#2: Weekly Quick Fic #1
Title: Gradually Become Worse
Prompt: Detached and Pride
Bonus? yes?
Word Count: 735
Rating: PG-13
Original/Fandom: Glee
Pairings (if any): none
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con etc): language
Summary: Artie and Tina have a discussion about pride after The Incident in 5x09 - spoilers.
“You’re still one of my best friends.”
“Ditto.” He didn’t look very sincere.
“Artie, do you want to talk about this?”
He just rolled his eyes. “No, I’m fine. Look, I forgive you, so just leave me alone.” He put his hands to his wheels and started to go to class. My eyes followed him down the hall. I still felt awful about this whole thing.
Meet me in the auditorium after school. I texted him during my next class.
Predictably, he didn’t answer until the next bell rang. I have plans.
OK, can I come over later?
It might be a while. Not sure what time.
I knew that wasn’t an outright no. That’s OK, text me.
It took him a while to respond. OK.
I headed home. It was late by the time he texted me, but my parents didn’t care. They gave me all the freedom I could ever ask for and more. I left a note and grabbed my bag and went over to Artie’s place. His mom let me in and I knocked on his door. “What?” He asked from inside the closed door.
“Can I come in?”
“You’re here, aren’t you?”
I opened the door slowly and looked in the dark room. Artie was sitting on his bed. He barely looked up from his phone as I walked in. He just barely raised an eyebrow at me. “Go on.”
“What’s going on, Artie?”
He put his phone down on top of his comforter and pulled his arms across his chest. “I told you, I don’t want to talk about this. I don’t know what you’re doing here.”
“I don’t want to talk about it either… not exactly. I just wanna know what’s going on between us.”
He sighed and looked up at me. “Look, I’m not mad at you, if that’s what you’re asking. I know it wasn’t your fault. I was never mad at you. I’m just mad that this always happens to me.”
“Everyone gets knocked over.” Maybe I was the worst person to say that, but I couldn’t help it.
He glared at me. “Everyone else can get back up again,” he mocked.
Our eyes met and I studied him for a long moment. He was serious. “What happened to you?”
“What are you talking about? I thought this was about you and how guilty you feel. Well, I’m just telling you, don’t feel guilty.”
“See, that’s just it. You’ve become so… detached. I don’t get it. You let Puck push you around and do his homework, just so you can be friends with him. You forgive everyone in an instant. You forgave me after I was awful to you.”
“I already told you-”
“I meant the first time, when I lied to you.”
“I only forgave you after you cried for an hour and told me you never thought anything would happen.” He actually chuckled.
I still didn’t think it was very amusing. I shook my head. “Anyway, I’m just curious. You let everyone in, even those who have wronged you. But it’s like you don’t even care about their feelings anymore. It’s like you’ve become a different person.You used to apologize. I mean, I remember how terrible you felt after you called Brittany stupid. But the other day, you didn’t even flinch when you called me a bitch.”
He definitely flinched now. “Yeah, about that. It kind of just came out… Look, I don’t know what happened to me. I’m not saying I was ever perfect, but yeah, maybe you’re right.”
“I’m sorry, Artie, but I have to be honest. It’s like your pride has gotten the better of you. I really admire that you’ve done amazing things, even just in this crummy high school. But I also really care about you and don’t want you to get hurt. Maybe you should chill out a little before you move to Brooklyn. It’s a tough world out there and Brooklyn is really tough. I hear they have gangs and stuff there.”
He just chuckled a little. “I doubt a gang would ever come after me, but yeah, I get it. I’ll work on it…” He shot me a crooked smile. “But for now, are we good? Do either one of us have to apologize again?”
I just shook my head. “We’re good.”
Prompt: Detached and Pride
Bonus? yes?
Word Count: 735
Rating: PG-13
Original/Fandom: Glee
Pairings (if any): none
Warnings (Non-Con/Dub-Con etc): language
Summary: Artie and Tina have a discussion about pride after The Incident in 5x09 - spoilers.
“You’re still one of my best friends.”
“Ditto.” He didn’t look very sincere.
“Artie, do you want to talk about this?”
He just rolled his eyes. “No, I’m fine. Look, I forgive you, so just leave me alone.” He put his hands to his wheels and started to go to class. My eyes followed him down the hall. I still felt awful about this whole thing.
Meet me in the auditorium after school. I texted him during my next class.
Predictably, he didn’t answer until the next bell rang. I have plans.
OK, can I come over later?
It might be a while. Not sure what time.
I knew that wasn’t an outright no. That’s OK, text me.
It took him a while to respond. OK.
I headed home. It was late by the time he texted me, but my parents didn’t care. They gave me all the freedom I could ever ask for and more. I left a note and grabbed my bag and went over to Artie’s place. His mom let me in and I knocked on his door. “What?” He asked from inside the closed door.
“Can I come in?”
“You’re here, aren’t you?”
I opened the door slowly and looked in the dark room. Artie was sitting on his bed. He barely looked up from his phone as I walked in. He just barely raised an eyebrow at me. “Go on.”
“What’s going on, Artie?”
He put his phone down on top of his comforter and pulled his arms across his chest. “I told you, I don’t want to talk about this. I don’t know what you’re doing here.”
“I don’t want to talk about it either… not exactly. I just wanna know what’s going on between us.”
He sighed and looked up at me. “Look, I’m not mad at you, if that’s what you’re asking. I know it wasn’t your fault. I was never mad at you. I’m just mad that this always happens to me.”
“Everyone gets knocked over.” Maybe I was the worst person to say that, but I couldn’t help it.
He glared at me. “Everyone else can get back up again,” he mocked.
Our eyes met and I studied him for a long moment. He was serious. “What happened to you?”
“What are you talking about? I thought this was about you and how guilty you feel. Well, I’m just telling you, don’t feel guilty.”
“See, that’s just it. You’ve become so… detached. I don’t get it. You let Puck push you around and do his homework, just so you can be friends with him. You forgive everyone in an instant. You forgave me after I was awful to you.”
“I already told you-”
“I meant the first time, when I lied to you.”
“I only forgave you after you cried for an hour and told me you never thought anything would happen.” He actually chuckled.
I still didn’t think it was very amusing. I shook my head. “Anyway, I’m just curious. You let everyone in, even those who have wronged you. But it’s like you don’t even care about their feelings anymore. It’s like you’ve become a different person.You used to apologize. I mean, I remember how terrible you felt after you called Brittany stupid. But the other day, you didn’t even flinch when you called me a bitch.”
He definitely flinched now. “Yeah, about that. It kind of just came out… Look, I don’t know what happened to me. I’m not saying I was ever perfect, but yeah, maybe you’re right.”
“I’m sorry, Artie, but I have to be honest. It’s like your pride has gotten the better of you. I really admire that you’ve done amazing things, even just in this crummy high school. But I also really care about you and don’t want you to get hurt. Maybe you should chill out a little before you move to Brooklyn. It’s a tough world out there and Brooklyn is really tough. I hear they have gangs and stuff there.”
He just chuckled a little. “I doubt a gang would ever come after me, but yeah, I get it. I’ll work on it…” He shot me a crooked smile. “But for now, are we good? Do either one of us have to apologize again?”
I just shook my head. “We’re good.”