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fredbassettTitle : A Politeness of Puppies
Author : fredbassett
Fandom : Primeval
Rating : 12
Characters : Becker, Alex, Kay, Marcus, OCs
Disclaimer : Not mine (and Becker's pups belong to![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-userinfo.gif)
fififolle), no money made, don’t sue.
Spoilers : None
Summary : Becker really hates open days at the nursery. Especially when he has to deal with posturing parents….
A/N Written forisamazed’s ![[livejournal.com profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/external/lj-community.gif)
primeval_denial Gift Box for the prompt A Duel of Compliments.
“What adorable children!”
From what Becker had seen since he’d arrived at the nursery’s open day, Geraldine Darnley oozed insincerity from every pore. Her husband was a wealthy merchant banker who’d bought a large house not far from the nursery and she has already started to collect a band of acolytes who hung on her every word and angled for invites to coffee mornings in her orangery and drinks on the large motor launch the couple kept moored at Henley.
She was also a Grant Mistress of the Ignoble Art of Barbed Compliments.
Becker really, really fucking hated open days for prospective new parents at the nursery; he always seemed to get stuck with the ones who had something to prove, but Anita Newall had been so supportive that he felt obliged to turn up and be a poster boy for diverse parenting.
“Thanks,” he said, dredging up a smile from his emergency supply. And this definitely classed as an emergency …
At his feet, Alex promptly farted loudly and non-adorably in the direction of Geraldine Darnley’s spoilt little darling – a small, delicate puppy wearing a rose-pink harness. Jocasta looked like she’d been bathed in rosewater then dried with a hairdryer with the express intention of producing a bundle of ash-blonde fluff set with a pair of bright blue eyes and a shiny black nose.
Kay equally promptly bounded over and headbutted her brother.
Becker affected an air of zen-like calm and smiled down at Jocasta. Two could play at that game. “Such a beautiful pup. You must be so proud of her.”
Jocasta shot out a paw and thwapped Alex on the nose in solidarity with Kay. The three pups promptly rolled around on the floor together, yipping loudly.
Jocasta’s proud parent looked down at the trio in horror.
“So advanced for her age,” Becker positively purred, chalking up a victory in the opening round of pleasantries.
Geraldine Darnley’s eyes narrowed. She’d obviously played this game before.
Marcus, who’d been playing in a corner with one of his friends wandered over, plonked his bum on the ground and looked up winsomely at Becker, eyes round and faux-innocent, wagging his tail happily.
“A litter of three? And you reared them all?” Geraldine’s nose twitched. “How very dedicated of you.”
Becker’s emergency supply of smiles was depleting rapidly. Next time Anita wanted him to do a Parents’ Day, she could stuff it where the sun doesn’t shine. And he didn’t mean Widnes.
“Kind of you to say so,” Becker responded, and chalked another victory to himself in the war of the compliments.
“And one an omega, too.” The woman’s nose twitched again as she sniffed the air. Her gaze settled on Marcus and the saccharine smile was back in full force, despite Becker being well ahead on points.
“Three pups were certainly an unexpected bonus.” Becker said. “We love them all very much, and I certainly recommend Mrs Newall’s care. I’m sure Jocasta will be very happy here.” There, he done his sales pitch, now could he claim time off for good behaviour and go home for a beer?
The puppy pile of Kay, Alex and Jocasta broke apart and the ash-blonde ball of fluff rolled over to Marcus and wriggled around on her back, paws flailing wildly in the air. Marcus snuffled at her, then the two rolled over together looking like an animated zebra crossing.
“Jocasta makes friends so quickly,” Geraldine Darnley commented. For a moment, the insincerity slipped, and Becker caught a glimpse of a loving mother under the carefully constructed façade.
“That’s a good thing in an only pup.” Becker smiled at her and took a chance. “Shall we drop the points scoring, grab a drink and take these four for a romp in the garden before we all get told off for causing a disturbance?”
He could see her weighing up his words, then she smiled again, equally genuinely. “Was I trying too hard to impress? I’m sorry, I get nervous and take refuge in being a stuck-up bitch. The problem is that no one ever calls me on it because James works in the City and we’re loaded.”
Becker caught a whiff – literally – of a scared omega who desperately wanted to be liked. It very much looked like any confidence going spare in the Darnley family had ended up with Jocasta, who had teamed up with Kay to run rings - equally literally – around the boys.
He shot her a sympathetic look. “It’s hard with a load of new people. And I really did mean what I said. She’s adorable and she’ll do well here.”
“Thanks. And thanks for seeing through me,”
“Takes one to know one,” Becker murmured, and watched her eyes widen in surprise.
“You’re …”
“An omega,” Becker acknowledged.
“But Mrs Newell introduced you as ‘Captain’ Becker.”
He smiled and nodded. “Captain Hilary Becker. My mother calls me Hilary. My father and my partner call me Hils. My friends call me Becker. You’re very welcome to call me Becker. And you wouldn’t believe how longs it’s taken me to be able to say my first name in public. It still feels a bit like making an Alcoholics Anonymous introduction …”
She giggled. A genuine laugh, not the false one that came out when she was scared and trying to impress. “My mother calls me Geraldine. My husband and my friends call me Geri. Maybe we could be friends?”
“Friends sounds good to me. I think my mob and your bundle of surprisingly robust fluff seem to be getting on like a house on fire.”
“You mean the yelping and running around bit?”
“Yep. Come on, let’s get that drink before they do any real damage.”
“I need a drink when I talk about my family, too,” she said, with a rueful grin. “Cassie, stop trying to eat Kay’s head, it’s not polite…”
“And puppies must be polite at all times.” Becker laughed putting on the disapproving tone of the woman his mother had once very effectively knee-capped when modesty tails had been mentioned.
“Is that something Mrs Newall says?”
“No, she’s far too realistic for that. She just aims to hand them back at the end of the day in one piece. Politeness is a bonus. They’ll pick that up later when they’ve got over the farting, belching and fighting stage.”
“How long did that take with you?”
Becker shrugged. “No idea. You’ll have to ask my partner. He’ll probably say he’s still waiting.”
****
Mrs Newall watched as Becker and Geri Darnley grabbed two large glasses of red wine and ushered their pups out into the garden, collecting various other pups and their parents en route.
One day she’d tell Becker that she’d deliberately introduced him to Geri Darnley in the hope that he’d help a nervous, over-compensating parent find a new friend as well as playmates for her puppy, although by the look of amusement the young soldier had just shot her, he’d probably already worked that out.
With that job done, Anita Newall turned to the next prospective parent on her mental list.
And Becker wasn’t the only one who needed a drink …
Author : fredbassett
Fandom : Primeval
Rating : 12
Characters : Becker, Alex, Kay, Marcus, OCs
Disclaimer : Not mine (and Becker's pups belong to
fififolle), no money made, don’t sue.Spoilers : None
Summary : Becker really hates open days at the nursery. Especially when he has to deal with posturing parents….
A/N Written for
isamazed’s primeval_denial Gift Box for the prompt A Duel of Compliments.“What adorable children!”
From what Becker had seen since he’d arrived at the nursery’s open day, Geraldine Darnley oozed insincerity from every pore. Her husband was a wealthy merchant banker who’d bought a large house not far from the nursery and she has already started to collect a band of acolytes who hung on her every word and angled for invites to coffee mornings in her orangery and drinks on the large motor launch the couple kept moored at Henley.
She was also a Grant Mistress of the Ignoble Art of Barbed Compliments.
Becker really, really fucking hated open days for prospective new parents at the nursery; he always seemed to get stuck with the ones who had something to prove, but Anita Newall had been so supportive that he felt obliged to turn up and be a poster boy for diverse parenting.
“Thanks,” he said, dredging up a smile from his emergency supply. And this definitely classed as an emergency …
At his feet, Alex promptly farted loudly and non-adorably in the direction of Geraldine Darnley’s spoilt little darling – a small, delicate puppy wearing a rose-pink harness. Jocasta looked like she’d been bathed in rosewater then dried with a hairdryer with the express intention of producing a bundle of ash-blonde fluff set with a pair of bright blue eyes and a shiny black nose.
Kay equally promptly bounded over and headbutted her brother.
Becker affected an air of zen-like calm and smiled down at Jocasta. Two could play at that game. “Such a beautiful pup. You must be so proud of her.”
Jocasta shot out a paw and thwapped Alex on the nose in solidarity with Kay. The three pups promptly rolled around on the floor together, yipping loudly.
Jocasta’s proud parent looked down at the trio in horror.
“So advanced for her age,” Becker positively purred, chalking up a victory in the opening round of pleasantries.
Geraldine Darnley’s eyes narrowed. She’d obviously played this game before.
Marcus, who’d been playing in a corner with one of his friends wandered over, plonked his bum on the ground and looked up winsomely at Becker, eyes round and faux-innocent, wagging his tail happily.
“A litter of three? And you reared them all?” Geraldine’s nose twitched. “How very dedicated of you.”
Becker’s emergency supply of smiles was depleting rapidly. Next time Anita wanted him to do a Parents’ Day, she could stuff it where the sun doesn’t shine. And he didn’t mean Widnes.
“Kind of you to say so,” Becker responded, and chalked another victory to himself in the war of the compliments.
“And one an omega, too.” The woman’s nose twitched again as she sniffed the air. Her gaze settled on Marcus and the saccharine smile was back in full force, despite Becker being well ahead on points.
“Three pups were certainly an unexpected bonus.” Becker said. “We love them all very much, and I certainly recommend Mrs Newall’s care. I’m sure Jocasta will be very happy here.” There, he done his sales pitch, now could he claim time off for good behaviour and go home for a beer?
The puppy pile of Kay, Alex and Jocasta broke apart and the ash-blonde ball of fluff rolled over to Marcus and wriggled around on her back, paws flailing wildly in the air. Marcus snuffled at her, then the two rolled over together looking like an animated zebra crossing.
“Jocasta makes friends so quickly,” Geraldine Darnley commented. For a moment, the insincerity slipped, and Becker caught a glimpse of a loving mother under the carefully constructed façade.
“That’s a good thing in an only pup.” Becker smiled at her and took a chance. “Shall we drop the points scoring, grab a drink and take these four for a romp in the garden before we all get told off for causing a disturbance?”
He could see her weighing up his words, then she smiled again, equally genuinely. “Was I trying too hard to impress? I’m sorry, I get nervous and take refuge in being a stuck-up bitch. The problem is that no one ever calls me on it because James works in the City and we’re loaded.”
Becker caught a whiff – literally – of a scared omega who desperately wanted to be liked. It very much looked like any confidence going spare in the Darnley family had ended up with Jocasta, who had teamed up with Kay to run rings - equally literally – around the boys.
He shot her a sympathetic look. “It’s hard with a load of new people. And I really did mean what I said. She’s adorable and she’ll do well here.”
“Thanks. And thanks for seeing through me,”
“Takes one to know one,” Becker murmured, and watched her eyes widen in surprise.
“You’re …”
“An omega,” Becker acknowledged.
“But Mrs Newell introduced you as ‘Captain’ Becker.”
He smiled and nodded. “Captain Hilary Becker. My mother calls me Hilary. My father and my partner call me Hils. My friends call me Becker. You’re very welcome to call me Becker. And you wouldn’t believe how longs it’s taken me to be able to say my first name in public. It still feels a bit like making an Alcoholics Anonymous introduction …”
She giggled. A genuine laugh, not the false one that came out when she was scared and trying to impress. “My mother calls me Geraldine. My husband and my friends call me Geri. Maybe we could be friends?”
“Friends sounds good to me. I think my mob and your bundle of surprisingly robust fluff seem to be getting on like a house on fire.”
“You mean the yelping and running around bit?”
“Yep. Come on, let’s get that drink before they do any real damage.”
“I need a drink when I talk about my family, too,” she said, with a rueful grin. “Cassie, stop trying to eat Kay’s head, it’s not polite…”
“And puppies must be polite at all times.” Becker laughed putting on the disapproving tone of the woman his mother had once very effectively knee-capped when modesty tails had been mentioned.
“Is that something Mrs Newall says?”
“No, she’s far too realistic for that. She just aims to hand them back at the end of the day in one piece. Politeness is a bonus. They’ll pick that up later when they’ve got over the farting, belching and fighting stage.”
“How long did that take with you?”
Becker shrugged. “No idea. You’ll have to ask my partner. He’ll probably say he’s still waiting.”
****
Mrs Newall watched as Becker and Geri Darnley grabbed two large glasses of red wine and ushered their pups out into the garden, collecting various other pups and their parents en route.
One day she’d tell Becker that she’d deliberately introduced him to Geri Darnley in the hope that he’d help a nervous, over-compensating parent find a new friend as well as playmates for her puppy, although by the look of amusement the young soldier had just shot her, he’d probably already worked that out.
With that job done, Anita Newall turned to the next prospective parent on her mental list.
And Becker wasn’t the only one who needed a drink …
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2022-02-18 10:18 pm (UTC)Aw, such a lovely description!
Cassie, stop trying to eat Kay’s head, it’s not polite
*snorfles* Were you thinking about a certain white lurcher? Brilliant!
I loved this one, from Mrs Newall siccing Becker on Geri, to Becker working it out and sort of taking Geri under his wing. So sweet.
no subject
Date: 2022-02-18 10:32 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-02-18 10:43 pm (UTC)Silly boy. So sweet, and so clueless at the same time...
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Date: 2022-02-19 07:39 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-02-19 08:54 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2022-02-26 04:44 pm (UTC)I'll go and link this at the masterlist with my own ones while I remember :D
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Date: 2022-02-26 04:55 pm (UTC)