Vignettes - Part 11: Tossing a Football
Title: Vignettes - Part 11: Tossing a Football
Author: ladygray99
Chapter: 11/36
Pairing: Charlie/Colby, Alan
Rating: FRC
Disclaimer: Belongs to many other people, not me
Warnings/Squicks: None
Summary: What moments mark a friendship, a love, a marriage, a lifetime?
Previous chapters: Burn me.
Notes: At last a little screen time for Alan. Please give feedback. It makes my day worth living.
Beta(s): The amazing irena_adler
Tossing a Football
Colby could tell by Alan’s expression that he was not expecting Agent Granger to be at the door when he answered it, but at the same time Colby’s casual presence at the house had been steadily increasing over the last few months. Alan looked thoughtful, and maybe even a little amused.
“Agent Granger, come in, what can I do for you?”
“Hi, is Charlie here?”
“He just ran to his office to get something. A case come up?”
“No, we were just going to toss around a football.”
Alan froze. “You’re going to do what!?”
“Well, I’m going to throw the ball and Charlie’s going to try and prove some strange drunken theory he has about L.A. smog causing extra drag on the ball to explain why the Bruins have a better throwing game at away games, and something about point spreads, and I wasn’t really listening.”
“Oh. Ok. That makes sense, ‘cause I can guarantee Charlie’s never thrown a football in his life. Can I get you a beer?”
“Sure.”
Colby always maintained that beer tasted best from the bottle standing in the kitchen. He was really enjoying his beer when innocent-looking Alan Eppes blindsided him.
“So how’s this thing with you and Charlie going?”
“Uh...what?” ‘Smooth Granger.’ He thought to himself.
“You know. This thing you and Charlie have got going.”
“Uh…well.” Colby decided his brain had officially run off without him. All that was left was blind panic.
“I’m a father you know. And I know my sons. It takes something special to get Charlie away from the blackboard.”
Colby was still panicking. He took another sip of beer trying to find words to explain something that had literally never been talked about.
Alan gave a little laugh. “You don’t have to completely panic. I lived through the 60’s you know? I even remember bits of it. My Charlie’s not always in touch with rest of the world. Sometimes he needs a bit of a kick from someone to remind him it’s there, that there’s more to life than numbers.”
Alan gave Colby a moment to speak but all Colby could think about was running.
“You know when Charlie was nine, we took him to this special class for gifted kids. There was a dozen of them all as smart as Charlie, if not more so. We only left him there a week, not because he wasn’t learning but ‘cause that’s all he was doing. There was no play, no joy. I know for a fact two of those kids killed themselves and another one is an alcoholic, junior high, science teacher.”
Colby couldn’t picture Charlie crashing like that, but then what had that first night been? It wasn’t the first time he’d caught Charlie as he fell.
“Charlie’s smarter than that,” he finally said.
“You may not have noticed Agent Granger but often really smart people can be complete idiots.”
Before Colby could answer the front door opened.
“Hey, Dad.” Came a shout from the door.
“We’re in the kitchen!” Colby called out, still feeling a little trapped and trying to keep the panic out of his voice.
“Hey, Dad, hey, Colby. Sorry I’m late. I was busy stealing the air quality monitor from environmental engineering and Larry’s coming by to help with the calculations.”
“Well, you two have fun. I’ll see you later.” Alan said. “Oh say, Agent Granger, do you play chess?”
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