@hardlydead

[outerfringe]

[One day David simply stops appearing by the fire with the rest of them, and Jeff does his very best to be relieved for him. There are only two real possible reasons for that, right? Either he'd actually died for real, or he'd managed to find a way back home- and either way, it meant that he was out of this place. Jeff tries to be happy for him, and for the most part, he is.

He doesn't think about David at all the first day after he wakes up on the cold floor of the Ormond resort, back stiff and jacket crusted with frost. Instead he's too busy finding his way back to town, organizing arrangements to make it home. His apartment key no longer works, he recognizes none of his neighbors, but his bank account was still somehow in alright standing.

Jeff finds a new place. He does not find a new dog.

He feels weird about creating a Facebook account just to check for David, but he does it anyway. When that comes up fruitless, he thinks a lot about the conversations the two of them had while tucked close together in the dark. Wonders if David would even want to be found by someone like him, to be faced with a reminder of the time they'd spent doing everything they could to simply survive.

Jeff tries to paint but can't seem to pull himself out of severe blacks and reds. Tries to catch up on the music he'd missed from the bands he'd loved but it fails to soothe him the way it had before. He considers a therapist, and then decides that he'd be locked away the second he was candid enough for someone to actually help him.

So he packs some things, books a flight. Finds himself at his fifth seedy pub in three days without much hope - except this time when he says he's looking for David King, the big guy by the bar makes a point of sizing him up. Jeff sets his shoulders, frowns and promises that he's an old friend, but it doesn't seem to affect much the scowl on the guy's face. He says something (that Jeff completely misses, he can barely understand a goddamn thing when people here are drunk and loud), but seems to indicate for him to wait.

Which he does. He parks on a stool with a drink, assumes his most unapproachable aura, and waits. He doesn't know who he's expecting to appear, but it's not David.

There's not a chance it would actually be that simple.]

Comments

[outerfringe]

Yeah, same. But you can still have preferences.

[Jeff nods, but he's definitely drunk, still thawing out, and he seems to be trying to figure out exactly how David wants to sit.]

[hardlydead]

[ it takes a little more work to co-ordinate his limbs than he's used to, but david eventually does manage to get his legs either side of jeff so he can press himself against his back and slip his arms around him. ]

Long as it got some kick to it, I guess. Jalapenos or chillies or whatever.

[outerfringe]

[It's- not a way of sitting that he's used to, but he certainly doesn't mind it. Jeff grabs his phone, reclining against David, and he's a little surprised at how easily he relaxes.]

Okay. Yeah, alright, that sounds good.

[hardlydead]

[ david smiles to himself as he gets more comfortable, jeff's weight against his chest is extremely welcome, and he settles his chin on his shoulder. ]

What're your preferences then?

[ he's curious. ]

[outerfringe]

I, uh.

[God, this feels stupid to say. He slouches slightly, rocking his head back.]

I'm a vegetarian. But not picky.

[hardlydead]

[ you know what, that tracks actually. david makes a small noise of understanding, but what's really important is how this is the perfect place for him to be able to turn his head and leave little kisses up the side of jeff's neck. ]

Good thing I didn't ask for a fuckin' meat feast or something then.

[outerfringe]

Could have got it half veg. Not a problem.

[Wow that feels fucking nice, and Jeff hears his own quiet sigh before he even realizes he's making a sound at all.]

This is comfortable. Yeah.

[hardlydead]

S'nice.

[ he tilts his head up to kiss at the corner of jeff's jaw, ignoring the way his beard tickles his nose, and lets out his own quiet sigh almost in response. ]

Could stay like this a while, I think.

[outerfringe]

Not wasting the shots?

[Oh. He needs to order the pizza, but this is. Nice? Stupidly nice. He didn't expect this to be the trajectory of the evening.]

But yeah. God.

[And because he's drunk-]

Fuck this is weird.

[But he's amused.]

[hardlydead]

Is it?

[ he lifts his head to give jeff a quizzical look. ]

[outerfringe]

[He takes a breath, apologetic. (Not only because David has stopped kissing his neck, but a little bit because of that.)]

Not- us. [Not them, together, because at the moment that's the only thing in the world that makes sense.] Just- all of everything else. Getting taken. Coming back. Finding you. It's like- I don't know. A shitty horror movie.

[hardlydead]

I guess.

[ he probably wouldn't be mad if jeff had been talking about them, they make an odd pair, but david likes the myriad ways jeff is different to him. to most people he knows. ]

[ what jeff's actually talking about though, david hums softly in thought, resuming his light kisses until he can think of a reply. ]

No weirder than what happened to us in the first place.

[outerfringe]

[Jeff takes a breath, feeling his own shoulders relaxing in a way they haven't in a long time. He really needs to actually order the pizza, but David makes it hard to pay attention to his phone.]

Think we should keep looking?

[He shifts, sliding to cover David's hand with his own.]

For others.

[hardlydead]

Wouldn't even know how.

[ he thinks about the handful of dead accounts he found and wonders if people would just pick them up again, go back to posting like everything was a-ok. he'd love to confirm they were something close to okay but it seems so impossible. ]

[outerfringe]

[Jeff murmurs agreeably, his own thoughts apparently running slightly adjacent to but mostly parallel with David's.]

Should probably make a Facebook page or something. Make it easier for people to find us.

[hardlydead]

[ david snorts, a small huff of breath against jeff's neck. ]

"Entity Expats." See who joins.

[outerfringe]

[Jeff blinks, then laughs out loud. Twists slightly, just trying to chase an actual kiss against his mouth.]

I meant, uh. My own. In case someone googles me.

[hardlydead]

Oh.

[ david lifts his head to meet jeff for that kiss. no need to talk about that one. ]

[outerfringe]

[Jeff smiles into his mouth, relaxing when he shifts back to his phone.]

Okay. Food. Getting too drunk.

[hardlydead]

[ david grumbles a little because he would very much like to keep kissing, but maybe they should try and eat before they get too drunk. he dips his head so he can press his forehead against jeff's shoulder, no more distractions until the food's ordered. ]

[outerfringe]

[This is sort of nice, too. It's quiet but warm, silence companionable instead of lonely.

He finishes, puts his phone on the bedside table.]

I still can't figure out how I like being alone. Got pretty used to just- having people around all the time.

[hardlydead]

The amount of time I spent wishing some of those kids would shut the fuck up.

[ he says it with a soft, slightly sad laugh. ]

Shit, even Bill's fuckin' smoker's cough. Used to drive me nuts. Think sometimes now I'd welcome it.

[ just the chatter and noise that meant they were there. in some ways the background noise of being in a city was more welcome than it ever had been. drowned out the silence. ]

[outerfringe]

It was kind of nice, right?

[Jeff lowers his hand, gently clasping David's leg. Stroking it just as a way to keep touching him.]

Better than TV sometimes, honestly.

[hardlydead]

[ he smiles softly at the contact and nods just slightly. ]

Weird kinda comfort, 'specially there. Knowing there were always people around.

[outerfringe]

[He keeps his hand there, finds the way he can feel David's breathing soothing. He laughs and squeezes the leg at his side.]

Never been the little spoon.