Fic: Are You Pondering What I'm Pondering? (Gunn/Andrew, G)

[electricalgwen]

One of the delights of maleslashminis is being thrown a challenge, a scenario or pairing outside your comfort zone, making you try out different voices and styles.

Some challenges are greater than others. *g*

For soft_princess, who wanted Gunn/Andrew. Believe it or not, this is actually a sequel. Yes, I wrote Gunn/Andrew once before, at _beetle_'s request. It is not necessary to read Brilliant Idiots, but it may help with the whole suspension of disbelief thing; it was my attempt to get inside Gunn's head and make the pairing work.

Thanks to cordelianne for her wicked beta skills and for putting up with my last-minute flailing. Standard disclaimers apply. Full request at end of fic. About 675 words, rated G. Pretty much all I know about Risk, I learned from Wikipedia.


Are You Pondering What I'm Pondering?

“Does it make you at all nervous how excited he is about this?”

Giles considered. “Best to let him get it out of his system, I find.”

Gunn dropped another infantry piece on South America. “Still, man. You go promoting him much further, he’ll have his own private army.”

“Yes, well. If the Slayers actually paid attention to him, I might be more worried.” Giles contemplated the board, turning the little plastic piece over and over. “In the meantime, I trust you to head off any attempts at actual world domination.”

He moved his hand towards Greenland, then withdrew it again.

“You gonna put that down some time today, Napoleon?”

“I’m merely considering the, ah, optimal strategic position.” Giles’s hand wavered over North Africa, before finally placing his piece on Western Europe.

“Uh-huh.” Gunn raised his voice. “Andy! Your turn.”

“In a moment!” Andrew’s voice wafted from the kitchen, accompanied by the smell of pesto. “If I leave the spinach puffs now they’ll burn!”

“He can’t just put chips in a bowl?” Gunn muttered.

“I heard that!” said an affronted voice. “Chips are not a suitable accompaniment for Keemun!”

“It is very nice tea,” Giles said, taking another sip of his.

Gunn shook his head. “Tea. I’m gonna wipe the board with you guys.”

“Never underestimate the power of an Englishman fortified by tea! Recall the heyday of the British Empire!” Andrew made his grand entrance, bearing aloft the spinach puffs. “I think you’ll find our esteemed leader more than a match for your haphazard approach to warfare, bro.”

Gunn nodded towards a jar on the sideboard. It was half-full of quarters.

Andrew sighed, set down the spinach puffs, dug in his pocket and dropped another quarter in the jar.

Giles raised his eyebrows questioningly.

“I’m not allowed to say ‘bro’,” Andrew sulked. “Among many other things.”

“Ah,” Giles nodded. “The Slayer house has a similar scheme. I believe there is a penalty for violating the 20 minute bathroom time limit.”

“Does it work?”

“Rather well, actually.” Giles took a spinach puff. “Though not perhaps in the way they realize. It cuts down the number of hallway fights only marginally, but it does make a significant contribution towards the window replacement budget.”

“Your turn,” said Andrew smugly. Gunn looked at the board and shook his head. “Australia again?”

“All part of my cunning plan.” Andrew waved a hand. “Watch and learn, my little – ” Gunn looked at him – “er, my large and muscular Padawan.”

_____________


Giles conceded with a nod.

Andrew was less graceful in defeat.

“I don’t understand it!” He glared at the board in disgust. “We clearly had the tactical advantage! How did you do that?”

Gunn laced his fingers behind his head and cracked his neck. “Difference between theory and practice, baby.”

“Napoleon proved this theory in practice! The Strategy of Central Position is brilliant!” Andrew swept the pieces from the board dramatically. “And I had such a good start in Australia!”

“Yeah. But taking Australia first means you gotta expand through Asia. You forgot the cardinal rule.”

Andrew’s pout melted into a soppy smile. “Never get involved in a land war in Asia!”

Gunn reached over and ruffled his hair. “That too.”

“Hey!” Andrew bolted upright and pointed at the quarter jar, looking smug.

Gunn sighed and paid a contribution.

“Ah… what was that for?” Giles asked.

“Displaying excessive geekiness,” muttered Gunn.

Andrew was eyeing the quarters speculatively. “You know, I think we might have enough now?”

“What are you saving for?” Giles inquired.

“He agreed we could get the Lord of the Rings version,” Andrew announced. “With the Minas Tirith expansion set.”

“You know I’ll still kick your ass, though,” Gunn said.

Andrew sniffed. “Your crude offensive may have won today’s battle, but the war is not yet over. I will have my revenge!”

“Shall I host next time?” asked Giles. “What are you doing next Thursday?”

“Same thing we do every week,” said Gunn, and Andrew joined in, “try and take over the world!”

Request was for Gunn working for the Council in a post-NFA setting, Giles (not in a threesome way), Risk (the boardgame), without non-canon character death, any rating. I didn't make Gunn's job explicit; hope that's okay! :)

Comments

[soft-princess.livejournal.com]

I think I may be just a little bit in love with you right now. Please, don't tell my girlfriend. *g*

It's just... *flails* Adorable and geeky and AWESOME, and I just adore your character voices for this. You have Andrew down *perfectly*, and do an absolutely awesome Gunn as well. And heee!! GILES! :D and OMG PINKY AND THE BRAIN!!! :D

Thank you, SO MUCH, for writing this for me. It's brilliant.

*squishes it and calls it Georges*

[electricalgwen.livejournal.com]

Whew! I'm so relieved you like it! All three of these guys are tough for me - when I've written Gunn before, it's almost always an internal perspective rather than dialogue, and I've never managed Andrew - so it's great to hear that this short snippet worked for you. I had fun including all the geek references! (Narf!)

This is what I like about msm, a chance to try a new things - thanks for an interesting prompt. :)

[bethynyc.livejournal.com]

When I saw this request, part of me jumped up and down, because Gunn always hid his essential geekiness, and it came out in the robots and Risk, and this was just wonderful! Lovely voices!

and PINKY AND THE BRAIN!!! So perfect!

[electricalgwen.livejournal.com]

Aw, thanks! I do love Gunn's inner geek. Glad you liked it! :)

[chlare.livejournal.com]

Awesome. I loved all the little geeky references, and who doesn't love Risk? ;) Plus Andrew's little tantrum at the end, so great. And the jar, the jar! Ha. Such fun. :)

[electricalgwen.livejournal.com]

Whee!
Thank you! I'm glad this little foray into geekdom amused you. It was fun to write! :)

[savoytruffle.livejournal.com]

that totally kicked ass.

[electricalgwen.livejournal.com]

Glad you enjoyed it! *g*

[allyndra.livejournal.com]

I always Loved (with a capital L) the D&D scene right before the final battle of BtVS. This conjured up that sort of "Heeee! They're such geeks!" love in me. Andrew's penalty for saying "bro" was amusing, but Gunn having a similar penalty for shoing off his inner nerd was inspired. Fun little fic for a tough pairing!

[electricalgwen.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much! I'm glad you liked the jar. :)

Yes, that's a wonderful scene. "Silly, silly British man." Hee!

[that_mireille]

I was really doubtful about that pairing, but this is hilariously fun. Thank you for being part of the ficathon, and rising to the challenge!

[electricalgwen.livejournal.com]

Well, I'm not claiming it as a new OTP or anything, but it was a good challenge and a nice little exercise in writing! Glad you found it fun. :)

Thanks for all your work in organizing, as usual!

[cordelianne.livejournal.com]

This is so awesome and fun and funny and in character! Even though you already know, I must assert my approval of the Pinky and the Brain references.

This is a really funny exchange:
“In a moment!” Andrew’s voice wafted from the kitchen, accompanied by the smell of pesto. “If I leave the spinach puffs now they’ll burn!”
“He can’t just put chips in a bowl?” Gunn muttered.
“I heard that!” said an affronted voice. “Chips are not a suitable accompaniment for Keemun!”
“It is very nice tea,” Giles said, taking another sip of his.
Gunn shook his head. “Tea. I’m gonna wipe the board with you guys.”
I also like how it suggests a fun banter in Andrew and Gunn's relationship.

I LOVE that they have the jar for when Andrew says things like "bro" which he should so never say, and for Gunn displaying geekiness. I love this:
“All part of my cunning plan.” Andrew waved a hand. “Watch and learn, my little – ” Gunn looked at him – “er, my large and muscular Padawan.”

This is such a fun exchange:
“Yeah. But taking Australia first means you gotta expand through Asia. You forgot the cardinal rule.”
Andrew’s pout melted into a soppy smile. “Never get involved in a land war in Asia!”
Gunn reached over and ruffled his hair. “That too.”

And the last line? Totally rocks!!! :D

[electricalgwen.livejournal.com]

Your comments are always so lovely to receive, but it's particularly encouraging when it's on a difficult or unusual piece! Thank you so much! I'm glad you enjoyed the geek references (there's one nobody's commented on yet! *g*) - I love Gunn's inner geek. :)

Thanks again for agreeing to look this over, particularly at the last minute, and for your suggestions regarding Andrew.

[ubiquirk.livejournal.com]

Very nice snapshot of their relationship with everything just flowing so naturally - it never felt expositionay or forced. Also, nice use of Giles as the straight man (in the comedic way - grins).

[electricalgwen.livejournal.com]

That's great to hear, that it sounded natural - difficult in a short piece with odd pairing, so I'm glad you felt it worked.

Hee, I did enjoy Giles' encounter with Trogdor the Burninator, so it was fun to have him involved in another games night...

[munin.livejournal.com]

Okay, I've just read Gunn/Andrew. And liked it. My world is askew.

But it was so cute! They fit so well as you've written them. And Giles having a night with the three of them to take over the world. I love it!

[electricalgwen.livejournal.com]

Hee! I felt much the same way writing them. Thanks for trying it out, though, and for letting me know you liked it!

I do like the D&D scene in BtVS 7, so imagining Giles and Andrew having another games night made me happy.

<3 your icon, btw.

[viciouscats.livejournal.com]

That was awesome! :)

[electricalgwen.livejournal.com]

Thank you! :)

[callmesandy.livejournal.com]

I really enjoyed this! :)

[electricalgwen.livejournal.com]

Thanks so much!

[http://users.livejournal.com/_beetle_/]

“All part of my cunning plan.” Andrew waved a hand. “Watch and learn, my little – ” Gunn looked at him – “er, my large and muscular Padawan.”

::snorfles::

“Shall I host next time?” asked Giles. “What are you doing next Thursday?”

“Same thing we do every week,” said Gunn, and Andrew joined in, “try and take over the world!”

I'm verklempt. I just--dude. I should pull my head out of my ass more often.

More, if you get a chance :)

[electricalgwen.livejournal.com]

Hee, so glad you found this and liked it! I'm particularly delighted you quoted the Padawan line, I was fond of it. :D

I can't believe I have more than one Gunn/Andrew. Sheesh. *g*