Participants:
| Scene Title | Whenever You Want |
|---|---|
| Synopsis | Savannah visits Graeme for a bit, and brings him something to do. |
| Date | March 19, 2011 |
Dorchester Towers: Remi and Graeme's Apartment
Graeme is up. He came by the apartment from the hotel room in the morning right after curfew lifted, and slept for a little, sitting up on the couch with some pillows for support. Not that he slept for long. Several hours later, he sits at the dining table, right arm in a sling and strapped to his body, a bowl of cereal in front of him, which he eats awkwardly, left-handed. There's an occasional glance towards the door, since he's texted Savannah that he's up, and decent, as much as a teeshirt and black flannel pyjama pants can be, if she wants to come on over.
There's a light tapping at the door. In fact, considering how long ago he'd texted, Savannah headed upstairs to the apartment in record time. Well, maybe not record time, but it certainly wasn't long. Shifting in the hallway, she's got a bag of oatmeal chocolate chip cookies in one hand and a wrapped present in the other.
The sound of shuffling comes from behind the door. "Yeah, just a second." He has to get over to the door, first, and a minute later there is the sound of the deadbolt sliding, and Graeme, who looks rather weary overall, steps into sight. "Savannah." He does sound pleased to see her, though, and there's a smile on his face. "Come in." His movements are a little awkward for him, with the sling and strapping inhibiting his shoulder. "If you'd get the door behind you?"
"Jesus…" Savannah murmurs, glancing to Graeme for a long moment. She steps inside, shutting and locking the door behind her before she moves towards the couch. "Cookies are easy to eat one-handed, so I brought you some. Kam and I baked a couple of days ago, so they're fresh. Hope you like oatmeal chocolate chip, because… that's all I've got." She nods towards the couch. "Sit down. No need to stand on my account. Would've let myself in if the door hadn't been locked."
There's a soft chuckle, and Graeme folds himself onto the couch, without really so much as a wince. At this point, his shoulder's an inconvenience more than anything else. "Thanks," he says. "I appreciate it." There's a pause. "Call me paranoid and not that simple locks are going to do shit against the Midtown Man, but I have to say I like having the door locked behind me."
Graeme hadn't said details, in the text messages he sent, though, and so now that he's settled on the couch a bit, he explains. "Sylar. The Midtown Man. He attacked the party, went after Remi. I don't know. There were two of him…I need to talk to some friends of mine and see what I can learn. But the one who was going after Remi…he made a dagger out of bone from his wrist. It went through her leg into my shoulder while we were trying to get out of there." He's not wasting time in saying what happened. Because if he doesn't at least say it and get it out of the way, it'll never get said.
"Doesn't matter if it actually keeps him out… it makes you feel safer, and that's the important part," Savannah insists, peering over towards Graeme, hands resting on top of the wrapped package in her lap. "Jesus, though, that's crazy. I'd thought about going to that… good thing I didn't. Kam would have flipped." She peers carefully at his shoulder. "So is Remi okay? I mean, that sounds bad for the both of you."
"She will be, though she won't be walking much any time soon," Graeme says. "She's going to be there a bit longer before they'll let her come home. Few more days or so." That said, he leans back, careful. "Though they couldn't wait to get me out of there. I'm a bad patient, to say the very least." It does prompt a bit of a wince. "It was pretty crazy. We were lucky." That is, for the moment, all he'll talk about it, though, and his glance darts towards the wrapped thing in her lap. The smile takes on that slightly boyish gleam, and he raises an eyebrow.
Savannah glances down at the package in her lap, innocently, as if she had hardly noticed it was there. "Well, I hope she'll be alright. You do realize that I'm right downstairs if the two of you invalids need anything. I might even convince Kam to cook you two a few meals. Trust me, that's a treat. He's a good cook," she says, not even addressing the package at first. "I can imagine you'd be a bad patient, though. You don't seem to be the type to sit still for long. Plus you said you weren't as bad off as Remi. I might have to drop by and bring her something, too, if she's laid up there for a few days." She reaches down, extending the package in his direction. "I got you something. I figure if you can't do your usual late night workouts, you might enjoy something else to do."
Graeme nods, and grins. "Thanks. Yeah…" the words trail off. "Part of it's my ability. This?" He gestures to his shoulder. "It's annoying, and it hurts a bit more than having sprained my ankle, but I got used to it pretty fast. Even by the time we got to the hospital. And could probably move around like normal, but they told me that'd screw with the healing process."
Obviously, he's a terrible patient, and a terrible invalid, and really, it shows. "I think that Remi'd appreciate it if you visited. She hates hospitals. I'll see if I can find out the arrangements for you and get back to you about it. There's a FRONTLINE security detail, because well." Graeme shrugs. "But I'll look into it, because once she's awake more, I think that she needs to see people besides me, Jaiden, and Ygraine." The package is taken, after Graeme says that. To change the topic, really. It is set on his lap, and he begins to unwrap it, not quite tearing at the packaging, but not terribly neat either. It's his left hand he's using, after all. Because he's being good, and keeping his right arm still.
With the paper carefully removed from the package (and Savannah waiting with infinite patience), the title on the book is revealed: Epoch and below that The Manifested: Book 1, with Savannah's own name printed down at the bottom of the hardcover book. Savannah grins sheepishly. "It's not technically out for another few weeks, but I trust you not to leak chapters onto the internet."
It was definitely at least one of the right presents to get him. He's mentioned it a few times. Graeme loves reading, overall, and his eyes and face light up significantly as he gets through the wrapping paper and to the actual contents of the package. "Thank you," he says, quietly. "Thank you…I had to leave the beginnings of what I'd called the small library, back in New Mexico." Physical books are important, for the man. They're possessions, they're anchors. And at the moment, they're something Graeme has precious few of in his possession; ones back in New Mexico just don't count the same way. "I look forward to reading it." He looks down at his lap, for a moment, hiding just how much he likes the present.
Savannah can't help but smile at the reaction. "I signed it, too, so if you ever decide you need some cash in an emergency, it might be worth something." She steals a cookie from the bag, setting it down afterwards next to Graeme. "Now you've got the start to a new collection. I'll have to make sure you get copies of the next two when they're done. I've made good headway so far into the next one."
There's a bit of a grin. "Now I just have to pick some nice bookshelves for my room," Graeme says. "I've got a shelf in there, but it's…more to Remi's taste, than mine. I'm going to be asking if I can repaint my room. More earth hues, terra tones and the associated blues and greens."
The fingers of Graeme's left hand wrap around the spine of the book that now rests in his lap. "See if I can make things to my tastes specifically. I mean, this is home now, anyway." Something in the way he says it suggest that Graeme is not really that sure.
"Make your mark," Savannah studies Graeme for a long time. "I think sometimes new places are hard to get used to. I woke up one morning in California, then decided to pack a bag, fly to New York, and start things here. It was a whim on my part, but… I did. I just left and came here. For a while, I wasn't sure where home was. But Kam and I moved in together and… I've felt better than I have in my life. I feel, at least, like I can live life here. That's all that matters. You've got a good friend and roommate in Remi, and I think you just need to make your mark and settle in. You'll be fine. Plus that's a fun project!"
"Yeah," Graeme says, agreement. If tentative, a bit. "New York's been an adjustment, for me. I mean, I grew up in Manhattan, but that whole neighbourhood's gone now, and," Graeme pauses, then continues, "and I'm not used to it anymore. Good and bad, you know? I'm still getting used to living in an apartment again." A lot more good than bad, but he misses the desert, he misses the sun, he misses the wide open spaces that you have to drive up north of New York City to find.
Savannah looks sympathetic. "I'm sorry. I know how that is. I had a house in California. I miss the beach a lot. Kind of nice to be able to go whenever you want." She looks to Graeme. "It'll just take some time, you know?" She heaves a sigh. "I need another vacation."
For a long moment, he's distant, not quite looking at Savannah, but past her. "Yeah. I miss the open space. The sun. The sky, the night sky." It was pretty obvious on his face, to anyone who has had such feelings, though, that bit. "And I do miss owning a house. It's different, less all squished together. God, everything feels so squished together here." He chuckles. "The ball last night would have been a full fifth of the population of the county, back in New Mexico."
"Kind of feels weird, I take it," Savannah says, eyes watching Graeme carefully. "Must feel like no one knows you here, with a county that small. I can't say I'm not used to big cities, but… if I didn't have notoriety with my books, I'd probably feel more alone than anyone. I still do, sometimes. Kam's a life saver. Literally."
"It's a smaller world than I thought it was, but still," Graeme admits. He leans back a bit more, taking a second cookie and biting into it. "It's just different. Then again, by the time I left New Mexico, I wasn't feeling very welcome there anyway." There's a half a smile offered to Savannah. "But in some ways, I know the friends I've made here better than I knew anyone there."
Savannah nods. "Small world is right. You never know who you'll run into. New York's a big city and a lot happens here. It's different here, yeah, but if you weren't feeling welcome in New Mexico… it's good you're here. And good you have better friends." She laughs. "I actually have friends here." She pauses. "Want to know a secret? I moved out her partially because I was kind of hoping that there might be something romantic between me and Kam. I didn't have anyone to talk to here, I still have as many people as I can count on one hand that I can consider friends, but I took a big risk and it all turned out okay."
The half a smile turns into a full one. "That's a good thing, then, yeah," Graeme says. There's another shift in his sitting position. "I am starting to hate this sling. It's bothersome. Keeping still is bothersome, feels all…not as disconnected as some things, but I'm used to doing." The admission is quiet, as if he's really, really trying to be a good injured person, and well aware that he's failing. Horribly.
"Well, I don't think it'll keep you down for too long. You'll heal quick, I think. Just a hunch. And anyways, this will teach you patience and give you the opportunity to do some reading, catch up on some movies… all those things you probably mean to do but have been to busy doing things to do, right?" Savannah offers, looking at him. "There's plenty to do that you can do while taking it easy."
"I suppose," Graeme says. "Yeah. I guess I don't get to go out and play lasertag again any time soon, though." The statement gets a sad face. "Aric took me out to go play lasertag, for our date, and… It was pretty awesome." Boys, really. But Graeme is blushing and such, and a bit giggling as he says this. "So well, 'least that happened first." He grins.
"I'll keep busy enough. I'm allowed to do things that aren't upper body strenuous this week, and then very light activity starting next week." Which means that Graeme might be learning to kick the punching bag. Or something. There's a grin offered to Savannah. "Thank you for coming by," he says. "Maybe you could stay a while and make sure I don't burn down the kitchen with my attempt to make breakfast? I was going to try to make chilaquiles and sausage, stay a few more hours here before I go back to the hospital." He said he'd be back by noon, when he left this morning.
"Well, it's nice to know you had a good date…" Savannah says with a grin. "See if he'll come by and keep you company. Injuries are a great excuse for someone to fawn over someone else. I secretly like it when Kam worries over me. It's adorable." The blonde can't help but chuckle. "Just… don't do anything strenuous. You know." There's a teasing tone. "I'd love to stay. I'll even help if you want. But, you know, not too much. I'll let you keep your masculine pride."
With that, she slowly gets to her feet, offering Graeme a hand.