Kayōbi: Words That We Couldn't Say

[sherlockian-syn.livejournal.com]

Welcome back, everyone. I’m sherlockian_syn and this week's themes are based on songs from one of my favorite animes, Cowboy Bebop. Today's prompt is Words That We Couldn't Say. Prompts can be anything involving words left unsaid - keeping secrets, said one thing but meant another, unable to apologize or forgive, etc. (Interpret it as you like.)

Just a few rules:
No more than five prompts in a row.
No more than three prompts in the same fandom.
Use the character's full names and fandom's full name for ease adding to the Lonely Prompts spreadsheet.
No spoilers in prompts for a month after airing, or use the spoiler cut option found here.
If your fill contains spoilers, warn and leave plenty of space, or use the spoiler cut.
If there are possible triggers in your story, please warn for them in the subject line!

Prompts should be formatted as follows: [Use the character's full names and fandom's full name]
Fandom, Character +/ Character, Prompt

Some examples to get the ball rolling...
+ Stargate Atlantis, Evan Lorne/any, Someday maybe we'll make it right / Until that day, long endless nights / We couldn't say them / So now we just pray them / Words that we couldn't say (The Seatbelts)
+ Marvel Cinematic Universe, Tony Stark/Steve Rogers, the things Tony wished he'd said to Steve before the Accords tore them apart
+ BBC Sherlock, Sherlock Holmes/John Watson, I'm dying here / 'Cause I can't say what I want to / I bleed my heart out just for you (Hot Chelle Rae)

We use AO3 to bookmark filled prompts. If you fill a prompt and post it to AO3 please add it to the Bite Sized Bits of Fic from 2018 collection. See further notes on this new option here.

Not feeling any of today’s prompts? Check out Lonely Prompts Spreadsheet 1 (not very current), Lonely Prompts Spreadsheet 2, or the Calendar Archives, or for more recent prompts, you can use LJ's advanced search options to find prompts to request and/or fill.

While the Lonely Prompts Spreadsheets and LJ's advanced search options are available, bookmarking the links of prompts you like might work better for searching for in the future.


tag=words

Comments

[drabblewriter.livejournal.com]

any, any/any, they never admitted they loved each other

[sherlockian-syn.livejournal.com]

Stargate Atlantis, Evan Lorne/any,

Someday maybe we'll make it right
Until that day, long endless nights
We couldn't say them
So now we just pray them
Words that we couldn't say
(The Seatbelts)

Fill: unrequited Evan/Carson, plus Rodney

[nagi-schwarz.livejournal.com]

“If you could see him again, what would you say?” Rodney asked.

He and Evan were sitting at the end of Carson’s favorite pier, fishing poles in hand, a bucket of bait beside them even though neither of them had had a bite, not one.

“I’d tell him how I felt,” Evan said.

Rodney had never anticipated that he’d end up the person who all the American military personnel came to when they wanted to talk about alternative lifestyles. He was proud of being Canadian, of being more open-minded, had always ribbed John for being a caveman and a backwards thinker. He wasn’t a particularly good listener.

But somehow he’d found himself listening to baby Marines angsting about their crushes on Ronon, talking seriously to Captain Vega about her plans to separate from service at the same time as her girlfriend, and now sitting on the pier with Evan, sharing homemade moonshine and fishing and listening to Evan unspool his feelings for one Carson Beckett, medical dictator, worry-wart, and precious friend.

Who was gone.

“Felt or feel?”

Evan took a deep breath. “Feel.”

“How do you feel about him?” Rodney was curious not because he really cared so much as - he’d never actually heard a soldier talk about feelings before. None besides anger and shouting and panic and obey me and whatnot.

“I love him,” Evan said softly.

Rodney was pretty sure he’d never heard anyone say it quite that bluntly. “Why?”

Evan shrugged. “Why do you ever love a person? You don’t choose it. One day you’re walking down the hallway, the next you see them out of the corner of your eye and something in their smile and the way they move their hands makes your heart skip a beat, and you’re in love. For months, maybe even years you’ve liked how gentle they are doing post-mission check-ups, how soothing their voice is when you’re in pain, and then one day you love them, love every bit of them, want to be near them the way you want to breathe air.”

“People don’t want to breathe air, they need to.”

“My point exactly.”

“What will you do, now that he’s gone and you can never tell him?”

“Pray,” Evan said quietly, “and hope he hears me, wherever he is.”

“That’s - sentimental. For a soldier.”

“I’m an airman, and it’s not like I’m unfeeling. I mean, obviously I joined the Air Force and the SGC because I don’t give a damn about anything.” Evan glanced at him sidelong. He looked more amused than annoyed.

“What if he came back?” Rodney asked. “Sometimes people come back, right? Like Jackson.”

“If he came back,” Evan said, “I’d tell him how I feel. Regs be damned.”

“Really?”

Evan nodded. “Yeah. He’s worth it. I gave him short shrift, by never telling him.”

And then Rodney found himself saying, “So - I think John - Sheppard, I mean - do you think he’d ever - d’you think he could ever think I’m worth it? Regs be damned.”

Evan said, “I think maybe he has told you, and you’re not quite listening.”

Rodney whipped around to face him. “What do you know?”

Evan smiled. “You’re not the only one people talk to.”

[sherlockian-syn.livejournal.com]

Marvel Cinematic Universe, Tony Stark/Steve Rogers, the things Tony wished he'd said to Steve before the Accords tore them apart

[sherlockian-syn.livejournal.com]

BBC Sherlock, Sherlock Holmes/John Watson,

I'm dying here
'Cause I can't say what I want to
I bleed my heart out just for you
(Hot Chelle Rae)

[sherlockian-syn.livejournal.com]

Stargate Atlantis, John Sheppard/Rodney McKay,

I'll make sure to keep my distance,
Say I love you when you're not listening,
How long, 'til we call this love, love, love
(Christina Perri)

[sherlockian-syn.livejournal.com]

Any, any/any, too late to apologize

[brumeier.livejournal.com]

Stargate Atlantis, John Sheppard/Nancy Sheppard,

I didn't say "I'm sorry babe, 'cause half the fault was mine"
I didn't say "We'll work it out, 'cause all we need is love and faith and time"
I said "If that's the way you want it, I won't stand in your way"
She's gone and now I'm hearing all the things I didn't say
(Dr. Hook & The Medicine Show)

[brumeier.livejournal.com]

Marvel Cinematic Universe, Any m/m, a lie of omission

[brumeier.livejournal.com]

Hawaii Five-0, Steve McGarrett/Danny Williams, unforgivable

[brumeier.livejournal.com]

Any, Any m/m, my heart won't tell my mind to tell my mouth what it should say (Alan Jackson)

[brumeier.livejournal.com]

Stargate Atlantis, John Sheppard/Rodney McKay, rumor has it

[nagi-schwarz.livejournal.com]

Marvel Cinematic Universe, Tony Stark +/ any, hard to say I’m sorry

Fill: Tony Stark + Steve Rogers (CA:CW without all the super bad stuff)

[brumeier.livejournal.com]

Thing was, Tony could bullshit with the best of them. If the occasion arose and filibustering was needed, Tony Stark was the man you wanted at the podium. He could talk about everything and nothing for hours on end, if he was properly lubricated with top shelf Scotch.

Being real was hard. Apologizing was nearly impossible.

It was easier for Tony to let grand gestures speak for him. He bought people houses, cars, gold watches. He made donations to their favorite causes, paid off their student loans, gave scholarships and jobs and full medical to their family members.

Sometimes he even saved the world.

If only Steve Rogers could be swayed by a gold watch. But everything Tony tried to do to show him how sorry he was for how things went down with the Accords was met with polite thanks and little else.

“Just talk to him,” Natasha said. “He doesn’t want things.”

“No, see, but there has to be something. The guy’s here fresh from the Great Depression and a war, he should be dazzled by all this luxury.”

“You’re an idiot,” Clint said helpfully.

Everyone else had accepted Tony’s apologies without making him say the words. They’d all come back to the Tower. But Steve was stubbornly living in an apartment in Brooklyn with the One-Armed Wonder. He could forgive the fucking Winter Soldier, who’d actively been trying to kill him, but Tony continued to get the cold shoulder.

So, he changed his focus. Aimed all the grand gestures at Bucky. Built him a new arm that would hurt him much less than Hydra’s torturous prosthetic. Found Bucky’s long-lost relatives. Cleared his name in every country that allowed it. And for his troubles he received a phone call.

“You’re trying too hard,” Bucky said, and hung up before Tony could say anything.

“You must go,” Thor said, clapping Tony on the shoulder hard enough to make him stumble. “Meet him man to man.”

Tony cursed everyone and their families going back generations, but even he had to admit defeat. America’s Boy Scout was above taking a bribe, no matter how big or how personal. And now Tony would have to haul himself to Brooklyn and use his actual real words. Where was a handy space rift when a guy needed one?

Steve’s building didn’t look like much from outside, but Tony was pleasantly surprised by how spacious the actual apartment was. Then again, Steve had been accruing a military paycheck the entirety of the time he was embedded in an iceberg.

“Tony,” Steve said coolly, letting him in. He was wearing sweatpants and a too-tight t-shirt, and his feet were bare.

“I, uh…”

Bucky, who’d been reclining on the couch with a book, rolled his eyes and got up. “I’m going to my room.”

Tony, feeling unexpectedly uncomfortable faced with Steve’s bare feet, cast around for something to say. “Nice place you boys have here. I could probably get the whole building for you for a steal. You wouldn’t have to worry about neighbors or –”

“Tony,” Steve said, giving him an expectant look.

“Okay. No more bullshit. Things were said, on both sides, and I wanted to say that I…I’m…You know, things aren’t the same at the Tower without you. Everyone misses you.”

Steve crossed his arms and waited.

“There’s a possibility I handled things wrong,” Tony admitted. “I was dealing with some issues and I should have shared them with the group instead of trying to fix it on my own. The last thing I wanted was to wreck everything and drive you away. But I think you’ll find that I –”

“Put him out of his misery, for crissakes!” Bucky shouted from the other room.

Steve wrapped his arms around Tony, hugging him tight, and Tony let out a relieved breath, hugging Steve back just as hard.

“Apology accepted,” Steve said. “And I’m sorry, too.”

“That’s good enough for me, Grandpa,” Tony replied jokingly, blinking moisture out of his eyes that absolutely was not tears. He really was getting sappy in his old age.

“Think you can stay for lunch without offering to buy the deli?” Steve asked, stepping back. He had a big grin on his face.

“Depends on lunch,” Tony replied, unable to stop smiling himself.

Looked like he was going to get the gang back together after all, no grand gestures needed.

[lynne-monstr.livejournal.com]

Leverage, Eliot Spencer/Parker/Alec Hardison, communicating without words

[lynne-monstr.livejournal.com]

Leverage, Eliot Spencer/Quinn, they speak with their fists

[lynne-monstr.livejournal.com]

Legends of Tomorrow, Mick Rory/Leonard Snart, "You're a hero to me" isn't what Mick meant to say

[lynne-monstr.livejournal.com]

Shadowhunters, Magnus Bane + Raphael Santiago, Raphael doesn't contact Magnus to say goodbye when he leaves New York

[brumeier.livejournal.com]

Any, any m/m, actions speak louder than words

[nagi-schwarz.livejournal.com]

MI5, Lucas North +/ any, Lie to me

Fill

[thesmallhobbit.livejournal.com]

“Good work, team,” Ros Myers said. “I know we’d have liked there to have been no casualties, but we did well. Get off home; we’ll fully debrief in the morning.”

Lucas studiously avoided looking at Ros and picked up his bag.

“You did well,” Ros said. “You saved at least one of the girls.”

“Thanks,” Lucas muttered.

“Are you okay?”

“Oh,” Lucas paused. “Yeah, just tired. You know, the downbeat after the adrenalin spike.”

“Yes. Well, sleep well.”

“Thanks, I will.”

The conditions the girls had been in had brought back too many memories, Lucas doubted he’d sleep at all.

[nagi-schwarz.livejournal.com]

Harry Potter, Hermione Granger, Unspeakable

Fill - Die in Your Throat

[evil-little-dog.livejournal.com]

Hermione Granger, speechless. Without even a head toss or a foot stamp to take the place of the syllables dying in her throat; not even a grunt or humph escaping her.

She could feel the words withering away like plants without water. Soon they'd be all gone and she wouldn't be able to bring them back.

Such was the characteristics of the opstupefactus spell - she'd lose those words and never, ever get them back.

[sherlockian-syn.livejournal.com]

Marvel Cinematic Universe, Stephen Strange +/ Tony Stark, the last thing Stephen actually wanted to say to Tony instead of "I'm sorry, this was the only way"

[brumeier.livejournal.com]

Stargate Atlantis, Radek Zelenka +/ Any, tongue-tied

Fill: Radek/Evan

[nagi-schwarz.livejournal.com]

Radek had never been able to tell people how he really felt, not when it mattered. Sure, he could disagree with Rodney professionally, could shout him down better than anyone save Sheppard. But he couldn’t tell Rodney when Rodney hurt his feelings, or when Miko made him feel better after a long day, or when yet another encounter with the Wraith left him terrified.

Any time he was around Major Lorne, he got tongue-tied. The man was always kind to him, ready with a smile and a hot cup of coffee, a steady hand when they were offworld.

One time Wraith darts had come screaming through the gate, and everyone had been scattered. Lorne started shouting in his radio for people to take cover, sound off, and then Radek had found himself pressed up against the wall of a cave, face buried against Lorne’s shirt, listening to Lorne’s pounding heart.

Inexplicably, Lorne smelled good.

Every time Radek tried to ask Major Lorne for a moment to talk, so he could just say how he felt without any expectation of reciprocation, he got tongue-tied. Every time he had a chance to speak up and failed, he sighed, retreated to his workbench in the lab, and made yet another origami crane out of one of the colored pieces of paper Miko had given him.

One day Lorne stopped by the lab, a tray of coffee mugs in hand, because Miko wanted his help initiating a new advice.

“Hey, Radek, that’s a whole lot of paper cranes. You know once you make a thousand you get a wish, right? A wish granted by the gods.”

“I did not know that,” Radek admitted, and was pleased with himself for speaking steadily.

Lorne nudged him. “I bet you that little packet Miko gave you has a thousand pieces of paper in it. What are you going to wish for?”

“To be able to tell the person I like how I feel about him,” Radek said, without thinking.

“Oh yeah? What would you say to him?”

“I would tell him that he is very kind to me and he protects me and I appreciate him very much and also he is handsome and I would like to kiss him,” Radek said.

Lorne said, “I’m sure he appreciates you very much too, whoever he is.” He patted Radek on the arm, handed him a cup of coffee, and went to talk to Miko.

Radek watched him go and felt like an utter fool.

But a few days later, after a frenzy of folding paper cranes, he found Lorne in a quiet, out-of-the-way corridor.

“Hey, Radek, what’s up?”

Radek handed Lorne the box of a thousand paper cranes and leaned in for a kiss.

[brumeier.livejournal.com]

Marvel Cinematic Universe, Any m/m,

Never thought I'd live
To see the day
When everybody's words got in the way
(Neon Trees)

[brumeier.livejournal.com]

Stargate Multiverse, Any m/m,

Now you've been talking in your sleep oh oh
Things you never say to me oh oh
(Pink)

[brumeier.livejournal.com]

Any, Any, Don't matter how you feel, it only matters how you look (Miranda Lambert)

[brumeier.livejournal.com]

Stargate Atlantis, Evan Lorne +/ Any,

Hide every trace of sadness
Although a tear may be ever, ever so near
(Lyle Lovett)