Title: Focus
Prompt: #28 Needle
Characters/Pairing: Doug Penhall, Tom Hanson – Doug/Tom if you want(you know, very hidden slash)
Rating: K
Warning: slash if you think that way and McQuaidier than McQuaid Tommy
Disclaimer: I own nothing except for the garbage can. I stole the high school name from those tv dinner things.
Summary: "I don't know," Doug replied. "But if you're focused on me, you won't be thinking about the needle, right?"
A/N: Written for rosemelody2 over on lj who gave me the prompt and the idea )
Tom and Doug entered MacLain High School in their usual McQuaid style: loud, obnoxious, and annoying. And Tom seemed more of a McQuaid that day than Doug had ever known him to be.
"Would calm down already?" Doug hissed as Tom lashed out, sending a metal garbage can to the floor, its contents spilling forth onto the tiled floor. A few students glanced towards the noise but looked away quickly upon realizing who the owner of the commotion was.
"I am calm!" Tom shouted out in an anything but a calm voice. "Why wouldn't I be?" The younger of the officers came to an abrupt stop, boots dragging roughly as he pulled himself into a stilled position. Doug collided with Tom, sending the younger sprawling forwards to meet the same fate as his victims of the garbage can had had just seconds before.
"Damn it, Tommy," Doug muttered, gripping the thin forearm of Tom's right side and easily pulling him back into a standing position. "Why the hell did you stop like that? You knew I was behind you."
"Shut up," Tom muttered, staring ahead fearfully. Doug followed his gaze and upon seeing the crowd of students lined up in front of the gymnasium's large double doors, he remembered why Tom was acting so much like a McQuaid that day. The older man began laughing hard.
"Shut up, Doug," Tom hissed. "I'm not even a friggin' teenager anymore."
"Tom!" Doug shouted quickly, punching the other man's shoulder hard. "You're gonna get us caught."
"Oh, nobody could hear me, anyways," Tom muttered. "This is so not far," he added, gazing fearfully at the students mingled together feet away from him. "Can't we just go home?"
"Nope," Doug replied cheerfully. "You gotta get your needle or else you're suspended 'til you do. And you get suspended, our cover is screwed, along with our case."
"God damn it," Tom mumbled, knowing that everything that Doug had just said was true – it was a needle or screw his case over. Knowing Fuller wouldn't take too kindly to the latter option being taken, Tom muttered, "Needle it is, then."
Tom started heading towards the throng of students but Doug grabbed him by the wrist gently, holding him back.
"What now?" Tom muttered, annoyed. "Laugh all you want, alright? I'm-"
"Oh, shut up," Doug cut in, amused. "I wasn't gonna laugh. I did that already, but it's no fun if you're still upset. Now just go in there and don't think about it, alright? I'll be right behind you, waiting. Just focus on me, not the needle, got it?"
"Will that work?"? Tom asked, still fearful at the thought of an injection he didn't even need to get.
"I don't know," Doug replied. "But if you're focused on me, you won't be thinking about the needle, right?"
"Yeah," Tom agreed. "I guess that could work."
"Yeah, of course it will," Doug said as he and Tom moved to join the crowd standing near the gymnasium's entrance. "I mean, everything I say is right, so why shouldn't it?"