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 Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 6:26 pm
Welcome to the product of my newest obsession- Tin Man, and, within it, the wonderful pairing of Glitch and Cain! Read on! Oh, and review, please, if you would be so kind!
Finaqua was just as beautiful as he remembered it- more so, maybe. The last time he had seen it, there hadn’t been time to take in the scenery. This visit was much more leisurely, so Cain was in no rush to get to the castle. He had almost two days to get there before DG’s party, and he was tired of running around. A change of pace, plus the added bonus of some nice landscaping, would do him good.
He was making his way towards the edge of the lake- from this point he could see the castle on the other side- when he noticed a figure crouching down at the water’s edge. Instantly alert, Cain reached into his jacket… only to remember that he wasn’t carrying his pistol. The queen had specifically asked him not to bring it. He wasn’t sure why.
Cain felt oddly defenseless without the weight of the gun in his hand, but he continued slowly forward. If he was quiet enough, the figure wouldn’t notice, and he could knock it out with a hard hit to the back of the neck…
However, he wasn’t quiet enough. Only a few feet away from the figure, Cain stepped on a small pile of rocks, forcing him to quickly regain his balance. Rocks grated over each other, and he cursed loudly.
The figure was upright in an instant, and one long leg swung out to smack Cain sharply in the side. The Tin Man grunted, falling back onto the ground and cursing again. He glared up past the brim of his hat at his attacker.
The familiar face that stared back at him would have caused him to fall over again if he hadn’t already been down. “Glitch?”
The scientist grinned and shook his head, sending his wildly styled hair bouncing. “My name isn’t Glitch. Remember?” He stuck out one hand to help up his fallen companion.
Cain took the offered hand, pulling himself upright. “Sorry. Ambrose. I forgot.” He looked the other man over, noting the clean clothes and healthier complexion. “It looks like your brain’s done wonders.”
Ambrose grinned again- that ridiculous grin that Cain had been treated to so many times in their adventures with DG. “My looks, you mean? I know. I don’t look like an escapee from the Realm of the Unwanted anymore!” He returned the look-over. “You look well yourself. How is Tin Man duty in the City?”
“Just like it used to be,” Cain replied shortly- just the sort of reply that Ambrose had gotten so used to hearing. “I’ve got Jeb working with me now.” Then his eyes caught on something… familiar about the scientist. “You still have your zipper.”
“Oh, this thing.” Ambrose fingered the zipper that still ran across the center of his scalp. “I got attached to it, I suppose. Sentimental value.” His fingers moved from the zipper to the crazy hair around it. “I kept my hair style, too. I like it better this way.”
Cain grunted noncommittally. He honestly liked it better this way too- the old, smooth style that he’d seen in Ambrose’s memories hadn’t looked too good- but he wasn’t going to voice that to anyone. Particularly not to the scientist himself. Instead, he chose to start walking towards the castle again. “We’d better get moving if we want to get to DG’s on time.”
Laughing, Ambrose jogged to keep up with him. “We’ve got two days, Cain! It only takes an hour or two to get there. We’ll be there a day before we’re due!”
“Glad to see you’ve kept your ridiculous optimism,” Cain grumbled. He stalked through the tall grass, moving much faster than he had been before. Admiring the scenery didn’t sound half as appealing as it had a few minutes ago.
“And you’re still annoyingly pessimistic.” Ambrose wandered along beside him, hands behind his back. Cain couldn’t help but notice the absent-minded smile that hovered around the scientist’s lips. It made him feel oddly warm inside, warmth that reminded him distinctly of…
He pulled himself out of that train of thought before it could go any farther. That was unknown territory, and, despite all the uncharted lands he’d crossed while in the line of duty, he wasn’t ready to venture out there yet. He got his head together just in time to register Ambrose’s next question. “How is Jeb, anyways?”
“He’s a good officer. The men all look up to him.” Cain attempted to keep his eyes away from his companion, a venture that was made much harder by the sight of the man’s graceful, yet somewhat awkward, lope in his peripheral vision. “He’s going to make his way in the world.”
“A typical Cain response,” Ambrose sighed. He did an odd bounce around to place himself in front of Cain, and began walking backwards. At least with his brain back, he had some sense of balance. He searched out the Tin Man’s eyes, and found them watching him stonily beneath the brim of the brown hat. “Isn’t it exciting?” Ambrose asked abruptly. “A celebration of the return of the queen, the king, and the two princesses! I expect there will be some dancing.” He made an odd gesture with his arms, as if to demonstrate just how much dancing there would be, and suddenly lost his balance.
Cain reacted without thinking, without even realizing that he was lunging forward. He grabbed Ambrose’s arms and yanked him upright. He did manage to keep the scientist on his feet.
He also managed to bring the scientist to rest up against his chest.
They stared at each other for a moment, neither able to come up with anything to say. Finally, Cain coughed and stepped away, while Ambrose laughed nervously. “We’d better hurry on to the castle, then,” the scientist mumbled. “We don’t want to be late, right?”
“Yeah.”
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Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 6:28 pm
Two days later, the party was just as Ambrose had expected. There were many pretty young women, dashing young men, and furry Seers- even a few of the Milltown robots. There were tables full of food and drinks, lined up along the walls. The center of the room was full of people dancing- men twirling their female partners around in circles, Seers doing something that looked a little like a seizure. He was struck by a sudden longing to be out there, dancing with…
“Glitch- I mean, Ambrose!”
The voice pulled him quickly away from that dangerous thought. He would have to thank DG for that later- thinking those thoughts would get him nowhere good. He turned to the princess with a smile on his face. “DG! How can I help you?”
DG frowned at him. “Why aren’t you out there dancing?” When he hesitated, she added, “You want to be, don’t you?”
“Well… Yes, I suppose.” Ambrose sighed. “But I don’t want to go out there alone.”
“Look at all those girls,” DG told him, gesturing at the crowded floor. “You can’t possibly be alone!”
“Not like that!” Ambrose replied with another sigh. “I only want to dance with a certain person. And-” his eyes searched out a familiar, hat-wearing form across the room- “I don’t think they’re much of the dancing type.”
DG shrugged. “I guess you’re right. Cain doesn’t seem like a dancer to me either.”
“Exactly, I-” He froze. “Wait. How did you know…?”
She fixed him with an incredulous stare. “You’ve only been staring at him the whole time,” she pointed out. “You’ve been moving around so you can see him all the time. Even my mother noticed it!”
Ambrose scratched his cheek awkwardly. “Oh. I was, wasn’t I?” He laughed, nervous. “Ha… I see. Well, I think I’ll get a drink. It was nice talking to you, DG, but-” Before he could take a step, DG had grasped his arm, and was showing no need to let it go.
“You’re not getting away that easily,” she told him, and then commenced to drag him through the crowd towards where Cain was standing alone. Along the way, several people bowed or curtsied to her, and she returned the gestures with a smile and a nod. Ambrose couldn’t help but feel proud of the way she had grown.
Cain was, to say the least, very surprised to see DG towing Ambrose through the crowds of people. Then again, he never was quite sure what to expect of the girl. It was the look on Ambrose’s face that really startled him- the scientist’s expression suggested embarrassment, nervousness, and open panic, all at the same time. Cain could only wonder what was going on in the man’s mind.
“Here.” DG thrust Ambrose forward, so that the scientist almost ran right into Cain’s chest. “He wanted to talk to you,” she informed the Tin Man, taking a few steps back out onto the dance floor. “Now say what you wanted to say,” she added, shooting a pointed look at Ambrose.
Once she had gone, Ambrose scuffed his foot across the ground. “Nice party, isn’t it?” he asked quickly, searching for something to distract himself with. Him, standing alone, with Cain, did not bode well. Especially not now that his heart was constricting in his chest and something seemed to be blurring his usually quick mind.
“I guess,” was Cain’s hesitant reply. Something was thundering through the Tin Man’s veins, and he couldn’t seem to find any sharp or witty words to say back.
The anxious foot-scuffing sped up, as Ambrose tried to find some way out of this situation. He couldn’t just run back into the crowd- DG would find him and drag him right back. Opening his mouth to say words that just wouldn’t come, he glanced up at Cain’s carefully expressionless face. His gaze ran over the man’s strong chin, past those full lips, over the arched nose…
…Right into Cain’s breathtaking blue eyes.
All semblance of intelligent thought fled with the interlocking of their eyes. Ambrose drew in a sharp breath, and, unable to even figure out what he was doing, reached out to grab the Tin Man’s collar. Cain flinched slightly, surprised, but Ambrose wouldn’t- couldn’t- turn back. He tugged Cain down to his level, and kissed him full on the lips.
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Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 6:29 pm
Cain froze. A kiss. He hadn’t been kissed since… since Adora had died. And maybe it was because of that that he couldn’t kiss Ambrose back.
But the scientist felt the sudden tension, and immediately realized what he had done. Drawing away as quickly as he’d come, Ambrose stuttered out some mumbled apologies. He didn’t even give Cain a chance to say anything- just took off into the crowds without looking back. Cain watched him go, unable to do anything due to the muddle of emotions inside.
“You’d better go after him,” a voice spoke up from beside him. He glanced down to see DG staring up at him demandingly. “I mean it.”
For once, Cain decided not to argue. He took off after Ambrose, roughly pushing past the dancers on the floor and eliciting some yelps of outrage. At the moment, he couldn’t care less. He flung open the front doors, letting the cool night hair hit him like a ton of bricks. He hadn’t realized that the ballroom was so hot.
That didn’t matter right then, though. All that mattered was the figure wandering aimlessly a little ways ahead of him. “Glitch!” he called out, forgetting the man’s real name. “Hold up a second, there.”
Ambrose winced, but slowed down. He wanted nothing more than to run away, and never have to face the rejection he knew was about to come. He finally came to a halt in the pavilion beside the lake, where he rested his head against one of the columns and refused to meet Cain’s eyes. “What are you doing out here?”
“You know damn well what I’m doing out here,” was Cain’s brusque reply. He grabbed the scientist’s shoulder and spun him around so they were face to face. “What was that for?”
“I don’t know what you mean,” Ambrose said obstinately. He kept his eyes focused on Cain’s throat so that he wouldn’t get lost in those blue eyes.
Cain wasn’t going to allow that. He gripped Ambrose’s chin firmly and lifted his face up so their eyes would lock again. “Of course not. You’re only the one who kissed me!”
Ambrose blushed in embarrassment. “I didn’t mean to! It sort of just… came out! What was I supposed to do? Give you a warning? ‘Oh, Cain, just so you know, I’m going to kiss you now’!” His voice was slightly hysterical.
Lowering his hand, Cain stared at his companion’s panicked face. Obviously, Ambrose was not lying when he said that he didn’t know why. And now the scientist was obviously having a near panic attack about it. Cain couldn’t help but feel guilty. “Hey, Glitch- I mean, Ambrose. I didn’t mean it like-” Before he could finish his sentence, he was suddenly blinded by a scraggly mop of dark hair as the scientist buried his face in the Tin Man’s shirt. From the sound of it, Ambrose was crying.
Cain was certainly not prepared for this. Even Adora had never completely broken down in front of him like this! “Glitch?” Damn, he really had to get used to the man’s real name. “Ambrose?”
“Sorry.” Ambrose pulled away slightly, wiping his eyes. “I guess I’ll go now.” He shot an uncertain, sad smile up at the Tin Man, and took a step back. “I suppose… you’ll never want to talk to me again. And I completely understand- you had a wife, you have a son, you don’t go for other men. Yes, I can see precisely your point of view on the matter.” Even with a full brain, Ambrose was still as rambling as he had been as Glitch. “And now I’ll be on my way. Sorry, sorry, sorry for everything…”
“For everything?” Cain’s lips were pressed into a thin line. “Even for saving me from hypothermia? For taking out those Longcoats? For shutting down the witch’s machine? You’re sorry for all that?”
Ambrose shook his head frantically. “No! Of course not! I just meant-”
“And you’re sorry that you met DG? That you got your brain back?”
“No, no! I didn’t-”
“Sorry for saving Raw? Sorry for finding that shapeshifter? Sorry for-”
“Listen to me!” Ambrose begged, cutting through Cain’s harsh words. “I didn’t mean for any of that. I meant for kissing you. I meant… I’m sorry for falling in love with you.” His voice could barely be heard at the end, and, once again, he found himself unable to look Cain in the eye. “I’m sorry.”
“Falling in love with me?” Cain stared at the shorter man for a moment, only a moment, though it felt like forever to Ambrose. “Why the hell should you be sorry for that?”
And, before even Ambrose’s superior brain could register what was happening, Cain’s lips were crushed against his.
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Posted: Wed Dec 12, 2007 6:30 pm
The kiss was like nothing Ambrose had ever experienced before. It sent a shock of electricity through his body, from the top of his down to his toes. His knees went weak. Everything in his world was suddenly centered entirely on himself and Cain- big hands holding him in place, warm mouth pressed against his own, an earthy smell. He grabbed the Tin Man’s coat desperately, trying to keep the contact for as long as possible.
Eventually- much too soon for Ambrose’s liking- Cain pulled away. He kept his arms wrapped around the scientist’s waist. They stared at each other in silence for a minute, breathing heavily. “You have nothing to be sorry for,” Cain said quietly. And they kissed again.
This time, it was Ambrose who pulled away. “What about your wife?” he whispered anxiously.
Cain frowned. “Adora’s dead. I’ve finally accepted that. Besides…” He stopped, looking away. From the faint glow of the moon, and the distant shine of the castle windows, Ambrose could have sworn he was blushing. “She would have wanted me to move on. To… to be happy.”
“Happy?” Ambrose’s head swam with something that he couldn’t identify. His chest was tight, and all he wanted to do was kiss the Tin Man again. “You’re happy… with me?”
“Of course.” Cain leaned down, and their lips met again. After a minute or two, they pulled apart, and Cain continued. “Would I still be here if you didn’t?”
Ambrose chuckled, wrapping his arms around the Tin Man’s broad shoulders. “I suppose not.” He pressed his cheek against Cain’s shirt, and his smile widened. “Guess what I can hear?”
“What?”
“Your heart.” The scientist took hold of one of Cain’s hands, and pressed it over the man’s chest. “It’s back.”
Cain favored him with a confused half-smile. “It’s always been there.”
“But never for me.” Ambrose found himself staring deep into the taller man’s eyes. “It never beat for Glitch before.”
“Stupid.” The confusion fled Cain’s face, and the smile grew. “It always beat for Glitch.”
“And for Ambrose?”
“One and the same.”
Ambrose was grinning like an idiot, he could feel it. Still unable to look away from the Tin Man- his Tin Man- he suddenly heard a strain of music coming from the distant castle. He asked the first question that came to mind; “Wanna dance?”
Cain grinned. “I’ll lead- you follow.”
And dance they did.
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