#shiftab

intimacy prompts  ( accepting! )

125.    talking about each other’s bodies

Shifty’s got a patch of freckles across his shoulders, and a tiny dimple where his spine meets his tailbone. When Floyd presses on it, the muscles in his back shift, and they look like what the tectonic plates must have, ages ago, when the world was still finding its shape.

None of this is critical information, but Floyd notes it anyways. Every little thing — every scar, every birth mark, every part of Shifty not visible to the casual eye. They are Easter eggs hidden so well that only the luckiest hunter can find them; each time Floyd uncovers a new detail, a rush of pride overtakes him. His first instinct is to press his lips to the discovery, claiming it as his own... which is fine, when it’s a gash on Shifty’s knuckle from a rogue tree climbing incident, and harder when it’s a star-shaped mark just begins his ear, where Shifty is horrifically ticklish.

“No! No, sir, you better not be — Tab! Come on!”

I’ve been on a real Ed Sheeran kick lately, so this thing happened. This is the fluff edition; stay tuned for a possible angst edition.

Winnix: Photograph

“Loving can hurt, loving can hurt sometimes

But it's the only thing that I know

When it gets hard, you know it can get hard sometimes

It is the only thing that makes us feel alive”

Speirton: Firefly

“And I lie

If I don't feel so right

But the world looks better

Through your eyes”

Webgott: Shape of You

“I'm in love with the shape of you

We push and pull like a magnet do

Although my heart is falling too

I'm in love with your body”

Baberoe: Hearts Don’t Break Around Here

“That every night I'll kiss you you'll say in my ear

Oh we're in love aren't we?

Hands in your hair, fingers and thumbs baby

I feel safe when you're holding me near

Love the way that you conquer your fear

You know hearts don't break around here”

Luztoye: Sofa

“On the sofa, where we lay

I wanna stay inside all day

And it’s cold outside, again

And we’re still so high”

Skilark: Friends

“Friends should sleep in other beds.

And friends shouldn't kiss me like you do.

And I know that there's a limit to everything.

But my friends won't love me like you.”

Randletin: Lego House

“I'm out of touch, I'm out of love

I'll pick you up when you're getting down

And out of all these things I've done I think I love you better now”

Shiftab: How Would You Feel (Paean)

“In the summer, as the lilacs bloom

Love flows deeper than the river

Every moment that I spend with you”

Harty: Perfect

“Now I know I have met an angel in person

And she looks perfect

I don't deserve this

You look perfect tonight”

Frill: Thinking Out Loud

“And, darling, I will be loving you 'til we're 70

a little fall of meme can hardly hurt me now  ( accepting )

your brand is the BEST brand, i love ya!!!

There’s a flash, then a fizzle, and then Shifty can’t see a thing.

Something burns against his cheeks, sparking like hot oil. Somewhere beyond the sudden storm of pain, he hears a wild noise, like some animal shot through and yowling in pain; only from a distance does he realize that it’s him. The rifle falls from his hands as they fly instinctively to his face, landing with a clatter — never safe to drop a gun, careless — but he can’t even tell if he’s found his own face, with all that pain drowning his senses.

well anon, i might have to hug you

meme your own destiny (ACCEPTNG)

packs the lunches

This is usually Shifty’s job, and his lunches are always very... healthy. He makes the best sandwiches, and cuts the apple slices just right. The one thing he isn’t great at is dessert. He usually neglects to add a cookie or sweet, just because he thinks that amount of sugar isn’t great during his kid’s school day. (If he’s feeling charitable, Tab might wink and pass his kids a pack of cookies behind Shifty’s back. No one needs to know.)

blows raspberries while cuddling

This is one of Shifty’s favorite ways to cheer up his kids. It always worked when they were babies, but even as they get older nothing is more guaranteed to coax a smile out of a pouting child.

is the tickle monster

Tab loves to tickle! He’s got his ticklish spots himself, but he’s determined to go on the defensive first. No one can tickle him if he attacks first. Sometimes he and Shifty will team up to ambush their kid when they’re least expecting it.

gives life lesson speeches

This is best left up to Shifty. Tab’s willing to step up to the plate when he needs too, but he’s always scared of saying the wrong thing, so he tries to avoid any deep discussions. Shifty isn’t comfortable in the role of “guiding parent” either, but he’s a better fit.

kisses the boo-boos

Shifty’s got the kisses and gentle touches, while Tab has colorful bandaids and encouraging words. Boo-boos are Very Serious Business in their house.

breaks the bad news

Look, Shifty gets emotional, okay? He’s a sensitive guy. Breaking awful news to his kids takes a little piece out of him each time. Even though he feels bad about passing the responsibility onto Tab, his husband is willing to take it on so Shifty doesn’t have to.

joins the PTA

Tab is a little too afraid of the PTA to get close. His mother was a PTA mom, and an aggressive one, so he knows the type of monster. He does not want to get close, and has forbidden Shifty from going anywhere near the PTA either. They’re happy just doing anything they can in their kids’ classrooms. (Shifty came in around Thanksgiving and taught the first graders how to make really cute cardboard turkeys!)

crashes sleepovers with embarrassing stories

Okay, Shifty’s too nice. He won’t bring anything up in front of their kids’ friends (and give Tab a very disapproving look if he tried) but he’s willing to threaten it. If his kid starts mouthing off, he’ll offer to share some of his “favorite stories” next time they have their friends over.

gives the crazy nicknames

meme me up, scotty (ACCEPTING)

acts like they’re dying when they have a cold

Tab is a drama llama to the extreme -- but mostly because he knows how doting Shifty becomes when he gets sick. Shifty will fuss over him, with blankets and medicine and the sweet ginger tea. It’s a little like being a kid again, having his mom taking care of him, and Tab eats it up. 

gets mad at the TV and throws the remote

Shifty, surprisingly. He doesn’t mean to get mad, it just sort of happens (he can get very passionate about nature documentaries, and sometimes seeing a cheetah chasing down a gazelle is a little too exciting). It only happened once, because when he threw the remote his aim was perfect as ever, and he broke the entire TV. He’s been careful never to do it again.

gets the worst road rage

Neither of them really get road rage, but they both like to go fast. Tab is unashamedly the person who cuts people off in the middle of the road. He’s the person other people get road rage at. 

packs the whole closet for an overnight trip

Tab will bring four bottles of cologne, three tubes of toothpaste, eight dress shirts, five ties, eleven pairs of underwear, and two boxes of condoms. They’re going on a weekend trip.

hates the in-laws

Tab just feels a little... out of place in Shifty’s family. Shifty comes from a small, very tight-knit community, and his family is equally close. While they’re all very nice to his boyfriend, Tab can’t shake the feeling of not being “one of the family”, so he doesn’t hang around very much.

hits the snooze button…11 times

It all depends on how Shifty wakes up. He has no problem waking up on his own, but when there’s an alarm set, he’ll resist waking up with every fiber of his being. It doesn’t matter whether it’s 6am or noon, he hates anything waking him up.

makes the other late for work

Tab is always up for getting frisky, even when he knows they really shouldn’t. Shifty tries to be stern, but it’s so easy to get sucked in by his boyfriend that sometimes he just can’t resist.

uses the television as a babysitter

Shifty’s great with kids! He’s genuinely interested in them, loves playing and getting to know them, and thinks they’re adorable. (He’s all of his nieces and nephews’ favorite babysitter.) Tab, however, was under the impression that all kids were either babies or tiny adults, until he actually met one. He panicked -- he does not know how to deal with all these questions, stop touching that, no he doesn’t w ant to play dragons -- until he eventually takes pity on himself and lets them watch a rated-R movie until bedtime.

takes in the stray dog

Tab, obviously. Trigger is his baby, but takes such a shine to Shifty that Shifty may as well have raised him since he was a puppy.

suggests a 3am trip to McDonald’s

leaves their shoes out for the other to trip over

can’t make up their mind when it comes to dinner

They’re both fantastic cooks, so the rule is that the chef decides dinner. It’s less of an argument over what to eat as it is who’ll be doing the cooking.

needs to be reminded of all their appointments

Tab will forget about something until the last minute, panic, and then run out of the house with his shirt still unbuttoned. Shifty just crosses his arms and waits until he runs back in, remembering that he forgot his shoes.

picks the movies

Shifty is usually content watching anything, so Tab picks his favorite movies to show him.

takes the safety steps when building a pillow fort

Pillow forts are serious business in their house. Tab focuses on structure, while Shifty is responsible for materials. Cheap blankets won’t work -- they need full on comforters, fluffy pillows, and the best sheets they can find. Tab’s the one who figures out how to hang the fairy lights, while Shifty sets up materials for s’mores in the kitchen. Pillow fort nights are always a lot of fun for them!

kisses the other’s injuries better

This is Shifty’s go-to whenever Tab gets hurt. It doesn’t matter if it’s a gash, scrape, or papercut -- he’ll kiss the cut to show Tab that he’s here and taking care of him.

kills the spiders

WELL, IT'S CERTAINLY NOT TAB. Shifty doesn’t kill spiders; he catches them and lets them go. Tab, however, has a severe phobia of everything creepy-crawly, so he’s more than willing to let Shifty handle it. (If he spots it first and  screams like a little girl, his boyfriend won’t make fun of him -- much.)

hogs the blankets

Shifty doesn’t mean to, but he might steal the blankets without noticing. He likes being warm at night -- and Tab, who knows Shifty puts up with enough annoying habits from him, lets him have it. Shifty’s like a heating box anyway -- it’s a lot more pleasant to just cuddle up to him.

takes pranks too far

Tab has only played a few pranks on Shifty, who took it in good humor -- but he just couldn’t. He’s like a puppy, it almost feels cruel -- until Shifty pranks him right back. Even Tab will admit he had it coming.

makes the dirty jokes

Tab is the one who makes the dirty jokes, Shifty’s the one who flushes up like a firetruck.

keeps a piggy bank

Not a piggy bank, but Shifty has an old music box of his mother’s in which he keeps at least three hundred dollars, “just for a rainy day”.

has no problem having ice cream for breakfast

Look, Tab has only done it once. He was hungover, remembered next to nothing of the night before, and woke up in the bathtub. He needed it, okay? (Shifty walked into the living room, found Tab eating strawberry ice cream straight from the tub, and slowly exited back into the kitchen. He made his boyfriend enough coffee to fuel an army that day.)

gets a tattoo when they’re drunk

His best friends are Popeye and McClung, who are both horrible influences when they’ve had got some alcohol in them. They all thought it would be a great idea to get matching tattoos -- of each others’ initials. It was very awkward when Shifty had to explain to Tab exactly why “RW” and “EM” were both tattooed on his hips.

trips over their own feet

They’re both pretty coordinated, but when he’s tired Shifty’s usual surefootedness gives out on him. It’s not so much that he’s clumsy as it is he just doesn’t want to walk. Tab has had to carry him home more than once.

makes the other go for a walk

They’re both the outdoors-y types, so neither of them really have to “make” the other go for a walk. One of their favorite things to do is go hiking in the mountains together.

whines until they get what they want

Shifty rarely whines, but when he does (usually when he’s tired, drunk, or just wants something bad enough) he’ll give Tab puppy dog eyes, to great effect.

tries to act tough but really isn’t

Tab doesn’t try to act tough, he is tough -- but there are some things that effect him more than he likes to let on. He’s actually a really emotional guy, and for a while he was sure he’d never find a partner who would love him like that. In that sense, Shifty is a blessing to him, and he appreciates his boyfriend ever chance he gets.

talks the most, says the least

Tab’s an outgoing sort of guy who loves telling stories and joking with his friends; Shifty could listen to him talk all day long.

talks the least, says the most

prompt away with me (NO LONGER ACCEPTING)

“Baby… wake up. Come on now…”Fading back into consciousness is a laborious process – slow, drawn out, with all the reluctance of a man being pulled from a pool of quicksand. Shifty doesn’t want to wake up, no matter how adamant Floyd seems to be that he does so, and his body fights against him every step on the long road to wakefulness.“Hmm,” he mutters, blinking heavy eyes. “What – what’re you doing, Tab?”

 thank you, thank you darling!!  you’re a star, and i see all your shifty/tab asks  ---  i’ve got like two fics in the work featuring them right now, because you’ve sparked that fire.  ;)  in the meantime, i hope you enjoy these!!

floyd talbert’s not a guy who feels self-conscious about much of anything...  but shifty’s got a way of getting under his skin.

he can’t explain it.  maybe it’s just that shifty isn’t impressed by bravado, doesn’t care how loud a guy talks or what he says about himself; shifty’s impossible to bullshit.  he’s just...  sincere in all the ways that count, in ways tab didn’t even know someone could be, and being around him makes the world feel a lot clearer.

it also makes tab feel stripped down  ---   vulnerable.   he wants to be someone worthwhile, someone shifty can look at and absolutely approve of.  maybe it’s a bit much to hope to be someone shifty powers admires, but damn, would he like to try.

(it’s worth noting that if you asked any man   ---   including shifty  ---  in the company which of the noncoms they admired most, floyd talbert would be one of the first names on their lips. tab commands respect without trying, and damn well earns it.   but being with shifty is different; he wants to feel like he’s worth it.)

trying to impress shifty isn’t going to work, so tab starts doing something quite out of character  ---   overthinking.   every little thing he does in shifty’s presence suddenly has to be the right thing, the thing that’ll make shifty notice him...  and shifty does notice him, don’t worry, but not for anything good.

tab tries to prove how cool and coordinated he is by tying his jump boots with one foot against the wall, not braced on anything.   he topples over and takes a whole shelf down with him.  shifty’s sitting right there.

of course, shifty helps him up, makes sure he isn’t hurt, and helps a furiously blushing tab clean up the mess he’s created...  and tab doesn’t even notice what’s happening until he feels a tug at his feet, and realizes shifty has tied his boots for him.

ooooh noo, this is the opposite of what he intended!   and the worst part is, he can’t even be mad at himself, because shifty smiled at him like that!

it’s okay, tab.  just try harder.

he tries to push himself twice as hard while running currahee, determined to reach the top ahead of the rest of the pack. he’s doing pretty well, for the first mile...   then his muscles begin to burn, his chest begins to ache, and he’s so distracted that he trips over a root and goes down.

shifty doesn’t just see it.  he stops to help him, because tab’s ankle is twisted so badly he can’t make it down by himself.  plus they’re both getting hollered at by sobel, he’s breathing like a walrus, and the medics are distinctly unimpressed once they make it back down.   not what tab had in mind.   (shifty just seems genuinely concerned, and his steady grip lingers around tab’s shoulders long after he’s pulled away, so...  there’s one good thing to come out of the disaster.)

his friends are no goddamn help.

smokey thinks the entire thing is hilarious, and keeps suggesting new, innovative ways for tab to make a fool out of himself.   grant suggests just confessing to shifty outright, but that’s the worst idea tab’s ever heard.  skinny wonders why he doesn’t just ask shifty for shooting tips, since everyone knows he’s the best shot in the company.

which...  no, well, yeah.  that’s an idea.

“helpful friends” actually being helpful??  is the world ending??

but shifty just grins when tab asks, and nods like it’d be the absolute pleasure of his day to teach him what, to shifty, must be child’s play.  “if you’d like some guidance, i’d be happy to help,” he replies, “but you’re a fine shot already.”

“not as good as you,”   tab replies without thinking  ---  and, before shifty can protest,    “i...  trust you to teach me right.   wouldn’t want to learn from anyone but you.”

(the way shifty goes a bit red at that makes it all worth it.)

so that’s how tab ends up spending his free day out in the georgia woods surrounding camp toccoa, taking shooting lessons from one very focused shifty powers.

it’s not a bad time, not at all.  shifty in his element is something to watch, and he’s never more at ease with himself than in the woods.  he moves soundlessly, like a wild thing, and tab gets a thrill just watching him.  when shifty lines up a shot and hits it dead-center, tab can’t help grinning.

actually, it’s too easy to forget why he’s out here in the first place.   when shifty turns to him and instructs him to do the same thing, tab’s...  struck a little dumb.  he lines up the shot, of course, and it’s not like he’s trying to be incompetent  (he wants shifty to respect him)   but nerves make him stiff behind the gun.   were general patton himself standing behind him, he wouldn’t be as nervous...   but it’s shifty.  

 tab takes the first shot, and misses.   m i s s e s .

just as he’s contemplating dying on the spot, he feels shifty come up behind him.   the other man’s touch is light, his guiding hand gentle as he adjusts tab’s grip on the rifle just a bit.  when he hoists the gun up a bit higher, his chest presses against tab’s back.

“think of the rifle,” he says softly, “as an extension of your body.  breathe with it.  feel it move with you, and as you train...  as you shoot...”

tab fires.   this time, his shot hits the target dead-center.

when shifty pulls back to face tab, he’s grinning   ----  so warm and proud and bright that it literally takes tab’s breath away.   “there!  you did it!”

“i’m crazy about you,” tab blurts out.

he doesn’t realize what he’s said until he’s said it...  and ohhh god, this is not the way he planned this!  there’s absolutely no plan here  ---   he’s flying by the seat of his pants.   he just jumped from the plane without a parachute, and he is crashing.   tab blinks at shifty, caught somewhere between shock and abject horror.

it’s a long moment before shifty’s expression shifts.   his blank expression fades into something softer, brows creeping up as though he doesn’t dare hope for confirmation.    “is...  that so?”   he asks, his voice soft, and tab’s heart stutters in his chest.

“yeah.  you bet it is, shift.”

for a moment neither of them dare say anything at all...   then shifty moves just slightly, his hand creeping up from it’s position on tab’s shoulder, to the center of his back.    it’s a comforting weight...  and at once, all the anxiety tab’s been holding in for the past few weeks melts away.

“in that case,” shifty says softly, “i guess you’ve been shooting straight all along, tab.”  his ever-intent gaze drops to tab’s lips, and tab’s heart stutters.  “aiming right where you should be.”