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 Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2020 8:27 pm
Holden’s face was sad at the words about Jace’s father. The marriage was… complicated, but there was nothing Holden could do about it except, well… love and support Jace… and he did to the best of his skills, love him, and support him… “I won’t snoop! If I wanted to know all your proper measurements I’d come at you with a measuring tape!” He shot back. “I will too one of these days! No more guesstimates! Hands-on mea….sur…ing.” He stammered to a stop and slipped into the room to change clothing and pretend he hadn’t said ANYTHING of the kind. “DO YOU HAVE MARSHMALLOWS?” He called to quickly change the subject.
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Posted: Sun Dec 27, 2020 9:21 pm
Jace was flustered even as he closed the door behind him. "Yes, I have marshmallows!" he called back. "The small, dehydrated ones, and some of the mini puffs. Do you need more sugar?"
He went into the bathroom down the hall and tugged off his socks and pants, hanging them over the shower curtain rod after sliding on the warm, dry clothes he'd picked out. He blamed the heat he felt on the rush of warmth from the temperature in the house and not because the past five minutes had been nearly nonstop things being taken the wrong way. What had gotten into him?
He was going to have to call Q and ask if there was some strange sickness going on; she always seemed like she was rational and generally gave good advice. Although, she'd probably tell him to eat his vegetables and go to bed, or come over just to nag at him.
The hot chocolate wasn't anything fancy but it was good. Gourmet enough, considering it came out of a packet and all he cared about was 'warm chocolate'. He hated up the milk while he waited for Holden, and just managed to pour the mix in and begin stirring in the two mugs.
"--Are you almost done? Do they fit? Come pick out your marshmallows."
His phone was on the counter, pizza half ordered; he'd just pulled up the last ones they'd gotten, sure that Holden's tastes couldn't have changed so much since the last time they had pizza together.
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Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2020 6:30 am
“Technically… no I do not, but is it -really- hot chocolate if you don’t have marshmallow in it?” He called back, wiggling into the warm and dry clothes. He had to roll the waist and the cuffs of the pants to keep them reasonably in place but they did seem to fit. “I’m done!” he folded his damp clothes and hurried them over to the washroom to hang them somewhere they wouldn’t drip on anything that wasn’t tile before padding his way out to the kitchen in nice warm socks and Jace’s clothes. Not quite as bad as borrowing anything from his Brother, but still somewhat comical in appearance he was quite sure. “Ta-Da! May I have some of the mini puff please?”
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Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2020 7:10 am
Jace glanced over and seemed amused at the getup. "Oh. That looks good on you," he said, maybe just to be polite, or because he actually meant it. It wasn't easy to tell; Jace was stingy with compliments and was blunt about everything else.
"Not as nice as anything you made, but. You look cozy. You need to grow a bit so you fit better. I think even Q could fill out my clothes a little better. Are you eating your vegetables?"
He knew he was. He didn't do much on social media but he followed Holden's brother out of obligation and had constant updates on what food was being prepared.
He poured a copious amount of mini puffs into the hot chocolate and slid it over, neglecting his own marshmallows in favor of ordering the pizza. He sniffled once, nose red either from rubbing or cold or residual embarrassment from earlier.
He slid his phone over. "This order look okay? Do you want me to order more sweets? Need more vegetables on your pizza?"
He leaned over, bumping shoulders with Holden so they could look over the phone together.
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Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2020 7:30 am
“No more sweets, I’m surrounded by them,” Holden said distractedly as he peered over the order. Light sausage for protein and red onions and green peppers. “It looks delicious!” He beamed. "Oh!... do you think they might add on some of the roasted red peppers too? I know it's already got green ones but... it's a treat night!" “Also thank you, I’ll work on growing still, though I fear I am always destined to be fun-size.” He smiled. “My brother took all the height and he knows it!” Holden peered into the hot chocolates and poked Jace in the ribs. “Did you get enough marshmallows?” He demanded. Jace might not be as big on sweet cravings after weeks of healthy food, but that didn’t mean he got to neglect life’s little pleasures when Holden had any say in it.
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Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2020 7:53 am
"Uh, I'll put some in there in a minute. Unless you want to pour some in so we can clean up and go put on that show. I'm going to ask for roasted red peppers, we'll see what they can do."
There was an amused smile on his face at the idea of Callan taking all the height. "I'm surprised your mom wanted another kid after him, didn't he come out the size of a toddler or something? Even if he got the height, at least you got the looks," he said absentmindedly.
His finger stopped moving on the screen for a split second.
"I meant talent. I'm sure lots of people think your brother is handsome. Well. A lot of people probably think he's talented to. But he can't do what you--"
He was quiet again and jammed his finger against the screen distractedly.
"...All that cold got to me, Holden. Just ignore me. Those snowflakes probably got into my brain."
He was going to have to talk to Q, he couldn't go through life saying stupid s**t. He needed her to stab some needles into his brain and fix him before he made such a fool of himself he chased all his friends away.
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Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2020 7:58 am
“There are family rumors that he came out the size of a two-year-old, I have never gone looking to see,” Holden said with a dazed shake of his head, somewhat horrified at the idea but, given the size of his brother he was willing to believe it. And then he realized what Jace had said… blinking rapidly and blushing and well pleased. He had his phone out like a shield and was quickly ‘looking things up’. “I … can’t say I dislike snowflakes in your brain.” He admitted after a moment. “It’s adorable. This is why I include you when I say I’m surrounded by sweets.” He ducked further behind his phone, the collection of charms clattering with the movement.
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Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2020 8:10 am
"Oh my God," Jace muttered, exasperated and cranky to try and convince himself that he might as well be scandalized by such teasing. The pizza was ordered but he kept his eyes glued to his phone and kept tapping it like he had something important to tend to.
"You are the only person in the world to say that about me, ever. I don't even think my mother thought I was adorable when I was a kid. So don't tease me like that. I can't go into a courtroom being adorable, no one will take me seriously."
He steeled himself, returning the scowl to his face as if he expected his mother to come barging in and just know that he'd slipped up.
"It'll be here in half an hour. Wish I could pay them extra to get it here faster."
Melt those snowflakes.
...Even if Holden's snowflakes were kind of cute.
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Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2020 8:38 am
“You can be adorable, and serious, and have the kind of face I’d want to have ON MY SIDE if I were ever in a courtroom.” Holden said with a deep seriousness “So I am not teasing you, it is simply my opinion that some of what you do, in your downtime, is adorable.” He took a breath, thinking. “Besides, adorable gives you a low key softness which will help your clients relate to you, they’ll want to know that you understand them.” He said sounding as solum as he could. “I realize that you are a badass future lord of courtrooms, however, would you like a hug from your small cozy friend who thinks you -are- adorable?” He hoped his arms and looked innocent.
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Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2020 10:11 am
Jace huffed at Holden's argument but he couldn't actually ignore it because it kind of made sense, a little bit. But mostly it was because Holden was standing there with his arms open and Jace couldn't handle disappointing him, too.
He sighed and stomped over, wrapping his arms around him.
"Only because I don't want you to give me those puppy dog eyes," he grumbled, and tucked Holden's head down so he could rest his chin atop of it.
"You seem to have an idealistic view of what cases I'd be taking on."
Like Jace would really be representing people who needed compassion. Like it would be people who needed to see him as a human.
His mother talked about her best clients, about the kind of people she expected him to represent. The big cases, where there was a lot of money, where you had to be vicious and go in all claws and teeth. You made the most money representing the worst people.
She didn't care. She liked the fight.
She expected him to feel the same, to shut off all compassion and just fight.
And win.
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Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2020 10:49 am
“Don’t worry, I shall never reveal your squishy center under the prickly handsome exterior. If I anyone asks because this way I get to keep it for myself because I am selfish.” He sighed softly about the cases. “Jace, I think you can do both. okay? Both.” He said firmly. “If your mother doesn’t want diversity that’s up to her, but unless she’s running your cases forever, then she needs to let you try and run some of your own. You aren’t the… body she gets to put her soul in long term. You’re you…and I’m thankful for that.” He sighed and leaned into Jace harder, squeezing his waist. “I’m sorry… It’s not my place to say things I can’t change. But don’t… limit yourself because of other people's limits, not long term.” He wanted to just… but it would be so presumptive. “I’m sorry…” He said abruptly and stood on tiptoes and pecked a very light kiss to Jace’s cheek before loosening his hold in case Jace wanted, needed to pull away from the small sign of affection.
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Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2020 11:08 am
Jace nearly snorted, because, again with the compliments and teasing, but he couldn't bring himself to.
His heart was pounding, partly because he just wasn't used to gentle intimacy, like Holden's arms around his waist. Partly because the idea of going against the exact image of his mother in any way made him anxious.
It was in his nature to pull away. It was in his nature to scrub at his cheek an scowl, and reject the softness, and maybe even mock Holden for being so sentimental and soft.
It was in his nature because it was in his mother's nature. She, who smacked away her husband's hand, who mocked sentimental holidays, who couldn't even appreciate mother's day gifts from children who tried so hard to please her.
There wasn't enough of his father in him to warrant fondness from the man, who had all but given up on a happy marriage with his wife or a fatherly relationship with his son. There was no simple role model for how to react to such a thing, and the things he'd seen on television or in movies didn't seem to represent his situation, or this.
He didn't release his arms from around Holden, didn't push him away.
Didn't mimic what his mother would do.
It felt strange, and unfamiliar, and wrong, because if he wasn't trying to be her, he didn't know who he was.
He hoped Holden couldn't hear his heart as loudly as he could; in the silence, it seemed deafening. But Jace held on, anyway; his eyes were burning. He would blame it on not blinking, on the fierce glare he was sending to the wall, because there was no way he was having emotions. Especially not stupid ones.
Especially not weak ones.
"Yeah," he finally said, as gruff as he could manage. "Well. You try telling her that. No point in pissing her off while I'm still living here. If she drops the apprenticeship, I have to go to law school, and then I'm three years behind everyone else. And I'll have a job as soon as I get certified. She'll be the boss anyway, so she'll call the shots on what cases I can pick up. So, it's fine. I owe her. She's stuck her neck out for me to get me this far, and she's broken her back carrying me to where I'm at. The least I can do is pay her back by picking up what she trusts me to."
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Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2020 2:29 pm
“if I thought it wouldn’t get you into trouble, I would tell her that.” Holden said firmly. He wanted to say more, wanted to say so much more. But you couldn’t just tell people some things. There were things that they had to get past themselves. To know and see that they were stuck, half by choice and fear in a situation that hurt them. “Well, she’s not here now, so it’s just us.” He gave a gentle squeeze. “I’m sorry I was so forward.” He said after a moment, dropping his eyes. “But I am also glad I’m here, and who I’m here with. Even with snow sneezes.”
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Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2020 2:41 pm
"Aren't you always forward?" he asked, and still didn't let go. He should. Their drinks would get cold. Except, he didn't want to let go. He wanted to hold onto this moment for just a moment longer. Wanted to blink his eyes clear first, too.
"You wouldn't tell her anything, if she walked through that door right now, you'd run out of that door so fast. Wearing my clothes or not. If she wanted to, she could probably even scare your brother. It's fine, Holden."
Maybe he actually believed that, or maybe he was just resigned to it.
Maybe he didn't know any better.
"I'm glad you're here, though."
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Posted: Mon Dec 28, 2020 3:45 pm
“She could not scare him,” Holden pouted. “And if I felt like I wouldn’t do more harm than good I wouldn’t run away either! I mean I might, but I’d find a way to do something.” He prodded Jace in the ribs even knowing Jace wasn’t ticklish he felt it was deserved a little bit. He grumbled and gave another squeeze. “Annnd I’m mostly forward with you, to be fair. Bold is its own trait.
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