Title: The Turtles
Author: k_maedae
Fandom: The Hollows
Pairing: Al/Rachel... sort of
Rating: S for silliness
Summary: Al in his kitchen and in his element.
Disclaimer: Kim Harrison owns everything, even my soul.
Note: Just something silly I thought of on the way home from dropping the boyfriend of at work.


The acrid scent of burnt amber filled the kitchen Al was standing in. He was humming to himself, a small smile on his face and he chopped an ingredient here, dropped it into the large copper pot there. He was prepping a curse for his next lesson with Rachel.

Rachel... He had two more days until he would see her again. And he couldn't help himself, or maybe he hadn't know he was doing it. He was singing under his breath, "Imagine me and you, I do, I think about you day and night, Its only right." he continued humming the song, almost dancing up and down the length of the counter.

His kitchen was empty save himself, he'd sent Pierce out on an errand to get him out of his hair. All his "I swan" this and "Do tell" thats. It was driving him very nearly mad. But he wasn't here right now. Now it could just be Al and his mixing... and his singing. He was stripping the leaves off a branch of monkshood, his hips moving as he sang, "If I should call you up, invest a dime, and you say you belong to me, and ease my miiiind..."

Al didn't remember exactly where he'd heard this particular song, several decades ago. Had to have been. The music in reality wasn't nearly as jovial and as innocently possesive as it used to be. Jovial and innocently possesive. He snorted, yes that would be the proper way to describe it wouldn't it? Not the relationship that he was slowly brewing with Rachel, slowly being the operative word. But he was sure one day he'd get his chance, one day he'd be able to make her his. Never have to wait these long weeks before he could see her again, hear her sarcastic comments and try very hard not to hurt her too much when he had to help her find her place again. It didn't know when or how he'd gotten like this, how he'd got to this point where his hate for her had diminished and this new feeling had taken up residence.

He almost felt giddy, drumming on the counter with two wooden spoons he'd picked up, "Imagine how the world could be, so very fine, so happpyyy toogetheeeeerrr" He drummed down the side of the counter, spinning in a 360 to never miss a beat as he sang at the top of his lungs, head falling back and dancing as he drummed, " I CANT SEE ME LOVIN' NOBODY BUT YOU! FOR ALLL MY LIIIIFFFEE!!" He spun around, using one of the spoons as a microphone and ran towards the kitchen table at the center of the room. One foot found a chair as he jumped onto the table, "When you're with me baby the skiies will be blue for allllll myy liiiiffee!!"

Refrain over he lowered his voice, singing to his imaginary audience from his table stage. "Me and you, you and me, no matter how they tossed the dice, it had to be. The only one for me is you and you for me, so happppyy toogetheeeerrr." He drummed on the table with his hands, having lost one of his spoons and jumped back up, "I can't see me lovin' nobody but you, for all myyyyy------"

"Ahem."

You know that moment where you've been caught doing something you never wanted to be caught doing? You're entire body freezes. Your mind locks up in a "What the hell do we do now" kind of way. Al looked towards where the sound of someone clearing their throat had come from. Pierce was standing on the screaming face carved into the floor, a canvas bag in his grip, and a very... very controlled look on his face.

Al brought his hands down, the spoon in his hand just a spoon again and not his microphone, "How long have you been standing there?"

"Long enough for a body to acquire the knowledge that his master, lacking the talent of song, still has enough panache to embody lyrics with enough emot---"

"Yes, yes, ok, shut up." Al landed with a thump on the kitchen floor, fondling the spoon in his fingers, not looking at Pierce. "So, uh... well, what I mean to say is,.... you uh..." At a complete loss for words Al waved towards the mess he'd made mixing the few curses he'd been prepping for Saturday's lesson. "Finish those up and clean your mess when your done. I'll be,..." he looked around, feeling awkward holding the spoon and put it down on the table, "... yeah." And hastily walked out of the room.