Fill: "smile for me" Factventure
A fill for portalkink on the prompt of general Rick/Fact. Originally done for the 10_orders comm, but I never got around to writing anything other than that. For serious, I have a shitton of Factventure lying around on my computer unfinished.
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For the first time since the work day began, Craig was able to step away from his desk for a brief moment. He made his way to the break room, and, finding it completely empty, grabbed his standard issue Aperture Science coffee mug and proceeded to pour himself a cup of probably stale coffee.
Caroline had recently become much more strict about employee retention at their work spaces, but Craig had almost no work left to do; he had finished writing, proofread, and submitted his report on the last test chamber, and he was waiting for the next one to be finished before he started a report on it. Besides, he hadn't had any coffee that morning and he felt himself already fading.
Of course, just as he tipped the pot ever so slightly to get just the right amount in, the door behind him open and shut with a slam, startling him so that he nearly lost his grip.
He heard a deep chuckle behind him. “What are you up to now, honey?”
That voice. Craig nearly slammed the pot onto the counter. “Fact: 'Honey' is the most generic pet name. And stop calling me that, Rick.”
Rick smirked and leaned casually against the plastic countertop. “I don't see you on break often, Pinky. What gives?”
Craig tore open a few packets of Splenda and dumped them into his coffee. “I'm waiting for Test Chamber 34 to get finished. We need to be there in about an hour.”
Rick reached for his own coffee mug and the pot. “I just came back from the arboretum,” he said as he filled the mug almost to the brim. “Yeah, I had to fight off a mutated Venus Fly Trap. Seven feet tall with three rows of teeth. Vince ran off with his tail between his legs while I strangled the monster with my bare hands.”
Craig rolled his eyes. “I'm 90% sure you're lying.”
“Honest to God truth. They were pissed that I killed the thing they've been working on for six months, but they'll thank me later, when they're, you know, busy livin' and all,” Rick took a gulp of his coffee. “Damn, I wish this was stronger. I like my coffee like I like my love-making: fast, hard, and hot.” He winked at Craig.
Craig sighed with exasperation, but his face nonetheless turned a bit red. “Fact: Adding a bit of cinnamon makes it a bit stronger and spicier. There's some cinnamon sticks in the cupboard.” Craig inhaled the aroma of the sweetened coffee and took a sip.
Rick swung open the cupboard door and pushed aside some items, and, indeed, there was a small jar with a few short cinnamon sticks left in it. He stirred his coffee with it slowly, letting it dissolve into the black liquid.
He sampled a bit of the coffee, and his eyes widened slightly. “Actually... that's pretty good.” He took another swig. “Wow, Pinky, one of those useless facts actually came in handy.” Rick grinned widely.
A small smile appeared on Craig's face, almost too quick to catch.
“Wait a minute,” Rick leaned closer to Craig's face. “You smiled.”
“I don't know what you're talking about,” he frowned for emphasis.
“Yeah, I saw you smile, Pinky. You should smile more, it's cute,” Rick tilted Craig's chin towards him. “Doesn't it take more muscles to frown than to smile?”
Craig clutched Rick's wrist. “That is an unproven fact.”
“Whatever you say, sweetheart. Just smile one more time for me and I'll leave you alone, I promise,” Rick said in a low voice. “It goes well with those cute pink eyes of yours.”
Craig tried his hardest to maintain his normal glower, but couldn't help the grin that tugged at the corners of his lips. No one had ever called his eyes cute before; maybe creepy and disturbing, but not cute.
“Aww, now that's just precious,” Rick moved to wrap an arm around his waist, but was met with a remindful glare. “Alright, alright, I'm leaving.”
He strolled away satisfied, reminding Pinky he'd see him in an hour, and slammed the cheap wooden door behind him.
Craig waited until he was sure he was gone, half-smiled, and sipped his coffee.
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For the first time since the work day began, Craig was able to step away from his desk for a brief moment. He made his way to the break room, and, finding it completely empty, grabbed his standard issue Aperture Science coffee mug and proceeded to pour himself a cup of probably stale coffee.
Caroline had recently become much more strict about employee retention at their work spaces, but Craig had almost no work left to do; he had finished writing, proofread, and submitted his report on the last test chamber, and he was waiting for the next one to be finished before he started a report on it. Besides, he hadn't had any coffee that morning and he felt himself already fading.
Of course, just as he tipped the pot ever so slightly to get just the right amount in, the door behind him open and shut with a slam, startling him so that he nearly lost his grip.
He heard a deep chuckle behind him. “What are you up to now, honey?”
That voice. Craig nearly slammed the pot onto the counter. “Fact: 'Honey' is the most generic pet name. And stop calling me that, Rick.”
Rick smirked and leaned casually against the plastic countertop. “I don't see you on break often, Pinky. What gives?”
Craig tore open a few packets of Splenda and dumped them into his coffee. “I'm waiting for Test Chamber 34 to get finished. We need to be there in about an hour.”
Rick reached for his own coffee mug and the pot. “I just came back from the arboretum,” he said as he filled the mug almost to the brim. “Yeah, I had to fight off a mutated Venus Fly Trap. Seven feet tall with three rows of teeth. Vince ran off with his tail between his legs while I strangled the monster with my bare hands.”
Craig rolled his eyes. “I'm 90% sure you're lying.”
“Honest to God truth. They were pissed that I killed the thing they've been working on for six months, but they'll thank me later, when they're, you know, busy livin' and all,” Rick took a gulp of his coffee. “Damn, I wish this was stronger. I like my coffee like I like my love-making: fast, hard, and hot.” He winked at Craig.
Craig sighed with exasperation, but his face nonetheless turned a bit red. “Fact: Adding a bit of cinnamon makes it a bit stronger and spicier. There's some cinnamon sticks in the cupboard.” Craig inhaled the aroma of the sweetened coffee and took a sip.
Rick swung open the cupboard door and pushed aside some items, and, indeed, there was a small jar with a few short cinnamon sticks left in it. He stirred his coffee with it slowly, letting it dissolve into the black liquid.
He sampled a bit of the coffee, and his eyes widened slightly. “Actually... that's pretty good.” He took another swig. “Wow, Pinky, one of those useless facts actually came in handy.” Rick grinned widely.
A small smile appeared on Craig's face, almost too quick to catch.
“Wait a minute,” Rick leaned closer to Craig's face. “You smiled.”
“I don't know what you're talking about,” he frowned for emphasis.
“Yeah, I saw you smile, Pinky. You should smile more, it's cute,” Rick tilted Craig's chin towards him. “Doesn't it take more muscles to frown than to smile?”
Craig clutched Rick's wrist. “That is an unproven fact.”
“Whatever you say, sweetheart. Just smile one more time for me and I'll leave you alone, I promise,” Rick said in a low voice. “It goes well with those cute pink eyes of yours.”
Craig tried his hardest to maintain his normal glower, but couldn't help the grin that tugged at the corners of his lips. No one had ever called his eyes cute before; maybe creepy and disturbing, but not cute.
“Aww, now that's just precious,” Rick moved to wrap an arm around his waist, but was met with a remindful glare. “Alright, alright, I'm leaving.”
He strolled away satisfied, reminding Pinky he'd see him in an hour, and slammed the cheap wooden door behind him.
Craig waited until he was sure he was gone, half-smiled, and sipped his coffee.
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