Tomorrow Trilogy Fanfic - Control (Chapter 1)

[n3m3sis43]

This is fanfic for my friend theun4givables's awesome universe, The Tomorrow Series. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend you check it out. Now. Also, fanfic is fucking hard. I almost had a nervous breakdown yesterday trying to write this. How do people DO this? Oh, and warnings for language and... rage issues? If you can handle Brendan when he's NOT trying to kill someone, you're okay here. So far.


"In light of these findings, I move to discontinue the search for Emperor Callahan's attacker." Alexandra's words snap me out of my thoughts. She's looking at me over the edge of her reading glasses, and it's hard not to look guilty. Haven't been able to focus on her report as much as I should - I've been too busy ignoring the wounded looks Jazz keeps shooting me.

"Absolutely not." I push my glasses up the bridge of my nose and struggle to keep my voice even. "Discontinuing the search will only encourage future Resistance attacks on Council members. Might as well send them an engraved invitation."

"You heard Councilwoman Smith's report, Emperor Bates." Mitchel sneers at me, and I can't help how my jaw clenches. "Our troops have already combed Blerch and all the surrounding areas as thoroughly as possible. Blerch is essentially controlled by the Resistance at this point, and - "

"You're right, Mitchel," I snap. "I did hear Councilwoman Smith's report. No need for you to repeat it." Never mind that I totally haven't been listening. What's important now is that Mitchel stops talking while I can still suppress the urge to punch his fucking face in.

"If you heard the report, then you already know our resources would be better allocated elsewhere, Savin." Mitchel's condescending tone does nothing to quell the anger bubbling up in my chest. "Instead of wasting valuable manpower on this fool's errand, we should focus on putting down uprisings in the other colonies. Blerch and the surrounding areas are a lost cause already, as is finding the alleged attacker."

"Savin, maybe Mitchel's - " Jazz says, but I barely even hear him.

"'Alleged'?" I spit, my hands balling into fists at my sides. "Why don't you come out and say what you really mean, Mitchel? Accuse me again of attacking my own husband. That's what this is all about, isn't it?"

"Savin." Jazz lays a hand on my arm. "I think Mitchel has a valid point."

My jaw clenches even harder, and my arm jerks ever so slightly under his touch. It's all I can do not to pull away entirely. Instead, I busy myself with the paperwork I've stacked neatly to my left, discreetly leaning out of his reach. Keep my hands occupied so no one can see them shake. "Tell me, Councilman Foraker," I say, utterly ignoring Jazz's words. "What's to stop the Resistance members right here in the capital city from making attempts on our lives, once we've shown them there are no consequences for such behavior?"

Did anyone notice me acting weird? I don't dare take my eyes off Mitchel long enough to look around the room, but I don't think I need to, either. The insufferable smirk Mitchel's wearing is answer enough. Bastard definitely fucking knows something's up.

"So, Emperor Bates." Christ, that smug expression. My fingers itch to slap it off his fucking face. "Is it your opinion that the Resistance might also have a growing presence here on Second Earth? Perhaps we should be more concerned about - " Mitchel clears his throat. " - domestic issues than searching for this mystery attacker."

Oh, shit. Bastard totally fucking noticed. Of course he did. Wonderful.

It's all I can do to fold my hands in front of me to keep them still. Maintaining any real semblance of control is a lost fucking cause. I struggle to get my breathing under control, try not to panic. Mitchel knows Jazz and I are having problems. He fucking knows. And now that he does, the bastard's gonna find a way to use it against us.

"As much as I regret to admit it, Councilman Foraker," I finally manage. "You may have a point. Perhaps we should table this discussion for now, until Councilwoman Smith has a chance to look into Resistance activity closer to home."

The rest of the meeting's uneventful, which is good since it's really hard to focus. It takes all of my effort not to jump out of my chair as soon as it ends. I have to force myself to walk, not run through the door. And I look around carefully before I take off my ring and slip it in my pocket. I walk back to my apartment - the new one I don't share with Jazz. My heart's pounding the whole way, and my head doesn't feel much better. Can't help wondering if Jazz noticed the way I flinched at his touch. I want to find him, tell him Mitchel knows our secret. Except I can't bear to see the hurt in his eyes when he looks at me.

Once I'm inside my apartment, I can't stand being alone with my thoughts. Can't stop thinking about how Mitchel's gonna use the dirt he's got on me and Jazz to screw us. I need to talk to Jazz - he's always better than I am at keeping his cool in situations like this. But when I knock on his door, there's no answer. He must have stayed in the Council Room after the meeting.

I try to be quiet when I open the door of the Council Room. It's bad enough that my own husband - ex-husband - is fucking scared of me. Don't need to startle him on top of that. And then I freeze where I'm standing. I'm not even sure my heart's still beating.

Jazz isn't alone. Mitchel's here with him, his hand draped casually over my husband's fucking shoulder. Bastard is touching my fucking husband. Touching him. Oh, hell no. And they're so focused on each other they don't notice when I come in.

I can't fucking move. Can barely see through the red haze that's come over my vision. I might even stop breathing for a few seconds. Fucking Christ. We've only been separated a week. That's all the time it took for Jazz to move on?

"I don’t care that he’s - that he’s dying, that - " Jazz's words snap me out of my daze.

Wait. What did he just tell Mitchel? From the way Jazz has his hand clapped over his mouth now, the way the color's drained from his face, I can tell he didn't mean to, either. Doesn't fucking matter. It doesn't change the fact he's confided the one thing I didn't want known to the one bastard I didn't want knowing it.

My heart's pounding. It's hard to hear their words over the ringing in my ears, but I force myself to pay attention. At least Mitchel's moved his hand now. That makes it the tiniest bit easier to listen. Makes it possible to get myself under control at least a little.

“He seems to think that I’d want to abandon him just because he might get sick - “

Fucking Christ. Here I am thinking Jazz'd cheat on me, and he's talking about how he'd never leave me? And somehow, that only makes my heart pound even harder. Makes it all the more impossible to keep quiet. "Who might get sick?" I interject.

Jazz jumps, but Mitchel? Bastard's totally fucking unruffled. Like he knew I was here all along - like my presence isn't even relevant. And that only makes my vision recede even further. My jaw clenches up and my fists do, too. I'd beat Mitchel to a bloody pulp right now, but I can't seem to move.

“Oh, hello Emperor Bates. Emperor Callahan and I were just having a nice chat.” Mitchel pats Jazz's shoulder too casually, leaning in close and all but caressing his ear with his fucking lips. "If you ever need to talk again, Jazz, I’m more than willing to listen." Then he's out of his seat - my fucking seat - and leaving the room before I can say so much as another word.

I bet you're more than willing to listen, you asshole. Bet that's not all you're willing to do, either.

Jazz isn't looking at me, and the timid way he's smiling right now? I can tell he's fucking scared. Scared of me - his own fucking husband. That should calm me down, but it only makes me even angrier. Only makes my nails dig into my palms. I'm practically up in his face without even knowing I've moved.

I breathe in deeply, telling myself to keep control. Except part of me knows - I've already lost it.


(Next chapter is here)

Comments

[theun4givables.livejournal.com]

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH THIS IS PERFECT WHAT I DON'T EVEN --

I just reread the whole thing and his voice is solid the whole way through and omg Savin bb you need to get it together Jazz needs you to and nope, I know you're not going to BECAUSE THAT'S WHAT HAPPENS IN MY CANON AND OMGGG.

This was actually really, really tense because that Council Meeting scene isn't canon and I never thought about what made Savin go and find Jazz that day but now this has become my headcanon.

The part at the end -- ugh it breaks my heart because Savin's so naturally NOT a jealous/possessive guy and Mitchel just hits all of his jealousy buttons and that just makes everything that happens after this so much worse.

Okay i'm done spazzing now.

[n3m3sis43.livejournal.com]

Apparently I never replied to your comment? I was too busy trying to write dual ridiculous Cliffton stories, wtf. :D

Yay, thank you so much. I really appreciate that you wrote some serious!Savin for me to use as a jumping-off point. Now I just have to keep reminding myself not to accidentally write panic!Devin instead, haha. And nope, Savin is not going to get it together. Oops.

I'm really honored that I was able to influence your headcanon with my meeting scene!

Mitchel does hit all of Savin's buttons, doesn't he? Should be interesting writing the rest of this, knowing what we both know now. Nice timing. :)