FIC: A Good Day - The Broken Hearts Club
Jul. 27th, 2018 10:49 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
cmk418Kidfic written for the Pool Party Challenge at ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
1_million_words.
Patrick/Benji
Post-movie - It's Patrick's weekend with his son Jack. Benji shows up. That's it.
“Grrr,” four-year old Jack said as he moved his dinosaur into an attack position. It had been Jack’s favorite thing for the past two months- dragging out the “Prehistoric Playset” from Patrick’s closet and convincing his father to take the role of the passive leaf-eaters while Jack rumbled through the trees as a Tyrannosaurus Rex.
They’d been playing together for about an hour when the doorbell rang. Jack hopped up and ran toward it. It took Patrick a moment to pull himself up from the floor. “Hold on there, bud. Remember what your moms and I told you about Stranger Danger.” Jack was too busy unlatching the door to care. Patrick picked him up and moved him away from the door.
Upon seeing who was at the door, Jack cried out, “Aquaman!” and launched himself at a smiling Benji.
“I don’t know why he calls you that,” said Patrick.
“It’s the hair,” replied Benji.
The fact that Patrick had hung his old poster of the comic book hero in Jack’s room probably didn’t help things much.
“Come on in,” said Patrick, stepping away from the door long enough to admit Benji.
“I ran into Anne at Trader Joe’s and she said you had Jack for the weekend.”
“Did she tell you to check up on me? Jack’s stayed over for a weekend before.”
“She didn’t say anything. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen him… and you.”
“You want to play dinosaurs?” Jack asked.
Benji glanced over at Patrick who nodded. “Yeah, bud. I’d love to,” said Benji.
“You can have this one,” he said, handing a dinosaur to Benji.
Benji looked the plastic figure over. “Are you sure that’s a dinosaur? It’s got a face like a cow.”
“It’s not a cow!” Jack said, snatching it back from Benji.
“Can you tell Benji what dinosaur it is?”
“It’s a ankylosaurus.”
“Cool,” said Benji. “You teach him that?”
“Nah. The name is on the underside of it, but he actually knows a lot about dinosaurs.”
“Still looks like a spiky cow,” said Benji.
“You’re a spiky cow,” said Jack.
Benji shrugged and picked up a different dinosaur. “Not even the worst thing I’ve been called this week.”
“How is life at Club Meanwhile?” Patrick asked.
“It’s a job. I don’t even go there after hours anymore. They discourage us from mixing with the regulars, so I can’t meet anybody for a regular date. I’ve gotten a quickie in the bathroom from a tourist a time or two, but…”
“What’s a quickie?” asked Jack.
“When you pee really, really fast,” said Benji.
“I can do that,” Jack said with a grin.
“Can’t wait for him to share that little tidbit with his moms. They’ll overexplain things and then yell at me for twenty minutes about giving him ideas. Jack, you tell them that Uncle Benji is a bad influence.”
Jack was busy making a plastic stegosaurus scale Benji’s leg. He roared when the stegosaurus got close enough to attack the dinosaur in Benji’s hand. Benji let out an “Eek” of surprise and tried to move his hand away from the swinging attack of the plastic tail.
Patrick realized there was a surefire way to stop this and picked Jack up and started to tickle him. Jack giggled and dropped the dinosaur as he squirmed in his father’s arms.
“You want to watch a movie?” Patrick asked.
“Lion King,” Jack yelled.
“What’s that about?”
“It’s Hamlet with lions,” explained Patrick.
“And kids watch it?”
“It’s Disney. Kids will watch anything Disney.”
“Jack, will I like this movie?”
“Yes,” Jack said as he brought the videocassette to Patrick.
“We’ve seen it a few times this weekend. It’s a good way to get him to N-A-P.”
“That spells ‘nap’,” Jack supplied.
Benji laughed and ruffled the boy’s hair.
The three of them sat on the couch, Jack sandwiched between Patrick and Benji. “Are there any scary parts?” Benji asked.
“A couple. Just hold Dad’s hand if you get scared.”
Patrick coughed. Out of the mouths of babes… He could feel the blush creeping up on his neck and hit the “play” button on the remote. The faster Benji’s attention was focused away from him, the better.
Twenty minutes into the movie, Jack was out like a light, resting with his head on Patrick’s right leg.
“We don’t have to keep watching this,” Patrick whispered.
“Nah, it’s okay. I’m kinda enjoying it. Been a while since I’ve seen a Disney movie.”
“What do you usually watch?”
Benji shot him a wicked grin and raised an eyebrow.
“I walked into that one.”
Benji scooted a little closer to where Patrick had his arm slung over the back of the couch. “I gotta say, I don’t like those hyenas very much. You don’t think it’s weird watching a movie with your son where the father gets knocked off?”
“It’s Disney. Parents being absent or getting knocked off is one of their hallmarks. Most of my feelings of abandonment growing up came from either ‘Mary Poppins’ or ‘Winnie the Pooh’. I’m getting Jack a copy of ‘Bambi’ for his next birthday, so it’ll all balance out.”
Benji laughed loudly enough to cause Jack to stir. “Sorry,” he whispered and started to distance himself from Patrick. Patrick’s arm tightened around Benji’s shoulders, keeping him in his place on the couch. Benji glanced at him.
Patrick leaned over and kissed Benji. It was a brief press of lips, reminiscent of the days they used to spend together, exchanging a friendly goodbye peck as they went their separate ways.
“Do you want me to leave now?” asked Benji.
“No,” said Patrick. His nerves felt like they were jangling in his body as he sat back to face the television.
“Then… what? Were you having a ‘Hakuna Matada’ moment?”
“More like a ‘Carpe Diem’ moment. ‘Hakuna Matada’ means no worries. I’ve seen this movie a lot lately so I’ve heard that song a bunch of times. So I’m either having a ‘Hakuna’ moment or a ‘Matada’ moment right now wondering what you’re thinking.”
“Do you still have a crush on Aquaman?”
“Huh?”
“Oh my god, it’s taken me five years, but… oh my god, I’m an asshole.”
“You kind of are.”
“Shut your mouth. You’re one too. Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Yeah, that would have gone over well. You didn’t notice me then.”
“I noticed you at the hospital. I opened my eyes and you were the one holding my hand. I’d been such a shit to you and you were still there, by my side, making me feel safe. Any time I’ve been unsteady in the past few years, I’d just close my eyes and imagine it- my hand in yours. Will you kiss me again?”
“Huh?” Patrick prided himself on being more articulate than he was being at this particular moment. This was something he’d wanted for a long time, since the moment he was introduced to Benji at one of Dennis’ house parties. It had taken so long for this moment to happen that he was freaking out a bit. “Is Dennis still in London?”
“Last I heard.”
“Good.”
“Why?”
“I was thinking about sending him a fruit basket.”
Benji laughed. Patrick leaned over and kissed him again. It was better than the first time.
Naturally, that was the moment that Jack chose to roll over and stretch. The two adults sprang apart.
Patrick giggled. “Never thought I’d have a four-year-old as a chaperone.”
“I’m hungry,” said Jack, rubbing his eyes as he sat up.
“How about a grilled cheese?”
“With applesauce?” Jack asked.
“That’s at your moms’ house. I have those little tomatoes you like.”
“Okay.” Jack turned to Benji. “Are you having grilled cheese with us?”
Benji cast a quick glance to Patrick. “Well…”
“Stay for lunch.”
Jack reached for Patrick’s hand and walked with him to the kitchen. “Those little tomatoes are the best. You bite into them and they explode.”
Benji looked like he was trying hard to keep from laughing as Jack prattled on. Patrick smiled, listening to their conversation as he started to make lunch.
It was a good day.
1_million_words. Patrick/Benji
Post-movie - It's Patrick's weekend with his son Jack. Benji shows up. That's it.
“Grrr,” four-year old Jack said as he moved his dinosaur into an attack position. It had been Jack’s favorite thing for the past two months- dragging out the “Prehistoric Playset” from Patrick’s closet and convincing his father to take the role of the passive leaf-eaters while Jack rumbled through the trees as a Tyrannosaurus Rex.
They’d been playing together for about an hour when the doorbell rang. Jack hopped up and ran toward it. It took Patrick a moment to pull himself up from the floor. “Hold on there, bud. Remember what your moms and I told you about Stranger Danger.” Jack was too busy unlatching the door to care. Patrick picked him up and moved him away from the door.
Upon seeing who was at the door, Jack cried out, “Aquaman!” and launched himself at a smiling Benji.
“I don’t know why he calls you that,” said Patrick.
“It’s the hair,” replied Benji.
The fact that Patrick had hung his old poster of the comic book hero in Jack’s room probably didn’t help things much.
“Come on in,” said Patrick, stepping away from the door long enough to admit Benji.
“I ran into Anne at Trader Joe’s and she said you had Jack for the weekend.”
“Did she tell you to check up on me? Jack’s stayed over for a weekend before.”
“She didn’t say anything. It’s been awhile since I’ve seen him… and you.”
“You want to play dinosaurs?” Jack asked.
Benji glanced over at Patrick who nodded. “Yeah, bud. I’d love to,” said Benji.
“You can have this one,” he said, handing a dinosaur to Benji.
Benji looked the plastic figure over. “Are you sure that’s a dinosaur? It’s got a face like a cow.”
“It’s not a cow!” Jack said, snatching it back from Benji.
“Can you tell Benji what dinosaur it is?”
“It’s a ankylosaurus.”
“Cool,” said Benji. “You teach him that?”
“Nah. The name is on the underside of it, but he actually knows a lot about dinosaurs.”
“Still looks like a spiky cow,” said Benji.
“You’re a spiky cow,” said Jack.
Benji shrugged and picked up a different dinosaur. “Not even the worst thing I’ve been called this week.”
“How is life at Club Meanwhile?” Patrick asked.
“It’s a job. I don’t even go there after hours anymore. They discourage us from mixing with the regulars, so I can’t meet anybody for a regular date. I’ve gotten a quickie in the bathroom from a tourist a time or two, but…”
“What’s a quickie?” asked Jack.
“When you pee really, really fast,” said Benji.
“I can do that,” Jack said with a grin.
“Can’t wait for him to share that little tidbit with his moms. They’ll overexplain things and then yell at me for twenty minutes about giving him ideas. Jack, you tell them that Uncle Benji is a bad influence.”
Jack was busy making a plastic stegosaurus scale Benji’s leg. He roared when the stegosaurus got close enough to attack the dinosaur in Benji’s hand. Benji let out an “Eek” of surprise and tried to move his hand away from the swinging attack of the plastic tail.
Patrick realized there was a surefire way to stop this and picked Jack up and started to tickle him. Jack giggled and dropped the dinosaur as he squirmed in his father’s arms.
“You want to watch a movie?” Patrick asked.
“Lion King,” Jack yelled.
“What’s that about?”
“It’s Hamlet with lions,” explained Patrick.
“And kids watch it?”
“It’s Disney. Kids will watch anything Disney.”
“Jack, will I like this movie?”
“Yes,” Jack said as he brought the videocassette to Patrick.
“We’ve seen it a few times this weekend. It’s a good way to get him to N-A-P.”
“That spells ‘nap’,” Jack supplied.
Benji laughed and ruffled the boy’s hair.
The three of them sat on the couch, Jack sandwiched between Patrick and Benji. “Are there any scary parts?” Benji asked.
“A couple. Just hold Dad’s hand if you get scared.”
Patrick coughed. Out of the mouths of babes… He could feel the blush creeping up on his neck and hit the “play” button on the remote. The faster Benji’s attention was focused away from him, the better.
Twenty minutes into the movie, Jack was out like a light, resting with his head on Patrick’s right leg.
“We don’t have to keep watching this,” Patrick whispered.
“Nah, it’s okay. I’m kinda enjoying it. Been a while since I’ve seen a Disney movie.”
“What do you usually watch?”
Benji shot him a wicked grin and raised an eyebrow.
“I walked into that one.”
Benji scooted a little closer to where Patrick had his arm slung over the back of the couch. “I gotta say, I don’t like those hyenas very much. You don’t think it’s weird watching a movie with your son where the father gets knocked off?”
“It’s Disney. Parents being absent or getting knocked off is one of their hallmarks. Most of my feelings of abandonment growing up came from either ‘Mary Poppins’ or ‘Winnie the Pooh’. I’m getting Jack a copy of ‘Bambi’ for his next birthday, so it’ll all balance out.”
Benji laughed loudly enough to cause Jack to stir. “Sorry,” he whispered and started to distance himself from Patrick. Patrick’s arm tightened around Benji’s shoulders, keeping him in his place on the couch. Benji glanced at him.
Patrick leaned over and kissed Benji. It was a brief press of lips, reminiscent of the days they used to spend together, exchanging a friendly goodbye peck as they went their separate ways.
“Do you want me to leave now?” asked Benji.
“No,” said Patrick. His nerves felt like they were jangling in his body as he sat back to face the television.
“Then… what? Were you having a ‘Hakuna Matada’ moment?”
“More like a ‘Carpe Diem’ moment. ‘Hakuna Matada’ means no worries. I’ve seen this movie a lot lately so I’ve heard that song a bunch of times. So I’m either having a ‘Hakuna’ moment or a ‘Matada’ moment right now wondering what you’re thinking.”
“Do you still have a crush on Aquaman?”
“Huh?”
“Oh my god, it’s taken me five years, but… oh my god, I’m an asshole.”
“You kind of are.”
“Shut your mouth. You’re one too. Why didn’t you say anything?”
“Yeah, that would have gone over well. You didn’t notice me then.”
“I noticed you at the hospital. I opened my eyes and you were the one holding my hand. I’d been such a shit to you and you were still there, by my side, making me feel safe. Any time I’ve been unsteady in the past few years, I’d just close my eyes and imagine it- my hand in yours. Will you kiss me again?”
“Huh?” Patrick prided himself on being more articulate than he was being at this particular moment. This was something he’d wanted for a long time, since the moment he was introduced to Benji at one of Dennis’ house parties. It had taken so long for this moment to happen that he was freaking out a bit. “Is Dennis still in London?”
“Last I heard.”
“Good.”
“Why?”
“I was thinking about sending him a fruit basket.”
Benji laughed. Patrick leaned over and kissed him again. It was better than the first time.
Naturally, that was the moment that Jack chose to roll over and stretch. The two adults sprang apart.
Patrick giggled. “Never thought I’d have a four-year-old as a chaperone.”
“I’m hungry,” said Jack, rubbing his eyes as he sat up.
“How about a grilled cheese?”
“With applesauce?” Jack asked.
“That’s at your moms’ house. I have those little tomatoes you like.”
“Okay.” Jack turned to Benji. “Are you having grilled cheese with us?”
Benji cast a quick glance to Patrick. “Well…”
“Stay for lunch.”
Jack reached for Patrick’s hand and walked with him to the kitchen. “Those little tomatoes are the best. You bite into them and they explode.”
Benji looked like he was trying hard to keep from laughing as Jack prattled on. Patrick smiled, listening to their conversation as he started to make lunch.
It was a good day.
