Challenge 09:07 Don't Be Ridiculous
Title: Don't Be Ridiculous
Author: duskblue
Fandom/Character(s)/Pairing(s): Original: Locked Inside: Nick and Reed
Genre: General
Rating: PG
Words: 1005
Challenge/Prompt: Challenge 9: 7 On the Go
Warnings/Notes: Reed is really dense and completely lacks social skills. LOL
Tomorrow was the big day. Nick would get on a plane, and settle into his new apartment in LA and leave all of Minnesota behind. He was a little nervous, he had to admit... but he was also extremely exited. Come Monday morning he would start work on a new movie, his first big role ever. Everything was coming together for him.
Summers in Minnesota always felt the same. There were always dragonflies buzzing around the lake, a loon calling in the distance, the feel of the cool breeze on his face, and the warmth of the sun on his skin while he sat out on the dock. He would miss it.
He put his feet into the water and kicked a little, watching until the ripples reached the lily pads and then spread out.
“Nick.”
Nick craned his head to see his older brother, Reed, at the base of the dock and walking towards him. “What's up?”
Reed stood a few feet away from him. “I need to speak with you.”
“About what?” Nick looked back down at the ripples that his feet were causing in the water. His brother had been crabby for weeks. Actually, he'd been acting depressed since Nick told him he was moving to California. Nick suspected he didn't want him to go, but he wasn't about to bring it up.
“I wish you'd come inside,” Reed said.
Nick glanced up at him. “What's the difference?”
For a few seconds, Reed didn't reply. “I guess this is fine,” he said and then stiffly sat down on the dock, still several feet away from Nick.
Nick looked over at him and wondered if Reed would ever look comfortable doing anything.
“Look,” Reed said, but didn't look at him. “Maybe it's obvious to you that I'm not exactly pleased about you moving to California.”
Nick cleared his throat, and Reed finally met his eyes.
“It's not what you think,” Reed said with narrowed eyes. “I'm worried about the business. Dad might think everything's just fine with the two of us running things, but we're going to be short.” He paused and stared at Nick with unblinking eyes. “That's a compliment, believe it or not!”
“Okay...” Nick couldn't help but smile. He tried to find the compliment in Reed's words, but found it very thin. “You're saying you need me.”
“This isn't funny,” Reed said, his eyes narrowing at his brother. “And I don't appreciate you laughing at me.”
“I'm not!” Nick said, but betrayed himself by letting out a chuckle. “No, really... Reed... I mean it! It means a lot that that you think I'm needed, and I do take it as a compliment. It's just that...” He tried to sober his expression. “Maybe it's time for you to shine. Have you thought of it that way?”
Reed's brows drew together, and he seemed to think about it for a few moments. “No,” he said. “But I think you're trying to trick me.”
Nick let his smile fall back on his face. His brother did know him well. “It's true though,” he said. “You should step up. After all, it's going to be you running the place after Dad.”
Reed still stared at him. “You're running away,” he said.
“I'm not!” Nick said, blinking. “You know I've been going after this acting thing for a while! Running the Home has always been your thing. Not mine! I can't stick around to help you just because you want me to.”
“Hmm...” Reed seemed to think about this. “I guess that's a good point.”
“Of course it is.” Nick shrugged and then smiled. “And Dad thinks you'll do just fine, too. I asked him.”
This caused Reed do a double take. “You did? What exactly did Dad say, because he's never said anything like that to me.”
“You probably weren't listening...” Nick muttered. “Anyway, he's looking forward to seeing you come into your own. And now with me gone, you'll have the opportunity to do it.”
Reed looked out at the water. “I don't know if that makes me feel any better,” he said. “It kind of puts a lot of pressure on me.”
Nick looked over at his brother's profile and felt sympathy for him. Reed had never done well with change, and Nick knew it had to be hard for him. He also knew that Reed had trouble making friends, and ever since they had been kids, Reed had considered Nick his closest friend... sometimes, his only friend. The fact that Nick was moving across the country had to be hard on him. Nick would miss Reed, himself, but Nick couldn't help but wonder what Reed would do once Nick left.
“I think you'll do fine,” Nick said. “And so does Dad.”
Reed suddenly looked up at him. “What about you?”
“What about me?”
“I mean... aren't you nervous about California?” he asked and then brushed away a lock of hair that had blown in his face. “I would be.”
“Oh.” Nick looked back down at the water. “A little bit. But I'm more excited. It's going to be a lot of fun. Like a new adventure.” When he looked back at him, Reed was giving him a disgusted look.
“Well, things will always be the same here if you ever want to come back,” Reed said and then cleared his throat. “I mean when you want to come back.”
Nick laughed. “Are you sure you're not just saying that because you're going to miss me?”
Reed looked at him as though he had grown a second head. “Don't be ridiculous.”
The expression on Reed's face made Nick laugh so hard that it took him several moments to catch his breath. “Forget I asked!”
Author: duskblue
Fandom/Character(s)/Pairing(s): Original: Locked Inside: Nick and Reed
Genre: General
Rating: PG
Words: 1005
Challenge/Prompt: Challenge 9: 7 On the Go
Warnings/Notes: Reed is really dense and completely lacks social skills. LOL
Tomorrow was the big day. Nick would get on a plane, and settle into his new apartment in LA and leave all of Minnesota behind. He was a little nervous, he had to admit... but he was also extremely exited. Come Monday morning he would start work on a new movie, his first big role ever. Everything was coming together for him.
Summers in Minnesota always felt the same. There were always dragonflies buzzing around the lake, a loon calling in the distance, the feel of the cool breeze on his face, and the warmth of the sun on his skin while he sat out on the dock. He would miss it.
He put his feet into the water and kicked a little, watching until the ripples reached the lily pads and then spread out.
“Nick.”
Nick craned his head to see his older brother, Reed, at the base of the dock and walking towards him. “What's up?”
Reed stood a few feet away from him. “I need to speak with you.”
“About what?” Nick looked back down at the ripples that his feet were causing in the water. His brother had been crabby for weeks. Actually, he'd been acting depressed since Nick told him he was moving to California. Nick suspected he didn't want him to go, but he wasn't about to bring it up.
“I wish you'd come inside,” Reed said.
Nick glanced up at him. “What's the difference?”
For a few seconds, Reed didn't reply. “I guess this is fine,” he said and then stiffly sat down on the dock, still several feet away from Nick.
Nick looked over at him and wondered if Reed would ever look comfortable doing anything.
“Look,” Reed said, but didn't look at him. “Maybe it's obvious to you that I'm not exactly pleased about you moving to California.”
Nick cleared his throat, and Reed finally met his eyes.
“It's not what you think,” Reed said with narrowed eyes. “I'm worried about the business. Dad might think everything's just fine with the two of us running things, but we're going to be short.” He paused and stared at Nick with unblinking eyes. “That's a compliment, believe it or not!”
“Okay...” Nick couldn't help but smile. He tried to find the compliment in Reed's words, but found it very thin. “You're saying you need me.”
“This isn't funny,” Reed said, his eyes narrowing at his brother. “And I don't appreciate you laughing at me.”
“I'm not!” Nick said, but betrayed himself by letting out a chuckle. “No, really... Reed... I mean it! It means a lot that that you think I'm needed, and I do take it as a compliment. It's just that...” He tried to sober his expression. “Maybe it's time for you to shine. Have you thought of it that way?”
Reed's brows drew together, and he seemed to think about it for a few moments. “No,” he said. “But I think you're trying to trick me.”
Nick let his smile fall back on his face. His brother did know him well. “It's true though,” he said. “You should step up. After all, it's going to be you running the place after Dad.”
Reed still stared at him. “You're running away,” he said.
“I'm not!” Nick said, blinking. “You know I've been going after this acting thing for a while! Running the Home has always been your thing. Not mine! I can't stick around to help you just because you want me to.”
“Hmm...” Reed seemed to think about this. “I guess that's a good point.”
“Of course it is.” Nick shrugged and then smiled. “And Dad thinks you'll do just fine, too. I asked him.”
This caused Reed do a double take. “You did? What exactly did Dad say, because he's never said anything like that to me.”
“You probably weren't listening...” Nick muttered. “Anyway, he's looking forward to seeing you come into your own. And now with me gone, you'll have the opportunity to do it.”
Reed looked out at the water. “I don't know if that makes me feel any better,” he said. “It kind of puts a lot of pressure on me.”
Nick looked over at his brother's profile and felt sympathy for him. Reed had never done well with change, and Nick knew it had to be hard for him. He also knew that Reed had trouble making friends, and ever since they had been kids, Reed had considered Nick his closest friend... sometimes, his only friend. The fact that Nick was moving across the country had to be hard on him. Nick would miss Reed, himself, but Nick couldn't help but wonder what Reed would do once Nick left.
“I think you'll do fine,” Nick said. “And so does Dad.”
Reed suddenly looked up at him. “What about you?”
“What about me?”
“I mean... aren't you nervous about California?” he asked and then brushed away a lock of hair that had blown in his face. “I would be.”
“Oh.” Nick looked back down at the water. “A little bit. But I'm more excited. It's going to be a lot of fun. Like a new adventure.” When he looked back at him, Reed was giving him a disgusted look.
“Well, things will always be the same here if you ever want to come back,” Reed said and then cleared his throat. “I mean when you want to come back.”
Nick laughed. “Are you sure you're not just saying that because you're going to miss me?”
Reed looked at him as though he had grown a second head. “Don't be ridiculous.”
The expression on Reed's face made Nick laugh so hard that it took him several moments to catch his breath. “Forget I asked!”