More Now Than Ever

Participants:

aric_icon.gif graeme2_icon.gif

Scene Title More Now Than Ever
Synopsis The return of Aric's power interrupts a discussion, and brings the two men ever more slightly closer together.
Date April 3, 2011

Blue Moon Cafe: Aric's Apartment


Aric is in the kitchen. He is cooking up a storm as he is chopping up onions with a graceful skill. He is singing some Dave Matthews that is playing softly in the background. He is dressed in a wife beater, and board shorts and is currently barefoot. He seems to be lost in this own thoughts.

Graeme's taken care to be particularly quiet as he climbed back up the stairs to the apartment, having gone out to take Odin on a much-needed walk, though whether it was the dog that needed the walk or the man is hard to say. The first sound that's made is Odin's low and happy bark as the leash comes off and the dog wanders towards the kitchen, laying across the threshhold, since one of the first things that Graeme had done was make sure that the kitchen was off limits to the Great Dane.

"Hey," Graeme calls, moving across towards the couch. "Can you pause whatever you're doing?" When and if Aric looks over, there's a faint flush across Graeme's face. "I can't get this sweatshirt off by myself, and I should probably put th' sling back on." The sling, which Graeme had very stubbornly insisted on not wearing when he went out, despite Aric's protests on the matter. "And have you… have you heard from Liz at all?" The second question is asked much more quietly, worried.

As he looks over towards Graeme's voice, Aric smiles softly as he nods, "Of course I can. As my momma always said, The Onions can wait." As he looks down at Odin and leans in to pat him on the head he hands him a piece of cubed ham. He hops over the beast as he begins to make his way into the living room and says, "I know I know I am such a mean and evil man. I just wanted you to stay warm so you can heal better baby." He moves over to gently help the man.

"Liz blew her cover. She will be out of sight out of mind for awhile. Things are a bit dicey for her and…" He pauses as if he might have said too much and helps the rest of the shirt off, "Just don't believe what you hear is all I ask when things come to light. Wait to hear them from Lizzie…please." His voice goes soft and dark as he turns and begins to walk towards the kitchen.

"You're going to spoil him," comes the chiding comment about Aric feeding Odin. "He has dog food, you know. He doesn't need the human food." There's a small grin. "I know she blew her cover," Graeme murmurs, after having cooperatively allowed Aric to get the sweatshirt off but before Aric gets very far. "I've known since Wednesday or really, Saturday before, it's why I couldn't make it over on Wednesday. I was working on getting some things for them, with Jaiden. And Jaiden said she's safe, and that he and Ygraine are too. But I worry, you know?"

As he nods pausing at the kitchen door, he leans against it and says, "I am not sure what else I can say right now Graeme. I am not sure what Lizzie wants me to say either. I am in the clear for now yet…who knows what they might try and link me with…" He shrugs and sighs, "I won't go without a fight I will tell you that." He begins to hug himself as he says in a near whisper, "I will not be put in a cage again."

There's a nod from Graeme. "You're more in the clear on this one than I am," Graeme says, voice still soft as he picks up the sling and puts it on before following Aric over to the kitchen and slipping his free arm around Aric's shoulders, gentle, concerned. "Jaiden suggested I lay it low for a while," which is what Graeme's been doing, the past several days, "because so far, I'm still on their attention list from the stupid gala." There's a soft sigh, and Graeme pulls Aric slightly closer, a half hug.

Aric looks into Graeme's eyes. Oh those damn eyes. He relaxes into the man as he says softly, "Graeme there is more to it then that but…I can't tell you right now. Lizzie means more to me then you know. Hell Jaiden does too…yet for a different purpose. He believes in a cause I do but…." He shakes his head as he looks down at the man's chest and says with a sigh, "I am not sure what I can tell you yet. When I talk to Lizzie again. I will ask her…please don't be mad."

"I'm not mad," Graeme says, catching the side of Aric's jaw in a brush of a kiss. "Really, I'm not." A half a smile plays across his face. "And not just because you're too pretty to be mad at, though I have to admit that doesn't hurt either." The words are a slow drawl.

As he places a hand on his cheek, he strokes it gently for a moment and says, "Now…lets get some food into you. I know how you need to heal. This is a Chinese remedy that is suppose to increase blood flow and increase your Oxygen. This will in end or should result in better cell reproduction for healing that arm of yours." He hops over Odin and back into the kitchen he goes as he begins to chop the onions once again.

Graeme smiles, letting go of Aric and then leaning on the edge of the kitchen counter. "Food, yeah," he says. There's that almost never-ending appetite of his to consider too, though it's as much kicked up by the mention (and smell) of food as it is by the actual need for it.

Aric smiles and says, "And yes Odin may have his own food but that stuff is full of crap. The additives and preservatives that go into that stuff is horrid for him. I have been making him food will rice, meat, and veggies finely chopped so his belly can take it."

There's a grin. "That's what I meant, silly," Graeme says. "He does not need ham, or anything like that." The dog's tail thumps against the floor gently, as if to punctuate the sentence.

As he walks back out of the kitchen, he is holding a bottle of wine and two glasses. "So what are you in the mood for…" As he speaks the air in the apartment seems to have a certain electrical smell. Aric stops in mid sentence as he looks down at his hands, "No…I am ok." As he looks up at Graeme with a slight look of confusion it happens.

It happens so quickly that it almost seems like out of a comic book. The air in front of Aric begins to waver and crackle with red electricity and before he could yell to Graeme to get away Aric is slammed with a bolt of red lightning. The force of the bolt sends him flying across the room and over his couch. Aric begins to scream in pain…his whole body begins to feel like he is on fire! His scream echoes through the apartment!

Graeme's jaw drops slightly, entirely ignoring the dropped bottle of wine, the dropped glasses. "Odin, back." The firm command is issued to the dog not to investigate those as Graeme glances between where Aric just was and where Aric now is, hurrying over to his side, and dropping to one knee. "Shhh, shhh." Graeme kneels easily next to Aric, running his hand through Aric's hair and over his shoulders, concern furrowed on his face and echoing loudly in his thoughts.

As the pain begins to pass, the tears running down Aric's cheeks he opens his eyes and whispers, "Ow." He opens his hand as he tries to will the electrical pulse down to his finger tips and nothing happens. He blinks in shock and sits up in a start as he groans in pain. He looks at Graeme and says, "Think of something you have never told me. Say it in your mind?" Aric begins to stare at him intently.

Graeme slips his free arm around Aric's waist after brushing the tears from the man's face with one thumb, first quietly willing the most of the concern to quiet in his mind before the more focused thought comes. There's a moment of searching pause. My middle name is Aiden. The last group home I lived in, I was ten years old. I got suspended from middle and high school more times than I can remember. Then it's back to the light trickle of background thoughts for a moment. C'mon, it's gonna be okay. I'm here, and I ain't goin' anywhere.

There's another pause as Graeme rests his head on Aric's shoulder lightly, no real weight, just contact, and then the next thought is significantly more snarky. Does this mean that we get to have sex without me worrying about you turning into a lightning rod?

As he begins to grin like a Cheshire Cat, "Your middle name is Aiden. You were 10 when you were in your last home. You were a bad kid in school." He pinches you playfully and he sighs as he knows his Telepathy has returned, "And I know your gonna be here. I am grateful for that…more now than ever." He shivers as the sweat on his forehead trickles down. "And no sex until you're fully healed. I meant it." As he leans into Graeme and sighs softly, "That means Elle and Harmony have their powers back."

There's a slight pout and a playful whimper at Aric's response to the last thought, followed by a mental acknowledgment. Fiiiiine. Guy's got to try, though. Graeme leans a little more against Aric, shifting from kneeling down to sitting next to him. "You didn't land on anything wrong, or anything, right?"

Aric looks over at Graeme as the high of the adrenaline begins to fade as he looks down at his body, "I landed on my hip pretty hard. It will most likely be black and blue for awhile. I am gonna take a shower…wanna join me. The first shower I can take and not focus on using that bloody power. A shower I relax with…you."

Graeme smiles, with a slight squeeze around Aric's waist and a playful kiss of the other man's neck. "That sounds perfect," he says. And then the words that Graeme doesn't often manage speak aloud come up in his thoughts as he gets up, pulling Aric up and towards the bathroom after him. A shower and then dinner with a man I think I damn well love. I guess I'm lucky.


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