Ten Live Free or Die Hard Drabbles
Ten LFoDH drabbles, written for the drabble tree at gameofcards. 100 words each. All John/Matt, sometimes with a smattering of Lucy.
01. Title: Mistake
This was a mistake.
John hesitated with his raised fist inches from the door, tried to take in a steadying breath. Who was he fooling? He was a bald, broken-down cop with a bum shoulder and one foot over the retirement line. And Matt was… well, Matt was everything. He's crazy to think the kid would want anything to do with a walking disaster like him.
He likes you, John, he hears Lucy say exasperatedly. When are you going to man up and do something about it?
John squares his shoulders, takes another deep breath.
Now, Lucy, he thinks. Now.
***
02. Title: Out of Here Soon
"They'll have us out of here soon." Matt tugged ineffectually at the ropes binding his arms. "Backup will be here soon. Right?"
John scowled. "Why'd you insist on pizza? We got plenty of food in the goddamn fridge!"
"Hey, this is not my fault! How was I supposed to know a jewelry store right next to Gino's would be getting robbed the exact minute we-"
"Could've just had sloppy joes, but noooo."
"Look, it doesn't matter. The cops will…" He frowned. "You did call for backup, right McClane?"
John averted his eyes, but he could still hear the cursing.
***
03. Title: Turned On
This certainly was NOT the time to be getting turned on.
And Matt tried to look away. He really did. Because some older bald dude… no, some older bald COP covered in dirt and blood and sweat really shouldn't be attractive, right? Right. But in crawling through the tunnel duct work there really wasn't anywhere to look but at John's ass, and it was a really fine ass. Toned and firm.
He emerged into an access room and glared at his traitorous dick.
"You coming?"
Matt looked up to see John, all grimily sexy, gesturing ahead.
"Soon," he muttered.
***
04. Title: Game Night
"I hate game night," Matt moans.
"Then tell him," Lucy says.
"It's his TV! If he wants to spend every Saturday night watching grown men in oversized shorts chase a tiny black object across the ice, I can't stop him."
"Uh huh. I'm sure your living arrangement with John is the sole reason you don't speak up," Lucy says dryly. "Nothing to do with the fact that he gets excited when his team scores, throws his arms around you, get all up in your space…"
Matt blushes. Busted.
Lucy laughs. "You're so transparent, Farrell."
"Just call me Griffin," Matt says.
***
05. Title: Books
Another heavy book whizzed past the top of his head.
John held his palms up in surrender. "Lucy, honey? Just calm down."
"Calm down? This is the fourth time you've tried to set me up with some loser-"
"Loser?" John frowned. "Sweetie, that's a little harsh."
"I don't need your help to get a boyfriend, John!"
"Don't call me that. I hate it when you-"
"And if you'd just open your eyes you'd see that Matt Farrell is already in love with someone else!" At John's blank face, she sighed. "You, Dad."
John blinked. That explained a lot, actually.
***
06. Title: What to Do
If he didn't know what to do, who did?
Lucy cups a hand on his shoulder as she walks by. "You don't have to fix everything, Dad. Leave it for Jim."
John frowns, stares at the approximately seven thousand air conditioner parts strewn around him on the table. "I'm gettin' old, Luce."
"Right," Lucy snorts. "Remind me, who among us has the barely legal boyfriend?"
"Mid-life crisis," John says.
"Hey, I heard that," Matt calls from the kitchen.
"Good," John yells back. "Then fetch me a beer, boy toy!"
"Eat me!" Matt shouts.
"Later, Matty," he murmurs. "If you're lucky."
***
07. Title: Kiss
He grabbed a fistful of John's shirt and kissed him.
Matt barely had time to register that John's lips were softer than he imagined before he's pulling away, not wanting to risk too much. But by the look on John's face it might as well have been a swooning, knee-trembling, porn-worthy endeavor. And he really hoped to get the opportunity to try one of those as well. If John kept wearing those old wife-beaters, he wouldn't be able to resist.
When John merely stared at him, he smoothed the front of John's shirt.
"Now who's the badass?" Matt said smugly.
***
08. Title: Handcuffs
Laughing that sounded suspiciously like John’s could be heard coming from the vents.
"This isn't funny!" Matt fumed.
Lucy looked up just as her father swung down from the shaft. "Couldn't just hire an a/c specialist, Dad?"
John ignored her, grinned at Matt. "That's what you get for playing with my shit."
"I wasn't playing, I was-" Matt shook the hand currently cuffed to the radiator, and Lucy could swear he was blushing. "It doesn't matter. Can you just get the key?"
John leered. "Might have a few ideas first."
"Um, hello. I'm right here," Lucy said.
"Bye, honey."
***
09. Title: Heroes
"Looks like a bunch of some kinda heroes,” the one with the unkempt beard said. "That what it looks like to you, Jake?"
"Not heroes," John said evenly. "Just two people who give a shit."
The one called Jake twitched, and Matt watched a thin line of blood trickle from the nick in the woman's throat. She took a shallow breath, her fingers white on Jake's forearm.
Matt swallowed, caught John's eye. He'd only dragged John to the restaurant so he could grab a burger.
Now he wanted Jake.
And if this kept happening, he was so buying a cape.
***
10. Title: Sure
Suddenly, he felt scared. Not that he hadn't been scared during most of the time he'd spent in John McClane's presence, because getting chased and kidnapped and shot at tends to be a pretty harrowing experience. But this was a different kind of scared.
The oh shit maybe the super hot bald cop you have a crush on isn't gonna be too happy about that kiss you just planted on him kind of scared.
Then John sweeps a hand through his hair, murmurs "Are you sure about this, kid?"
And with that, the fear fades. He's never been more sure.
.
01. Title: Mistake
This was a mistake.
John hesitated with his raised fist inches from the door, tried to take in a steadying breath. Who was he fooling? He was a bald, broken-down cop with a bum shoulder and one foot over the retirement line. And Matt was… well, Matt was everything. He's crazy to think the kid would want anything to do with a walking disaster like him.
He likes you, John, he hears Lucy say exasperatedly. When are you going to man up and do something about it?
John squares his shoulders, takes another deep breath.
Now, Lucy, he thinks. Now.
***
02. Title: Out of Here Soon
"They'll have us out of here soon." Matt tugged ineffectually at the ropes binding his arms. "Backup will be here soon. Right?"
John scowled. "Why'd you insist on pizza? We got plenty of food in the goddamn fridge!"
"Hey, this is not my fault! How was I supposed to know a jewelry store right next to Gino's would be getting robbed the exact minute we-"
"Could've just had sloppy joes, but noooo."
"Look, it doesn't matter. The cops will…" He frowned. "You did call for backup, right McClane?"
John averted his eyes, but he could still hear the cursing.
***
03. Title: Turned On
This certainly was NOT the time to be getting turned on.
And Matt tried to look away. He really did. Because some older bald dude… no, some older bald COP covered in dirt and blood and sweat really shouldn't be attractive, right? Right. But in crawling through the tunnel duct work there really wasn't anywhere to look but at John's ass, and it was a really fine ass. Toned and firm.
He emerged into an access room and glared at his traitorous dick.
"You coming?"
Matt looked up to see John, all grimily sexy, gesturing ahead.
"Soon," he muttered.
***
04. Title: Game Night
"I hate game night," Matt moans.
"Then tell him," Lucy says.
"It's his TV! If he wants to spend every Saturday night watching grown men in oversized shorts chase a tiny black object across the ice, I can't stop him."
"Uh huh. I'm sure your living arrangement with John is the sole reason you don't speak up," Lucy says dryly. "Nothing to do with the fact that he gets excited when his team scores, throws his arms around you, get all up in your space…"
Matt blushes. Busted.
Lucy laughs. "You're so transparent, Farrell."
"Just call me Griffin," Matt says.
***
05. Title: Books
Another heavy book whizzed past the top of his head.
John held his palms up in surrender. "Lucy, honey? Just calm down."
"Calm down? This is the fourth time you've tried to set me up with some loser-"
"Loser?" John frowned. "Sweetie, that's a little harsh."
"I don't need your help to get a boyfriend, John!"
"Don't call me that. I hate it when you-"
"And if you'd just open your eyes you'd see that Matt Farrell is already in love with someone else!" At John's blank face, she sighed. "You, Dad."
John blinked. That explained a lot, actually.
***
06. Title: What to Do
If he didn't know what to do, who did?
Lucy cups a hand on his shoulder as she walks by. "You don't have to fix everything, Dad. Leave it for Jim."
John frowns, stares at the approximately seven thousand air conditioner parts strewn around him on the table. "I'm gettin' old, Luce."
"Right," Lucy snorts. "Remind me, who among us has the barely legal boyfriend?"
"Mid-life crisis," John says.
"Hey, I heard that," Matt calls from the kitchen.
"Good," John yells back. "Then fetch me a beer, boy toy!"
"Eat me!" Matt shouts.
"Later, Matty," he murmurs. "If you're lucky."
***
07. Title: Kiss
He grabbed a fistful of John's shirt and kissed him.
Matt barely had time to register that John's lips were softer than he imagined before he's pulling away, not wanting to risk too much. But by the look on John's face it might as well have been a swooning, knee-trembling, porn-worthy endeavor. And he really hoped to get the opportunity to try one of those as well. If John kept wearing those old wife-beaters, he wouldn't be able to resist.
When John merely stared at him, he smoothed the front of John's shirt.
"Now who's the badass?" Matt said smugly.
***
08. Title: Handcuffs
Laughing that sounded suspiciously like John’s could be heard coming from the vents.
"This isn't funny!" Matt fumed.
Lucy looked up just as her father swung down from the shaft. "Couldn't just hire an a/c specialist, Dad?"
John ignored her, grinned at Matt. "That's what you get for playing with my shit."
"I wasn't playing, I was-" Matt shook the hand currently cuffed to the radiator, and Lucy could swear he was blushing. "It doesn't matter. Can you just get the key?"
John leered. "Might have a few ideas first."
"Um, hello. I'm right here," Lucy said.
"Bye, honey."
***
09. Title: Heroes
"Looks like a bunch of some kinda heroes,” the one with the unkempt beard said. "That what it looks like to you, Jake?"
"Not heroes," John said evenly. "Just two people who give a shit."
The one called Jake twitched, and Matt watched a thin line of blood trickle from the nick in the woman's throat. She took a shallow breath, her fingers white on Jake's forearm.
Matt swallowed, caught John's eye. He'd only dragged John to the restaurant so he could grab a burger.
Now he wanted Jake.
And if this kept happening, he was so buying a cape.
***
10. Title: Sure
Suddenly, he felt scared. Not that he hadn't been scared during most of the time he'd spent in John McClane's presence, because getting chased and kidnapped and shot at tends to be a pretty harrowing experience. But this was a different kind of scared.
The oh shit maybe the super hot bald cop you have a crush on isn't gonna be too happy about that kiss you just planted on him kind of scared.
Then John sweeps a hand through his hair, murmurs "Are you sure about this, kid?"
And with that, the fear fades. He's never been more sure.
.