Paper Work and Punches

Halt was reading Cal a story when the door opened. He looked up and was pleasently surprised to see Crowley.
"It's polite to knock before entering a person's home."
"I know." Crowley said. He dropped a stack of papers in front of Halt. Halt looked at the papers and then up at his friend.
"What's this? A joke? Or do you plan on filling these out while spending time with Cal?"
"Neither. I will see you later. Here's a caramel Cal." He set a paper wrapped candy on the table and walked out. Halt ran out after him, shouting profanities the whole while.
Since Halt was outside on the porch, Cal took that moment to grab the candy. She stuck it in her mouth and ran back to where she was sitting on the floor when Halt walked back inside. He was mumbling about Crowley being a bitch.
Sitting back down he picked up the first sheet and sighed.
"You're on his side aren't you?" He asked his four year old. "Of course you are. Crowley brought you candy."
Cal smiled sheepishly, and ran outside.
"Traitor!" Halt yelled playfully at her. He could hear her laughing from outside. Shaking his head he started on the paperwork.

* * * *

That evening Crowley arrived back at Halt's cabin. He knocked and walked inside. Halt was hunched over a piece of paper and mumbling.
"This makes no damn sense. How can someone even do that? What the hell?"
Crowley smirked. That's exactly how je felt about paperwork. "You look tired Halt."
"I wonder why." Halt snarled at Crowley. He shrugged and sat across from Halt.
He started going through the papers. Halt noticed he was making two piles, he didn't feel like asking why.
Finishing the last one he walked outside. But not before slapping the paper onto his best friends face.
Crowley placed it at the bottom of the pile and kept going through it.
About thirty minutes later Crowley had two piles, one a bit higher than the other. Those were the ones that Halt had done right. He sighed. "Might as well talk to Halt."
He strode outside and found Halt throwing his knife at a dead tree.
"You're going to kill that tree."
"Can't kill what's already dead, Crowley." Halt walked over to his where his knife had sunk into the tree, pulled it out, and replaced it in his sheath.
"You did about two-thirds of them wrong."
"Did I now? I wonder how I could have possibly done that. Guess you'll just have to redo them.
"You did it on purpose is how."
"Did I now." Halt walked up to Crowley. Being half a head shorter than the commandant it was a little hard to intimidate his friend.
"It is not my job to fill out that a paperwork. It's yours. And if you think I did them wrong on purpose, why don't you prove it!"
"You are so... I don't know think there's a good word for what you are Halt!"
"There's one for you...and that one is bastard!"
"Asshole! A coward is what you are O'Carrick!"
Halt lunged at Crowley. A moment later they were brawling in the dirt.
"Halt, what's going on?" They both stopped throwing punches as soon as they heard Cal's little voice. She was rubbing the sleep out of her eye and was holding her teddy bear.
Crowley's nose was bleeding, Halt had the beginnings of a black eye, and they both had multiple cuts and briuses everywhere.
"Get off me Crowley." He pushed Crowley off and walked over to Cal.
"We were...um, well. We were fighting." He sat on the step that she was standind on.
"Why?"
"Um, well, uh." Halt made a motion for Crowley to help him.
"We were fighting because, uh, we had a disagreement." Crowley provided. Cal looked from her 'uncle' to her father and back multiple times.
"Wait." She handed Halt her teddy bear and ran inside.
"Isn't she adorable?" Halt asked.
"Very. Sorry about your eye."
"And I'm sorry about your nose." They shared a chuckle. It seemed stupid that they had had a tussle.
Cal ran back out. She gave Halt a damp cloth.
"I cannot cawwy the picher."
"What? Oh! The pitcher." He kissed her on top of the head. "You are such a sweet child."
Cal smiled and hugged him around the neck.
"Here." He tossed the cloth to Crowley. Standing up, still holding Cal, he walked across to the door.
"Might as well stay here for the night Crowley. It's getting late. And you should clean yourself up."
"Will you make coffee in the morning?"
"Obviously."
"Then how could I refuse."
Cal was glaring at Halt with a pouty face. Halt raised an eyebrow at her.
"And what might your problem be?"
"You did not ask me."
"Oh, I'm so sorry. Is it alright if your umcle stays for the night?"
"YES!" Cal shouted very enthusiastically. Crowley laughed. "Why don't we go inside. I have paperwork to do."