Ficlet: They See Who's Bright - Riptide
May. 26th, 2008 09:15 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
katikatTitle: They See Who's Bright
Fandom: Riptide
Disclaimer: All standard disclaimers apply here.
Genre: Gen
Characters: Murray, Nick
Spoilers for: Somebody's Killing The Greatest Geeks Of America
Words: ~780
Summary: But there is something wrong. Cody can feel it too. You seem... perturbed.
Beta: yami_tai *smooch*
They See Who's Bright
"Beer?" Murray asked as he stepped towards Nick on the stern, handing him the bottle.
Nick nodded. "Yeah, thanks." He took the bottle but didn't open it. He kept looking at the sea, the full moon reflecting in its dark surface. It was almost midnight and the harbor was quiet. Everybody was asleep.
Murray leaned against the railing next to where Nick had rested his bare feet, sitting in one of the lawn chairs. For a moment, Murray was silent, looking down at his own bottle, peeling away the label. Finally he plucked up his courage and asked.
"Did it... Did it really bother you? The party we had here, me and the other... geeks. Did they... Did they make you uncomfortable? Because if they did..." His voice was soft and halting at first but it rushed faster as he spoke and the last words he almost blurted out.
Nick raised a hand. "Murray," he interrupted his friend firmly. "Your friends didn't do anything wrong. And there's nothing wrong with you having a party here on the boat. It's your home too, just like mine and Cody's. You have every right to invite your friends over," Nick assured him, smiling.
Murray frowned, apparently confused. "Then what? I don't understand. If it's not that... Then why are you out here, moping around?" He sounded honestly bemused.
Amused, Nick chuckled. "First, I'm not moping around. I'm not some enamored teen that got dumped. I just needed a moment for myself, to clear my head." He shrugged then grew serious. "I admit that I was rather upset but it had nothing to do with anything your friends did. They were fun, not my usual crowd, I'll grant you that, but it's not like they were taunting me or... or laughing at me. You don't have to worry."
Shifting from foot to foot, Murray pushed his glasses up his nose, still frowning. "But there is something wrong. Cody can feel it too. You seem... perturbed."
Nick sighed. He finally opened his beer and took a deep swig. "It's just that... being among your friends and all the geeks..." He shook his head. "I didn't understand what they were talking about, Murray. Nothing at all. Not the jokes, not the games. They weren't trying to insult me, they just didn't understand that someone just might not get it, get them, all their theories and science speak and all. It made me feel dumb, is all."
Murray looked at him regretfully. "Nick..."
Nick raised his hand again. "Don't, really. I mean, I know that I'm not the sharpest tool in the box, so there's no surprise there. I know how to shoot a gun and I know how to fight. Give me a bad guy and I will deal with him. But yesterday, I just realized how far apart your world and mine are."
Shaking his head sharply, Murray leaned forward. "That's not true, Nick. You are a great investigator. And you're a great pilot. Flying is all about math and geography!"
Laughing, Nick leaned his head back against the backrest of his chair. "Flying is easy, Murray. It's like breathing. It's more of a skill than science. Every idiot can learn that."
"That's not true, Nick!" Murray stated, his voice fierce. "I couldn't do half the things you do for this agency! You save lives, you protect people! That's worth more than some stupid software nobody but the geeks get anyway. You are out there..."
Dropping his legs from the railing, Nick sat up, propping his elbows on his knees. "Murray, you don't have to try and convince me. I know where my strengths are. You're the brain, I'm the brawn and that's fine with me. I mean, could you imagine me in front of the computer? Ridiculous." He chuckled and shook his head, looking away from Murray who still wore a very upset expression. "It's just... for a moment there... I don't know." Nick shrugged again. "I guess it's one thing to know it and quite another to have it slap you in the face."
"Nick..." Murray whispered again unhappily.
Getting up, Nick took another healthy swig from the bottle. "I think I will hit the sack. Thanks for the beer, buddy." He smiled, patting Murray on the shoulder while heading for the door under the deck.
Murray straightened and took a step after him. "Nick!"
But Nick didn't turn back. Climbing down the stairs, he just called: "And don’t stay up late. We have a client coming in early in the morning."
It was a long time before either of them fell asleep that night, both kept awake by their troubled thoughts.
The End
Fandom: Riptide
Disclaimer: All standard disclaimers apply here.
Genre: Gen
Characters: Murray, Nick
Spoilers for: Somebody's Killing The Greatest Geeks Of America
Words: ~780
Summary: But there is something wrong. Cody can feel it too. You seem... perturbed.
Beta: yami_tai *smooch*
They See Who's Bright
"Beer?" Murray asked as he stepped towards Nick on the stern, handing him the bottle.
Nick nodded. "Yeah, thanks." He took the bottle but didn't open it. He kept looking at the sea, the full moon reflecting in its dark surface. It was almost midnight and the harbor was quiet. Everybody was asleep.
Murray leaned against the railing next to where Nick had rested his bare feet, sitting in one of the lawn chairs. For a moment, Murray was silent, looking down at his own bottle, peeling away the label. Finally he plucked up his courage and asked.
"Did it... Did it really bother you? The party we had here, me and the other... geeks. Did they... Did they make you uncomfortable? Because if they did..." His voice was soft and halting at first but it rushed faster as he spoke and the last words he almost blurted out.
Nick raised a hand. "Murray," he interrupted his friend firmly. "Your friends didn't do anything wrong. And there's nothing wrong with you having a party here on the boat. It's your home too, just like mine and Cody's. You have every right to invite your friends over," Nick assured him, smiling.
Murray frowned, apparently confused. "Then what? I don't understand. If it's not that... Then why are you out here, moping around?" He sounded honestly bemused.
Amused, Nick chuckled. "First, I'm not moping around. I'm not some enamored teen that got dumped. I just needed a moment for myself, to clear my head." He shrugged then grew serious. "I admit that I was rather upset but it had nothing to do with anything your friends did. They were fun, not my usual crowd, I'll grant you that, but it's not like they were taunting me or... or laughing at me. You don't have to worry."
Shifting from foot to foot, Murray pushed his glasses up his nose, still frowning. "But there is something wrong. Cody can feel it too. You seem... perturbed."
Nick sighed. He finally opened his beer and took a deep swig. "It's just that... being among your friends and all the geeks..." He shook his head. "I didn't understand what they were talking about, Murray. Nothing at all. Not the jokes, not the games. They weren't trying to insult me, they just didn't understand that someone just might not get it, get them, all their theories and science speak and all. It made me feel dumb, is all."
Murray looked at him regretfully. "Nick..."
Nick raised his hand again. "Don't, really. I mean, I know that I'm not the sharpest tool in the box, so there's no surprise there. I know how to shoot a gun and I know how to fight. Give me a bad guy and I will deal with him. But yesterday, I just realized how far apart your world and mine are."
Shaking his head sharply, Murray leaned forward. "That's not true, Nick. You are a great investigator. And you're a great pilot. Flying is all about math and geography!"
Laughing, Nick leaned his head back against the backrest of his chair. "Flying is easy, Murray. It's like breathing. It's more of a skill than science. Every idiot can learn that."
"That's not true, Nick!" Murray stated, his voice fierce. "I couldn't do half the things you do for this agency! You save lives, you protect people! That's worth more than some stupid software nobody but the geeks get anyway. You are out there..."
Dropping his legs from the railing, Nick sat up, propping his elbows on his knees. "Murray, you don't have to try and convince me. I know where my strengths are. You're the brain, I'm the brawn and that's fine with me. I mean, could you imagine me in front of the computer? Ridiculous." He chuckled and shook his head, looking away from Murray who still wore a very upset expression. "It's just... for a moment there... I don't know." Nick shrugged again. "I guess it's one thing to know it and quite another to have it slap you in the face."
"Nick..." Murray whispered again unhappily.
Getting up, Nick took another healthy swig from the bottle. "I think I will hit the sack. Thanks for the beer, buddy." He smiled, patting Murray on the shoulder while heading for the door under the deck.
Murray straightened and took a step after him. "Nick!"
But Nick didn't turn back. Climbing down the stairs, he just called: "And don’t stay up late. We have a client coming in early in the morning."
It was a long time before either of them fell asleep that night, both kept awake by their troubled thoughts.
The End
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no subject
Date: 2008-05-26 08:00 am (UTC)Thanks!
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Date: 2008-05-26 08:07 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-26 02:20 pm (UTC)THANK YOU so much for posting it!
:: hugs ::
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Date: 2008-05-30 05:01 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-26 10:04 pm (UTC)Have you thought of posting this to the latest writers_choice challenge? It's "sorrow" so might fit?
I keep meaning to post to wc but seem physically incapable of coming in under 1000 words!
*loves*
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Date: 2008-05-30 05:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-30 10:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-27 01:49 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-30 05:13 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-30 07:19 pm (UTC)I really miss that show.
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Date: 2008-05-31 07:50 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-05-31 11:41 pm (UTC)