InsaneJournal

Tweak says, "Shake it, baby!"

Asher Bradley (en_bradley) wrote in enigma_rpg,
@ 2009-04-15 22:37:00

When: April 12, 2004 (Sorry, had to backdate due to family and work)
Who: Asher, Esme, and Charlie
Where: Charlie's place
Private/Public: Private
Rating: TBA
Summary: Any Easter celebration of friends.

Asher had, as promised, a salad and a dessert carefully shrunken into a bag on his arm. Esme hung on his other arm, seemingly torn between faint anxiety and excitement. She wasn't terribly big on meeting new men, especially wizards, though she'd gotten better the last several years, but she did want to meet Charlie, since Asher talked about him a lot these days.

Asher was looking forward to introducing his two favourite people to each other, and could only hope that they would get along smashingly. She knocked for him, since both his arms were currently occupied. She nervously smoothed back a blonde lock of hair, grinning up at him for reassurance which he returned with a grin of his own. With Esme, perhaps more than anyone, he was both physically and emotionally at ease. He had known her since they were both quite young, so he supposed it came with the territory.

"Hey mate," he greeted once they entered. "I brought food and the girl." He nudged his companion playfully with his hip as she rolled her eyes.

"I'm Esme," she said, offering her hand to him with a smile. Though not typically beautiful, she rather shone when she smiled, her blue eyes sparkling almost shyly.

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en_charlie
2009-04-16 02:36 am UTC (link)

Charlie had been cooking most of the morning, working in stages while he cleaned up the place a bit. It had been a busy week for him and it ended up with a lot of clothing strewn about the place, tea cups on all surfaces and a mountain of unwashed dishes.

The chicken was happily roasting in the oven and the potatoes were boiling in preparation for being roasted. He had just flicked the last piece of clothing into the hamper in his room when there was a knock on the door.

Charlie smiled as he walked across to the front door and pulled it open, the smile on his face widening. "Hey mate," he answered Asher's greeting and chuckled. "Which should I relieve you of?" he asked with a grin and a wink.

He took Esme's hand. "And I'm Charlie, but with the hair you don't have to guess the family name. Come in, please. We can drop that off in the kitchen and get some drinks." He led the way through to the kitchen and peered at the potatoes for a moment before turning back and pulling glasses from the cupboard and a bottle of wine from its bucket of ice.

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en_bradley
2009-04-16 03:08 pm UTC (link)

"You can take the food," Asher replied with a grin. "You already have a girl." Well, Esme wasn't his girl in that sense, but it made for a good tease as he held out the bag with the shrunken but under stasis food.

"Another Weasley," Esme replied with a smile. "Fortunately for my sanity, my year was relatively Weasley-free but for the occasional incursions of the twins." Her smile took a far-off sadness that she always got when she touched upon a reminiscence of the war. Given enough time, Charlie would probably find that out.

"It's a pleasure to meet you, Charlie," Esme said as they entered. "Asher's said a lot about you." A smirk curved her full lips that made Asher frown at her even as he perhaps pinkened slightly. "It's great to finally get to meet you."

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en_charlie
2009-04-17 08:13 am UTC (link)

Charlie laughed and took the bag from Asher. "Too bad she can't be here," he said as he let them inside.

"One of many," he quipped. "Sanity is overrated, but you have a valid point." He felt the familiar little pang of sadness when thinking about Fred, but he put it back in the box he kept it and paid attention to his guests.

"The pleasure is all mine," he said. "He's spoken of you often, including some allusions to potentially embarrassing stories." The last was said with a grin.

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en_bradley
2009-04-17 06:03 pm UTC (link)

"Yeah. Is she doing any better these days?" he asked. After all, even if a mostly-unacknowledged part of him was a little jealous of Penny, he liked the book owner and only wanted the best for her and Charlie.

Esme's smile grew more sly and she let go of Asher's arm to slip her hand into the nook of Charlie's elbow as they went further in. "Ohhh, the stories I can tell you, Charlie Weasley. You can't imagine what I've gotten this man to do through the years."

She looked back at Asher and winked, and he groaned and put a hand over his face. "Evil, evil woman. I've doomed myself," he complained loudly. "Why did I bring you here again?"

"Because you love me," she said prettily, fluttering her eyelashes at him in a manner Charlie might find familiar.

"No, I don't. Not anymore," he swore playfully, shaking his head and wandering toward the living room.

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en_charlie
2009-04-18 03:02 pm UTC (link)

Charlie nodded. "A bit unsteady on her feet still, but back at work. I've asked if she's got some work for Gabrielle, but she hasn't given me a definite answer. I hope to find out soon, the poor kid needs something to keep herself busy that does not involve looking after her sister's kids."

He leaned closer for a conspiratorial chat, grinning wickedly at Asher. "I believe there was make-up involved," he said with a laugh.

He chuckled as they bantered, the words sounding like a well rehearsed dialogue that implied it being uttered a lot during their friendship. He poured them each a glass of wine and they settled in the lounge in front of the fire. It was almost time for summer, but a fire in the evenings was still nice.

"So, what did you get up to for Easter so far," he asked, keeping the topic neutral.

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en_bradley
2009-04-18 03:31 pm UTC (link)

"I hope she'll finish getting better soon," Asher said. After all, Charlie probably wanted to bring her out and about and all that. He didn't rightly know if they'd been out on a date since the attack. "That sounds like a good idea, though being with her family is good for her too, I hope." Except for that grandmother of hers.

"There was," she replied with a wicked grin of her own. "See, I was a very uncertain child, and I made our Asher learn how to properly do things and teach me. That way, I knew I would be doing it right." She chuckled noticing Asher's slightly heightened color. "I had to practice on someone, now didn't I?"

"Don't believe a word she says, Chaz. She's lying, lying lying wench," he said, shaking his head at her.

"Gods, the holidays," Esme said with a groan, dropping onto a seat. "I swear, sometimes I wish they didn't exist. We have to set up the shop weeks and weeks in advance, and figure out a sale to do, and decorate everything." The complaints were good natured on the whole, though, and Asher made blah blah blah motions with his hands behind her back. "Asher told you, I have a little coffee and tea shop, yeah?"

"I worked for a few hours the other day and came home early. That's about the extent of my Easter before now," he said. "Besides buying chocolate, of course," he added.

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en_charlie
2009-04-19 12:34 pm UTC (link)

"I'm not sure what's lingering," Charlie confessed.

He sighed. "It's a bit of both - they're good but not all the time." He looked at Esme. "Sorry, we shouldn't be talking shop - it's rude."

Charlie chuckled at the story. "I think our boy doth protest too much," he aidto Esme, seeing the heightened colour of Asher's cheeks. He winked at Asher. "At least you got taught properly," he said.

He nearly choked on his wine as Asher mimed behind Esme's back and he shot him a warning look of amusement. "Well, holidays are your best times," he said. "We should drop in for one of the less hectic ones," he said to Asher. "I'd like to see the shop."

Charlie sank into the couch. "I had the usual dealings with the dragons, although this year they are much better behaved - no crises and I could actually enjoy today's peace and quiet."

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en_bradley
2009-04-19 03:13 pm UTC (link)

Esme flashed him a small smile. "No worries. Asher told me vaguely about that poor girl... I feel awful for her. I'm glad you're helping her out." Esme knew about needing help, but also about not wanting to take it.

"I know he doth protest too much. He was always such a good sport with me." She feel back to wrap her arms around Asher's middle for a moment, and he returned the hug with an ease he'd never shown around anyone else. "He never does anything by halves, so it always did get done right."

Asher simply smirked at him, unrepentent even when Esme reached casually back and smacked him. "You're welcome any time, even the hectic times," she told him truthfully. "Friend of Asher is always welcome." She waved her wine glass in emphasis.

"Dragon wrangling is a dangerous job," Esme observed with a half smile. "Though at least they're not as dangerous cruel as people." She shot Asher a darker glance that he ignored.

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en_charlie
2009-04-20 03:51 am UTC (link)

Charlie nodded at Esme's words. "I'm not sure where we are right now, but I'd feel horrible if I didn't support her through this time." He knew there was something that wasn't being said about Esme's reasons for leaving the magical community, but he wasn't going to push. He just knew it had something to do with the last war.

He smiled at Esme. "He is a good friend," Charlie said as he reached over to squeeze Asher's shoulder. "No half-measures with this one."

Charlie smiled. "Thanks, I'll keep that in mind. If you can supply me with my caffeine addiction I will be most appreciative. Freshly roasted beans is so much better than store bought stuff." He grinned at Asher. "Did he tell you that's how I apologized for knocking him on his ass in the Ministry's atrium? I fed him coffee."

He nodded. "That's why I prefer working with dragons. With them you know where you stand in terms of motivations... people are damned cruel." Charlie sipped his wine. "You know the invitation for a tour of the reserve is open if you want to take me up on it. Both of you."

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en_bradley
2009-04-20 07:21 am UTC (link)

"She'll appreciate it someday," Esme said, voice full of quiet sincerity. She reached out and touched his arm gently. "I promise." She figured Asher had probably sketched in some of the things that had happened during the war, though she knew he wouldn't have disrespected her privacy.

Asher colored even more and ducked his head, flattered. He wasn't used to being praised in such a manner. Esme wrapped her arms around him in a brief hug, obviously familiar with his moods.

"Thank the gods for him," she said simply.

"You know," she mused aloud, "someday I'm going to be arrested for feeding people's caffeine addictions. I feel like a coffee pimp," she said with a laugh, not bothered in the least by the fact. She snorted and shook her head. "No, but I doubt there was anything better you could have done," she told him.

"Amen to that," Asher said, echoed by Esme half a second later. Both had, in their own ways, been abused by the world.

Asher's eyes brightened at the offer, something that had been made before but now he definitely wanted a vacation of sorts--and even though he wasn't out of the UK, it would be something Different. Esme tilted her head, considering. "I'll have to think about it," she said apologetically, for the first time hiding briefly behind her blonde hair.

"I'd like to, sometime," Asher told him. He turned almost pleading eyes at Esme, taking her hand and wheedling. "You should come..." The air between the two was beyond siblings but not touching upon romance or sexual intimacy--perhaps once, Asher had considered it, but he'd never tried and she'd never tried and they had settled into this deep, comfortable relationship. "Tell her she should come, Chaz," he said, grinning at his friend beguilingly.

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en_charlie
2009-04-20 07:58 am UTC (link)

Charlie smiled his thanks at Esme.

"Amen," he said in response to Esme's words. He just winked at Asher for his discomfort. "Get used to it mate, we'll sing your praises as we see fit." He shared a smile with Esme. He was pretty sure she dealt with Asher's insecurities the same way he did... he didn't pay attention to them.

Charlie chuckled. "I don't think you can be considered a dealer with coffee. Though pimp is a more apt description. You should be wearing purple fur coats and have lots of rings on your fingers."

He smiled sadly at their affirmations to his statement. "Oh, you had better come for that tour, or I will not stop wheedling and nag you. I learned that from a professional... not to mention heaping guilt upon your shoulders for rejecting my hospitality, all the while crying big crocodile tears on Asher's shoulders." He grinned at his own picture he described. "You don't want to see me cry. I go all splotchy and red-eyed... not a pretty sight. It will scare dragons."

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en_bradley
2009-04-20 04:51 pm UTC (link)

Asher just mumbled something incomprehensible as his two friends ganged up on him. Charlie seemed to have the perfect way about him to be Asher's friend--blithely pushing past the insecurities as if they didn't exist. No wonder Asher got on so well with him. She heartily approved.

"Pimp, then." Her laughter rang with humor at his description.

"My friend, the pimp. Give it to me, luv," Asher said, rubbing his fingers together to demand she give over the coffee goods.

"Cheater," she muttered at Asher. Part of her, he knew, was reluctant to rejoin the wizarding world in more than the cursory ways with Asher. Another part longed for the life she'd left behind. "All right, all right, I'll go sometime," she gave in. "Can't have you soaking Ash's shirt, now can I?"

She got her revenge with the nickname. He glared at her and then gave a warning look to Charlie.

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en_charlie
2009-04-21 12:40 pm UTC (link)

"Pimp it is," Charlie said with a smile. "Expect purple fur in your future," he threatened with a smile. "Asher can buy you the jewelry."

Charlie nearly fell off the couch, laughing at Asher. "I'm pretty sure that isn't the universally recognized signal to give a pimp," he teased, "though since its coffee I think you're right." He sobered up a bit. "But seriously, Esme. I want to put in a standing order for some dark roast, please?"

He pretended not to hear her muttered accusation at Asher and grinned broadly when she agreed. "Excellent. I was going to conjure up absorbent shoulder pads for his shirts, but now I don't have to." He pretended not to see Asher's glare and got up.

"Just checking on the food and bringing the wine through," he said and disappeared into the kitchen to give the friends a moment to talk behind his back.

He took his time in checking the chicken and set the potatoes to roast, humming to himself as he grabbed the bottle by the neck and went back into the lounge.

"Miss me?" he asked as he took his seat again.

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en_bradley
2009-04-21 04:54 pm UTC (link)

"Bring on the bling, baby," Esme drawled and winked at him. "Though purple fur is so ... hm... old school? Let's go with animal print and I'll be purrrr-fectly happy."

Asher couldn't help but laugh because Charlie was laughing. One caused the other, it seemed, and his grin stretched broadly across his face. "Then enlighten me, oh worldly one, what sign should I use?"

"Certainly," Esme said, making a mental note of it. "Do you want to pick it up, or I can use Asher's owl to send it to you." This seemed to be a normal enough occurence, as Asher made no form of complaint or protest.

"Okies," she chirped as he went to the other room. She immediately slid over closer to Asher and lowered her voice a bit. "I definitely approve, luv," she told him quietly. "Best person you could have found for a friend."

He was both pleased and wary about the expression of approval. "But?" he said, sensing one lurking in the background.

"He's got a girlfriend," she said.

"I've noticed. It's not an issue."

She looked skeptical but smiled gently at him, leaning close to hug him. "I'm glad you have another friend," she said simply.

Asher grinned at Charlie when he came back in, relieved that the conversation with Esme cut off before it could get truly uncomfortable. "Desperately," he deadpanned. "Thought I'd die if you didn't get back soon." Esme giggled at his dry humor.

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en_charlie
2009-04-23 02:27 am UTC (link)

Charlie just chuckled at Esme. "We'll bling you up, baby." He raised an eyebrow. "Leopard or tiger?" he deadpanned, winking over at Asher.

He just widened his eyes innocently. "I don't have the faintest idea, I'm not that kind of guy." He'd never gone that route and wasn't planning on doing it soon.

Charlie set the timer for the potatoes before heading back to the lounge. Asher's answer made him raise an eyebrow while he refilled glasses all round. "If I had known that I would have rushed back. I'd have to get some absorbent shoulder pads for Esme and look all splotchy? I forbid you to die - I'm too pretty for that." He nudged Asher's foot with his before sitting down again.

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en_bradley
2009-04-23 07:27 pm UTC (link)

She tilted her head in thought for a moment, then grinned wickedly. "Zebra!" she declared with a laugh. "Or giraffe. I don't want to be predictable, after all!" She was such a cheeky little chit, Asher thought fondly.

"Well, some help you are," Asher groused. In all honesty, he wasn't that type of guy either--as evidenced by his awful continuing virginity. Though he'd had to deal with that sort of thing in a professional capacity, that and his personal life stayed eons apart.

Asher smiled and took a sip of his newly topped off wine. In a completely rare show of comfort and confidence, he tossed his head and smirked. "No, I'm the pretty one. You're the ruggedly handsome one and she's the beautiful one," he said rather archly.

He was rather pretty, considering he was male. He had fine features and his face was remarkably unmarred by scars, especially considering his profession. fIt just wasn't often he flaunted it or said bold things like that.

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en_charlie
2009-04-24 02:32 am UTC (link)

"Hmmm..." Charlie thought for a moment. "If we're going for unpredictable, do you want black and white or something more... exotic? Cherise and chartreuse?" He only knew the colours existed because an ex-girlfriend made an outfit of those colours one Halloween. And the sad thing was those colours would not be out of place for the wizarding world.

"Sorry, mate,' Charlie said lightly. "If I find out I'll let you know."

He stared at Asher for a moment, then looked at Esme just to make sure his ears didn't deceive him and then started laughing. "Merlin! The puppy does have teeth after all," he said in an aside to Esme. "But true. Being outdoors most of the time I guess I'll have to settle for the rugged thing. Esme, you are beautiful and our friend the peacock gets to be pretty." He prodded Asher with his toes.

Admittedly, Asher was very good-looking... pretty even by certain standards. Not that Charlie looked at things in that context, but if you thought about it, it was true.

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en_bradley
2009-04-24 05:01 pm UTC (link)

Esme blinked. "You know what cherise and chartreuse looks like?" she asked in surprise. It was rare to find a man that did, in this world or the muggle one. "We could try bright pink and blue..." she suggested.

Esme smirked at him as Asher spoke, confirming that he'd heard right. Her Asher did have a sense of humor and a bit of confidence, but only when he was with people he trusted absolutely.

"Every once in awhile," Asher said, feeling just a bit smug that he'd managed to catch Charlie so very off guard with his words.

"Ruggedly handsome is definitely a compliment," Esme assured him. Every once in awhile Asher could be quite brash, complimenting Charlie like that... but then, it just as obviously went over his head, so it didn't matter.

"So am I puppy, or a peacock?" he asked after a moment. "I can't be both, can I? That would just look weird, and I'm not that weird. I don't think?"

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