Microfic - The Donald Strachey Mysteries - Chrysalis

[nyteflyer]

Title: Chrysalis by NyteFlyer
Fandom: The Donald Strachey Mysteries
Characters: Donald/Timmy
Rating: R for language
Word count: 500
Author's note:  written for 15_minute_fic prompt #197




I had to face facts – Donald was a couch potato. Who could blame him, really? He worked hard, sometimes going weeks at a time without taking a day off. When he did have some time to himself, he liked to spend it barricaded in our apartment, sitting around in grungy underwear and a five o’clock shadow that was actively mutating into a three-day-old beard, eating garbage and scratching whatever he felt like scratching as he stared at the television, preferably with me by his side.

I was more of a social butterfly, I suppose, though the image that brings to mind gives me what my Grandmother O’Connell used to call the collywobbles. I liked people, and I liked to go out, be involved, feel useful – even if it was on my own time rather than on the Senator’s. I had a specific vision of what “feeling useful” entailed, and it had nothing to do with sitting around in my underwear, staring at a 24-inch screen until my eyes glazed over.

Then I met Donald.

Donald Strachey needed me, I mean really needed me, in a way no one had ever needed me before. I don’t mean he just needed me to take care of him, though the first time I looked under the bed at his old apartment, I knew that was always going to be a part of it, too. Beyond that, I mean he needed to be needed by me as well, needed to know he fulfilled my needs, that I’d never take all he had to give then go off to search for something more.

How could anyone ever need more than Donald had to give? What Donald gave me was simply…everything.

He hated black-tie events, yet anytime I asked him to, he pulled on “that goddamned miserable monkey suit” I’d “made” him buy and endured cocktail parties and fundraiser banquets, gay rights rallies and political caucuses – anything I’d committed us to attending with or without his expressed blessing. Although he spent a prerequisite amount of time there griping about his too-tight shoes or his watered-down drink, the rubber chicken entrée or the endless speeches, he rarely left my side, making it crystal clear that while he was “bored to tears, Timothy. I mean bored to fucking tears,” he was never, ever bored with me.

Needless to say, the feeling was mutual.

Donald gave up ESPN for TMC.  I overlooked the grungy shorts as long as he covered them with a slightly less grungy bathrobe.  As time went on, I found myself enjoying our nights in more than our nights out. I learned the undeniable comfort and wanton pleasure of cocooning – though in this case, the butterfly shed his wings in the process. Now, with that constant, restless urge to flitter between social and political venues behind me, I’m far more butter than fly, and I’m always willing to pour myself over a certain couch potato whenever those sky-blue eyes of his leave the new flat screen to meet mine.

After we share a refreshing shower and shave, of course.

Comments

[storyfan.livejournal.com]

You've given us a lovely picture of their lives, over many years, in only 490 words. You showed Tim changing and growing and realizing what's important without worrying about what he's missing. This, my dear, is character development at its finest.

[nyteflyer.livejournal.com]

Glad you enjoyed my wee bit of instant fluff! And thanks for reminding this non-watcher of that thing referred to as television of the existance of certain cable networks. Oh, and it's officially 513 words now. Too verbose???

[lil-1337.livejournal.com]

That was wonderful. The whole flow of the piece and how we can see Timmy and Donald both change to meet each other's needs.

The last line was classic Timmy!

[nyteflyer.livejournal.com]

It was a fun little freewriting challenge, and I'm pleased that it pleased you! :)

[minttown1.livejournal.com]

This is beautiful.

[nyteflyer.livejournal.com]

Thank you so much! :)

[msmaxine.livejournal.com]

You said so much in just a few words. I can hear Timmy telling this story and appreciating how they have grown over the years together.

[nyteflyer.livejournal.com]

I see Timmy as a man who understands what his priorities should be. Thanks for reading!

[lady529.livejournal.com]

Love that last line there <3 I knew Timmy wouldn't let Don let himself completely go, work or no work!

The Lady 529

[nyteflyer.livejournal.com]

Hey, a man's gotta have standards, right? Thanks for taking the time to comment!

[lady529.livejournal.com]

Well, that man certainly has them : )

Not at all, I'm just really happy to see a new fic from you : D

The Lady 529

[candyjbshsc.livejournal.com]

There's a lot to be said for couch-potatoing when you have a demanding job. I think Timmy's job is demanding, but Donald's might be more physically demanding, so I can see him camping out in front of the tube, and thinking he'd found Nirvana if Timmy camped out there with him. ;-) You've captured their sweet domesticity here perfectly.

[nyteflyer.livejournal.com]

Glad you enjoyed this. I love doing microfics -- need to do more of them! Perhaps what his fandom needs is a challenge....