Participants:
| Scene Title | Kinda An Off Day |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | But it can all be made better. |
| Date | March 31, 2011 |
Blue Moon Cafe: Aric's Apartment
It's Thursday night, and Aric sit sitting in the middle of his living room. The Blue Moon has a small jazz group playing while Madame Zandu is reading tarot cards downstairs. He is leaning against the couch with a glass of wine in his hand. He is staring at a medium sized gift in the middle of his legs. He seems to be lost in his own world as he has a slightly grumpy puss on his face.
At the other end of the couch, Graeme looks up and over at Aric. "Hey," he says softly, hoping not to startle the other man too much. "Everything alright?"
Graeme's question is gentle, prompting. "I'm sorry about yesterday. Things got so hectic. I …" there's a pause, as if Graeme's not sure exactly how much to tell, how much to say. "I missed you, though. And woulda rather been here, but it was important."
Aric looks over at Graeme and places the unknown package to the side and cocks his head to the side, "Oh no I am not mad at you. I have something on my mind and been kind of an off day for me. Yet, it's better now that your here." He grins softly, "And thanks for the pony. When can I ride him?" He is clearly referring to the Great Dane sitting near Graeme.
Odin gives a low whine from where he's laying down, stretched across the floor by the couch, and Graeme grins. "I'm glad I could make it better," Graeme responds, leaning over so that he can run his free hand through Aric's hair, gently. "And thanks for tolerating me having Odin, and all. Keira's skipped town, I couldn't say no. Even if she is…" The words trail off rather than actually admit to his sister's affiliations with a less than popular group of bigots aloud.
"Affiliated with a group of violent bigots who harm innocent people because they were born different." As he begins to blink, Aric looks up at Graeme and quickly says, "Oh I am sorry. That came out a bit too…ummm. Easily I should not have said that I know she is your sister and family and all." The thought of family forces his eyes back to the wrapped package. "I know your having a hard time with this…if I can help I will."
Graeme's jaw clenches, and his hand folds in his lap as he looks at Aric, though he doesn't draw away further than that. His fingers, both hands, are nearing clenched white-knuckled. "Yeah. She skipped town because of me, god damn it," he says. "Because the fact that I'm here made her question things. I should hate her for it, I should, but she's my sister." There's a quiet sigh.
"As he looks up at Graeme, Aric sighs softly and says, "Well I am not going to lie Graeme. It's her problem then…not yours. It is not like you woke up and decided to come here and make her life hell. I mean I don't think you could…so she needs to get over that." He shrugs and takes a sip of his wine and says, "And besides….the fact that she allowed herself to be involved in that cult makes me think she is either ignorance as hell or she has her own self esteem issues."
"No, but I did come to New York to find her as much as anything else." Graeme offers Aric a small smile after a moment. "I mean, I could have gone anywhere." When he's said that, though, Graeme runs his fingertips gently through Aric's hair once more.
Aric looks over at the package again and says, "Then it's her own issue that she is acting this way. Not yours…you were trying to play a good brother and she did not want to listen. If she can't see that you wanted it to work out and make it better then her fault. Not yours." He closes his eyes at the man's touch.
Graeme's fingers run through Aric's hair again, before he comes to rest his palm gently against the other man's neck. "Yeah, I guess," he says. His tone of voice indicates that he's not necessarily convinced, but the matter is let to drop, amicable silence filling the empty space for a bit. "So, what's up?" The question is asked, quietly for the moment. "If you want to talk about it, that is."
Aric opens his eyes slowly and looks up at Graeme and shrugs. "I turn 31 tomorrow and my evil mother came by and dropped off a gift. I am debating to burn it or have it vaporized."
Graeme smiles a little bit. "Open it, and then if it's something horrible, then burn it?" There's a small look of sympathy offered, and a gentle squeeze of Aric's shoulder. "Otherwise, you just prolong it by staring at it forever."
As he looks at Graeme and snorts like canvas ripping, "You don't know my mother. My father refuses to see me. She has found Jesus. She is trying to make amends for being a horrible mother. She did things to me that I can't forgive her for Graeme." He chuckles and runs a finger over the paper, "I guess we all had our fucked up childhoods…yet the Martha Stewart on crack routine just unnerves me now."
"I guess we all did," Graeme agrees quietly, moving to sit behind Aric. "And I think it'd unnerve anyone, but … you should probably open it. Opening a gift isn't the same as forgiving her." There's a pause, before Graeme continues. "I met my birth mother, at the end of last year." The grimace on his face is audible in his voice.
Aric looks over at Graeme as he can see the pain in his face. He stands up in a fluid motion and leans in to kiss him as he places the wrapped package into his lap and says, "Then you open it." He walks over to the wine tray and begins to pour himself a bit more wine. He looks down at Odin and takes a piece of pepperoni and tosses it to him.
The kiss is returned gently, before Graeme looks down at the package that's been deposited in his lap. Odin sniffs at the pepperoni tentatively before it disappears in one bite, and Graeme is still looking at the package. "You sure about that? If you want me to, I will. And if it's entirely, entirely horrible, we'll burn it afterwards."
Aric nods and says, "Yeah open it I don't care." He turns and lets the man open his mother's gift to him. He smirks at Odin and says, "Good boy." He runs a hand though his hair as he waits to see what it is.
The packaging is torn, not particularly carefully, as Graeme's dexterity that he has to work with is less than optimal. Inside, the framed picture is held up for Aric to see, then set aside on the couch, picture side down and Graeme gets up, to slink his arm around Aric's waist, gentle.
As he looks down at the frame, he looks over at Graeme. He shrugs and says his voice cracking some, "See evil" His eyes begin to tear up slightly as he looks away from the picture and says, "So…how about them Yankee's? Seen any good movies lately? Wanna have sex?" He lets out a weak chuckle.
Graeme pulls Aric a little bit closer, leaning his head on the other man's shoulder. "Yes to the third, but you won't let me without a doctor's note," he murmurs, amused. "And I'm pretty sure I don't have one of those yet." There's a grin on his face. "And maybe, maybe you and I can go see a movie, tomorrow. For your birthday."
Aric chuckles as he nods slowly, "Yeah…me and my stupid note is for the better. Well…yeah a movie sounds great. Why don't we pop in a movie now and we can watch something while we curl up on the couch with out wine and cheese and big dog. It will be silly romantic in a comic book kind of way?"
There's a good-natured grumble to the comment about the note, and Graeme tilts his head upwards to catch Aric's lips in a brief kiss. "I think I could use one of those," he murmurs. "A little time not spent worrying and all, or something." Because that's what he's been doing for the past two days, worrying, despite that there's been as much preparation as they could have possibly done.
Aric nods and says, "Pick a movie on the DVR and I will get the munchies. I will also tell the girls downstairs to close up on their own. Its some us time." Aric disappears and finally returns in his sweats and a t-shirt and a blanket for them. He says, "Let the night of relaxation begin."
When Aric returns, there's a smile on Graeme's face. "Thanks," he murmurs, moving so that Aric can sit down on the couch next to him on his good side, rather than the side with the sling. There's a soft grin on Graeme's face as he leans against the other man. There'll be another night for worries about whether or not he's done enough for Liz and Ygraine.