Drabble Series: A Catharsis of Sorts (Prompts 8, 127, 38, 18, 1, 152, and 53)
Title: A Catharsis of Sorts
Prompts: /takes a deep breath/ #8: Deviation, #127 Spy, #38 Discovery, #18 Tense, #1 Conversation, #152: Forgiveness, and #53: Support.
Author: starlettmalfoy
Characters: Don, Charlie
Rating: G
Word Count: 7x100
Warnings: None.
Disclaimer: I don't own the show Numb3rs or the characters and am not profiting off of this.
Summary: Charlie wonders where Don's been disappearing to. The answer is not what he expected.
Author's Note: Written for numb3rs100. See the first comment for my A/N.
The Question (#8: Deviation)
For several weeks, Don had been disappearing, and Charlie was determined to find out why.
At first, Charlie didn't think anything of Don's lack of contact. When he started to notice a pattern, however, his curiosity got the best of him.
His first hypothesis was that Don had started attending Temple on Saturday nights, keeping with his new found faith's practices. But when Charlie casually stopped by to chat with the Rabbi, he'd discovered this was not the case.
Charlie stared at his chalkboard, the equations unyielding in their determination to keep Don's secret.
He would have to follow Don.
The Investigation (#127 Spy)
Following an FBI agent was tough.
Charlie quickly ducked into the crowd of bodies lining up outside of the club as Don's frame turned his direction. He barely caught a glimpse of Don smiling, talking with the bouncer before heading around to the side entrance.
The stage entrance.
Charlie's brow furrowed in confusion and he quickly made a decision. Strolling to the head of the line, he flashed the bouncer a smile of his own and slid a couple of crisp hundreds into the man's palm. He grunted and waved Charlie in, much to the rest of the line's annoyance.
The Answer (#38: Discovery)
The crowd was going wild.
Charlie stared up at the stage in a strange mixture of awe, pride and hurt. Don stood, front and center, wearing something that Charlie wasn't sure would be considered an outfit.
Snug leather pants molded to Don's frame perfectly. The shimmery silver button-down clung to his toned chest. The cuffs remained unbuttoned at his wrists, brushing against the microphone's stand as his brother crooned into it with a voice Charlie never knew he possessed.
Charlie stayed through the entire set, letting the music wash over him, wondering why he hadn't figured it out before now.
The Confrontation (#18: Tense)
Charlie wasn't surprised to see sweat rolling down the side of Don's face as he emerged from the stage door. The towel in the agent's hand dropped to the ground, forgotten. Don's eyes were wide and half-panicked as he stepped closer to Charlie, mouth opening and closing as he struggled to find the words to explain.
"Nice show. You sing." It wasn't a question, but Don nodded anyway. Charlie bent to pick up the towel and handed it back to his brother.
"How long?"
"A few weeks." Don cleared his throat, "It... well, it's relaxing, I suppose."
A chuckle. "Relaxing?"
The Explanation (#1: Conversation)
"Yeah, you know. Gets the adrenaline pumping, sure, but it's a release. I can just close my eyes, feel the music, and let go."
"Ok, uh, that's cool. Can I just ask you something?"
"Sure, Chuck."
"Why...?" The words caught in his throat.
"Didn't I tell you?"
Charlie nodded.
Don sighed and ran his hands through his damp hair, "Well, at first I didn't think it would last. Didn't think I'd get the spot with the band. Then I did, and... I dunno, it just seemed like..."
He trailed off.
"Like?"
"Well, like no one would get it, you know?"
The Acceptance (#152: Forgiveness)
In an unspoken agreement, Don followed Charlie's car back to the house. Charlie waited as Don headed upstairs to shower and was sitting in the living room with a few bottles of beer when he returned.
Handing one to Don, Charlie watched as he popped off the cap, taking a long drink. The bottle left Don's lips half empty, and he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before sitting down on the couch next to Charlie.
"If it helps," Charlie murmured, "I get it. And I think it's great."
Don smiled, "Yeah?"
Charlie nodded, smiling back. "Yeah."
The Approval (#53: Support)
"You really were good, you know."
Don laughed and blushed to his ears, fidgeting with the bottle in his hands. "Well... thanks."
"So why singing?"
"Oh man. It's a rush. Getting up there in front of all those people, people that don't rely on me for anything but giving them a good time..." Instead of having to save them.
Charlie heard the unvoiced reason. After a moment, he grinned devilishly and nudged Don with his elbow playfully. "You know... when your team finds out..."
Don groaned but couldn't make his smile go away, "I'll never hear the end of it!"
Prompts: /takes a deep breath/ #8: Deviation, #127 Spy, #38 Discovery, #18 Tense, #1 Conversation, #152: Forgiveness, and #53: Support.
Author: starlettmalfoy
Characters: Don, Charlie
Rating: G
Word Count: 7x100
Warnings: None.
Disclaimer: I don't own the show Numb3rs or the characters and am not profiting off of this.
Summary: Charlie wonders where Don's been disappearing to. The answer is not what he expected.
Author's Note: Written for numb3rs100. See the first comment for my A/N.
The Question (#8: Deviation)
For several weeks, Don had been disappearing, and Charlie was determined to find out why.
At first, Charlie didn't think anything of Don's lack of contact. When he started to notice a pattern, however, his curiosity got the best of him.
His first hypothesis was that Don had started attending Temple on Saturday nights, keeping with his new found faith's practices. But when Charlie casually stopped by to chat with the Rabbi, he'd discovered this was not the case.
Charlie stared at his chalkboard, the equations unyielding in their determination to keep Don's secret.
He would have to follow Don.
The Investigation (#127 Spy)
Following an FBI agent was tough.
Charlie quickly ducked into the crowd of bodies lining up outside of the club as Don's frame turned his direction. He barely caught a glimpse of Don smiling, talking with the bouncer before heading around to the side entrance.
The stage entrance.
Charlie's brow furrowed in confusion and he quickly made a decision. Strolling to the head of the line, he flashed the bouncer a smile of his own and slid a couple of crisp hundreds into the man's palm. He grunted and waved Charlie in, much to the rest of the line's annoyance.
The Answer (#38: Discovery)
The crowd was going wild.
Charlie stared up at the stage in a strange mixture of awe, pride and hurt. Don stood, front and center, wearing something that Charlie wasn't sure would be considered an outfit.
Snug leather pants molded to Don's frame perfectly. The shimmery silver button-down clung to his toned chest. The cuffs remained unbuttoned at his wrists, brushing against the microphone's stand as his brother crooned into it with a voice Charlie never knew he possessed.
Charlie stayed through the entire set, letting the music wash over him, wondering why he hadn't figured it out before now.
The Confrontation (#18: Tense)
Charlie wasn't surprised to see sweat rolling down the side of Don's face as he emerged from the stage door. The towel in the agent's hand dropped to the ground, forgotten. Don's eyes were wide and half-panicked as he stepped closer to Charlie, mouth opening and closing as he struggled to find the words to explain.
"Nice show. You sing." It wasn't a question, but Don nodded anyway. Charlie bent to pick up the towel and handed it back to his brother.
"How long?"
"A few weeks." Don cleared his throat, "It... well, it's relaxing, I suppose."
A chuckle. "Relaxing?"
The Explanation (#1: Conversation)
"Yeah, you know. Gets the adrenaline pumping, sure, but it's a release. I can just close my eyes, feel the music, and let go."
"Ok, uh, that's cool. Can I just ask you something?"
"Sure, Chuck."
"Why...?" The words caught in his throat.
"Didn't I tell you?"
Charlie nodded.
Don sighed and ran his hands through his damp hair, "Well, at first I didn't think it would last. Didn't think I'd get the spot with the band. Then I did, and... I dunno, it just seemed like..."
He trailed off.
"Like?"
"Well, like no one would get it, you know?"
The Acceptance (#152: Forgiveness)
In an unspoken agreement, Don followed Charlie's car back to the house. Charlie waited as Don headed upstairs to shower and was sitting in the living room with a few bottles of beer when he returned.
Handing one to Don, Charlie watched as he popped off the cap, taking a long drink. The bottle left Don's lips half empty, and he wiped his mouth with the back of his hand before sitting down on the couch next to Charlie.
"If it helps," Charlie murmured, "I get it. And I think it's great."
Don smiled, "Yeah?"
Charlie nodded, smiling back. "Yeah."
The Approval (#53: Support)
"You really were good, you know."
Don laughed and blushed to his ears, fidgeting with the bottle in his hands. "Well... thanks."
"So why singing?"
"Oh man. It's a rush. Getting up there in front of all those people, people that don't rely on me for anything but giving them a good time..." Instead of having to save them.
Charlie heard the unvoiced reason. After a moment, he grinned devilishly and nudged Don with his elbow playfully. "You know... when your team finds out..."
Don groaned but couldn't make his smile go away, "I'll never hear the end of it!"