Christmas is fast approaching, so this year I will be doing a Dept. Q Advent Calendar where I’m going to post a 100-word drabble (= a very short, 100 word piece of fiction) for a different prompt every day, starting on Dec 01.
Day 24: Snow Falling
Content Warning: None
Characters: Carl Morck/Rachel Irving, Jasper Stewart
Rating: Teen and Up
Word Count: 100
+-+-+-+-+
“Look,” Jasper says as he puts his Christmas dinner plate in the sink.
Carl and Rachel look out the window where big, white snowflakes are falling.
“Fuck me,” Carl says. “Don’t even remember the last time it snowed for Christmas.”
Rachel gets up. “Let’s go outside.”
“Now?” Carl asks.
“Yes, now.”
Ten minutes later, the three of them stand in winter clothes at the edge of Leith Links, watching the grass as it gets increasingly covered in a blanket of powdery snow.
Carl takes Rachel’s gloved hand and slings one arm around Jasper’s shoulder. “Who’d have thought. Merry fucking Christmas.”
Day 23: Isolation
Content Warning: Covid-19 pandemic
Characters: Carl Morck
Rating: Teen and Up
Word Count: 100
+-+-+-+-+
The pandemic massively sucks – not just the social distancing. Carl and Hardy have been reassigned to help with enforcing rules, with domestic disputes, with menial things he hasn’t dealt with for decades. And then there’s the mask rash that makes it all a million times worse.
Of course Carl catches the actual virus two days before Christmas. Just his fucking luck. They quarantine him in Jasper’s room, food provided at regular intervals, the occasional conversation through the door while he feels like fucking shit.
He’s never been much of a fan of the holidays, but this one trumps them all.
Day 22: Christmas Tree
Content Warning: None
Characters: Carl Morck, Jasper Stewart
Rating: Teen and Up
Word Count: 100
+-+-+-+-+
“Carl?” Jasper asks. “Are we gonna get a tree this year?”
Carl frowns. “Huh? What for?”
“I dunno. Christmas cheer?”
“When have you ever known me to care about fucking cheer?”
A small grin flits across Jasper’s face. “Tradition, then.”
“Since when you do you care about those things?”
Jasper shrugs. “Just think it’d be nice.”
“Nice…” he echoes dismissively, and leaves it at that.
Two days later, there’s a decorated tree in the corner of the living room, and Carl has to admit he doesn’t hate it as much as he thought. He doesn’t actually hate it at all.
Day 21: Lonely
Content Warning: None
Characters: Carl Morck, Rose Dickson
Rating: Teen and Up
Word Count: 100
+-+-+-+-+
Carl doesn’t usually mind working on Christmas. It’s quiet, less distractions, less human interactions.
Except this year it’s different. The basement is better when there’s people here, when he can’t hear the clunking noises inside the pipes or the tapping of the radiators. When there’s quiet chatter or silence that fills the air with the kind of comfort that you only notice when it’s absent.
He jumps when he hears the door of the elevator opening. Rose walks in, deposits mince pies on his desk. “Merry Christmas, Carl.”
He hates mince pies, but he smiles and nods at her anyway.
Day 20: Ghosts
Content Warning: Alcohol consumption
Characters: Carl Morck, Jasper Stewart
Rating: Teen and Up
Word Count: 100
+-+-+-+-+
Carl can feel the buzz of the liquor now. The first two shots still tasted nice. It was the expensive stuff that Victoria used to keep around. Añejo – all warm, golden colour with notes of caramel and whisky. He stopped tasting the subtleties after the third or fourth shot.
“Carl?” Jasper appears in the doorway.
“Cheers.” Carl holds up another shot glass and downs it in one swift motion.
“What the hell is this?” Jasper’s voice is laced with that sharp undertone of equal parts worry and accusation.
Carl hopes his voice isn’t slurring. “Happy fucking wedding anniversary to me.”
Day 19: Warm Bath
Content Warning: None
Characters: Carl Morck/Rachel Irving
Rating: Teen and Up
Word Count: 100
+-+-+-+-+
“Carl,” Rachel says.
He’s sitting at her kitchen table, shoulders hunched, knuckles tiredly rubbing his eyes.
She places one hand on his shoulder. “When’s the last time you had a decent night’s sleep?”
He shrugs, his voice tired. “I don’t even know.”
“What you need is a warm bath and a bed, not this.” She takes the still half-full coffee mug off of him and puts it on the counter.
“I wish I had time for that.”
“That’s horseshit. You can make the time. It’s not selfishness to cater to basic needs. It’s self-care.”
He sighs. “Okay. If you insist.”
Day 18: Longing
Content Warning: Minor injury
Characters: Carl Morck, Rachel Irving
Rating: Teen and Up
Word Count: 100
+-+-+-+-+
Rachel's gentle fingers dab the cut on Carl’s forehead, and he doesn’t know what to do with it. Her touch is soft and warm and it’s funny you tend to forget certain things in the absence of them.
She stops and looks him in the eyes. “Carl?”
He takes her hand in his, slowly brings her palm to his lips and kisses it.
She smiles then gently withdraws her hand. “Let’s not get ahead of ourselves, shall we?”
He sighs, wondering if he’ll have someone in his life again who will want him as he is—baggage and all.
Day 17: Warm Hands
Content Warning: Mention of injury
Characters: Carl Morck, Moira Jacobson
Rating: Teen and Up
Word Count: 100
+-+-+-+-+
“Carl. Not everything is your fault.”
Moira’s voice is low. Like she means it. Like she cares. She takes a step closer.
Carl shakes his head. “It’s my team. My responsibility.”
“People make their own decisions. You can’t be responsible for everything. You’re just one person. Besides, it’s a mild concussion. They will just keep him overnight.”
He sighs. That’s bad enough. It shouldn’t have happened.
He feels a soft, warm touch of a hand on his shoulder. “You can’t always carry the weight of the whole world.” Moira’s fingers give him a gentle squeeze. “Why don’t you go home?”
Day 16: Broken Plumbing
Content Warning: PTSD, panic attack (mentioned)
Characters: Carl Morck, Rachel Irving
Rating: Teen and Up
Word Count: 100
+-+-+-+-+
Carl flexes his right hand. It’s too shaky, like it always is when he’s had another panic attack. He hates the way it takes control, the way it stays with him the whole day, the way it hits out of the blue.
He meets with Rachel in the café later that day. His hands wrapped around a coffee mug, he says, “I need your help.”
He half expects her to come back with a sarcastic retort, like Mark the day when Carl Morck actually asks for help. But she just says, “Of course. If I can.”
“I need a plumber.”
Day 15: Wish List
Content Warning: None
Characters: Carl Morck, Jasper Stewart
Rating: Teen and Up
Word Count: 100
+-+-+-+-+
“Jasper, you’re not getting a fucking iPhone.”
The teenager predictably protests, “But everyone has one!”
“Yeah, so maybe you should get off your lazy arse every once in a while and get a paid job so you can afford to buy one for yourself.”
“How would I have time for a job next to school?”
Carl shrugs. “I don’t know. I managed to do it.”
“You had a job when you were in school?”
“Yeah. No. It was… complicated.”
Jasper suddenly seems a lot more interested in this conversation. “I wanna hear that story.”
Carl sighs. “I’m sure you do.”
Day 14: Home
Content Warning: None
Characters: Carl Morck/Rachel Irving
Rating: Teen and Up
Word Count: 100
+-+-+-+-+
Rachel hears that Carl is exhausted before she’s even laid eyes on him. The way the keys carelessly clank onto the kitchen table, the way he releases a weary sigh like he’s finally allowed to let some of the weight slide off his shoulders.
She meets him as he tiredly sinks down into one of the chairs.
Her hands find his shoulders, start massaging and probing gently. His muscles are all knotted and tense, and he sighs nonetheless, but this time it’s release more than exhaustion.
She leans down to plant a soft kiss on his head. “Glad you’re home.”
Day 13: Closure
Content Warning: Possible spoiler? (I don't know anything past book 4, I totally made this up)
Characters: Carl Morck
Rating: Teen and Up
Word Count: 100
+-+-+-+-+
Closure is fucking overrated, Carl thinks.
He stares at the face pinned to the file in front of him. The eyes don’t even look familiar, and he’s seen them behind the ski mask so many times.
He’s trying to figure out what to do with this news, that they found the shooter. He feels… nothing. Because at the end of the day, it doesn’t fucking matter. Hardy is still struggling with mobility, Anderson is still dead, their lives still all turned fucking upside down.
This doesn’t change a damn thing. What a fucking letdown of a Christmas present this is.
Day 12: Guilt
Content Warning: Depression
Characters: Carl Morck, James Hardy
Rating: Teen and Up
Word Count: 100
+-+-+-+-+
“Merry Christmas, mate,” Carl says as he puts the gift-wrapped box on Hardy’s hospital nightstand.
Hardy turns his head in silent acknowledgement.
Carl has got the silent treatment a lot lately – blank stares devoid of drive or interest. Carl hates it, but he gets it, he really does. Hardy’s lying here, unable to do much except read and watch TV. How could that not drag you down into a black hole?
But Carl also can’t give up on Hardy, refuses to give up. So he sits down in the chair and helps fill the mint green space with more silence.
Day 11: Favourite Places
Content Warning: Injury recovery
Characters: Carl Morck, Jasper Stewart
Rating: Teen and Up
Word Count: 100
+-+-+-+-+
Follow-up to the Day 14 drabble I wrote for Qvember
“You hate this, don’t you?” Carl asks, his voice quiet, grimacing as the simple shift of body weight in his hospital bed aggravates the stab wound in his lower abdomen.
It prompts Jasper to look at him. “Yeah. But you probably hate it even more.”
Carl can’t hide the cynical smile. “No, I really love this. Can’t imagine wanting to be anywhere else.”
“Carl…”
“Sorry. It's just…”
“Yeah,” Jasper sighs.
“If all goes well, I’ll be out of here in a few days.”
“That’s good.”
Carl closes his eyes. They’re dancing on eggshells again, and Carl hates that even more.
Day 10: Candle
Content Warning: None
Characters: Carl Morck, Merritt Lingard (mentioned), William Lingard (mentioned)
Rating: Teen and Up
Word Count: 100
+-+-+-+-+
Carl gets it a few days before Christmas as Rose hands him the physical mail from the day, not that they get a lot of physical mail anymore.
It’s a simple envelope. Thick, high quality paper, the address written in neat handwriting. His name is on it.
It’s a Christmas card with a drawing of festive greenery and a candle. Carl thinks the style looks familiar. On the inside, it says, ‘William drew this for you. Thank you for all you did.’
He hasn’t thought about them for a long time but now he has a lump in his throat.
Day 9: New Mug
Content Warning: None
Characters: Carl Morck, Jasper Stewart
Rating: Teen and Up
Word Count: 100
+-+-+-+-+
Carl isn’t sure whether he feels very Christmassy this year. Rain is pelting against the living room window, their Christmas tree that Jasper insisted on is crooked and only sparsely decorated, but he’s here, on the couch with Jasper on Christmas Day morning, unwrapping their gifts.
This one is an eggshell white mug with the letters Worst Dad Ever in an 80’s retro style font on it. Carl throws Jasper a pointed look. Jasper has a grin on his face that’s part smug, part sheepish.
Yep, Carl thinks and smiles. This will do nicely down in the basement at work.
Day 8: Hopeful
Content Warning: None
Characters: Carl Morck, Jasper Stewart
Rating: Teen and Up
Word Count: 100
+-+-+-+-+
It’s such a small thing, and someone else might not have thought anything of it, but it feels momentous to Jasper.
As they were doing the washing up, Carl had dried his hands on the tea towel and put a hand on Jasper’s shoulder as he said, “Don’t forget to take out the rubbish, yeah?”
Carl has never been the touchy-feely type, but they were a lot closer when Jasper was younger. Carl hasn’t touched him in a long time, and it gives Jasper hope that Carl might finally be getting the upper hand in the battle with his demons.
Day 7: Secret Santa
Content Warning: None
Characters: Carl Morck, Rose Dickson
Rating: Teen and Up
Word Count: 100
+-+-+-+-+
It’s funny, Carl thinks, that everyone assumes he hates Secret Santas. Which actually he doesn’t. Not when it’s people he likes.
What he hates is the fake gift giving out of tradition or obligation. But if he can put his detective skills to the task and listen to what people are actually saying, if he can put the puzzle pieces together to pick a little thing for someone, and then see them light up when they unwrap it, what’s not to like?
The genuine smile on Rose’s face while examining the carefully chosen wooden pen tray is definitely worth it.
Day 6: Christmas Bauble
Content Warning: None
Characters: Carl Morck, Rose Dickson, Akram Salim
Rating: Teen and Up
Word Count: 100
+-+-+-+-+
This morning when Carl gets down to the basement, there’s an unfamiliar smell mingling with the faint mildew and rust. Is that… pine?
He sees it as he walks closer – and honest to fucking God – it’s a Christmas tree that Rose and Akram are flanking and decorating with blue baubles. Carl points at it. “What the fuck is this?”
Rose looks at him. “Oh, come on now, Carl. We’ll have to have some festive cheer in here.”
“Festive cheer my fucking arse.” He looks at Akram. “And why are you helping her?”
He shrugs. “I like the festive cheer, too.”
Day 5: Office Row
Content Warning: Implied sexytimes
Characters: Carl Morck, Logan Bruce
Rating: Mature
Word Count: 100
+-+-+-+-+
Carl stares at Logan. “Can we forget this ever happened?”
They’re in a bathroom stall, the annual Christmas party in full swing a few rooms away. Carl can still feel Logan’s hands all over him, his taste in his mouth.
Logan’s eyes flick away. He’s angry. “Really? You come onto me like a horny bat, and now you wanna forget about it?”
“I, uh… I think I had few too many.”
Logan shakes his head. “You’re a cruel fucking prick, you know that?”
Carl stares at the door to the bathroom stall that closes behind Logan. “So I’ve been told.”
Just to say that I don’t actually ship them. Nor do I even really want to entertain the idea that this could be a reality, but it was brought up as a joke in a group chat, and so I had to write it. 😀
Day 4: Delayed
Content Warning: None
Characters: Carl Morck/Rachel Irving
Rating: Teen and Up
Word Count: 100
+-+-+-+-+
There’s a hint of smile playing at Carl’s lips as he waits at Waverly station. Rachel has been visiting a friend in Banff for a week who was going through a rough time.
His smile falters as he sees her walking towards him, her face all grim. She hasn’t even reached him yet when the frustration readily spills out. “Sorry I’m so late, but I missed the fucking connection in Aberdeen and it turned into a real nightmare.”
He closes the gap between them, takes her by the waist and plants a kiss on her lips. “Hello to you, too.”
Day 3: Woollen Beanie
Content Warning: None
Characters: Carl Morck, Rose Dickson, James Hardy
Rating: Teen and Up
Word Count: 100
+-+-+-+-+
“What the fuck are you wearing?!”
Rose passes Carl’s desk, not sure what he’s getting at. Carl points at her hat that she pulls off her curly hair. “Oh, that.”
It’s a purple woollen hat with cat ears. Rose off-handedly mentions, “Nova knitted it for me.”
“Who the fuck is Nova?”
“DC Wilson.”
“She’s called Nova?”
“Yes. How do you not know that, Mr. I-Have-A-Thing-For-Names?”
“How do you know about that?”
Rose shoots him a srsly? look. “From Nova.”
“From DC Wilson?”
“Yes. Carl.” She shoots Hardy a pointed look. “Is he the last to know?”
Hardy shrugs. “I guess.”
Day 2: Walk In The Snow
Content Warning: None
Characters: Carl Morck, Jasper Stewart
Rating: Teen and Up
Word Count: 100
+-+-+-+-+
“Why the fuck are we doing this again?” Carl asks exasperatedly, patting the snow off of his leg from where he just slipped on the icy path.
Jasper turns to face him. “You said something about the view…”
Carl turns around and takes in the view of the snow-powdered city below them from where they stand near the top of Arthur’s Seat. “The view can go fuck itself,” he grumbles but secretly has to admit it does look beautiful.
Jasper sidles up to him. “Weren’t you the one who suggested this?”
Carl sighs. “Remind me not to do that again.”
Day 1: Hot Toddy
Content Warning: Alcohol consumption
Characters: Carl Morck, Akram Salim
Rating: Teen and Up
Word Count: 100
+-+-+-+-+
“Here,” Akram holds the steaming mug out to Carl. Somehow they ended up in his flat because it was just around the corner and Akram insisted that Carl couldn’t go home in dripping wet clothes in 2 °C weather.
Carl sniffs, then takes a sip. It’s surprisingly potent. “I thought you didn’t drink.”
Akram gives him one of those looks, the one that makes Carl wonder who this person really is. “I don’t,” he says simply.
“So you keep a bottle of whisky around just for the sake of it?”
Akram smiles. “It was a gift I could not refuse.”
Ah, this was such a small yet well deserved moment between Carl and Jasper
Thank you! I hope we see a few moments like that in season 2, but we also know that Scott Frank is allergic to sentimentality, so probably not. 🙂
Even I want to hear that story🙃
Don’t we all? 😁