Fish Guts

[karter]

Tittle: Fish Guts

Length:One-shot

Characters: Aden, Joey

Rating: G

Warnings:None

Spoilers: For UK viewers

Summary: Aden and Joey have a race. Winner pays...well, that was the plan.

A/n- I haven't written for a while so i hope its not to rusty.

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Aden had never been particularly fond of fish, the smell, the taste and especially the way they made that slapping sound when they hit the deck.

He crinkled his nose as the waves dipped the small vessel, “Race ya?”

Somehow she made it fun.

He looked into the glare of the sun, spying Joey, her neck turning pink in the light, sitting across form him, head tilted so her hair shaded her eyes, she held one of the Bream, it scales dull and greasy.

“Fish gutting?” he asked with a raised eyebrow and a smirk.

She shook her head, just a little, “Sorting, first to fill their tray—” her eyes darted to the orange plastic on her left, “—with the yellow tail wins?”

He frowned, sneaking a glance at the fish near his feet; he seemed to have more… “Okay…but who wins what?”

It was Joey’s turn to think, “Loser buys dinner?” she suggested.

Aden shrugged as if that didn’t bother him, hiding his smile, “Okay, you’re on.”

So they raced, their skin getting continually pinker, the slushing of the waves only rocking them off balance on occasion.

Aden grabbed for another, it slipped through his hands like a bar of soap and flew straight over the side, splash into the sea, he frowned, scandalised for a second before her laughter brought him back to the world.

She didn’t laugh much, just kind of smirked.

This time he grinned at her and he narrowed his eyes, silently telling her that that little incident was to be told to no one, he didn’t need a reputation.

She held up her hands, a fish in one, in mock defence and silently went back to sorting, he passed a blasé look over the near full tray on her side, she was skinning him, his reputation could be at stake.

He smiled politely at her as she glared at him suspiciously, his lip curiling at the first hint of mischief. A shout from the inner deck and Joey turned, her eyes no long shielded from the sun she grimanced and Aden took his chance, he reached out and in a flash switched the two trays.

Joey turned back around and did a double take, her jaw dropped a little and he did his best not to find that cute, she looked up at him, jerking her neck, “Oi!”

He put on his best butter-wouldn’t-melt expression, “What?” he asked innocently, unconsciously noting the tone he had adopted sounded like Nicole and as a consequence, rather girly.

“You switched those!” Joey spluttered, gesturing wildly.

“Switched what?”

“The trays!” she said defiantly, “You switched them around.”

He made a mock clucking sound, trying to look disapproving, “Awe, come on Jo, no need for a sore loser, there’s no shame in admitting you lost.”

“But i—“ she didn’t know what to say, there was no point accusing him, she knew had had done it and he knew he had done it, but she couldn’t prove it, case closed.

She settled for looking at him scandalised, one of her more girly looks.

Aden beamed cheekily at her, “So for dinner. I was thinking the lobster.”

Joey shook her head, her eyes gaining a twinkle, “How about you settle for the fish.” She threatened.

Something about her tone made Aden duck a second before a snapper flew straight over his head, her turned to watch as it slid across the deck and in doing so left the back of his head a willing target.

Slap!

Aden grimaced, he hated fish even more when it was sliding down his back, he shivered, throwing it off and turning to Joey with a deathly slowness.

She realised her danger and grabbed the biggest fish she could find, slapping it against her palm like one would a base ball bat. “Bring it on butter-fingers.” She challenged. Was she laughing at him again?

He narrowed his eyes and cracked his knuckles, “No problem tough guy.”

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“Because technically I won!” he said pointing smugly to his chest.

“I’m sorry, but cheating in this country means you loose by de-fault.” She pointed out with an eyeroll. Back on solid land, having juts finished packing up the boat they were debating the issue

“But de-faults don’t count, these are Texan rules.” He said trying to add an accent to the last.

She snorted, “No there house rules and they say you cheated, you loose, so now you ‘gotta spring for the meal.”

Acknowledging he was running out of cards Aden decided on a compromise, “Okay, okay, “ he said with fake resignation, “I’ll pay for the dinner, on one condition.”

She looked at him suspiciously, “What condition?”

“You pay for the movie.” He grinned.

She looked the slightest bit surprised but nodded anyway, slowly, “Okay. I suppose that would make things even.”

“So all right with the world?" he asked teasingly.

“Besides the fact you cheated. Yes.”

Aden rolled his eye, “stop living in the past Jo,” he wrapped a suntanned arm around her shoulders, “You have to move on…I’ll even let you pick the movie.”

She shrugged, “Okay.”

He grinned, “But nothing girly.”

She laughed at him, “Please, I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again…if something doesn’t blow up, then it’s not a movie.”

Aden didn’t like fish, but they had their uses.

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