Fic: Awkward Moment, (PG, Charlie Waterman Flashfic)

As I am sure you have noticed me mention, I have a new book out this week. It is called Cat's Confidence and it is book 3 in The Chronicles of Charlie Waterman. In honour of the release I have written a little flashfic for this week's Drabble Cascade. It is a tag scene to the book, but has no spoilers, so it can be enjoyed by all.

Awkward Moment

by Natasha Duncan-Drake

Charlie opened the door from his bedroom and stepped out into his living room, where Alexander was waiting for him. They were still on their break after the last Task and they'd decided to take a trip to a world neither of them had visited before. Thanks to losing himself in the library all morning, Charlie was running late.

"Sorry," he apologised and then stopped, because he saw what Alexander was doing.

His friend had one of his many books in hand and was scanning through it. When Alexander looked up and lifted one perfectly shaped eyebrow, Charlie wasn't sure what to say.

"A stake through the heart would kill anything," Alexander said, "not just vampires."

"So would beheading," Charlie agreed, "and fire," at which point he realised, that possibly wasn't the most tactful thing to say.

Of course Alexander had to have picked up the book about evil vampires. The only vampire he knew couldn't have gone for one of the ones about dragons, because he wasn't that lucky.

"Now you know why everyone on Earth thinks vampires are fictional," he added with an awkward shrug; "none of the vampire lore actually makes sense."

Alexander stood up and placed the book back on the shelf without another comment and Charlie really hoped the book hadn't offended his friend. Books about evil white guys didn't offend him, but then half the universe didn't have the wrong idea about his race, so he wasn't sure he could judge.

"Shall we go?" Alexander asked and didn't sound overly bothered, but sometimes it was hard to tell.

"Yeah," Charlie agreed and plastered on a smile.

"That book did get one thing right," Alexander added as he lifted his arm to create a portal.

"Really?" Charlie asked, honestly surprised.

"Yes," Alexander said and paused in a way that wasn't overly dramatic at all, well not for a vampire anyway, "we are all devilishly handsome and good in bed."

The whole speech was delivered with a perfectly serious demeanour, so it took Charlie a moment to catch up.

"Oh you bastard," he said and laughed, "I was really worried there for a second."

Alexander merely gave him a superior smirk as the portal flared into life.

~*~

Drabble Cascade #30 COMPETITION - word of the week is 'stake'

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