Some of my Drabbles
These are some of the drabbles I've written about these two.. I decided to start writing daily after months of inactivity, and these have helped a lot when I want to write but I'm not in the mood for anything longer. Some are random, some are inspired by songs (either random songs or songs that actually made me think of them), and some are for prompts that a couple of friends gave me. I might post others later.
(Note: these are all kind of untitled so I just use the song/prompt as a title..)
Title: Headache
Rating: PG
Summary: Glitch has a headache but something makes it better.
[Spoiler (click to open)]Cain unlocked the door to the rooms he shared with Glitch and found it uncharacteristically empty and silent.
"Glitch?" He called out as he chucked off his coat on a nearby couch. He had had a long day training the new tin men recruits and the last thing he wanted to deal with now was a missing headcase. Glitch was always home by this hour, waiting for him with an eager kiss and a warm hug. But today the living room was still and quiet. Cain noticed though, that the lights were dimmed, but on, so Glitch must have been here.
He opened the door to their bedroom, where it seemed all the lights had been turned off and all the curtains had been drawn, and was about to turn on the switch when a soft groan stopped him.
"Glitch?"
"Close the door... It's too bright." Cain heard Glitch mumble groggily from the general direction of their bed. He knew that tone-that "I feel like hell" tone that could crawl into his own voice from time to time-and wasted no time in closing the door with a soft click behind him.
"Okay now I really can't see anything," he said as he stepped forward slowly without even the moons' light, "You'll have to guide me, sweetheart."
"Over here," Glitch said quietly. Then after he had taken a few steps almost without bumping into anything, "You're almost there... I'm grabbing your hand."
Indeed, a soft hand took his a moment later and Glitch drew him into the bed after him. Cain curled up behind him and drew the covers around them; his vision already adjusting to the darkness.
"I didn't know you had night vision," he said lightly,
"Well, I've been here for a while..." Glitch muttered, leaning back against Cain's chest. Cain put an arm around him soothingly and pressed a kiss on the back of his neck.
"Headache?"
Glitch nodded softly before slowly turning in his arms to face him, "But this helps," he said, before giving him their daily kiss.
Title: Mall
Rating: PG
Summary: The gang goes to the mall; some like it better than others.
[Spoiler (click to open)]Where are they, for gods' sake? Cain thought for the hundredth-and-forty-second time-he was honestly counting-in the four hours since D.G. and Glitch had left Raw and him waiting for them by the fountain.
It had all been D.G.'s idea of course; to come to this great market place called a "mall" on the Otherside. Everything had been fine at first when they had all stayed together, going through the many stores and occasionally buying things that they liked. D.G. had bought "C.D."s and "movies", Raw had found many trinkets he liked at smaller booths rather than the larger stores, and even Cain had bought a new shirt or two. But Glitch...Glitch had loved it all. After a while, it got too ridiculous to follow him and D.G. into every store when all Raw and him wanted was to collapse on a corner and dip their feet in a bucket of water.
So eventually, the princess and the headcase had just dumped them here in front of the large fountain while they continued merrily on their shopping spree. That had been four hours ago.
"Where are they?" Cain groaned, "I just want to go home already, take a shower, and go to bed."
"D.G. and Glitch like shopping," the viewer said as he looked at the penny-covered floor of the fountain, a large hoodie hiding his unusual physique, "Cain and Raw more practical."
"I just wish that if they wanted to spend the entire day shopping they would have done it back in the O.Z." After another half hour without sight of their friends, Cain finally resigned to his fate and sat next to Raw on the fountain's edge; and waited.
He was about to ask where they could be and why this had to take so long for the hundredth-and-forty-third time, when a couple of well-known faces and an all too familiar shout broke out through the crowds.
"Cain!" Glitch called happily as he ran toward him, various shopping bags swinging wildly from both arms, "Look at all I got!"
He didn't quite get to show him though, because a second later he crashed into Cain, locking his arms behind his neck, and drove them both into the fountain with the sheer force of his hug.
Title: Piano
Rating: PG
Summary: Ambrose finds something else from his past and Cain wants to take part in it. For the prompt "Piano" my friend Sebastian gave me.
Note: This is one of my versions of a rebrained Ambrose.
[Spoiler (click to open)]The walls were warmly lit, rays of sunlight filtering through the windows, as Cain stepped into the unfamiliar room.
He had gone to Ambrose's lab to ask the man out for lunch but had found the great chamber filled with nothing but indiscernible scraps; the inventor nowhere in sight. Stepping carefully around the tables cramped with unknown tools and objects, he had found a cracked door at the end of the room from which a soft lingering music flowed in and filled the air.
Now that he was inside this previously unknown room in Ambrose's lab, he noticed the large windows on the far wall that let the natural light illuminate the space in contrast to the harsh artificial lights in the other room. The floors were polished wood here unlike the tiles in the lab; and instead of metal contraptions there were lines of instruments adorning the walls. In the middle of it all was a large grand piano, the man sitting on the bench tapping his pale fingers on the keys to create the haunting melody that had drawn Cain into the room.
Cain watched in silence from the doorway as Ambrose, bathed in the suns' light, continued to play the piano. His eyes were closed and his face had an expression of content ease as his fingers touched the keys lightly with a practiced effortlessness. It was only after he had finished that Cain stepped from the doorway and let him know he was there.
"That was beautiful," he said appreciatively, and sat down next to Ambrose on the bench, "I didn't know you could play. Or that you even had a piano..."
"I know," Ambrose nodded as he cast a brief glance around the room before turning back to him, "I myself just found out today."
"What was that song you were playing?" Cain asked, looking down at the advisor's hands on the keyboard.
"Oh, I don't know... Some old song I remembered." Ambrose answered softly, his gaze traveling down in thought, "I think my family used to play it a lot to me, when I was very young."
"Will you teach it to me?"
"You know how to play the piano?" Ambrose asked, his eyebrows arched in surprise.
"A bit," Cain admitted, "At least enough to learn your song."
Title: Answer Me, My Love
Rating: PG-13
Summary: After the surgery, Ambrose remembers Cain, but it seems he doesn't love him anymore; and Cain doesn't know what he did wrong. For the song, Answer Me, My Love by Nat King Cole because it made me think of Cain talking to Ambrose.
Note: This is a melodramatic bit of drabble but oh well... Some of the lines here belong to that song and not to me! This is another one of my versions of a rebrained Ambrose.
[Spoiler (click to open)]"Answer me, Ambrose..." Cain kept a firm grip on the smaller man's arm, not trusting him to stay if he let go. Glitch, Ambrose, whatever his name was, the man Cain had come to love, still refused to look him in the eye; he still refused to tell him what had gone wrong, when everything was going so well between them.
"What did I do wrong?" Cain pleaded again, remaining in his place only inches away from Glitch, "Please, sweetheart."
The old endearment seemed to stir something in Glitch, because his deep brown eyes snapped up to him and held him with an intensity and passion he hadn't seen since before the surgery. And even if Glitch was still silent and gave no indication of talking anytime soon, those eyes gave Cain that missing glimpse of hope that needed so much.
"You loved me, Glitch," Cain said with confidence, going on as he gently tightened his grip on Glitch's arm and dragged him ever so closer, "And I still love you. I don't know what happened... I thought we were... good together." Cain slowly released Glitch's arm, letting his hand fall to his side as he saw those sweet, once bright, eyes looking down again; away from him.
"I'll always love you," Cain said quietly, tearing his eyes from Glitch for the first time that night, "But if you're happier without me I'll try not to care."
When he stepped backwards towards the door and Glitch didn't even flinch, Cain lost that little glimmer of hope again and turned to leave for good. He was done with trying to get Glitch to answer him; when it seemed Glitch wasn't even there.
As he reached the door and gripped the cold metal of the handle, metal that felt so much harder and colder than the one he had touched with gentle fingers long ago, he looked back at Glitch and to his surprise found the former headcase looking back at him.
"Can't we start again? Please, Ambrose." he said softly, trying one last time; almost a whisper that he wasn't even sure the other man had heard. If you still think about me, listen to my prayer...
Cain wasn't entirely sure what happened in that one second after he had that thought, but suddenly Ambrose was in his arms again, out of his own desire this time, embracing him and fitting against him perfectly just as he used to. Suddenly Ambrose was kissing him, pressing warm familiar lips against his, and silently answering all his prayers.
Title: Blood
Rating: R for, well, blood
Summary: Cain was an instant too late. For the prompt "Blood" my friend Nosferatu gave me.
Note: Sorry it ended like that but I couldn't bring myself to write what I originally had in mind ;n;
[Spoiler (click to open)]Cain only saw the flash in which Glitch pushed the princess out of the way; and then he was on the floor, a pool of red blood spreading beneath him.
Barely registering that the rogue rebel had been taken down, Cain ran the rest of way and was kneeling by Glitch's side in an instant. An instant too late, he thought with growing dread as he cradled Glitch in one arm and pressed hard against the gushing wound in his chest with the other hand. There were other, smaller, hands close by, not quite touching as if afraid to cause even more damage.
"Go get Raw!" He didn't bother looking up as she got to her feet and ran. Instead, he kept his eyes on Glitch, who was jerking in his arms.
"C-Cai-" he gasped, a wet chocking sound robbing the words from his lips as a drop of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth and more continued to pour from his wound.
"Don't try to talk," Cain shushed him as gently as he could managed, trying not to panic even when Glitch's wide, scared eyes looked up at him and his breathing became more shallow; coming in errant little gasps as the blood kept spreading. He could feel the exit wound on Glitch's back and pressed on it too, his hands and clothes soaked in his friend's blood. When a pale, bloodstained hand reached up and wrapped weakly around his wrist, Cain tore his gaze from the wound and looked back at the warm brown eyes that seemed to be losing their light.
"I-I..." Glitch coughed weakly, blood spattering across his jaw as his eyelids fluttered and his grip on Cain's wrist tightened in fear or pain or both Cain didn't know. All he wanted to do was comfort him and tell him it would be alright; caress his cheek and tug that stray curl away from his eye.
All he did was keep pressure on his wound with both hands, and try not to dwell on how it wasn't enough to stop the flow of blood.
Title: Butter
Rating: PG
Summary: Cain and Glitch eat the last of the butter and have to deal with the consequences. For the prompt "Butter" my friend Sebastian gave me.
Note: Um, this one started as a normal drabble and then it sort of got weird XD
[Spoiler (click to open)]A drawn out yawn broke Cain's focus on the warm breakfast on his plate and he looked up to see Glitch walking into the dining room with stiff, sleepy steps.
He was in only his tight grey shorts and a white shirt that Cain suspected was his own, judging by how loosely it hanged on Glitch's narrow shoulders. Said shoulders were touching Cain a moment later when Glitch finally made it all the way to the table and, instead of sitting down in his usual place, chose to wrap his arms around Cain's neck and nuzzle against him from behind. He slumped on the back of the chair as if he intended to keep sleeping there now that Cain had left their bed.
"M'rng" he muttered unintelligently against Cain's neck,
"Good morning to you too, sweetheart" Cain smirked as he disentangled his lover's arms from across his chest and sat him down on the empty chair beside him. "Here, have some breakfast."
The warm mug of coffee that Cain pressed into his hands seemed wake him up just a bit. Then the following plate of pancakes managed to get his full attention.
"Mm," Glitch sniffed at the syrupy stack of pancakes before plunking a piece into his mouth, "Butter?"
"The last of it," Cain said as he reached for a Central City newspaper and, having just finished his own breakfast, began to skim through it. Change for the better wasn't an instant thing in the O.Z. even now that the witch was gone. People still had trouble believing it for one, and there was a lot of work to be done to get the kingdom back to where it had once been. For now, they were just happy to all be free and alive; not to mention getting back the little pleasures in life such as a bar of soap and a pat of butter. Except when those things ran out in the newly retaken, almost-in-shambles-palace, as it had now.
Even if they'd have to go on a quest for those simple needs later, they sat in comfortable silence in the late morning as Glitch happily devoured his breakfast and Cain read his paper. That blissful peace was shattered however, when a green, tousled creature stepped into the room with a murderous look on her frightening face.
"Aah! Cain, what is it?!" Glitch yelped and clung to him as he stared at the scary, creepy, mean looking woman before them.
"Where is it?!" the green monster demanded in a terrible screech, her messy black hair whipping around in a dark cloud as she snapped her head from them to the kitchen and back. "Where. Is. The butter. There was some left last night!"
"Oh it's gone," Glitch giggled, just a little less afraid of DG the Butter Witch, "I'm eating the last of it."
"You took the last of the butter?!"
"Your problem for getting up so late!"
"Uh, princess, no offense but you look like the witch came back and took over you instead," Cain quirked an eyebrow at her, "What's with all the green stuff?"
"My mo-the Queen suggested it... It actually feels really nice but thank you for your concern." She glared at them and stormed out of the room in a blaze of green facial mush and a dramatic tangle of dark hair on a black towel that seemed to twist in the shape of a very ugly hat. "And find more butter!"
Cain and Glitch sat back on their seats after she was gone, wondering what had just happened; and then laughed and laughed even while they were out shopping for the precious butter.
Title: Purple
Rating: PG
Summary: Glitch ends up with an unexpected side-effect from the rebrainment surgery, and neither he nor Cain mind that much. For the prompt "Purple" my friend Nosferatu gave me.
Note: Sappy little thing. This is yet another one of my versions of a rebrained Ambrose.
[Spoiler (click to open)]"Don't you think there's too much purple?"
Cain went to lean over Glitch's shoulder to get a better look of what he was painting; from where he was, all he could see was a big splotch of purple paint on the canvas.
"Nah," Glitch said, "It's perfect!"
Upon closer viewing, Glitch's painting seemed more like an intricate mosaic of purples, violets, and lavenders in long streaks that made up the image of the park they were in. There were longer, scraggly lines that ranged in various tones and depicted the trees, lighter and softer strokes that were the clouds; and little purple figures, often paired up on lilac grass, to represent people. It was actually a rather good painting, and certainly not just a big splotch of purple...
"It's lovely," he said, earning him a peck on the lips and an armful of an elated ex-headcase.
Ever since Glitch's surgery, there hadn't really been many changes in the optimistic man; he had even chosen to keep his name. The only noticeable change, besides a lack of glitches of course, was that he saw sounds. The doctors had told them it was a condition called synthesia, and that it had been an unintentional effect caused during the surgery, that it might go away eventually or that it might not. It wasn't too bad really, except when Cain would say a particular word and Glitch would stare off at something only he could see with a curious expression; almost like a glitch.
DG, being an artist herself, had suggested he take up painting so he could let it out in an artistic outlet or something like that. But so long as Glitch was happy and complete, Cain saw no problem with this condition of his. He had come to realize that Glitch would always have some eccentricity to surprise him with, and he would be there through the good and the bad; whether it was something like a missing half of a brain, or an overabundance of the color purple.
"Just out of curiosity, sweetheart," Cain said as he placed a hand on Glitch's back and watched him work, "What's the word for purple that's got you painting it so much?"
Glitch smiled, "Purple is for love."
Title: Orchard
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Glitch wanders off, Cain might be too harsh, but they forgive each other soon enough. For the prompt "Orchard" my friend Sebastian gave me.
[Spoiler (click to open)]When the papay bowed before them and spared their life, Cain's first thought was that his ragtag group of companions and himself were both the unluckiest and luckiest bastards in the O.Z.
He kept a watchful eye as they carefully stepped around the bowing papay; bowing back, waving, and giving their thanks as they passed. When he saw the small assembly focused on collecting the unexpected crops, he let himself slightly relax, but not without staying alert of their surroundings.
They made their way across most of the rest of the barren fields without another incident. Occasionally DG would brush against a tree as she walked past it, and it would flourish with life and fresh fruit. Cain didn't think it was a good idea to be doing that right now, thinking of how it could attract more runners and delay their progress; but the pooch kept encouraging her to use her magic. So far though, they hadn't had a problem.
That is, until Cain looked back and found Glitch ten steps behind them, cornered against a newly restored tree by a crouching papay. Cain cursed under his breath at having let Glitch wander off again, he should have kept better watch of him, and set off toward him at a measured walk, signaling the others to stop and stay put. He could see the cause of the disturbance in the plain sunlight, a bright juicy fruit shinning accusingly in Glitch's hands.
"It's alright..." Cain said slowly as he neared the papay and positioned himself between it and Glitch, "We mean no offense. And he's going to give that back... Aren't you, Glitch?" He scowled and hissed at the man behind him, "Do you want to get us killed?"
"I'm sorry," Glitch murmured back, "It just looked so good."
"Well give it back."
"But-" The papay's guttural snarl put a stop to his protests and brought his attention back to their current situation.
"Drop it now, Glitch" Cain said as he looked back at Glitch and reached for his hand, "It's not worth-"
"Hey!" DG called out, suddenly right next to the papay,
"Kid, I told you to stay back!"
"No, it's okay..." she said as she moved closer deliberately while staying in the creature's view, "There's plenty for everyone. See?" With a tentative gesture, she pressed her outstretched palm against another scorched tree, and let out a relieved breath when it bloomed and led the papay away from them. Now that the path was clear, they made their way to the others and kept walking as more papay joined to gather the fruit.
"Come on." Cain grabbed Glitch by the wrist and pulled hard enough to make him drop the fruit in his hands.
"Papay hungry. Haven't had orchards for many annuals," Raw explained as they walked, "Desperate." From then on DG kept touching trees more frequently. Glitch silently walked along next to Cain, who still had his wrist in his grip to keep him from wandering off again. He was too quiet in fact, and when Cain looked over to find a look of remorse and sadness in those brown eyes he felt his chest tighten with guilt.
"I'm sorry," Cain said softly, only for Glitch's ears, and let go of Glitch's wrist only to take hold of his hand, "I was just worried..." Glitch gave his hand a gentle squeeze but didn't look any less sad in Cain's eyes. So he reached out with his free hand to the nearest thriving tree, took the best fruit he saw, and placed it in Glitch's free hand without a word.
After a moment, Glitch looked down at what he had in his hand, then at their joined hands, back at his hand, and back at theirs, and then his eyes lit up.
"Thanks, Cain." He said just as softly, and bit into the fruit as they left the orchard.
(Note: these are all kind of untitled so I just use the song/prompt as a title..)
Title: Headache
Rating: PG
Summary: Glitch has a headache but something makes it better.
[Spoiler (click to open)]Cain unlocked the door to the rooms he shared with Glitch and found it uncharacteristically empty and silent.
"Glitch?" He called out as he chucked off his coat on a nearby couch. He had had a long day training the new tin men recruits and the last thing he wanted to deal with now was a missing headcase. Glitch was always home by this hour, waiting for him with an eager kiss and a warm hug. But today the living room was still and quiet. Cain noticed though, that the lights were dimmed, but on, so Glitch must have been here.
He opened the door to their bedroom, where it seemed all the lights had been turned off and all the curtains had been drawn, and was about to turn on the switch when a soft groan stopped him.
"Glitch?"
"Close the door... It's too bright." Cain heard Glitch mumble groggily from the general direction of their bed. He knew that tone-that "I feel like hell" tone that could crawl into his own voice from time to time-and wasted no time in closing the door with a soft click behind him.
"Okay now I really can't see anything," he said as he stepped forward slowly without even the moons' light, "You'll have to guide me, sweetheart."
"Over here," Glitch said quietly. Then after he had taken a few steps almost without bumping into anything, "You're almost there... I'm grabbing your hand."
Indeed, a soft hand took his a moment later and Glitch drew him into the bed after him. Cain curled up behind him and drew the covers around them; his vision already adjusting to the darkness.
"I didn't know you had night vision," he said lightly,
"Well, I've been here for a while..." Glitch muttered, leaning back against Cain's chest. Cain put an arm around him soothingly and pressed a kiss on the back of his neck.
"Headache?"
Glitch nodded softly before slowly turning in his arms to face him, "But this helps," he said, before giving him their daily kiss.
Title: Mall
Rating: PG
Summary: The gang goes to the mall; some like it better than others.
[Spoiler (click to open)]Where are they, for gods' sake? Cain thought for the hundredth-and-forty-second time-he was honestly counting-in the four hours since D.G. and Glitch had left Raw and him waiting for them by the fountain.
It had all been D.G.'s idea of course; to come to this great market place called a "mall" on the Otherside. Everything had been fine at first when they had all stayed together, going through the many stores and occasionally buying things that they liked. D.G. had bought "C.D."s and "movies", Raw had found many trinkets he liked at smaller booths rather than the larger stores, and even Cain had bought a new shirt or two. But Glitch...Glitch had loved it all. After a while, it got too ridiculous to follow him and D.G. into every store when all Raw and him wanted was to collapse on a corner and dip their feet in a bucket of water.
So eventually, the princess and the headcase had just dumped them here in front of the large fountain while they continued merrily on their shopping spree. That had been four hours ago.
"Where are they?" Cain groaned, "I just want to go home already, take a shower, and go to bed."
"D.G. and Glitch like shopping," the viewer said as he looked at the penny-covered floor of the fountain, a large hoodie hiding his unusual physique, "Cain and Raw more practical."
"I just wish that if they wanted to spend the entire day shopping they would have done it back in the O.Z." After another half hour without sight of their friends, Cain finally resigned to his fate and sat next to Raw on the fountain's edge; and waited.
He was about to ask where they could be and why this had to take so long for the hundredth-and-forty-third time, when a couple of well-known faces and an all too familiar shout broke out through the crowds.
"Cain!" Glitch called happily as he ran toward him, various shopping bags swinging wildly from both arms, "Look at all I got!"
He didn't quite get to show him though, because a second later he crashed into Cain, locking his arms behind his neck, and drove them both into the fountain with the sheer force of his hug.
Title: Piano
Rating: PG
Summary: Ambrose finds something else from his past and Cain wants to take part in it. For the prompt "Piano" my friend Sebastian gave me.
Note: This is one of my versions of a rebrained Ambrose.
[Spoiler (click to open)]The walls were warmly lit, rays of sunlight filtering through the windows, as Cain stepped into the unfamiliar room.
He had gone to Ambrose's lab to ask the man out for lunch but had found the great chamber filled with nothing but indiscernible scraps; the inventor nowhere in sight. Stepping carefully around the tables cramped with unknown tools and objects, he had found a cracked door at the end of the room from which a soft lingering music flowed in and filled the air.
Now that he was inside this previously unknown room in Ambrose's lab, he noticed the large windows on the far wall that let the natural light illuminate the space in contrast to the harsh artificial lights in the other room. The floors were polished wood here unlike the tiles in the lab; and instead of metal contraptions there were lines of instruments adorning the walls. In the middle of it all was a large grand piano, the man sitting on the bench tapping his pale fingers on the keys to create the haunting melody that had drawn Cain into the room.
Cain watched in silence from the doorway as Ambrose, bathed in the suns' light, continued to play the piano. His eyes were closed and his face had an expression of content ease as his fingers touched the keys lightly with a practiced effortlessness. It was only after he had finished that Cain stepped from the doorway and let him know he was there.
"That was beautiful," he said appreciatively, and sat down next to Ambrose on the bench, "I didn't know you could play. Or that you even had a piano..."
"I know," Ambrose nodded as he cast a brief glance around the room before turning back to him, "I myself just found out today."
"What was that song you were playing?" Cain asked, looking down at the advisor's hands on the keyboard.
"Oh, I don't know... Some old song I remembered." Ambrose answered softly, his gaze traveling down in thought, "I think my family used to play it a lot to me, when I was very young."
"Will you teach it to me?"
"You know how to play the piano?" Ambrose asked, his eyebrows arched in surprise.
"A bit," Cain admitted, "At least enough to learn your song."
Title: Answer Me, My Love
Rating: PG-13
Summary: After the surgery, Ambrose remembers Cain, but it seems he doesn't love him anymore; and Cain doesn't know what he did wrong. For the song, Answer Me, My Love by Nat King Cole because it made me think of Cain talking to Ambrose.
Note: This is a melodramatic bit of drabble but oh well... Some of the lines here belong to that song and not to me! This is another one of my versions of a rebrained Ambrose.
[Spoiler (click to open)]"Answer me, Ambrose..." Cain kept a firm grip on the smaller man's arm, not trusting him to stay if he let go. Glitch, Ambrose, whatever his name was, the man Cain had come to love, still refused to look him in the eye; he still refused to tell him what had gone wrong, when everything was going so well between them.
"What did I do wrong?" Cain pleaded again, remaining in his place only inches away from Glitch, "Please, sweetheart."
The old endearment seemed to stir something in Glitch, because his deep brown eyes snapped up to him and held him with an intensity and passion he hadn't seen since before the surgery. And even if Glitch was still silent and gave no indication of talking anytime soon, those eyes gave Cain that missing glimpse of hope that needed so much.
"You loved me, Glitch," Cain said with confidence, going on as he gently tightened his grip on Glitch's arm and dragged him ever so closer, "And I still love you. I don't know what happened... I thought we were... good together." Cain slowly released Glitch's arm, letting his hand fall to his side as he saw those sweet, once bright, eyes looking down again; away from him.
"I'll always love you," Cain said quietly, tearing his eyes from Glitch for the first time that night, "But if you're happier without me I'll try not to care."
When he stepped backwards towards the door and Glitch didn't even flinch, Cain lost that little glimmer of hope again and turned to leave for good. He was done with trying to get Glitch to answer him; when it seemed Glitch wasn't even there.
As he reached the door and gripped the cold metal of the handle, metal that felt so much harder and colder than the one he had touched with gentle fingers long ago, he looked back at Glitch and to his surprise found the former headcase looking back at him.
"Can't we start again? Please, Ambrose." he said softly, trying one last time; almost a whisper that he wasn't even sure the other man had heard. If you still think about me, listen to my prayer...
Cain wasn't entirely sure what happened in that one second after he had that thought, but suddenly Ambrose was in his arms again, out of his own desire this time, embracing him and fitting against him perfectly just as he used to. Suddenly Ambrose was kissing him, pressing warm familiar lips against his, and silently answering all his prayers.
Title: Blood
Rating: R for, well, blood
Summary: Cain was an instant too late. For the prompt "Blood" my friend Nosferatu gave me.
Note: Sorry it ended like that but I couldn't bring myself to write what I originally had in mind ;n;
[Spoiler (click to open)]Cain only saw the flash in which Glitch pushed the princess out of the way; and then he was on the floor, a pool of red blood spreading beneath him.
Barely registering that the rogue rebel had been taken down, Cain ran the rest of way and was kneeling by Glitch's side in an instant. An instant too late, he thought with growing dread as he cradled Glitch in one arm and pressed hard against the gushing wound in his chest with the other hand. There were other, smaller, hands close by, not quite touching as if afraid to cause even more damage.
"Go get Raw!" He didn't bother looking up as she got to her feet and ran. Instead, he kept his eyes on Glitch, who was jerking in his arms.
"C-Cai-" he gasped, a wet chocking sound robbing the words from his lips as a drop of blood trickled from the corner of his mouth and more continued to pour from his wound.
"Don't try to talk," Cain shushed him as gently as he could managed, trying not to panic even when Glitch's wide, scared eyes looked up at him and his breathing became more shallow; coming in errant little gasps as the blood kept spreading. He could feel the exit wound on Glitch's back and pressed on it too, his hands and clothes soaked in his friend's blood. When a pale, bloodstained hand reached up and wrapped weakly around his wrist, Cain tore his gaze from the wound and looked back at the warm brown eyes that seemed to be losing their light.
"I-I..." Glitch coughed weakly, blood spattering across his jaw as his eyelids fluttered and his grip on Cain's wrist tightened in fear or pain or both Cain didn't know. All he wanted to do was comfort him and tell him it would be alright; caress his cheek and tug that stray curl away from his eye.
All he did was keep pressure on his wound with both hands, and try not to dwell on how it wasn't enough to stop the flow of blood.
Title: Butter
Rating: PG
Summary: Cain and Glitch eat the last of the butter and have to deal with the consequences. For the prompt "Butter" my friend Sebastian gave me.
Note: Um, this one started as a normal drabble and then it sort of got weird XD
[Spoiler (click to open)]A drawn out yawn broke Cain's focus on the warm breakfast on his plate and he looked up to see Glitch walking into the dining room with stiff, sleepy steps.
He was in only his tight grey shorts and a white shirt that Cain suspected was his own, judging by how loosely it hanged on Glitch's narrow shoulders. Said shoulders were touching Cain a moment later when Glitch finally made it all the way to the table and, instead of sitting down in his usual place, chose to wrap his arms around Cain's neck and nuzzle against him from behind. He slumped on the back of the chair as if he intended to keep sleeping there now that Cain had left their bed.
"M'rng" he muttered unintelligently against Cain's neck,
"Good morning to you too, sweetheart" Cain smirked as he disentangled his lover's arms from across his chest and sat him down on the empty chair beside him. "Here, have some breakfast."
The warm mug of coffee that Cain pressed into his hands seemed wake him up just a bit. Then the following plate of pancakes managed to get his full attention.
"Mm," Glitch sniffed at the syrupy stack of pancakes before plunking a piece into his mouth, "Butter?"
"The last of it," Cain said as he reached for a Central City newspaper and, having just finished his own breakfast, began to skim through it. Change for the better wasn't an instant thing in the O.Z. even now that the witch was gone. People still had trouble believing it for one, and there was a lot of work to be done to get the kingdom back to where it had once been. For now, they were just happy to all be free and alive; not to mention getting back the little pleasures in life such as a bar of soap and a pat of butter. Except when those things ran out in the newly retaken, almost-in-shambles-palace, as it had now.
Even if they'd have to go on a quest for those simple needs later, they sat in comfortable silence in the late morning as Glitch happily devoured his breakfast and Cain read his paper. That blissful peace was shattered however, when a green, tousled creature stepped into the room with a murderous look on her frightening face.
"Aah! Cain, what is it?!" Glitch yelped and clung to him as he stared at the scary, creepy, mean looking woman before them.
"Where is it?!" the green monster demanded in a terrible screech, her messy black hair whipping around in a dark cloud as she snapped her head from them to the kitchen and back. "Where. Is. The butter. There was some left last night!"
"Oh it's gone," Glitch giggled, just a little less afraid of DG the Butter Witch, "I'm eating the last of it."
"You took the last of the butter?!"
"Your problem for getting up so late!"
"Uh, princess, no offense but you look like the witch came back and took over you instead," Cain quirked an eyebrow at her, "What's with all the green stuff?"
"My mo-the Queen suggested it... It actually feels really nice but thank you for your concern." She glared at them and stormed out of the room in a blaze of green facial mush and a dramatic tangle of dark hair on a black towel that seemed to twist in the shape of a very ugly hat. "And find more butter!"
Cain and Glitch sat back on their seats after she was gone, wondering what had just happened; and then laughed and laughed even while they were out shopping for the precious butter.
Title: Purple
Rating: PG
Summary: Glitch ends up with an unexpected side-effect from the rebrainment surgery, and neither he nor Cain mind that much. For the prompt "Purple" my friend Nosferatu gave me.
Note: Sappy little thing. This is yet another one of my versions of a rebrained Ambrose.
[Spoiler (click to open)]"Don't you think there's too much purple?"
Cain went to lean over Glitch's shoulder to get a better look of what he was painting; from where he was, all he could see was a big splotch of purple paint on the canvas.
"Nah," Glitch said, "It's perfect!"
Upon closer viewing, Glitch's painting seemed more like an intricate mosaic of purples, violets, and lavenders in long streaks that made up the image of the park they were in. There were longer, scraggly lines that ranged in various tones and depicted the trees, lighter and softer strokes that were the clouds; and little purple figures, often paired up on lilac grass, to represent people. It was actually a rather good painting, and certainly not just a big splotch of purple...
"It's lovely," he said, earning him a peck on the lips and an armful of an elated ex-headcase.
Ever since Glitch's surgery, there hadn't really been many changes in the optimistic man; he had even chosen to keep his name. The only noticeable change, besides a lack of glitches of course, was that he saw sounds. The doctors had told them it was a condition called synthesia, and that it had been an unintentional effect caused during the surgery, that it might go away eventually or that it might not. It wasn't too bad really, except when Cain would say a particular word and Glitch would stare off at something only he could see with a curious expression; almost like a glitch.
DG, being an artist herself, had suggested he take up painting so he could let it out in an artistic outlet or something like that. But so long as Glitch was happy and complete, Cain saw no problem with this condition of his. He had come to realize that Glitch would always have some eccentricity to surprise him with, and he would be there through the good and the bad; whether it was something like a missing half of a brain, or an overabundance of the color purple.
"Just out of curiosity, sweetheart," Cain said as he placed a hand on Glitch's back and watched him work, "What's the word for purple that's got you painting it so much?"
Glitch smiled, "Purple is for love."
Title: Orchard
Rating: PG-13
Summary: Glitch wanders off, Cain might be too harsh, but they forgive each other soon enough. For the prompt "Orchard" my friend Sebastian gave me.
[Spoiler (click to open)]When the papay bowed before them and spared their life, Cain's first thought was that his ragtag group of companions and himself were both the unluckiest and luckiest bastards in the O.Z.
He kept a watchful eye as they carefully stepped around the bowing papay; bowing back, waving, and giving their thanks as they passed. When he saw the small assembly focused on collecting the unexpected crops, he let himself slightly relax, but not without staying alert of their surroundings.
They made their way across most of the rest of the barren fields without another incident. Occasionally DG would brush against a tree as she walked past it, and it would flourish with life and fresh fruit. Cain didn't think it was a good idea to be doing that right now, thinking of how it could attract more runners and delay their progress; but the pooch kept encouraging her to use her magic. So far though, they hadn't had a problem.
That is, until Cain looked back and found Glitch ten steps behind them, cornered against a newly restored tree by a crouching papay. Cain cursed under his breath at having let Glitch wander off again, he should have kept better watch of him, and set off toward him at a measured walk, signaling the others to stop and stay put. He could see the cause of the disturbance in the plain sunlight, a bright juicy fruit shinning accusingly in Glitch's hands.
"It's alright..." Cain said slowly as he neared the papay and positioned himself between it and Glitch, "We mean no offense. And he's going to give that back... Aren't you, Glitch?" He scowled and hissed at the man behind him, "Do you want to get us killed?"
"I'm sorry," Glitch murmured back, "It just looked so good."
"Well give it back."
"But-" The papay's guttural snarl put a stop to his protests and brought his attention back to their current situation.
"Drop it now, Glitch" Cain said as he looked back at Glitch and reached for his hand, "It's not worth-"
"Hey!" DG called out, suddenly right next to the papay,
"Kid, I told you to stay back!"
"No, it's okay..." she said as she moved closer deliberately while staying in the creature's view, "There's plenty for everyone. See?" With a tentative gesture, she pressed her outstretched palm against another scorched tree, and let out a relieved breath when it bloomed and led the papay away from them. Now that the path was clear, they made their way to the others and kept walking as more papay joined to gather the fruit.
"Come on." Cain grabbed Glitch by the wrist and pulled hard enough to make him drop the fruit in his hands.
"Papay hungry. Haven't had orchards for many annuals," Raw explained as they walked, "Desperate." From then on DG kept touching trees more frequently. Glitch silently walked along next to Cain, who still had his wrist in his grip to keep him from wandering off again. He was too quiet in fact, and when Cain looked over to find a look of remorse and sadness in those brown eyes he felt his chest tighten with guilt.
"I'm sorry," Cain said softly, only for Glitch's ears, and let go of Glitch's wrist only to take hold of his hand, "I was just worried..." Glitch gave his hand a gentle squeeze but didn't look any less sad in Cain's eyes. So he reached out with his free hand to the nearest thriving tree, took the best fruit he saw, and placed it in Glitch's free hand without a word.
After a moment, Glitch looked down at what he had in his hand, then at their joined hands, back at his hand, and back at theirs, and then his eyes lit up.
"Thanks, Cain." He said just as softly, and bit into the fruit as they left the orchard.