screw weddings

[pure ace nonsense]

What's he doing? Oh, no, we shouldn't -- I mean not in public. Okay. Nevermind, I guess, he's going to hug me and I'm actually not going to resist him. Feels really nice. I mean, it always feels nice to have Quin's arms around me, but right now it's more comforting than usual. Probably because I'm having one of my bigger freak-outs. Why does he want to marry me so much?? I guess I'll just give in to the public display of affection, knowing Quin wouldn't let anything bad happen to us, and wrap my arms snugly around his neck. Supposed to make mistakes? Since when? I mean, other people can afford to make mistakes, but not me. I just. I'm not supposed to. It's just not good when I make mistakes. They're always worse than anyone else's. He better be right, because I am absolutely clueless on this entire thing. It's a foreign and disturbing feeling to know nothing. I wonder if this is what most people, especially Jim, feel like in the few areas I can actually excel in.

We do love each other. I mean, I know I love him more than I ever thought I could. And, well, he loves me, which I never thought could happen period. It's just not something I'm used to, acting on emotion, unless it's fear and the act is keeping quiet. But even then the logic is sound to shut up and let whatever terrible thing happens happen. I wouldn't know why people get married, though, Quin. Theoretically, yes, it's for love. But historically it was a property agreement, or to ensure women had financial stability later in life. Those practices still occur, but not as much in modern days. In my experience my mother has married twice, and neither seem to leave her happy. Even before my father died in the most hillbilly way, she was depressed. Then Tom came along and I thought she was going to be much better off. But apparently not, despite how well he's treated me. So, how in the hell am I supposed to succeed at marriage when I have such terrible examples in my life? I'm supposed to base it solely on my love for Quin? "O - Okay," I mutter and give him a small nod, wanting to hide my face, because of course I've teared up because I have no backbone. At least my sweater does a decent-enough job absorbing tears.

Hurry up, Atticus, you're wasting time. My face is probably a little red from being so emotional and absolutely embarrassed. So when I pull away from Quin, I turn a bit more towards the restaurant, sniffling a little. Christ, I'm always such a mess. "I - I guess we should go back in. You're hungry and Jim could have eaten it all by n - now." Is that my usual stutter or is it cold? I mean, I haven't had a proper stutter since I was a child. Thankfully it was beaten out of me, so to speak. Usually it resurfaces when I'm nervous, which of course is a lot. As does my accent when I'm petrified, aka: speaking with Quinton's mom. Right now, I think I'm just cold, so all the more reason to go back inside.

[caduceus cIay]

#64908a
Thank God, he still wants to marry me. Okay, good. He's just nervous, that's...well, it's not great, but it's better than him not wanting to get married. But he thinks he's going to mess something up, which is just so wrong. He looks so pitiful, and he's not even looking at me anymore. I don't have any problem with PDA, but I know Atticus isn't really crazy about it. Actually, he's not really crazy about affection in general, which is dumb. He deserves all the hugs and kisses. At least, all of mine. No one else's. There's not really anyone around us, so hopefully he won't freak out too much if I hug him. I don't give him any say in the matter and just pull him into a hug. If anyone says anything, I'll tell them to ******** off. "You're not going to mess anything up." That's not really something I can promise, I know, but I'm confident about it. "Besides, it's not like I've ever been married, either! Either of us could mess something up, but that's okay. You're supposed to make mistakes sometimes. And I hate to break it to you, but I don't think marriage is something you can really prepare for, babe. I mean, there's no way to know what's gonna happen, but we love each other. That's supposed to be the reason people get married, right? 'Cause they love each other and want to stay together. We're young, yeah, but we're getting married for the right reason. It might not always be easy, but I think we can make it work."

[pure ace nonsense]

Honestly, I was counting on Quin coming to check on me. I knew he would. He cares for me. As odd as that may be for someone as desirable as him. God, I'm having a minor panic attack. So should I lie like always? Say I'm fine when I'm not. Unlike Quin, who says he's fine when he really is. That's how it tends to work between us. But then he goes on, not giving me a chance to stutter out a response, lie or not. Oh. Wow. He'd...wait? I just don't understand. He just wants to marry me. That's all this is about. But I'm scared, so scared to letting him down. Stop pacing, Atticus. I do, but keep toying with my sweater hem as I stop in front of Quin.

"I just want to marry you too," I say and sigh, nervous about what else I need to tell him. "But I don't want to mess it up, Quin. I want to get everything right, y-you deserve it." Why can't we just go home and sit on the couch? We're in public, but I want to hug him. I can't bring myself to do it though. "Everyone already says we're too young, and what if they're right? I don't know anything about being married, I haven't had any way to prepare and I just..." Have no idea what to say next. I'm an idiot, aren't I? I groan and look down, away from Quin's perfect face.

[caduceus cIay]

#64908a
Well, Jim's back to normal, which means I want him to shut up. What the hell does ver...whatever he said even mean? I don't care, I'm more concerned with the fact that Atticus isn't saying anything. ********. He needs to say something, anything. Even if he says no, I'll be fine. As long as he says something and doesn't just look like I said I wanted to shave my head and move to France to become a mime or some s**t. And now he's leaving the table. Fantastic. "[********]" I think I've messed everything up. This is why I don't make plans. I should have just ******** waited for the wedding to finally come around instead of trying to push him into this. I'm such an idiot.

He probably wants his space, but I'm kind of worried that he might be trying to run away right now or he'll just wander off and then I'll have to spend all night looking for him or something. I count to fifteen in my head before throwing my napkin down on the table and following after Atticus. Thank God, he hasn't gone too far. In fact, he's just kind of pacing on the sidewalk. "Hey, are you okay?" I don't know if he even wants to talk to me right, but he's going to. Or he can just tell me to ******** off, but that doesn't seem like something Atticus would do. I'm not really giving him a chance to tell me to go away, though, since I just keep talking. "Listen, it's okay if you don't want to elope. I mean it. If you want to wait, we can wait. Hell, I'll wait, like, ten years if you want me to. I don't care when it happens, I just want to marry you."

[pure ace nonsense]

Oh! Oh. Ohhh. Eloping. Ohmygod. Today?? Like today?? I don't know what to do with this information. I feel like...almost like when he proposed to me at prom. God, that was a whole different level of joy and fear. But mostly joy. So, am I feeling that same level of joy right now? It means Quin just wants to be married to me, right? His mom, though. She already hates me, I think. Like I possessed Quin to ask me to marry him. I certainly did not. In all honesty, I thought we would break up after high school because he was going to be a big college football star. Never have I been so glad to be proven wrong. "Woah, hey, I love both of you but let's stay friends." Jim cracks a joke and I feel uncomfortable. "I mean, I could see us living on an island away from the law, because three-way marriages are verboten." There he is. At least someone is acting normal at this table. Not that I think Quin's being abnormal, but I don't understand his idea completely.

Also I'm terrified. Planning this thing was scary on it's own, but it was something I felt familiar with. Putting information together, organizing, that's what I enjoy and am good at. Plus, it bought us time. Usually these things take at least a year to sort out and set up. Then we would be older, and possibly in our twenties and people wouldn't judge us as much for being married so young. Then there's the whole fear that I will be a terrible husband. Oh god, that word. Husband. I'm not domestic in any sense. How am I supposed to do this with no time at all to prepare?? I feel constricted, I need some air. "Excuse me for a minute," I mutter and get up from my chair, heading out the door to the sidewalk. Ohmygod. I could be married today. No, not today, the courthouse is closed at this hour. But tomorrow. Tomorrow I could be married to Quinton Fisher. That's what he wants. What do I want? I don't know. At least I feel better being outside, twisting the bottom of my sweater in my fingers, pacing.

[caduceus cIay]

#64908a
Jim's being really calm and mature, and that's freaking me the ******** out. Who is that and what did they do with the real Jim? He's a pain in the a**, but he's our pain in the a**. If he's going to grow up, he needs to start doing it sometime when I'm not already freaking out over something else. Even if that something else was my own idea. This is why I leave the planning and thinking and stuff to Atticus. He's good at all that, and I'm not. That's why he goes to a fancy shmancy university. Technically I go there too, but that's only because I work there, which is completely different.

Speaking of freaking out, I don't think Atticus gets what I'm trying to say. Like, at all. I think he might throw up or something. Or maybe he does gets what I'm saying and is freaking out because he thinks it's a bad idea. I don't think Jim gets it, either. He's just being all weird and grown up again. He needs to stop that. It's boring, and I don't like it, which is weird since I spent most of high school wishing Jim would be less...Jim-ish. Oh, I guess I was right when I thought Atticus didn't know what's going on because he's straight up asking now. Okay, no more beating around the bush because that's clearly not working. I'm just gonna come right out and say it and hope for the best. "I was thinking maybe we should, y'know, elope." Alright, it's out there. The rest should be a breeze from here, right? All Atticus can do is say yes or no, right? It's not like that'll change his mind about geting married all together....right? "Don't get me wrong, a wedding would be great! But planning a wedding? Yeah, that's not so great. It's kind of a huge pain, actually. And like Jim said, it's not really for either of us even though it's...for us. It kind of seems like a waste of time and money when we could just go and get married today."

God, I'm talking a lot. I don't like doing that, but I feel like Atticus deserves an explanation. If I didn't get one, he might do that thing where he thinks something is his fault that isn't actually anyone's fault and start thinking something crazy, like that I'm embarrassed to marry him or something. Which is completely wrong because, hello, he's a babe and I love him. "I'd be just as happy getting married when it's just us and Jim, but if you want to go through with the wedding, that's cool, too. I'll understand."

[pure ace nonsense]

If he says he's fine, then he must be fine. Quin's not like me -- in many obvious ways -- he wouldn't say he's fine just to keep others from worrying. When he's got a problem with someone or something, he comes right out with it. Typically with hitting or insults, but that's because a lot of the time Jim's his problem. I like that about Quin, though, he's honest. Maybe brutally honest a little too often, though. At least with people he doesn't care for. He squeezes my hand and I nod, accepting that he's fine, and I slide my hand back under the table. It's oddly quiet until the waitress brings more bread and takes our order. Of course, Jim tries to impress her with stupid comments about the food, and she's unimpressed. As she should be. It wasn't his best stuff. In fact, since getting here he hasn't been as juvenile as he used to be. Maybe college is changing him. I'd like that, but then again he wouldn't be the Jim we know and reluctantly love if he matured.

And now Quin's apologizing to Jim? What's going on today? He usually only apologizes if he's been exceptionally mean to Jim. Maybe he didn't expect Jim to react so strongly to a possibly soft tap on the leg. "No worries, man," Jim shrugs and leans back in his chair. Okay. Something is going on between them, but I don't know what. Whenever Quin apologizes in a sincere manner, Jim gets dramatic and acts like a swooning damsel. Quin keeps talking, mentioning how stressed wedding planning makes him, and Jim nods understandingly. Wait, what's he saying? Do we need a wedding? Oh god. Ohhhhhhh god. He doesn't want to get married. I knew it. I knew it was too good to be true. Ohmygod I'm going to throw up. "Um," I choke out, now confused. Wait, so he wants to get married? It sounds like that.

"Yeah, usually weddings are for the bride. But neither of you are a bride, so...guess it's for your mom, really." There Jim goes again, seeming mature and put together. But his comment does help me realize what I think Quin's trying to say. I can't be entirely sure though.

"So," I glance at Quin before nervously dropping my eyes to the table. Oh hell, I'm in no mood to search for conclusions. I'm just going to ask, which is not something I'm comfortable with doing a lot because I feel stupid most times. But of all times to get clarity, this would be one of them. "Wh - What are you saying?"

[caduceus cIay]

#64908a
Maybe I kicked Jim too hard. He seems like he's in pain. Or maybe he's just weaker now that I'm not around to hit him all the time. Could be both. I feel kind of shitty about kicking him, either way. I'll apologize to him later. If I remember...

Who the hell – oh, Atticus. Of course it's Atticus grabbing my hand. Who else would? Holding hands isn't really a big deal, but it's more than Atticus normally does in public. And he started it, too. Now he's asking if I'm okay. "I'm fine." That's not a lie, I either. I am fine. I'm just kind of nervous and really hungry, and that's a bad combination. I give him the most reassuring smile I can and squeeze his hand gently before he lets go.

Maybe I should just tell them now so I can stop freaking out. I'm about to when the waitress shows up, so I just take a sip of my drink so I didn't open my mouth for no reason. Oh, she brought us more bread. Thank you, kind stranger. I wait until she has all of our orders, because they probably won't just leave if there's food on the way, and once she's gone, I clear my throat to get their attention. "Sorry about kicking you so hard, Jim," I say sheepishly, rubbing the back of my neck. "Guess I'm just stressed. Probably from dealing with all that wedding stuff." Which is a lot. God, they should really warn you how stressful planning a wedding is. To be fair, Ma did warn us that it was super stressful and blah blah blah, but at the time, I just thought it was part of her 'you're too young to get married, this is an awful idea' agenda. I'm glad she's kind of okay with it now and is even helping us out, but it's still stressful as ********.

"Speaking of wedding stuff, I've, uh...I've been thinking. Do we really need all that? I mean, all we actually need is the two of us and a witness or whatever, right?" Do they get what I'm saying? I don't know, I'm gonna stuff my mouth with bread.

[pure ace nonsense]

Jim's whimpering over in his seat. What did he or Quin do while I wasn't looking now? Also, Quin's being...odd. "Sure..." I don't really understand why hanging out couldn't wait until we had breaks. I mean, I have finals in two weeks and I should start a study plan tonight. No one told me college would be worse than high school, work wise. Though, I was a momentary moron to think it wouldn't be. Especially at Princeton. Then add on the insane pressure that comes with a wedding. I really don't want to plan it with Quin's mother of all people. But that's how things are right now. At least in the end I'll be married to Quin, so that's what I have to look forward to through the hell that is wedding planning. Oh god, what am I going to eat? Again. Food is not my thing, especially not when I pay for it. Well, Jim's paying tonight, so I guess I can let go of that insecurity. If I could, I'd give all my eating and sleeping responsibilities to Quin. He'd like that a lot.

Quin's tapping his fingers a lot now. I'm worried about him. I take a moment to gently grab his hand to get his attention, and also just hold his hand even though we're in public. Honestly, when Jim's around it's easier to be affectionate because he's so obnoxious. Or if anyone gives us trouble, he's typically the first to get in their face and, I quote: 'defend our love.' "Are you okay?" I ask Quin, slowly releasing his hand from mine. His hands are so masculine, I'm glad he doesn't mind holding the twigs I call fingers with them. I'm not masculine, like at all. Maybe today, when I tried to deflect from my professor I was, but that's beyond under the bare minimum of masculinity. I know I'm weak in almost every sense of the word, but at least I have Quin by my side. Literally.

Even though Jim showed up, I'm thinking back to the idea of ditching him. We could get the food to go, have him pay because he was still late, and go home just me and Quin. But he set this up, and something's up between him and Jim. I'm pretty sure he kicked Jim earlier, and it didn't seem like a regular reason to kick him.

[caduceus cIay]

#64908a
I must be losing my mind from going so long without food because I crack a smile and even snicker at Jim's excuse. Why is Atticus looking at me like that? Oh s**t, because I told him Jim was paying and now he knows I was lying. Oops. It's not like I lie a lot, and that was just a little white lie. It was completely necessary, too, otherwise he probably wouldn't have agreed to go out to dinner. I'll make it up to him later.

Oh thank God, they have bread. Glorious, glorious bread. I pull the basket over to my side of the table, shooting Jim a warning glare, and start ripping into a piece while I look at the menu. Jim's not getting any of this bread unless he's willing to risk getting a few more bruises. Atticus can have some if he wants any, though, but I doubt he will. He's still not that big on eating, even though I try to make sure he eats like a regular person. Keeping him alive is kind of extremely important to me, and that involves making sure he actually eats food. I can't him keeling over on me just because he skipped, like, every single meal.

I keep glancing up from my menu at Jim, partially too make sure he doesn't try to grab any of my bread and partially because I keep expecting him to start talking through his menu or something. It wouldn't be the weirdest thing he's ever made talk if he did. I don't miss high school, but I do kind of miss Jim. Or I did until he got here, anyway. It's like how I even sometimes miss Val, but then Ma makes us talk on the phone for, like, five seconds and suddenly I'm glad we don't have to share a house anymore. She's such a brat. The point is that Jim hasn't made anything into a puppet yet, and that seems really weird to me. Maybe he's starting to grow up or something. I hope not. I kinda like the moron I used to hit in the arm all the time and tell to shut up. Atticus is saying something, but I'm too distracted by bread and reading my menu to really pay attention. Plus he's talking to Jim, so whatever it is probably isn't that important to me.

"Uh, no. Quin just said I should visit. Well, less said and more threatened me to."

James, you ******** traitor! You weren't supposed to tell him that! I don't think I ever actually told Jim not to tell Atticus, but still! He should have known! I'm going to kick him in the shin, although not nearly as hard as I could. And Atticus is looking at me weird again, but he doesn't say anything. He just starts reading his menu. I feel like he deserves some sort of answer, even though he didn't ask a question. "I...thought it'd be nice for us to hang out together again. Guess I was wrong." I glare at Jim as I say it, just in case he didn't get that I was mad at him from the kick to the shin. It's not really a lie. I did think it'd be nice to hang out with Jim. Clearly we spent too much time apart, and I forgot what Jim was like. That's just not why I asked Jim to come. If it was, I wouldn't be so ******** nervous and I'd be able to stop tapping my fingers on the table. After dinner. I'll tell them after dinner, that way they're full and can't freak out at me too much just because I suggest eloping. Atticus might think it's a really bad idea and throw up, though. Maybe after we order, then? I probably should have thought this through more.

[pure ace nonsense]

"OOOOWWWWW." Jim whines when Quin hits him. Guess it's been so long since they've interacted that Jim forgot what it's like to have bruises. It's just how Quin expresses affection, though. To Jim at least. He's more verbally abusive with his sister Val. And then he's normal with anyone else. Jim's a very special case though. A nut case, really. Though we do love him. I guess if it wasn't for him, we wouldn't have gotten together. Plus I owe him and his family a lot during my last years in high school, when mom was more bottle-dependent. Really, Jim's a good guy. He's just stupid. But I honestly can't imagine my life without him as my oddball surrogate brother. We head out and start down the stairs where Jim begins his explanation. I just expect him to be late, honestly. He's never on time.

"Okay, so I finally set my watch back to daylight's savings time."

"That's an hour," I can only start to correct him.

"That's what I thought too!" Ohmygod. "But then all my watches were off, the both of them. So I forgot which I set and then by the time I set them I forgot about dinner!" I....Don't have the energy to berate him right now. Ohhh Jim. Your mother is a saintly woman, but she dropped you on your head one too many times. "So. Sorry 'bout the whole not being here on time thing," at least he apologizes. "Just to make up for it: dinner's on me." I knew it, and give Quin a glance on our way down the last flight of stairs. He probably told me that so I wouldn't worry about money, because we have very little. Which is more than what I grew up with, actually.

We get to the restaurant and get seated, and thankfully they have bread to hold Quin over. I don't think Jim will get any, but that's Quin's call not mine. This is so weird, having dinner like this with Jim of all people. He's in school too, so why did he come all the way to New Jersey to be with us. I know he's needy, but he probably made plenty of frat boy friends at his school. "Jim, do you have a break this week?"

"Uh, no. Quin just said I should visit. Well, less said and more threatened me to." He shrugs and drinks his water. Interesting...I give Quin a confused look for a moment before looking down at my menu. Ugh, food. I'm so sick of eating. Living with Quin means I eat like a regular human should. I'm still not used to regular, full meals, and sometimes it makes me sick.

[caduceus cIay]

#64908a
Good, Atticus agrees with me. We're gonna ditch Jim. If he doesn't show up, anyway. Hopefully he won't break down the door or something if he does come when we're gone. Atticus seems kind of tense, so he would probably freak out if we came back from dinner to find out that Jim had busted through the door like some sort of rabid dog. But he's our rabid dog, so we would get over it eventually. ....probably.

Finally! I'd say better late than never, but I'm hungry and annoyed with him already, so him being on time would have best. While Jim rushes off to the bathroom, I start pulling on my shoes. I swear to God, if he falls and hits head or something while he's in there and we have to take him to the hospital or something else that'd keep us from dinner any longer, I'm going to kill him. Then I'll bring him back to life just so I can hit him one more time. I don't care what he does after that, as long as I finally get some food.

Ugh, how long does it take to pee? Oh, not that long, actually. Jim's back and hanging on Atticus, which would bother me if it was anyone else. But Jim's Jim, and Atticus shrugs him off, anyway. Still, I'm already in a bad mood because he's made us wait and I haven't eaten in forever, so I'm not letting his comment go unnoticed. "Nice to see you, too, a*****e," I say, slugging him in the arm as I pass him. He should be used to me hitting him by now, but it's been a while since I saw him. If he hadn't been so damn late, I'd probably be thrilled to see him. But he kept me from food, so I'm kind of pissed at him. Hitting Jim is how I show him affection, though. He's like the annoying brother that I begged for and never got and kind of don't want anymore but am stuck with anyway. It would probably be more worrying if I called him an a*****e and didn't hit him.

Okay, the door is shut and locked, so let's get this show on the road. We're not going too far from the apartment, which is good or else I would probably end up killing Jim on the way there. "Why the hell were you late, anyway?" Because he's Jim, probably. There's no reason for anything he does other than that it's him.

[pure ace nonsense]

I thought the idea of a big, ivy league college was so that I wouldn't be called out in class anymore. Though it should be rare, it happened to me today in sociology when the topic got derailed about keeping things in dorms and whatnot. I don't know how, but it came to a point where I was the only first year not to raise my hand about living in the dorm. Then, out of the fifty-nine students, I was asked why. Out of everyone, it had to be me. I should have lied and raised my hand, but then the odds would still have put me on the spot to answer a question about the dorms and I know nothing about them.

"You," he checked his class chart. Then he huffed and recited my name, "Atticus Burns. Atticus Burns." He was amused, as most are, by my first name and I felt my face start warming up. I'm not a performer, I hate attention, and this was a bigger audience in a twisted sense. "Do you not live on campus, Atticus Burns?"

Everyone was staring at me. It felt like high school times two and three-fifths. "No, sir." He thought my manners were amusing as well.

"We encourage freshmen to live on campus." I know that. But he doesn't need to bother me about it. "Are you from the area, Atticus Burns?" He kept using my full name like an interregator. Why?

"No, sir," my pencil almost snapped I was holding it so tight. At least people were losing interest in whatever the hell he was trying to start.

"Then why don't you live on campus with the rest of your classmates?"

At least I had some courage and tried to end it. "I don't see how this is related to today's class, sir."

"This is sociology, everything is part of the class."

Terrible point, but he had the power so I just gave him the answer. "I live with my fiance, who doesn't attend the university."

That got everyone's attention again. I honestly thought I was going to pass out and/or throw up. "Aren't you like, eighteen?"

"Yes, sir."

And that's when class ended and I moved the fastest I have in my entire life. I almost tripped down the stairs, but even I had I wouldn't have wasted time being embarrassed for once. So with that hellish end to the day, I'm home. Off campus. With my fiance who is just as young as I am. At least he didn't get to know Quin's male. That would have been worth dropping out of Princeton. I'm glad to have a home life where I can let go of stress, however tiny that amount I actually let go of is. Though, Jim making impromptu plans to visit don't exactly help. That's tonight, isn't it? Dammit. I just wanted to stay home with Quin and actually not work for once. Usually I do schoolwork until he drags me from the table. Literally. I think I'm getting better, though. Usually when he kisses me I move a lot faster. So he kisses me more and more. Not that I'm complaining all together. But I do need to maintain my scholarships.

Of course, the entire reason we're waiting is because of Jim. Who is late. As usual. Quin's right in saying we should leave if he's not back soon. I heard him from the tiny bedroom where I was tying my shoes. It's still amazing to have a place just for us, though. And one without wheels. "That sounds like a plan," I sigh, exiting the bedroom. Just when I'm about to enjoy sitting down with Quin on the couch, Jim's here. "Open up! I gotta piss!" We shouldn't open the door. I'm seriously considering this as I walk to the door, but then realize cleaning urine and getting rid of the smell wouldn't be enjoyable. So, I unlock and open the door. "Finally!"

"We've been waiting for you." I grumble. "Two minutes, and then we're leaving."

"Yeah, sure, two minutes I can do that." He scurries through the apartment.

"Wash your hands!" I remind him, like I'm his mother. God, I just want to lean against Quin right now, he looks so cozy on the couch. I didn't tell him about my odd class, and probably won't. But it does feel obvious even to me that I'm sick of today. Especially when I pinch the bridge of my nose and sigh. At least Jim said he was paying for dinner. Or at least Quin said he did, which now I realize was probably a lie.

"Okay!" Jim rushes out of the bathroom, where I did hear flush and faucet so I won't get on him about that. "Lead the way, city boys." He puts and arm around me and I grimace. "You doing okay here, Atticus? I mean living with Quin. You haven't died from his stench?" I can only roll my eyes and shrug off his shoulder before walking out.

[caduceus cIay]

#64908a
"...Han? Are you even paying attention?"

"Nooooooot really." To be completely honest, I'm a little more interested in my hair than I am what Ma has to say. I'm supposed to be getting ready so we can go eat dinner with Jim, who's already like fifteen minutes late anyway, but Ma called and I sort of got...distracted. She says she's still not crazy about me and Atticus getting married, but I think she's lying because she sounds awfully excited whenever we talk about wedding stuff, which is more often than I'd like. Unless Atticus is around, then she acts like she normally does. "Sorry, Ma. I'm kinda busy getting ready for dinner." And I'm not super interested in caterers or rabbis or whatever she's talking about. I don't care what the wedding's like or if there's even an actual wedding. I just want to marry Atticus. But right now I'm in the kitchenette with the phone cord twisted around me, using the toaster as a makeshift mirror and combing my hand through my hair, and pretending to listen to my mom.

She sighs, the same way she used to when I was a kid trying to sweet talk my way out of chores. "I'll let you go, but you need to remember to talk to Atticus about this, okay?" That's unlikely since I dunno what the hell we were talking about, but I agree anyway. "I love you."

"Love you, too. Bye." The phone goes back on the hook, and I use my now free hand to lift the toaster so I can get a better look at my hair. Awesome, my hair's not all sticky-uppy anymore. Mack kept teasing me about that at work today. He said I looked like I'd stuck my finger in a light socket, which is stupid because I'm pretty sure my finger wouldn't fit in a light socket. I've got big hands, which came in handy with football. I guess it helps with boxing, too. Dunno. Don't really care right now, either. All I know is that I'm ******** starving. Maybe I somehow missed Jim showing up, but I doubt it. He's kind of really freaking loud, so I would probably know if he was here.

"This is getting ridiculous," I complain, making sure I'm just loud enough that Atticus can hear me wherever he is. I'm going to starve to death before Jim gets here. He's a great guy, but if I don't get to eat soon, he's going to be dead to me. Which would suck the big one because I kind of like having him around and I kind of need him for what I have planned. Well, I don't need him need him because pretty much anyone would work, but Jim's our best friend, so it would be best if it was him. Plus he'd freak out if it wasn't. I sink onto the couch and fold my across my chest, definitely not pouting at all. "I say we ditch him if he doesn't show up in, like, the next five minutes."

[pure ace nonsense]

au bb quinticus elope
for stannis baratheons & nerdbutt elmo