Moonlightaholics

Title: Sense
Author: redwinter101
Rating: PG-13
Disclaimer: I don't own Moonlight or any of its characters
Note: Six drabbles, one for each of the senses (okay so I took a little liberty with number 6). Each one relates to a different character or group of characters and these are noted under each title.

ETA: number 7 added 9/14.
ETA 2: number 8 added 9/16.
ETA 3: number 9 added 9/23.

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For lila - because she likes them



#1 - Touch
Mick/Beth, immediately post-Sonata

Twenty-three years earlier she had been the first real, warm woman to touch him, the him he had become, with care. Now it was her daughter whose touch penetrated his soul. He drew away from the kiss, slowly, carefully, thumb stroking cheek. Her hand resting gently on his neck. The softness of her, pressed against him.

Silent fingers fumbling, eagerness and fear.

Hurry up and take it slow.

Until finally they were both naked and fear became the past. He smoothed his palm across her collarbone, her hands guiding his, his mouth following the track.

There were no words.

Just touch.

#2 - Smell
Mick/Beth

Chewing gum. Definitely spearmint. About three days old and a little rancid.

Backseat sex. No covering that scent. The Mustang he figured; probably a couple of nights earlier. And they’d enjoyed it too.

Seven different shades of sweat, the dog that lived on the ground floor and only just smelled worse than its owner, musky perfume from the unfamiliar convertible.

Engine oil, hydraulic fluid, all the usual parking garage backdrop.

Fresh apples - now where was that coming from? Maybe soap? He concentrated harder. Mmm yes, soap; apples to go with a peaches and cream complexion.

He smiled.

Beth was here.

#3 - Hearing
Beth

The gold watch sat heavy and awkward on her slender wrist; its loud tick intruded, interrupted, reminded.

It had a tick, but no tock.

There was no counterpoint, no balance, no other half to its sound. Just an endless repetition, counting away the seconds.

She heard it in her sleeping and in her waking. But she would not remove it.

Ever.

She would not silence it because it was his watch and now her constant reminder.

It lay over her pulse. Tick, beat, tick, beat, tick, beat.

Her heart to Mick’s tick.

It was all she had left of him.

#4 - Sight
Beth/Coraline, post-Sonata

They stared, stunned into silence by the unexpected confrontation.

The woman Beth saw looked the same but irrevocably changed. Where once her eyes had glowed with triumph and passion, now there was only despair, resignation, dull resentment.

Gone was the defiant chin, the haughty glint.

Beth could almost pity her. Almost.

Only force of will kept Coraline’s tears hidden. Facing her nemesis, she would not allow the mask to slip, her weakness to be revealed.

Beth still had the open, glowing eyes of the four-year-old child who should have been hers.

Hers and Mick’s.

She was Mick’s now.

#5 - Taste
Mick

Honey.

His mom’s roast chicken.

Chocolate milkshake.

Warm pretzels.

A spicy enchilada.

Freshly brewed coffee.

Dim sum from The Golden Dragon.

Grapefruit so sharp it made his eyes twitch.

Macaroni cheese.

Iced lemonade.

Hot dogs with all the trimmings.

Thanksgiving turkey.

Bread, still warm from the oven.

These were the taste memories he craved but could no longer conjure.

For so long he had cursed his shrivelled, useless taste buds. Now, as he worshipped at Beth’s vein, he knew that the taste of her, sweet, rich, alive, intoxicating, was the taste of life itself.

It could sustain him for ever.

#6 - Balance
Josef/Sara

He had forgotten how to dream until she painted the future, filled with life, love, hope, joy.

He could still feel her boundless spirit every time he stepped into that room. And at every visit he paused, his finger flickering over the switch, tempted to tip the scales once and for all.

She hovered over an invisible threshold, perfectly balanced, never wavering one way of the other, life or death, forward or back. All things were suspended in her, his life, her life, their life. She held his past, their future, all of him, in her perpetual sway.

Red, I'm honored. More than honored. These six drabbles (love that you cheated!) are my favorite drabbles ever.

I'm still hoping for some -say, oh, about four- more senses to be discovered. We'd be incredibly lucky, then.

'Til then, I can only quote my favorite passages back to you, and tell you that I love you bundles.

Touch

Silent fingers fumbling, eagerness and fear.

This passage gives me shivers. I can feel the touch; that's how powerful it is.

There were no words.

Just touch.

And aahhh, Red, the end for this first drabble is perfect and true.

Smell

Fresh apples - now where was that coming from? Maybe soap? He concentrated harder. Mmm yes, soap; apples to go with a peaches and cream complexion.

He smiled.

Beth was here.

Mm, Beth sounds fresh and downright lucious... no wonder Mick's mouth waters. Heck, my mouth is watering .

I particularly like this description of Beth's scent compared to the pungent background. It makes her all that sweeter.

Hearing

its loud tick intruded, interrupted, reminded.

It had a tick, but no tock.

I love this start - I can actually hear the ticking of the clock whenever I read this. A beautiful alliteration.

Her heart to Mick’s tick.

It was all she had left of him.

A gorgeous, bittersweet ending, but... Nooo!!!! You killed Mick!!! Somehow, I still love you (probably because there are three other drabbles).

Sight

Gone was the defiant chin, the haughty glint.

This description of Coraline is very fitting. I can see her in my mind's eye descending the stairs of Mick's loft, dressed in his shirt...

Beth still had the open, glowing eyes of the four-year-old child who should have been hers.

Hers and Mick’s.

She was Mick’s now.

And this, wonderful Red, is a perfect description of Beth. For all of her hate and love and lust, she still has open and innocent eyes.

Taste

Of the sense drabbles, I think this is my favorite. It starts up with a description that has my stomach rumbling, and ends in a poignant and beautiful moment, that not even Mick's self-deprecation can ruin.

For so long he had cursed his shrivelled, useless taste buds. Now, as he worshipped at Beth’s vein, he knew that the taste of her, sweet, rich, alive, intoxicating, was the taste of life itself.

It could sustain him for ever.

Oh, Mick...

Balance

I'm one of those horrible persons who is glad that you cheated . Very, very glad.

All things were suspended in her, his life, her life, their life. She held his past, their future, all of him, in her perpetual sway.

It's amazing how two short sentences can resound so deeply and conjure up so many images and emotions. This is lovely.

lila, I hope you realise that you make me *like* my own stuff.

Thanks for this - I love that you love these tiny little pieces.

Red

Red, I'm so happy to see these here. I hope you know how much I love them

Touch

Silent fingers fumbling, eagerness and fear.

Smell

Fresh apples - now where was that coming from? Maybe soap? He concentrated harder. Mmm yes, soap; apples to go with a peaches and cream complexion.

He smiled.

Beth was here.

Hearing

It lay over her pulse. Tick, beat, tick, beat, tick, beat.

Her heart to Mick’s tick.

It was all she had left of him.

Still makes me cry like a baby
I can't believe you killed Mick

Sight

Beth still had the open, glowing eyes of the four-year-old child who should have been hers.

Hers and Mick’s.

She was Mick’s now.

Taste

For so long he had cursed his shrivelled, useless taste buds. Now, as he worshipped at Beth’s vein, he knew that the taste of her, sweet, rich, alive, intoxicating, was the taste of life itself.

Balance (I like that you made balance a sense )

She held his past, their future, all of him, in her perpetual sway.

I've quoted my favourite parts of these. They are all still as lush as the first time I read them.

Thanks, coco

I had such fun writing these and I'm delighted you can still find something fresh to enjoy.

Red

Ok so I broke down and came and read these again... most of em are really good. The watch one makes me tear up. Yes. Me. Tears. Not just that you killed him (and yes you killed him; you don't get to say he was already dead; he was only already dead because in your imagination and in order to give Beth his watch you had to have him killed off!) but then you do give her his watch and she wears it. And it makes noises, constant reminders. That's just so incredibly human, to try to wrap yourself in whatever is left... and it makes me tear up. UGGGHHHHH!!!

I mean I hate it, but I kinda love it too, which is why I came to read it again. You most certainly can paint a picture with words, dear Red... otherwise I wouldn't be so invested in the damn watch story to tear up over it... sigh. SIgh, sigh sigh.

*holds hands up*

You got me. I killed Mick.

Tears? Oh man now I really do feel bad

Thanks for the kind words about the watch (not that I have thing for Mick's watch, you understand...) - it just seemed to work here. And in other stories...

*loves Grace*

Red

redwinter101 wrote:*holds hands up*

You got me. I killed Mick.

Tears? Oh man now I really do feel bad

Thanks for the kind words about the watch (not that I have thing for Mick's watch, you understand...) - it just seemed to work here. And in other stories...

*loves Grace*

Red

OH I GET the watch thing...and of course, it resides very close to his hands... which are also not at all appealing...

Never a truer word spoken, Grace.

Have read these so many times, and they never lose their appeal. And neither do you, for that matter.

Hurry up and take it slow

That is one fine line, honey.

Here I am, using my mad quoting skills, that my "quote thingy mentor" teached me (sorry, thought maybe you were missing W's language skills) on yet another site.

We've come a long way, baby!