Toy Soldiers: On Rational Observation (PG)
Summary: Hank's mostly sure they're straight. Mostly.
Notes: Pre-canon, written for ajodasso's request for my birthday challenge, and for prompt 80, "Why". Happy birthday to me!
ON RATIONAL OBSERVATION
*
Snuffy said they both were. But Snuffy said half of Hollywood was gay, so he's not the most reliable source. Phil said neither of them were, at least not around him, and then changed the subject. Hank thought about asking Ric, but Ric once tried to argue that Tom Cruise was straight. Not worth it.
It was just...it was stupid, thinking about it like this.
They'd gone to the Sam Goody's at the strip mall, not too far from campus. Didn't happen often that all of them went, both because Parker liked them on campus and because their tastes in music didn't match. You couldn't tell Hank that some of that caterwauling Snuffy listened to was music. But this time, they'd all gone, and as usual they'd scattered pretty much as soon as they got in the door, off to look for soundtracks and jazz and that indie chick rock that Joey liked for some reason.
So it was mostly coincidence he was standing next to Billy, looking over tapes in the rock section, when Billy swore.
"What's wrong? Stub your toe?"
"No," Billy said absently. "I almost forgot something. Where's--"
He broke off and looked over his shoulder, so Hank looked too. No Sam Goody employee there about to yell at them, which was what he'd been expecting; just Joey, down at the far end of the aisle, browsing tapes himself.
"Oh, good," Billy said.
"Hey, no yelling." They'd gotten kicked out last time for that. Fucking Snuffy.
"I'm not gonna yell," Billy said.
Hank opened his mouth to say, then how you gonna get his attention, smartass? And shut it again, as Joey looked up.
Billy gestured at him.
Joey tilted his head, then looked back at the tapes.
"Billy." Hank kept his voice low. "What the hell are you doing?"
"Hang on."
Sure enough, Joey picked a tape up and waved it at Billy. Billy gave him a thumbs up. Joey shrugged, then went back to looking at the tapes.
"Billy?"
"Sound effects tape," Billy said, as if that explained everything. Maybe to him it did. And that was it: he didn't mention it again, and neither did Joey.
It didn't prove they were gay. Billy hadn't been checking out Joey's ass or anything. But to be able to get into a guy's head like that, even your best friend's, that wasn't exactly straight either.
Fuck. Forget it.
Now if only Snuffy would drop the subject already.
-end-
Notes, part 2: The first idea that came to mind for Toy Soldiers was the Broccoli Test -- but how to get the guys into a grocery store? So they went music-shopping instead. Hope you enjoyed. :-)
Notes: Pre-canon, written for ajodasso's request for my birthday challenge, and for prompt 80, "Why". Happy birthday to me!
ON RATIONAL OBSERVATION
*
Snuffy said they both were. But Snuffy said half of Hollywood was gay, so he's not the most reliable source. Phil said neither of them were, at least not around him, and then changed the subject. Hank thought about asking Ric, but Ric once tried to argue that Tom Cruise was straight. Not worth it.
It was just...it was stupid, thinking about it like this.
They'd gone to the Sam Goody's at the strip mall, not too far from campus. Didn't happen often that all of them went, both because Parker liked them on campus and because their tastes in music didn't match. You couldn't tell Hank that some of that caterwauling Snuffy listened to was music. But this time, they'd all gone, and as usual they'd scattered pretty much as soon as they got in the door, off to look for soundtracks and jazz and that indie chick rock that Joey liked for some reason.
So it was mostly coincidence he was standing next to Billy, looking over tapes in the rock section, when Billy swore.
"What's wrong? Stub your toe?"
"No," Billy said absently. "I almost forgot something. Where's--"
He broke off and looked over his shoulder, so Hank looked too. No Sam Goody employee there about to yell at them, which was what he'd been expecting; just Joey, down at the far end of the aisle, browsing tapes himself.
"Oh, good," Billy said.
"Hey, no yelling." They'd gotten kicked out last time for that. Fucking Snuffy.
"I'm not gonna yell," Billy said.
Hank opened his mouth to say, then how you gonna get his attention, smartass? And shut it again, as Joey looked up.
Billy gestured at him.
Joey tilted his head, then looked back at the tapes.
"Billy." Hank kept his voice low. "What the hell are you doing?"
"Hang on."
Sure enough, Joey picked a tape up and waved it at Billy. Billy gave him a thumbs up. Joey shrugged, then went back to looking at the tapes.
"Billy?"
"Sound effects tape," Billy said, as if that explained everything. Maybe to him it did. And that was it: he didn't mention it again, and neither did Joey.
It didn't prove they were gay. Billy hadn't been checking out Joey's ass or anything. But to be able to get into a guy's head like that, even your best friend's, that wasn't exactly straight either.
Fuck. Forget it.
Now if only Snuffy would drop the subject already.
-end-
Notes, part 2: The first idea that came to mind for Toy Soldiers was the Broccoli Test -- but how to get the guys into a grocery store? So they went music-shopping instead. Hope you enjoyed. :-)