Title: The Kindness of Strangers
Author: Silverkitsune
Rating: PG-13. Language
Disclaimer: All rights are owned by Cowlip and Showtime.
Characters: Michael, Emmett, Godiva
Warnings: None
Spoilers: No spoilers. Set a few years before season one. Michael and Emmett's first meeting.
Authors Note: Written for thelivejournal communitiesqasforigins, but posted at onimpulse and qasforigins. I highly suggest you check these out. They're always looking for new writers to join up.
It had been humid that day. The thick, wool blanket kind of humid that causes sweat stains to appear in the pits of your shirt in a matter of moments, and makes your clothing cling to your slippery skin. Emmett had been 13, and Aunt Lula, well Aunt Lula never really had an age to Emmett. She'd never need one, and even at 13 he still believed she was going to live forever.
"The first thing you've got to remember," he could still hear her saying, pausing to wipe the sweat off of her forehead, "is to put a spare tire in your trunk. Because honey, knowing how to do the thing will be worth less than a hound dogs ass unless you've got all the right tools."
He'd listened intently, not because he actually wanted to know how to change a tire, but because Emmett always listened when Aunt Lula spoke. She always listened to him when he spoke so it just seemed right that he would listen to her. Even the heat wasn't enough to make him complain, especially since Aunt Lula had scrounged up a real parasol, painted with a mix of large blue flowers, and several rainbow feathered birds, to keep him cool while she talked. He loved to twirl it.
"Now, if your tire blows and you're on the road, pay attention Emmett honey, first thing you're going to have to do is pull to the side. Keep your wits with you, and pull to the side of the road."
Her head bobbed as she said it, the wide brimmed straw hat slipping to cover her eyes.
"Sometimes, it won't be the tire. The car will just give out. Might be the battery, might be a lot of other things, but for right now will stick with the tire."
At the time, his torso had been bruised. The bruises the same shade of blue as the flowers on the parasol, the same shade of yellow and purple on the bird's feathers, but Aunt Lula wouldn't know they were there until after she was done with her lesson. When she asked him why we was walking so stiffly. That was when Emmett would tell her about them. She would hug him, make him pudding with maple syrup, and he would feel better. But that would all happen later.
"Sometimes," Aunt Lula grunted lifting up the tire. "You're going to have to depend-"
"On the kindness of strangers," Emmett chirped.
Aunt Lula laughed, a deep warm sound that filled up Emmett's entire body. "Yes, darlin' yes. But on top of that, you should sometimes act as the stranger other people can depend on. When I used to drive, and honey I used to love doing it, I'd stop for anyone I saw sitting on the side of the road. Not the safest thing, but I haven't met a serial killer yet. Just a mess of people who needed a leg up."
It was a memory that hadn't shuffled its way to the forefront of Emmett's mind for a very long time, maybe ever, and he was pleased at the sight of it. Especially since a memory of the warm humid Mississippi weather was one of the few things making his mini-road trip with Godiva bearable.
"How you doing over there sweetie?" the drag queen asked him from her spot behind the wheel.
"The tips of my fingers are a little chilly, but the rest of me isn't that bad," Emmett responded snuggling into the fur coat Godiva had thrown him in a last second move before the two of them had left their apartment for the night. It had done a fine job of keeping him warm, until the temperature had dropped and it had started to snow.
"You telling the truth, honey?"
"No, but an outfit that would have kept me warm wouldn't have looked this fabulous," Emmett shot back grinning.
Godiva laughed, a warm deep sound that filled up Emmett's entire body. "I hear ya, honey. I hear ya. You look just like Jessica Rabbit, but with the full rainbow working for you and not just the red. I wouldn't change a thing."
Emmett slid his hands over the long, slinky, sequined gown that he was practically suranwrapped in. There were rainbow colored feathers in his hair that matched the dress along with a fabulous pair of dark purple velvet pumps. His first drag show, and Godiva had acted as both his fashion and social guide.
"Godiva," Emmett asked, blowing into his mitten-covered hands. "Wouldn't it have been better to just let Chastity stay at our place tonight? Especially since she lived all the way out there?"
Godiva snorted. "No, thanks. She's a bitch when she's hung over. I'm not envious of her roommates right now."
Godiva, Emmett thought with a roll of his eyes, always did manage keep one foot in reality, even after a good deed.
"We'll be home in an hour or so," Godiva said clutching the wheel. "Let's hope the heat doesn't kick out."
"The heat is on?"
"Honey, there's a time for speaking and a time for silence. Do you want to know what time it is now?"
Without giving an answer, Emmett pulled himself farther into his coat, watching the steadily falling snow. There was more of it than when they'd first headed out. Not enough to make Emmett worry about a sudden avalancheof flurries coming down on them, but enough that Godiva had turned the windshield wipers on, and slowed the car down considerably. A great feat considering what a speed demon she was. They were lucky for that, because if the snow had been any thicker, their pace any faster, they might have missed the light blue station wagon parked on the side of the highway, obviously stranded.
The car came to a slow stop a few feet in front of the stranded car. Godiva was the first one out.
"Cold as a witches tit out here," she exclaimed, her voice echoing in the cold darkness.
Emmett followed, carefully picking his way so as not to fall flat on his ass. Fabulous though they were, purple velvet pumps were not ideal wear for walking on slippery highways. How Godiva managed it he would never know.
"I hope it's a flat tire," Emmett called. "I can change a flat tire. My Aunt Lula showed me how."
Godiva was rapping on the glass of the driver side window, the oversized purple jewel on her ring glinting in the light.
"Open-up," she called in a sing-song-tone. "Help has arrived."
Godiva jumped back as the door swung open revealing a young man. He was shorter than Emmett by a good couple of feet, and hunched in on himself, his hands shoved deeply into the pockets of a thin brown jacket. His hair was cut short, and jet black. A button nose rested in the center of his face, with two large brown eyes framed by black lashes that had trapped a few flakes of falling snow in them. He was cute, not exactly Emmett's type, but very cute. The man blinked at the two of them.
Godiva spoke first. "What seems to be your trouble, doll?"
"Flat tire?" Emmett asked hopefully.
"Um, no," the man said through chattering teeth. "My car just died on me. I couldn't figure out why. In fact it's not even my car, it's a friend, of a friend, of a friend's." He glanced back at the lifeless vehicle. "She's going to kill me when she finds out about this."
Godiva had stepped around the dark haired man as he spoke, sashaying her way to the front of the car. She popped open the hood.
"Why? You break the car on purpose?" Godiva called over.
The other man shook his head. "No, but Melanie is sort of…..aggressive. How broken is it?"
Drumming her perfectly manicured nails against the car's side, Godiva made a hum sound. "Not sure yet. Emmett why don't you take him over to our car and get that child warmed up." She winked at him, and handed over her keys. "I'll try to fix things on this end."
Sliding his arm over the other man's shoulders Emmett shepherded him back to Godiva's car. He was startled to notice that the smaller man was shaking, his teeth chattering, his lips a pale shade of blue. The cold along with his lack of winter clothing could turn out to be a deadlycombination.
"You were at the drag show?" the other man questioned as Emmett unlocked car.
Giving the feathers in his hair a brush, Emmett flashed him a bright smile. "But of course."
"I was there too. I was supposed to go with a friend Brian, but, um, something came up. He couldn't make it, so I went by myself, and then another friend he needed a ride back home he was so drunk so..I'm Michael, by the way. Michael Novotony."
Not at all surprised, (Emmett personally thought he had the best gaydar in the tri- county area) Emmett gave Michael's shoulder a pat. "Emmett Honeycut. You get in the backseat, I'll turn the heat on."
Once the engine was purring, and each of the dials had been cranked, Emmett slid into the back seat.
"As soon as I get home I'm investing in a cell phone," Michael grumbled, wrapping his arms tightly around his still shaking body.
"You know, I'm usually not this forward-" Emmett paused. "Ok, actually I usually am, but the heating in this car's a piece of shit, and you look like you need to get warmed up like nowish."
Michael blushed, the red a stark contrast to the already pale skin. "Um, I'm fine over here. I mean, it's cold but- it's not that I don't think you're-"
Emmett pulled back in mock horror. "Honey, I'm going to need you to parish whatever thoughts you're having right now. I didn't mean anything like that. What kind of girl do you take me for? I'm simply suggesting we make use of one of my favorite phrases."
"What's that?"
"Real men cuddle. Now, come over here before you get frost bite."
Looking a bit weary, but by now too cold to care Michael tentatively crawled across the back seat.
"Turn around," Emmett commanded.
Giving him another somewhat embarrassed glance, he obeyed.
Opening up his fur coat, Emmett leaned forward and wrapped his arms around Michael's torso. Pulling the smaller man's back against his chest he settled his chin on the top of the soft black hair before wrapping the oversized fur coat around the both of them.
"It's not perfect," Emmett said. "But it'll do. Still cold?"
Michael nodded. "Oh, yeah."
"Me too, but that's not saying much. I'm still getting used to the cold weather you folks get up here."
"Where are you from?" Michael asked.
"Hazlehurst Mississippi. Don't ever visit, you'd hate it."
The vibrations caused by the other man's laughter jumped from Michael's rib cage and into Emmett's palms. Another part of his anatomy, further south, took notice as well.
Now stop that, Emmett told himself firmly, as Michael squirmed into a better position. Bet he's a big Nelly bottom anyway.
The thought was interrupted by Michael's sudden fit of coughing.
"How long were you out in that cold," Emmett asked.
"Hour, maybe two," Michael said clearing his throat. "I'm surprised my fingers haven't fallen off yet."
"Well, they haven't, and they're not going too," came Godiva's no nonsense voice from the front seat. "Hate to tell you this sugar foot, but your friend, of a friend, of a friend's car is hopelessly busted. You're going to need to tow that thing out of here."
"Shit."
"Now, now. No worries. Emmett and I'll give you a ride. You can use the phone at our place. We'll even let you spend the night. Don't move from that spot, Emmett will keep you toasty till we get back."
"Thanks a lot. I already told your friend, but my name is Michael."
Buckling her seatbelt across her chest, Godiva shifted the car into drive. "And I'm Godiva. Dark and sweet. Just like the chocolate. Now buckle up, I drive like a madwoman."