Dark Winters Wear You Down by goodbutfallen (R)

[alethialia.livejournal.com]

Fandom: GENERATION KILL
Pairing: Brad Colbert/Nate Fick
Length: 12,565
Author on LJ: goodbutfallen
Author Website: AO3
Why this must be read:

This is a post-Iraq Nate!POV that gorgeously portrays him not dealing well. Nate tries so hard to be okay and just...doesn't get there. So he turns to Brad, who gets it, gets him, even as they talk around each other or talk of nothing at all. The voices in this piece are crisp, with well-drawn OCs like Nate's mother and neighbor. And the back-and-forth between Nate and Brad is such fun to read, with their underlying issues laced throughout.

He hasn’t spoken to his mother since before Christmas and he still lets the phone ring because he’s listened to the messages. She believes he is living some new, tidy, safe existence and would like to hear every detail. But he doesn't feel new or tidy or safe or like telling her so.

He would like to watch the cars driving down his street in the dark, eat Thai food from the container, and keep his phone off. Or break it in half. He calls Brad and bemoans Economic Policy instead.

Dark Winters Wear You Down