Fic: Overcome, Day Three

[emilyfairy.livejournal.com]

Okay... Day Three of our insane Survivor adventure is about to start, so c'mon in and get comfortable. :) We will be taking turns posting all of Day Three here in the comments, so keep checking back while we write more...

It's like a fic in real time. *g*





Overcome

By emilyfairy and kalimyre

Rating: R

Pairing: Possibly Ryan/Colin, but so far it's gen with a hint of preslash flirting :D

Summary: Ryan and Colin on Survivor. No, really.

Day One | Day Two




Colin wakes up in the early morning, blinking and groggy and cold. Ryan is gone, and Colin can't help the little swoop of disappointment that lodges itself in his stomach as he looks as the slight sag in the mat that Ryan has left behind. He hugs himself close, wishing that his arms were Ryan's arms instead.

Water drops onto his side, rolling down his back and his chest, and Colin thinks to himself, That's odd. He wonders if the tent is leaking. But he doesn't hear the sound of rain or even thunder. All he knows is that he's wet, and now he'll never get warm unless he can make it to the fire...

And then Ryan is laughing from above him, and Colin turns. Ryan is wet and dripping from his morning swim in the river, and what an appealing vision he makes. For a moment Colin almost thinks he's still dreaming. Ryan's golden curls are dark with water, and for the first time Colin notices how long his hair is getting. It spills over his forehead, making him look younger somehow. And then there's Ryan's skin, tanned and glowing and... beautiful... Colin gulps, and tries to push that last thought away, but it doesn't want to leave.

Ryan smirks at him, and Colin realizes that he is now soaked through almost to the skin. "Couldn't you at least grab a towel?" he asks.

"They were all out at the courtesy desk," Ryan replies.

Colin laughs. He loves how easily they pick up the threads of old conversations. It's always been that way with Ryan and him. "Is anyone else awake yet?"

"No. I think they're all sleeping in. We probably won't have much to do today, because the other team will be at Tribal Council tonight, and everybody will be focusing on them."

"Good," says Colin. "Maybe all of the cameras will go bother them, and leave us alone."

"I don't think it works that way," Ryan says, and in one quick motion he rolls back in to join Colin.

Colin sighs as he settles against Ryan, their arms tangling together. Ryan's skin is cool and a little clammy next to his, and Colin feels him shivering a bit. He bites his lip. Ryan is usually the protector, the one who makes Colin feel better, and even though Colin knows that he is over six feet tall, and a grown man besides, he likes having someone around to take care of him.

He decides that he wants to be that for Ryan too, if he needs it. Ryan's lips are blue on the edges, and his teeth chatter, and Colin thinks that this time, he definitely needs it. He pulls Ryan into his arms, cradling Ryan against his chest. "Mmm," Ryan murmurs, curling into a ball so he'll fit.

Colin stares at the top of Ryan's head, and then rests his chin there. Ryan's hair leaves a wet patch on his shirt, but he doesn't mind. He rubs Ryan's arms, his back, his sides... Anywhere he can reach. Trying to give some of his warmth back to Ryan. Ryan's shivers slowly subside, and Colin lets the pride spread all over his body. He did that. He helped Ryan.

"You know what this means?" Ryan asks after a few minutes of silent cuddling. He pops up his head, so he can see Colin's face.

"What?"

"We can work some more on our fort," Ryan replies, grinning broadly.






Now I will turn it over to Kalimyre! :D Feel free to comment as we go along.

Emily :)

Comments

[emilyfairy.livejournal.com]

Oh, yay! A new friend. :) I like Shannon. And she and Gina totally think that Ry-N-Col should get together, which makes them extra cool. *g*

...

"So much for our relaxing day off," Ryan grumbles as they pick their way through the trees.

Colin pats him reassuringly. "We can look for wood for our fort too," he says.

At the mention of their fort, Colin is rewarded with a smile from Ryan. "Yeah," he says. "What's more important anyway? A stupid fire, or an amazing tree fortress?"

"Nice to know where your priorities lie," Colin says dryly, but he's trying not to smile and Ryan knows it.

Ryan shrugs, but he doesn't look sorry, and Colin's happy to let their conversation go.

They amble through the woods together side by side, sometimes holding hands, sometimes not. Sometimes Ryan looks over at Colin, and Colin wonders what he's thinking behind that smile. Colin thinks he would love to find out, someday. Or maybe he already knows.

Ryan points out a brightly colored bird, singing high above them. Colin picks a few berries, ones that Matt has deemed safe, and feeds them to Ryan one by one, his fingers lingering against Ryan's lips for a few moments. The stack of firewood in their arms grows higher and higher, and Colin even spies several logs that might be nice to have for their fort.

It doesn't occur to Colin until almost half an hour later that he and Ryan haven't said a word. And yet, he feels closer to Ryan than ever. He wonders how that's possible. Maybe sometimes, words just get in the way, clouding what's really there, unspoken underneath it all.

Then footsteps crash through the brush, breaking their connection. "Well, well," a voice says. "Look who I found, way out here. It's the twins."

Dave steps into view, grinning broadly. But Colin doesn't trust that grin.

...

Sorry! I *had* to get you back! :)

Emily :)

[foureyedsnail.livejournal.com]

*bounces on edge of chair eagerly and refreshes page every three seconds*

Ohhhhh, I should be doing HOMEWORK, gahhhhhhhhh. Distraction! Distraction! Excitement! Wheeeeeeeeeeeeeee!

[emilyfairy.livejournal.com]

I know, I want more too. LOL. But we have to wait, 'cause it's Kalimyre's turn now... And she might be sleeping by now for all we know. *shrugs* You just never know when the next part of the story will turn up. But that's half the fun, I guess. :)

Emily :)

[kalimyre.livejournal.com]

You! When you least expect it, you hear me? Be afraid, be very afraid. *g* Also, yay for Colin feeding Ryan the berries; he's really getting into the whole teasing, flirting thing, isn't he?

...

Ryan takes a step forward, placing himself between Colin and Dave. Colin frowns and moves up until he is at Ryan's side, their arms brushing together. "Hi," he says, trying for a pleasant tone.

"What are you two up to?" Dave asks, rocking back on his heels, still with that wide, toothy smile.

Ryan looks deliberately at their armfuls of dry branches. "We're getting firewood," he says after a pause. "What are you doing?"

"Oh, you know," Dave says, twirling one hand. "Checking things out. Decided to be team players, huh?"

Colin sighs and shifts, the branches growing heavy in his arms. He dumps them on the ground and dusts bits of bark and dirt from his shirt, trying to make the motion brusque and efficient, rather than the nervous fidgeting it wants to be. Ryan follows suit and then throws an arm around Colin's shoulders in a gesture that tries to be casual and friendly, but misses the mark.

"We're all in the same tribe," Colin says.

"Uh huh, sure, we are," Dave agrees, nodding rapidly. "But I thought you guys were, you know, like the gruesome twosome or something. Joined at the hip, right?"

Colin thinks Ryan might edge away at that remark, but his friend surprises him by squeezing even closer, drawing to his full height and looking narrowly down at Dave. "We're friends," Ryan says flatly. "Difficult concept for you?"

Colin sighs, but he should have known, really. This is what Ryan does; he gets defensive, protective, he makes cutting remarks thinly disguised as jokes. This is how Ryan copes with problems, and Colin isn't so sure he can judge, not when his own approach is to become quiet and bland and agreeable.

"Friends," Dave echoes, and there's something very odd about his eyes. They are flat and blank, unblinking. Colin wonders if he's somehow on something, way out here in the jungle. It doesn't seem possible, but who knows? It's not like the crew did a cavity search before turning them loose.

"We're here to play the game," Colin says quietly, as if he can calm the other man by being as cool and soothing as possible. "Same as you."

"Oh yes, of course," Dave says, nodding again. "Playing the game. Isn't that what we're doing? I mean, how do I know your whole gay thing isn't some head trick, huh? Maybe that's your secret, maybe you're playing at it to throw people off, maybe they won't vote against you because it's not PC, right? Nobody wants to be the bigot, the bad guy, the asshole who hates for no reason, right?"

Colin blinks, a little dazed at the rapid tumble of words. "I think Eric might disagree with that," he points out.

(Cut for length. Again. I have no self control.)

[kalimyre.livejournal.com]

(And continued)

"That's just his angle," Dave says, waving a finger in a dramatic sweep. "Thats his thing, his hook. I've got him figured. And Matt, he's easy, and Gina, she wants people to like her so she's nice to everyone, says what they want to hear, Shannon follows her like a puppy, the others, they're not competition. But you two... what's your hook? Hmm?"

Ryan smiles, showing his teeth. "Wouldn't you like to know?"

For the first time, Dave's fixed grin wavers and his blank eyes are aware, calculating and intelligent, but it's fast, barely a second and he's back to bouncing on his heels and giving them the empty stare. "I'll find out," he says. "I always find out." He nods sharply, one last time, and then turns and heads off through the trees at a jog, rapidly moving out of sight.

Ryan leaves his arm around Colin for a little longer than is strictly needed after Dave leaves, but Colin doesn't mind. Dave makes him nervous, and not in the same way that Eric and Matt do. Those two, he understands; it's not pretty but it is, at least, familiar. Dave is an unstable element, unpredictable and therefore dangerous.

"Wow," Ryan says after a long stretch of quiet.

"Yeah." Colin turns into Ryan's side a little, resting his cheek against Ryan's shoulder, and his friend needs no more encouragement to wrap both arms around him. Colin sighs, closing his eyes, and he feels Ryan's chest rise and fall against his, Ryan's heartbeat fast and strong, slowing gradually to a steady thump, barely perceptible.

"Maybe we should vote him off first," Ryan says, and Colin smiles. He loves the way Ryan's voice rumbles in his chest, the way he can feel it when they're close like this.

"I don't know. If we get rid of Eric, then Matt doesn't have his buddy anymore. We should break them up first."

Ryan nods, his chin brushing the side of Colin's head, bristly against his skin. "That's probably what they're thinking about us, you know."

Colin squeezes his arms a little tighter around Ryan's waist and says nothing. He knows. He just hopes it doesn't happen.

...

Damn thing is trying to get angsty on me again. So, do you think Dave is on something? I haven't quite decided.

[emilyfairy.livejournal.com]

Wow... you're really getting into this, aren't you? Your parts just keep getting longer and longer. LOL. :)

I just posted a new part! :D

Emily :)

[krzcowzgomoo.livejournal.com]

yo uknow whats creepy....Dave reminds myself of well, meself. I figure stuff out like that all the time...and am often considered creepy...hee x)

[kalimyre.livejournal.com]

Dave is still kind of a wild card, I think. He could go either way, and that makes him more fun. ^_^