Day 235 - Thursday, August 13th

[papalobo]

[...No answer? He waits.

Maybe he was insensitive with that one. But doesn't he have a right to protect his pride as someone who was dumped? He waits.

It's not like Ash is the only one he can't fuck. Blanca will come to mind as surely as Ash himself any time he tries not only with a partner (Haha. Ha ha ha ha. Real funny. Not into a humiliation kink so that ain't happening.) but even just trying to bust a quick nut to some porn or something. He waits.

He's done being gay, straight, anything. He's practically Eiji, now. He waits.

He waits, and he hopes Ash breaks off with Blanca, too. For such a sexy bastard, Ash leaves a lot of people in his wake Max is pretty sure will never fuck again. Eiij's not the best representative since he came in a virgin, but he's not a writer anymore, the details aren't so important. He starts to type a 'good night' that this time is properly, fully erased, and never sends. He sleeps.

By morning, Nima is up, showered, shaved, and going to pick up Max and the kitties because they're all going to have breakfast together. Ben doesn't quite think it's worth showing off with Ash's own cooking prowess, but the truth is he's a little proud of his capacity for pancake art cartoons and the fact that he can flip flapjacks really high in a pan. Rusty, for his part, is very proud of his ability to roll around in front of Ash and show off his stomach for pets.

When Nima returns with Max, she also has a very small parting gift, an oversized sleep shirt that reads 'World's Best Grandson'. It is just a sleep shirt, he's not expected to wear it in public but one can never have too many sleep shirts, she insists.

Rusty wants to smell the cats. Kuroneko is terrified of both the dog and his nose. Asher dutifully remains in front of Kuroneko and meows loudly in protest, which Rusty takes as a greeting and happily barks back. He tried to pull Ash to the cats, either because he thinks Ash needs to see them, or maybe because he wants Ash to take them out of the carrier so he can play with them. They are toys for him, right? Since he brought Ash his Santa last night?]

Comments

[papalobo]

I'll do the cleanup.

[The man who seemed determined to linger around him before agrees to stay put now in the kitchen.]

[jadedlynx]

[ The mood to show off the house is gone. All he did is not outlive a creep. What's worth showing off? But they knew he was okay, and that was enough.

Ash hopes painting can help the way reading sometimes can. ]

[papalobo]

[He has a lot of phone calls to make. He should start his own therapy. He should finish eating. He should... Just thinking of what to do makes him tired, though. It's a push to finish cleaning up after a basic sandwich lunch.

He had more energy broke in the summer Texas heat. Where was the relief, the sense that something was better for being with Ash when he pushed to manage to run after him, in the VA? How short lived.

So he goes to bed. The faster time passes, the sooner this new normal gets established, right? The sooner he can be used to this and move on.]

[jadedlynx]

[ There's a blond sneaking into his room within a couple of hours, just to be sure he's okay. Ash does understand that it's not as simple as their breakup.

... So maybe he needs to stop thinking he's the solution. Maybe he does need to have fun. Ash doesn't usually reach out to Max's friends unless Max is missing, but he'll do so before leaving. Max was back. They could come over and celebrate with him if they wanted. He'd even give him the address, something he's often secretive about. Ash warns him his mood isn't at its peak, but they could order pizza, bring some beer, and watch some movies or build a fire on the beach or whatever they used to do. ]

[papalobo]

My girlfriend is still pissed at me for not pressing charges or getting medical coverage.

If you're saying he needs a pick me up, I can try, but you know how it is with love. When someone's mad you have to let them have their way a while.

[jadedlynx]

I told you to get medical coverage. How much is it?

[ It's worth trying. ]

[papalobo]

I'll send the bill over. But if I tell her I'm going to see him again she's going to be mad.

[jadedlynx]

Forget about tonight. Just address the bill to me.

[papalobo]

How is he, anyway?

[jadedlynx]

[ Maybe Charlie has a better answer. ]

Back. He's asleep right now.

[papalobo]

If you're asking it's actually bad though, huh?

[jadedlynx]

It's been a while since he was able to hang out with his friends.

[papalobo]

Want the husband out of the house a little, is that it?

[jadedlynx]

I'm inviting you two over.

[papalobo]

The girlfriend who hates him, too?

Maybe she'll like him a little more now that he isn't threatening to make me infertile.

[jadedlynx]

No, you and Charlie.

[ Ash looks toward the door. Max needs something. With a sigh, he continues. ]

Does she like to shop? I'll give her a night out with her friends on me.

[papalobo]

Are things actually really bad?

[jadedlynx]

I'm not saying they're really bad. I'm saying it'll be good for him to hang out with some friends, and giving her some money can count toward the damages.

[papalobo]

It sounds like things are bad and you're really worried. She'll be even madder if I turn that down, but I was his partner for a while.

Being crippled could make even a guy like him break down. When he thought I was the one who hurt you, he might have said a little too much about the stuff he can't do anymore.

Considered a therapist?

[jadedlynx]

He's saying temporary stuff and pretending it's permanent. I'm not asking you to fix him, I'm asking you to come over and hang out with him.

[papalobo]

Easy request, then.

[jadedlynx]

I'll have some cash to pass over to your girlfriend.

[papalobo]

[He does end up scanning in a medical bill for x-rays, for a crown on a cracked tooth, for pain killers.

It feels mean to do to the kid who was raped, but Ash did offer.]

[jadedlynx]

[ Depending on Charlie's answer, Ash will order pizzas and wings and get some alcohol delivered accordingly. He'll also take Max's pain meds so he can't take one before it's time for the date Max isn't aware of having. After a few more preparations, he wakes Max roughly 10 minutes before they're set to arrive. ]

[papalobo]

[Max has historically been very easy to wake; usually just Ash getting up for the bathroom or an earlier morning commitment is enough to have his eyes flutter open before determining there's no need to be awake and going back down. It takes some nudging now, and he's groggy.]

Ash...?