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smallfandomflshTitle: Pre-Marital Stance
Author: Katya Starling
Fandom: Step By Step
Characters/Pairing: Rich/Dana, Frank/Carol
Rating: PG-13/T
Challenge/Prompt: Small Fandom Flash 266: There Was Only One Bed and FFFC 20.05: Sharp
Word Count: 1,786
Date Written: 31 March 2020
Warnings: None
Summary: Rich and Dana aren't doing it 'til they're wed.
Disclaimer: All characters within belong to their rightful owners, not the author, and are used without permission.
"There's only one bed." Carol blinked at the unexpected sight of a single bed before turning a suspicious look with a raised eyebrow on her daughter. Then she shot daggers at her child's boyfriend. "This isn't going to do."
Dana huffed. "It isn't your call, Mother!"
"Like heck it isn't! There's only one bed! You are not ready for that -- that -- " She blustered. She didn't even want to think of her sensible daughter having premarital affairs, but she had little choice when the truth was staring boldly up at her.
"Missus L, you really don't have anything to worry about." Rich tried to soothe her anxious fears with a charming smile. "Dana wouldn't give it up if I was the last man on Earth and the Earth was dying."
Carol narrowed her eyes at him, and the room seemed to drop a good ten degrees. "You sound like you've tried before."
"I have -- I mean, that is -- I -- " Rich blustered and finally fell silent, scratching the back of his dark head. He looked sheepishly at his girlfriend, but Dana was glowering as well. Her expression seemed to mirror her mother's with the appearance of only about ten years' difference, but he knew her wrath was far worse than Carol's. At least it was for him. He grimaced, almost squeaked aloud, and took a step back. He would have gone further back, but Frank was standing behind him.
"This doesn't look good," the older man, who Rich swore was built like a lumberjack, commented. "You do realize that if you take Dana's virginity before your wedding night, I'm going to have to kill you."
"FRANK!" both Carol and Dana protested simultaneously. They fell silent, embarrassed they'd chastised him at one time, and shot daggers at each other again instead.
"They're not getting married."
"We are too getting married!" Dana protested. "When the time's right."
"Yeah, in twenty years, maybe." Carol snorted. "And if you haven't found a better man than Rich by then, I feel sorry for you."
Dana's face darkened, but it wasn't with embarrassment. It was pure anger. Rich gulped. He'd seen her hit people for less. Most men felt the need to protect their women, but he knew his Dana never needed protecting. If any one else had cut down on him like that in front of her, the other woman's cheek would be stinging and a bloody red by now. Instead Dana's hands were curling into fists at her side, pumping back and forth between splayed fingers and tight fists, and she glowered furiously at her mother.
"Now, Carol," Frank spoke, clearing his throat, "Rich isn't that bad."
"The Hell he isn't! He's unemployed. He's a goofball. He's never going to make anything of himself! He's not worthy of my daughter!"
Rich's face was burning now. His eyes felt softer, almost like he could start crying, but he absolutely would not cry in front of Dana. He opened his mouth to protest, but Dana beat him to it as usual. "HE WILL TOO!" she shouted defiantly.
"Carol." Frank tenderly touched his wife's shoulder, but she jerked away from him. Rich had seen Mister L try to stand up for him before, but he always ended up backing down in the face of his wife's wrath. He couldn't blame him. He certainly hated arguing with Dana, and despite what her mother clearly thought, they didn't share a bed yet and wouldn't until they were married. He knew what Dana's beliefs were, and he would never willingly do anything to make her feel bad or question his loyalty.
To his surprise, Frank didn't back down this time, at least not yet. Instead he calmly met his wife's fierce glare, gulped, and continued to speak, "Dana could do a lot worse. Rich may not be much of a man yet -- "
"HEY!" It was Dana and Rich who spoke together this time, although she was considerably louder than he.
Frank continued as though he hadn't heard them, but the look he shot them asked them both to give him a chance. " -- but he's working hard on becoming a man who will be worthy of our daughter. He's got a job now, and I've never seen him just call in and slack off like JT does, like most men of their generation do. He even worked with me for a little while last Summer, if you'll remember, back when he couldn't get work? He wasn't that good, but he damn sure tried."
He stepped closer to her, holding his hands out in the open area inches from her tense shoulders. "I wasn't worthy of you when we first met, baby, remember? But I worked hard on becoming a man who you could be proud of."
"Oh, hush, Frank! I was already proud of you!"
"And I'm proud of Rich," Dana interjected determinedly. "So why can't you see that the man I picked is perfect for me when you put up with Paul Bunyan here for so long?" She jerked a thumb towards Frank.
"Hey -- " he started to protest, and to the surprise of every one in the room, Dana mumbled, "Sorry."
Looking back at her mother, she persisted, "But can't you see? Just because other people don't like or approve of your man doesn't mean he's not the right one for you. Karen, Mark, and I all hated Frank at the beginning -- "
"Don't remind me," he muttered.
" -- but we came around to liking him and even accepting him as our stepfather when we saw how happy he made you. Rich makes me happy, Mother. He may not be rich or all that smart, but he makes me happy. He treats me like a Queen. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"
"Yes," Carol relented, chewing on her bottom lip. She rolled her eyes. "I guess it does." But then she shot Dana another sharp look. "But that doesn't mean I want you two sleeping in the same bed together!"
"One," Dana said calmly, "it's my apartment. I'll sleep in the bed with whoever I choose when I choose."
"But -- "
"Two," she continued as though she hadn't heard her mother, "that's the very reason I moved out again. You're way too protective. But three, I'm not having sex until I'm ready, and that's not happening until we're married. But when I do have sex, it's going to be with Rich. When I do get married, it's going to be to him. Get used to it. He's the love of my life, and he already is and is going to stay a member of our family, rather you like him or not."
Carol had pressed her lips together, but now she moved them apart and emitted a soft, frustrated sigh that blew up at her blonde bangs. "I guess you could've picked worse."
Rich opened his mouth to speak again, but Dana stopped him once more. "I could have picked way worse," she said, emphasizing. "Rich respects me. He doesn't pressure me."
"And we're not having sex, Missus L," Rich spoke up at last, stepping up next to his girlfriend and taking her hand in his, "until we are married. I know how much staying a virgin until our wedding night means to Dana. I'm a horn dog. I admit it." He shrugged. "All men my age are."
Frank blew out a quick laugh. "All men are, buddy, period."
"But I'm not going to pressure her, and I'm not going to take advantage of her, and we are going to wait," Rich declared, entwining his fingers with Dana's, "until our wedding night, and we're going to wait to get married until our wedding can be everything we want it to be, everything she deserves."
Carol visibly relaxed. "Fine, fine," she said, waving her hands in the air. She sighed again. "Then I guess I'll let you go." She hugged Dana quickly and forcibly, then walked out.
Frank patted Dana's shoulder, then Rich's, but as he was patting Rich's shoulder, he lowered his head next to his ear and whispered, "Just know, kid, if you ever change your mind, if you ever hurt her, I can cut other things with my chainsaw." He strode boldly out after his wife as Rich winced at the mental image.
"I'm never going to hurt her any way, Mister L!" he called after him, but the only reaction was the door slamming shut. He looked sheepishly over at Dana in her parents' wake, his head hanging slightly. There was so much he wanted to tell her, so much he wanted to do, so much he wanted to prove to her with more than just words and even actions. He really did love her with all his heart, and he would never, ever willingly hurt her even for a minute. But he could speak none of it. He listened to her parents drive away, and still, they stood in silence until he finally, sheepishly broke it. "I, huh, guess I should be going too. It's late."
"Yes," she agreed, "it is." She looked forlornly at him. "I miss you, Rich."
"I miss you, too, baby." But he couldn't ask her for permission to stay, not this late.
"You know," she spoke tentatively, choosing her words with great care, "there were times when we were living under the same roof that we would fall asleep together." She walked over to the lone bed in the room.
"Yeah," he said, sounding more eager than he'd meant to allow himself, "there were lots of 'em, and I miss that too." He missed her, nuzzling her, being surrounded by her sweet scent and loving arms even if they didn't do anything more than kiss.
To his surprise, Dana laid down before him. She pulled the blankets up over her body, then folded one back. "Would it be . . . too much," she asked slowly, still taking great care in every word, "if I asked you to stay the night?"
He grinned from ear to ear and raced to the bed. "Not at all!" He dove in beside her, and though three blankets remained between them, holding her against him was still the most wonderful feeling in the world. She nestled in close to his chest, and he wrapped his body as much around hers as he could maneuver. "Holding you always has been my favorite thing in the world," he murmured into her soft, short hair.
"It's not mine," she said, and instantly, he pouted.
"This is." She vanished his frown with a kiss, and then another, and another, and another, and another still long into the night.
The End
Author: Katya Starling
Fandom: Step By Step
Characters/Pairing: Rich/Dana, Frank/Carol
Rating: PG-13/T
Challenge/Prompt: Small Fandom Flash 266: There Was Only One Bed and FFFC 20.05: Sharp
Word Count: 1,786
Date Written: 31 March 2020
Warnings: None
Summary: Rich and Dana aren't doing it 'til they're wed.
Disclaimer: All characters within belong to their rightful owners, not the author, and are used without permission.
"There's only one bed." Carol blinked at the unexpected sight of a single bed before turning a suspicious look with a raised eyebrow on her daughter. Then she shot daggers at her child's boyfriend. "This isn't going to do."
Dana huffed. "It isn't your call, Mother!"
"Like heck it isn't! There's only one bed! You are not ready for that -- that -- " She blustered. She didn't even want to think of her sensible daughter having premarital affairs, but she had little choice when the truth was staring boldly up at her.
"Missus L, you really don't have anything to worry about." Rich tried to soothe her anxious fears with a charming smile. "Dana wouldn't give it up if I was the last man on Earth and the Earth was dying."
Carol narrowed her eyes at him, and the room seemed to drop a good ten degrees. "You sound like you've tried before."
"I have -- I mean, that is -- I -- " Rich blustered and finally fell silent, scratching the back of his dark head. He looked sheepishly at his girlfriend, but Dana was glowering as well. Her expression seemed to mirror her mother's with the appearance of only about ten years' difference, but he knew her wrath was far worse than Carol's. At least it was for him. He grimaced, almost squeaked aloud, and took a step back. He would have gone further back, but Frank was standing behind him.
"This doesn't look good," the older man, who Rich swore was built like a lumberjack, commented. "You do realize that if you take Dana's virginity before your wedding night, I'm going to have to kill you."
"FRANK!" both Carol and Dana protested simultaneously. They fell silent, embarrassed they'd chastised him at one time, and shot daggers at each other again instead.
"They're not getting married."
"We are too getting married!" Dana protested. "When the time's right."
"Yeah, in twenty years, maybe." Carol snorted. "And if you haven't found a better man than Rich by then, I feel sorry for you."
Dana's face darkened, but it wasn't with embarrassment. It was pure anger. Rich gulped. He'd seen her hit people for less. Most men felt the need to protect their women, but he knew his Dana never needed protecting. If any one else had cut down on him like that in front of her, the other woman's cheek would be stinging and a bloody red by now. Instead Dana's hands were curling into fists at her side, pumping back and forth between splayed fingers and tight fists, and she glowered furiously at her mother.
"Now, Carol," Frank spoke, clearing his throat, "Rich isn't that bad."
"The Hell he isn't! He's unemployed. He's a goofball. He's never going to make anything of himself! He's not worthy of my daughter!"
Rich's face was burning now. His eyes felt softer, almost like he could start crying, but he absolutely would not cry in front of Dana. He opened his mouth to protest, but Dana beat him to it as usual. "HE WILL TOO!" she shouted defiantly.
"Carol." Frank tenderly touched his wife's shoulder, but she jerked away from him. Rich had seen Mister L try to stand up for him before, but he always ended up backing down in the face of his wife's wrath. He couldn't blame him. He certainly hated arguing with Dana, and despite what her mother clearly thought, they didn't share a bed yet and wouldn't until they were married. He knew what Dana's beliefs were, and he would never willingly do anything to make her feel bad or question his loyalty.
To his surprise, Frank didn't back down this time, at least not yet. Instead he calmly met his wife's fierce glare, gulped, and continued to speak, "Dana could do a lot worse. Rich may not be much of a man yet -- "
"HEY!" It was Dana and Rich who spoke together this time, although she was considerably louder than he.
Frank continued as though he hadn't heard them, but the look he shot them asked them both to give him a chance. " -- but he's working hard on becoming a man who will be worthy of our daughter. He's got a job now, and I've never seen him just call in and slack off like JT does, like most men of their generation do. He even worked with me for a little while last Summer, if you'll remember, back when he couldn't get work? He wasn't that good, but he damn sure tried."
He stepped closer to her, holding his hands out in the open area inches from her tense shoulders. "I wasn't worthy of you when we first met, baby, remember? But I worked hard on becoming a man who you could be proud of."
"Oh, hush, Frank! I was already proud of you!"
"And I'm proud of Rich," Dana interjected determinedly. "So why can't you see that the man I picked is perfect for me when you put up with Paul Bunyan here for so long?" She jerked a thumb towards Frank.
"Hey -- " he started to protest, and to the surprise of every one in the room, Dana mumbled, "Sorry."
Looking back at her mother, she persisted, "But can't you see? Just because other people don't like or approve of your man doesn't mean he's not the right one for you. Karen, Mark, and I all hated Frank at the beginning -- "
"Don't remind me," he muttered.
" -- but we came around to liking him and even accepting him as our stepfather when we saw how happy he made you. Rich makes me happy, Mother. He may not be rich or all that smart, but he makes me happy. He treats me like a Queen. Doesn't that mean anything to you?"
"Yes," Carol relented, chewing on her bottom lip. She rolled her eyes. "I guess it does." But then she shot Dana another sharp look. "But that doesn't mean I want you two sleeping in the same bed together!"
"One," Dana said calmly, "it's my apartment. I'll sleep in the bed with whoever I choose when I choose."
"But -- "
"Two," she continued as though she hadn't heard her mother, "that's the very reason I moved out again. You're way too protective. But three, I'm not having sex until I'm ready, and that's not happening until we're married. But when I do have sex, it's going to be with Rich. When I do get married, it's going to be to him. Get used to it. He's the love of my life, and he already is and is going to stay a member of our family, rather you like him or not."
Carol had pressed her lips together, but now she moved them apart and emitted a soft, frustrated sigh that blew up at her blonde bangs. "I guess you could've picked worse."
Rich opened his mouth to speak again, but Dana stopped him once more. "I could have picked way worse," she said, emphasizing. "Rich respects me. He doesn't pressure me."
"And we're not having sex, Missus L," Rich spoke up at last, stepping up next to his girlfriend and taking her hand in his, "until we are married. I know how much staying a virgin until our wedding night means to Dana. I'm a horn dog. I admit it." He shrugged. "All men my age are."
Frank blew out a quick laugh. "All men are, buddy, period."
"But I'm not going to pressure her, and I'm not going to take advantage of her, and we are going to wait," Rich declared, entwining his fingers with Dana's, "until our wedding night, and we're going to wait to get married until our wedding can be everything we want it to be, everything she deserves."
Carol visibly relaxed. "Fine, fine," she said, waving her hands in the air. She sighed again. "Then I guess I'll let you go." She hugged Dana quickly and forcibly, then walked out.
Frank patted Dana's shoulder, then Rich's, but as he was patting Rich's shoulder, he lowered his head next to his ear and whispered, "Just know, kid, if you ever change your mind, if you ever hurt her, I can cut other things with my chainsaw." He strode boldly out after his wife as Rich winced at the mental image.
"I'm never going to hurt her any way, Mister L!" he called after him, but the only reaction was the door slamming shut. He looked sheepishly over at Dana in her parents' wake, his head hanging slightly. There was so much he wanted to tell her, so much he wanted to do, so much he wanted to prove to her with more than just words and even actions. He really did love her with all his heart, and he would never, ever willingly hurt her even for a minute. But he could speak none of it. He listened to her parents drive away, and still, they stood in silence until he finally, sheepishly broke it. "I, huh, guess I should be going too. It's late."
"Yes," she agreed, "it is." She looked forlornly at him. "I miss you, Rich."
"I miss you, too, baby." But he couldn't ask her for permission to stay, not this late.
"You know," she spoke tentatively, choosing her words with great care, "there were times when we were living under the same roof that we would fall asleep together." She walked over to the lone bed in the room.
"Yeah," he said, sounding more eager than he'd meant to allow himself, "there were lots of 'em, and I miss that too." He missed her, nuzzling her, being surrounded by her sweet scent and loving arms even if they didn't do anything more than kiss.
To his surprise, Dana laid down before him. She pulled the blankets up over her body, then folded one back. "Would it be . . . too much," she asked slowly, still taking great care in every word, "if I asked you to stay the night?"
He grinned from ear to ear and raced to the bed. "Not at all!" He dove in beside her, and though three blankets remained between them, holding her against him was still the most wonderful feeling in the world. She nestled in close to his chest, and he wrapped his body as much around hers as he could maneuver. "Holding you always has been my favorite thing in the world," he murmured into her soft, short hair.
"It's not mine," she said, and instantly, he pouted.
"This is." She vanished his frown with a kiss, and then another, and another, and another, and another still long into the night.
The End
(no subject)
Date: 2020-04-01 07:00 pm (UTC)