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 Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2018 8:27 am
His gaze focused on the scarred hand and blunt nails dug into his arms, remembering the state the lawyer had been when he'd shown up.
Kavinsky very clearly remembered the vomit he cleaned up after the man had fallen asleep, fixing the window, and making sure no slivers of glass went unswept. Banks had been in a bad state and he wondered how many times he'd been that way where he didn't call for K.
"I've had better nights," he retorted, shoulders rolling in a shrug.
Babying people wasn't his thing, but Kavinsky was reliable and when he was called for a job he took care of it, even if he could tell the job wasn't why he was called. It made him wonder a little bit about what was going on the usually cocky-but-now-mostly-self-deprecating man's head. He'd seen s**t like this before, usually people were grieving like Baba had been or they just didn't have the right prickly outer shell to handle life when it came to punch them in the face for one reason or another.
"Is that what you are then? A ******** sugar daddy paying for company? Where's my payment for coming over then?"
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Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2018 10:05 am
He'd tossed out the comment in an attempt at teasing, since Mordred Almost-Kavinsky had dubbed him one during a prior visit to their apartment. The name had made him blush but it'd been taken in stride, an amusing, playful thought meant to do nothing more than irk the other man and be dismissed.
Instead, Kavinsky ran with it, calling him out on the notion. Sugar daddy - ha. The thought was preposterous, despite the mortifying fact that he had paid the teen on more than one occasion for little more than company. That he'd offered money to have the man work but also to simply stay over, when his possibly-haunted-house was trying to attack him. To spend the evening in bed, protecting him from monsters on rooftops or creepy carolers out in the yard.
s**t. Was he a--- no, K was yanking his chain.
He leaned back against the counter, hands gripping the edge. The banter was playful, still lighthearted as his eyes focused on a rip in the teenager's jeans, staring figurative additional holes into it. "You've refused my money, the last couple of times."
The shrug he offered mimicked the other man's earlier one.
"Could always do some cooking, make up some more of my fancy s**t if you were interested." His nose wrinkled as his head shook. "Then again, you've already pointed out that you get by fine with your own."
The prattling needed to stop. He knew he should shut up, he knew he should just drop the joke that'd been strung along for too long even at that point but Rob couldn't help himself. They'd taken this far enough and he was too curious not to ask. He had to ask, if anything to throw the ball back into the Russian's court.
"How do you want to be paid, then?"
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Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2018 2:17 pm
He looked uncomfortable when Banks pointed out that he hadn't accepted payment for the work he'd done or how he'd stayed around. "Turns out I needed favors more than I needed cash." He stated, shifting so that the counter pressed into a different part of his back instead of directly into his spine.
Kavinsky was strongly convinced that even if the lawyer didn't owe him any favors, Banks would've jumped at the chance to help him and his sorta kid out.
He needed a purpose, something that meant something to him and apparently it'd become K and Mory. It was strange, being needed by anyone but Ellis for something or even in a manner that wasn't the parental role he had taken up for the little girl who'd lost her family and who she used to be.
He knew what that was like and how long had it been since he'd had that for himself? (Since before Baba died and he entered the foster care system.)
"You'd cook for us anyway. You brought a salad because pizza was too greasy. C'mon Banks, you're transparent." He still appreciated everything the man did anyway. The question was a diversion, something to put pressure back on him but K wasn't someone who crumbled from s**t like that.
"What'd you offer, if I didn't want food or money?"
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Posted: Tue Apr 03, 2018 2:59 pm
Palms rubbed the counter's ledge as he laughed at the favors comment, shifting both hands to hold his weight as he suddenly lifted up, taking a seat on the empty counter space. This way, he at least towered over Kavinsky by a good few inches - a nice change of pace, in his opinion.
The transparent remark had his body freezing for a moment. What... what was he so transparent about, exactly? O-Oh, food. Okay, yeah - sure.
"C'mon, someone has to make sure you two eat more than grease and cheese." A finger pointed itself out in the Russian's direction. "You made sure I had something in my stomach when I could've given less of a crap. That's what friends do, y'know."
Legs stretched out and the mention of eating had him glancing over to the food on the stove. It was still a good bit of time to wait and he hadn't bothered to be a good host and come up with ways to kill time other than conversation. Looks like poor Kavinsky was stuck with a silver-tongued lawyer for a conversation partner.
"So... you don't want food and you don't want money."
Amusement gleamed in his eyes as he continued, "And I lack the necessary equipment to provide you with any sexual favors... so I'm afraid you're stuck with either my legal assistance or my friendship. Sucks to be you. Seems you drew the short straw in this deal, Mr. Kavinsky."
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Posted: Thu Apr 05, 2018 2:22 pm
Even though Banks now sat a few inches higher than him and Kavinsky should have needed to lift his chin to look at him he didn't. Somehow, probably by sheer force of Russian will, he kept his chin down and kept his gaze steady on the older man.
"Mory's choice, but we eat healthy enough." He seemed unimpressed but the corner of his mouth was twitching, like it might turn upward. "You like having an excuse to come over or for one of us to." It didn't take a genius to figure that out after all.
Banks brought up the meal that he'd been criticized over, despite the lawyer eating up every last bite of it, and K managed to look smug. "You ate that s**t up." Smugness wavered when he shifted, the counter digging unpleasantly into his back. "Yeah well, someone needs to give a s**t about you."
Once it was said, he regretted voicing it, if only because he could imagine the preening the older man would do about the fact he'd admitted he cared, at least on some level.
"Who says you lack the right stuff?" Silver eyes narrowed at the statement.
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Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2018 3:58 am
He didn't argue with the younger man, it was pointless to even try because he was absolutely one hundred percent correct in his statement.
Having Kavinsky come over on a nearly weekly basis had provided a much needed distraction but having the addition of Mordred May-As-Well-Be-Kavinsky had given him all the distraction he needed to keep away from the bottle. Granted, he knew little of what a teenage girl or a surly Russian a*****e liked but it hadn’t stopped him from trying. The fact that neither seemed put off by his presence only made him feel…
….well, wanted.
What came next out of Pietro Kavinsky’s mouth, though, caught the lawyer by surprise.
“Someone's got to look after me, huh? And despite juggling all your jobs, your bills and your new kid - you want to take me on too?”
Banks looked like he was about to say something else but nothing followed but a head shake, then a small laugh. Hands shifted to rub against his legs, a telltale fidget as his eyes refused to remain focused on any part of the other man.
“Right stuff?" He mused, clearly amused by the question, "If you're into d**k then sure, I suppose.”
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Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2018 7:22 am
The questioning made him uncomfortable because Pietro Vladimir Ilya Ivan Kavinsky hadn't been good with emotions or all that marketed feminism s**t since he was like ten, if that. Being in tune with emotions or even displaying it, with the exception of Ellis, wasn't normal for him and admitting he gave a s**t about someone else more than they were an alright person whom he didn't mind being around (or he was being paid to be around).
So he shrugged.
After a beat he said, "I'm here aren't I?" In K's opinion that said enough.
But Banks had to prattle on, like always and at his statement the white haired teen just started at him.
Just, blank stared at him, one brow raised like really? And then he waited.
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Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2018 7:43 am
He laughed at his own comment, as if he'd made a terribly clever joke and was still reeling from the after effects of it. The laughter subsided as he quickly realized that the teenager hadn't joined him and then he stopped altogether when the teenager refused to respond at all.
"What."
K wasn't laughing, he wasn't rolling his eyes and he wasn't dismissing the claim. Okay, so maybe it wasn't the funniest thing he could have said in response, but to get nothing as a reaction?
"Why are you looking at me that way?"
The pointed stare continued, the arched eyebrow poised in just a way to make Rob feel like he was missing a significant piece to a giant puzzle. What the hell was K trying to get at? It wasn't like his wording was confusing - the only way Rob would have the right stuff for any needs would be if Kavinsky were into....
"....Wait."
Hazel eyes widened a fraction as both of his own eyebrows rose in surprise.
"Wait...you are into d**k?"
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Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2018 7:48 am
When Banks started laughing, thinking he was funny for making a gay joke, Kavinsky's gaze hardened. His jaw clenched, teeth grating over each other as he waited for it to finally sink in.
"Glad to know you think being gay is a laughable thing." It didn't matter if Banks actually thought such a thing, he'd still laughed and the Russian wondered how he was going to back pedal from this.
"You got a ******** problem with it if I am?" By now, K had pushed off the counter and his hands had fallen down to his sides, both balled into fists as his jaw worked itself back and forth.
His tongue ran along his teeth and paused at the front as he thought about what he was going to do next or what he might say. "Cause I am."
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Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2018 9:04 am
Holy s**t.
Robert Johnathon Banks was utterly and entirely speechless.
As the final puzzle piece slid into place, realization finally sank into his poor, oblivious mind. All this time, all the signs were there but Rob had been ignorant of them all. He'd believed what he'd wanted to believe and hadn't thought anything of it.
The dating advice that had been pointedly refused.
The girlfriend comments that had been continuously denied.
K hadn't been dismissive of his remarks because he thought Rob was outdated in the dating game - he'd dismissed them because he wasn't interested in girls to begin with.
"Holy s**t."
The words were murmured, the entire thing hitting him like an epiphany, a bolt of lightning from the sky. "Holy s**t. You let me make an idiot out of myself with all those girlfriend talks when you don't even..."
One hand moved up to rub against his mouth and jaw, his head shaking as the sentence trailed off into nothing. Eyes glanced up in time to see a furious looking Pietro Vladimir Ilya Ivan Kavinsky ball his fists next to his hips and Banks knew he'd screwed the pooch royally in his reaction, intentional or not.
"Jesus, K, no, I don't have a problem with it. Is that what you think? That I'm some bigot just because I was too dense to figure out something you never actually told me?"
It stung to think that K might have kept it from him under the assumption he would have an issue with it. Then again, how much discrimination had he probably gotten for it already? Not only gay, but Russian and gay?
Hell, no wonder the kid kept his mouth shut about it.
"I'm sorry."
The apology came out as a croak, the shame evident as he struggled to right his wrong. Hands grabbed the edge of the counter top and he hopped his way off of it, feet slipping on the tile for a moment as he did his best to right himself. "I shouldn't have assumed, I shouldn't have even cracked jokes. Shouldn't have brought it up."
One arm rose to rub at the other nervously, shoulders beginning to sag because of course he'd screw this up, especially considering that he...no. It was better not to think about that memory right now.
Sigh.
Swallowing hard, he shook his head again. "Like whoever you want to like, I like you however you are, alright?"
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Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2018 9:24 am
It took the lawyer entirely too long, in K's opinion, to figure it out let alone comment about it.
He was seething, barely containing it behind tightly balled fists who's nails dug into the skin of his palm, narrowed eyes, and a ticking jaw. Everything Banks said only served to make him more irritable and he couldn't help it when he snapped. "Yeah, because my sexuality is anyone's business but mine and the people I'm involved with." <********, even the idea that he needed to tell anyone he was gay because they thought it was their right to know pissed him off, intentional or not.
"You ******** laughed at a joke about being gay, how is that not bigoted? Just because you don't say racist s**t to people's faces doesn't mean you're not racist. You thought I was straight, so that means it's okay to make a gay joke? ******** you."
Part of him knew he was overreacting and the other part couldn't shake the echoing something you never actually told me in his head.
"Again, it's not any of your ******** business so don't pull the I didn't know bullshit card on me." His nostril's flared when he exhaled, trying to tamp down on his anger but it just kept bubbling back up.
"Great. I have your 'approval', how lucky am I?" K's voice dripped with sarcasm and snark. "I don't need your ******** permission to live my goddamn life however I want to."
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Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2018 2:01 pm
He knew K was about to unleash an assault on him but nothing could prepare him for how incredibly harsh he was going to be.
His face physically flinched, body recoiling backwards as it looked for the countertop for support. The comments may as well have been punches to his gut, judging by the way each left his breathless and hurting. Instead of trying to fight back and defend himself by getting a word in edgewise, he stood there and took every insult, every <******** you the man he mistook for a friend threw his way.
Back and hands hit the counter hard, sending the bottle water toppling over as the sound of plastic bouncing, then rolling down the marble counter was a pale sound in comparison to the angry Russian spilling in front of him.
By the time his ranting was over, Banks’s jaw throbbed from the way his teeth clenched. As tired as he was, as easy as it would be to return to his now-typical style of retreating into a pity-party, Robert Banks had had enough. He was not going quietly into the night, not this time.
“You pretentious a*****e.”
His stature was a joke compared to the intimidating appearance of his guest but his malnourished state was forgotten as he grew bristled, stepping forward with his own narrowed eyes to the man two inches taller than himself. “You cocky, you...you absolute <******** trembled at his sides, not even clenching them seemed to make the shake disappear.
“You're goddamn right you're lucky to have my approval, lucky that someone gives a flying ******** about you and yours even after you do whatever it takes to push and shove them away, to act like a d**k to them.”
Shoulders shook from the intensity of his attempt at standing still, hazel eyes downright furious with the man in front of him. He was ashamed, he was mad, he was confused but most of all he was hurt.
“And you know what? ******** you. ******** you for assuming I’m just some homophobic a*****e, which is ******** hilarious by the way, considering how hard I've tried to suppress my stupid hard-on for--”
His head shook, fists clenching harder.
“You know what? It's whatever. ******** me, alright? You're right. It's absolutely none of my business and I won't bring it up again. Make your assumptions then, write me off and be done with it."
A hand shoved its way through brunette hair as he shook his head, turning and creating space between the two of them. He felt vulnerable and stupid, felt exposed and humiliated, his a** called out by some teenager whose assumptions left him feeling worse than any insult he'd ever received as an attorney.
He stood still for a moment, back turned towards the Russian as he rocked on his heels and dwelled to himself.
Finally, much quieter than his earlier barrage, he offered, “If this is it then...spasibo tebe za vse.”
The words were broken despite his best attempt and his dialect downright atrocious but it was a sentence Robert Banks had carefully researched and worked to memorize over the past two weeks. He'd been proud of himself, trying to come up with a way to express his sincere gratitude to someone who may as well have been the best friend he'd ever had. Who'd actually seemed to give a s**t and not simply written him off as some skeevy lawyer.
It seemed ridiculous, now. Pitiful, even.
But maybe that's what he deserved, in the end.
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Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2018 2:19 pm
He didn't know what to expect, but it wasn't for Banks to attempt to get in his face something that, with the man's current physical state, was almost laughable.
But K wasn't laughing and every word that came out of the man's mouth was a knife deeper in the wound.
"Trakhat' tebya." The Russian spilled from his lips easily, the teenager not budging from where he stood despite Banks's attempt to stand up to him. He was still shorter, still scrawnier, and Kavinsky knew that if he pushed him, the man would fall over. "I didn't ask you to give a s**t."
This, this was exactly why he didn't bother letting anyone get beneath his prickly exterior. This was exactly why he had one friend who stuck it out by his side because when it came down to it, no one wanted to stick around.
He thought he was seeing white with how everything was pissing him off and how ready he was to snap, to storm off.
Kavinsky didn't want this to be the end as Banks was so clearly implying but he couldn't bother to be surprised. This was how it always ended, at the end of the day no one wanted him to stick around and in the end Kavinsky knew exactly where he was going to be.
Alone.
That's what he got for thinking he could try and build himself a little family again, years and years after he lost his baba.
But it was the Russian that had him pausing, the only think keeping him from pushing past the man, the hints of a confession completely missed in his anger. It was startling enough to put him off balance and he stepped back, blinking in confusion. "What did you say?"
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Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2018 2:38 pm
He could feel the warmth fill his cheeks, redness spreading as he stared off and into the living area in front of him. Rob thought he had said it right - the translation sites online had verified with each other but his pronunciation had been sorely lacking in comparison to the fluid way the Russian spoke his native tongue.
“S-Spasibo tebe z-za vse.”
He had half a mind to fish out the post-it note hidden in his sweatpants pocket, stuffed away after he double checked himself as he'd made his way down the stairs. He had a sticky note on his office desk, his laptop computer and one on the bathroom mirror.
While Rob might look the part of a disheveled man, when he put effort into something that was important to him, he saw the task through. And with Kavinsky turning down his money and uncomfortable with materialistic presents, it had seemed like a clever idea at the time to express his appreciation to the man who hadn’t tossed him aside, like he'd deserved.
God, he hoped he'd said that right.
“Cheesy, I know, I just…”
Words failed him as he shrugged, shoving his hands into oversized pockets of his oversized sweats.
“I know it's stupid, I just wanted…”
Flustered, he struggled to put words to his thoughts. "You're my friend. I wanted to show you that I gave a crap."
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Posted: Fri Apr 06, 2018 8:19 pm
Banks repeated himself, more uncertain than the first time around and Kavinsky's expression soften.
It wasn't the first time that someone else had spoken to him in Russian, but those that had were fluent, well practiced and knew the language before they'd met him. This-- this was different, the lawyer had clearly gone out of his way to learn the phrase and practice it.
K could tell by the way the man acted that he was nervous, that he wanted desperately to be saying it right and it left him unsettled. When was the last time someone had done something so simple for him?
Ellis didn't count, he was his best friend, the one that stuck around for all of his ups and downs. He'd been in since they were kids, when he showed up at his door with his school work when he'd gotten suspended. Ellis, the only thing that survived the weathered test of time and even now, Ellis often ceded if it meant assuaging Kavinsky's anger.
Banks was different.
There was no youthful bond that glued them together, but he stuck around anyway and he tried to give K what he thought he could for whatever reason. It was confusing, infuriating, and there was a part of him that felt, well, guilty. <********, it was Banks's birthday
"Right. Friend." He paused, looking trouble. "Still?"
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