Title: Welcome to Milltown for
eleanor_ariailAuthor: naturalbluicons
Characters/Pairing: DG/Glitch
Rating: PG-13
Summary: “Hopefully one day you’ll find your Milltown,”
Warning: Entirely non-explicit sex. It’s really just suggested.
Disclaimer: I don't own Tin Man, I'm just playing in the Outer Zone
Word Count: 943
Notes: Thanks to
kseda for betaing this!
Glitch was sprawled on the bed beside DG’s suitcase, taking in what had for fifteen annuals been her space. Her sanctuary. Reaching out while DG was bent over a dresser drawer, he picked one of the drawings from the wall, studied it (Finaqua!), folded it neatly, and tucked it into his pocket. DG turned, throwing a few more pairs of pants into the suitcase, much to Glitch’s amusement.
“Do you really hate skirts?”
“No, but they aren’t always practical,” DG frowned, looking at the disarray in her suitcase. “Do you think I could have handled our trekking around half the O.Z. if I was wearing a big poofy dress?”
“I have faith in you,” Glitch smiled thinly and DG gave him a light kiss.
“Well, it would have made running from hungry Papay a lot harder.”
Glitch chuckled and rolled onto his stomach, sliding to look under the bed.
“Anything there?” DG asked, only half concerned as she tried to fold the things that had been haphazardly thrown into the suitcase.
“A box,” Glitch contorted himself, reaching under the bed and sliding an old shoebox out.
“Oh!” DG took it, opening it up and smiling wistfully at the contents; old pictures, notes, and various trinkets.
“DG, you are sentimental,” Glitch grinned, righting himself and sitting up to look into the box as well. DG pushed him lightly and set down the box, going back to folding. Glitch took the box, placing it on his lap and began to rifle through.
“It looks like this was never received,” Glitch commented, pulling out a sealed letter and setting the box on the nightstand.
“Huh?” DG looked and took the envelope with a puzzled frown; it was addressed to her… suddenly her expression cleared and she handed it back to Glitch.
“What is it?” Glitch turned the letter over in his hands curiously.
“Back in freshman year of high school- when I was fourteen- they made us write letters to our future selves.” She looked down, feeling silly over it; she’d been writing stupid letters to her future self at the same time Glitch- Ambrose- had been sacrificing his brain to try and keep the entire Outer Zone safe. She was distracted from her thoughts by the sound of Glitch opening the letter. She looked at him and he laughed.
“Your eyes are as round as dinner plates.” He tossed the envelope to the floor and unfolded the letter, and then there was a flurry of motion; a tangle of arms and legs as DG tackled him and they rolled nearly right off the bed. It ended with DG straddling Glitch, pinning him, and holding up the letter to scan it.
“What was that?” Glitch laughed.
“I have to make sure there’s nothing embarrassing.” DG’s lips quirked upward.
Glitch shook his head, smiling, and patted her thigh. “What’s it say?”
“Hang on,” DG put a hand over his. “OK,” she cleared her throat then started to read. “Dear DG, Hopefully by the time you read this you and Cara will have married to rich guys , and now have big houses, pool boys, and rings with diamonds bigger than your hand.”
Glitch arched a brow, suppressing a smirk.
“It was a joke!” DG laughed. “Cara was my best friend, we used to joke about that stuff- see, wait-” She started to read again. “Just kidding! Hopefully by now you have escaped Kansas and seen the world, or at least some of it.”
“Do other worlds count?”
“Other worlds count.”
“Then you’re on the right track!” Glitch grinned.
DG’s smile broadened, and she read on. “Follow your heart and always remember Cara’s advice- That’s done me some good too,” She leaned down and gave Glitch another kiss.
“Oh, that friend.” The tip of Glitch’s nose lightly nudged DG’s. “I like that friend.”
“Mm,” DG nodded and straightened out, looking at the letter again. “Where was I? Ok- Always remember Cara’s advice, and Popsicle’s too, because one day it’s bound to make some sense.” DG shook her head. “Wow…”
Glitch watched her, his thumb tracing light circles on her thigh.
“Hopefully one day you’ll find your Milltown,” She looked at the letter, thoughtful.
“You’ve been to Milltown,” He shifted slightly beneath her, getting more comfortable.
“Pop always talked about how Milltown was the perfect place.”
“Well, you saw it, it’s not exactly a utopia.”
“It was to him.”
Glitch nodded his understanding. “Have you found yours?”
DG put the letter back in the shoebox then leaned in, kissing Glitch tenderly. Glitch’s hands moved to her hips and she kicked the suitcase to the floor; then they were rolling together once more, making new memories in her old bed.
When all was done and they lay together tangled up in the sheets, and each other, it was Glitch who murmured “Packing…” against her shoulder, in sleepy reminder. DG made a noncommittal sound and snuggled further into her pillow. His arm draped over her waist, Glitch chuckled warmly and drew her a little closer. And so they dozed in lazy contentment, not waking until the single sun was touching on the horizon. Glitch watched DG pack, and sifted through her memory box, and he asked questions, and she told stories; stories of her schooling, and of her life on this side, and of her robot father’s tales of Milltown, and the Northern Palace. By the time they left, Glitch had pocketed a few more drawings, and DG had chosen one as well. On it was a sign that read “Welcome to Milltown!”. She scotch taped it to Glitch, and patted his cheek.
“You’re mine.”
He smiled and kissed her. “Welcome.”