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 Posted: Mon Sep 07, 2015 11:58 pm
Colin had no idea that his cherished friend was having a shitty day, or that he was missing a call, as he was well into his 'work day' at the Destiny City Ballet Company. Luckily for Lorne, the blond took a break not too long after the call was received and checked his phone. A call from Lorne? Isn't it his first day for classes? Maybe he forgot something...He played the message, wiping at the sweat on his face with a small towel; Lorne had not forgotten anything - that much was clear. He sounded...well, terrified might have been a bit strong but the dark haired man didn't sound like he was having a good day at all. Something had happened to put that broken stutter in there, to put the panicked edge to his tone. With a worried frown he stepped over to September to let them know he had to step out for a bit. "Family emergency, sorry. I'll be back as soon as possible." Then he got his things and dialed Lorne back while heading to the locker area so he could change his clothes. Colin didn't bother with niceties when his friend answered the call-back, "What's wrong, Lorne?"
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Posted: Tue Sep 08, 2015 2:26 am
Lorne hadn't moved. By now, he was missing class, and he was feeling increasingly stupid and cowardly for just sitting here, for letting Archer get to him as badly as he had. There was no reason for it. There was no reason he should still have any power over Lorne. He didn't feel anything for his once-lover at all, and it'd been more than a year now, and -
His hands just wouldn't stop shaking. And when his phone began to vibrate, he fumbled for it, nearly sent it clattering to the ground before he managed to get a proper grip and bring it to his ear.
God Colin's voice though - it was such a welcome sound he nearly choked on his relief. At the same time, he felt guilty as hell, because who knew what he'd been doing. Colin had a life, he had a job, he had so many other things to deal with and Lorne still - "I'm sorry, " and it was so typical of Lorne to lead off with a shaky apology.
"I-I'm probably over - over-reacting, but - Archer's here, " and his tone took on a tighter edge, dropping to a whisper now as though half-afraid he might hear him. "He's here and he's going to my school and he thinks we're still together and - and I'm sorry, I - I don't know what to do, he wasn't listening to me, I told him I had Nadia and I love her and he's still - " He reached up, digging his fingers into the longer strands of his hair, trying desperately to will himself into calm.
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Posted: Sun Sep 27, 2015 2:47 pm
Oh Lorne... Colin's stomach twisted as the choked out words made it to his ears and were translated from 'upset and panicking' to something that explained the situation a bit more clearly. "Don't apologize babe, just breathe and tell me." Over-reacting? Colin did not think so, not when he heard that Lorne's abusive, manipulative, piece-of-s**t ex had shown up and was basically behaving as though he continued to have ownership of the dark haired young man. It made the danseur's jaw tighten as he fought to not spit out an avalanche of expletives towards Archer at Lorne. The guy was whispering and hiding and he'd called Colin for support - he would push back his anger and take care of what needed to be done. Later, he could beat the ever-loving s**t out of Archer. Now, he would take care of Lorne. "Oh baby, it's okay. You're not over-reacting. He's an a*****e, he's not listening, and he's going to get a kick to the balls the moment I see him. But for now, we need to get you out of there." Missing the first day of classes wasn't a good idea, but Lorne wasn't in any shape to be going, not after Archer had upset him so badly. "I'm gonna come get you, okay?"
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Posted: Mon Sep 28, 2015 4:58 am
The terms of endearment helped. Maybe more than they should have. Lorne felt a little guilty for taking as much solace in them and the tone of Colin's voice as he did, but it didn't stop him.
Maybe I wasn't clear enough with Archer. Maybe I should have said more. Why couldn't I say more? Why couldn't I just push him away?
He wound his fingers further into his hair, dragging his fingertips against his scalp, and sucked a long, deep breath between his teeth, and although he knew he didn't have feelings for Archer anymore, the fact that his once-lover still had so much damn power over him just --
I'm gonna come get you, okay?
Lorne clutched his phone tighter in his hand, and felt nothing short of ashamed at the sheer and utter relief he felt wash over him. Colin was coming. "A-are you sure?" He already knew what his friend's answer was going to be, even as he asked. "I-I can wait, if you're busy, I - I'm sorry, I - I didn't bother you at work, did I?"
It might have been better if his voice hadn't cracked at the end.
I'm so weak. Even with things like this, I'm so damned weak.
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Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2015 8:16 am
Had he known just how much it helped, Colin would have been quite pleased. anything that could make the situation better for Lorne would have pleased him...including a nice, old-fashioned nut-kick for Archer, filmed and posted to youtube for posterity. The silence on the other end of the phone was heavy but Lorne's words were so relieved it would have been comical in other circumstances. "Yeah no, I'm sure. I want to come get you." His friend's voice cracked and Colin wanted to break something. "Really, it's okay. I took the day off." Colin would not say he'd done so for Lorne's benefit, because that wasn't something his gentle friend needed right then. "Text me your building and floor, I'll be there in like-" He mentally checked over the time it would take him to get over to the main DCU campus, "Five, maybe ten minutes if traffic's bad." As much as it would have been good to keep Lorne on the line, Colin didn't use his phone when driving, unless he wanted Google to navigate, so he'd have to let his friend go. But true to his word, he'd be there quick as spit - traffic wasn't even all that bad! - and he'd be right there putting his arms around the dark-haired man and hugging him tightly. frayedflower driving is boring, minutia is boring *skip* XD HAPPY BIRTHDAY HAVE A COLIN
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Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2015 8:40 am
He'd taken the day off - he'd been off anyway, then? Lorne hoped so. Although at the same time, that meant he'd called Colin on a day he'd taken off for himself -
Worry about it later. Colin isn't about to change his mind now.
And let's be honest - he didn't want him to. "Okay. I will. I - thank you, " he finished softly, a little shakily - this less because he was afraid (although he still was) and more because he was simply touched and relieved that his dearest friend was coming for him.
It felt longer than it was, sitting there in that stall and listening to people bustle in and out, half-expecting each of them to be either Archer or Colin, the best or the worst - and for a split-second when that stall door opened, his heart leapt into his throat, pulse leaping -
And thank god. Thank god it was Colin. Lorne would be mortified later at the way he half-whimpered, gasping with audible relief as he flung his arms around his friend and clutched him desperately tight, fingers curling into the back of his shirt as Lorne just sat there for a minute, face buried in his friend's hair, bright as sunshine.
"I'm sorry, " he mumbled against it; because of course he did.
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Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2015 8:54 am
At the very least, Lorne had come to understand that once Colin had made up his mind about something like this, he wasn't going to change his mind. The blond could be very stubborn when he wanted. Going into a campus restroom to rescue his much taller friend from his evil ex on the first day of school like some sort of white knight was - let's be honest - a bit silly, but it would take months for the sheer absurdity to strike. For the moment it was extremely serious. "Shh... it's alright. I've got you." Moments after entering, he found himself with his arms full of desperate, miserable friend. I'm going to kick that guy's a** so hard for this... Clearly, Archer was some sort of emotional super-villain and needed to be stopped. "Hey, no. It's okay. Lorne, it's fine." Colin would hold onto his friend, rubbing a hand over his back soothingly until Lorne seemed able to pull himself into some semblance of normal. "C'mon, let's get you out of here. Can you walk or should I carry you?" That last part was spoken with a bit of a smile and as a small joke, since they were forever princess-carrying each other out of trouble.
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Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2015 9:06 am
Later, Lorne would be able to laugh - maybe - and be mortified - absolutely - and even now he was bright red, but he was relieved, he was okay, even if he knew how damned weak he was. Colin was, in that way, what he wasn't. Even if Archer appeared now, there would be no twisting of words, no cornering, no ghost of lips across his temple like they'd never left.
His pulse slowed the longer he stayed like that, Colin whispering soothing things and stroking his back - just being there for him. The way he always was, without ever asking a single thing in return. (There it was again, that pinprick of guilt.)
He gave a strained sort of laugh that wanted to be full at the carrying bit, hardly realizing the way he rubbed his cheek against Colin's in a sort of half-nuzzle; things like this, tiny gestures of affection, just came easier and easier as time passed and Lorne had long since been eased into a lasting sense of comfort and safeness with his friend. "I'm - " He wanted to joke back, and took a moment or two clawing desperately for something playful. Nothing came. Instead, he just sort of smiled helplessly, sliding his fingertips through Colin's hair to try and soothe what he'd disturbed not long ago. "I can walk."
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Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2015 9:28 am
Had he not been quite so concerned with getting Lorne calmed and out of there, the blond might have gone hunting so he could impress on the douchebag just how little his attentions were appreciated. Woe be unto Archer if he tried pulling that s**t while Colin was around. Lorne was being needy-affectionate, but he didn't mind at all; physical affection was easy between most of the team and especially with those that had fallen together from the start. It was a measure of how upset - and also relieved - his friend was that he was being so unconsciously snuggly. "Good, that means I can do this instead." With what he hoped was a reassuring smile, Colin took one of Lorne's hands in his. His hair being mussed wasn't anything really, he didn't care. It wasn't like it had been sleekly styled or anything to start - he'd been dancing, after all. But the care Lorne's fussing showed was pleasing and he certainly wouldn't have discouraged it. Colin tugged Lorne along after him, out of the restroom and building, to the parking lot and - once they'd battled traffic - back to the blond's apartment. Throughout the ride he'd not let go of Lorne's hand, knowing his cherished friend would take comfort in keeping some sort of contact. Lorne, despite his extremely agitated state, stayed fairly quiet and calm throughout the drive; following Colin's lead and letting the blond take charge. Inside the apartment he shoo'd Lorne to the couch before fussing around in the kitchen as was his custom when someone was hurting on his watch. Hot cocoa was the order of the day, thank you very much. "Here, this'll help." He curled himself onto the couch next to Lorne with his own mug after kicking his shoes off.
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Posted: Tue Sep 29, 2015 3:23 pm
Lorne couldn't say it in any way but clutching Colin's fingers more tightly in his own with a smile that practically sang of warmth and affection, but he was so glad his friend had gone ahead and done what he'd secretly wanted to ask, tangled up and lost in his own nerves and embarrassment.
The car ride was quiet, but not unpleasantly so, with Colin still clutching his hand and Lorne trying to focus on examining the knuckles of his friend's fingers rather than the brush of terror he'd felt when Archer had backed him up against that wall. He considered, not for the first time, telling Nadia; especially now that Archer was back in town, it -
But he didn't want to. He'd so badly wanted to never have to tell her about him. Somehow that almost made him more nervous than Archer being here at all. When she saw the type of person he'd been with before, realized how weak Lorne had been, and still sort of was...
This couch. Hot cocoa. And Colin. It wasn't the first time these three things had come together to soothe him, and Lorne felt more comfortable here, more relieved than he had even when his friend had come into the bathroom stall on his white horse, so to speak.
He wanted to say something when Colin handed him that cup, with his green eyes as welcoming and thoughtful as they'd ever been even though Lorne had so little to offer back. But all the words that came to mind were either too weak, or surprisingly strong, and so in the end Lorne could say nothing but a very impassioned 'thank you', flashing him another smile that no one outside of their circle would probably ever see, blowing on his drink and just taking solace in the closeness of his friend.
Some part of him almost thought he should feel guilty. Not just for all the times he relied on Colin so much, but also for all the things he told his friend that he just never got around to telling Nadia. The dreams of a future where he'd gone mad, the night with Rutile, Archer, now this - all things he probably should have shared with Nadia, but didn't, for one reason or another. He wondered if that made him a bad boyfriend, but - honestly, he relied on her too much too, and -
"You make the best hot cocoa, " he said quietly, disturbing the calm silence that had fallen between them.
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Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2015 2:43 pm
Poor Lorne, he really couldn't catch a break, could he? But he would be okay, he had support - he had Colin and Nadia on either side to help him up when he stumbled. Maybe it made him feel useless and weak, but Colin would have had to disagree - there was more strength in Lorne than he could recognize (likely in part to Archer's treatment of him). "Of course." Colin returned Lorne's smile over the rim of his cup; happy to be able to provide some sort of safe haven for his beloved friends when they needed it. The danseur simply relaxed against Lorne companionably, waiting for him to be ready to start talking - if that was what he needed. "Hmm? Oh, thanks. I can't really take credit, it's just Swiss Miss with extra marshmallows." And soy milk. It had been Björn's favorite drink and he just couldn't separate himself from purchasing the stuff and making it. "I'm glad you enjoy it."
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Posted: Wed Sep 30, 2015 3:12 pm
Lorne was glad for the familiar weight of Colin against his side, and his fingers itched a little to sling an arm across his shoulder to encourage that warmth and draw him a little closer. Still, the thought made him red, because as much as he was much more comfortable with his friend than he had been starting out, he still limited his own affections. Even Nadia was just starting to break through and see what he was like beneath all the nerves and second-guessing.
"I do."
I enjoy this, and I enjoy you. He didn't say it, but the implication was there, somewhere beneath the surface.
Then, somewhere down the line, fidgeting with his cup in his hands, Lorne began to speak, yellow eyes trained as they had been on the night with Rutile on nothing but the inside of his mug, his reflection a muddy brown as it stared back at him. The words came slow in some places, sticking like peanut butter, and faster in others, like he couldn't wait to be rid of them, as he told his friend the exchange he'd had with Archer. The comments he'd made about Nadia. The phone number. The lunch he'd tried to coax Lorne into, and that even if Lorne had tried, he hadn't been able to do anything more firm than a 'maybe'. The part where Archer kept saying he belonged to him. It was more detail than he usually would have given, but it was one of those things that couldn't stop when it was started, and in the end it was all laid out in the open.
In some ways it was easier to say it now that he was here instead of at school, where the moment could feel like a bad dream instead of a reality, where he didn't have to feel half as exposed or weak.
Even if he still did. He always felt weak.
"... and then I called you."
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Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2015 2:51 pm
Colin would have welcomed whatever affection his friend would have wanted to give, but he was a great deal more comfortable with such things than Lorne was. Even having been around the blond for long enough to be more used to how tactile and affectionate he could be, Lorne was sometimes just too shy and nervous. Someday, maybe he wouldn't be. Until then, he'd just have to deal with the danseur getting into his personal space and wearing him down with friendship and love. Although he really wanted to know what had happened - specifically - between Archer and Lorne, Colin didn't press; instead he allowed his friend to open up in his own time and at his own pace. It was going to be distressing enough for his friend without someone firing questions that may or may not be relevant, so the blond simply settled against him and listened, making appropriate noises or small comments when they were appropriate. The more Lorne spoke about Archer's behaviour and comments, the angrier - and more disgusted - he got. Colin set his cup down and shifted on the couch so he could put his arms around his friend's shoulders, hugging him tightly. "He's a manipulative, arrogant piece of s**t and he doesn't own you." "I'm so sorry he did that to you, but I'm glad you called me." God but he wanted to charge right back over to the college, find Archer, and beat him to a pulp for what he'd done. Between himself, Nadia, and Lorne's other friends here in Destiny City, Lorne had started to open up and have more confidence in himself and what he could do. Archer's actions and words had no doubt caused great damage, making him question his abilities and worth. <********, I really will kick your a** for this. And you'll be lucky if that's all I do! The blond straightened again, moving so he could frame Lorne's face with his hands, expression full of concern. "Please don't think what he said is true. None of it."
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Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2015 3:26 pm
In spite of everything, Lorne was relaxed in his friend's embrace, and would have probably just hugged him back if he hadn't had a cup of cocoa in his hands. Still, the way he stayed so relaxed in Colin's arms was probably a show of affection that was just the same, if not more, than an embrace would have been.
Colin was glad that Lorne had called - in spite of his own doubts and worries, that reassured him, knowing he hadn't been stupid or hasty or too needy. And the last part, the plea with his friend's hands on his face, hit him. It hit him hard. "I know it's not, I - "
He looked down and then back up, "I just wish, I - I could have just said something, but I couldn't - and what I was saying didn't matter, and it was just like - it's not even as though - I can't think he's s**t, even if I know we weren't good for each other. There's no part of me that wants to be near him, but part of me still wants to defend him, and I don't know why. He'd still got - he's got this sway over me, even though he shouldn't, and that's - "
Lorne laughed, although it was really more of a half-choked, stupid sob. "I still couldn't just say no. That's how this even happened in the first place, and I'm supposed to be - I know I'm better than that now, I'm - "
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Posted: Thu Oct 01, 2015 10:18 pm
It was gratifying, the way that Lorne relaxed with him, the way he seemed at ease even when he was having a stressful time of it. Colin appreciated the trust and care that such a gesture meant for his friend and their relationship. "Oh baby, no..." But words were spilling from Lorne's lips like rain and he could tell that it needed to happen, that it would fester if he couldn't get it out; so the blond simply stayed with him and stroked his face with his thumbs. It was so hard to hear Lorne say those things, but Colin understood as best he could - sometimes that was how love went. Even if the other person hurt you, you still loved them. Colin didn't know what to do or say beyond that, so he leaned in and pressed his forehead to Lorne's and gave him a small smile. "Lorne. Listen to me. We're going to get through this. You're not alone, okay? I'm with you and we'll figure out what to do about Archer. I know it's hard and it hurts, but it's gonna work out and he's not going to hurt you again." "Nadia and I won't let him."
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