FIC: The Context of Affection

Mar 19, 2010 02:40

Title:  The Context of Affection
Summary:  Cameron is a puzzle John can't solve.
Characters:  John Connor, Cameron
Fandom:  T:SCC
Rating: G
Word Count:  350
Author's Note:  For effulgent_girl who prompted "H is for Honey, John/Cameron (T:SCC)"

John’s sitting at the dining room table rebuilding his computer hard drive to optimize performance when Cameron walks in and stands at his right, her hip inches away from his shoulder. He keeps working. He’ll ignore her until she announces what she wants. He’s not in the mood for interactive cyborg riddles. No, today he just wants the simplicity of old, present-day tech where he understands the ins and outs, can master and manipulate and tinker without fear of the world ending. He likes puzzles he can solve, that he can walk away from confident he made it better.

A few minutes pass, then he notices Cameron leaning closer to… sniff his hair?

He jerks back, giving her a bewildered glare. “What are you doing?”

“A girl at school today kissed her boyfriend and called him ‘honey’.”

“Yeah, and?”

“Honey is a sweet viscid material harvested from bee hives and used as a food sweetener most commonly found in dessert foods. Also, tea.”

He raises both eyebrows, waiting for her to continue.

“Endearments for loved ones are often modeled on food descriptors. Sweetie, honey bun, hotcakes, sugar.”

“Yeah, I’m not exactly a fan of the cutesy nicknames.”

Cameron leans down and kisses him. Her lips are warm and soft and all too quickly gone as she rises, eyes distant and unfocused.

He splutters, “Uh, what-what was that?!”

“You don’t taste sweet.” Cameron licks her lips and cocks her head to the side. “Is it only the girl at school’s significant other who tastes sweet? If so, that contradicts the universal usage of the endearment. Unless it’s an extension of a probable situation rather than an absolute.” She frowns. “I need more data.”

“What? No. You can’t just go around kissing-” He squeezes the bridge of his nose, takes a deep breath and continues. “People don’t call each other ‘honey’ ‘cause they actually taste like honey. It’s not that literal. It’s-it’s figurative."

Her eyes widen. “Figurative: that which expresses one thing in terms normally denoting another with which it may be regarded as analogous.  Oh.”  She smiles. “Thank you for explaining, honey.”

***

t:scc, fic

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