asphaltcowgrrl (![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png)
asphaltcowgrrl) wrote2016-06-20 02:20 pm
asphaltcowgrrl) wrote2016-06-20 02:20 pm
Entry tags:
Baby You Can Drive My Truck (Romani Detective Original Fiction)
Title: Baby You Can Drive My Truck
Fandom: Romani Detective original fiction
Pairing: Andrej Zeklos + Zayne Reyes
Rating: PG-13 for some language
Word Count: 1,412
Summary: Zeklos needs a driver’s license so he asks Zayne for help.
Author’s Note:![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
sharpiesgal prompted this scenario on comment_fic a while back, but since my response didn’t exactly fit the day’s theme, I held onto it to post here. Pre-slash. Way, way, way pre-slash. Like way back to the beginning of their partnership. Also inspired by trying to teach my 16-year-old to drive. Or rather, me riding in the backseat while my husband does the teaching.
“Hold up, you want me to teach you how to drive?” Zayne scrubbed his hand over his mouth, thinking. “How the hell do you not know how to drive, Zek?” He shook his head, obviously not believing what he was hearing. “Do you not have cars in Romania?”
Zeklos frowned. “There are cars in my homeland, Zayne, but my family was too poor to own one.” They were too poor for a lot of things, but that wasn’t the point.
“How the hell did you get around then?” Reyes had shoved his hands into his pockets, rocking back onto his heels.
Apparently the thought of using your feet was beyond the Texan’s comprehension or he wouldn’t have asked the question. “We walked,” Andrej replied. “Sometimes, if we were lucky, we rode.”
“Rode what? A bike?” Zayne still looked confused, but Andrej couldn’t blame him. His partner had grown up in a moderately middle class family in a rich country, not having a car was an oddity for him.
“No,” Zeklos said, feeling a little humiliated. “A horse. Our neighbor sometimes loaned us his when we needed to go far outside our village.” It had all seemed perfectly normal back then but now he was beginning to wonder if he truly was as backwards as Zayne accused him of being.
“A what?” Reyes held up his hands and laughed. “Oh gods, this is some real Little House on the Prairie shit, Zek. You’d ride a horse? To school?”
It was pointless to try and explain anything to Zayne when he was like this. Much easier to let him ride the waves of his amusement until it petered out on its own. Besides, launching into a dissertation on the bond between a Romani and his horse didn’t seem prudent. “Does this mean you will not train me?”
Zayne’s eyebrows pulled down towards his nose. He was incredibly handsome when he was being serious. “No baby, I will teach you how to drive, if that’s what you want. But you don’t have a car, do you?”
Zeklos shook his head. “No, I do not. I was going to purchase one once I had my license.”
“Kind of hard to learn to drive without a vehicle,” Zayne remarked.
“Even more difficult to get this vehicle home when you don’t know how to drive,” Andrej countered.
“Good point.” Zayne scratched at the stubble growing along his cheek and thought for a moment. “I can teach you in my truck,” he said finally. “And you can even take the test in it if you’d like but…”
xx
“Turn the wheel, Zek,” Zayne said, pointing to the left. “No, turn the other way. TURN. God, you’re going to kill us both.”
Putting his foot onto the brake, Andrej glared at his partner. “Now you know how I feel when you’re speeding on the highway.”
“I never speed,” Zayne lied. He waved a hand at the steering wheel. “Try it again. Back straight out and then turn the goddamned wheel, Zek. LEFT.”
Forcibly ignoring his partner, Zeklos put the car into reverse, rolled backwards and cranked the wheel. Amazingly enough, he was facing the correct way down the parking lot. “Interesting.”
“What’s interesting,” Reyes asked. “That the car does what it’s supposed to when you listen to me?”
“I don’t like you very much right now,” Andrej sighed, putting the car into drive. “Where are we going?”
“Forward. Drive.” Reyes pointed a finger at the windshield. “That way.”
xx
Zayne reached out and stopped Andrej before he could exit the vehicle. “You sure you’re ready for this, Zek? I mean, you have a few weeks left before your learner’s permit expires, why not make use of them?” He was beginning to wonder if he was more nervous than his partner.
Andrej rested the length of his fingers across the back of Reyes’ hand. “Thank you, Zayne,” he said. “But I think I am finally competent to take my test.”
“Good damn thing it’s not an English test,” Zayne teased. “Okay then, let’s go inside and see how you do, buddy.”
Once inside the DMV, Zayne took a seat and settled in, knowing that although Zeklos had an appointment, they might be here for a while. Sometime later, a disgruntled Andrej dropped into the seat beside him, frowning. “What’s the matter, baby? Forget something?”
Zeklos shook his head. “No, I have all the documentation I need for my license test.”
“So, why the face?” Although it was a nice face, round and attractive and mature, it wasn’t a happy face.
“I don’t understand,” Andrej said, two dark eyebrows scrunching together in confusion. “It is my face, Zayne.”
Reyes laughed. “No, I meant you looked ticked off about something. What’s wrong?”
“Oh.” Andrej looked back in the direction he’d come from and glowered. “The people in this country are not fond of immigrants.”
“That can be very, very true,” Zayne agreed. “Not that this helps but a lot of people look at me and automatically assume I’m stupid and can’t speak English, so I know where you’re coming from. But don’t let these jackass government employees get you down. Soon, you’ll have your license and then you can drive me to lunch.”
That made Zek smile. “I owe you more than that,” he said, nodding. “But we can start there.”
Eventually, Zeklos was called back for his test and Zayne dutifully handed over the keys to his truck. They’d had a few discussions about this and, in the end, Zayne had won. Although Hilary had offered up the use of her car for the event, Reyes had been worried that one or the other of them might wreck her brand new Toyota and that would not be a good thing at all. If anything, Zek could ram Zayne’s old Dodge into a wall and the beast wouldn’t be any worse for wear, although Zayne’s heart might be a little dented.
After what felt like an eternity, Zeklos returned, the barest hint of a smile on his face. Reyes was stuck between excitement and dread and forced himself to focus on the excitement. “So,” he asked as Andrej approached. “How did you do?”
“I passed,” Zek grinned, blue eyes bright with delight. “A perfect score, the lady said.”
Of fucking course he got a perfect score, the little rat. He’d passed the written portion with flying colors as well. Same with his detective’s exam. Made Zayne sick, to tell the truth, but hell, he’d known his partner was an overachiever. “Awesome, Zek, I’m so proud.” And he was.
“Now I owe you food,” Andrej said, taking the keys and handing them back to their owner. “Seems like I’m always feeding you, Zayne.”
“You’re a good mama hen,” Reyes teased. “Let’s go get some food and I’ll treat you to ice cream after, as a reward for a job well done.”
“I couldn’t have done it without your help,” Zeklos said, smiling.
It wasn’t just any smile though. No, it was the smile that Zayne never could quite figure out that was being directed at him currently. It was part amusement, part fascination, part something else just beyond his comprehension. Whenever that odd smile snuck onto Zek’s face, it made Reyes’ insides do weird, unexplainable things. Things that, when he’d tried to explain it all to Hilary, had gotten him laughed at by that vixen, Rollins. Eh, what the hell did Trish know anyway?
“It was nothing,” Zayne said, turning his face away, unable to bear the confusion any longer. “You want Ricardo’s for lunch? A nice veggie quesadilla maybe? Oh, and they have sopapillas for dessert, Zek.”
“I thought you said I could have ice cream,” Andrej said, face serious.
Zayne blinked. “Okay, so I think you’re bullshitting me, but just in case you’re not, why don’t we try that pizza joint down towards your place. You know the fancy one in the mall?”
“Where they have those churros you like so much,” Zeklos finished for him.
That goddamned smile lit Andrej’s face again. “Yes,” Zayne said, pointing at his partner and ignoring his flip flopping belly. “And they come with ice cream, so it’s a win-win.”
“There’s a Ben and Jerry’s there, too,” Zek reminded him.
“Okay, fine,” Zayne said, trying not to grin. “Pizza, churros and Ben and Jerry’s because we’re awesome.” And because why the hell not, right? If Zeklos wanted churros and ice cream, who was he to argue?
Fandom: Romani Detective original fiction
Pairing: Andrej Zeklos + Zayne Reyes
Rating: PG-13 for some language
Word Count: 1,412
Summary: Zeklos needs a driver’s license so he asks Zayne for help.
Author’s Note:
sharpiesgal prompted this scenario on comment_fic a while back, but since my response didn’t exactly fit the day’s theme, I held onto it to post here. Pre-slash. Way, way, way pre-slash. Like way back to the beginning of their partnership. Also inspired by trying to teach my 16-year-old to drive. Or rather, me riding in the backseat while my husband does the teaching.“Hold up, you want me to teach you how to drive?” Zayne scrubbed his hand over his mouth, thinking. “How the hell do you not know how to drive, Zek?” He shook his head, obviously not believing what he was hearing. “Do you not have cars in Romania?”
Zeklos frowned. “There are cars in my homeland, Zayne, but my family was too poor to own one.” They were too poor for a lot of things, but that wasn’t the point.
“How the hell did you get around then?” Reyes had shoved his hands into his pockets, rocking back onto his heels.
Apparently the thought of using your feet was beyond the Texan’s comprehension or he wouldn’t have asked the question. “We walked,” Andrej replied. “Sometimes, if we were lucky, we rode.”
“Rode what? A bike?” Zayne still looked confused, but Andrej couldn’t blame him. His partner had grown up in a moderately middle class family in a rich country, not having a car was an oddity for him.
“No,” Zeklos said, feeling a little humiliated. “A horse. Our neighbor sometimes loaned us his when we needed to go far outside our village.” It had all seemed perfectly normal back then but now he was beginning to wonder if he truly was as backwards as Zayne accused him of being.
“A what?” Reyes held up his hands and laughed. “Oh gods, this is some real Little House on the Prairie shit, Zek. You’d ride a horse? To school?”
It was pointless to try and explain anything to Zayne when he was like this. Much easier to let him ride the waves of his amusement until it petered out on its own. Besides, launching into a dissertation on the bond between a Romani and his horse didn’t seem prudent. “Does this mean you will not train me?”
Zayne’s eyebrows pulled down towards his nose. He was incredibly handsome when he was being serious. “No baby, I will teach you how to drive, if that’s what you want. But you don’t have a car, do you?”
Zeklos shook his head. “No, I do not. I was going to purchase one once I had my license.”
“Kind of hard to learn to drive without a vehicle,” Zayne remarked.
“Even more difficult to get this vehicle home when you don’t know how to drive,” Andrej countered.
“Good point.” Zayne scratched at the stubble growing along his cheek and thought for a moment. “I can teach you in my truck,” he said finally. “And you can even take the test in it if you’d like but…”
xx
“Turn the wheel, Zek,” Zayne said, pointing to the left. “No, turn the other way. TURN. God, you’re going to kill us both.”
Putting his foot onto the brake, Andrej glared at his partner. “Now you know how I feel when you’re speeding on the highway.”
“I never speed,” Zayne lied. He waved a hand at the steering wheel. “Try it again. Back straight out and then turn the goddamned wheel, Zek. LEFT.”
Forcibly ignoring his partner, Zeklos put the car into reverse, rolled backwards and cranked the wheel. Amazingly enough, he was facing the correct way down the parking lot. “Interesting.”
“What’s interesting,” Reyes asked. “That the car does what it’s supposed to when you listen to me?”
“I don’t like you very much right now,” Andrej sighed, putting the car into drive. “Where are we going?”
“Forward. Drive.” Reyes pointed a finger at the windshield. “That way.”
xx
Zayne reached out and stopped Andrej before he could exit the vehicle. “You sure you’re ready for this, Zek? I mean, you have a few weeks left before your learner’s permit expires, why not make use of them?” He was beginning to wonder if he was more nervous than his partner.
Andrej rested the length of his fingers across the back of Reyes’ hand. “Thank you, Zayne,” he said. “But I think I am finally competent to take my test.”
“Good damn thing it’s not an English test,” Zayne teased. “Okay then, let’s go inside and see how you do, buddy.”
Once inside the DMV, Zayne took a seat and settled in, knowing that although Zeklos had an appointment, they might be here for a while. Sometime later, a disgruntled Andrej dropped into the seat beside him, frowning. “What’s the matter, baby? Forget something?”
Zeklos shook his head. “No, I have all the documentation I need for my license test.”
“So, why the face?” Although it was a nice face, round and attractive and mature, it wasn’t a happy face.
“I don’t understand,” Andrej said, two dark eyebrows scrunching together in confusion. “It is my face, Zayne.”
Reyes laughed. “No, I meant you looked ticked off about something. What’s wrong?”
“Oh.” Andrej looked back in the direction he’d come from and glowered. “The people in this country are not fond of immigrants.”
“That can be very, very true,” Zayne agreed. “Not that this helps but a lot of people look at me and automatically assume I’m stupid and can’t speak English, so I know where you’re coming from. But don’t let these jackass government employees get you down. Soon, you’ll have your license and then you can drive me to lunch.”
That made Zek smile. “I owe you more than that,” he said, nodding. “But we can start there.”
Eventually, Zeklos was called back for his test and Zayne dutifully handed over the keys to his truck. They’d had a few discussions about this and, in the end, Zayne had won. Although Hilary had offered up the use of her car for the event, Reyes had been worried that one or the other of them might wreck her brand new Toyota and that would not be a good thing at all. If anything, Zek could ram Zayne’s old Dodge into a wall and the beast wouldn’t be any worse for wear, although Zayne’s heart might be a little dented.
After what felt like an eternity, Zeklos returned, the barest hint of a smile on his face. Reyes was stuck between excitement and dread and forced himself to focus on the excitement. “So,” he asked as Andrej approached. “How did you do?”
“I passed,” Zek grinned, blue eyes bright with delight. “A perfect score, the lady said.”
Of fucking course he got a perfect score, the little rat. He’d passed the written portion with flying colors as well. Same with his detective’s exam. Made Zayne sick, to tell the truth, but hell, he’d known his partner was an overachiever. “Awesome, Zek, I’m so proud.” And he was.
“Now I owe you food,” Andrej said, taking the keys and handing them back to their owner. “Seems like I’m always feeding you, Zayne.”
“You’re a good mama hen,” Reyes teased. “Let’s go get some food and I’ll treat you to ice cream after, as a reward for a job well done.”
“I couldn’t have done it without your help,” Zeklos said, smiling.
It wasn’t just any smile though. No, it was the smile that Zayne never could quite figure out that was being directed at him currently. It was part amusement, part fascination, part something else just beyond his comprehension. Whenever that odd smile snuck onto Zek’s face, it made Reyes’ insides do weird, unexplainable things. Things that, when he’d tried to explain it all to Hilary, had gotten him laughed at by that vixen, Rollins. Eh, what the hell did Trish know anyway?
“It was nothing,” Zayne said, turning his face away, unable to bear the confusion any longer. “You want Ricardo’s for lunch? A nice veggie quesadilla maybe? Oh, and they have sopapillas for dessert, Zek.”
“I thought you said I could have ice cream,” Andrej said, face serious.
Zayne blinked. “Okay, so I think you’re bullshitting me, but just in case you’re not, why don’t we try that pizza joint down towards your place. You know the fancy one in the mall?”
“Where they have those churros you like so much,” Zeklos finished for him.
That goddamned smile lit Andrej’s face again. “Yes,” Zayne said, pointing at his partner and ignoring his flip flopping belly. “And they come with ice cream, so it’s a win-win.”
“There’s a Ben and Jerry’s there, too,” Zek reminded him.
“Okay, fine,” Zayne said, trying not to grin. “Pizza, churros and Ben and Jerry’s because we’re awesome.” And because why the hell not, right? If Zeklos wanted churros and ice cream, who was he to argue?