@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]

Sure.

[Said with a little smile his way. mostly he's silent when he drives, and he only really has one genre of CD, but he'll keep the volume low for David's sake.]

You buying my popcorn?

[hardlydead]

[ oh he definitely appreciates the low volume ]

Thought you wanted to be the gentleman today.

[outerfringe]

[It's good music Brent]

Damn. You got me.

[The parking lot is pretty bare at midday. Jeff parks and doesn't quite hazard a kiss, but he does reach to grab and squeeze David's hand.]

[hardlydead]

[ oh-- here they are. david turns his hand in jeff's grip, gives it a little squeeze in return before he slips out of the car. this is fine, it's just seeing a movie. people do it all the time. no big deal. ]

[outerfringe]

[The movie itself is... fine. Both underwhelming and overwhelming at the same time. Jeff doesn't love when the theater plunges into darkness, but he's ready for it, and it merely a frownworthy moment that passes.

They're not the only ones in the theater, but it's close. One of the bit characters is a Scouser, and halfway through Jeff will lean in close to murmur very solemnly-]

Sounds just like you.

[hardlydead]

[ the dark is somehow something he completely forgot about and david takes a deep breath when the lights dim, reaches over to put a hand on jeff's arm for that point of contact. ]

[ he wouldn't call it a good movie, but it's the kind of dumb action bullshit david loves, almost meditative in the say he can just watch it and not think for a while. quietly enjoying it for what it is when jeff speaks up and david chokes on his drink in his outrage. ]

Don't you fuckin' start.

[ he's not mad, but also how dare you jeffrey. ]

[outerfringe]

[He briefly touches David's back when he starts choking, shoulders shaking in the kind of silent laughter that absolutely gives him away.]

Too late, I think.

[hardlydead]

[ david shakes his head with a sigh, tilts his head toward jeff so he can keep his voice hushed. ]

You're a menace.

[outerfringe]

[They're in the back of a mostly empty theater - so Jeff is just going to pull David's hand to his mouth, kissing the back of his knuckles.]

Gotta keep you interested.

[hardlydead]

[ he's glad for the dark, because that definitely makes him flush a little, even in spite of the way his eyes flick up briefly to look around on instinct. ]

Shut up.

[ he laughs quietly and lifts his other hand to shove jeff lightly. ]

[outerfringe]

What? S'true.

[but he pushes him back just as gently, before settling in to finish the film.]

[hardlydead]

[ david snorts and shakes his head, settling back into his seat. a little hesitant as he takes jeff's hand and holds it on the armrest between them for the last stretch of the movie. his palms definitely aren't a little sweaty or anything. ]

[outerfringe]

[Jeff will grip David's hand, thumb stroking the back of it, but he'll squeeze it and let go when the credits start to roll.]

Lot of places we could walk to around here.

[hardlydead]

Wanna go for a wander?

[ wow how did so much popcorn get on his clothes, he pulls a face when he stands and dusts all that off. ]

[outerfringe]

Yeah. If it sounds good to you.

[He's grinning just slightly as he watches, though, struck by the domesticity of it. It's - normal. Maybe things can be normal.

He'll check his phone in a minute. Right now he's content to focus on the man with him.]

[hardlydead]

[ the lights coming back on prompt david to look from his clothes to jeff and he smiles, if a little confused by the look on jeff's face, but him grinning is never a bad thing. ]

Yeah, c'mon. Show me around.

[outerfringe]

[He glances away quick when he's caught smiling like that, as if he's somehow showing his hand here. Busies himself by leading them both to the exit.]

I'll do my best. Things are pretty different.

[but it's nice to have someone to discover those differences with.]

[hardlydead]

[ he shoves his hands in his jean pockets and sticks close to jeff as they head out. ]

Guess you haven't had a chance to look around much, huh?

[ he keeps forgetting how recently jeff returned. ]

[outerfringe]

[Jeff tries his very best to remember not to drift too close, but David at his side is a comfort, and now that he's had the luxury of physical closeness with him it's hard to ignore it when it's nearby.]

Not really. Never been much of a 'go out and browse the town' kind of guy, either.

[it's a nice town, commuting distance from a nearby city. He likes it well enough.]

[hardlydead]

[ david tilts his head, thinking on that, though part of his mind is occupied thinking about stupid, little things like how he could just take his hand out of his pocket and slip his hand into jeff's while they walk. how that feels like something huge and he feels like it shouldn't. ]

[ but he can stick close, enough that their shoulders bump when david makes a show of looking around them. ]

Seen anything you wanna check out since you got back?

[outerfringe]

[It's strange how quickly he's gotten used to little gestures of affection in private moments. How hard he has to resist reaching his hand out to just rest it against David's back as they walk.]

Record store not far from here. Closed today, I think, but maybe worth checking later.

[He thinks about the records he'd promised to send Quentin, wonders if he'll get the chance.]

[hardlydead]

[ he makes a mental note to bring up the record store in a few days if jeff doesn't go of his own volition and nods. he can imagine it easily, jeff picking through for obscure bands or old classics, 99% of which david will probably hate. something about the mental image is painfully endearing to him and makes him smile a little. ]

How about food? [ he nudges jeff with his elbow ] Any places caught your fancy or should we just see what's open?

[outerfringe]

[Jeff nudges right back, just because that's a safe sort of thing to do in public.]

Italian place close by. Seems pretty nice. [and casually, he adds:] Got a McDonald's close by, too, if you feel like something fast. [Something less obviously a date]

[hardlydead]

Italian sounds good.

[ is that too overtly romantic? just two guys enjoying an italian meal together? it's fine. he'll be fine and definitely not weird. ]

[outerfringe]

[Should be fine as long as they avoid any lady and the tramp moments, right? Surely.

Jeff just nods, indicating a crosswalk towards a busy little shopping area.]