ladyjanelly: (Ben)
ladyjanelly ([personal profile] ladyjanelly) wrote2007-08-22 10:37 pm
Entry tags:

Fic: Rollerball (J2, NC-17, 6/6)

Title:Rollerball
Author:Ladyjanelly
Movie Adapted: http://www.imdb.com/title/tt0246894/
Genre: CW RPS
Characters/Pairings:Jared/Jensen
Rating:NC-17
Word Count: 10,202
Warnings: violence
Notes/Credits: Thanks to Jellicle for looking over this for me and giving me hand-holding and feed-back.

Disclaimer: No copyright infringement intended; fair use only. Not created for profit.




Ackles plays the game. He scores points. He fights hard and he doesn’t quit.

His face is bloody and his arm hangs limp.

Jared’s heart bleeds for him.

If he wasn’t waiting, if he didn’t have hope, he’d put up the fight now, make Brotski shoot him in the head, make Brotski kill him before Jensen tortures himself to death on the track instead of after.

There’s a disruption at the door; a shotgun goes off in the small space, deafening Jared for a second. The guard falls back, shirt and flesh in tatters. In Brotski’s moment of confusion, Jared twists the gun away from him and snaps his elbow the wrong way in one sharp motion.

Brotski’s screaming and holding his arm to himself, and Jared thinks of Jensen, walking around with a fucking broken collar bone for two weeks. The gun’s a good weight in Jared’s hand and he hits Brotski in the face with it, hits him until he’s not moving anymore.

Jared stares down at what he’s done for long moments. Then he looks to the door and god-damn if there’s anything better than a familiar face.

“C’mon,” he says, “We gotta get down there. They’re killin’ him.”

------

Jensen plays the game. He scores points. He fights hard and he doesn’t quit. He’s not sure where his helmet has gone. He hopes they find it to bury him in.

Every punch he takes, every fall to the unforgiving floor of the track is another breath for Jared, another moment of life. When he can, when he’s not busy getting the shit kicked out of him, Jensen looks up at the owner’s box and sees Jared there with the gun pointed at him.

On the next pass, Jared’s gone. Brotski’s gone. There’s nothing but a dull chant of the crowd, “Tejas! Tejas!” Spanish for Texas, and he’s not sure why that’s the cry the crowd has picked up, and he really needs to find Jared, but the gap the players came in through was filled by a piece of wall at the beginning of the match, bolted into place to provide a smooth surface to skate against.

Jared’s disappearance gives him a second wind--more like a fourth or fifth if he’s being honest with himself, but who’s counting? He slides between opponent and friend alike. Nobody swings at him. Around the back pass, there’s a shape at the top of the plexi-glass wall, a hand reaching down for him. He stumbles and almost falls. Jared. Jesus, Jared’s out, Jared’s there.

He’s too far past by the time he gathers his senses, and he makes a second loop around. Nobody stops him, nobody reaches for him.

There’s silence, like the entire crowd took a collective breath, and then his hand catches around Jared’s wrist, and Jared’s fingers close around his and the crowd roars its approval.

For one sickening moment, it feels like Jared’s tilting into the ring, but then he catches his balance and Jensen's being lifted up, out of the track, over the wall. A spike of fear stabs through his heart at the thought. The crowd is like an angry sea, eager to crush him, drown him, tear him against the reef.

“Tejas! Tejas!” they chant.

“I’ve got you,” Jared promises.

“Go and be safe,” Costas urges. The big guy bends down, grabs Jensen around the knees and lifts him up to Jared.

The fight’s gone out of him and Jensen lets himself be lifted. He can’t struggle as he’s handed down on the other side. Jared and another tall guy cradle him between them and the crowd parts just enough to let them past. The noise has fallen to a breeze-like murmur. The fingertips of hundreds of strangers trail over his body as he’s carried out the door to a waiting pickup truck.

--------


The world moves under Jensen, an unsteady bump and rattle that makes him think again of the ocean, of being carried away, churned under. Fear of the mob makes him open his eyes, and he sees a canvas stretched a few feet over his face. A filthy mattress is under him, and the walls of a pickup truck bed to either side. Looking down by his feet, he can see the lights of the city growing smaller in the distance.

Even in the shadow of the tarp and the breeze from their travel, the dry heat swirls around him, feeling like home.

Jared is beside him, stretched out asleep. His face has been cleaned up but the cut over his eye is crusted black with dried blood. He looks to be at peace. His broad hand is splayed out on Jensen's stomach, holding him down, keeping him safe.

It’s enough. Jensen lets himself fade out again, the trails of his thoughts dissipating like smoke.

The next time Jensen is really aware, he’s waking up in a hotel room. He has vague recollections of the time between the truck and now--switching vehicles, taking pills, Jared holding him down while somebody else does something really shitty to Jensen's bad shoulder.

He remembers tears, and he opens his eyes, searching for Jared.

“Hey,” Jared murmurs, low and calming. A strong hand rests on Jensen's chest. “Don’t move if you don’t have to. It’s okay. We’re safe now.”

Jensen blinks up, catching sight of three other men in the room.

“Who--” he asks, his voice dry and gritty. “How--”

Jared grins, this big beaming smile that Jensen's never seen on him before. “This is my brother Jeff, and his friends Alan and Frank.” The guys nod their greetings. Jared shrugs, sheepish. “I thought we needed a plan B.”

“Yeah,” says Jensen, because obviously his plan sucked. “You got caught.” He wishes he was making more sense, but his thoughts won’t organize themselves into anything like logic.

Jared gets up and brings him a small cup of water before he answers. “Misha. She told Brotski about the drugs, about the cash.”

And probably caused the wreck on the track on purpose.

Jensen closes his eyes, processing that. He knows he should be angry but he doesn’t have the energy for it.

“Where are we?” He’s already starting to plan the next steps. “Brotski--”

“Brotski’s dead,” Jared says, and he doesn’t sound sorry at all. “We’re halfway to San Antonio. Figured we’d stay here a day and let you get some strength back. Alan set your shoulder, but it’s not gonna be a fun drive.”

“Okay,” says Jensen, because Jared seems to be waiting for some sort of answer.

“I gave them the money,” Jared confesses. “Instead of buying a car or something.”

Jensen's amazed that even now, Jared’s worried about seeming like he ripped Jensen off. “It’s okay,” he says again, and covers Jared’s hand with his good one.

Jared lays his long body out beside Jensen, and it seems so strange to be resting like this in front of Jared’s brother and his friends, but unless somebody’s throwing punches Jensen can’t bring himself to care.

-------

San Antonio

Jared’s glad to see his family welcome Jensen in with open arms. He’s the guy who brought their son home, the hero. Jared laughs at that and says he did at least half the rescuing but he knows they couldn’t have done it without each other.

Nobody says anything when they share a room, share a bed. Not even Jensen, thank god. Jared never planned on having anything to do with the guy when it was all over, but those last two weeks had changed him, changed them.

Jensen “Not-The-Hawk” Ackles is a different man, quiet, introspective, polite. Jared takes the weeks of Jensen's recuperation to get to know him, to talk about life in Texas and growing up and who they are. Jensen tells him the story of how the skate-punk he’d been was seduced by the bright lights and big paychecks, how he’d loved it until he realized he couldn’t leave the game alive. Jared tells Jensen how he got stuck in Europe in the crash, the things he did to keep off the streets.

Jensen doesn’t ask for much, for anything really, so when he wants a ride to the bank, Jared borrows a car and drives him himself. Jensen's inside for a long time, and when he comes out, he presses an envelope into Jared’s hand.

“This is for you,” he says, his eyes staring out the passenger side window.

Jared opens the flap with numb fingers. Inside, in Euros, is enough cash to pay for that college education he would have been getting if everything hadn’t gone wrong with the world.

It feels like goodbye.

“Jensen, man--I can’t take this,” he says, even as he knows what it can do for him, for his family.

Jensen shrugs and looks down at his hands. “You deserve it. You kept me sane when I would have lost my mind. You gave me something to live for. You don’t--you don’t have to pretend anymore.”

Jared blinks. “Pretend? What the hell?” He restrains himself from shaking Jensen by his shoulders. He wants to smack him, but Jensen looks too beaten already, so he gently turns the other man’s face to look at him.

“I love you, you asshole. Jesus.” He leans in and brushes their lips together. Jensen's breath hitches and he shivers. Then he’s kissing Jared back and it’s more than Jared ever thought it would be.
ext_2984: Dean reads Supernatural (Default)

[identity profile] jellicle.livejournal.com 2007-08-23 03:57 am (UTC)(link)
YES!!!!!
She did it, baby!!!!!
*does a happy dance*
embroiderama: (J2 - sleepy cute)

[personal profile] embroiderama 2007-08-23 04:30 am (UTC)(link)
Awesome! This story is a great ride, and this chapter ended it just right. Yay to both of them saving the day and ending up in Texas together!

[identity profile] editorzon.livejournal.com 2007-08-23 04:32 am (UTC)(link)
*applauds wildly*

*cheers*

The end was amazing, you got nothing to worry about! I was on some serious pins and needles these last two sections and I'm so sad that the story is over because reading it has been so much fun! If you ever decided to do a little follow up and check in on the boys and their new life? I would be mighty happy.

All I can say is outstanding and if you were here I might have to give you a huge happy hug.

[identity profile] davidcrackin.livejournal.com 2007-08-23 04:36 am (UTC)(link)
YOU DID IT!! This was so awesome! When I first saw it I was whiny because I want more artist!Jared, but after the first chapter I was hooked. You moved the story along quickly but it was tight and I totally believed it when Jared said that he loved Jensen. So Good!

[identity profile] ymmy12.livejournal.com 2007-08-23 06:00 am (UTC)(link)
AWESOME!!!!!!

[identity profile] roxymissrose.livejournal.com 2007-08-23 07:29 am (UTC)(link)
Man, I just read all of them together,and wow, you wrote a beautiful story. I mean, the story was fascinating and the characters were perfect--it kept me on edge, but it was also image rich and had a flow that really came together in the last bit--from the moment that Jared beats Brotski to the point where Jensen is carried out of the arena it just flows like a dream.

You pulled the end together is a very satisfying way, Jensen is so heartbreaking.

This story made me feel like I did the first time I saw Rollerball, back in the dawn of time--only better. *g*
greedy_dancer: (Default)

[personal profile] greedy_dancer 2007-08-23 08:11 am (UTC)(link)
YES! Excellent :D

[identity profile] sea-yeah.livejournal.com 2007-08-23 08:20 am (UTC)(link)
Woo!!!! Congrats on the completion!!! (Though am I greedy for feeling like I want more?) :D

Love love love. I really love how you gradually changed how I felt about Jensen. He felt real at the beginning and the end, the transition was wonderful. If you compared them side to side, you wouldn't have thought this was the same character.

Thank you!!!

[identity profile] anakin415.livejournal.com 2007-08-23 08:51 am (UTC)(link)
damn good fic !!!

[identity profile] koyote19.livejournal.com 2007-08-23 12:14 pm (UTC)(link)
Very cool. I'm a little sad to see it end, because this story was so enjoyable to read. Well done.

[identity profile] sauvageonne.livejournal.com 2007-08-23 12:20 pm (UTC)(link)
Holy Hell !!! I saw that it was complete. I found ch 5 and I had to chase 6 immediately... Amazing & powerful writing. You were worried because of the speed in which you wrote this down... Well, No need to be. It just feels like you had this within you, let it mature until you had to get it out almost violently, like this story... Awesome.

[identity profile] celestialseason.livejournal.com 2007-08-23 12:59 pm (UTC)(link)
I waited until you posted this part to read the whole story. I never saw the movie Rollerball but must say I thoroughly enjoyed this story. It was very intense, and Jensen playing when injured just made me squirm. And yay for Jared deciding to make a plan B.
And of course a happy ending “I love you, you asshole. Jesus.” which makes all the angst worth it :-)
Thanks for sharing.

[identity profile] ladyjanelly.livejournal.com 2007-08-23 03:51 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you so much. So, so much.

[identity profile] ladyjanelly.livejournal.com 2007-08-23 03:52 pm (UTC)(link)
Yay!
I wanted to get away from the rescued/rescuer dynamic, so I'm glad that worked.

This is really my first action/adventure fic in a long long time.

Mmmm, texas. :)
ext_2984: Dean reads Supernatural (Default)

[identity profile] jellicle.livejournal.com 2007-08-23 03:54 pm (UTC)(link)
No thank you, darling. Thank you!

[identity profile] ladyjanelly.livejournal.com 2007-08-23 03:54 pm (UTC)(link)
Yay!

I was worried that I was too close to really tell if it sucked. So glad to hear it was exciting.

I might do a little more with these guys, some time in the future. Jensen might get tapped to handle the reformation of the sport or something.

Yay, hugs!

[identity profile] ladyjanelly.livejournal.com 2007-08-23 03:59 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you so much. I'm so glad you liked it. i was worried about that declaration of love, but it was either that or an ass-whoopin', and Jensen wasn't up to that. :)

The challenge did force me to condense the plot some, but not much, and I think the story is better for it. Less blahblahblah.

I got your reply to the drama post, and I keep meaning to get back to you on that. Just wanted you to know that no, you didn't make yourself unpopular with the observation. And--I'll try to reply better later.

I've got a model-verse chapter that I thought I'd posted but hadn't. Should be up before Monday.

[identity profile] ladyjanelly.livejournal.com 2007-08-23 04:02 pm (UTC)(link)
Thanks. :)

[identity profile] ladyjanelly.livejournal.com 2007-08-23 04:06 pm (UTC)(link)
Not to sound egotistical, but I kinda feel like this is one of the best things I've written. I don't usually do plot or action or whatever this was. It felt good.

I'm glad the ending worked. I was worried that Jeff to the rescue would be a little too much of a miracle, but that was honestly my plan since I started thinking about the fic.

Jensen heartbreaking at the end of the match, all broken, or heartbreaking when he gives Jared the pay-off money?

I've never seen the original, just the 2002 version.

Glad you enjoyed it. Thank you so much for your sweet words and encouragement.

[identity profile] ladyjanelly.livejournal.com 2007-08-23 04:07 pm (UTC)(link)
Thank you!Glad it worked for you

[identity profile] ladyjanelly.livejournal.com 2007-08-23 04:08 pm (UTC)(link)
I think the ending-Jensen was there all along, hidden and masked and driven kinda-crazy by his entrapment. I'm so glad that the slow reveal worked, and felt real. That's one hell of a compliment.

Thanks so much for your encouragement.

[identity profile] ladyjanelly.livejournal.com 2007-08-23 04:09 pm (UTC)(link)
Thanks. :)
Glad it worked for you.

*licks your icon*

[identity profile] ladyjanelly.livejournal.com 2007-08-23 04:10 pm (UTC)(link)
Thanks. :)

I think if I'd had longer to work on it it would have meandered a little more. I'm sort of glad it had to be sharp and quick.

Glad you enjoyed it.

[identity profile] ladyjanelly.livejournal.com 2007-08-23 04:13 pm (UTC)(link)
Thanks. :)

I think it's one of the best things I've ever written. The plot/action/caper fic isnt something I've done a lot of, and i'm thrilled that this worked out so well. Also, you're right. there was an immediacy to the writing that matched the urgency of the story--I was rushing towards the end as they were rushing to the climax, and then the 800 words or so of falling action were sort of slow and relaxing to write.


It's um--not much like the movie, beyond the sport, the bad pseudo-european accents and Jensen's motivations.

[identity profile] roxymissrose.livejournal.com 2007-08-23 04:16 pm (UTC)(link)
When he gave Jared the money--true, the end match was terrible--it really broke my heart, but when you realize at the end of the story he never allowed himself to once think that Jared loved him, not the money...*cries*

If you get a chance catch the original--it's a little dated now, but it packed a real punch back then.

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