30 Days of Drabbles

27: Bicycle

Prompt: Bicycle
Warnings/TWs: passing mention of a death in a riddle
Tags: Fluff, Riddles  

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"Scotty, I have a riddle for you," Mitch calls one night in the bus. The band is scattered throughout, and Mitch is sprawled in Scott's bunk, not necessarily by accident. Scott's somewhere up on the couches, but there's a shuffling, a set of fooststeps, and then Scott appears in the bunk area.

"Yeah?"

Mitch pokes his head out. "C'mere and cuddle me and I'll tell you the riddle."

Scott sighs. Mitch knows he doesn't love sharing the bunk space because it's so small, but he also knows that Scott would never pass on a chance to cuddle.

"Okay, get out and I'll get in, then you can be on top," Scott says, and Mitch snorts, locking eyes with Scott, and Scott rolls his eyes.

"...which is an uncommon occurrence," they say together as Mitch rolls out and lets Scott maneuver himself into the space.

Mitch wriggles in on his stomach on top of Scott, scooting down a little so he can rest his head on Scott's chest.

"So, Scott, listen carefully."

"Listening."

It's Mitch's turn to roll his eyes before he continues. "You're walking in the woods in the middle of the night and you come across a cabin. The door is open, so you walk in. Inside, you see a dead body, a smoking gun, a flipped table, and fifty three bicycles scattered on the floor. What happened?"

"Um," Scott says, and Mitch laughs.

"Ask me questions to try and figure it out."

"Was the body a guy, gal, or non-binary pal?"

"I mean, it doesn't really matter but for the purposes of the story we'll say he was a guy."

"Did the guy die because he was shot?"

"Yeah."

"How big was this fucking cabin to have fifty three bikes inside?"

Mitch shrugs. "Doesn't really matter."

"Were they like stacked?"

"Not really."

"Are the bikes even significant, is the number even significant, why the fuck was I walking in the woods in the first place?"

"Yes, yes, great question."

"Miiiiiitch," Scott whines, "Tell me."

"Keep asking, babe."

Scott sighs. "Um. Were they normal bikes?"

"Hmmm. Not normal bikes, but normal bicycles, yes."

"What."

Mitch shrugs. "Keep asking, you're on the right track."

"Was it exactly fifty three? Who even needs fifty three bicycles?"

"Exactly fifty three."

"I don't know, Mitchy, tell me? Please?" Scott puts on his best puppy eyes, and Mitch is half a centimeter from giving in before Esther walks by.

"Is this that riddle, Mitch?" She asks.

"Yeah," Mitch says, and Esther laughs.

"Scott, it's not what you think it is," Esther says before she disappears into the tiny bus bathroom.

Scott closes his eyes for a long moment and sighs. "Just tell me, Mitch, please."

"Are you sure?"

"Yeah."

"The bicycles are cards. Like. Bicycle brand playing cards," Mitch says, and Scott's eyes fly open.

"Oh my god. So the guy was cheating because of the extra card and some other guy got mad and shot him?"

"Yep."

"Oh my god."

-fin.