Chapter Text
Jeremy watched Ryan work. The man was undoubtedly an artist, one torturer leading perfectly into the next. He at times berated, cajoled or begged as needed. One hand gave pain as the other gave comfort. Jeremy liked to stand in the corner, at Ryan’s insistence just enough to one side so the victim had to turn their head to see him fully. To be tortured by Ryan was to be the sole focus of his world.
But always they would come to the same finish. For whatever reason, if Geoff had decided that the victim could not live to tell this tale, then came the part that fascinated Jeremy. The method varied but the result was always the same. This latest one was as intimate a time as any. Bruised, battered and broken, they begged for him like they always did at the end. Jeremy sucked in a breath as Ryan looked up over their prisoners shoulder to meet Jeremy’s eyes.
The blue in the mask shone bright as Ryan reached up and pulled the plastic from his face. His eyes were still the most haunting feature, highlighted in Black. Jeremy stood up from where he leant on the wall, knowing it was coming. Ryan paced around to the front of his victim, trading up pliers for his personal hunting knife. With a gentle hand he hushed the vague sobbing coming from the bound victim, lovingly stroking the mangled face.
He came forward and sat on their lap, shushing the pained cry as his weight settled on broken thighs. Ryan allowed his victim time to breathe through the pain, gently guiding their head to rest on his chest. He patted their hair and murmured soothingly, his eyes caught by Jeremy who was subtly shifting to get a better view.
“It’s ok. Shhhh. You did so well. So well. So good for me huh?” Ryan was saying as the prisoner cried hopelessly into his bloodstained shirt. Sometimes Ryan took his time. Sometimes he was quick. Sometimes he was mean and sometimes, like now, he was almost lover level of kind. Ryan pulled his eyes from Jeremy who watched in fascination.
“Hey now, look at me. Look.” He commanded softly, helping guide the prisoners eyes to his. He smiled and it darn near broke Jeremy’s heart to see the tender Ryan he knew atop a man that Ryan had pulled apart. The Victim was likewise affected, fresh sobs breaking out but not allowed to break eye contact.
“Shh. I am just a man. I am just a human being. Just like you. There is no Demon, no Monster. Just me. And just you.” Jeremy was ignored but he didn’t mind. Ryan was treating him to a special show. He didn’t know why but he was trying to capture everything in his mind.
“I’ll make the pain stop for you.” Ryan promised and a tattered voice croaked out so faintly, Jeremy had to take a step forward to catch it.
“You will?”
Ryan smiled that heart breaking smile, actual tears welling in his eyes.
“Of course. For you.” He whispered and slid his knife home into his prisoners heart. Then in a practised move, identical to however he finished them, he fisted the hair behind their head, leaning in close, eyes darting between his victims pupils, searching, searching.
It was a quiet almost gentle death and after a moment Ryan sighed, shuffling back and off, letting the corpse head go to slump over their chest. He pulled the knife and moved to wipe it clean with the water boarding rag. Jeremy came over quietly, feeling the need to be silent and respectful. He looked down at the body and with sure hands, lifted the face up to look for himself into those eyes.
Empty.
He looked up to see Ryan staring at him, his knife still in hand. Jeremy let the head flop forward once more and backed up two steps. Ryan strode towards him purposely and unease flooded the youngest crewman as he was backed up against a wall.
“Why are you here Jeremy?” Ryan asked suddenly, his face the mild curious of a boy with a magnifying glass. Jeremy felt very much the ant as those cold blue eyes caught brown.
“Why do you watch me all the time huh? Mr squeamish Jeremy. ‘Oh no, torture is so wrong, so bad’” he mocked Lil’J who didn’t dare defend himself as Ryan’s free hand came up to lean against the wall, just above his shoulder. The knife trailed up the soft skin on his arm and he gulped as suddenly he felt as if he was the sole and only focus of Ryan’s world.
“Lil’J. Did Geoff ask you to keep an eye on me? Did Alex?” he asked softly and tilted his head, eyes narrowing just slightly when Jeremy jerked his head in negative.
“What’s the matter? Edgar got your tongue?” He asked even softer as the knife caressed Jeremy’s jaw line, the heart blood leaving a sticky trail in his trimmed beard.
“R-Ryan. W-hat are you d-doing?” he stuttered out as the knife left his cheek and ran down the front of his shirt, gliding down between his Pecs until it rested in his belly button.
“Never mind that. Tell me why the sudden interest in my job? This is the ninth person you’ve watched me dispatch. Why?” Jeremy forced himself to swallow as Ryan hit the wall with his fist as he asked his last question, Ryan’s tone however not altering from the pleasant conversationalist. Jeremy tried to speak but all that came out was a soft jumble of words. Ryan’s face turned hard for a flash then gentled again.
“Try that again?” he encouraged and Jeremy swallowed his trepidation of the larger man looming over him so he could concentrate on the answer.
“I want to know what you see.” He managed without a single stutter, careful to pronounce each word carefully and slowly. Ryan smiled and suddenly Jeremy could breathe again as the knife tip disappeared. Ryan took a step back and opened his arms, the knife, disturbingly absent.
“Lil’J why didn’t you just ask? Here, come look.” He enthused and put an arm around the still trembling sniper. The corpse would have to be moved soon to avoid stiffening into the shape of the chair but for now was still freshly limber. Ryan picked up the head by the hair once more, drawing Jeremy’s attention to the glassed out eyes.
“What do you see?” Ryan asked his voice deep and dulcet.
“I- Nothing. I see nothing. Just dead eyes.” Jeremy said a little confused and still a bit on edge. Ryan tapped his own nose with his free finger and his grin widened.
“Ah, but do you remember? Just before I broke their heart?” he paused and sighed as Jeremy looked at him blank. Even in death the body got no respect, head falling forward for a third time so Ryan could clasp his hands on Jeremy’s cheeks, his palms still sticky from blood.
“I look into your eye’s Jeremy and they are just like theirs had been,” he dipped his chin at the corpse without looking away from Jeremy, “So alive. Moving, searching, thinking. Full of pain, of hope of despair. I can look into someone’s eyes and know what their thinking. It’s all written there plain to see.” Ryan’s face was drawing closer as he lectured until the gents lips were close enough to Jeremy’s that he felt the warmth from them. Ryan paused and Jeremy wondered what was going to happen.
Blue filled his vision and he didn’t know how he would feel if Ryan closed that tiny distance between them. He had the outrageous and crazy idea that perhaps he should. Just as Jeremy sucked in a breath, steeling himself for that last half inch, Ryan pulled back looking back and forth between Jeremy’s eye’s. Lil’J flushed as Ryan gave him a knowing look, a thumb brushing his cheek affectionately.
“Plain to see Jeremy. In the eyes.” He murmured softly. Then Ryan took his hands from Jeremy’s face, the heat of them burnt into the young man’s skin. One hand on his hip, Ryan waved a hand at the corpse as if it had irritated him.
“But that now? Nothing. Empty. All gone.” He huffed and looked back to Jeremy who realised he was swaying slightly, his body a tingle. He managed to bring focus back to Ryan, that easy smile parting over white teeth.
“Little Jeremy. I see the moment the board is wiped clean. The very instant when it all fades. And to be the one holding the eraser? That’s a pretty good feeling.” He said and too Jeremy it seemed there was an energy to Ryan that he had never experienced for himself. Sure he had killed but never as intimately and as personally as Ryan does. Looking at the glowing face of the gent and seeing the rush first hand, listening to the reasoning behind it filling little J with a longing he never recognised before.
“Can you show me?” He asked, voice hitching with excitement and Ryan nodded. He never took his eyes off Jeremy’s face as he stepped back towards the door and lifted a fist.
“Oh yeah. Let me show you the world Jeremy. I’d love too.” Ryan assured him then slammed his raised fist into the door twice. The electricity Jeremy felt between them snapped when Ryan opened the door and stuck his head out.
“Hey kids, wanna see a dead body?!” he called, clean-up crew inbound. The door came wide and as Trevor and Michael came in, Jeremy found Ryan looking at him once more. He knew the next one, he wouldn’t just be watching.
An unidentified shiver ran up his spine at the thought.