School of Hard Knocks
School of Hard Knocks
Author: jackwabbit
Rated: PG
Category: Triple Drabble, Gen, Young Mal.
Spoilers: None.
Summary: Sometimes, we’ve all got to learn the hard way.
Note: Written in response to the LJ prompt of ‘Now’ on firefly100. 300 words.
xxx
Lee Curtis looked down at the boy in the mud. He stifled a laugh and tried to be serious.
“You ok, son?” he asked, nodding his head toward the perfect hoof print on the boy’s chest.
The boy brushed off his shirt and glared up at the man but did not attempt to get up. Lee knew the kid was hurting a bit, though he tried not to show it.
“I’m fine,” the boy finally mustered.
“Alright, then,” said Lee. “No need to get tetchy. So… when you gonna cut that colt, anyways?”
The boy’s glare turned a bit vicious.
“Right now,” he said.
Lee raised his eyebrows. “Right now, is it?”
“Right now,” bit out the boy. He stood up and grabbed a long rope from a fencepost, then grinned at Lee. “You up for it?”
“I’m game if you are, but you know I ain’t doin it for ya,” answered Lee. “It’s about time, if you ask me. For him and for you.”
The boy nodded. “Fine. Let’s do this.”
Ten minutes later, the horse whose hoof matched the print on the boy’s shirt was trussed up tighter than a debutante’s corset. His plight was the result of Lee’s expert roping, and Lee was sweating from his effort. The boy was sweating, too. He held a short, sharp knife in trembling hands. The man nodded at the boy.
“Just do it, son. It’s easier to just do it fast-like.”
Ten minutes after that, the horse galloped off two pounds lighter and much more aerodynamic.
Two young males learned a lot that day, but they received very different lessons.
The boy learned how to geld horses, which was something he’d been putting off doing for years.
Meanwhile, the colt learned the hard way not to piss off Malcolm Reynolds.
Author: jackwabbit
Rated: PG
Category: Triple Drabble, Gen, Young Mal.
Spoilers: None.
Summary: Sometimes, we’ve all got to learn the hard way.
Note: Written in response to the LJ prompt of ‘Now’ on firefly100. 300 words.
xxx
Lee Curtis looked down at the boy in the mud. He stifled a laugh and tried to be serious.
“You ok, son?” he asked, nodding his head toward the perfect hoof print on the boy’s chest.
The boy brushed off his shirt and glared up at the man but did not attempt to get up. Lee knew the kid was hurting a bit, though he tried not to show it.
“I’m fine,” the boy finally mustered.
“Alright, then,” said Lee. “No need to get tetchy. So… when you gonna cut that colt, anyways?”
The boy’s glare turned a bit vicious.
“Right now,” he said.
Lee raised his eyebrows. “Right now, is it?”
“Right now,” bit out the boy. He stood up and grabbed a long rope from a fencepost, then grinned at Lee. “You up for it?”
“I’m game if you are, but you know I ain’t doin it for ya,” answered Lee. “It’s about time, if you ask me. For him and for you.”
The boy nodded. “Fine. Let’s do this.”
Ten minutes later, the horse whose hoof matched the print on the boy’s shirt was trussed up tighter than a debutante’s corset. His plight was the result of Lee’s expert roping, and Lee was sweating from his effort. The boy was sweating, too. He held a short, sharp knife in trembling hands. The man nodded at the boy.
“Just do it, son. It’s easier to just do it fast-like.”
Ten minutes after that, the horse galloped off two pounds lighter and much more aerodynamic.
Two young males learned a lot that day, but they received very different lessons.
The boy learned how to geld horses, which was something he’d been putting off doing for years.
Meanwhile, the colt learned the hard way not to piss off Malcolm Reynolds.