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maggiebloome
Prompt: The difficulty of removing price-tags from gifts
Fandom: Firefly
Length: 519 words
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Simon stared, perplexed, at the object in his hand. It wasn't much, but it was something - and he honestly hoped that Kaylee would like it. Once upon a time on Osiris, he wouldn't have even thought of buying something so cheap as a present for someone he liked. Of course, he hadn't liked too many someones then, and none of them quite like Kaylee.
That, however, wasn't why he was perplexed.
The price tag simply refused to come off; refused to disappear forever into the distant memories of a doctor and a planetside shopkeeper. He carefully rubbed at it with surgical gauze and rubbing alcohol, hoping it'd either weaken the glue or bleach the writing. Simon was content to keep going until the price tag was gone; he was a top trauma surgeon in another life, and he'd performed longer and more difficult operations more times than he cared to count.
He'd even had a hamster named after him; something that made him grin, now. Something that made him feel special, like he'd made a real difference. Simon smiled at the thought, happy that Kaylee's cheerful nature and boundless optimism were starting to rub off on him.
Finally, the price tag gave in to his patient assault. He put the little bottle of alcohol away, took Kaylee's present, and started on his way to her bunk.
Mal swore quietly at the sink as Simon walked past. He wasn't fond of shipboard romances, but Kaylee and the doc did seem to get along well together.
Much better, in fact, than Mal and the little job at hand.
They'd left Greenleaf a few hours before, not long after Mal had returned from a last-minute shopping trip. He wanted something nice, something special, for when he finally got around to talking to her. It wasn't as precious or expensive as some of the things her client bought, but he hoped she'd like it.
It was the least of what he hoped, with regards to her; most of those hopes were what muddled him up and spun him about.
Mal worked at it, furiously scrubbing at the price tag. His attempts at steaming it off had so far made his fingertips a little sore, but he was making progress if the tiny balls of sticky paper were anything to go by. He rubbed at the tag until nothing was left but a faint mark where it had been.
It was then that the hard part came. He went back toward the cargo bay, turning toward her shuttle. For the thousandth time, he worked furiously to make up some excuse, some pretense to step in and talk; like most times, he came up empty. Of all the things that never went smooth, this one was by far the worst.
He sighed, dropped the gift into his coat pocket, and went back to his bunk. Once there, he put the pretty piece of precious into a box; a box that held so many other pretty things meant for her.
He wondered how many more times it'd take before he could finally do it.
maggiebloomePrompt: The difficulty of removing price-tags from gifts
Fandom: Firefly
Length: 519 words
Make a request
Simon stared, perplexed, at the object in his hand. It wasn't much, but it was something - and he honestly hoped that Kaylee would like it. Once upon a time on Osiris, he wouldn't have even thought of buying something so cheap as a present for someone he liked. Of course, he hadn't liked too many someones then, and none of them quite like Kaylee.
That, however, wasn't why he was perplexed.
The price tag simply refused to come off; refused to disappear forever into the distant memories of a doctor and a planetside shopkeeper. He carefully rubbed at it with surgical gauze and rubbing alcohol, hoping it'd either weaken the glue or bleach the writing. Simon was content to keep going until the price tag was gone; he was a top trauma surgeon in another life, and he'd performed longer and more difficult operations more times than he cared to count.
He'd even had a hamster named after him; something that made him grin, now. Something that made him feel special, like he'd made a real difference. Simon smiled at the thought, happy that Kaylee's cheerful nature and boundless optimism were starting to rub off on him.
Finally, the price tag gave in to his patient assault. He put the little bottle of alcohol away, took Kaylee's present, and started on his way to her bunk.
Mal swore quietly at the sink as Simon walked past. He wasn't fond of shipboard romances, but Kaylee and the doc did seem to get along well together.
Much better, in fact, than Mal and the little job at hand.
They'd left Greenleaf a few hours before, not long after Mal had returned from a last-minute shopping trip. He wanted something nice, something special, for when he finally got around to talking to her. It wasn't as precious or expensive as some of the things her client bought, but he hoped she'd like it.
It was the least of what he hoped, with regards to her; most of those hopes were what muddled him up and spun him about.
Mal worked at it, furiously scrubbing at the price tag. His attempts at steaming it off had so far made his fingertips a little sore, but he was making progress if the tiny balls of sticky paper were anything to go by. He rubbed at the tag until nothing was left but a faint mark where it had been.
It was then that the hard part came. He went back toward the cargo bay, turning toward her shuttle. For the thousandth time, he worked furiously to make up some excuse, some pretense to step in and talk; like most times, he came up empty. Of all the things that never went smooth, this one was by far the worst.
He sighed, dropped the gift into his coat pocket, and went back to his bunk. Once there, he put the pretty piece of precious into a box; a box that held so many other pretty things meant for her.
He wondered how many more times it'd take before he could finally do it.
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Date: 2006-01-28 05:12 am (UTC)no subject
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Date: 2006-01-28 07:38 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-28 04:50 pm (UTC)Do you have any suggestions?
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Date: 2006-01-28 08:01 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-28 04:52 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-28 04:11 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-28 04:51 pm (UTC)Fic: Priceless Gifts
Date: 2006-01-28 04:44 pm (UTC)I liked the "pretty piece of precious" and the whole box of them - oh, Mal.
And Simon/Kaylee, sweet.
Re: Fic: Priceless Gifts
Date: 2006-01-28 04:59 pm (UTC)I now have this odd mental image of Mal giving Inara the whole damn box one day. :)
Re: Fic: Priceless Gifts
Date: 2006-01-28 06:16 pm (UTC)He be sort of angry and desperate when he did. Or maybe distant, like he was giving everything up.
Re: Fic: Priceless Gifts
Date: 2006-01-28 06:34 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-28 08:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-29 03:54 am (UTC)