[ooc; nexus100; 091]
Fandom: Stargate: Atlantis
Characters: Elizabeth Weir (AU), Marshall Sumner (AU)
Prompt: Birthday
Word Count: 602
Rating: PG? PG13 at the most.
Summary: "What's this?" "It's a Beretta. B|"
Author's Notes: One night, kicking around #hell_ooc, Jeri and I were discussing the fact that shewasallundone (Hell WI-verse Elizabeth) has some experience with firearms -- specifically, why does she? Anyway, I explained my theory, and Jeri imagined the above (see summary) exchange.
And then I decided I couldn't possibly not write that. Thanks to Del for pointing me at some potential guns.
Crossposted to shewasallundone as it is, in fact, her backstory that I'm exploring here.
Elizabeth sort of hates her birthday.
The best years have been those where the day passed largely unremarked upon -- when they didn't have time to devote to another year gone by. The only birthday tradition that she doesn't mind is that it always seems to rain; her love of the rain is something she can't explain and doesn't want to. It's something she's happy to enjoy without overanalysing.
When Marshall lets herself into her modest -- very modest, she might think ruefully -- apartment, he's already missed her equally modest birthday dinner, and she's standing by the window with her coffee, watching the water spill down the glass. She doesn't turn, but she does smile, listening to him hang up his coat and take his boots off.
She hasn't told him about the significance of the date, but she does suspect that Andrea did. He calls a greeting, which she half-answers, and she rests her fingertips against the window while he finds himself coffee (it's cheap, but she drinks it strong enough that she can pretend not to notice). Eventually, he joins her, a warm solidity at her back, and she's about to ask what kept him when he nudges her hip with--something.
"Marshall, you didn't need to--"
"I know." He's already put his own mug down on the table next to them, and she does the same so she can hold her hands out for the parcel of brown paper, eyeing him with suspicion. It's a look he's used to seeing from her, and the most response he gives her is a raised eyebrow and otherwise mild expression.
"What's this?" she asks, looking down to open it. Her hands still when the 'gift' he's brought her is revealed, and she looks sharply up at him.
It doesn't take a genius to realise she's building up to something really vocal, and Marshall Sumner is no fool. He heads her off at the pass, taking the package from her. "It's a Smith & Wesson, Lizzie." She wishes he wouldn't call her that. "I'm going to hold onto it for you, for now, but you're going to get the paperwork and learn how to use it." The way he says this leaves no room for argument.
Naturally, Elizabeth argues. "You're--you know how I feel about firearms, Marshall, are you out of your mind? How could you possibly think this was appropriate? You can keep it!"
He's doing that thing again, she can tell. It's when he mentally backs off, counts backwards from ten, and just breathes before he actually answers her. When she's feeling uncharitable, she imagines that it's how he would treat an unruly child. (She's not wrong) "Elizabeth. You're an attractive young woman, living more or less alone--"
She starts to protest -- Andrea does technically share the apartment with her, but Marshall's expression says clearly he knows what a technicality that is, and she subsides long enough for him to continue.
"--in a big city. You need to know how to protect yourself. You don't have to like it, but you're damn well going to do it." He puts the unwrapped package down with their coffee; her eyes follow it down and she doesn't look up again until he continues, gentler. "You need to be safe, Lizzie."
Elizabeth sort of hates her birthday.
Characters: Elizabeth Weir (AU), Marshall Sumner (AU)
Prompt: Birthday
Word Count: 602
Rating: PG? PG13 at the most.
Summary: "What's this?" "It's a Beretta. B|"
Author's Notes: One night, kicking around #hell_ooc, Jeri and I were discussing the fact that shewasallundone (Hell WI-verse Elizabeth) has some experience with firearms -- specifically, why does she? Anyway, I explained my theory, and Jeri imagined the above (see summary) exchange.
And then I decided I couldn't possibly not write that. Thanks to Del for pointing me at some potential guns.
Crossposted to shewasallundone as it is, in fact, her backstory that I'm exploring here.
Elizabeth sort of hates her birthday.
The best years have been those where the day passed largely unremarked upon -- when they didn't have time to devote to another year gone by. The only birthday tradition that she doesn't mind is that it always seems to rain; her love of the rain is something she can't explain and doesn't want to. It's something she's happy to enjoy without overanalysing.
When Marshall lets herself into her modest -- very modest, she might think ruefully -- apartment, he's already missed her equally modest birthday dinner, and she's standing by the window with her coffee, watching the water spill down the glass. She doesn't turn, but she does smile, listening to him hang up his coat and take his boots off.
She hasn't told him about the significance of the date, but she does suspect that Andrea did. He calls a greeting, which she half-answers, and she rests her fingertips against the window while he finds himself coffee (it's cheap, but she drinks it strong enough that she can pretend not to notice). Eventually, he joins her, a warm solidity at her back, and she's about to ask what kept him when he nudges her hip with--something.
"Marshall, you didn't need to--"
"I know." He's already put his own mug down on the table next to them, and she does the same so she can hold her hands out for the parcel of brown paper, eyeing him with suspicion. It's a look he's used to seeing from her, and the most response he gives her is a raised eyebrow and otherwise mild expression.
"What's this?" she asks, looking down to open it. Her hands still when the 'gift' he's brought her is revealed, and she looks sharply up at him.
It doesn't take a genius to realise she's building up to something really vocal, and Marshall Sumner is no fool. He heads her off at the pass, taking the package from her. "It's a Smith & Wesson, Lizzie." She wishes he wouldn't call her that. "I'm going to hold onto it for you, for now, but you're going to get the paperwork and learn how to use it." The way he says this leaves no room for argument.
Naturally, Elizabeth argues. "You're--you know how I feel about firearms, Marshall, are you out of your mind? How could you possibly think this was appropriate? You can keep it!"
He's doing that thing again, she can tell. It's when he mentally backs off, counts backwards from ten, and just breathes before he actually answers her. When she's feeling uncharitable, she imagines that it's how he would treat an unruly child. (She's not wrong) "Elizabeth. You're an attractive young woman, living more or less alone--"
She starts to protest -- Andrea does technically share the apartment with her, but Marshall's expression says clearly he knows what a technicality that is, and she subsides long enough for him to continue.
"--in a big city. You need to know how to protect yourself. You don't have to like it, but you're damn well going to do it." He puts the unwrapped package down with their coffee; her eyes follow it down and she doesn't look up again until he continues, gentler. "You need to be safe, Lizzie."
Elizabeth sort of hates her birthday.