Fic: Winter Weather Advisory A Grandview story Rated G
Title: Winter Weather Advisory!
Series: Grandview
Rating: G
Warnings/spoilers: none
Word count: 1,416
Summary: John sighed as he pushed his cart through the grocery store; Grace was sleeping in her car seat in the front, blissfully unaware of the chaos.
John sighed as he pushed his cart through the grocery store; Grace was sleeping in her car seat in the front, blissfully unaware of the chaos. It was April and the forecast was calling for heavy snow, so everyone within three miles of the grocery store had apparently forgotten all the snow they had over the last few months and were freaking out. John didn’t think it was going to happen, but Rodney had bundled up the kids anyway and the four of them went to the store to stock up on nonperishables, even though their cabinets were fully stocked.
“Rodney,” John said as Rodney pulled a box of powdered milk off the nearly barren shelf and put it in the car shaped cart Nathan had insisted on riding in. “Even if it does snow, I’m pretty sure we’re not going to get snowed in. You and everyone else in this place are just paranoid. Let’s not forget that we’ve been through three winters in the house and not once have we even come close to starving to death.”
“Yes,” Rodney replied as he started walking again, and John followed, “but that doesn’t mean that it can’t happen. They’re talking about large amounts of snow in April, that can’t be good.”
“It still snows in April sometimes,” John reminded him.
“But never large amounts,” Rodney said, putting an emphasis on the last two words. He stopped again and started loading John’s cart with canned vegetables and fruit. John looked around and saw everyone else doing the same; every isle in the store had been packed with people and overflowing grocery carts. At one point, John was worried that Rodney was going to beat down an old woman for the last jar of jelly, but in the end, he used the kids. “Would you deny this young boy his favorite snack?” Rodney had asked, and Nathan made the big puppy dog eyes at the woman and she relented. John was both horrified that Rodney had taught Nathan how to manipulate, and very proud that he’d picked it up so fast and could do it on cue.
“You’re being ridiculous,” John said and shook his head as his cart got even more full. “I mean really, hominy? Rodney, you don’t even eat hominy, you’ve never eaten hominy.”
“I might if we get trapped in the house for who knows how long. It’s a much better option than eating one of the kids… or you.”
John smirked and raised one brow, “I might not mind that so much actually.”
Rodney glared at him for a minute, “you’re not taking this seriously at all, are you?”
“No,” John laughed, “I’m not. We are going to be fine, we’ll get a light dusting, or maybe a couple of inches, but that’s it.”
“Did you become a weatherman when I wasn’t looking?”
John chuckled and shook his head, but he followed Rodney when he started moving again.
“Seriously!” Rodney shouted when they finally reached the juice. “All that’s left is orange juice?”
John was pushing the cart with one hand and carrying a rather grumpy Grace in the other arm. They’d had to pull over half an hour ago because John couldn’t push the cart, hold Grace and feed her all at the same time. “Well,” he said, feeling about as aggravated as their daughter at being in the store for almost three and a half hours “we did leave late, and the store is packed. We should have come here first, but then we’d have missed out on the dehydrated strawberries, the box of cheese-itz, the jumbo bag of Dorito’s, oh, and don’t forget the jelly. It was a gamble, Rodney, and unfortunately we lost.” His mood was coming through in his tone and he couldn’t really bring himself to care. “It’s a good thing we have several cans of frozen juice in the freezer, not to mention two jugs in the fridge, and the powder Gatorade.”
Rodney turned and pointed a finger at John, “you just be quiet,” he demanded and started walking down the isle. “We’re done here, let’s go.”
“Oh good, we’ll be out of here in about three hours, then there’s traffic, so we might be home just after Nathan’s bed time.
“I hate people more than you do, John,” Rodney grumped as they headed toward the front of the store, “but I am suffering through this for the sake of our children. The least you could do is be supportive.”
“Of your paranoia? Rodney, you know that I support you, I love you more than anything else in two galaxies, but this is outrageous and deep down, you know it.”
Rodney grumbled something John couldn’t understand and got in line. Barely a minute later they were boxed in on all sides with no hope of escape.
“Oh my,” a cheery voice came from behind John and he turned to find a red headed man of about forty standing behind him. “What a gorgeous baby, is it a boy or a girl?” the man asked.
John looked at Grace, she was dressed in purple sweatpants and a pink shirt that said daddy’s angel on it, and the bottoms of her shoes said ‘princess.’ John looked back at the man and smiled, “It’s a boy, but we’re hoping he’ll be gay,” he said in the most flamboyant voice he could muster and turned to Rodney. “Isn’t that right sugar?”
“Thugar!” Nathan said happily and pointed to Rodney. “Dada thugar!” Then Nathan pointed to John and said, just as happily, “duhduh honey!”
Rodney’s face turned a bright shade of red and John could tell that he was fighting back one of those deep belly laughs, but he nodded and winked at John who just turned back and smiled at the man.
“Well…” he said angrily and left his cart sitting behind John as he stormed off.
“I think Nathan put it over the top,” John laughed and he stepped around his cart and ruffled Nathan’s hair. “But where’d the honey idea come from?”
Rodney shrugged and John turned back to the cart behind him.
“Oh hey!” John exclaimed and pulled a gallon of apple juice out of the abandoned cart. “Will this do?” He asked and handed the juice to Rodney who nodded and proclaimed John his hero. John’s mood was quite a bit better now as he rummaged through the man’s cart and found a package of cheese, two cans of corn, a loaf of Texas toast, some blueberries, pancake mix and some pepperoni.
John had been wrong; it only took them forty five minutes to get through the line. He was sure that was because Rodney began bitching about there only being three lanes open when the store was filled with shoppers. John had joined in, insisting that the larger chain would be getting their business from then on, even though it was a mile further away. Nathan chimed in with the occasional “yeah!” and “That’s right!” Grace slept through the entire ordeal. They’d packed the trunk of John’s car, and the back seat, surrounding the kids with bags.
Now they were home and the food was put away, most of it had to be stored in the basement because the kitchen cabinets were crammed as full as they could get. The kids were both asleep, and John and Rodney were snuggled in their own bed, the TV playing the news softly in the background.
“The only thing that made sense today,” John said and moved closer to Rodney, “is the infant water and powder formula. Why didn’t we think of that before? It’s much easier to make a bottle in her room with room temperature water and powder.”
“I am a genius you know,” Rodney replied.
“Yeah well, it took you long enough to figure that out too.”
Rodney shrugged and kissed John’s temple. “My favorite part of the day was when you offended the man behind you in line. That was absolutely hilarious, your best work ever.”
John chuckled and moved toward Rodney’s mouth, intending to kiss him, but Rodney put his hand on John’s chest and held him back.
“That said, if you ever call me sugar again, I may have to come up with a very imaginative way of hurting you without leaving any questionable marks.”
John smiled and finally made it to Rodney’s lips and kissed him softly, “In that case,” he said and wiggled his eyebrows, “when do we start…? Sugar.”