Making Amends 12.16
Title: Making Amends
Fandom: RPS
Story: Highway: Press Run 12.16
Characters: Alan Davies and Robert Sean Leonard
Authors: michelleann68 + evila_elf = evila_ann
Prompt: none
Word Count: 840
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Alan dreads the first QI meeting and facing Stephen after their last encounter.
Authors’ Notes: Feel free to friend us if you want to read a day ahead of the communities.
Where it all began:
Big table of prompts is here:
Order of the story is here:
Previous story:
Glass Houses
Alan turned off his alarm with a low groan, then turned his back to it and lay in bed for and additional thirty minutes. Today was the first planning meeting for the upcoming series of QI and he was most certainly not looking forward to it. He had not spoken to Stephen, aside from a few impersonal e-mails, since ‘The Incident.’ This was going to prove a very long day, Alan thought.
He finally climbed out of bed and took a shower, trying to come up with some sincere sounding apology for Stephen, knowing that the more pitiful it sounded, the less likely Stephen was to forgive him, and he didn’t want to screw anything else up. He stepped out of the shower and shivered as the cold air kissed his body. It was still early spring and it was staying cool well into the day. He quickly towel-dried his hair, happy that this was just a meeting and they there was no one to chastise his appearance. He left his flat, making sure to leave plenty of time to get to the QI building before the meeting would start, hoping to be first so he could clear up this whole thing in private.
Alan knew that his temper and quick insult had gotten him into trouble. This was not the first time, and he kept trying to take the lessons to heart and not repeat them. But when someone hit too close to the truth, he tended to deflect the attention from himself with a well timed barb. Stephen was only his most recent victim.
He continued to work on his apology, working on making it sound as sincere as it was meant to be. He just wished that Stephen would leave all this Robert stuff alone. It was not something that he wanted to dwell on when he needed to act like Stephen 's favorite lap dog. Alan reached the front doors and closed his eyes, the pain he had caused in Stephen’s eyes vivid in his mind.
A deep breath and he pushed his way inside, blinking in the artificial light and looking around. Alan paused as he saw Stephen, through the windows, sitting alone in the large conference room that would soon be filled to capacity as they all bandied around various f words. F was the letter this year and no doubt it would prove to be ripe with humour.
He opened the door and Stephen looked up. “Alan,” he greeted stiffly, then returned to his study materials.
Alan slowly sank into a seat, not too near or far, and took a deep breath. “Stephen,” he began, “I am sorry. I know that I acted like a total tit. I wish I could say it was the beer talking for me. Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?” He clenched his hands to keep them from fidgeting.
Stephen set his papers down and slowly turned to regard Alan with a penetrating stare. “This isn’t the first time your barbed tongue has perforated skin, Alan.” He leaned back in his chair, expression unchanging. “I imagine it assisted you in your breakup?”
Touché. Alan winced. “Would you like to kick me while you are at it?” he mumbled, then heard voices approaching.
Stephen’s face softened. “Endeavor to stop making a practice of this?”
“I will.” Alan lowered his eyes and then looked back up at Stephen, “I promise.”
Stephen pushed his glasses up on his face and set down the notes, he looked at Alan and nodded. “Very well then. Keep that tongue in check, next time you tie one on…”
“I solemnly swear to never visit you again when I am pissed out of my mind?” Alan offered, looking out to the corridor as people started to fill the hall heading to the room as though on cue. He glanced at his watch and saw the meeting was due to start in a minute or two.
“That might be for the best, Alan…”
The glass conference room doors opened up and a steady stream of people began to fill the room. Stephan returned to his notes and waited for everyone to settle in around the table. Stephen took a moment for the room to go quiet and then began, “Welcome to the start of the sixth series of QI. This year we are going to embrace the letter “F”. Today we are going to put the research that our elves have been busy with and get an order for the series. Alan is back once again this year,” he gestured with a sweep of his hand, “and it looks like a good cast of guests, so if there are no questions, John you can begin.”
John stood and started to pass out the research they had done over the last four months. Alan looked over at Stephen and detected a small nod when their eyes met. He smiled and nodded in return. Everything was going to be alright. On one front at least.
12.17 Running Out of Steam
Fandom: RPS
Story: Highway: Press Run 12.16
Characters: Alan Davies and Robert Sean Leonard
Authors: michelleann68 + evila_elf = evila_ann
Prompt: none
Word Count: 840
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Alan dreads the first QI meeting and facing Stephen after their last encounter.
Authors’ Notes: Feel free to friend us if you want to read a day ahead of the communities.
Where it all began:
Big table of prompts is here:
Order of the story is here:
Previous story:
Glass Houses
Alan turned off his alarm with a low groan, then turned his back to it and lay in bed for and additional thirty minutes. Today was the first planning meeting for the upcoming series of QI and he was most certainly not looking forward to it. He had not spoken to Stephen, aside from a few impersonal e-mails, since ‘The Incident.’ This was going to prove a very long day, Alan thought.
He finally climbed out of bed and took a shower, trying to come up with some sincere sounding apology for Stephen, knowing that the more pitiful it sounded, the less likely Stephen was to forgive him, and he didn’t want to screw anything else up. He stepped out of the shower and shivered as the cold air kissed his body. It was still early spring and it was staying cool well into the day. He quickly towel-dried his hair, happy that this was just a meeting and they there was no one to chastise his appearance. He left his flat, making sure to leave plenty of time to get to the QI building before the meeting would start, hoping to be first so he could clear up this whole thing in private.
Alan knew that his temper and quick insult had gotten him into trouble. This was not the first time, and he kept trying to take the lessons to heart and not repeat them. But when someone hit too close to the truth, he tended to deflect the attention from himself with a well timed barb. Stephen was only his most recent victim.
He continued to work on his apology, working on making it sound as sincere as it was meant to be. He just wished that Stephen would leave all this Robert stuff alone. It was not something that he wanted to dwell on when he needed to act like Stephen 's favorite lap dog. Alan reached the front doors and closed his eyes, the pain he had caused in Stephen’s eyes vivid in his mind.
A deep breath and he pushed his way inside, blinking in the artificial light and looking around. Alan paused as he saw Stephen, through the windows, sitting alone in the large conference room that would soon be filled to capacity as they all bandied around various f words. F was the letter this year and no doubt it would prove to be ripe with humour.
He opened the door and Stephen looked up. “Alan,” he greeted stiffly, then returned to his study materials.
Alan slowly sank into a seat, not too near or far, and took a deep breath. “Stephen,” he began, “I am sorry. I know that I acted like a total tit. I wish I could say it was the beer talking for me. Can you find it in your heart to forgive me?” He clenched his hands to keep them from fidgeting.
Stephen set his papers down and slowly turned to regard Alan with a penetrating stare. “This isn’t the first time your barbed tongue has perforated skin, Alan.” He leaned back in his chair, expression unchanging. “I imagine it assisted you in your breakup?”
Touché. Alan winced. “Would you like to kick me while you are at it?” he mumbled, then heard voices approaching.
Stephen’s face softened. “Endeavor to stop making a practice of this?”
“I will.” Alan lowered his eyes and then looked back up at Stephen, “I promise.”
Stephen pushed his glasses up on his face and set down the notes, he looked at Alan and nodded. “Very well then. Keep that tongue in check, next time you tie one on…”
“I solemnly swear to never visit you again when I am pissed out of my mind?” Alan offered, looking out to the corridor as people started to fill the hall heading to the room as though on cue. He glanced at his watch and saw the meeting was due to start in a minute or two.
“That might be for the best, Alan…”
The glass conference room doors opened up and a steady stream of people began to fill the room. Stephan returned to his notes and waited for everyone to settle in around the table. Stephen took a moment for the room to go quiet and then began, “Welcome to the start of the sixth series of QI. This year we are going to embrace the letter “F”. Today we are going to put the research that our elves have been busy with and get an order for the series. Alan is back once again this year,” he gestured with a sweep of his hand, “and it looks like a good cast of guests, so if there are no questions, John you can begin.”
John stood and started to pass out the research they had done over the last four months. Alan looked over at Stephen and detected a small nod when their eyes met. He smiled and nodded in return. Everything was going to be alright. On one front at least.
12.17 Running Out of Steam