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asphaltcowgrrlTitle: Perils of Living with a Writer, 2014 A to Z challenge at 
1_million_words
Pairing: Travis Murphy/Ethan McDowell, both original characters
Rating: G for 'good god why does she keep posting this crap'?
Word Count: 1,173
Author's Note: The boys' story starts here, if you are so inclined.
Perils of Living with a Writer – Peril #2: Boredom
Ethan had a love/hate relationship with the overnight shift in a town as small as White Pine. On the one hand, it was always the easiest shift, with the exception of wintertime when all bets were off. No one was ever out and about, the lone bar closed at ten o’clock, and quiet was an understatement. On the other hand, it was often way too damn quiet for his tastes.
The good news was he finally had a chance to catch up on his to-be-read pile.
When the phone rang an hour into his shift, it had startled him. “White Pine Sheriff’s Office.”
“Eeeeethaaaan,” Travis moaned into the mouthpiece, bringing a smile to McDowell’s face, “I was wondering what you thought about paisley.”
He was speechless for a moment, trying to figure out what on earth his lover was talking about. “Well, I suppose that depends on paisley what. Brad, ties, and boxers are okay. Pretty much anything else is not.”
“Oh. Well, I was thinking the living room needed something and while I was online shopping – I know, it’s a curse – I found these paisley pillows and –”
“And don’t you have a novel you’re supposed to be working on? Isn’t that why you encouraged me to take these late shifts, because you write better in the god awful hours of the night?”
“Yeah,” Travis said, “I do. Suppose I ought to get back at it.”
“I suppose you should,” Ethan replied, grinning into the phone. “Good night, Travis.”
He was approximately nine pages into the newest James Patterson thriller when the phone rang again. “White Pine Sheriff’s Office. Officer McDowell speaking.”
“Hello, sexy detective,” Travis crooned. “What’s happening?”
“What now, Travis?” He hated getting angry because really, the night had been beyond boring so far and his lover was always a pleasant distraction. But the point was Travis had been avoiding what needed doing for days now. In other words, he was pretty much on par for deadline.
“I found myself famished, so while I was trolling the kitchen for sustenance,” another sign he was on deadline was the increased vocabulary, “and thought that maybe you might be in need of nourishment, too. Want me to bring you something? My mama sent some tamales home with me when I was in town this morning.”
“No, Travis,” Ethan said, firmly and to the point. “What I want for you to do is get your butt in gear and get back to work. You said yesterday that you were almost done.”
Travis sighed. “I am, but…”
“But?”
“But I think I’m bored,” he admitted.
“Bored? With this novel? With your life? What?” Travis Murphy could be a lot of things – sweet, sexy, irritating – but he was rarely, if ever, brief.
“I’m not sure. I think it’s just these characters. This is my fifth novel with this particular detective and I think I need a change.”
Okay, this was good, he could work with this. Especially considering how easy the answer was. “So, finish this novel and reward yourself with a new character. Build a new world, create a new life.”
Ethan stopped his words in their tracks. He suddenly realized he’d been spending way too much time with Murphy at this point, if he was starting to regurgitate his literary babble.
A laugh greeted him from over the phone line. “Sounds like I’m starting to rub off on you, detective.”
Ethan laughed along with him. “I think you might be right. I’ll make you a deal.”
“Okay. I’m listening.”
“You finish this book by the time I get home and I’ll give you a reward you’ll never forget.”
Silence filtered over the phone line, causing Ethan to idly wonder if Travis had dropped the phone and run back to his laptop. “Realllllly,” he drawled out the word, intrigued.
“Really, Travis. And you’ve got,” he checked his watch quickly, “exactly seven hours until I’m home.”
“Hah, challenge accepted, McDowell. See you at eight thirty.”
“See ya, Travis. Now get writing.” Ethan hung up the phone, taking mental bets on how long it would take Travis to call back. He gave him two hours, fifteen minutes.
He lost his own bet. It was four hours before he heard from his lover again.
“I did it,” Travis giggled into the receiver. “I finished it. So, what’s my reward?”
Ethan had to admit, he loved the boy’s enthusiasm. “The satisfaction of a job well done.”
“WHAT?” He could hear the sound of the phone being shuffled from one ear to the other. “What the hell does that mean because I was expecting some hot monkey morning sex you jerk.”
His amusement wasn’t easily contained. “Hey now, watch the name calling, I was just yanking your chain. How about a nice massage to work out all those kinks from being bent over your laptop? The hot monkey morning sex will have to wait until afternoon.”
Travis chuckled. “Okay, okay… I think I can live with that, even if I am silently protesting.”
“Protest all you want, but I think I might just sleep where I fall, I’m so tired.” A yawn escaped, punctuating his statement. “But I promise to make it up to you when I wake up.”
He thought this over for a moment before giving in. “Deal. But one problem.”
Oh God, what now? “What’s the problem, Trav?”
“Now that I’ve finished my book?”
“Yeah?” Ethan waited.
“Now, I’m really bored.”
Kill me now. “Get a hobby, honey, and let me get back to work, okay? I’ll be home in a few hours, four at the most.”
“You are my hobby,” he pouted. “Besides, you’re not even working. I bet you’re reading or playing Castleville on your phone.”
Guilty as charged. “That’s not the point. The point is, I’m at work and really shouldn’t be gabbing with my boyfriend on the phone like I’m fourteen.” That much, at least, was true.
He waited while Travis mulled this over. “All right, you have a point. I’ll be here, waiting, when you get home. I’ll have breakfast ready so don’t you dare be late. Understand me?”
Ethan grinned. “Yes, sir. I love it when you get controlling, Murphy.”
Travis’ entire demeanor changed. “I know you do, you kinky little thing, and I can’t wait until you’re home again.”
“Me either, now really, I need to go.” Home. And get naked. And…
“If you must, you must. Until we meet again, my love.”
“Goodnight Travis.”
Hanging up, he shook his head, charmed yet again by Travis’ goofy self. He half wished he could cut out early, but on the flip side, making Travis wait was always worth the effort. Even if the phone calls would start again in earnest the closer it came to quitting time. Picking his book back up, he had a niggling feeling that he wasn’t going to get the sleep he so desperately needed until afternoon.
He was pretty damn sure he could live with that.
C is here.
1_million_wordsPairing: Travis Murphy/Ethan McDowell, both original characters
Rating: G for 'good god why does she keep posting this crap'?
Word Count: 1,173
Author's Note: The boys' story starts here, if you are so inclined.
Perils of Living with a Writer – Peril #2: Boredom
Ethan had a love/hate relationship with the overnight shift in a town as small as White Pine. On the one hand, it was always the easiest shift, with the exception of wintertime when all bets were off. No one was ever out and about, the lone bar closed at ten o’clock, and quiet was an understatement. On the other hand, it was often way too damn quiet for his tastes.
The good news was he finally had a chance to catch up on his to-be-read pile.
When the phone rang an hour into his shift, it had startled him. “White Pine Sheriff’s Office.”
“Eeeeethaaaan,” Travis moaned into the mouthpiece, bringing a smile to McDowell’s face, “I was wondering what you thought about paisley.”
He was speechless for a moment, trying to figure out what on earth his lover was talking about. “Well, I suppose that depends on paisley what. Brad, ties, and boxers are okay. Pretty much anything else is not.”
“Oh. Well, I was thinking the living room needed something and while I was online shopping – I know, it’s a curse – I found these paisley pillows and –”
“And don’t you have a novel you’re supposed to be working on? Isn’t that why you encouraged me to take these late shifts, because you write better in the god awful hours of the night?”
“Yeah,” Travis said, “I do. Suppose I ought to get back at it.”
“I suppose you should,” Ethan replied, grinning into the phone. “Good night, Travis.”
He was approximately nine pages into the newest James Patterson thriller when the phone rang again. “White Pine Sheriff’s Office. Officer McDowell speaking.”
“Hello, sexy detective,” Travis crooned. “What’s happening?”
“What now, Travis?” He hated getting angry because really, the night had been beyond boring so far and his lover was always a pleasant distraction. But the point was Travis had been avoiding what needed doing for days now. In other words, he was pretty much on par for deadline.
“I found myself famished, so while I was trolling the kitchen for sustenance,” another sign he was on deadline was the increased vocabulary, “and thought that maybe you might be in need of nourishment, too. Want me to bring you something? My mama sent some tamales home with me when I was in town this morning.”
“No, Travis,” Ethan said, firmly and to the point. “What I want for you to do is get your butt in gear and get back to work. You said yesterday that you were almost done.”
Travis sighed. “I am, but…”
“But?”
“But I think I’m bored,” he admitted.
“Bored? With this novel? With your life? What?” Travis Murphy could be a lot of things – sweet, sexy, irritating – but he was rarely, if ever, brief.
“I’m not sure. I think it’s just these characters. This is my fifth novel with this particular detective and I think I need a change.”
Okay, this was good, he could work with this. Especially considering how easy the answer was. “So, finish this novel and reward yourself with a new character. Build a new world, create a new life.”
Ethan stopped his words in their tracks. He suddenly realized he’d been spending way too much time with Murphy at this point, if he was starting to regurgitate his literary babble.
A laugh greeted him from over the phone line. “Sounds like I’m starting to rub off on you, detective.”
Ethan laughed along with him. “I think you might be right. I’ll make you a deal.”
“Okay. I’m listening.”
“You finish this book by the time I get home and I’ll give you a reward you’ll never forget.”
Silence filtered over the phone line, causing Ethan to idly wonder if Travis had dropped the phone and run back to his laptop. “Realllllly,” he drawled out the word, intrigued.
“Really, Travis. And you’ve got,” he checked his watch quickly, “exactly seven hours until I’m home.”
“Hah, challenge accepted, McDowell. See you at eight thirty.”
“See ya, Travis. Now get writing.” Ethan hung up the phone, taking mental bets on how long it would take Travis to call back. He gave him two hours, fifteen minutes.
He lost his own bet. It was four hours before he heard from his lover again.
“I did it,” Travis giggled into the receiver. “I finished it. So, what’s my reward?”
Ethan had to admit, he loved the boy’s enthusiasm. “The satisfaction of a job well done.”
“WHAT?” He could hear the sound of the phone being shuffled from one ear to the other. “What the hell does that mean because I was expecting some hot monkey morning sex you jerk.”
His amusement wasn’t easily contained. “Hey now, watch the name calling, I was just yanking your chain. How about a nice massage to work out all those kinks from being bent over your laptop? The hot monkey morning sex will have to wait until afternoon.”
Travis chuckled. “Okay, okay… I think I can live with that, even if I am silently protesting.”
“Protest all you want, but I think I might just sleep where I fall, I’m so tired.” A yawn escaped, punctuating his statement. “But I promise to make it up to you when I wake up.”
He thought this over for a moment before giving in. “Deal. But one problem.”
Oh God, what now? “What’s the problem, Trav?”
“Now that I’ve finished my book?”
“Yeah?” Ethan waited.
“Now, I’m really bored.”
Kill me now. “Get a hobby, honey, and let me get back to work, okay? I’ll be home in a few hours, four at the most.”
“You are my hobby,” he pouted. “Besides, you’re not even working. I bet you’re reading or playing Castleville on your phone.”
Guilty as charged. “That’s not the point. The point is, I’m at work and really shouldn’t be gabbing with my boyfriend on the phone like I’m fourteen.” That much, at least, was true.
He waited while Travis mulled this over. “All right, you have a point. I’ll be here, waiting, when you get home. I’ll have breakfast ready so don’t you dare be late. Understand me?”
Ethan grinned. “Yes, sir. I love it when you get controlling, Murphy.”
Travis’ entire demeanor changed. “I know you do, you kinky little thing, and I can’t wait until you’re home again.”
“Me either, now really, I need to go.” Home. And get naked. And…
“If you must, you must. Until we meet again, my love.”
“Goodnight Travis.”
Hanging up, he shook his head, charmed yet again by Travis’ goofy self. He half wished he could cut out early, but on the flip side, making Travis wait was always worth the effort. Even if the phone calls would start again in earnest the closer it came to quitting time. Picking his book back up, he had a niggling feeling that he wasn’t going to get the sleep he so desperately needed until afternoon.
He was pretty damn sure he could live with that.
C is here.
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Date: 2014-01-18 12:56 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2014-01-29 10:02 pm (UTC)