Two Ficlets

[skinny-bacon.livejournal.com]

Two mini ficlets! My first post.

Title: Footprint
Author: skinny_bacon
Rating: PG
Pairing: Michael/Mahone angst
Summary: Mahone can’t stop the dreams from appearing. Alex POV
Disclaimer: I do not own these characters. I’m guessing some rich and important people in television do.
Author note: Inspired by two songs by Sam Roberts - "Uprising Down Under" and "A Stone Would Cry Out". I have not seen much Prison Break but adore this pairing. I hope you like.


~o~

Amid all the voices around me, I see a fading footprint in the sand, reminding me that you are real and not a phantom somewhere in my mind. Sometimes I feel that way when I think of you, that a part of my mind conjured you as a way to punish myself, to madden myself. I think of Cameron, of Christmas when he was young and his innocent excitement of the magic that existed. I am him now; I am like a child dreaming of Santa Claus, willing to do almost anything just to catch a glimpse of him, of you. Almost anything just to see you again, even if only for a moment.

Like a spectre, you haunt me. Tantalizing and magnificent. Flying in and out of my sight, my existence. Each moment never enough. Sometimes so close, sometimes there in my dreams.

“You don’t have to run, Michael,” I say.

“Yes, I do,” you respond, shifting in and out of focus in my mind.

“I can protect you. It doesn’t have to be this way. You can’t win all the time, not this time.” I take a step towards you just to see if the world really is a better place when you are near.

“And what about my family, Alex? Can you protect them? Because I can. They need me.”

“I need you.” The words slip out of my mouth before I can stop them. Even in my dreams, my voice is rough with the thought of being apart.

And you smile your perfect smile. “I know, Alex. I know.” And you are suddenly at my side, your hand on my shoulder, because that’s what happens in dreams.

You speak. “I’ll come back to you. I promise.”

I look at you; look in your eyes, knowing fully that only in my mind would you ever remain so close.

“I’ll never stop chasing you, Michael. You must know that.”

“But someday I’ll stop running. When they are safe, when they are okay, I’ll stop running. Then you can catch me.”

And just like in real life you are gone, vanished from before me. But there is still a footprint in the dirt and I bend down to touch the edges, feeling your life even in this small imprint.

A nameless agent approaches from behind me.

“What do you want to so, sir?”

I stand, brushing the dirt from my fingertips.

“Scofield was here. Spread your search and get me my trail.”

And then there are shouts around me, rustling bodies not knowing the genius of what they hunt.

But I know, Michael. I know your genius. I’ll catch you.

“I promise,” I say aloud to the wind, to the dust.

I promise I will find you.

~o~

FINIS



Title: A Face As It Starts To Fade
Summary: Michael Scofield contemplates his new adversary. Michael POV.
Disclaimer: Don’t own em. Wish I did.


~o~

I knew I was excited when I first heard your name, although I wasn’t sure where the excitement came from. I researched until I knew about your past, about Oscar Shales. I knew why you did what you did. I knew about Pam, about your failings there. I knew I did not blame you. I knew that if I talked to you, you would at least listen, even if you could not obey. And I knew if I saw you, you wouldn’t kill me.

I knew all of these things, without ever knowing how or why.

I knew that when you started appearing in my sleep that there was something more occurring than simply hunter and prey. But that did not stop me from dreaming. I knew that whenever I called you, whenever I saw you, it would take a long time to erase the images. I knew that late at night when I should have been sleeping, I was instead thinking of you, analyzing, detailing, cataloguing everything; all the features of your face, of your voice, of your manner. Everything catalogued in such infinite ways that your face faded and became the details I remember, the details I cherish.

How do you do it, Alexander Mahone?

How do you become all I can think of when I’m supposed to hate you?

So I don’t try to stop the dreams. I let my mind wander when I have a free moment, when I am driving, when I am resting, when I am showering. So much has happened and you make it easy to forget.

I wish you would stop chasing me. I wish I could stop running. Just so we could talk, just so I could find out why.

I hate not knowing how I know all these things about you.

I promise you, I’ll find out.

~o~

FINIS

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Comments

[beeharbour.livejournal.com]

So nice to see a new author. You convey a lot in just these short pieces. I like that you've made the intensity equal on both sides right from the outset and not just Mahone pining for Michael. Nice work.

[skinny-bacon.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much! I do find it much easier writing Mahone and wanted to try to get Michael's point of view across as well.