re trying to talk me into bed.”
“Bed,” Ethan scoffed. “Who mentioned bed? I was thinking right here on the office floor.”
Travis laughed loudly. “God, I love you. Give me ten minutes to save this and send an email to my editor. I’ll meet you in the magic room.”
“Please,” Ethan begged. “Don’t ever refer to our bedroom that way.”
Chuckling, Travis waved Ethan off. “Get out of here so I can email this novel before I lose my nerve.”
“Ten minutes,” Ethan said, giving him one last, quick kiss.
“Ten minutes,” Travis echoed. Once Ethan was out of the room, he sighed and glared at the computer screen. “Do it now, Murphy, before you chicken the hell out.”
Clicking the send button, he said a little prayer. It was in his editor’s hands now.
Travis leaned back in his chair and scratched at the stubble growing along his chin. He read the last two paragraphs for the sixth time and sighed. “It’s not right,” he muttered.
“What’s not right,” Ethan asked, sliding into the spare chair and rolling it over beside Travis. He rested his hand on the back of his husband’s neck, thumb rubbing absently through the thick, dark curls.
“This,” he said, waving a hand at the computer screen. “All of this.”
Ethan leaned in and read what was on the screen, realizing why Travis was so upset over his work in progress. Or rather what looked to be his finished novel. For the last six months, he’d been working on what was to be the last novel with the detective that had gotten him his first book deal. The series that had eventually made him famous.
Travis had a hard time letting go. Fictional characters were no different than real ones to him, especially when they were ones he’d created himself. The ones who had kept him company on those long, lonely nights he’d spent here, in his cabin, before Ethan had found his way into his life. Sometimes, Ethan worried that his fictional world was more real than his actual life.
“I think it’s amazing,” Ethan said, meaning it. He’d loved Travis’ novels long before they’d ever met and now, after getting to know their creator, he loved them even more. Loved Travis even more. “It’s a fitting way to send him off into the unknown.”
“You think so,” Travis asked, looking up at Ethan, pain and worry in his eyes.
“I know so,” Ethan said, cupping Travis’ face in his hand. “You’re an amazing writer and we both know you do this to yourself every time you finish a book.”
Travis reached up and gripped Ethan’s wrist, giving it a squeeze. “I know, and usually I’m fine in a day or two. But this time’s different.”
“Because it’s the last,” Ethan said.
“Because it’s the end,” Travis confirmed.
“I don’t know if this helps or not,” Ethan said, drawing Travis closer, rubbing his nose against Murphy’s. “But once you’ve sent this off to your editor, you can start on that series of erotic romances you were talking about.”
Travis snorted. “You only want me to start those so we can research together.” He made air quotes when he said the word ‘research’. “Not that I’m opposed or anything but…”
Ethan grinned. “But the sooner you send that manuscript off, the sooner we can start that research.”
“Wait, where’s the send button,” Travis laughed. Shaking his head, he kissed Ethan. “Thank you.”
“For what,” he asked, giving Travis a chaste kiss in return.
“For continually talking me off ledges,” he said. “Even if it means you’re trying to talk me into bed.”
“Bed,” Ethan scoffed. “Who mentioned bed? I was thinking right here on the office floor.”
Travis laughed loudly. “God, I love you. Give me ten minutes to save this and send an email to my editor. I’ll meet you in the magic room.”
“Please,” Ethan begged. “Don’t ever refer to our bedroom that way.”
Chuckling, Travis waved Ethan off. “Get out of here so I can email this novel before I lose my nerve.”
“Ten minutes,” Ethan said, giving him one last, quick kiss.
“Ten minutes,” Travis echoed. Once Ethan was out of the room, he sighed and glared at the computer screen. “Do it now, Murphy, before you chicken the hell out.”
Clicking the send button, he said a little prayer. It was in his editor’s hands now.
