@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]

[jeff chuckles quietly at that, ordering when the waitress drifts back over to their table. She's polite but clearly wants to be anywhere else on earth, businesslike even in the face of Jeff's awkward attempt at smalltalk.

He clears his throat when she's gone.]

She has to be like, nineteen. Why am I terrified of her?

[hardlydead]

[ david has none of the same problems, he's polite and gets to the point because she clearly doesn't even want to pretend to be sociable and that's fine by him. ]

Teenage girls are the scariest thing on the planet, that's why.

[outerfringe]

You know. I worried about Steve a lot more than I ever worried about Nancy.

[it's not breadsticks, but there's a few warm, crusty slices of bread on the table with some olive oil and spices, and jeff is just going to busy himself with those.]

[hardlydead]

[ god. that brings a rush of memories — mostly steve's total inability to sit on a generator with him without blowing the thing, versus every time he looked up from cleansing a totem and nancy was staring daggers at him. he wonders how they're doing, if he looked them up would he find some 50 year-olds with the weirdest traumas known to man or what? ]

Don't think I ever had to worry much about Laurie either.

[ running up to try and get the killer to drop her and seeing her just stab them in the neck sure does change your perception of a person. ]

[outerfringe]

[He can't help the way he snorts.]

Whatever. You worried about everyone, all the time.

[hardlydead]

Okay. [ rude ] I mean compared to the likes of Steve or Quentin.

[ to be fair both of them were also hardheaded altruists so, you know. it's almost like david knows people like him are a danger to themselves or something. ]

[outerfringe]

Yeah. Fair. Kind of feels like the entity had a thing for dumbass guys and competent women.

[It's not meant to be an actual burn, but, still.]

[hardlydead]

[ david pauses in dipping his bread in the olive oil to look at jeff with a raised eyebrow. ]

Are you counting yourself there too, or just the rest of us?

[ he's teasing, but also jeff please. ]

[outerfringe]

You kidding?

[With all the seriousness in the world.]

Wouldn't leave myself out of that.

[hardlydead]

Explains why you were ready to ask around all them seedy bars for me.

[ he is still amazed jeff came away unscathed from that. ]

[outerfringe]

[Jeff shakes his head, mock defensive.]

I look tough if I don't talk too much.

[hardlydead]

Lunatic behaviour. [ he shakes his head ] Not that I'm complaining, mind. Worked out for me.

[outerfringe]

David.

[jeff's laugh is a little surprised.]

What's the worst they could have done- beat me up? Terrifying.

[hardlydead]

Could've put you in the hospital and then I wouldn't have seen you at all.

[ so there ]

[outerfringe]

[He folds his arms on the table, leaning forward and pointing at David with a piece of crust.]

You think people are gonna put me in hospital for asking about you? Jesus, man. What an ego.

[it's such a soft deadpan, fully kidding.]

[hardlydead]

[ david laughs and covers his mouth so no errant pieces of chewed bread escape. ]

Next you're gonna tell me I'm not the centre of the universe and I don't think I wanna hear it.

[outerfringe]

[That shouldn't be attractive. Jeff shouldn't feel completely in love right now, but he does. He flusters hard and ducks his head, grinning at his own hands.]

I'd never say that.

[hardlydead]

[ oh no, oh man, that's so cute? how is this man so cute? david smiles behind his hand, honestly completely forgetting there are other people here for a moment as he looks at jeff and shakes his head. ]

You're too good to me.

[outerfringe]

Nah. Just feeling grateful for the right things, I guess. [the waitress doesn't actually engage even she grabs their glasses to refill them, instead just silently grateful they're not trying to drag her into conversation. Jeff tries to snap out of it, to not let it get weird.]

Not your birthday is it? Bet they sing when they bring out cake.

[hardlydead]

[ he startles a little when the waitress takes their glasses, eyes flicking up to her in a brief panic, but she honestly could not give less of a shit and david settles after that brief moment, clears his throat. ]

C'mon, don't do that to them.

[outerfringe]

[He can't help but notice that. And he knows, he knows that David is trying, that he wants to push his own boundaries here, Jeff can't help the surge of protectiveness that rises up when he reads that panic in his shoulders. David who'd spent so much time and energy protecting everyone else, who deserved to be protected, too.]

-- hey, c'mon. Let's just get our food to go.

[It's a whisper, but said with a sincere smile.]

I mean it. I don't care about anyone else. Who knows what or whatever.

[hardlydead]

[ david leans forward on his elbows, shakes his head with a small and slightly tired smile. ]

I'm fine-- Promise.

[outerfringe]

Hey. Okay. If you're sure.

[there's a moment where he wants to reach out, to touch David's wrist, but his hands flex uncomfortably in his lap instead. The waitress deposits their drinks back onto the tabletop and disappears again.]

[hardlydead]

[ he's trying very hard to be aware of his own limits, to know when he's forcing it too much. it's not something david has ever been particularly good at in any respect, but he thinks he's managing here. the brief panics are okay — exhausting, but ultimately they pass quick and then it's over — he hasn't yet bumped up against that bone-deep fear that tells him he's wrong-- or worse. he can manage this. ]

[ he nudges jeff's foot with his own and nods. ]

I'll tell you if I'm not okay.

[outerfringe]

Yeah. Sure.

[Maybe he, too, has to accept that his own protective impulse is selfish in its own way. It's just more to think about, and he silences himself by checking his phone again and letting his expression crumple in something like vague amusement.]

Sorry. Told the guys I'm busy, but they're way too energetic for forty-somethings. Pushing fifty, actually, I guess, gotta be.