|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
 Posted: Wed Oct 26, 2011 9:12 pm
If he'd been to Tony's place before, this probably would have been easier, but -- a brief comment, offered in passing, hadn't seemed like enough of an invitation until right now. Ever probably should have called first, given some warning, instead of just popping up at the door. At least he double, triple checked to make sure it was the right place before he rang the bell.
Then he slumped back in the doorway to take in the area, head tipped and eyes flickering. Unfocused, really. He was looking without seeing it, his thoughts elsewhere, trying to draw himself together and figure out if he was angry, or if he wasn't and, really, which was worse?
If the man wasn't home, he'd just have to get blitzed by himself. Maybe that would be better anyway. He took one nervous step away.
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 12:49 pm
Tony had been, of all things, sleeping.
It was a rare commodity these days, between patrolling and working at the library. He was only just starting to see some rays of light under all the work backlog at the library, and patrol had been difficult recently as well, making his hours for rest and sleep, or any hope for personal time, fairly limited.
Groggy, hair everywhere, clothes clinging to him in a way that suggested they hadn't wanted him to get out of bed, either, he was lucky he didn't have a blanket still wrapped around him as he reached the door.
And lucky he hadn't fallen down the stairs in his haze. He had been deeply asleep, and was still not what constituted awake.
"Yes?" He said, opening the door. His expression shifted immediately when he saw Ever. "Ah! Ever! Is everything alright? You look pale." Paler? "Come in, please. What's the matter?" Always alert and always ready to shift into worry mode at the drop of a pin, he looked at Ever with earnest concern etched on his face, all traces of sleep gone.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Oct 27, 2011 9:51 pm
Well, damned if now Ever didn't feel like a colossal a*****e. He whirled back as the door opened, blinking up at Tony and immediately wincing to himself. Obviously the man had been sleeping. A blind man could practically have noticed that, could have read the signs in the air, and Ever wasn't even blind. Dumb, sometimes, but...
"...damnit." He could acknowledge and move away, he could shrug it off as unimportant, he could go along with it and say nothing. He opted not to comment on Tony's status, instead drawing in a breath and forcing himself to smile. Crookedly.
"Um. I was actually kind of wondering if you'd come out for a drink or six, but..." But instead he stepped in. Awkward. Flicking a look around the place. "I don't even know. Things are weird."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Oct 28, 2011 1:32 pm
Tony looked baffled, but his worry overrode his disorientation at being dragged from sleep. He tried to adjust his clothing, which were his day clothes. He had tried to read a bit in bed before heading out again, but it had turned into a nap which then bled into a deep sleep. Mostly unplanned, though certainly not unneeded or wanted.
He looked at Ever, tilting his head to one side. At his feet, Dogby appeared, yipping excitedly and wagging her stump of a tail, her back feet scrabbling over the wood of the entryway as she looked up at Ever eagerly. Her tongue lulled out the side of her mouth. She, at least, seemed very awake.
She had dropped her chew toy, but picked it up now and looked up at Ever again, the long, droopy fox hanging from her jaws sadly.
"A drink?" Tony looked thoughtful, then grinned and nodded. "I think that might be good, actually." He was supposed to go patrol, but having some drinks would effectively get him out of that obligation. He felt guilty even thinking it, but since he had been home he had been working non-stop on one thing or another. He could do with a break.
He could even do with a hangover.
"I'll just grab my coat and fill Dogby's water, alright?" He closed the door to keep Dogby from going out, though she tended not to want to unless she really had to 'go', once Ever was inside. The place was clean, save for obvious signs of a teenager living there. Tony disappeared into the kitchen, and running water could be heard getting filtered into a bowl. Soon enough, Tony returned, grabbing his old, worn leather coat off a hook. It was brown and well used, and his favorite.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sat Oct 29, 2011 6:24 pm
Strange, but for some reason it had never even occurred to Ever that Nate still lived with his father, might possibly be around. The idea made him uncomfortable, nodding as Tony retreated and looking around at the teenaged signs. He crouched absently by Dogby's side to scratch behind her ears and wait.
His expression was still dreamy, maybe a tiny bit haunted, when Tony was ready to go. Ever had to haul himself upright, swiping hands on his pants, probably largely covered in hair and -- he forced himself to smile again, crookedly, at that jacket. It spoke of another time. He probably would really have liked to know that Tony.
"This is weird. Is this weird?" He cleared his throat, taking a step back toward the door without looking away. Ignoring the whining Dogby. "I should probably have called or something, but...I don't know."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Nov 03, 2011 11:10 am
Dogby was more than excited to have her ears scratched, wagging her bottom side furiously and letting her tongue lull out of the side of her mouth. She yipped eagerly and wiggled, bouncing on her short paws and trying to get up higher into the scratches.
She was vastly disappointed when he moved away. Pouting, ears back, body low, she wiggled after them hopefully. Where were they going that she couldn't go?
Tony used his foot to stop her escape, putting it in front of her and backing her up so Ever could head out first as Tony held the door.
"It's not weird," he said, surprised, "you can drop by any time you like. I know it feels strange, because we work together, but you've seen me drunk before." He grinned teasingly, motioning for him to head out. He didn't seem to be following the same track of thought, not minding in the slightest that Ever had come over. He rarely got to go out, though, so maybe he was just chomping at the bit.
Anyway, he was concerned, and wanted to know what had his young friend looking so tense.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 7:50 am
"I think we should get that drunk again." It had been good times -- though his mind wandered more toward the end of it, Tony sprawled out on the couch, a stolen kiss, than the rest. It was almost enough to make Ever blush but...only almost. Not really something he did.
"Anywhere you want, I don't care, I think I have enough to cover..." He was digging out his wallet as he said it, already starting down and out, pausing just to let Tony lock the door as he swiped through bills. No, he probably didn't have enough to cover the pair of them getting drunk at a bar, but he could cover part of it, and maybe lift the rest from the tip jar. It wouldn't be the first time.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Nov 04, 2011 10:33 am
"I am not opposed to getting drunk," Tony laughed.
Why not? It had been fun last time, and nothing unforgivable had happened. And anyway, he had been through a lot recently, too, though he doubted Ever had to deal with the same issues. He had no idea, of course, that his younger friend was on the chaotic side of the fight he was trying to find an end to.
Still, the whole ordeal with the civilians in space, and the dragon, and coming home to years of work at the library all added up to a need to get drunk.
He locked the door and had to hold back a laugh when Ever said he had enough. He shook his head, patting him on the shoulder. "Don't worry about it, I can cover it. Anyway, you look like you could do with a stress free night, so don't worry about the bill."
Walking down the path, he reached the street, glanced around to decide which bar he wanted to go to, there was one in either direction, one was just a longer walk, he opted for the shorter path. If they were going to get hammered, he didn't really want to heighten his risk of wandering lost in a drunken stupor.
While they were sober, though, he decided to see what information he could gather. Not probe, he hoped not anyway, but see what Ever was willing to share.
"Sorry I haven't been around the library recently. What have you been up to?"
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Nov 10, 2011 10:43 am
Ever trailed easily in his wake, about half a step behind, hands shoved deep into the pockets of a coat that was definitely not warm enough. In recent days, it hadn't mattered that much -- his uniform had been heavier than this, and with the change, it was even more so. Powered up, he was warm, it was comfortable, and powered up was usually the way to go. It made commute faster. Shortened the amount of time he spent outside in civvies.
Now, though, he turned up his collar a touch and tried not to look cold, shrugging at Tony. "I don't know. It's been a bit weird."
But that made him pause. How on earth was he supposed to explain? He struggled to put Negaverse events into a human light. "Got someone staying with me and he's kind of a d**k, but it's a...a favor, sort of, so whatever."
He cleared his throat. "So I guess I just stay at Zac's mostly, his place is nicer anyway, but now things are kind of weird there too. Not sure what happens now."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Nov 11, 2011 1:33 pm
"Sounds fun," Tony replied slowly.
He could understand, he supposed. He had a jerk staying with him, after all. One he could not get rid of, and wasn't sure if he wanted to. He was feeling a little clingy, and wanted to be Nathan's friend. Or at least feel more like his father than he did at the moment. Maybe it was because of what he had seen in the Surrounding, returning a child to a parent and witnessing that reunion.
His mind was wandering. He really needed a drink.
"Well, I think what happens now is both of us ignoring everything and just getting smashed. I don't think that'll solve any problem at all, but it will be a nice escape, right?"
He found quite suddenly that he didn't want to think any more. He didn't think Ever did, either, that was the whole point of coming over, wasn't it? He wasn't feeling guilty yet. He wanted to help his friend, but he didn't know how and was, at the moment, running low on answers for anyone. It wasn't a long walk to the bar, at least.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Nov 14, 2011 2:31 pm
"I guess. Yeah." It did sound good; not productive, of course, but at least it might wipe his slate clean, give Ever some time to think about things more rationally. It definitely wouldn't be like trying to sort things out with the pain-hazed memory of Zink's hand in his chest still occupying most of his energy.
He rubbed at his face, trying to swipe that thought away, and just nodded stupidly at Tony. "So let's do it. Your call. We can, uh."
A floundering moment. What did straight men do at bars again? He only dabbled, was more familiar with dancing and flirting than with darts and -- "Oh. Pool, I guess. But not for money because I'm pretty s**t."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Thu Nov 17, 2011 11:53 am
"Pool?"
Tony wasn't sure he had played pool within the span of his current memory. He reached back, trying to think if he knew the rules still, but when he was younger he never played it right. He nodded his head, though, grinning.
They were carded, or at least Ever was, and Tony moved to the bar immediately.
"What are you drinking? I'll cover it, honestly," he had a suspicion that Ever wouldn't push the subject too far, and that was really how it liked it. When he offered to do something, pay for something or the like, he always found it uncomfortable when the other party protested to the point where they wouldn't budge, and he had to abandon just being nice. He understood why it happened, more often than not, but it still made the already difficult act of being social and comfortable more and more impossible.
Tony really needed more friends. The better he got to know someone, the easier it was. With Ever, he was at ease.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Fri Nov 18, 2011 12:42 pm
Unlike Ever. It wasn't Tony's fault, right now, it was the constant hum of thoughts through the back of his mind, the nagging edge of uncertainty, the tension down his shoulders and up his neck. He was a wire stretched too tight, and he hoped desperately alcohol -- liberal doses of it -- would loosen him up.
No, he wouldn't protest the paying. He'd hesitate, like he was thinking about it, but this was an old game. You had to put up at least some fight, not look too eager...
"Vodka tonic?" Hesitant, he was only playing Tony a little bit as he grabbed a cue and tried to remember how this worked. Last time he'd played had been with Kam at a sports bar. He could barely remember when that had been; another era.
A quick look around established that the place was quiet-ish, at least. No one would object to the amateur idiots on the table. "Thanks for coming out, too..."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Sun Nov 20, 2011 11:49 am
"Thanks for coming to get me," Tony said with a grin. He knew that Ever was troubled, but felt that just being there, offering some companionship, might be just the thing. He ordered their drinks, making his the same, and then moved to the pool table.
Looking at it, he realized that no memories of the game were coming back to him. He would either have to fake it, ask for help, or back out.
At the moment, the last option was looking the best, but he would just need a couple doses of a good, stiff drink before faking it became the clear choice. The drinks were quick to come, and the bartender didn't seem to take notice of their communal inept air.
No hustlers in here tonight, it seemed. Unless one or both of them were really good cons. Of course, in their way, they both were. They did lead double lives, after all. Not that either knew.
"Alright, out of the goodness of my heart, I will let you go first." And also, he needed to remind himself how to hold the pool cue as well.
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Posted: Mon Nov 21, 2011 5:10 pm
Ever was leaning in against his pool cue, forehead pressed in against the smooth wood and eyes half closed. Not paying attention; the appearance of drinks made him blink, the question lifted his eyes onto Tony. It took him longer than it should have to process, to figure out what the hell Tony'd just said. He made up for it with a flicker of a smile, softened a bit, gentle. Apologetic.
"I don't do this a lot." Ever, though, at least knew the rules -- enough to step forward and set up the rack, to carefully slide it into place. A bit sloppy, and his break was worse, but he chased it with a generous amount of alcohol.
Alcohol would smooth everything over. "...even less frequently, sober."
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
|
Reply
