dead_black_eyes: "Glory and Gore" (Glory and gore go hand in hand)
dead_black_eyes ([personal profile] dead_black_eyes) wrote in [community profile] savetheearth2015-01-28 01:31 am

I Guess That I Just Thought Maybe We Could Find New Ways to Fall Apart [Friday, January 23]

Who: Lazarus Lawliet and Cesar Sanchez-Ortiz
What: Lazarus and Cesar go out drinking and then back to Cesar's place to watch Star Battles, which Lazarus has never seen.
Where: Cesar's place
When: Backdated to January 23, Friday
Warnings: Slightly drunk people, highly suggestive content



The last time they'd been out drinking, it had gone surprisingly well, even despite the strange and stressful lead-up. It wasn't every night that detective work required breaking into a house just to confirm what a cursory glance at the extermination van in the driveway would have revealed, and there were few strains of embarrassment that could quite compare... but Lazarus had suggested drinking at a dive bar, Cesar hadn't turned him down, and the evening had taken a better turn, considering.

They both liked science, and had found way too many things to say about it over shots and copper mugs of vodka and ginger beer. Though they'd seemed an odd pair, when they let their guards down around each other, it turned out that Lazarus and Cesar actually had a fair deal in common, to the point where Cesar had been open to doing it again at a later point... minus breaking into his coulrodendrobibliophiliac neighbor's house, of course.

Lazarus had found himself looking forward to the event, even regretting that he'd suggested two weeks instead of one. In that time, he found himself sending Cesar a few links to articles in science journals that had piqued his interest, realizing that it ultimately gave them more things to talk about, and by the time Friday the 23rd did come around, he arrived at the same dive bar slightly early, ordered the first round of drinks, and from there, got happy-drunk while discussing topics they'd apparently only grazed while drinking a couple of weeks prior. They even managed to get to those articles; a few drinks in, Cesar had brought up "Star Battles" again, a film that he recommended to Lazarus weeks ago. What started as a joke turned into a serious (if tipsy) suggestion for the remainder of the evening, and they'd settled up their tab, grabbed their coats, and gotten a cab back to Cesar's apartment.

Now, Lazarus leans against the wall as Cesar fishes for his keys outside his apartment. "Admit it, Robert Bakker was onto something in The Dinosaur Heresies. I favor T-Rex as a predator, not a scavenger."

evowhisperer: (How about that)

[personal profile] evowhisperer 2015-02-04 08:42 am (UTC)(link)
'Sweet'? He's been a younger brother, before. He knows what it is to snatch something back up as soon as someone else is out of range, and maturity in letting things go is not something he's charitable enough to expect.

L laughs, and Cesar breaths out through his nose, giving a wan, halfhearted twitch of a grin. It'd seemed like a good idea at the time, hadn't it? Something to relax with, make everything easier as he spent an evening explaining Star Battles to someone like Lazarus? Well, 'explaining' certainly wound up not being a problem. What specifically does he remember?

He slices one hand with the other. {Some.} Thinking. A crude gesture that is unmistakeable, accompanied by a fleeting, unwillingly pleased grin. (Those were some memories.) A pause, and very slight headtilt.

{Everything important.}
Edited 2015-02-04 08:43 (UTC)
evowhisperer: ((Goatee) Gold eyes)

[personal profile] evowhisperer 2015-02-04 06:22 pm (UTC)(link)
He hesitates, before signing, {cream, sugar,} followed by putting two fingers a very small distance apart. He'd take it straight up black, if he thought he needed it, but he's hesitantly hoping that this morning will be less harrowing than the past ten minutes were.

He didn't miss the delighted smile, or how clearly L is trying to be a helpful guest. It's a little much, especially at this hour (morning? noon?) and this hungover, but the thought has to count for something, right? It does. At the very least they can make some kind of friendship work, and if there's anything else--they can see how that develops in an organic way, can't they? Their last night wasn't so bad. ... Okay, the last night was unexpected and completely wild, but it was fun, and not in any way forced.

Maybe they can do more things like that? Just--naturally?
evowhisperer: (Shocked)

[personal profile] evowhisperer 2015-02-05 06:52 am (UTC)(link)
Remember that bit about playing keep-away with his older brother? Cesar has appeared at L's side, and he snatches the book from L's hands, tired of being ignored. He keeps it open to the same page, scanning it--

... What?

He flips to the cover and snaps through the first pages, looking for identifiers, before darting back.

What?

No. Where did he get this? It looks like a handwritten journal, and his eyes fell across the same words L's did, catching highlights. Now he reads more carefully, trying to understand. He avoids the signature after the first time, turning briefly to L, accusing. Then he's back to the book, agitation worsening. None of this is true, he's trying to mentally insist it away. (The attempt fails.)

It doesn't make sense. He knew Chuck didn't have anything to do with his own crimes, so why does anything like this exist? Who wrote it? Worst of all, is there any chance in hell that it's remotely real? He doesn't want it to be, more than anything, but it's difficult to argue with the writing that's staring him in the face.

What's more painful: blaming yourself for some of the most horrible crimes you can imagine, or finding out that someone you thought you were protecting was undeniably involved in them?
evowhisperer: (Excuse me?)

[personal profile] evowhisperer 2015-02-06 04:50 am (UTC)(link)
{Did you write this?}

Cesar mouths the words while he signs, pointing sharply at the notebook. Then he opens it again, paging through it as though he might find some clue. Maybe there's a section where the handwriting shifts, or the contents turn to page-filling nonsense for the sake of appearances.

He finds none of what he's looking for, and his shoulders bow a little more.
evowhisperer: Made by Zalein (Blah blah blah this crap is important)

[personal profile] evowhisperer 2015-02-06 05:40 am (UTC)(link)
Lazarus knew he was right, but would have let Cesar keep his comfortable delusion. Had Cesar really been so naive? Cesar flips the book closed without prompting, and takes the other notebook out from the drawer he'd picked at random. The drawer gets closed back halfway, and Cesar makes to go past L to the kitchen door.

He doesn't want to deal with these right now. He'll handle this later, when he's not hungover and Lazarus isn't there.
evowhisperer: Made by Zalein (Strange)

[personal profile] evowhisperer 2015-02-06 06:32 am (UTC)(link)
Cesar hesitates. The fact that he wants to deal with this later hasn't faded, and after a few seconds he shifts a little to the side, reaching for L's shoulder. He won't push him out of the way, but he's hoping the neutral, unspoken cues will be enough.
evowhisperer: Made by Zalein! (That voice)

[personal profile] evowhisperer 2015-02-06 07:04 am (UTC)(link)
Cesar stills, grip on the notebooks tightening. 'Blank pages'? It's a nice sentiment, even bordering on cliche, but L has no idea what he's suggesting. There would be no 'together' in figuring anything out, even if there were really a 'together' in anything right now. Cesar would be lucky if L wasn't his judge and executioner by the time it was all over. He'd probably still get one sooner or later, or at least a well-deserved imprisonment.

He doesn't move closer this time, and he puts his free hand on L's wrist, pushing to one side. If it moves, Cesar will try to guide the rest of him that way, too. If it doesn't, it's still an answer.
Edited 2015-02-06 07:42 (UTC)
evowhisperer: ((Goatee) Small smile)

[personal profile] evowhisperer 2015-02-06 05:46 pm (UTC)(link)
The silence draws on, and as L argues with himself Cesar catches something that makes his eyes widen infinitesimally. He's seeing an option. He hesitates, realizing what he needs to do.

The touch to L's wrist changes, turning gentle, and to more of a resting motion. Cesar is standing closer than before, and his face moves level with L's, tilting ever so slightly. He's not lingering, but he's not going so fast that it looks like he's coming in for some kind of kill.

His lips press softly against L's.

It's a question without clear words, and he draws it out, moving the hand from L's wrist to cup the side of his face. The gesture stays closed mouth, and he tries not to breath morning-breath on his face. This isn't the start of something bigger, like before.

The kiss ends. Cesar doesn't step back immediately, but he's looking through half-lidded eyes to try to gauge L's reaction, and he needs enough room to sign.

{It's a journal from those months. Not all those secrets are mine, and I can't talk about them.}

It's the first step towards one more thing that's irredeemable, and he feels ashamed.
Edited 2015-02-06 18:08 (UTC)
evowhisperer: Made by Zalein! (Cool!)

[personal profile] evowhisperer 2015-02-06 07:13 pm (UTC)(link)
L's question simply gets another smile. Then Cesar lifts the notebook and points at himself and the doorway, as though he'd been trying to address his poor organization skills this entire time.

He doesn't give L a chance to respond. Cesar retreats from the kitchen, disappearing directly into a door around the corner. It's not one that's easy to see from the kitchen, and when Cesar returns a few seconds later, the notebooks are gone.
evowhisperer: made by Zalein! (You leaving bro)

[personal profile] evowhisperer 2015-02-08 06:48 am (UTC)(link)
By the time he comes back, he's changed shirts. He'll take a real shower after L has left, but until then, it serves as a cheap excuse for why he lingered so much in his bedroom (looking for a temporary hiding place), and it makes him feel a little less like he's suffering a dehydrated Morning After.

Breakfast and coffee are ready. The toast looks completely inedible, but the coffee tastes better than it usually does, and the gesture itself is oddly touching. He picks up both plate and mug and looks towards L, seeing if he has one of his own. If he does, Cesar will tilt his head towards the main room, where they can pull up chairs and eat over the papers scattered across the table. If L doesn't have a plate and mug, he'll put the plate back down as though he meant to all along, staying where he is.
evowhisperer: Made by Zalein (Strange)

[personal profile] evowhisperer 2015-02-12 07:31 am (UTC)(link)
Enjoying. How on earth is he going to discreetly dig through all the charcoal, if there's even anything left beneath it? Not for the first time, Cesar is grateful that L doesn't read faces well, or he might actually pick up on the strain in Cesar's smile.

He follows him into the main room. There's only so many places to sit, and after eyeing the cluttered table he makes for the couch. It's a little awkward to sit there, considering what they'd been up to last night, but he sips his coffee as though he doesn't notice, starting the brave task of facing the french toast.

(... Are those chunks even bread?)
evowhisperer: Made by Zalein! (Jar of dirt--oh wait it's nanites)

[personal profile] evowhisperer 2015-02-19 05:15 am (UTC)(link)
This entire morning has been extremely unkind to any feelings of security, trust, relaxation, and affection that Cesar might've had lingering from the night before. If anything, he feels like a beetle that's had to unfurl its wings suddenly, and is still in the process of trying to refold them.

Would he want to do a repeat of the night before? Well--it was fun, wasn't it? He doesn't remember all of it, and this morning was enough of a rollercoaster to make him think twice, but overall, everything went alright.

The plate is already resting across his thighs, so he drops the toast on it, freeing his hands for a single sign. 'Same'. It occurs to him that it might be too brisk, and he glances over, but saying anything else at this point would be stumbling and clumsy.