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 Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2020 12:21 pm
Nelson had found a packet of spicy beef jerky and of course the first person that he thought of was Xander. How could he not think of his spice addicted best friend when there was a new product out there? He had gotten the largest bag possible of course, just in case Jace was home and wanted to try some too. It could be a party.
A...jerky party.
Ah, no. Maybe not. That sounded both mean and a little...well. Just a little something.
Quickly Nelson pushed the words out of his mind and cleared his throat, his cheeks slightly pink by the time he made it to the Jianmin house and knocked on the door, rocking back on his heels slightly and wearing the smile that he always seemed to have on his face. One that he didn’t quite realize, but one that was completely for Xander, and Xander alone. His eyes swept over the driveway, and due to the fact that he didn’t see the car that belonged to their mother, he knocked again, a big more loudly this time, wondering if maybe this hadn’t been a good time to visit after all..
Perhaps he should have called first…?
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Posted: Tue Nov 17, 2020 2:04 pm
At first, no one answered. Jace had originally assumed it was just the mailman, and he was buried in a book, focused on some obscure case that he literally did not care about. It was boring, it was pretentious, and he couldn't figure out why it was so important to his education that his mother had told him to expect a quiz on it later.
...But then, seconds after the knock, he started thinking.
Maybe Xander forgot his keys. Maybe, any second, he was going to get a phone call with his brother nagging at him for ignoring him--or worse, Xander's face was going to pop up, pressed against his glass.
...He didn't want to wind up outside, cleaning his own window.
With a sigh, he dropped the book onto his desk and stood, crossing through his house, the living room, and looking through the peephole of the front door.
Oh. What?
He was opening the door before it had really processed.
"Nelson?" he greeted, but it was with moderate confusion.
"--Did Xander make plans with you and forget? He's out right now. I mean, you can come in and wait, I can give him a call and see where he's at. Mom's out until tonight, so."
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Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2020 7:05 pm
Nelson looked just faintly disappointed when Jace mentioned that Xander wasn’t home, but his smile came back in abundance. “Hey, ah. No...I um. I found some spicy beef jerky and wanted to come share it with you two. I got a big back so that we could all share.” He held up the large bag and grinned. “If...um. If your mom isn’t home, may I come in? I was hoping you’d be home too, I know that you like spicy things almost as much as your brother…”
But he had really wanted Xander to be there...but...maybe he would be back soon! And they could all hang out together…
“...Do you know where he is? Or when he’ll be back? Ah, I mean, you literally just said that you could call and see...but no, you don’t need to bother him. Um. Unless you don’t want to hang out with me, which I completely understand ah...I know I’m not Q and I...I know that we don’t...um. Really hang out alone but…”
He fell silent, looking down and holding the jerky out to Jace. “...I’m sorry...I wasn’t expecting this.”
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Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2020 7:14 pm
Jace caught that disappointed look, despite how fleeting it was, and despite how quickly the smile returned to his face. He had inherited his hawk eyes from his mother, and he often watched for any micro-expression to reveal a lie or weakness.
Of course Nelson's weakness was his brother. He didn't even need to see him to know that.
Jace accepted the jerky but let the silence linger, not because he wanted Nelson to squirm but because he really didn't know what to say to him sometimes.
He opened the bag shamelessly and drew out a piece even as he stepped aside and gestured for Nelson to come in. The jerky smelled from even a foot away and he could taste the spice in the air. He let the piece he'd drawn out dangle from his mouth and had only chewed it for a second before he grunted in appreciation.
"Yeah. Xander will like this. It's good," he said, and held the bag out to Nelson so he could take a piece, himself. "We can wait for him." His cell phone was in his other hand and he leaned against the door as he chewed, scrolling through his phone; he selected his brother and shot him a nonchalant text telling him Nelson had shown up and looked like a deer in headlights; he encouraged his brother to come home before Nelson scared himself into unconsciousness.
Jace knew he could be scary but he didn't think he was that scary.
Nelson looked like a little bunny who had already shown up spooked.
"Do you want to wait in the living room or his room?"
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Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2020 8:37 pm
When Jace tried the jerky and not only approved but said that Xander would approve too, Nelson looked so pleased, reaching in and taking a piece for himself, a small one. He wasn’t a fan of spicy things like the two brothers were, but he was trying. He always tried for Xander...though he did like to have the male at least be there before he ate anything spicy.
There wasn’t much of a point if he wasn’t but…
Quietly Nelson put the dried meat into his mouth, chewing thoughtfully.
Oh.
Oh yes. It was spicy.
His eyes began to water and he forced a pained looking smile. “Yes...I ah...I can see that...yes Xander will like this very much...um. It lives up to its name ah…”
Nelson swallowed. “Ah...um. I...I can stay wherever is best for you...ah...do you have...water m-maybe?” He forced a laugh and wiped the moisture from his eyes, still trying to look brave.
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Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2020 8:53 pm
Jace closed the door behind him, still chewing on the jerky and savoring the warm undertones the spice brought. He should have known Nelson was going to tear up after just a little bite. "...No, you don't want water," he said, walking past him and into the kitchen. "I'll get you some milk."
He reached for a glass and pulled out some chocolate milk, pouring it for Nelson hand handing it out.
"Have this, it'll help soothe any burn. Why do you eat that stuff if you know it's too much for you?"
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Posted: Sat Nov 21, 2020 9:05 pm
“Ah…” Nelson had followed him into the kitchen like a lost puppy, wiping at his eyes again and giving a grin that he hoped passed for...something other than pain. “I...You offered me some...it would have been so rude to refuse it…besides...Xander will. He’ll want me to try it too, especially since it’s so...ah…”
He took the milk in his hands and drained half of the glass in one gulp, choking and turning his head away as he tried to clear his airways that were already tender from the spice, and now were just filled with milk.
Finally he managed to draw in a breath, his eyes streaming. “Ah...I’m okay...I just...He...y-you two like spice so much...I don’t ever want to make him feel bad because I can’t...handle it…” Because he couldn’t. Even though he kept trying. “Y-you really think that Xander will think it’s spicy enough…? Do you?”
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Posted: Sun Nov 22, 2020 6:09 am
Jace was not to be swayed by Nelson's sad eyes; he didn't know who he thought he was kidding but it was as plain as the sun in the sky that he was uncomfortable and hurting. Jace's own tongue was warm but the burn hadn't reached the back of his nose. It had a good flavor, and he had no doubt that if he had more that the heat might stretch to his eyes too.
Honestly, he could see why Q was so overprotective; Nelson was a disaster. If Nelson had been his little brother, he'd have probably scared everyone into trying to help protect him, too.
"Yeah, but you don't have to eat spicy things just because he does," he cautioned. "...Like," he gestured vaguely. "I don't think anybody wants to see you hurting..."
And definitely nobody wanted it to get back to Q that it hurt him so much that he was crying.
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Posted: Sun Nov 22, 2020 10:42 am
“But...he thinks I like them...I...don’t want him to...ah...know.”
Nelson’s cheeks were pink and he continued to guzzle the milk, finally relaxing as the burning in his mouth began to fade. “I...It makes him happy that I find all of the spicy food and um. Eat it with him. I don’t want him to be disappointed...It would...upset him, I think.”
Hesitating, the male looked to Jace, the worry clear in his expression. “...Please don’t tell him that I...I’m weak like this…he would end up feeling bad, and that’s the last thing that I want.”
With a sigh, Nelson wiped his mouth free of the milk moustache and managed a smile. “...I like making him happy.”
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Posted: Sun Nov 22, 2020 1:54 pm
Jace blinked. "He thinks you like spicy foods? What? --Look, I get wanting to make someone happy, but...Xander's not going to be any less happy that you were thinking of him just because you can't eat spicy food. It's one thing to build up a tolerance, but," he looked over the bag and was glancing at the ingredients.
"...You can't just jump in, you'll hurt yourself."
His lips pursed thoughtfully and he glanced back at Nelson. "What's the spiciest thing you can eat before it hurts?"
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Posted: Mon Nov 23, 2020 6:35 pm
“Of course he thinks I like spicy foods. Why else would I always go with him to try the spicy things? Ah…” Nelson flushed suddenly, looking away. “Jace...y-you can’t tell him this please...he would be really upset if he knew and...I don’t want him to be upset…”
He swallowed and shrugged. “...Um...I really don’t do so well with any spices...the uh. Mild Ramen over at that noodle place...kind of made my nose run a little bit. And if I have any hot peppers on my pizza...it…” Nelson shrugged again. “...I’m just not good at handling it, but I’ve been trying to build up some kind of tolerance...it...you...you and Xander like things really hot...and I’m trying.”
He didn’t want to disappoint Xander. He didn’t want his friend to be let down. Ever. “...it makes him happy when I eat things with him. Sometimes I worry he’s trying to make everyone else happy and he forgets that he needs to be happy too.”
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Posted: Mon Nov 23, 2020 6:50 pm
Though it was a sentiment that Jace could agree with--his brother did spend more time trying to please everyone else that sometimes he put his own needs on the backburner--he didn't like that Nelson was pretending for his sake.
"Right," he said slowly. "...Sort of sounds like you're doing what you don't like him doing, though." His eyes flickered up.
"...Nelson, you've never been good at lying. You're telling me you've managed to trick him into thinking you like spicy foods? --Just tell him you've got an allergy or something and can't eat them or something."
He didn't like the idea of lying to his brother, especially not over something so insignificant. "...I mean, if you want to keep trying to build up a tolerance, go for it, but...Nelson, you've eaten so much spicy stuff with us so far--is it actually working?"
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Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2020 8:05 am
Nelson furrowed his brows. “W-well, that’s not fair...nobody...nobody else does it for him...someone s-should put his needs before their own...and it...it’s not so bad. I mean...I don’t normally tear up very quickly anymore…” He scratched his cheek nervously and shrugged. “If he thinks...if he thinks I’ve been hiding an allergy for this long too, he’ll be worried, and Jace, that is the really last thing I want...he shouldn’t have to worry about me!”
He could see it now, Xander swearing off all spicy foods when Nelson was around...oh, he’d be so miserable…
“He’d stop enjoying himself so much...he...he’d start worrying so much...he’ll swear off spicy foods, and he’d be miserable Jace...ah…” Nelson swallowed, ducking his head. “...I...don’t mind the pain. Not if it’s to keep Xander smiling.”
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Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2020 9:02 am
"Allergies can pop up spontaneously," he reminded, but he could see Xander avoiding spicy foods out of fear of accidentally transmitting some allergen to Nelson. He just leaned back and sighed.
"Don't walk around saying 'I don't mind the pain', you know nobody wants you to hurt," he huffed. "Just--don't push yourself so hard? You can still try to work up a tolerance without hurting yourself." He reached over and took another bite of the jerky, this time letting it sit on his tongue, letting it burn a little. He nodded contemplatively. "...Nelson, this is pretty hot, how are you even going to manage eating more when he gets here? You're going to have to coat your whole tongue with Orajel or something..."
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Posted: Tue Nov 24, 2020 9:31 am
“It’s seriously not as bad as the hell spice that we tried before I left for Japan...we went to the Diablo Noodle Shack, and of course...we ah. We ordered the inferno bowl and...Xander kept insisting we use. Um. ALl of the hell spice that we had...I knocked mine over so that not as much went in...but I couldn’t feel my mouth for two days…”
It had been terrible. How he had kept himself from crying was beyond him...but the ice cream had helped. As well as the milkshakes that he had bought for the both of them.
“I can handle another bite or two of the jerky...ah...but...I’ll say that you fed me a sandwich that wasn’t sad...so um. I can beg off eating too much…”
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