So, a Minesweeper fic! I feel so cool! And yes, this is a tribute (ish) to Corey Hart's song, Sunglasses at Night. This fic is the product of listening to that song non-stop and playing Minesweeper...

I capitalized 'Mines', because I figure that they're like a species, right?

Disclaimer: I don't own Minesweeper. Or a good pair of sunglasses...

Enjoy!

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Those sunglasses meant a lot to Smiley.

They were a sign of victory, of the long-awaited defeat of the Mines.

After a hard day's work of flagging and guessing, of leaving little question marks and repeatedly being blown up, it satisfied Smiley to finally put on those sunglasses and show the world that yeah, the Mines were all found, and yeah, he looks really cool in shades.

He'd wear them any time of day. Morning, afternoon, night: once he finally managed to find all the Mines, on with the sunglasses. Every single victory had been celebrated the same way, and there was no future victory that would break the tradition.

He remembered the pride he felt when he had cleared his first minefield. Sure, it had been really small compared to what he was used to now, but that overwhelming sense of victory was etched into his memory. That was the first time he put on the sunglasses, too – something else he'd never forget. The feel of the cool plastic, the new tint added to his vision and his view of the minefield… Every time he put them on, with the surge of victory came that wave of nostalgia.

Those plain black shades had been with him through thick and thin. Whether he had just been blown up by a Mine (again), or was in the middle of the search, not knowing whether the outcome would be good or bad, he would take a glance at the sunglasses. It felt like they gave him a purpose, a reason to be doing what he did, day in and day out. After he'd suffered from a particularly bad Mine's last act in this world, he'd pull out the sunglasses and remember those feelings – the nostalgia and the triumph. And when he finally won, when he finally found all the Mines, he'd put the shades on and remember all the times he was less successful; it gave the feat an even greater sense of accomplishment.

Smiley was grateful for his sunglasses. Without them, he might not have been able to carry on. They were what meant the most to him in this desolate world of grey squares.

And besides, who doesn't look cool wearing sunglasses at night?

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Nothing much else to say, but please review if you have any comments/suggestions!