Smalltown, for Queue

[lamentables]

For: qe2
Title: Smalltown
Fandom: Men With Brooms/Wilby Wonderful (Cutter/Duck)
Author: lamentables
Length: 1,800 words
Rating: mildly pornsome
Summary: There's only one good use for a small town: you hate it and you know you'll have to leave
Author's notes: Massive thanks to meresy and vsee for thoughtful commentary on the first draft and to china_shop for awesome nit-picking of

Comments

[mizface]

I very much enjoyed reading this. It's a terrific interlude in both their lives, and a very believable way for them to have met.

And the last line is just absolutely gorgeous.

[lamentables]

Thank you for reading and for commenting. I'm very happy you like the last line.

[qe2]

Oh, oh, OH. If I had been able to describe exactly what I wanted from this pairing, this would have been absolutely it. It makes story sense, it makes character sense, it makes sexual sense. Quietly painful and a little hopeful and perfect. Thank you so very much.

[lamentables]

You're very welcome.
I've wondered before about Cutter's ten years in the oil industry and it seemed entirely possible that he could have bumped into Duck (there are only 12 people in Canada after all).

[atrata]

Eeeeee, Cutter doing his roughneck thing is a story I have been wanting for ages and ages, so even though this was totally not for me, I feel like it was for me. Thank you!

[lamentables]

I know nothing about the oil industry (well, I know a teeny bit more than I did before this fic), but a longer saga of Cutter's working life is intriguing. Someone else should write it :-)

[atrata]

It is a thing that is on my list! It's just, you know, my list is infinitely long, so these little glimpses must sustain me. :D

[lamentables]

You invariably say the nicest things about my writing. I treasure that.

(I feel kind of embarrassed though, because the whole issue with my first readers was that it was beyond spare and had no atmosphere. Thank goodness for meres and vsee for rescuing me.)

[mergatrude]

Aww, yay! I loved the last line. The whole thing was a wonderful snapshot of chance meetings, brief connections. I love how you didn't try to force more story on them, just let them be. &hearts

[lamentables]

Thank you!
Duck's stillness fascinates me, and the way he creates space for people - that moment when Carol snaps - and I see Cutter as someone who needs more space than people realise.