Day 328, Friday, November 28th

[papalobo]

[It's weird, to end up at a home that's not home. He's spent more time there than anywhere else this year, but that says more about his transience than anything. If told five years ago he would live such a lifestyle, he'd have believed that, but not the part about most of those multiple places being not just six but seven, eight figure abodes.

And yet it's Jessica's home (still probably the nicest one he'd lived in as an adult, before Ash swept in) they're doing Thanksgiving in. Maybe it's a fear of being upstaged on her part if it's in such a house; such a naive thought is, while unvoiced, just more proof of Ash's suspicions, that Max's mind is on something, something Ash had likely been trying to put his mind on for months. Because with even half of his braincells to put to it, he'd suspect the worst sooner.

It's not until they're pulling up to the house and there are two other cars there that he remembers the hell of Thanksgiving is not only family, but family you don't normally have to see. And thanks to Michael, Jessica's family is still his family.


And their ride is a taxi. It's not like they can turn around. Though Michael coming out to greet them right away in a hurried excitement would've made it impossible in anything.]

...Maybe she decided to start investing in cars. But not especially good ones. To be more undercover. As a journalist.

Day 375, Friday, December 14th

Comments

[papalobo]

I don't want revenge!

[jadedlynx]

You can't really think that I want you to be with somebody else.

[papalobo]

Inn't that what we came up with at your grandparents's place? So you can stop feeling like you did somethin' wrong.

[jadedlynx]

Giving you permission doesn't mean I want it to happen! Who'd actually want that?!

[papalobo]

[Who'd actually want that. That's a hell of a question to throw at the guy who's been telling, begging him to go ahead and indulge in the two who do cover things he can't.

He tries to nudge past to leave the bathroom, at least.]

[jadedlynx]

[ Maybe in this, Ash is more selfish. He doesn't want to see Max coming home, knowing where he'd been. Who he'd been doing.

Once there's enough distance, Ash sighs. It wasn't a complete failure. He managed to get some things from Max, and more emotion than he's seen in some time. No, with Max heading off to bed, he decides to actually finish off the bottle and maybe become as drunk as he's been playing since opening that second liquor. ]

[papalobo]

[Though he does't retreat to the bedroom just yet; the bathroom's just--while spacious for a bathroom--a cloistered place to have an argument.]

Then one less annoying job on my list.

[jadedlynx]

What other annoying jobs are on there?

[ Then his act is still on.]

[papalobo]

You'll find me some.

[jadedlynx]

If you're going to make me sound like such a nag, I'll find a sudden interest in keep all of the toilets clean.

[papalobo]

What would you call this, if not nagging?

[jadedlynx]

I've already told you; desperation. Nagging is too small of a word.

[papalobo]

What you're desperate for isn't me.

[jadedlynx]

Yeah, it is. It's not Eiji you. You can keep throwing out stuff you say worked and didn't work for me, but I'm the only one actually living up there.

You'd have more of an argument by saying it's not right for all of that to be on you. You'd be right. It's not your job to be that for me.

[papalobo]

Yeah. It is.

[jadedlynx]

Anybody would be worn down fighting for something, sometimes against the somebody they're fighting for. I get that.

[papalobo]

I knew what I was getting into when I made out with you.

[jadedlynx]

[ The grin is a little more playful with even a touch of sensuality as Ash pokes his chest. ]

Liar.

[papalobo]

We'd already been dating a while. Went to a gay bar 'n had a fight over some other guy there and everything.

[jadedlynx]

We've had our fights, but that wasn't one of them. You stopped me from doing something stupid.

[papalobo]

Meant the guy who wanted to buy you a drink.

[jadedlynx]

Foxx? That's one guy I should've let you punch.

[ Though the jealousy was fake at the time. ]

[papalobo]

Either way. I knew what I was getting into. I know what I've got myself in now. We can go around in circles a few more times, but it'll come out to: don't do anything inconvenient, but don't be so passive I feel bad about you changing either. Right?

[jadedlynx]

And if I say I just want the Max who was Max when we met, you won't buy that. The part that falls apart for me is why you think I started dating you if I didn't like that you.

[papalobo]

M'not him anymore.