Title: Jealousy
Pairing: Casey Connor, Zeke Tyler
written as a reward ficlet
Words: 271
Finished: February 2018

:::

Finally, he found him alone in one of the empty rooms of the ruined house. When he tried to put an arm around his shoulder, Casey shrugged him off.

Zeke frowned. „Hey, what's wrong? You know, you shouldn't be here alone.“

„So what. Maybe it would be better when the zombies would get me, bring it all to an end.“

Zeke wasn't sure if he felt more annoyed or worried. Casey had to go through a lot during the last months, but who had not? Many people they had met were just cracked, but not so Casey. He was so much stronger than he looked like and not willing to give up without fighting. So, what had happened?

„What bullshit is this?“

The boy looked up, his blue eyes dark. „Then you are free to go with them.“

„Huh?“

„Murphy. The doc. You would like to stay with them.“

„They are okay. You are like family. You want to go Minnesota, find your grandparents? We will go to Minnesota. It is that easy.“

Casey kept quiet for a moment. „10K. I've heard you tonight together with him.“

Oh. Great. That was the reason why, in their former life, he would never have started a relationship with Casey Connor. Much too complicated. „Sorry. But, c'mon, Case, life is much too short to turn into a jealous drama queen, okay? Tomorrow, we will already be far away, and he's not more than a faint memory.“

„Yes, I know.“ Casey's eyes suddenly sparkled. „But couldn't you at least have asked me if I'd like to join you two?“

Title: Childhood Memories
Character: Casey Connor, Zeke Tyler
Prompt: cherries
Rating: R
Word Count: 356

Note: This a stand-alone snippet, taking place in my Reboot Universe (crossover The Faculty - Jeremiah TV)

:::

Zeke winced at Casey's ear-piercing cry and slammed on the brakes, expecting the worst. In times like these, it was better always to be on guard.

Without any explanation Casey opened the passengers door and jumped out of the Chevrolet, only a moment later he vanished between big trees and thick undergrowth. Zeke felt anger rising up while he followed him slowly, the gun in his hand, just to be sure. This time, he wondered what it would be: a half-starved animal, some guy in trouble, or just a rare flower this stupid boy wanted to examine more closely. There were a lot of reasons for Casey to leave every wariness behind. Though he actually should know better, especially after the trouble they had gotten into only a few days ago.

Zeke jerked around when a dark figure suddenly dropped from one of the trees behind him. The well-known laughter made him curse loudly. "Holy shit, Casey. What the hell are you thinking? What's happened?"

The boy grinned wide, but Zeke wasn't sure if he wanted to shake him or hug him. "Cherries."

"What?"

"Cherries," repeated Casey and opened his hand.

Feeling dumbfounded, Zeke stared at the red fruits. Cherries? What was the reason for this drama?

"I remember," Casey said, unimpressed, and put one of the fruits into their mouth. "My grammy had a small farm with fruit trees in the backyard. Apples, pears. And cherries. Whenever I visited her, I climbed around in the trees, and I could eat as much as I wanted. I loved the cherries. My mom wasn't very amused because I always returned with stains on my shirt or tattered pants. But my grandma didn't care. She used to say: A real boy should pick his cherries right from the tree and not buy them at the supermarket."

He smiled softly, lost in memories, while looking down at the red fruits in his hand. "These days on her farm are one of my favorite childhood memories.

Want some? They are sweet and juicy."

Inwardly sighing, Zeke grabbed a cherry. How could he be mad at him for longer?

Title: The Train Depot
Character: Casey Connor, Zeke Tyler
Rating: R
Word Count: 708
Finished December 2015

Note: This a stand-alone snippet, taking place in my Reboot Universe (crossover The Faculty - Jeremiah TV)

:::

Zeke woke up and pulled the blanket tighter around his body. The storm had finally started to die away, but it was much too early to think about moving on. He would need at least a glimpse of daylight to find a way through the muddy, branch-covered roads. It was better to stay here for the following hours.

They had been lucky to find this deserted depot. Old, long-abandoned trains were everywhere, emptied, with broken windows and ripped-out doors. The depot was overgrown with grass and brushwood. But there was this small cabin. For whatever reason, it had outlived the years and offered more safety than any other place.

He turned around and wanted to pull Casey closer to warm him even more. And he felt his body trembling.

"Case?"

A scarcely audible sobbing was the answer. Zeke frowned and grabbed for the old flashlight at his side. The battery was almost empty, but the weak light beam fell on Casey, curled up, with his arms around his knees and shoulders shaking. Sometimes, he did wake up crying, gasping for air, full of panic, when a nightmare tormented him, but this was different.

"Hey."
Carefully, Zeke touched his shoulder. Casey stiffened, but he didn't shake him off.
"What's going on? One of these dreams again?"

Casey gasped once again, and Zeke was almost surprised when he answered.
"It's this place."
A whisper, barely to understand.

"I see. A bit spooky, huh? But it's just an abandoned train depot. Nothing dangerous."

Well, at least not more dangerous than any other place. Life in the new world wasn't a safe one. The safest place he could imagine was the Marriot Hotel in Herrington, where they had been living together with some others after a virus caused by the death of a stupid alien had turned the world around. But they had left this sanctuary and been on the road for months now, looking for a place whose existence Zeke still doubted. Casey, though, wasn't willing to give up, and he would be by his side as long as needed, no question.

Zeke could feel Casey relaxing a bit while he shook his head.
"It's a great place. Almost alive, as if it wants to tell stories about long gone times."

"Oh!"
He hated it when Casey talked like this. Ages ago, he would have laughed and called him a geek. Now, it gave him the creeps to think that Casey might one day lose his mind, immersed in a world where he couldn't follow him.

Casey turned around and looked at him.
"I came back here with my camera. Someone needs to capture the atmosphere of this place before it disappears. These were the best pictures I've ever taken. Mr. Brown ... Mr. Brown told me to use them for my college application."
He paused as if he needed to think about his own words.
"It was just a dream, wasn't it?"

Zeke pulled him into his arms and nodded.
"Yeah, just a dream."

"Okay."
It didn't last long that he put his head onto Zeke's shoulder and started to doze off.
"Sometimes I wish I could turn back time."

+++

Over the next few hours, Zeke held him in his arms, feeling his warmth and calm, quiet breathing. With Casey's words still in his head, sleep was out of the question.

Sometimes, I wish I could turn back time.

Back to the hell of High-school, where the jocks would bully him day in - day out. College, New York, Boston, LA. Far away from the small-mindedness in Ohio, he would finally be able to find himself. And of course, one day he would be a famous photographer, with exhibitions worldwide. Zeke didn't doubt that, even for a moment.

He felt terrible at the thought that he was glad to know all this would never happen. Casey would have made his way into the old world, and Zeke would have been left behind in Ohio, trapped in an illusory world he had built up to fight loneliness and boredom.

Gently, he put his lips on Casey's forehead and whispered: "I love you."

And the boy in his arms smiled and snuggled even closer to him.

Title: I'm strong only together with you
Characters: Casey Connor, Zeke Tyler
Rating: PG13
Length: 1033 words
Prompts: together / angst
Finished: February 2017

Note: Crossover

:::

When Zeke opened the door to the apartment, he could hear the TV running. For a split second, he felt relief; he had learned to live with the always-existing danger of Casey's job without thinking too much about it, but it was always good to know that he was back in one piece.

„Hey, babe,“ he called, dropping his backpack on the kitchen counter before entering the living room.

Casey was sitting on the comfortable couch, knees up, with a blanket pulled over him. On the table, he had a bowl of popcorn and a glass of soda in front of him. The YouTube video flickering over the screen was about baby pandas and their mothers.

Oh, cute animals, it was that bad. Zeke cringed inwardly while he bent down and gently kissed Casey on the cheek. He knew well enough that he wouldn't endure more at the moment.

A weak smile sneaked on Casey's lips.
„Hey. I've missed you.“

„Me, too.“
Zeke dropped onto the couch beside him, putting an arm around his shoulder.
„You okay?“

Finally, Casey turned his head to face him; he was pale, with dark rims around his eyes. He hadn't slept much in the last few days.

„I will be,“ he murmured, resting his head on Zeke's shoulder.
„Now, where you are here. Just hold me for a minute.“

…

Half an hour later, in the bathroom, Zeke had convinced Casey that a hot bath and a massage might be a good idea before he had a light meal and then went to bed early.

„This okay,“ he asked while his hands kneaded Casey's stiff, tense muscles.
„Tell me when it hurts too much.“

„You can't hurt me,“ Casey murmured, his eyes closed.

„Do you wanna talk about it,“ Zeke asked, though he wasn't sure if he wanted to hear more. It always was hard to endure, and to think that Casey could only tell him bits of the truth had already caused him more than just one nightmare.

„I will never get used to it when children are involved in the case,“ was all Casey said.

Zeke swallowed. Pictures were crossing his mind. Horrible picture Casey had taken. Because this was his job as a member of a special force from the FBI. Profiler; they only got the cruelest cases where most others had already given up. For about two years, Casey had been working for them as a photographer.

Zeke hadn't been able to understand his decision at first.
„FBI,“ he had asked, feeling flabbergasted.
„You can't be serious.“

„What's wrong with it?“
Casey had huffed, annoyed.
„It's an important job. The BAU has been very successful for years already, and they want a good photographer on their team. I'm brilliant.“

„Jetting around the world from one murder to the other? Hunting psychopaths? That's not you!“

„So, what do you expect me to do? Jetting around the world for a traveling magazine? That I do photo shoots of celebrities?“
He had looked at Zeke with tears, begging for understanding.
„That's not me, Zeke. It would be a waste of my talent. I have the chance to make the world a bit better place. How can I say 'no' to that?“

And Zeke had pulled him into his arms and accepted that Casey had to do what he had to do. For two years, he was a part of the team. The team. Hotch, the team leader. Derek, a smart and funny guy. Rossi, he had taken Casey under his wings at first, like a father. J.J. The only one in the team with an ideal relationship; she even had a baby. Reid, the youngest, besides Casey. He had a brilliant mind, and he had three doctor's degrees. Or were it already four? Penelope Garcia. A computer genius, the good soul of the team. Casey loved her, and of course, she was as geeky as he was.

At first, Zeke felt some jealousy when he noticed that they welcomed Casey heartily as the new member of their selected company. He seemed to spend more time together with them than at home; there were secrets Casey would never share with him. And Zeke had felt left behind, alone, and afraid that he would lose Casey. Today he knew better; Casey's job hadn't come between them, it had brought them even closer together.

„I love everyone on the team,“ Casey had told him one day.
„We are family. Only when we stand together are we able to do this job? We can trust ourselves blindly. We know what the other is thinking even without words.“

He paused and chuckled slightly.
„Well, they are the profiler. I'm just the photographer. But I'm a part of the family and proud of it.

But, Zeke ...“

Slowly, he grabbed Zeke's hand and entwined their fingers.
„Without you, I wouldn't be able to do all this. You make me strong enough for every new case. You don't blame me when I have to leave in the middle of the night head over heels; you help me pack and drive me to the airport. You never complain because of missed anniversaries or canceled weekend trips. You even go to Herrington for my mother's birthday because I'm not around.

But knowing you will be there when I return home is the most important thing to me. It keeps me going, no matter how difficult the circumstances of the case are.

I know it's not always easy for you, and I can't thank you enough for not giving up.“

Zeke had pulled the face; too many emotions to deal with it.
„Shut up, geek boy,“ he had snarled.
"Just shut up."

Casey had smiled.
„I love you!“

…

Finally, Zeke ended the massage.
„Water is getting cold,“ he said.
„Get dressed. A salad with toast is already waiting for you in the kitchen. And then: bed. You need some sleep, at least 10 hours. I will take care of it that no one disturbs you.“

Title: Happy Birthday (Reboot Part 5)
Characters: Casey Connor, Zeke Tyler
Wordcount: 1922
finished: 2013

( cut because of length )

Title: Greta (Reboot Part 2)
Characters: Casey Connor, Zeke Tyler, Delilah Profitt
Wordcount: 1264
finished: 2013


( Cut because of Length )