jackwabbit | New Fic: Bearthday Blues

Bearthday Blues

Fandom: Star Trek Discovery
Rated: PG
Category: Culmets. RickyVerse. Angst. Emotional Hurt/Comfort.
Word Count: 244
Season: Three or Later.
Spoilers: None/General Series Knowledge Only.
Summary: Birthdays are often cause for celebration, but sometimes, they bring up painful reminders, too.
Note: Another Ricky story, because I just can’t help myself. Also, this one is for Greykell, because it's their birthday. Also also, this one is getting posted in its original, off the cuff form, without any regard to word count. The drabble writer in me wants to shrink or stretch this to 200 or 300 words, respectively, but if you've taught me nothing else, it's that we all should be true to ourselves, and this one is doing just that at 244. Love you, mama bird.

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Hugh is sitting on the bed when Paul comes home. He’s got Ricky in his lap, and he’s slowly running the lapel of Ricky’s once very fine coat between his thumb and index finger. It’s the right lapel. The one now threadbare from Hugh’s fidgeting through the decades.

He looks thoughtful, and Paul cants his head to one side as he regards him.

"Hugh?”

Hugh looks up, startled.

“Sorry,” says Paul.

Hugh shakes his head lightly. “That’s ok. Just didn’t hear you come in.”

Paul’s brow furrows at that. It’s unlike Hugh to be oblivious. “You okay?”

Hugh nods but also shrugs.

Paul raises an eyebrow.

“That wasn’t very convincing,” he says.

Hugh chuckles.

“I’m ok. Just...”

Paul sits next to Hugh on the bed.

“What?”

Hugh’s looking down at Ricky again, and after a long moment, he looks up and meets Paul’s eyes. There’s a sheen of unshed tears in his and Paul is about to ask what’s wrong when Hugh speaks.

“It’s just... tomorrow’s my birthday.”

Paul looks confused. “And?”

Hugh swallows thickly.

“And my grandmother made this. For my birthday.”

He gestures at Ricky’s outfit, and Paul’s face crumples.

“Oh, honey,” he says, voice sad.

Hugh sniffs and sits up enough for Paul to get his arms around him.

They stay like that, Paul holding Hugh and Hugh holding Ricky, until the tears have passed.

Then they move on. And they face the thirty-second century the only way they can. Together.