FIC: Ghosts (Blackwood/Coward)

[linndechir]

Title: Ghosts
Author: linndechir 
Fandom: Sherlock Holmes 2009
Pairing: Blackwood/Coward
Rating: G
Words: 392
Warning: none, unless pure introspection needs a warning
Summary: Why Lord Coward hates portraits.
Author's note: Inspired by a painting I saw yesterday in the Tretyakov Gallery: a self-portrait by Ivan Kramskoy. I don't even know why, but I found it incredibly intimidating and felt like his eyes were following me everywhere, especially since there were a few more portraits by the same painter in the room. I wrote this ficlet right there in the Gallery, and just edited it a bit afterwards. Thanks to life_of_amesu for the helpful suggestions. :)


Lord Coward hated portraits. As an educated man, he could appreciate their aesthetic value, he could admire the artist's talent and skill. But he could not enjoy them the way he enjoyed other paintings. They made him uncomfortable. The eyes of long-dead men staring at him, following him through the room, ghosts from the past haunting him even when he turned his back on them.

When his father had died, the young lord had defied tradition and taken every single family portrait from the walls. He couldn't bear the scrutinising, stern looks of his forefathers, just as he couldn't bear the frighteningly alive eyes of dead strangers on the canvases of art galleries. He felt as if they alone, removed and distant from this world, could see through his mask, through the charming smile and the perfect manners, down to the frightened boy who had once been so desperate for the guidance and purpose that father and church failed to provide. When Lord Blackwood had given him everything he had always longed for, Coward had willingly offered him his life and soul in return.

And only He was allowed to strip him down to his most secret emotions and fears, only He was allowed to look at him like that, as if He could peer right into his soul. He, not these ghosts, these eyes that would never close on a deathbed, forever immortal in the eerily vivid colours of the greatest artists. They looked so real, so present, as if they were about to step out of the frame and question him, accuse him, judge him, for everything he had ever done and everything he still wanted to do.

He always felt shivers run down his spine in these portraits' company, and while his lips formed the appropriate, well-mannered, educated comments on the beauty of these paintings, followed by polite compliments on their owners' taste, Lord Coward wanted nothing more than to run, run away like a little boy who got lost in the dark of the night and suspected monsters in every shadowed corner. He counted the seconds until he could flee from the ghosts on the canvas, flee from the darkness of their memories and expectations, and into the light of his Lord's eyes, the only eyes that Coward ever wanted to follow him when he left a room.

Comments

[veul-mclannon.livejournal.com]

This is a sweet little fic *bookmarks* - and, my! I feel much the same about the things. Scary eyes, methinks.

[linndechir.livejournal.com]

Thank you. ^^ And, yes, some pictures are just terrifying. oO

[assassin-nariel.livejournal.com]

Pretty <3 Coward need a huuuu~g.
I'm glad you find your travels so inspiring. Hope there is moarrrrr where that came from, you should go to museums more often! And write.

[linndechir.livejournal.com]

He'll get a hug from his dearest Henry. A hug, and a snuggle, and a kiss, and much more. Om nom.

There's definitely more where this comes from. And museums are scary, not sure if I want to go there again... honestly, I was shaken after seeing that picture. I have an idea for a drabble of them walking in the snooooow. :D Need more fluff.

Thanks for the comment. :D Here, have a hug, too. ^^

[assassin-nariel.livejournal.com]

Yay hug! ^^
All these Henry and Thomases are getting me confused, lol.

*poke* And Dieterchen in snow fluff? Can I has it?

[linndechir.livejournal.com]

LOL, I know what you mean. *cuddles Nicholas* ;)

Mhm, dunno? Dieterchen ice-skating with his Russian boyfriends ... but I don't think I'll write that. I can't very well write pretty much the same thing twice, just with different characters. Nah, I have the perfect drabble scene for B/C in my head, snooooooow.

You haven't answered my mails yet, you bad person. :P

[assassin-nariel.livejournal.com]

Yes I did. Turn MSN on, dummy <3

[anneka-neko.livejournal.com]

First of all, awesomeness! I love the idea of little Coward running away from a portrait gallery, screaming his head off while everyone else is like "...the fuck?" xD It makes me giggle.

Second, that portrait you linked? Dude that looks like this guy I know! And the one I know is creepy too, so that works!

[linndechir.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :D Glad you liked it. LOL, I rather imagined Coward suffering silently, and then half running out of the gallery, all relieved that he can leave now, and then he runs into Blackwood, who of course notices that something's wrong. Coward would have a hard time trying to come up with a good explanation. ;)

Haha, then it's double creepy for you. ;) The worst thing was that there were a few more portraits by the same painter in that room, so even if I turned around, someone else was staring at me. ;)

[johanna-d.livejournal.com]

Very interesting idea! Oh, poor boy needs some comfort and I hope, he'll get it from Henry!
Did you see "The Portrait of the Unknown Woman" by Kramskoi? And how do you like Moscow? It is cold again here...

[linndechir.livejournal.com]

Thanks, I'm glad you liked it. :D And of course Henry will comfort him, who could resist a sad little Coward who needs comfort ... ^^

Yes, I've seen it. I really like Kramskoy, I think. And Moscow is wonderful, although really exhausting. And I'm very happy it's snowing again, I love snow. :)

[mezzafredda.livejournal.com]

Aww, it's just so beautiful^^ Such a lovely detail to his character. I've always seen him as an overly sensitive boy, very insecure in the sweetest way possible <3

(btw, when you're on MSN, feel free to IM me about our plans for tomorrow - I'm not working or anything, I'm avoiding one certain person who is not you :'D)

[linndechir.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! :D I like to think of lil Coward as a very sensitive boy, who needs his Blackwood to take care of him. ^^

(I'm sorry I didn't contact you earlier, somehow I don't get around to doing anything because I'm never alone here, it's annoying. ;) Looking forward to seeing you later. ^^)

[life-of-amesu.livejournal.com]

:D

You already heard all my comments, but am here anyway to say that I love it ^^

[linndechir.livejournal.com]

Yay! Thanks again, both for the nice comments and for your suggestions! :D

[thatsleon.livejournal.com]

I like portraits because they're scary. XD (That self-portrait is eerily AWESOME.)

Anyhow, this fic is great. 8D I especially like how Coward loves in Blackwood what he hates in portraits. <3

[linndechir.livejournal.com]

I really like this painter, but somehow that picture was terrifying in that moment. ;) Apparently you're less easy to intimidate than lil Coward. LOL, Coward indeed. ;)

Thanks, in any case, I'm glad you liked it. ^^ And since Coward's entire world revolves around Blackwood, of course he'd bring even his weirdest fears back to his love for Blackwood. Obsessive boy. ^^

[rion-kun.livejournal.com]

This is a great concept :D Now I can see secretly-insecure!Coward avoiding museums and art galleries at any cost.

Oh geez, the man in the picture looks like my friend 0_o the resemblance is uncanny

[linndechir.livejournal.com]

I love insecure Coward. ^^ And Blackwood being utterly fascinated by it. ^^

Heh, the worst thing is that I find him quite attractive, he just scares me so much. ;)

[elenauial.livejournal.com]

Wow, that is a unsettling portrait.

I love this idea, so creative and original. Every fic just seems to be bringing something different to this pairing and I love it.

Very well written once again! You manage to convey his past and his emotions so well in so few words! Well done! ♥

[linndechir.livejournal.com]

I'm so glad you like this, I was half afraid people would just find it weird. ;) Thank you so much! :)

[unsettledink.livejournal.com]

And why didn't I comment on this ages ago when I first read it?

IDK. But it might have been because a lack of coherence.

Wonderfully done, pretty damn creepy, worshipful Coward is mouthwatering.

[linndechir.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! :D Lack of coherence is goood.

Creepy indeed, that picture still creeps me out whenever I look at it. But it was so much worse when I was standing in the gallery. Help. And I'm just in love with worshipful Coward. ^^

[black-nata.livejournal.com]

the worst of all are family portraits. oohh.. /shiver/

i love this one. it's as if blackwood is coward's own personal god.

[linndechir.livejournal.com]

Who needs God when there is Blackwood? ^^ I think Coward definitely worships Blackwood, even if their relationship also has a much more personal, intimate side.

[black-nata.livejournal.com]

DAMN STRAIGHT! XD
i think it was left as an unanswered question in the movie, but it was quite clear that coward admired him more than he should.

[linndechir.livejournal.com]

The sparkling in Parliament? I'm so annoyed that they didn't get some more screentime. *sigh* As much as I love Holmes and Watson, I just wanted Blackwood to win so he can have epic celebration!sex with Coward. ;)

[black-nata.livejournal.com]

it's as if the director knew there would be some serious sexual tension between them, so he gave them little on-screen time together and more time apart. even so, those few minutes they had together were equal to the whole epic holmes/watson slashiness.

[linndechir.livejournal.com]

True, but still, I feel like there could have been a little more fan service for the Blackwood/Coward-shippers. Just a little bit. :(

[black-nata.livejournal.com]

i agree. the more, the merrier. :D