buck: im an ally *raises fist*
tommy, under his breath: smash
no but buck is clearly very bambi on ice about this which is completely understandable because it's new and exhilarating but also a bit scary right and he doesn't want to fuck it up so he just keeps saying words truly any words no filter whatsoever and what does tommy do? he stays patient and kind and lets buck talk but reassures him and then segways the conversation into something more comfortable by shamelessly flirt with buck and it clearly works too
Whiteman’s lounging with a whisky, looking comfortably casual in a pair of chinos and a t-shirt—blazer combination. He might be taken for any young, up-and-coming London professional out for a drink to celebrate the long weekend. Hillinghead, by contrast, looks like he should be at a wedding- the man’s in a three piece suit and the most complexly knotted tie she’s ever seen. Still, Shahara’s hardly going to judge him for feeling more comfortable completely covered up and the man is (she still can’t really wrap her head around this) a Victorian. He’s got a pint of beer in front of him, though it doesn’t look like he’s touched it.
She takes the first of the two empty seats at their table, her coke sloshing over the side of the glass as she sits, and remarks: “You two found your way around alright then?”
Whiteman sniffs sharply and half shrugs. “Fine. Nice to see the place not bombed to bits and rationing over.”
“It’s so- loud,” Hillinghead murmurs. “And crowded, and it smells-”
“It’s always smelled,” Whiteman interjects. “What, was it all roses in your time? I don’t believe that.”
“No,” Hillinghead stresses. “But it is- more.” he rubs the bridge of his nose. “Have you heard from-” He freezes, staring at something just over Whiteman’s shoulder. Shahara can read a shift in to flight-or-fight posture easily and from the way he’s suddenly more alert, Whiteman’s clocked that something’s got Hilinghead spooked as well.
“Problem?” he asks quietly, in his clipped, cockney accent; a half-strangled vowel slips from Hillinghead’s throat and Shahara turns to see what he’s looking at. There’s two men enjoying what’s clearly a date, holding hands and locking lips. Shahara sighs internally, bracing herself for a slew of Victorian attitudes- “Yeah,” she says, a little sarcastically- Hillinghead’s knuckles have gone white, he’s clenching his fist so hard. The gold of his wedding band stands stark against it. “That’s allowed, nowadays- we don’t care.”
“Hm?” Whiteman glances around- there’s a moment where Shahara thinks she’s gonna have to deal with 1940s attitudes as well, but Whiteman turns back, uninterested. “Fair enough.” he starts patting himself down, like he’s looking for something in his pockets.
“They can-” Hillinghead murmurs. “I could…” He swipes for the beer and downs a quarter of the pint in one. Now Whiteman looks interested, he pauses his search, leans right forward and says, smirking, “Detective Inspector Hillinghead. Do you have a fancy man?”
Hillinghead sputters and brings down the glass. “Are you twelve?” he demands, something of the outraged parent seeping into his tone as– he’s blushing, Shahara realises. He’s actually blushing.
“Are you-?” She asks, leaning forward, and she knows it’s rude and none of her business, but still. “Are you gay?” The wedding ring. “Bi?”she suggests, as a follow up, and then: “Do you have a boyfriend?”
“I- what? I-” he looks back at the couple, then grabs his beer again. “I have- I have a- I have Henry,” he downs more of the beer. “It-it would be nice, to- to not…” he trails off, his eyes drifting away from both of them.
“See, I’ve always been a bachelor- a bachelor bachelor, not a confirmed bachelor, myself, but I - fuck, I left my cigars and my lighter in the other jacket-”
“Language,” Hilinghead reprimands at the same time as Shahara says: “You can’t smoke in here anyway.”
Whiteman drops his elbow to the table and points at her. “You what?”
“No smoking in public places, it’s banned.”
Whiteman flops back in his seat and grabs for his whisky. “The future is bollocks.” he drains the glass and slams it down. “Good whisky though. So. While we wait for Maplewood to join us….Hillinghead can kiss blokes, and I can’t smoke in a pub. What else should we know about this 2023, then…?”
Omg your tags about bodies!!!! 😭😭😭 I am in a heap!!! I cannot cope with Alfred & Henry and im so sad we never saw Henry leave or whether he ever found out about Alfred's sacrifice like I am feral 😢
AHHHHH I **KNOW**. Codas and fix-it fics are being worked on because if I don’t somehow make them happy I will actually cry. The ending giving us a hopeful glimpse of them is enough to get me through this writing process atm. (ALSO, SO GLAD MORE PEOPLE ARE FINDING THE SHOW AND WATCHING IT!!!)
RED, WHITE & ROYAL BLUE (2023) dir. Matthew Lopez
"I fell in love with a person who happens to be a man, and that man happens to be a prince. He has captured my heart and made my life immeasurably better."
I want someone to look at me the way Ashe looks at Hillinghead in Bodies
sneak peek | Eddie has a short-lived date
What are you looking for?
hugs…
https://archiveofourown.org/users/ColorfulThoughts
176 posts