Work Text:
Mason, Alex
Fairbanks, Alaska
0430 hours, November 22nd, 1973
Alex jolted awake with a pounding headache, immediately looking over to the man in his bed beside him. He breathed a sigh of relief seeing Frank still asleep, glad he hadn't woken his partner. He scrubbed his face with his hands and just sat there for a moment, trying to see if the headache would go away on its own. The clock read 4:32 am.
By the time it read 5, Alex frowned. The headache was nowhere near gone, if anything, it was worse, and there was no way he was falling back asleep now. He quietly slipped out of bed, heading to the bathroom for some painkillers. He swallowed two down with a little bit of water and decided to try to go back to sleep, walking up the stairs back to the bedroom and slipping under the covers next to Frank. Alex couldn't help a smile as his still-asleep partner pulled him closer, and he cuddled in and closed his eyes to try to sleep.
He opened his eyes again around 0800 to find Frank had gotten up already, and the fact that he could smell food meant that the older man was making breakfast. The headache wasn't gone though, which elicited a groan. He slowly slipped out of bed and headed downstairs, ignoring the numbers dancing at the corners of his vision, as well as the fact that he could hear them again (thankfully they were quiet). They'd been picking up in intensity again over the last couple of days, but Alex just found ways to keep from noticing them.
Which also meant he didn't notice Frank trying to get his attention from the stove.
Alex jumped when he heard his partner call out to him, Frank sounding worried even though Alex couldn't make out what he said well. He walked up behind Frank and hugged him with a sigh.
"You alright, Alex?" Frank asked, turning off the stove and looking back at the younger man.
He nodded. "Just woke up with a bad headache... and the numbers are back. I'll be fine though."
Frank nodded in return. "Go sit on the couch, I'll get breakfast brought over for you." He kissed Alex's forehead, the younger man smiling before hesitantly separating from his partner to go sit on the couch.
Mason didn't even realize he'd zoned out until he felt Woods sit down next to him, handing him his food. Alex took it with a smile and started to eat as the man next to him turned on the television, starting with the news. He loosely listened as he ate, leaning against Frank.
It wasn't long before the date was mentioned. November 22nd. The mention of it gave Alex a sharp headache, and he winced.
Frank looked over at him. "You sure you're okay Alex?"
The younger one nodded. "Yeah, I'm fine, headache keeps getting worse but I'll survive."
One hesitant nod from Frank later, the two were settling back in to eat and listen to the news, Alex trying to ignore the images flashing in his vision and trying to push them away. However, he couldn't stop it once the newscaster changed her topic.
"Today marks a decade since President John F. Kennedy's assassination and untimely death..."
The images got more intense, to the point Alex couldn't focus on the broadcast anymore. He closed his eyes to try to get rid of them, but nothing was working. He kept seeing them, images of being behind the scope of a sniper rifle; aiming it down at the procession on the road below; his own voice talking to someone, he didn't remember who, about what was going on...
The round being fired and hitting its mark dead on.
And the shrieks and screams of the crowd as it hit.
It felt like he was back there, with everything so intense in his mind he almost had to be.
Then a voice cut in, one that was definitely not supposed to be in this memory, calling his name worriedly. Alex fought the memories, desperate to get to the voice that reminded him of home, that would free him from this cycle, if only for now.
It took a while, but eventually, he was back in his Fairbanks home that he now shared with Frank, with a pounding headache and numbers still flashing in the corners of his vision and ricocheting around his mind, but with no more of the images. Frank was sitting on the floor in front of him, looking up at him with a very worried expression on his face, holding Alex's hands in his. The TV was off, their food was sitting on the coffee table.
Mason slid off the couch and clung to Woods, starting to cry in his arms. The older man embraced his lover, whispering to Alex while playing with his hair to help him relax. Frank let Alex cry as long as he needed to and provided comfort the whole time.
Once the younger one was mostly calmed down, Woods cupped his cheek in his hand. "You okay? And answer me honestly, please..."
Mason nodded. "I will be, all thanks to you."
"You don't have to tell me, but what the fuck just happened there? I lost you in your head for a pretty long time."
Alex sighed softly. "Long story..."
Frank gently kissed his cheek. "I'll gladly listen for however long you want me to."
A soft blush dusted Alex's cheeks from the gesture as he leaned into his boyfriend's arms. He took a deep breath before explaining.
He told Woods about Vorkuta in more detail, about how he'd been brainwashed by the Russians. Woods already knew that detail, but Mason had yet to tell him what the purpose of the brainwashing was. Why he reacted so horribly at mentions of former President John F. Kennedy.
He half expected Frank to be a lot more angry about it than he was. He definitely did not expect to be pulled into a tighter hug.
"It's okay, we can just avoid the TV today and not talk about it. But now I wish I could've bashed Kravchenko's head in for fucking you up this badly..."
Alex pulled away from the hug just enough to hold Frank's hand. "I know, but I already got Dragovich and Steiner so I've already avenged myself a decent amount... hopefully we find a way to get Kravchenko for good soon..."
Frank nodded. "As long as I get to kill him for helping fuck you up."
Alex nodded too, a small smile on his face. "Alright, if you have the chance to, I'll let you."
Woods smiled, standing up while keeping Mason in his arms. "It's already almost noon, I can get lunch ready if you want," he said as he walked them to the kitchen.
"I'll help, it'll keep my mind off of things."
Frank nodded, kissing Alex softly before setting him down. "Then let's get to work."
Alex smiled, kissing Frank in return before both turned to the counter in front of them to work on lunch.