Prisca's_Writing_Area

Title: First New Year's Eve together
Characters: Zeke Tyler, Casey Connor, Mr. and Mrs. Connor
Word Count: 1280
Rating: PG13
Prompts: champagne, sparkling, challenge, midnight
Finished: December 2017

:::

Casey never minded spending his holidays with his parents. He had never had many friends, and he loved his family. Wasn't it a part of any holiday to spend them together with people you loved?

Maybe this was why he wished this New Year's Eve would be over before it started. Lentil soup with his parents, though no one actually liked it, but his mother insisted that this was a tradition in her family since she could remember, and it was never a good idea to break with traditions. Then they would play Monopoly and watch 'Some Like it Hot', like every year. Again, tradition. Some moments before midnight, his father would open the champagne, only for himself and Casey's mom, of course. For Casey, it would be a mix of soda and apple juice. It had been like this since he had been a little boy, and sometimes he was afraid that his parents would never realize it, that he was grown up.

He was almost eighteen, and they still treated him like a toddler sometimes. So, how could he tell them that he would have preferred to spend New Year's Eve with his best friend this year? Zeke Tyler. The guy he had learned to love during the last months.

:::

Mrs. Connor eyed her son thoughtfully. He was a good boy, not as wild as many other boys his age. Spend a lot of time learning for school; the following year, he would graduate and move to college. Art school in New York or San Fransisco; only the best for him because he was very talented.

She knew letting him go would almost break her heart, but she was smart enough to know not to tell him. He had worked so hard for it, and it hadn't been easy for him during Highschool; he had never complained but had tried to hide the bruises from her. A good son. He deserved it to be happy.

„Can I help you with the lentil soup? “ Casey asked, dropping down on a chair beside her.

„No, thanks, it's almost ready.“ She turned to her son. „May I ask you something, Casey?“

His blue eyes sparkled, surprised. „Of course you can. What can I do for you?“

„Most of your friends are going to a party tonight. Wouldn't you like to go, too?“

„Ähm … no, not interested.“ Quickly, Casey turned his head away to avoid her questioning look. „I'm not a party boy, Mom, you know this, and to be honest, there are not many close friends I would like to spend New Year's Eve with. I prefer...“ He chuckled slightly. „... traditions.“

„It's nice to say that.“ Mrs. Connor smiled. „But it seems as if there is at least one guy who means a lot to you. You hang around often with Zeke lately.“

Casey couldn't hide his blushed cheeks. „Well, yeah. It's because ... we learn for school together. Zeke owns a high-tech computer, so much better than these lame PCs at the school's library.“

As always, Mrs. Connor noticed the sparkles in his eyes when he talked about this boy. Her motherly instinct told her there was more between these two than just learning for school. She wasn't sure if she liked this idea; she had always dreamed about a nice girl Casey would marry one day, maybe grandchildren. But, like Casey moving far away to college, she knew that she had to accept it when Casey had other dreams.

„Maybe you could invite him to spend New Year's Eve with us,“ she suggested.

Casey stared at her with wide-open eyes, his thoughts racing. Zeke in the comfy but old-fashioned living room of the Connor's, having lentil soup, playing Monopoly? Tradition or not, this was just too ridiculous. Or maybe not?

:::

„Are you sure that you want to do this?“ Casey looked nervous, and Zeke nodded. „You will hate it.“

„I don't know,“ Zeke admitted. „I hope not. You know about my family background. I've never had a family. Not like you. My parents think that you can buy all with money. As a child, I had everything I wanted; I spent my holidays at the most expensive resorts.

Every Christmas, I went to Disney Land with my nanny. I've never had family holidays, but I didn't miss anything. This life was quite normal for me. Until I met you. You show me a different world where love is more important than money.

It felt pretty scary at first; I wasn't sure if I could deal with so many feelings. But when I'm lying in your arms, I know that this is the only place where I want to be.“

When he noticed tears sparkling in Casey's eyes, he pulled him into his arms to kiss him gently. „I love you, Casey Daniel Connor, and it's about time to accept the challenge and to meet your parents. They are a part of your life, always will be, and if I want to spend my life with you, I will need to learn to love them, too.“

:::

Mr. Connor stepped to the window where his wife looked at the porch. The two boys were sitting on the stairs, chatting and laughing. It didn't happen often that Casey was so relaxed with others around.

As if she could read his mind, Mrs. Connor looked up. „He's a good boy.“

„Yeah, it seems as if he cares for Casey. I admit I was slightly worried when he started to hang around with him so often. His rep in town is not the best.“

Mrs. Connor smiled. „Well, we always tell Casey not to give much about gossip talk but to have a mind of his own, don't we?

I trust his instincts. Zeke might be a bit rebellious, but that's not a big surprise. I've heard about his childhood. Can you believe his parents went on a three-month cruise when he was barely three years old? Leaving him behind with an au pair, who was barely older than Casey is now?

It wasn't always easy for him, but he's grown up as a decent young guy. He will make his way."

„Hm. I just hope that he will never hurt Casey. Otherwise...“

„Oh, I'm sure there is no need to worry. He treats us with a lot of respect. And the way he looks at Casey when he thinks no one notices it talks volumes.“

„Hm. You think there is more between them than just learning for school?“

Mrs. Connor laughed slightly, watching Zeke putting his arm around Casey's shoulder; after a short hesitation, the boy leaned closer, whispering in the bigger boy's ear. „Well, I'm sure Casey will tell us when he thinks there is something we should know. Up to then, we can only wait and trust him.“

The old grandfather's clock, which Mrs. Conner had taken over from her grand-grandfather, suddenly started to strike. One, two, three... Mrs. Connor grabbed her husband's hand, pulling him away from the window. She did remember well enough their first New Year's Eve together: midnight, the end of the old year, and the beginning of a new one—a moment so full of hope, love, and dreams. The boys deserved some privacy.

„Happy New Year, Frank,“ she said and kissed him. Even after twenty years, she still felt the magic of this moment.

Title: Hidden History
Character: Daryl Dixon
Rating: PG13
Word Count: 1124
Prompt: The Walking Dead, any, shelter in an abandoned library.
Finished: September 2016

:::

Daryl tried to put on a stoic face while cleaning his crossbow alone in a corner. Why on earth had Rick decided to look for shelter in an abandoned library? The church vis-a-vis would have been just as good. A big stone building with solid wooden doors, the windows nailed up. But no, it was the library where they would spend the night in some degree safe and warm; after days on the road, they could finally find at least some rest.

Most of the group had already made themselves comfortable for the following hours. Glen and Maggie were sharing a blanket as ever; their heads put together. Carol rocked baby Judith in her arms, a book beside her. Rick and Carl had taken over the first shift of guard.

And Daryl? He had a hard time to keep breathing. The smell in the air, dust, and old books was so familiar that only the flavor of freshly baked biscuits was missing. He had never shown any interest in books; his childhood had been characterized by trying to get through the day without being beaten up by his father. His mother had never cared about it; all that she was interested in was how to get the next bottle of booze.

It was one of those days when he fled out of the house with Merle, his brother, three years older than him. A thunderstorm storm had raged, the streets had been empty. No place where they could go. Finally, they ended up in the village's old library.

The big hall was empty, beside a woman sitting behind the counter; she eyed them through her thick glasses and offered them to stay until the worst was over. With a smile, she put some cookies on an old plate and reached it over. Though Merle had looked annoyed, Daryl hadn't been able to resist.

Merle was the tough one; he had already learned that life didn't give you anything if you were unwilling to demand it. You had to fight to survive, and it was wiser to trust no one. He tried to teach his little brother this philosophy of life, but Daryl still dreamed of a better future. Fighting was not his cup of tea before he discovered crossbow archery. Soon enough, he was even better at it than his brother. This was the moment when Merle stopped to show any interest in him.

The library deepened the rift between them. Merle was not interested in books and the care of the librarian; he met with mistrust and rejection. For Daryl, though, it was like stepping into another world. He got a real chance for the first time in his life; the woman didn't only spoil him with homemade treats and warm milk, she taught him to love books. Encouraged him to learn as much as possible. Trusted and believed in him. Loved him, like a mother should love her child.

"One day, little Puck, the world will be yours. You are stronger than you think. As long as you don't give up your dreams, everything is possible."

She had always called him Little Puck.

...

Now, he was sitting in a library again, but the warmth and security he had once felt were long gone. The world had turned into a madhouse, making it impossible to hold on to his dreams. The reality had caught up with him when he killed the only person who had ever cared for him.

The library had been his refuge when the zombies took over the world, and he was left alone. His home was long gone, his mother died in the fire, caused by his drunken father. During the first days of the zombie apocalypse, the man had picked up a fight with the wrong person ... and died, too. Only to wake up again one hour later … as a zombie. All Daryl could feel was this irony: his father had always been a monster, so what had changed? Also Merle was gone, when the people started to realize that something was going wrong in the world, he got on his motorcycle and vanished without looking back.

The following weeks in the library probably were the best of his life. Outside ruled the chaos, but inside, it was only him and the librarian. He had promised to protect her with his bow when it was necessary. And he had failed. One night, the zombies overrun the building. She told him to hide somewhere in the backroom. When the excessive noise finally slowed down, he dared to come out again. He found her in the hall, scattered books around her, more dead than alive. She had sacrificed herself for him. Not able to talk anymore, but her eyes had told him what she begged him for.

'Bring it to an end. I don't want to come back as one of them.“

His hands hadn't even trembled when he grabbed for the bow; with a stony face, he had aimed at her; only a shot into her head would guarantee that her brain was destroyed forever. Later, he had buried her, together with his dreams, in the yard of the library.

...

"Pucky. What's going on?"

He startled out of his thoughts when he heard this name. Pucky. Little Puck. The librarian had been the only one who called him like that. Until now. Until he had met Rick and the others. Carol. She was still a warmhearted, caring woman despite everything she had to go through. He had felt attracted to her from the very first moment, maybe it was the shortcut gray hair, which reminded him of a woman he had loved so much, ages ago.

His hands clenched the crossbow even more. It would not happen again. He would protect her up to his last breath. Determined, he shook off his dark thoughts and got up.

„I guess I need to go for a blow. Maybe I can hunt down some rabbits.“

Title: I'm strong only together with you
Characters: Casey Connor, Zeke Tyler
Rating: PG13
Length: 1033 words
Prompts: together / angst
Finished: February 2017

Note: Crossover

:::

When Zeke opened the door to the apartment, he could hear the TV running. For a split second, he felt relief; he had learned to live with the always-existing danger of Casey's job without thinking too much about it, but it was always good to know that he was back in one piece.

„Hey, babe,“ he called, dropping his backpack on the kitchen counter before entering the living room.

Casey was sitting on the comfortable couch, knees up, with a blanket pulled over him. On the table, he had a bowl of popcorn and a glass of soda in front of him. The YouTube video flickering over the screen was about baby pandas and their mothers.

Oh, cute animals, it was that bad. Zeke cringed inwardly while he bent down and gently kissed Casey on the cheek. He knew well enough that he wouldn't endure more at the moment.

A weak smile sneaked on Casey's lips.
„Hey. I've missed you.“

„Me, too.“
Zeke dropped onto the couch beside him, putting an arm around his shoulder.
„You okay?“

Finally, Casey turned his head to face him; he was pale, with dark rims around his eyes. He hadn't slept much in the last few days.

„I will be,“ he murmured, resting his head on Zeke's shoulder.
„Now, where you are here. Just hold me for a minute.“

…

Half an hour later, in the bathroom, Zeke had convinced Casey that a hot bath and a massage might be a good idea before he had a light meal and then went to bed early.

„This okay,“ he asked while his hands kneaded Casey's stiff, tense muscles.
„Tell me when it hurts too much.“

„You can't hurt me,“ Casey murmured, his eyes closed.

„Do you wanna talk about it,“ Zeke asked, though he wasn't sure if he wanted to hear more. It always was hard to endure, and to think that Casey could only tell him bits of the truth had already caused him more than just one nightmare.

„I will never get used to it when children are involved in the case,“ was all Casey said.

Zeke swallowed. Pictures were crossing his mind. Horrible picture Casey had taken. Because this was his job as a member of a special force from the FBI. Profiler; they only got the cruelest cases where most others had already given up. For about two years, Casey had been working for them as a photographer.

Zeke hadn't been able to understand his decision at first.
„FBI,“ he had asked, feeling flabbergasted.
„You can't be serious.“

„What's wrong with it?“
Casey had huffed, annoyed.
„It's an important job. The BAU has been very successful for years already, and they want a good photographer on their team. I'm brilliant.“

„Jetting around the world from one murder to the other? Hunting psychopaths? That's not you!“

„So, what do you expect me to do? Jetting around the world for a traveling magazine? That I do photo shoots of celebrities?“
He had looked at Zeke with tears, begging for understanding.
„That's not me, Zeke. It would be a waste of my talent. I have the chance to make the world a bit better place. How can I say 'no' to that?“

And Zeke had pulled him into his arms and accepted that Casey had to do what he had to do. For two years, he was a part of the team. The team. Hotch, the team leader. Derek, a smart and funny guy. Rossi, he had taken Casey under his wings at first, like a father. J.J. The only one in the team with an ideal relationship; she even had a baby. Reid, the youngest, besides Casey. He had a brilliant mind, and he had three doctor's degrees. Or were it already four? Penelope Garcia. A computer genius, the good soul of the team. Casey loved her, and of course, she was as geeky as he was.

At first, Zeke felt some jealousy when he noticed that they welcomed Casey heartily as the new member of their selected company. He seemed to spend more time together with them than at home; there were secrets Casey would never share with him. And Zeke had felt left behind, alone, and afraid that he would lose Casey. Today he knew better; Casey's job hadn't come between them, it had brought them even closer together.

„I love everyone on the team,“ Casey had told him one day.
„We are family. Only when we stand together are we able to do this job? We can trust ourselves blindly. We know what the other is thinking even without words.“

He paused and chuckled slightly.
„Well, they are the profiler. I'm just the photographer. But I'm a part of the family and proud of it.

But, Zeke ...“

Slowly, he grabbed Zeke's hand and entwined their fingers.
„Without you, I wouldn't be able to do all this. You make me strong enough for every new case. You don't blame me when I have to leave in the middle of the night head over heels; you help me pack and drive me to the airport. You never complain because of missed anniversaries or canceled weekend trips. You even go to Herrington for my mother's birthday because I'm not around.

But knowing you will be there when I return home is the most important thing to me. It keeps me going, no matter how difficult the circumstances of the case are.

I know it's not always easy for you, and I can't thank you enough for not giving up.“

Zeke had pulled the face; too many emotions to deal with it.
„Shut up, geek boy,“ he had snarled.
"Just shut up."

Casey had smiled.
„I love you!“

…

Finally, Zeke ended the massage.
„Water is getting cold,“ he said.
„Get dressed. A salad with toast is already waiting for you in the kitchen. And then: bed. You need some sleep, at least 10 hours. I will take care of it that no one disturbs you.“