Tin Man Grand Prix fic #5: Five Amid a Lifetime
Title: Five Amid a Lifetime
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Cain was always there to help him remember.
**
Cain saw that moment of hesitation, that tiny tremble in Glitch’s hand. The way Glitch’s mouth formed a thin, tight line and the way his other hand came up to tug on an errant spike of dark hair. The pen in his hand tapped against the paper and a sigh escaped.
Leaning in close, Cain kept his voice low so that only Glitch could hear him. “Ambrose,” he prompted.
“Right, right,” Glitch shifted uncomfortably and wrote his name into the proper box on the form. He bit his lip, then smiled triumphantly as he was able to fill out the second half of his name all on his own.
^^
“Could you pass me the bowl on the right, Glitch?” Ahamo asked one night at dinner.
No one but Cain noticed the flinch of uncertainty, the moment of indecision as Glitch struggled internally to figure out which was the one he was supposed to hand down the table.
Leaning over subtly, Cain murmured and pointed with his hand under the cover of picking up his napkin. “The one closest to you, it has the purple fruit in yellow sauce.”
Glitch breathed a relieved sigh and shot Cain a grateful smile as he picked up the bowl and handed it to Ahamo.
^^
“Why are they looking at me?” Glitch asked warily as he stood in front of the large, well-dressed crowd that was stuffed into the reception room of the Central City palace.
“The Queen is presenting us with metals today, it’s your turn,” Cain gave him a slight nudge, hidden under a friendly pat on the back. “Go on, DG’s waiting for you.”
Glitch shook himself and tilted his head, grinning happily at the Princess standing in front of him in her beautiful dress and long, delicately coifed hair. He tugged at the stiff collar of his new jacket and bent his head to accept his reward.
Behind him, Cain smiled proudly as his friend gracefully accepted the thundering applause.
^^
“Not that one, you’re allergic to it,” Cain stopped Glitch’s hand from picking up a small, fuzzy fruit from the bowl.
“Am I?” Glitch sounded surprised.
“The last time you ate it, your face turned purple, your lips turned blue and you stopped breathing altogether,” Cain told him bluntly. “Lucky for you the Queen was there and remembered about your allergy. They still keep the medicine around to fix your reaction.”
“Oh,” replied Glitch, scratching the back of his head.
“Yeah. Here, have a nice, safe apple instead.”
^^
Glitch rolled over and stretched lazily in the early morning light. “You know, I think my memory is getting better,” he said casually, propping his head on one hand while resting his other on Cain’s chest.
“Why do you think that?” Cain rubbed his eye with a fist.
“Well, I don’t seem to have as many problems remembering the little things, especially since I’ve had you around,” Glitch let his fingers idly trace the raised line of Cain’s collarbone.
Cain made a vague sound of agreement but didn’t give it much thought.
Neither man really noticed, nor cared, that it was Cain’s unwitting guidance that had filled in the missing gaps in Glitch’s daily life.
^^
End.
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Cain was always there to help him remember.
**
Cain saw that moment of hesitation, that tiny tremble in Glitch’s hand. The way Glitch’s mouth formed a thin, tight line and the way his other hand came up to tug on an errant spike of dark hair. The pen in his hand tapped against the paper and a sigh escaped.
Leaning in close, Cain kept his voice low so that only Glitch could hear him. “Ambrose,” he prompted.
“Right, right,” Glitch shifted uncomfortably and wrote his name into the proper box on the form. He bit his lip, then smiled triumphantly as he was able to fill out the second half of his name all on his own.
^^
“Could you pass me the bowl on the right, Glitch?” Ahamo asked one night at dinner.
No one but Cain noticed the flinch of uncertainty, the moment of indecision as Glitch struggled internally to figure out which was the one he was supposed to hand down the table.
Leaning over subtly, Cain murmured and pointed with his hand under the cover of picking up his napkin. “The one closest to you, it has the purple fruit in yellow sauce.”
Glitch breathed a relieved sigh and shot Cain a grateful smile as he picked up the bowl and handed it to Ahamo.
^^
“Why are they looking at me?” Glitch asked warily as he stood in front of the large, well-dressed crowd that was stuffed into the reception room of the Central City palace.
“The Queen is presenting us with metals today, it’s your turn,” Cain gave him a slight nudge, hidden under a friendly pat on the back. “Go on, DG’s waiting for you.”
Glitch shook himself and tilted his head, grinning happily at the Princess standing in front of him in her beautiful dress and long, delicately coifed hair. He tugged at the stiff collar of his new jacket and bent his head to accept his reward.
Behind him, Cain smiled proudly as his friend gracefully accepted the thundering applause.
^^
“Not that one, you’re allergic to it,” Cain stopped Glitch’s hand from picking up a small, fuzzy fruit from the bowl.
“Am I?” Glitch sounded surprised.
“The last time you ate it, your face turned purple, your lips turned blue and you stopped breathing altogether,” Cain told him bluntly. “Lucky for you the Queen was there and remembered about your allergy. They still keep the medicine around to fix your reaction.”
“Oh,” replied Glitch, scratching the back of his head.
“Yeah. Here, have a nice, safe apple instead.”
^^
Glitch rolled over and stretched lazily in the early morning light. “You know, I think my memory is getting better,” he said casually, propping his head on one hand while resting his other on Cain’s chest.
“Why do you think that?” Cain rubbed his eye with a fist.
“Well, I don’t seem to have as many problems remembering the little things, especially since I’ve had you around,” Glitch let his fingers idly trace the raised line of Cain’s collarbone.
Cain made a vague sound of agreement but didn’t give it much thought.
Neither man really noticed, nor cared, that it was Cain’s unwitting guidance that had filled in the missing gaps in Glitch’s daily life.
^^
End.