[drabble] Imaginary Friend
Title: Imaginary Friend
Fandom: DCU
Rating: G
Characters: Ted Kord, Skeets
Notes: Came to me in a dream, and by dream I mean, what I think of when I go to bed and stare at the ceiling when I should be sleeping.
Wherein, Ted and Skeets bond.
The Time Lab was empty more often than there were people in it, but Ted stayed behind anyway. He fumbled through the laboratory, looking at the notes scribbled on the chalkboards, and futuristic technology. He wished he could see the technology in it's natural habitat, but that would never happen. Ted sat, admiring a particular specimen when he heard the familiar electrical hum of the security droid.
"Hello, sir," Skeets greeted in that chirpy, electric voice of his.
"Good morning, Skeets," Ted greeted in return.
"Did you sleep well?"
Ted chuckled and shook his head. "You know perfectly well that I don't sleep."
"Of course, sir."
Ted stood up from the table and wandered over towards the robot, peering at it. "Did you sleep well?" he asked, voice teasing, lips twitching into a smile.
"Sir, you know perfectly well that I do not sleep," Skeets replied, without realizing what the former Blue Beetle was doing.
Laughing that boisterous laugh of his, Ted returned to his seat, hovering over the technology that had captured his attention earlier that evening.
"Since moving into the laboratory, sir, have you learned anything?" Skeets asked, moving closer to the table, sounding friendly for a robot with a complex artificial intelligence.
"Well, I figured out how Booster's suit worked, if only I had access to that kind of technology a few years ago, then he wouldn't have been clanking around like Iron Man. And I figured out Time Travel, not that it would do me any good."
Skeets remained silent, hovering over his shoulder, as if experiencing a rare moment of humanity, considering what the man was telling him.
"Skeets! Come on, will you?" Booster's voice called over from the door, looking irritated, his blonde hair a mess from lack of sleep.
Ted glanced over at him and waved with a sad smile, but Booster didn't respond, the golden clad hero moving away from the door.
"Coming, sir," the droid chirped, but he didn't move. The robot regarded Ted for a moment longer, before hovering closer to him. "Does it get lonely, sir, not being seen by anyone?"
Ted looked up at Skeets and raised a hand, as if about to touch him, but he didn't. He couldn't. His hand passed straight through the golden droid's body, like a cloud of mist and air. "You're good company, Skeets. I like being able to talk to you."
"Skeets!!" Booster was glaring straight through Ted and into the robot, hands perched on his hips, looking annoyed.
"Coming, sir." But still the droid didn't move.
Ted smiled at him, and waved a hand. "Go on. I'll be here when you two get home."
Skeets hovered backwards slightly. "Goodbye, sir."
"Goodbye, Skeets."
"I swear to god, Skeets, sometimes I think you have an imaginary friend!" Booster finally swept into the room, and grabbed the security droid, pulling it along.
Fandom: DCU
Rating: G
Characters: Ted Kord, Skeets
Notes: Came to me in a dream, and by dream I mean, what I think of when I go to bed and stare at the ceiling when I should be sleeping.
Wherein, Ted and Skeets bond.
The Time Lab was empty more often than there were people in it, but Ted stayed behind anyway. He fumbled through the laboratory, looking at the notes scribbled on the chalkboards, and futuristic technology. He wished he could see the technology in it's natural habitat, but that would never happen. Ted sat, admiring a particular specimen when he heard the familiar electrical hum of the security droid.
"Hello, sir," Skeets greeted in that chirpy, electric voice of his.
"Good morning, Skeets," Ted greeted in return.
"Did you sleep well?"
Ted chuckled and shook his head. "You know perfectly well that I don't sleep."
"Of course, sir."
Ted stood up from the table and wandered over towards the robot, peering at it. "Did you sleep well?" he asked, voice teasing, lips twitching into a smile.
"Sir, you know perfectly well that I do not sleep," Skeets replied, without realizing what the former Blue Beetle was doing.
Laughing that boisterous laugh of his, Ted returned to his seat, hovering over the technology that had captured his attention earlier that evening.
"Since moving into the laboratory, sir, have you learned anything?" Skeets asked, moving closer to the table, sounding friendly for a robot with a complex artificial intelligence.
"Well, I figured out how Booster's suit worked, if only I had access to that kind of technology a few years ago, then he wouldn't have been clanking around like Iron Man. And I figured out Time Travel, not that it would do me any good."
Skeets remained silent, hovering over his shoulder, as if experiencing a rare moment of humanity, considering what the man was telling him.
"Skeets! Come on, will you?" Booster's voice called over from the door, looking irritated, his blonde hair a mess from lack of sleep.
Ted glanced over at him and waved with a sad smile, but Booster didn't respond, the golden clad hero moving away from the door.
"Coming, sir," the droid chirped, but he didn't move. The robot regarded Ted for a moment longer, before hovering closer to him. "Does it get lonely, sir, not being seen by anyone?"
Ted looked up at Skeets and raised a hand, as if about to touch him, but he didn't. He couldn't. His hand passed straight through the golden droid's body, like a cloud of mist and air. "You're good company, Skeets. I like being able to talk to you."
"Skeets!!" Booster was glaring straight through Ted and into the robot, hands perched on his hips, looking annoyed.
"Coming, sir." But still the droid didn't move.
Ted smiled at him, and waved a hand. "Go on. I'll be here when you two get home."
Skeets hovered backwards slightly. "Goodbye, sir."
"Goodbye, Skeets."
"I swear to god, Skeets, sometimes I think you have an imaginary friend!" Booster finally swept into the room, and grabbed the security droid, pulling it along.