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Hook and Eye [Signe/Michael]
Title: Hook and Eye
Fandom: Stand Still, Stay Silent
Characters/Pairing: Signe/Michael*
Rating: 13+ for language
Length: 500 words
Summary: She's a delight. Maybe he thinks so, too.
Other: *Year 0, set before they get together; it's a mutual crushing situation.
Fills prompt #14, "Smile".
Hook and Eye
Ice-cold, chill coming in. No matter what they tried, it seeped through the windows, under the doors, found ways to get under their skin.
They stayed close together that winter, near to each other on those dark nights. Not that it was by choice. The whole lot of them were on top of one another whether they liked it or not.
It was a good thing they got along so well.
Signe was grateful for that. Grateful, too, that the Madsens took her in. She said it once or twice, tried to tell them, all of them. Tried to put it into words. Thanks for having me. I appreciate it. But talk had always come cheap, and now it was cheaper than it had ever been. There were better ways to show her gratitude.
"Oh, come on, it isn't so bad, is it?" she asked, interrupting Michael's complaining. He'd been going on ever since the moment they had stepped into the barn that morning. As far as Signe was concerned, she just couldn't see what he was bellyaching about. Feeding and watering the animals, cleaning the barn out, making sure everything was neat and tidy – it was rough on the hands, but at least animals, unlike angry customers, didn't argue with you.
"I wasn't cut out for this," Michael replied, huffing as he heaved another load of muck, his breath fogging in the cool air. He stopped, straightened, and glanced around. Pinched his nose shut. "And it smells terrible."
"Could be worse." She leaned on her fork. Flashed him a smile. Let it turn into a smirk as he made a face at her. "Hey, look at it this way. As least you have great company!"
"That isn't what I'd call it."
"Excuse you. I'm a fucking delight!"
Michael snorted. Rolled his eyes. But even with the light as dim as it was, she could see a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "This is exactly the kind of work you should be doing," he said. "Rather than inflicting your delightful self on normal human beings."
Signe grinned. " As long as you're stuck here, I can bug you all I want."
"...Yes. You can certainly do that."
She'd meant it as a joke. But by the tone of his voice, he was earnest about it. Like he didn't mind. Tilting her head, Signe looked at him for a moment, trying to figure it out. Was there anything to that? More importantly, did she want there to be anything to it?
Maybe she had imagined it. Or maybe not.
Michael resumed his work. Dipped, heaved, huffing all the way, really getting into it all of a sudden. Like he was trying at it. Like he had something he wanted to hide.
Signe shook her head and went back shovelling muck. The barn wouldn't clean itself, after all.
But when she glanced at him again, a few minutes later, that little smile was still there.
Fandom: Stand Still, Stay Silent
Characters/Pairing: Signe/Michael*
Rating: 13+ for language
Length: 500 words
Summary: She's a delight. Maybe he thinks so, too.
Other: *Year 0, set before they get together; it's a mutual crushing situation.
Fills prompt #14, "Smile".
Hook and Eye
Ice-cold, chill coming in. No matter what they tried, it seeped through the windows, under the doors, found ways to get under their skin.
They stayed close together that winter, near to each other on those dark nights. Not that it was by choice. The whole lot of them were on top of one another whether they liked it or not.
It was a good thing they got along so well.
Signe was grateful for that. Grateful, too, that the Madsens took her in. She said it once or twice, tried to tell them, all of them. Tried to put it into words. Thanks for having me. I appreciate it. But talk had always come cheap, and now it was cheaper than it had ever been. There were better ways to show her gratitude.
"Oh, come on, it isn't so bad, is it?" she asked, interrupting Michael's complaining. He'd been going on ever since the moment they had stepped into the barn that morning. As far as Signe was concerned, she just couldn't see what he was bellyaching about. Feeding and watering the animals, cleaning the barn out, making sure everything was neat and tidy – it was rough on the hands, but at least animals, unlike angry customers, didn't argue with you.
"I wasn't cut out for this," Michael replied, huffing as he heaved another load of muck, his breath fogging in the cool air. He stopped, straightened, and glanced around. Pinched his nose shut. "And it smells terrible."
"Could be worse." She leaned on her fork. Flashed him a smile. Let it turn into a smirk as he made a face at her. "Hey, look at it this way. As least you have great company!"
"That isn't what I'd call it."
"Excuse you. I'm a fucking delight!"
Michael snorted. Rolled his eyes. But even with the light as dim as it was, she could see a hint of a smile tugging at the corner of his lips. "This is exactly the kind of work you should be doing," he said. "Rather than inflicting your delightful self on normal human beings."
Signe grinned. " As long as you're stuck here, I can bug you all I want."
"...Yes. You can certainly do that."
She'd meant it as a joke. But by the tone of his voice, he was earnest about it. Like he didn't mind. Tilting her head, Signe looked at him for a moment, trying to figure it out. Was there anything to that? More importantly, did she want there to be anything to it?
Maybe she had imagined it. Or maybe not.
Michael resumed his work. Dipped, heaved, huffing all the way, really getting into it all of a sudden. Like he was trying at it. Like he had something he wanted to hide.
Signe shook her head and went back shovelling muck. The barn wouldn't clean itself, after all.
But when she glanced at him again, a few minutes later, that little smile was still there.