Work Text:
Stickability
by Buffy
"Alright, go ahead and say it. Everyone having perfect faith in you when you haven't got a bleeding clue is damned annoying." Ash flopped down on the sofa as he spoke.
Danny's amusement came through the cell phone line loud and clear. "I did tell you that, didn't I? But you found a way through it."
"No, I came up with nothing. Mickey figured out a way to steal the painting without moving it."
"What is it with Mickey and museums? Emma and Sean should be bleedin' glad Mickey don't take it into his mind to steal the crown jewels again."
Ash couldn't help the grin at his lover's complaint, "True, that. How's America treating you and Stace?" He felt a bit guilty, considering that it was 2 am for his lover, but Danny had been the one to call him.
"Not bad. Hooked up with a couple of long-con players from here in the states. It's a good crew, but not as good as ours. Alec's been feeding us marks, fish too small for their nets." Ash missed what Danny said next because Emma and Mickey walked into the room, Emma still arguing loudly.
"Come, on, Ash, back me up. 'Stickability' isn't a word, Mickey's just made it up and can't bear to admit that he's wrong!" Ash got the feeling Emma was beginning to adopt him as an uncle or older brother, looking to him to stop Mickey from teasing her and her brother. It didn't help that Danny was laughing, apparently able to hear enough of the argument to enjoy someone else being hazed by Mickey.
"Danny, love, what do you think? Is 'stickability' a word?" Ash didn't hesitate to draw Danny into it. He wanted Danny back with their crew in London, post haste. Didn't matter that he understood his lover's reasons for going to America, he missed him. He hit the key to put Danny on speaker so Emma could hear the answer for herself.
"Sure it's a word. It's Mickey's word. And you're on Mickey's crew, so it's your word, too. Ask Albert, he'll tell you the same. 'Course, if you want examples of stickability, you should ask about the Henderson Challenge. You need lots of stickability to survive the Henderson Challenge."
Ash promised to fly out for a visit after the next con, just so that he could properly thank Danny for that. To see Mickey Bricks that flabbergasted, and blushing hard enough to be perceptible despite his dark skin tone, was priceless.
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