Binary Star by slick_puppy Resolutions
Jan. 8th, 2006 06:33 pm![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
melissima.livejournal.com posting in ![[community profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/community.png){kind=small}
numb3rsflashficTitle: Binary Star
Challenge: Resolutions
Pairing/Characters: reference to Amita/Marshall, and squinty Don/Charlie
Rating/Category: FRT because nothing happens and only Charlie knows...
Spoilers: Convergence
Length: 1056 words
Summary: Basically Gen. Amita comes back from winter break to find a surprisingly mellow Charlie.
A/N: I offer endless gratitude to my wonderful betas,![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
raeyashi and Casey and a special thank you to emmademarais for reading a very early attempt, and for suggesting ways to discover the story I wanted to tell.
Res o lu tion: Physics & Chemistry. The act or process of separating or reducing something into its constituent parts: the prismatic resolution of sunlight into its spectral colors.
Amita walked up to the open door of Charlie’s office, forcing herself to square her shoulders and stop tapping the envelope against her thigh. The confident line of his back looked like he could’ve been working, but he was standing at the window, sunlight refracted by the hanging crystal sprinkling his deep blue shirt, and there was no chalk or marker in his hand. “Hey, Charlie.” she said, stepping inside.
“Amita, Hey! Happy New year.” said Charlie over his shoulder.
She was reminded of the day, over a year ago, when she'd come to remind him to meet Larry. Managing his loose ends had been her privilege, then, in return for his grateful smiles and his shoulder brushing hers as they stood at the blackboard. “Same to you.” She watched him turn and lean back against the panes. “You look like you had a good break,” she said.
“Yeah, I did.” he said softly. His eyelashes flicked to the side and he pressed his lips together, showing dimples; then he met her gaze. “You look good, too. Did you get out to Princeton like you planned? Larry mentioned that you were headed out there.”
“Y-Yes.” She knew he'd assume she would see Marshall-- but she hadn’t wanted to see the hurt in his eyes, so she’d kept busy, given neither of them a chance to mention it-- and now here she was, and Charlie knew, and he was leaning on the window, talking about it like a trip to the book store or something. She was glad, but the change was a bit disorienting. “Listen, I--”
“It’s all right, Amita. Really. We're colleagues, friends. I want you to be happy.” His eyes crinkled at the corners, and there was a slight rumble in his voice-- it left no question in her mind. Something was going on.
She had spent a lot of time with Charlie over the last few years: She'd seen him laser-focused on a problem, effervescent in the classroom, suffering over his brother’s dangerous work, humiliated by Marshall's criticism. Whatever emotional state Charlie was in, he felt it to the Nth power. He radiated it. More than once she'd found herself resonating with his pain, his joy-- only to have him implode like a black hole and disappear into his head, leaving her to struggle in the sudden vacuum. She knew his family felt it too; he drew them all in without malice, as a dying star would; still, no one could get too close without getting crushed.
Seeing him this relaxed unnerved her. She wanted to question him, but she clamped her teeth shut; whatever this new thing with Charlie was, maybe it meant they could still be friends. She wanted to preserve it.
“It's really good to see you.” he said, coming over to park on the corner of his desk, one foot swaying in midair.
She caught herself slapping the envelope against her leg again, so she held it out to him, steeling herself with a deep breath. “The Math Department at Princeton would send this, but I-- was asked to give it to you personally,” she said. He took it, and she stuffed her fingers in her back pockets. “They'd like you to give a talk on the Penfield variation.”
He passed his hand over his mouth as he read, screening a grin. “Hmmm... Princeton in February could be perfect...” he mumbled into his fingers.
A pattern clicked into place in her mind: his expression, the relaxed lines of his body, and his acceptance of her spending time with Marshall Penfield meant-- “Charlie, you’ve met someone.” She wondered how strong that person must be, to give in to his pull and not be afraid.
The hand at his lips moved to riffle through the back of his hair, forcing the front to fall down over his eyes when he tucked his chin. “Something like that.”
“That’s great!” She sat in his dusty guest chair and propped her elbows on her knees. “Where did you meet?”
Charlie’s shoulders lost their easy tilt, and he cleared his throat before he spoke, twisting to push the invitation into a tray on his desk . “We’ve um, kind of known each other forever.”
“Never mind, It's--” She put out a hand, but stopped short of touching him.
He shook himself and turned back to her, puffing a breath before a smile spread across his face again. “You’re a good friend, Amita.”
The guilt she'd felt ever since the day of Marshall's presentation at CalSci drained out of her at last. “So I guess that means a double date is out?”
“With you and Penfield?” He chuckled. She blinked. He was actually laughing about dinner with Marshall. “That was always out!”
“It's good to see you happy, Charlie.” she said. A subdued regret washed over her as she rose to leave, like star shine illuminating the part of her that envied someone who could hold on through all his phases-- who had enough patience and energy to sustain him when he had nothing left to share.
“Hey, I could use your help later,” he said, “ if you're up for it.” It might have sounded like a lapse into their perennial roles, but his warm tone of voice shaped a light invitation.
“FBI stuff?”
“No. This is more your style.” he said, leaning forward, “I've been asked to look at a new model for predicting the x-ray output of binary stars.” He waved languidly at the window. “I'd like to get a look at a few of the closer ones, and get telescope data for as many as possible. Do you have time to meet me after dinner? We could go talk to the astronomy people.”
Binary stars. Maybe that was a little like this new mood from Charlie-- one fluctuating star nurtured by a stronger one, making a stable orbit possible. “Okay, but I'm not going to flirt with them for you this time.” she teased.
“That's okay,” he said with a smirk, “I'll do it myself.”
Challenge: Resolutions
Pairing/Characters: reference to Amita/Marshall, and squinty Don/Charlie
Rating/Category: FRT because nothing happens and only Charlie knows...
Spoilers: Convergence
Length: 1056 words
Summary: Basically Gen. Amita comes back from winter break to find a surprisingly mellow Charlie.
A/N: I offer endless gratitude to my wonderful betas,
raeyashi and Casey and a special thank you to emmademarais for reading a very early attempt, and for suggesting ways to discover the story I wanted to tell.Res o lu tion: Physics & Chemistry. The act or process of separating or reducing something into its constituent parts: the prismatic resolution of sunlight into its spectral colors.
Amita walked up to the open door of Charlie’s office, forcing herself to square her shoulders and stop tapping the envelope against her thigh. The confident line of his back looked like he could’ve been working, but he was standing at the window, sunlight refracted by the hanging crystal sprinkling his deep blue shirt, and there was no chalk or marker in his hand. “Hey, Charlie.” she said, stepping inside.
“Amita, Hey! Happy New year.” said Charlie over his shoulder.
She was reminded of the day, over a year ago, when she'd come to remind him to meet Larry. Managing his loose ends had been her privilege, then, in return for his grateful smiles and his shoulder brushing hers as they stood at the blackboard. “Same to you.” She watched him turn and lean back against the panes. “You look like you had a good break,” she said.
“Yeah, I did.” he said softly. His eyelashes flicked to the side and he pressed his lips together, showing dimples; then he met her gaze. “You look good, too. Did you get out to Princeton like you planned? Larry mentioned that you were headed out there.”
“Y-Yes.” She knew he'd assume she would see Marshall-- but she hadn’t wanted to see the hurt in his eyes, so she’d kept busy, given neither of them a chance to mention it-- and now here she was, and Charlie knew, and he was leaning on the window, talking about it like a trip to the book store or something. She was glad, but the change was a bit disorienting. “Listen, I--”
“It’s all right, Amita. Really. We're colleagues, friends. I want you to be happy.” His eyes crinkled at the corners, and there was a slight rumble in his voice-- it left no question in her mind. Something was going on.
She had spent a lot of time with Charlie over the last few years: She'd seen him laser-focused on a problem, effervescent in the classroom, suffering over his brother’s dangerous work, humiliated by Marshall's criticism. Whatever emotional state Charlie was in, he felt it to the Nth power. He radiated it. More than once she'd found herself resonating with his pain, his joy-- only to have him implode like a black hole and disappear into his head, leaving her to struggle in the sudden vacuum. She knew his family felt it too; he drew them all in without malice, as a dying star would; still, no one could get too close without getting crushed.
Seeing him this relaxed unnerved her. She wanted to question him, but she clamped her teeth shut; whatever this new thing with Charlie was, maybe it meant they could still be friends. She wanted to preserve it.
“It's really good to see you.” he said, coming over to park on the corner of his desk, one foot swaying in midair.
She caught herself slapping the envelope against her leg again, so she held it out to him, steeling herself with a deep breath. “The Math Department at Princeton would send this, but I-- was asked to give it to you personally,” she said. He took it, and she stuffed her fingers in her back pockets. “They'd like you to give a talk on the Penfield variation.”
He passed his hand over his mouth as he read, screening a grin. “Hmmm... Princeton in February could be perfect...” he mumbled into his fingers.
A pattern clicked into place in her mind: his expression, the relaxed lines of his body, and his acceptance of her spending time with Marshall Penfield meant-- “Charlie, you’ve met someone.” She wondered how strong that person must be, to give in to his pull and not be afraid.
The hand at his lips moved to riffle through the back of his hair, forcing the front to fall down over his eyes when he tucked his chin. “Something like that.”
“That’s great!” She sat in his dusty guest chair and propped her elbows on her knees. “Where did you meet?”
Charlie’s shoulders lost their easy tilt, and he cleared his throat before he spoke, twisting to push the invitation into a tray on his desk . “We’ve um, kind of known each other forever.”
“Never mind, It's--” She put out a hand, but stopped short of touching him.
He shook himself and turned back to her, puffing a breath before a smile spread across his face again. “You’re a good friend, Amita.”
The guilt she'd felt ever since the day of Marshall's presentation at CalSci drained out of her at last. “So I guess that means a double date is out?”
“With you and Penfield?” He chuckled. She blinked. He was actually laughing about dinner with Marshall. “That was always out!”
“It's good to see you happy, Charlie.” she said. A subdued regret washed over her as she rose to leave, like star shine illuminating the part of her that envied someone who could hold on through all his phases-- who had enough patience and energy to sustain him when he had nothing left to share.
“Hey, I could use your help later,” he said, “ if you're up for it.” It might have sounded like a lapse into their perennial roles, but his warm tone of voice shaped a light invitation.
“FBI stuff?”
“No. This is more your style.” he said, leaning forward, “I've been asked to look at a new model for predicting the x-ray output of binary stars.” He waved languidly at the window. “I'd like to get a look at a few of the closer ones, and get telescope data for as many as possible. Do you have time to meet me after dinner? We could go talk to the astronomy people.”
Binary stars. Maybe that was a little like this new mood from Charlie-- one fluctuating star nurtured by a stronger one, making a stable orbit possible. “Okay, but I'm not going to flirt with them for you this time.” she teased.
“That's okay,” he said with a smirk, “I'll do it myself.”
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no subject
Date: 2006-01-09 12:26 am (UTC)/Whatever emotional state Charlie was in, he felt it to the Nth power./
That's Charlie for you.
no subject
Date: 2006-01-09 12:33 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-09 02:09 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-09 02:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-11 12:42 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-09 03:17 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-09 03:46 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-09 05:14 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-09 05:35 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-09 06:02 am (UTC)I'm betting on Larry, you know. I guess it just depends on one's criteria for stable and unstable. *g*
no subject
no subject
Date: 2006-01-09 06:28 am (UTC)Here's to you, Mrs. Robinson
Heaven holds a place for those who prey (sic)
Hey, hey, hey
no subject
Date: 2006-01-09 06:30 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-09 06:20 pm (UTC)Thanks,
Emma DeMarais
no subject
Date: 2006-01-09 06:47 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2006-01-10 05:23 am (UTC)I think Amita had potential to be a great character in the first few episodes, but they haven't done anything interesting with her. In my head, she's smart and funny and flawed, and she genuinely cares about Charlie-- In light of that, their friendship becomes interesting to me, as a support system for both of them and a lense for me to see each of them through.