@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]

[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]

[hardlydead]

[ david's eyes flutter shut briefly with that touch and he unconsciously tilts his head toward jeff's hand like he's seeking out a little more of that. ]

Don't usually go out of my way unless it's a City match, but I'll get into one if it's on at the pub or something.

[ hm. he gives jeff a thoughtful look. ]

Could just put one on here unless you wanna get out and about?

[outerfringe]

Do have a little work I need to do.

[rent isn't cheap. neither were the plane ticket or hotel - he has to stay on top of the work he's got.]

Could be good background noise. [he gentle squeezes the back of david's neck.] If you don't mind.

[hardlydead]

Course not. [ he smiles and gives jeff's shoulder another little kiss. ] Didn't really feel like going out anyway to be honest.

[outerfringe]

[It's the sweetness of the gesture that has Jeff leaning down to catch him for a proper kiss, quietly grateful, before he goes to retrieve the backpack he has definitely been carrying with him the entire day. Did he anticipate that he'd ever have the opportunity to sit quietly in a room with David while he did his work? No, but he likes it.]

[hardlydead]

[ he smiles widely at the kiss and just... watches jeff as he gets up and goes to get his bag, just overwhelmed by how fond he is of this man for a moment. he really does think there's something here, more than just a shared trauma endured over however many years, oddly thankful for his ex in this moment because he knows better this time around. knows how goddamn miserable it is to have something good right there in your hands and let it slip through your fingers because you're too much of a coward to commit. ]

[ he makes a cursory attempt to clean up (that is, moving the plates and glasses over by the sink and nothing else,) and grabs a couple of beers out of the fridge, brings one over to jeff for when he gets settled in to work with a quietly happy look on his face. he could easily get used to this. ]

maybe a brief timeskip? to the plane or Canada?

[outerfringe]

[Jeff has never felt like he was in danger in any of his romantic partnerships, but - as he takes the beer from David and watches him get comfortable - he realizes that he's never felt this safe, either. It was no one's fault, but, well. He'd literally seen David die for him. It was easy to trust that, and hard to compete with.

When he finally gets to work, it's the easiest it's been since he came back.]

[hardlydead]

[ ooc; maybe to canada? unless there's anything you wanna do with the plane, i'm not sure there's much mileage (hahah) there 🤔 happy to be wrong tho ]

[outerfringe]

[OOC: Could do the arrival / David trying to open up be being Gay in Public?

Could also do "Jeff's band mate friends are so stoked he's not dead they arrive unannounced and David has to deal with that," hahaha.]

[hardlydead]

[ ooc; i love both of these??? can we do them both because they sound amazing ]

[outerfringe]

[OOC: ya of course c:]

[The next few days are honestly pretty boring, and Jeff couldn't be happier about that. It's a comfortable, comforting boring, the sort that brings the kind of peacefulness he's been chasing ever since he'd awoken in Ormond. It's alarming how easy it is to find a rhythm with David beside him.

The flight back is long (and only briefly panic inducing when the already dim cabin lights flicker twice, in rapid succession), and there's no one to wait on either of them at the airport. Jeff will take him to an apartment that's mostly bare. The furniture that is there is mostly second-hand; he'll upgrade later, probably, when he's more certain of his own path forward.

The first day back is spent losing the fight against jetlag; the second has him making a brunch of scrambled eggs and toast around noon.

He looks thoughtful as he tips some egg onto David's plate.]

You wanna catch a movie? Matinee?

[hardlydead]

[ david catches himself wondering if it's because of his age that jetlag hits him so hard now. his passport says he's nearing 40 now, even if he feels like a decent 5 years of that is missing, but still. he's yawning when jeff makes them brunch, aimlessly scrolling news articles on his phone to keep himself awake, but the question makes him reflect that thoughtful expression back at jeff as he considers it. ]

Could do. Anything good on, you think?

what did i do

[outerfringe]

[Jeff's furniture is mostly bed (a mattress on a metal frame, no box springs) and couch (secondhand but in solid shape, comfortable). There's a table in the dining area, but only a single seat, and is used more for work than eating.

So he drops next to David on the sofa, leg brushing leg as he balances his plate in his lap and pulls out his phone.

Uh. There's a new James Bond movie?

the elusive brackets/prose hybrid

[hardlydead]

[ david leans over a little closer to jeff, pausing between mouthfuls of food with a thoughtful look. ]

Sounds good. [ what's not to like about dumb spy nonsense ] Could go grab a bite after too.

[outerfringe]

Yeah?

[Jeff isn't trying to Push, he's just trying to make sure they're on the same page.]

Sounds like a nice date.

[hardlydead]

[ something about the word 'date' makes him come over a little bashful, smiling at jeff briefly before going back to his food. ]

It does.

[outerfringe]

[God, if he's not painfully fond of those flickers of bashfulness. Jeff has a bite of toast, reaching up with his free hand to affectionately squeeze the back of David's neck.]

Gonna let me pull your chair out for you?

[hardlydead]

[ the laugh that comes out of him at that even surprises himself. ]

You feeling like a gentleman today?

[outerfringe]

Could be.

[Jeff shrugs one shoulder, smiling down at his plate.]

That okay with you?

[hardlydead]

[ he tilts his head, giving that a moment of actual thought before he answers, light and playful. ]

Long as I get to be the gentleman some other time.

[ when will technology allow two men to pull out each other's chairs ]

[outerfringe]

[Jeff shrugs one shoulder easily.]

You can walk on the car side of the sidewalk. Even.