@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]

[Thankfully, Jeff's mind isn't anywhere near traps, rifles. He's looking vaguely distressed about something else entirely.]

Donkeys are assholes?

[hardlydead]

Oh, they'll fuck you up.

[ david clearly thinks this is very cool and charming of them. ]

Used to know a bloke who worked a ranch somewhere in, uh... Fuckin' America somewhere, I dunno. Owner kept donkeys to guard the animals, said they were better than any dog for it.

[outerfringe]

Guess I always thought they were sweet. [Is Jeff conflating them with ponies? Maybe. Not like he ran into an abundance of either growing up in Ormond. He shakes the thought away dismissively as he wakes his phone and taps something on the screen, before he seems to read out loud:]

"Given the choice of anyone in the world, whom would you want as a dinner guest?"

[His eyes flick up to David's face. There's enough subtle playfulness in his own that he hopes it's obvious he won't mind if David dismisses the questioning as silly -he knows it is.]

Better than the donkey question.

[hardlydead]

[ to be fair, donkey's a more fitting animal for david than he knows. they can be sweet and loving animals, deeply protective (kind of,) and are no holds barred fighters. also they're very loud. david really only knows the latter two things about them though. ]

[ to the question he snorts and shakes his head a little, and then reflects that playful expression back at jeff as he gestures to their plates as if to say he's already got the guest he wants. ]

[outerfringe]

[Jeff just wrinkles his nose at David and takes a large bite, indicating dissatisfaction with that answer.]

Mm. Number two, then.

[hardlydead]

Wow. [ damn not even the least bit charmed, david laughs to himself and tries to think of another person. ]

Maybe the ref who tanked my career. [ he pushes some food around the plate and takes a bite. ] Break his fuckin' nose again.

[outerfringe]

[Sorry, David, you're already at ten hearts with Jeff. the unique dialogue tree has been exhausted.

But that answer gets a surprised laugh out of him. Jeff had been prepared to name some long-dead artist he admired, but David's answer can't really be topped. He seems to think for a moment, and then offers with a seriousness so sincere it has to be fake:]

I could probably Google his address.

[hardlydead]

[ he makes a bit of a face like he's giving that genuine thought and then shakes his head. ]

Best not. Can't afford the court fees.

[outerfringe]

[This, apparently, reminds Jeff of something, and he snorts a sound of surprised laughter.]

Fuck. I got a ticket less than a week after I got back. My licence expired while I was gone.

[hardlydead]

Oh christ. [ g r o a n ] Renewing all my shit was such a fuckin' pain in the ass.

[outerfringe]

Yeah, same. Had to get a new place to live, too. [jeff pauses awkwardly, cringing.] My coworkers, uh. Figured I just couldn't it after my dad died.

[hardlydead]

[ david exhales through his nose, a little annoyed on jeff's behalf. ]

Most figured I was dead 'til I turned back up.

[outerfringe]

Probably should've leaned into it. Hell of a prank opportunity.

[he's folding his little takeout container closed.]

[hardlydead]

[ david breathes out an amused little noise ]

Shoulda turned up at my dad's birthday do like an angry ghost.

[outerfringe]

Could always tell 'im you ran away. Joined the circus.

[the - well, everything of the day is starting to settle heavy on him now that he's eaten.]

[hardlydead]

[ well the word 'circus' immediately brings to mind a laboured, wheezing laugh and a three-eyed horse and david wrinkles his nose in distaste, unconsciously rubbing at the base of a finger as if to confirm it's still there. ]

Nah. [ he shakes his head. ] Joined a cult, maybe.

[outerfringe]

[Jeff is, thankfully, thinking of tightrope walkers. David eating fire, maybe, who knows.

He rubs at his eye, half-smiling at David.]

Became a roadie. Followed some country western band around on tour.

[hardlydead]

[ he snorts at the mental image that pulls up. turns his head to give jeff an amused smile that softens a bit when he looks at him. ]

You tired?

[outerfringe]

Little bit. Hell of a day.

[Waking at noon, hungover beyond belief, and a panic attack at the museum, and getting laid for the first time in- well, the exact amount of time doesn't really matter. It's just been a lot, combined with the fact that he's still reeling just slightly at the fact he'd found David in the first place.]

I'll get a second wind.

[hardlydead]

[ david makes a soft noise of understanding and ducks his head to press a light kiss to jeff's shoulder. it's been a lot, and david isn't necessarily quite so drained but he gets it. ]

You wanna lay back down for a bit?

[outerfringe]

[He both wants to and knows that he shouldn't. It's been too easy to tip himself into the comfort of a bed and sleep. The first few weeks after he returned he'd chalked it up to just resting, but now he's worried it's more than that.

So he shakes his head.]

Not in the country long, am I? Should probably enjoy it.

[hardlydead]

[ he doesn't think it's that big a deal, but he's not in jeff's head so david nods and lifts his head to look at him, planting his chin on jeff's shoulder and dropping a hand to rest lightly on his knee. ]

And what does enjoyin' it look like?

[outerfringe]

[The hand hits his knee and he thinks the answer to that question has to be Lying in bed with you. Luxuriating in the freedom he has to touch him, the privacy they have together, the safety of four walls and a locked door.

He finds himself a little tongue tied, but there's a subtle smile at the weight of David's chin on his shoulder.]

Any football matches happening tonight?

[hardlydead]

Maybe?

[ honestly he doesn't want to go anywhere, he wants to stay indoors with jeff where it's private and safe and he can do stupid things like put his chin on jeff's shoulder and stare up at him. but it's true he's leaving soon, and they can do this later, and on the other side of the ocean. ]

Nothin' serious this time of year, but there might be a friendly on tonight or something.

[outerfringe]

[Are they both going to suffer because they both think the other one wants to go out]

Yeah? You watch those?

[and he likes being able to skim his hand over the top of David's head and down the back of his neck]