Drabble: Prima Facie (Rocket Science, Ben/Hal)

[mithen]

Title:  Prima Facie
Fandom:  Rocket Science
Pairing: Ben/Hal
Rating: PG
Summary: Hal's still searching for words, but he seems to have found Ben in the meantime.
Word Count: 337
Notes:  Rocket Science is a little indie movie about high school debate and a boy with a stammer who tries to become a debater.  I saw it over Christmas break and just had to write a little bit for it--cute geeky debaters make me squee, apparently.  Put up here merely for archiving and completeness's sake...I found a total of one other story in this fandom on the Internet.  *grin*

Ben doesn't seem surprised to see Hal when he shows up at the dry cleaners, a few weeks after their failed attempt.  He wipes his hands on his smock and nods, saying just "Hal."

"Would you like to--uh, I mean--not that--but..."  Hal swallows, starts again.  "I mean, we could, if you'd like to--like to--like--"  Ben is waiting, not impatiently.  Just waiting.  "Would you like to--to--uh--go get some pizza?"

Ben smiles.

: : :

He's sitting in Ben's apartment, listening to him talk.  Ben keeps up a steady flow of chatter, a stream of words, ironic commentary on anything and everything:  the pizza, the waitstaff, the sunset, his frustrations, his hopes and his dreams pressed and folded like laundry.  Put away.

Hal listens, savoring the words.  There are things he wants to say, lots of things, but they don't scan to the "Battle Hymn of the Republic," or any other song.  But at some point, in the middle of a sentence, he leans over and puts his lips to Ben's.  Kisses him. 

Or he guesses it's a kiss, but it's nothing like the kiss with Ginny.  He had kissed Ginny like he was trying to wrench the words from her mouth with the force of his need and passion, like he was trying to inhale her voluble, loquacious, bright-glittering soul into his own being.  This is different.  Like he's tasting words, sweet and delicate.   Frangible.  Pulchritudinous.  Prolix. 

Ben kisses him like he's tasting silence and yearning.

After a while, Ben laughs a little, shakily.  "You realize, of course, that this...case...has no solvency at all.  And minimal inherency."

"But it's--it's got--it has--it's got--what it's..." 

Ben is smiling, waiting.  He knows what Hal's going to say, of course he does, but he doesn't seem to mind waiting.

"It's got--significance," Hal finishes, as if he's closed the most important argument of his life.

Ben doesn't seem to have anything to say to that.  But then again, for once in his life maybe he doesn't have to say anything at all.

Comments

[fictionalknight.livejournal.com]

I like the idea behind this - words and silence, and their significance to both these characters. Haven't seen the movie, but it's still pretty obvious what the concepts mean to them -- or at least, it looks like to me.

I think it's cute that the kid with the stammer is the one to win the argument against the other who's clearly pretty good at debate, and (I guess) used to winning them, too. Cuter even that maybe for once he doesn't have to win this one, and he should just...say nothing. (well, maybe he should kiss him again, instead - that'd be nice. *giggles*)

[bradygirl_12]

That icon: SO true!

[mithen.livejournal.com]

I think it's cute that the kid with the stammer is the one to win the argument against the other who's clearly pretty good at debate, and (I guess) used to winning them, too.

Yep, Ben's a major champion (though he choked at the finals and never lived it down, poor guy). Ben's also unspeakably gorgeous, lol.

Considering everyone I've ever dated has been a debater, it was inevitable I wrie something for this movie, I think. :) Sexy, sexy words...

[miendie.livejournal.com]

Wow, this is great! Just finished the movie myself.
Loved this part:
Ben keeps up a steady flow of chatter, a stream of words, ironic commentary on anything and everything: the pizza, the waitstaff, the sunset, his frustrations, his hopes and his dreams pressed and folded like laundry. Put away.

[mithen.livejournal.com]

*dances* I was hoping someone on my flist had seen it, lol! I couldn't quite resist, Ben was just way too sexy to resist, and I wanted so much to make a little more literal the bond that the movie mostly only hints at...

Thanks so much for commenting, you make my day!

[bradygirl_12]

No clue about this movie but I enjoyed the story! :)

[mithen.livejournal.com]

*grin* Thanks! I can't resist cute debaters...I had this in my head almost before the movie ended. :)

[icarus-chained.livejournal.com]

Never seen the movie, but oh! The words. This makes me love words, and their lack, all over again! Thank you!
*makes note of movie title*

[mithen.livejournal.com]

Oh, oh, I think you'd like this movie a lot! It's bafflingly open-ended at times, but it has some lovely things to imply about words and expressing yourself and human connections. The main female character is kind of a wench, but OTOH she's tough as nails and pretty awesome as well...

[arch-schatten.livejournal.com]

After a while, Ben laughs a little, shakily. "You realize, of course, that this...case...has no solvency at all. And minimal inherency."
[...]
"It's got--significance," Hal finishes, as if he's closed the most important argument of his life.


Heeee! I love the matter-of-fact vs. meaning-of-silence combo this dynamic has going! they are so very cute, and.. something having significance doesn't always have to be anything else. It just is! and they seem to accept it well enough. Silences that have meaning for the win!

[mithen.livejournal.com]

Fluent in silence, whee! :) I think you'd like this movie if you ever come across it! Ben is beautiful (he's played by the guy who plays West in Heroes, who I dislike, but when I didn't realize it was him I thought he was the most beautiful guy I'd ever seen, lol), and very kind to Hal after Hal gets seriously screwed over, and they just kind of rock together. :)