A Fraction of Fiction

The Same

A one shot based on TT Bret's character Mason Knoll. [And based off a dream I had]

Genre: angst 

Warnings: mentions of blood, mentions of abuse, cursing.

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Mason was fuming. Vanessa could practically see the steam pouring out of his ears as he drove. She understood why and knew what was coming--what he was going to say even before he opened his mouth. So she just waited in the silence, rubbing her dislocated shoulder.

The duration of the car ride was spent in silence until Mason pulled up to his apartment. He parked and slammed the door shut, causing Vanessa to flinch. She opened her car door and followed Mason inside.

Even as she sat on his kitchen countertop while he got out cleaning supplies, he didn't speak a word. The silence began slowly eating away at Vanessa. She felt the tension squeezing her chest like a giant snake until she couldn't take it anymore.

"Look, Mason, I--"

She was cut off by him slamming the first aid kit right next to her before he went and stood between her legs. He started aggressively dabbing alcohol-soaked cotton pads onto the cuts on her face, still saying nothing.

She batted away his hand. Instead of taking the bait as she wanted, he walked back over to the aid kit and started rummaging through it for something, his lips remaining sealed. Vanessa tried to speak again.

"Mason, I'm--"

"Why don't you listen to me?" His dark grey eyes flashing with anger as he tilted his head to glare at her.

Vanessa rolled her eyes, "Oh, like you're any better."

"Kid," He spun to face her. "At least I know when not to dive headfirst into a fucking trap!"

Vanessa threw back her head and let out a loud, mocking laugh. "No, you don't! You just did it today!"

He took a step towards her and pointed an accusing finger at her. "I wouldn't have had to if you had just listened to me! This isn't a game! This isn't some shit where you die and you just respawn at the last checkpoint! This is a game of life and death!"

"YOU THINK I DON'T KNOW THAT!?" She screamed, hopping off the counter to face him. "WHAT DO YOU TAKE ME FOR? AN IDIOT?"

"WELL, YOU ACT LIKE ONE WHEN YOU PULL STUNTS LIKE THAT!" He took a step closer to her, his voice elevating in conjunction with hers.

She countered him, although the height difference left him towering over her, both fuming. Had it been anyone else, they might have been intimidated by Mason's fit, tall figure. However, this was Vanessa. And Vanessa didn't know fear. At least not with Mason.

"MAYBE I WAS JUST TRYING TO HELP YOU, MASON! EVER THINK OF THAT?"

"I DON'T NEED YOUR HELP! I'M A GROWN MAN! I CAN DO THIS SHIT ON MY OWN!"

Vanessa scoffed, "Ya sure proved that today. If I wasn't there--"

"IF YOU WEREN'T THERE, I WOULD BE FINE! I'VE BEEN THROUGH WORSE SHIT THAN THAT! YOU, ON THE OTHER HAND, ARE UNTRAINED, INEXPERIENCED, AND YOUNG AS HELL! YOU WOULDN'T LAST TWO SECONDS ON YOUR OWN!" He screamed, trying to drill his point into her stubborn skull.

"THEN TRAIN ME! TEACH ME! SHOW ME HOW! I WANT TO LEARN!" Vanessa grabbed his arms, trying to, for the millionth time, tell him how much she desperately wanted this.

Mason, for the millionth time, shrugged her off. "NO!"

"WHY NOT?"

"BECAUSE YOU COULD DIE GETTING YOUR ASS BEAT AND IT WOULD BE MY FAULT!"