Queer as Folk Drabbles 1-10
Here is my first round of Queer as Folk drabbles for IJ's Gusmas 2012. I'm doing the prompts in order and will probably post them in groups of 5 or 10 (hopefully over the next few days.) I haven't watched QaF in years, so apologies if some of the little details are wrong. Hope y'all like 'em anyway. :)
100 words each. I used the prompts themselves as the titles for the drabbles.
01. Prompt: Red
Characters/Pairing: Brian
Timeline: Season Two
Red
by Severina
The stains have long ago faded to copper-brown, the material dry and stiff. But Brian has only to close his eyes to remember - the soft folds of the scarf around Justin’s neck, the shadow image half-glimpsed, the warning shout, the smile on Justin’s face turning to surprise-shock-horror. The blood pooled on concrete, harsh under fluorescent lights; the sharp bright tang of it.
His eyes open; his fingers clench on the fabric and he watches as dusky brown flakes scatter on the bright white porcelain of the sink. He takes a breath before tucking the scarf beneath his shirt.
Babylon awaits.
02. Prompt: Life Isn't Fair
Characters/Pairing: Brian, Michael
Timeline: Post Season Five
Notes: Superhero names came from Superhero Name Generator
Life Isn't Fair
by Severina
“I’m just disappointed,” Michael said. “I had such high hopes for him. He represented all of us.”
“I know.”
“I’m never wrong about this stuff, Brian! The confrontation with Dr. Hawk, the way he flirted with the Water Prince-“
“Michael-“
“It was so obvious! And now this!”
Brian reached out in time to catch the comic before it fluttered to the floor, smoothed the wrinkled pages.
“He doesn’t even like Ruby Frostbite!”
Brian sighed, rested a hand soothingly on the back of Michael’s neck. “In your heart, Mikey,” he said quietly, “I think you always knew Captain Neutron was straight.”
03. Prompt: photo of a starfield
Characters/Pairing: Melanie/Lindsay
Timeline: Post Season Five
Starfield
by Severina
She finds Melanie stretched out on the lounge, a beer in hand, staring up at the stars.
She wraps her sweater more tightly around her, walks quietly across the flagstone to perch on the arm of the chair. Sighs and turns her face to the glittering array above them.
“Pretty,” she says softly.
Mel reaches out to take her hand, cold fingers wrapping around hers.
“No matter what happens, this doesn’t change,” Melanie says. “No matter where we are, this is the same.”
Lindsay lifts their joined hands, kisses those chilled fingers.
Melanie smiles, meets her eyes. “Let’s go home.”
04. Prompt: "Here in town you can tell he's been down for awhile
But, my God, it's so beautiful when the boy smiles."
Character/Pairing: Brian/Justin
Timeline: Season Two
When The Boy Smiles
by Severina
Brian realizes he’s holding his breath, his shoulders tense, and forces himself to relax. He blinks against the sunlight glare, winces every time Justin’s shoulder brushes against someone on the crowded street, every time Justin flinches and jerks away. Tries to remind himself that Justin is strong, stronger than even he knows.
And when Justin reaches him, flings his arms around his shoulders and smiles, it is all he can do not to whoop and holler, not to swing the boy around and pump his fist in the air.
He settles for a kiss. And another of those sunshine smiles.
05. Prompt: If At First You Don't Succeed
Character/Pairing: Brian/Justin
Timeline: Post Season Five
If At First You Don't Succeed
by Severina
Brian only flies business class - of course - so he spends an exorbitant amount of money on plane fare during Justin’s first year in New York. Limos and five star hotels aren’t exactly inexpensive, either. Ted’s able to write some of it off as a business expense - Kinnetik does exceedingly well and New York based clients do need to be wined and dined - but Brian still winces when his credit card bill comes in at the end of each month.
At the conclusion of each visit, he asks Justin to marry him.
It’s all worth it when Justin finally says yes.
06. Prompt: Jet Lag
Characters/Pairing: Brian/Justin
Timeline: Post Season Five
Jet Lag
by Severina
“Take me to Ibiza,” Brian mocks. “You always said you’d take me to Ibiza.”
Justin groans. “Long flight. Tired.”
“Well, sunshine. Here we are. In Ibiza. Warm sands, sunny beaches. Hot horny guys just waiting for you to wrap your lips around their thick cocks. So get your ass out of bed!”
Justin rolls onto his side, blinks sleepily at him through his bangs. “Let me sleep and later I’ll give you the best blowjob of your life.”
“You already do that,” Brian points out.
“Emilio, new guy at Babylon? Interesting technique.”
Brian arches a brow.
The beach can wait.
07. Prompt: photo of a bridge
Characters/Pairing: Justin
Timeline: Post Season Five
Bridge
by Severina
Justin’s taken this trip a hundred times, his nose filled with the noxious odor of the diesel fumes, his head propped on a pillow scrunched against the dirty windowpane. He knows each and every stop the Greyhound will take, can tell you exactly what snacks are sold in each vending machine in every single podunk town the lumbering vehicle will visit. He usually sleeps through the last hour, wakes only when the bus pulls into Pittsburgh.
But this time, he raises his head and smiles when the big tires rattle over the bridge.
This time, he’s coming home for good.
08. Prompt: Such A Shame
Characters/Pairing: Jennifer Taylor
Timeline: Season Two
Such A Shame
by Severina
“Did you hear?”
“I know. Such a shame.”
“Well, what do you expect? The boy practically flaunted their relationship.”
“True enough. But it’s not the poor boy’s fault. It’s all in the upbringing. My Desmond would never gallivant around with someone that old.”
“And now he’s in a coma, I hear. So sad.”
“It’s the parents that are to blame. Enforce some discipline and this doesn’t happen.”
Jennifer turned away from the voices, stumbled to the front of the store. She swiped at her eyes with her hand, shivered in the sunlight. And wondered if the gossiping women were right.
09. Prompt: Mine and Yours
Characters/Pairing: Brian/Justin
Timeline: Season One
Mine and Yours
by Severina
Brian spends forty five minutes searching the loft before he finally picks up the phone.
“Did you steal my shirt?” he asks without preamble.
“…No?”
Brian sighs. He does have several other muscle-shirts he could wear to the gym. But that one, faded green and fraying, is a particular favourite.
“Mommy doesn’t give you enough allowance to buy your own clothes?”
He can hear Justin breathing into the phone before the boy responds. “It’s soft,” he says. “And… it smells like you.”
Brian’s fingers tighten on the cell. “Get your ass over here.”
He’s sure he can hear Justin smiling.
10. Prompt: On the Outside, Looking In
Character/Pairing: Hunter
Timeline: Season Three
On the Outside, Looking In
by Severina
The wind is cold, cutting through his thin jacket, making his feet in their cheap sneakers feel like blocks of ice. Hunter huddles into himself on the sidewalk, walks back and forth in place to keep the blood flow going. He tries not to look at the lighted window across the street, the little apartment that belongs to the geek and his professor. Tries not to gaze at the big oak table or to imagine what it would be like to sit there, to be safe and warm for once.
Then a car slows. He blinks, gets back to work.
.
100 words each. I used the prompts themselves as the titles for the drabbles.
01. Prompt: Red
Characters/Pairing: Brian
Timeline: Season Two
Red
by Severina
The stains have long ago faded to copper-brown, the material dry and stiff. But Brian has only to close his eyes to remember - the soft folds of the scarf around Justin’s neck, the shadow image half-glimpsed, the warning shout, the smile on Justin’s face turning to surprise-shock-horror. The blood pooled on concrete, harsh under fluorescent lights; the sharp bright tang of it.
His eyes open; his fingers clench on the fabric and he watches as dusky brown flakes scatter on the bright white porcelain of the sink. He takes a breath before tucking the scarf beneath his shirt.
Babylon awaits.
02. Prompt: Life Isn't Fair
Characters/Pairing: Brian, Michael
Timeline: Post Season Five
Notes: Superhero names came from Superhero Name Generator
Life Isn't Fair
by Severina
“I’m just disappointed,” Michael said. “I had such high hopes for him. He represented all of us.”
“I know.”
“I’m never wrong about this stuff, Brian! The confrontation with Dr. Hawk, the way he flirted with the Water Prince-“
“Michael-“
“It was so obvious! And now this!”
Brian reached out in time to catch the comic before it fluttered to the floor, smoothed the wrinkled pages.
“He doesn’t even like Ruby Frostbite!”
Brian sighed, rested a hand soothingly on the back of Michael’s neck. “In your heart, Mikey,” he said quietly, “I think you always knew Captain Neutron was straight.”
03. Prompt: photo of a starfield
Characters/Pairing: Melanie/Lindsay
Timeline: Post Season Five
Starfield
by Severina
She finds Melanie stretched out on the lounge, a beer in hand, staring up at the stars.
She wraps her sweater more tightly around her, walks quietly across the flagstone to perch on the arm of the chair. Sighs and turns her face to the glittering array above them.
“Pretty,” she says softly.
Mel reaches out to take her hand, cold fingers wrapping around hers.
“No matter what happens, this doesn’t change,” Melanie says. “No matter where we are, this is the same.”
Lindsay lifts their joined hands, kisses those chilled fingers.
Melanie smiles, meets her eyes. “Let’s go home.”
04. Prompt: "Here in town you can tell he's been down for awhile
But, my God, it's so beautiful when the boy smiles."
Character/Pairing: Brian/Justin
Timeline: Season Two
When The Boy Smiles
by Severina
Brian realizes he’s holding his breath, his shoulders tense, and forces himself to relax. He blinks against the sunlight glare, winces every time Justin’s shoulder brushes against someone on the crowded street, every time Justin flinches and jerks away. Tries to remind himself that Justin is strong, stronger than even he knows.
And when Justin reaches him, flings his arms around his shoulders and smiles, it is all he can do not to whoop and holler, not to swing the boy around and pump his fist in the air.
He settles for a kiss. And another of those sunshine smiles.
05. Prompt: If At First You Don't Succeed
Character/Pairing: Brian/Justin
Timeline: Post Season Five
If At First You Don't Succeed
by Severina
Brian only flies business class - of course - so he spends an exorbitant amount of money on plane fare during Justin’s first year in New York. Limos and five star hotels aren’t exactly inexpensive, either. Ted’s able to write some of it off as a business expense - Kinnetik does exceedingly well and New York based clients do need to be wined and dined - but Brian still winces when his credit card bill comes in at the end of each month.
At the conclusion of each visit, he asks Justin to marry him.
It’s all worth it when Justin finally says yes.
06. Prompt: Jet Lag
Characters/Pairing: Brian/Justin
Timeline: Post Season Five
Jet Lag
by Severina
“Take me to Ibiza,” Brian mocks. “You always said you’d take me to Ibiza.”
Justin groans. “Long flight. Tired.”
“Well, sunshine. Here we are. In Ibiza. Warm sands, sunny beaches. Hot horny guys just waiting for you to wrap your lips around their thick cocks. So get your ass out of bed!”
Justin rolls onto his side, blinks sleepily at him through his bangs. “Let me sleep and later I’ll give you the best blowjob of your life.”
“You already do that,” Brian points out.
“Emilio, new guy at Babylon? Interesting technique.”
Brian arches a brow.
The beach can wait.
07. Prompt: photo of a bridge
Characters/Pairing: Justin
Timeline: Post Season Five
Bridge
by Severina
Justin’s taken this trip a hundred times, his nose filled with the noxious odor of the diesel fumes, his head propped on a pillow scrunched against the dirty windowpane. He knows each and every stop the Greyhound will take, can tell you exactly what snacks are sold in each vending machine in every single podunk town the lumbering vehicle will visit. He usually sleeps through the last hour, wakes only when the bus pulls into Pittsburgh.
But this time, he raises his head and smiles when the big tires rattle over the bridge.
This time, he’s coming home for good.
08. Prompt: Such A Shame
Characters/Pairing: Jennifer Taylor
Timeline: Season Two
Such A Shame
by Severina
“Did you hear?”
“I know. Such a shame.”
“Well, what do you expect? The boy practically flaunted their relationship.”
“True enough. But it’s not the poor boy’s fault. It’s all in the upbringing. My Desmond would never gallivant around with someone that old.”
“And now he’s in a coma, I hear. So sad.”
“It’s the parents that are to blame. Enforce some discipline and this doesn’t happen.”
Jennifer turned away from the voices, stumbled to the front of the store. She swiped at her eyes with her hand, shivered in the sunlight. And wondered if the gossiping women were right.
09. Prompt: Mine and Yours
Characters/Pairing: Brian/Justin
Timeline: Season One
Mine and Yours
by Severina
Brian spends forty five minutes searching the loft before he finally picks up the phone.
“Did you steal my shirt?” he asks without preamble.
“…No?”
Brian sighs. He does have several other muscle-shirts he could wear to the gym. But that one, faded green and fraying, is a particular favourite.
“Mommy doesn’t give you enough allowance to buy your own clothes?”
He can hear Justin breathing into the phone before the boy responds. “It’s soft,” he says. “And… it smells like you.”
Brian’s fingers tighten on the cell. “Get your ass over here.”
He’s sure he can hear Justin smiling.
10. Prompt: On the Outside, Looking In
Character/Pairing: Hunter
Timeline: Season Three
On the Outside, Looking In
by Severina
The wind is cold, cutting through his thin jacket, making his feet in their cheap sneakers feel like blocks of ice. Hunter huddles into himself on the sidewalk, walks back and forth in place to keep the blood flow going. He tries not to look at the lighted window across the street, the little apartment that belongs to the geek and his professor. Tries not to gaze at the big oak table or to imagine what it would be like to sit there, to be safe and warm for once.
Then a car slows. He blinks, gets back to work.
.