A series of drabbles and/or short one-shots primarily about Miles. I have a tendency to have a great idea and write a nice chapter but rarely finish them into full on fics. This drabble collection will be responses to my plot bunnies that I think of. I may make full fics for some of them later, but for now this is just a collection of fun mini-stories.

Most of these will be canon-compliant such as this, which is an extended scene. Those which are not will be noted as AU or speculative.

Just

Setting: Season 14, Episode 1

His father infuriated him.

Cutting class. Smoking dope. Hitting on some girl. The fact that the last of those was accurate in essence if not in detail didn't change that fact that his father only ever assumed the worst from him. So he said the only thing he really could. The truth.

"Making out with my boyfriend," Miles Hollingsworth III disclosed in a puff as the hot air of dread left his chest. And suddenly the eyes of all his family were on him. His eyes danced in their sockets ever so slightly as he looked at his them; he knew with his family that it wouldn't be the worst of reactions but his eyes were still ready to burst with tears at the slightest rejection. None of these fears were realized. His family was shocked yes, but not rejecting.

The look of his father's eyes however filled him with joy. Shock into anger quickly suppressed - it wouldn't do to ruin this photo op over homophobia. That would damage his career. Miles smirked at that.

"Just get in here champ," his father said jovially, smiling at his now-gay son – inaccurate but irrelevant. Miles noted several things in his father's response. It went without saying that the jovial tone was fake; his father was a politician after all. The use of the word champ as well. A friendly term but one that spoke of masculinity and a gentle slap in the face towards Miles. He recalled with a distant ache in his stomach the last time his father had mentioned people of his perceived orientation was that they were 'prancing fairies' that he didn't want to associate with.

And the word 'just.' It spoke of impatience. Of rushing. Of lack of interest. He had told his father a secret that tore at him for months; a secret that had, for a moment, made his eyes well with tears at the thought of his family rejecting him. And his father's response was 'just.' Just don't talk about it. Just don't tell anyone. Just ignore it and get in here. His career is the only thing that matters.

But none of those things would happen. Oh, he would 'just' alright. He would just smile. He would just go on with things as they had always been. He would just keep hating his father. Nothing mattered as he was just never meant to be happy.

Hope you enjoyed! This drabble was unexpected. I was attempting to write a one-shot about Hunter being the first to accept Miles' bisexuality, but as I was typing the paragraph about 'just' this drabble created itself.

^plus, hint hint, one of the coming stories will be about Hunter accepting Miles' bisexuality.

This will me my first foray into a drabble collection!