365_themes/shortstorysaturday: Original Fic: An Eventful Afternoon
Title: An Eventful Afternoon
Fandom: Original
Theme: 96. Joke
Genre: Action (?)
Warnings: N/A
Word count: 855
Summary: After a bank robbery, one of the robbers decides to visit his ex-wife.
A/N: Written for #shortstorysaturday (on twitter, check it out! :D), and the comm 365_themes... It's not what I'm used to writing.
Reg was laughing.
"What, is this a joke to you?!" Liza demanded, sending a plate spinning across the worktop as her fingers slipped in anger. "You can't just waltz on in here and tell me something like that! It's not funny, Reg."
He was nearly crying with laughter, now. Struggling to get his words out, even. "Sorry, Liza," he chuckled, wiping tears from the corners of his eyes. "It really is, though, when you think about it."
"You have got to be kidding me!" she screeched. She turned to look at him, flicking the tea towel in very precise motions as she spoke. "You robbed a bank, Reg. And then you came here. To your ex-wife's house! Are you just a bit thick, or what?!"
It seemed to sober Reg up a little. He sat up straighter in his chair at the kitchen table. Picked up the salt pot and passed it between his hands until Liza sat down and took it from him, impatient. "What are you going to do?" she asked.
"Gotta get it all outta here," he replied. "Joe went off the other way - so did Simon. They've got their share. I thought, 'they won't come looking for me at Liza's', so here I came. But they'll know soon, won't they? Charlie was down the pub the night we were on about it. He'll dob us in soon as look at us."
Liza frowned and worried her bottom lip with her teeth. "Well, where's the money then?" At Reg's furtive look she leaned forwards. "Reg, where'd you put it?"
"Still out in the car," he replied, hitching a thumb over his shoulder. Liza could see his old Ford Fiesta, rusting around the wheels and doors, sitting out in front of her house. She pulled her hair back from her face and let out a noisy exhale.
"Well, you've gotta get it out of here. You've gotta get out of here. I'd say get on a plane and go somewhere, but I bet you haven't got your passport, have you?"
Reg shook his head. "Got nothing but my car, my money and the clothes on my back."
"Go to Scotland then," Liza shrugged. "And if the police come asking, I haven't seen you." She stood, her chair scraping noisily on the linoleum. The tea towel flicked forwards as she picked up the plate. When she turned, Reg was still sitting there.
"What're you waiting for, Reg? Get going; they'll be here soon, you know."
He looked torn. When he looked up at her, there was a worried feeling in her stomach. He looked like the man she'd married again - full of ideas and enthusiasm. There was an idea sparking in his eyes now; she could see it.
"Come with me," he said.
"Reg! No! I'm not gonna run from the police with you, God! Now I said, get out of here, and I'll make sure no one follows!"
He stood and walked towards her, until she was backed up against the sink. Water soaked through her shirt, damp and clammy where the material touched her skin. Reg's right hand cupped her face, as the left took the plate from her grip, dropping it back into the sink. Liza's breath sped up.
"Come with me."
"No, I..."
He pressed a kiss to her lips; short and sweet and honest. Liza felt herself respond - but God, she wanted him to go, she didn't need this - her arms tightened around his neck as she pressed herself up against him.
"Come with me, Liza," he whispered against her lips. "Come on, baby, I'll get you anything, I promise. Just you and me, that's all we need."
Liza let go of Reg and stepped back, her hands trembling. They found the sink edge and her fingers curled around it.
"No, Reg."
His face crumpled for a moment; fell into itself as the reality of her decision sank in. Then he smiled, light-heartedly, and shrugged.
"It's okay, darlin'," he said, leaning forwards and kissing her on the cheek. He reached into his pocket and pulled something out - pressed it into her hand.
"See you around, Liza," he said. He walked out of the door, and Liza didn't move even as she heard it close with a final bang - even when the Fiesta drove off, Reg and all that money inside.
She moved approximately five minutes later, only to look at the bundle in her hand. It was a bundle of notes - fifty pound notes, too; large and red. She flicked through them, counting, even though the number was on the wrapper that held them together.
Five thousand pounds.
Liza felt her breath catch in her throat, but she swallowed resolutely and pushed the money into the pocket of her jeans. She turned back to the sink and pulled the plate from its watery depths, rinsing it under the tap before drying it and putting it in the cupboard.
Five thousand pounds.
Liza sat on one of the chairs at the kitchen table, and didn't move again until the police arrived.
Fandom: Original
Theme: 96. Joke
Genre: Action (?)
Warnings: N/A
Word count: 855
Summary: After a bank robbery, one of the robbers decides to visit his ex-wife.
A/N: Written for #shortstorysaturday (on twitter, check it out! :D), and the comm 365_themes... It's not what I'm used to writing.
Reg was laughing.
"What, is this a joke to you?!" Liza demanded, sending a plate spinning across the worktop as her fingers slipped in anger. "You can't just waltz on in here and tell me something like that! It's not funny, Reg."
He was nearly crying with laughter, now. Struggling to get his words out, even. "Sorry, Liza," he chuckled, wiping tears from the corners of his eyes. "It really is, though, when you think about it."
"You have got to be kidding me!" she screeched. She turned to look at him, flicking the tea towel in very precise motions as she spoke. "You robbed a bank, Reg. And then you came here. To your ex-wife's house! Are you just a bit thick, or what?!"
It seemed to sober Reg up a little. He sat up straighter in his chair at the kitchen table. Picked up the salt pot and passed it between his hands until Liza sat down and took it from him, impatient. "What are you going to do?" she asked.
"Gotta get it all outta here," he replied. "Joe went off the other way - so did Simon. They've got their share. I thought, 'they won't come looking for me at Liza's', so here I came. But they'll know soon, won't they? Charlie was down the pub the night we were on about it. He'll dob us in soon as look at us."
Liza frowned and worried her bottom lip with her teeth. "Well, where's the money then?" At Reg's furtive look she leaned forwards. "Reg, where'd you put it?"
"Still out in the car," he replied, hitching a thumb over his shoulder. Liza could see his old Ford Fiesta, rusting around the wheels and doors, sitting out in front of her house. She pulled her hair back from her face and let out a noisy exhale.
"Well, you've gotta get it out of here. You've gotta get out of here. I'd say get on a plane and go somewhere, but I bet you haven't got your passport, have you?"
Reg shook his head. "Got nothing but my car, my money and the clothes on my back."
"Go to Scotland then," Liza shrugged. "And if the police come asking, I haven't seen you." She stood, her chair scraping noisily on the linoleum. The tea towel flicked forwards as she picked up the plate. When she turned, Reg was still sitting there.
"What're you waiting for, Reg? Get going; they'll be here soon, you know."
He looked torn. When he looked up at her, there was a worried feeling in her stomach. He looked like the man she'd married again - full of ideas and enthusiasm. There was an idea sparking in his eyes now; she could see it.
"Come with me," he said.
"Reg! No! I'm not gonna run from the police with you, God! Now I said, get out of here, and I'll make sure no one follows!"
He stood and walked towards her, until she was backed up against the sink. Water soaked through her shirt, damp and clammy where the material touched her skin. Reg's right hand cupped her face, as the left took the plate from her grip, dropping it back into the sink. Liza's breath sped up.
"Come with me."
"No, I..."
He pressed a kiss to her lips; short and sweet and honest. Liza felt herself respond - but God, she wanted him to go, she didn't need this - her arms tightened around his neck as she pressed herself up against him.
"Come with me, Liza," he whispered against her lips. "Come on, baby, I'll get you anything, I promise. Just you and me, that's all we need."
Liza let go of Reg and stepped back, her hands trembling. They found the sink edge and her fingers curled around it.
"No, Reg."
His face crumpled for a moment; fell into itself as the reality of her decision sank in. Then he smiled, light-heartedly, and shrugged.
"It's okay, darlin'," he said, leaning forwards and kissing her on the cheek. He reached into his pocket and pulled something out - pressed it into her hand.
"See you around, Liza," he said. He walked out of the door, and Liza didn't move even as she heard it close with a final bang - even when the Fiesta drove off, Reg and all that money inside.
She moved approximately five minutes later, only to look at the bundle in her hand. It was a bundle of notes - fifty pound notes, too; large and red. She flicked through them, counting, even though the number was on the wrapper that held them together.
Five thousand pounds.
Liza felt her breath catch in her throat, but she swallowed resolutely and pushed the money into the pocket of her jeans. She turned back to the sink and pulled the plate from its watery depths, rinsing it under the tap before drying it and putting it in the cupboard.
Five thousand pounds.
Liza sat on one of the chairs at the kitchen table, and didn't move again until the police arrived.