@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 grins at him, subtly enough that a stranger might not really catch it. Voice low enough that it's private-]

And I can't kiss you until we get home. Dick.

[hardlydead]

[ david grins sunnily back at jeff and looks down at his plate to swirl up a fork of pasta. ]

Not that long 'til then, love.

[outerfringe]

[If Jeff is slightly startled by the term of endearment, it's only because it feels alien, not because he's unhappy with it.]

Can't go anywhere until they sing happy birthday.

[hardlydead]

[ he pauses just long enough to gesture at jeff with his fork. ]

I'm pretty sure that waitress would kill us both before she sang happy birthday.

[outerfringe]

[he can really appreciate a fellow introvert.]

Yeah. Good point.

[The truth is that the food by itself is distractingly good. His appetite had been inconsistent since he'd returned, but David wasn't wrong. Things were a little easier now.

He lapses into silence for a while to eat, and then seems to remember-]

Haddie was the last person to up and disappear before me. Might email her brother, you think? That's who she did the web show with, right?

[surely there's contact info online.]

[hardlydead]

Huh. [ he's been so focused on his food since the conversation faded out that it takes him a long moment to process words at all, but then he nods when it parses. ] Good shout, yeah. They're Canadian too, right? Might even be in the country.

[ yes it's an unreasonably large country but still, catching up with someone in the same country is generally easier than someone in another. ]

[outerfringe]

[Jeff had never been close with her, but he'd liked her. It feels like it'd mean something if she were okay, too. That he and David coming home weren't flukes - that everyone else had made it, too.]

Yeah. 'll do that later. You want dessert for real? [non birthday he means]

[hardlydead]

[ he'd like that, if haddie were okay. or at the very least, if she was back. it'd be a good sign, about everyone he wasn't sure of. and also maybe she'd have some kind of explanation for what the fuck even happened. ]

Maybe we get something to go? Or pick something up on the way back?

[ he wants to kiss his boyfriend and he can't do that here :( ]

[outerfringe]

Yeah. I'll get something to-go.

[Jeff considers him for a second, then looks privately amused when he offers his hand over the table. not to hold, like he wants to, but to shake, like they're closing some kind of business deal.

look. He just wants an excuse to touch him.]

[hardlydead]

[ david looks down at jeff's hand, confused for a moment, and then takes it in a firm handshake with a scoff of a laugh and a small shake of his head. he lets his hand linger in jeff's grip, brushes his thumb over his knuckles lightly before they're done. ]

Guess that's a deal then.

[outerfringe]

[Jeff keeps a tight grip on David's hand for just an extra second longer, his index finger stroking David's wrist once, before he releases his hand.

It's less than forty-five seconds later that the stony-faced waitress drops off two slices of chocolate cake in styrofoam, and Jeff is left baffled, unsure when she was even in this part of the dining room to hear them.]

[hardlydead]

[ david... stares at the cakes, and then looks at jeff, bewildered. ]

You think she's psychic?

[outerfringe]

[He's equally dumbfounded, before he glances at David and decides-]

You know. Gonna stop questioning things that benefit me.

[he just wants to pay and get out of here]

[hardlydead]

[ you know what, fair enough. david raises his hands in surrender to whatever weirdness is at work here and sinks into his seat while he waits for jeff to pay up so they can go. ]

[outerfringe]

[It doesn't take long. Jeff doesn't bother trying to make smalltalk this time, and he'll stand with a little nod toward the door as soon as the bill is settled.]

[hardlydead]

[ david is ready to go, literally just up and out as soon as that bill's paid. he says a warm and friendly thanks to the host when he passes them at the door, but otherwise he just wants to get to jeff's car and back home. ]

[outerfringe]

[Maybe it's because it barely feels like home to him yet, either, but for some reason Jeff it doesn't even occur to Jeff to blink when he refers to that for them both. Maybe he's just more comfortable in general with David around.

They'll be out in the brisk air, near the car, when Jeff considers a message.]

Said they got something delivered to my place. Guess that's why they've been chatty.

[because they're not, usually. He's never really been the kind of guy who engages in a lot of casual chatter in text, even with friends he considers himself close to.]

[hardlydead]

[ ooh a gift? david's eyes light up with curiosity and he pauses at the car, looking over at jeff. ]

What do you think it is?

[ he tilts his head, thinking, and gets in. ]

I'm hoping for a table myself.

[ absolutely going to force jeff to go furniture shopping while he's here. ]

[outerfringe]

They did a best-of album before they split that I missed. Guessing that's it.

[but wait]

I've got a table.

[A side table that he uses as a makeshift desk]

[hardlydead]

[ he's reaching over to put a hand on jeff's arm and look him patiently in the eyes. ]

No, you don't.

[outerfringe]

[Jeff stares at him, mock-offended, before he unlocks his side of the car and slips inside.]

Yeah. Stole yours. It's on the way.

[hardlydead]

Wow. [ david shakes his head and gets in too. ] Surprised you had the time.

[outerfringe]

You're a heavy sleeper. [he probably isn't.] Figured I'd start small and work up to the TV.

[hardlydead]

[ he's not (anymore) but he's not going to argue, just laughs instead. ]

Clever.

[outerfringe]

[He reaches over, moving for David's hand, hoping it's dark enough that he'll be allowed to bring his wrist to his mouth and kiss the inside of it once.]

Thanks. For coming out.