due South fic: "Mutual Interests"

[luzula]

Title: Mutual Interests
Characters: Fraser and Frannie (with background F/K)
Rating: G
Length: 500 words
Summary: Fraser babysits for Frannie, and then they eat ice cream and talk about skin care products.
Notes: This was supposed to be a snippet, but I didn't have the heart to cut it down. Hopefully no errors about babies or skin care products! Neither is my area of competence--I just did some googling. (And what do you mean I should be working on my Big Bang? La la la...)

"Hi?" Fraser heard Frannie's low voice in the hallway.

"Hi," he said, shifting the sleeping baby in his lap and putting down his book.

Frannie brushed her hand over Angelica's dark hair. "Hi there, sweetheart. You been a good girl?"

"She has, actually. She slept most of the time. How was your lecture?"

"Fine. Thanks for babysitting. Ma's not home yet?"

"No." Ma Vecchio was at a church meeting, and Tony and Maria were at one of their kids' piano recital, so the Vecchio house was wrapped in unaccustomed quiet.

"You want some ice cream? I have such a craving, and there's this place that has great chocolate gelato, with really dark chocolate, you know..." Frannie didn't wait for a reply, but set out two plates and scooped up ice cream for herself.

She held out her arms for Angelica. "Come to mommy."

Fraser handed her over, then helped himself to the ice cream. "Mmm. It's very good."

"I know, right?" Frannie said. Angelica began to fidget.

"You hungry, too?" Frannie tugged up her nursing shirt to feed her.

Fraser politely looked away. Frannie rolled her eyes. "I'm just nursing. And it's not like you'd look anyway."

Since Frannie learned of Fraser's relationship with Ray Kowalski, she appeared to have completely recategorized Fraser in her mind. "Oh," she'd said, mouth open. "Oh. You're gay." Which was not strictly true, of course--he was bisexual--but he'd decided not to correct her.

"When I changed her diapers, I noticed that she has a small rash," Fraser said.

"Yeah, I know. I'm getting something for it tomorrow--my usual salve just ran out. "

"I have a homemade salve that might work. I use it when the uniform itches."

"The uniform itches?" Frannie looked up, biting her lip and obviously trying not to smile.

"Unfortunately, yes."

"Sorry, I didn't mean to...it always looks so perfect. Anyway, so what's in the salve? I mean, just because something's natural doesn't mean it's good for you."

"That's very true. Many plants are poisonous, after all."

Frannie leaned down to kiss Angelica on the nose. "Do you want lichens and walrus horns on your bum? No you don't, right?"

Fraser stifled a laugh, and helped himself to some more ice cream. "I don't actually use ingredients like that. Well, except for Usnea lichen sometimes, which is anti-septic. But no, this is just calendula."

"Calendula. Yeah, I've read about that, but I've never tried it myself," Frannie said. "It's supposed to be really gentle on the skin, from what I've heard. What's in the base?"

"Olive oil and beeswax. More readily available down here than seal blubber."

Frannie grinned. "Yeah, okay, I'll try it. My cousin Renata swears by calendula, too." She finished nursing and tucked herself in.

Fraser got up and put the ice cream back in the freezer. "Well, I should be going. I'll drop by with the salve tomorrow."

"Thanks. Say hi to Ray for me."

"I will." Fraser smiled down at Angelica, who had fallen asleep again, and then left, closing the door quietly behind him.

Comments

[mergatrude]

Awwww!

And calendula is excellent for rashes. *g*

[luzula]

Thanks! Although hmm, I wondered afterwards if Frannie would probably already know that. But I figured Fraser would lean more towards "natural remedies" than she does.

[mergatrude]

I'm fairly confident she would. Calendula is an old remedy for skin problems and it's really gentle for sensitive baby skin. Her mother probably used it, though Maria might have gone for the more modern, zinc-based creams (personally, I try to stay away from anything too chemical with my kids - they are prone to eczema).

[luzula]

Ha, that'll teach me to have things beta-read first. Ah well.

[jesse_the_k]

Sweeeeet.

[luzula]

Thanks! I just wanted to write them hanging out together and being friends...

[brigantine]

Oh, a lovely little quiet, domestic moment. It makes a sweet picture of their world as settled, safe, everyone where they want to be. :)

[love-jackianto.livejournal.com]

Oh. That was so sweet.

[luzula]

Thanks! I basically just wanted to see them hanging out together after Frannie quit chasing Fraser around.