![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
smackenzie"Okey-dokey." She waved at them and went back to the bedroom.
"You're sure you're ok?" Aidan asked Val again.
Val crossed his arms on the table and dropped his head into them.
"I'm sure I'm ok," he muttered against the placemat. "Can we not talk about me for ten minutes?"
"Whatever you want. We can talk about me instead." Aidan's voice sounded like he was grinning. "If you don't mind watching me stuff my face with pancakes, we should go soon. You wanted me to take you home, right?"
"Yeah. I don't want to have to wear the clothes I slept in all day. Especially since I wore them all day yesterday too. And I'm not ready to borrow yours."
"I'm sure I have some t-shirts that would fit you."
"Maybe, but I'm not wearing your underwear."
"Yeah, that would be weird. Come on, the camels are waiting." Val turned his head to watch Aidan push his chair back and get up and then put his coffee cup in the sink. "Those pancakes won't eat themselves."
"Ok, ok." Val stood up and let Aidan push him into the other room so he could put his shoes on and they could go.
Stella had apparently walked or taken the bus to wherever she had planned to spend the day, because the SUV was waiting for them.
"Let me know if you think you're going to hork in the car, ok?" Aidan said. "Stella will kill me if I let you get puke on the upholstery."
"I'm ok," Val told him. "Just... don't drive like a crazy person."
"Will do. Don't. You know what I mean."
He then proceeded to drive like a crazy person with a severe disregard for traffic laws all the way to Val's apartment, by which time Val was seriously considering calling it a day and just staying home. He felt a little sicker than he had when he woke up.
"Maybe I should drive," he suggested, as they climbed the stairs to his apartment. "I'm less likely to throw up."
"I'm not that bad," Aidan protested. "You're fine! You're a little green, but you didn't actually ralph in the car."
"Almost, though. And I'm green."
Kirk was home, sitting on the couch with his feet up on the coffee table, studying the three-ring binder that Val had learned was his bartending bible. He looked up as Val and Aidan came in, a question on his face that Val couldn't immediately decipher.
"How are you feeling?" Kirk asked, his expression now a cross between a smirk and honest concern. "You were really wasted last night. I didn't realize I'd bought you so many drinks."
"Me either," Val said. "I'm hungover but I'll be ok. I have to change my clothes. You can, um, I guess you can entertain each other." He shut the door to his room before Kirk or Aidan could say anything.
It felt good to put on fresh, clean boxer briefs and socks and a shirt. Val pulled the elastic out of his hair and combed his fingers through it. He needed to brush his teeth. Really needed to brush his teeth. He went through the apartment to the bathroom without stopping or even listening to whatever Kirk and Aidan were talking about - the zoo, possibly, or pancakes - so he could comb his hair, brush his teeth, wash his face, brush his teeth again, and feel like a human being and not death reheated on a low setting.
When he went back into the living room, Kirk was telling Aidan about his latest adventure involving a city bus, and Aidan was snickering. Val hoped Aidan hadn't mentioned they were on a date. He didn't think Kirk would really care one way or the other, but while Val himself was currently ok with it, he wasn't ok enough to start telling other people.
He was still half expecting to suddenly not be ok with it, anyway. Although if his behavior last night hadn't turned Aidan off, he wasn't sure what would. And there was always an outside chance that Val had just adjusted really well to dating two people who were dating each other. Stranger things had happened.
"Better?" Aidan asked, standing up. "Can we go now?"
"I brushed my teeth and changed my socks," Val told him. "I'm human again. I want to take a couple more aspirin and then we can go."
Some aspirin, his jacket, and they were gone.
The waitress at the IHOP didn't seem to believe Val that all he wanted was a glass of orange juice and maybe a cup of tea, but he politely insisted that he wasn't hungry and she finally gave in. Val felt a little ill watching Aidan drown his pancakes and sausage in two kinds of syrup, and shook his head no - twice - when Aidan offered him a bite.
"Are you sure?" Aidan asked. Val felt as if he'd been asked that a lot lately, along with "Are you ok?" The answers hadn't changed - yes he was sure, eventually he'd be ok.
"Do I look green?'
"Kind of."
"Then I'm sure."
"You're missing out." Aidan stuffed a forkful of pancake in his mouth. Syrup dripped down his chin. "They're good."
"Don't talk with your mouth full. And wipe your face."
"Yes mom." Aidan swallowed exaggeratedly, swiped his arm across his chin, licked the syrup off it, and grinned at Val. "I'm guessing you don't want to hang around for the lion feeding at the zoo, huh?"
"No."
"Bummer. It's fun to watch." He forked up half a sausage patty and bit into it. "I love this place. And we're continuing the traditon of pancakes on a first date."
"Does this mean I have to come here with Stella too?"
"I don't know what she's planning. Maybe. You'll have to eat something if you do."
"Well, I don't plan to drink like that ever again, so I don't plan to be hungover like this ever again, so it shouldn't be a problem."
"You're doing pretty well, actually. No puking, your color's good, you're awake, you're sitting in an IHOP watching me eat.... This could be so much worse."
"Yeah, I could be lying on your couch groaning in agony."
"And the only groaning you should be doing in my house is with pleasure." Aidan grinned wickedly and chomped down on a full fork of pancake. Val was pretty sure he was blushing, which was confirmed by Aidan's chuckle. "I tease you because it's easy."
"Thanks so much," Val muttered.
"Also because you're cute when you blush."
There wasn't really anything Val could say to that that would shut Aidan up, so he changed the subject.
"Do you have a first date zoo tradition too? We have to spit at the camels and make faces at the monkeys?"
"Insult the tigers' mothers. Tell the lizards they'd make great shoes. Admire the giraffes. You don't have any weird animal phobias, do you?"
"Jellyfish kind of wig me out. They're too... they don't have bones. It's weird."
"They don't have jellyfish. They don't have any fish."
"Then I'm good. I'm not afraid of the big lizards. Or the snakes. Or the camels."
"Tigers?"
"Lions and bears, oh my." Val grinned. Aidan grinned back. The day had started out badly, but it was definitely getting better.
The zoo was crowded - understandable, since it was a weekend and the weather was nice - and Val and Aidan hung around the reptile house a little longer than was strictly necessary, because Aidan wanted as few small children around as possible when he taunted the Komodo dragon. He got the cobra to spread its hood for him, which Val thought was kind of impressive.
"I'm showing off for my date," Aidan admitted, grinning, and Val rolled his eyes. "Are you impressed?"
"Very," Val deadpanned. "You couldn't even get the Komodo dragon to look at you. Why did you want all those kids out?"
"They look like lunch to him. They're small and tender. I'm stringy. Also, my legs are longer and I can run faster."
"The cobra can still kill you."
"I bet there's a little syringe of anti-venom in this place just to be safe. Let's go tease the camels."
The camels were apparently in hiding, though. Aidan looked honestly disappointed. Val suggested they go tease the tigers instead, and figured it was as good a time as any to tell Aidan that he was having a really good day, hangover and all.
"Oh good," Aidan said. "Because I was thinking after this we'd go back to the apartment, make out like horny teenagers, you could bend my legs - "
"Kids right behind you," Val hissed. "And some moms."
"You could bend my legs behind my ears and fuck me stupid," Aidan whispered in his ear. Val knew he was turning crimson. "Or you could let me do it to you."
"Not here."
"Of course not here. This is a public place."
"No, I meant don't talk about it here. I can't keep a straight face." And if you keep talking about sex I'll get a boner.
"Val, there's nothing straight about you." Aidan grinned and kissed Val so quickly Val could believe no one really noticed, and then they went off to find the tigers so they could make fun of their mothers.
words: 1558
total words: 50,147
"You're sure you're ok?" Aidan asked Val again.
Val crossed his arms on the table and dropped his head into them.
"I'm sure I'm ok," he muttered against the placemat. "Can we not talk about me for ten minutes?"
"Whatever you want. We can talk about me instead." Aidan's voice sounded like he was grinning. "If you don't mind watching me stuff my face with pancakes, we should go soon. You wanted me to take you home, right?"
"Yeah. I don't want to have to wear the clothes I slept in all day. Especially since I wore them all day yesterday too. And I'm not ready to borrow yours."
"I'm sure I have some t-shirts that would fit you."
"Maybe, but I'm not wearing your underwear."
"Yeah, that would be weird. Come on, the camels are waiting." Val turned his head to watch Aidan push his chair back and get up and then put his coffee cup in the sink. "Those pancakes won't eat themselves."
"Ok, ok." Val stood up and let Aidan push him into the other room so he could put his shoes on and they could go.
Stella had apparently walked or taken the bus to wherever she had planned to spend the day, because the SUV was waiting for them.
"Let me know if you think you're going to hork in the car, ok?" Aidan said. "Stella will kill me if I let you get puke on the upholstery."
"I'm ok," Val told him. "Just... don't drive like a crazy person."
"Will do. Don't. You know what I mean."
He then proceeded to drive like a crazy person with a severe disregard for traffic laws all the way to Val's apartment, by which time Val was seriously considering calling it a day and just staying home. He felt a little sicker than he had when he woke up.
"Maybe I should drive," he suggested, as they climbed the stairs to his apartment. "I'm less likely to throw up."
"I'm not that bad," Aidan protested. "You're fine! You're a little green, but you didn't actually ralph in the car."
"Almost, though. And I'm green."
Kirk was home, sitting on the couch with his feet up on the coffee table, studying the three-ring binder that Val had learned was his bartending bible. He looked up as Val and Aidan came in, a question on his face that Val couldn't immediately decipher.
"How are you feeling?" Kirk asked, his expression now a cross between a smirk and honest concern. "You were really wasted last night. I didn't realize I'd bought you so many drinks."
"Me either," Val said. "I'm hungover but I'll be ok. I have to change my clothes. You can, um, I guess you can entertain each other." He shut the door to his room before Kirk or Aidan could say anything.
It felt good to put on fresh, clean boxer briefs and socks and a shirt. Val pulled the elastic out of his hair and combed his fingers through it. He needed to brush his teeth. Really needed to brush his teeth. He went through the apartment to the bathroom without stopping or even listening to whatever Kirk and Aidan were talking about - the zoo, possibly, or pancakes - so he could comb his hair, brush his teeth, wash his face, brush his teeth again, and feel like a human being and not death reheated on a low setting.
When he went back into the living room, Kirk was telling Aidan about his latest adventure involving a city bus, and Aidan was snickering. Val hoped Aidan hadn't mentioned they were on a date. He didn't think Kirk would really care one way or the other, but while Val himself was currently ok with it, he wasn't ok enough to start telling other people.
He was still half expecting to suddenly not be ok with it, anyway. Although if his behavior last night hadn't turned Aidan off, he wasn't sure what would. And there was always an outside chance that Val had just adjusted really well to dating two people who were dating each other. Stranger things had happened.
"Better?" Aidan asked, standing up. "Can we go now?"
"I brushed my teeth and changed my socks," Val told him. "I'm human again. I want to take a couple more aspirin and then we can go."
Some aspirin, his jacket, and they were gone.
The waitress at the IHOP didn't seem to believe Val that all he wanted was a glass of orange juice and maybe a cup of tea, but he politely insisted that he wasn't hungry and she finally gave in. Val felt a little ill watching Aidan drown his pancakes and sausage in two kinds of syrup, and shook his head no - twice - when Aidan offered him a bite.
"Are you sure?" Aidan asked. Val felt as if he'd been asked that a lot lately, along with "Are you ok?" The answers hadn't changed - yes he was sure, eventually he'd be ok.
"Do I look green?'
"Kind of."
"Then I'm sure."
"You're missing out." Aidan stuffed a forkful of pancake in his mouth. Syrup dripped down his chin. "They're good."
"Don't talk with your mouth full. And wipe your face."
"Yes mom." Aidan swallowed exaggeratedly, swiped his arm across his chin, licked the syrup off it, and grinned at Val. "I'm guessing you don't want to hang around for the lion feeding at the zoo, huh?"
"No."
"Bummer. It's fun to watch." He forked up half a sausage patty and bit into it. "I love this place. And we're continuing the traditon of pancakes on a first date."
"Does this mean I have to come here with Stella too?"
"I don't know what she's planning. Maybe. You'll have to eat something if you do."
"Well, I don't plan to drink like that ever again, so I don't plan to be hungover like this ever again, so it shouldn't be a problem."
"You're doing pretty well, actually. No puking, your color's good, you're awake, you're sitting in an IHOP watching me eat.... This could be so much worse."
"Yeah, I could be lying on your couch groaning in agony."
"And the only groaning you should be doing in my house is with pleasure." Aidan grinned wickedly and chomped down on a full fork of pancake. Val was pretty sure he was blushing, which was confirmed by Aidan's chuckle. "I tease you because it's easy."
"Thanks so much," Val muttered.
"Also because you're cute when you blush."
There wasn't really anything Val could say to that that would shut Aidan up, so he changed the subject.
"Do you have a first date zoo tradition too? We have to spit at the camels and make faces at the monkeys?"
"Insult the tigers' mothers. Tell the lizards they'd make great shoes. Admire the giraffes. You don't have any weird animal phobias, do you?"
"Jellyfish kind of wig me out. They're too... they don't have bones. It's weird."
"They don't have jellyfish. They don't have any fish."
"Then I'm good. I'm not afraid of the big lizards. Or the snakes. Or the camels."
"Tigers?"
"Lions and bears, oh my." Val grinned. Aidan grinned back. The day had started out badly, but it was definitely getting better.
The zoo was crowded - understandable, since it was a weekend and the weather was nice - and Val and Aidan hung around the reptile house a little longer than was strictly necessary, because Aidan wanted as few small children around as possible when he taunted the Komodo dragon. He got the cobra to spread its hood for him, which Val thought was kind of impressive.
"I'm showing off for my date," Aidan admitted, grinning, and Val rolled his eyes. "Are you impressed?"
"Very," Val deadpanned. "You couldn't even get the Komodo dragon to look at you. Why did you want all those kids out?"
"They look like lunch to him. They're small and tender. I'm stringy. Also, my legs are longer and I can run faster."
"The cobra can still kill you."
"I bet there's a little syringe of anti-venom in this place just to be safe. Let's go tease the camels."
The camels were apparently in hiding, though. Aidan looked honestly disappointed. Val suggested they go tease the tigers instead, and figured it was as good a time as any to tell Aidan that he was having a really good day, hangover and all.
"Oh good," Aidan said. "Because I was thinking after this we'd go back to the apartment, make out like horny teenagers, you could bend my legs - "
"Kids right behind you," Val hissed. "And some moms."
"You could bend my legs behind my ears and fuck me stupid," Aidan whispered in his ear. Val knew he was turning crimson. "Or you could let me do it to you."
"Not here."
"Of course not here. This is a public place."
"No, I meant don't talk about it here. I can't keep a straight face." And if you keep talking about sex I'll get a boner.
"Val, there's nothing straight about you." Aidan grinned and kissed Val so quickly Val could believe no one really noticed, and then they went off to find the tigers so they could make fun of their mothers.
words: 1558
total words: 50,147
![[identity profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/openid.png){kind=small}
no subject
Date: 2008-12-29 06:21 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2008-12-29 06:25 pm (UTC)And there is totally plot. It is plot of the 'internal complications' variety rather than the earth-shaking variety, but this does not make it not plot...
(sort of drills home the problem I'm having trying to cram so much into 10k or so, mind...)