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Over An Empty Stomach - Aiden, Andrew ((complete))

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Post by AJ Tue Oct 16, 2012 2:33 am

It was almost instinctive, the way Aiden reacted. The motions had been done so many times before that sometimes his body moved before his brain could even process. Well, that’s what was happening as Aiden himself was slightly surprised by the turn of events. The last thing he had intended to do was hold the boy hostage by force…all he had intended to do was help the kid out at least for one night. Andrew wasn’t a criminal (well, besides the pick pocket incident, and even then he wasn’t the one who had stolen); he didn’t do anything to merit this violent treatment. So why was Aiden spending so much energy on making sure that this one kid, out of many, stayed off the streets and had a safe roof over his head? It was getting a little ridiculous.

“Well then, first of all, it’s Aiden.” He didn’t budge his grip until he was sure the boy wouldn’t try to make another escape. The fight was leaving from Andrew and it was probably due to fatigue…or hunger…or some combination of both.

“I don’t have to pretend to tolerate anything. I would actually really appreciate it if you took me up on the offer and stayed. But I don’t want to force you to do anything against your will so how about this?" Aiden gave some breathing space with a step back (but body still blocking the hall). "Your shoes are soaked and you’re probably tired of me getting in your case like this. Just stick around and rest up till those sneakers dry up and if you still want to leave by then, I won’t stop you. And if you do go I’ll forget this whole thing ever happened and never try to stick my nose in your business again. Deal?”

Why did it always come down to bargains with this kid?


Last edited by AJ on Tue Oct 16, 2012 2:37 am; edited 1 time in total (Reason for editing : why do they all start with A?!)
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Post by Andrew Tue Oct 16, 2012 3:11 am

Aiden huh? Right, he'd remember that. And that he had some pretty damn good reflexes. He relaxed somewhat when Aiden released him and moved back a step.

Andrew turned toward him and eyed him warily before stooping to pick up his dropped shirt and bag. "Fine, whatever." He was just so sick of arguing about it. He looked away, rolling the wet shirt in his hand between his fingers. He huffed and looked at Aiden again, confusion in his eyes. "Why are you trying so hard? Why the hell do you care? How could you possibly give a damn about some idiot homeless 'kid' who hasn't done anything for you except give you trouble? Why the hell aren't you just ignoring me and pretending that I don't exist?" He just didn't get it, watching the taller man closely.

He snorted again at the comment about staying out of his business. Yeah, he had thought that the last time and look at where they were. That he didn't believe for a second, this guy was too much of a busybody and a goody goody to actually do that.

And why the hell did Andrew have less of a problem with that then he should? Was the other man actually growing on him?
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Post by AJ Tue Oct 16, 2012 4:54 am

There he goes again. If enough of the right buttons were pushed, Andrew had a tendency to rant out in a vicious spiel, lashing out against whatever or whoever the offender was, in this case, Aiden. Or maybe Aiden had a knack for getting under the kid’s skin. Maybe Andrew was usually a cheerful and easygoing fellow who liked to have a good laugh. And Aiden would never know because the very sight of him set the teen on edge…

"Why are you trying so hard? Why the hell do you care? How could you possibly give a damn about some idiot homeless 'kid' who hasn't done anything for you except give you trouble? Why the hell aren't you just ignoring me and pretending that I don't exist?"

Honestly Aiden was asking himself the same thing. It hadn’t been the first time the cop had turned his place into an open house, a safe haven for those wishing to crash for a night or two (sometimes more); and his past visitors had been far more grateful for his hospitality than the one in front of him was showing. In fact, anyone else probably would have gotten fed up with the redhead and given up on him. Given up, essentially meaning abandon…

Oh, maybe it's something along those lines.

He cleared his throat before calmly answering- Wait, could he answer this? When he couldn't even come to a conclusive reason himself? He rubbed his chin as if in serious thought. Then:

“Maybe because you’re so troublesome? Hahaha, since you’re such a handful I feel like I can’t leave you alone without worrying.” It was a lame attempt at humor but it held some honesty. Well, that and the fact that Aiden practically spilled he had mother hen tendencies…
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Post by Andrew Tue Oct 16, 2012 5:33 pm

He cared because Andrew was so stubborn and confused and being a bit of an ass? How did that make sense?

The redhead ran a hand through his hair (and ew, it was still wet) then just shook his head lightly. "I don't see why. No one else bothers." Hell, he wasn't even sure that his cousin worried about him. He knew that she cared, at least a little, but he wasn't sure how far that went. "Alright, fine, whatever. I'll go take that shower now." And hope he didn't fall asleep in there.

He turned the other way and started toward the door Aiden had indicated, snagging the towels as he passed by them and locking himself into the bathroom. He dumped his bag in front of the sink and just peered into the mirror for a little, taking in how he looked. Geez, he was looking a little pathetic wasn't he? And it didn't help that Aiden hadn't thrown him out like he had been expecting / planning for. Most people did, so why didn't he?

Andrew dropped his wet clothes into the sink before getting into the shower. He probably spent more time under the water than he really needed to, but considering how long it had been since he had been able to take one instead of using a sink and rag, it really wasn't that surprising. When he finally left the bathroom, he was wearing only a pair of somewhat thin boxers. He never had gotten around to replacing the clothes he had ruined in the lake so his only pair of jeans were currently soaked and resting in the sink and the spare shirt that had survived that had managed to get wet by the rain anyway. At least it had also kept the rest of his few possessions dry.

He glanced around, still using the one towel to dry his hair. Hopefully Aiden wouldn't be too angry at how long he had taken.
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Post by AJ Wed Oct 17, 2012 6:27 am

It was somewhat of a miracle that the whole fiasco, which had escalated so quickly, was resolved so calmly. As soon as Aiden heard the bathroom door shut with a click, he let out a relieved phew and leaned back against the wall and fixed his pants. He didn't rest too long though, as the sound of water running brought him back to his senses and soon he was back to keeping himself busy. He had a guest to prepare for after all.

Aiden made his way back towards the kitchen, tidying up whatever small messes were on the way. Rummaging through the cabinet, he pulled out: the kettle, a pair of mugs, the collection of tea leaves (for himself), and hot cocoa mix (would Andrew be offended by the juvenile implication?). Hesitating on his last choice, Aiden decided to leave the option open for the boy’s choosing when he came out and laid out some coffee mix as well before he began boiling some water.

And while waiting for that, the man continued on with his tasks, trying to keep his body busy enough to take his mind away from feeling overwhelmed by tonight’s incident…at least, until he could go through it with a rational mind. Oh right the mail. Hmm, bill, bill, community programs, coupons, oh! The photos he had developed. The edges of the envelope were slightly damp so Aiden took out the finished films and laid them out across the tables. They were pictures he had taken of the kids the other day and luckily, although damp, were not damaged. Some he would give for the kids to keep, others could go into some sort of orphanage album or directory, and maybe some he’d keep for himself. Meanwhile he could go make sure the guest room was ready for its new visitor.

What used to be an office had been converted into a cozy room for temporary residents; although there was one person who seemed to make more frequent stops than others. Luckily Aiden hadn’t seen Michael around for awhile and it seemed like he wouldn’t be coming by tonight as well.

Squeeeeee

Oops, looks like it was done. Heading back out to the living space, Aiden saw that Andrew had also finished washing up.

“Feel better?”
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Post by Andrew Wed Oct 17, 2012 1:50 pm

“Feel better?”

Did he? Andrew shrugged, suppressing a light shiver as he dropped the towel to his shoulders. It was quite a bit chillier out her than the bathroom had been. "I guess so. Feels odd," he muttered, shifting slightly. He felt awkward and exposed, standing there in only his boxers. Usually he was fully clothed when he was actually around people or naked because he had read the situation correctly (and honestly, this was the first time this had happened. That wasn't helping the awkwardness any).

Flushing lightly, he dropped his gaze and shuffled his feet a little - at least the floor wasn't cold. "Uh... Sorry. For earlier." And that stupid shame was creeping in again. As bad as it was, there were worse alternatives. He mustered up a smile to flash at Aiden, covering up the shame and unease he was feeling.

"You sure you trust me enough to not rob you blind or try to murder you in your sleep?" he asked with a laugh. Yeah, he was doing it again, deflecting and ignoring and running, but it was pretty much instinctive at this point.
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Post by AJ Wed Oct 17, 2012 3:48 pm

Aiden had been absentmindedly going about his various tasks while listening to Andrew. He was pouring the hot water into the mugs when the apology made him look up. Oh? He was actually saying sorry? The man simply raised his brows in mild surprise.

"You sure you trust me enough to not rob you blind or try to murder you in your sleep?"

“Che,” Aiden laughed along, shaking his head slightly, “If there’s even anything worth taking; although…I could picture my fridge being considerably empty tomorrow.” He grinned. “As for the latter…I trust you. "He gave a reassuring smile. Well, he could have simply reminded Andrew that, even on hiatus, he was still a cop; but there was no use for idle threats, even in jest. Besides, Aiden meant every word he said, he trusted the boy.

“So, you a coffee drinker or do you prefer tea?” He asked while waving a hand at the various powders and leaves on the counter. “I was going to make you cocoa but was afraid you might think I was treating you like a kid again.”

Once the teen made his choice, Aiden grabbed the mix. And as he was preparing Andrew’s drink, the cop tilted his chin towards the room across from him. “That’ll be your room for the night. Go on ahead and settle yourself in. There should be some spare clothes in the drawers as well.” Thank God Michael had left some of his own attire behind; Aiden couldn't picture Andrew wearing his collared shirts and slacks.
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Post by Andrew Thu Oct 18, 2012 1:47 pm

Andrew blinked when the other man laughed off his half-serious comment. And saying that he trusted the redhead? What? Why? And how for that matter? It wasn't like Andrew had done anything to earn that. He had done much the opposite actually between running with Ceara after she picked his pocket and being as hostile as he had been the last time and then the misunderstanding today...

He blinked again, broken from his thoughts. "Nah, cocoa is fine. Any of them are really, I'm not all that picky, but I don't really need the caffeine right now, either. If you've got fruit juice or water, that's fine. You don't need to go through any trouble," he said with another laugh. Andrew had definitely caused enough already.

But he was ignored and told where he'd be staying and that there should be clothes for him to borrow. Was this how people sometimes felt around him when he wouldn't shut up? No wonder Ceara got so annoyed with him sometimes.

Nodding at Aiden, the redhead grabbed his bag and moved to the room, taking a quick glance around as he dropped his bag next to the bed. Stepping over to the dresser, he rifled through the drawers before finally settling on a pair of sweatpants and a t-shirt.

“I trust you.”

Andrew paused, halfway through tugging on the clothes as he remembered that little line. Why the hell would he say something like that? He just... He couldn't understand that. Being someone who didn't really trust anyone didn't help any. He finished dressing and padded back out to the kitchen, watching Aiden move about for a few seconds before speaking.

"Why?" Yeah, the question had come out of nowhere, but Andrew had to know. What could possibly possess the man into trusting someone like Andrew and so quickly at that?
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Post by AJ Fri Oct 19, 2012 12:14 am

"Why?

Aiden stopped what he was doing–he had been in the middle of cleaning up- and turned his head around at the sound of Andrew’s voice. He blinked. It took him awhile to figure out where the seemingly random question had come from. When he backtracked through their previous conversation though, Aiden understood. The boy was confused; perplexed by his last statement. Which was probably natural, given how little they knew each other; and considering how little time they’ve known each other for. Would the kid buy it if he said gut instinct? But the look on Andrew’s face made Aiden think otherwise; he couldn’t let this one slide by so casually.

So instead, the man took the two cups and made his way over to the table. One cup he set down before himself and the other in front of the empty chair opposite; an invitation to sit. Still not answering the redhead’s question as he walked over, Aiden took a sip of his coffee as he sorted through the scattered pictures. Why, huh?

“To put it simply, because I know you’re a good kid,” he started slowly. “I can tell. Especially by now, it doesn't take me long to figure out what kind of person I’m dealing with. Part of it probably comes from experience, dealing with all kinds of folk when I was on the force.” That part was true, he had met all kinds of people, from felons to juveniles, civilian to gangs, and whether harbinger or not; one developed a knack for telling apart the harmless from the hostile…although, his work experience accounted for only a part of this ability.

“But I started learning about who you can trust much earlier. Probably around…”

The entire time Aiden had been avoided looking directly at Andrew, putting his focus on the pictures or his coffee or the scene of rain outside instead. But finally, picking up a particular photo (a group of boys chasing another kid), the older man held it up before Andrew as he simply said, “When I was around their age.”
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Post by Andrew Fri Oct 19, 2012 12:56 pm

Andrew watched the taller man move over to the table and set down both cups (and shit he had left the room, who knew what might have been done to that cocoa? What if it had been drugged our poisoned? He shook his head at the thought; he was trying to trust someone) before sitting. The teen walked over and sat as well, tugging his feet up onto the chair and tucking them under his legs to sit cross legged. He took a sip of his drink after a few moments hesitation, savoring the flavor and heat of it, before watching Aiden, cradling the cup between his hands.

It was a little disconcerting to be ignored in favor of photographs while still feeling like you were being watched - which was definitely odd since Aiden wouldn't even look at him. He reached out when the picture was shown to him and took it to look closer. The oldest of the children couldn't have been more than twelve, the youngest six. And then he saw the eyes of one of them, a neon glow that couldn't belong to anyone but a harbinger.

Glancing up at Aiden again, he passed the photo back. "Are they all...?" If they were, then that was quite a lot, considering their ages.
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Post by AJ Sat Oct 20, 2012 8:05 am

“Harbingers?” Aiden finished his question. “Yup, all of them and more; just like you. I work with them down at an orphanage in this district. Hope Orphanage. It’s a harbinger-only facility that I was lucky enough to find.” Lucky…yeah, that’s the right word. To most people the vast difference in his career choice switch might have raised a few eyebrows, but for Aiden it was more than he could ask for. The fact that he could talk about the subject that most civilians would skirt, so openly was proof of that. There was no hint of shame in mentioning the children or what they were; instead it was filled with doting affection, as if he wasn't showing an album of ragtag children with mutated abilities, but rather his own family. Whether Andrew would comprehend why a normal person like him would involve himself so much with harbingers could only be guessed.

AJ was nearly done with his cup, inner rims of the drink’s traces slowly making their way to the bottom. He took a moment to place several pictures into a makeshift grid, allowing Andrew to peruse them as he sorted when Andrew caught sight of another photo. This time a girl who had learned to use her ability by…kicking off the fire hydrant (resulting in an endless water park that day). When he saw this, Aiden couldn't help but grin. He loved the kids, but there was no denying that it could be quite a handful. “As you can imagine, there’s always work of all sorts to be done around there, but at the end of the day, you learn it's definitely worth it, always. You should stop by sometimes, they'd like a visitor. And we could use the extra hand.”
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Post by Andrew Sat Oct 20, 2012 4:41 pm

An orphanage full of harbingers? That... was sad and scary all at once. How many times had someone tried to damage the building or hurt the kids just because of something they couldn't help? And how many of them were there because their families had just thrown them away? Hell, he was surprised that he wasn't one of the children in these photos, but the shame of that would have been even worse for his family than what they had done (however that made sense in their twisted little minds).

There was an uncomfortable tightening feeling that took hold of his chest and throat as he watched Aiden talk with that fond, gentle look on his face. The redhead couldn't help but wonder why couldn't he have ever had anyone look at him like that. Swallowing, he dropped his gaze to his cocoa. It wasn't all that appealing anymore and what he had drank was now churning unpleasantly in his gut.

"Yeah, maybe," he said softly, voice a little hollow. He hid the mood he had fallen into behind another cheerful smile. "They look pretty active."
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Post by AJ Sun Oct 21, 2012 6:48 am

Slowly but surely, Aiden was figuring Andrew out. More than the words coming from the boy’s mouth, it was the things left unsaid in that muted tone that gave the man insight beyond the forced smile. But if Andrew didn’t want to let on more than he was sharing, it wasn’t Aiden’s right to probe. The most he could do for now was to simply let the redhead know his privacy was being respected; but if he ever wanted a listening ear or someone to fall back on (whether it be for a free meal, or place to crash or maybe some other emergency)….Aiden would be there.

“You have no idea,” he chuckled while recalling today’s soccer game, “Which is why I stopped by to pick those up. They’ll be happy to see that tomorrow.” Aiden nodded at the sports bag near the door. Speaking of which, it seemed like the flighty spirit in the teen was now gone, as there didn’t seem to be any intention of him planning to leave anytime soon. Well, it was getting late now and Aiden needed to shower before hitting the sack, for another full day with said kids tomorrow. Reluctantly he pushed back from his chair, yawning slightly as he stood up.

“Well, I don’t know about you but it’s been a long day for me. My room is upstairs so I’m gonna go wash up. The first floor was made for guests to use so feel free to use it. Call me if you need anything.” Aiden began heading over to the staircase, casually waving at the tv and couch on the way. With one foot on the step, he turned back to look at Andrew. "By the way, with everything that happened today it must have been pretty crazy for you. I know it must have been difficult, but I wanted to say: thank you . . . for trusting me."
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Post by Andrew Sun Oct 21, 2012 10:47 am

Blinking when Aiden stood up, Andrew lifted his gaze from the mug and looked at him in confusion. What...? Oh, he was keeping the other up. The teen pushed to his feet as well, calling himself all kinds of stupid. It wasn't really his fault, he just wasn't used to being around people, not at this time of night. And the ones he had been with weren't interested in sleeping...

Andrew nodded at what the other man was saying, moving to the sink to dump what was left of the cocoa and rinse the mug.

"By the way, with everything that happened today it must have been pretty crazy for you. I know it must have been difficult, but I wanted to say: thank you . . . for trusting me."

The redhead blinked again, turning over that thought in silence. He spoke up just before Aiden was finished ascending the stairs. "I should say the same. And thanks for letting me stay here. I know I'm not exactly the easiest to get along with at times." With that said, without waiting for a response, he went into the bedroom he had been told he could use and closed the door and rubbed a hand tiredly over his face.

Crazy was one way to put it. Exhausting was another. He really needed some sleep. Maybe he'd take a nap then look into finding something small to eat. That would depend on how he slept. And then he'd leave in the morning, whether Aiden was awake or here or not.


~~~end~~~
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