30 Days of Drabbles

2: Knife

Prompt: Knife
Warnings/TWs: none major
Tags: Alternate Universe - Circus, Fluff

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The knife flies through the air towards Mitch, and he stares at it, unblinking until it smacks into the wood just to the right of his ear.

"Nice throw," he calls to the person who threw it in the first place. "Could've gone a little higher if you want to be sure it doesn't flip off into my shoulder."

Scott emerges from the shadow outside the spotlight as Mitch slides the throwing knife from the wood and hands it to him. "Okay. I've got like two more rounds of six apiece before we're set for tonight, feel free to try different poses."

Mitch returns to the massive wheel of wood and tries a new shape besides the usual starfish, keeping in mind that Scott gets less accurate the farther left he has to throw.

They've been a partnered act since they met the first day—Scott a new thrower and Mitch a gymnast ready for something besides heights. They'd hit it off immediately, and initially, Mitch had been terrified of the idea of knives flying around his head, his limbs. Scott'd reassured him, though, by showing him how he trained with a taped outline of a person against the wood. Eventually, Mitch had reluctantly fit himself inside the outline during one of Scott's practice sessions. He'd flinched every time a knife hit with a solid thwack, several feet from any part of him.

Now, though, he trusts Scott. He knows Scott's much improved since those first few weeks and also that Scott's beyond careful with every throw. Scott trusts him, too, he knows. Scott trusts him not to flinch, not to put himself into harm's way (at least, any more than is necessary in this line of work).

There's a specific type of thrill that comes with having knives thrown at you, and Mitch has come to love it. There's nothing quite like watching the love of your life pitching sharp objects at your body, only it's not quite at your body, it's an inch from your body, sometimes less if something goes wrong. Mitch has his fair share of scars and nicks from various accidents, but he's never had anything serious enough for more than three stitches. Scott's always careful, and Mitch trusts him, and vis versa.

Scott lines up a throw, takes a breath.

Mitch exhales with him as the knife comes hurtling through the air and hits the wood just above Mitch's head.

They work together. They live together. They eat together. They sleep together.

It's the only way they can trust each other enough to be safe in their line of work.

They breathe together.

-fin.