Nothing (White Pine Original Fiction)
Apr. 4th, 2024 11:05 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
asphaltcowgrrlTitle: Nothing
Fandom: White Pine Original Fiction
Pairing: Ethan McDowell/Travis Murphy
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 467
Summary: Travis is doing what he does best.
Author’s Note: Written for the A to Z challenge at 1_million_words. The letter was N.
“What are you doing,” Ethan asked, seeing Travis sprawled on the couch, staring at the ceiling.
“Nothing,” Travis replied, not looking at his husband.
“Are you feeling okay,” Ethan asked, starting to worry a bit.
Travis, on the average, was pretty healthy. But he was prone to bouts of depression that could get nasty at times. He’d rather have the love of his life down with a horrible disease than dealing with one of his so-called ‘blue moments’. That utter desperation and despondency was more than Ethan could handle. Especially since Travis was a generally happy person.
“Yeah, E, I’m fine,” he said, turning his head to smile at Ethan. “Just enjoying a bit of downtime while I can.”
Ethan smiled. “You must have finished your book.” He’d been working hard to beat his deadline these last several weeks.
“I did,” Travis said, smiling at the ceiling.
“Mrowrrrr,” came a call from the back of the couch.
Travis reached a hand up and petted the extraordinarily large cat that had appeared out of nowhere. “My thoughts exactly, Brennan.”
“How on earth did you know it was her,” Ethan asked. “You can’t possibly see her.”
“I know my baby girl’s meows,” he said, winking at Ethan.
“Only you,” he chuckled. “But I’m glad you’re okay. Seeing you laying there... staring at nothing worried me.”
Travis turned his head to look at Ethan again. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to worry you. But sometimes, it’s nice to just – be.”
“Yeah, don’t know what that’s like, Murph. My mind is always going a mile a minute, even though I don’t have any tough cases to work since relocating to this hole in the wall of a town.”
Despite himself, Travis laughed. “Don’t you dare call White Pine a hole in the wall, you city slicker!”
It was an old joke. Ethan had relocated from Minden Lake the ‘big city’ as the locals called it. Although, even Minden Lake was a backwater town when compared to real big cities. He sat up and propped his feet on the coffee table. Patting the couch next to him, Travis said, “Sit.”
Ethan gave him a dubious look, but complied.
“Put your feet up for a minute,” he said, motioning towards the coffee table. “Relax for a change, Detective.”
Reluctantly, Ethan did as he was told, propping his feet on the table beside Travis’. Leaning back, he rested his head on Travis’ shoulder. Travis toyed with a lock of Ethan’s hair, Brennan hopping down onto the couch, curling into the space between them.
“I couldn’t do this all the time,” Ethan murmured. “But it is nice once in a while.”
“To just be,” Travis asked.
“To just be here, with you.” A furry head butted his elbow. “With you and the cats, that is.”
Fandom: White Pine Original Fiction
Pairing: Ethan McDowell/Travis Murphy
Rating: PG-13
Word Count: 467
Summary: Travis is doing what he does best.
Author’s Note: Written for the A to Z challenge at 1_million_words. The letter was N.
“What are you doing,” Ethan asked, seeing Travis sprawled on the couch, staring at the ceiling.
“Nothing,” Travis replied, not looking at his husband.
“Are you feeling okay,” Ethan asked, starting to worry a bit.
Travis, on the average, was pretty healthy. But he was prone to bouts of depression that could get nasty at times. He’d rather have the love of his life down with a horrible disease than dealing with one of his so-called ‘blue moments’. That utter desperation and despondency was more than Ethan could handle. Especially since Travis was a generally happy person.
“Yeah, E, I’m fine,” he said, turning his head to smile at Ethan. “Just enjoying a bit of downtime while I can.”
Ethan smiled. “You must have finished your book.” He’d been working hard to beat his deadline these last several weeks.
“I did,” Travis said, smiling at the ceiling.
“Mrowrrrr,” came a call from the back of the couch.
Travis reached a hand up and petted the extraordinarily large cat that had appeared out of nowhere. “My thoughts exactly, Brennan.”
“How on earth did you know it was her,” Ethan asked. “You can’t possibly see her.”
“I know my baby girl’s meows,” he said, winking at Ethan.
“Only you,” he chuckled. “But I’m glad you’re okay. Seeing you laying there... staring at nothing worried me.”
Travis turned his head to look at Ethan again. “I’m sorry, I didn’t mean to worry you. But sometimes, it’s nice to just – be.”
“Yeah, don’t know what that’s like, Murph. My mind is always going a mile a minute, even though I don’t have any tough cases to work since relocating to this hole in the wall of a town.”
Despite himself, Travis laughed. “Don’t you dare call White Pine a hole in the wall, you city slicker!”
It was an old joke. Ethan had relocated from Minden Lake the ‘big city’ as the locals called it. Although, even Minden Lake was a backwater town when compared to real big cities. He sat up and propped his feet on the coffee table. Patting the couch next to him, Travis said, “Sit.”
Ethan gave him a dubious look, but complied.
“Put your feet up for a minute,” he said, motioning towards the coffee table. “Relax for a change, Detective.”
Reluctantly, Ethan did as he was told, propping his feet on the table beside Travis’. Leaning back, he rested his head on Travis’ shoulder. Travis toyed with a lock of Ethan’s hair, Brennan hopping down onto the couch, curling into the space between them.
“I couldn’t do this all the time,” Ethan murmured. “But it is nice once in a while.”
“To just be,” Travis asked.
“To just be here, with you.” A furry head butted his elbow. “With you and the cats, that is.”
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2024-04-05 01:29 am (UTC)Aaawww so cute.
no subject
Date: 2024-04-05 06:56 pm (UTC)Thanks! :D
no subject
Date: 2024-04-05 04:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-04-05 06:54 pm (UTC)Thank you! :)
no subject
Date: 2024-04-05 07:34 pm (UTC)Aw sweet!
no subject
Date: 2024-04-06 12:11 am (UTC)Thank you!
no subject
Date: 2024-04-17 07:54 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2024-04-17 05:26 pm (UTC)Thank you! These two mirror my life a little too closely sometimes. 🤣