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rainbowfic2012-08-24 08:37 pm
auguris) wrote in rainbowfic2012-08-24 08:37 pm
Lawn Green 14, Zing 11, Fire Opal 7
Name: auguris
'verse: After the World
Story: Movie Night
Colors: Lawn Green 14. Reruns; Zing 11. I can explain this to you, I can't comprehend it for you; Fire Opal 7. Lusting after
Word Count: 1108
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None that I can think of.
Summary: A working generator plus a TV in decent condition plus a surprise cache of DVDs equals movie night. Also, Jean is bad with women.
She had to squint when Max turned on the light. The basement air was cool, a nice change from the desert heat. Whoever had owned it Before had been in the middle of turning it into a rec room, but never had the chance to finish. Wood paneling gave way to cement floors and walls. On one end a couch facing a wide-screen TV; on the other end buckets and a roller brush covered in crusted paint.
"We shouldn't waste the electricity," she said. Max sighed.
"Movie night isn't going to kill the generator. Look, Jean. We need a night off. All of us. Including you. I think you cracked your knuckles fifty times over breakfast."
Jean frowned. "It's just a habit."
"Right, a habit that goes into overdrive when you're stressed. Don't try to bullshit me." Max pointed at his chest. "I'm a med student."
Were. But Jean didn't say that out loud anymore.
"And in my expert medical opinion, staring at a TV for so long your brain turns into mush is like the third best way to relieve stress. Since we don't exactly have broadcasting or reruns or anything that's not brainwashing bullshit anymore, we have movie night. And," he grinned, "Isabel will be joining us."
Jean frowned. "Max."
"Yes?"
Jean picked at her fingernails. "I told you. She's not interested."
Max pat Jean on the shoulder. "And I told you you're an idiot. Anyway, this was Evy's idea. How was I supposed to say no to that face?"
Jean flicked her gaze across Max's face, grinning a little. "Me? Easily. You? Not so much."
Max laughed. "You lie. I know you gave her the last of your chocolate bar. You wouldn't even give me the last of your chocolate bar."
Jean shrugged. "She's cute and you're not."
"See? Look." His expression evened. "No pressure, okay? Just a few friends and their adorable collective adopted daughter watching a couple of movies. You don't even really have to watch, honestly. Just do that intense gazing into the distance thing you do. She loves that."
"I don't... do that. What? She does?" Jean stuck her hands in her pockets. "When do I do that?"
"Uh, all the time?" Max knelt between the couch and the TV, going through a cardboard box Jean hadn't spotted before. "Do you think The Devil Wears Prada is too old for her?"
Jean shrugged. "Never saw it. Isn't there a sex scene?"
"Not really. There's an we-obviously-just-had-sex scene. Maybe not? Shit, I dunno. What kind of stuff did you watch when you were eleven?"
"I read books." Jean crouched on the other side of the box. "Detective stories back then, I think."
"Of course you did. Little Miss Sunshine?"
"I like that one. A little too look-how-indie-I-am but she probably won't care."
Max sighed. "Maybe we should just let her pick." His mouth widened. "Or let Izzy pick. I bet you it's something romantic."
Jean scowled. "Stop it. Seriously."
"Seriously, I bet you. My flask, you're always after that."
Jean raised her eyebrows. "Huh. Okay. What do you want?"
Max grinned. "Your copy of Hustler. Don't give me that look, there's no internet anymore. A man has needs."
"Oh Jesus please don't ever say anything like that again. Fine. It's a deal." She offered her hand to shake, then pulled back. "You wash, right?"
Max laughed so hard he fell onto his ass. "No, man, I just go around smelling like jizz all the time."
"Jesus Christ."
They shook, Jean a bit more delicately than usual. She really wanted that flask.
*
Evelyn picked Mean Girls, which Jean had never seen.
"It's actually pretty funny," Isabel said.
Jean looked up, blinking. When had the other woman arrived? Or appeared in front of her? She wore a knee-length dress with a blue floral pattern, which was entirely impractical for... for what? Watching movies?
"You were making a face?"
"I was? Oh. Sorry."
Isabel smiled, tucking her black hair behind her ear. "It's okay! It's just. You know. Not as dumb as it sounds. I think so, anyway."
Maybe if Jean held her breath long enough this conversation would end. Or she would think of something intelligent and charismatic and Isabel would laugh and Jean would stop feeling like an awkward teenager with three legs and crooked teeth.
"Is it okay if I...?" Isabel gestured towards the empty space next to Jean. Jean had tucked herself into the far corner of the couch, assuming Max or Evelyn would sit next to her, giving Isabel a perfectly reasonable excuse to avoid her.
"Ah, yeah, okay."
Isabel sat, crossing her legs at the knee, adjusting the end of her dress. The top puffed out a little, showing the edge of a white lace bra, and Jean made herself look away. Max caught her eye and flashed his eyebrows.
"Lights off," he said after Evelyn inserted the DVD. "We don't want to kill the generator." The grin he gave Jean was reason number five she was going to leave him in pieces.
*
Apparently everyone in the room had seen the movie but her. The three of them recited every other line, just about, which would have been annoying if Isabel hadn't been laughing so hard she nearly ended up in Jean's lap.
Evelyn decided to enact the "big lesbian crush" bit and dive into the couch; in a joint attempt to keep the preteen from hurting herself, Jean and Isabel smacked their heads together.
"Oh god, I am so sorry," Isabel laughed. "Let me see."
"It's fine," Jean said, and froze when Isabel leaned into her, pushing Jean's hair aside to inspect her head for damage. Which, really, Isabel was more likely to be hurt.
"You have to kiss it better!" Evelyn crowed. Her big innocent grin betrayed nothing.
"Of course," Isabel said, laughter still in her voice. She pressed her lips into Jean's hair; Jean's face was about to burn clean off. "Better?" she asked.
"Yeah," Jean managed. She should say... something. Anything. Isabel just smiled and sat back, tucking her legs under herself.
But she sat a little closer, her arm warm against Jean's.
The movie ended with the typical heartwarming 'we are the world' kumbaya fest these things always ended with. Evelyn dug into the box as the credits rolled.
"Hey," Max said, "why don't you let Izzy pick one?"
I am going to murder you. Fifty times. Jean thought as hard as she could, but Max only grinned at her glare. Clearly the man was not as telepathic as he thought he was.
"Let's see." Isabel leaned over her knees instead of getting up. "Ooh. I haven't seen Casablanca in years."
Shit.
Max pumped his fist into the air. "Ha! Oh, come on. You're not going to need it anyway."
"You're an idiot," Jean muttered.
"No I'm not," Max sing-songed.
Isabel raised her eyebrows. "I missed something."
"Nothing important," Max said. "I'll tell you when Jean won't murder me for telling you."
Fifty. Times.
auguris'verse: After the World
Story: Movie Night
Colors: Lawn Green 14. Reruns; Zing 11. I can explain this to you, I can't comprehend it for you; Fire Opal 7. Lusting after
Word Count: 1108
Rating: PG-13
Warnings: None that I can think of.
Summary: A working generator plus a TV in decent condition plus a surprise cache of DVDs equals movie night. Also, Jean is bad with women.
She had to squint when Max turned on the light. The basement air was cool, a nice change from the desert heat. Whoever had owned it Before had been in the middle of turning it into a rec room, but never had the chance to finish. Wood paneling gave way to cement floors and walls. On one end a couch facing a wide-screen TV; on the other end buckets and a roller brush covered in crusted paint.
"We shouldn't waste the electricity," she said. Max sighed.
"Movie night isn't going to kill the generator. Look, Jean. We need a night off. All of us. Including you. I think you cracked your knuckles fifty times over breakfast."
Jean frowned. "It's just a habit."
"Right, a habit that goes into overdrive when you're stressed. Don't try to bullshit me." Max pointed at his chest. "I'm a med student."
Were. But Jean didn't say that out loud anymore.
"And in my expert medical opinion, staring at a TV for so long your brain turns into mush is like the third best way to relieve stress. Since we don't exactly have broadcasting or reruns or anything that's not brainwashing bullshit anymore, we have movie night. And," he grinned, "Isabel will be joining us."
Jean frowned. "Max."
"Yes?"
Jean picked at her fingernails. "I told you. She's not interested."
Max pat Jean on the shoulder. "And I told you you're an idiot. Anyway, this was Evy's idea. How was I supposed to say no to that face?"
Jean flicked her gaze across Max's face, grinning a little. "Me? Easily. You? Not so much."
Max laughed. "You lie. I know you gave her the last of your chocolate bar. You wouldn't even give me the last of your chocolate bar."
Jean shrugged. "She's cute and you're not."
"See? Look." His expression evened. "No pressure, okay? Just a few friends and their adorable collective adopted daughter watching a couple of movies. You don't even really have to watch, honestly. Just do that intense gazing into the distance thing you do. She loves that."
"I don't... do that. What? She does?" Jean stuck her hands in her pockets. "When do I do that?"
"Uh, all the time?" Max knelt between the couch and the TV, going through a cardboard box Jean hadn't spotted before. "Do you think The Devil Wears Prada is too old for her?"
Jean shrugged. "Never saw it. Isn't there a sex scene?"
"Not really. There's an we-obviously-just-had-sex scene. Maybe not? Shit, I dunno. What kind of stuff did you watch when you were eleven?"
"I read books." Jean crouched on the other side of the box. "Detective stories back then, I think."
"Of course you did. Little Miss Sunshine?"
"I like that one. A little too look-how-indie-I-am but she probably won't care."
Max sighed. "Maybe we should just let her pick." His mouth widened. "Or let Izzy pick. I bet you it's something romantic."
Jean scowled. "Stop it. Seriously."
"Seriously, I bet you. My flask, you're always after that."
Jean raised her eyebrows. "Huh. Okay. What do you want?"
Max grinned. "Your copy of Hustler. Don't give me that look, there's no internet anymore. A man has needs."
"Oh Jesus please don't ever say anything like that again. Fine. It's a deal." She offered her hand to shake, then pulled back. "You wash, right?"
Max laughed so hard he fell onto his ass. "No, man, I just go around smelling like jizz all the time."
"Jesus Christ."
They shook, Jean a bit more delicately than usual. She really wanted that flask.
*
Evelyn picked Mean Girls, which Jean had never seen.
"It's actually pretty funny," Isabel said.
Jean looked up, blinking. When had the other woman arrived? Or appeared in front of her? She wore a knee-length dress with a blue floral pattern, which was entirely impractical for... for what? Watching movies?
"You were making a face?"
"I was? Oh. Sorry."
Isabel smiled, tucking her black hair behind her ear. "It's okay! It's just. You know. Not as dumb as it sounds. I think so, anyway."
Maybe if Jean held her breath long enough this conversation would end. Or she would think of something intelligent and charismatic and Isabel would laugh and Jean would stop feeling like an awkward teenager with three legs and crooked teeth.
"Is it okay if I...?" Isabel gestured towards the empty space next to Jean. Jean had tucked herself into the far corner of the couch, assuming Max or Evelyn would sit next to her, giving Isabel a perfectly reasonable excuse to avoid her.
"Ah, yeah, okay."
Isabel sat, crossing her legs at the knee, adjusting the end of her dress. The top puffed out a little, showing the edge of a white lace bra, and Jean made herself look away. Max caught her eye and flashed his eyebrows.
"Lights off," he said after Evelyn inserted the DVD. "We don't want to kill the generator." The grin he gave Jean was reason number five she was going to leave him in pieces.
*
Apparently everyone in the room had seen the movie but her. The three of them recited every other line, just about, which would have been annoying if Isabel hadn't been laughing so hard she nearly ended up in Jean's lap.
Evelyn decided to enact the "big lesbian crush" bit and dive into the couch; in a joint attempt to keep the preteen from hurting herself, Jean and Isabel smacked their heads together.
"Oh god, I am so sorry," Isabel laughed. "Let me see."
"It's fine," Jean said, and froze when Isabel leaned into her, pushing Jean's hair aside to inspect her head for damage. Which, really, Isabel was more likely to be hurt.
"You have to kiss it better!" Evelyn crowed. Her big innocent grin betrayed nothing.
"Of course," Isabel said, laughter still in her voice. She pressed her lips into Jean's hair; Jean's face was about to burn clean off. "Better?" she asked.
"Yeah," Jean managed. She should say... something. Anything. Isabel just smiled and sat back, tucking her legs under herself.
But she sat a little closer, her arm warm against Jean's.
The movie ended with the typical heartwarming 'we are the world' kumbaya fest these things always ended with. Evelyn dug into the box as the credits rolled.
"Hey," Max said, "why don't you let Izzy pick one?"
I am going to murder you. Fifty times. Jean thought as hard as she could, but Max only grinned at her glare. Clearly the man was not as telepathic as he thought he was.
"Let's see." Isabel leaned over her knees instead of getting up. "Ooh. I haven't seen Casablanca in years."
Shit.
Max pumped his fist into the air. "Ha! Oh, come on. You're not going to need it anyway."
"You're an idiot," Jean muttered.
"No I'm not," Max sing-songed.
Isabel raised her eyebrows. "I missed something."
"Nothing important," Max said. "I'll tell you when Jean won't murder me for telling you."
Fifty. Times.