sweetprince: (madness)
[personal profile] sweetprince
Title: A Sex Thing
Disclaimer: I'm just borrowing them for a short time, I'm in no way claiming ownership (although that would be nice). Fox can totally have them back when I'm done.
Summary: It isn't until Michael is older that he realizes he cannot marry his brother
Pairing: Lincoln/Michael
Word Count: 1,585
Chapters: 1/?, I'm not really sure where to go from here
Genre: pre-series,
Rating: pg-13



When you’re young, the world will forgive you everything. You can mercilessly tease the incredibly smart kid who always has the answer simply because you lack it, you can break mom’s precious vase that is her only heirloom from grandma because you didn’t know better, you can talk about blood and guts and guns guns guns because that’s what little boys do, you can skip out on homework, kill your pets with neglect, spill paint on the upholstery, fart loudly at the table—whatever crimes and transgressions little kids are prone to commit. The world will forgive you, because you’re young, and you don’t know better. And even if you do, well they’ll never know it.

The world is not the same for adults though, now that his mother is gone, Michael is sure of it. Lincoln, who was never a terribly troublesome child by any account, although always more energetically opposed to the rules than Michael was, has stopped these little sins altogether. He has become an adult, crime-free, and Michael is not sure he finds this comforting. To be slapped with so much change and then to realize that a part of his brother is gone too is disconcerting. He wants to be able to laugh with Lincoln again, to steal junk food out of the cupboards under mom’s nose, to sneak out of his bed after 10 o’clock and play secret agent without Lincoln interrupting him to send him back to bed. He wants his elder, more-experienced, partner to help him in these tasks again. But Lincoln has become an adult and the world doesn’t forgive adults the way it forgives children.

That part of Lincoln never really comes back. He works too hard protecting Michael and himself, putting food on the table, and throwing away his dreams every time he takes out the trash.

When he was little Michael was very aware of how society was run. One grew up, took a job, and got married. Everyone did this, even the dentist, although Michael was never quite sure who’d be crazy enough to marry him. In pre-school when the girls suckered the boys into playing house Michael didn’t mind so much. He liked the concept of being married: sharing a house and creating a new life together. If he could marry anyone he’d marry Lincoln. He told mom that once, she’d laughed so hard her sides had nearly split, and Michael was left feeling very put out.

“Why’s that, sweetie?” mom asked as she’d wiped tears out of her eyes, still giggling occasionally.

“He makes me happy!” Michael had protested loudly, arms crossed, and lower-lip jutting out in the trade-mark Michael pout.

His mother dissolved into laughter again. “Yes, sweetheart, that’s a very good reason, indeed.”

Michael wasn’t quite sure why his mother found his revelation so hilarious so he decided not to share it with Lincoln. If it provoked laughter from Mom, it might provoke something far worse from Lincoln, who was derisive as only older brothers can be.

Michael had chosen Lincoln firstly because Lincoln was fun and also because he was that ever elusive cool. Michael, still unaware that one was not supposed to be shallow, thought Lincoln a good catch because he wasn’t too shabby looking either. He’s wasn’t tubby like Sam Freidman’s older brother or acne-covered like Dominic Fish’s sister. He was also unaware that one does not, according to the dictates of society, ordinarily marry boys or, for that matter, family members.

Lincoln is fun. Thus he is eligible material.

Somewhere around graduating junior kindergarten for real kindergarten, Michael realized that the world would not forgive him these thoughts, no matter how young he was, and so he buried them. It was far better, and less embarrassing one might add, to think of Lincoln, as he now does, as a partner, a partner who’d, unfortunately, gone missing in action, after the death of their mother, forever. Body, as of yet, un-recovered.

Michael could live with this though, because he didn’t know what else to do. Lincoln still loved him, was still nice to him, still protected him from the bullies at school, perhaps even more so now, but he was not the same. Michael felt this with every minute that passed between them. Lincoln never used to let Michael crawl into bed with him after he’d had a nightmare. He’d always shouted for mom, and then passed him off for her to comfort. Now, Lincoln holds the covers up with a sigh, and welcomes Michael into his bed. When Michael apologizes, Lincoln says it’s all right, even though Michael knows it isn’t. He hasn’t asked, but he’s positive Dominic Fish does not get into bed with his sister.

Lincoln continues to let him sleep in the same bed, even though it must be awkward. Michael hears him, sometimes, dreaming about the girls that go to the high school with Lincoln. He knows it must be a sex thing, mostly because he is hyper-aware of society and also because he looked it up in the encyclopedia when he overheard Lincoln and his friends talking about it around the time they were thirteen. The time he went over to Dominic Fish’s house and there was nothing to do but watch Jerry Springer was also edifying.

He doesn’t ask Lincoln about it, because he is sure Lincoln knows way more about sex than he does, after all Lincoln talks about it fairly frequently with his friends, and Michael hates revealing that there are gaps in his knowledge.

He does wonder what it feels like to be Lincoln in those moments. He wonders why Lincoln makes those near pain-filled moans, a lot like the ones his mother made when he was much younger and she would ask him to walk on her back. He’d understood from his embarrassing bout with the encyclopedia that sex was something that people did because it produced babies, a formerly unknown fact for a then 8-year-old Michael who’d always assumed they’d just appeared, and also because it felt good. He wasn’t sure if good meant good like eating ice cream or good like Christmas. But he suspected from all the moaning that his brother did that it was more of the ice-cream variety.

Lincoln and Michael never talk about sharing a bed, after awhile it had become a fixture in their relationship, despite Michael having his own room with a perfectly serviceable bed of his own in it. Lincoln is resignedly accepting of it as he is of all of Michael’s quirks. Michael never mentions Lincoln’s nocturnal activities either, he is quite positive that Lincoln is unaware of them himself, and besides, it’s a sex thing, and that’s embarrassing enough.

When Sal Hemmings and the other queen bees of the fifth grade want to make the boys go away, all they do is say, ‘we’re talking about sex’ and suddenly the area is y-chromosome free. Talking about a sex thing with Lincoln in all his infinite sexual wisdom seems like a bad idea, his older brother has not completely lost his derisive tendencies now that he has joined the elite club of “adulthood”.

When Michael is twelve, nearly a full year after sharing the bed with Lincoln became routine, he is awoken by Lincoln shifting against him. It is a hot night and he isn’t wearing a shirt, Lincoln’s finger brush absently up his spine, and suddenly, for reasons Michael cannot explain no matter how desperately he tries, he gets his first hard-on. He is appalled that it’s Lincoln with his errant hand that has caused this and suddenly all memories of wanting to marry Lincoln are dredged up in his mind. He extricates himself from the bed immediately and returns to his own room, embarrassed beyond belief.

It was just a silly flight of fancy when he was little, he justifies to himself, as he trudges uncomfortably to his own room. Mr. De Frenza, the P.E teacher, said that the bus going by can cause these kinds of the things to happen during the sex ed lesson that was inflicted upon the entire fifth grade. However, Michael has a sick feeling that if Sal Hemmings had ran her fingers up his back he would have simply looked at her funny. This bothers Michael because he is supposed to like Sal. Most of his friends, Dominic included, think she’s the best thing since The Terminator came out.

The next morning when he walks into the kitchen for breakfast his brother has a knowing look on his face. Michael understands that it’s because he’s gotten his first hard-on and not because Lincoln knows he was the one responsible for it, and for that he is glad. He is also amazingly thankful that Lincoln does not want to have ‘the talk’. He’s seen enough TV, spent enough time in school, been around enough of Lincoln’s friends to have quite an array of knowledge in this subject, certainly more than enough for his comfort.

He is also afraid that such a conversation will segue into Lincoln’s conquests, which would be gravely disturbing. Mostly because he knows they exist, and that knowledge is disgusting enough, but also because he doesn’t like sharing his ‘fiancé’ cum partner-in-crime cum crazy adult person with anybody else. This was not a sex thing, despite wandering hands and hard-ons. Michael had no one but his brother, and that was that. He swears to himself that the whole hard-on thing is a new development.

***

So tell me, should I continue? Or end it there.

Date: 2007-02-06 12:51 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] aislinnrae.livejournal.com
Continue, please?

This is well written, doesn't feel like a ficlet, more like a prologue or a first chapter. You should continue.

But if you were to do so, would you keep it at this level, explore Michael's confusing and troubled adolescence? Or would you leave this an actual prologue and write in or around the PrisonBreak storyline?

I think it would be cool if you took the first option. Not many fics out there choose that route; it's usually just flashbacks or memories of these things and then off to prison so Michael can play the white knight to his 'damsel' brother.

I think it'd be interesting to explore preteen Michael and his 'inner turmoil' ('cause don't all preteens/teens go through an angsty stage at one time or another?), see what effects his mother's death and his feelings have on his relationship with his brother. Maybe he'll slip and say something he shouldn't.

You could have Lincoln's reaction: how would 'it' being out in the open change their relationship further? Would they work it out? Would it spark an inner turmoil within Lincoln as well? Could it have fueled Lincoln's decisions, the ones that led to LJ or that led him, eventually, to jail?

I think this is a really great starting point for a possibly even greater series fic. There's a chance to explore the characters on a different level, explain how they got to be the way they are, but in a detailed way, not through flashbacks or thoughts. I really, really think you should continue this. I'd love to read it if you did. Good luck. Much love ^^

(Sorry for the long comment. I tend to do that a lot =X)

Date: 2007-02-06 01:29 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] deadbeat-nymph.livejournal.com
I think it would be cool if you took the first option. Not many fics out there choose that route; it's usually just flashbacks or memories of these things and then off to prison so Michael can play the white knight to his 'damsel' brother.

Hi there! I think you should take a good tour through the M/L slash fandom - there's A LOT of that kind of fic, and it's my favourite!

Date: 2007-02-06 01:37 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] aislinnrae.livejournal.com
Seriously? I've tried looking for fics like that, but I can never find any. The only ones I actually do come across are just before, during or after PB. Haven't found any actual series fics of them as teens, just after they've lost their mother (you wouldn't happen to know of any, would you?).
I've started to get a bit sick of fics that piggy-back too much on the PB storyline. I've been looking for AU's and teen-PB fics, but can't find many at all.

Date: 2007-02-06 02:12 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] deadbeat-nymph.livejournal.com
My! You've been wading the wrong waters!

I'm still quite unsure about LJ stuffs, so if I just give you a few names and titles, will you be able to find them?

To start, try:

[livejournal.com profile] callmetofu - "Things Not Said" and her 3 stories for Clex Monkie series (plus a bunch of other stuff, but I'm not sure not about ages since I haven't re-read them recently)
[livejournal.com profile] clexmonkie89 - pretty much anything she wrote for PB (she doesn't write PB anymore, but her stories are amazing)
[livejournal.com profile] aeroport_art - "Breathe Love"
[livejournal.com profile] halfshellvenus - she writes a lot of gen and slash from all age scenarios, including teen M and L. Just check out her stuff. I recommend "Bound to Love" for particularly interesting M/L teen slash.
[livejournal.com profile] mooyoo is quite prolific as well, and she also writes from various age points, too. She has a fic table you can check out.

Sorry, I'm very absent-minded... I know there are tonnes more, but these are good starting places, at least.

Date: 2007-02-06 02:17 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] aislinnrae.livejournal.com
O_O Wow, that's actually more then I'd have expected. I realise it's a bother me asking you for recs, but I very much appreciate it. Like I said, I really don't know where to look for it so this helps a whole heap. Thankyou *glomp*

Date: 2007-02-06 02:32 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] deadbeat-nymph.livejournal.com
You're welcome! I just hope I haven't forgotten something crucial. Well, I probably have, but, it's a good start.

Date: 2007-02-06 02:35 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] deadbeat-nymph.livejournal.com
Oh, I f'ed up ClexMonkie's link. It's actually [livejournal.com profile] clex_monkie89.

Date: 2007-02-06 02:39 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] aislinnrae.livejournal.com
It's a definite kick in the right direction, and like I said, more then I actually expected ^^ Thankyou, thankyou, thankyou really! It is very much appreciated =]

Date: 2007-02-06 02:42 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] deadbeat-nymph.livejournal.com
P.S. With ClexMonkie, it might be a good idea to start with "The Difference Between a Rule and a Law".

http://clex-monkie89.livejournal.com/129706.html#cutid1

Several other stories are based on this, both by ClexMonkie and by others, notably Callmetofu. Also, this story is fantastic in itself. It leads to what is probably my favourite, or at least one of my three favourite, stories in the entire fandom - itès called "Calendar Days (Leap Year)".

Date: 2007-02-06 02:59 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] callmetofu.livejournal.com
[livejournal.com profile] aeroport_art's Breathe Love is probably closest to what you are looking for.

http://www.prisonbreakfic.net/viewstory.php?sid=1195&warning=NC-17

or here:

http://www.livejournal.com/tools/memories.bml?user=aeroport_art&keyword=prison+break+fic&filter=all

Date: 2007-02-06 03:03 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] miss-mandy.livejournal.com
Shameless self-promotion. (http://miss-mandy.livejournal.com/361654.html#cutid1)

Lego and Lucky Charms, In The Darkness, Heart in a Cage and The Scariest Halloween Ever are all kid!fics I've done. The first one is right after their mother's death and the others are between the ages of 10 and 12 for Michael.

[livejournal.com profile] halfshellvenus has also done some great kid!fics. You can find them in my rec post at the top of my journal.

/pimping

Date: 2007-02-06 06:06 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] deadbeat-nymph.livejournal.com
Pimping is good! It's important to get the word out there. I've read Lego and Lucky Charms, but not the rest. There's a lot I still haven't read in this fandom in general...

Date: 2007-02-06 07:00 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dark-reaction.livejournal.com
I'm very happy that we're having a whole fandom rec thing here, now I have all sorts of material to go off and read. And I inspired it completely by accident. Clearly I am a genius tantamount to Michael after all. Just kidding. Anyway, thanks you guys again.

Ain't nothin' wrong with self-promotion either.

Date: 2007-02-06 01:53 pm (UTC)
From: [identity profile] callmetofu.livejournal.com
There's also a selection of 50 Michael/Lincoln recs here: http://community.livejournal.com/rec50/tag/prison+break:+michael/lincoln

Maybe you can find something you like among them.

Date: 2007-02-06 01:41 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] aislinnrae.livejournal.com
When I say 'teen-PB fics', I mean fics that study Michael and Lincoln in their teenage experience and relationship, not those fics that send everyone to the same highschool for clichéd, overused antics... =X

Date: 2007-02-06 02:00 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] deadbeat-nymph.livejournal.com
No, no. See above.

Date: 2007-02-06 01:33 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dark-reaction.livejournal.com
I was definitely not planning on going through the prison story line. Firstly, I find it too difficult and I'm distinctly turned off by the notion of them having sex in prison. H/C and "I love you forever"s in prison are fine, BUT I really REALLY don't want prison sex to be associated to the relationship they have. I think it's better than that. Also, Michael's adolescence? It's a goldmine. And I intend to mine it.

I LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE long comments. So thank you. I'm glad you liked this story so much. Hopefully I'll get my head back into the game and write some more.

Date: 2007-02-06 01:51 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] aislinnrae.livejournal.com
I agree with you. I don't think a physical relationship in prison would work well between them, unless the story were just a drabble or a ficlet. And even then it wouldn't be very deep, wouldn't give any room to explore the characters, and they seem to be very workable, rich characters, especially Michael. The brother's relationship in the series opens a plethora of possibilities for their past, and honestly, I think you should take 'Michael's goldmine of an adolescence' and run with it. I really hope you do ^^

Date: 2007-02-06 04:48 am (UTC)
From: [identity profile] dark-reaction.livejournal.com
Worry not, I intend to.

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