Fic: Of First Dates and Little Gold Chefs (Boostle)
Title: Of First Dates and Little Gold Chefs
Fandom: DC Comics
Author: milleniumrex
Word Count: 1058
Rating: G
Characters/Pairings: Ted Kord/Michael Carter, Skeets
Disclaimer: I don't own DC Comics and never will. Tragically.
Author's Note: Written for the AU_bingo prompt "Alternate History: Canon Event Changed", and the schmoop_bingo, who drew me an awesome picture for ficartexchange. I didn't forget - it just took me a really long time to get my Boostle voice!
Summary: Ted came back to stay, and Booster made up for lost time. As only he could.
"Yes, I am absolutely sure I'm not dead! I'm talking on the phone to you! Do you think this is a ghost?" Ted paused. "Oh, you...actually had a ghost call you last week and try to talk you into reinstating their credit? Well, that's - no! Don't transfer me! I'm really alive! But not for long if I you put me on hold again! I'll - "
Ted facepalmed as the music began playing again. Booster walked into the kitchen carrying a pair of soda cans and slid one across the table at Ted.
"Still got you on hold, bud?"
"Being dead was more relaxing. People come back from the grave every 15 minutes around here. You'd think the credit company would adjust their policies already!"
"I could have Skeets hack their system. He's good for that."
"I've been back in this timeline three days, and you're already trying to get me thrown in prison." Ted laughed. "All this time, and you haven't changed at all, have you?"
"You'd be surprised, buddy." Booster reached over and noogied Ted. "You'd be surprised."
As Ted picked up the phone and redialed the credit company, hoping to reach a more cooperative representative, Booster went back to the kitchen. Skeets hovered into the room and floated next to him.
"Am I to assume that Mr. Kord is still having trouble with his credit?"
"Yep."
"And am I to assume that you have offered my service in some sort of illegal activity to correct this?"
"Also yep."
For a second, Booster could have sworn he heard a sigh come from the little gold robot. "And am I also to assume that you have yet to inform Mr. Kord of the torch you have been carrying for him going on five years now?"
Skeets expertly dodged out of the way as a spray of soda came from Booster's mouth.
"What? I don't know what you're - "
"I'm not even hardwired for processing human emotion, and it's obvious to me. If you want my advice - "
"I don't."
"You never do. But if you did, this time I would actually act on it instead of moping around."
"I don't mope!" Booster yelled as Skeets floated out of the room. But as annoying as the floating tin can could be sometimes, Booster had to admit that he had hit on something. What he had always had with Ted was something more than just a regular friendship - he had lots of them - but it was never spoken of, never acted on. They were just...Booster and Beetle. Maybe it was time to change that.
"Hallelujah! The rep I just talked to has a cousin who came back from the dead! He said to give it two or three days, and he'll have things back in order. Now I just need to deal with the DMV. I think we should bring Guy as backup for that one."
"Sounds like a plan." Booster paused. "Hey, Ted...you remember all those times that Guy made those jokes about how we spend so much time together we might as well go on a date?"
"Yeah, and you threatened to throw Skeets at him. Skeets objected."
"Well, I was thinking...why don't we actually give it a try?"
"Throwing Skeets at Guy? I don't know, Skeets has those electric defenses, and - "
"No, although the idea is tempting. I'm talking about trying the date thing. I mean, we're pretty much hetero life mates anyway - "
"Only minus the hetero."
"And if we're going to be the gay guys who can't get dates anyway, we might as well do it together. Right?"
"Something feels off about this." Ted scratched his head. "Too easy, in a way. I mean, I thought about it in the past, but it always felt like the universe didn't want it to happen. Between the Crisis, and Gladys - "
"That never happened."
"Right, right. Evil bug spirit, just like Hal."
"What's the worst that could happen? We wind up in an alternate world where Max Lord's OMACs have conquered the planet? Been there, done that, got the singed eyebrows."
"Good point." Ted grinned. "Okay, so how do we actually do this? I haven't been on an actual date in years."
"Well, you go and try not to kill the idiots at the DMV. Meanwhile, I cook us dinner."
"You mean order take-out, right? I'd rather not die of food poisoning less than a week after my big return."
"I'm wounded. I am a man of many talents."
"Hm. Well, whatever you want to do. Surprise me." Ted smirked. "You're full of surprises, Booster Gold. Who knew you had a romantic bone in your body?"
"It's all about making up for lost time, buddy. We both got some pretty wild second chances. I'm not going to leave anything on the table this time."
Ted nodded, taking it in. "Well, I'm looking forward to it. This romantic Booster has promise."
As Ted walked out, armed with his papers certifying that he was alive, Skeets hovered back into the room.
"Well, that wasn't half bad. I'm impressed."
"I had some practice thinking of those lines." Booster said. "Lots of time to think about what I would have said if I could. I never thought I'd actually get to say them."
"So...you have no idea how to cook, do you?"
"None at all. But someone in this room has likes to watch the Food Network and has near-unlimited storage capacity."
"I believe I have a menu that will serve effectively for this."
"There's only one thing that could make this scene more perfect..." Booster grinned.
"Oh, no."
Booster produced a small chef's hat and placed it on top of Skeets' metal covering.
"If I had eyes, I'd be rolling them right now."
As Skeets hovered over to the cabinets and began looking through them with his extendable limbs, Booster sat back in his chair and breathed a long sigh of relief. He had put himself out there emotionally in a way that he wasn't used to, and it had been rewarded. Now he just needed to make sure everything tonight went perfectly. He was Booster Gold, the greatest hero the world would never know, and this would be one of his biggest challenges. But after all, what were second chances for?
Fandom: DC Comics
Author: milleniumrex
Word Count: 1058
Rating: G
Characters/Pairings: Ted Kord/Michael Carter, Skeets
Disclaimer: I don't own DC Comics and never will. Tragically.
Author's Note: Written for the AU_bingo prompt "Alternate History: Canon Event Changed", and the schmoop_bingo, who drew me an awesome picture for ficartexchange. I didn't forget - it just took me a really long time to get my Boostle voice!
Summary: Ted came back to stay, and Booster made up for lost time. As only he could.
"Yes, I am absolutely sure I'm not dead! I'm talking on the phone to you! Do you think this is a ghost?" Ted paused. "Oh, you...actually had a ghost call you last week and try to talk you into reinstating their credit? Well, that's - no! Don't transfer me! I'm really alive! But not for long if I you put me on hold again! I'll - "
Ted facepalmed as the music began playing again. Booster walked into the kitchen carrying a pair of soda cans and slid one across the table at Ted.
"Still got you on hold, bud?"
"Being dead was more relaxing. People come back from the grave every 15 minutes around here. You'd think the credit company would adjust their policies already!"
"I could have Skeets hack their system. He's good for that."
"I've been back in this timeline three days, and you're already trying to get me thrown in prison." Ted laughed. "All this time, and you haven't changed at all, have you?"
"You'd be surprised, buddy." Booster reached over and noogied Ted. "You'd be surprised."
As Ted picked up the phone and redialed the credit company, hoping to reach a more cooperative representative, Booster went back to the kitchen. Skeets hovered into the room and floated next to him.
"Am I to assume that Mr. Kord is still having trouble with his credit?"
"Yep."
"And am I to assume that you have offered my service in some sort of illegal activity to correct this?"
"Also yep."
For a second, Booster could have sworn he heard a sigh come from the little gold robot. "And am I also to assume that you have yet to inform Mr. Kord of the torch you have been carrying for him going on five years now?"
Skeets expertly dodged out of the way as a spray of soda came from Booster's mouth.
"What? I don't know what you're - "
"I'm not even hardwired for processing human emotion, and it's obvious to me. If you want my advice - "
"I don't."
"You never do. But if you did, this time I would actually act on it instead of moping around."
"I don't mope!" Booster yelled as Skeets floated out of the room. But as annoying as the floating tin can could be sometimes, Booster had to admit that he had hit on something. What he had always had with Ted was something more than just a regular friendship - he had lots of them - but it was never spoken of, never acted on. They were just...Booster and Beetle. Maybe it was time to change that.
"Hallelujah! The rep I just talked to has a cousin who came back from the dead! He said to give it two or three days, and he'll have things back in order. Now I just need to deal with the DMV. I think we should bring Guy as backup for that one."
"Sounds like a plan." Booster paused. "Hey, Ted...you remember all those times that Guy made those jokes about how we spend so much time together we might as well go on a date?"
"Yeah, and you threatened to throw Skeets at him. Skeets objected."
"Well, I was thinking...why don't we actually give it a try?"
"Throwing Skeets at Guy? I don't know, Skeets has those electric defenses, and - "
"No, although the idea is tempting. I'm talking about trying the date thing. I mean, we're pretty much hetero life mates anyway - "
"Only minus the hetero."
"And if we're going to be the gay guys who can't get dates anyway, we might as well do it together. Right?"
"Something feels off about this." Ted scratched his head. "Too easy, in a way. I mean, I thought about it in the past, but it always felt like the universe didn't want it to happen. Between the Crisis, and Gladys - "
"That never happened."
"Right, right. Evil bug spirit, just like Hal."
"What's the worst that could happen? We wind up in an alternate world where Max Lord's OMACs have conquered the planet? Been there, done that, got the singed eyebrows."
"Good point." Ted grinned. "Okay, so how do we actually do this? I haven't been on an actual date in years."
"Well, you go and try not to kill the idiots at the DMV. Meanwhile, I cook us dinner."
"You mean order take-out, right? I'd rather not die of food poisoning less than a week after my big return."
"I'm wounded. I am a man of many talents."
"Hm. Well, whatever you want to do. Surprise me." Ted smirked. "You're full of surprises, Booster Gold. Who knew you had a romantic bone in your body?"
"It's all about making up for lost time, buddy. We both got some pretty wild second chances. I'm not going to leave anything on the table this time."
Ted nodded, taking it in. "Well, I'm looking forward to it. This romantic Booster has promise."
As Ted walked out, armed with his papers certifying that he was alive, Skeets hovered back into the room.
"Well, that wasn't half bad. I'm impressed."
"I had some practice thinking of those lines." Booster said. "Lots of time to think about what I would have said if I could. I never thought I'd actually get to say them."
"So...you have no idea how to cook, do you?"
"None at all. But someone in this room has likes to watch the Food Network and has near-unlimited storage capacity."
"I believe I have a menu that will serve effectively for this."
"There's only one thing that could make this scene more perfect..." Booster grinned.
"Oh, no."
Booster produced a small chef's hat and placed it on top of Skeets' metal covering.
"If I had eyes, I'd be rolling them right now."
As Skeets hovered over to the cabinets and began looking through them with his extendable limbs, Booster sat back in his chair and breathed a long sigh of relief. He had put himself out there emotionally in a way that he wasn't used to, and it had been rewarded. Now he just needed to make sure everything tonight went perfectly. He was Booster Gold, the greatest hero the world would never know, and this would be one of his biggest challenges. But after all, what were second chances for?