Demon Days (Or Five Times 2nd Platoon Tried to Mend Brad Colbert’s Broken Heart) by Lila (R)

[http://users.livejournal.com/_steelphoenix_/]

Fandom: GENERATION KILL
Pairing: Brad Colbert/OFC, ensemble
Length: 3522
Author on LJ: lila82
Author Website: lila82
Why this must be read:

This fic explores Brad's relationship with his former girlfriend - the heartbreak there - and the way his brother Marines help him come to terms and put his heart back together. I has a certain essentialism; where home is, what loyalty is, what love is. It's set in-theatre, with the violence of war making the personal reflections and memories all that more intense.

It's vivid and sparse and beautiful, and it has a constant, quiet understanding of Brad. It's an absolute gem.

I had real trouble deciding which excerpt I wanted - because it's all so excellent - but here is one:

The day Julie ended it for good, they went for a walk on the beach with the ocean lapping at their toes and heartbreak catching in the breeze. The salt of the sea had mingled on his cheeks with the tears he swore he wouldn’t cry, and sometimes, when he peels of his MOPP suit and comes face to face with the briny shirt clinging to the contours of his chest, it brings him back to that day and he hates her all over again.

Every time he walks through the desert, sand kicking up against his legs and catching in his hair, salty water coating every inch of his skin, it’s all he can do to keep from slamming his fist into the nearest Marine’s face. With kevlar molded to their scalps and scarves protecting their faces from the shamals, it’s easy to pretend his brothers wear Paul’s face, because once upon a time Paul was his brother too, and he knows too well how that story ended.


Demon Days (Or Five Times 2nd Platoon Tried to Mend Brad Colbert’s Broken Heart)