Pistachio #3
Author: JayElleBee
Challenge: Pistachio #3 (Ceremony)
Extra: N/A
Topping: N/A
Rating: PG
Word Count: 550
Story Title: Blacklight City
Summary: Max needs everything to be just right. Jack thinks he's a freak.
Jack had always known Max was very... particular about his surroundings. Everything had to be just so and if it wasn't, he'd get aggitated beyond belief until the problem was fixed. Living on the streets had been a nightmare for Max. He'd never been able to get everything exactly the way he wanted it when they were constantly on the move, and he'd make Jack's life miserable, always taking the time to let Jack know at great length just how unhappy he was about this pile of dog crap, or that overflowing dumpster.
As he watched Max dig around in their shared backpack, pulling out various things and dragging them into his closet, Jack wondered in a distant corner of his mind if that didn't have something to do with Max's choice of sleeping area. Sharing the room with two other guys meant that Max couldn't control everything in it. The closet on the other hand was all his.
He laid down his threadbare little blanket, patting it and smoothing the creases out first. Then he took his teddy bear out of the bag. It was a small thing, and Max defended his reliance on the childish keepsake by pointing out that it made a wonderful pillow any time Jack gave him an odd look. He placed the bear down at the end of the closet as far from the open door as he could.
Next he took his socks out of the bag and pushed them into a corner at the opposite end of the closet. Jack couldn't blame him. He'd been rotating the same three pairs of socks for the last three months. Jack wasn't fussy but even he wouldn't want those things near his face while he was sleeping.
After that, he took his little money pouch out of the bag. There wasn't much in it, just some loose change. It was enough for a sandwich, or maybe some new socks, but Max held onto it, just in case. He stuffed the pouch under the blanket, next to the teddy bear.
And finally, he took his knife out of Jack's bag. He didn't like to carry the thing around with him - he preferred to run away from contronation than to stand his ground - but he felt safer sleeping with it. It was just a little kitchen knife, but in Max's hands it hardly mattered. He was unskilled enough to make a hunting knife the length of his forearm about as useful as a regular kitchen knife. None-the-less, he could stab as good as anyone and that was all he had going for him on the off chance someone snuck up on him while he was sleeping. Well, that and Jack, his faithful guard dog.
Jack shook his head as he watched Max neatly place the knife down in the corner near his bear and gave an amused snort. "You're a crazy bastard, you know that Max?"
"I know," was all Max said in reply, as he sat back on his haunches and grinned at Jack over his shoulder.
It was the first time Jack had seen Max smile in months. It was a punch to the gut to see it again and for just a moment, his concerns about taking shelter in Knowles's shadow faded.
Challenge: Pistachio #3 (Ceremony)
Extra: N/A
Topping: N/A
Rating: PG
Word Count: 550
Story Title: Blacklight City
Summary: Max needs everything to be just right. Jack thinks he's a freak.
Jack had always known Max was very... particular about his surroundings. Everything had to be just so and if it wasn't, he'd get aggitated beyond belief until the problem was fixed. Living on the streets had been a nightmare for Max. He'd never been able to get everything exactly the way he wanted it when they were constantly on the move, and he'd make Jack's life miserable, always taking the time to let Jack know at great length just how unhappy he was about this pile of dog crap, or that overflowing dumpster.
As he watched Max dig around in their shared backpack, pulling out various things and dragging them into his closet, Jack wondered in a distant corner of his mind if that didn't have something to do with Max's choice of sleeping area. Sharing the room with two other guys meant that Max couldn't control everything in it. The closet on the other hand was all his.
He laid down his threadbare little blanket, patting it and smoothing the creases out first. Then he took his teddy bear out of the bag. It was a small thing, and Max defended his reliance on the childish keepsake by pointing out that it made a wonderful pillow any time Jack gave him an odd look. He placed the bear down at the end of the closet as far from the open door as he could.
Next he took his socks out of the bag and pushed them into a corner at the opposite end of the closet. Jack couldn't blame him. He'd been rotating the same three pairs of socks for the last three months. Jack wasn't fussy but even he wouldn't want those things near his face while he was sleeping.
After that, he took his little money pouch out of the bag. There wasn't much in it, just some loose change. It was enough for a sandwich, or maybe some new socks, but Max held onto it, just in case. He stuffed the pouch under the blanket, next to the teddy bear.
And finally, he took his knife out of Jack's bag. He didn't like to carry the thing around with him - he preferred to run away from contronation than to stand his ground - but he felt safer sleeping with it. It was just a little kitchen knife, but in Max's hands it hardly mattered. He was unskilled enough to make a hunting knife the length of his forearm about as useful as a regular kitchen knife. None-the-less, he could stab as good as anyone and that was all he had going for him on the off chance someone snuck up on him while he was sleeping. Well, that and Jack, his faithful guard dog.
Jack shook his head as he watched Max neatly place the knife down in the corner near his bear and gave an amused snort. "You're a crazy bastard, you know that Max?"
"I know," was all Max said in reply, as he sat back on his haunches and grinned at Jack over his shoulder.
It was the first time Jack had seen Max smile in months. It was a punch to the gut to see it again and for just a moment, his concerns about taking shelter in Knowles's shadow faded.