Fic: Midday Tryst
title: Midday Tryst
rating: PG-13
summary: Charlie and James have something to discuss
a/n: okay, so this part isn't particularly slashy, but the (much longer) fic that it's taken from REALLY is. Charlie/Jamie, and yes, I did choose the names for Dom and Billy, because I'm horrible at coming up with original names. But, for once, I didn't have them in mind while writing this. Well, Dom and Charlie have a lot of similar traits, but Charlie's a completely different character, really. I don't think this particular ficlet needs a lot of backstory explained, but I'll tell you in a comment if you desperately want to know a bit of it.
a/n2: this is for Onion. Not quite sure if I accomplished the right amount of layering with this, but I think it's a good effort.
Charlie tossed his notebook and phone into a cloth messenger-style bag. Noticing the movement, Seth stood up from his desk across the room.
“Where are you going?”
“Negotiations,” Charlie replied shortly. “I’m going alone.”
“Negotiations? What the hell are you going to negotiate for?” Seth cried. “What terms are they willing to consider? Charlie, what are you going to give up?”
“I’m just going to talk to James. The commander.”
“Charlie, let me come with you. You don’t have all the information-”
“Seth, I need to do this alone.”
Seth sighed heavily and pulled open a drawer. He reached in for a handgun and slid it across the desk towards Charlie.
“Take this, at least.”
Charlie stared at him. “This is going to be peaceful,” he insisted softly.
“Just in case. Please, Charlie, don’t be stupid.”
“No.”
Charlie slung the bag over his shoulder and stalked out of the room without another glance at Seth or the gun.
***
“Sir?” Lieutenant Taylor stopped James at the door. “Where are you going?”
James sighed. “I’m going to a meeting with Cha-their leader. I’ll be back this afternoon.”
“You’re going alone? With all due respect, sir, these people will sooner kill you than talk to you.”
“We’ve agreed to meet for negotiations. It will be peaceful.”
“He’ll be armed.” Taylor looked down to James’s empty holster. “You need to take a weapon, at least.” He lifted his own and handed it to James, who stared down at it. “Sir. You’re commanding an army; please don’t do anything stupid.”
“Thank you, Mark,” James said quietly, using Taylor’s first name for greater effect. “But this meeting will be peaceful. You won’t be left in charge, don’t worry.”
James holstered the gun anyway and walked out the door.
***
James unlocked the door to the vacant house with a key he didn’t keep on his keyring. He glanced furtively around for anything out of the ordinary before going inside and locking the door behind him. The house was silent, but when he walked into the kitchen, he found Charlie sitting at the table with his head in his hands.
“Charlie.”
Charlie looked up. “Hey.”
“So, what are we discussing that’s so urgent?”
“I think Seth is planning some sort of mutiny,” Charlie said without preamble. “It’s like he’s quietly taking over each of my departments, until he’s in charge and I’m useless, and as good a friend as he is, I don’t trust him anymore.”
James flopped down into the chair beside Charlie and rubbed his eyes wearily. “God, Charlie, why are you telling me this?”
“Jamie, I don’t know what to do.”
“You expect me to advise you on how to lead your army? We’re on opposite sides, Charlie!”
“But you won’t hurt me, and I need your-your guidance, your advice,” Charlie said desperately.
Without a word, James reached into his jacket and pulled out the gun, which he slammed down onto the table, the barrel pointing at Charlie. James’s expression didn’t change, and Charlie’s eyes widened. Neither of them moved.
“Jamie.”
“I won’t hurt you.” He pushed the gun towards the center of the table. “But I can’t help you with this. I have orders, and I fully intend to win this war.”
“Peacefully.”
“I don’t know if that’s possible anymore, Charlie,” James replied sadly. “If you start attacking us, we have no choice but to respond in kind.”
“No, see, that’s what I’m talking about!” Charlie cried. “It’s Seth, he’s planning things and he’s not telling me. He’s getting violent. I never-”
James raised his hand to stop Charlie speaking. “It wasn’t you?”
“Help me regain control, James, please. I want this to be peaceful. I don’t want anybody hurt.”
“It’s too late for that.”
“Jamie, you know me. Have I ever, in my life, wanted to hurt anything?”
James shook his head.
“Not even bugs. Remember, when we were kids? When Jack from down the street used to try and burn ants with that magnifying glass of his?”
“You wouldn’t stand for it,” James continued, smiling. “You went running to your dad to make Jack stop, didn’t you?”
“Only ‘cause you wouldn’t help.”
James chuckled and rubbed his eyes again. “You’re running for help again, Charlie. Didn’t you ever learn not to run to your enemies?”
“Hey. You’re not my enemy. It’s the bastard politicians you work for, not you.”
“Yeah, yeah. I’ve heard it before, Charlie.”
“You shouldn’t have joined up. You don’t agree with their politics, or their methods for reinforcing them. You could come with me, James. You’re a great leader; you could make things happen.” Charlie’s eyes glittered with excitement as he spoke, and he leaned closer to his friend. “With you on my side, together we could end this. No more civil war, no more death. C’mon, Jamie.”
James flung out his arm and jabbed Charlie in the chest. “Don’t you try to recruit me,” he growled. “We went different directions, and I’m happy with where I ended up.” He sighed again and relaxed, letting his hand fall to his lap. To lighten the mood, he said, “I keep thinking your mom’s going to walk in and invite me to stay for dinner.”
Charlie grinned. “Then next time we’ll meet at your house. And I can feel like your dad’s going to come in and lecture me on the benefits of joining the military.” He paused, then added, “That I could turn out like you.”
James studied his friend for a minute, narrowing his gaze suspiciously. “That was… quite a backhanded compliment, Charlie.”
Charlie shrugged and let the sincerity creep back into his eyes. “I know.”
rating: PG-13
summary: Charlie and James have something to discuss
a/n: okay, so this part isn't particularly slashy, but the (much longer) fic that it's taken from REALLY is. Charlie/Jamie, and yes, I did choose the names for Dom and Billy, because I'm horrible at coming up with original names. But, for once, I didn't have them in mind while writing this. Well, Dom and Charlie have a lot of similar traits, but Charlie's a completely different character, really. I don't think this particular ficlet needs a lot of backstory explained, but I'll tell you in a comment if you desperately want to know a bit of it.
a/n2: this is for Onion. Not quite sure if I accomplished the right amount of layering with this, but I think it's a good effort.
Charlie tossed his notebook and phone into a cloth messenger-style bag. Noticing the movement, Seth stood up from his desk across the room.
“Where are you going?”
“Negotiations,” Charlie replied shortly. “I’m going alone.”
“Negotiations? What the hell are you going to negotiate for?” Seth cried. “What terms are they willing to consider? Charlie, what are you going to give up?”
“I’m just going to talk to James. The commander.”
“Charlie, let me come with you. You don’t have all the information-”
“Seth, I need to do this alone.”
Seth sighed heavily and pulled open a drawer. He reached in for a handgun and slid it across the desk towards Charlie.
“Take this, at least.”
Charlie stared at him. “This is going to be peaceful,” he insisted softly.
“Just in case. Please, Charlie, don’t be stupid.”
“No.”
Charlie slung the bag over his shoulder and stalked out of the room without another glance at Seth or the gun.
***
“Sir?” Lieutenant Taylor stopped James at the door. “Where are you going?”
James sighed. “I’m going to a meeting with Cha-their leader. I’ll be back this afternoon.”
“You’re going alone? With all due respect, sir, these people will sooner kill you than talk to you.”
“We’ve agreed to meet for negotiations. It will be peaceful.”
“He’ll be armed.” Taylor looked down to James’s empty holster. “You need to take a weapon, at least.” He lifted his own and handed it to James, who stared down at it. “Sir. You’re commanding an army; please don’t do anything stupid.”
“Thank you, Mark,” James said quietly, using Taylor’s first name for greater effect. “But this meeting will be peaceful. You won’t be left in charge, don’t worry.”
James holstered the gun anyway and walked out the door.
***
James unlocked the door to the vacant house with a key he didn’t keep on his keyring. He glanced furtively around for anything out of the ordinary before going inside and locking the door behind him. The house was silent, but when he walked into the kitchen, he found Charlie sitting at the table with his head in his hands.
“Charlie.”
Charlie looked up. “Hey.”
“So, what are we discussing that’s so urgent?”
“I think Seth is planning some sort of mutiny,” Charlie said without preamble. “It’s like he’s quietly taking over each of my departments, until he’s in charge and I’m useless, and as good a friend as he is, I don’t trust him anymore.”
James flopped down into the chair beside Charlie and rubbed his eyes wearily. “God, Charlie, why are you telling me this?”
“Jamie, I don’t know what to do.”
“You expect me to advise you on how to lead your army? We’re on opposite sides, Charlie!”
“But you won’t hurt me, and I need your-your guidance, your advice,” Charlie said desperately.
Without a word, James reached into his jacket and pulled out the gun, which he slammed down onto the table, the barrel pointing at Charlie. James’s expression didn’t change, and Charlie’s eyes widened. Neither of them moved.
“Jamie.”
“I won’t hurt you.” He pushed the gun towards the center of the table. “But I can’t help you with this. I have orders, and I fully intend to win this war.”
“Peacefully.”
“I don’t know if that’s possible anymore, Charlie,” James replied sadly. “If you start attacking us, we have no choice but to respond in kind.”
“No, see, that’s what I’m talking about!” Charlie cried. “It’s Seth, he’s planning things and he’s not telling me. He’s getting violent. I never-”
James raised his hand to stop Charlie speaking. “It wasn’t you?”
“Help me regain control, James, please. I want this to be peaceful. I don’t want anybody hurt.”
“It’s too late for that.”
“Jamie, you know me. Have I ever, in my life, wanted to hurt anything?”
James shook his head.
“Not even bugs. Remember, when we were kids? When Jack from down the street used to try and burn ants with that magnifying glass of his?”
“You wouldn’t stand for it,” James continued, smiling. “You went running to your dad to make Jack stop, didn’t you?”
“Only ‘cause you wouldn’t help.”
James chuckled and rubbed his eyes again. “You’re running for help again, Charlie. Didn’t you ever learn not to run to your enemies?”
“Hey. You’re not my enemy. It’s the bastard politicians you work for, not you.”
“Yeah, yeah. I’ve heard it before, Charlie.”
“You shouldn’t have joined up. You don’t agree with their politics, or their methods for reinforcing them. You could come with me, James. You’re a great leader; you could make things happen.” Charlie’s eyes glittered with excitement as he spoke, and he leaned closer to his friend. “With you on my side, together we could end this. No more civil war, no more death. C’mon, Jamie.”
James flung out his arm and jabbed Charlie in the chest. “Don’t you try to recruit me,” he growled. “We went different directions, and I’m happy with where I ended up.” He sighed again and relaxed, letting his hand fall to his lap. To lighten the mood, he said, “I keep thinking your mom’s going to walk in and invite me to stay for dinner.”
Charlie grinned. “Then next time we’ll meet at your house. And I can feel like your dad’s going to come in and lecture me on the benefits of joining the military.” He paused, then added, “That I could turn out like you.”
James studied his friend for a minute, narrowing his gaze suspiciously. “That was… quite a backhanded compliment, Charlie.”
Charlie shrugged and let the sincerity creep back into his eyes. “I know.”