(no subject)

[amicably_absent]

Glitch had swum for hours, chasing fish and insects and bubbles and sunbeams. Eventually, worn out and tired, he had swum to shore and curled up on the bank on the sun warmed pebbles, grumbling about his lack of coat until he fell asleep.

He woke up with Rennie shaking him, a scolding voice telling him he had to come in, he was all wet and dirty and needed a bath and clean clothes, and was she going to have to strap him in the chair.

Glitch reacted predictably.

He screamed at her, judo flipped her while sitting down, dove into the water, swam to a far edge and took off.

Rennie asked Cain to go find Glitch and bring him in before he froze or hurt himself.

Glitch had retreated to the rotunda, sitting on the seat and swinging himself back and forth, watching the sun setting on the lake. He was soaking wet again, but his trembling didn't seem to worry him at all.

Comments

[less-hugging.livejournal.com]

And always, always, Cain is there to keep him steady. For a given value of steady, of course. "We sure did."

[amicably-absent.livejournal.com]

"Oh wow, that means the gorgeous chopping wood guy is you!" Glitch says it loudly and brightly and only seconds later, the implication sinks in and both hands go up to his mouth, eyes wide.

[less-hugging.livejournal.com]

Cain blinks, glances to the side, then figures it's up to him to dispel the very sudden, very awkward tension.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you very much, Sweetheart. I do my best."

[amicably-absent.livejournal.com]

And Glitch's tension fades away, smiling shyly from behind his hands. "You're welcome?"

[less-hugging.livejournal.com]

"I sure am. I'll strike a very masculine pose if you don't believe me, prove your point about my what was it? Boyscout syndrome?"

He can't help himself; Glitch's smile is just too infectious; he starts grinning.

[amicably-absent.livejournal.com]

Glitch giggles more. "Nah, won't make you if you don't want. Will you be chopping the wood again tomorrow?"

[less-hugging.livejournal.com]

"That depends," Cain muses out loud, tilting his head to better meet his best bud's eyes.

"Will you come watch?"

[amicably-absent.livejournal.com]

Glitch smiles wide and easy. "Sure, I will. Long as you don't go starting before I get up."

His stomach makes a positively obscenely hungry noise. "Sh. Wyatt and I are talking."

[less-hugging.livejournal.com]

"Early birds, Glitch, early birds. If you don't get up when I do, you'll just have to miss out." He pats Glitch's shoulder, realizing he hasn't really let go yet. They reach the entrance of the maze, looking out on the green yard and the big ol' country house-cum-palace.

"Food first, or cleanup?"

[amicably-absent.livejournal.com]

"I don't know when you get up. I slept lots because there was no one to remind me to stop sleeping." He nods firmly. "Um... food. I'm hungry. Oh, but I'll track mud through the house. Maybe wash."

[less-hugging.livejournal.com]

"You'll still track mud through the house to get to your room, you know."

And even as the words tumble out of his mouth, he has an idea how to fix that problem that doesn't involve sending for maids to clean up the mess. But it would just be so...inappropriate.

[amicably-absent.livejournal.com]

"Oh." He pauses and stops in his tracks as he thinks about it. "Maybe, I can... I don't know. You could bring a bucket of water to the backdoor and I'll wash my feet there!"

[less-hugging.livejournal.com]

And that would just be mean, to leave Glitch out in the cold. No, he'll just have to go ahead and test his own limits already.

"Or I could just give you a lift to your room."

[amicably-absent.livejournal.com]

"Give me a lift?" Then he brightens. "You mean carry me?!"

[less-hugging.livejournal.com]

"Yeah," he shrugs, ducking his head slightly. "Exactly."

[amicably-absent.livejournal.com]

"You know, I would've loved you to offer that when we were walking to Central City, my feet were so sore after all that tracking around." He holds out his arms, clearly enchanted with the notion.

[less-hugging.livejournal.com]

"But then I'd been stuck in a quarrel between you and DG about who got the first go on the Tin Man ride."

No, not really, but it's an excuse as good as any other, and a teasing one, at that. He's always enjoyed teasing Glitch, and part of it's because Glitch always has a come back that makes it worthwhile.

"Piggyback or damsel in distress?" He smiles, flicking up the collar of his coat.

[amicably-absent.livejournal.com]

"DG's a princess. She shouldn't go riding Tin Men, not unless she's marrying them," Glitch says with a flirtatious wink, spinning on a foot, coat swinging around him.

"Whatever will get you wet the least."

[less-hugging.livejournal.com]

"Oh, and the Queen's Advisor has a different set of rules he must abide?"

He turns his back, holding out his arms. "Hop on, let's go."

[amicably-absent.livejournal.com]

"I've had a few rides in my time," Glitch says with a flirtatious glance. But he beams and hops onto Cain's back, clinging onto Cain's shoulders. "I'm not too heavy?"

[less-hugging.livejournal.com]

And yet, all the girls at the dance made him feel like he blended into the wallpaper. Cain thinks it may be best not to ask.

"Nah. I'm the gorgeous hunk of man doing all the hard work around here, hoisting an Advisor about is nothing. Piece of cake."

He sets off towards the house, making sure his grip around Glitch's knees is firm enough.

[amicably-absent.livejournal.com]

Glitch is just flirting, really, because he thinks he always had the thoughts but never said them.

He drums his hands on Cain's chest. "Uh huh. Sure are."

[less-hugging.livejournal.com]

They make their way inside in relative silence, winding their way through corridors, nodding at servants of different kinds passing them by (and looking. They get plenty looks).

And then, after a while of saying nothing. "Do you really think I am?" He won't say gorgeous again, because he suspects it's an exaggeration. "Handsome?"

[amicably-absent.livejournal.com]

Glitch swings his legs and rests his head on his arm on Cain's shoulder, eyes half closed.

"Mm? Yes, of course you are. I bet Adora thought so too."

[less-hugging.livejournal.com]

He has to concede to that point. "Yeah... Back when we met, she'd tease me about being the prettiest boy in town."

He wasn't even a boy, back then. Hadn't been for many annuals.