Fic For Your Delight
Pairing: Bernard/Manny
Rating: 15
Word count: 1201
Episode: He's leaving home
Disclaimer: Not mine never will be, which is a shame
“How dare that klingon leave me and my bookshop in the lurch!” It had only been a week since Manny left Black Books and already Bernard was falling apart. He hadn’t eaten at all despite Fran’s attempts to try and make him eat.
“Bernard if you hadn’t driven him away then this wouldn’t have happened.”
“He was being annoying, and tidy!”
“You never appreciated him.” He had already cried over Manny’s yoyo and now he wanted to do it all over again.
Another two weeks went by without a word then one day Manny suddenly walked through the door. “Hello.”
“H-hello.” They had never been this awkward around each other, always sniping or insulting each other. Manny felt that he had to make it up to Bernard somehow so he started unpacking the books and stacking them in the windows, Bernard felt that from now on he would be more polite to Manny. Fran walked in and noticed the change in the atmosphere immediately and set about talking about Mickey Rourke’s newest facelift.
XXXXX
That night after closing, and dinner had been made and eaten, Manny noticed that Bernard looked thinner than usual. “Bernard have you eaten at all since I’ve been away.”
“Crisps, burnt pasta. I’ve eaten.” The tone meant that Bernard did not want to talk about his dietary habits or lack off.
“That’s not eating, that’s digestive torture!”
“So what? I was upset that you left me in the lurch!” Bernard stood up suddenly and began pacing the dingy kitchen.
“Bernard I’m sorry.” Manny placed his hand on the irate Irishman’s shoulder, the taller man span around and glared at his shop assistant.
“Don’t touch me!” He took a deep breath trying desperately to calm himself down. “Anyway where did you go?” He asked dumping his dirty dishes into the kitchen sink. Manny had to turn away even though he was facing the other man’s back.
“No-nowhere.” He stammered, nervously fiddling with his hair. Bernard turned around, his head tilted.
“You look guilty!” He looked at Manny with a wild-eyed accusing glare. Manny slowly backed away; Bernard followed him looking almost menacing.
“What did you do?”
“Nothing Bernard, nothing at all!”
“Don’t lie!” Manny trembled.
“I met this bloke at the tube station and he bought me food and wine.”
“We have wine here.”
“He was nice to me Bernard.” The unlike you hung in the air like week old stale smoke. “Then he asked me if he could touch my beard.”
“He did what!”
“Then he took a couple of photos of me.”
“I need to sit down.” He sat down heavily on the nearest chair, his elbows on the table, head in his hands.
“I had money and nice clothes after that. I was treated like royalty, until he introduced to three Japanese businessmen, and when I saw the magazine that I was featured in.” Bernard looked up dismayed. “The bloke wanted me to escort the Japanese to a casino.”
“Manny.” Bernard whispered desperately, he knew where this was going, he knew far too well.
“You didn’t did you?”
“I thought y’know just the once, there was no harm in it.”
“No harm in it! Do you know what could’ve happened to you, and Fran and I wouldn’t have even known about it!” “Did any of the men hurt you Manny.” Bernard was stalking towards him with a look that came suspiciously close to worry in his eyes.
“No they didn’t Bernard.” The taller man gave a sigh of relief, and placed both hands on the other man’s shoulders.
“Don’t ever do that, ever again!”
“Bernard what’s wrong?”
“Nothing I just automatically worry when my shop assistant prostitutes himself to foreign businessmen.”
Offended Manny thought that it was time to go. “I’m sorry Bernard. I’m off to bed now.”
“Good night Manny.” Bernard reached for the ever-present wine, this time without a glass.
Later that night, Manny woke up disorientated, wondering why he was awake at such a ridiculous time. Suddenly a noise came from Bernard’s bedroom. Then more noises quickly followed. Manny switched on his bedside lamp and tiptoed to his door trying to avoid the squeaky floorboards. He made his way across the landing. He lightly knocked on the other man’s door.
“Bernard? Bernard are you alright?” Manny asked loudly through the door, panic seeming to strike him to his core.
“Wha-what? Manny is that you? What have you destroyed now?” Manny heard the Irishman tossing and turning in bed trying to struggle his way to the door, it creaked open slowly. Bernard was still in his usual black suit and red shirt, and was still wearing his shoes. “What?” Bernard asked groggily.
“I heard you having a bad dream.” Manny was shuffling his slippered feet.
“I was not having a bloody bad dream.” He snapped. Manny walked past Bernard into his bedroom and gingerly sat on the bed.
“Bernard I love working for you, despite all the threats and the insults and I want to carry on working for you.” Bernard sighed and brushed his hand through his already messy hair, in frustration.
“I’m not going to sack you Manny, it’s just…” “It brought back a lot of bad memories.” Bernard sat down next to Manny, his head bowed. Manny placed his hand on Bernard’s shoulder.
“Bernard did something happen”
“I need a drink.” Bernard stood up and rummaged through some boxes and picked up a bottle of white wine, he downed half the bottle and turned towards Manny. “If you tell anyone, I shall kill you and all your unborn children.”
“I’m listening Bernard.”
“When I was living in Ireland, me family didn’t have much money.” He took another swig from the bottle. “ A man came up to me in the pub a tourist taking photos, I had to ask the local piano player to buy me a pint, the man noticed, he came up to me and said he could get me a well paid job. I was desperate, you have to believe me Manny.” Bernard gave the other man such a mournful look that Manny’s heart went out to him.
“I believe you Bernard.”
“I took the job, a couple of blowjobs, and showing American tourists around, then one eejit from Texas, I was showing him Giant’s Causeway pushed me down behind a hill so no one could see us, he tried to… he tried to.” Bernard was shaking at this point, Manny held him tightly.
“It’s ok Bernard, you have me, it’ll be alright.”
“I bit the bastard’s ear off and kicked him in the balls, I ran off, I got home, packed my bags and buggered off to London to make my fucking fortune. By not fucking.” His laugh sounded so bitter and twisted that it almost physically hurt Manny to hear it. Bernard was shaking despite the laughter, Manny knelt down in front of him and took him into his arms, he stroked Bernard’s hair comfortingly, and made soothing nonsense noises. Sobs came from the taller man.
“Bernard, it’s all over, I swear to you it’s over.” What Manny would never know was that no matter how filthy Bernard got, he would always shave, every morning.
Rating: 15
Word count: 1201
Episode: He's leaving home
Disclaimer: Not mine never will be, which is a shame
“How dare that klingon leave me and my bookshop in the lurch!” It had only been a week since Manny left Black Books and already Bernard was falling apart. He hadn’t eaten at all despite Fran’s attempts to try and make him eat.
“Bernard if you hadn’t driven him away then this wouldn’t have happened.”
“He was being annoying, and tidy!”
“You never appreciated him.” He had already cried over Manny’s yoyo and now he wanted to do it all over again.
Another two weeks went by without a word then one day Manny suddenly walked through the door. “Hello.”
“H-hello.” They had never been this awkward around each other, always sniping or insulting each other. Manny felt that he had to make it up to Bernard somehow so he started unpacking the books and stacking them in the windows, Bernard felt that from now on he would be more polite to Manny. Fran walked in and noticed the change in the atmosphere immediately and set about talking about Mickey Rourke’s newest facelift.
XXXXX
That night after closing, and dinner had been made and eaten, Manny noticed that Bernard looked thinner than usual. “Bernard have you eaten at all since I’ve been away.”
“Crisps, burnt pasta. I’ve eaten.” The tone meant that Bernard did not want to talk about his dietary habits or lack off.
“That’s not eating, that’s digestive torture!”
“So what? I was upset that you left me in the lurch!” Bernard stood up suddenly and began pacing the dingy kitchen.
“Bernard I’m sorry.” Manny placed his hand on the irate Irishman’s shoulder, the taller man span around and glared at his shop assistant.
“Don’t touch me!” He took a deep breath trying desperately to calm himself down. “Anyway where did you go?” He asked dumping his dirty dishes into the kitchen sink. Manny had to turn away even though he was facing the other man’s back.
“No-nowhere.” He stammered, nervously fiddling with his hair. Bernard turned around, his head tilted.
“You look guilty!” He looked at Manny with a wild-eyed accusing glare. Manny slowly backed away; Bernard followed him looking almost menacing.
“What did you do?”
“Nothing Bernard, nothing at all!”
“Don’t lie!” Manny trembled.
“I met this bloke at the tube station and he bought me food and wine.”
“We have wine here.”
“He was nice to me Bernard.” The unlike you hung in the air like week old stale smoke. “Then he asked me if he could touch my beard.”
“He did what!”
“Then he took a couple of photos of me.”
“I need to sit down.” He sat down heavily on the nearest chair, his elbows on the table, head in his hands.
“I had money and nice clothes after that. I was treated like royalty, until he introduced to three Japanese businessmen, and when I saw the magazine that I was featured in.” Bernard looked up dismayed. “The bloke wanted me to escort the Japanese to a casino.”
“Manny.” Bernard whispered desperately, he knew where this was going, he knew far too well.
“You didn’t did you?”
“I thought y’know just the once, there was no harm in it.”
“No harm in it! Do you know what could’ve happened to you, and Fran and I wouldn’t have even known about it!” “Did any of the men hurt you Manny.” Bernard was stalking towards him with a look that came suspiciously close to worry in his eyes.
“No they didn’t Bernard.” The taller man gave a sigh of relief, and placed both hands on the other man’s shoulders.
“Don’t ever do that, ever again!”
“Bernard what’s wrong?”
“Nothing I just automatically worry when my shop assistant prostitutes himself to foreign businessmen.”
Offended Manny thought that it was time to go. “I’m sorry Bernard. I’m off to bed now.”
“Good night Manny.” Bernard reached for the ever-present wine, this time without a glass.
Later that night, Manny woke up disorientated, wondering why he was awake at such a ridiculous time. Suddenly a noise came from Bernard’s bedroom. Then more noises quickly followed. Manny switched on his bedside lamp and tiptoed to his door trying to avoid the squeaky floorboards. He made his way across the landing. He lightly knocked on the other man’s door.
“Bernard? Bernard are you alright?” Manny asked loudly through the door, panic seeming to strike him to his core.
“Wha-what? Manny is that you? What have you destroyed now?” Manny heard the Irishman tossing and turning in bed trying to struggle his way to the door, it creaked open slowly. Bernard was still in his usual black suit and red shirt, and was still wearing his shoes. “What?” Bernard asked groggily.
“I heard you having a bad dream.” Manny was shuffling his slippered feet.
“I was not having a bloody bad dream.” He snapped. Manny walked past Bernard into his bedroom and gingerly sat on the bed.
“Bernard I love working for you, despite all the threats and the insults and I want to carry on working for you.” Bernard sighed and brushed his hand through his already messy hair, in frustration.
“I’m not going to sack you Manny, it’s just…” “It brought back a lot of bad memories.” Bernard sat down next to Manny, his head bowed. Manny placed his hand on Bernard’s shoulder.
“Bernard did something happen”
“I need a drink.” Bernard stood up and rummaged through some boxes and picked up a bottle of white wine, he downed half the bottle and turned towards Manny. “If you tell anyone, I shall kill you and all your unborn children.”
“I’m listening Bernard.”
“When I was living in Ireland, me family didn’t have much money.” He took another swig from the bottle. “ A man came up to me in the pub a tourist taking photos, I had to ask the local piano player to buy me a pint, the man noticed, he came up to me and said he could get me a well paid job. I was desperate, you have to believe me Manny.” Bernard gave the other man such a mournful look that Manny’s heart went out to him.
“I believe you Bernard.”
“I took the job, a couple of blowjobs, and showing American tourists around, then one eejit from Texas, I was showing him Giant’s Causeway pushed me down behind a hill so no one could see us, he tried to… he tried to.” Bernard was shaking at this point, Manny held him tightly.
“It’s ok Bernard, you have me, it’ll be alright.”
“I bit the bastard’s ear off and kicked him in the balls, I ran off, I got home, packed my bags and buggered off to London to make my fucking fortune. By not fucking.” His laugh sounded so bitter and twisted that it almost physically hurt Manny to hear it. Bernard was shaking despite the laughter, Manny knelt down in front of him and took him into his arms, he stroked Bernard’s hair comfortingly, and made soothing nonsense noises. Sobs came from the taller man.
“Bernard, it’s all over, I swear to you it’s over.” What Manny would never know was that no matter how filthy Bernard got, he would always shave, every morning.