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The Dangers of Attraction By: Amphitrite (papervanity@gmail.com) Rated:
PG Pairing:
Doc/Lightning Summary:
Sheriff tries to warn Doc about the danger of his attraction to Lightning,
but Doc is already in too deep. Set during the movie. “You’re just
going to end up hurting yourself,” he tells Doc for what feels like the
hundredth time. Doc nods, but he has a faraway look on his face. Sheriff
sighs. “I don’t
understand what you see in that delinquent, anyway.” “You wouldn’t
understand,” Doc says shortly. Sheriff frowns,
undeterred. “Try me.” “He reminds me of
myself, when I was young,” Doc says quietly, and Sheriff knows there is some
big, important story behind this. He waits for an elaboration, but Doc
remains silent, staring into the distance. “How?” he
ventures. “Like I said, you
wouldn’t understand,” Doc says in a forceful tone that demands that the
subject be dropped, before pushing him out of his office. Sheriff stares at
the closed door, windshield furrowed. Doc’s right. He
doesn’t understand. - - - - - “Why don’t you
get a quart of oil at Flo’s? I’ll keep an eye on
him.” Sheriff gives him
a sidelong look. Doc doesn’t appear to be fazed. He looks determined. Sheriff sighs,
giving up. “Thanks, Doc. I’ve been feeling a quart low,” he says in a cheery
tone that nearly overrides his concern. “Watch yourself,”
he warns him in a quieter tone. Doc gives an
imperceptible nod, eyes fixed on Lightning. Shaking his front
end, Sheriff turns back towards the town. - - - - - “Doc, you know
I’m your friend, right?” Doc gives him a
funny look. “Of course, Sheriff. Why?” Sheriff narrows
his eyes at him. “And you know that you can tell me anything, right?” Doc
looks nervous. He knows what’s coming. “Why was the boy talking about you
being a racecar?” Sheriff asks, even though he already knows the answer.
“Why—” “Some things are
better kept buried in the past,” Doc says sharply. Sheriff frowns, attempting
a different tact. “He seemed really
excited about it. Like he worshipped you or something.” Doc looks away.
“Yeah. I heard.” Then quieter, “That boy is going to be my demise, Wallis.”
Sheriff’s engine wrenches at the pained look on his long-time friend’s face.
“He’s everywhere,” he almost whispers. “Well, this here ain’t exactly the biggest town, Doc.” Doc shakes his
front end. “No, he’s everywhere.
Everywhere I go. He won’t get out of my mind.” If he didn’t sound so serious,
Sheriff would laugh at him for sounding like a lovesick teenager. Before he
can respond, Doc cuts in, suddenly sounding angry. “I want that boy out of
here, Sheriff.” “No, you don’t,”
Sheriff replies matter-of-factly. Doc remains
silent. - - - - - Doc drives into Flo’s and parks at the stall next to Sheriff. “I just talked to
him,” he announces quietly, and Sheriff narrows his eyes at him, attempting
to gauge whether this is good news or not. “He doesn’t care about anything
but himself,” Doc continues, and Sheriff frowns at him. Doc is obviously
upset, but he knows that prying will be useless. If Doc wants to tell him
something, Doc will tell him of his own accord. “The boy? But
that’s nothing new.” Doc nods slowly.
“He says that I’m just as selfish as him. I’m nothing like him,” he growls,
and Sheriff is completely bewildered. Hadn’t Doc told him that he was
attracted to him because he reminded him of himself in his younger days? “Doc, what…?” Doc sighs
heavily, as if burdened by some invisible weight on his roof. “I want to tell
you about who I am and why I never told you about my history,” Doc says, and
Sheriff has no idea what this is about, but he settles down with his can of
fuel and listens. - - - - - The morning sun
rises over Radiator Springs and everyone comes out to see the progress of the
new road and praise the car who is paving it. Problem is,
he’s not there. “He’s done,”
Mater says in wonder. “He must’a
finished it while we was sleepin’.” “Good riddance,”
Doc says, and Sheriff catches a glint of regret in his eyes as he drives past
him to his office. - - - - - “Sheriff.” Sheriff’s eyes
snap open and he blinks to clear his eyes of sleep. “Doc? What are you doing
h—” He looks
panicked. “I called them,” he confesses. He is referring to the press, of
course. Sheriff shrugs. “Yeah, I heard
you talking to Sally earlier tonight.” Doc nods. There
is a long silence, during which Sheriff stares at his friend in bemusement.
He looks like he is trying to put his words together. Sheriff waits. “What am I
supposed to do now?” Sheriff looks at
him, shocked at how helpless he sounds. Doc’s always been so strong and firm
about everything. He’s always kept his head in any situation. It almost seems
wrong to see him like this, so vulnerable and anxious. “Doc, I…” “He told me I was
amazing,” Doc says, voice cracking. He begins to shake uncontrollably, and
for a second Sheriff worries that he is having a seizure of some kind before
he realizes that Doc is silently crying. He has no idea what to do. After a
moment, he settles for allowing Doc to lean on him and murmuring “It’s okay” every few seconds. “I’m never going
to see him again,” Doc chokes out between gasps, and Sheriff doesn’t know
what to say. - - - - - He can’t help but
notice that it was Doc who took the initiative to go after Lightning, not
Sally. He can’t help but notice that Doc ordered Sally to stay in Radiator
Springs—he finds the thought of a jealous Doc strange indeed, but he supposes
attraction (attraction as strong as Doc’s interest and attachment to the boy,
anyway) does funny things to people—and that Sally consented with little
protest. He can’t help but notice Lightning’s huge smile when he stops by the
pit to greet them—and how he has eyes only for Doc the entire time. He can’t help but
see the way Doc lights up after that, practically bouncing on his wheels like
some child on Chryslermas morning. He can’t help
but see the way Doc glows with pride and admiration and maybe even something
more when Lightning executes that sliding move (Sheriff isn’t very familiar
with all those fancy racing terms) that puts him ahead of his competitors. When Lightning
gives up that trophy he couldn’t stop raving about when he first arrived in
Radiator Springs to help the wrecked car, Sheriff feels himself swell with
pride. The egotistical, selfish car that wrecked their road would never have
given up his chance at winning the race, and Sheriff knows that all of his
companions are thinking the same thing. But all of their
smiles added together are nothing compared to the brilliant smile that
spreads across Doc’s grill. Sheriff looks at him, and can instantly tell that
what he feels for the boy is much more than mere attraction. When Lightning
rolls up to them (all waiting for him in front of his sponsor’s tent) and he
smiles—almost embarrassedly, it seems—at Doc; the two don’t say much but seem
to say everything at the same time. Some secret understanding appears to pass
between them through some connection invisible to everyone else. Watching the
boy and his wide grin now, Sheriff has to wonder if he doesn’t share Doc’s
feelings—to some extent, at least. When he comes
back from speaking to the Dinoco president, Doc
nudges him and says something that Sheriff can’t hear. Lightning nods happily
and nuzzles Doc briefly before they head off towards Lightning’s trailer,
driving closer together than necessary. Sheriff smiles. He can’t help but
hope that maybe Doc won’t end up hurt, after all.
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