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Title: Eyes of Others
Author: MelWil
Fandom: Spooks
Rating: PG
Spoilers: To 5.5. Please don’t spoil past 5.9 in the comments
Summary: Harry suffers from his own peculiar narcissism




*

The grid feels strange and unfamiliar as Harry steps through the pods. He moves across the floor, slow and deliberate. His limbs feel heavy and unbending, like the air surrounding him is made of treacle, holding him back. He keeps looking at the floor, unwilling to meet the eyes of the people around him.

He keeps seeing himself in the eyes of others.

It started long ago, when he first took on a position of power. He looked into the eyes of a new agent and saw the bright shine of enthusiasm which he, himself, still shared. It made him remember the mistakes he made in his first days, the dangers he skirted. He feared for the agent. He kept him away from the dangers which would have taught him what he needed to know.

Harry saw a lot of himself in Tom, in the way he endeavoured to lead a regular life outside the confines of Thames House. When Tom’s relationship with Ellie fell apart, he remembered the way his wife had carried her hurt around with her for years, the way she had pushed him away because she couldn’t cope with the a man like him. When Tom began questioning the service, he remembered his own questions. He couldn’t let Tom become as hard or as immoral as him. He had to let him go.

He was in Danny and Zoe, too, in the way they foolishly trusted that they would always be there for each other. He saw himself in the way they were so easily broken apart. He could still name all the friends who were pulled away from him; he could feel the same pain that they did.

He saw himself in Ruth.

It was something different he saw there. He saw possibilities, a life outside the service. He saw a love of literature and good food and the urge to understand the world around them. He saw a heart that was still beating, even if it was an erratic thump.

He saw a future in her eyes. His future. Their future.

And now she was gone, pulled away from him in a way he would never forget or forgive. She would have left the country, gone exploring, begun a life without him. He wondered how long she would remember him.

He walked through the grid, looking at the floor, ignoring the eyes of the people around him. He didn’t want to see himself anymore.

on 2007-10-10 09:37 pm (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] antice.livejournal.com
I've just read this fic (I'm making my way through lots of fanfic at the mo (: ) & I love this. How Harry is picking out each colleague and relating to each one... and well, Ruth... that made me sad!

I apologise, I'm not brilliant at reviewing these things, I just wanted to say that I enjoyed this ^_^

Gracie x

on 2007-10-11 09:01 am (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] melwil.livejournal.com
Thank you so much for your comment - I really appreciate it *g* I always wonder what it would be like to be the constant while the people come and go around you

on 2008-03-15 10:58 pm (UTC)
Posted by (Anonymous)
I just found this fic and I think it's really beautiful and very well written. Thank you for writing it!

on 2008-11-15 04:57 pm (UTC)
Posted by [identity profile] crazymaryt.livejournal.com
This was great. I really enjoyed that last line. I do think Harry would become even more isolated after Ruth's departure. (I'm only up to 5.5 in the series)

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